#impossible to tag show my beloved <3< /div> Explore tagged Tumblr posts

[bookofmac]

Evil is such a genuinely excellent show but because it's called 'Evil' AND it moved from network to streaming it becomes esoteric as fuck to search for and discuss with people; which is thematically meta i think, but also the most annoying thing about the show

[the-eclectic-wonderer]

A big thanks to @witchybitchybisexual who tagged me in this amazing 30-questions Golden Girls-themed game; I had a *great* time answering these! I look forward to reading everyone's answers (including yours, @witchybitchybisexual!).

I'm hiding all questions after #1 under a cut, because this got long haha!

1. How did you find out about the show?

Via another show I love -- Good Omens! Or, actually, via the amazing book that inspired it. One of the main characters, the demon Crowley, is a big fan of The Golden Girls; there's a great scene in which the forces of hell hijack one of Rose's monologues to send him a message while he's watching the show! I was in need of something new to watch at the time, and I figured if Crowley liked it so much, it was at least worth checking out. :)

2. One storyline you’d eliminate?

Hmm... probably Miles' witness protection program storyline? I don't mind it that much (it gave us some fun jokes and some memorable scenes!), but I feel like that was a turning point in Miles' character, and I just don't like the person he became after that turning point.

There was no question 3 here, so I made up my own! Hope that's not an issue :)

3. Best guest star/character?

Lynnie Greene takes the cake as the best guest star, for sure. I adore her and she played a phenomenal young!Dorothy. The second place goes to Dick Van Dyke, just because I love him in general!

As for the best guest character, I think the honour goes to Angela, Sophia's sister! She's absolutely hilarious and her comedic chemistry with Sophia is stellar. I also have to mention John Neretti from S6E23 What A Difference A Date Makes for being the best man in the series imho.

4. Character you most relate to?

Dorothy! My personality nowadays is a bit of a mix between Dorothy and Rose, I feel, but the Dorothy side is prevalent (and it was even more prevalent a few years back). I love reading and literature (and I enjoy learning about history, although I don't have her passion for it); I share her love for teaching (although I'm not a teacher); I was a great student in school, but not a popular kid at all; I'm level-headed and responsible, but I can be impulsive under the right circumstances; I'm very protective of the people I love; I'm Italian and was brought up a Catholic; I'm often the tallest girl in the room (I'm just a bit shorter than Bea Arthur was!) and I'm not attractive (not that Dorothy isn't -- but she is perceived as unattractive in the show), so I also understand her self-esteem issues fairly well.

I'm not as quick-witted as she is, unfortunately, and nowadays my outlook on life is more positive and easy-going than hers, but she's still the one I relate to the most.

5. Favourite character?

Blanche, although the other Girls are very, very close. I adore them all and I especially love to see them interact, but if I have to pick one, then it's Blanche. She's the one who surprised me the most! At the start of the show I kind of wrote her off as 'the man-crazy one', and that's as far removed from me as possible, so I didn't really focus much on her at the beginning. Then came S1E4 The Transplant, and then came her family issues, and then came all her memories of George, and before I knew it I was head-over-heels in love with her. Rue was masterful in how subtly she played her; she showed Blanche's depth as a character little by little, letting the audience peek behind the mask only for moments at a time, so when I realized I hadn't given her the attention she deserved, I was already in too deep.

6. Favourite story of a cast member?

Oh, so many good ones to choose from! The first one that comes to mind is Bea's anecdote about the time she was Tallulah Bankhead's understudy. The awe with which she describes her coming down the stairs is palpable -- but I mostly admire how she took Bankhead's mean comment and turned it into motivation. And Bea did get her 'coming down the stairs to thunderous applause' moment (more than once!), so her vow came true!

A fun one that involves all four main actresses is this blooper related to Blanche's Christmas gift to the girls, the 'The Men Of Blanche's Boudoir' calendar. Watching all of them lose their marbles over this prank is priceless -- it always puts a big smile on my face!

(Is this what you meant by this question? I wasn't sure!)

7. Which was the episode that got you hooked?

The pilot, lmao. It might be a cheesy answer, but it's true! I was immediately hooked from S1E1 scene one. Dorothy's incredible entrance got me.

8. You could wear one girl’s wardrobe for the rest of your life, who would you pick?

It's a toss-up between Blanche's and Dorothy's.

9. How many kids do you think they all actually had?

... this ask made me realize there are doubts about this, lmao. I've never done the math! Had to go check on wikipedia 😂

As far as I can tell, it's fairly set in stone that Rose had five children, of which we meet two (Kirsten, with two different faces 😂, and Brigit, who I assume is her youngest one).

