#i also can’t wait for fallout season 2

[lukewarmoverthinker]

reasons fallout season 1 reminded me of the umbrella academy:

1. the character dynamics are similar in how they interact with each other, how much they tell each other, and how they generally act like siblings

2. the setting being after an apocalypse (obviously tua is trying to prevent an apocalypse and fallout takes place after one but still)

3. the music, a lot of the artists are the same, a lot of the songs are the same and just generally how they use music in each show

4. the fight scenes as far as editing, directing, choreography and just general vibes

5. if you’ve made it to the end of fallout season one: the guy who put his brain in a robot reminded me of AJ (the fish who drives the human suit)

6. the way they do gore

7. queer characters without a need to make it their whole personality (if you hadn’t noticed the character dane in fallout is nonbinary)

8. the social structure, hierarchy, rules, and attitude of the volts reminds me a lot of the commission

9. probably other things i can’t think of

[pedrosheartstring]

Chasing Light in Darkness - 1/?

Angst | Jackson!Joel | I don't know how these work!

Summary: In a world ravaged by a pandemic, Poppy finds herself grappling with the fallout of her tumultuous past as she waits for news about her estranged friend, Joel, who lies unconscious after a brutal attack. Their once-close bond hangs by a thread, strained by unresolved conflicts and Joel's animosity toward her. As she waits, Poppy’s fragile connection with Tommy, Joel's brother, becomes increasingly complicated, with old wounds surfacing and feelings simmering beneath the surface.

Triggers: Violence , Trauma , Abandonment , Anxiety , mentions of potiental Death , Mental Health Struggles , Relationship Strain , Survival , Romantic Tension , Isolation , Medical Talk , Gore - if I missed any LET ME KNOW!

A/N: This story does NOT adhere to the plot of TLOU Season 2. The events in this chapter are entirely part of MY narrative. As someone in the medical field, I wanted to create something relatable. I assure you, Joel is a survivor. I want this story to be slow and steady. I made the mood board myself! Divider: @cafekitsune

Also I dedicate this to my new friend @hauntingpr4yers ! Please read The Runner Here

Word Count: 4.3K

The sharp trill of my cell phone sliced through the fog of a drunken slumber, yanking me from sleep's depths. Darkness enveloped me, oppressive as a heavy blanket, and I squinted at the glowing screen. The clinic’s name loomed large—why were they calling me at this hour? A cold knot of dread twisted in my stomach; this couldn’t be good.

“Hello?” I mumbled, my voice gravelly and thick.

“Poppy, it’s—Tommy. I need a favor, sweet girl,” he whispered, the tremor in his voice unearthing old fears.

My heart sank. “Tommy, whatever you need might have to wait. I’m still drunk, and I’m not up for… well, you know. You’ve got Maria now.”

“It’s not about that,” he replied, desperation cracking his tone. “It’s my brother, Joel… he’s not okay. He was brutally attacked. I can’t lose him.”

A rush of adrenaline coursed through me, dispelling the remnants of alcohol. “How is he?” I steadied my voice, forcing away the tremors of urgency.

“Not good. He’s a mess. Covered in blood and unconscious.” Panic laced his words, raw and unfiltered. “Please, I need you to come over—now.”

“Tommy, listen to me,” I said, my tone firm, trying to anchor both of us. “He’s not going anywhere. I’ll be there as fast as I can, but you need to call my assistant, Lily. She can get there quicker than I can and start setting things up. Gather whatever supplies you can find—bandages, antiseptic, anything. I hope we have enough, or this is going to be a nightmare.”

I paused, letting the gravity of the moment settle in. “Are you okay? Do you need anything?” I asked, my voice softening. I couldn’t imagine the helplessness gnawing at him, the fear of losing his brother overwhelming everything else.

“No, Poppy. I’m fine. I’ll see you soon.” He hung up before I could say anything else.

With a rush of adrenaline, I swung my legs over the side of the bed, rubbing my eyes, but sleep and alcohol stubbornly lingered, blurring the edges of my thoughts. Every movement felt leaden, as if I were wading through molasses, but I forced myself to shuffle to the bathroom. The reflection staring back at me was a haunting mess—bloodshot eyes, disheveled hair, the unmistakable remnants of last night’s indulgence. Showing up like this in front of the Miller brothers? Not an option.

With a shaky breath, I cranked the shower to life, letting the hot water flood the room with steam and clarity. I stripped off my pajamas and stepped under the cascading heat, feeling it bite into my skin, grounding me in a reality I desperately needed to face. As the water poured over me, my thoughts spiraled back to Joel. His condition was dire, and the thought of what could happen if we failed sent a wave of anxiety crashing through me.

Without Joel, Tommy would be lost. He was already a wreck before Joel came to Jackson with Ellie. Joel was notorious for being difficult and cruel, but I’d witnessed glimpses of the man beneath the armor, moments that broke through his tough exterior. He had treated me coldly since he arrived, and I couldn’t help but wonder what Tommy had told him—about us, about me.

I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself as the water rushed over me, washing away the remnants of last night and the anxiety that clung like a shadow. I massaged shampoo into my black hair, its sharp scent a stark contrast to the chaos in my mind. As I rinsed, I felt the weight of the water pulling me down, anchoring me to this moment. I scrubbed my skin, desperate to cleanse not just the alcohol but the fear that threatened to engulf me.

Turning off the water, I stepped out, the sudden chill of the air hitting me like a slap. I quickly wrapped myself in a towel, its warmth a fleeting comfort against the cold reality. Rushing back to my bedroom, my eyes caught the darkened window, snowflakes drifting down outside like whispers of a world oblivious to my turmoil. I paused, but urgency pulled me back before I could linger.

I grabbed clothes from the dresser, practical and sturdy—something that wouldn’t mind being ruined at the clinic. With frantic movements, I dressed, each layer a step closer to confronting the storm ahead.

I twisted my hair into a messy bun, yanking a beanie over it, feeling the knit material dig into my scalp. My heart raced as I scanned the room for anything I might need, before I dashed into the living room. My pace quickened, driven by an urgency that felt almost manic. I gathered essentials, shoving them into a bag with jittery hands.

Sitting down in my old chair, I pulled on thick socks, the fabric soft yet sturdy. I slipped into my boots, lacing them tightly, each knot an act of defiance against the chaos. My jacket draped over the dining room chair, I grabbed it and zipped it up to my chin, sealing warmth inside, wrapping a scarf tightly around my neck, pulling the hood over my beanie.

I snatched my cabin keys, the cool metal a stark reminder of the cold world outside. Taking a deep breath, I braced myself for the biting air as I flung open the door. A gust of icy wind hit me, stinging my cheeks, the snow crunching beneath my boots like the snapping of twigs underfoot. The world beyond was a harsh contrast to the warmth of my home, but there was no turning back now.

The crunch of snow became a chaotic rhythm, each step a drumbeat of anxiety that steadied my frayed nerves. The cabins lining my makeshift street were dark and silent, their occupants blissfully unaware of the storm brewing within me. Only the streetlamps offered solace, their warm glow casting long shadows that seemed to dance ahead of me, beckoning me forward.

The walk to the clinic was short, the shortcuts ingrained in my memory, but cutting through the center of town felt surreal. The towering Christmas tree came into view, its twinkling lights a mockery of the festivity, a beacon of warmth in this cold, tense night.

I could feel it in the air—the weight of the moment, a sense that something monumental was about to unfold. This wasn’t just another late-night walk through a sleepy town. It was a night that would etch itself into my very bones, a night steeped in significance even before it fully unraveled.

The clinic loomed just a few doors down from the Tipsy Bison, a place that held memories of laughter and shared drinks. But tonight, those memories faded as I focused on the task ahead, the urgent call for help overriding everything else.

As I approached the clinic door, faint voices filtered through the walls, muffled but urgent, sending my heart into a chaotic rhythm. I took a deep breath, the gravity of the situation crashing down on me. I turned the knob, and the door creaked as it opened, revealing the harsh fluorescent light that flooded the small waiting room. Tommy, Maria, and Ellie huddled together, their faces drawn with worry and fatigue. I nodded at them, acknowledging their presence as the weight of the moment hung thick in the air.

I stepped inside, shutting the door against the cold night. With swift, deliberate movements, I stripped off my layers—hood, beanie, scarf, and jacket—tossing them onto the desk in a heap. The warmth of the room wrapped around me, but it did nothing to melt the tension coiling in my chest.

Without hesitation, I turned to the hallway that led to Joel’s room, each step echoing in the silence. Bracing myself, I pushed open the door and stepped inside, the chaos of emotions swirling around me as I prepared to face the storm.

Lily was in the med room, her expression a mix of concern and urgency. She cleared her throat, her voice shaking slightly. “I know you’re drunk, Poppy. This probably isn’t easy for you,” she said, her tone filled with the weight of the moment. “It’s not easy for me either, and I’m sober.”

Taking a breath, she continued, “Joel’s in really bad shape. He’s got a shotgun wound in his leg—I’m working on it, but it’s deep. He’s been beaten badly too, multiple blows to the head. Honestly, Poppy, if he pulls through this, he’ll be lucky.”

Her words crashed over me like a wave, heavy and relentless. I felt the pressure mount, a suffocating weight pressing down on my chest. Joel was teetering on the edge, and it was up to us to pull him back.

“Where is he?” I managed to choke out, my heart racing as I stepped toward the exam room. I pushed the door open and froze, my breath hitching at the sight before me.

Joel lay on the exam table, his body battered and broken, a makeshift bandage covering the gaping wound in his leg, soaked through with blood. His face was a canvas of bruises, swollen and disfigured, and my chest tightened painfully at the sight of him—strong, resilient Joel now reduced to this.

“Lily, do we have anything stronger for the pain?” I asked, my voice shaking as I knelt beside the table, my fingers trembling as they brushed over the bruises marring his forehead and temple. “We need something—he can’t be conscious for this. He can’t.”

Lily’s voice trembled as she replied, “We’ve got some morphine, but we need to be careful. His pulse is weak, and we don’t want to slow it down more than it already is.”

I nodded, my heart racing as I watched Joel's chest rise and fall, each breath a struggle. “Let’s stabilize him first. Clean him up, and then we can reassess the pain.” My voice was resolute, but inside, chaos roiled.

As we worked in tense silence, my mind spiraled. This wasn’t just an accident—this was an attack. Someone had wanted to hurt him, and that left all of us vulnerable, teetering on the edge of disaster.

Once the wounds were cleaned and bandaged, I stepped back, my heart pounding in my chest. We had done everything we could, but now it was in Joel's hands, and the uncertainty gnawed at me.

“We’ve done all we can for now,” I said, turning to Lily, my voice shaking with a mix of exhaustion and dread. “It’s up to him now.”

She nodded, her eyes reflecting the same concern that weighed heavily on me.

As I left the room, the enormity of the situation crashed over me like a tidal wave. There were still questions to answer, especially from Tommy, but those would come later. I needed a moment to breathe, to pull myself together before everything spiraled out of control.

The moment I stepped into the waiting room, the tension hung thick in the air like smoke from a fire that refused to die. Tommy was pacing, his hands fisted at his sides, while Ellie sat on a chair, her eyes wide with a mix of worry and disbelief. Maria stood near the door, arms crossed tightly over her chest, her body radiating unease.

“Poppy!” Tommy’s voice broke the suffocating silence, pulling me from my spiraling thoughts. “What did you find out? Is he going to be okay?”

I took a deep breath, steadying myself against the overwhelming weight of his gaze. “He’s stable for now, but he needs to stay unconscious for the pain and to let his body start healing. We’ve done what we can, but…” My voice faltered, the truth of the situation hanging heavily in the air. “It’s up to him now.”

“Up to him?” Tommy echoed, his voice rising in disbelief. “What does that mean? You can’t just—”

“Tommy,” I interrupted, my own frustration bubbling to the surface. “You know how this works. He was shot, beaten, and we’re still trying to process everything. He’s fighting, but we can’t predict what’s going to happen next.”

Maria stepped forward, her brow furrowed in concern. “What if he doesn’t wake up? What if…” Her voice trailed off, the implications of her words echoing in the silence.

The thought sent a chill down my spine, a reminder of just how fragile life could be. I glanced at Tommy, whose face had drained of color. The reality of our situation pressed down on us all—one wrong move, one slip in judgment, and we could lose him forever.

Ellie stood abruptly, shaking her head as if to dispel the gravity of the moment. “We can’t think like that. Joel is a fighter. He’s always been.” Her voice was firm, but I could see the cracks beneath her bravado.

“Fighting isn’t enough when you’re up against something like this,” I said, my tone sharper than I intended. “We need to focus on keeping him stable. We have to be ready for anything.”

“I don’t want to lose him, Poppy,” Tommy said, his voice dropping to a whisper. “He’s all I have left.” His eyes glistened with unshed tears, and I felt a pang of empathy for him, for the pain that ran deep in his heart.

“I get it,” I replied softly, stepping closer to him. “But we can’t let fear paralyze us. We have to fight for him, together.”

The weight of our emotions swirled around us, a cyclone of worry and determination. I took a step back, needing space to breathe, but also to gather my thoughts. We needed a plan, something to give us hope amidst the uncertainty.

“Let’s brainstorm what we can do,” I suggested, forcing a calmness into my voice. “We need to make sure Joel has everything he might need once he wakes up—comfort, care, whatever will help him heal.”

Tommy nodded, the fire in his eyes reigniting. “Right. He loves that old guitar of his. I can bring it, maybe some of his favorite snacks too.”

I could see him starting to rally, the protective instinct igniting within him. “And I can pull together some music, something he’d love,” I added. “It might help soothe him, remind him of better times.”

Ellie chimed in, her voice steadier now. “We should organize a schedule for who will stay with him. Someone needs to be here at all times. I’ll take the first shift.”

“Then I’ll follow after that,” Maria added. “We can keep rotating so he’s never alone. It might help him fight back.”

