#epic entry scenes

[justshahrukhkhan]

Raees entry scene

...for scientific purposes only

release anniversary January 25, 2017

[justshahrukhkhan]

Can't be normal about him...

bitches will be normal then a man will fuckin-

[mariocki]

The Valachi Papers (Cosa Nostra, 1972)

"We are here together because Joe Masseria has sentenced us to die. So now, whether from Castellammare or not, we are all one today. What happened at Pelham Parkway has got them confused. They don't know how we discovered their meet, so now we concentrate to get their main bosses: Luciano, Genovese, but the most important, Joe Masseria himself. He say he will make no deal with us. So until we kill him once and for all, the war, it goes on and on forever."

[eightstarr]

at the count of three — ellie williams.

summary: how do you tell your best friend you’re in love with them? ellie has an answer! just be cool and wait for the right moment— and the next. and maybe another one, just to be sure. if you get impatient, you can always take a deep breath and count to three! (years, that is)

warnings: slow burn (childhood friends to lovers <3), little bit suggestive but no smut!

notes: born from a piece of dialogue i wrote like, a year ago and completely forgot about but somehow a week later it's 4k words? idk you're welcome or i'm sorry!!! also yes they do spend almost every scene sitting together on a couch but that's what lesbianism is all about...

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・。.・゜✧・. ────

ONE!

A movie plays on the TV, a slightly tarnished DVD of an 80’s action flick starring some oily guy and the most beautiful woman you’ve ever seen— Ellie doesn't remember much other than an obnoxiously epic soundtrack and lingering shots that made the plot twist too obvious about 20 minutes in. 

She's freshly eighteen; you’re ahead only by a couple months. It's a warm Friday night, Joel and your dad in the kitchen putting scraps together for a mildly healthy dinner, Ellie sitting on the very opposite side of the couch from where you are. It’s hot, she'd said, looking away from your comically insulted face that grew with every scooch she made from your side, a lame excuse to save her from the newly found (and fucking torturous) fluttering that sparks in her stomach whenever she sits too close to you.

From the kitchen comes the sound of a can hitting the floor, followed by Joel’s 'shit!' and then quickly, 'sorry, girls'. You chuckle, turning to Ellie and catching her staring at you. A wrinkle forms between your eyebrows at the same time a pink warmth floods her cheeks. “Dude, you’re not even paying attention.”

“I am,” a scoff, her eyes now strictly committed to the screen. “The noise distracted me,” she adds, knowing it didn't even make her flinch from the careful study of your side profile.

“Scaredy cat— ow!” a pillow crashes against your cheek, sudden enough to shock you, too soft to do any real damage. “What the fuck?”

Ellie raises her eyebrows and looks at you from the corner of her eyes, a smirk half hidden by her hand. “Don’t be rude, you're missing the best scene.”

You throw the pillow back and scoff when she catches it, your lips slightly pursed, the signature sign to tell you’re annoyed. It's almost identical to the replica of that gesture that sits at the end of her last journal entry, an overly dedicated sketch born from a wandering thought. She could make it more accurate, she thinks now, soften the line of your jaw, take the scar on your cheek a little more to the left.

The sound of water splashing from the TV catches her attention and Ellie snaps her head forward (lest she get caught staring again), just as the blonde haired love interest is walking out of a fancy looking swimming pool.

“She’s hot,” you say, fingers pulling absentmindedly at loose threads on the rip of your jeans. When Ellie doesn't say anything, you turn to look at her, “You don't think so?”

Her voice comes out a higher pitch than she’d like. “What—” she clears her throat before continuing to mumble, “I don't know, I guess.”

You laugh. “You guess?” 

“Yeah, I— I don't know, dude, I wasn't thinking about that.”

You watch the nervousness on her face, the gulp that passes her throat, the red under her freckles. Fondness tugs at your chest and your voice softens just slightly, a smile playing on your lips. “Oh my God. Ellie, it’s okay,” green eyes find your face and she sees you hesitate for a second before you shrug. “Who cares? It's just me.”

You make it sound easy. It's the most distinct thing Ellie remembers about this moment, how suddenly safety felt like the most obvious thing. TV light on your face, your arm over the back of the couch, the same eyes she's been looking at since she was fourteen. Of course it's okay. Everything else with you is easy, why wouldn't this be the same?

Ellie shifts on the couch, the distance between you turning quickly ridiculous— offensive, even. She’s embarrassed to have let her flusteredness get in the way, but the urge to be closer doesn't feel right either. Everything she does feels like too much, everything she says too intense. “How long have you known?” she asks.

You tilt your head, less of a question and more of a guidance, “Known that you…”

Ellie parts her lips, unsure of whether or not she’s gonna say it or how, trying to will the words to come out. And they do, she remembers it well, because it was the first and maybe the only time she was this direct about it. “That I like girls.”

The smile on your face is teeth-rotting sweet, but she only gets to bask in it for a second before you widen your eyes and lower your voice to a scandalized whisper. “You what?”

Ellie rolls her eyes, cheeks burning, “Oh, fuck you.”

Your laugh fills up the room and the fluttering in her stomach feels absurd at this point, like she would actually be able to feel those annoying little butterflies flying around if she were to press her hand against her abdomen. “Sorry, sorry,” you say, and for a terrifying second Ellie thinks maybe they're loud too, and you’re able to hear them. But then she looks at you and forgets about it, easy easy easy. “It’s really okay. You know that, yeah?”

“Yeah,” she says. For once, there's not a glimpse of doubt about it to be found.

You watch another ten minutes of the movie in silence before your dad's head peeks out from the kitchen to call you both to the table for dinner.

Ellie has a habit of eating like it's her last day on earth. When you were both new residents of Jackson, hungry and scared and not at all used to the idea of a full plate of food twice a day, she couldn't help it. And you were the same, hence why your dad thought it would be good for you and Ellie to spend time together, which quickly turned to being around each other basically every minute of every day. But as the weeks passed, you seemed to be learning to adapt faster. A younger Ellie found this frustrating— especially after that time Joel complimented your table manners.

You’re just… nicer, she remembers saying, a stressed frown on her still childlike face, fiddling with a box of marbles she’d found under her new bed. She remembers how you pulled one out, your fingers brushing against her own for the first time ever, and held the clear crystal with green stripes next to her eyes, a satisfied smile at a practically perfect match. You’re nice too, Els, you’d said, shrugging your shoulders, the marble shoved inside your pocket, I think I just lie better.

Until that moment, Ellie had never thought about it that way; the fact that you could be pretending to feel more confident and comfortable than you really are to make yourself safer, to get people to like you. But when she asked, you swore you had never lied to Ellie. She used to drive herself mad thinking about that, a strange, confusing worry gnawing at her chest— she likes that you don't feel the need to lie, but what does it say about how you see her? Is it that you don't care if she likes you? Or worse, is it that you know that she already does?

You sit in front of her today at the same dinner table, four years later, and watch her practically inhale her bowl of pasta like no time has passed at all. You let out a snort and Ellie wonders if you can see it even now, if her constant thoughts of you are obvious even when she looks this busy.

"What?" she asks, an immediate frown on her face, though she's done you the honor of swallowing her mouthful before speaking.

"You're so gross," you say, chin resting on your palm, tilting your head like you're looking at some thought provoking art piece. Ellie thinks you'll leave it at that, but then you reach over and swipe your thumb over the red spot of sauce next to the corner of her lips, so soft she barely feels it. You watch her frown soften for a second before it becomes even deeper.

Ellie feels like her whole body is exploding with warmth, too hot under the hoodie she's wearing, too pink across her face. It's so obvious, she thinks, it's so— fuck, pull it together. Her gaze follows your finger as you bring it to your lips and lick off the sauce. “You’re disgusting,” she retorts lamely, her hand rough when she brushes it over her mouth, lest you notice another stain and she has to watch you do that again.

You are familiarly not deterred by her meanness. Or her attempt at it. "And you eat like a five year old,” you shrug. “I guess we both have our issues."

Ellie catches herself staring at your hands for the rest of the meal, certain that she's never noticed them in the same way before. How much time has she been wasting? You both have your issues, you'd said, but Ellie thinks she has you beat. Yours can't possibly be anywhere near this dangerous.

─────✧･ﾟ: *✧･

TWO!