It also seems reasonably certain that Dorothy had two kids -- Kate and Michael. I will say I've always thought Kate was much younger than she should have been in her appearances on the show, considering Dorothy was pregnant with her when she married, but maybe she just looked much younger than she actually was, I don't know.

Blanche is more complicated. We see both of her daughters, Janet and Rebecca, and in S3E3 Bringing Up Baby she mentions three sons, Matthew (also known as 'Skippy'), Doug, and Biff. In that same episode, though, she also says she's had four kids! I get where the disconnect comes from, haha. To be precise, her quote is:

"I have had four kids, I have never had a Mercedes."

This is just off the top of my head, but I wonder if she means 'I have had' in the sense of 'I have given birth to' here? This would imply one of her children is actually adopted (which is very interesting to think about!!). Since she directly mentions her three sons after this quote, I suppose our suspects are Janet and Becky. I'll have to give this some more thought, though -- for now my answer is that Blanche has five kids, and that 'four' is a continuity error on the writers' part.

10. Do you think the actresses would’ve gotten along with their characters if they met in real life? Why/Why not?

Interesting question! I think so, yes.

Dorothy and Bea seem fairly similar already -- as far as I know Bea was a big sweetheart, a private, gentle person, and Dorothy's a big sweetheart too. Plus I feel like Dorothy would have been respectful of Bea's introverted nature, and Bea would have been understanding and accepting of Dorothy's personal history (not to mention, she wouldn't have mocked her for not dating/for her appearance).

In all the interviews I've seen, Estelle seems very respectful and very fond of old people in general -- I think she'd find Sophia a riot! I seem to remember a clip in which she actually says she likes Sophia, so I feel pretty secure in stating they'd get along.

There's this famous quote by Rue in which she essentially says that she's similar to Blanche in everything but the fact that she's not from Atlanta 😂 so I feel justified in assuming they would have had fun with each other! Rue's stated that she felt an immediate connection to Blanche as a character, and that playing Blanche helped her gain more self-esteem and confidence, so I think meeting her in person would have had a similar effect! And Rue (being a very open, honest, compassionate person) might have helped Blanche drop her mask a little bit.

The only one I have an inkling of doubt about is Betty -- mostly because she'd run circles around Rose! But ultimately I think any 'mocking' would be gentle and affectionate, much like the Girls' jokes in the show. I think they would have liked each other -- and they could have bonded on their common love for animals alone!

11. What are your other comfort shows?

Apart from the aforementioned Good Omens, I'm also very fond of Only Murders In The Building, a really fun show about solving murders and found family that I wholeheartedly recommend. Derry Girls is another recent favourite. Oh, if you like cartoons too, I recommend Steven Universe, Hilda, and Avatar: The Last Airbender.

12. Headcanons? (Feel free to list as many as you’d like)

Oh, my god. I have so many and I'm for sure going to forget some. Let's see...

I've already said some time ago that in my mind Dorothy drives stick shift. Reasoning for this is that Italians (including yours truly, haha!) drive stick shift, and she's of Italian descent, so... she knows how to drive an automatic car, she just learned how to drive on a stick shift one (and in the streets of Brooklyn, no less!). Still on Dorothy: I think she has a very neat handwriting (she feels like the type of person who consciously decided to improve her handwriting at some point in her life), but she's prone to leaving ink stains on the page (and on her hands!!), especially when she's writing in a hurry.

Rose is really strong! Physically strong, I mean. I know she was a housewife for most of her life, but she was a farm girl first! Farming takes a lot of physical resilience, and that's the kind of strength that stays with you, I think. She's the one who lifts up the furniture when they clean (S2E12 The Sisters), and I don't think they'd let her do that if she couldn't handle it. Plus, remember that time she broke a whole ceramic cup with one bare hand (in S7E19 A Midwinter Night's Dream)? Yeah. I also subscribe to some mutuals' hc that she's autistic (although they'll be able to comment on it much better than I can, if they want to!).

Regarding Blanche, I really enjoy @\eeblouissant's hc that she has a permanent tan! She's from the South, she's lived near the coast for ages, *and* she's expressed an appreciation for sunbathing in the show, so it makes perfect sense to me. Also: she's a cover hog! In the show Rose is the one who admits to stealing the covers (in S2E5 Isn't It Romantic?, iirc), but I like to think Blanche is the worst offender. It's a good way to complete the Girls' trifecta of sleeping annoyances (Dorothy snores, Rose sleeptalks, Blanche steals the covers!), and I think it's thematically appropriate for her -- considering her Southern origin, I think she's more sensitive to the cold than Dorothy and Rose are, and she's always looking for affection, so...

