#captain was initially my fave but that’s definitely changed

[rennyrose]

I just saw ur big guy with smoochable stubble post and I very shyly wish to present to you Alexander Anderson from Hellsing (vampire gun and murder show) who's a fucking lunatic of a priest that kills monsters while laughing hysterically and he's like 10ft tall and can make big knives appear somehow

Awe yisssss I am Very Aware of Alexander Anderson - deceitfully smoochable gentleman that I would have lined and colored Until My Tablet Cable Croaked a few minutes ago 😭

Please forgive me and the lacking of new art for a bit

[hellsitedotcom]

### Genshin Women & How They Kiss ###

Featuring Xilonen, Arlecchino, Clorinde, Beidou, Navia, Furina & Dehya.

warnings: none; took me a while to decide and the characters 'cause I didn't want it to be too many - if a 2nd part is wished for, I'll write another.

english isn't my native language!

quite happy with how the first patch with my fave men went, so...let's see about this one; bone app the teeth.

XILONEN

Lazy kisses. Lazy kisses. LAZY KISSES. How do I even describe that, hold on...

She's...extremely casual and laidback when kissing you. Like, it's as easy as breathing to her, and she's so...unafraid of it, so sure of it all that's it has basically become just an "everyday thing" to her.

You know, when someone does something so often, that they start doing it without thinking? There is no hesitation in doing it, no overthinking, nothing? It just happens as if it is a normal part of your existence, your every day? That's how Xilonen's kisses are.

Lots of sleepy kisses while cuddling! She's definitely the sleepier one during those cuddles, and not necessarily always the one who initiates a kiss, but this is the perfect time for some soft make out sessions.

All her kisses are more on the soft and gentle side, I'd say. She's not wild, not hungry/fiery, nor is there that "extreme passion" to her kisses. They are...well, normal kisses, really.

She's definitely more focused when you're alone, in private. Then you'll certainly have her attention whenever she kisses you, but it doesn't change much in the way she kisses.

ARLECCHINO

Oh, our beloved Knave. So...strict, isn't she? Showing her love in her own ways - and I guess that also includes her love for you.

I'd certainly say that, despite what people may think, I do see her as someone who shows her love through kisses, also. Not only, of course, but compared to other characters, I can see her be someone who engages in more...intimate behaviors with her lover.

Her kisses can wary, depending on her mood, the situation, and other "important" factors. But, what they all have in common, they clearly convey love, even if Arlecchino's expressions do not.

You will rarely see her smile or laugh when she kisses you - you'll get used to that stern, stoic, for some people even cold look she constantly carries with herself. But despite that expression, her kisses are genuine and warm.

They aren't too frequent, and often she keeps them behind closed doors. She's not hiding your relationship, but she is merely not a fan of sharing certain details with the entirety of Tevyat.

She's the kind for goodbye kisses, kisses when you reunite again, goodnight kisses, etc. Quite...formal, or traditional? Pardon me, my english is failing me there.

CLORINDE

My initial thought was, that she could be on the more...nervous side of kissers; rarely initiating despite the desire to do so, nervousness and excitement with every kiss she gets to share with you.

She adores you; some people would roll their eyes at how lovesick she is, her eyes filled to the brink with adoration and unconditional love.

And that love is felt in each kiss - the quick kisses on your cheeks, the slow kisses on your lips, the reassuring kisses on your shoulder and hands: In all of them.

I've mentioned it in the first point: She's not necessarily an initiater, at least in public. PDA does make her...nervous, but in a positive way? She never knows what to really do, stumbling over her own words after you kiss her.

She's...a little more confidant in private, where she initiates kisses herself. She loves just holding you in her arms while kissing you - physical touch is a must when she kisses you in private.

There's a part of me that also argues she'd be a confident kisser, but I'd say that might happen after years into the relationship. I'd...I dunno, I prefer a nervous, excited Clorinde. But everyone has their own interpretations, after all.

BEIDOU

My wif- I mean, Captain Beidou! I'm sure Ningguang knows better than I how she kiss- *Jade Chamber falling sound*

Anyway, affection all the way. Except for in serious situations. But other than that? Good lord, Beidou does not shy away from showering you in kisses, be it in public or private.

She's a playful kisser most of the time. Quick kisses, multiple kisses, suddenly pulling you into a deep kiss. Just someone who is really confident, secure, and unafraid.

In public, she's definitely more of a tease. As mentioned above, lots of playful kisses. Or, kisses to piss of people around you for whatever reason - that is for you to interpret as you please!

In private, she keeps her teasing and playful attitude most of the time, but when the times call for it, she can be calm, genuine, and serious about you.

Those kisses? They melt you. There's a promise in them, a confession, an unwavering devotion. She'd go to the ends of the world for you, and those kisses proof it. They are slow and gentle, a constract to her playful pecks.

Does kiss your hand/palm a lot, too - say when helping you onto the Alcor, or up/down a pair of stairs, etc., but she definitely prefers kissing you on the lips.

Honorary mention that she's definitely the kind of person to press her forehead against yours!

NAVIA

She's so *makes kissy noises at her*, ourgh, I love women. Anyways, headcanons, focus. I'll call her love that innocent, exciting teenage love those Hollywood movies claim exists. /j

Seriously, she's so excited and ecstatic anytime she spots you. I mean the kind of excited where she can't stop smiling, making people wonder if her cheeks hurt from how much she does it.

Once again, someone who has absolutely no problem kissing you at all times, during all sorts of situations. The...way she kisses you obviously changes, just as the intensity or emotion behind the kiss does.

When she's happy and excited - which is the most common case when she is around you - there'll be lots of quick pecks, showering your face in kisses, random pecks on the cheek mid-walk, etc.

When she's more emotional, she'd rather just seek comfort in your embrace, though she will reciprocate all of your kisses. They'll be more slow, more gentle, almost careful given Navia's...fragility...during those situations.

When her emotions aren't caused by to herself/her own life, but by e.g. worry for you, you will also find her be a slow, gentle, almost hesitant kisser. But here, she'll be the one initiating them again.

Her love really just...makes me think of that highschool sweethearts type of love, I dunno.

FURINA

First thought was - as with Navia - someone who loves you so innocently, so excitedly. Laughing and smiling anytime she just looks at you, unable to stay away from you (not in an unhealthy way).

Oh, how she adores you. She's endearingly dramatic about it, recounting stories of your adventures together a dozen times while you shower her in quick pecks. She's definitely more a talker than a kisser.

Furina loves randomly grabbing your hand and kissing it, before entwining your fingers and pulling you toward your next grand adventure together.

God, she is so full of life and excitement whenever she is with you. You bring her to life, and you feel it in each kiss she gives you. Her kisses are full of energy, passionate in that exact way.

She prefers kissing your lips, too, though when it comes to you kissing her, she prefers when you shower her face in dozens of quick kisses.

Always - and I repeat always - giggling after kissing you, no matter when or where. She's so deeply in love with you, she wouldn't know what to do without you.

I want to go on forever about how she loves you...how she starts telling stories of your love in her fancy, dramatic way, always smiling and giggling while she thinks about your life together.

DEHYA

Have I mentioned that I love women? God, I love women. Yeah, Dehya, such a gentle lover...a protective, caring lover...she's devoted to you, everyone can tell.

She's among the people that do not mind public displays of affection. She'll hold your hand in public, have an arm around your waist sometimes, but also: She does not mind kissing you in public.

It's something she does casually, when she feels like it. Though, most of the time, her kisses follow after praise, or after you hadn't seen each other for a few hours.

She's not extremely frequent with them, but her kisses aren't rare either. An everyday occurance, definitely. Morning- and goodbye kisses when you separate for the day have become part of your daily routine.

She's a gentle kisser. She's not the biggest fan of quick, fleeting kisses, but whenever she's in a rush, she'd rather give you a fleeting kiss than none at all. But, she prefers if they last a few seconds longer.

Also someone who loves kissing while cuddling. From those normal, gentle kisses to slow, sensual kisses. She can definitely be passionate, but never "hungry" or aggressive. A gentlewoman, if you may.

When she's extremely emotional - be it anger, sadness, worry, etc. - she's...not someone who conveys those emotions in kisses. She's more distant when it comes to intimacy in those situations, though she opens up about her emotions and talks about them, and she'll not pull away when you try giving her a comforting kiss on the cheek or forehead.

[Genshin Men & How They Kiss]

[alternatemann]

Alright, for mine since I only answered one in my initial post:

Favorite AU/What if: The problem is there are so many good ones but I've actually written part of an AU where Vash warned the federation about the dominion so I geuss that one. I also like imagining if Tasha survived or generally any AU where crew compositions get changed

Lower Decks: I definitely agree with Garak/Bashir, both to see them together but also see how they're doing, maybe see a bit of cardassia.

Don't want to be canon: Honestly, I respect spirk, I like a lot of the fanart but I wouldn't trust the snw writers with it at all

Fave Captain: As I said before, probably Sisko but if it was just their speeches, Picard.

I need to distract myself from a lot of stuff so have some random Star Trek questions:

Favorite AU/What if?

If you could have one character appear on Lower Decks, who would you want?

Is there an idea you like but would not like to be canon?

And just for fun, favorite captain? (Mine is probably Sisko)

[swga-ficrecs]

june 2021 recap

ahh june was a really fic-filled month!!! i used to be a silent reader but then i realized that it’s hard to go back to the fics i really liked reading since i had no way of finding them except for remembering key words and googling the shit out of it lol so!!! i thought of doing a monthly recap of all my favorites in addition to the fics i like and reblog. thank you to these wonderful authors who just write pure magic  ✨

🏆 holy grail  |  ☀️ fluff  |  🌧 angst  |  💋 smut.

fave authors

🏆 @minyoongijjangjjangmanboongboong

HOLY GRAIL AUTHOR!!! Loved a lot of their series because of the tropes and the plot. I’ll definitely come back to their fics in the future for another binge reading session

@taecalikook

Really loved their fuckboy trope fics. Has a few unfinished fics I’m excited to binge read once they’re completed

🏆 @gukyi

Discovered their work back in 2017? Really loved IGYMH and reread their masterlist this month

@ve1vetyoongi​

All I can remember is the ending of Mic Drop and I can’t  😭 I’m really excited for their unfinished fics!!!!

fave fics 

Arranged by @.minyoongijjangjjangmanboongboong 🏆 ☀️ 🌧

Pairing: chaebol MYG x student reader

Y/N is a struggling student in Seoul: working multiple jobs, living in a broom closet apartment, and often sacrificing her dignity for the sake of her livelihood. What happens when a handsome stranger presents her with an offer she cannot refuse at the moment she needs it most?

Dissonance by @.minyoongijjangjjangmanboongboong  🏆 🌧 ☀️

Pairing: bassist KTH x student / band manager reader

Y/N is a struggling student in Seoul: working multiple jobs, living in a broom closet apartment, and often sacrificing her dignity for the sake of her livelihood. What happens when a handsome stranger presents her with an offer she cannot refuse at the moment she needs it most?

The Parting by @.minyoongijjangjjangmanboongboong  🏆 🌧 ☀️

Pairing: flower shop owner PJM x reaper reader

The only certainty in life is death, and it seems to follow Park Jimin. All his life, the icy shadow of death has hung closely by his side, along with the shadow of…something else. Reapers exist to guide the souls of the living to the world beyond. But what happens when a particular Reaper tampers with the natural order and saves a mortal boy’s life? What will they do once their fates become inextricably linked?

From Home by @gyukult  🏆 ☀️ 🌧

Pairing: chaebol JJK x reader

jungkook is the youngest of five boys, the last in line to truly inherit any his parents’ money. but what if his mom suddenly cuts him off due to his current poor behavior and he’s forced to learn how it feels like to be part of the working class?

(Not) Just Friends by @.taecalikook  🏆 ☀️ 🌧

Pairing: Bestfriend / fuckboy / fratboy JJK x reader ft. KSJ 

Befriending the fuckboy with devilishly handsome face and emotional capacity of a pea is not your choice, especially when you met him when you were in fifth grade, attracted for the unhealthy vermilion shaded face of the nerd he was that fateful day. So was Jungkook, as he is already putting strictly platonic label on your forehead and calls it a day. But it is only a matter of time before everything changes, and it only takes a frat party, lots of booze and… a certain Kim Seokjin.

Partiality by @jiminimoon  🏆 🌧

Pairing: Husband PJM x reader

You and Jimin argue about your kids not loving you two equally

Brown-eyed Baby by @jeonstudios  🏆 ☀️ 🌧 💋

Pairing: Single Parent JJK x reader

a lost child at the mall. eyes from a different time.

I’ll Give You My Heart by @.gukyi  🏆 ☀️ 🌧

Pairing: CEO bestfriend MYG x reader

gift exchanges are cool. gift exchanges with your ceo-slash-best friend min yoongi are less cool, because what the hell are you supposed to get the man that already has everything?