A sense of purpose started to fill the room, the frantic energy shifting from despair to action. We began to formulate a plan, each of us contributing what we could to ensure Joel wouldn’t feel abandoned, even in his unconscious state.

Hours blurred into one another as we settled into a routine. I took the first shift beside Joel’s bed, the fluorescent lights humming softly overhead. As I sat there, the rhythmic beep of the heart monitor echoed in the stillness, a haunting reminder of the fragility of life. I reached out, taking his hand in mine, feeling the warmth of his skin against my cold fingers.

“Joel,” I whispered, my voice barely above a breath. “You need to wake up. We’re all here for you. You’re not alone.” I squeezed his hand gently, hoping my touch would somehow seep into his subconscious. “Tommy’s counting on you. We all are.”

With every passing minute, the silence wrapped around me like a heavy shroud, my mind racing with the possibilities of what could go wrong. What if he didn’t wake up? What if the damage was too severe? I couldn’t let those thoughts consume me. I took a deep breath and focused on the sound of the heart monitor, a steady reminder that he was still here, still fighting.

Hours later, Tommy arrived, his eyes weary but determined. “I brought the guitar,” he said, his voice stronger now. “And I stopped by the store for some snacks—he’ll need energy when he wakes up.”

I managed a small smile, the sight of Tommy carrying that guitar lifting a sliver of weight from my heart. “Good thinking. It’ll mean the world to him,” I replied, my voice hoarse from the long hours.

As we settled into a rhythm, the atmosphere began to change. We filled the room with soft music, the gentle strumming of the guitar weaving a tapestry of sound that wrapped around us, enveloping us in warmth. It felt like a lifeline, a thread connecting us to Joel, reminding us of who he was and what he loved.

I leaned against the wall, exhaustion weighing heavily on my shoulders as I glanced at Joel’s still form, the heart monitor beeping steadily beside him. The hours spent waiting had drained me, and fatigue threatened to pull me under.

“Poppy,” Tommy said, breaking the silence. He shifted closer, concern etched across his face. “Are you okay? You look wiped.”

“I’m just tired,” I admitted, rubbing my temples. “It’s been a long night, and I’m still trying to process everything.”

Tommy studied me for a moment, then chuckled softly. “You’re not thinking about the time I called you in the middle of the night, are you?”

I shot him a wary look, half-expecting the conversation to veer into uncomfortable territory. “What do you mean?”

“Come on,” he teased, a grin spreading across his face. “You thought I was calling for a booty call. It’s been a good year since then, and you still remember it?”

I rolled my eyes but couldn’t help the small smile creeping onto my lips. “Well, can you blame me? You were sounding a little too enthusiastic at 2 a.m. about ‘needing to talk.’ I thought you had something scandalous on your mind.”

Tommy laughed, the sound a refreshing balm against the tension in the air. “I’ll admit, my delivery was questionable. But you were the last person I wanted to call. I was freaking out about Joel.”

“Right, because that’s not at all suspicious,” I teased back, my weariness momentarily forgotten. “Next time, maybe use a little more context?”

“Noted,” he replied, raising an eyebrow playfully. “But seriously, I didn’t want you to think I was being weird. I just didn’t know who else to turn to.”

“I get that,” I said softly, my smile fading as I thought back to that night. “It’s always been you, Tommy. We’ve been through so much together. Even when things got chaotic, you always knew how to pull me back.”

His expression shifted, sincerity replacing the humor. “You mean a lot to me, Poppy. I don’t want to lose that, especially now with Joel in the hospital.”

“I know,” I replied, my heart fluttering at his words. “But it’s different now. We’ve both changed, and I don’t want to put any more weight on our friendship.”

“Why not?” he asked, leaning in slightly. “I mean, we’re both still here, still figuring things out. Maybe it’s okay to lean on each other a little more.”

I searched his gaze, feeling a mixture of gratitude and anxiety swirl inside me. “I just don’t want to complicate things, especially not with everything happening right now. Joel needs us both.”

“Yeah, he does,” Tommy agreed, his expression softening. “But that doesn’t mean we can’t find our own footing while we support him. You know we’re a team, right?”

“Together, we are,” I nodded, but then a thought bubbled to the surface, fueled by my insecurities. “But really, Tommy… Do you love Maria? Is she better than me—or what I was? Because sometimes it feels like I’m the reason Joel hates me.”

Tommy’s smile faltered, and the air grew heavy with unspoken truths. “Poppy, that’s not—”

“It’s just… he never misses a chance to remind me of my mistakes. I don’t want to be the reason for any more tension between us,” I interrupted, feeling a swell of emotion rise within me.

“Poppy, Joel has his own demons,” Tommy said, his voice steady but tinged with concern. “He’s lashing out because he’s scared, not because he blames you. You’ve always been there for him, even when he didn’t deserve it.”

“Maybe I don’t deserve it either,” I murmured, staring at the floor. “I can’t help but think that if I had been better, maybe he wouldn’t hate me so much.”

Tommy stepped closer, his gaze firm. “You’re not what he says. You’re so much more. I know he’s struggling, but don’t let his anger convince you that you’re unworthy.”

I could feel the weight of his words sink in, but the doubt lingered. “It’s hard to shake off when I’m here, waiting for something to change. What if I’m just a reminder of everything that went wrong?”

“Then let’s show him we can make it right together,” Tommy said, his voice low but determined. “You mean too much to me to let that happen.”

And as we settled back into the rhythm of waiting, the tension between us hung like a fragile thread, one that could either connect us deeper or unravel everything we thought we understood.

As Tommy’s words hung in the air, I couldn’t shake the gnawing thoughts about Maria. What did she have that I didn’t? The way he talked about her, the way he lit up when her name slipped from his lips, made my heart ache in a way I couldn’t fully articulate. It was like I was standing in a shadow, desperately trying to find a way to step into the light, but the warmth always seemed just out of reach.

“Do you think she’s better than me?” I blurted out before I could stop myself, the question tumbling from my lips like a confession. I hadn’t meant to voice that insecurity, but the fear had been brewing beneath the surface, and now it spilled over.

Tommy looked taken aback, and I could see the gears turning in his mind. “Poppy, it’s not like that,” he began, his brow furrowed. “You’re—”

“Please don’t say I’m special or whatever,” I interrupted, my voice sharper than I intended. “I mean, I get it. You’ve moved on. Maria’s beautiful, and she’s everything I’m not. She’s smart, confident, and has this… effortless grace. I can’t help but feel like I’m the shadow of who I used to be, while she shines in all the ways I wish I could.”

“Stop,” Tommy said, stepping closer again, his eyes fierce. “You can’t compare yourself to her. You’re two completely different people. Maria has her strengths, but you’ve always been the one who fights through everything, who holds the pieces together when it feels like the world is falling apart. Don’t ever doubt that.”

“But she’s perfect for you,” I murmured, my voice breaking slightly. “It’s like she’s everything you need right now, while I’m just… here, hanging on by a thread, worrying about Joel and my own mess.”

“Poppy, this isn’t about that,” he replied, a note of urgency creeping into his voice. “You’re not a mess; you’re dealing with a lot, and that’s okay. I care about you, and I’m not going anywhere.”

But my thoughts spiraled, racing back to the things Joel had said. The biting words, the anger that felt like shrapnel embedded in my heart. “I can’t shake off the feeling that I’m the reason Joel can’t stand to look at me. Maybe if I were more like her, he wouldn’t feel the need to lash out.”

Tommy hesitated, his expression clouded with a mixture of emotions. “You know,” he began slowly, “the truth is, I thought you and Joel would be the better pair. When everything went to hell, I saw how you two connected, how you understood each other in ways I couldn’t grasp.”

His words cut deep, the truth of them hanging in the air like a dark cloud. Memories flooded back—how we had huddled together in the makeshift camps of the Fireflies, adrenaline pumping as we planned our next move against the chaos that had engulfed our world. Joel had been a force, a rock, and I had felt drawn to him, even in those early days when survival was all that mattered.

“But look where that got us,” I said, bitterness creeping into my voice. “Maybe if I had been the person you wanted me to be, things would have turned out differently. Maybe if I’d fought harder for us, I wouldn’t be standing here feeling like a ghost.”

Tommy’s eyes softened, and he shook his head. “Poppy, you’ve got to stop blaming yourself for this. Joel’s struggles are his own. You were never the reason he pushed you away. You just caught the brunt of his fear and anger. It’s easier for him to lash out at those he cares about than to face what he’s lost.”

“I still can’t help but feel like I should have done something differently,” I murmured, my heart heavy. “Maybe if I had been a better friend to him, it wouldn’t have come to this.”

Tommy stepped closer, the heat of his presence grounding me. “You were always there for him, even when he didn’t know how to appreciate it. You’ve been a constant, a lifeline in a world that’s become a nightmare.”

“And what about you?” I asked, my voice trembling. “Am I just a memory you’re trying to hold onto while you move on with someone else? Am I just a distraction from what you really want?”

“Poppy, you’re not a distraction,” he said firmly. “You’re a part of me, and that’s not going to change, no matter what happens. You mean too much to me to ever be forgotten.”

As I looked into his eyes, I felt a flicker of something—maybe it was courage, or maybe just a glimmer of hope that I could redefine my worth. The chaos around us didn’t disappear, but maybe, just maybe, I could find a way to navigate it without losing myself completely.

[1slightly-mad1]

Well, I assume some updates are in order since I’ve decided to come out of nowhere and post stuff. Life has been meh. My parents and myself lost our houses from Helene, so that’s fun. But luckily we found somewhere to live, we’re just waiting on the approval. But enough about that, let’s get into what I’m into at the moment.

Currently, the hyperfixation is the band Ghost. When I say hyperfixation, I mean full on obsession I’ve been listening to them non stop. I’ve been listening to them for some time now, but only recently started getting into the lore and fandom (basically after Rite Here Rite Now came out). I love Copia and Terzo and Secondo and Primo. I can’t wait until the reveal of Papa V. I was supposed to go to my first ritual back in August last year, but both of the Florida shows got cancelled because of the hurricane so I didn’t get the chance.

Very recently, I got into Fallout (because of the show). I played Fallout 4 (completed 2 playthroughs) and find that I’m in love with Ghouls. Yes, I romance Hancock. Yes, I love Cooper Howard/The Ghoul. I also love Nick Valentine (it’s a crime that you can’t romance him, imagine the possibilities with the sole survivor) but he jumpscares me all the time.

I was very active on Twitter during the final season of The Bad Batch (that one I’ve been into since Clone Wars season 7). I’ll give you 3 guesses as to who my favorite character is. It’s Tech. It’s always Tech, it’s always going to be Tech. Needless to say, his death devastated me and him not coming back devastated me further. But, I still loved the final season because I love clone troopers in Star Wars in general. I actually met Dee Bradley Baker and told him how much Tech meant to me, which he referenced in the Clone Wars panel the following day (he also talked to me in Tech’s voice).

That’s all I can think of that’s most recent off the top of my head. Before anyone asks, my favorite Ghost song is Mummy Dust and no it’s not because of how horny it gets on stage, I find it easy to get hyped to and that’s fun for me.

[armed-with-a-waffle-iron]

Bat Family— Star Trek AU💫.

"Captain’s log, Stardate 688 09.9:

4 weeks in the big chair and it still takes me an extra second to remember it’s my final orders the bridge waits on. Today, my chatty science officer even told me “careful, Grayson; even a small leak can sink a great ship”. I told the kid I’d make sure to put it in my log so here it is.

It has been only 6 weeks since the so-called “New Gods” attacked the Federation, and the Long Shadows and its brave, young crew are not just grieving the loss of their captain but one of our world’s finest…;a man whom, despite our rocky history, I saw as a brother. Aboard the Federation’s lead emergency and rescue vessel, our crew is, on a daily, reckoning with the fallout of the final crisis in the Alpha Quadrant and the power vacuum left in its wake. Firefighting aside, our crew is also adapting, rather hurriedly, to the musical chairs in both senior and junior staff.

I began my career on the bridge of this fateful ship and somehow I always find my way back to it. It wasn’t long ago that I was a small, cocky, upstart ensign, masking tragedy with a smile. I was just lucky that my captain saw something he liked in me. “I’ll be head monkey before you know it” I used to tell Bruce and, cruelly, that was closer to the truth than I could have imagined. It’s strange how much of an imposter I feel in his chair— my chair now. Just weeks ago, I was commanding the Big Apple, which gives me more pleasure than I can say but…this— this ship is different; Bruce made it his and to take over as their captain? I should know more than anyone; the show must go on. I’ve spent too much time treating this role as a memorial. It’s time to properly redefine the role as my own. Life’s a carnival and it’s time I take the stage.

My first act as captain was appointing Ens. Wayne as my chief science officer; the very role I served under his father when I was an ensign no older than him. This may raise eyebrows but, while I can’t always excuse the kid’s abrasiveness and pride, I want it on record that I have my full confidence in his abilities. Ens. Wayne is a determined and focused officer whose brilliant thinking has already saved dozens of lives. Any sniff of bigotry regarding his Romulan heritage, on and off this ship, will be dealt with directly by me. And Miss Brown. He’s a diamond in the rough but I expect the rest of my seasoned bridge crew to rub off on him. There’s something written in the stars about a captain and their science officer, and there’s no one on this crew as ready as Damian to begin a new chapter in their story; we’re gonna be a hell of a duo.

I have worked closely with Counselor Brown since she returned to The Shadows from service on the medical vessel Katavi. Miss Brown is inspiringly driven. She’s a practiced medic though an unconventional choice for a counselor but I’m sure she’d take that as a compliment. She has a magnetic charm and a gift for connecting with others, and is a savvy diplomat when she remembers to not to think aloud. She was always prone to the odd risk, especially when lives are on the line in the field, though it’s safe to say that she never runs out of ideas. “If I was gonna play by the book, I’d have never left Earth,” she told me recently. Dr. Pennyworth claims she reminds him of…well, me but I don’t know, I don’t really see it. Perhaps the lines between bravery and recklessness are blurrier than I thought, and maybe every starship needs medics and counselors with Miss Brown’s unyielding dedication to the wellbeing of others.

