#i have watched many more starred treks now and will probably continue to

[scribefindegil]

finished Lower Decks tonight and ohhhh I'm gonna miss it. Community in space my beloved . . .

[raisinchallah]

contemplating the various reasons for xena being forgotten while its peers like buffy or the x files still have thriving fandoms.. its many factors but i think one it stopped being seen as a show on its own merits and became kind of a punchline and joke about lesbians in wider pop culture like it was popular it was mainstream it was regularly beating star trek in syndication and was regularly the most popular action show in international purchasing rights it was broadcast all over the world and now poof like it never existed i think a few of the problems are its been sparse on streaming for yeaars and thats how many people watch these shows secondly its not had an hd remaster and especially season one probably looks atrocious on a huge tv and the wonky old cgi probably doesnt help since so many sci fi fantasy fans seem to be weirdly difficult about bad effects anyways we need to work to get doctor who fans into xena theyre the only ones who wont say a peep about it but anyways the fact all its seen as is this lesbian show had i think two effects which is random straight viewers are not going to seek it out even if idk they loved the witcher or some other recent fantasy action adventure show its just not classed with that anymore so it loses that mainstream element it cant be part of general nerd fandom cuz its just that weird gay show and also frankly i think a lot of queer women watched the show not necessarily cuz they liked it but because it was kind of seen as like one of the few gay shows out there u see lots of women saying like now that i can watch the L word what do i need xena for when theyre like wildly different shows then compounding that with the extremely controversial finale that lead a lot of people to leave fandom feel totally heartbroken about it i think really didnt help the continuity and longevity of an already contracting fandom like season 5 was hated but also really hard to watch lots of articles on whoosh people discussing waking up at like 3am to record xena episodes cuz they were broadcast at crazy times and many countries tv networks stopped buying it or suddenly delaying release by like 8 months which was terrible for people involved in internet fandom now suddenly being way behind everyone else so way fewer people were watching the final seasons a lot more people didnt like major parts of them and it really splintered fandom as well as many people stuck by the show out of this sense of uniqueness but there were not long after xena a trickle of more gay characters and gay shows on television and with many people who felt toyed with and would be like oh they never confirmed xena and gabrielle and xena died horribly i prefer to watch the L word which doesnt toy with you about them being lesbians etc real opinions ive seen out there anyways i think these problems compound idk gay internet fandom is fickle and has often jumped between the various hot new things in a way that makes it hard to keep xena going it never really transitioned as a fandom into like the ff.net and livejournal era in a significant way and has struggled for relevance since and ultimately for reasons outlined above i think its struggled to be seen as anything other than that gay show and is viewed only in that lens its not seen as a fun complex action adventure show with fun meta elements and genre experimentation that boldly reinvents itself every few seasons but also it has failed to take hold in the one community it would continue to entice i do also think the fact of it seeming like a holdover and well the black stain of the concept of queerbait also perhaps didnt help it seemed out of date old fashioned compared to idk the hot new random gay characters on tv cuz nobody wanted to fucking tell people and remember how crazy insane and good and like bone deep thematically gay xena is and like is also just good fucking tv and also people just dont respect women thats the truth people dont care about stuff about women… ok my theoriez.. thanks for ur time

[teitpp]

Prodigy Recap

I love it I love it I love it I could watch it forever

I'm truly irrevokably in love. I'm done for. I'm probably going to rewatch this all month before I am satisfied I've fully taken it all in. I NEED to rewatch Mindwalk and Supernova again ASAP because knowing what I know now about the memories HJ had just recovered. I know it is going to wreck me to watch her in those episodes with S2 in mind.

My ship HELD HANDS GUYSSS. HE TOLD HER SHES HIS HOME. HE DIDNT FEEL LIKE HE BELONGED ANYWHERE UNTIL THEY MET. SHE BROKE TIME FOR HIM AGAIN AND AGAIN. HER EYES GOT SO BIG! THAT HUG LOOKED SO GOOD. (I'm getting off topic a lot but i need to get the "my ship is canon - in a way i don't hate!!!" fangirling out of my system.) breathe. breathe. okay gonna keep going.

Its gonna take me a few more watch throughs to fully wrap my head around the paradox. And around how you fit a humpback whale in the original ISS Voyager (seriously. has that been there the whole time? does OG Voyager have a whale? was she retrofitted in the AQ? did Mirror J steal a whale from 1996?) And if that timeline where KJ was lost on the infinity means shes also trapped on future solum with Chakotay or just dead. and and and... so many things. so many fic ideas. so many plot bunnies

(wait no -- shoves the plot bunnies away -- go away. not ready for more wips yet)

There. was. so. much. that I loved. it was such an ambitious story to tell in 2 seasons and oh my god, i really feel they mostly pulled it off. They brought back Voyagers legacy characters and put them to work in a plot that fit them, and it was such a joy to see them again. They stay true to who they were on Voyager - thoroughly wonderfully 100x better than on Voyager in Chakotays case. and i really believe theyre the same characters with a few more years of life since ive last met them.

And the new characters too. I love Dal and Gwyn and Rok and Murf and Zero and Jankom and Maj'el to pieces. (Majel!!! is such a perfect tribute!) I want to see so much more of Noum and Tysses. I am in tears over Adreek. God how much i want Season 3 just to see how their stories continue.

But I think... what strikes me most and what I appreciated the most was how much this show wholeheartedly respects its fans!!!

It never dumbs things down or babies it's younger audience. its very mature for a kids show. it is a great introduction to star trek and the universe without over explaining. there are storylines in these 40 episodes that would be right at home in TNG or Voyager. it's really more of a fun for the whole family show than a kids show in that way. (it says something that it's the first "cartoon" my parents have ever cared for and they are watching it wholely for themselves.) It really manages to tell the story in a framing thats aimed at kids without taking anything away from the story its telling for all ages.

And it's adult audience...

I worried about how it would feel to have enjoyed such a rich fanon universe in the 3 decades since the show ended. There were advantages to having a ship with very little canon. the fan universe thrived on how much room there was to work within. After that - having headcanoned and written and imagined so many futures for the characters - I feared having some new canon come in and make a new story for them that would invalidate so much if that imagination, or create something so unsatisfying or rigid or antithical to their last canon encounter that nothing new would be inspired by it. (P/C in Picard was like that for me)

Prodigy didnt do that. Prodigy made no grand sweeping canon for the years in between Voyagers homecoming and the new show. Prodigy didnt shoe horn any character into a rigid relationship status. Prodigy picked them up, set them on a new adventure, sprinkled in tantalyzing new details, and left a wealth of room around the events of the season and the relationships between the characters for so much fan imagination to thrive. The possibilities before and during and after the seasons for the characters are bountiful and perfect for imagining their other adventures. I couldnt have imagined my ship becoming canon (or maybe affirmed by the canon is a clearer way to put it) in a better way.

And then they went and added Tank Top Action Janeway in there as a treat.

Truly a masterpiece. i'm so grateful for this show. i hope it gets the 3rd season it so dearly deserves.

[dabuerre]

so, normally, i would post way more, about specific episodes, as i tried to do, but like damn. my watch of season 2 absolutely flew by.

i have so many thoughts about everything. i think this is for me the same thing as star trek. thats the highest compliment i can give it.

i love the "crew". with every new episode, sam grows more beautiful.

"Holiday" hit me pretty hard, which i didnt expect.

apophis is dead? damn bro. like finally. but he died the most horrible death. i feel awful for his host. because, even though Daniel Jackson did the whole capture the soul in the statuette thingie, it doesn't matter, because heru-ur probably keeps torturing him eternally. not sure.

my god. "One False Step". also incredibly good. i knew, that Jack cared deeply for Daniel, but their friendship wasn't really there. something was missing for me, i guess. this episode completed it for me. that scene, when they are sitting on the hospital bed apologizing to each other? perfection. and the whole idea behind the concept, with the singing mushroom guys, i love this episode so fucking much. when daniel exploded with the whole "we are genociding a people" i was genuinely very worried that they are just gonna all die.

"Show and Tell". the Retoor. so fucking cool damn. but creepy asfuck aswell. that whole mother business creeped me the hell out. when the boy told Jack that he wanted to be called "Charlie" i was devastated, because i thought for the third time, Jack was gonna lose his son. atleast that didnt happen, ig. i do think though that the Retoor are possibly even a bigger threat then the Goa'Ulds.

"1969" was my kind of episode. absolute perfection. we got. time travel shenanigans check. we got hippies in a cool fucking bus? check. we got young lieutenant hammond? check. loved the whole road trip feel that the episode has. i think the actress for "old" Clarissa was not well chosen though. small nitpick.

and now, "Out of My Mind". now i immedietally you know that only Jack being in 2077 was impossible. the show couldnt continue if they got off-screened. but in my mind i assumed that maybe Jack is gonna time travel back to 1997 or something. but then when the Tok'ra doctor gave him the "high-tech hypnosis" device, i suspected that something shady is going on. the Teal'c insert, with the whole speech, and Bratak being beaten, was suprising to me. i genuinely thought more people would rally. but again, stargate is perfection, cuz yeah. these people completely lost their identity. like, jaffa, to me, is a title, right? Teal'c is not a jaffa, he is Tauri, i guess, be grew up on Chulak. so are they Chulakians? were there ever a time when they weren't occupied by the Goa'ulds? idk. cool to thing about. more to come i hope.

and then of course came the peak moment. now i dont really ship Jack and Carter yet. atleast i didnt use to. i thought they worked completely well as just great friends who have huge respect for each other. but when Jack killed Hathor, in that manner, and then the hug... yeah man, i knew. i knew haha. but yeah, not possible. fuck regulations. so i guess this will be another Beverly situation.

gonna start watching season 3 now. im so happy that i found this series haha. i thought it would take longer to find something on the same level as startrek. you people got it good in the 00s. haha.

[noitsbecky127]

rebecca watches ds9: the wire

alright I skipped liveblogging the last few episodes but I’ve heard enough about this one to know I gotta resume for it. I’ll detail my future liveblogging plans after the ep, let’s go

wait i want to hear more about these aliens that don’t acknowledge the concept of time

“entertaining one of your lady friends?” cmon garak julian wouldn’t cheat on you

time for the regularly scheduled homoerotic book club

a story chronicling seven generations? that feels like too many imo

cardassian literature sounds boring

garak is not fine and i know this bc of osmosis. i’m not quite sure what’s wrong with him but i know it’s bad and i know julian is gonna bust his ass to fix his bf

garak is gonna be the WORST patient isn’t he

i love kira coming in to ask what that was about. local lesbian is concerned about her bi friend and his questionable situationship

that’s an unusual patient you have there julian

jadzia why did you think his medical knowledge would extend to plants

loving the continuation of the “i’m a doctor, not a x”

the impact of bones cannot be overstated

thank god for dr google

“maybe he just doesn’t like going to see the doctor” idk man if i was in love with my doctor i’d probably enjoy checkups more

if having lunch together every week for over a year doesn’t qualify as friendship then what does? i would definitely call that friendship

“if he doesn’t want my help, that’s his prerogative” - man about to force his help on his bf

ah he’s trying out some spying of his own

quark stop manhandling julian lmao

sisko getting hurt from yelling is a mood

julian is doing everything and then some to get answers here

oh god drunk garak

“i’ll make it up to you 😏”

he invited julian back to his quarters and they have a bottle of alcohol. unfortunately i don’t think he’s in any state to consent rn

oh shit down he goes

an implant? guessing it’s malfunctioning somehow and that’s fucking him up

well no one’s better at getting info from quark than odo is

monitoring all of quark’s communications is probably illegal but it’s quark so i can’t exactly condemn it

quark is having a zoom meeting with a random cardassian

i want to kill this random cardassian

obsidian order? i’ve heard that term on the internet but i don’t think it’s been mentioned in the show yet

ah ok the cardassian FBI

i doubt the implant is a punishment device. i wonder what it actually is though

garak continues to be the world’s worst patient

that must be a painkiller of some kind

“i thought i was supposed to be the spy” you’ve been eating lunch with julian for over a year and you didn’t expect to rub off on him?