The Truth Between Us by @.gukyi and @jimlingss   🏆 ☀️ 🌧

Pairing: Editor MYG x reader

a book deal should be the most exciting time of your life, but there seems to be a constant and omnipresent damper on your mood in the form of a certain min yoongi, who you would just cut out from your life, if he weren’t your editor. but then, the world shifts beneath your feet, and you begin to wonder if maybe you’ve always been looking at life from the wrong angle.

Love is Blind by @cinnaminsvga 🏆 ☀️ 🌧

[Final] Pairing: Fake boyfriend KNJ x reader

social media au where y/n posts a fake boyfriend application on twitter as a dare but ends up seeking something real in the long run (aka how to fall in love the zillennial way)

Love Grows Where You Go by @hueseok 🏆 ☀️ 🌧

Pairing: Fiancé MYG x reader

determined to make you and yoongi grow closer for your upcoming wedding in two weeks, your parents plan a trip for the both of you that lasts five days long. you know you should be ecstatic about it, considering your longtime crush on your fiancé, but by how you’re positive that he secretly despises your whole being, you don’t find this mini vacation with him something to look forward to. that is until things take an unexpected turn and suddenly, he makes it apparent he doesn’t hate you at all as you reckoned.

Give Me Love by @.hueseok 🏆 ☀️ 🌧

Pairing: Lawyer boyfriend KNJ x reader

you’ve been in a relationship with your boyfriend for over five years now, yet the talk of marriage has never been initiated between the two of you. of course, you try to somehow squeeze it in from time to time, but it seems like no matter what, namjoon just won’t take the hint

Cornfields and Cosmos by @jessikahathaway ☀️ 🌧 💋

Pairing: Alien MYG x reader

Cornfields: He was an alien. You were a girl. Can I make it any more obvious? Probably. It’s the one where Yoongi’s a cold alien that needs love too.

Cosmos:  Yoongi and you had been travelling together for a long time. You’d begun the terrifying journey of becoming parents. When a new person arrives in a way you didn’t expect, you and Yoongi’s relationship is sent into a tailspin.

The Art of Craving by @venusiangguk  ☀️ 💋

Pairing: Single parent DILF JJK x reader

jk takes you to a bbq at his friends house. the tri-tip is good but the creampie is even better.

fics to i’m waiting to finish before binge reading

What we are not ; Soulmates by @.taecalikook

Pairing: MYG x reader x KTH

you love yoongi with all your heart throughout these five years being in a relationship with him. you always thought he is the one — your one, even when the infamous soulmate signs are still not showing. yet you always wait, because you know it’s him you are destined to be with, forever. but what would happen if then his childhood best friend comes along, with the universe-signed telltales that you have been looking for true love in all the wrong places?

When the sea sleeps by @.taecalikook

Pairing: KSJ x reader

marriage should be based on love, but it’s not really the case with you and Seokjin. what’s more beneficial than two person who sworn off romances to get married out of obligation, right? but you should have known better, that keeping your heart straight from wanting someone like Kim Seokjin is next to impossible.

After Midnight by @.gyukult

Pairing: JJK x reader

jeon jungkook only likes seeing you after midnight.

Better With You by @ve1vetyoongi

Pairing: KSJ x reader

A part time job as a chef at Paradise Resort seems like the perfect way to spend your summer and save up some spare cash to open your own restaurant back home. That is until you cross paths with the CEO’s son who threatens to fire you if you don’t help him inherit his trust-fund-baby-fortune. How? By making you his fiancé. Well, his pretend fiancé at least.

Operation: Love Letters by @.ve1vetyoongi

Pairing: OT7 x reader

When every student on campus is going crazy about a survey that claims to make true love bloom, your best friend manages to convince you to join in on the fun — except you’re disappointed to find out that your results just seem to be lost causes. That is until a love letter from a mysterious secret admirer turns up and you find yourself on a mission to find the person behind the pen — but you quickly realise it’s going to be a lot harder than you initially thought when you have 7 possible bachelors to investigate, right? Operation: Love Letters a-go!

Remember Me by @.ve1vetyoongi

Pairing: OT7 x reader

Taehyung wants to be forgotten. Overwhelmed by his life as idol persona V, he longs to just be Kim Taehyung for once. Even if that means forgetting everything he ever knew

🏆  The Prince and His Rose by @vanaera

Pairing: Football player / Childhood bestfriend JJK x reader

Drabble series of “For a While”

The Heart Holiday by @.vanaera

Pairing: MYG x reader

Valentine’s Day is declared as an official holiday. However, private companies’ standards dictate it’s only for the people who are currently in a relationship. Unluckily for Y/N, she doesn’t have this year’s PRS’ (Proof of Relationship Status) “in a relationship” box ticked – the only ticket out she can have to enjoy one paid week of holiday leave away from her hellish job. And more unfortunately for Y/N, everyone around her is oh so conveniently currently committed in a relationship. Except for one person: Min Yoongi, Y/N’s biggest critic in every pitch meeting, the picky guy who always picks on her, and the most annoying jerk of the century. Desperate for that holiday leave, Y/N strikes Yoongi up with an offer: Fake date each other two weeks before February 14, just enough time for the Department of Relationship Management (DRM) to consider processing their PRSs. After Valentine’s Day, they will go back to their own ways and never speak about whatever that may happen during the plan. Good, plain, and simple. That is until, Yoongi uncharacteristically oh so enthusiastically agrees to Y/N’s offer, leaving her thinking that she may have bitten something too much more than she can chew.

My Time by @.vanaera

Pairing: JJK x reader

A future technology allows cops to jump in the past and future to investigate crimes that have happened and prepare for those that are about to happen. A simple hit-and-run turns into something more when Captain Jeon Jungkook finds himself as the victim of a culprit who cannot be identified by the system. Especially when the culprit seems to be the same person behind the new case that’s threatening the order in the justice organization. All goes haywire when Jungkook gets involved with Y/N L/N, the clairvoyant sketch artist who may be his only help to solve the case.

Lost Stars by @.hueseok

Pairing: JJK x reader

the last person you’d expect to be there for you is your roommate, jeongguk, on the night you break up with your cheating boyfriend; because as far as you’re concerned, the both of you aren’t exactly friends, and he definitely shouldn’t be running to get you upon hearing you sob via phone call.

so when he does, you begin thinking that maybe you’ve just been hard on him over the years, or perhaps he just liked pretending to be an annoying shit most of the time. either way, it becomes the beginning of an unexpected friendship finally blossoming.

Dexterity + Stupidity by @.hueseok

Pairing: JJK x reader

a drabble series that features surgical intern!jeongguk x surgical resident!reader as they go through their odd senior-junior relationship, obviously having the hots for each other and yet, frustratingly goes into twists and turns in order to properly act on it.

Crimson Grail by @.jessikahathaway

Pairing: MYG x reader

There were tales of the famed pirate Min Yoongi, Captain of the Crimson Grail. However, one meeting with him is hardly ever enough… One taste of adventure, and you were addicted.

Baby Talk by @.jessikahathaway

Pairing: PJM x JJK x reader

Jimin and Jungkook had been trying to get a surrogate for years. Finally when you agree to help them, their dreams seem to be coming true. But, dreams change…

Vegas, Baby by @.jessikahathaway

Pairing: KTH x reader

They say what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. What happens when there’s a little more legality to it than that?

Taming the Beast by @.jessikahathaway

Pairing: KTH x reader

You were the next in line to be the head of your village, when your mother gave you to the enemy to save your people from merciless slaughter. What happens when they try to Tame a Beast?

Owner by @.jessikahathaway

Pairing: JJK x reader

With your mother hounding on you (no pun intended), you decided to get a little help from a hybrid, who was also in need of assistance.

If Only You Knew by @agustdakasuga

Pairing: BTS x reader

From the start, you knew you wanted to be a hybrid rehabilitator. You needed to help these hybrids heal, learn to live with one another and lead normal lives. Even if they are all different, you hoped that they could give each other a new reason to live.

[husbandograveyard]

Hey, thanks for the very on point hc on Soi Fon! Speaking of powerful bleach women, I was wondering can you do also general hc for characters who have someone very close to them died like , Isane after Yachiru/Retsu died, Orihime after Sora died and Rangiku after Gin died? Tysm! You are an amazing writer!

Hiya anon! I tried contacting you through this post, but I think you might have missed it. Anyhow, it kind of explains why I am only doing ⅔ of your request instead of all 3. I am glad you liked the Soi Fon headcanons! Like I said, really love me the bleach ladies. Gin & Rangiku are 2 of my fave characters so that part of the ask broke my heart a little! I hope you enjoy these headcanons as well, I enjoyed writing them! Much love!

Dealing with Grief HC - Orihime & Rangiku 

Orihime 

She has her shrine, where she puts up a picture, recounting memories and praying every single evening. 

Talks to Sora every day, tells him about her day at his shrine. 

Makes him his favorite food once a week to put next to the shrine, gets the most beautiful flowers and candles. 

Doesn’t touch his room at all. It’s to painful for her to move stuff or change things up, and she’s definitely not ready to throw things out. 

She is someone who deals with her grief by herself. She doesn’t want to be a burden towards others, doesn’t want to be seen as weak. And thus, she will always be smiling whenever she’s around people. 

At school, at work, barely anyone will notice something is wrong, but you can see it in her eyes: she’s not really there. Thinking about something else, someone else. 

It would take a lot for her to finally break down. The most obvious sign that something might be wrong is just the fact that she misses a couple of school days, or is eating a little less, as she figures out how to go on about her day, as she learns how to do everything by herself. 

Initially pointing it out will earn anyone a smile and an “oh don’t worry about that / me, everything is all right, just a little tired / stressed about a test” 

If you want to know you’ve got to be close and push on a little. Visit her home and ask about the shrine. 

A good cry is all she needs to feel the weight lift off her shoulders and make the burden less.

She’ll talk about her brother to those that know about it, sometimes somberly, but usually fun memories, grateful for the time she got to spend with him and laughing about the funny and good memories. 

She heals surprisingly fast from the initial heartbreak but will carry him and his memory with her forever. Even if she decides to move, there will always be a little shrine dedicated to Sora. 

Rangiku 

With Rangiku, it’s not like she wants to keep it to herself. But Gin was never very loved, even as a Shinigami before the big betrayal, and she had to disguise her feelings back then as well. 

The moment he died, they were on a battlefield, still so very much at stake, there was only little time to actually grieve. 

Once everything settles in again, she desperately tries to get herself back into the groove. Working hard when needed, goofing off the rest of the time (Much to the Captain’s dismay) 

But she cannot lie to herself for too long, and whenever she sees something that reminds her of him, the happy-go-lucky demeanor goes away for a second, and you can bet she’s crying that night in the privacy of her room. 

She drinks some evenings away, and now getting drunk is more of a gamble: she’s a goofy yet emotional drunk so on good days she’ll be the usual lazy loudmouth, but a bad day makes her a bit of a mess, and Izuru and Hisagi nor Toshiro will know what to do with her. 

The grieving process takes much longer, just because she has no real outlet for it. Training, teasing the captain, hanging out with the women’s association... there’s plenty of things she can do to get her mind off of it, but it just gets harder when she is alone. 

So she tries to spend as much time as possible with other people (and falls asleep on the couch in lil’ Shiro’s office more often) just to not get plagued by bad feelings. 

Of course, time heals all wounds, and it definitely gets better after a while. The first few weeks are the worst, after that, the flashback-filled nightmares become less frequent. 

She knows he’s done this all out of love, and he’d be teasing and scolding her for not living on as if he was nothing if he could see her like that. 

In the end, it’s special dates that are difficult. But she’ll get through it, and knows to surround herself with her friends on days like that to keep her mood from dropping. 

[absynthe--minded]

B, L, M, X? wanna do some positive ones

B - A pairing you initially didn’t consider but someone changed your mind

gonna go with Star Trek for this one bc the only Silm pairing that meets that criteria really is Silvergifting, only I don’t really positively ship Silvergifting it’s much more ��this happened but I don’t think it was healthy”

so!

I have to give credit to @narwhalsarefalling for reblogging a lot of Data/Geordi art and meta, because that’s a pairing I never considered and I kind of love it. Data’s ND icon status + Geordi’s blindness mean that they’re sort of the dream team of disability rep for TNG, especially since they are both definitely impacted by their disabilities and have to either find ways around them or use adaptive devices, but that’s not why I love them? I love that Data very obviously loves and cares about Geordi, and works to include him in the life he lives, and I love that Geordi genuinely sees Data as a person to the degree that having to do any kind of maintenance at all on his friend is unsettling and upsetting. Also I think they have some of the best episodes in the show, and frankly, anybody who’s willing to LARP Holmes and Watson more than once is very much Not Straight.

L - Say something genuinely nice about a character who isn’t one of your faves (chars you’re neutral on are fair game, as are chars you dislike)

I do actually think that the fact that Maeglin became head of his own House and was remembered for being charismatic and attractive says a lot about his desire to heal and grow, and how he got along with the people around him. That’s all I can say, really, but I do genuinely think that.