Someone's knocking on her door. Ellie sniffles and lets out a groan as she gets up from the couch, sore throat, her limbs heavy and tired. She knows it's you because it's always the same three knocks; the first two firm and loud, a pause, and then one tiny one that sounds almost like 'sorry'. You’re impatient but still painfully afraid to be rude— if she loved you a little less, Ellie thinks she would make fun of it a lot more. But alas, she's cursed to smile at it every time.

She opens the door and the breeze that slips in makes her fall immediately into an embarrassing coughing fit. “It’s fine,” she mutters, at the same time you’re saying jesus christ, Ellie. “Shit. I’m okay,” she clears her throat and finally gets a moment to look at you, all pretty and put together in your best shirt and a freshly showered scent, the sun setting behind you like a perfect frame. Ellie prays her lungs don't betray her again and tries to make the brush of her hand over her messy hair look casual instead of desperate.

“Well, I was gonna ask if you wanted to come to the party with me for just a few minutes, but… I’m not sure you should be out of bed,” your worried frown is pretty, too. What a cruel fate. “Is Joel home? I can stay—”

“No, no, you’re good,” Ellie shakes her head, arms crossed over her chest like maybe it’ll cover up enough and you won't notice she was wearing the same long sleeve the last time you saw her. “He’ll be here in like, five minutes. I’ll be fine, ’m not a baby.”

You’re both nineteen by this time, Ellie remembers because you wore the same pretty blue shirt that you're wearing now for her birthday, and it was the day she realized her crush was no longer deniable. It's easier to act like nothing’s happening when she feels like she's alone in it, like there's no universe where you could love her like she loves you so she might as well let the fantasy die— but then you put on your shirt that's reserved for special occasions just to come over and bring her the cupcake you made, and suddenly Ellie can picture herself with her hands on each side of your waist, pulling you close, saying thank you with her lips brushing against yours before she kisses you. She can see it so clearly that it startles her, changes everything. Her birthday comes with a punch to the gut and a hunger she wants to tell you and only you about.

“You’re not gonna be bored? I really don't mind staying until he gets home.”

Ellie thinks (dramatically, extremely nineteen—) that if she lets you take care of her, she might actually die. It felt like she almost did last time you visited, your face serious with concentration as you pressed the back of your hand against her forehead. ‘You're warm’, you said, ‘do you feel sweaty?’ Ellie stared up at you, eyes glossy and heavy from sleep. ‘Not really’, her fingers sneaked out from under the blanket to wrap themselves around your forearm, a moment of bravery or delusion, ‘your hand feels nice’. You chuckled, ‘okay, keep it’.

She’s less feverish today, but not yet recovered from the greedy voice in her head that begs her to keep you close. If you don't go to the party now, she thinks (knows) that she’ll let herself casually talk you into staying the rest of the night. “Nah, don't miss your party,” she says. “I’ll be okay, Joel’s gonna teach me how to play that old card game.”

You raise your eyebrows. “So you're gonna argue all night.”

“No— what?” Ellie scoffs. “It’ll be good, I learn fast.”

“Yeah, because you make up your own rules.”

“I have questions about the rules, that's not the same thing.”

“It is if you cheat—”

“I’m not a cheater!”

You hum, a curious tilt of your head, and Ellie rolls her eyes before the words are even out of your mouth. “No, I guess you’d have to have a girlfriend for that.”

You watch her run her tongue over her teeth, her shoulder against the door frame. “You know I could say the same to you, right?”

“Too bad I said it first,” you shrug, pretty smile stretching your lips. “I guess I'll go, then. I’ll come over when it's done so you don't miss me too much.”

Ellie tries to maintain her composure. You know, she thinks, do you know? You must know. You can't know— “Right. Also so you can steal my food and crash in my bed, I’m guessing.”

“When you’re all vulnerable and weak? What do you think of me, Ellie?” you frown sadly, a hand over your heart.

“I think I know you,” she says, the corner of her lips lifting just a little, inescapably.

You walk to the gate and turn around as you close the lock, your hands on either side of your mouth as if she’s miles and miles away. “I’ll take the couch!”

“Yeah, sure!” Ellie yells back, her voice pretty even when it's hoarse, knowing she’ll hold on for just about ten minutes before she insists you take the bed instead.

Joel stays awake with her until around 10pm, when his yawns become too many to hide and he’s already let Ellie win three games, his smile genuine and wide while she chuckles and pretends she doesn’t notice. He leaves her with a tupperware of soup for tomorrow’s lunch and a deck of cards. To teach your friends or— I don't know, keep on the coffee table, he’d said, make you look cool. Ellie’s not sure you would find a box of cards ‘cool’, but she’s not above trying.

Ever since she moved out to the garage, she’s discovered a new type of stress at the notion of having you over. At Joel’s house, all she ever did to prepare for guests was pick up the dirty clothes from her bedroom floor and put her books in a (wobbly) single pile. Now things are different. The garage is small, but it's all hers— her floor, her living room, her kitchen. She can't have you thinking that she can't take care of things on her own.

She spends the next hour moving things around until finally, two loud knocks. A second passes; Ellie looks at the cards and considers shoving them inside one of the drawers on her desk. By the time the one quiet knock comes, she shrugs and decides to leave them on the coffee table, lest Joel was right and she misses a chance to have you start thinking she's cool and mysterious. “It's open,” she says from the couch, tiredness soon catching up with her after all that time rearranging things.

The door opens and you come in, quickly closing it behind you, a relieved sigh at the loss of that crisp, cold breeze outside. “Did Joel forget those?” you ask, bent at the waist as you take your shoes off, your chin pointing at the deck, the only thing on the coffee table. Maybe she should've been more subtle with it.

“Uh, no,” Ellie scratches the back of her neck, her legs stretched across the couch. “They’re a gift.”

She's not sure you hear her over the groan you make as you stretch your arms above your head, her legs moved to the side automatically to make space for you to sit. You fall down with a sigh and both forget about the cards— you, distracted by the warm tingly feeling of a couple drinks, and Ellie by the new jacket you’re wearing.

She lets a million different scenarios spin around her head for a couple seconds before she blurts out the question. “Whose is that?”

“What?” you turn your head away from the movie playing on the TV.

“The jacket.”

“Oh,” you look down at yourself as if you’ve just remembered it’s there. “Maya was leaving too, so she walked here with me. It’s hers.”

Ellie hums, her back sliding a little further down the couch, legs spread. “Stinks like it’s hers.”

You chuckle before you can help it, her animosity ridiculous and charming— Ellie’s better with actions than she is with words. “I don't even know what you're talking about,” you shake your head, not quite slurring, but not too far from it either. "She smells like strawberries."

Fuck Maya and her strawberry shampoo. Ellie could get some if she wanted to, maybe if she traded— what the fuck is she thinking about? She rolls her shoulders back and pushes the thoughts away, gluing her eyes to the screen. “Sure,” she says, less because she agrees and more because she doesn't wanna hear what else you like about Maya. “You had fun, then?”

“It was alright. You didn't miss out on too much,” the end of your sentence stretched out by a yawn, you cover your mouth lazily and rest back fully against the couch. “Jesse was drunk. They had to stop him from getting up on a table.”

Ellie chuckles. “I don't know, maybe he had something to say. I think I would’ve let him.”

“That's what I said,” you smile and let your head fall to the side, your cheek against the cushion. She feels you staring, enables it for a while by acting oblivious, falsely over-invested in some movie she can't remember the title of. She hears you move closer before she feels it— the shuffle of your clothes, the stupid jacket rubbing against her couch, so easily forgettable by the time your temple falls on her shoulder.

Ellie's about to fall asleep when she hears the little noise you make, something like a sniffle. For a worrying second she thinks she might’ve given you her cold, but then she feels the tip of your nose brush against her shoulder and she realizes you’re trying to breathe her in. 

“You always smell nice,” you whisper, half asleep.

Ellie swallows and prays to keep her body completely still, scared she’ll make the wrong move and have you pull away, scared you’ll lean closer and be able to hear the fast beating on her chest. She sounds breathy, “Yeah?”

“Yeah,” you say. “Like fresh rain.”

