#endgame brought me so much joy

[breadtheft1796]

being a steve rogers fan on this site is really just having to tolerate constant untagged posts hating on characters, ships and moments you treasure, usually with some misogynistic and ableist language thrown in, just to get like... the same three gifsets.

[glitterghost]

Feeling the ace-solation tonight.

[bridoesotherjunk]

Okay, so it's been a handful of days since I've seen Venom 3.. and I think I've finally got my thoughts together.

This review will have spoilers, so it will go under the cut.

these are all my opinions, so don't take my word as gospel or anything...

Anyone who knows me and my blog knows how much I've loved these movies since 2018, so to see me not ranting about the third Venom movie should be evidence enough how I feel.

I... don't feel like this was a satisfying conclusion to the Venom franchise. I really feel like there was so much more that could have been done, and should have been, instead of what we got.

I truly feel that introducing Knull into the story was a mistake. The first 2 films were so much smaller scale. Expanding all the way to the fucking symbiote god after only having done Carnage just felt like such a massive leap. And they really didn't do much with him anyway.

It felt like they included Knull because they were obligated to. Like Sony made them in order to have a weird spin off involving Knull trying to kill stuff. I don't know. He didn't do much besides tease future movies where he's the villain again. And that's kind of boring...

I will sound so narcissistic saying this, but I truly feel that the story I came up with, where the villains of Venom 3 are former Life Foundation employees angry at Eddie for ruining their lives, made way more sense. In terms of scale, you know? Much less "huge universal threat" and more of the small scale "threat to Eddie and Venom specifically" type story. Even Riot, being a threat to the Earth, was smaller scale than Knull. Knull is just too much. Too big. Too unfocused. It felt like too wide of a net. It felt generic, i hate to say it. It just felt like every other dumb ass gritty movie where the bad guy wants to destroy all life as we know it. (And quite frankly, he could have been taken out of the movie and not much would have changed. Venom and Eddie could have been hunted by the xenophages for any number of reasons.)

The part of the movie that I enjoyed most was the beginning. The part that felt like Venom. Where we saw Eddie and Venom working in sync to free those dogs. I loved that. I loved seeing how far the two of them have come and how well they work together. .. seeing their journey in a montage later? That felt... lackluster. After seeing them literally working together just an hour earlier in the movie, it felt kind of cheap. The way the story ended for these two didn't feel like a victory. It felt like the Avengers Endgame "well we gotta get rid of this character because their contract is up" situation.

The movie was definitely a fun time. I enjoyed myself watching it. But I was left feeling a sense of "That's it?" That I haven't felt since Avengers Endgame.

I'm happy that Tom Hardy got to do these movies. I absolutely will forever adore the first 2. They're fun, they're goofy, they're gay, and I love them. .. but this third one just... yeah. I'm disappointed.

I will always love Venom. That much is not going to change. I love these two gay losers and I'm so happy I got to have them in my life. They brought me so much joy, and so much brainrot, and I will miss the fuck out of them.

[imagine-knowing-a-name]

wish i’d never grown up

Summary: Natasha adopted you as a baby, and now she gets to see you grow up

Pairing: Natasha Romanoff x daughter!Reader

Word Count: 2586

Warnings: Angst. Endgame canon compliant

A/N: Was writing fluff. Taylor Swift came on. This happened instead. Anyway if it isn’t clear, based on and including lyrics from Never Grow Up by Taylor Swift, and the text in quotation marks is Natasha talking.

—————————————————

“I had no clue what I was doing. A baby was never in my plans, never in my training-”

Your little hands wrapped around my finger And it's so quiet in the world tonight

“-but from my first moments with you, I knew I was going to learn. For you.”

Your little eyelids flutter 'cause you're dreaming So I tuck you in, turn on your favourite nightlight

One of your first memories, so mundane, a fragmented clip of when she laid the blanket over you, and pulled you back into the realm of consciousness just long enough to feel a soft press of lips to your forehead. The loop repeated, but the other senses took priority, you could still hear the click of the nightlight, the warmth of her embrace, you could practically still feel her arms around you, keeping you safe.

To you, everything's funny You got nothing to regret I'd give all I have, honey If you could stay like that

You had no idea then, but you knew now, everything your mother carried with her. Countless lifetimes’ worth of choices and actions she never should have been forced to take, all of which she kept from you, too fearful of what might happen if she exposed you to any of it. You could imagine it now, everything she had to bear, the permanent sorrow in her eyes even as she laughed along with you, the marks on her features that would never fade, no matter how often you caused her to smile. A decade would pass before you’d learn about the childhood she had survived; before you learnt that she had never been as carefree as you had been in that moment. That she was never allowed to be.

Oh, darling, don't you ever grow up Don't you ever grow up, just stay this little Oh, darling, don't you ever grow up Don't you ever grow up, it could stay this simple

“I’d never seen someone so innocent, so free from life’s scars. Like my own little Pandora, you radiated hope with every smile and brought joy back into my world. I’d seen so much, but none of it with a perspective like yours. With you, I could experience the world again, live another life and spend it all with you. And I could protect you, do everything I could so you would never experience the life I led before you.”

I won't let nobody hurt you Won't let no one break your heart And no one will desert you Just try to never grow up Never grow up

She protected you from hurt, but a life cannot be lived without some scrapes and bruises. You got plenty of those in the physical sense, climbing and running and playing, but a kiss and a band-aid from your mother, maybe even some encouraging words, and everything was better. You remembered the first time a wound scarred, you’d been so worried when weeks passed and it still didn’t match your skin. You ran to her immediately, holding it out and sobbing. She took your arm in both hands, laying a kiss to your wound before wiping the tears from your eyes.