M - Say something genuinely nice about a ship that you don’t ship (or its shippers, or anything related to you)

I’m not a J7 shipper despite Voyager being my favorite Trek and Janeway being my favorite captain, but, I have to say, J7 fans are some of the best people in fandom. They’re kind, and enthusiastic, and dedicated, and they’ve carried the flame for like 20 years. You go, guys.

X - top 5-10 characters who are yoUR PRECIOUS BABIES AND YOU WILL DIE DEFENDING THEM

Findekáno

Susan Foreman

Julian Bashir

Christine Daaé

Sarah Williams

Frodo Baggins

Keladry of Mindelan

Irene Adler (book version specifically)

Dejah Thoris

Enjolras

[reliablejoukido]

some Digimon-Hogwarts AU headcanons

I thought I had written these down somewhere in the past, but I can’t find them. In any case, here are some Hogwarts/Wizarding World headcanons I have for the Chosen Children. Some of these Patronuses are gonna be way too obvious, but whatever. It’s still fun to think about how they would materialize. Also I am only familiar with HP canon from the original books & films, and whatever I find on the HP wiki. I have NOT read Cursed Child or seen anything related to the Fantastic Beasts canon. So this AU is under the assumption the Chosen Children live in the British Isles and go to Hogwarts.

If anyone has any thoughts (or links to other posts about Digimon Patronuses), I’d love to hear them. I’m curious if anyone has any ideas on what kinds of happy memories might conjure their Patronuses. Also feel free to add non-Adventure Digimon characters to this list. Anyway, see under the cut:

Taichi - Gryffindor. Tyrannosaurus Patronus. Apparently in the wizarding world, extinct animal Patronuses are super rare. But Taichi’s inner courage is something special, and I think having a special Patronus fits. Like, the kind of Patronus that would end up in updated textbook saying “first recorded person with dinosaur Patronus!”. Anyway, Taichi is Gryffindor and also definitely Quidditch Captain and his position is Beater. Because he’s Captain, Taichi is always hanging out in the Prefects’ Bathroom with Yamato and Sora (who are Prefects). He’s a proponent of peace and diplomacy in the Wizarding World, and it would be interesting to know what happens in Taichi’s life that makes him want to become Minister of Magic.

Yamato - Slytherin. Grey wolf or a Siberian husky. Even though Yamato is closely associated with wolf imagery, but I think a dog’s level of friendship with humans fits Yamato’s Patronus a little more. I kind of like the idea of Yamato working to be a registered dog Animagus. what if Yamato is a werewolf JFC that’s probably too much but lol what if he’s a werewolf and he assumes his family separated him from Takeru as children because of it. Anyway, Yamato is a Slytherin. He’s cunning and independent and he also knows exactly who his true friends are. Yamato is a little possessive, but he really loves seeing his friends succeed in life along with him. Slytherin/Hufflepuff friendships are SO IMPORTANT and I think that fits nicely with Yamato’s relationships with both Sora and Jou. Yamato is a Slytherin Prefect for sure.

Sora - Hufflepuff. Phoenix. Absolutely a phoenix. It takes Sora a while to produce a corporeal Patronus, because she doubts herself and her abilities. But I think once she understands how to love herself, her phoenix Patronus is amazing and beautiful and the strongest of the Chosen Children’s. Sora is a Hufflepuff because of her patience and loyalty and her dedication to stopping fights and bringing others together. Sora is a Hufflepuff Prefect and Chaser on the Quidditch Team. She loves spending time in the owlery. It would be really interesting to see Sora come into possession of the Invisibility Cloak, and use it to help people behind the scenes. I also think Sora would be a very good shop owner in Hogsmeade or Diagon Alley.

Koushiro - Ravenclaw. a Japanese rhinoceros beetle (one of my faves, seriously they’re so cool). Koushiro is that Muggle-born kid who brings tech with him to magic school, and then proceeds to figure out all the spells to make the tech actually work on Hogwarts grounds. Koushiro gets deep into the development of new spells and the integration of Muggle things into the Magical World for efficiency reasons. He gets a lot of help about understanding the magical world from Miyako, who came from a big Pureblood family. Koushiro spends a lot of time in the Room of Requirement tinkering with magical items. He also is in possession of the Marauder’s Map and has explored all the secret places in the castle.

Mimi - Hufflepuff. Hydrozoa or Anthozoa. It would be fascinating to see someone have the first plant-based Patronus, but if it does have to be an animal, Cnidarians as Patronuses I think would be so beautiful. Sea anemone movement or lack thereof would be challenging, but it’s the magical world. Also there are creatures in the Harry Potter world that probably cross lines between plant and animal tbh, so she could potentially have a magical creature as a Patronus. Anyway, Mimi is a Hufflepuff and a Chaser for the Quidditch Team along with Sora. She possesses traits of Gryffindors and Slytherins, but the hat sorted her into Hufflepuff because of her kindness and honesty. She’s initially not good at Potions, but works hard to become an advanced level Potions Master. Mimi wants to set out to prove that there’s good in everyone, and she easily befriends people from all Houses. Because of Hufflepuff’s proximity to the kitchens, she spends time there making cool recipes with Daisuke.

Jou - Hufflepuff. Narwhal or sea-goat. I know I was joking earlier about him having a school of fish as his Patronus, but I also like the idea of a sea-goat/Capricorn or a narwhal. Jou is a Hufflepuff, and his honesty and hard work are key reasons for him being Sorted as a Hufflepuff. He comes from a family of Ravenclaws and Healers. I think he might be initially ashamed of even telling his family he was sorted into Hufflepuff, but eventually he owns it. I have Headcanons about Jou being Head Boy in his Seventh Year and patrolling the halls with Yamato and Sora, who are Prefects. Jou doesn’t use the Prefects’ Bathroom unless he’s 100% sure nobody else is there to see him. His favorite place at Hogwarts is the Lake, even though he fell in while being ushered across in his First Year. Jou’s family historically works at St. Mungo’s, but Jou eventually becomes a Healer for Magical Creatures.

Takeru - Slytherin. Guinea pig or long-eared bat. Okay hear me out. I used to have a hat stall with Takeru, because on the surface he seems very Hufflepuff. I don’t personally know a lot about Slytherin tendencies, but I think of Takeru as someone who might have classic stereotypical Slytherin situations happen to him. Takeru’s mother might be a Pure Blood Slytherin who coddles him. Takeru is not Slytherin just because his family is, though I do think being in the same House as Yamato will probably cause some issues, especially if they’ve been previously separated as children. In Digimon, Takeru’s prior experiences with loss, separation, and his brother’s protectiveness forced him to become very in-tune with self preservation. Takeru doesn’t forgive easily, he hesitates, and is difficult to read. In tri., we see him becoming even more complacent in taking a back seat to everyone else because of possessiveness and a tendency to keep quite about his feelings and actions. I think a lot of this can be applied to some of JKR’s classic Slytherins. But I also think Takeru’s observation skills and keen understanding of the powers of darkness would make him a huge asset to Slytherin House in general.

Hikari - Gryffindor. Turkish angora cat or a Russian white cat. Hikari’s bravery is different from her brother’s. Taichi is courage and leadership-driven while Hikari is more chivalrous. I can imagine Hikari being similar to Hermione in wanting rights for the abused and less fortunate. Hikari eventually teaches at Hogwarts and she’s Head of Gryffindor House. I also really want her to be close friends with Daisuke in Gryffindor, because I think Digimon dropped the ball on expanding their friendship. But having the two of them in the same House in Hogwarts would be really fun.

Daisuke - Gryffindor. A European dragon or a salamander. I know there are various kinds of dragons in Harry Potter, but I’m not familiar enough with any of them to specify. Anyway, Daisuke is Gryffindor’s Seeker and has a pretty strong rivalry with literally all the Houses. He looks up to Taichi as a proponent of peace in the Wizarding World, but I think Daisuke would be more focused specifically on House Unity at Hogwarts. Daisuke gets into a ridiculous amount of trouble because he wants to be in all four Houses and thinks he should be allowed in the all the Common Rooms. Daisuke would be a good Auror, but I think his true passion is to have a restaurant in Hogsmeade or Diagon Alley. His favorite place is absolutely the kitchens.

Miyako - Ravenclaw. Eagle, fitting for a phenomenal Ravenclaw. It would be cool if she were like, related to Rowena Ravenclaw or something. Miyako is an eccentric Ravenclaw like Luna and she’s really passionate about being at Hogwarts in general. Miyako gets really excited about learning about other people’s interests. Miyako is an avid listener of wizarding wireless radio stations, and she aspires to host programs on the Wizarding Wireless Network. She knows where all the best acoustics are in the castle, and she spend a lot of time playing with architecture in the Room of Requirement. Miyako’s family runs a shop in Diagon Alley.

Iori - Ravenclaw. Armadillo or mole cricket. I love that the design of Digmon is a beefed-up mole cricket (can y’all tell I like bugs hahaha). Of course an armadillo might be a little more Patronus-like. Iori great at Defense Against the Dark Arts and also Disarming Charms. He’s is in Dueling Club and his second is Miyako. His father was in one of the Wizarding Wars. Iori has a very strong sense of justice, but Ravenclaws are also very accepting-- which is something Iori struggles with at first. I love the idea of Iori working to be a Wizarding World defense attorney, but also eventually gaining a position on the Wizengamot.

Ken - Slytherin. A chimera of some sort that eventually becomes a praying mantis. Insect Patronuses for everyone lmao!!!!! I think it would be scary but cool if he had a chimera Patronus of some sort though, like it started as something he couldn’t quite understand. Patronuses are conjured from happy memories, but they can change when someone experiences love or an emotional upheaval. So what if Ken’s eventually changed from a chimera to a mantis? Anyway, Ken is Slytherin’s Seeker. He spends a lot of time alone and everyone kind of assumes he’s bad news. Maybe his parents were Death Eaters or something. At some point, he starts to believe that he’s bad news and just kind of exudes angst and tells everyone to stay away him. Daisuke and Miyako aren’t having any of that nonsense, and they never stay away from him lol. Ken excels at Defense Against the Dark Arts and eventually becomes an Auror.

Meiko - Hufflepuff. Maine coon cat. Meiko has proven to be someone who’s personality draws others to befriend her or express themselves to her. Hufflepuffs are good listeners and amazing friends to anyone. Her ability to help Mimi, Sora, and Takeru open up has been so helpful to the plot of tri., and Hufflepuffs love being helpful while also being humble.

[ariadnedionysia]

fandom meme : hit me up !

I was tagged by @flintvane​ and am genuinely embarrassed that i didn’t see this before now omg i’m so sorry babe

I’m tagging @sherlock-and-other-things​ , @girlwhowasntthere​ , @deinonychus-1​ , @frodobagginsess​ , and @sherlokiofpigfarts​ ! and anyone else who would like to do this meme!!

putting it under the read more bc it’s hilariously long sO

1.  YOUR CURRENT OTP(S)/OT3(S)/OTX(S)

oh gosh i have a bunch so i’m going to try and limit myself but pythacarus ( always ), gwen / leon and gwaine / percival from merlin, foggy / matt from daredevil ( i don’t watch daredevil anymore but i just watched the defenders so they’re on my mind ), jane / michael from jane the virgin, tom / sybil from downton abbey will always be a fave, dean / seamus, lavender / parvati, harry / ginny, and remus / sirius from the harry potter series, and then caleb / ben and robert / abe from TURN are my final two

2.  A PAIRING YOU INITIALLY DIDN’T CONSIDER BUT SOMEONE CHANGED YOUR MIND (BONUS POINTS: WHO WAS THAT PERSON).

i’d never considered korinna / heptarian until @girlwhowasntthere​ mentioned them and now i actually really love the ship i’d never thought about it before

3. A PAIRING YOU USED TO LOVE, BUT IT ALL FELL APART FOR YOU.

oh god. um. you know i used to watch reign and i was a really big fan of mary and francis, whom i still love don’t get me wrong, but they took mary on a really uncomfortable plotline for me in i think the second season that was unnecessary and clearly purely for //drama// and i just couldn’t quite get over them doing that and what it did to the ship it just made me uncomfortable with them and with watching the show altogether

4.  HAVE YOU ADDED ANYTHING CRACKY/HILARIOUS TO YOUR FANDOM, IF SO, WHAT.

i don’t know if this counts but i did the emily watches atlantis series? i don’t know if that counts but i think they’re funny so i’m putting it on the list?

5.  WHAT’S THE LONGEST YOU’VE EVER BEEN IN A FANDOM

harry potter. i’m super proud to be a part of that fandom and i’ve been in it since the first book came out so that’s definitely the fandom i’ve been in the longest.

6.  DO YOU REMEMBER YOUR FIRST OTP, IF SO WHO WAS IN IT.

i’m trying to think and it might’ve been richard / kahlan from legend of the seeker ( the show, not the books, i never actually read the books oops ), though i’m not sure. 