Slow like the roll of credits playing on the TV, Ellie feels how every muscle in her body settles down, relaxed, content— fucking cocky. She wraps her arm around your shoulders and hopes the scent will rub off on the jacket and remind Maya of a cloudy autumn night, rain over her garden.

─────✧･ﾟ: *✧･

THREE!

"Do you think we would've liked each other?" you ask, your legs resting on her lap while she fidgets mindlessly with the ruffled cuff of your socks. Every patrol lately ends the exact same way, a quiet walk home and a joint on Ellie’s couch. "Back when the world was normal?”

Ellie turns to look at you, blinking lazily, a reddish hue over her green. You’re not sure if she's more tired or high, but either way you're not doing much better— everything you’ve said during the past hour is the kind of thought you have when you're alone at night and your brain wanders, moments away from falling asleep. It's a meaningless question, but Ellie lets out a soft hum and thinks about it like it's worth considering. You're not sure if anyone you’ve met in your whole twenty years of life is as willing to indulge you as she is.

"Yeah," she says decidedly, in the same tone with which one would say duh. "We—" a yawn cuts her off, slender hand rubbing one of her eyes. "We would be friends, like, in college."

"I wouldn't be in college.”

Ellie frowns, takes one last inhale and discards the joint to the ashtray on her coffee table. "Why not?"

"'Cause I'm not smart like you," you shrug.

The fold between her eyebrows deepens. "You're smart," she argues, with enough conviction that you almost believe her, insisting, "You are."

"In other ways, sure—” Ellie opens her mouth to interrupt but you get ahead of her, “I’m not trying to talk badly about myself, I just don't think college would be for me.”

You’ve never been the most disciplined. It’s hard to imagine yourself staying up late to study, taking diligent notes in class. It feels ridiculous.

“I’d be working somewhere, I think. Making coffee for people or something.”

Ellie pauses before she nods, adjusting her daydream to what you’re saying, strangely committed. "Then we would meet there,” she makes it sound like the easiest thing in the world, a natural equation. “I'd go get coffee from you."

You chuckle. "You don't even like coffee that much."

Ellie shrugs, soft pink lips curved in a smirk that tells you she's sleepy and serves to warn you of the horror that's about to come out of her mouth.

You groan. “Don't—”

"Maybe I like the pretty girl that's making it."

“Awful,” you push her shoulder away, barely any force behind it, her giggles swimming comfortably around your head. “Never speak again.”

"Not my best work?" she asks, her fingers wrapping lazily around your shin. Too much, her brain warns, but then she remembers the pad of your finger over the back of her hand last night, the cursive lines with no purpose other than to be touching her— and it feels right, or like it's not enough. Too much soon turns to coward.

"Possibly your worst.”

She might be going crazy, but lately Ellie feels like you’re looking at her differently. In your eyes there's something gentle, awaiting, a tracing of your eyes over her face that says please. She chews on her lip, her eagerness painful. “We would like each other,” she doesn't think there's a world where you wouldn't, and if there was… "I'd make you like me."

You raise your eyebrows, teasing, "Oh, so like now?"

Her lips part with genuine surprise, more amused than offended. “...I made you, huh?” 

You regret the joke as soon as it comes out of your mouth, immediately brought back to your fourteen year old self, lonely and admittedly captivated by the auburn haired girl from next door. Flashes of you rushing to catch up with her, untied laces on your too tight sneakers, Ellie, do you wanna be friends? The sound of pages shuffling and her voice reading in whispers in the dead of night because you asked, can you talk to me until I fall asleep? Infatuated from the beginning, obsessed. Even now, on her couch, after spending a whole day together— do you like me? Would you like me, always?

A pillow crashes against the side of her face, her laugh almost louder than the embarrassed pounding of your heart. You pull your legs from her lap and lie back, fold your arms over your face. “You're so annoying.”

A lie so obvious it makes Ellie smile. She shifts to crawl closer, one knee on either side of you. “C’mon, I was joking,” she leans forward and you feel her knuckles tap your arm like she’s knocking on a door. The power to make you shy is still foreign to her, makes her feel drunk, thrilled. She doesn't remember having it before, but of course it was there. In little ways, in daily, simple things. Your eyes always looking for her first in any room, lighting up even after an especially bad pun, tracing her arms when the day becomes too hot to keep her jacket on. You like her, of course. How much time has she been wasting? The breath she lets out feels like it's been waiting to be let go, years spent stuck in her lungs. Ellie wraps her fingers around one of your wrists, her voice sweet, achingly soft. “Want me to tell you why I know I’d like you?”

You lower your arms just slightly, eyes peering up at her.

“Yeah?” she tilts her head.

You nod, arms coming down, unusually quiet.

Ellie grins, victorious. “Okay, but fair warning— it's worse than the coffee thing.”

You chuckle. “Is it?”

“Very.”

“Hm,” you hum, pretending to think about it, distracted by the vision of her practically sitting on top of you. Freckled face framed by the hair that's escaped her usual bun, softly lit by the warmth of the lamp on her desk. “Alright,” you say finally.

It takes Ellie a second to respond, momentarily dazed by the thought of being pretty enough for you to ogle like this. She clears her throat. “You ready?”

You tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear and away from her eyes. “Sure.”

Ellie waits for the nerves to come, but even as she parts her lips to speak, they never do. What a kind fate. “I know I’d like you because nothing’s ever made more sense to me— I’ve been doing it since I was a kid. I like you enough for a million lifetimes.”

You look at each other, bask in a moment of understanding. Your eyes on her lips, a hand on her waist that pulls her closer. “That was worse,” you agree.

Ellie moves to rest on her forearms, cages you in, her nose brushing against yours. “I told you.”

She waits, feels herself count once again, a final time, one, two—

A hand against the back of her neck brings her in and the quiet noise of her surprise vibrates against your lips, makes her smile into the kiss for just a second before the hunger takes over. Her hips readjusting over yours, knees pressing against your sides, Ellie kisses like it's a need rather than a whim. She takes and takes and swallows every sigh you make like it's a gift, four, five, six seconds of a messy trail of kisses down your neck to say thank you before she resurfaces again.

“Love you,” she breathes out, because suddenly all that talk about ‘like’ feels stupid— immature, incomparable to what she actually feels for you. “Need you.”

You moan against her lips and it's her favorite sound in the whole world, immediately, as quick as realizing she would fall in love with you the day she met you. “Love you, Ellie.”

A kiss to your clavicle, your hands pulling at her shirt and her thigh between yours. She makes you say it three more times.

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Sooo, I usually write heavy angst, fights, etc but recently I’ve become interested in actually…writing fluff. But I have no idea what I’m doing, is it possible you could help?

The story I’m starting off writing is simple! Just a small one of two people cuddling after one of them can’t sleep from stress…don’t know how to write all that though, so any tips?

Writing Notes: Fluff

Fluff - filler for a work's contents; positive stories with a happy ending.

While fluffy stories are typically happy ones, they don't necessarily have to be entirely angst free.

Sad elements can enter your story, but they will generally be overcome, resulting in a cute, warm and fuzzy feel overall.

As a trope: The fillers are entries/scenes that are unrelated to the main plot, don't significantly alter the relations between the characters, and generally serve only to take up space. This could be considered "padding" (i.e., the addition of scenes to lengthen a story).

Filler has a few defining aspects:

One is a lack of momentum. It can be safely ignored without the reader missing out on any important information to the story.

If there is any pertinent new info, it tends to be a single plot point that can be adequately summed up in a short sentence with zero elaboration (e.g., "Alice got a new power" or "Bob got a new costume" or "Charlie's first appearance") because the details are inconsequential.

Tropes are not bad:

Just as a plot-related episode/scene can be unenjoyable if handled badly, filler/fluff can be great fun if done well.

It can shed new light on the characters and their relationships with one another, adding depth to the story.

Examples

J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings has a lot of this, mainly in the first book, as Frodo sits on the Ring for years before Gandalf returns. Not to mention the one-man Wacky Wayside Tribe that is Tom Bombadil, where Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin stay for a while, adding nothing to the plot, and then move on. Probably more intentional than other examples, as Tolkien was writing the novel as a mythological epic, a genre that tends to include a string of events connected solely by the central characters and the backdrop of their quest.

