#i'm glad it won't end the way s2 ended

[cockadoodlebumtits]

.

[genericpuff]

i had a post in the works talking about some of my personal life shit and the things i'm looking to do with rekindled this year to help make personal life shit easier aaand then i fell asleep for a nap and when i woke up Rachel announced that LO was ending in less than 10 episodes ??

sooo yeah i'm officially saving that post for later, because LO is officially ending, with an actual end date. It does mean that it's not ending at the start of Spring like my initial prediction, which is a bummer (because that would have been really cool LMAOOO) but it does mean it gets to go on long enough to resolve the current plot arc. As for every other plotline in the story... yeah, those aren't getting wrapped up, at least not in any way that could be satisfying.

For over the last year LO has been a series of "wait seriously???" and this is yet another, though it's kind of different this time. We knew the end was coming and practically begging for Rachel to pick an end date because for many, following along with this comic has become a Sisyphean task week after week. It's bittersweet in a way, but . . . I also kinda don't feel anything? Maybe it's just my 'tism, maybe it's just the fact that I'm so tired of following this series, but I just... don't feel joy, but I don't feel dread. It's ending and that's that. As all things come and go in life, some day there won't be any more LO, and that day is May 11th.

I will miss the weekly readalongs that I would do with pals, the memes we'd make out of the new material, but I don't think I'm going to miss the comic and everything it said and did. At this point reading LO feels like watching a horse struggle to breathe and you're just begging the farmer to put it out of its misery, but the farmer thinks "No no, it'll be fine! It'll get back up in no time!" and it's like... no, it desperately needs to be put to rest 💀

I still have my two drafts stowed away, both on opposing sides of the fence depending on how LO turns out-

-and now we finally have an end date on when those essays will be written.

I don't know how I feel yet about it ending. These are complicated feelings to sort through regarding a comic that's basically been my life for the last few years, even before I turned into a critic of it. I'm just glad there's a light at the end of the tunnel. And I'm glad even my "love to hate it" energy has been waning on it the past few weeks anyways so that the end of it all can feel as painless as possible LOL Don't get me wrong, there will still be plenty to discuss after the comic, I don't think the antiLO/ULO community will just disappear into a puff of smoke as soon as LO is over, but I think a lot of us are also equally relieved that the comic made it this easy to stop reading and that it now has an end point.

And most of all, I'm hoping that whatever ending the comic brings, even if it just winds up being the S2 finale all over again for the critics, is still satisfying for the fans who have stuck around with it this long. The people who have loved this comic through it all at least deserve a proper send-off and I really hope Rachel gives it to them.

As for me... I'm not going anywhere, but it's been nice to stuff the overflowing clothes of LO back into its drawer within my brain. I want to make room for other drawers, other things, other pieces of work that will undoubtedly bring me more joy and entertainment. I don't know what yet, but it's nice to know the drawers aren't overflowing anymore.

And that's all I'm gonna say on that.

[stellar-haikyuu]

sorry if my rambling is not cohesive, but MAN i have so much to thank haikyuu for. hinata shoyo, in particular.

the first time i watched haikyuu, i remember that although i loved hinata, he gave me a lot of second-hand embarrassment (god forbid i accidentally get an authority figure's wig blown off). i loved his drive and passion, but i felt all twisty inside whenever he got humbled or criticized. i felt uncomfortable whenever he'd start rivalries with other players out of nowhere. but it was the s2 and s4 training camp arcs that made me realize why i felt that way; hinata was the embodiment of someone i was afraid to be.

it didn't help that i started haikyuu during the last month of my last semester. it was just one humbling moment after another. i made a fool of myself during a practical exam. i kept coming to my classes and exams late. i could barely study and write papers with the same energy i used to. i delayed and eventually discontinued promising projects. i just felt defeated, that i was not as gifted, smart, or competent as everyone made me out to be. i was so so close to giving up, but watching hinata's journey somehow turned me back around.

i hated being embarrassed. i hated sucking at things i thought i could/want to be good at. i hated the thought of other people saying negative things about me, whether those are rumors or factual statements. but all this made me do was run away, stay afraid, and miss out on things that could have helped me grow.

hinata though? he realizes his weaknesses, and actively finds ways to improve himself in the training arcs. every lightbulb moment and added skill is a middle finger to everyone who underestimated him. he reflects on the valid criticism that is given to him, even if it's hard to hear. he is successful because he has the right mindset that helps him through whatever life throws at him.

since i'm starting clinical internship soon, i'm so glad that hinata (and the entirety of haikyuu, really) brought back positivity into my life. even though the uncertainty terrifies me, i am so excited and grateful for all the learning opportunities i'll have. even if i make some mistakes, receive harsh criticism, or have a hard time, it is not the end for me. i won't lose my potential just like that.

anyway, i won't be playing volleyball anytime soon, but i suppose this is my "little giant" moment. hinata, you are so loved. thank you. <3