7.  NAME A FANDOM YOU DIDN’T CARE/THINK ABOUT UNTIL YOU SAW IT ALL OVER TUMBLR.

copying @flintvane​ ‘s answer and saying black sails !

8.  SAY SOMETHING GENUINELY NICE ABOUT A CHARACTER WHO ISN’T ONE OF YOUR FAVES (CHARS YOU’RE NEUTRAL ON ARE FAIR GAME, AS ARE CHARS YOU DISLIKE)

oh god. there are a bunch i have things to say about and i can’t decide bUT i’m gonna go with petra from jane the virgin. i used to really hate her at the beginning of the series, i thought she was horrible and i just couldn’t stand her, but as the series has continued she’s really become this amazing and realistically flawed woman that i just want to see happy. i wouldn’t say she’s my fave, but i do want to see her happy. 

9.  NAME THREE THINGS YOU WISH YOU SAW MORE OR IN YOUR MAIN FANDOM (OR A FANDOM OF CHOICE)

i’m gonna say atlantis for this one sO

1. another season. i mean come on, guys. come on.

2. more pythacarus, we just got the one kiss ( which was amazing a+++ ) but that was pretty much it, i know they’re not the main focus of the show, but i do love them dearly and would’ve loved to have seen more

3. where the hell are the rest of the argonauts and why did jason not go back for them i need that reunion like. two years ago. pls.

10.  CHOOSE A SONG AT RANDOM, WHICH SHIP OR CHARACTER DOES IT REMIND YOU OF

i just put my itunes on shuffle and “oceans” by seafret was the first song to come on, and it reminds me of ariadne / jason

11.  A PAIRING YOU SHIP THAT YOU DON’T THINK ANYONE ELSE SHIPS

gwen / leon from merlin. i know merthur is the Big Ship of merlin, i don’t really see many other ships there except that one. but i think a lot about gwen being pretty much abandoned by everyone she loves / loved after arthur dies, since gwaine and arthur and elyan and morgana are all dead and merlin just decided to peace tf out, but the last shot we have of her is with leon and her being a queen on her own and bringing peace to albion, etc etc, and i just think. i mean. they said they were childhood friends somewhere back in i think season two, and they were really the two people besides gaius that knew arthur the longest, and i just think that after arthur died, they would’ve been each other’s main supports, and eventually, they could’ve ended up together. this is unnecessarily long but i just have a lot of feelings about them okay and i don’t know anyone else that ships them so they’re my ship for this wOO

12.  YOUR MOST SCANDALOUS HEADCANON FOR YOUR CURRENT OTP(S)/OT3(S)/OTX(S)

i don’t think i really have any scandalous headcanons?? i’m very boring with my ships haha sorry, all my headcanons are angst or fluff

13.  DO YOU HAVE ANY HARD AND FAST HEADCANONS THAT YOU WILL DIE DEFENDING, ABOUT ANYTHING AT ALL (GENDER IDENTITY, SEXUAL OR ROMANTIC ORIENTATION, EXTENDED FAMILY, SEXUAL PREFERENCES LIKE TOP/BOTTOM/SWITCH, RELATIONSHIP WITH POETRY, SERIOUSLY ANYTHING)

pretty much any poc harry potter hcs i will defend to the death, bisexual remus lupin, myka and hg wells in warehouse 13 dated at some point, bisexual harry potter, remus / tonks was unnecessary. i liked them and everything, but i didn’t really see the point of downgrading such an amazing woman like tonks to the Love Interest. she deserved better. even remus lupin knew that. danny in the defenders needs to say “i’m the immortal iron fist” less pls and thank. putting caleb and ben ( show: TURN ) with women ( that we never actually got to see ) at the end of the show was weird. bisexual musketeers. there aren’t enough lesbians in any shows m/m ships are easier to ship since there actually are some, but f/f ships are too rare and that’s a Problem. more women friendships, i’m super tired of the women being nasty to each other bc they like the same guy or whatever. peter pettigrew had a snape/lily -esque love for sirius, which is why he turned in the potters, so sirius would think remus was the secret keeper and have no one to turn to except peter. james potter grew up and evolved, pls don’t compare him to snape. neville longbottom is pure and must be protected. luna’s family can just be whimsical!! you don’t need a Dark and Edgy reason behind it, they can just be wonky and happy and weird!! every single nickname in the harry potter series is fckin hiLARIOUS. ginny weasley deserved better than she got in the movies, they did her a massive injustice. 

14.  5 FAVORITE CHARACTERS FROM 5 DIFFERENT FANDOMS

1. ariadne ( i adore pythagoras but i’m gonna go with ariadne bc reasons ), atlantis

2. constance, the musketeers

3. cosima, orphan black

4. ginny, harry potter series ( /quietly pushes movie!ginny into a corner book!ginny for life )

5. ben talmidge, TURN

15. 3 OTPS FROM 3 DIFFERENT FANDOMS

i’m gonna put ones that i didn’t put in the first question : 

1. nomi / amanita ( sense8 )

2. korinna / ariadne ( atlantis )

3. luna / ginny ( harry potter series )

16. 5 FAVORITE SHIPS

THESE ARE SUCH HARD QUESTIONS OH MY GOD i’m going to try and put ones i haven’t mentioned before all of my ships that i’ve mentioned are favorites though okay

1. captain james / molly ( our girl )

2. fleur / tonks ( harry potter )

3. hernando / lito ( sense8 )

4. athelstan / ragnar ( vikings )

5. sirius / peter ( harry potter )

17.  JUST RAMBLE ABOUT SOMETHING FAN-RELATED, GO GO GO (PROMPTS OPTIONAL BUT ENCOURAGED)

i came late into the atlantis fandom, so i didn’t get much of a chance to be there before the series was over, but i remember seeing it all over my dash before season two came out, it was like the day before the second season started, and i was like. i gotta check this series out. so i watched the first episode of the first season, and proceeded to marathon the entire first season so i could start the second season with you lovely people in the atlantis fandom, and honestly, i’ve never been part of a better, happier, drama-free fandom. i love it so much and i love all of you so much and this is slightly cheesy but i just think everyone in the fandom is amazing. 

other things. um. okay well this is sort of fan-related, but i’ve met the most amazing group of people through my group, @orderfromchaos-rp. it’s such a talented and fantastic group of incredible writers, and i just love all of them to pieces, i’ve never had such an amazing rp experience. 

i’m hardcore worried about johnny depp and jude law playing against each other in fbawtft. i’m not a fan of jude law for this role and i actively, adamantly hate johnny depp, so i’m honestly worried that’s going to ruin that ship for me. 

i’m super excited about being a part of all the fandoms i’m in, honestly, i don’t totally know what to do for this part of this meme so i’m just ranting but i’m seriously hoping i can be in a fandom that doesn’t have its show cancelled soon after i enter it, because being longterm fandom buddies with new material sounds amazing and i would love to be a part of something like that again, i’m not really active in many fandoms rn and i wanna change that, so hmu with any suggestions for things i should watch!!!!

[ineffablecolors]

B, L, Q, R for the fandom meme, please!

Thanks, love!! :*

B - A pairing you initially didn’t consider but someone changed your mind

Hmmm, I think I had this with LOST. I was hardcore Sawyer/Kate and I don’t think I was sold on the whole Juliet thing at first. But that’s more the show changing my mind rather than anyone from the fandom. 

Fandom-wise, maybe Liam and Belle? I still prefer him with Elsa but fandom has made me consider that one as well.

L - Say something genuinely nice about a character who isn’t one of your faves (chars you’re neutral on are fair game, as are chars you dislike)

Rumpel is an extremely entertaining character a lot of the time. I don’t like him, I don’t think he deserved a happy ending (even if S7!Rumpel is the only Rumpel that is truly redeeming himself) but damn, if I don’t enjoy watching him wreck havoc on my screen.

Q - A ship you’ve abandoned and why

I abandoned Skate for Suliet. I haven’t abandoned Spuffy but having felt what shipping Captain Swan is like, they’ve definitely taken a back seat.

Oh and from my most recent watching - I dropped William and Dolores from Westworld like a hot potato.

R - A pairing you ship that you don’t think anyone else ships

Huh. I don’t think I have one? I mean, people ship literally everything. I ship Spike with a lot of people (and by a lot I mean everyone, I ship Spike with everyone).

Oh, speaking of Westworld, I shipped Elsie and Stubbs. Dunno if that’s a thing. Probably.

[fitnesshealthyoga-blog]

New Post has been published on https://fitnesshealthyoga.com/disney-wonder-alaska-cruise-recap/

Disney Wonder Alaska Cruise recap

Sharing our thoughts on our Disney cruise experience to Alaska! We took the Disney Wonder from Vancouver to Glacier Bay, Skagway, Juneau and Ketchikan. I’ll share our full packing list in an upcoming post if you’re planning an Alaskan cruise!

Hi friends! Happy Monday. Hope your week is off to a great start! I’m finally sitting down and taking the time to write out our thoughts on the cruise. I have so much to say! I hope you’re ok with a super long post, but the TLDR version is that we absolutely loved our Disney cruise… and already booked another one. 😉

When we initially booked our cruise, I have to admit that Alaska wasn’t my #1 choice. I’ve never been on a cruise before, and I figured that my first one should be somewhere tropical or European. We booked our trip with my friend Betsy and her family, and she mentioned that so many people say Alaska is breathtaking and we should give it a try. Plus, it would give us the chance to be a little cold since Tucson would likely be scorching hot. So, we went for it!

We traveled to Vancouver and arrived a couple of days early just in case we got stuck on the way. (I highly recommend doing this, so you don’t miss the boat!) We had a blast in Vancouver, and then Monday afternoon, we boarded the ship to spend seven incredible days sightseeing, relaxing, enjoying family activities and eating so many delicious foods. We traveled with Betsy and her family, and had the best time with them! While the boat was sailing away from the dock, they had a party on the top deck with frozen cocktails, live performers and ice cream for the kiddos. 

In pure Disney fashion, everything was over the top: the dining, the performances, the activities, excursions, etc. I know Disney does it right and many people have told us once they did a Disney cruise, they never wanted to cruise with any other cruise lines. After experiencing it ourselves, I can completely see how that happens.

I tried to segment this post into blocks, so it wasn’t just one rambling Disney cruise rave, so here are some of the things that stood out:

Alaskan scenery:

The scenery was absolutely stunning. On either side of the boat, we could see vast forests, glaciers, bald eagles flying (!), whales, and icebergs. Titanic taught me that icebergs are bad, but we sailed through an entire garden of them, so there ya go. We had the opportunity to see landscape and wildlife that we’d otherwise never experience. Now that I’ve been able to experience the true beauty of Alaska, I’d love to visit again some day. 

  One of my favorite stops was the Mendenhall Glacier. It lightly drizzled as we hiked down to a beach, and the girls played with sticks and splashed in puddles while we watched herons fly overhead.

  (P refused to be in this photo because she was very busy gathering rocks) 

The Disney Cruise dining experience:

For Disney cruises, here’s how the dining works: you have reservations (either first seating at 5:45 or second seating, closer to 8) at the main restaurants each night. We sailed on the Wonder, so the main restaurants are Tiana’s, Triton’s, and Animator’s Palace. They have you on a rotation, so you can experience each of the restaurants, and you have the same server the entire time. We really got to know our main server, Pipa (the girls LOVED her) and she always knew what we wanted to drink and got the kiddos’ food served extremely fast. (I could always count on her for dinner recommendations, too, so many times I asked her what I should order and she chose the best stuff for me!)

At each restaurant, they had a different theme each night (a Mardi Gras night, Frozen-inspired menu, lobster night, etc.) and you could choose from various appetizers, salads, soups, entrees, and desserts. I was blown away by the variety they offered! On our specific cruise, they served over 10,000 meals per day, and the quality was outstanding.

  (Smoked salmon in some form in every single meal. YOLO)

You also don’t have to eat at the sit-down restaurants if you don’t want to! You can dine at one of the quick spots (Daisy’s De-lites serves salads, sandwiches, build-your-own bowls, fresh chopped fruit, and soups), Boiler Bites (hot dogs, mac n’ cheese, chicken tenders, fries, etc.), and Pinocchio’s (different types of pizza!), eat at the buffet (Cabana’s is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and they have EVERYTHING) or you can get room service. All of this is included. They also had a “fancy” coffee shop on board for specialty drinks, called Cove Coffee, and a quick coffee shop where you could also get super healthy smoothies. A couple of times, I ordered a smoothie with almond milk, vegan chocolate protein, kale, spinach, cinnamon, and ice. The specialty drinks and coffees are extra (so is alcohol), but I didn’t find it to be super overpriced. My smoothies were $5 when they’d usually be around $9 at Whole Foods. 