Oh, regarding their sexuality: I don't have a marked preference for any of them, but I tend to think of Blanche as a bisexual with a lot of internalized homophobia. Rose is also bi, and somewhere on the asexual spectrum (and I have textual evidence for this!). @\hecatesbroom has completely convinced me to read Dorothy as a repressed lesbian, but I'm fine with people considering her bisexual too. I prefer queer interpretations of all of them, but I'm honestly fine with any take, as long as the strong (platonic or romantic) bond between them is preserved.

Most of my headcanons on Sophia are just traits borrowed from my grandmothers -- for example, I like to think that she started getting into gardening once she moved in with the Girls, and she's really gifted at it (like my grandma!).

13. What would you change (if anything) about the show/ characters if it was set in the modern day?

This is a really hard question to answer properly, because while the show is still very relevant to the present day, some aspects are so grounded in their time that a lot of things don't make as much sense when transposed into the future. For example -- would Dorothy end up marrying Stanley and staying married to him for 38 years if he'd gotten her pregnant in the 90s? Single mothers weren't exactly celebrated back then either (Madonna's Papa Don't Preach is from 1986), but they still had it much better than they did back in the 40s-50s -- and divorce has become much more accessible (and socially acceptable) in the past few decades. Would she have left him earlier? Would she have married him at all?

And what about Sophia? Being an Italian immigrant in the 50s seems different from being an Italian immigrant in the 20s -- there was a whole World War between the two, for starters. Would she still emigrate to the US? Would she even emigrate at all? How would she have survived the fascist regime in Italy?

Blanche and Rose are perhaps less grounded in their time. St Olaf is so absurd it might as well be the exact same in the present day (and dying in childbirth is unfortunately still too common, so it's not strange to think that Rose would be an orphan in any case), and considering how some people still think and behave nowadays, Blanche's biography and opinions seem plausible even when transposed 30-40 years into the future (at least to me). But still -- many of the issues they deal with were grounded in their time. Take Rose's AIDS scare: would she react in the same way in the present day, knowing that care for HIV patients has progressed so much?

To be fair, apart from all these questions, all of the Girls are still plausible (and relatable) characters from a modern POV; but society has changed a lot in the past 30-40 years, and I think a groundbreaking, socially advanced show like Golden Girls would necessarily have to change as a consequence. It's just in the spirit of the show! The core idea of four women sharing a life is still a perfect premise, but the problems the Girls face, their careers, their economic stability, their ideas on love and relationships -- there's a lot that could be different when transposed to the present day! I feel like this question requires much more space, time, and analysis to be answered properly.

One thing I like to think is that at least some of the Girls might have been explicitly queer if the show was set in the present day! Which opens up a lot of avenues for plot-lines and relationships :)

14. Which other Fictional Characters would you like each one of the golden girls to meet?

I have a storyboard in my notes for a little comic in which the Girls travel to England and meet Aziraphale and Crowley from Good Omens, so them, definitely 😂

Also, the Derry Girls! Check out this great crossover fic on Ao3 -- the chaotic energy is just off the charts, I love it.

15. Who were your favourite duo?

Oh, I can't choose. Any duo within the Girls. Their 1:1 interactions are all amazing, there's no way I can pick just one. I love the bond between Dorothy and Sophia, I love Dorothy and Blanche's chemistry, I love how fun and silly Blanche and Rose get to be together, I love the ironclad trust between Dorothy and Rose, I love Blanche and Sophia's love-(fake) hate friendship, I love the way Sophia hides her immense affection for Rose under a veil of humour and the way Rose sees right through it. I could write an essay on each pair of them.

15. Who should’ve got more 1:1 screen time with each other?

I'm pretty happy with the amount of 1:1 time each pair of Girls got with each other, actually! One of the strengths of the show imho is how well-balanced the interactions between the main cast are. If I really have to nitpick, I think I might have liked a couple of episodes specifically on Dorothy and Rose in the last couple of seasons; it feels like they interacted 1:1 less after S5, but that might just be me.

I also think the Girls' interactions with secondary characters and guests were well-balanced, in general; I can't think of any specific example where I wished for one of the Girls to have more interactions with a certain character.

... okay, there is one instance, but it's not really a matter of screen time, more of what happened during said screen time. I really, really wanted to see Blanche (with Rose as support) tear into Stan. I think we deserved a scene where she tells him off for the way he treats Dorothy -- she's already pretty caustic in the show when it comes to him (except in S6, for some reason...), and a proper confrontation would have been glorious.

16. Calmest season?

Is there one? 😂 the first season, I guess? It feels a bit more 'domestic' and contained in scope, likely because it was the first -- but it's still a wild ride!!