EDIT: hello to everyone who liked and reblogged this (or are about to), thank you for all the notes! i didn't expect this to blow up at all. hearts out to everyone who's in the same boat right now. i'm wishing you all the best! <3 also, i just attended an internship seminar about resilience, mindset, and goal-setting. i realized that hinata has what's called a growth mindset! it's worth looking up if you haven't ^-^

[miimo96]

Thoughts on My Adventures with Superman S2 episode 2

It's so weird seeing Amanda Waller act like this, normal because I'm so used to her behavior of being completely bats#it crazy, putting bombs in people's head, and basically sacrificing other people's well being for the "Greater Good" So seeing her wake up and go through this Normal everyday routine, is just really Jarring to me

Bruh I love this Show, she really came up with a whole ass plan that involved so many Complications and money, just for Clark to be like "Orrrr We could this" 😂

Bruh She LOVES jumping of things and putting herself in danger, I don't know about you, but to me that is Crazy, and I Love it ^^

*chuckles nervously *Why the Hell does this Feel like foreshadowing, like she's gonna fall off of something and we WON'T able to catch her at 1st 😅😅

Yay we finally see him learn that he can't use his X-ray vision with things, when they're Reinforced with Lead ^^

Hey Johnny blaze called, he wants his gimmick back; But In all seriousness it's really Awesome to see Atomic Skull appear in this series, I haven't seen him since Justice league, and tbh I completely forgot he existed until I saw this episode, nice to see that they're Still using Obscure characters for the Villains, before moving on to the Big leagues

Based on what I see it looks like Task force X is experimenting on other people, in Hope's of creating something to Destroy Superman, and based on all these people having Spikes sticking out, I assume this may be an attempt at Doomsday, and if that's the case, OH MY GOD!!!

The Fight scenes have gotten A LOT Better within this show, before it didn't really feel like you were seeing a fight take place, but rather just hearing it instead, it's pretty hard to explain but the fights in the last season felt a bit anticlimactic and pretty weak, like you didn't FEEL the force of impact with each hit or the pressure of the Battle like you were really in the scene, Now it DOES Feel like that and I'm really glad it does so, Mainly because most stuff I've watched with fight scenes recently, felt a bit weak, and didn't make me feel immersed in the Action, FINALLY someone realized this and completely Fixed it, Kudos to however that was 👍

Is it me or is General lane going to Soon find out who Clark really is, Resulting in so much Drama coming between the 2 and Lois, Clark can't keep up this charade forever, and lois is gonna have to tell the the truth at some point, or maybe General lane is just as Smart as his daughter and is gonna figure it out pretty easily, either way can't wait ^^

Well well well if it isn't Lex Luthor, he's finally here, and judging by how the episode ended, it looks like he's going to slowly be Amanda Waller's Next right hand, replacing Slade and maybe even finally gonna be turning into the Lex we all love, Judging by how this lex acts it reminds me a bit of Jessie eisenberg's impression in Batman V Superman, only done a little bit better here, instead of making jokes and shoving Jolly ranchers into other people's mouth, he actually feels like an evil genius and has a reason to Hate Superman, as no one that Powerful should exist, setting up jealousy towards superman and maybe even soon losing his hair, and if he doesn't lose the hair, I'm Totally alright with it, due to how Good his character already is

[murfpersonalblog]

IWTV S2 Ep1 Musings - LDPDL smdh

My daughter Claudia is NOT. PLAYING. AROUND.

I had to giggle here, cuz it just reminded me of what she said in S1:

Claudia will drag Lestat AND Louis each and every chance she gets, bless! 😂

Aaaaaaaand the racists. 😒 Eat ALL of these mofos, YAAAAAS~!

I am SCREAMING at the cinematic poetry--Louis is talking about not burning Lestat, as Lou & Claud can't get warm enough at a fire where they're burning the dead Soviets they just ate.

While Claudia sits there giving Lou the cold shoulder & the silent treatment, icing him out so Louis only talks to himself--I HOLLERED.

My daughter KNOWS!!! DRAG HIM, CLAUDIA!! ^0^

But then I cried, cuz WAIT. If Louis is talking to himself, is this also factoring into why he's seeing DreamStat? Cuz Lou's also desperate for connection, which he can't get from Claudia anymore either! 😭

Louis said DreamStat "came by invitation," as a colorful & vibrant "distraction" (read: comfort) from the dull monochromatic grey Eastern European land. But Lestat is bloodsplattered & filthy just like everyone else.

The question of his guilty conscience: what does Lestat feel/think about Louis? And what is Louis projecting?

That's all Louis wants to hear--that Les misses him and forgives him.

"I'm glad it was you...a la fin." We still need confirmation that Lou slit Les's throat, not Claudia. Cuz this will also point to how much Lou is lying to himself about how betrayed Lestat really felt--that his death would be better by Lou's hands than Claudia's. Is Lou making himself feel better by giving Les the coup de gras, and thinking Les is grateful to him for it?

Cuz he's clearly scared to death that WHEN--not IF--they reunite, Les will be pissed and hate/kill him.