“it can’t be removed” never doubt julian bashir’s ability to do the impossible

oh ok garak’s from the obsidian order then. not exactly a surprise

and so the anti-pain device has become the source of pain

ohhh it’s addiction

“doctor, did anyone ever tell you that you are an infuriating pest?” “chief o’brien, all the time, and i don’t pay any attention to him either!” he’s so real for that

wait but isn’t elim garak’s first name? i swear i’ve seen him called elim garak online

i’m 99% sure i’ve read “elim garak” on the internet. what is happening

there is no reason for their faces to be this close other than homosexuality

guess the cardassians removed all the info on their physiology when they left

i feel like letting odo question garak rn would go against the hippocratic oath somehow

he awakens?

not yet ig

julian waits patiently for his bf to awaken

NOW he awakens!

ok garak i’ll give you a pass bc you’re under a lot of stress rn but you gotta be nice to julian

and stop fucking this room up

if that first story wasn’t true i’m guessing the second isn’t either

why the fuck does he keep mentioning elim. is he elim or not. i am confusion

don’t forget handsome, garak. smug, sanctimonious, HANDSOME face

“i hate you” no you don’t

i love when star trek becomes a medical drama for a bit

i would love to watch a show that was just a star trek medical drama actually

i can’t tell whether julian’s on the verge of a breakthrough or just grasping at straws

how tf does molecular structure get changed. is that even possible. i’m an english major

whatever garak’s going to say is definitely not the truth

“elim wasn’t my aide, he was my friend” my brother in christ i’m pretty sure elim is YOU

HAND HOLDING

i cannot imagine seeing this scene on tv in 1994. i would actually go insane

is julian going to cardassia rn

is this tain?

yes it is!

julian subatoi bashir. nice name

ok he’s in cardassian space, if not on cardassia proper

julian please do not take anything to drink from the leader of the cardassian fbi

kanar is incredibly blue

i love julian threatening to ramble about his hyperfixations. adhd king

i don’t think (boy)friends let (boy)friends die

why does tain want garak to live? garak’s exiled

oh ok, survival is the punishment

“surrounded by people who hate him” it’s ok he has a bf

ok yeah he’s elim. guess i wasn’t supposed to know that. whoops

garak’s all better now! and ready for his weekly lunch dates again

“i have nothing to hide” - man who didn’t tell his friend his first name for over a year

books are in tubes in the future? fun

and so the homoerotic book club resumes

“they’re all true, especially the lies” - man who has never said anything true in his life

there is no heterosexual explanation for that smile from julian

i don’t know how any gay people in 1994 survived this episode. i’d have lost my mind

ok chat here’s how my liveblogging is gonna go from here on out. I’m gonna liveblog when I feel like it, or when an episode seems like I should (be it from the thumbnail or my having heard of it). I am not all-knowing so I would like you guys to keep me informed on episodes coming up that I should be sure to liveblog. Thanks in advance

Also I love getting replies to these posts! I’d love for more people to leave them, even if it’s just saying what you thought of the episode. Talking to the void can get discouraging. Again, thanks in advance!

[phosphoresccent]

phosphor's voltz rewatch, the lore collecting saga continues.

warnings for: heavy xephos bias to lore coverage, past yogscast members who were in voltz, excessive reaching on my part

Episodes 6 - 10 under the cut:

"who would nuke someone from under their base?" says lalna, the man who does that.

i do love the chemistry info dump, working that into my xeph headcanons

worlds worst nuclear engineers. these two are going to end the world accidentally.

xeph getting stressed when someone does something wrong and dangerous is so iconic - he gets so snippy so quickly, but it doesn't last long.

voltz was a really janky modpack wasn't it? i didn't remember how jank it was. very unbalanced.

"there'll be a lever under the reactor - you know like in those films where someone has to go sacrifice themselves? yeah" i'm now imagining a xephna recreation of that scene in wrath of khan (the literal only star trek thing i've ever watched) where spock has to enter the reactor to save the ship and dies against the glass as kirk watches.

they are both so silly goofy with their insults. idiot hole is not a normal thing to call someone. lalna and xeph bad at being mean canon.

xeph and lalna on a sipsco heist, what will they steal? (leather, primarily)

ridge has started building his base, xeph has noticed him - its an actually subtle base vs the big bunker or the house in the mountain.

i forgot how blatantly they cheated in this series - do we have a bit of fanon explaining this away or are we simply pretending we do not see it.

"i kind of like dying, its a refreshing experience." lalna this is why xeph makes so many clones of you, hes concerned!!

one of the boys gets radiation poisoning counter: 1 "Why do you always do this!" "I'm a scientist! I like to test things!" "But - that's not smart!" <- the early xephna dynamic, to me

and now the reactor has exploded! well done everyone

i don't think xeph's managed to get radiation sickness yet, so i've decided this is evidence for my 'xeph just is naturally radioactive' headcanon

episode 10 and we get honeydew! i like how he just kind of noticed xeph was missing and went looking for him and, somehow, found him in a concrete bunker. honeyphos real forever.

"you look almost dangerously unprepared for nuclear radiation" "well, yeah, i'm half naked -" honeydew should not be allowed in the lab, he is not wearing the correct PPE

"why are you [working on stuff] without me!" honeydew has separation anxiety for realsies. considering the shit xeph gets up to, its probably justified.

lalna is the bloodthirsty one here, trying to justify the whole nuclear war thing while xeph starts off recommending a nuclear deterrent instead -> surely looking back at this interaction from the future will not feel like a gut punch. surely.

xeph saying: "don't worry about it" counter: 1 2

i like the idea of honeydew being a lot better at maths than xeph - at least mental maths. this isn't lore its just the vibes.

sipsco may have bugged the bunker! i bet they heard more than theyd bargained for

[gosiksmallspace]

Shipper Tag Game

Thank you @godotismissingx for the tag! ❤️❤️❤️

Sorry that it took so much time 😅

Okay let's go!

1. What ship were you completely obsessed with when you were a teenager, but now you don't care anymore?

There were some k-pop ships I used to ship but as time went by I just stopped. Maybe because I’m not as much into k-pop as I used to be.

I also don’t ship any of Hetalia’s characters anymore.

2. Which ship would you consider your first one?

Stella and Brandon from Winx Club or Kevin and Gewn from Ben 10: Alien Force. That was even before I was aware of what shipping was.

While I was aware, I think it was Shizaya? Durarara was one of the first animes I watched. And Heiwajima Shizuo and Orihara Izaya's love-hate relationship was so good for a 12-year-old me.

Or it could be SasuNaru…

3. Your first fanfic belonged to which couple?

Written it was Merciless. 

But read? That was so long time ago...

I remember I found some Ben 10 stories on the Internet and I read a lot of them as a kid.

But when I read and I was aware I was reading fanfics it was most likely SasuNaru or Darry. It was most likely still on Wattpad or fanfiction.net. On or those self-publishing blogs. Those were popular back then.

4. Do you remember the first couple you saw a fanart over?

Probably SasuNaru. Or another ship that was popular at the beginning of the 2010s.

5. Did you ever get into ship discourse?

I try not to. I mostly believe that fiction is fiction and when I don't like something I just don't read it.

I like to read people's points of view though.

6. Did you used to have any no-otp or have it currently?

Not really. I used to hate UkFrance from Hetalia but now I just don't care. And I never really shipped Destiel. But I'm not sure I would call them a no-otp.

7. Who were the couple in the last fanfic you read?

A new chapter of Merciless fic that I'm always waiting for was published. It's called Hidsight by duty_free. AND IT'S AWESOME, GO READ IT. It's a wonderful continuation to The Merciless that can actually fix those two morons (I have hope, it's still ongoing)

Before it, my friend @frayed-at-the-seams published her fic about Junho and Hoyeol from D.P. It's called Dogs and Cats. It's an interesting supernatural spin on the original story and it allows Junho and Hoyeol to be cute ❤️

8. Currently, do you have any OTPs?

Of course. My absolute favorite obsession is Han Jaeho x Jo Hyunsoo from The Merciless

But there is more:

Roronora Zoro x Sanji (Zosan) from One Piece

Sakata Gintoki x Hijikata Toshirou (GinHiji) from Gintama

Shizuo Heiwajima x Orihara Izaya (Shizaya) from Durarara!!

Oga Tatsumi x Furuichi Takayuki (OgaFuru) from Beelzebub

Lee Dongsik x Han Juwon from Beyond Evil

Kang Yohan x Kim Gaon (GaHan) from Devil Judge

An Junho x Han Hoyeol from D.P.

Miyuki Kazuya x Sawamura Eijun (MiyuSawa) from Ace of Diamond 

James T. Kirk x Spock from Star Trek 

Merlin x Arthur Pendragon from BBC Merlin

James Bond x Q (00Q) from James Bond movies

Harry Hart x Gary "Eggsy" Unwin from Kingsman movies

Tony Stark aka Iron Man x Steve Rogers aka Captain America from Marvel Comics (comics only.)

Peter Parker aka Spiderman and Wade Wilson aka Deadpool from the Marvel Comics

Loid Forger x Yor Forger from SPY X FAMILY

Hino Eiji x Akhn (EiAn) from Kamen Rider OOO

Shijima Go x Chase from Kamen Rider Drive

Kiryu Sento x Banjo Ryuga from Kamen Rider Build

and many many more

Also as an exception to my k-pop rule, I still ship ChanBaek from EXO.

9. Is there any couple that, to this day, you are extremely mad about not getting together?

Robin and Barney from How I Met Your Mother. I get that it was planned from the beginning for Ted to end up with Robin but did they have to make Robin and Barney so good???

Also, Merthur, like they had a whole story about them? All 5 seasons?

And Sterek. 

10. Is there any ship you used to dislike but now you think they are kind of interesting?

Zeke x Levi from Shingeki no Kyojin. I used to not be much into it but there is an amazing reincarnation comic AU on twitter (here) with them and I have to say that they have a potential.