17. Most chaotic season?

Season 3, for sure. It's a bit all over the place, and it contains some of the wildest premises in the whole series -- I mean, Bringing Up Baby? Letter to Gorbachev? Mister Terrific? I could go on -- there's lots of chaotic episodes in there! (Just to be clear: I love the chaos! S3 is not my favourite season, but it's still great -- and it's got some amazing episodes!)

18. Favorite Season?

I think the honour goes to season 5! It would probably be S6, if not for the whole 'Dorothy falls back in love with Stan' plot line. S7 is the one that contains the highest count of favourite episodes for me, but I think S5 is stronger as a whole, and it's got some true gems.

19. If the girls hadn’t had their established careers, what other ones could you picture them doing?

Oh, let's see! Stan mentions Dorothy always wanted to open an antique shop back in S1E11 The Return of Dorothy's Ex, and I think that really fits her. I can also see her as a (very passionate) librarian! And, of course, she'd be great as a college professor / history researcher.

Despite the Girls' lack of confidence in her ability to keep things alive, I think with proper training Rose would work well as a nurse. She already volunteers for the hospital, she can be competent when given the chance, she's a giving person, and she loves taking care of people, so I think she at least has the right attitude for it -- although I'd never place her in a stressful unit, especially at the start of the show! Apart from this, anything to do with animals, of course -- a zoo, a farm, a pet shop, she'd excel in all of them!

I can see Blanche thriving as a trophy wife, haha 😂 but that's not properly a career, so it's not a valid answer. Taking her keen artistic eye into account, I think she'd be great as a designer -- either a fashion designer, or an interior decorator. She also showed some talent and interest in psychology during the series, although I'm not sure she'd manage to remain completely professional as a psychologist. 😅

As for Sophia, I think she'd do well in any position that allows her to be a motivator! She's great at encouraging people through a bit of tough love, and she's a very driven person herself -- so I think she'd do well as a manager of sorts, although the kind of manager that still works hands-on too. I believe she'd manage to hold her own in more or less any field; she's very adaptable! I do think she's at her best in a kitchen, though.

20. Best aspects of the show in your opinion?

There's a lot! The writing, the performances, the costume department, it was all exceptional. I think the best aspect to me is the premise, and how seriously they took it! The idea of a show centered on four older women living together is groundbreaking, especially since it didn't make a mockery of them -- the Girls are serious, well-rounded characters, with full lives, written with lots of love and respect. I think this show really convinced me that life isn't over once you hit 30, and that there's plenty to look forward to as you age! A lot of people my age are terrified of growing older, and here I am, eager to see what's coming next -- and I owe at least some of this attitude to this show. I'm really grateful!

21. (This question is for my fellow cheesecake lovers) favourite cheesecake flavour?

:) Great question! I love cheesecakes in general, but I'm especially partial to raspberry cheesecakes.

22. Storyline you wished they had expanded upon?

The show has an unfortunate tendency to introduce characters and then forget about them, which allowed for more variety in the stories they chose to tell, but I would have liked to see some of the Girls' relatives and friends return! Like, I don't know -- Jean, for example, or Blanche's nephew from back in S1. Some of the guests' arcs are complete within their episode (as happens eg for Lily, Rose's sister), but others remained a bit 'in the air', and I think it would have been nice to see them again.

Oh, and also -- I would have liked some little references to the Girls' issues and problems outside of the episodes they're tackled in! References to Blanche's pacemaker, for example, or to Rose's addiction, or to Dorothy's CFS (or her hearing aid!!). I understand that the time was limited, but even a small callback or two would have been nice!

23. Questions you’d ask the actresses?

Does 'will you marry me' count? 😭

I'm not sure -- knowing me, I'd probably be unable to utter a word in their presence! Rather than ask questions, I think I'd just thank them for bringing such an incredible, wonderful show to life. It wouldn't have been the same without them.

24. Episode that brings you the most comfort?

Most of them, really. Even the sad ones; I hear the first few notes of the opening theme and my spirits are already lifted. I can pick one per season, if that's alright:

S1E25 The Way We Met

S2E17 Bedtime Story

S3E3 Bringing Up Baby

S4E4 Yokel Hero

S5E23 The Mangiacavallo Curse Makes a Lousy Wedding Present

S6E26 Henny Penny -- Straight, No Chaser

S7E23/24 Home Again, Rose

But honestly there's so many more I could mention! I just love these ladies so much and I love to watch them in situations, haha.

