#i get lulled into a sense of false security and then an episode like this happens

[kianamaiart]

As someone aiming to go into the animation industry, it's very comforting to know that we have a lot more time to do boards than is currently allotted to me as I get my degree in it! It's so helpful to hear the process from professionals, good to know how it'll actually work when its time to work down the line.

That’s great! I will just say (because i don’t want to lull you into a false sense of security) that a month is actually quite a tight turnaround and it’s hard to keep up sometimes

It’s not necessarily that you have a whole month to board an 11 minute episode, it’s more like you have two weeks to board the entire thing, get notes, do all the notes for another week (which can sometimes require reboarding a good chunk of your episode) and then a couple weeks of production ready level cleanup

But this is also specific to bcg and every production is different! It’s a notoriously pretty demanding show. Just thought this might be nice to keep in mind!

[tired-fandom-ndn]

I see a lot of posts talking about Aabria lulling K/Erika into a false sense of security or like punishing them for the terrible roll in the "healing" scene or whatever and it is a lot of fun to see Aabria as a brutal GM but I do really want to point out that the follow-up to that scene was NOT her original intention.

In that episode's Adventuring Party, Aabria did say that she was just going to turn it into a bit before she remembered that she had added death mechanics to the game. Then she sat down the players after the episode ended (I think she said during their lunch break?) and asked if they would be okay with there being more severe consequences for that roll and they all agreed.

So Aabria was not planning on that at all, she just had an opportunity and, with the consent of everyone at the table, decided to go for it. You can even see how much her original plans got derailed by that episode considering she used a godlike being to magically teleport them exactly where they needed to be at the end of episode 3, since she probably had an entirely different plan for how the players would get there and needed to get them back on schedule.

[innerfare]

Random Shanks Headcanons 

Summary: A random collection of Shanks headcanons

CW: None // SFW

———

Has a fake arm that he uses for gags. Only he and Yasopp find it funny. Beckman once tossed the arm overboard after Shanks ‘lost’ the arm in a pot of Lucky Roux’s stew, only for Shanks to enter the mess hall the next morning with another attached to his body. 

Can do magic tricks, especially good with coins and cards. A very skilled sleight of hand artist. Also not above using these tricks to cheat while playing cards. (Inspired by the coin game w/ Luffy flashback). Cheating is the only way he can beat Beckman, who’s by far the best player on the crew. But he doesn’t even cheat to win, he just likes the thrill of getting away with it; also enjoys the thrill of getting caught. There was a rabbit loose aboard the Red Force for a solid month after the captain tried to learn how to pull it out of a hat.

The best beer pong player in the New World, probably the entire world. Would challenge all of his enemies to a game of beer pong to settle their disputes if he thought they would respect the results of the game. Good at drinking games in general (has a little too much experience).

Is an infamous gossip. If a member of the crew wants word to get out about something, they just mention it to their captain. 

Enjoys playing matchmaker. Always acts as a wingman for his crew when there’s a pretty bar maid. The only one he never tried to fix up with one of his crew mates was his darling Makino. 

Are soap operas a thing in the One Piece universe? Because if so, he has a favorite that he never misses an episode of (fights hardest on Thursdays so he can be home in time to catch the latest episode of Search for One Piece, a pirate drama based loosely on Roger’s life. He particularly enjoys the harlequin character). 

Loves meddling in any drama that comes up aboard the ship. Sometimes even starts drama just for entertainment, like the time he told Lucky Roux that he saw Limejuice sneaking steaks from the freezer, or when he robbed Beckman blind and left traces of a turkey leg at the scene of the crime. 

Thinks childish pranks are the funniest thing in the world. Pranks prospective crew members to see how they respond; screens them based on whether they find his jokes funny. Beckman insists this is not the best way to do things but Shanks persists. But Shanks isn't just being childish. He's making sure everyone who joins his crew has a good nature as that is, in his opinion, the most important thing. If you can't trust your crew, you're dead in the water.

Was definitely posing when the government snapped the photo for his wanted poster but pretends it was completely candid. Has a habit of comparing his wanted poster to the posters of his enemies.

He also uses his wanted poster to fish for compliments, especially from his crew. “That’s a pretty good picture, isn’t it?” “I don’t look half bad in that, do I?” “The real reason the marines are hunting me- the sight of my wanted poster makes their wives swoon.”  

Refers to himself as, “that handsome devil.” 

Smells like body odor and weed, but in a Matthew McConaughey kind of way (that is to say, it works for him). 

Animals and babies always like him. He insists the trick is to act uninterested. 

He is genuinely good-natured, but he definitely uses his sense of humor to disguise how terrifying he truly is. Is a pro at lulling people into a false sense of security. Definitely slouches on purpose to seem less intimidating.

Secretly paid off Luffy's "treasure tab" at Makino's bar. Didn't do it just to be kind to the poor kid but actually because he believed Luffy when he said he'd pay it back in full and did it to annoy Luffy a decade or two down the line. (When Luffy finally goes back to pay Makino and she informs him Shanks already did, Luffy blows a gasket.)

———

Hope you enjoyed it! If you want more, you can check out my masterlist here!

[whenmaddiefallsinlove]

Okay. I need to rant about Bobby because I'm genuinely mad about it and idk anyone irl who watches the show, so tumblr void here we go.

I'm actually angry. Normally, when characters die, sure I'm sad and a little bit mad, but that's normal. This isn't that. The main reason i watch 9-1-1 and enjoy it so much is because the characters DONT DIE. I stopped watching shows like Grey's Anatomy because I don't like being constantly stressed about my favorite characters dying. 9-1-1 is a show where that isn't supposed to happen, and that's one of the main reasons I like it! I enjoy being able to watch the emergencies and enjoy the action without being legitimately worried. By killing Bobby, they've opened the door for any other character to die, so I will literally never be able to enjoy the show the same way again. 9-1-1 is a comfort show, and now i won't even be able to rewatch old seasons the same way because I'll always know that Bobby doesn't survive, and knowing that will ruin all of the happy scenes that came before his death.

ALSO, the show relies heavily on the found family dynamic. It's another one of the main reasons i love it so much. Killing Bobby irreparably damages that dynamic. He is arguably the most important aspect of the found family dynamic, he is the glue that holds them all together. None of the characters or their relationships with each other will ever be the same again after this. Even if buddie does go canon, I won't be able to enjoy it knowing that Bobby never got to see it happen. Those first few episodes of this season where Bobby wasn't captain were not as fun to watch, and that wasn't just because of Gerrard, it was because Bobby is such an integral part of what makes the 118 enjoyable to watch. Don't get me wrong, I love all the other characters, but come on.

I guess I feel cheated almost?? This isn't the show I signed up for. The creators of this show lulled me into a false sense of security and then ripped that away, and I'm pissed about it. I genuinely don't know if I'll be able to enjoy the rest of the show without him in it, especially knowing now that anyone could die. I think that they will lose a lot of viewers from this, and this may sound ridiculous but I hope they do. You can't take away a massive part of what makes a TV show enjoyable and expect to maintain viewership.

AND PLUS ALSO I'm mad that Tommy was there and Eddie wasn't. Idk who was behind that horrible decision but I hope they're ashamed.

This is very long winded and probably entirely too dramatic, but I really needed to get these thoughts off my chest before I went to bed.

God I hope the show can recover from this enormous fumble.

[syrena-del-mar]

The Nine Circles of Hell: Dead Friend Forever, Episode 7

First, a trigger warning: I'll be discussing themes of revenge porn, grooming, statutory rape, sexual coercion.

I'm going to discuss this episode with as much upmost care as I can, due to the sheer amount of sensitive material that came out of this week's episode I will also not being using any explicit scene screen captures from this episode. If there's anything you'd like to me to take out or want a more in depth conversation, feel free to use either of my message boxes.