Cuz Lestat's love was what kept Louis alive--Lestat loving Louis saved/damned Louis' life. (The Merrick of it all, istg.)

So it's WILD that Louis thinks this. That the split second Louis finds happiness, the boogeyman Lestat will come and kill him, or take it from him--or just be there as a hallucination constantly reminding Louis of what he left behind.

As an aside:

It was a BAT--that's cute! XD

Louis in denial as he tells himself choosing Claudia over Lestat was worth it. And Dream!Stat chanting "I do" like frikkin wedding vows, then choking on the words/vows as a vampire bat claws out of his throat--I CANNOT with this show anymore.

This is interesting--the 7000 people he killed in Eastern Europe were a necessary evil--Lou calls them "souls," when Les called them "the Meat" and Claudia called them "Kill Juice." And in Paris he only kills once every other day. They ALL feel like murder to Louis. But Louis KNOWS he never killed Lestat!

He put Lestat in the dump the same way Grace put his name on that tombstone--it's the DISTANCE that's killing them.

It's separation & absence, which they HOPE will make the heart grow colder--when we all know that's not how the saying actually goes.

So who are you REALLY fooling, Louis? Cuz it for sure ain't Claudia!

She said "you slow us down!" 💀 But Louis warned you: "I can barely speak French and English. I'd just hold you back.... You don't need me. You think you do, but you don't. You're smarter now. You see trouble coming a mile away." If only they'd've BOTH remembered that bit once they got to PARIS. 💀💀💀

This dude, I swear. No wonder he never joined the Theatre; he can't lie for ish! 😅

And I OOP! 👀

By the end of the episode we get Louis' BEAUTIFUL "You and Me" monologue to Claudia, and she finally accepts his apology and promise that he won't kill himself like Draciana did.

MERRICK COME THROUGH! 😭

Which nearly made me cry when you finally see DREAM!LESTAT SITTING RIGHT THERE. 😭 Who is Louis REALLY talking to!?

As he always does when in denial & running from his problems (all the way to effing Romania, ffs), alcoholic!Louis "runs to the bottle and to bad beds."

I REFUSE.

I CANNOT.

I SHAN'T.

Louis, if you don't stop right this moment ISTG! 😭😭

I love this effing show, omg what a great start to the season!

[greenqueenhightower]

Anon back again with more rumours/leaks from twitter to make (un)substantiated claims🫡

Okay so one of the people that went to the premiere in NYC was answering some questions also in regards to Alicent. They said it is implied that the first sex scene we see between Alicole is not the first time they have sex, but they made clear that the implication don't seem to be that it was something that happened pre-Viserys death. Which would put their relationship starting after 1x09 and before 2x01. That would make sense to me.

This also lines up with some other leaks I heard where they said Alicent and Criston's first scene of the season was a sex scene, so it is more an established thing that is happening. The same previously mentioned leaker replied in regards to Alicent's character that mainly she seems confused, which we know as she is looking for a sense of self.

Some people theorized that the large number of sex scenes (3 rumoured for first two eps) and the fact that Alicent's story seems to start there in s2 (also Olivia mentioning sexuality as something that is explored) could be written as hypersexuality as a response to her trauma manifesting after Viserys' death. Others theorized that it could be comphet and her figuring out sexuality in a place that is so deeply repressed. It could also simply be that she is having sex because she wants to (good for her) and then because it happens during B&C that the guilt of that is so great she simply represses it all again and the relationship falls apart after that. In any case I can see various routes in which this could be explored in a way that makes sense for Alicent's character.

Now for Criston's character: we saw some leaks and early reviews (watched either ep 1 and 2 or 1 through 4) saying that he gets more "bitter" as the season progresses and would become "the most hated character on tv". Now I take the second one with a grain of salt because people tend to dislike him way more than for example dae/mon who is uhm worse idk. But the common conception seems to be that he gets worse as the season goes on. So seeing as ep 1 starts with Alicole together and then B&C happens at the end of ep 1 start of ep 2, it seems like they skip the getting together stage and instead show the falling apart of this relationship. This would make sense if they are paralleling rhaenicent (as Ryan said) because at the same time dae/myra also seems to be slowly breaking apart.

For now to me it seems this relationship is mainly to show Alicent's headspace she is in of being confused and feeling purposeless. An Alicole rift after B&C as a result of this would make sense and would leave Alicent even more alone (save my girlie). We'll have to wait and see. Also glad you like my thoughts I'm just spitballing here and honestly need the episodes immediately.

Thanks, anon, for keeping me updated! 💚

Okay, actually the idea that Alicent and Criston consummate their relationship some time after Viserys' death and before the Dance of the Dragons sounds good to me. Again, I would have liked to have seen the entire pathway of their relationship that culminated in that, but hey--as long as it is well-written I won't mind.

Your comment about hypersexuality manifesting itself as Alicent's post-traumatic response to her marriage is very interesting! I also see it as a manifestation of agency in the sense that she no longer has to be summoned to perform a sexual act upon request, but she can seek it and want it herself. It most definitely can be comphet too, because she is not as free as per Westerosi patriarchal and heteronormative standards to contemplate and realize any relationship apart from the norm.