25. Episode that made you laugh the hardest?

This is a cruel choice! Golden Girls is infamous in my house as 'the show that makes the-eclectic-wonderer howl with laughter', and I think that speaks for itself 😂

Let me pick at least three: S2E4 It's a Miserable Life, S7E2 The Case of the Libertine Belle, and S7E4 That's For Me To Know.

26. Which other work that the actresses did you enjoy the most?

I believe most of Estelle's career prior to The Golden Girls was in the theater, so I'm not sure it's even possible to watch her other works, unfortunately.

Show me Bea Arthur singing literally anything and I will be on my knees in seconds. Her musical performances are peak. Also -- I still haven't watched Maude, but I already know I'll love it.

Maude includes Rue as well -- I cannot wait to fall in love with her as Vivian too! And I have one of her early movies in my watch list, although I'm waiting for the right moment to watch it (homegirl plays a stripper and I'm not sure I can handle it in company without making a fool of myself, considering my big gay crush on her).

As for Betty -- Life With Elizabeth, absolutely. She's so funny and so beautiful and so captivating in it! She's simply charming, I love her to bits.

27. Best St Olaf Story?

The Great Herring War from S1E25 The Way We Met, no question. It's not necessarily the strongest from a comedy point of view (although it's certainly up there -- it's hilarious!), but the context and the way Dorothy and Blanche contribute to it make it the most memorable one, imho. It's my favourite, for sure.

(The story of Gunilla Bjorndunker, St Olaf's tallest woman, as told in S6E3 If At Last You Do Succeed is in second place).

28. Best slut story?

It changes every time I hear one, lmao! I love all of Blanche's stories!

If I must pick one -- I really enjoy Blanche's retelling of that time she realized she was even more devastating by moonlight in S1E25 The Way We Met, if only for that incredible final line ("It was at that moment I realized my bosoms had the power to make music!"). I'm not sure if it counts, because it's so brief, but her involuntary remembrance of that time she had to call a cab to get home because the sailor she hooked up with wouldn't wake up (S2E17 Bedtime Story) always has me in stitches -- I love how unexpected and effective it is!

Oh, and I'm really fond of the one she tells her mama in S3E25 Mother's Day. I'm very sensitive to the theme of loved ones getting older and having trouble remembering stuff, so that whole flashback hits close to home for me, and I love how Blanche's story helps her and her mama connect over shared memories. It's really touching (and Rue's acting is spectacular).

29. Best Sicily story?

Sophia's alleged encounter with Pablo Picasso, as narrated in S6E24 Never Yell Fire In A Crowded Retirement Home: Part 1. I somehow didn't anticipate the punchline, and I lost my shit when Sophia name-dropped Picasso. I still lose my shit every time I listen to it. It's a classic.

30. Which girl would you be most interested in seeing a prequel of? And at which point in their life?

I would pay dearly for a young!Dorothy show. It might be depressing (because her life with Stan was... well... yikes) but also imagine -- Dorothy learning how to be a mom, her life at college, building herself a life... so many possibilities!!! And it would be even better if it featured some flashbacks to Sophia's life in Sicily!

I would enjoy a show about teenage Blanche's adventures, too, but a part of me thinks those stories are at their best when retold by Blanche herself (ie when there's a good amount of doubt as to their veracity, lmao).

[makeitagood0neao3]

Weather Me To Nothing (2/4)

Pairing: Dark!Paul Atreides x Female!Reader

Word Count: 3,770

Summary: Reader is the heir to the throne with an impossible choice to make. Torn between protecting her sisters and finding her way in the universe, will she make the right choice?

Warnings: Dark!Paul Atreides. 18+ only! Explicit sexual content. Arranged Marriage. Non con. See tags for more.

A/N: Thank you for still being here! Marry in the morning, earn your bitter father, It's easier to try not to eat.

Read Part 3

That evening, you entered the dimly lit dining hall without your guard. Opting for a lighter dress with a breathable material, you kept your shawl around your shoulders. The table is ridiculously long and the commander at the head of it positioned so his power wouldn’t be questioned. You are on Arrakis and, for the time being, that belonged to Vladimir Harkonnen. He didn’t rise when you entered, but opened his arms wide as you approached his left.

“The Princess returns. A visit from you has been long overdue!”

“Thank you for your hospitality, Vladimir.” You offer him a bow of your head as you approach. Unable to stand, he remains in his chair. Vladimir is like your father, often speaking indirectly and in political avoidance. Feyd-Rautha requires a firmer hand, a more direct approach, while this adversary is a longer play. “You shouldn’t have gone to the trouble.”

A large section of the table is full of large platters, filled with food. Too much for two people, even with his appetite. Most of it will go to waste, while the rest of the inhabitants on this planet starve. The distinction between wealth and poverty in this Empire has become staggeringly large. The divide is growing larger everyday. That has to be creating an unrest amongst the Fremen. How long can they continue to live like this?