11. Do you have any ship that, in the past, was considered normal but now you would be canceled over?

Not sure... There were some ships that I wasn't aware of age. I don't mind ships with big age differences but I like for both parties to be over 18.

So maybe as an example Levi x Eren? Eren was 15 and now looking back I'm not sure if I would ship it. 

12. What was your favorite crack ship?

Tried to think of something but my head is empty. I don't believe I don't have any crack ships!

13. Who is the couple you read more fanfics of?

Shizaya, GinHiji or ChanBaek. They have big fandoms so I could just move from one fic to another. 

Also YoonMin. I used to ship them a lot but now not really but I read a lot of fics with them.

14. What most of your ships usually have in common?

They usually banter or tease each other. Those love-hate relationships are my favorites. And more of them lately have an age difference.

15. What you absolutely hate in a ship?

Lack of chemistry? I hate too much drama but also don't like where everything is fine. And cheating.

tagging (no preassure): @daxianme @yardmargs @frayed-at-the-seams @bobafvcks @babischlong-six @stanaclown @igonecrazy @chhagiya @lovemevermore @ilikeallthepenguins @manproposes-goddisposes @backtomanyang @inashoe @darktecno @areththeimagine and everyone who wants :)

[whollyjoly]

tag game

✨get to know me✨

thank you @xxluckystrike @panzershrike-pretz @luckynumber4 for the tags my loves 💕

- Name:

em! (although Occasional Cult Leader and Obsessed With Alton More are acceptable as well 😂)

- Pronouns:

she/her/hers!

- Star sign:

CRAB SIGN CRAB SIGN CRAB SIGN 🦀🦀🦀🦀🦀🦀🦀 ...no but actually im cancer sun cancer moon cancer mercury, the stars really said fuck you you're gonna be an emotional wreck and they were goddamn right

- # of siblings and fun facts about them (if you have any):

only child babyyyyyyyy ...well technically i have three step-sibs, but they are all older and were out of the house by the time our parents moved in together, so i never really? experienced sibling-ness with them?

- # of pets & their names:

my baby, my child, my little monster, the love of my life, my sweet cat BD-2 💕 she is an absolute fluffy menace, little miss priss, the queen of the castle, and im obsessed with her. nicknames include: Squeaky (cause she doesn't meow, she squeaks), Squeaks, The Squeaky One, The Lord Squeaketh (and The Lord Demandeth the Play), Shrimp Whiskers, Menace, Floof Creature, Angel Who Has Never Done Any Wrong, and Baby 🥰

- Fandoms:

lord i have been in so many fandoms over my many tumblr years...right now its full Band of Brothers hyperfixation season, but I'm watching M*A*S*H for the first time right now and slowly am falling into the rabbit hole also im a star wars girlie from way back (shoutout to all my old clone wars moots who were probably like "what the fuck" when i started posting about wwii men, sorry not sorry) also also: watcher, doctor who, star trek (tos mostly), chernobyl, and various other things, as a treat✨

- Favorite color:

im an olive green girlie, although deep purple has a special place in my heart!

- Favorite song:

holocene by bon iver ❤️ it's my all time favorite song, the song i listen to when my anxiety feels overwhelming, what i put on when i need to center myself and get out of my head. (someway, baby, it's part of me, apart from me)

- Favorite author (of anything readable - books, fanfics, zines, webtoons, whatever!):

sooooo my all-time fav book is Invisible Cites by Italo Calvino!! i am absolutely obsessed with the way he describes physical places and emotions, the metaphors and imagery and the way he describes the feeling a place or person can give you without actually describing it at all? it's both dreamlike and ethereal and grounded and real at the same time, and i just....love it so much. here's one of my favorite bits from the book:

Cities & The Sky [3] Those who arrive at Thekla can see little of the city, beyond the plank fences, the sackcloth screens, the scaffoldings, the metal armatures, the wooden catwalks hanging from ropes or surrounded by sawhorses, the ladders, the trestles. If you ask, "Why is Thekla's construction taking such a long time?" the inhabitants continue hoisting sacks, lowering leaded strings, moving long brushes up and down, as they answer, "So that its destruction cannot begin." And if asked whether they fear that, once the scaffoldings are removed, the city may begin to crumple and fall to pieces, they add hastily, in a whisper, "Not only the city." If, dissatisfied with the answers, someone puts his eye to a crack in a fence, he sees cranes pulling up other cranes, scaffoldings that embrace other scaffoldings, beams that prop up other beams. "What meaning does your construction have?" he asks. "What is the aim of a city under construction unless it is a city? Where is the plan you are following, the blueprint?" "We will show it to you as soon as the working day is over; we cannot interrupt our work now," they answer. Work stops at sunset. Darkness falls over the building site. The sky is filled with stars. "There is the blueprint," they say.

- Favorite fic type:

oh i will eat up...anything. literally anything. BUT if i had to pick, i have a special place in my heart for: soulmate AUs, angst with a happy ending, fake relationship AUs, hurt/comfort, time loops, magical realism AUs (particularly if canon-divergent), and the good old classic, fluffy modern AUs 💕

- Favorite Holiday:

i fucking...love christmastime okay?? i love the traditions my family has for it, like Short Feast on the winter solstice (where we eat Short Ribs and Short Grain Rice and Short Vegetables and Shortbread and put on our Short Pants and drink Short Bottles of Whiskey and go outside to Welcome the Coming of the Light, after the Longest Night of the Year), as well as finding/writing poems on Christmas Eve and walking to the large 600+ year old sequoia trees in our neighborhood to recite them and bring good energy to the new year, to watching It's A Wonderful Life every year. holidays and traditions are so much what you make of it, and i love the energy my family brings into it - nothing is precious, but everything is sacred.

- Do you have a partner (romantic, qpr, anything!)?:

ye, i have a bf!

- Hobbies:

i love to cross-stitch! it helps my adhd ass brain focus on things, so if ever im watching a show or listening to a podcast, i usually have a hoop in my hands. i also love board games - particularly social deception games! and of course - watching tv/movies, reading fic, consuming media, making moodboards, dreaming up fic ideas, and all the lovely things you see me talk about here on tumblr 💕

- Fun facts about you:

uhhhhhhhhhhhh i dont?? know if i have a fun fact?? about me??? OH WAIT okay this is for the bob fans out there - so i was visiting philly not all that long ago, and went to both front street and 17th street in south philly For Our Boys, bill and babe ❤️ and while i was there, i went into a bookstore that was right on s 17th street... and they had a SINGLE copy of bill and babe's book!! i got it of course, and it felt like it was absolutely meant to be!!

tagging, if you want!: @sweetxvanixlla @ronsparky @coco-bean-1218 @onlyyouexisthere @mutantmanifesto @samwinchesterslostshoe @ewipandora @blood-mocha-latte

[sshbpodcast]

Character Spotlight: William Riker

By Ames

A Star to Steer Her By is continuing on our diplomatic conference Who’s Who in Starfleet with the Enterprise-D’s bearded dynamo, Commander William T. Riker. He’s The Next Generation’s answer to the Captain Kirk character, but with possibly more manwhoring around and he leaves the actual leadership to Captain Picard. Ya know, so he can do more manwhoring!

But of course, Will Riker is so much more than a pretty beard. So swing your leg over the back of that chair and have a seat as we focus on Picard’s number one (and we don’t mean the dog). Some of our favorite and least favorite Riker moments are outlined below and you can listen to this week’s podcast episode (jump to 1:05:52) for the full discussion. Shields up! Rrrrrrred alert!

[Images © CBS/Paramount]

Best moments

Guess I’ll go eat worms Whoops, I was wrong on the podcast when I said Riker ate the mealworms in “Conspiracy” (I was probably thinking of the next item on this list); he’s about to take a big bite before he turns the tables on the baddies. But he still does get to pretend to be mind-controlled by the bug monster, infiltrate the admirals’ dinner, and then utterly explode Remmick and the queen bug!

Gagh is always best when served live Now in “A Matter of Honor,” Riker does get to eat some gagh when he’s on the officer exchange program with the Klingon ship. And he really takes charge while he’s serving aboard the IKS Pagh, punching the biggest brute in the room, making eyes at all their women, and challenging Captain Kargan all while upholding Klingon customs to a T.

Pinocchio is broken. Its strings have been cut. Ignoring that Phillipa Louvois put Riker in a situation that could have been avoided if they had an actual attorney represent Bruce Maddox in Data’s sapience trial in “The Measure of a Man,” Riker actually does a pretty good job lawyering. But what really does well for his character is the final scene where he is lamenting how close he got to getting Data dissected, and that’s lovely.

The illegal move, hachidan kiritsu We discussed a little bit how shitty a father Kyle Riker was to Will in our Parents blogpost, but we’ve got to give the younger Riker some credit for figuring out that daddy has been cheating him for years and years in anbo-jyutsu in “The Icarus Factor,” overcoming the influence that he’s had over his life, and making the decision for himself to stay on the Enterprise.

Mr. Worf, fire Not only does “The Best of Both Worlds” introduce us to Picard as Locutus, in all his glory and defeat, but we also finally get a taste of what Riker would be like as a captain. He’s been dodging getting his own ship for years now, and it’s rather surprising since we see that he can make the difficult decisions when he needs to, in this case firing on his own Borgified captain.

You don't have to be alone anymore We also see in several episodes on our list that Riker tends to get abducted an awful lot, and he figures out the respective ruses pretty smartly! In this case, in “Future Imperfect,” there’s practically a multi-part escape room for him to solve, and at the center of it is an abandoned young orphan who was one of the better children we discussed in our Kiddos post!

Star Trek says LGBTQ rights! You’ll see when you move on to our naughty Riker moments that a lot of his shitty relationships made the cut, but an actually meaningful and progressive relationship comes out of “The Outcast.” It was very moving watching Riker stand up for Soren, the J'naii scientist who just wanted to express the gender she identified as, which makes the episode’s resolution all the more heartbreaking.

Computer, create table Don’t worry, this won’t be the last time Riker gets abducted by aliens and deduces his way out of the problem. In “Schisms,” many crewmembers have been getting stolen away and experimented upon in their sleep, but Riker (with help from the holodeck’s renowned table program) goes in mostly conscious, saves a crewmember, and escapes. Now it’s time for a well-deserved nap!

Don't let them tell you you're crazy We have one final alien abduction in this list because we have to include the absolutely phenomenal “Frame of Mind”! Jonathan Frakes acts his ass off in this mindfuck of an episode, alternating between screaming about hallucinating things to actually hallucinating things. When he finally figures out that he’s being experimented upon yet again, it feels like a triumph.

Play “Night Bird”! For all intents and purposes, Tom Riker is the same entity as Will Riker, so we’ll include his great moment in this list as well! We’ve got to give him credit in “Second Chances” for staying sane while abandoned for eight years on Nervala IV, which is a feat unto itself. So it’s just gravy that he also finally mastered playing “Night Bird” on the trombone and creating some fine phaser art!