When it comes to Criston's character development in S2, your theory that the writers might have Alicole parallel Daemyra to showcase how the Dance has devastated all kinds of relationships: familial, conjugal, erotic, etc., is quite plausible. Watching Alicent and Criston's relationship suffer to the point of breaking would be heart-wrenching but angsty and spellbinding at the same time. I just wish we get to see more of them together before that happens.

And as for Alicent's battle with guilt and her quest for agency and self-worth, I am all for it as long as the show does not victimize and wh!rify Alicent. I assume that Alicloe will break up after B&C, but will at some point get together again (maybe after Aegon is injured at Rook's Rest?). And for all the time they are apart, I hope we see more of just Alicent crying and being miserable and Criston being ruthless in war and battle.

[sunnyelfs]

I'm glad someone in my feed has said that, so I can dedicate an entire post to this point. 

I didn't like The Hallway Scene. I swear I can explain. 

It wasn't bad, of course. It was good. I've seen quite a few intimacy scenes in different queer media (watched Queer as Folk for fox's sake) and so I'd say… there's an overall good intimacy scenes. And then there's YR intimacy scenes. For me s3 one was “overall good”, but not “YR-good”. 

Now, I know the creators wanted to do something more explicit from the very beginning. But they didn't, due to different reasons. In my opinion it ended in a very special way of portraying intimacy that can be rarely seen in the media. Gentle, sincere, sensual. It displayed not only the characters' desire, but also their other feelings about each other - and sometimes, perhaps even themselves. It felt like talking without words, like exploring oneself and one's feelings. This style was completely unique. Perhaps it was an accident, but it was a good thing.  

I won't even stop on the two scenes from s1. They were pure perfection and everything possible has been already said about it. But I want to stop on s2 scene. Remember how people discussed how beautifully it was set, how the viewers would not see anything after Wilhelm closed the curtains, symbolizing the boys finally getting privacy? This little action ment so much for them. We still saw their passion and love, but it wasn't explicit, and it was perfect. Like I've said before, here they are talking without words.

So for me, personally, the s3 scene didn't match with that style. It was closer to classic depiction of passion, with this rapid montage and how explicit the whole thing was. Once again, it's not a bad thing at all. I'm not trying to shame this type of scene here. It just makes me sad that yet another thing in s3 wasn't as special as it used to be in previous seasons. When I see people talking about how different s3 felt, this scene is one of those things I think about with "yeah, I know what you mean" in my head.

[blindmagdalena]

On the injecting V thing I actually read a more twisted fic of this, sadly the author got rid of their ao3 so no more updates but he put y/n on a pedestal like Madelyn in a sense. In his eyes she was very strong for a non supe like not strength wise obviously but personality ect. And he wanted her to become even stronger. She was with a god already why couldn't she become one too? Obviously she'd never be as strong as him but they could be unstoppable together. Y/n didn't want to tho, she liked her mundane life which he didn't understand. He kept saying like "why do you want this shitty mundane life you could be so much more why are you wasting your life" so of course he just kept pressuring her and then tricked her and she ended up letting him inject her with V not because he wanted it but to protect herself from homie more than anything else. There was some other things that happened between all this but will not say in case someone is uncomfy with that. Lots of back and forth toxic but lowkey one of my fave fics I read tbh 😭 sad the author is gone. He was attached to y/n but this was kinda a play on how impulsive he is. He was more thinking on he wanted her to be a supe like him and strong too and live longer with him than what she wanted and he was impulsive. He knew the risks where it could kill her, but he kept being like "Well she won't die I know she can pull through i want this" and didn't care enough.

i can totally see the appeal and why people are able to come to the conclusion that Homelander would feel the need to elevate someone he pedestals and make them more like him.

although despite the huge amount of V in his system, it's doing nothing for his lifespan. if anything, he might actually be aging faster than he should be. Stormfront seems to be something of an anomaly in her agelessness. Soldier Boy was just frozen the entire time. so there's no reason for him to think V would increase his s/o's lifespan. i can see him being arrogant enough to assume that someone he chooses would definitely get a cool ability/be very powerful just by virtue of being his "chosen" lol

either way i'm glad there's fic out there that explores this! i think i have a tendency to lean into the Homelander we see most in s1 where he's less impulsive and more calculating/manipulative. he's not quite as consumed by the idea of "supe supremacy" that we start to see in s2 and onward.