Last week I said DFF had more to offer than just being a campy 90s slasher remake. While I first thought we were already in the depths of hell, thematically, with Non getting beaten by the mafia, I didn't expect this week's episode to somehow double that pain. But here we are. I was lulled into false security with the 5 minute montage of getting to know what Phee and Non's relationship was like. I should have remembered that I'm definitely watching the wrong genre when I expected more of those moments.

Non and Phee

This episode really continues and expands the idea that humans are not these clear-cut, unambiguous, good-or-bad beings that idea has now been depicted through Non and his relationship with Phee. Non has so much love to give and so much want for being loved, it's what leads to Phee in the first place, but it's also what leads to his downfall. Because Non loves so much and so hard, it's also why he wasn't ecstatic that Phee had to lie to his father and say that he was involved, just to get him out of trouble with the police. What started like a sweet date turns a bit bitter, because Non is seeing the consequences of his actions not only affect himself but also the others that he loves. It's also why he couldn't tell Phee about the sheer amount he owed Tee's uncle, because he was now well aware that if Phee found out, he would get himself involved.

Non lies and manipulates Phee, he tells him time and time again that nothing happened between him and Mr. Kreng. Non swears to Phee that he isn't lying to him and that he won't keep any secrets from him anymore. It pains him to do so, he's barely holding himself together by the end of a thread thread once he's Phee's arms and his face is hidden from Phee's view. Yet, he does. He keeps it a secret how big of a hole he has found himself in, because he doesn't want to drag Phee down with him. Non says it himself to Jin, he doesn't want to be burden, he'll figure it out himself. It's a direct parallel to the bigger issues that Non is finding himself in beyond just within the 'movie set'. He has the 300 million baht hanging over his head, his parents (in his point of view) regret having him and find that he does is bring embarrassment to the family, and now he has another adult willing to give him the 300 million baht with a fake sense of care. So he found, what he believes to be, a solution that would get rid of the 300 million baht debt and all it requires is giving up a piece of himself, but at least it won't come at a cost of burdening his parents or Phee.

In trying to protect Phee, his lies ends up costing him the one he loves the most, Phee. Now from this point on, this is all speculation, but when Phee accused Non of 'always doing this', I'm not in the camp that believes that Phee is accusing Non about being a serial cheater. I see why people are in that camp, but I initially jumped to that conclusion as well. Now, I'm more in the line that Phee is accusing of Non always feeding him lies, even after explicitly promising him that he wouldn't. After putting his neck out for him, after letting Non do things his way as long as he promised to tell him the truth, Non goes back to telling lies. Phee lashes out, and at the end of the day he's still a teenager, so he hits Non's weakest point. Just get lost and die. The very words that likely haunt Phee in the present-day, now as an adult. And Non's holds the broken bracelet, punishing himself, because he knew that there was no coming back from losing his lifeline.

Non and Mr. Kreng (Please keep my trigger warnings in mind, they will be heavily discussed in this section.)

Statutory Rape. Grooming. Coerced Sexual Relations. Nonconsensual Sex. Molestation. Sexual Assault. Sexual Abuse. Those are all words to describe the relationship that occurred between Non and Mr. Keng. Let's call exactly what it is. I think I'll lose my mind if I have to see someone another person call Non a cheater. There is no cheating when there is statutory rape.

Non is literally at the end of his rope, Mr. Keng clocked that immediately. He knew that Non was isolated, that he was completely othered by his classmates, he believes that Non has nobody else to turn to, and he knows that Non is in deep in a scam that target teens. In his eyes, he found the perfect victim.

Non is taken advantage of by a person in power, a person that he should be able to trust. Non isn't naïve, he clocked that Mr. Keng wanted something from him since the moment they first met. But he is vulnerable. He's being extorted by the mafia and he sees someone offering him the money that he needs to put an end to that. In his eyes, it was a way out, a means to an end that just cost him a piece of his soul. I truly think Non rationalized it to himself as prostituting himself, because he knew that money was never coming without a price. No matter how much Mr. Keng tried to sell it as 'brotherly' love.

But at the end of the day, it does not matter what Non believed or rationalized, because Mr. Keng was the adult in the situation. He had a duty, as a teacher, to protect Non and provide a safe classroom environment. Instead he target, manipulates, and coerces Non into having sexual relations with him. He knows the power imbalance he holds, first as a teacher and then with the 300 million baht he 'gave' him. Mr. Keng, knowing that Non's not close to his 'friends', physically isolates him. He takes him to his office that's half-lit, located in a long hallway with, seemingly, very little foot traffic. He prods at Non, asking what's been bothering him and has him visibly become emotional, before offering his care. He's a complete and utter predator, in every sense of the term.

I hope he dies a long, painful death.

Non and Jin

First and foremost, whether or not Jin was ultimately the one that posted the video does not matter. Filming a classmate being sexually assaulted is still child porn at the very least and, possibly, revenge porn (if he disseminated the video) at the worst. I was on the same boat as @respectthepetty and their take that Jin had to be the worst of them all. Like they said in that post, Jin is a coward and he even admits to it. There's nothing more cowardly than hiding behind a door, filming you supposed 'friend' getting sexually abused by your teacher, and then even considering putting up on social media for revenge because your heart is broken.

Yes, Top framed Non. Yes, Por demanded (and bullied) money from Non. Yes, Tee brought Non to the mafia. Those are all very bad things, don't get me wrong. All the physical and mental abuse they put Non through was hell. Yet, Jin was the only one aware that Non had already been seeing someone, which seemingly had upset him already. Then he sees him with Mr. Keng and instead of reporting that his alleged friend was being assaulted, he gets angry and films Non at his most vulnerable point in life. Even Fluke didn't want any part of that.

Jin takes away Non's dignity. And at the end of the day, it doesn't matter whether he uploaded it online or not, he was still the one to film, transfer that file onto his computer, and contemplate whether he was going to post it or not. At every point since he found that Non and Mr. Kreng were in that room, he rendered Non powerless. That video would have never been uploaded if it hadn't existed in the first place. With just a point of a camera and click of a button, he is revictimizing Non every. single. time. that video is opened and seen by another person.

There are no words to fully describe or explain that kind of trauma that he has subjected Non to.

Final Thoughts

This episode was nauseating. It honestly took me about two hours just to get to the end. Usually, I can watch through a show I enjoy really quickly, but this episode was so hard to digest. And that's simply due to how realistic they are approaching the subject of Non and Mr. Keng.

Barcode and Ta really are the stars of the show. I'm not saying that the other castmates aren't amazing in their roles, but man TaBarcode really know are hitting every single emotional beat. I was never a TaBarcode nor a MacauChay girlie, but man Be On Cloud has truly brought out their best this time around. Even though I fully know we are heading towards an incredibly heart wrenching ending for PheeNon, I can't help but want to hoard and scramble for moments of them together.

It's crazy how well, everyone was able to pull their weight this episode. There were so many moments that with less talented, less experienced actors, could have fallen flat, but they didn't. Ta and Barcode's PheeNon was so incredibly heart-beating, butterfly inducing before we were brought back into their reality outside of their relationship. 2J and Barcode's scenes were.... so disgustingly real, for lack of better words. I knew that storyline was never going to end well but it had been more than I ever expected Be On Cloud to release. They're tackling such real issues that weigh on teens with incredible tact, there's no romanticizing what happened. Even Phee's reaction was so understandable when you put yourself in the shoes of a teenager. I'll reiterate again and again, whatever you think about Be On Cloud as a management company, as a production company, they really are breaking boundaries and doing something right. Whatever happens in the second half, I think I'll be here, recovering, for a long time.