She’d knelt in front of you, lifting her sleeve to show her own scar, a pale blotch in just the same area. “We’re matching,” she’d told you, “it’s healed just the right amount, it’s a reminder of what you got through, but it’s not holding you back.”

—

“I can still remember your first scar, a little blotch on your left arm. You fell over in the playground and ran over, asking me to patch it up. We chose out your band aid together, you wanted the one with the dogs on, so that’s what you got. A few weeks later and you were running over again, crying about why it hadn’t healed. I showed you my own scar, and I think that was the first time you saw it - you were so shocked, I reckon you’d thought I was invincible. You ran away immediately when I said it wouldn’t heal - I thought I’d scared you - but you came running back with the band-aids, patching me up with a dog just so I would match you. You even pulled it in for a kiss, promising it would get better thanks to your help. Maybe that scar didn’t, but I am certain others started to heal that day.”

You're in the car on the way to the movies And you're mortified your mom's dropping you off At fourteen, there's just so much you can't do And you can't wait to move out someday and call your own shots

Your mother was famous… for all the wrong reasons. It had been fun for a bit after the Battle of New York, people recognised her as your mother, they all wanted to be your friend, pestering you with questions you were more than happy to answer. You were proud of your mum, and took every opportunity to talk about her, but the more they asked, the more you realised you didn’t know.

She’d explained it to you calmly after you confronted her about all the questions. She explained her past, her childhood, her job, only a slightly censored version to make sure it was appropriate for you to know. She knew none of it was appropriate for you, but it was an important part of her, and you wanted to know her, so she told you all the things she hoped to keep you safe from. 

Everyone found out a couple of years later anyway, when she leaked SHIELD’s documents about her. You hated the media frenzy, having to hear everyone at school discuss your mother in so much detail, some of them even reciting the media’s venomous words about her, and nothing you could do would change their minds. 

When your friends invited you to go watch a movie, you wanted a break from it all. To be dropped off by The Black Widow would just spark up the debate again and you couldn’t take it. Soon enough you’d be able to drive yourself, or maybe not live so far away from the city in the middle of nowhere, and you wouldn’t have to rely on your mum dropping you off everywhere. One day. You had to grow up first.

You asked to be dropped off around the corner, that way they wouldn’t see her. You hurried out the car, muttering a ‘will do’ in response to her ‘stay safe!’. With your eyes down, you didn’t notice the tears in hers, or the slight tremble in her voice.

But don't make her drop you off around the block Remember that she's getting older, too

“I didn’t have anything to miss while I grew up, nor anyone who would miss me. I had no warning that it was going to be this hard.”

And don't lose the way that you dance around In your PJs getting ready for school Oh, darling, don't you ever grow up Don't you ever grow up, just stay this little

“My handlers didn’t want me to grow up, yet they forced me to. To see you growing up at your own pace, of your own choice, brings some indescribable feeling. I’m glad of the life you got to live and I’m proud of who you’re growing into. There really is no training for taking in a baby, and for once, I was happy to learn on the way. 

But I can never forget the people you were, and I hope you never lose them either. The baby we rescued at the expense of peaceful nights… the toddler who used to cry on the way to school, never wanting to be apart from me… to the child I had to wake up with blasting music because a dance party was the only way to get you up. I wish things could stay this simple, that you could stay so full of life, you may have to get older, but don’t you ever grow up. We can always have this.”

Oh, darling, don't you ever grow up Don't you ever grow up, it could stay this simple No one's ever burned you Nothing's ever left you scarred And even though you want to Just try to never grow up

The first time you argued with friends, your mother was the first to reassure you everything would be okay, on a day where nothing felt like it would be okay again. She held you close and let you cry, telling you it would always be okay to run right back to her. 

"We'll go for a drive," she said to you, and you did, she drove you aimlessly at first, just letting you talk until you felt more like yourself. Then she found an aim, taking you to an arcade and besting you at every game. Sure she was trying to make you feel better, but not to the point of letting you win - and you wouldn't have accepted it any other way.

You wanted to live in that moment forever, away from the troubles of life, away from the independence that she had allowed, to just stay with her. Playing games just like when you were a little kid.

Take pictures in your mind of your childhood room Memorise what it sounded like when your dad gets home Remember the footsteps, remember the words said And all your little brother's favourite songs

It was Yelena who came to pick you up. You had no idea what was going on; you’d been sitting in your room one moment, finishing homework and waiting for your mum to come home. She liked to order take out after a mission, and in advance of her arrival, you’d written out some options; she could make the final choice on what to get when she was home, but you’d narrowed it down to a few you wanted. 

Suddenly the room changed around you, your pale walls darkening to a deep red. Your desk, your homework, your scrap bits of paper were all gone, everything vanished, and you hit the floor with a thud. It had been too sudden for you to catch yourself, and you knew your back would end up bruised.

“Mum?” you called, eyes darting around every corner of this new room. The views were the same, the windows opening to the same scene you could picture with your eyes closed, you’d seen it every day of your life. You were in the same location then, but what had happened to your room? A king sized bed took up half the space, replacing any furniture you had kept in that area, a mirror and dresser took up the corners. Footsteps ran towards your door and your hope grew that it was your mother, coming to explain everything, but she’d taught you better than that. You remembered her footsteps, and those weren’t them. 

You dove under the bed, rolling right to the centre to minimise your chances of being seen. You tried to even your breathing, but all of the preparation didn’t prepare you for something to actually happen, your sight was blurred by tears and you bit your own knuckle to mask your breaths.

“Hello?” A man spoke. You stayed quiet. A hum. The man seemed to take the silence as an answer and walked out, shutting the door behind him. You stayed hidden as you listened to his footsteps fade, before rushing out from under the bed and throwing the windows open. You’d practised this with your mum, and luckily the exterior of the house was unchanged. You grabbed the ledge and swung your body over, closing the windows again to erase suspicion, then shuffled along the side panels until you reached the water pipes. You’d been told they were reinforced and you hoped that was still the case as you grabbed on and slid down. 