I think the resemblance is rather striking We’ve got a couple of moments from “The Pegasus” to recount to you, on both batches of lists, so let’s start off with how cute it was for Riker to be so into celebrating Captain Picard Day! It’s just a delightful little exchange that shows the admiration that the first officer has for his captain. Imagine how fun Commander Riker Day must be!

It was wrong twelve years ago, and it is wrong today Riker impresses us throughout the rest of “The Pegasus” by turning against one of Jake’s Corrupt Admirals, Eric Pressman, who is planning on using a phased cloaking device, utterly violating the Treaty of Algeron. It’s a great little character arc watching Riker’s guilt trip from having taken Pressman’s side years go to watching him defy orders to be on the side of what’s right!

—

Worst moments

If you liked it then you shoulda put a ring on it The Troi-Riker relationship throughout a lot of TNG was a bit confused and inconsistent, especially in the early episode “Haven” when Troi’s arranged marriage pops up. Riker is suddenly super jealous all episode long, moping about, whining at Troi, being mean to Wyatt, the works. Dude, you had your chance. And dude, she’s not pleased about it either! Chill out!

Taking mansplaining to another level Have we ever had a take on a matriarchal planet that wasn’t just plain sexist? That’s definitely on display in “Angel One” when all the Elected One of the society needs to see the errors of her people’s ways is for Riker to swoop in, take her to bed, and then have him take charge in that manly way of his. Why couldn’t this have been a job for Troi? Or Bev? Or Yar?

I don’t mean to be indelicate. But who’s the father?! Speaking of Troi (but not Yar because she was dead by this point), that weird relationship between Imzadis gets weirder in “The Child” when Troi gets knocked up by a lightning bug. And Riker, in full crazy ex-boyfriend mode, gets on her case about who the father is, and then starts trying to make decisions for Troi about the fate of her child. 

You can't make an omelet without breaking a few eggs This is just a small detail we like to harp on, and that’s that Riker is supposedly making omelets for everyone at the top of “Time Squared” but what he actually makes are scrambled eggs. And not even good scrambled eggs! And evidently his cooking never gets better later in life, as we’re forced to watch him burn a pizza in “Nepenthe” in the series Picard as well!

One William Riker is unique, perhaps even special Oh boy, we’ve already talked a little bit about how problematic “Up the Long Ladder” is in our Picard post, but it’s more messed up than that. The Mariposans end up stealing DNA from Riker and Pulaski, and Riker is so enraged by this that he murders the clones that are created without any discussion first. Pretty much everything about this episode is a travesty though.

Always look before you leap I just think this one’s kinda funny but worth including if only for how dumb it is that Riker gets snared by some kind of trap Kevin Uxbridge set in “The Survivors.” A dangling Will Riker is just so goofy and ridiculous that I wanted to rewatch that scene a couple of times to laugh at what a buffoon this scene made of him.

I've always wanted to make love with an alien So it’s pretty much implied that Riker bangs Lanel in the episode “First Contact” (not to be confused with the movie First Contact), right? I’ve said it to Nicolai Rozhenko and I’ll say it again: No sleeping with primitive people you’re observing while under cover, no matter the circumstances! No matter how thirsty she is! No matter what she’s offering in return! No!

You will follow Starfleet uniform code aboard this ship, Ensign You rarely see hardass Riker come out and it’s really inconsistent when he does. So it practically comes out of nowhere when he suddenly orders Ro to take out her Bajoran earring in “Ensign Ro” even though it’s a part of her culture. No one makes Worf take off his baldric. And it’s not until Captain Jellico demands it that Troi has to get out of her damn pajamas.

Let's drop the ranks for a moment Speaking of my man Jellico! Riker not only acts insubordinate to Picard’s replacement during “Chain of Command,” he just comes off as a whiny little bitch the whole time because Jellico does this differently than Picard. And Jellico has to come begging this petulant brat to pilot a shuttlecraft. Do your damn job, Riker. You’d never act like this to Picard.

Mutiny on the Pegasus On the flip side, Riker had no problem following orders like a little sheep when he served with Pressman. Sure, he makes up for it later as we described above in “The Pegasus,” but first Riker sided with the obviously wrong and dangerous Captain Pressman, effectively sentencing every mutineer on the ship to a horrible death. Grapple with that, Riker. Oh, you already did.

Smooth as an android's bottom It’d be kind to just call Insurrection extremely uneven. On the one hand, we get great speechifying from Picard, as we mentioned last week. But on the other hand, the fountain of youth jokes and the failure to explore whatever the hell was happening with time are just as groan inducing as watching Riker shave off his magnificent beard because he was feeling horny.

Full-beard Riker > Goatee Riker Because we’ve already decided Tom Riker is fair game, let’s give the transporter duplicate a little bit of guff when he appears in the Deep Space Nine episode “Defiant.” Just… what the hell was his plan? Steal the Defiant for the Maquis… and then what? Kill Kira? Kiss Kira? Make up your damn mind! I’m glad this idiot is stuck in the Cardassian mines for life.

—

It’s time to put our trombones away now until the next time someone requests a recital of “Night Bird.” Join us next week as we have more TNG crewmembers to analyze, specifically the fan favorite yellow-eyed android of the show. We’re also still fighting our way through Enterprise over on the podcast side of things, so keep up with our warp-five watch through over on SoundCloud or your favorite podthing, beam on over to Facebook and Twitter, and toot toot toot!

[swankpalanquin]

in 2023 i fully got a handle on my job and celebrated my one year work anniversary. i moved twice (!) and am now settled in an apt that seems very nice so far. i visited new york city four times, went to the met opera twice, went to the met museum twice (two of my dreams!) and travelled by train multiple times! i read over fifty books, watched some movies (not as much as other years but i did find some new favorites), and played some really good video games (tears of the kingdom and undertale especially… even though still haven't finished either lol). i watched the entire star trek original series and watched yuri on ice at least three times (lol). i went to the doctors for the first time in many years (big accomplishment for me). i'm finally learning homeric greek, something i've always wanted to do, and i can even read words without having to think very hard about the letters (most of the time). i'm so grateful for the friendships that continued into this year, more than words can say.

looking ahead to 2024... there is going to be a lot of changes and uncertainties in my personal life (and also in the wider world). looking back, 2023 was better than expected for me, and i'm pretty sure 2024 won't be able to top it. but it's going to be a year of hard internal work that will slowly become externalized and i think at the end of it all, i will be more at peace with myself and my life. i can actually live my life rather than be stuck in this waiting mode i've been in since like middle school. so like, yeah its probably going to suck at times but the only way out is through. and maybe by the end of next year i won't be scared anymore to say i'm trans... that is probably my main goal. i have a lot of other goals and plans and nebulous long term ideas... but not being scared and not hiding who i am anymore is the main one

[ivanhoe1820]

OK SO you all remember my text post last night, right? About a Star Wars and Good Omens crossover potential idea thingy?

Well...I may have written the first chapter of a fic for that idea last night in a feverish haze...hahaha...

Anyway so I'm posting it here, hope you all like it. I'll also be cross-posting it to Ao3 as well, and while I'm at it, it's time for some SHAMELESS SELF-ADVERTISING!!! Please read my other fic that I am currently working on! It's a Gravity Falls Star Trek fusion crossover bastard child of a thing but I think it could be fun! It's by no means finished yet so...yeah.

Anyway here's the fic! Enjoy!

It was a nice day. All the days had been nice, at least to Jedi Knight Aziraphale. He had been on this planet for rather more than seven of them, and it hadn’t rained yet. But the clouds massing to the East suggested that a thunderstorm was on it’s way, and he wondered if it was going to be a big one. By the looks of the clouds, it was shaping up to be.

He was glad he remembered his umbrella. It always helped to be prepared, even though the records in the archives had characterized this planet as having a remarkably temperate climate, still, one liked to be prepared for any and all contingencies.

Though, he reflected with a trace of bitterness, he certainly hadn’t been prepared for this one.

Aziraphale stood on the wall surrounding the capital city (called Eden, or something that sounded similar in the local tongue which he hadn’t had time to learn) and watched in trepidation as the newly disgraced monarchs (Adam and Eve, wasn’t it? Oh there were so many names to remember) trudged across the fields. In accords with (Aziraphale presumed) time honored tradition, they had been stripped of their clothes, thrown some vines, and turned out into the world to fend for themselves.

It all seemed, well, rather…almost…but no, it was not. It was doubtless the Will of the Force. Aziraphale was a faithful Jedi Knight, and Jedi Knights did not question the Will of the Force.

Still, he squirmed, and resisted flicking a hand down to his recently empty belt loop.

He continued staring out into the fields, following the rapidly decreasing shapes of Adam and Eve into the distance. Well at least they were safe from wild beasts, he thought to himself. That had to be some kind of comfort, cold as it was. Yes, he rather thought (hoped, more like) that they would be fine.

Aziraphale must have been very deep in thought indeed, for he failed to notice the arrival of anyone else upon the deserted wall, until there was a sound like a long, deep, bone-weary sigh.

Aziraphale turned his head sharply towards the sound, and found himself staring at…

Oh. It was him.

The red-haired man sighed, flexed his shoulders like he was casting off a burden, and did not look at Aziraphale as he spoke. “Well. That went down like a lead ballon.”

The turn of phrase was so odd (lead ballon? What even was that?) that Aziraphale thought he might have misheard. “I’m sorry?” He asked. The sky rumbled quietly overhead but so far nothing happened.

“I said that went down like a lead ballon.” The stranger (well he couldn’t really be called a stranger, could he? Aziraphale had been briefed on this stranger and the danger he posed before even arriving at this planet) said, a trifle louder than before. “I mean,” he made a little half-shrug, half-nod thing. “First offense and everything. Seems a bit of an over-reaction, if I’m being honest.”

“Well it’s not about it being a first offense, it’s about the symbolism.” Aziraphale resisted darting a glance over at the stranger (why was he still calling him that? He knew - sort of - who he was) to see what he was doing. Probably nothing. Nothing much either of them could do now, really, he reflected. Aziraphale’s job was, regretfully, out of his hands, and now that the stranger had successfully snatched said job out of his hands, he was currently without employment too.

“Yes, I was wondering about that. What’d all that mean, that bit with the tree in the garden? Seemed a bit…heavy handed.”

Now that made Aziraphale look over. “You mean you don’t know? But you came and, well, tempted them! Or something.”

The stranger (now this was getting ridiculous) shrugged. “Well I wasn’t really told anything. My lot were just like ‘here! You! Head on over to that planet over there and muck things up! The Brotherhood of Darkness requires it!’ And then I got here, and the first thing I see is this great big tree with a great big no touch sign. And, well…”

He shrugged again, this time in the vague direction that Adam and Eve had gone off in. “The rest is history.”

“I can’t imagine it would be so bad,” the stranger continued. “It was just a bit of fruit, is all.”

“It’s about the symbolism.” Aziraphale repeated. Really, for a supposedly wily and cunning adversary the stranger was shockingly uninformed. “The fruit represents forbidden knowledge. It’s like a test. Every ruler has to pass it before being allowed to ascend the throne. Demonstrates to the populace that they can follow the ineffable Will of the Force.”