[shesnake]

just saw s2, & totally agree w u that the show doesn't know it but it's really abt white women being the devil. i like how it challenged fate/George's love for sarah coming out as an entitlement to her, but at the same time, i wonder what it's trying to say about who is right & who is selfish. like if we'd & sarah are supposed to be right, then what does that mean for everyone else? obvs the ending of s2 leaves a lot of potential answers to that, but i worry that maybe the apolitical and/or colourblind approach to the use of time travel by some european imperial org, like u said it's an extension of colonial supremacy. but with the framing of wes & sarah (even greta?) as the correct white women worries me a bit, how do u feel on this front? also: so sad there wasn't more homoerotic shiv & george situations :((((

god yes!!! what george did to young bryson is of course horrible but what's crazy about it to me is that he will never come back from that in wes/sarah's eyes and it will always be used against him to shut him out in the same way shiv is shut out for being "too dedicated" in the way that archie is only ever trusted enough to follow orders but never make any real decisions (it's so crazy when you think about the chain of recruitment where archie is shiv's protegee and then george in turn becomes archie's basically.. they all sponsor each other. then wes funnily enough breaks the chain with george letting sarah in)... they are treated as irrational and never allowed to go further up the ladder and Know Who They're Working For meanwhile wes and eventually sarah are ice cold and just as if not more horrific in scale. wes has her partner (husband?) assassinated and watches her son be tortured/beaten, both of whom are black men of course, and does nothing. she won't look at janet's baby before wiping him from existence, and orders the death of her daughter later on. over all the different loops of operation midnight she only ever puts ross, eric, and greta in charge, which is odd considering shiv is so loyal and competent. wes is the only character that's closest to a villain.

joe barton is a white guy and I feel it is likely that this is written "colourblind" and the racialised subtext is most probably unintentional. which I don't mind tbh because just as a poc watching this I'm not going to ignore how interestingly it turned out regardless of intent. I made that post about tlp and colonial supremacy back when s1 came out and it looked like it was going to be them (the west) vs the chinese government I'm soo glad they shifted angle off that and went internal

[xoxoemynn]

I'm glad you feel at least a teensy bit better after sleeping. I feel pretty out of it. I've had a few weeks of ups and downs that have left me pretty exhausted before this news.

I hope you don't mind me leaving a message here. I've never been part of the fandom community, just outside of it, so I'm not even really feeling the 'at least we still have each other' sentiment. Ofmd helped me revive my creativity after years of not creating anything when I used to do so much. I'm still slower at it than I used to be, but it's a start. It's something.

Ofmd gave me the strength to come out at work, to be myself in most parts of my life rather than just carefully cultivated moments. I've found strength I never knew I had. Ffs I'm doing diversity training information stuff now??

I feels good. Feels great. And I really don't think it was a long shot to think that a successful, critically acclaimed show would get rescued. (I did wonder if making it very clear how valuable it was made HBO have an insane asking price but I hope not)

And I know s2 ended neatly (thank god) but I was so on board with Jenkins' view of "the will-they-won't-they is the least interesting part of a romance". Because you never see the payoff! It's just oh they're together now, the end, and you don't get to experience the characters as a couple. The story was the development of Ed and Stede's relationship, and a 3rd part would have given us the full scope of that.. *sigh

Idk I guess I'm just at a bit of a loss. Feeling empty. I was already struggling posting my work, or thinking how to adjust how I do it, because I don't feel its good enough for this fandom (which in my very limited experience feels very clique-y? If you're not in with the cool kids then no one cares and I'm too old for this!) It's all a bit "what's the point" I guess. I expect it'll pass but aaa, man. Y��know. Rant over, thanks for reading ^^'

The deepest of sighs, the tightest of hugs.

I feel you. Starting work today with swollen eyes and a tired heart. It sucks. This all just really sucks. And yes, I'm so grateful we got the show at all, I'm so grateful for the cast/crew, I'm so grateful for this fandom and the friends I made along the way. But this show, that did EVERYTHING RIGHT, ended before its time. And there's no getting around that just really, really sucks.

You're right, I don't think it was ridiculous to believe our renewal efforts might be successful. Because it SHOULD have been! It was a beautiful show with a passionate fan base that was also viewed very favorably by critics. In any sane world, OFMD's renewal would have been a given. And it's not silly or stupid to hope for good things to happen in a world where so often good things don't. The solution to the world being a shit show isn't to just bow our heads and accept it. It's to keep hope alive because yes, it might turn out different this time! Beautiful things deserve to be cherished, and that's what we did and will continue to do with OFMD. OFMD wasn't canceled due to a lack of love. It was corporate greed, pure and simple, and unfortunately that's a really difficult evil to fight against. But we still gave it our all, and people and the industry took note. That's no small feat.

And the show did so much for all of us! I'm so happy it gave you the strength to come out at work and live more in your authentic self. That's huge! That's the power of good art. And that's something studio heads can never take into account while they plug figures into their calculators and huff and puff about the numbers not being there.

I do hope you'll post your work, and share whatever you feel comfortable sharing. We really are of all skill levels here, and I've found genuine love of the show/its characters > the most technically well-written fic on the planet. I do hear what you say about it feeling cliquey, but for what it's worth, I also think it's very welcoming to newcomers? I realize that sounds like a contradiction. But I do think people have just kind of naturally formed little social circles of their friends and it can feel hard to break into, especially if you're an introvert like me. But I think if you start just getting in people's inboxes or reblogging with tags that show your personality/opinions/whatever, you'll start naturally forming those groups on your own. I'd also really recommend the OFMD Fic Club server if you're trying to get the courage to start posting your own work. It's a really supportive community there of people who've been posting for decades, as well as those who are just beginning to plan their very first fic.