[chelledoggo]

okay, so... you know what i would LOVE to see?

a deconstruction of "conservative cartoons" like Mr. Birchum or The New Norm... BUT, it deceptively markets itself as a straightforward conservative cartoon.

like, here's what i'm thinking:

we got your white, old-fashioned, masculine husband protagonist, a centrist, openminded wife, and a couple of children. one of the kids would probably be a dudebro son who aligns more with their dad's beliefs, while the other would be your stereotypical "blue-haired nonbinary progressive activist."

you'd, of course, also have your token "non-woke minority friends" to the main character: the black conservative, the disabled veteran, the "not like the other gays" gay man, etc...

they all live in a suburban neighborhood. their kids attend a public school, where the teacher is your stereotypical "liberal soyboy wokie" (a la Mr. Karponzi from Mr. Birchum), and is presented as the "main antagonist."

episode one starts out straightforward, with no indication of it being a deconstruction or subversive, in order to lull the conservative audience into a false sense of security.

we get the introduction to these characters, their conflicts, etc... the husband complains about how "soft" and "woke" society is becoming and reminisces about "the good old days." the first major conflict would probably be CRT or pronouns in the classroom or something.

but starting from episode 2, we start seeing the MC deconstruct and question himself. the little hints of deconstruction would start out small and subtle, like he might just take pause at an opinion he had and think "hmmmm... this feels right to me, but... i wonder... was i too harsh?"

and then with each episode the MC starts to reflect on his upbringing with a strict authoritarian father and a meek, submissive mother who always seemed unhappy. he slowly starts to realize that he was manipulated and coerced into being "a real man" by his abusive father.

he starts to think to himself "okay, WHY do i dislike progressives? WHY do i have a problem with 'safe spaces?' don't vulnerable people deserve to feel safe, even though i never did? and WHY do i have a problem with trans and nonbinary people? yeah, it's a little odd to me, but they're not harming anyone."

as he reflects and deconstructs the outdated beliefs he had engrained in him, he finds himself growing a closer bond with his nonbinary kid, while also realizing he needs to start teaching his dudebro son to be a respectful and non-toxic man.

by the end of the season/series, he finally admits to those around him that he's not proud of who he'd been in the past, and although he still has a long way to go and will probably have to spend the rest of his life unlearning his old ways, he's going to try his best to do right by those around him.

someone should get on this. at the very least it would be funny as fuck to watch conservatives melt down, while at best it would be a beautiful narrative on how we need to examine our beliefs.

[yes-no-maybe-soo]

hi hi hi! this is @syslut :3 i just recently followed your lovely blog and i’ve always loved how passionately you talk about our dear loverboi.

on to the point: do you have any theories sylus’s upcoming main story branch?! 👀👀👀 saw your tags here :3

i am so excited and lowkey anxious; i smell angst 😭🤚

Aaaa thank you so much for your kind words ❤️ It means so much to me that you guys enjoy my yapping 💞 (love the @/syslut username btw!)

Ok so re: the main story and angst, these lines from Sylus' birthday event have been stuck on my mind for days and made me more and more anxious the longer I mull them over

(And there's also these lines from Greedy Heart)

I've consumed works of fiction since I was a wee thing and in my experience lines like these never herald sunshine or rainbows. On the contrary they often foreshadow that one or both characters are pretty much cooked... same as when a character in a show says that today is their last day before retirement. You know the dude will be dead by the end of the episode ;-; I get a similar feeling of dread here.

That is not to say that I believe that Sylus or MC will (perma) die or anything, especially not in the upcoming branch. The game is still very fresh with lots more content to come, not to mention that you can't really kill off main characters in an otome gacha (thank god). However, I do believe that the angst we will get will still be extremely painful. Paperfold are masters at the art of twisting the knife and giving us all PTSD.

My prediction is that something bad will happen to MC — she'll be abducted, injured, maybe even temporarily killed, or all three — and we will get to witness Sylus be properly enraged and afraid. We haven't seen him in either state yet, since very few things truly get under his skin. Most of the time he is nonchalant or even bored in the face of threats. He projects nigh invincibility to his opponents and even to MC. He has no discernible weaknesses... or at least, as far as his enemies are aware (for now).

But we know better. The only times we've ever seen Sylus approaching a state of anger or fear have involved MC. He gets upset at himself in battle mode if MCs health is low by the end of it, and he also yells out in alarm for her to "look out!" if he sees her about to get hit by Wanderers. And recently in his birthday card he was visibly worried for her when she fell. The writers have made the fact that MC is Sylus' weakness clear even before Sylus himself stated it outright. And now that he has, I am 99.9% certain that it will be utilized in the plot at some point. Like I've said before, the LADS writers seldom include stuff like this without some sort of intent. It's not just meant to be wholesome fluff imo. Maybe it will even lead to Sylus actually being (temporarily) defeated in order to save MC?

However, whether this will happen in the upcoming branch I am less certain about. It might be too premature for that. But I'm not ruling it out completely.

What is basically 100% certain though is that something angsty will happen, and that we will be in pain. My reasons for believing this are

The main branches for the OG3 were all angsty.

We have been fed a suspicious amount of fluff and sunshine lately. Which will make the angst hit even harder. Which, knowing Paperfold, is exactly the plan. They're lulling us into a false sense of security.

Angst or an intense situation of some sort would be a great vehicle for character development for both Sylus and MC, as well as for furher deepening their relationship.

The main story and branches have involved lore. And you know what LADS lore means right? Exactly. Emotional suffering. For both the characters and us.

It's a bit tricky to guess what said angst or lore will be though since for one we don't know at which point in time the branch will take place. Will MC still have the same opinions and feelings re: Sylus as when she left him in the main story? Or will enough time have passed that they are more intimate? Weren't the latter the case with the OG3? Or am I misremembering?

Furthermore, in the case of the OG3 their branches were based off the third anecdotes. And seeing as Sylus still doesn't have that... well, his will clearly have to be based off of something else. Unless they decide to drop the anecdotes at the same time? Please God let that be the case! We are so lore starved over here... not to mention free companion starved... 😓

My best guess right now is that the Beyond Cloudfall myth will come into play somehow. Maybe MC will regain some memories, or maybe Sylus will finally reveal his dragon form?

As for theories outside angst, I think it's pretty safe to say that we will learn more about EVER and the Eye of Aether, or at least aether cores in general. Most of all I want answers regarding what is up with Sylus' right eye. Who put the aether core there and when? His eye has clearly been special for a long time, as far back as in Beyond Cloudfall. I'm doubting we'll be getting a definitive answer for that here though. LADS likes drip-feeding its info and lore after all.

Anyway, that's really as far as I feel comfortable going with my theories and speculations rn. I apologize for the extremely long and rambling answer dhdjdfj I always get super carried away with topics like these 😅 if you guys have any theories, then please don't hesitate to add on to this ♡

[cheesecakemermaid1048]

That that we have some sneak peek of Eternal Sugar, here’s what I’m hoping for in her chapter:

I hope ES tries to get Hollyberry to give up her soul jam by betraying her, using temptation/a nice facade to put her into a false sense of security

I think it would be cool thematically. A notable part of ES’s design is the angel wings are so big they kind of “hide” the devil wings, and sugar and sloth are both enjoyable in the short term but detrimental to you in the long. I feel like you can see this in (what I think is) her title screen, with how bright and colorful it is, making her look benevolent. I hope this all makes sense btw.

No matter what happens tho, devsisters better cook with this chapter, I need them to do my girl hollyberry justice or Istg

That's what I am hoping, too! I hope in the next episode, sugar has more of the present. Welcoming hollyberry into "paradise" and showing her around.