“Huh. So how many?”

“How many what?” Aziraphale could barely see Adam and Eve anymore. Oh dear, he hoped they’d be alright. It was getting so cold, already, and they didn’t have any clothes on, and she was expecting, and there were all sorts of wild beasts out there, and he hoped he’d done the right thing.

“How many people have failed? The test I mean.”

“Oh. Um. Just the two.”

“Just them? Really? Strange. Seems like the kind of test it would be easy to fail.” The stranger paused. “I suppose the Brotherhood will want to give me a commendation for that. Ugh, more paperwork.”

Aziraphale this time did risk glancing over at the stranger, and felt a smidgen of commiseration with him, though he quickly stamped it out when it appeared. Another victim of bureaucracy then. Funny how that seemed to be the same on both sides, whatever else was different (and there was so much different).

But Aziraphale found that the stranger was looking at him as well. In fact, the stranger was looking at him rather carefully up and down, and the Jedi first saw that his eyes were a bright, unnatural yellow. The eyes of a Sith.

Well yes, of course they were the eyes of a Sith, he reminded himself. You knew he was a Sith all along, of course, you never forgot it. (It had been easy to forget. They had just stood on the wall, chatting like normal people. People who weren’t embroiled in a war of Light and Darkness that spanned across the galaxy and into the heart of the Force itself.)

But now he reminded himself to always be on guard against the wiles of the enemy. There was no way that the Sith would surprise him again. No, Aziraphale was on his guard, and he wouldn’t let the Sith catch him at an inopportune moment again.

“Didn’t you have a lightsaber?” The Sith asked, innocent (NOT innocent MALEVOLENT that was the word) curiosity in his voice.

“Er.” Aziraphale tried to keep from looking guilty but, well, he had always been something of an open book.

“You did, didn’t you? Very shiny, I recall.”

“Er, well…”

A slow sly smile was beginning to spread across the Sith’s face. His eyes crinkled in an amused and very un-evil looking way. “Lost it already, have you? Don’t worry, I won’t tell on you if you don’t tell on m…”

“Igaveitaway.” Aziraphale burst out all in a rush. Really, the way the Sith was going on he was making it sound like they were…were…co-conspirators or something!

“You what?”

“I gave it away!” Aziraphale said louder.

The Sith stared at him and slowly blinked. “You…gave it away?”

“Well, um, yes, I had to, you see, they looked so…so…cold…and - and defenseless, and there’s - there’s wild animals and - and things out there, and they had nothing else, and she’s expecting so I just thought ‘couldn’t do any harm’ and, well. Yes. There.”

It came out all in a rush, and Aziraphale regretted opening his mouth. The Sith was staring at him in a way that Aziraphale could not understand. Was it…mockery? He really didn’t know. The only thing clear was that the Sith’s expression was very open and wondering, and it made Aziraphale feel…strange. Not in a bad way, but maybe that was a bad way, and he hurriedly looked away and began fiddling with his robe. Oh dear, now that he was actually thinking about the whole “giving away his lightsaber to two people who’d failed the test on whether or not they could conform to the ineffable Will of the Force” thing was the right thing to do. And he so badly wanted to do the right thing.

“Do…do you think that was the…the right thing to do?” Aziraphale darted a glance back over to the Sith. Why was he asking his opinion. He was a Sith! Embodiment of evil and darkness! A lost soul who had turned his back on the Light and Fallen from grace! (Though he wasn’t actually sure how this particular Sith had Fallen. The archives were noticeably lacking in records for that bit of fairly recent history.)

“You’re a Jedi.” The Sith answered. “I don’t think you can do the wrong thing.”

And that, that was so unexpected, so out of pocket so (dare he say it) nice that a genuine smile beamed over Aziraphale’s features. “Oh thank you! It’s been bothering me. Er…”

He trailed off and hoped the Sith would get the hint.

The Sith did, because he nodded immediately after. “Crawly.”

“Crawly,” Aziraphale repeated. Unusual name.

“I’m thinking of changing it, don’t feel like it suits me.”

“Oh, well, whatever you like, I suppose.” Aziraphale trailed lamely off after that. Sith did do that, didn’t they? Change their names? Aziraphale had always been under the impression that they only did that once though, and forever. Apparently not.

“I’m Aziraphale.” He added, as an after thought. After all, it was the polite thing to do. The Sith (Crawly, he amended) had introduced himself. Only polite that Aziraphale do the same thing.

The Sith nodded. “Funny, I was thinking about it too. Right and wrong, I mean. I keep wondering whether or not the apple wasn’t the right thing to do, as well. A Sith could get into real trouble, doing the right thing.” He smiled as if an amusing thought had just occurred to him. He moved a shoulder towards Aziraphale (had they really been standing this close the whole time?) And then, apparently, thought better of whatever gesture of comradary he’d been about to attempt and settled on a shrug instead. “Funny if we both got it wrong, eh? Funny if I did the good thing and you did the bad one, eh?”

“Not really.” Aziraphale shivered. The wind suddenly picked up, and the clouds overhead rumbled more insistently. He shivered, even through his thick Jedi robes. It really was going to rain, wasn’t it?

The grin left Crawly’s face. “No.” He said, softly. He too, shivered and turned those strange yellow eyes to the sky. “No, I suppose not.”

And then it did begin to rain, in earnest, and without a second thought Aziraphale unfurled his umbrella and held it above Crawly’s head. He blinked in surprise and then shuffled closer under it, and the rain began in earnest.

Aziraphale justified this act of kindness by telling himself that Jedi were supposed to show disinterested kindness and compassion towards all. He doubted, though, if this sort of disinterested kindness and compassion extended towards rogue Sith who had ruined one’s assignment. It probably did not extend as far as having a nice little chat and offering one shelter in the rain, but really it would have been rude to ignore him when he’d started talking first, and it would have been just plain simple cruelty to let him get soaked.

So they stayed under the umbrella until the worst of it passed. Luckily it was a remarkable short shower, and soon enough the sun peeped out from behind the clouds and Aziraphale folded his umbrella back in.

Crawly made a sound that might have been thank you, but probably wasn’t (A Sith thank a Jedi? For anything? Perish the thought). He shook out his hair, which had somehow managed to

acquire some stray raindrops despite the protection of Aziraphale’s umbrella, and stuck his hands into some previously unnoticed folds in his robe.

He had pockets? Aziraphale had to strictly curb the spike of envy that pierced him at the sight. He’d been quietly hinting to Master Gabriel that pockets would be a lovely, practical edition to traditional Jedi robes for years and here the enemy already had pockets! It was unfair. Maybe Master Gabriel would pay more attention to him if he decided to mention that The Enemy had pockets and they didn’t want to be behind the times, did they? Of course, then he would have to explain to Master Gabriel just how he had gotten close enough to a Sith to observe his pockets and that did not bear thinking about.

So Aziraphale sighed and squelched his envy and said nothing.

“Well, I’m off then.” Crawly announced. He looked up into the sky. “Looks like it’s stopped raining for now.”

“You’re leaving already?” Aziraphale asked. He’d assumed that Crawly would stick around Eden, as it were, doing whatever Sith did when they weren’t tempting newly crowned monarchs to fail millennia old tests.

“Yes, nothing much else to do here now that that’s been done. And if you want my advice you’d better leave too. I don’t have a gift for prophecy but I’m pretty sure things are going to get rather sticky over here for the foreseeable future.”

He paused, and in that pause Aziraphale heard yelling, and what sounded like the beginnings of a riot.

“So it begins.” Crawly turned back to the stairs that led off the wall. “You coming, Jedi?”

“Certainly not!” Aziraphale was indignant. How dare Crawly think that Aziraphale would abandon this people and their city in their time of need? He was a Jedi, after all! He was supposed to keep the peace!

A little voice in the back of his head asked him something along the lines of well you haven’t really been doing that stellar of a job at keeping the peace so far but he ignored it.

Crawly shrugged. “Suit yourself. See you around, maybe.”

He began to descend the stairs in a way that Aziraphale could only describe as a saunter. The precariousness of such a walk down the stairs suddenly struck him, and before he could stop himself he burst out with “Mind the stairs!”

Crawly stopped and turned back.

“They could be…slippery. From the rain.” Aziraphale finished lamely. Oh, today was not a good day, was it?

“Oh. Um. Yes, I will. Well then. Goodbye, I suppose.”

Crawly raised a tentative hand, gave it a little wave, and resumed walking down the stairs, this time, Aziraphale noticed, slower and with one eye on the steps.

Aziraphale waited until he was out of sight and presumably out of the city before descending those same steps himself.

Well. Time to see how much damage control he could actually assert in Eden. The sudden downfall of a millennia old monarchy was not going to be easy to fix by himself.

Inexplicably, Aziraphale found himself wishing that he would, indeed, see Crawly around. Just, so he reminded himself, so that he could keep an eye on the wily old Sith and see that he didn’t do too much tempting to the Dark Side or thwarting the Ineffable Will of the Force. Certainly not so they could have another chat, and certainly not so he could, maybe, wring a little amused smile out of him. No, certainly not that.

After all. Aziraphale was a Jedi, and Jedi do not get attached.

At least, he hoped they didn’t get attached so quickly.

And anyway that is that. Here's the link to the fic below:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/65582857/chapters/168843505

I'll try and update it semi-regularly. And if I don't...you guys have free rein to yell at me about it.

[the-fellow]

I wanted to extend some of my Ride Along Vlog Series videos into well, Blog posts. I feel like I could approach some of the subject in different ways or go off in different tangents. So, I present you my first attempt at this format.

My RAVlog (for short) was made when the writing strike was going on and everything was pretty much shut down. I express my sympathy, hoping for the best and of course it eventually worked out now, but I also gave some reasons why I cared and I think I'll continue on with them.

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The Present Past for the Future

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As I’ve said before, entertainment has always been a huge part of my life. It wasn’t just something I enjoyed, it was how I got by. Whether I was consciously seeking escapism or just filling the quiet, tv was my best friend once I hit that age where summer camp was no longer a thing.

That’s not to say my childhood was lacking. Far from it. I had a good one. Better than a lot of people could ever ask for and I did have friends. But during those long summer days at home, it was just me and the television, an unspoken companionship that never let me down (unless there was a power outage from storms, in which case I was forced to actually figure something else out to do like some kind of pioneer).

Looking back now, I probably watched more TV with a serious commitment back then than I do now. And I don’t mean I was just glued to cartoons all day though just because I was young. (Of course, I watched plenty of those.) Even as a kid, I was already drawn to live-action shows, things that maybe weren’t exactly aimed at my age group, but still resonated with me. If I had to pick one show that really stuck with me from that time, it would have to be Star Trek: The Next Generation. That show had everything: adventure, deep philosophical questions, and Patrick Stewart being effortlessly cool.

Later, in middle school, my tv consumption expanded to include Smallville, Supernatural, and a long list of other CW dramas that thrived on brooding protagonists, questionable life choices, and dramatic season finales. And, of course, I watched whatever NBC, ABC, CBS, FX, and the other major networks threw my way.