Breaking Bad: The Bottle Episode "Fly" is the only episode which could be considered stand-alone, revolving around Walt and Jesse chasing a housefly around the meth lab. While it technically does not advance the plot in any way significant, it acts as an impactful character analysis of Walter and his actions as he reflects on the various misdeeds that led up to this moment in a fatigue-induced monologue.

Fluff Writing Prompts

Start or end your story with a character noticing the beauty in something they've seen hundreds of times.

Start your story with a character looking through an old family photo album.

Write a story about strangers becoming friends, or friends becoming strangers.

Write a story about two characters whose first impressions of one another are wildly inaccurate.

Write about a "found family" who are finally able to get together again after a long time apart.

Write about a character preparing a meal for somebody else.

Write your story about two characters tidying up after a party.

Set your story in the lowest rated restaurant in town.

Begin your story with somebody watching the sunrise, or sunset.

Start or end your story with a person buying a house plant.

Writing Notes: Intimacy ⚜ References: Love & Relationships Examples of Fluff Books: 1 2

Sources: 1 2 3 ⚜ More: Notes & References ⚜ Writing Resources PDFs

Here are some information and prompts from the sources linked above. More examples are provided in the original articles. Also included some links to previous posts on intimacy and relationships you can use as reference to help with the premise/scene you described, and lists of fluff books for inspiration. All the best with your writing!

[quasi-normalcy]

Every "Nu Trek" (2017- ) Series Ranked from Worst to Best:

Very Short Treks (2023): There's really no words for just how terrible this series is. I mean, I know that it only barely counts because it's explicitly not canon and has a total combined run time of about 15 minutes, but *my god* is it bad! Only one of its episodes is remotely funny, and even that manages to feel like it's driven its main joke into the ground by the end of its 2-minute runtime. The only thing that I can say for it is that is that it gives me an easy, uncontroversial choice for worst Star Trek series, not only of the last 7 years, but of all time.

Picard (2020-2023): Listen; I know that this series is unpopular with the Tumblr Trek fandom, but it actually breaks my heart to have to put it so low on the list. It has, in my own opinion, the best dramatic acting of any Trek series and among the best directing, and almost every individual scene, in isolation, is compellingly watchable. More than that, it has fascinating worldbuilding choices, you can really *see* the passion of the writers for what they're creating (at least in the first and third seasons), and Agnes in particular is among my favourite characters in anything ever. It's got a lot of great moments, too! Picard and Seven bonding over shared Borg trauma; Soji uncovering the truth of her identity; Jurati hacking the Borg Queen's brain; Picard's final farewell to Q; Shaw's Wolf 359 monologue; Geordi's reunion with Data...I could go on. And yet, it just feels like so much *less* than the sum of its parts! Incredible ideas are introduced and then just shrugged off to pursue much more boring ones. Story arcs feel pointless if not actively offensive. Absolutely baffling writing choices are made throughout, with no indication as to why. And the nostalgia baiting , particularly in the final season, becomes so intense that it just chokes the plot to death. One comes away haunted by the feeling that this series should be so much better than it is.

Discovery (2017-2024): Really, this is two separate series: a twisty, grimdark, sci-fi war drama and a gentle queer coffeeshop AU about scientists who talk about their feelings. Both of them have their moments, but they each fall down in the same way: a focus on epic, high-stakes mystery box storytelling that undermines one's ability to really get invested in the characters, or even know who they are when they aren't off saving the universe. Without that, while I liked many of the characters and loved seeing them science the shit out of things using teamwork and the power of math, it's kind of difficult to get invested in this series one way or another. In spite of its absolutely gorgeous visuals, it comes off feeling weirdly...flat.

Short Treks (2018-2020): Not a lot to talk about here; just kind of an anthology series of short films adjacent to Discovery, Picard, and Strange New Worlds. Mostly they're varying shades of mediocre, but a few of them are as brilliant as any episode of Star Trek ever made, so the series gets to be relatively high on the list.

Strange New Worlds (2022- ): This is the first entry on this list that, in my opinion, belongs on the top shelf with some of the best of the older series. And it achieves it basically by adopting the same formula as the original series or the next generation--socially conscious planet-of-the-week adventures with enough wit, cleverness and joie-de-vivre to keep it interesting. I remember in 2017, there was plenty of discussion of how it's possible to update Star Trek's formula for prestige television; how funny that the solution turned out to be "don't change it at all, just give it modern special effects and actual character arcs." That said, the series is a bit *too* beholden to the original, with focus primarily on a bunch of characters who aren't allowed to grow or change too much because we already know how they'll turn out. It would be even better if it were about a new ship and a new crew full of nobodies who we can come to love. Which brings us to...

Lower Decks (2020-2024): Above, I said that Picard felt like it should have been so much better than it was. Lower Decks, frankly, should have been so much worse. How is an adult animated sitcom with Rick and Morty style animation and constant memberberries this freaking good!?! Every episode is a master class in efficient storytelling, with 22 minute runtimes often feeling like they contain as much story and character work as episodes twice as long. And the characters are incredible--like TOS and TNG, they feel almost archetypal, and even though you've never seen them before, they slide so seamlessly into the Star Trek universe that it's hard to believe that they weren't just *always* there; that there was ever a time when you could imagine the Star Trek universe without just intrinsically knowing that Tendi and Shaxs and Mariner were off somewhere in the background. It's greatest success though, the reason why it's comedy works when it really shouldn't, is that it's only *slightly* sillier than the serious series. What we end up with a fantastic series with an ethos that is pure Star Trek, and in fact, if I had written this list a month ago, it would certainly be in the #1 spot. However...

Prodigy (2021-2024?): The first season of Prodigy is...charming. It's got some fun characters, some spectacular visuals, some interesting premises. And if the plots tend to be a little too simplistic to be engaging to an adult, hey, it's a kids' show. It's good. Solid. Above average. And if I had only the first season to go on, it would probably be in third position on this list. But then, a few weeks ago, it went ahead and dropped the best season of Star Trek in a quarter-century, and I really...I just cannot recommend this series highly enough. The sheer, ambitious scope of the narrative; the arcs it puts its character through; the cleverness of the writing; the fricking GORGEOUSNESS of it! And it does all this while redeeming deeply unpopular characters and plot points from other series, in a way that never feels forced or pandering. Not only is it the best Star Trek series of the 21st century, it's one of the best children's animated series since AtLA. Go. Go! Watch it! Watch it now!

[acesw]

Knowing our Arcanists 14: Druvis III

Welcome to entry fourteen of my series: "Knowing our Arcanists"! This is a series in which I introduce and tell the stories of our fellow characters in Reverse: 1999. For today, we have: Druvis III!

Despite well loved by many, Bluepoch tends to overlook her character ever since we left the first 4 chapters and there's so much potential left behind. After analyzing her, she's one of the characters that left one of the most lasting impressions on me. Lets get started.

Druvis Weyerhauser III is an Irish-American arcanist who was born in the early 20th century on October 23rd. Her arcane skill, inherited from a long and ancient line, allows her to communicate with the wildlife around her and manipulate them to a large extent. Raised in a wealthy family, Druvis has always been familiar with formalities. But at the same time, the woods has always been her calling.

She lived in Ireland throughout most of her childhood. Living with a wealthy and predominantly arcanist family, she grew to love her identity and lineage considering her familiarity with Celtic traditions and sigils. She also read Irish epics and legends growing up.

Its likely that she learned how to do traditional wand-making around this time, using the wood and natural materials around her as a source of power. While strange in style and composition for its time, the powerful arcane conduction became the reason why people commissioned them.

However, her life changed when her mother remarried, and she decided to chase after the "American Dream" during the 20s, where many lesser-known aristocrats migrated to the Americas in hopes to find a respectable footing. Druvis' mother wanted to abandon her traditions, and embrace the "New Age" full of cubism and modern sciences.

The Weyerhaeusers became lumber tycoons who were more adamant in maintaining their wealth and business over honing their arcane skills, leaving Druvis as an outlier among them. She chose to often escape to the woods against her parents wishes, curious and captivated by the whispers of the trees so close to her home. On those nights, away from the banquets, she would listen to the whispers and examine the shape of their growth.

Druvis' defiance and insistence on traditions was often something her mother disapproved of, wanting to raise her daughter as a proper upper class lady, but she never seemed to do anything to stop her entirely. However, she hoped that Druvis would grow out of it and join her in the business.