Tricking into thinking she isn't like the other beasts and has the best intention (she doesn't). Soon enough, hollyberry is lulled into false of security where eternal sugar steals her soul jam. And when hollyberry rebels, sugar punishes her for it.

And if eternal sugar is as manipulative as shadow milk,I can see her going"Oh look what you made me do?I didnt want to hurt but forced my hand" or"this hurts me more than it's hurt you" saying this all kind smile.

That's my speculation. I am sure whatever they make will be good.

[tickletastic]

The Hawthorne Way

Fandom: The Inheritance Games

Ship: Libby/Nash

Summary: Being dangerously ticklish seems to be the Hawthorne way, and Nash is nothing if not a Hawthorne through and through.

“Lihibby- Libs no,” Nash huffs out, his low, Texan timbre rumbling in Libby’s ear. He’s trying really hard to keep up his whole cool as a cucumber act, but the twitching in his fingers gives him away. His hands, laid flat on Libby’s back, haven’t been still since she started her little game.

“What’s the matter?” Libby asks innocently, nuzzling her face into his neck. Her hands trace the contours of his hip bones under his shirt, fingers dipped under the waistband of his sweatpants. She digs in with a barely-there touch at the top of his hip, and he snorts, squirming minutely. 

“You’re-” Nash grits his teeth when Libby starts to trace her fingers over his stomach, and Libby absolutely revels in it, “you’re a sadist.”

“I might be,” Libby takes her head off Nash’s chest so she can smile at him, blue hair falling in her eyes, “but at least I’m not a ticklish cowboy.” 

Nash had held out a lot longer than Libby thought he would. She’s been a quiet observer for about a dozen Hawthorne tickle fights, and knew by now that his brothers couldn’t hold out for the life of them. Jameson’s the hardest to break of the other three, and all it takes with him is a taser to the ribs and he’s down for the count. Nash? Well, Nash is proving to be much better at this game than his brothers are, and Libby can’t help but realize she’s never seen the other Hawthornes take advantage of their older brother’s ticklishness.

She wouldn’t have gone into this blind, of course. She’s been watching. She’s been waiting.

She had heard the comments the other Hawthornes would make towards Nash when he tickled them. Wait until the three of us get the upper hand on you. You’re just as ticklish. Don’t pretend your ribs don’t make you shriek. All of these taunts aimed towards Nash, it was only reasonable that this would be the conclusion. 

So here they are, midday cuddle session on the couch in one of Hawthorne House’s many lounges, Libby trying to get her cowboy to crack. But Nash is good. He’s really good. Years of being a big brother have helped him develop some defense mechanisms, like holding out for so long that the tickler gives up.

It’s a good thing Libby’s had years of being a big sister. 

She stops teasing Nash, her head returning to its place on his chest, her fingers going still at his sides. She is patient. She knows how to wait someone out. When Nash starts absentmindedly humming and playing with her hair, she waits. When one episode of Grey’s Anatomy rolls into the next one on the flatscreen, she waits. When Nash starts to draw shapes on her back, she waits. She waits until she finally hears the familiar sound of his breath evening out, his fingers relaxed on her back in a way that she knows means he’s on the edge of sleep. 

Libby might be sunny, but she’s never been above being a little bit evil.

With renewed vigour, she claws both hands into Nash’s ribs with her long, freshly manicured nails, and scratches up and down in unpredictable spurts. Nash flinches, and she can feel the way his shoulders tighten, and how his hands on her back spasm. 

He had been lulled into a false sense of security, but he doesn’t have time to complain, or, more accurately, congratulate her on such a slick move.

Grayson was right; going for his ribs does make Nash shriek. 

“Lihihibs!” Nash screeched, squirming underneath her, “noho!” 

Nash is trying to curl in on himself, bringing his elbows to his sides in an attempt to block out Libby’s practiced fingers, but it doesn’t go unnoticed by Libby that he’s not actively pushing her off, that his hands are still gripping her biceps without pushing her away 

“Lihihibby! Bahaby, noho!” Nash squeals when she manages to wedge her fingers, delicate and graceful, between their bodies. The front of his ribs don’t get quite the same reaction as the sides, but Libby thinks she’s getting warmer when her fingers go lower to tickle his toned tummy. 

“What’s the matter?” Libby whispers teasingly, pushing herself up with her elbows so she can whisper it closer to his ear, “a little bit of tickling isn’t bothering you, is it, darlin’?” She drops the ‘g’ in a vague imitation of Nash’s accent, of what he loves to call her, and she notices the way the flush spreads up his neck.

When her fingers finally touch his tummy, Nash arches his back, a choking, sputtered laugh forcing its way from his lips. She can tell from the tension in his hands how hard he’s trying not to squeeze her, he would never hurt her, even when he’s lost his pride to Libby’s incredibly skilled fingers. 

“Plehease babygihihirl! Ihihit- no- fuhuhuck!” Nash makes a sound that Libby’s certain she’s heard from all three of the other Hawthornes at some point while observing their tickle fights– that adorable half-whine half-scream heard only when a Hawthorne is getting their belly tickled. All of them, with their entirely different laughs and personalities, and yet none of them can quite handle that one spot. 

“You Hawthornes,” Libby giggles, skittering her long nails up and down Nash’s sides, “you’re all the same.” 

Nash is giggling in a way Libby has never heard him before. Every time Nash laughs it’s booming belly laughter, deep and rumbly, and almost always brief, or wry. These giggles are airy and desperate, peppered with snorts in between, and they make him sound, and look, a lot younger.

“You’re so ticklish,” Libby teased, her voice a low hum of amusement. “Who would’ve thought? Mr. Calm and Collected, all serious and mysterious, but then… this.”

“Shuhut up!” Nash shouts on instinct, before correcting his own manners “wahait! I dohohon’t mehean that. Sohohorry prihihincess.”

It’s a miracle Nash is managing speech at all in his state– torso now halfway off the couch from his bucking, one hand on the floor to brace for impact– let alone have enough of his senses intact to apologize for responding rudely to Libby’s taunts. Libby kind of wishes he hadn’t; in their entire time knowing each other she has never seen him so out of control, but now she’s seen too much, and she’s addicted to watching him come undone from something as simple as her nimble fingers on his torso. 

She feels high off of his laughter and the image of his red face, eyes closed and laughter lines visible, and it makes her lightheaded, like she imagines the whole thing is making him too. 

Her devious fingers dig into his hipbones, and he warns her seconds too late.

“No Lihihibby nohot there!” There’s an urgency in his voice that she finally understands once they’re suddenly on the carpet, next to each other now instead of her head on his chest, and she digs in again, chasing the just a little bit more.

The sounds of his heels digging into the floor is much louder than it had been on the couch, with the hardwood floors protected only by the thin carpet. He doubles over unsuccessfully, but Libby stops when she can hear his voice getting hoarse, and notices that he’s struggling to get out all of his begs and pleads. 

When her fingers release him, his body relaxes against the floor, chest huffing in and out with leftover giggles. He throws an arm over his face, motioning with the other hand for Libby to come over to him.

She lays her head on his chest, returning to their earlier position, still just as comfy though now on the ground, and she listens as his breathing returns to normal. He moves his arm just a little bit, so he can send her a glare with no heat behind it. 

Libby laughs, and swats his arm, “it’s not like you tried to stop me.”

Nash’s regular lopsided grin returns, smug, self-satisfied, sexy, “gotta let my princess have some fun.”

[wherethegoldenleavesfall]

Okay back to...... unique outfit troupe.

The manager has spoken, the sarcasm and disdain is literally dripping off him with on edge music.

And everyone is standing there like they are in gym class 🙄 awaiting further instructions.