Dropping off at the end, you ran into the safety of the trees you had spent so much of your childhood in, the trail had become overgrown, but you knew the route by heart, and found yourself at the treehouse before you even knew the path you were following. It was still there, still intact, and you climbed up to it without a second thought, tucking yourself tight in the corner before you took your phone out.

You filed through the contacts before you found it: Mum. You hit call.

It rang, and it rang, and it continued to ring. Why wasn’t she picking up? You needed her, where was she? Even on most missions she could still have her phone set to answer you. You tried again, and again, and again and again. Then another contact popped up, someone calling you; Yelena.

“Auntie Lena?” you sobbed.

“Y/N, where are you? Are you safe? Is Nat with you?”

“I’m in the treehouse, there’s people in the house and mum isn’t picking up.”

“She’s not answering me either… I will come and collect you, stay there, I will get you safe.”

I just realised everything I have is someday gonna be gone So here I am in my new apartment In a big city, they just dropped me off It's so much colder than I thought it would be So I tuck myself in and turn my nightlight on

Your first memory was made here. A little room adjacent to your mother’s. 

The space was only ever designed for one person, so as soon as you outgrew the room, Natasha bought the house every other memory was made in, and the two of you made it your own. 

Now it was just you. There was no need for a two person space, so you were back. In a room that was yours, yet still felt so new. You didn’t fit the bed, it was designed for a toddler after all, but it was yours, and the alternative was sleeping in a bed that was hers. 

She wasn’t here to tuck you in anymore, to stir you awake with a kiss on the forehead, or to hold you as you fell asleep. You both grew up, and that left you alone. She would never do it again. 

You pulled the covers up to your chin. It didn’t bring the same warmth you craved from your memory, and your nightlight shone dimly.

If this was growing up - a life without her - then you wish you’d never grown up.

Wish I'd never grown up I wish I'd never grown up And even though you want to Please try to never grow up

“And now you’re gone. I don’t know what to do, so I wrote this because I don’t want to forget one bit of you. I don’t want to forgive myself for this, I promised I’d give all I had to keep you safe.

I didn’t do enough. 

I wish we’d never grown up, life could have stayed so simple, I would have never reached an age where I could lose you. I’ve been told there’s a chance to get you back, a small, dangerous one, but it’ll be worth it to me.

I might not be here if you get back, but I hope you find this journal, and remember, my darling, to never grow up, not properly. 

But I need to do this, so you at least have a chance to grow up.

I love you, Y/N.

Your mother always,

Natasha”

[lady-embers]

The fandom is so lucky to have you! We appreciate having you here and all that you contribute to it ❤️❤️

1. What brought you into the fandom?

2. What character(s) do you feel the most connected to and why?

3. Out of all of SJM’s books, which one means the most to you and why?

4. Out of all of the SJM couples (fanon, canon, endgame, etc) which one means the most to you and why?

Keep doing you ❤️

Awe! You are going to make me cry! 🥹 (Only happy tears, though) Thank you so much for the kind words!! I am so happy to be a part of this fandom with a lot of amazing, wonderful people 🫶

To answer your questions (and sorry this might be a bit long)

1. The TOG series did! But what brought me into the ACOTAR Fandom specifically was ACOSF. After reading it, I wanted to discuss my thoughts/opinions with others who've read the series. Since then, I've gained a lot of new, really good and close friends. I'm incredibly grateful that ACOSF brought me into this fandom 🥰

2. Gwyn and Nesta.

Gwyn, because I have SA trauma myself, and I've fought hard to get where I am today. I'm a survivor just like she is, and I won't let anything break me. Plus, I'm a coppery haired woman, so I feel connected to her that way as well.

Nesta, because I'm the eldest of my siblings. I've also put on an icy front to not let anyone get too close after all the trauma I've endured being the eldest sibling (because it's not easy being the oldest and all the expectations placed on one for being the firstborn), growing up poor, my SA trauma and everything else life has thrown at me so far. I relate a lot to the anger she had at the world and herself as well as feeling like I failed at times to protect my younger siblings.

3. This is a tough one, but ACOSF is the ultimate winner.

It healed me in ways I didn't expect. Nesta and Gwyn both had me crying because of our similar stories/feelings. Nesta story and the unexpected connection with Gwyn and her story, too, allowed me to grieve and heal parts of me I didn't realize still needed healing from. It especially hits me even harder on rereads since I lost my own mom not too long ago. Nesta healing from her father's death and not having the best relationship with him mirrored in a way my own relationship with my mom and the loss of her and grieving/healing from her abrupt passing.

4. Gwyn and Azriel.

Their potential story together would show SA survivors they can have a healthy relationship in and out of the bedroom and heal a lot of people who have been through what Gwyn has. Their story has the potential to show a lot of people who feel unworthy because of things they've done or had done to them that they are worthy of love and joy in their lives. Their story will show that even if you feel alone amongst a crowded room, there are people around you willing to be there, to help, and to love you as you are. That even on the darkest of days when hope seems lost, there is light to walk to. You just have to keep putting one foot in front of the other and thinking, "I am the rock against which the surf crashes. Nothing can break me."

[stargirlie25]

A day in a life of E/riel being endgame.

Elain: What a lovely day

Azriel: its too hot.

Nesta: Hey Elain. Hey Az

Azriel: Hey Nes, how´s the new obstacle course?

Nesta: Not so good for me and Em. Gwyn however beat the whole damn thing! It brought her so much joy

*something sparked in azriels chest* *Azriel could picture it proper* *his shadows danced* *Azriel calmes*

[erenfox]

Y'all.