Summers specifically, though, were the golden age of reruns. I got introduced to so many older shows just because they were on constantly, and some of them have stayed with me to this day. Shows like Mork & Mindy and Quantum Leap, both a little weird scifi for their times, both entirely addicting. Then there were the 90s sitcoms, which dominated syndication: Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Family Matters, Home Improvement, The Drew Carey Show and so many more.

But all that entertainment didn’t just sit in my brain collecting dust, I channeled it into creativity. My imagination was always running at full speed, and I funneled it into drawing, writing, photography, videos, music… basically, if it was a creative outlet, I probably tried it. And sure, some people turn those hobbies into careers with writing books, making art, producing music. But for me, it was never about monetizing it. It was just about doing it because I enjoyed it. And I still do. So yeah, I ended up with a day job like most people, and I work on these passions whenever I can.

Does that mean the dream is dead? No. But am I out here relentlessly chasing it down? Also no. I know I could probably carve out some level of success, but my biggest challenge is that I want to do everything, all the time, and that’s a fast track to getting overwhelmed. The one thing I did take more seriously in recent years is voice-over work. I started auditioning, landing roles, and seeing some projects actually come to life (while others just… disappeared into the void, which is apparently a rite of passage in indie projects). The thing about voice acting, though, is that location still matters like with traditional acting. You can do some of it remotely if you have the right setup, but that’s not always enough.

After enough projects fell through, I figured, why not just do my own thing? So I did. I started creating my own content, making my own projects, and, oddly enough, my voice-over pages ended up doing way better than any of my other creative outlets. The funny part? Some of the stuff I barely put effort into gets a million views, while the things I pour tons of time and effort into? Nothing. That’s the internet for you. Or maybe just life in general.

(^Example of thousands to few)

The one thing I can say for myself, though, is that I never stop. And I think that counts for something. I feel like as long as I keep going, I’m leaving doors open and giving myself more chances to be seen. Whether it’s writing an article like this, pushing myself in voice work, or stepping in front of a camera and putting myself out there in a vulnerable way, I just want to make things. I want to put them into the world and see them live, even if they only reach a few people.

Because, really, that’s all it takes. I know there are thousands, maybe millions of people out there doing the same thing. But if one person enjoys what I made, if one person says it stuck with them, that’s enough. If someone watches a show or reads something because of my review, I’ve done something right. That’s all I need.

And if you made it all the way to the end of this here blog, then I must have done something right again. So to you reading this, Thank You.

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⋆༺𓆩The.Fellow𓆪༻⋆

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[eyneyke]

(10) The Popular Kids

Part 7 of Revelations: Unveiling the Veiled (RUV for short) Summary: Reid opens up to Morgan about his nightmares and Morgan breaches that trust.

Morgan is teasing Reid.

And it’s not like Reid is not used to it. He is. He really is. 

Or he was.

Until he started having these stupid, stupid nightmares and he started sleeping less and less. Now every little thing gets to him. It was bad not knowing where Z was and if they were okay since they disappeared somewhere in a war zone territory. And that's fiine. Not the first time and probably not the last one. Unfortunately for his good ol’ little worrying heart. But they did disappear in the territory that has turned into a war zone since the date of their disappearance. And it’s not like he doesn’t know that there was always a possibility that Z will once go on a job and not come back. He was prepared. Ready for that. Z and Reid talked about that many times. 

What he didn’t prepare for though, were nightmares. 

And he is not talking about the same old nightmares you had sometimes or like that. 

No, of course they weren’t.

And Dray has been living with him for a week now and Reid knows his days are numbered just by the looks he gets whenever Dray finds him in the living room surrounded by the books, wide awake.

… at four in the morning.

… or five-thirty.

… or, on that one chance, at 2 in the morning.

So when Morgan catches him in the breakroom one day putting so much sugar in his coffee that could make you a diabetic just by smelling it, he, obviously, and rightfully, is concerned.

MORGAN: Easy there, tough guy. Have some coffee with your sugar.

REID: I need something to wake me up.

MORGAN: Late night?

REID: Very.

MORGAN (smirks and is proudly shocked): My man.

REID: Not that kind of late night.

MORGAN: Okay, so tell me, what does keep young Dr Reid awake at night? Wait, let me guess. Memorising some obscure textbook? No, no, no. Working on cold fusion. No, I got it, I got, I got it. Watching Star Trek and laughing at the physics mistakes.

REID: Actually, there aren't that many scientific errors in Star Trek. Especially considering

how long ago it was made. There are certain improbabilities, but not that many outright errors.

MORGAN: Right…

REID: Hey, Morgan? Do you ever have dreams?

MORGAN: I'm sorry?

REID: I guess nightmares would be a more accurate description.

MORGAN: Is that what's keeping you up?

REID: Yeah… 

MORGAN: What are they about?

REID: Stuff… Just, things that happened recently but my brain makes them the worst possible scenarios. Do you have nightmares?

MORGAN (hesitantly): Reid, I'm not sure if I'm the right person for you to talk to about this.

REID: Why not?

MORGAN: It's just, uh… Did you ask Gideon about it?

REID: No…?

MORGAN: You should.

ELLE (shows up just then and just to quickly grab Spencer and Morgan for the newest case): Hey. Hotch wants everyone in the Round Table room.

ELLE (looks at Reid’s vulnerable and hurt expression and at Morgan’s closed-off one): Something up with you two?

MORGAN (turns to leave): No.

Reid is left standing awkwardly in the break room with Elle, coffee in hand and not knowing what to say. There goes his wishful thinking about having a best friend on the team. He really hoped that Morgan would like to be his friend and they have been getting closer the past few weeks but apparently not if the hardened refusal to help or talk to Spencer about what’s bothering him is anything to go by. And now he told Morgan about his nightmares and Morgan probably sees him even weaker than before, Elle is looking at him weirdly and he is just standing there looking like someone pissed in his coffee. He sighs and motions with his coffee towards the door and he and Elle leave for the meeting room.

Great. Just great. He wishes Z comes back soon. He doesn’t know if he can continue running on fumes of coffee and Dray’s hopes anymore.

*

When the whole team meets at the Sheriff’s department after Elle finds the message, Reid finds out that Morgan is a snitch. 

He is re-reading his notes with Hotch when he jawns. He is tired, yes, but in his defense he also usually takes a power nap during the plane ride over before they start working the case but since this time it was just a half an hour flight, they barely had time to review the case let alone for him to have his nap.

HOTCH: Tired?

REID: I'm fine.

HOTCH: We all get them sometimes.

REID (playing stupid but still having hope that Morgan didn’t snitch): Get what?

HOTCH: Nightmares.

(Reid eyes Morgan on the other side of the room talking with Garcia on the phone.)

REID: It's not that bad.

HOTCH: If you want to talk about it, you know where I am.

REID: You know I do, I just… 

JJ (comes in from the other room, eyes Reid talkin to Hotch and interrupts them): They're ready.

HOTCH: Okay.

REID: I’ll talk to you later.

They give out the profile.

*

Back at the old Jensen house, Reid and Morgan are keeping watch. After a cop agrees to bring Reid some coffee and Morgan makes an unnecessary comment, Reid decides to confront him about snitching to Hotch about nightmares.  

“Morgan. You knew I didn’t want you to tell Hotch about my nightmares.”

Morgan exhaled, turning to face him. “Reid, that’s something they need to know about.”

Reid’s brows furrowed. “‘They?” he echoed, suspicion creeping into his voice.

Morgan hesitated for half a second, then admitted like it was not Reid’s end of the world, “Hotch and Gideon.”

Reid’s stomach dropped. “You told Gideon, too?”

“Yeah.” Morgan held his ground, his expression steady, hands out like Reid was some sort of a scared animal. “And it’s okay, kid.”

And that just pissed Reid off more. His fingers clenched into fists at his sides. “What if they think I can’t do my job?” His voice rose slightly, a rare edge of panic in it. “What if they want to pull me off the team?” This team is all he has now that he has no idea where Z is.

“They won’t,” Morgan said firmly.

Reid scoffed. “Oh, yeah? How do you know that?”

Morgan sighed. Reid knows that Morgan didn’t see how this could be a problem for him. He  just knew that Morgan didn’t understand.

“I just do.”

Reid let out a bitter laugh, shaking his head. “You had no right, man. I confided in you.” His voice was raw, hurt. “You know, this is exactly what I get when I trust someone. It gets thrown back in my face.” Happened enough times in my life to not be surprised by it happening again.

Morgan closed his eyes briefly. Oh, so now he feels guilty.

“Mine started six months after I got into the BAU,” he said, his voice quieter now, the weight of old memories pressing down on him.

Reid frowned. “What?”

Morgan didn’t look at him. Instead, he leaned against the car, staring past Reid, lost look in his eyes.

“We were working a strangler case in Montana. Four victims.” He let out a dry chuckle, shaking his head. “I was still pretty young at the time. I was feeling myself—cocky, arrogant.”

Reid remained silent, listening. Still angry but wanting to hear where the story was going.

“The locals didn’t have anything,” Morgan continued, his voice distant. “So I stepped up. Told them, ‘I can nail down a profile for you just as soon as I get what I need.’”

Reid’s stomach twisted. “More victims.”

Morgan nodded. “Yeah.” His jaw tightened. “She was found the next day.”

There was a heavy pause before he continued.

“So I went down to the scene to do my thing. And as I was looking over the body… that’s when I saw them.” His expression darkened. “Her eyes, Reid.”

“They were wide open,” Morgan said, voice barely above a whisper. “And there was something different about them. Like… like they were looking right at me. Like she knew.”

Morgan exhaled slowly. “I asked for a victim,” he said bitterly. “Well, there she was.”

A silence settled between them, heavy and suffocating.

Morgan rubbed a hand over his face. “That’s when they started for me,” he admitted. “Night after night, I’d fall asleep and I’d see those eyes. Dead eyes. Accusing eyes.” His fingers twitched at his sides. “And it got to the point where it was happening even when I wasn’t asleep.”

Morgan let out a shaky breath. “Everywhere I went, I saw those eyes.”

“What did you do?” he asked quietly.

Morgan gave a tired smile, one filled with old pain. “Gideon.”

Reid blinked.

“He knew,” Morgan said. “I didn’t tell him. I was like you—I didn’t want anybody to know. But he just… he knew.”

Reid’s heart pounded in his chest. Morgan was not like him at all. Morgan was being haunted by his memories, not a mistake per se. Spencer was being haunted for being a concerned friend who knows way too much about the dangers of the friend’s job even when not told details.

Morgan gave a small shrug. “He sat me down. Talked me through it.”

Reid swallowed, his voice barely above a whisper. “And?”

Morgan’s expression softened. “I still have the nightmares,” he admitted. “Just not nearly as often. But when they come back… I know how to handle them better.”

Look, Reid is glad that Morgan got help that he needed from Gideon and that he is doing better and all that, but there was still an existing issue.