Six games over six with 456 players, they really like to spell out literal deal with the devil these players are making.

Some players are not happy to be knocked out. And have their personal items taken away. Met with excuses such as confidentiality and fairness of the games.

Cho Sangwoo who should have gotten a second degree in law. I love ❤️ Gihun and Sangwoo pointing out in their separate scenes how suspicious this all is.

Yes, Sangwoo tear them apart!! 😢 I will get the popcorn 🍿.

And we are now doing abuser 101 lesson now, where the abusers turn the table on the victims by saying look at what you did wrong.

1.39 billion in debt, how did you manage that???

Yes, financial ruin that you may have played a part in creating. And now you are exploiting it.

I would not say trust, I would say stonewalled into playing a game with you. Not told before said game that you would literally physically assaulted because you knew they had no money. Because you stalked them for so many years.

But sure they trusted you.

Oh now, it is this or that. A false choice. Great. Fantastic. Wonderful.

The games are literally on the walls. Or they could be trolling 🧌 us. So there is a worker whose job is update the game murals. Between him or the music worker they have the most easiest tasks.

Now, I imagining a DJ circle worker who literally designs all of the music being used right now. DJ C89?

Oh sure keep them hooked by not telling them how much is the prize money. On a side note, Gihun is so polite for raising his hand. One polite gentleman feminist boy/baby girl right there.

That casino music and bright piggy bank is a great way to keep the brain's attention. Real casinos actually do the bright lights and chiming noises.

Makes me remember being introduced to gambling in the older pokemon games.

Single file signage. Sangwoo signing it with style and orderliness. 🙏 🫡.

I highly doubt that they would let anyone who did not the sign the consent forms go.

I love how Gihun is the only one who literally questions if that's it rule wise?

Reminds me of fairy contracts actually. You sign your name over to this organization who proceeds to "trick" you to your deaths, to keep the VIPS well fed with sacrifices.

And Ilnam signing the contract he likely thought up. Did you think he knew he would one day sign it on the other side?

He is a good actor. His eyes 👀 are already on Gihun.

I love Gihun writing his names scenes okay. 😍

The music use in this episode is top notch. Using a classical song like the Blue Danube to keep the players calm and lulled into a false sense of security is genius.

And the PA women is annoying 😑.

Sometimes I hate the mask, because I want to see Inho’s face. Like he is disgusted? Looking for signs of trouble?

Oh look at this bright, colorful labyrinth.

I never read any fics with dumb and dumber, the two weird haircut bros. Maybe, they are some of Thanos fellow rappers?

324 is now marked for death as in any death games narratives. Any silliness or foolishness is met with being the first kill.

And now Gihun's iconic smile 😃. That is likely after the 33rd Squid Game is on Inho’s computer hardrive, his phones lock screen, or on his fridge. Pick your favorite one. 😍

I cannot blame him though. So cute, warm, bubbly, fiery, and light is in that smile. Could fuel everything with that smile and puppy dog eyes.

And no, Gihun does not look like a naive simpleton with that smile.

Who knew this death game involved the worst picture day ever.

Inho is literally stomping on their faces, very tied to that villain monologue of 1984. As you literally will destroy all the bonds that connect these people and deprive them of their humanity.

How is no one dizzy or claiming they are tired? Going around in circles literally, the players are.

Sangwoo hairstyle is great too. I need to ask that blog to rate his hairstyles too. He has a nervous tic with his hands.

Gihun gazing at this place in wonder. As the head trapper is now head to his suite.

No music allowed in the elevator, though 😕.

[shinjiikar1]

The Boy Next World and Writing a Forgivable Stalker

Now that we’ve finally made it to the reveal (for Phu) that Cir has in fact been stalking him since high school I wanted to talk about how the show has handled this plotline as well as Cir’s character.

When the red flags started to pop up (pretty much immediately) that Cir’s parallel world story might not be the whole truth, I wondered quite a lot about how they’d handle it, particularly given Cir knows a Lot of very private information about Phu. Stalking (or activities that basically amount to stalking) is not a foreign element to romance media, but the way it is handled has a major impact on how willing the audience is to accept it. For myself, it’s a behaviour that I find a bit hard to justify in a lead, it wasn’t going to immediately make me drop the show, but they were going to need to make Cir compelling enough for me to enjoy the rest of the show (spoiler alert they did).

One of the major factors that worked in the show's favour was that they really held back on showing the stalking initially. It's hinted at, but you don't really see it until around episode 7 (?) when Phu is picking up stuff for his dad. I think it works narratively, as we can identify more with Phu and his understanding of Cir, and also in the sense that it lulls the audience into a false sense of security. I know I was thinking about the implications of all of Cir's knowledge quite a lot in the first few episodes, but by the time we got that flashback in episode 7 I was almost startled, part of me had forgotten about it and it was a jarring reminder. I think this was a really good move and set the show up for the slow unraveling of the lie in the next two episodes well.

They also gave Cir some serious wet puppy treatment to engender sympathy. You can overlook his actions a little more because his whole situation sucks just that bad. Like of course his boundaries and behaviours are totally off the wall, he was raised by a cartoon villain there was no way he was gonna be normal. His interest in Phu was the only thing that kept him going and fighting at all in that situation, without it he probably would've just turned into a complete robot/asshole (as we see in the office worker universe). Obviously in real life this would never justify the level of stalking he committed, but as a fictional character it makes the audience feel enough sympathy to at least prime them to forgive him when the time comes for the resolution. I can also, on some level, understand why he never approached Phu. With his four year time limit he may have felt like it wasn't right to put Phu through that since he wasn't quite willing to fight back at that point. It's still wild to not even try to be friends with him but y'know.

Finally, his treatment of Phu is otherwise pretty solid, he's pushy and a little overbearing (but not to a level that's out of the ordinary for a love interest in romance media), but he's never aggressive or violent towards him (just people around him lol). He does seem to genuinely have Phu's best interests at heart and while his love is somewhat obsessive, he doesn't totally steamroller Phu when he puts his foot down (can I just say how happy I am that Phu has a backbone and stands up for himself?). He's also been feeling extremely guilty about his lie and has been trying to work up to telling Phu multiple times, which gets him some extra points. They've made him almost overly nice (when he's with Phu), particularly in contrast to the other Cir's we've seen. Crucially, he makes Phu happy and wants to protect him from the fucked up situation of his life. Also it's a MAME show so I wasn't going in expecting everyone here to behave in a perfectly acceptable and unproblematic manner lol. I've seen much worse and less forgivable leads, but given the tastes of the current BL market I think they toned him down enough that he's as acceptable as he can be (which might actually be annoying for some people I'm sure lmao).

I think the reveal was also done quite well, the slow building dread I felt from the moment his fiancee mentioned the stalking was great, and that final shot of Phu coming out of the bedroom looking just, So betrayed was perfect. I liked that they had him hear about it and not think more of it initially, then see the photos, then get it confirmed by Wim. Cir can't wiggle his way out and Phu can't dismiss it, it's all finally in the open and now we have to deal with the consequences.

This is not to say it will land for everyone! We all have different tolerance thresholds and icks, but for me, the show did enough that I don't just want Phu to run for the hills lol, YMMV.

I really hope the last episode tomorrow is extremely long, or we get one more, because I reaaallly want them to stick the landing. The show hasn't been perfect, but I've enjoyed it quite a lot and I'd like to end it on a good note!

[captainnameless]

Just got off my 16 hour flight 💔 Sat next to an ADORABLE baby who was so well behaved for the first few hours but then became actually feral. Reminded me of how danny and lando (and alex?) flew to spa together (i think) and lando would so be feral. any ideas of lando being naughty on a flight, maybe he would be acting up for alex.

a 16 hour flight? where did you go?! goddamn bestie, that sounds miserable. when i went to New Zealand my flights were 12 and 14 hours and i thought that was bad 😭 also i do not blame the baby i too would go feral.