It’s been a… a pleasure to serve alongside Cmdr. Gordon again, after almost 2 years. Sometimes it is…a lot to share a bridge with someone who’s known you so inti— known you for so long. Especially when tensions are high. Nonetheless, there is no one on this ship I trust more to set me straight if need be. In fact, there may be no one on this ship I trust more. This ship would have never left its dock if we didn’t have Cmdr. Gordon in charge of operations. Barbara’s truly the ship’s 411— if there were two of her, I’d opt to retire the ship’s computer. She’s a born leader; also responsible for the appointment of half of my senior bridge staff and she comfortably takes the big chair when required. We’ve always made a great team, which will mean a few clashes and compromises too. To whoever it may concern, we’ll keep things professional this time, I promise…

Lt. Cmdr. Bertinelli is a stellar security chief and it’s in these uncertain times that her very own Atlas of Organised Crime is consulted significantly, on and off this ship. I’ll admit that the two of us haven’t had the smoothest of working— or personal— relationships in the past but “the past” is all it is. I’m happy to call Helena one of my greatest allies— and friends. It’s been lovely to see someone so solitary find a family on board this ship. I may not always see eye-to-eye with Cmdr. Bertinelli but I have no qualms in saying that she would be a captain by now if Star Fleet tribunal and their rulings against her weren’t riddled with rigid hierarchies and double standards.

My 1st Officer, Lt. Cmdr. Kane, certainly knows how to run a tight ship. She has made it clear that she thinks mine lacks a little discipline and caution. Her security background really shows and we definitely have different styles in leadership but hopefully the Shadows can get the best out of both worlds. In her words; “this ship is facing a different breed of threat and disaster every day, so it needs a different breed of crew”. She’s happy to take the bridge when an away team is needed so she’s probably spent more time in the captain’s chair than I have by now. 

Lt. Cmdr. Montoya was an instrumental player in Star Fleet’s response to the final crisis and she is determined to honour the memory of the late Mr. Sage, whose post she has assumed. She’s a veteran investigator who’s quickly learning the ropes to service aboard a starship and she already sets a high bar on scouting and espionage assignments. Cmdr.s Kane, Montoya and Bertinelli, form a simply excellent criminal investigation team, although I won’t pretend to understand their more personal relationships with each other.

Doctor Pennyworth, as he was before, has been my rock. He’s the heart of this ship, and he does a solid job at keeping its crew alive and well. The Shadows just isn’t the Shadows without him.

It’s no secret how hard Lt. Drake is taking Capt. Wayne’s passing— his regular counselling sessions with Miss Brown too often end in a screaming match in the hallway. For the record, I stand by my decision to give Mr. Drake’s bridge posting to Ens. Wayne and put Mr. Drake in charge of engineering. The Ensign is a real prodigy and needs this show of good faith while Mr. Drake, who has been a brilliant science officer to Capt. Wayne for almost 4 years, deserved the chance to step out of his old captain’s shadow. Nonetheless, our relationship has soured since I, in his words, “kicked him off my bridge” but that is not to say I don’t have the utmost faith in his performance as our new chief engineer.

Lt. Cain has been distant…let me rephrase that— Lt. Cain has been taken to self-isolating since the captain’s passing. Counselor Brown says sometimes she’ll go almost an entire counseling session without saying a word. Funny enough, when I suggested joint sessions with Mr. Drake, the counselor told me to get out of her office. Babs— Cmdr. Gordon, sorry, insists Miss Cain will come around in time; she knows she is among dear friends. She continues to be reliable and cool under pressure at the ship’s helm, adept at assignments in zero-G, and a clinical melee fighter when it’s called for. Yesterday, I suggested that she also head combat training down at security and she smiled, so maybe she will take up that offer.

On a ship so aptly named, it’s hard to forget that old sins cast long shadows. We now reckon with both old foes and threats unforeseen, which place the now vulnerable Federation in jeopardy and expose the cracks in its facade. It’s almost as if the ship herself questions how well we learn from history, and how history will remember us."

[alolanroy]

2023 media thread

Blood(originally from twitter)

2023 media thread! Copied over from twitter since it’s getting worse by the day. Scores 0-10 aren’t on the American grading curve, but more like ‘irredeemable bad’ to ‘changed my life’. Most things will be a 6-7 if I liked it. Negative = ironic.

Knives out (6/10) and Glass Onion (8.5/10). I prefer glass onion not only because it was a nice tight watch but also how oddly topical it was. Tate was arrested the day I watched this and Musk is on fire. Hopefully a prelude to more real mystery movies.

Wakfu: I’m grasping at straws for nice things to say. Not really pleasing to watch in French and some of the worst dubbing since gundam Age in the first seasons. The story feels like a pantomime and I question the standards of who recommended it. 1/10

The Rapsittie Street Kids Believe in Santa: this shirt is a cognitohazard to anyone who has used any kind of software. Each frame has so much wrong with it the human mind buckles into maniacal laughter. The grandma is the same VA as savathun. -9/10

Elf bowling: honestly kinda disappointing. Might be funny with some good company. I feel like the character Tom Kenny voices says something offensive but my memory just dumped everything about it. -2/10

Sound and Fury (2019): One of the greatest audio-visual experiences I’ve seen in a while. Not all sections were created equal though. Fucking watch it. I will say no more. 9/10

Lego Star Wars holiday special/summer vacation: Not good in the traditional sense but interesting because they give some of the characterization missing from the sequel trilogy with a dose of kid friendly robot chicken energy. Interesting to me at least. 6/10

Bleach Arancar Arc: Do I regret watching the anime? Yes. I could examine how stretched out this this was even with the filler removed all day. It is DIRE. Any sense of tension was destroyed and if I wasn’t sick I would’ve dipped. 4/10

Kamen Rider Black Sun: on a technical level I appreciate the movie. Good music, sound design, suits and it looked impressive for the budget it must have had. However, this might be the first toku I find actually offensive. No joke, it tries to recall George Floyds murder. Wtf.

Gundam witch from mercury S1: this is exactly what I needed and I’m waiting with baited breath. Nice to see the writing shine where ibo was dull. I’d buy the kits if I could 9/10

Knife or death: a perfect watch over some home cooked hotpot. The combination of gruff and warm hosts gives the show a ‘guys being dudes’ energy in a wholesome way. My only gripe is that as it goes on, it gets less diverse and loses some personality. More weirdos please. 7/10

Star Trek Prodigy: not particularly interesting on an episode by episode basis, but most treks have rough first seasons. Despite being a children’s show it’s more watchable than Picard or Disco, which is a low bar for me. It has trek spirit but it’s not made for me. 5/10

Astro Boy 2009:threw it on while I was cooking. Just as bad as I remember. I have some story boards for this for some reason. I don't know why. Speaking of not knowing why it feels like a 30-minute shows worth of content when it's over. It's strange. 3/10

Six String Samurai: I'd be more into this if the vibes were new to me. Unfortunately, I'm seeing this in 2023, so it reads like a Fallout New Vegas mod. In stark contrast to Astro Boy, this feels like it stretched on for hours and the kid ruined a lot of the cool moments. 3/10

Avatar 2: Not bad. Nothing groundbreaking, but great looking and drew me in for a sequel that was like 15 years late. I can't believe I was actually compelled by some of the characters. Avatar 2 was supposed to be a joke... 7/10

Shin Ultraman: this movie unashamedly embraces the fun Showa era energy like nothing I’ve seen. It’s funny, cool and is clearly a labor of love. It’s episode format makes me yearn for a tv continuation if it can maintain the constricted, but slick production and writing. 9/10

The men who made Ultraman: I get the sense a lot of the stuff in here should be taken with a grain of salt since it’s a dramatization, but man the peak behind the curtains on how creative and dangerous the special effects were then. Even the little things we take for granted 6/10

Vampire Survivors: I think by hitting 40 minutes I can kinda say I’ve ‘beat’ it in a sense even though there’s tons more content, but I need to add it to the list at some point. Good game with deceptively smart design to be a mobile game w/o the predatory garbage. 8/10

Rush Hour 3: Fun enough but I can feel the 2000s reliance on cringe humor and the stink of post 9-11 bigotry begin to set in. I had a few good laughs. 6/10

Loaded weapon 1: An absolute blast with the kind of cast you don’t see anymore. Again, Shatner is underutilized as a comedy actor. My final take: Sight gags are a lost art. 7/10

Spelunker my 2: I don’t really get the appeal of this game. Even with sprint switched off of default, movement felt oversensitive and deaths came only when my character did something I didn’t intend. Maybe I should’ve been on controller but this left a bad taste 3/10

Kill it With Fire: I appreciate smaller concept games like this, but as a recovering arachnophobe, this didn’t invoke as much of a response for me. My SO had a blast though. 5/10

A Few Good Men: Man. 8/10

Magic Lizard: ‘this feels like one of those adhd TikTok’s with an infinite runner game and family guy in the corners’ - @SuperheckDX this thing oscillates between middling slapstick to animal abuse. Genuinely disgusting for a moment (if you know you know) -3/10

SpongeBob in Tehran: enough of the jokes translate but the visual absurdity wears off pretty quick. -6/10

Webtoons I won’t dignify by naming: Trying out random Manhwa that caught my interest was a fun policy for a bit but I’ve been seriously burned. I could tear apart why even the best in the field have issues with long term storytelling due to issues with distribution. Im done 0/10

Puss in Boots the Last Wish: Being overhyped did this movie a disservice. The animation was fantastic, but there’s not much else here. I didn’t find it particularly exciting or funny and the musical number didn’t hit. I really it lacked that ohmf. Definitional 5/10 on my scale

Tangential, but Puss’s arc mirrors Kirk in Wrath of Khan. Do what you will with that.

Dwarf Fortress: disclaimer I didn’t play too much of this game but I appreciate its system rich nonsense. I’ll probably revisit it later since the unintuitive UI isn’t helped by most forum discussions not being for the steam version. IE idk how to make a horizontal door. 7/10

Entropy: Zero: Short sweet and to the point. It uses all of its creative ideas and remixes existing assets like nobody's business. A few stumbles like a turret stealth section that soft-locked me, but I appreciate a game that doesn't waste my time 7/10

Entropy Zero 2: I cant remember the last time I was this consistently exhilarated playing a shooter, maybe Titanfall 2. It delivers good writing, action, varied gameplay, gags and emotional beats. It caches the checks valve wrote a decade+ ago at their standard. A must play 9/10

Donbrothers The Movie: New First Love Hero. An absolute farce with almost no toku action. Needless to say it’s fantastic. 8/10. Will likely give any MMPR fan an aneurysm. The foreshadowing is clever…

Bionicle Mask of Light: I wouldn’t say it’s good since I’m an adult and have more tempered nostalgia, but I derived a lot of enjoyment watching it through the lens of knowing the lore and it added a level of dramatic irony. 5/10

Farscape S1: In its best episodes it delivers on a wacky premise and great puppets, at its worst it has pretty template episodes. The crews dynamic seems to be still finding the right balance of adversarial and friendly, and sometimes it just makes everyone seem like an ass. 6/10

Shadow of the Vampire: I might need to marinade my opinion on this somewhat. First impressions are good but part of me wishes it shied away from the come comical elements since the darker tone is interesting. Just made we want to see Nosferatu 8/10

Movie night speedrun Backstroke of the West: Surprisingly good joke dub -5/10 Marmaduke 2022: bizarre -1/10 Agent Revelation: what did they have on Dorn. 2/10

Movie Night Roundup: Alone in the Dark: false advertising, It was bright and I don't think anyone was alone. Made to be riffed on. -6/10 Fist of the North Star 1995: A total snoozefest that failed to hold our attention. The only fun was realizing Dante Basco was in it. 2/10

Pinocchio a True Stroy: We nearly watched a second dub with more generic voice action. Sadly this is basically unwatchable. 0/10 Waynes World 2: A weaker comedy than the original, mostly because it uses a recycled B plot. Nevertheless, a good palette cleanser. 6/10

Farscape Season: I appreciate the more serialized storytelling and multipart episodes. I appreciate that they are kinda figuring out the characters, specifically John going into his Joker arc. However, there were a few stinkers. 7/10

Record of Ragnarok S1/2: This isn't a particularly good adaptation, but the first fight should get an award for the most baffling adapted shounen fight. It truly put its worst foot forward. Otherwise pretty mid and doesn't make me feel particularly excited about the manga.