Anyway, this is getting long and rambling so I'll end it here, but please know I'm sending you SO much love. It sucks right now but we'll get through it. And my DMs are open if you ever just want to chat. 💕

[edsbacktattoo]

hiii i'm the type of person to just kind of lurk in fandom so i'm going a bit out of my introvert comfort zone but i just wanted to talk about it with someone who gets it lol, but man i had really tried to prepare myself for this scenario after s2 ended, like okay there is a chance that this won't continue so i'll try to make peace with it now, but now that it's actually happened it's just like ...... oh ok :((( i don't even have words other than it just sucks. i found out in the car with my family on the way back home from a trip and i had to try not to cry, which i don't think i've ever come close to crying for any other show cancellation (and there's been plenty :/) . i've been here since like a month after s1 aired and was so excited for s2, i even got my gf into it so we could watch it together. there's so much joy attached to that show that i know we all have, and i'm glad they were able to tie loose ends as best they could with the cuts they had to deal with, but mannnn they deserved so much better...

hi friend!! thanks so much for stepping out of your comfort zone to share your feelings 🥹🖤

not only does this show deserve better but SHIT we deserve better too!! the people that resonate with this show and find themselves represented in it, WE deserve so much better. SO DO YOU!!! i’m sorry you had to have try not to cry in the car (i had to hide in the toilets at work to have a good sob in the stall lmao) but i hope you have the time to process and cry as much as you need

i’m so ready to remain determined tho. the worst thing we can do is give up. and if i’m anything at all it is sooooo annoying. 😌✨ let’s keep our chin up as much as possible!

[the-yuri-librarian]

Love Thy Neighbor Episode 41 reaction

So I haven't talked about it here because it has been in hiatus, but Love Thy Neighbor is one of my absolute favorite yuri stories, and this week the official English translation of Season 2 began to release. With that being said, I am going to be posting week to week reactions as the chapters come out (Bloom Into You analysis series starts this Monday). These will be less craft analysis and more reacting to what is happening in the chapters and talking about where I think the season is headed

I am so glad that S2 is finally coming out, and I am excited to go on this journey. If you want to catch up, or read along, you can find this series on, well, the internet (DM me if you want to know where I read it, I won't say here). But, as always, please support the official release if you can. This series is pretty toxic on multiple fronts, and it is high in psychological drama, so read with caution.

With all that being said, lets start! Spoilers beneath the cut

so, lets say first and foremost that I DO NOT trust Jin Joo's husband. this asshole disappears for months, lets his wife be tormented by loan sharks and then what....everything is suddenly fine?

especially since the loan sharks are still threatening Doyeon. they literally whispered to her "watch your back," but this guy fixed everything?

I am absolutely convinced he still owes them money, without a doubt. I'm sort of wondering if his way out of debt was to sell his wife to them so they could take sell her organs on the black market or whatever (as they suggested to Doyeon when they were pretending to be the police), and then he found out Doyeon was in the picture and told them "take her instead."

meanwhile, the toxicity between Doyeon and Jin Joo continues to grow....

(this are Doyeon's thoughts if that isn't clear)

so hours after Jin Joo makes Doyeon swear to God that she (Doyeon) belongs to her (Jin Joo) in a church, Doyeon is reflecting on the fact that she is so scared Jin Joo is going to abandon her that she is in a constant state of anxiety and also missing Jin Joo. I think we're building up to a spiral and it isn't going to be a happy one. This is of course made worse that the final panel seems to be implying that Doyeon's concern over Jin Joo burning her hand is suspicious to her husband

all in all, things are not good.

But, where do we go from here? I think the real mystery is Jin Joo. I absolutely expect (as Doyeon herself thinks outright earlier in the chapter) that she has not only been expecting his return, but planning for it. I expect she is going to have a way for her and Jin Joo to see each other. The real question is: does Jin Joo even want that? In Season 1, it was shown over and over again that Jin Joo does not love Doyeon, and that she is doing this because she doesn't know what else to do. Not only that, but there has been several times where Jin Joo has realized/thought that her relationship with Doyeon may have been an instance of biting off more than she can chew, like the bathroom sex scene in the last season (which is also the relationship at its most toxic, as we found out later). I can definitely see Jin Joo trying to cut Doyeon out at this point. It would be incredibly in character, especially since Jin Joo thinks her marriage is all she has (and she doesn't seem to see Doyeon as a way to get out yet). And Doyeon, being head over heels in love but still reasonable, will try to respect this. The question is, will Jin Joo be able to stick to it? When and where will they run into each other again?

I could totally see Doyeon showing up at Jin Joo's church later because she can't stand not seeing her anymore. Or, they leave their apartments at the same time and have an awkward encounter maybe? both?