Episode 4.

It's the best piece of work Marvel has made after they made IW and Endgame.

spoiler alert 🚨

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lemme start off with our favourite Miss Jolly Rancher Unhinged Clock and Victorian-Era HWR Fangirl. I KNEW Ravonna had somehow helped HWR in building the TVA, but him erasing her memories was straight up evil.

Then we come to the absolutely gruesome deaths of Dox and the others. HOLY SHIT MISS JOLLY RANCHER IS AWFUL like she was enjoying every second of Dox and her hunters literally getting crushed to their deaths. B-15 was traumatised, to say the least and you can see on Ravonna and Brad's faces a hint of disgust. But Miss Minutes grinning like that - outright disturbing.

I can't get over OB and Victor fanboying over each other's work - it was so funny yet wholesome.

Now let's talk about Loki and Sylvie. As a diehard Sylki stan you know I am, my fangirling heart was overjoyed seeing these two lovesick ducks working together willingly! I mean, yea, they did have that rather awkward talk in Pie Land (mind you that's it's official name henceforth) but after that they worked together as teammates! Now I must say, I completely agree with Sylvie on snapping on Mobius, because, well, yeah, the multiverse is a bigger priority than pie and I legit don't get why tf antis hate on Sylvie for doing so. Like you hated her for not giving a damn abt the TVA + the multiverse, but now when she stood up to do so y'all are hating on her again?? Like?? Make up ur mind, smh.

Anyways, back to Sylki. Sylvie got stuck in the elevator and the way she and Loki worriedly called out each other's names was so soft! And the "You ok?" trope CAME BACK OMG! THAT PHRASE IS LITERALLY THE BACKBONE OF SYLKI! When I tell you my fangirling heart screamed with joy omg-

The the whole paradox scene which brought Ep 1 back in a circle. I absolutely loved the way our Loki realised what he had to do and went real slow to prune his past self just so that Past Loki could get a glimpse of Sylvie; which would then lead him to be more determined than ever to go look for her. And I quite literally died on Sylvie being confused af as to wtf she just witnessed.

Then there's the telephone scene. OH MY GOD it was literally OB all this time when fans were out here speculating it was Kang or someone lmao. Both Loki and Sylvie yelling simultaneously to turn the security thing off gives out so much Couple Vibes, I absolutely loved it AAHHAHAH-

AND. THE. BRAD. SCENE. OOF.

our friendly neighbourhood lovesick ducks teaming up to enchant Brad was just too good. Loki in his hot, creepy voice luring Brad into a dark area while Sylvie very swiftly just straight up grabbing his face from the back - pure horror. Absolutely loved it, 10/10. Tho I must say, to do execute elaborate scheme, these two must have done some detailed planning (=more Sylki moments we were robbed off).

BUT THAT ENDING DUCKING MURDERED ME BROO OMG

Can we talk abt Victor's redemption? Man had been portrayed as evil since Quantumania, and has been manipulated by both Ravonna and Miss Jolly Rancher, but at the end of the day, he was a sweetheart. Man fanboys OB and basically became besties with him and Casey, worked together to create the solution to a mess he most certainly didn't want to be a part of, and then himself stepped up to fix the Loom once and for all to prove to everyone (and not let Sylvie's choice of sparing him go to waste) that tho he contained HWR's DNA, he wasn't HWR - he was a far better person HWR could have ever been. Seeing him getting spaghettified was tragically heart-wrenching, man deserved so much better :(

BUT HOLY SHIT DID THAT ONE HECK OF A GODDAMN CLIFFHANGER LEFT ME SPEECHLESS LIKE WTF WAS THAT?? U can't just kill off a character who had redeemed himself, and then make our main character and his homies watch literally EVERYTHING THEY WORKED SO HARD FOR GET ANNIHILATED TO THE GROUND-

But we know our God of Mischief isn't dead, and so are his homies eheheh.

However the looks on everyone's face was tragic. Loki knew all was lost and had tears in his eyes. Sylvie looked like she had accepted defeat and her death. Mobius and OB were in denial, refusing to believe that Victor was dead. Casey and B-15 looked horrified, as they realised what was to come now upon them.

Tldr, this episode was an ABSOLUTE BANGER. IM READY TO CLAIM IT SUPERIOR THAN ENDGAME, come and fight me. Its a top cinematic piece, and the suspense to Ep 5 is eating me up.

Ig i should go and study for the 4 tests this week before ep 5 ;-;

[poppypickle]

20 Questions for Fic Writers

Tagged by mi amor @cfr749, so obvs I gotta do this.

1. How many works do you have on Ao3? 29

2. What’s your total Ao3 word count? 230,379

3. What fandoms do you write for? I've written the most for The Rookie. I've also dabbled in: The Hunger Games, Harry Potter, Avengers, Community, and Miss Scarlet and the Duke.

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

Lots of Chenford up in here...

• Come a Little Closer • I Can’t Help Myself • Want You to Stay • Bang Bang (Look What You Started) • Break Up With Him

5. Do you respond to comments?

I do! It's really important to me to respond to anyone who takes the time to leave a comment. That reciprocal appreciation is a really vital part of fandom for me.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Hmmm...probably Let Me Tell You a Story About War, which adds further angst to the canonically angsty ending for Clint and Natasha in Avengers: Endgame.

But all of my Gale-centric Hunger Games fics are suitably angsty too. 😅

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

I Can’t Help Myself is ooey gooey sweet. Let Me Name the Stars for You isn't sweet in the same way, but giving Gale and Johanna a happy ending still warms my heart.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Not really. I have found most people in my fandoms to be very kind and considerate.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

"Yup... the horny kind?"

Lana, I LOL'ed. That pretty much sums it up. I had Chenford banging in closets and on tables and in cars and in bar bathrooms! Very satisfying for all, I hope.