Vengeful Guardian MoonRider: On the plus side, it looks great and has a clear love of 90s anime and tokusatsu (Hakaider particularly). However, it just felt frustrating because of issues like an awkward walljump and a lot of cheap damage caused by the small screen. 3/10

Super Mario Bros(1993): people lied, this movie kicks ass. The bizarre mushroom kingdom is wildly entertaining, funny, internally consistent and inventive with how it remixes elements from the games. It’s not what the 2023 one will be: safe. 7.5/10

Return of Ultraman: I see what they were cooking. Not a lot to judge here but the way they stretched what they had was impressive. 7.5/10 Eragon: Laughed out asses off when playing Star Wars music. It synced perfectly at some point. But there’s nothing else to work with. -3/10

Aura Battler Dunbine (I): I'm splitting this up into three parts since I have distinct thoughts. The first third is relatively weak and fails to set up the factions (no idea what's up with house Given). However, it makes up for it with appealing classic fantasy aesthetics. 6/10

Dunbine (II): The middle chapter has a sharp improvement across the board. The politics and tactics begin to fall into place as the mech designs improve. The reverse Isekai arc with Garalia (my beloved) is a real standout. Bummer the Billbine sucks. 8/10

Dunbine (III): The final third speaks to me. The undercurrent of resignment and desperation pairs well with a massive shift in the mechanics of combat. While the repetition can get straining, the interjection of real-world interaction makes it work 8.5/10

Dunbine: I enjoyed the heck out of this series and appreciate the interesting ideas and aesthetics of this world. My only complaint is the way it approaches writing women. Its otherwise rad cast of mostly women gets tanked by Elmelie. Took me out of it. 8/10 #dunbinesweep

Farscape season 3: once again this season is an improvement over the last. Less crazy creatures, but more interestingly shot, especially towards the end. It makes the budget-friendly episodes go down more easily. I continue to enjoy John’s arc of just getting weird. 8/10

The thought that someday, someone will feed My Dinner with Andre with thousands of other contextless content into a machine learning algorithm fills me with a deep sadness. 9/10

Knife or Death Season 2: Overall pretty fun, but I felt that with the increased size of the episode order, they ran out of interesting contestants. You can only see so many redknecks in a row, and the finale was a bit of an upset in a b ad way. Season 3 needs some changes. 6.5/10

Donbrothers: This may be the funniest, most satisfying, and unapologetic show I have ever seen. I don't think any sentai can compare to it after, mostly because there hasn't, and can never be anything quite like this again. 10/10

Dunbine Neo Boston Well: phenomenal art and visuals but it kinda falls apart in execution. Eventually, you notice how little is animated and the Ovas have little time to explore its owns story let alone the amazing glimpses of this world. Good character design. 6/10

Destiny 2 lightfall: this expansion was so bad I think it broke the spell destiny had over me. It’s a bizarre swerve in story and aesthetics that is utterly betrayed by the most grating dialogue that was mixed in a way that hurt my ears. 2/10

Season of the seraph: a pretty middling season with some interesting mechanical tidbits, but not a lot to latch on to. It lacked the week to week narrative drive that kept me engaged. Now it feels like the content kinda ends in like 4 weeks. 5/10

Kentucky Fried Movie: slow start but pretty funny. The Enter the Dragon parody was a gas. We need more formless comedy chimeras. 6.5/10

JJBA:DIU 2017: what do you get when you remove the style, humor and pacing from jojo and try to take it completely seriously? Something that should never get it’s trilogy finished -3/10

Garzey’s wing: this thing lives and dies by it’s comically bad dub. Otherwise it’s a pretty write ova with a neat few ideas bot no real ending and would be an unsatisfying watch. However. The dub is hilarious. -6/10

Pledge this!: National Lampoon’s fell OFF! Idk if I can forgive @roflcopterbtw for putting this on the wheel…-3/10

Street Fighter: the legend of Chun Li: Firstly: why are you white. Secondly: if you want to see a better version of this movie, watch snake eyes. 3/10

Kingohger: first impressions: the first episode alternates between obscenely good looking and abysmal in was that is bizarre and completely preventable. They really didn’t have to do primarily cg environments. Writing is halfway to doing something cool but wiffs.

Onegamart: it’s like if a really well themed line ride kept going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going… 8/10 that was cool

Movie night roundup: Barbie the Princess and the Pauper: Concerningly well produced as a musical. Its a campy kids movie with comical CG. What more can I say. -6 Shrek the Musical: We were ENTRANCED by Farquad's costume! I can't say I agree with some of the decisions tho. 6/10

X-files S1 & S2: I find myself more compelled by the episodic mysteries rather than the serialized storyline. Maybe since the alien conspiracy feels a little one-note so far. The real treat is spotting famous actors and the occasional rising star at a higher rate than usual.7/10

X-Files S3 Vibe check: After a few real bangers, Ep12 and 13 were a 1-2 punch I didn't need after a stressful day. The hard dip in writing quality, bad drama, and cheap CW drama feel couldn't cover up what was clearly an anti-drug episode that no one seems to talk about. 2/10

The Man Who Laughs (1928): Essayists have already dissected this film on my behalf, but there’s something interesting here. Oddly enough it’s really obvious The Joker directly homages this more than I think it owes Taxi Driver. 7/10

G-Saviour: under the thick layer of low budget Canadian production and generic execution there’s some surprisingly cool cockpits sets and fight scenes that would’ve made for a good movie. However it isn’t and we never got the iterative sequels it wanted. 5/10

Welcome to Sudden Death: as Die Hard clones go this is a surprisingly fun watch. The reversal of the black comedy relief archetype and some genuinely cool but blue ballingly short martial arts sequences make this an entertaining 6/10 in the best way possible

John Wick: in all honesty this didn’t set my world on fire. I think it’s relevancy has more to do with it signaling that action movies could be cool again rather than the ‘secret world of assassins’ shtick I can’t see myself getting into. 6/10

John Wick 2 Electric Boogaloo: A marked improvement over the first for me, and a lot of that comes down to more creativity, bombast and actually being able to see the fights in this one. The secret society element was less rote than I assumed it would be. 7/10

John Wick 3: I think the missing ingredient might’ve been building up strong opponents. While an improvement, the movies deadly combat means each enemy gets one fight, so they don’t get the opportunity to develop. More bombast was welcome. 7/10

John wick 4: holy fuck in the goddamn. You know the movie is fire when 20 minutes later I say ‘John wick had a nunchuck, how tf did I forget that’. The last three are almost invalidated by how hard this executes on everything they both had and lacked. 9.5/10

AVGN movie: this one’s an oddity, it feels like a throwback to the golden age of early internet reviews despite coming out in like 2014. This is a realization of the channel Awesome movies but with competency and production. The gags and effects made me smile. 6/10

Trigun Stampede S1: Anime of the decade. Never before have seen such expressive 3d cg anime, let alone for tv. while it undercuts some of the charm of the original with its rush to the knives plotline, it makes up for it in its own identity. 9.5/10

The Future is a Dead Mall and Line Goes Up: I knew it was dire but wow. Line Goes Up aged particularly well. 8/10

X-Files S3: A real mixed bag, as mentioned earlier, this contains some of the best and worst episodes of television I can remember. While some parts of the serialized story are improved by getting interesting resolutions, my faith was shaken. 7/10

Pitch Black: Enjoyable as a thriller with a neat grimy version of space travel. it Tickles my fancy 7/10

Chronicles of Riddick: I guess this universe has a Warhammer 40K faction. I think the end result is cool, but I see why people think it was a weird pivot 7/10

Riddick: Just another cool thriller, liked the more survival elements at the beginning. 7/10

The Adventures of Kosuke Kindaichi (1979): One of the most impenetrable films I've ever tried to watch. I can't help but feel I lack the cultural context for this as a parody, but the visual absurdity and direction sell it. 7/10

Robot Ninja: Perhaps I'm just a sucker for the 'artist spiraling into madness' trope but this movie has an interesting take on it. If anything the Ohio shoe-string budget energy kind of enhances the delusion and unreality of it. Very critical of the comics industry. positive 5/10

The War in Space: I'll admit I talked with my friends through this one, but the model shots and excellent space suits caught our attention. Effective final sacrifice but overall it was uneventful in a 70s toku way. 4/10 (the captain had Leonard Maccoy energy)

What's up tiger Lily: The specter of Woody Allen haunts this film. While historically important as the first notable parody dub, the space jokes (which mostly land) and lousy 60's dancing interludes kill the energy and just make me want to see the original. 4/10

Skyrim SE: Since Skyrim is kind of a Super Game(TM) I'm breaking it up since some parts of it feel totally disjointed.

Skyrim (main quest): I assumed the Blades quest chain would be on the level of the Mages College in terms of importance. I appreciate its attempts to intersect with the civil war plotline but it felt over in a hurry. The final dungeon is a joke. 4/10

Overall, having the focus on melee combat against a pretty bad enemy variety makes the game feel like a slog. It does manage moments of brilliance, but the half-baked questing feels more like frustrating writing. Base game is a mess with potential. 6/10

Skyrim: Saints and Seducers: It kinda sucks how this DLC was plopped in without any consideration. I mean yay free content (I wouldn't have paid for it), but my animosity comes from stumbling into the strongest weapon in the game on my blind playthrough, trivializing combat. 4/10

Tron: Half the fun of this movie is trying to contort the metaphor of the grid onto my understanding of how these systems actually work, like naval admirals watching Battleship. The Wendy Carlos score is really unusual and has wormed its way into my head. A charming 4/10

Passenger 57. Die Hard on a plane. No Notes. 7/10

Batman and Robin: As a 60s Batman enjoyer, I cannot overstate how much of a joy this was to watch. The costumes, the set design, the pitch-perfect acting, the architecture, the cheeseball writing..never have I seen more camp with such ambition and budget. 8/10

Skyrim: Dragonborn: this smaller, denser island shows what Skyrim can do. Stealing from morrowind gave this place a lot more character and it was refreshing. However some bad bugs and dragon controlling being a complete mess…It was an 8/10, but man 6.5/10

Skyrim: Dawngaurd (vampire): not great. Besides careening down the main quests chain without noticing the 8 radiant quests(the vamps aren’t fun to deal with). Mechanically, vampirism sucks. I never found switching forms to be anything but cumbersome and it wasn’t any better…

Vampire and dragon attacks killing NPCs is a cool idea but having that happen when you’re doing the main quest is just confusing. Adding the Vale and the soul gem dimension is neat, but kinda shallow. Each felt like other dlc they condensed.

The saving grace really is Serana, which was further advanced by an incredible mod that has me wanting to restart and take the dawnguard path. Until then…5/10

X Files S4/5: Once again there were a few bangers, but I'm starting to get the creeping feeling that the atmosphere that made the series unique is beginning to get lost. I wouldn't say many of these are terribly tense or mysterious anymore6. 5/10

STEALTH(2005): Look, I'm of two minds about this thing. Yes, it wastes a lot of time. Yes, the DOD clearly inserted a 15-second scene that minimizes the interesting sci-fi of the movie in a ridiculous way that had my friends both booing and laughing at the movie...

BUT HOLY SHIT ACE COMBAT MOVIE REAL!!! The last half really leans into being a bombastic action and sci-fi thriller. I can't think of a movie that had a more left-for-dead character and 'the loyalty switching is nearly at gundam levels' -@SuperheckDX 7/10

Bright Memory Infinite: I'll give it credit for a surprisingly fresh twist on character action, but it's over just as it gets good and I feel like it learned the wrong lessons from the early 8th gen CoD era of shooters. Worst double jump in an fps to date 5/10

X-Files S6: I'm not sure how, but a shark was jumped at some point between seasons. Immediately the average quality went down and the episodes felt much less engaging. It still managed to surprise me (Aliens in the Klan???) 5/10

Lobsteroids: it serves video game fmv vibes. -4/10 No.1 of the secret service: fun action and a Dracula assassin make up for having a plot I couldn't follow, but I'll give them points for a bravely anti-climactic ending. Just a good B movie bond. 6/10

ZOE: 2nd Runner MARS: I'm not gonna sugar coat it, this fucks. The remaster really shows how strong the art direction is by sharpening it up and it looks and plays divine. However, the translation and dub are incomprehensible. It's like what people say about Tomino's writing.8/10

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3: I don't think this movie was great, the jokes didn't quite make me laugh and there were some wasted opportunities, but the emotional core worked. I feel a good sense of closure from this over the MCU in general. 7/10

X-Files S7: Nah: 5/10

Azure Striker Gunvolt 3: I never got around to putting this on the list since I was hoping to finish the 2nd character playthrough, but that never materialized. 

This game has sparks of good. Good voice acting and a few creative level concepts that sell the team’s energy. The gameplay loop of tagging and teleporting is married well with the well tuned directional aim. Its also up to Inti’s bar for visual flare.

However this is all in spite of everything else. The translation makes some bizarre choices that make Joule is immediately grating, mostly due to the choice to never shut up about fetters (you could just call them seals...). The timeskip is truly bizarre since it abandons all the plot threads for a more or less identical setting, just with apologism for the evil conglomeration which Gunvolt is okay with working for now (despite being turned into a dog for some reason.) Worse, Joule is immediately the most mechanically bloated character in a 2d game, having too many features at once in addition to the (also expanded with her abilities) Gunvolt style switching. Less is more, if they had settled for GV with the flashstep or simplified Joule individually it would have been more fun to control. If they were going to give players so much more combat capability, it would’ve been nice to have enemies that could actually fight back...6/10

Kamen Rider Geats × Revice: Movie Battle Royale: Who put battle royale in my previously battle royale-free battle royale Toku show...AND it crosses over with the first battle royale Kamen Rider? I’m gonna be real, Revice nostalgia was coming on stronger than I was prepared for with this movie. I hope we see more Seeker in future material and the Ryuki cameos were heartwarming (except Ouja’s suit had a prominent pot-belly for some reason.) 7/10

Revice Forward: Kamen Rider Live & Evil & Demons: I miss revice... Making Demon Hiromi a Vergil was an interesting choice 6/10

The Super Mario Bros. Movie: I’m of two minds about this. On one hand, This is really the best version of a Illumination Mario movie we could get. It has fantastic sequences with 80′s pop music replacing the perfectly timed and funny soundtrack for what feels like a quota. It didn’t really make me, as an adult laugh or really engage much with its emotional stakes one they entered the mushroom kingdom. (I kinda liked their whole failing plumbing business) They tried to do something with the core cast, but without doing anything really memorable, save for good performances in spite of the material. Chris Pratt isn’t awful. It should be deeply meh, but it has enough colors and the occasional humor to make it work. If anything I would like to see the midpoint between this and the 80′s one 6/10

However, the pattern recognition part of my brain would have lit up like a Christmas tree if you put it in an MRI. I’ll admit that even a cynic like me soyjacked a few times when I saw something from Mario 3.