(Yes they totally put a Donald Duck on my decaf almond milk latte)

(Living the Mickey bar life)

For most of the days we were there, we did breakfast at Cabana’s – it was so nice to wake up and eat without having to order anything or wait for food to be cooked – lunch at Daisy’s (the girls would usually get sandwiches, or pizza from Pinocchio’s, and a giant fruit platter) and dinner at the sit-down restaurant.

Each of the sit-down restaurants had something magical about them. At Tiana’s, Tiana herself was actually there walking around (and the girl spoke exactly like her! She was wonderful) and live music, complete with a Louis crocodile playing the saxophone. Triton’s felt like the fanciest among the three (but you could still go in leggings and a Disney tee), and Animator’s Palace had Sorcerer Mickey one of the nights. They also gave us special placemats that we could draw people on, and they took the placemats from the entire restaurant and ANIMATED our drawings and had them dancing to a song on one of the many screens in the restaurant. It was so incredibly cool!

Entertainment on board:

They have full Broadway-style shows on board, including musicals, comedians, and musicians. We saw three live Disney shows on the ship, including the Golden Mickeys (my personal fave), Frozen, and Disney Dreams.

  They also have two movie theaters playing different movies (including new releases!) all day. The Pilot and Liv saw Captain Marvel, the Pilot saw a late show of Avengers: Endgame one evening, and we all saw the new Aladdin movie as a family. They also have a movie screen on the top deck, where you can lounge on chairs with blankets and eat soft serve ice cream while you watch a show. The ice cream machine was a HUGE hit with the girls. You can literally walk up and make yourself a cone at any point during the day.

We may or may not have played every single Bingo round on the ship. We didn’t get the 7k prize but did win a Disney cruise picnic blanket in one of the raffles. 😉

We went to the gym pretty much every day! It was such a treat to work out together since that can rarely happen at home. We waited until after breakfast, so it wasn’t crowded, dropped the kiddos off at Kids Club, and got in a workout. 

Kids’ Club:

Kids Club was a game-changing experience. The girls absolutely loved it, and many nights after dinner, Liv was begging to go back! I felt like it was a perfect balance. The Pilot and I had a couple of hours together each day, and we still spent a ton of time together as a family. The girls usually went to Kids Club after breakfast while we worked out, and again in the late afternoon for an hour or so before dinner (usually while we played Bingo haha). 

They have three Kids Clubs on the Wonder: the nursery (for babies and toddlers who aren’t potty trained), and for older kids + potty trained over 3: the Oceaneer Lab, and the Oceaneer Club (which has a play structure inside). They also have a special area for teenagers (I think it’s called Edge). The kids can go from the Lab to the Club via a hallway, and they wear GPS Disney bands the entire trip. When they scanned our card to pick them up (you use one card for everything: to get into your room, to pay, to pick kids up), they can see on their screen exactly where your kids are. “Olivia and Penelope are in the Animator’s room on my left playing with hula hoops.” It was brilliant.

Characters often visited the Kids Club to play games and do activities with the kids. The girls saw Anna, Elsa, Stitch, the GI Joe guy from Toy Story, Captain Hook, and Belle, all in Kids Club. They baked cookies, did a Friendship Rocks show with Minnie and Mickey, had a luau party, and played so many fun games. We didn’t take advantage of this, but they’ll also feed your kids if they’re there during a meal! 

Room:

We went with the Deluxe Oceanview room, but for our next cruise, we’re getting a verandah since the difference is only a couple hundred dollars. This way, we can sit on the patio and drink wine after the girls are asleep.

We thought the couch was a regular pull-out bed for the girls to share, but turns out, it’s a bunk bed! Our Stateroom Host, Anissa, would transform it from couch to bunk beds every single day. 

Extra Disney touches:

There were definitely special Disney touches during the trip. Each night, we’d come back to the room, and during turndown service, Anissa would create towel animals and leave chocolates. One night, she completely changed the girls’ bedding to princess bedding, and they were STOKED.

The app was also fantastic. You can only connect to it when you’re on the ship’s Wifi, and it enables you to see exactly what’s going on all day, receive messages and updates (like your child can asked to be picked up from Kid’s Club and they’ll send you a message), and texting with others on the ship, complete with Disney emojis. It was extremely helpful, especially as first-timers. I always knew what shows and entertainment were available and could scope out dinner menus in advance. They also had full deck layouts and the weather in each of our stops available in the app.

One night, I lost a diamond earring. I was getting dressed and dropped it, and heard it clank around the room. I spent about 20 minutes searching but couldn’t find it. I let guest services know, just so they would make sure no one went in and vacuumed. When we went back to the room after dinner, I saw Anissa in the hallway and she said, “Your earring is on the glass tray by the closet.” She totally went in and found it for me!

One of the guest service team members chose us as their “special family” during the trip. (I’m not quite sure how this works but I think they each randomly select a family to surprise with goodies). Each afternoon, we’d come into the room from the day’s adventures or excursions and treats would be waiting for us. There were muffins, cheese boards, and cupcakes. It was amazing.

I was blown away by how many character greetings and events they had on the ship. The girls got to see maybe 4x the characters we see at the parks, with way shorter lines.

They also had dance parties (like the Pixar Pals party) in the atrium that were a blast.

Gratuities: 

This was something I didn’t know a lot about, so I’m posting it here in case anyone is taking a Disney cruise! While you’re on the ship, you don’t pay many gratuities. (I would just pay an extra couple bucks here and there for specialty drinks.) At the end of your trip, they charge your account around $13.50 per person per day. They split this amount between the different people who take care of you and scale it accordingly. (Like our head server got more of this amount that the assistant server who only got our drinks.) They also leave little envelopes if you want to tip extra. This way, you can be sure to tip an additional amount to the people who went above and beyond (and found earrings for you, etc.).

I’ll do another post with the excursions we chose + my packing list in case anyone is planning a similar cruise!

So, tell me friends: have you been on a cruise? What’s the #1 spot on your travel list?

xoxo

Gina

*This post isn’t sponsored in any way and we paid for all travel and accommodations. We used Costco Travel and highly recommend it! <3

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[ladyloveandjustice]

ZERO TIME DILEMMA: in which Akane really likes Back to the Future and thinks we should all respect it as a scientific text

My title is not at all an exaggeration, which is the best.

Shit’s gettin’ real in ZTD land, we’ve only got 3 endings left to unlock. 

We start of course with C-team who are still my faves even if Junpei makes no sense. They have the best banter. 

Hilariously at one point Carlos tells Akane to stop acting cutesy because it’s more disturbing than anything and everyone in this room knows you’re faking it oh my god.

Also hilariously at one point we realize it’s the new year and Carlos is all “I always spend new years with my sister but she’s not here. this is already the worst year. :(”

Akane then is literally like “that’s nice Carlos anyway JUNPEI IT’S THE NEW YEAR DON’T YOU WANT TO MAKE OUT WITH ME IN FRONT OF CARLOS TO COMMEMORATE IT.”

And Junpei’s like “Um no??? we’re in a murder game right now Akane”

“ugh that never stopped us from getting it on before. >:(”

But yeah soon enough PLOT happened. Akane collapses conveniently so Carlos and Junpei don’t have her to explain things logically for them (this has happened 3 TIMES, I guess because otherwise AKANE WOULD SOLVE EVERYTHING she is just that great) and it turns out they have to do the ally/betray bit from last game, only if Junpei gets betrayed Akane and Phi also die, same for Carlos with two others. 

So Junpei then just leads Carlos outside just so he can give this big speech about how much he loves Akane. It goes basically like “so hey Carlos Akane is really super smart but also kind of scary? Like seriously all the other kids were kinda creeped out by her it was all “here’s a girl who will grow up to be a Machiavellian mastermind” so she was very lonely. BUT I PERSONALLY FOUND IT KINDA HOT. Yep, even as a sixth grader i knew what I was into. So I decided I’d be with her and protect her and help her 5ever. Then she put me in a murder game and I was like “wtf” and wanted to ask her what that was all about but anyway here we are and i love her”

I just imagine the whole time Carlos was thinking “I didn’t need to hear this why are we talking about this right now”. 

Being Carlos truly is suffering. 

(The fact Akane was apparently always a little terrifying and Junpei was okay with it explains a lot about his initial under-reaction to her being a mastermind)

Anyway after that we chose ally, just like Captain American would, which means Junpei of course chose betray and killed us

He even was all like “Let me teach u a Japanese proverb- “assume everyone you meet is a theif”. That’s right Carlos. I just gave you a little CULTURAL EDUCATION before you died. You’re welcome.”

He was also all “lol sorry gotta save Akane”. UM, I’m pretty sure Akane won’t be impressed with this Junpei. You read her all wrong. She may be a Machiavellian mastermind but she’s one with standards.

Anyway, then we meant back and did betray which of course means Junpei now does ally and is SO OFFENDED we betrayed him and left him to die, how could anyone do such a thing. Then Akane comes out of nowhere and bashes in Carlos’s head while screaming “how DARE you kill Junpei!!!” It’s super amazing. She hits him so many times too it’s one of those “OKAY HE’S DEFINITELY DEAD NOW AKANE YOU CAN STOP” things. then she just...tosses the extinguisher aside and is like “JUNPEI ARE YOU OK” I’m just...

Then we travel back again and interrupt Junpei while he’s giving his “I love Akane” speech and he’s really is like “HEY EXCUSE ME LET ME FINISH MY STORY”  

at which Carlos is basically like “NO I’VE HEARD IT BEFORE AND IT WAS BORING THE FIRST TIME”

Turns out all we had to do was wait 10 seconds for Akane to wake up, because she does and decides to explain everything using Back to the Future as a point of reference. I’m not kidding guys. She says “remember that movie with the kid traveling back in time and the skateboard” and Carlos is all “the one where the kid almost got it on with his mom?” and I died.

Then she says “IN A WAY MARTY MCFLY- who we will call M-kun for the sake of copyright- COMMITTED A MURDER. He made the version of himself that remembered growing up rich and never traveled back in time VANISH and replaced him. So he basically KiLLED him”

THAT’S RIGHT EVERYONE MARTY MCFLY IS A RUTHLESS KILLER.

but then she’s like “of course it’s also possible is what happened is the Marty from the rich timeline switched consciousness with the time-traveling Marty from the poor timeline and now rich Marty is stuck in an alternate timeline where he stopped his dad from punching the bully when he time traveled and nothing changed and he’s poor and he’s just miserable forever”.

Junpei’s like “WOW THIS IS DEPRESSING THANKS FOR RUINING BACK TO THE FUTURE FOR ME, AKANE, I LIKED THAT MOVIE YOU KNOW. WHY DO YOU HAVE TO TAKE EVERYTHING FROM ME?”

Akane’s like “anyway my point is Back to the Future is a serious scientific text and we are all basically Marty McFly jumping timelines to survive. So I’m gonna have us blow ourselves up so our consciousness will be motivated to jump to another timeline”

Then Junpei’s like “wait what about the versions of ourselves that will get blown up in this timeline” and Akane’s like “lol sucks to be them who cares”. 

To which Junpei says- and I quote- “AGH I FORGOT YOU WERE LIKE THIS”.

Forgetting your girlfriend’s actually a Machiavellian mastermind- JUST LITTLE JUNPEI THINGS.

But then Junpei decides he’ll just roll with it and comes up with an evil plan of his own. After they jump back to the room where they get shot up with machine guns Junepei’s all “HEY CARLOS WE’RE GONNA SHIELD AKANE FROM THE BULLETS AND THEN SHE CAN REMEMBER THE PASSWORDS SHE LEARNED FROM OUR DEATHS AND JUMP TO A TIMELINE WHERE WE’RE ALIVE AND GIVE THEM TO US AND WE’LL ALL ESCAPE YAY” (Every time someone dies in murder game, a new password is announced, you need six to escape). 

Carlos is like “what the hell i didn’t agree to this” and Akane’s like “ME NEITHER YOU ASSHOLE” but Junpei’s like “lol u have no choice”

so then Akane has to watch her boyfriend and Captain America die graphically in front of her before jumping timelines. She, unsurprisingly, yells at Junpei a LOT when she sees him again. “DID YOU CONSIDER THAT WAS SUPER TRAUMATIZING TO WITNESS” 

(honestly if I was Junpei i’d reply with “wow someone forcing you to watch your friends get graphically murdered because they want to make you jump to other timelines with new information YEAH I THINK I MIGHT KNOW ABOUT THAT HOW DOES IT FEEL AKANE”. But to his credit he seems to realize now is not the time)

Then Akane says “I FORGOT YOU WERE LIKE THIS. see how i volleyed that back to you, pretty clever right. BASICALLY HOW DARE YOU MAKE ME WATCH THE PERSON I CARE ABOUT MOST DIE awww shit i said it”.

At which point Junpei is like gassssssp you care about me? And Carlos actually just fuckin’...walks away. he’s not up for witnessing this soap opera bullshit so if they won’t get a room he will.