They were able to buy and profit a portion of the Cascade Range, thus their popularity and their wealth grew immensely from their business. They gained more deals and their stocks increased. This growth remained constant for years, whilst Druvis grew a love for the range for its beautiful flora and fauna. She found the Cascade Range as a place of respite and escape for her, away from the modern society.

In Autumn 1928, stocks began to crash and wealthy families continuously lost their stocks and other earnings. The Weyerhausers lost most of their profits and went bankrupt due to the collapse of the wood supply chain, and her stepfather grew more desperate to replenish those earnings. After selling things like potion formulas, it left him with choosing the last option: to sell and bulldoze the land.

What changed Druvis' life forever was not this, but the unfortunate events that came after. On one night while her parents, their buyers, and workers that were to do the disafforestation. Druvis was also searching for them, wanting to offer a new solution using arcane skills in hopes to persuade her parents away from bulldozing the land.

Yet, the entire forest was ablaze by an unknown suspect, leading to the deaths of 13 people, including Druvis' parents and their buyers. The media swarmed Druvis with questions, which further grew as arcane traces were found at the scene. This led to her being blamed and shunned by the media, leaving her to deal with not only grief but also criticism of her name. Due to this, she disappeared from public eye, mostly grieving alone in the burnt forest and taking the time to pick up on things like wand-making again.

As we know in the main story, in the post-"Storm" era, Druvis was offered a place in the Manus Vindictae through Forget Me Not. They shared a similar grief and Forget Me Not used it to his advantage to take her in and cultivate her vengeful feelings towards what happened to her. She helped the Manus for a time, crafting things like Schneider's gun wand and being a supplier of resources.

It was in Chapter 2 that things turned on its head, where Druvis decided to betray the Manus in favor of the Timekeeper. The Timekeeper offered a new path to help move forward rather than settle in revenge against what can't be changed now. By looking forward to the future, life will grow again from its burnt shells, and bring closure to her grief. She remained loyal to the Timekeeper ever since, forever thankful in taking this new path and now strives to fight for the future ahead of her.

Druvis is a really reserved and respectable woman. Despite having the qualities of a decent upper class lady, she was never one to engage in social interaction. She found more comfort in the forest and even vice versa. She better communicated with the trees than with people, but she can immediately switch to her more presentable demeanor with those around her.

With friends, meanwhile, she finds comfort in talking to them and discussing about things like potion-making. She also becomes very protective of them, doing every means of her power to help them out of situations and problems.

Her practices left her a profound knowledge in arcane materials, and it helped her in creating these powerful potions and wands due to its "unusual" compositions.

She absolutely values her traditions and lineage as someone who can communicate with all the wildlife around her. Druvis practices most of her traditions alone and but will also share it with friends. (e.g. making them Celtic ale) It also helped her learn to be thoughtful and intuitive, taking approaches to understand anything that's in front of her.

Her values also go against modernist and industrialist ideals, since it brings significant damage to the forests. Her experiences led her to have a particular distaste for luxuries, fancy parties, and even her family name due to how it became associated with an aristocratic business. From observing everything, she never understood the "American Dream" because of it; because it changed her mother.

Even with how things turned out in the end, Druvis still loved her. She remembers fondly of how her mother used to read her those Irish epics, and allowed her to learn her practices growing up. She's still absolutely thankful for what her mother left to her, even if she didn't become the aristocratic individual she wanted.

Even then, its time for Druvis to move on, since the future won't wait. She may continue to mourn for what was lost, but she now understands that dwelling on the pains will only hinder her growth. But now, she won't let them affect her anymore, determined to continue fighting with her hope and the future.

[nubesrosasart]

✨️long story-time post. Just in case, tw: not gonna go deep in detail, but just in case.✨️

These were my first BG3 sketches i did a year ago! My first playthrough was completely blind. I was new to dnd too.

My first playthrough i picked a sorcerer durge. my gal, Lydia, a human draconic sorcerer, resist durge.

For a while didnt know what i was doing.

Now i have around 14 playthrough, and five of them finish. Got into dnd, got some of the books, and last month played for the first time.

The game helped me get out during a bad moment of my life. i was in bed with a broken ankle for months. i was depressed-i stopped drawing, doing anything i enjoy, even listening to musc. I was just in bed sleeping all day. Till one day, mindlesly scrolling, saw a funny video of astarion, his reaction when that temple fell on him, and impulsively got the game.

That moment i started, and that very moment i met laezel, i was on board.

I trusted that green angry strong lady. And fell in love with her strong and yet honest approach.

I initially didn't like shadowheart, but that later changed.

My first romance was with Astarion. It started with him lol

My main team usually were Astarion, Gale and Lae'zel, thou i was changing and mixing it up depending where we were and who i thought this area or part of the story is more connected or appropiate for each characters.

I was smitten with Gale Act 2 romance scene. I thought that scene was ✨️magical✨️ and he indeed wow me 😆

And all the way to act 2, when you let shadowheart choose, and she chose not to kill dame aylin. My jaw dropped. And more so when aylin transforms. I felt goosebump. And at that very moment, i felt this is peak game storytelling.

Then that scene with Myrkul. That boss entry and music! I thought this a dark souks moment gaming lol (fyi i played a lot of fromsoft games)

Then having Jaheira and Minsc. Halfway is when it dawned on me that these are characters from the previous Baldurs Gate game. Well, that scene when you confront Sarevok i was like ooooh wait you all know each other lol And i loved Jaherira. I loved when she calls you 'cub' and felt motherly in a way if you are a resist durge.

I felt it was epic hero quest the moment you have to save Duke Ravengard, then leading to Ansur. I remember jokingly saying this gonna be a dark souls moment if i have to fight a dead dragon. then proceed that dead dragon fight. Took me off guard and barely survive, lol it felt that this was Wyll's epic heroic quest and story, and i was just tagging along with him.

I only later realize that Wyll deserved more, and should have more in his story. I hated how for him and also i felt also for Karlach in the choices, there wasnt really a better solution for them.

Also, the fight against Cazador. I died a lot. But eventually, we beat him. Astarion’s breakdown left me speechless for a moment. And then when he thank you for saving him and breaking the cycle. I felt this was wholesome. And a nice development of his story and character.

But i felt that the better character development was with Lae'zel. From being a blind follower to have her eyes open. The poetic way she expresses herself. The passion in her tone and voice. The close similarity of her and shadowheart of following blindly without question hit close to home for me for how i was raised. And how Laezel choose instead to break the chains was epic. More so, when at the end, she hops on the red dragon, the smile she gave you, and then flew away to a greater purpose and renewed inspiration. i thought that was epic. And wish my character could've joined her in the epic quest.

Then came Karlach breakdown after beating Gortach. And i have to stop for a moment. The voice acting, the hurt, in that voice felt ao real. It hurted a lot when she say abd hiw she say we will live and she will die (somethign to that effect), i felt powerless. And that also hit hard for me in a personal level. Dunno how to explain without going into much of my personal life detail.

And then shadowheart. When she found her parents and you let her choose what to do. She was free from shar, and she chose to let her parents die and be with selune. It was bittersweet. But that afterward scene, when she breaks down. I had to stop there. I felt horrible and sad for her. At that moment, i cried too. And i still dont know why from every other story, i felt a strong reaction to this one of shadowheart. But from then on every next playthrough, i make sure her parents lived. I think i just hate how even thou she did the correct thing at the end, she was alone. And is more lonely for her if you arent romancing her. And i also i guess is just me internalizing. Growing up with very religious family messes you up, and i think that's why i felt strongly for shadowheart choices and endings.

Anyway, sorry for the long post. These are things i wanted to share, but I didn't have a place to put my thoughts till now. I wish to share more later because this game is important for me and how it helped overcome a moment in my life. i felt hopeless and unmotivated and depressed. This was my experience with the game, from my first blind playthrough i just wanted to share briefly. Sorry for any typos and thank you if you did read all these random small thoughts of my experience with the game.