Telefrag: Listen, I don’t like beating a dead horse...but I see why it’s a dead game. bad feedback and tutorialization make matches with only one bot by default and fast ttk even less interesting than they should be. 2/10

Eagle Flight: It’s amazing how Ubisoft finds ways to ruin their own games with corporate nonsense. On startup within steam VR, I had resolve the bugged out multiplayer launcher installation while having to repeatedly switch from my VR headset and my keyboard. It left a sour taste in my mouth for an admittedly neat and good controlling game. There were a few instances of inconsistent button prompts in menus as well. The promise of flying through the air like an eagle is realized but did it really nead assassin’s creed collectible and map mechanics? 4/10

Sierra Ops: I occasionally see moments where what this was supposed to be shine through, but overall the writing could use an aggressive editing pass to allow it to capture the excitement of a space opera by tightening up the interpersonal stuff. I usually love this stuff when its concise, but the relationship drama comes across as bloated and ends up sinking the whole experience. An hour and a half of half vague meandering disengaged me for the cool declaration of war moments. Even longer until the game properly starts. It did grab me once or twice but mostly I found myself skipping and it still felt long. The gameplay is neat enough to begin with, enough to get me to the halfway mark but only having two possible other small ships in your controllable battle group kinda kills the exciting strategy and large scale warfare the premise promised. The more mechanics it ads the worse it plays unfortunately. Mostly because the mecha can't be ordered and must be actively controlled, destroying the gameplay flow. I also encountered a broken feature for the long range bombardment at the start of the third chapter where it only worked once. The only youtube playthrough that got that far had the same issue but never noticed.

I don’t think this thing is going to complete its 10 chapter plan, but with the >2 chapters I played. 2/10

Fast X: I feel hard judging this harshly since it is supposed to be part one of a duology(trilogy?) but I feel like the rubber is going to hit the road once we see the payoff to the setup. As it is, I can’t say it was mind blowing in comparison to 6-9 since some of the action sequences were deliberate retreads. 6/10

Rocky: A lot of times I find the movies pop culture upholds as classics are divorced from the actual quality of the material. This is one of those cases where I was blown away. I can’t think of another case where a character was so soulfully portrayed in every small minutia of the performance, direction and even set design. While I usually dislike the dirty look to a lot of 70′s film (I’ve watched a lot of movies that should’ve stayed in the 70s) the filth of Rocky’s world sings in every character. In the first 10 minutes I knew I would ride or die with this lovable loser. 10/10