“I don’t want to sound like I don’t care Morgan, because I do, I’m glad that worked out for you and I know that you don’t share with people easily so I’m grateful for the trust, but neither do I Derek, and you breached that trust. I came to you as my friend, as you call yourself often, and you gave me a back off-ish stance and then told two of my superiors about something I told you in confidence. We both know that nobody would’ve known if I hadn’t said anything because it’s not affecting my performance at work so let’s just not pretend like it was a must for you to tell them. So, if you don’t want to act like a friend then don’t, but then also stop calling yourself that.”

“I thought you and Hotch had a better relationship than him being your superior,” Morgan said as if Reid was the one that breached his trust and told half of the team about something confidential.   

Reid laughed at himself, and that’s when Morgan knew he fucked up. “We do. But I wanted to believe that you were concerned for me this morning as a friend and would at least talk through it with me.”

Morgan was quiet for a minute and couldn’t look at Spencer in fear of facing the disappointment on his face. Just as he was about to say something that could be the beginning of an apology, a car drove into the driveway of Jensen house.

On the flight back when nearly everyone is asleep, Reid is idly staring at the wall. Gideon opens his wallet and shows him Deborah, a 13 year old who was abducted and they rescued. He reminds him that it’s important to think about the people you save, because that is what can help you push on.

Reid closes his eyes as he sees Morgan stand up from the other end of the plane and looks like is about to head towards him. Spencer really doesn’t want to talk to him right now so closes his eyes and relaxes into his chair. He wouldn’t fall asleep, that he knows, but will instead think of happy times with Z and their family when life was easier. He hears Morgan sigh and back down and head back to his seat. Spencer knows that he will be going home with Hotch to detox from work with him and little Jack and they will be having a talk in the morning but he also knows that Hotch won't let go of what Morgan did and will let Spencer deal with it how he wants to.

*

The ‘going to Hotch’s house’ thing never came to as Reid saw that Hotch seemed pretty tired so he decided to just go home to Dray.

Spencer fumbled with the key in his apartment door, exhaustion weighing heavy on his shoulders. It had been a long, draining day—physically, mentally, emotionally. His mind buzzed with everything that had happened: the case, Morgan’s story, the gnawing ache of missing Z, and the ever-present uncertainty of what had happened to her.

With a quiet click , the lock turned, and Spencer pushed the door open, stepping inside the dimly lit apartment. The familiar scent of tea and parchment—Draco’s influence, undoubtedly—greeted him. He barely had the energy to kick off his shoes before closing the door behind him.

From the couch, Draco looked up from his book, immediately catching sight of Spencer’s slumped posture, the dark circles under his eyes. He set his book aside, expression softening.

“Long day?” he asked, voice carrying that familiar drawl, though it had lost much of its earlier sharpness over the years.

Spencer exhaled heavily, running a hand through his hair before nodding. “Yeah.”

Draco’s eyes flickered with understanding. “Shower,” he ordered, already getting to his feet. “You look dead on your feet. I’ll make tea.”

Spencer wanted to protest—he was too tired, didn’t want to move—but Draco had that look on his face, the one that meant don’t even try arguing with me . So, with a resigned sigh, Spencer trudged toward the bathroom.

By the time he emerged, hair still damp, wearing an old t-shirt and loose sweatpants, the warm scent of tea filled the apartment. Draco was curled up on the couch, two steaming mugs sitting on the coffee table in front of him. He handed one to Spencer as soon as he sat down.

They sat in comfortable silence for a while, Spencer letting the heat from the tea seep into his hands, grounding him. Eventually, he exhaled, tilting his head back against the couch.

“Morgan told Hotch and Gideon about my nightmares,” he muttered.

Draco hummed, taking a sip of his tea. “Not surprised.”

Spencer huffed. “I am . I told him not to.”

Draco arched an eyebrow. “Morgan did what he thought you needed. It’s not like he knows that you do have people to talk his shit you constantly go through with. He wasn’t going to sit by and pretend nothing was happening.”

Spencer shook his head, staring into his cup. “I just… I trusted him, you know? And then it felt like—like it got thrown back in my face.”

Draco’s lips pressed together in thought before he said, “Did he throw it back in your face, or did he do what he thought was best for you?”

Spencer let out a humorless chuckle. “That’s exactly what Morgan said. And I think that’s what’s bothering me the most. That he did it and didn’t even seem to think about it before.”

Draco hufs.

They fell into a comfortable quiet, the only sound was the occasional clink of ceramic against the table when one of them set their cup down. The weight in Spencer’s chest hadn’t disappeared, but it was lighter now, the burden of carrying the day’s events slightly less heavy in the presence of someone who understood .

Then, softly, Spencer said to the room, “I miss Z.”

Draco stilled. A heavy sigh escaped him. “Yeah.”

Spencer turned his head slightly, watching Draco, who was staring into his tea, fingers tight around the handle. It was then that he noticed the faint glisten in Draco’s eyes, the unshed tears threatening to spill over.

Spencer felt his own sting at the back of his throat. He swallowed.

Draco cleared his throat. “Did you ever tell her? Before they got lost on this last mission I mean.”

Spencer frowned. “Tell her what?”

Draco looked at him then, eyes searching. “That you love her.”

For a second, Spencer was caught off guard. Then, he let out a soft chuckle, shaking his head. “Z has always known I love her.” He smiled slightly, eyes distant. “And I always knew from her, too. Just… not in the way everyone else thinks.”

Draco blinked, slightly startled by that answer. “What do you mean?”

Spencer laughed under his breath, setting his cup down. “What Z and I have—it’s great. But it’s in no way what you and Harry have.”

Draco’s entire body went still.

Then, ever so slowly, a deep blush spread across his face. He glanced down at his lap, fingers tightening around his cup.

Spencer watched in amusement as Draco’s lips parted slightly, hesitation flickering across his face before he mumbled, “How’d you know about Harry and me?”

Spencer smirked. “Z told me.”

Draco’s head snapped up.

Spencer grinned, a rare thing after the past few weeks of sorrow. “She said everyone knew you and Harry had the hots for each other since you basically met . That true?”

Draco’s ears turned red. “Yeah. We just weren’t ready to admit it until recently actually…” He trailed off, flustered.

Spencer finished for him. “We knew you got together. If that’s what you are getting at. We’ve known since it happened, basically.”

Draco gaped at him. “How?”

Spencer shrugged. “I noticed. And when I brought it up to Z, she just said, ‘Oh, yeah, I’ve known for weeks.’”

Draco groaned, dropping his head back against the couch. “Of course she did.”

Spencer chuckled.

Draco rubbed a hand over his face, still blushing. “She always knows everything before anyone else.”

They sat there for a moment, both lost in thoughts of Z—her knowing smirk, her effortless ability to understand things before anyone even said a word and keeping it quiet until the person was ready to come forward with whatever it was.

Then, Draco sighed overly dramatic. “Maybe I should check the family books when I go back to the UK. See if there were any Seers in the family.”

Spencer laughed. “Wouldn’t be surprised.”

Draco huffed, shaking his head with amusement before finishing his tea. Silence settled between them again, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. Just… filled with memories.

Finally, Draco stretched, standing up. “I’m off to bed.” He glanced down at Spencer. “And you should go too, no matter if you’re off tomorrow.”

Spencer rolled his eyes but nodded.

Draco hesitated for just a second before saying, softly, “Z and Harry will be back.”

Spencer met his gaze. “I know.”

Draco gave him a small nod, then turned toward the hallway. Just as he reached the doorway, he glanced over his shoulder.

“Oh, Zabini called today.”

Spencer raised an eyebrow.

Draco smirked. “He said he’s taking both of us out tomorrow ‘cause he’s ‘tired of us sulking inside like two wallflowers’ whatever that meant, so be ready for that.”

Spencer groaned, already regretting whatever Blaise had planned but quite excited, too.

Draco just chuckled, disappearing into his room, shaking his head.

And for the first time in weeks, Spencer felt just a little bit lighter.

[allisonreader]

Rambling thoughts below on the show that I just finished watching all eight seasons of. (Mostly because, like book hangover, I know have a bit of show hangover.)

So I pretty much just finished watching all of Psych.

I had been completely unaware of it while it was airing, though funnily enough I did watch The Mentalist while it was on. And funnily enough when I was telling my cousin that I was watching Psych I had compared it to The Mentalist, but called it a frat boy version. Only to later watch episodes where they referenced The Mentalist themselves, several times and mentioned Simon Baker directly. So I was greatly amused at that.

I have to admit that there were times that I struggled with the show. Finding it rather cringe and obnoxious, but clearly not enough to stop watching it. I don't know if it's better that I watched it now, when I probably got more of the references throughout the show or if I would have found it less cringe when it was first airing. Either way it doesn't matter now. The only reason I did watch it was because of seeing people talk about here and reblogging GIFs and then seeing it pop up on Netflix and saying why not. So now I at least fully understand it when those things do pass by my dash.

But when I say I struggled at times, I do mean that I S-T-R-U-G-G-L-E-D. I wasn't even sure if I was going to get past the first season at times. But it was also one of those things where I also couldn't really bring myself to stop either. I doubt that I will ever watch it again, at least if I do it would have to be with someone else and long down the line. It won't ever be my favourite show, other shows hold that place. (Forever, Timeless, Star Trek Voyager, Chuck, and others... That's in no particular order).

I think that part of why I struggled so much at times was because all of the characters were just so over the top in their own ways and it was a bit much for me. It was a bit overwhelming and intense with so many of the characters, that in the end my two favourite characters were Juliet and Lassiter. I just found Shawn and Gus to be too much at times. Not that I didn't like them, but they were overwhelming at times and the two of them were more likely to make me pause and want to stick my fingers in my ears and tone them out for a bit. Whereas while Lassiter and Jules were still zany in their own ways, they were a little bit more toned down and less high energy. If you know what I mean.

I was really unsure of Lassiter at first but he definitely grew on me exponentially and ended up being my ultimate favourite character of them all. (Though I do have to mention that I'm also quite fond of McNab. He's probably my favourite of the smaller but consistent side characters who popped up. And was extremely pleased with seeing him get a detective role in the last episode.)

I do think that the finale was one of the best that I've ever watched. It was extremely satisfying and wrapped up everything nicely. It didn't feel rushed and everyone essentially got a happy ending and continued existence doing what they love.

I do feel like Lassiter had the almost the biggest character arch of any of them from where he started out. And no, I don't feel like expanding on that any more than that.

I do sort of feel like the last couple of seasons sort of felt like they were kind of running out of ideas. But like also not running out of ideas, but out of time, so they needed to do certain types of episodes if they wanted to get them at all. And I mean every show that's been on air for a long time gets those sort of episodes. (Castle certainly did.) I just didn't enjoy some of those last episodes like other ones and one of the more horror themed episodes I ended up skipping most of it because I didn't like the particular horror aspect that they were making use of.

So now I have kind of an awkward segway because I don't have a particularly smooth transition into my next thought realm. And that's to do with some of the special guests. I can genuinely say that I was delighted by Cary Ewles and William Shatner's roles and how they both showed up more than once.