[artemlegere]

Fidelia and Esperanza

Artist: Benjamin West (British-American, 1738–1820)

Date: 1776

Medium: Oil on canvas

Collection: Timken Museum of Art, Balboa Park, San Diego, CA, United States

Description

The neoclassical style oil on canvas painting Fidelia and Speranza portrays a scene from the epic poem The Faerie Queene, written by Edmund Spenser. Together Fidelia, representing faith, is holding the New Testament while her sister Speranza; representing hope, wait at the entry of the House of Holiness for the arrival of the Red Cross Knight. The knight, representing humanity, is lead through the ominous landscape by Una who represents spirituality. West depicts the two sisters in classical dress. Their elegant gestures and graceful contrapposto reveal West's, an American, admiration of the classical sculpture and artwork of the European old masters.

[9haharharley1]

Are there any "lesser known" Blackice fics you enjoy and would recommend giving a read? What about them do you like?

I currently have 203 bookmarked blackice fics, so I'll try to narrow it down to a few that I don't see talked about much lol. All of these are mature and some flavor of explicit, so fair warning!

How to Love Fear, by Apprentice89 - my absolute favorite, and one I'll recommend to anyone who will listen! This was the first blackice fic I ever read, and it helped influence the kind of voice I give Jack and Pitch in my own works. I also love just about everything this author has put out, so if you feel like reading some slow burn/learning to love each other, then this is it!

Black Ice, by XinriaDjemsRouge - if How to Love Fear catapulted me into this fandom, then this is the fic that convinced me to stay! 82 chapters of pure romance and semi-songfic, and despite some nitpicky character moments that bother me a little, is otherwise just an absolute delight and does a fantastic job of weaving the books and movie together into one epic masterpiece!

Capsicum, by queer_cxded_villain - an omega verse oneshot wherein neither of them are actually omegas, but my god does Jack want to be Pitch's omega so bad. Absolutely delightful, little alpha giving into a bigger, older alpha, with a sweet cherry-on-top ending!

Breathe, a series by drsquee - If you're familiar with the BDSM comic Sunstone, this is the fic for you! Based loosely on the first chapters of that comic, this one is a modern AU of new sub in the scene, Jack, meeting with established Dom Pitch and learning more about living a BDSM lifestyle. The second fic is on hiatus, but the first is complete, and both are an absolute smutty delight!

Just a Little Knowledge, by KittySmith - in which Jack meets Pitch mere minutes after waking up in the ice and how that influences both of them and their relationship to the Guardians. It's a longer oneshot, but definitely worth the read, and surprisingly full of some laughs and tugging at the heartstrings throughout. Probably the only one on this list not rated for mature audiences lol

Rocks Give Way to Rain, by ekho - so probably more popular than you're looking for, but I highly recommend this one if you're into super (we're talking absolutely glacial) levels of slowburn, with painful levels of mystery and angst thrown in for flavor! It pulls from Joyce's other fairy inspired works like Epic and blends the Guardians books and movie nicely. It's a monster of a fic, but well-worth the read

What Happens in the Closet, by ab2fsycho - honestly, I recommend all of this author's blackice work, but this one is a short and cute high-school au wherein Jack and Pitch are stuck in the janitors closet and let out all their teenage hormones and angst

Snowflakes and Shadows, a series by Tenshiryuu - the first few entries in this one are rated for everyone, and they build this nice sort-of redemption for Pitch while telling an epic story and slow burn relationship between him and Jack

A Long Way From Eden, by JusticeCookie and MiraEyeteeth - a mythology AU in which Jack is sacrificed to the gods and kidnapped up by twin Nagas, Pitch and Koz. Some good ol' fashioned monster lovin' and twincest here!

Finding a Home for the Holidays, by charmed7293 - another author who's entire catalog I recommend, thos one is doublement oreo flavored! Twincest between Koz and Pitch, with Jack sandwiched between them, its an advent calender detailing how the three spend the month of December together. There's now an expanded series for this AU here, I highly recommend!

Hold My Tea and Why is the Tea Always Gone, by ab2fsycho - an epic series of love and redemption, this one is all about mending broken relationships and building new ones, with Jack and Pitch at the center of the Guardians quest to defeat a new evil

Shattered Pieces, by ashestocrows - I know it's not "lesser known," but I genuinely can't recommend this fic enough, and everyone should go read it! An absolutely beautiful blend of the books and movie, while continuing the movie into sort of "sequel" territory and breaking my heart and kissing it better by the end in the most satisfying way

In Another Time, by RageQuits - You want angst? You want smut? You want the golden age? You want to have your heart ripped out of your chest and subsequently stomped onto the floor?! Then, buddy, do I have the fic for you! Prepare your tissues and prepare for a whole lot of heartache, this one had me shouting into the void every step of the way!

4 Times Pitch Teased Jack in Public, by Rahar_Moonfire - And 1 Time He Finished the Job. Exactly what it says on the tin, and man, is it fucking hot. So if exhibitionism is your thing, this is the fic for you!

Adrenaline, by Windlion - in which Jack is a normal human with some repressed fantasies and catches the attention of the literal Boogieman. Featuring a Pitch who is a total creep and shadow tentacles, because who here doesn't love monster fucking, amiright?

Frustration - another 5+1 style fic in which Pitch is a teasing asshole and won't let Jack get off, featuring so much cockblocking that it does indeed leave everyone involved, including the reader, frustrated. Highly recommend, amd can guarantee you'll be pulling out your hair and laughing all the while.

Not My Usual Type - a short and sweet meet-cute/blind date wherein Pitch really doesn't want to date but Jack's too damn cute not to give in and ends on an incredibly spicy note.

Angel of Temptation, by Not_Acceptable - Jack seduces Priest Pitch and they fuck on the alter. That's it, thats the fic. And it's fantastic.

Curses, by ashestocrows - a series inspired by Howl's Moving Castle, in which Jack is a human cursed to freeze unless he can find the wizard Pitch, who may be able to help him. A wizard who also happens to be cursed to be a big scary bird man. Jack has a thing for that, and so do I. Seriously, go read all of Gilly's stuff, I go nuts for their work.

In the Absence of Moonlight, by ashestocrows - a Golden Age AU featuring a Nightlight who has lost his light and is sent to live with the Pitchiner's, and a Jack Frost living in a world with no Guardians and no purpose. A very mysterious, very intriguing story that promises so many interesting relationships and character moments

A Little Offering, by Vraksis - I'm a sucker for gods taking in the people who are sacrificed to them, and this one promises to be so fun! An unknowable god and a tiny human learning to even communicate with each other, let alone building a relationship, promises to be so interesting to me!

Jaunting for a Haunting, by Vraksis - this one's short and sweet, but Jack and go to a haunted house and whip out a Ouija board to talk to the spirits of the dead against everything ever saying you Shouldn't Do That, and maybe let something out from the other side. The ending is ambiguous, but by god, do I love a supernatural entity stalking a poor dumb human back home to haunt him!

For Now I Am Winter, by Nimohtar - a Pixie Hollow/Tinkerbell inspired fairy AU in which Jack is a winter fairy going out with the rest of the winter troupe for the first time and accidentally meeting the Boogieman. It's an E for Everyone rating, and its super cute and sweet, but my god, did it inspire me to write some filth. I have plans.

Wow, this took longer than expected to compile, lol. Im doing this on my phone, so linking stuff is slow going. But I hope some of these actually sound interesting, and if they do, remember to give the fics you do read a comment and kudos! Some of these are incomplete, and who knows, you may be the one to inspire the author to continue!

[acapelladitty]

My Year In Horror 😈🔪

Top 5 Horror Films of the Year

The Substance. Possibly my film of the year? An absolute powerhouse of satire and deliciously nasty body horror. Demi Moore really sold the tragedy of Elizabeth Sparkle and the whole film just worked beautifully.

Cuckoo. A very fun and odd film that both creeped me out and also made me belly laugh at certain points. I went into this knowing NOTHING about it and that really benefitted it I think.

Terrifier 3. Definitely the strongest of the trilogy thus far as it struck a balance between quality and efficiency. A proper gorefest which had me cringing and giggling in equal measure.

The First Omen. One of the first horrors I saw this year and still one of the best. It wears its references on its sleeves (Possession, 1981 my beloved) and I had NO expectations for a Omen prequel and yet it was fantastic.

Longlegs. A film with a great premise and some incredible set-up that only kinda lost its way towards the end of the third act. However, it was still incredibly good and deserves a place in my top 5.