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

No. They aren't really my thing.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? 

I think someone asked me if they could translate Let Me Name the Stars for You many years ago, but I'm not sure I ever saw the finished translation.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Yes! Want You to Stay with the amazing @cfr749. The collaboration brought me so much joy, taught me so much about writing with someone else, and helped me push through some major writing block. Lana is an amazing friend and we need to write something together again!

14. What’s your all time favorite ship?

I can never choose a favorite, so I'll say that my favorite ships that I never finished fic for are Dan/Blair and Jonsa. I have quarter-written fics for each pairing somewhere in my notes and google docs.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

The one I currently have rattling around in my brain where Miss Scarlet and the Duke's William and Eliza try out a Victorian friends with benefits thing. 😅

16. What are your writing strengths?

This is too loaded of a question. Hmmm...I think I write humor and banter-laced-with-feelings well.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

I don't love writing climactic love confession moments, and I think it shows. I think I could let my characters be sappier sometimes. I also don't write action very well! Muddling my way through the gas station hostage crisis (LOL) in Want You To Stay was a STRUGGLE.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

I would want a native speaker to review before publishing.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

First fandom I wrote for (but never published) was General Hospital. Jason & Robin 4eva. 😂

20. Favorite fic you’ve written?

Let Me Name the Stars for You. It's a quiet little thing that covers a lot of emotional ground in not that many words, and I really love exploring how broken people find ways to put themselves back together again.

I also loved some of the moments I created for Hermione in Could You Leave Me With a Scar?

Tagging @itsoneofthemuses @crose84 @farfarawaygirl - but no pressure!

[theamityelf]

28 for prowlerbyte? 👀👀

28. "your smile brings me so much joy."