Anyway Junpei gives her a really ugly ring and also puts it on the wrong hand because he can’t tell left from right (I know that feel, Junpei) and yaaaaay everything’s great.

ONLY GUESS WHAT TURNS OUT THE PASSWORDS CHANGE DEPENDING ON THE TIMELINE SO ALL THAT TRAUMA AKANE EXPERIENCED WAS FOR NOTHING WHOOPS. GREAT JOB GUYS. 

And that’s where the C-team part ends. I really do have so much fun playing as them, they are ridiculous. 

[themeatlife]

The List - Avenger/MCU Movies: the Meat Life Ranks

I had a bunch of fun ranking Linkin Park songs and albums that I’m starting a new series that will appear on and off called The List.  I will rank my fave things.  

In honor of summer movie season I’m going to rank some movies.  So it’s not a bunch of three movie lists, I’m going to focus on movie franchises that have more than four movies.  I’ll rank the Avengers/MCU movies (for those not in the know, MCU stands for Marvel Cinematic Universe), the Fast and Furious franchise, Star Wars movies, X-Men Universe movies, Harry Potter Universe movies, and Pixar movies.  I would do James Bond movies, but there are some in the both the Roger Moore and Timothy Dalton eras that I actually haven’t seen yet.

With the recent successful release of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2, I figured the MCU is a good place to start.  These synopses may contain spoilers.  You have been warned!  So here we go:

The List - Avenger/MCU Movies

#15 - The Incredible Hulk (2008)

This is the second film in the first phase of the MCU.  The movie is mostly forgotten in the MCU, including by me.  It wasn’t a bad movie (certainly a marked improvement from 2003′s Hulk), but it felt like something was missing from it.  Of course, there is only so much you can do with a character in its own movie.  We find Bruce Banner (played by Edward Norton in this movie) being chased by General Ross, the man who spearheaded the project to create super soldiers that created the Hulk.

#14 - Iron Man 2 (2010)

The weakest of the Iron Man movies.  They replace Terrence Howard’s Rhodey with Don Cheadle, who in the long run has better chemistry with Robert Downey Jr but in this movie is just weird to see instead of Howard.  The villains are also probably the weakest of the MCU, with Ivan Vanko looking to exact revenge against the Stark family and Justin Hammer as the head of rival weapons manufacturer looking to take down Tony Stark.

#13 - Thor (2011)

I did enjoy the movie, although I will say that this is one of the weaker entries in the MCU.  As the heir to the throne of Asgard, the arrogant Thor loses his hammer and must prove his worthiness before getting it back.  He bumps into scientist Jane Foster played by Natalie Portman (yes!).  He humbles himself and eventually earns back his hammer.

#12 - Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

Iron Man might have been the beginning cinematically of the MCU, but The First Avenger is the beginning of the MCU timeline.  A solid start but the nostalgic flashback vibe isn’t for everyone.  Steve Rogers, a scrawny kid from New York, wanted to serve his country in the middle of World War II.  He was selected for experimental super soldier program and became the face of the US military, spending time raising money for the USO.  Then he starts hunting down Nazi science division Hydra and its leader Red Skull.  It ends with Rogers downing a Hydra bomber and crashing it in ice, preserving him until modern time. 

#11 - Doctor Strange (2016)

I almost ranked this lower, but I was definitely entertained.  Arrogant doctor Stephen Strange travels to Nepal in search of a treatment for his hands that were devastated from a car accident.  He gets trained by the Ancient One to reveal powers in how to access different dimensions and wield mystical weapons.  He has to harness these powers to fight Kaecilius, who has stolen pages of an ancient handbook to access the Dark Dimension.  Some of the mystical stuff might not be for everyone and I only stuck with it because I like Benedict Cumberbatch and I’m glad I did.

#10 - Thor: The Dark World (2013)

While this installment was a step up from the first Thor, it’s cliff-hanger style ending makes it almost unfulfilling.  Especially considering we probably don’t get resolution from that ending until later this year (four years after The Dark World’s release.  But that said, Loki is still probably the best villain of the MCU, and in The Dark World he is on full display.

#9 - The Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)

Although Age of Ultron was seen as a step back from the first Avengers, it is still a very solid film.  We see Tony Stark accidentally create Ultron out of feeling the need to further protect the world (and also created Vision to counter). We see Hawkeye with a family and a Romanov-Banner romance.  And whilst on the run we also see some of the seeds of tension between Stark and Rogers.  And action.

#8 - Ant-Man (2015)

Ant-Man grew on me.  Marvel may well have a formula now with the mix of humor and superhero action, but it’s a formula that works.  Here we follow unlikely hero Scott Lang played by Paul Rudd, a former engineer turned petty criminal, training to break into Pym Technologies using Hank Pym’s old shrinking suit to take down the corrupted Pym protege Darren Cross.  Rudd’s humor along with humorous sidekicks played by Michael Pena and T.I. are the glue to this movie.

#7 - Iron Man 3 (2013)

I think most don’t give the final installment of the Iron Man trilogy much credit.  We are reminded of why we love the Tony Stark character.  In spite of his arrogance there is a tremendous heart, and we see both on full display here.  Set after the events of the first Avengers, Stark is going through PTSD.  He tries to navigate through that while being attacked by new threats.

#6 - Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017) 

I almost put this as high as #2.  Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 picks up where the last left off, mixing the right amount of humor and action and pulling on just enough heartstrings for you to be pulled right in.  The Guardians have to face against someone they never expected: Peter Quill’s dad.  I’ve only gotten an opportunity to watch this once since it has come out, but I definitely plan on watching again once it comes out of the theaters.

#5 -  Iron Man (2008)

The film that kick started the entire MCU.  Here we follow Tony Stark and the origin of Iron Man, birthed from Stark being captured by a mercenary terror group and called to action after seeing his company’s weapons in the wrong hands.  This was a role ready-made for Robert Downey Jr, a great mix of arrogance, empathy, and quick wit.  And there’s plenty of action.

#4 - Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

I’ll admit, when Marvel announced Guardians of the Galaxy, I had planned on skipping out.  I knew nothing of the comic and it looked cheesy.  So yes, I had my doubts about a group that included a talking raccoon and a fighting tree.  But I gave it a chance and Guardians ended up being one of the stronger movies of the MCU.  We see the origin of Peter Quill, a.k.a. Star-Lord and how the Guardians came together.  This has that right mix of humor, action, chemistry, and 80s mix tape.

#3 - The Avengers (2012)

Fun fun fun!  The Avengers definitely is an action movie with some dramatic elements but the thing that sticks out about this is even with New York City in peril, the ride is great!  The chemistry of the entire ensemble is on full display.  Loki makes for probably the strongest villain in the series (we’ll have to see if that holds up with all the new entries coming).  When this came out, it was hard to see Marvel top this.  The next two edged this one out, but not by much.

#2 - Captain America: Civil War (2016)

In this installment, the Avengers find themselves under hot water after an accident on a mission.  The UN votes to approve an initiative that limits the Avengers decision making, splitting the team between those who support it and those who oppose it.  Civil War has probably the coolest fight scene of the series at a German airport.  The newbies Black Panther and Spider-Man are a sight to see.  And there is a twist ending that you kind of see coming but kind of don’t that’s really heart wrenching. 

#1 - Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

Out of all the MCU, this movie had the most depth. It had a real world feel with its questions about how to determine whether or not someone is a threat. It had great action sequences. And it defined the direction of the MCU with its revelation that Hydra was secretly controlling SHIELD for all those years. Oh and we find out Steve Roger’s old buddy Bucky is the infamous assassin The Winter Soldier.

Okay, I’ll admit my bias. Out of all the Marvel characters, Captain America is my favorite. He stands up for what is right even as everything around him is telling him to do otherwise. And he’s loyal to a fault. Some qualities that I wish we all could embody, especially nowadays. That is why the last two Captain America movies are atop my list, that and the writing for those have been superb. With Spider-Man: Homecoming set to release next month, this list may change up.

Next, I’ll tackle ranking the Fast and the Furious series.

[fauxsciencedork]

EVERY MULTIPLE OF 3!!! FOR THE FANFICTION ASK!!!

OMG

3. name three favorite writers

I can’t tell if this means fic writers or like published writers? I’m not good at this question. :D Though I will say back when I read more real books I was a total cliche Stephen King fan, and Neil Gaiman’s American Gods is the only novel I’ve ever read where afterwards I thought ‘I will never be able to do that, I should curl up and die.’ Also I love cheesy thrillers. And Pride and Prejudice, apparently. Also Captain Corelli’s Mandolin made me cry recently. Actual tears. Carlo did, anyway, fuck Corelli. 6. how did writing change you?

It’s hard to tell. I’ve been writing little stories for myself as far back as I can remember, almost, so who knows what I would have been without it. It’s definitely given me an outlet that’s seen me through some really hard times. It’s given me a way to express emotion, since I’m not so good at that face to face, or even in my own head sometimes. It’s given me a way to fit into fandoms, when I’m mostly quiet and socially awkward (or ranting and pissed). It’s a little like acting, too, where it lets you leave your own head for a while and be someone else. That’s always welcome. 9. do you set yourself deadlines?

Hell no, and I absolutely without a doubt should, because I am a fucking slacker. I only ever commit to times if it’s for a challenge or a birthday or whatever.12. favorite place to write

I like coffee shops, the constant movement around me helps settle my ADHD down a bit. But I’ve learned to stop paying too much attention to where I am, otherwise that’s just one more way to procrastinate. “Oh, let me wait to write this until tomorrow when I can go to this Starbucks and score an armchair and really focus.” Uh huh.15. hardest verse to write

None I’ve tried so far. I like AUs, generally, and if something’s gonna be hard I generally, like, don’t write it? I’ll say A/B/O, since I’ve never tried it and feel like unless I got the right angle on a story I’d be shit at it. 18. favorite pairing to write 

Cisco Ramon/Anyone Awesome. Which so far has basically been Cisco/Joe. Or Cisco/Iris/Linda. Or Cisco/Melinda Torres (I have a super long story I will never finish and so never put up with these two, and it’s adorbs). Soon to be Cisco/Wally.21. least favorite character to write

I think Caitlin’s the one I have the least flair for, so she tends to take a back seat in my stories. I love her and Cisco’s friendship, so what scenes she is in are fun to write. But yeah, I don’t have much feel for her. I like writing everyone, though, as long as I can write them the way I see them. Like if I somehow got stuck writing Hartley as a doting romantic partner I’d hate writing him, because that’s not who he is.  24. favorite scene you’ve ever written

OMG, you know. I think it’s actually a scene from a LotR story I wrote ages ago, featuring Boromir and Merry talking about Boromir’s view of his people. I have no idea why, I’m just super proud of it. I got a lot of feedback on that one from people who didn’t like Boromir from the movies but found themselves seeing a whole other side of him after reading it. I assume they didn’t read the books, but who knows. :D27. best review you ever got

Oh man. A girl reviewed a Glee story of mine on a tumblr post with sections and subsections and a thesis and evidence to support it (literally, I think she said she was a grad student in English or Lit or whatever), all glowing and sales-pitching it to people who weren’t fans of the pairing. It was rad. But then I also had some really short, emotional ones. I literally had someone tell me that a sad chapter of one of my stories was the reason why they told their mom they loved her for the first time in months. I mean holy shit. Also one of my faves was a physics grad student who wrote me out why my particular criticism of transporter theory as stated in a ST Reboot fic was wrong, because it really ought to have been THIS criticism instead. Like it was super technical and sciencey and all grim about the feasibility of transporters and it was a favorite. 30. hardest part of writing

Editing. I don’t pay it nearly enough attention, I am awful about writing the last sentence of a chapter and then opening AO3 because who needs to even reread it much less edit? I’m getting better about that, slowly, but man. 33. alternate ending for (insert story title)

You obviously didn’t single out a story, so I’m trying to think if there’s one I had a whole different idea for initially. Erm. I tend to stick to plan most of the time, so. If there’s a specific one you want me to invent a different ending for, lemme know. 36. one-shot or multi-chaptered story?

Pfft. The times I’ve managed to contain an idea in a one-shot have been few and far between. I love long. 39. do you want to be published some day?

I will be. Damn it. 

42. do you plan or do you write whatever comes to your mind?

Both? Since I like long plotty things I do plan those out, but very loosely. Basically I make a list of things that need to happen, and then I go nuts around that list and write whatever I want. Usually my one-shots come because I get a random idea and just write it there on the spot. 45. share the synopsis of a story you work on that you haven’t published yet

Well, it’s a WIP and still under heavy construction, but. It’s a hard AU, urban fantasy, kinda dark, starring Wally West as the most important person alive, Iris as the most soft and loving ass-kicking hero in the world, Barry as the villain she totally seduces to the good side, and Cisco as the bright light in Wally’s grim world. Also it’s like hard core ensemble, on top of Wallisco and Westallen there’s Caitlin/Ronnie, Snart/Rory, Lisa/Linda. It’s a whole thing. 48. three spoilers for (insert story title)

I’ll do SIMH since that’s my big WIP right now. Erm. 