Top 5 Horrorable Mentions (films which skirt the horror genre but don't fully fit)

Godzilla Minus One. My other contender for film of the year. I even went back to the cinema just to watch this in black and white like a classic film. Amazing and epic and deserving of all it's flowers.

I Saw The TV Glow. A film I had no idea what to expect from and it was so utterly beautiful and thought-provoking that I left with a nasty sense of existential dread in my chest.

Maxxxine. Again, the third act kinda went a wee bit wobbly but I really loved this entry into the series. Very enjoyable and a good few iconic moments littered throughout.

Joker: Folie A Deux. The words "fucking brilliant" and "absolute dogshit" can and should co-exist lmao. Prime example.

Abigail. Dan Stevens making a second appearance on this list today! This film is a great mixture of fun gore, genuinely funny moment, and an overall good time. Also Dan Stevens 🫠🫠🫠

Top 5 Scares of the Year

First Omen - Burnt Nun. A fantastic build-up of tension.

Cuckoo - Bike Scene. Just nasty and slow and fucking LOUD.

I Saw The TV Glow - Final scene. More of a visceral horror and genuinely upsetting.

Stopmotion - Ash Man. Rancid and wicked little beast.

Oddity - Golem. Get that thing in the fucking sea.

Top 5 Musical Moments

Immaculate - "The Red Queen Kills 7 Times". When the theme from this iconic giallo film kicked in it had me PUMPED.

Maxxxine - "Welcome to the Pleasure Dome". The use of this in the club scene made me genuinely grin because I adore this bop.

Godzilla Minus One - "Godzilla Theme". Not gonna lie, when this iconic theme finally dropped in the film I felt that shit in my fucking bones.

The Substance - "Pump It Up". This remix worked so well with the film and it's been a brainworm since I first heard it.

Terrifier 3 - "Art's Xmas Song". Just stupid shite and a fun Christmas banger.

[baggebythesea]

What fandoms do you think the She-Ra characters would be in (in some sort of moder au)? And in general, how involved are they in fan communities and discourse?

For some reason I feel like Mermista's the one who's into like, internet and fandom history. Learns about decades-old drama for fandoms she's barely even in, has read My Immortal, stuff like that.

Ooooh. Let's see...

Adora is into Supergirl, because Kara is so strong and heroic and pretty and beautiful and should kiss the cool, slightly amoral girl on the mouth. Her first fandom was My Little Pony because of Horse. She is also into the OG She-Ra, and still holds the scene where show-Adora transforms the sword of protection into a shield to protect her butt during atmospheric re-entry as peak television. She posts a lot of well thougthout theories, but is very worried about Being A Fan Wrong (tm), which sadly make her vulnerable to fan drama. Bow often have to comfort her when callout posts make their rounds.

Catra is into Thundercats and write novel length epics that she never publishes about her catsona self insert that takes no shit and gets together with the strong hero and the bratty princess. She mostly posts memes, but keep careful track of all the rest of the fandom participants. Has multiple accounts that she occasionally use to stir up drama or troll Glimmer.

Glimmer is a big fan of cyberpunk anime and happily jumps between shows when a new blorbo catch her interest. She writes fics and posts memes and hosts fandom event and gleefully jumps into whatever fandrama goes on today. Prone to fandom burnout, and regularly leaves in a huff and sulks for a few weeks until the next show catches her eyes.

Bow is a hardcore Brony, but happily participates in any fandom for idealistic cartoons. He is a delight to have in your fandom. He leaves comments and happy little emoijs on everything people post, and always have a nice word for everyone.

I really love your take on Mermista. She has encyclopedic knowledge of all the big fandoms, and sees herself more as a fandom antrophologist than a participant. She also has a few mystery show from the eighties she follows religiously.

Perfuma gravitate to cute little slice of life anime with the bitchiest fandoms imaginable. She gleefully fights shipping wars and write essays about why the characters she doesn't like (and their fans) are deeply problematic.

Scorpia watches Spop and lies up at night crying over her fandom crush Catra. She is too shy to participate much in fandom, but she reads a lot of and sometimes dare to leave a bashful little "it's very good" comment at a fic she has read ten times.

[j0die101]

I love how Illya and Napoleon just seem to take turns saving each other's lives. And also, how they would have kept ending up dead if not for the moment of "I hate this dude but guess I gotta save him, only for the sake of the mission of course" when they saved the other one before. Especially at the beginning of the movie.

See under the cut for a very detailed list 😅😅

~Illya holds onto the car Napoleon and Gabby try to escape in~ Napoleon could have very easily killed him right there, clear shot, no distance at all, but somehow it just doesn't seem fair (N "saves" I)

~ Public bathroom scene: Illya refrains from suffocating Napoleon after his boss tells him to let go.~ kinda not sure whether that counts. Saving his life by not killing him (?), guess he could've just ignored his handler and go all in. I'll let it count. (I "saves" N)

~ breaking into the satellite facility part 1: almost getting caught because Illya is too slow to pick the lock -> Napoleon picking the lock for them (N saves I, or well saves them both)

~ breaking into the satellite facility part 2: Illya figuring out a way to escape when everything goes to shit. (I saves N, or well also saves them both)

~ The best, funniest and most epic scene in the entire movie if you ask me: the harbour and Napoleon's little truck-picnick~ now see I really love this scene because it is incredibly comedic while being incredibly dramatic and angsty and a major turning point in the story. They're being chased - they're out in the harbour on a boat - all escape ways blocked - Napoleon holding on to the top of the boat. They're being shot at - a lot. Illya takes a sharp turn - Napoleon falls off the boat into the water, or does he let go on purpose ?- Illya doesn't notice right away. Turning around a few moments later he only sees the entry holes of the shots, right where Napoleon used to hang on. What conclusion does this lead him to? Surely he must think Napoleon got shot, fell off the boat and is drowning or bleeding out or both somewhere on the water. He is on his own. So he tries to get away, but is fighting a lost fight. Meanwhile, Napoleon swims ashore, finding the picnic basket on the truck and just enjoys a little break, while Iliya is being hunted down.

Now here comes the part, which I consider the major turning point in their partnership. It's a tiny little moment. Almost unnoticeable. Almost.

Illya's boat is now on fire, and it's sinking quite rapidly. The hunt is over. Napoleon starts the engine of the truck. He's about to just drive off, in the chaos no one would suspect their own truck driving out of the harbour. He could just tell their handlers the truth. Iliya was killed by their targets. Get rid of him easily and move on with the mission by himself.

But then, he changes his mind. We can see how his expression changes. He's like "damn, somehow I can't do that. Why do I have to be like this? Why can't I just let him be done with?" Kinda being annoyed by himself really.

And so he turns the truck, drives it into the water, right onto their opponents boat, sinking all of them. Using the headlights to locate Illya. Saving his life by dragging him to the surface and ashore. (N saves I)

~ the chair: Napoleon is trapped, tortured by a nazi psychopath, no way of escaping. He believes Gaby has sold them out. He has no idea whether Illya is even still alive. And yet, somehow there he is, getting him out of a hopeless situation. (Also if anyone is ever shocked by electricity, get them to the hospital immediately!!! Heart failure can happen from this as well a day after as right away. They need to be under medical observation!!! Don't let the media tell you otherwise!!!) (I saves N)

~ the iconic motorcycle scene. Illya is hurt, trapped under his own vehicle after a crash that, lets be honest, should have killed him instantly. Napoleon is trying to save Gaby from the crashed car and is ambushed, about to get shot point blank while on his back on the ground. Yet somehow Illya doesn't just manage to get his motorcycle off of himself, but continues to throw it onto Napoleon's assailant. Guess Iliya's in the lead now (I saves N)

~ And finally: the stand off about the disc. Illya feels betrayed, he is struggling, he doesn't want to kill Napoleon, but needs to finish the mission. He is close to a psychotic episode. There is so much pressure on him, who wouldn't be stressed to their total limit. By now Napoleon knows him, he is excellent in reading people. He would have been able to shoot first. Maybe even resulting into killing Illya. But instead he decides differently and is able to de-escalate the situation. By showing care and kindness (aka surprising Illya with the watch). Thereby he doesn't only save his own life, he probably saves them both. (N saves I, I guess)

~ together they are able to make the only logical decision. A decision that is probably saving millions of lives. They burn the disc. Disobedience against their handlers. A decision based on what is right. Together. (N&I saving loads of people together)

[samasmith23]

Why Revenge of the Sith remains my personal favorite Star Wars movie

I think one of the main reasons I have such a fondness for Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith in particular amongst the entire saga (controversial opinion I know, but ROTS is my personal favorite Star Wars film period...) is because of the experience I had with this movie as a kid growing up!