(Okay, I brought this on myself, but forgive me if I don't have Prowler Miles' characterization down. Also, I ran out of steam when it came to trying to actually incorporate the line in the dialogue, but the vibe/sentiment of it is definitely there!)

~~~

Their first one-on-one conversation happened in the food court back at Headquarters.

Nearly everyone who had taken part in the day's (huge, exhausting) battle was there, but most of them had crashed before their food even arrived. Meaning, rather than a comfortable group of all five people who had crammed into the booth together, it was just Margo and Miles 42 eating their food in silence while Malala Windsor, Lego Peter Parker, and Peter Porker snored unhelpfully two feet away from them.

But it was a comfortable silence. Because they were both starving.

And once they had eaten their fill, it came to light that they both had the same favorite TV show.

Sort of.

They were from different universes, so it was more like they both liked shows with the exact same template and extremely similar character names but different everything-else. Which was even better, because who wouldn't want to binge a slightly-warped version of a show they already liked?

"Waitwaitwait, so Cassian and Luxer never kill each other in your world?" Miles demanded, his eyes piercing and invested.

"No!" Margo exclaimed, struggling to keep her ecstatic energy at bay. "They literally talked it out! Yours killed each other?! When?!"

"Season 2 finale, at the abandoned chemical plant! One scene after Dallas becomes king of the Society of Mages!"

"Okay, first of all, in mine Dallas is Dalia, and second of all Dalia never gets the respect she deserves! Caspian and Lucius are literally allowed to walk all over her while she does spells for them whenever they ask. In mine, Season 2 ends with her confronting the Society of Mages and them basically excommunicating her."

"Word?! I'm almost more mad about that than Cassian and Luxer killing each other."

"In mine, they kiss in Season 3. They weren't endgame, though. There was this thing with the actors- and they say it wasn't the reason, but it seriously seemed like it was..."

Margo didn't notice the way Miles' face softened as he watched her ramble. The passion in her raised voice, the barely-suppressed laughter, the adorably spastic gestures of her hands as she raced through the overview of actor drama and coinciding plot points-

"Oh," she suddenly broke off, having accidentally kicked him under the table. "Sorry about that. Usually I'm a hologram when I'm here, so I don't have to be as aware of my surroundings." She took a bite of her quesadillas before continuing, "But yeah, they nerfed Caspian hard after the Season 3 finale..."

Miles hid a smile by drinking more of his soda. In his own universe, he didn't spend a lot of time with people his own age. Unlike Spider Miles, he wasn't enrolled in any fancy science school, and thanks to a heaping helping of unaddressed emotional baggage, his time at public school had mostly amounted to devoting minimal attention to classes that felt kindergarten-easy and keeping his cool when bigger guys thought his lanky frame meant they got to start something.

"I can't tell if your world's version of the show sounds slightly better or slightly worse," he mused, "but I think I want to watch all of it."

"Oh, I fully plan to binge yours at the first opportunity."

"Well..." He tried out the charming voice he'd learned from Uncle Aaron. "We both have wristbands. If you want, you could...swing by my universe sometime, you know..."

"Yeah! We gotta meet up. I..." She grimaced. "If you want to watch it in my world, too, we'll probably have to do it somewhere other than my house, but I can make it happen."

"Well, it's a date." And he seamlessly concealed the sudden rush of embarrassment at his impulsive statement by taking a huge bite of his food.

"Technically right now it's just a concept," Margo teased. "It's a date when we have a date and time."

"If we want to watch the whole show in both worlds, how about Tuesday at 7 we watch three episodes of my version, then Thursday at 7 three episodes of your version?"

"Alternating as we go? That'll be trippy; I love it." With a grin, she added, "Now it's a date."

And he was not fighting back a smile. He was just drinking his drink. The Prowler did not have butterflies in his stomach. No indeed. "'Swing by' was a pun, you know."

"Oh, shoot. That one snuck by me."

"It prowled by."

"I was about to-! You didn't give me time to say it!"

"Too slow. I thought you spider people were supposed to be fast."

"Oh, you just keep talkin'. Season 3's gonna hit you like a truck."

[anxiouspepper28]

Well this been amazing.

Young royals has brought me so much joy, it brought me back to my teenage years not only in a sense what I remembered what it meant to be a teenager but also to experience such excitement and a bit of obsession for TV series.

Last time I was this emotional about an episode airing was with the Vampire diaries, very symbolically 15 years latter I am pacing my living room waiting for an episode to air again.

ALSO WILMON ENDGAME AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[wishingforatypewriter]

Hi! I know this might be out of the blue, but recently I've been reminscing on Shokugeki No Soma. Looking back on the extreme fun of the first arcs, the eternal excitement I would feel whenever Joichiro showed up, also remembering that I kind of dropped it when BLUE came around ... But after all these years, I can say Damn, that was really fun. It truly had some unforgettable characters and moments that I still laugh so much at.

And you, my friend, were MY FAVORITE Shokugeki blog. To the point, where even if I wasn't that into what was happening in the manga, I would search up and read your posts. On Casual Committments was my lifeline!!! Your analysis of the characters and their diverse futures were so spot on. And don't even get me started on your Next Gen!

If there was ever a Next Gen cast that should be made official, it's yours. Give me Shokugeki no Raiden, and I will be there! I loved the fact that these characters felt like their parents, but also felt like completely themselves. It was everything I could ever ask for.

Having said that, I want to finish this ask with a question that you can ignore if you like, but I still gotta ask. From where I remember and from the brief reviewing I've been doing, Raiden's final ship was never confirmed. I know it's been years, but was a choice ever made between Akane and Maria for the endgame?

Hi!!! Thank you so much for your kind words! It truly warms my heart to know that my little posts and stories from years ago brought another person some joy! A while back, I had been thinking about transferring a few of my older fics over to ao3 for safekeeping, and your message has inspired me to actually do it.

In terms of the next gen fics, I never officially decided on endgame pairs. When I initially started the project, I intended for Raiden and Maria to be together. However, as I continued exploring the characters and their dynamics and getting feedback from readers, I wavered on it until I became more or less neutral on the matter. Although I know it isn't very satisfying, I sort of like the idea of letting readers choose their own ending. What I will say, though, is that my last fics in the 119th gen timeline feature Raiden and Akane in their mid 20s, and very much still romantically involved, while the Raiden/Maria fics leave off while they're in school.

Anyway, your comment truly made my day! Thanks again!

[sburbian-sage]

So I brought up with my coplayers, the idea of weekly D&D games? You know, could be fun, give us something to de-stress with.

They were kinda on board, but... well they're all trolls, and they're more familiar with FLARP, and said we should play that instead...

Is it just me though, or is FLARP like, a nonsense game??? It seems super dangerous, and I can't tell if it's roleplay-heavy, or more like a video game?

I guess it's kinda like Sburb in that way... Which, uh, kinda gets away from the point of this being stress relief. You know, somehow, my idea of us all sitting cozily around a table, eating snacks and cracking jokes, seems to have been subverted into essentially playing *another* live-action game where you need to act as a specific class and leverage nonsense abilities. Don't I get enough of that already...?