Kendra makes a personal appearance finally, though it takes everything going to shit to bring her in. 

They catch the bad guy surprisingly easily. 

No they don’t. 

[madilayn]

Emergency! Intro Meme

Rules: Not much to say here! Copy-paste this into a new post (and feel free to link back to this one if you’d like) and answer the questions as you see fit if you’d like to tell the rest of the fandom a bit more about yourself. This meme is generally tag-free and open to everyone who wants to do it (but feel free to informally tag people you’d like to know more about). You can tag your reply as “#E! intro meme” if you’d like.

How’d you find this show and the fandom? How long have you been here? I'm an old fan - literally! I was 9 in 1975 whenit started to be shoen here in Australia, and I loved it from the start. I missed being online for the first online explosion of the E! fandom, and when I went looking initially it was non existant. But then about 189 months later, the Facebook E! fandom exploded and then I found some fans on Tumblr (notably @its-skadi, and @aroace-craigbrice) and some abandoned E! Tumblers (mourns). But now we seem to be growing larger. I've been on Tumblr since 2014 or early 2015.

What made you stick around? I joined Tumblr for the Thunderbrids Are Go fandom and my rason for staying has only increased with the emergence of the E! fandom on Tumblr.

Who’s your favorite character? Captain Stanley has always been my favourite, followed by Mike Stoker.

Are you a shipping kind of person? If yes, what are your favorite ships? Oh I ship. I ship like I'm a shipping magnate! My ships have changed a little, but these are them at the moment and likely not to change) - Hank/Mike - Hank/Hanks wife/Mike (OK - this one is me and based on my own OC of Hank's Wife - knowing what Cap is like, and knowing that his wife drives an Edsel (in the mid-1970's) - I had to think about what sort of woman she would be ad I hope that in the character of Georgie I managed to give him the sort of woman he needs) - Roy/Joanne/Johnny Because I just cannot see Roy and JOhnny working without Joanne - and I thought that Johnny would probably fall in love with JOanne as much as he would with Roy - and vice versa.

Favorite moment/scene/quote? Yes, you can pick more than one. Oh so many of them. Top of the list has to be in The Nuisance when Roy suhes to the hit-by-a-car Johnny and that panic and absolute broken voice he has when he calls JOhnny's name. You hear that and how can you NOT know that they love each other. "Gurgle Gurgle" and "We voted" - uttered by Mike Stoker in "The Great Crash Diet" and "Hypochondri-Cap" respectively. The Great Crash Diet when Cap gets electrocuted. How all the boys react is just so telling and how Cap is still trying to keep control of things and OH GOD MIKE'S LITTLE USELESS GESTURE WITH CAP'S TURNOUT LAPEL. Not to mention Mike is further away than Roy, but he reaches Cap at pretty much the same time as Roy. One of those instances that screams true feelings louder than words.

Do you have a favorite episode? Feel free to pick one per season if you can’t decide. Insanity Epidemic and The Great Crash Diet are my two faves.

Most underrated character, either among the fandom or one the writers never utilized to their full potential? Student Nurse Sharon - it was so much fun to see her move froim awkward Student to her last appoearance as a nurse and watching her grow and become more confident. And you just know she will eventually grow into a Dixie (and Dixie will be so proud). Nurse Carol (the black nurse) - I wish she had been in more episodes. I would also have loved to see more done with Mike Stoker and Marco Lopez.

One thing you’d have liked to see more (or less) of in the show? I wish we could have seen Joanne - not all the time and not bringing home drama into it, but little things like visiting Roy when he was in hospital.

Do you have a fanwork recommendation for us? Fic, art, video, whatever? @johnnys-green-pen has a wonderful list of Fic Recs that I endorse heartily, an in their response to this meme, @andtheywerelegends has some good recs. Plus (not at all humbly) my own writing (on AO3 and Fanfic, and Everything by my good friend Squad51Rescue

Any fanworks you’d like to see? There is a really large amont of stuff out there and I honestly can't think offhand of more!

Any favorite headcanons you’d like to tell us about? Johnny is definitely non-neurotypical - probably on the Autism spectrum. Cap thinks of all hs crew as his "children" and even he doesn't know why it happened like that! Cap has known Mike since Mike was a boot, and has been somewhat of a mentor to him, as well as them being best friends

Free space! Anything else you’d like to mention? @johnnys-green-pen is amazing and has really been very responsible for kickstarting the E! fandom on Tumblr.

[jonasmaurer]

Disney Wonder Alaska Cruise recap

Sharing our thoughts on our Disney cruise experience to Alaska! We took the Disney Wonder from Vancouver to Glacier Bay, Skagway, Juneau and Ketchikan. I’ll share our full packing list in an upcoming post if you’re planning an Alaskan cruise!

Hi friends! Happy Monday. Hope your week is off to a great start! I’m finally sitting down and taking the time to write out our thoughts on the cruise. I have so much to say! I hope you’re ok with a super long post, but the TLDR version is that we absolutely loved our Disney cruise… and already booked another one.

When we initially booked our cruise, I have to admit that Alaska wasn’t my #1 choice. I’ve never been on a cruise before, and I figured that my first one should be somewhere tropical or European. We booked our trip with my friend Betsy and her family, and she mentioned that so many people say Alaska is breathtaking and we should give it a try. Plus, it would give us the chance to be a little cold since Tucson would likely be scorching hot. So, we went for it!

We traveled to Vancouver and arrived a couple of days early just in case we got stuck on the way. (I highly recommend doing this, so you don’t miss the boat!) We had a blast in Vancouver, and then Monday afternoon, we boarded the ship to spend seven incredible days sightseeing, relaxing, enjoying family activities and eating so many delicious foods. We traveled with Betsy and her family, and had the best time with them! While the boat was sailing away from the dock, they had a party on the top deck with frozen cocktails, live performers and ice cream for the kiddos. 

In pure Disney fashion, everything was over the top: the dining, the performances, the activities, excursions, etc. I know Disney does it right and many people have told us once they did a Disney cruise, they never wanted to cruise with any other cruise lines. After experiencing it ourselves, I can completely see how that happens.

I tried to segment this post into blocks, so it wasn’t just one rambling Disney cruise rave, so here are some of the things that stood out:

Alaskan scenery:

The scenery was absolutely stunning. On either side of the boat, we could see vast forests, glaciers, bald eagles flying (!), whales, and icebergs. Titanic taught me that icebergs are bad, but we sailed through an entire garden of them, so there ya go. We had the opportunity to see landscape and wildlife that we’d otherwise never experience. Now that I’ve been able to experience the true beauty of Alaska, I’d love to visit again some day. 

  One of my favorite stops was the Mendenhall Glacier. It lightly drizzled as we hiked down to a beach, and the girls played with sticks and splashed in puddles while we watched herons fly overhead.

  (P refused to be in this photo because she was very busy gathering rocks) 

The Disney Cruise dining experience:

For Disney cruises, here’s how the dining works: you have reservations (either first seating at 5:45 or second seating, closer to 8) at the main restaurants each night. We sailed on the Wonder, so the main restaurants are Tiana’s, Triton’s, and Animator’s Palace. They have you on a rotation, so you can experience each of the restaurants, and you have the same server the entire time. We really got to know our main server, Pipa (the girls LOVED her) and she always knew what we wanted to drink and got the kiddos’ food served extremely fast. (I could always count on her for dinner recommendations, too, so many times I asked her what I should order and she chose the best stuff for me!)

At each restaurant, they had a different theme each night (a Mardi Gras night, Frozen-inspired menu, lobster night, etc.) and you could choose from various appetizers, salads, soups, entrees, and desserts. I was blown away by the variety they offered! On our specific cruise, they served over 10,000 meals per day, and the quality was outstanding.

  (Smoked salmon in some form in every single meal. YOLO)

You also don’t have to eat at the sit-down restaurants if you don’t want to! You can dine at one of the quick spots (Daisy’s De-lites serves salads, sandwiches, build-your-own bowls, fresh chopped fruit, and soups), Boiler Bites (hot dogs, mac n’ cheese, chicken tenders, fries, etc.), and Pinocchio’s (different types of pizza!), eat at the buffet (Cabana’s is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and they have EVERYTHING) or you can get room service. All of this is included. They also had a “fancy” coffee shop on board for specialty drinks, called Cove Coffee, and a quick coffee shop where you could also get super healthy smoothies. A couple of times, I ordered a smoothie with almond milk, vegan chocolate protein, kale, spinach, cinnamon, and ice. The specialty drinks and coffees are extra (so is alcohol), but I didn’t find it to be super overpriced. My smoothies were $5 when they’d usually be around $9 at Whole Foods. 

(Yes they totally put a Donald Duck on my decaf almond milk latte)

(Living the Mickey bar life)

For most of the days we were there, we did breakfast at Cabana’s – it was so nice to wake up and eat without having to order anything or wait for food to be cooked – lunch at Daisy’s (the girls would usually get sandwiches, or pizza from Pinocchio’s, and a giant fruit platter) and dinner at the sit-down restaurant.

Each of the sit-down restaurants had something magical about them. At Tiana’s, Tiana herself was actually there walking around (and the girl spoke exactly like her! She was wonderful) and live music, complete with a Louis crocodile playing the saxophone. Triton’s felt like the fanciest among the three (but you could still go in leggings and a Disney tee), and Animator’s Palace had Sorcerer Mickey one of the nights. They also gave us special placemats that we could draw people on, and they took the placemats from the entire restaurant and ANIMATED our drawings and had them dancing to a song on one of the many screens in the restaurant. It was so incredibly cool!

Entertainment on board:

They have full Broadway-style shows on board, including musicals, comedians, and musicians. We saw three live Disney shows on the ship, including the Golden Mickeys (my personal fave), Frozen, and Disney Dreams.

  They also have two movie theaters playing different movies (including new releases!) all day. The Pilot and Liv saw Captain Marvel, the Pilot saw a late show of Avengers: Endgame one evening, and we all saw the new Aladdin movie as a family. They also have a movie screen on the top deck, where you can lounge on chairs with blankets and eat soft serve ice cream while you watch a show. The ice cream machine was a HUGE hit with the girls. You can literally walk up and make yourself a cone at any point during the day.

We may or may not have played every single Bingo round on the ship. We didn’t get the 7k prize but did win a Disney cruise picnic blanket in one of the raffles.

We went to the gym pretty much every day! It was such a treat to work out together since that can rarely happen at home. We waited until after breakfast, so it wasn’t crowded, dropped the kiddos off at Kids Club, and got in a workout. 

Kids’ Club:

Kids Club was a game-changing experience. The girls absolutely loved it, and many nights after dinner, Liv was begging to go back! I felt like it was a perfect balance. The Pilot and I had a couple of hours together each day, and we still spent a ton of time together as a family. The girls usually went to Kids Club after breakfast while we worked out, and again in the late afternoon for an hour or so before dinner (usually while we played Bingo haha). 

They have three Kids Clubs on the Wonder: the nursery (for babies and toddlers who aren’t potty trained), and for older kids + potty trained over 3: the Oceaneer Lab, and the Oceaneer Club (which has a play structure inside). They also have a special area for teenagers (I think it’s called Edge). The kids can go from the Lab to the Club via a hallway, and they wear GPS Disney bands the entire trip. When they scanned our card to pick them up (you use one card for everything: to get into your room, to pay, to pick kids up), they can see on their screen exactly where your kids are. “Olivia and Penelope are in the Animator’s room on my left playing with hula hoops.” It was brilliant.

Characters often visited the Kids Club to play games and do activities with the kids. The girls saw Anna, Elsa, Stitch, the GI Joe guy from Toy Story, Captain Hook, and Belle, all in Kids Club. They baked cookies, did a Friendship Rocks show with Minnie and Mickey, had a luau party, and played so many fun games. We didn’t take advantage of this, but they’ll also feed your kids if they’re there during a meal! 

Room:

We went with the Deluxe Oceanview room, but for our next cruise, we’re getting a verandah since the difference is only a couple hundred dollars. This way, we can sit on the patio and drink wine after the girls are asleep.

We thought the couch was a regular pull-out bed for the girls to share, but turns out, it’s a bunk bed! Our Stateroom Host, Anissa, would transform it from couch to bunk beds every single day. 

Extra Disney touches:

There were definitely special Disney touches during the trip. Each night, we’d come back to the room, and during turndown service, Anissa would create towel animals and leave chocolates. One night, she completely changed the girls’ bedding to princess bedding, and they were STOKED.

The app was also fantastic. You can only connect to it when you’re on the ship’s Wifi, and it enables you to see exactly what’s going on all day, receive messages and updates (like your child can asked to be picked up from Kid’s Club and they’ll send you a message), and texting with others on the ship, complete with Disney emojis. It was extremely helpful, especially as first-timers. I always knew what shows and entertainment were available and could scope out dinner menus in advance. They also had full deck layouts and the weather in each of our stops available in the app.