This film came out in 2005 when I still would have been in the 3rd Grade, and I had already grown up loving the Star Wars franchise, watching the unaltered VHS copies of the Original Trilogy, as well as Episodes I & II on DVD constantly as a child. So when I started seeing tons of trailers and promotions for Episode III popping up, you'd better believe that I was incredibly huped about this film! I still remember seeing the initial teaser trailer for Revenge of the Sith when I first saw Pixar's The Incredibles back in 2004, and you'd better believe that little kid me was excited as all heck!

I personally remember the build-up and anticipation for Episode III being wild back in the day, since not only was this being promoted as the "final entry in the Star Wars saga" since George Lucas stated his intentions to not make an Episode VII at the time (hindsight can be funny sometimes... lol!), but this would be the film that finally answered the question of how exactly Anakin Skywalker turned to the Dark Side and became Darth Vader! Episode III was also promoted as the darkest film in the entire franchise since it was the first to ever receive a PG-13 rating (all the previous movies were rated PG here in the US…). Heck, I remember the PG-13 rating causing a lot of caution and concern among both parents and teachers, since not only did one of my teachers state that my 3rd Grade class was "too young to watch Star Wars Episode III," but when my Dad and I finally saw in cinemas, he calmed my Mom down by telling her he would cover my eyes if any scene got overly violent. Fortunately, my Dad did not end up not having to shield my eyes... although funnily enough he almost did so during the scene when Anakin ignited his lightsaber in front of the younglings before it immediately cut away (so their deaths occurred offscreen...). It wasn't until I was much older that I later learned that the primary reason Episode III was given the PG-13 rating was that in addition to Lucas’ personal recommendation due to the film’s darker tone, the rating was specifically aimed at the immolation scene on Mustafar when Anakin is burned alive by the lava after losing his duel with Obi-Wan.

When I finally saw Revenge of the Sith in theaters in May of 2005, to say that I was completely blown away by the film would be a massive understatement! Not only was I completely immersed in the sheer epic scale of the space and lightsaber duels, but the aesthetics of the planets like Utapau & Mustafar, as well as creatures & droids like General Grievous, captured my imagination to entirely new levels that surpassed even the previous Star Wars films. Heck, General Grievous in particular was a character that I became completely obsessed with as a kid in a similar manner to how countless other Star Wars fans are completely enamored by Boba Fett (both for his badass character design, as well as his status as a Jedi-killing cyborg who wields 4 lightsabers simultaneously while also foreshadowing Anakin's similar future transformation into a being "more machine than man")!

However, the elements of Revenge of the Sith that especially captivated my young mind in the theater were the portrayal of Anakin Skywalker's turn to the Dark Side, as well as Chancellor Palpatine's rise to power as the Emperor. Before the movie's release, I would constantly speculate about what exactly would cause Anakin to become Darth Vader (little kid me came up with wild theories such as him being mind-controlled into being evil via Sith lightning or some such bullcrap... lol!) and the revelation that Anakin turned to the Dark Side primarily out of fear of his wife Padmé dying at childbirth was certainly not what I was expecting back then. At the same time though, this plot point made perfect sense to me and I couldn't help but be engrossed in the whole Greek/Shakespearean tragedy portrayal of Anakin's descent into darkness being motivated primarily out of love. Additionally, as I continued to rewatch Revenge of the Sith on DVD and Blu-Ray as I grew older, I began noticing more of Anakin's growing frustration and distrust with the Jedi council, and how it heavily correlated with the political themes about the corruption of democracy and the rise of fascism (which makes both the Order 66 montage and Padmé’s line, “So this is how liberty dies… with thunderous applause,” hit even harder)! Furthermore, Palpatine himself made for such a phenomenal main antagonist & master manipulator, with scenes such as him telling Anakin the legend of Darth Plagueis story at the Coruscant opera house as well as his reveal as Darth Sidious being particularly chilling standouts for me!

While some of those more complex themes went over my head as a 3rd grader, Revenge of the Sith was probably one of my earliest exposures to darker forms of storytelling dealing with flawed characters & complex themes. Elements that I now actively search for in my consumption of media, ranging to films, comics, TV, and video games. Additionally, as a child these aforementioned elements made me rewatch Episodes I & II with an even greater appreciation and attention to Anakin’s gradual downfall and Palpatine’s manipulations which all culminated in Episode III. As a kid, I used to primarily focus on the action scenes in Star Wars films above all else, but as an adult elements such as the corruption of bureaucracy with the Jedi Order, the downfall of democracy & the rise of fascism with the Old Republic's devolving into the Galactic Empire, and the Shakespearean tragedy of Anakin Skywalker's transformation into Darth Vader are the elements of the Prequels that continue with stick with me!

It's for this reason that despite whatever flaws Revenge of the Sith might have along with the rest of the Prequel Trilogy, it honestly still remains my personal favorite Star Wars film in the entire saga, followed closely by both Return of the Jedi and The Last Jedi (which means that my Top 3 Star Wars films include one from each trilogy! Lol!)! And for the longest time I thought that Episode III would have been the ONLY Star Wars movie I'd ever get the chance to see in theaters... thank goodness I was wrong with the release of the Sequel Trilogy a decade later! Still though... I will forever cherish that initial hype of Revenge of the Sith as my first-ever theatrical Star Wars experience!

[dragonofthedepths]

Knuckles practically kicked open the doors to the prison. Striding in as if he owned the place and giving his comrades a wink as he spotted them in one of the first round of cells. Managing to reach through the bars and pluck the hat right off Sticks’ head before putting it on himself.

“Hey!” The warlock gave a shout, trying to reach through the bars herself to get it back. Knuckles simply took a step back out of her reach.

“I need it! Got to complete the whole wizard look.”

“Me and the fire monster inside of me will COME FOR YOUR TOES!”

My entry in the @sthbigbang! Drawn for Castles and Creepy Creatures written by the amazing @bitttertrees

Finally! Here's what I spent the last half-month of my life working on! *jazz hands*

I've never participated in a Big Bang before and this was a lot of fun! I am just one of four artists who did something for this fic, so go check out the others too!:

@madcatscookiejar did this incredible scene

@hel-helly did this epic piece

And @lovelylivewirez drew the BAR FIGHT! (And the character designs we all used, seriously thank you so much!)

[a-fuked-up-mess]

the dynamic between yuji and nobara is so, so chaotic and funny and similar to eachother like they're on the same wavelength and oh my gods, still so nonsensical that it's hilarious.

next, the live action scenes are just... i can understand manga fans' frustration in action scenes a bit because it's literally something else entirely to see it flow like that than to see its picture by picture.

these negative emotions of mankind become the source of curses, they said. and yuji put all his negative emotions which are hate, fear and regret to turn it into that red flame fist. from this im assuming that all the negative emotions are also what jujutsu sorcerers use as their powers? and by basic fantasy logic, the stronger the emotions, the stronger the power ig? and as they said gojo is the strongest... does that mean he has a lot of negativity inside? eh dunno.

and after the howl, when sukuna comes out and fights that white, raisin looking curse... damn. and after he creates his domain and kills the curse and all. yup, epic. also, ryomen sukuna... why's he kinda... um... no nvm.

again, some scenes i should mention: idiot level teachings on special grade, yuji and nobara after the exit was lost and then petting with megumi's dog, megumi and itadori arguing over tadashi's dead body and yuji's internal struggle about the idea of "a proper death", megumi summoning animals, nobara (almost dying): you know i really hate frogs/megumi (trying to rescue her): well that's just too damn bad, the scene when sukuna burns that white, raisin looking curse with purple flame, and, nobara's phone's death because of kiyotaka ijichi lmao.

last, from ep3, that log entry of a curse being born and one of the three first year dying... is it itadori? because at the end of ep4, when sukuna asks him to switch, he doesn't or maybe... he can't. so is yuji stuck inside the body or something? or maybe im reading too much into it