Lando’d for sure be having a rough time on a 16 hour flight. Daniel’s lulled into a false sense of security at first. Lando’s exhausted post race, freshly showered and all bundled up in some of Daniel’s enchanté merch. The joggers and the matching soft hoodie. Lando’s basically stumbling into the plane, there’s only a small bit of whining going on when he has to sit in his own seat for take off, but Daniel manages that by holding Lando’s hand and promising a cuddle as soon as the seat belt lights turn off.

He fulfills his promise and has a lap full of curly brunette seconds after the light switches off, cradling Lando into his chest and pressing a soft kiss in between his brows. Lando finds his thumb and is out within minutes.

“That was easy.” Alex comments and Daniel shoots him a look.

“Never say that at loud.”

- - -

Proof they jinxed it shows itself when Lando wakes up due to turbulence a little under 2 hours later, definitely not ready to wake up yet.

Daniel tries his best to lul him back to sleep but Lando notices the empty plates and is immediately upset they ate without him. Daniel reassures him they will heat up Lando’s food for him but it’s already put Lando in a mood.

Daniel tries to win him back with some of the snacks he packed but has to intervene when he offers Alex some too and Lando whines “Mine!”

“Lando,” Daniel chastises, holding the snack out of reach. “We share with our friends, Danny packed enough for all of us.”

“No, mine.” Lando whines, now back in his own seat but trying to reach over to prevent Daniel from giving the small packet to Alex. Instead, Daniel manages to snatch Lando’s own packet of animal crackers out of his hand.

Lando screeches.

“If you can’t share, you’re not being rewarded with a snack, buddy. No, Lando-.” Daniel sighs, holding the snacks out of reach as Lando tries to take them back.

“Hey, look at Danny. You can have them back if you can share.”

“Share.” Lando says miserably, making grabby hands towards the crackers and snatching one of them out of Daniel’s hand, shooting daggers at Alex when Daniel hands him the other one.

“Lando.” Daniel warns, grabbing the younger’s chin. “Stop it. I mean it, if you think Danny won’t discipline you because Alex is here you’re going to be in for a surprise. Understood?”

Lando pouts, soft flush on his cheeks. “Yea.” He curls into his seat after that.

Lando’s mood improves slightly when dinner is served for him, Daniel helps with bites when the plane gets wobbly and for a second he thinks the attitude might have just been Lando being hangry.

He’s proven wrong when the card game Alex brought only upsets Lando again when he doesn’t win, and Daniel intervenes again.

“Alright,” Daniel says, a little exasperated and Lando is worried for a split second before Daniel gets the iPad out, setting up the bluetooth headset. “You need a bit of quiet screen time.”

Daniel pulls up Netflix, goes into the downloaded episodes and plops the iPad in Lando’s lap. “Pick something you like, buddy.” With that he puts the headphones on Lando and lets the little guy be for a while.

It works for a bit, Lando’s interested in his Bluey episode until he notices Daniel and Alex have returned to their card game and feels the need to reach his foot out to nudge at the airplane table the cards are on.

Daniel catches his ankle, squeezes it and gives Lando a look.

Lando huffs, curls his leg back in on himself and goes back to his episode until Daniel’s distracted enough. He’s quicker this time, a quick kick, just to show his displeasure with them playing that stupid game except he doesn’t really have control now that he wants to be quick with it. Kicks the table harder than intended and sends some of the cards flying, but more unfortunately, Daniel’s coke.

It goes very quickly then, Daniel curses and quickly flips the can upright again but the damage is done. Alex snatches up some of the napkins that are left from Lando’s dinner and starts dabbing the table and the cards.

Daniel stands then, a little crouched from the angle of the plane, grabs the headphones off of Lando and the iPad, puts them in he’s seat before he’s got both hands hooked under Lando’s armpits, hoisting him out of the seat and into the aisle before marching him towards the back of the plane.

Lando starts struggling the moment he realizes what’s happening, digging his socked feet into the floor but Daniel simply wraps his arms around Lando’s waist and carries him the last few steps into the sleeping compartment at the back of the plane, shoving the screen door closed.

“Nooo.” Lando whines, clawing at Daniel’s arms before he’s released, stood facing the wall but immediately turning back around. “Da-”

“Lando.” Daniel warns, a quick tap to his thigh. “Face it.”

There’s a miserable whine thats followed by tears, hands twisting into his own sleeves. He only has to do 2 minutes, Daniel taking mercy on a clearly very tired little but Lando swears it feels like 2 hours.

He gets a “that was a big no no” speech after and a good cuddle, before Daniel suggests that maybe they should try to catch some more sleep and Daniel promises to lay down with him.

He’s reminded that Lando has only eaten and leaves the little for a quick second to get him a juicebox, confirm with Alex they’re going to have a lie down who assures him it’s fine, and returns with a juice box that Lando downs immediately.

Lando swears he doesn’t need the bathroom, and so Daniel cuddles him close and thanks whatever God there is when Lando actually falls back asleep relatively easily, figuring he could use some shut eye himself.

[wendigo-wendigoing-wendigone]

Rating Supernatural

[SPOILER ALERT]

Season 1 Episode 1: Pilot

- Monster/lore: Constance Welch; ghost, La Llorona, weeping woman, woman in white

- Angst: the Winchester origin story (that we know of so far), Constance Welch and her backstory, Jess dies

- Songs: Back in Black, Highway to Hell

- Laughs: 'Jerk', 'Bitch', 'My boobs', general sibling stuff

- Extra: as an old pilot it holds up surprisingly well, uses cyclical structure, 'Dad's on a hunting trip, and he hasn't been home in a few days', 'We got work to do'

Getting into it:

(This is a long old rant, my overall rating is at the very end).

Constance Welch is a ghost, a woman in white who haunts the same five mile stretch of road and preys on weak-willed men who cheat on their partners or are easily convinced to do so. Her method to me is so haunting; white symbolizes innocence, which lulls you into a false sense of security. She seems a bit out of it, a bit naïve, which is an act to get those men to take advantage of such an easy situation, then BAM! She's got em. Then there's that, barely above a whisper repeated line, 'I can never go home.'

Imagine picking up a hitchhiker (don't do that) and they ask you to go home, they're so cryptic, and when you finally do get them there they're all, nah can't go in there. Like??? Ok spooky 👀

Also we can't ignore how tormenting it is to watch her get into that car and just disappear out of our view.

The lore is great. I am so fascinated by this specific genre of spirit to the point I've included it in a university project in the past. And I enjoy that the first hunt is a ghost. Supernatural's first monster should have always been a ghost, a vampire, or a werewolf, just to keep with the classics, and they made it their own by deciding not to go to the usual haunted house route.

The angst was good in this episode. It gave a good amount of lore dropping, the strained relationship is so clear between Sam and his family, Dean's loyalty to his dad is also very clear. Overall it sets the tone of their dynamic nicely. Plus there are already emotional stakes with the deaths of both Mary and Jess. Constance Welch has a pretty hefty amount of angst herself, which doesn't make it too cheesy in my opinion; rather than an ooky spooky ghost you can't take seriously, we see her as someone who used to be a person like the rest of us. (Admittedly not the greatest person).

The songs are so appropriate and I enjoy them, Sam is indeed back (in black) to his old life, embarking on a journey that he knows isn't going to end well, but can't deny his instincts as a raised hunter. It's a hard road to venture down, knowing you might not come out all right. A highway to hell indeed. ACDC is something I'll always think of when I think of this show. They have been a service to each other (not that ACDC needed it, but hey).