My Friend Pedro: Interesting gunplay ideas that feel made for twitter clips. However I never quite felt the flow. The real enemy is a tedious and artificially extended playtime fattened with too many puzzle platforming segments that add nothing. Ultimately the ‘lol so random XD’ humor got old real quick. It had the energy of a Deadpool cosplay in the 2010s who didn’t know when to quit when he was ahead. 4/10

~~~Random Half-Life/Portal mod roundup~~~

Thinking with Time Machine: Its primary mechanic is interesting but cumbersomely executed. The puzzles are more a pain to pull off than solve and the writing is bad fanfiction tier. I encountered multiple repeatable crashes between levels. 3/10

Requiem of Science: It starts out as an uninspired series of levels and escalates into a baffling gasps of creativity that make no sense and have no real context. Random mashup of Black Mesa and Aperture assets? Kinda weird. Egyptian pyramid with a trap involving 15 consecutive headcrabs? What? It’s really just a series of random source assets combined with maybe your 3rd attempt at a doom wad in high school. The story is...bad. The protagonist is named Genry Freedom and it has spongebob beyond writing. 2/10

Snowdrop Escape. Too many straightforward puzzles and gunplay felt nonthreatening. I never felt challenged and this thing has essentially no story, not that I could hear it half the time. I’ll put this in my ‘bad multiverse media’ pile.  2/10

Rexaura: Good puzzles and fresh mechanics but the writing and story didn’t wow me. Competent. 5/10

Entropy Zero: Uprising: Encountered a gamestopping bug, but the pretty normal content didn’t give me the energy to continue.

Logistique: The puzzles weren’t as hard as they were dull. but I appreciate the effort 3.5/10

Portal Stories VR: can’t really say much other than I was trapped halfway through the floor and it had unity’s kinda bad movement. 2/10

The Lab: Neat gimmicks but only two were worth more than 4 minutes of my time. 4/10

Aperture Hand Lab: My controller didn’t have the haptics to progress, but it was pretty funny while it lasted. 5/10

Entropy Center Demo: Look we all know this is a portal fangame. Puzzles were neat enough with the rewind mechanic. I can’t say it has the wit that makes portal work yet just from the demo, but I hope it adds that X factor it needs. 6.10

Justice League: Putting aside my bias for the cast, which is peppered with some of my personal favorites from TV, This is a solid show. By most measuring sticks this measures up, but people like me who know too much about comics can get waaaay more out of this. It’s confident enough to show a haranguing news anchor wave around a copy of ‘Seduction of the Innocent’ assured both kids and general audiences understand its criticism of moral panics while respecting comic book fans to use their brains to catch the specific callouts to real world history. It has ham and it has heart. from the goofy golden age callbacks to the Christmas special with sharp character writing. I miss the dedication to creating quality entertainment with its material. 7.5/10

Shin Kamen Rider: Full disclosure, my experience with this movie was colored by a pretty rotten day. The first fifteen minutes were gold. There was energy. A snappy camera, brisk exposition and flare to the action. It replicated the tricks that made the original show work but dialing up the visually absurd elements to contrast with a more serious tone. I’ve heard some folks had bad screenings, but I had the pleasure of a few sporadic academic chuckles to add ambiance. Shoutout to the sight gag where the cyclone motorcycle is following Ichigo during a dialogue scene at a polite distance. The whole thing reminded me of Anno’s earlier live action take on Cutie Honey. However after the first act, I got the sense the film was petering out. Perhaps the format of adapting a handful of episodes risks getting tired, but by the start of the third act I was checked out. I don’t check my phone in theaters. I checked my phone, looked up how long the film was and questioned if I wanted to stick it out another hour. Worse this is the first movie to physically hurt my eyes. The penultimate battle is in a pitch dark tunnel with abrupt flashes of bright light that caused me to recoil, even cover my eyes after a few minutes. 3/10. That time he did a flip was cool, but I regret staying.

Rocky II: This should’ve been a cash-in sequel. It repeats the beats of a first film that needs no follow up. Rocky’s arc was done, do we really need another with the same beats? Second verse same as the first but a little bit more production value and pretty dang good. I’m giving it a 9/10 so it must’ve done something right. The melodrama of pregnancies and unemployment and comas didn’t have me, until it did. This movie waited to switch back to southpaw and didn’t let up after that. 9/10 

DragonHeart: It’s a kids movie but it does have that childlike wonder and innocence you don’t see in fantasy movies these days. If I think the dragon looks good or bad depends on my mood at the time 6/10

The Master Demon: I’ve seen low budget but this is something else. We skipped most of it. -3/10

Battleship: It really didn’t have me, and then it did. This movie needed another few weeks in the editing booth because opening you ship action movie with some boner comedy shenanigans doesn’t bode well. Gimme a tight 90 cut and we are in buisness. There is no doubt in my mind why this is a favorite in a lot of navy households, because this is somehow more hype than Top Gun. 6.5/10

Justice League Unlimited S1-2: Fantastic. Perfectly constructed. It operates metatextually as a commentary, even a refutation, of many of Alan Moore’s works and opinions on superheroes. As someone who enjoys the odd comic book, the intertextual game of ping-pong that is The Question (voiced by Jeffery Combs, who better?) is an absolute joy to see. Adaptations like ‘For the Man Who Has Everything’ show a clear love for the character driven aspect of capes and cowls that you don’t see anymore. It more thoughtful and nuanced than it has any right to be, and talks up to any audience with more respect than I’ve seen out of superhero media (outside of maybe Gunn’s movies). Even the most die hard modern comic book fan should loop back to this for a shot in the arm of hope. 9/10

Justice League Unlimied S3: there was a third one I guess 7/10

[it looks like a few of the things I added got lost so quick lightning round]

Dungeons and Dragons, Honor Among Thieves: Hey! Thats pretty good! It’s a charming and fin fantasy movie, don’t see those as much as we should these days. Best of all it really captured the energy of someones unwieldy campaign. Hope a sequel has a completely different party. 7.5/10

Bumblebee in 4K: Each subsequent viewing I can deconstruct this into its component movies more and more, but ‘steal from the best!’ 7/10

Mikadroid: It was fascinating and had a unique atmosphere. The obvious symbolism of a 80′s Japanese bubble disco built on top of a ruin of fascist superweapon is a treat. Great costume and model work where it counts, but it undercuts itself with poor momentum and a monster that is shown in a few unflattering angles. Spotted a classic Ultraman actor so I’m happy 7/10

LoZ Cartoon E1: annoyingly competent 4/10

Kappa Mikey E1: I see why this wasn’t good enough for 2000′s MTV. In spite of it all it was actually a little funny -5/10

Mars Needs Moms: The implications will tie your brain in knots while the actual story is so bog standard it numbs your mind at the same time. The aliens were clearly somebody’s fetish in production. -4/10

Dune 1984: I’mma be real with you chief. this isn’t great. Sorry Mr.Lynch, they can’t all be winners. Nice Cameo though. I will come to the defense of character inner monologues though, but having them whispered doesn’t work. I wasn’t wowed by the special effects but the weird set dressing had a charm. 5/10

Across the Spiderverse: I might need more time to digest it, but within the first 10 minutes I had to stop and think if there might be other animated movies that look this good. Not even close. I think the beats hit me differently than some others, but yeah, no doubt. It’s great. Anything else would be nitpicks I will withhold till the second part. 9.5/10

Oh wait, Unlimited SpiderMan didn’t have a prominent role: 0/10

Heavy Metal L-Gaim: It pains me to say this, but I couldn’t finish it. Individually, each episode delivers top notch cartooning with expressive and goofy animation that really sell the wacky cast. That is, when we, as an audience, can get it. The plot lacked forward momentum and enough of it felt dull that I dropped it a few times. I skipped to the end and found a backloaded finale with a soggy final note. The vibes are top notch, but it can only take you so far. 6/10

Rocky 3: I though a shark was jumped when Hulk Hogan showed up, but they had me. They fucking had me. 8/10

Wolf Tracer’s Dinosaur Island: this had to have been a tax scheme or something. -4/10

Skull Island: I got nothing. No real emotional response. Nothing. It was there. It was inoffensive. But I gotta point out that at this point, Kong’s survival rate for plucky kid companions is pretty low. 5/10

The Italian Job (2003): A fun enough heist movie, but now I want to watch the original to compare 6.5/10

Transformers Rise of the Beasts: Just because it’s CGI action slop doesn’t mean it can’t have heart. Putting aside my predisposition to like this, it was a decently constructed version of what these movies are. It was coherent, funny and well made. My only gripe is that at the end they do something just kinda weird, but you know what? Who cares! Besides that one moment, the movie had my suspension of disbelieve right where it needed to be to have a grand old time.

As a Transformers fan? There was fanservice. I was a fan, and I was served. ‘Subversion of expectations is kind of a tainted expression, but by reversing a few familiar bleats was a nice variation on a theme. They could’ve easily messed it up, or gone too far, but so much as a few notes of a leitmotif made me a hair shy of spontaneous combustion. The credits stinger? Dumb as hell, but you know what this movie earned it, and My entire friend group was popping off. 7.5/10

Rock 4: This doesn’t quiiiite live up to the premise of ‘Rocky destroys the soviet union’, but it tries. however I felt more like I was watching an ad for the album. Kinda like Netflix shows that are desperate to make the next big TikTok dance after Wednesday performed well. 7/10

Farscape: I gave the last season a fair shake and found it kind of unwatchable. 2/10

Half Life Alyx: Oppressive. Immersive. Possibly the last VR game I’ll ever need to play until they make a sequel. This could only be by the virtue of being the only vr game that actually feels like a real game, but it is far more than that.

MyHouse.pk3: I kinda ruined this for myself a little since I blasted through the non-spooky wad version a few times confused about what the fuss was over. However the creativity and magic to make this work is astounding. The final beat was pretty cool. Short and sweet. 7/10

(Lost a few of my entries due to an edit error, these’ll be shorter than my original thoughts)

Black Mesa: A triumph of game remakes. While Xen is a more total reimagining, the rest of it really makes me appreciate how ahead of its time a lot of the original Half Life was. I often found myself suprised when reviewing the original, sections I thought were added in were in fact there since 1998. Genuinely gorgeous at times. 9/10

Devilman 2004: How do you make Devilman Boring? If you have seen any 2000′s Japanese b-movie, you have seen this one. Its got all the halmarks, minimal action, camcorder grade early digial picture quality and a lot of high school non-drama for some reason. -2/10

Bloodshot: This movie goes hard than it’s redbox-grade appearance would have you believe. It weaves this deception into its intentionally genre generic setup in a way that makes tired sci-fi tropes feel exciting. Its costumes and CG fights feel like they outmatch what marvel pours millions into. 7.5/10

Barbie Princess Charm School: The things I watch for our movie night’s wheel. It’s competent, but not as funny as the last one I watched. -5/10

Rocky V: It’s very 1990, though I feel like the energy is brought down by the cheap contrivance to reset rocky back to the streets TM. I will say that the emotional beats with Micky hit hard, and I appreciate having the fight at the end be out of the ring. Refreshing, but I think this was a good place to end it. 7.5/10

Andromeda S1: An efficiently produced show that takes star trek (in all but name) into an interesting new status quo. I did worry at first that it would fall into the bad habits of white savior storytelling and some cheesy sci-fi concepts (nietzschean? really?). However I can’t contest that I had a good time and there were enough fresh episodes to keep me happy. 7/10

Movie Night Speedround

Alone in the Dark 2: this is clearly a movie they just retitled. 4/10

Jupiter Ascending: Can’t rate since I might get back to this later but it at least looked neat. -4/10

Nick Fury Agent of SHEILD: Good casting but this sure is a TV movie. -4/10

Nutcracker and the Four Realms: This was more fun when it was an actual ballet production for 5 minutes. Generic late 2010s Disney twist and fluctuating production value. Morgan Freeman is a clockpunk father cristmas. 6/10 

[thescrapbookingscientist]

Bimonthly Media Roundup

-Cyberpunk Edge-runners (Anime) - Finished up Cyberpunk Edgerunners at anime night. Overall I think it was fine, I respect the unique character designs and animation, liked the soundtrack, and can respect the fucked up but realistic hyper-capitalist setting, but I can't say I really connected with the characters or was that engaged in the story as a whole. Lucy was fine, I liked her well enough, and in general the women had fun designs if little substantial screen time but I would find myself frequently zoning out as there wasn't really a mystery or engaging plot tension and I didn't care about the characters all that much when barely any of them cared about each other. That being said I don't want to be too harsh on it, it had some good parts, I liked the moon being called back as an escape from reality for example.

-Face Off (TV) - Wish that Netflix has the whole thing rather than just 2 seasons and some bonus episodes but it was nice while it lasted. The creativity on display with a lot of these creatures is impressive and its neat to see the behind the scenes of how movie monsters are constructed.

- Fallout (TV) - Waiting to watch more before I make any judgements but I did quite like the first episode, it's a good setup with some nice tension and gave an appropriate amount of time to each character based on what's going on in their plots. Interested to see more.

- In Stars and Time (Video Game) - Watching the Jello playthrough, very delightful so far, I love Time Loop stories in general and the character art is very cute. Will likely say more as I get through.

- Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint (Webnovel) - Picked this back up to see if I could finish it before the anime comes out, I do quite like it but boy is it a long novel.

- The Apothecary Diaries (Anime) - Still having fun with this so decided to watch the English dub partially as background noise but partially because I just want to see it again.

- Pokemon Infinite Fusion (Video Game) -Been utterly obsessed with this game since I downloaded it, a pokemon fangame where you can fuse pokemon together to make unique new creatures. Not only are there 200,000+ possible fusions with a lot of really cool/cute/weird/horrifying/funny sprites, but it's also a genuinely good game with side-quests, fun dialogue, an original plot, and nice art all around. It's also free, which is insane. Only downside is that I have to play it on my PC, destroying my back.

- One Piece (Anime) - Yup.

- Genshin Impact (Video Game) - Somehow randomly got Kazuha when trying to pull for Yan-Fei constellations. I mean I'll take it, wow, he's been quite fun to play so far even if I'm pretty indifferent to him as a character. Anyway nice to see Rosaria in the event, she's pretty cool with her perpetual eye bags.

Listening To: How Did You Love by Shinedown, Give Up Your Dreams from The School of Rock, Everything Goes On by Porter Robinson, All the Boys by Panic! At The Disco, Willow by Taylor Swift, Rose Colored Boy by Paramore, Her Diamonds by Rob Thomas, Stray Italian Greyhound by Vienna Teng, Hey I Don’t Work Here by Tom Cardy, Pierrot by Kei, and Can’t Catch Me Now cover by Annapantsu

[landofanimes]

Miraculous Season 5 Finale

(not counting 5x27 since apparently that’s just a bonus/extra episode)

SPOILERS

Well then. This was it. I mean, it’s not the END of the story, but the end of the arc. I thought it was gonna be more conclusive but makes sense they’re saving some big stuff for later to keep us invested. I question some of them though...

Things got pretty wild these last few episodes, I still wish they hadn’t done the sentimoster thing but that’s just how it is. Oh and I get Felix’s situation was freakin terrible cause his life was on the line but he risked everyone’s by giving Gabriel all the miraculous last season so like... I thought things happened a bit too quickly? Not to mention his sudden romance with Kagami like whaaaat.  

Now, about Hawkmoth’s defeat... It was pretty good on the Marinette side of things, but I am once again dissappointed on the Adrien side. I know they’re gonna deal with some of his stuff later but Gabriel is literally DEAD and Adrien wasn’t a part of the fight and also doesn’t know shit. He’s gonna have to deal with the full extent of his father’s actions AFTER his death. He won’t be able to talk to him about it (I assume). And right now he thinks Gabriel died a hero which will not help once he learns the truth.

Also I thought Emilie was back but someone pointed out that was probably just Amelie (Felix’s mom) and yeah, that makes sense. Cause I was wondering how did Gabriel save both Natalie and Emilie with only one sacrifice? But apparently he only saved Natalie and died to “join” Emilie, I guess? But then shouldn’t Adrien be more upset? I know Gabriel was peak shit to him lately but not long ago Adrien was happy his father was spending time with him and then he thought he died a hero! I imagine he would have conflicted feelings but still felt upset. Like, more than was shown. He lost another parent, and Natalie is the only one left to take care of him but we didn’t see ANY of that fallout, they just cut to them all reunited at home! We didn’t see him receiving the news or Natalie promising to take care of him or anything like that. Maybe Amelie will help too? I don’t know cause THEY DIDN’T SAY. I’m gonna have to wait for more episodes.

I imagine Marinette will try to tell Chat about Hawkmoth but I’m guessing Plagg will stop her somehow and the drama will be postponned for later.

I also thought by now Marinette and Adrien would have had a reveal but nope! And now Lila is the villain so they won’t tell each other yet. Damn.

Anyway...

Marinette was badass and her fight with Hawkmoth was cool (though I wish Adrien had SOME part in it). I do wish Bug Noire looked better though, that suit was...not it. Also, three long braids? Eeeeeh it looked weird. I’m hoping for some fan redesigns!

The kwami’s true forms were REALLY cool, I love that shit. Give me a cute mascot who is supportive and kind to the magical kid and I’m good. But reveal a badass beast form and ohoho that’s even better!!!!! I do think Gimmi should have more cat features though, it’s literally a bug with whiskers, that’s it? Considering it’s a fusion I expected to be more balanced...But anyway.

And I know they teased Tikki’s true form before (I didn’t even remember it but I saw a post), but I just... It all happened so quickly!!!! Idk man so many huge things happening in a short period, it’s crazy!

Seriously, I can’t believe Gabriel is DEAD!!!! Like yeah I knew Hawkmoth was going to be defeated but damn, I didn’t expect it to be so final.

Everybody got their miraculous back! Doesn’t Lila know everyone’s identities though? Because fo that time she controlled Nathalie?? Hmm.....

On to waiting for the next season! We still got at least 2 more confirmed.

Oh but before that: the movie!!!! Which is a separate thing but looks promising!!! :)

[theroomofreq]

can you give me muggle jily recs pleaaseeee <3 :D

HOW MANY HIGH-QUALITY MUGGLE JILY FICS ARE THERE?? TOO MANY TO COUNT. *cracks knuckles* BUT I am here for the challenge. Jily AUs are my JAM.