The idea that Doyeon could be a way out for Jin Joo, especially consider what Doyeon said in the church at the end of last season (we'll move, find a new place, I'll take care of you, etc.) is an interesting one, but I don't think thats what Jin Joo needs. Jin Joo needs freedom, the ability to be her own person and pay for herself, autonomy that she hasn't had in a long time, and, depending on how bad her parents were, maybe never had.

And Doyeon....I am not entirely sure what Doyeon needs. Someone to love her unconditionally, and not see her as a way to get in life, probably? we don't know what happened to her original parents, but it definitely seems like her adopted parents adopted her mainly for the social capital that comes with doing such a good deed.

Side note: I really love this shot of Doyeon

all of last season, we were shown that Doyeon scratches at the back of her neck when she is stressed, and when Jin Joo went missing at the end of last season, she was doing so incessantly, like multiple times a chapter. Its just a nice detail that the damage she has done to her skin is there, just below her hair

[lae-zels]

Hi! About the Akemi ending. I agree that it's better for her to use shogun son but at the same time i don't like the idea of him being depicted as a good sympathetic guy after all. Like, she is expected by everyone to be raped and so she goes and forces herself because she would NEVER touch him if it wasn't forced and he is fine with that (unlike Mizu's husband at least who slept far away and understood the power dynamic a bit better). Akemi was sexually abused by the shogun son even if she was the one to initiate because otherwise it would just happen anyway. And him being fine with it, knowing it's arranged marriage and all doesn't make him a good guy. He doesn't care whether she truly wants it or not because it is her duty anyway. So i just hope it won't be treated like it's normal consensual sex and good thing that they had. He is not a good person.

For now, the shogun's son has been portrayed as a passive character (which is very in-character as he lacks confidence and doesn't like to speak up). I don't want the writers to portray him as Akemi's savior, someone she should be glad to end up with because any other man would openly use and abuse her. On the other hand, doubt he had much to say in who he married either as, I'm pretty sure, his helicopter-parenting mother was the one making this decision. Thus, I'm not ready to fully condemn him just yet. There's an obvious power imbalance between the two of them, him being a man and all that but I think there's more to their relationship.

I won't play his advocate, I'll just point out a few things as you seem to be assuming a lot about him:

We don't know if he was fine sleeping with her, the arranged marriage or what Akemi wanted vs what he did. Before warming up to her and explaining the situation the night they were forced to sleep together, I want to believe deep down he was too shy/uncomfortable to be with her but was forced to in order to perform his "manly duty". We can assume he's fine with Akemi being his wife, sure, almost all the men at the time would think that. But BES's story is about people that don't fit the mold/have dreams of a life that society would never allow for: Mizu, being a woman samurai, Taigen, an honorable but forever dishonored samurai, Ringo, someone disabled with dreams grander than any able-bodied persons, Swordfather, an excellent but blind swordmaker, Akemi, a pampered daddy's girl (soon) turned shadow leader of a nation. That means, I'd find it really interesting if they portrayed a man unhappy with being forced to "be the man" in these times just like the rest of the characters are forced to perform society's expectations (but don't). I know, boo hoo, a guy doesn't want to be a husband. Yeah, that's cringe. Weak. I'm not saying he's suffering the same way Akemi is by being the son of a shogun but also I can understand him being unhappy/depressed about being forced to perform the role he doesn't want/recognizes he isn't fit to fulfill.

I think we know too little about him to judge him yet, so I'm very neutral about him. Hopefully s2 will expand Akemi's and by extention, his story too. If he ends up being just a tool for Akemi to gain power, that's okay. But also surprise me, you know.

[tsintotwo]

So apparently Sandman s2 is not being called 'Season 2' but 'more episodes'? That's what I heard recently. If that's true, most likely this means instead of doing one of the next longer arcs (Season of Mists, A Game of You etc.) they'll do the shorter stories like Calliope for this. They can wrap up one in each episdoe nicely. There are enough to fill a reasonable season-length stretch. Also, this means we won't see Morpheus as much. (And at least in one case I predict it will be Kai'ckul aka Black!Morpheus).

That's true for later longer arcs as well, though. As the series of graphic novels progresses, it's really not about Dream. E.g. he's barely in A Game of You (vol. 5). I know it won't bother everyone, but me being the Morpheus slut I am, it will definitely hurt. Can't be helped, I suppose, unless people are bothered enough that showmakers write him in more.

Honestly, I was convinced Netflix being Netflix, we were never gonna get a season 2. (I also believe that they can make the show as perfect as possible and it will still never be truly mainstream with the truly general population: Sandman is just too wide, too dark, and too queer for that. Obvioulsy I've got no issues with those things but I know loads of people will. You might argue that GoT/HoTD etc. aren't child's play material and still those were/are widely popular, but Sandman is a different ballgame altogether. It's hard to explain.) Anyway, considering everything, I'm just glad that I might get to see any more of Lord Morpheus on TV at all. (Fun fact: In the books when Morpheus is in the Dreaming, he's really wearing nothing underneath that cloak- makes complete sense he was naked in that glass cage- and he's always flashing his elbows and knees and chest and whatnot. Maybe they'll do that this (non)season :p A girl can DREAM).