But hey, I can roll with the punches, I wanna at least *try* it. So yeah, any advice or tips? Have you ever played it?

Oh man. I'm all for cultural sensitivity, but only Alternia could produce a game like FLARP. It's somehow simultaneously "your rural cousin who doesn't know what a gameboy is takes rapturous joy in throwing rocks at roadkill because that's his only hobby when he's not plowing the field or learning how to read (he is 15)" and "this FPS/superhero movie was directly paid for by the government, enjoy uncritically and join the military now to die in WWIII". And that's putting aside that on Alternia "let's play FLARP" can either be a friendly engagement between friends or a socially acceptable pretense for murdering someone and jacking all of their shit.

But then again, maybe I'm the one that needs to live a little. I've never played FLARP, or at least I don't remember having played it (I do remember the severe head trauma, but not anything leading up to it), but I do have a scan of the FLARP handbook, and enough familiarity with "actual play" to understand the social conventions and playerbase. So if you wanna commit to this, listen up.

Standard TRPG stuff. Establish lines and veils and other safety tools, be a fan of the players, respect the Clouder as a fellow player. Don't be a killer GM who tries to "win", but don't hand out victories like candy because the game isn't fun without legitimate stakes. This is my advice by the way. The closest the book comes to this is "as the Clouder, the players are all your bitches, but keep in mind that they outnumber you and the only thing sating their bloodlust is 1) you running a good game 2) you're not worth much XP".

Like D&D, FLARP can be surprisingly versatile in the games it can run. You can run FLARP cooperatively or divide into competitive teams. You can also run campaigns that focus on intrigue. However, like D&D, it's also mostly about killing things. So don't expect good results if your ideal TRPG experience is "cozy and conflict-free emotional story about queer people gardening" or whatever. It's an actual game.

I know I said "establish boundaries" earlier, but I'm enunciating right now that FLARP can be lethal. I'm not trying to insinuate that your Troll coplayers are going to go into automatic blood orgy mode as soon as the game starts. All I'm saying is, muscle memory can be a bitch, and if I'm going to play paintball with military veterans who have own landmines and stuff, it might be a good idea to double-check the guns to make sure they aren't loaded with live ammo.

Don't go in with a solid idea of what character you wanna play. All of your stats are randomly rolled, and your two highest stats determine which class you get to play as. It's honest-rolls, baby, and like honest rolls they can provide uneven results. The Boy Skylark class sucks, but their endgame potential is unreal.

There are homebrew rules for point-buy attribute determination, as well as picking whatever class you want, but if you ask to use them your coplayers are legally allowed to wedgie you. Casually bring them up and insinuate that it might be a good idea, maybe.

Clear out a large area for play. One or five square miles at least. When the campaign hatches, the monsters will need space to propagate.

Don't rob yourself of the fun. Alchemize some low-tier beginner equipment, and don't use your Classpect abilities. The game is balanced around players not being gods. There are homebrew "epic campaign" rules, but it gets really stupid really fast. If your Troll coplayers can use psionics, either ask them not to use them, or allow your human players to use certain Title powers to "balance" it out.

Related note, classes can only use certain types of weapons which may not correspond to your Kind Abstratus. Normally using a non-Kind weapon ensures you don't get damage bonuses (and it applies damage penalties if it's a "real" weapon), but FLARP uses its own damage calculations based on class, level, and stats when you're playing it. You might think it's weird that SBURB seemingly respects FLARP as its own independent game type and will suspend its own damage calculations while playing it. Don't think about it too much. Also don't think about how the Boy Skylark is just the Page in all but name.

If you don't maintain strict time records, you won't have fun, your game will suck, and I'll kill you.

Happy FLARPing. And if it doesn't work out, try pilling them on another game. D&D won't work, FLARPing basically does all the same stuff D&D does, except D&D is for babies and FLARP is EXTREME ROLEPLAYING. Maybe try VtM. Or if there's a jadeblood among your team who thinks roleplaying as vampires is culturally insensitive, try Mage. Try to emphasize that you can do things in the realm of imagination that can't be faithfully done live-action.

[forevertrueblue]

I've made a bunch of posts like this in regards to Loki in the past week or so but I've been feeling oddly calm for most of this week (which had me worried but not enough to get the physical sensations of dread I had from Tuesday til the episode last week) but now I'm starting to feel the tingles and stomach churns again.

Not to the same level yet (I guess because I have other stuff to do first like work and The Marvels this afternoon unlike last week) but it's starting. Mostly, though, I've just felt on the verge of bursting into loud sobs that would make everyone around me angry.

This season has been fun so far but last season was also fun and then the finale was one of the most depressing things ever...and the only thing that gave me hope was the immediate Season 2 announcement, which I don't think we're going to get this time.

I won't get deep into it right now but I have BPD and that's one of the reasons I've connected to the show so much; a lot of stuff in Season 1 did and then this season the last episode set up some things that connect as well. I'm really glad they haven't blatantly discussed this condition because then I'd have to hold them to certain standards with it yadda yadda yadda but I will still feel extremely disappointed if it ends up going bad (throwback to Endgame which was a mixed bag in that regard with the anxiety stuff).

I just don't know how to handle the kind of negative emotions I might be experiencing later tonight and they're not socially acceptable ones. And idk if I want comfort about what will happen on the show (because what if it doesn't happen?) or worst case scenarios so what happens won't be THAT bad or what. I just wanna be at peace with it.

A friend assured me even if it sucks all the time I invested in this show wasn't wasted because it brought me joy and I'm trying to hold onto that. But it doesn't seem fair that I'm probably about to experience the same thing I did nearly five years ago when Endgame came out (disappointment while everyone else is happy and telling me I'm dumb for being upset) and it's my fault because I was so stubborn for hanging onto this franchise for so long expecting to feel peace and satisfaction from it. ("Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice...")

Please help.

[rkrispyt]

I was curious if you still have hope for Portwell? I saw that some portwells still have hope. I personally lost all hope mainly bc r*na is so popular and I don't think that Tim won't make them endgame... It's sad that, nowadays, many ships happen bc of fanservice... You don't even have to look from a storytelling perspective to see where things are going, you just have to check what the fandom says and that's prob gonna happen... One thing that I don't get tho... If Tim really wanted for r*na to be canon since ep 1x5, why did he spend all s2 to make us not ship them? In the second half they didn't have any interactions. Gina was still annoyed with him in ep 2x11. Why didn't Tim plant some seeds for them in the second half of s2? Why is Gina most of the time the one who does sth in that relationship and when Ricky does sth, it's bc Gina asked? And the only time when he has initiative they ruin that (taking his role seriously for her (ep 3x4) and later they reveal that he didn't even read the whole script on the opening night day). I personally could never ship them. I saw potential in s1 but after that they were ruined. S3 just tried to hide the s2 mess under the carpet instead of cleaning it (Ricky still does the bare minimum for Gina and he wasn't held accountable for how he hurt her in s2, he should've apologised!!!). Idk but Gina deserves so much better... They'll prob make Ricky the best bf to her in the next seasons, but that won't change the way they got together (with Gina putting in most of the effort)... That means she is ok with the bare minimum as long as she is with Ricky which is really sad... She deserves so much more... Portwell deserved so much more... s2 Portwell would've def survived that summer... I hate fan service for ruining them...