Again, shoutout to our amazing @jilyarchive friends who tag every wonderful muggle jily au they come across. here is the link that will take you to their tags page. You'll find links to specific tropes and AUs :')

I've searched through my own AO3 bookmarks and history tabs, and I present to you 28 jily muggle fics that I LOVE. I am THRILLED thinking about all the good things in store for those that read these wonderful stories. This list took me ages to make because I went through and reread most of these brilliant fics. Happy reading !! xx

properly improper by @lizardcookie

“Marry me,” Mr. Potter repeats, closing the distance between them by striding back up towards the sofa, only to stop and crouch to one knee right there at her feet, looking up at her. Burning. “Pick me,” he elaborates. “Pick me, choose me, love me instead.”

- this fic is the reason why I comment the way that I do (spoiler it's because it's amazing)

The Wedding Ring by @mppmaraudergirl

What is undeniably worse than attending your sister's wedding looking as desolate and forgotten as a wilted houseplant? Drunkenly ringing your ex-boyfriend and asking him to be your date.

- SOBS UNCONTROLLABLY AT THE PERFECTION

Oh my god, they were ROOMMATES by @magic-girl-in-a-muggle-world

Silly one-shot, Muggle AU with Fem!Jily as pining roommates and Marlene as their matchmaker.

- the fic that brought me back to jily and inspired my deep obsession of fem!jily

Swipe Right, Swing Left by @downn-in-flames

The unspoken rule of using dating apps in D.C. is that you always start with where you work.

James Potter, it seems, never picked up on that one.

- giddy just thinking about this gem

'Tis the Damn Season by @petalstofish

It doesn't feel like Christmas for Lily Evans, not after losing her parents to COVID before the Holiday season. She anticipates spending Christmas all alone until a boy from her past shows up and offers her a mutually benefiting deal that has her calling him 'babe' just for the weekend. 'Tis the damn season, after all.

- cries in respect for lyrical writing

Watch Me Unwind by @maraudersftw

Lily Evans hates her job, hates the bigoted customers she has to serve as a bartender at the richest club in the city. But the one person who makes bearing all of it worth it has someone else in his arms tonight. (Rated: M)

- obsessed with the way the plot jumps around the time line in this

oil be there for you by @abby10fanfic

Texting/Social Media AU: Lily and James haven't spoken for 2 years. But that's all about to change thanks to Peter and his involvement in an essential oil pyramid scheme. Featuring boss babes, toxin-free lifestyles, binding contracts, and a very oily journey.

- YOU WOULD NOT BELIEVE HOW FAB THIS IS

a matchmaking mission by @downn-in-flames

James Potter has a mission: get Sirius Black and Remus Lupin to finally admit that they both fancy the pants off each other by Valentine's Day.

His partner in crime? Lily Evans, Remus' flatmate, who he also happens to be slightly in love with

- DOUBLE the amount of pining idiots in love :")

about time by @jilyss

'sure, yeah, I can accompany you to that black tie event for your work tonight. wait. why are we on a red carpet?'

- this is my emotional comfort fic, your honor

whiskey business by @elanev91

Sirius Black has a (bad?) habit of picking up hobbies that take over his and James' flat -- this most recent one? Homemade vodka that James now has to try and peddle to everyone in the building.

- hysterical! must read!

Fashion Disaster by @maraudersftw

James Potter is roped into an awful dare by his best-mate, which involves him wearing atrocious pieces of clothing for all days until Christmas as dictated by Sirius. If this wasn't terrible enough, he now has to contend with his maddening crush on the beautiful saleswoman at the clothing store.

- classic hijinks that I live for

it wasn't a pity invite by @elanev91

Part of the December "Winter Tropes" Jily challenge. Prompt: my family invites you to join our holiday meal as an obvious setup and omG i’m so sorry

- awkward Christmas date that owns my heart

spice and honey by @clare-with-no-i

tagging along with her food reporter sister to profile James Potter, London's hottest young chef, is not how Lily Evans pictured her Monday going - especially if he's anything like Petunia’s described.

needless to say, she's in for a whirlwind at Chez Maraudeur.

- I'm one re-read away from printing this out and putting it on my bookshelf.

Waffle Wars by @elanev91

There's only one waffle maker in the dining hall and it literally always breaks. So, naturally, the only reasonable course of action is to meticulously map out when it's working and, ultimately, do a heist.

- the witty narration in this fic can not be matched

You Can Hear It In The Silence by @alrightginger

Lily is non-verbal and deaf in a world where the things your soulmate says about you end up written on your skin. She has known about her soulmate since she was seven, but knows they don't have a clue she exists and possibly never will.

- exquisite, cue me sobbing forever

out the window by @displayheartcode

A new family moves to Ottery St Catchpole.

- everything I could ever want in a fic, forever in my mind rent free

The Christmas Guest by @thegodmachine

An Evans Family Christmas: Petunia is bringing her fiancé and Lily is bringing her…Friend…

- petunia pov that gives me WINGS

Football, Calculus, and Cappuccinos by @moonawrites

At eighteen years old, James Potter has a lot going on. He's a rising star navigating the politics of professional football, the pitfalls of sudden fame, the fallout from choosing his dream over his father's company... and a serious crush on the red headed new barista at his favourite coffee shop.

- I'm still working my way through this fic, but trust me when I say its a GEM

if u like pina coladas by @zephyrcove

Lily is desperate for a date to Petunia's wedding, James has been pining, and their friends meddle ;)

- explain to me how characters can be so perfect via texting fics?

Shelf Awareness by @ghostofbambifanfiction

It's too far out of her way and she's wasting so much money, but Lily can't help but return to the bookstore every weekend, where her passion for good literature has, perhaps, been unexpectedly reignited by the messy-haired, pun-making, rather handsome bloke who works there.

- you absolutely must know that I binge read this and then immediately REREAD it

How to win a witch in 10 days by @adenei

“She’s going to find some unsuspecting wizard, get him to fall for her, and then do all the things that turn men away to get him to break things off! Won’t it be the best way to see what witches do that drives men crazy?” But what happens when the man in question is a blast from Lily Evans's past? A Jily Magical AU based on the romantic comedy "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days."

- fic based off of a rom com? YES PLZ :’)

The Fight Before Christmas by @ghostofbambifanfiction

The heartwarming Christmas tale of Lily Evans and James Potter - two plucky kids who hated one other, until the day they really, really didn't.

- complete sucker for this one

All This Time by @thejilyship

James and Lily grew up next door to one another. Their bedroom windows giving them glimpses into the others life, and also offering prime opportunities to argue with each other over every little thing. They never figured out how to be friends when they were kids, but now that they've graduated from college and are home for the summer, they have a second chance to get things right.

- one of my favvvv tropes

Let Me Love You by @thejilyship

With only a month until she's set to take the throne of Gryffindor, Lily is informed that she'll have to get married or choose to give up her throne. She never thought she'd have to even entertain the idea of an arranged marriage. Enter, James Potter.

- cries in princess diares AU

The Fabulous Baker Brothers by @frustratedpoetwrites

Lily walks a different route home from work and stumbles upon a cute little Bakery with an even cuter baker in the window.

- yes yes yes to embarrassed pining.

Marigold Mornings by @mppmaraudergirl

This is a fun game she thinks, as she removes her hand from his side and reaches up to run it down his chest.  He catches her hand in his own, takes a step forward so that her nose nearly brushes against his shirt. She can feel the heat radiating off of him—or maybe it’s from her. He licks his lips and her eyes are drawn to the motion.  She knows it is a bad idea, absolutely knows it.

- incredible storytelling featuring dynamic characters :') a favvv

Welcome to Pettyville by@women-inthe-sequel @alrightginger

When Lily Evans accidentally sends a text to the wrong number, she isn’t expecting to find the right person behind it. She can’t stop talking to Prongs. The only thing is, Prongs can’t stop talking about the girl in his class. What could go wrong, other than the number?

- LOVE SQUARE ANYONE

The Kiss a Stranger Project by @alrightginger

“What’s your name, then?” she asks, realizing they haven’t even properly introduced themselves yet. She nervously crosses her arms.

You shouldn’t kiss a guy without knowing his name first.

Right?

- THIS ONE WILL LIVE IN MY MIND FOREVER

[rascheln]

idk idk idk i just sometimes think about how steve spent a whole year in love, starting to think about future plans that included nancy and just trying to deal with the fallout of the year before the best he could, while also not really being equipped to help (like... you can’t be your partner’s therapist. especially not when you’re still in hs yourself). just to have this one thing in his life still going right revealed to be onesided ‘bullshit’.

and yeah yeah yeah they’re both teens, it’s not the end of the world, but who spends an entire year in a relationship thinking it’s serious enough to make future plans and then have your partner essentially tell you they were just pretending they were in love?? 

and hell, to some extent i get it, because nancy’s entire thing is that she struggles with what she thinks she’s supposed to do and trying to fit into the mould she thinks she’s expected to fit into. it just so happens that while her feelings for steve weren’t real, his feelings for her were.

to a certain extent, steve undergoes the change nancy still struggles with by the end of season 1- he’s not going to be the popular asshole anymore, he’s not going to continue being the school bully. by season 2, he’s spent an entire year no longer playing the role of “king steve” and in some ways that leaves him unmoored in who he is and who he wants to be. he writes his shitty college essay and nancy tries to edit it for him, he tries to talk about working for his dad and waiting for her to graduate and choose her future, but it’s clear that it’s fundamentally not what she wants.

so you’re left with a mess that ultimately isn’t that bad, it’s not the end of the world and there’s sill an entire life in front of both of them- it’s just something that remains on steve’s mind even months later because it is kind of a mindfuck to have your entire view of a relationship shift this drastically. it’s not just a matter of “we loved each other and grew apart”, it’s “this love was never requited in the first place”.

it probably also doesn’t help that they still live in the same town, so everyone who knows them is aware of parts of this entire mess without actually knowing everything. 

[sepublic]

I honestly barely even remember Maggie even exists. It truly surprises me to learn that a one-note racist bitch who's only purpose was to antagonize Anne is being given so much attention by the fandom.

WAS given attention- Since Seasons 2 and 3 have brought their developments, lore, characters, etc., Maggie is largely forgotten. But as someone who joined shortly after Amphibia’s first season finished airing, there was definitely that period where Maggie had inexplicable popularity. It’s over but it shouldn’t have happened in the first place- I’m bringing it up now because better late than never, since I never saw anyone address this issue. And predictably, I’m pretty sure most of this focus happened on Twitter and Reddit.

Still, that was a dark and annoying time and I can’t help but suspect that Maggie’s cameo in Marcy at the Gates was in response to her popularity, which... I am NOT a fan of whatsoever. I don’t know if Matt himself came up with the idea or allowed it, but like I said- Anne’s experiences as a Thai-American is clearly meant to represent Matt’s from childhood and even now! So to see some parts of the fandom latch onto Maggie, who is clearly representative of the racism Matt went through...

It just feels incredibly disrespectful towards the creator of this show and Amphibia’s very premises as Matt’s love letter to Thai culture, his own wonder visiting Thailand for the first time as a kid! It feels disrespectful to Anne and bordering on white favoritism, with people dismissing Anne’s own suffering from this racism to prioritize talking about Maggie; It’s hilariously tone-deaf. And it really does feel like people completely miss the point- Again the point of the show, which characters matter, that scene, etc. It’s like this meme;

Misplaced priorities and all; It’s not as bad but it reminds me of how some Fallout fans don’t realize that the series is critiquing capitalism and American nationalism, and so ironically praise the ‘aesthetics’ that become hollow as a result. Seeing people crowd around Maggie when that scene and the premise itself critiques what her character stands for is, ugh.

But again, it seems to have chilled down and stopped... Although there IS that one fan-game that recently came out, which of course has Maggie as one of its three playable protagonists. I guess I waited so long to voice my issue because a part of me, alas, didn’t want to ‘ruin people’s fun’? I can understand Maggie being included as a bully and antagonist in fan content, but the disproportionate appreciation for her character (as sometimes sympathetic?!?) felt wrong. Part of the reason I’m choosing just now to bring it up is because it seems the fandom has stopped caring about Maggie and making content for her, now that there are much better characters; So I’m not messing with anyone’s ‘fun’ by addressing the problem, nor inviting backlash from people still passionate about her character.

Needless to say, I was baffled and offended when I first found out people latched onto Maggie as another classmate of Anne’s; Vince and Cheyenne are literally right there.

Maybe this fandom’s obsession with three’s as a result of the show’s compelled people to round out Cheyenne and Vince with a third member to make a trio (with Maggie as the only other named classmate), but still. Besides, Season 3 has brought us Gabby, who is also a white girl with freckles and orange hair -whose name even rhymes with Maggie’s- but isn’t racist and actually cares about Anne;

(In hindsight Gabby now feels like a superior replacement to Maggie, made by the creators so people stop talking about that racist. The Virgin Maggie VS the Chad Gabby amirite.)

[caramel-velvet]

Tell Me Truth | Ace x Reader

“Tell me the truth or I will walk out that door and I won’t come back.”

CW:Nancy Drew | Ace: Prompt from THIS 

Rating: T (flirting and alluding in the end)

Okay so no lie, I’ve only watched the first season and check for the occasional spoiler for seasons 2. My roommate and I agree that Ace is *Chef’s Kiss*

Ace had been dodgy the last few weeks, either not answering calls or texts, or even just disappearing during dates. Dates that’d he’d plan to make up for last time he’d screwed up.

You’d done your best to talk to him about it but every time you’d bring up the subject you’d be interrupted by either Nancy, George, Bess, or Ned. And to be completely frank, you were at your wits end. Sitting in Ace’s room, you couldn’t help but nervously rub your hands together as you tried to bring the conversation up without starting an unnecessary argument. Shifting over to face him, you took a deep breath. 

“Ready to tell me what’s been bothering you” Ace looked over to you, shutting his laptop.

“How’d you know that something’s been bothering me?” You crossed your legs in lotus on his bed as he rolled his computer chair directly in front of you.

“You’ve been sighing for a while now.” He leaned forward, his elbows on his knees taking your hands in his. “I figured I’d give you some time to work it out before I bought it up.”

You couldn’t help but smile, realizing this was one of the reasons you put up with the secrecy and lies for the past month. Looking down at your intertwined hands you started “You know you can trust me right?” You glanced at him as he nodded silently. “So why do you keep lying to me?” You didn’t think it was okay to sugar coat anything. 

“What do you mean?” His hands clenched your own for a brief moment. 

“Come on, don’t do that.” 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He leaned back in his computer chair, hands letting yours go. 

“No, you don’t get to do that.” You swung your legs off the side of his bed. With a shake of your head you continued. “We both know you’ve been lying for a while now, if it’s not about where you are, it's who you’re with. And it’s been really hard to take anything you’ve said at face value recently because even though I trust you I don’t think you trust me enough to tell me the truth.”

“I do trust you.” He attempted to reach out to you but stopped as you shook your head slightly.

“Then you sure as hell don’t respect me enough to not blatantly lie to my face on a daily basis.” 

“That’s not true.” 

“Okay, so where were you last night?” You tilted your head as the words left your mouth. You pursed your lips as he attempted to sputter out what you were expecting to be an excuse. His eyes shifted from your face to the wall behind you. “It’s not a difficult question.” You stood up grabbing your phone from his nightstand. The action causing him to spring to his own feet. “Okay,” you attempted to give him another shot “what about what you were doing then?” You couldn’t help but scoff out a bitter chuckle as you were met with silence. “How about who you were with?” That should’ve been the easiest of any questions you’d asked him in the last 3 minutes. “Are you cheating on me?” 

“No, I’m not.” He finally spoke up, making eye contact with you. “There’s no one else.” He ran a hand through his hair. “You just have to trust me.”

You couldn’t help but laugh “You’re kidding right? I’ve been trusting you.” You folded your arms “You’ve been taking advantage of that trust Ace. You keep lying to me and every time I try to talk to you about it you bail, whether it’s to be with your friends from The Claw or go do god knows what. You haven’t been honest with me in weeks and I’m tired of it. That’s not how a relationship works.” Your throat burned from frustration. You walked around him. “I’m not one for ultimatums but for my sake, tell me the truth or I will walk out that door and I won’t come back.” 

“It’s not my business to tell.”

“What does that even mean?”

“I mean it is” He spoke cryptically, face heating up as he attempted to find a place to start. “What I mean is I can’t tell you what I’ve been doing.” You rolled your eyes, turning towards Ace’s bedroom door, hand on the knob. “Wait! no,” he reached out to you, his own body rotating you both so that his back faced his bedroom door, gripping onto your shoulders.” Ace stepped closer to you. “I can tell you who I’ve been with, I can tell you where I’ve been,” He rushed out “But I can’t tell you what I’ve been doing. And that makes it so much harder to even explain why I’ve been where I’ve been in the first place.”

Your eyes searched his face as you attempted to rearrange his words in your head so it actually made sense. “Who have you been with?” You asked again. 

“Bess, George, Nancy, and Ned.” His hands still on your shoulders.

“Why couldn’t you just say that in the first place.” Your tone slightly monotone, not wanting him to get the impression you’d let him off the hook for answering one question out of many. 

He chuckled slightly, shaking his head at himself “I honestly don’t know.” 

“Where were you last night?” You tried again, your hands falling to your sides. 

The small amount of relief he felt immediately disappeared “The coroner’s office.”

“At night?” He nodded, you raised your eyebrows at him in disbelief. “And you can’t tell me why?”