It has been years since I watched this show since finishing it. But it still gets a chuckle out of me in almost every episode: jerk, bitch, Dean saying the only really thing he's got are his boobs and then SLAM, he's under arrest. These boys are undoubtedly brothers too, their rivalry, the hitting. Dean makes a point that he's 26, a grown man. And yet they're back to kids in less than a day of being near each other again.

Extra stuff: I think this really holds up, the classic lines we get out of this episode used over and over throughout the rest of the show. And of course my favourite, cyclical structure. I'm a sucker for it, but I know other people aren't fans. However. Opening and closing the show with Mary and Jess dying in the same way, both above Sam's crib/bed. It's satisfying. And to end it all with this cool shot.

5/5

[amethystina]

I am intrigued by all the wips honestly. Anything you give us will be amazing, I have no doubt.

I will ask about Thou Shalt Not Covet tho because it is completed.

And I LOVE the How To Build a Family for Dummies title lmao. If you feel that it fits the story, you don't have to change it imo 😆

Also, I have to ask about your health. I hope you're doing well these days and that you're getting better. If not, don't push yourself too hard. Take care of yourself either way 💜

No pressure x'D

Jokes aside: thank you 💜 I'm very flattered that a lot of you have such faith in me and my writing.

Thou Shalt Not Covet was something I wrote in a feverish haze about a week ago because I was high-key panicking over not having been able to draw or write in what felt like forever and my brain just latched on to that story. Which wasn't at all what I had planned but, apparently, what I needed at the time, so I try not to hold it against myself.

It's basically a fic about Ga On being a raging ball of jealousy for 10k straight.

... or gay, I guess?

So the title is a bit misleading since there is actually A LOT of coveting going on. Coveting of Yo Han, to be more specific.

Ga On you little sinner you.

And it's 10k before editing, I should say. Because since I wrote it with a fever, I'll probably have to add a bit as I edit. Understandably, I tend to miss a lot of details when I'm too feverish. The fic is set just before Kim Choong Sik's first trial, so around episode 10. Which means I'm going to have to add a couple of warnings because Yo Han does not play fair. Whenever I write Yo Han as he was during the drama I'm reminded of how far he's come in Who Holds the Devil because dear LORD is he a manipulative asshole in this one x'D

So yeah. Jealous!Ga On and a Yo Han who doesn't pull his punches. A recipe for disaster, in other words. But they work it out eventually.

Here's a snippet from the beginning of the story (though unedited so there might be changes before it's posted)

---

Ga On had never understood how utterly devastating jealousy could be until he felt it — truly felt it — for the first time.

If asked, he would have said he wasn't a jealous person. He may have felt a burst of it once or twice as he and Soo Hyun had grown up — whenever another boy had shown an interest in her — but it had faded just as quickly as it had flared up. Perhaps because, deep down, Ga On had known that Soo Hyun only had eyes for him.

There was no need for him to feel jealous since the odds of him losing Soo Hyun to another were slim.

And, in hindsight, that must have lulled Ga On into a false sense of security, giving him the impression that he wasn't the jealous type. That he was calm and rational enough not to get upset, and knew how to handle the surge of emotions that might occur. Not realizing that what he'd felt at the time wasn't jealousy — or at least not the true depth of what he was actually capable of feeling.

Ga On had underestimated his own possessiveness.

And it wasn't until he met Kang Yo Han that Ga On knew true jealousy.

His first clue that he'd misjudged himself should have been his inexplicable desire to remain within Yo Han's orbit despite having numerous reasons to stay away. All Ga On wanted was to keep pushing closer, to keep proving himself, to keep asking for that intoxicating attention that crackled like electricity down his spine. He may not want to name what he was experiencing — instinctively shying away from a revelation he knew would change his life beyond what he was ready to deal with, finding comfort in denial — but he still craved the rush it gave him. He couldn't help wanting more.

His second clue should have been his own reaction as he'd watched Jung Sun Ah fuss with Yo Han's tie during their photo shoot.

The anger Ga On had felt in that moment — curling black and vicious inside his chest — had been an overreaction of the kind that should have given him pause. But, somehow, it hadn't. Somehow, Ga On hadn't even registered it as something out of the ordinary. Some part of him had even felt justified in his anger.

As if he had a right to feel that possessive over his chief.

But the rational part of Ga On knew that he didn't. He may be sleeping in Yo Han's house and helping him with his mission to upend the world as they knew it, but they were still nothing more than coworkers.

Yo Han had never promised him anything.

---

Expect jealousy, anger, and a bit of angst. Because Ga On has abandonment issues and it actually hits pretty hard when he starts suspecting that he's not so special to Yo Han after all...

As for How to Build a Family For Dummies, the title doesn't fit the vibe AT ALL which is why I'm calling it a working title for now. It just sounds way too cute and cheerful for the actual theme and content of the story x'D But more about that in another reply since I got a specific ask about it!

Aaaaand when it comes to my health, things are really bad, unfortunately. The kind of bad I haven't had since January, with daily exhaustion fevers and lack of focus. And it's probably not going to get better anytime soon since the main cause is related to something outside of my control that will most likely take months to fix. So it's really just a matter of me trying to hold on as long as I can and, if I'm lucky, I won't break completely before I reach the other side. I guess we'll see?

Anyhow! Thank you so much for the concern and the lovely ask. You take care of yourself too 💜

WIP Tag Game

[burnwater13]

Image depicts a head shot of Migs Mayfeld in a black turtleneck and dark green shirt, the Mandalorian wearing an Imp Transport Pilot helmet while being scanned by a computer system security device, and Din Djarin's face, as he is being scanned by the same security device. Caption reads: Seems to me like your rules start to change when you get desperate. - Migs Mayfeld. Images from The Mandalorian, Season 2, Episode 7, The Believer. Calendar by DateWorks.

Grogu blamed himself. He’d asked the question. He didn’t have to. It wasn’t critical information needed to safe guard his friends and family. It wasn’t even interesting information, as things turned out. It was just information. Boring, irrelevant, tedious information that did nothing but confirm that when it came to Migs Mayfeld, Grogu would gladly lump the talkative criminal in the same pile as Moff Gideon, or that guy who hired the Mandalorian to retrieve Grogu from Arvala-7. 

Grogu understood that he might be the only person who lumped that chatterbox in with Imp Warlords trying to reestablish the Empire, but he stood by his opinion. Mayfeld was inherently selfish and that just rubbed Grogu the wrong way. Every time he was mentioned. Even in passing.

He and his dad, the Mandalorian, were just sitting on the porch of their cabin on Nevarro. It was late afternoon and Grogu was tired from chasing frogs and Din Djarin had just told him that their next meal wouldn't be for a couple of hours at least. The Mandalorian was kind of idly fussing with one of his vambraces. The retractable cable wasn’t working quite perfectly perfect. 

Grogu chirped to his dad and once he had the Mandalorian’s attention he signed his question. How did they find the location of Moff Gideon’s ship? Grogu wasn’t sure why that was a question he had. It had kind of popped into his head and he couldn’t ignore it any more than he could ignore it when his stomach was growling from hunger. 

He thought the Mandalorian would be his normally terse self and say something short and to the point. ‘I got the coordinates from a secret Imp base on Morak.’  That’s how he’d answered any number of other questions about things he had done while Grogu was otherwise occupied. He’d described the whole event of taking over the Imp freighter on Trask as ‘I helped the other Mandos out with a problem.’ Accurate and practically free of any encumbering information or data. Grogu had gotten used to responses like that and was lulled into a false sense of security. 