In other news, both my work and social calender have been crazy in a way that even when I'm free, I'm constantly underslept so I'm operating with my 25% capacity zombie brain. (Like, just half an hour ago in the shower I ended up washing my hair twice in a row because the second time I put shampoo on my hair again instead of conditioner 🤦‍♀️.) Anyway, I want to make stuff and I want to write, but it's not really happening. And I know it doesn't matter much to anyone else, but it just bothers me when I have ideas and haven't created anything out of them yet- THEY NAG AND GNAW SO MUCH! Well. I've been putting some stuff on here, at least.

Also, I'll make a masterlist of my fics and pin it. I need it if no one else. I'm constantly rereading stuff I wrote and tweaking little things, and it's damn hard to track these pieces down when I'm on my phone.

[greenqueenhightower]

Did you hear the rumor that Alicent continues her affair with Criston after Episode 1 and becomes pregnant with his child, but eventually takes moon tea to end the pregnancy. Given that she's in her thirties and already has four healthy children, it's not entirely impossible. If this rumor turns out to be true, how do you think it would impact her character and her relationship with Cole? I doubt she would want to have a child during wartime, especially an illegitimate one

Ehm, no? Where did you read/hear that rumor?

I mean, some mutuals and I have discussed the possibility of Alicent brewing her own moon tea after she sleeps with Criston to avoid any complications such as a pregnancy that she could not explain (or maybe the show will invent a reason why Alicent does not need to keep on drinking moon tea anymore. Maybe the maesters have told her she will no longer be able to have children? So she feels that from that aspect at least her affair with Criston can't become known).

Now, we may see her drink moon tea in the show, but a whole pregnancy? During the Dance? I doubt it (although I'm starting to fear that the writers are capable of everything).

I don't think there will be enough narrative time to explore this trope in S2 because of the overload of canon events the producers have to get through by the time S2 ends. I don't think we'd go down the pregnancy lane with Alicole (and tbh, I'm glad if we won't because it would soapify the show by a mile).

If we get to see Alicent pregnant in the show, I don't even know what the writers will do with it. It is impossible for me to predict Alicent's or Criston's reactions because I just can't fathom it. I mean, I assume that Alicent will tell Criston and then tell him why she has to drink moon tea and abort the pregnancy. Will that make him mad? Idk. Would Alicent want to give birth to this child? No idea. It's just out of my processing power at the moment. I think that a pregnancy can't be written in S2 (or S3 for that matter) because where will Alicent go to give birth? Back to Oldtown? Or will she decide to not hide herself and blatantly stay in KL? (Good for her actually, that would be a turning point in her character). Will she realize she's pregnant during her imprisonment?! (I don't even want to think about that).

Overall, I don't know. It would mess up the show too much for me and I don't think the writers are going in this direction either way.

Thanks for the ask, and do link the rumors if/when you find them!

[dragontamerno3]

DS9 S2 E11 - Rivals

I was excited for more Bashir and Miles time but I'm not a fan of salty competition so until the very end their scenes were a chore to get through. Specifically Miles made them that way. I will admit, though it did kinda feel in character for Miles to be that salty.

The first scene with Keiko where she's telling him that he's old and he should get used to it felt a bit... mean. I mean she was right but I dunno if I would have said those things to Captain without at least hearing them out completely and probably validating that their pain of "losing their touch". She was just like "you old, lol." The second scene with her, however was far more supportive and adorable. I love the idea of her using a scarf with her perfume as a good luck charm.

I also liked the scene with Jadiza and Bashir eating while he talks to her about his game with Miles. There wasn't anything "special" about it but its one of the few times where he is talking to her and he isn't hitting on her. I'm halfway through a new season and so Bashirs character has clearly evolved but it was very noticeable in the episode at least with her and I like this shift.

On to the main plot, though.

Obviously I am outside the plot looking in so I have knowledge that the characters don't and what have you but why don't more people look at a situation and say "nope, that's cursed?" I mean, the main "villain" in this episode is thrown in jail and finds his new toy in said jail cell. He gets said toy by taking it off the dead body of the alien that died IN FRONT OF HIM and died while talking about all the bad luck it brought him and yet Martus just grabs it.

It was sweet justice that the woman he thought he was scamming turned out to scam him out of a ton of money. I had wondered if she was conning him because as Quark said "the old astroid mining" is a tired trick but she played the sweet innocent widow so well. Bravo to that lady.

Oh, and Quarks manipulation for Bashir and Miles? It was dirt but damn if he didn't know all the right buttons to push lmao

Also I am very glad Bashir is smart enough to test things before consuming them at least when they're given to him by Quark.

The last thing I wanted to note isn't about this episode specifically but the series as a whole so far. I enjoy the little cameos that Morn has. He's not significant, never does much besides nod but I've found myself looking for him in Quarks or in the background on the Promenade lol

6/10 - nothing of substance, I probably won't remember the most about this one but was entertaining all the same