And I think that's the end of my thoughts currently. I don't know that I'll need to get anything else out or if this will be enough. At the moment it's definitely enough. I have gotten most of it out and anything else is just going to float, because I certainly don't feel like writing any more about it currently.

(I might not even need fanfiction at this point anymore, not that I had been wanting to seek out a lot, but I was curious about what there might be for crossovers. But I don't know that I want even those now.)

[chris-aok]

Star Trek

I don't know if I've mentioned it before, but I'm a Trekkie.

I don't think I would cosplay it (Maybe I might?), but I do love Star Trek.

It's interesting because I loved it for a few years, then I was just into it, and after recently playing Star Trek: Bridge Crew with some friends a few weeks ago, I rediscovered my love for it. I'm now rewatching all of TNG.

I of course have some series and movies I prefer more than others, but it's fair to say I love most of Star Trek.

The ideas of the Federation and Starfleet are incredible to me: Idyllic, and utopian, but also aspirational.

Bridge Crew does a good job of approximating the experience of being on the bridge of a Starfleet starship and keeps the pressure up throughout. Your success and survival depend entirely on your ability to work together and communicate effectively.

However, while Bridge Crew scratches the itch of being on the bridge of a Starfleet starship, it does nothing to feed the imagination: No real story worth mentioning. That's ok, but it makes me realize we need a Star Trek game with a good story, good characters, and some challenging & serious sci-fi themes. I wish someone could do for Star Trek what Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (2003) did for Star Wars.

Games aside, my philosophy on Star Trek series is as follows: There is no such thing as bad Trek. It's all good, but it's also all different. Each series had a different goal and tone it set out to achieve and that's ok. If they just kept trying to reproduce TOS decade after decade, it would have gotten real stale real quick. By deliberately having different themes each series engaged with, we get to have so much variety to choose from as Star Trek fans. I also think each series targeted a different audience and therefore had to adapt to that audience accordingly. The people watching television in the 60s were not the same people watching television in the 80s were not the same people watching television in the 2000s, and so on: Their views of the world evolved. They evolved and Trek evolved with them.

There is no such thing as "the best" Star Trek series or movie, just your favourite. Mine is TNG. To be fair, it's entirely possible I love it because it was the first Star Trek I was introduced to. I personally think that the idea of choosing Patrick Stewart for captain elevated Star Trek as a whole as well as its ideals. He might just be the most important actor to have ever worked in Star Trek for that reason.

I also want to clarify that I love science fiction in general. This is relevant because I recognize Star Trek as a vehicle for sci-fi. A platform with which sci-fi stories can be told. There are many Star Trek episodes that could probably be told in different contexts or in other settings outside of Star Trek canon: Very few Star Trek episodes could only be told in Star Trek. Again, that's totally ok; but let's not forget what Star Trek is: A way to tell sci-fi stories; and sci-fi itself is just a way to tell stories about ourselves. If your sci-fi doesn't have something to say, it isn't shit. When I was younger, the themes and critique went way above my head. All I was into was the spectacle, discoveries, and cool technology; and sci-fi should be able to provide that if it can; but sci-fi's main purpose should be to critique us. Superficial sci-fi is cool for a season, but sci-fi should leave an impact on your way of seeing the world; or at the very least invite you to reconsider your view in the first place. Star Trek delivers on all that and has continued to do so for decades.

[britesparc]

Weekend Top Ten #666

Top Ten Jedi

Sometimes I nurture these things like a big-time CEO in a 1980s movie would nurture a Bonsai tree. And sometimes I just kinda bash ‘em out. I’ll leave you to decide what today’s list is most like.

Anyway, I was going to do something vaguely Star Wars-related due to the launch of new TV series Skeleton Crew. This show looks great fun, like Explorers or Goonies but with a delightfully Star Wars twist; and it’s amusing that now Jude Law is having a go at being a Jedi.

Truth be told, I've fallen off the Star Wars train in recent years. I think it’s a combination of fatigue – so many different new things to keep up with – and the fact that they’ve had a couple of mediocrities. I really didn’t get on with Rise of Skywalker, and as great as I thought The Mandalorian was, I have to confess to being disappointed by both Boba Fett and Obi-Wan Kenobi. In fact, I've still not got round to watching Andor, Ahsoka, or The Acolyte (which I guess makes me part of the problem now they’ve gone and cancelled it). However, i will make more of an effort for Skeleton Crew (and catch up on those other ones before the release of The Mandalorian and Grogu in cinemas).

So basically all this preamble is me saying that I hope I can start to feel enjoyment for all things Star Wars again. For a while there, it was a pretty huge part of my entertainment life; now, though, it has been utterly usurped by the MCU (and probably the DCU too). In fact – whisper it – I'm way, way more excited for Star Trek nowadays. Please, whatever you do, don’t go back in time and tell teenage me that. I don’t think he’d ever recover.

Anyway (again), one of the things I really love about Star Wars is the Jedi. I've said this before, but because we’ve got so many different outer-space type shows these days, it’s really the whole mythological thing that continues to set Star Wars apart. A sort of industrial/Wild West/used future thing, with bantering, wisecracking leads? You kinda see that in everything from Firefly to Guardians of the Galaxy and even – oh no! – modern Star Trek. But you add in some mystic, magic space monks with their sexy laser swords? Oh baby, now you’ve got a Star Wars on our hands. More of that please.

And that’s what this week’s list is celebrating; those pyjama-clad denizens of Force Goodness, the Jedi. They’re cool in the original trilogy, with their whole magic, thought-control, telekinesis, swordfighting schtick; but it’s the prequels that added so many fascinating wrinkles to the concept. The structure of the Order, their Byzantine rules, the way the Jedi comported themselves, and ultimately the fact that their adherence to old rules (as well as a dose of hubris) allowed the Sith to take over. And then there’s the fact that there’s, like, tons of them. One of the huge failings of the sequels in my view is that they didn’t lean back into the Jedi as a force (no pun intended); imagine an army of them fighting an army of Sith? That would have been epic.

Something else to note is that this list is pretty light on extended universe characters or those introduced in the “Disney era”. This isn’t a criticism; it’s just that I’ve not really seen, read, or played loads of that stuff. But in, I guess, the “core” Star Wars stories, there are plenty of really cool characters who embody lots of aspects of what makes the Jedi so… Jedi-ish. Unique, otherworldly, and just all-round cool. I mean, how many sci-fi or fantasy groups become so popular that people end up claiming it as a religion on a census? But, yeah, if you happen to be reading this and you’re a big fan of Mara Jade or Cal Kestis or, er, whoever they’re called in The Acolyte, and you’re wondering where your favourite character is, that’s basically it.

So there’s nothing more to say except “begun, this Top Ten has”. Sorry.

Luke Skywalker: yes, it seems like a basic and obvious answer; he’s basically the Jedi of the franchise. But that’s just it: he exemplifies all the best aspects of what the Jedi are meant to be, without the trappings or structure of the Order. He’s the prototypical boy hero, but just through his own inherent goodness he overcomes both the temptations of the Dark Side and the failings of the older Jedi. And then. And then! Older, wiser, and with failure hanging over him, he still manages to redeem himself, save everyone, and pull out one of the greatest feats of power in the whole saga. Basically, growing up watching Luke as a young man, then being a dad and watching him in sort of grumpy dad mode, is an incredible experience as a Star Wars fan.

Obi-Wan Kenobi: I like his as Alec Guinness’s wise old mentor in the first Star Wars, but really it’s Ewan McGregor’s take that seals the vote. At times pompous and arrogant, he’s also very human and empathetic, straddling a line between emotionless fealty to the Order and his brotherly love for Anakin. Plus he manages to be both a bit of an action badass, and also a sassy camp git: “Hello there.”  

Anakin Skywalker: whilst there’s a whininess to him in the early years, he’s a brooding presence over the prequels. Also, whilst he’s a bit of a dick about it, his grievances are genuine: the Jedi are simply awful to him from the get-go. He’s also a war hero and a fantastic swordsman, and then he gets to become Darth Vader. And what’s more iconic and badass than Darth Vader? His whole arc – the fall and redemption – is the spine of the first six films and really needs to be celebrated.

Qui-Gon Jinn: the wise old mentor of the prequels, in a way, but there’s a humanity to him that’s lacking in most of the other Jedi. He might be the ideal of what the Jedi should be; dedicated to helping everyone, incredibly empathetic, but also serene, wise, and very powerful. If the Council had listened to him none of the bad stuff would have happened. Plus: he has a noble end. Not like that you filth.

Mace Windu: it’s almost all in the performance, but there’s a swaggering sense of badassery to Windu. He’s basically the Jedi’s number two, the second most powerful member of the Council. He has some great lines, a sexy purple lightsaber, and gets to chop off Boba Fett’s dad’s head. He’s just so cool, dammit.

Yoda: in a way it’s a surprise to see him this low! But he’s the mentor of the Jedi Order, who manages to be incredibly wise and venerable but also has a quirky sense of humour and iconic speech pattern. There’s a sense that he maybe understands the failings of the Order, how they’re sleepwalking to disaster. He gets an awesome fight with Dooku, and arguably the best scene in the prequels (“we are what they grow beyond”).

Rey Skywalker: the sequels are depressingly short on Jedi – so much so that the only new one really is Rey herself. But as the lead across the trilogy, she’s terrific; skirting a line between light and dark in such a way that we did all wonder whether there might be a (temporary) fall on the cards. she’s empathetic and sees the good in others in a way reminiscent of Luke or Qui-Gonn but also carries a bit of the arrogance and physicality of Anakin. She was, all told, a very charismatic presence in the films. I hope they do eventually manage to get her new film off the ground.

Kyle Katarn: ah, here we go – onto the expanded universe at last. It was really the games that drew me into the franchise in between trilogies, so it stands that the star of the Jedi Knight games would have a presence here. I like his arc in the games: he basically goes from being a Han Solo stand-in in Dark Forces to being a secret Jedi, combining the two best aspects of the original trilogy. I love his look, his voice, and his beard.

Ahsoka Tano: like I said earlier, I’ve never watched a lot of the supplementary spin-off shows – whether that’s the likes of Clone Wars or the newer Disney ones. But Ahsoka is a cool new character even in the ones I’ve seen, starting out as a young apprentice to Anakin. She’s full of spirit even back then, an excitable force of nature. Whilst the specifics of her leaving the Order I’ve not seen, when she reappears as an adult – older, wiser, perhaps a bit more world-weary – she’s remains a great character in a different flavour, doing that cool thing of combining the best of the Order’s teachings with a more humanist approach to the galaxy. Plus she has two lightsabers.

Leia Organa: she’s only this low because across the whole saga she doesn’t really do a lot of Jedi-ing. She clearly has a connection with her brother, and is just a generally empathetic presence. It’s only in the sequels that we get any proper examples of her using the Force – subconsciously pulling herself across space, and the flashback of her training. So, as a result, we don’t really get a real sense of her as a “Jedi”; but, look, it’s Leia. She’s one of the best characters in movies. She’s gotta be on the list.