Instead, for whatever reason, the Mandalorian blabbed in detail about how they first went to Nevarro to collect Cara Dune and then they went to Karthon, to their ‘chop fields’ to collect Migs Mayfeld. Then how they convinced Mayfeld to go with them to Morak and help them infiltrate that ‘secret’ Imp base because he had once been an Imp, where Din Djarin had to gain access to an Imp data base using a biometric scan of his face, because Mayfeld couldn’t do it. That’s right! The Mandalorian’s face! That face that he wouldn’t let Grogu even see until five minutes before they were parted for what seemed like forever!

As Grogu was about to launch into a whole lecture about betrayal, trust, family, and all of their allied subjects and sub-topics, the Mandalorian had related Mayfeld’s comment about the Creed that he’d made on their way to the base. 

“Seems to me like your rules start to change when you get desperate.”

Then Grogu felt his head explode. Just a little. But it was enough for him to throw Mayfeld into the Imp despot pile. Imagine him saying that to the Mandalorian? Him! The guy who admitted to being an Imp, like that was some sort of good thing. The guy who then turned to a life of crime. The guy who would never shut up about anything that struck him as incongruous. What did he even know about rules? It was clear to Grogu that Migs Mayfeld had never met a rule that he was willing to consider, let alone actually follow. That guy.

Mayfeld only did things that benefited Mayfeld. Ever. As soon as he thought that he might be recognized by the Imps crawling through the secret base he knew all about, it was over for him. He was too selfish, too desperate, to do anything but save his own skin. Grogu was so annoyed he wanted to track Mayfeld down and kick his shin. A good, solid kick. The sort of thing that made you limp for a couple of hours and reconsider how you’d been living your life. But Grogu couldn’t do that. No matter how much he wanted to, he had a creed that he followed. It reminded him that everyone had faults and the solution to dealing with those faults was not violence, even if kicking someone in the shins wasn’t very violent. 

Nope. You had to consider that no one was the same as anyone else. Everyone had weaknesses and strengths and they differed from person to person. Migs Mayfeld could no more wish to be as brave and fearless as the Mandalorian had been, than Grogu could wish to be as tall as either of the humans. They all had limitations. 

But Grogu didn’t have to like those limitations. He didn’t have to celebrate them. He didn’t have to honor them. He definitely didn’t have to endorse them as a way of life. According to Mayfeld the Empire and the New Republic were just the same, but that was objectively untrue. The people causing problems on Karthon were the same selfish Imps that had messed things up to begin with. The fact that the New Republic hadn’t caught up to them yet had more to do with guys like Mayfeld pretending it was all the same so he could ignore the problem he wouldn’t solve because it might put him at some risk. 

“Grogu. Buddy. Calm down. I get it. But when push came to shove, Mayfeld still helped me get the information I needed to rescue you. All that talk of his is about himself. He’s the guy who changed when things got desperate. Lucky for both of us, it was a change for the better.”

Yeah. Lucky for Mayfeld’s shins.

Mig's Mayfeld, without his helmet on, wearing the body armor of an Imperial Transport Pilot, while driving the transport, speaking to the Mandalorian who is also wearing the body armor of Imperial Transport Pilot, including the helmet, on Karthon. Greenery can be seen out of the window on Mayfeld's side of the vehicle. Caption reads: I don't know. Seems to me like your rules state to change when you get desperate.

Image from The Mandalorian, Season 2, Episode 7, The Believer.

[spacedryadkepler]

malevolent chapter 49 spoilers!

(the most rambling of thoughts)

-i went into this episode with some spoilers cause i couldn’t listen to the ep until late in the evening, and couldn’t help myself when it came to browsing tumblr

those were: oscar’s letter being illegible ( not too surprised about that one, given the constant rain, the mud, the blood loss, and the swimming/wading through bodies of water. i’d have been shocked if it survived)

arthur lester crashes out (again)

arthur and john reunited with the dearly beloved and missed cast member: “falling in holes”

and arthur uses All Of The Bullets

this turned the episode into a fun mystery game for me (on top of the in-episode murder mystery), trying to figure out when these things would occur

anyway onto the actual episode

- we saw it a lot last episode but i looooove seeing how much john is stepping up and pulling extra weight for arthur while he’s unwell. it’s sooo different from the dysfunctional dynamic they had when dealing with other people during season 4.

i’ll never get tired of seeing the contrast against past events of how far the boys have come and changed

-arthur sure is doing. Really! Bad! uh oh!

-despite that he still gets some great great spotlight of his people skills, dealing with the suspicious and unpredictable castle gang, and the one-on-one intimidation with the friar

-the friar in fact, did not do it, as i thought, but the lord everard reveal is way more interesting so i like this outcome

-something about benevolent christmas special referencing the falling in holes thing, and a new incident of Arthur and John Fall in a Hole being in an episode that released on christmas day is very funny to me, even though i know the part of the episode featuring Falling in a Hole most likely released a couple weeks ago

- arthur giving up because he doesn’t believe that on a fundamental, physical level he’s capable of pushing on and surviving is so heartbreaking to listen to.

despite knowing this is Malevolent, i somehow wasn’t expecting to get emotional this episode!

i got lulled into a false sense of security by the previous episodes (which were pretty chill, compared to the standard), even though i knew they were luring me into a false sense of security

- john reciting Invictus to arthur is so ougggh aggghh oof ouch my heart, i loved it. but also it makes me crazy and i can’t stop thinking about it because

when arthur has referenced pieces of Invictus in the past, john didn’t recognize it.

since john has picked up knowledge of human experiences and poetry from arthur, in some sort of bleed-over of knowledge due to their shared state of being, we can assume that Invictus is not among that selection that bled over.

when john asks about it, arthur specifically says it’s “not for you”, keeping a poem that’s so meaningful to him close to his chest.

it makes sense, this was during the prison pits, and the last thing that arthur shared that was important to him, was wielded against him, painfully.

arthur does recite Invictus to yellow, but he was drunk/poisoned, and given the way he brushes off questions the next day, i assume he wouldn’t have freely recited it had he had all of his faculties about him.

but now, after all that’s happened, how arthur and john’s relationship has changed so drastically from the way it was in the dreamlands.

now john has been able to pick up the poem, accumulated as part of the bleed-over knowledge. i don’t think there’s any conscious control on the part of either party when it comes to what knowledge is shared with john, but it feels significant that Now he has access to it, after all this time.

and what he does with it, is he uses it to raise arthur up. to support and try and encourage arthur to push on. head bloodied, but unbowed.

these two make me so crazy it’s insane!!!!!!!

- anyways, because i’m also crazy about kayne, when john mentioned the coin, and then a voice that i didn’t immediately realize was everard spoke, i did very briefly freak out going “omg kayne??? kayne??? kayne???” before coming to my senses.

- also it’s delightful that the boys found an ally here?? i really wasn’t expecting that honestly, after season four, given the circumstances they were placed into, i thought this season would be a return to form of the pair having no one they can safely trust, other than themselves. very neat to be proven wrong!

and it’s a very delightful way to twist it that ultimately they can’t rely upon/work with this ally in the end, because they’re stuck working for one of those very “dark forces” that everard is working against.

- YAY WAHOO for arthur getting healed from his sickness, but i am very curious about how the next episode will go, given that it’s “not simple” and “will take some time”.

it’s possible there will be a short time skip, but i feel like an episode about curing a magical sickness and ridding arthur of horrig’s influence, has potential to be another character development bottle episode of sorts, like The Nightmare.

also can alia detect john?? will she be able to detect john when healing arthur??

what if she deems john as some “dark force” that arthur needs healed from as well

or what if she deems john is Not a “dark force” (that one would make me cry)

i can’t wait for the next ep