“I can’t but,” He walked over to his computer desk to grab his phone, walking back to you and holding it out to you “you can call anyone to see if I’m lying.” You shook your head. You didn’t know what to believe but you did want to believe him. Thinking back to all the other instances he’d ever gone MIA. The people he was with and the fact he’d never smelt of someone else's perfume, or the fact he did also seem to have fractures he blamed on being klutzy instead of coming back to you with claw marks or hickeys. “Why not just tell me this in the first place?”

He licked his lips, both his hands gently cupping your face, his thumbs rubbing gentle circles. In an attempt to comfort you or himself, you weren’t sure but you couldn’t help but look at him. “Would you have believed me?” He whispered, taking another step towards you.

“I don’t know, but I want to.” You breathed. “It doesn’t make sense, but after the whole fallout after Tiffany’s death last year; I wouldn’t be surprised if you were all back to putting yourselves in shit that doesn’t concern you guys.” You reached your hands to encircle his waist, squinting your eyes to see if you were on the right track. Ace’s slight smile reassuring you a bit. “I wouldn’t be so relieved if I were you,” your words grounding him slightly. “ I said I wouldn’t be surprised, not that I was comfortable with it.” Your hands reach to hold his wrists. 

“I mean I’m always careful.” He kissed your cheek.

Scrunching up your nose “You literally fractured your hand two months ago” you sassed. 

He moved to peck your nose, causing you to relax. “Yeah, but I got you to take care of me.” His hands sliding down to the sides of your neck.

“I’m still mad at you.” You mumbled closing your eyes enjoying the long overdue affection.

“I can make it up to you.” He hummed, his lips moving to your ear, walking you backwards towards his bed.

“With that rap sheet you’ve acquired, you’ll be making it up all night.”

“You say that like it’s a bad thing.”

[kitkatpancakestack]

Hey! Wanted to pick your brilliant brain about something: We're all pretty sure Eddie is going to be the one pining in season 5 (I mean all signs point to that), so what do you think they'll do with Buck this season regarding his feelings for Eddie? Eddie realizing things first changes things, so I wonder how they will write the trajectory of Buck realizing his own feelings and reciprocating Eddie's, especially since he'll be with Taylor. What do you think? How do you want to see it play out?

@ktinaj well hello there friend! I am honored a galaxy brain like yours would deign to pick my brain. Thank you for this excellent ask, it's something I most definitely think about and I do have some thoughts on the matter, predictably :3

Also, this might get long because I love delving into character psyches and motivations, so I apologize upfront but here we go:

I'll just say that I know the popular fandom treatment of Buck is him being the one who is in touch with his feelings and his emotions, the one who wears his heart on his sleeve, the one who is an open book. To be honest, I lean in the opposite direction. Buck, to me, is one of those people who is pseudo-open. You know the people who share so much superficial information (e.g. their sex life, their hobbies, their workout routine) that you just default them as being this super open person, when in reality it's just a defense mechanism to control the way others perceive them (hello not-totally-worthless psychology degree!)

This is all to say that I think Buck is going to Struggle with how to fit this revelation into the context of his engrained preconceptions toward himself. Not that he is actively trying to self-sabotage, or that he is ungrateful toward Eddie, but that he is literally facing a wall built of 20+ years worth of the damage caused by his parents, toxicity he perpetuated with one-night stands and meaningless flings and self-disparagement.

Buck's character arc is just such a realistic and important subject that I have not seen this beautiful crafted in any other show/movie. It was so well-rounded out through season 4, and I think they will continue to nurture it through the context of Eddie's (likely) burgeoning feelings toward Buck. While I'm not a fan by any means of Buck and Taylor together (he so obviously regresses when he's with her) I think it would be a pivotal way to show Buck grappling with how he feels about Eddie. I think since season 2, Taylor has been Buck's kind of "what if," which morphed into this weird idealistic version of her, which morphed into this thinking of, "If I can't make it work with her, then I won't be able to make it work with anybody, and I'm screwed." Obviously this isn't the case. But I think he needs to move through the motions of this thing with Taylor, given the knowledge of how Eddie feels about him and his place in his and Christopher's lives, to be able to draw the parallels and realize, Wait a minute, this isn't what I imagined, this isn't what I thought, maybe we really shouldn't be together, or for him to realize that nobody can give him what he needs in the way Eddie can.

Buck and Eddie both have some deep-seates abandonment issues, but Buck's is just astronomically tragic. I think once the fallout of Eddie's guardianship reveal settles, Buck will have to work through what that does to his place in the Diaz's lives. Honestly, I don't think we're done with Eddie's grand verbal gestures @ Buck, because while Buck would die for Christopher, I think the gravity of Eddie's conviction will only truly hit home when Eddie says to Buck, verbatim, "I need you here, too. We aren't a family without you."

Exquisite ask. I'll be thinking about this for awhile for sure.

[100percentshipper]

Oh man, I’m so excited about season 2 of The Morning Show - like I was fully prepared to ship Alex and Bradley and all their tension filled relationship knowing they were two straight women.  I was okay with that, I had made my peace.  And then wham, along comes Laura Peterson, none other that Alicia Flockheart whom I had shipped hard with Kalinda all those years back on The Good Wife and by the end of the episode Bradley is locking lips with her.  It is also no small thrill to see Reese Witherspoon and Julianna Margulies play gay.  And while I wasn’t convinced that this would necessarily mean anything because Bradley is impulsive and this could easily be a meaningless dalliance, the latest episode shows that it’s not.  In fact this is shaping up to be a key storyline for Bradley who is so deep in the closet that she hasn’t actually dealt with the fact that she is not straight and Laura appears to be the person that will make her confront her sexuality.  I am here for it.  The way Bradley turns up on Laura’s doorstep and kind throws herself into her arms gave me all the feels.  Bradley is precious and must be protected (Also height difference omg)

Now I am, at heart, an Alex and Bradley shipper because the tension between those two gals is great.  There is a definite push and pull that I really like - and given Bradley’s queerness, I feel like there is definitely a degree of attraction that has flavoured her interactions with Alex so far.  Alex even called her out on it in S02x02 when she asks why Bradley is so out of sorts about her upping and leaving after the fallout of the s01 finale when they had known each other for such a short amount of time.  Lesbi-honest about why.

Of course they are also playing the Cory/Bradley dynamic which I figure is probably end-game so my lesbian fantasies will probably be crushed, but from what I’ve heard is that Bradley’s sexuality will play throughout the rest of the season and I.am.here.for.it.give.it.to.me.  I just hope that Laura won’t turn out to be a total snake because she sure seems to have an agenda and she’s not above leveraging everything she’s got for her career, which, is hot, but also Bradley, who tends to wear her heart on her sleeve, could well get hurt .

Can’t wait for the next episodes.

[xlynnbbyx]

I so can’t wait for next weekend(October 15 -17 weekend) to be over with already. So tired of all the Denver Con Gate stuff which I know most are Cockles or Hellers shippers doing it. They act like Jensen has no right to move his appearance due to working schedule. Although I do wish Creation would have used better choice of words than professional reasons. But they think cause he moved the date he & Jared hate each other. I mean from what I gather Jared most likely will be there Saturday. He will be there for the photo op tickets people purchase with him and few of the other cast mates. I mean not for sure on that I know sometimes they do show up Saturdays even though most J2 stuff are done on Sunday. But I am not completely sure if Jared will be there Saturday I don’t know. Also if Jared & Jensen didn’t like each other Jensen wouldn’t be getting ready to direct an episode of Walker season 2 soon. Which Jensen has been wanting to direct a episode of Walker since season 1.

Quick off track note: As much as I love J2 panels cause of course I love Jensen & I admire Jared. I am glad they both get a solo panel for this con. Jensen can talk about The Boys & Jared can talk about Walker. I mean I will miss them together cause those too are just lovable goofs together. But I know J2 will probably have panels together at the 2 cons in November.

But anyway yeah I can’t wait for con weekend to end already. That way the Hellers & Cockles can stop with all the con gate j2 fake fallout bs. Although I have a feeling they will never stop with it.

[1ddotdhq]

🪄Tues 8 Dec ‘20🎄

Calling all GRYFFINDORS! Well, no, *I’m* not, Liam is! He’s teamed up with the Wizarding World of Harry Potter to celebrate Christmas: It’s an interactive Hogwarts chatting app that lets you decorate the castle for Christmas while interacting with friends (Zayn?) and family (Zayn???). You send messages via floating candles, and Liam sent one to Bear, saying “I hope you get everything you want for Christmas”. He ALSO sent a candle to Abby Roberts (“Hey Abby, Merry Chrstmas to you! Looking forward to seeing what crazy ideas we can cook up in 2021, I’ll see you on Tik Tok!”) and one for US, if we can solve his clue (spoiler alert: we did and liam said “Thank you so much for all the support this year, it’s not been the easiest year for any of us and I’m thankful every day to all of my fans...Thanks for showing up as you always have been, even when we’ve not been able to be together”). Damn, the Harry Potter world is TRULY picking off One Direction members one by one to do their promo, huh? First Zayn and now Liam, maybe next will be Niall to reignite the always heated is-he-Hufflepuff-or-Slytherin debate.. Or, maybe Liam-as-Harry, as he once again brought that voice out in this morning’s Capital Breakfast show, where Roman showed off how much Liam’s impression of H has improved since they’ve become (better) friends. Other standout moments: he talked about the Jingle Bell Ball and he spilled some tea about Stormzy and Aitch (another rapper) and a bottle of liquor (Stormzy jokingly stole the bottle from Aitch and Liam got to see the fallout)! Finally, this morning’s alarm DID feature Liam, and he asked for everyone’s highlight of 2020 (drop your answer below!!). Liam’s highlight was “Roman Exotic” (“I’m assuming your talking about my impression of Joe Exotic,” Roman said, “as opposed to that thing that we do when it’s just you and I and I dress up…” guys. GUYS!! You CAN’T leave it at that!). The rest of the alarm was Roman doing silly voices, and he warns us to stay away from any Carols who might want to steal our tigers. 

Niall came on twitter to...tell us that he was not going to be on twitter (or any social media) very much anymore, but he wanted to tell us that he missed us and can’t wait to see us (whenever that may be) and that his screentime is “down a lot”. Louis was NOT on twitter, but his team dropped some new merch: a wavey-Walls patterned jumper with the picture of Louis crouching on the stage as the background. Okay, so who wants to buy me one for Christmas?? Billboard also has a list of virtual concerts to attend this holiday season, and Louis’ veep show (4 days!!!!) and Harry’s Jingle Ball performance (2 days!!!) both made the list, of course they did, they’re gonna be phenomenal! And speaking of phenomenal Harry content, Dave Meyers said of the Adore You video that he had the idea of a story about someone in a fishing town who had a relationship with a fish for a long time, that Harry came to him saying he wanted to do “something about optimism” and he combined the two to come up with the Eroda story. He said he's happy to have been a part of moving the cycle of Harry's identity forward. And what a lovely step forward it was! Cam also talked about working with Harry and how she felt the pressure to “execute the vision of Harry Styles” for the song he gave her (Changes! Have I gushed about it enough?? If not, I’m so sorry, please know that I’ve been playing it on loop since it dropped). Anywho, she says she managed to do it (of course!) and that if he had NOT liked her version of the song, she wouldn’t have put it on the album (“that would not be the thing to do”). 

Meanwhile twarries trended “ohwaititwasharry” all day to prove... that Louis is closer to Harry than to Eleanor? Well, Eleanor was lunching at the Spaniards today, so technically SHE might have been closer to Harry today! And Lou Teasdale commented on larries, complaining that, among other crazy wrong headed ideas, “they believe that... the fake girlfriends are a ploy to cover it up." Yeah I mean...imagine that.

[slunatic]

My SwanQueen stuff

Hi, since I’m new here, I just want to take the time to share my work in case people are interesting in reading my stuff. Here’s a list of my SQ work complete with summaries. Going from newest to oldest.

1. Dead Giveaway: After getting Killian back from the Underworld, Emma has to deal with the fallout. Regina is gone and Emma's lost.

2. In the Public Eye: Emma and Regina are going through some martial problems and the entire town knows about it. The entire town also has opinions on it. They’re not helping at all.

3. Home, Sweet Home: Emma and Regina are engaged and getting married. They have to plan the wedding. Shenanigans ensue. It is them, after all. (This is the final part of a five part series called Who We Are). G!P, Alpha/Omega relationship.

4. Like a Look of Agony: After the exhausting adventure in Neverland, Regina, Emma, and Henry return to Storybrooke to more turmoil that starts with Regina giving up to the Charmings. Everyone is looking for Regina to be punished, except Emma. Somehow, Regina's punishment becomes Emma's as well. It gets worse from there.

5. Things Money Can’t Buy: After the death of her mother, Emma meets her birth father and he's rich. He's also annoying. He wants her to marry a man and brings it up every chance he gets. She's sick of hearing it, so she plots her revenge. Taking a female escort to his fancy party doesn't go exactly how she thought it would, though. G!P/Futa.

6. Tales of True Witchcraft: Emma gives a drunken lecture on what Regina means to her, not knowing Regina is listening.

7. In Case of a Flood: Emma and Regina's relationship continues to evolve. Henry presents and it's the start of changes in their family. It could eventually lead to their downfall. (This is part four of a five part series called Who We Are). G!P, Alpha/Omega relationship.

8. Here and Now: Consider this a missing chapter from Always Here. Emma has a sit down with her parents about how they treat Regina. (This was part five in a five part series called Right There).

9. Stay Here: Regina's worst fear is upon them, their children have questions about their origins. Emma is more than prepared for the moment with the kids. But, she also has to soothe her wife, who isn't ready for this, who might never be ready for this. (This was part four in a five part series called Right There).

10. Lessons in Love: Join Emma and Regina on their journey to syncing. They get closer to each other, but also with other members of their family as they grow more comfortable with who they are. (This is part three of a five part series called Who We Are). G!P, Alpha/Omega relationship.

11. Memory is the First to Go: When Emma injures herself, Regina tries to nurse her back to health, only to learn about a childhood trauma Emma seemed to forget about. Now that it's come to the surface, the trauma seems to consume Emma and Regina is at loss on how to help her partner as she spirals, unable to help herself.

12. Always Here: Sequel to Right Here. Regina and Emma try to live their lives, build their relationship, and raise their sons. They're working on being happy, like any other couple. But, Hook and Robin are there, attempting to stand in their way and tear their family apart. There might be even more sinister forces at play looking to separate Storybrooke's new favorite couple. (This was part three in a five part series called Right There).

13. Identity Crisis: While fighting a random villain, the group have a debate over ethnic identity.

14. Food for the Soul: Regina wanted to make Emma's first rut memorable, special. Emma takes things a step further, taking their family and relationship to another level. Their family might not be as willing to come along for the ride. (This is part two of a five part series called Who We Are). G!P, Alpha/Omega relationship.

***15. Here and There: This is a side story for Mulan and Marian. It's set during Right Here. The story chronicles Marian and Mulan's journey from bad situations to each other as they learn to live in this world. Some people throw obstacles in their way, but luckily there are people to help. Be a part of the trip to see how Mulan and Marian become their own family. ***SQ is in the background here, but they’re there.

16. Who We Are: Regina and Emma can hide from everyone, but each other. Until now, they were busy enough for it to not matter. Now, they’re affecting each other in ways where everyone might find out their secrets. Lives could be changed if they give in, especially their own. (This is part one of a five part series called Who We Are). G!P, Alpha/Omega relationship.

17. Right Here: Regina's been sick and Emma has a theory. Regina's pregnant. Regina thinks that's ridiculous, but Emma turns out to be right. From then on, Emma and Henry try to help Regina make it through a pregnancy that she doesn't seem very thrilled about. SwanQueen. Swan-Mills family moments. Reminders of OutlawQueen.

18. Lost in the Translation: Regina thinks the connection she feels with Emma is all in her mind. She says as much the day before Emma is going to marry Hook. Emma has to act fast before she loses Regina.

19. Devil’s Spawn: Set during/after "Save Henry." Pan spills a family secret that turns Regina's world upside down. At first, she wants justice or revenge. When she loses control of herself, she just wants to not feel like a thing. Emma, knowing that feeling, tries to help Regina maintain while not falling apart herself. Together, they go on a journey to discover just who they are, with Henry there to support them. 

20. Out of the Darkness: Set at the end of Season 4. Emma shoves the dagger into the Darkness, but things don't go exactly as expected. But, then again, how could they expect Regina's grandmother to pop up? And, crazier still, how could they expect her to put their family together?

21. Making a Life: AU, set in a modern day Enchanted Forest/Fairy Tale realm.Emma and Regina are enjoying an affair that has become something more. Unfortunately, Regina's engaged and scared her mother will find out about the affair. Emma has huge family issues to sort out, like having one. It gets worse when they're seen together in a hotel. Will this blow up in their faces or can they beat the odds?

22. Little Girl Lost: Set after There's No Place Like Home, but ignores season 4. Emma has a magical mishap and Regina has to take care of her. Added to that, Henry has to learn to share Regina with Emma, who can be very bratty. They might all end up traumatized.

23. Under Her Skin: Set at the start of season 2. Instead of the wraith, Rumplestiltskin goes for something a little more personal, sinister, and slower when it comes to killing Regina. He curses Regina and Emma stays by her side as Regina wastes away. They have roughly a month to find a cure for a curse without one. If anyone can do the impossible, it should be them. Maybe.

24. Lady In Waiting: A side story to the Queen and Her Lady. See Lady's side of the story.

25. The Queen and Her Lady: Set after Welcome to Storybrooke. Regina is in a dark place after the death of her mother and Henry walking away from her. She locks herself away in her house, shutting out the world. She is ready to completely give up when an injured puppy ends up in her backyard. She saves the puppy ... or maybe the puppy saves her.