I’m shocked to hear anyone still has hope for canon Portwell, ngl. I do not and can’t imagine ever having any ever again tbh. They not only effed them up pretty bad but the writers have lost me entirely. At this point I’d dread seeing what this team would do with them if they tried again.

To answer the rest of this ask, I will die on the hill that Gicky was not actually the plan or endgame or any of this nonsense backtracking Tim’s been doing. I can believe that when he put them together in season one it ended up intriguing him more than he had thought, but considering what they did with season two clearly it wasn’t enough for him to switch up the plan at that point to put them together or set up something in the future - quite the opposite soooooo tell me again how this was always the plan? Sure, Jan.

It’s so obvious to anyone paying the tiniest bit of attention that Olivia left, so they shifted everything to give Ricky another love interest that they thought could compete in any way with Rini and lose the least amount of viewers upon her departure. Gina was the only real option. They didn’t even do it WELL cause they cared more about doing it as quickly as possible.

I admit that during season three I don’t know if I would have claimed it was fan service, but after seeing that Tim had a version of that final scene where he jumped on that entirely unfounded and random Gicky theory about the chocolates, unfortunately, I have to agree with you.

I will never not be disappointed that this show that brought me such joy, was written so well, didn’t do all the garbage you would expect from this kind of show, and boasted about being proud that they were telling stories of good people being good to each other, has turned into such trash.

S2 Portwell will forever be one of my favorite ships, winning me over completely (as an anti and Gicky fan going into that season) because of how well they wrote it . Alas, another casualty of outside factors switching up the plan and terrible choices being made by those in charge as a result.

The Summer of Portwell was one for the books, but now, for that HEA fanfiction is where it’s at, friends!

[danpuff-ao3]

My beloved Nina, also known as the very gifted PinaNaponi, and here as @vulnerasanenturmyprince. I cannot tell you how much this lady means to me. She's on a hiatus from fandom right now, but I couldn't not dedicate some love to my sweet friend.

Nina and I met during one of the worst periods of my life. And she had no idea just how much joy she brought into my life then, because I kept so much of what I was dealing with hush hush. Our first time interacting was a literal cry for help on my end where Nina told me "if you're okay talking to a literal stranger, my DMs are open." Which just goes to show how openhearted and generous she is. She gave me so much support that day.

When I was struggling, and feeling alone, and afraid, Nina reminded me that decent people exist. She's walked through rough situations with such grace and class. All before we were properly friends. And she is, somehow, all the more wonderful when she's in your corner.

This lady is intelligent, skilled, creative, and passionate, and kind. I adore her to bits. And even when she slipped out of fandom, we've kept in touch. And I know without a doubt that whatever our distance on this earth, and in fandom, whatever life throws in our way, I've got this lady for good. And she simply must be celebrated! She writes, narrates, draws, and even binds books! Talk about a quadruple threat!

So here are some goodies of Nina's for you to admire. All below the cut because I got carried away with hers and it's longer than usual!

Art:

Rockstar AU Severus & Harry

Snarry Sanctuary Discord icon

Compulsory Figures fanart

Snape's nose art for Impeccable Logic and Belated Epiphanies

Severus' birthday (Snarry)

Star Trek Snarry

Dron Christmas (for me!)

Snarry Christmas

Birthday Fic-Bindings:

Danpuff short stories

Genuinely, I cried. (She also included yummy German snackies in the package, but that's besides the point.) Is there a better gift to give someone? To put your love into giving another's work physical shape? I have a physical copy of my own works because of Nina. I'm tearing up just thinking about it. Never have I been given such a thoughtful gift. And it's yellow, too!! (I love yellow.) (Also I'm a Hufflepuff, if the "puff" in "danpuff" didn't give it away.)

Certain Dark Things

LilaDiurne's Certain Dark Things is an incredible story and the book Nina created for it is so gorgeous! Geez Louise, what a rockstar!

Drabbles:

Hunger

Harry/Severus. Rated: E. Words: 196.

Severus is a gourmet.

No pretty Girl

Harry/Severus. Rated: E. Words: 297. Hate sex.

Snape is a terrible liar.

Fics:

Feline Felicis

Harry/Severus. Rated: M. Words: 10,708. Cat!Harry. Fluff.

Potter, in a fit of being his usual hazardous self, goes about things in all the wrong ways. Of course it falls to Severus to fix the mess. It goes not at all as expected.

The Ferryman

Harry/Severus. Rated: E. Words: 7,021. Mental health issues.

A story about ghosts and Psychopomps, and two men who might be better off together.

Set Phasers to Stun

Harry/Severus. Rated: E. Words: 18,580. Fluff & smut. Humor. Headmaster Snape & Professor Potter. Snarry Swap 2021.

Harry returns to Hogwarts to apprentice under none other than Severus Snape as a Star Trek: Voyager craze hits the school. Harry is soon to find out that he, in fact, does like sci-fi ― and Vulcans.

Podfic:

Boxes & Baubles

written by me! Narrated by Nina. Severus-centric. Lily & Severus friendship. Minor Regulus/Severus. Endgame Harry/Severus. Rated: T. Length: 21 minutes.

Christmas trees over the first four (and a half) decades of Severus’ life.

Poem:

Lovers' Flight

Harry/Severus. Rated: T. Words: 221. MCD. Wartime. Poem. Kill Your Darlings Fest 2022. Inspired by "Elf King" by Goethe.

When Goethe meets Snarry

Webcomic

Quarantine Days

Harry/Severus. Rated: M. Muggle Au. Domestic fluff. Fluff & smut. Snarry AUctober Fest 2021.

A collection of three-panel comics about Harry and Severus stuck at home during quarantine.

for an explanation about Mutuals March, or to figure out why i wrote you a thing, please check out this post.

[buddieisgoingcanon2024]

I'm having such a personal conflict with the getting together via bachelor party and/or wedding, drunk kissing/sex, waking up married theories. Buddie is my core, don't get me wrong! Honestly, I just want Buck and Eddie to be happy whether they are canon or not. I don't mind them getting shipped with other guys, friends, teammates, etc. I enjoy that, too. It's fun, it's cool, no problem. Their past/current dates never affected me either. It doesn't change my ship. Anyways, my whole personal discomfort came in reading all the season 7 theories, concluding - I NEED them to be single before getting together~ I don't care about the confessions/realization happening out of surprise as long as it's strictly verbal, but if they cheat otherwise... ☹️ Nah I don't think I'd be able to ever support it. Like it's seriously been making me sick thinking about it. These fictional characters have brought me so much joy, and I don't want to be disappointed by them 😂 Is that a concern to anyone else or are we just hoping the GFs will be gone by the time it happens or do we not care? Is it endgame by any means necessary? It feels icky now 😔

Wow. I’d seriously hate it if one of them cheated. That would suck.