“For the beloved daughter of the Emperor, we would spare no expense. And if it’s wealth you’re concerned about, we have an endless supply.” His greedy smile is enough for you to lose your appetite. Was that the last look Duke Leto saw?

You take your seat and as a pale, hairless girl fills your glass. Her onyx eyes are so large you can’t see anything surrounding them. You don’t want to drink, but her hand shakes as she pours so you offer her a reassuring smile, not interested in adding to whatever abuse she already receives. Your appetite has not returned from your first wave of spice ingestion.

“Your nephew explained that spice production has never been higher.”

“Yes, made possible with your father’s generous gifts. To House Carrino,” he says, raising his glass to cheers yours. Before you can reply, the doors open once more, Vladimir’s attention stolen from you.

“Uncle, we have secured the location for tomorrow.”

“This is a dinner without business. Sit, you’re late.” Vladimir’s command to his loyal dog is instant. Feyd-Rautha takes his seat across from you, in his rightful place as Vladimir’s right hand man. He’s had access to you much more than you’re comfortable with.

“Where?” You ask Feyd the moment he sits. He looks to Vladimir for permission to proceed and gets it.

“At the top of some rock formation an hour south.”

“You don’t sound familiar with this location. How do you know it isn’t swarming with Fremen?” You asking, tilting your head in disbelief.

“We have killed hundreds of Fremen since re-taking Arrakis, my lady. There aren’t many left.” Vladimir’s tone shifts on lady, as if he soothing a child.

“Why can’t he come here? Arraken is the safest place.”

Feyd looks to his uncle in an ‘I told you she’d make this difficult’ way that makes you want to throw something at him. They are offering you up to the desert like a lamb to the slaughter.

“We will have Sardaukar on the ground the entire time. It’s best to let the young Duke believe he is in control. Your safety is our priority.” Vladimir offers what he probably thinks is a smile, but comes across as cold. You open your mouth to retort, to show him this is flawed when the impatient Feyd cuts you off.

“We need him to die in the desert.” Feyd’s expression is a sneer. His deep set black eyes hold no remorse, no compassion for the soon to be death of Paul. You feel that he has given you a clue. Something obvious you’re missing in the puzzle.

“The disposal of the Atreides family was… sloppy.” Vladimir’s sneer toward Feyd-Rautha is unmistakable, no doubt regretting putting Rabban in charge of that. “It drew attention from the surrounding Houses. Houses that favored the Duke and didn’t take his removal lightly. They have been talking, asking questions.”

“What sort of questions?”

Vladimir ignores you and keeps one forearm resting on the table while the other moves, gathering more food for his large plate. It’s clear the effort it takes for him to move just one arm. In the years it’s been since you’ve dined with him, he has also aged. The weight of his enormous body catching up to him.

“Will the Emperor kill their families if they answer his call, too? Or are the Harkonnen’s assassins for hire now? What’s stopping any one of them from taking over Arrakis and reaping the rewards?” Vladimir doesn’t seem bothered with this questioning.

“They could never be successful here. We have been here for generations,” Feyd-Rautha’s lip curls at the audacity that any other family could rule here.

“And finishing off the remaining family will stop the chatter?”

“It will show them what we do to those who try to come between us and the dune,” Feyd spits out. His uncle has programmed his rage expertly. “It will show them how savage the Fremen really are.”

Your eyes narrow, fork placed back onto the plate as you realize what you should have seen all along. The final piece falling into place.

“You want the other Houses to think the Fremen killed Paul.” If the Fremen are willing to kill their savior, the one they’ve waited generations for, then they have no loyalty. It’d be a betrayal equal to what your father did to the loyalty of Duke Leto. It shows the galaxy they do not answer to anyone and if they don’t stand for good, then they will not gain the support of any House to rise up against the Harkonnens. It isolates them in their seitches. It makes them vulnerable. The only thing stopping him from blowing up parts of the planet is the humanitarians in the galaxy who forbid it.

“Perhaps you have the gift of sight, after all.” Vladimir sees your mind churning over this information, running the data, evaluating the casualties. You don’t even dare to consider the death toll.

You must give credit where it is due. Feyd-Rautha may be the one coordinating this plan, but the conception is all Vladimir. Feyd has never been the face of the family, only the next in line to inherit it. He’s still too primal, too unpredictable without the direction of his uncle. He is a pawn in this game, as are you, under the thumb of Vladimir. The lengths he will go to grow his wealth is staggering. Left unchecked, he could become more fierce, gaining followers to hunt down the Fremen simply by instilling fear.