One night, I lost a diamond earring. I was getting dressed and dropped it, and heard it clank around the room. I spent about 20 minutes searching but couldn’t find it. I let guest services know, just so they would make sure no one went in and vacuumed. When we went back to the room after dinner, I saw Anissa in the hallway and she said, “Your earring is on the glass tray by the closet.” She totally went in and found it for me!

One of the guest service team members chose us as their “special family” during the trip. (I’m not quite sure how this works but I think they each randomly select a family to surprise with goodies). Each afternoon, we’d come into the room from the day’s adventures or excursions and treats would be waiting for us. There were muffins, cheese boards, and cupcakes. It was amazing.

I was blown away by how many character greetings and events they had on the ship. The girls got to see maybe 4x the characters we see at the parks, with way shorter lines.

They also had dance parties (like the Pixar Pals party) in the atrium that were a blast.

Gratuities: 

This was something I didn’t know a lot about, so I’m posting it here in case anyone is taking a Disney cruise! While you’re on the ship, you don’t pay many gratuities. (I would just pay an extra couple bucks here and there for specialty drinks.) At the end of your trip, they charge your account around $13.50 per person per day. They split this amount between the different people who take care of you and scale it accordingly. (Like our head server got more of this amount that the assistant server who only got our drinks.) They also leave little envelopes if you want to tip extra. This way, you can be sure to tip an additional amount to the people who went above and beyond (and found earrings for you, etc.).

I’ll do another post with the excursions we chose + my packing list in case anyone is planning a similar cruise!

So, tell me friends: have you been on a cruise? What’s the #1 spot on your travel list?

xoxo

Gina

*This post isn’t sponsored in any way and we paid for all travel and accommodations. We used Costco Travel and highly recommend it! <3

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[stories-aha-blog]

Some of my top fave stories

The Courtesan of Lucknow

Novel by Mirza Hadi Ruswa, 1905.

Life Story of a Woman who gets abducted a child as an act of revenge, and sold to a brothel, where she moves on to become a famous courtesan, due to her outstanding intellect, personality and taste.

Time of the Gypsies

Film by Emir Kusturica, 1988.

Le Dernier Chant des Malaterre

Graphic Novel by Francois Bourgeon.

The Pillow Boy of the Lady Onogoro

Novel by Alice Fell.

Quote from Goodreads:

“This “exquisite, exuberant, X-rated” novel (Mirabella), set in feudal Japan, tells the story of a concubine who hires a stable boy to whisper erotic stories from behind a screen while she entertains her master, a samurai general.”

Even if the basic premise of this book doesn’t really work, I still love it so much that I had to include it here.

Definitely in the soulfood department.

Dangerous Liaisons

Les Liaisons dangereuses is a French epistolary novel by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos, first published in four volumes by Durand Neveu from March 23, 1782.

It is the story of the Marquise de Merteuil and the Vicomte de Valmont, two rivals (and ex-lovers) who use seduction as a weapon to socially control and exploit others, all the while enjoying their cruel games and boasting about their manipulative talents. It has been claimed to depict the decadence of the French aristocracy shortly before the French Revolution, thereby exposing the perversions of the so-called Ancien Régime. However, it has also been described as an amoral story.

As an epistolary novel, the book is composed entirely of letters written by the various characters to each other. In particular, the letters between Valmont and the Marquise drive the plot, with those of their victims and other characters serving as contrasting figures to give the story its depth.

The Wire

TV series, 2002 - 2008, on black street gangs in Baltimore, cross cut with some police procedural of the cops pursuing them.

May be about to reach its shelf life for being too famous to need introduction.

Les Valseuses

Quoted from Wikipedia, since I am too lazy to write up my own description:

Going Places is a 1974 French erotic comedy-drama film co-written and directed by Bertrand Blier, and based on his own novel. Its original title is Les Valseuses, which translates into English as "the waltzers"[citation needed], a vulgar French slang term for "the testicles".[2] It stars Miou-Miou, Gérard Depardieu and Patrick Dewaere.

It is widely considered one of the most controversial movies in French cinema history due to its vulgarity, depiction of sexual acts, nudity, and moral ambiguity; however, Blier's later acclaim for the rest of his filmography made it a cult film for modern critics.

Jean-Claude and Pierrot are young men who travel around France, committing petty crimes and running from the law. After they get in trouble with a hairdresser in Valence for stealing his car, they grab his pistol and kidnap his assistant Marie-Ange, an apathetic girl. When they are bored with unorgasmic Marie-Ange, they decide to find a passionate woman and meet Jeanne Pirolle, a woman in her forties who is just released from prison and had spent ten years in a cell. After a threesome, Jeanne commits suicide and the men return to Marie-Ange. They find Jeanne's son Jacques who had been incarcerated as well. Then, the four consider founding a crime family but at their first crime, an attempted robbery, Jacques commits a revenge killing and the others flee. While on the run, they meet a family having a picnic near Col d'Izoard and the delinquent teenage daughter Jacqueline wants to join them. They take Jacqueline and on learning that she is still a virgin, they decide to deflower her. After dropping Jacqueline, the three ride away aimlessly.

Breaking Bad

Too famous to need introduction for the next 10 years or so.

Der Seewolf

One of the classic 4 part adventure series, that would traditionally be broadcast in Germany around Christmas time. First broadcast in 1971, and then literally for decades after that.

Based on a number of different Jack London novels and short stories, that originally had no connection with each other.

Story of a young man from a well off family, who gets shiprecked, and then taken on board by a whaler ship, ruled by a ruthless, self made captain, who refuses to get him to land, and kind of treats him at his whim, sometimes tormenting him, sometimes using him to have conversations with.

Spirited Away

Too famous to need introduction for the next 10 years or so.

Lolita

Too famous to need introduction for the next 100 years or so, but, just in case:

1955 novel by Vladimir Nabokov

Quoted from Wikipedia:

The novel is notable for its controversial subject: the protagonist and unreliable narrator, a middle-aged literature professor under the pseudonym Humbert Humbert is obsessed with a 12-year-old girl, Dolores Haze, with whom he becomes sexually involved after he becomes her stepfather.

Bad Company

Quoted from Wikipedia, since I am too lazy to write up my own description:

″1972 American Western film directed by Robert Benton, who also co-wrote the film with David Newman. It stars Barry Brown and Jeff Bridges as two of a group of young men who flee the draft during the American Civil War to seek their fortune and freedom on the unforgiving American frontier.[1]

This acid western attempts in many ways to demythologize the American West in its portrayal of young men forced by circumstance and drawn by romanticized accounts to forge new lives for themselves on the wrong side of the law. Their initial eagerness to be outlaws soon abates, however, when the boys are confronted with the realities of preying on others in a nation ravaged by war and exploitation.”

Pinocchio

German language children’s tv series, animated in Japan, first broadcast in 1976, and then contiuously broadcast for many years after, due to its huge popularity.

Based on the original Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi, while introducing considerable changes.

For some reason or other, I only ever watched this when I was already in my 20s. Still loved it.

Riget

TV series by Lars von Trier.

Kind of his version of David Lynch’s “Twin Peaks”, if you will.

Set in a hospital, and combining elements of atmospheric eerie / spooky story, comedy, and soap opera.

The Kingdom (Danish title: Riget) is an eight-episode Danish television mini-series, created by Lars von Trier in 1994, and co-directed by Lars von Trier and Morten Arnfred.

The series is set in the neurosurgical ward of Copenhagen's Rigshospitalet, the city and country's main hospital, nicknamed "Riget". "Riget" means "the realm" or "the kingdom", and leads one to think of "dødsriget", the realm of the dead. The show follows a number of characters, both staff and patients, as they encounter bizarre phenomena, both human and supernatural. The show is notable for its wry humor, its muted sepia colour scheme, and the appearance of a chorus of dishwashers with Down Syndrome who discuss in intimate detail the strange occurrences in the hospital.

Cowboy Bebop

Probably too famous to need introduction for the next 10 years or so; but just in case:

1998 Japanese anime television series featuring a production team led by director Shinichirō Watanabe, screenwriter Keiko Nobumoto, character designer Toshihiro Kawamoto, mechanical designer Kimitoshi Yamane, and composer Yoko Kanno. The twenty-six episodes ("sessions") of the series are set in the year 2071, and follow the lives of a bounty hunter crew traveling on their spaceship called Bebop.

Histoire de ma vie

Giacomo Casnova’s Memoirs

Too famous to need introduction for the next 100 years or so.

One of my go to books, when I am seeking distraction. Just arbitrarily opening any of the volumes on any page will almost certainly lead to someting entertaining. Well, most of the time.

Tendres Cousins

Film by David Hamilton

Atmospheric film about those long summer days. The one example that I can think of, where I find the portrait of family life --- well actually more mother and her sister, with the father only visiting once --- enjoyable to watch.

Sort of a “The perfect bourgois childhood” soulfood kind film. (With a fair bit of erotic slapstic thrown in, but oh well.)

Kids

Quoted from Wikipedia:

Kids is a 1995 American independent coming-of-age film written by Harmony Korine and directed by Larry Clark.[4] It stars Chloë Sevigny, Leo Fitzpatrick, Justin Pierce, Rosario Dawson, and Jon Abrahams, all in their film debuts. Kids is centered on a day in the life of a group of teenagers in New York City and their hedonistic behavior towards sex and substance abuse (alcohol and other street drugs) during the height of the AIDS epidemic in the mid-1990s. The film generated a massive controversy upon its release in 1995, and caused much public debate over its artistic merit, even receiving an NC-17 rating from the MPAA

  Some of the comic stories by Hagra, here on tumblr;

“dirty little stories”, betwen gopniki, part time petty criminals and rent boys.

especially this one, this one, this one, this one, this one and this one.

___________________

RUNNERS UP

(= just faves, rather than Topfaves)

Shameless (UK), the first 5 seasons

Vikings (2013 tv series)

Rome

2005 tv series

The series primarily chronicles the lives and deeds of the rich, powerful, and historically significant, but also focuses on the lives, fortunes, families, and acquaintances of two common men: Lucius Vorenus and Titus Pullo, fictionalized versions of a pair of Roman soldiers mentioned in Caesar's Commentarii de Bello Gallico.[1] The fictional Vorenus and Pullo manage to witness and often influence many of the historical events presented in the series, although some license is taken.

The first season depicts Julius Caesar's civil war of 49 BC against the traditionalist conservative faction in the Roman Senate (the Optimates), his rise to dictatorship over Rome, and his fall, spanning the time from the end of his Gallic Wars (52 BC or 701 ab urbe condita) until his assassination on 15 March 44 BC (the infamous Ides of March). Against the backdrop of these cataclysmic events, we also see the early years of the young Octavian, who is destined to become Augustus, the first Emperor of Rome. The second season chronicles the power struggle between Octavian and Mark Antony following Caesar's assassination, spanning the period from Caesar's death in 44 BC to the suicide of Antony and Cleopatra in 30 B.C. after their defeat at the Battle of Actium.

Les Innommables

5 volume graphic novel series by Conrad and Yann

Les Innommables ("The Unnameables") is a Franco-Belgian comic series written by Yann le Pennetier and drawn by Didier Conrad. It began publication in serialized form in 1980 in Spirou magazine and was eventually published in album form by Dargaud.[1]

The series recounts the adventures of three U.S. Army deserters – Mac, Tony and Tim – in 1949, as they trek across Asia and search for Alix, who is Mac's lover and a Chinese communist spy. Les Innommables is characterized by its black humor as well as frequent displays of nudity and violence – which eventually ended the series' run in Spirou.

Les passagers du vent

7 book graphic novel series by Francois Bourgeon

Some of the short stories by Charles Bukowsky

Johnny Mad Dog

2008 French/Liberian war film directed by Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire and based on the novel Johnny Chien Méchant (2002) by the Congolese author Emmanuel Dongala.

The teenage rebel Johnny Mad Dog leads the small group of younger boys commanded by the older General Never Die, who feeds them cocaine.[1] The film follows the group's march towards the capital Monrovia, and follows them in a gritty realistic manner as they move through a series of towns and villages, where they terrify and often execute the population. The soldiers are depicted as almost feral, committing acts of pillage and rape, with scant regard for even their own lives. They wear a variety of outlandish outfits – including butterfly wings and a wedding dress – and have nicknames such as No Good Advice, Captain Dust to Dust, and Chicken Hair.

_____

There are almost certainly quite a few more, that I can’t think of right now. I might update the list, if I should remember a super important one.

(Although there is a limit for how long such a list can be, and still be of use.)

I left out most of the light stuff that I love to watch, and tried to only include stuff that kind of works as inspiration for what I would write about myself.

I enjoy rewatching scenes from The Wire, Rome, The Soparnos and Game of Thrones on youtube, typically many many times over. In the very unlikely case I should ever take part of creating a tv series, it would definitely have to be one that produces scenes that people get addicted to rewatching.