“And what happens after?” You keep your tone unbothered, as if the thought of killing someone wouldn’t tear you apart, wouldn’t ignite the extinction of an entire people. This bargain you have made is suddenly much more complicated than originally predicted.

“The plan is for you to leave for your father’s ship immediately following Paul’s death. It will be too dangerous for you once the Fremen find their savior dead,” Vladimir says between chews. “As the new widow to the last heir of Atreides, who barely escaped with her life and saved by the Baron, the safest place for you while we subdue the Fremen is with your father.”

“Your evacuation is my responsibility.” Feyd’s voice is low, his eyes watching you like the griffin of his family crest. Eyes of a hawk, patience of a lion, and the claws to keep you in his clutches. You won’t let that happen.

“I think that’s best. My father will want to settle his side of this arrangement with me once I return.” You keep your voice casual, trying to gage how determined Feyd is to keep you close. If you leave for another planet, it will take him too long to gain access to it and in turn, you.

Feyd smiles at this, gazing at his uncle. Vladimir’s eyes are set upon you, the finality in his stare tells you everything you need to know that this will not be leaving your father’s Flagship. He leans over towards you, his imposing size too close for your comfort. He is intimidating, but you are the daughter of the Emperor and will be damned if this man sees your fear.

“House Harkonnen is risking intergalactic war against the Empire for not only the execution of Duke Leto, but also his son. Do you think your father would just reward us with new harvesters and a permanent residence on Arrakis?”

“He would let me pick any one of his daughters. And Rabban, too.” You stare Feyd down, noticing the twitch in his eye. He isn’t used to verbal combat and he’s met his match. He showed his hand too quickly, but it still catches you off guard.

“The youngest two aren’t old enough.” Your sisters will never be married to anyone in House Harkonnen. They are vile, cruel. Your sisters are soft, kind and too young. They will always be too inexperienced for men more than a decade older than yourself.

“We can wait. A long term payment plan.” He thinks he’s clever, but he has you in a corner. “Rabban is unaware of this possibility.” So there’s time. You may not have much of it, but your sisters have their whole lives and you will ensure they get it.

As much as you hate him, you could never allow your sweet sisters to be subjected to this family. Your father's leash on you has only tightened since your first sentence here, but you would take the choke chain around your throat instead of your sisters.

“What is the price of clearing my father’s debt to you for this… act of loyalty?”

“Feyd-Rautha has been very patient, Y/N. Your father and I believe the match will not disappoint.” It’s the first time either of them have said your name or really acknowledged you as a woman independent of the Emperor. Vladimir is a master manipulator, waiting until this moment to appeal to you in the way you’ve always wanted to be. To be the one to have a decision in your fate.

You nod your head, nausea burning through your stomach. They are unaware of your infertility, or at least Feyd is. He will be rewarded for being a good dog, but won’t get the chance to become out of control if he has children. Children of Feyd would destroy an entire planet.

In turn, your father transfers his ownership of you to the one person with a heavier hand than himself. Marrying you off the man who ‘saved’ you after your husband was murdered is exactly the way he would gain the positivity of the Empire. The Harkonnen maniac who instills fear in all, the savior of a daughter to the people’s most beloved Empress. May she rest in peace.

You won’t get away with sending anonymous messages to other Houses. You will end up on one of two of your most hated planets in the known universe. The Geidi Prime or Arrakis. And who knows what his reaction will be when you he realizes you are infertile. But if it protects your sisters, if it pleases your father and buys them time, maybe they can choose their own path, too.

The whole plot is diabolical and you bought into it for the reward of peace. Of being left alone on a planet far away. You should have known that would never be allowed to happen.

“I accept the debt,” your voice is a rasp, your throat burning as you try to suppress the scream you want to release. The decision is heavy, but you feel numb. It must still be the effects of the spice. Vladimir raises his glass between you and Feyd-Rautha. He’s beat you, the studious strategist.

“Your father will be pleased!” It’s the most enthusiasm you’ve ever heard from Vladimir. Your assumption that past strategies translated over into the present was wrong. The rules are different when it’s man vs woman. You won’t be tricked again.

You summon your fiercest predator gaze and raise your glass to meet theirs in the air, the spread of food rotting before you.The air in your bedroom is warm, even though the sun set hours ago. You watched it set beyond the horizon before your guard ushered you inside, insisting that being out in the wind with your sensitivity to spice was not safe.

Unbearably warm, you’ve removed your dinner dress and are in a night slip that stops mid thigh, the satin doing little to cool your skin. The strap slithers off your shoulder, loose and tickles your skin. This is the heightened awareness you’ve always felt on Arrakis. The paranoia of the future preventing you from sleeping.

The bed you lie on rests inside the alcove carved into the dense stone. Its sharp angles and clean modern lines add to the sterile room too large for its purpose. Everything built by the Harkonnens is grand, taking up as much space as possible. For someone with your condition, you don’t mind how open it is.

Above your head, the plate of gold spanning the wall has elegant coy fish carved into it. If you unfocus your eyes, they appear to move. The light from the wall lamp catches the scales and reflects off it as if it were truly an image in water. Meticulously crafted, ornate and unique.

You’ve slept in this room before, when you stayed on this planet for an entire standard year. The bed is familiar, yet sleep will not take you. Not when you know this the bed your future husband spent his nights in before the attack. Your body is heavy, but your mind is relentless.

Mulling over the details of tomorrow brings you no peace. There isn’t a way out of this, at least not one you can see. If Paul doesn’t kill you on sight in revenge for his father, what will you say to him? From what you’ve been told about Paul, he is honorable, like the Atredies men before him. He’s observant and rumor has it he sensed a Hunter-seeker and destroyed it before he killed him. A rare feat.

Yesterday, you would have considered yourself honorable. There is honor in saving your sisters, but will there be any humanity left when you achieve it by means of murder? After the death of your mother, your life became your sisters and protected them from your father’s harsh expectations. You swore to never let any harm fall upon them and would rather drink what’s in the vial than subject them to knowledge of this arrangement you’ve agreed to.

Once Paul is dead, you could leverage the remainder of your soul to Vladimir to prevent unnecessary bloodshed of the Fremen. What he will want, you do not know. Perhaps he wants to elevate himself from a businessman to a political position. You could help him achieve a seat in the court.

Perhaps you are more similar to your father than you thought. Playing into this game, going all in with the risk of losing it all, is exactly what he would do. Allowing the death of one to get what you want, even if the intentions are not purely for you.

Your life as the wife of a Harkonnen will be greatly different. And a shudder runs through you at the thought of sharing a bed with the most detested creature. In this moment, you are grateful for your infertility, perhaps it will gain you sympathy. Harkonnen women are bred to be mothers and healers. If you cannot conceive, you have no doubt you will have the pity of the majority, seeing you as less than worthy of children. Being the daughter of the Emperor, you have never received the pity of anyone. You’re almost disgusted with yourself, stooping so low to manipulate people into feeling sorry for you after you murder one of the last innocent men in the galaxy.

There is a knock so faint you think you imagined it, until it comes again. Rolling over to face the door, it opens without waiting for your response. You are not in power here. You sit up, pulling the strap of the slip over your shoulder again.

The same hairless girl with large, black eyes stands in the doorway with a small metal tray in her hand. Her eyes are cast at the floor in fear and you know why. Behind her, Feyd-Rautha casts a shadow over her as he moves around her and enters your private room. At the sight of him, you pull the sheet higher up to cover your front.

Casual, he’s removed his bulky black armor and wears a matte black tunic over loose pants. He’s barefoot, which shocks you. You don’t think you’ve ever seen him out of his armor. It’s unnerving to think the barriers between you both are crumbling, that one day soon you will see him this casual often. In your room, in your bed. He doesn’t even appear to have a single weapon on him, though he could tear a man apart with his bare hands.

“Your light is on,” he says, straight to the point. “I’ve brought you a sedative.” His eyes never leave you, but he motions for the girl to approach you with the tray. A small glass of water rests next to a single pill.

“You shouldn’t be in here.” you do your best to sound firm, but he knows there will be no punishment for this. This is his uncle’s home. You are in debt to them. Your guards, however, are not and you don't understand why they let him enter.

His eyes survey you, taking in every inch of the skin on your arms and across your chest. In the warm glow of the lamp, you must look ethereal to him, because he seems to be struggling for a retort. Finally, with the droop of his chin, he finds it.

“Superstition is for the groom the night before, but you are not my bride tomorrow.”

The girl reaches you and you note she is careful to not stand directly in front of you, but off to the side so he doesn’t lose sight of you. You don’t fault her for it, noticing the way her hand shakes slightly as she holds the water out to you. She may be more afraid of him than you are.

“Thank you for your concern, but I don’t take substances like that.” Not since your mother swallowed a handful of them.

“I can sit with you then, until you fall asleep.” You hold his stare, knowing he has the high ground as he towers in height just feet from your bed as he inches closer. You don’t miss the implication and disgusted, grab the pill from the tray before he can take another step closer. You swallow it without the water and nod in acknowledgment to the girl.

She bows and nearly runs past him before he tells her to leave the water in his native language. It comes out like a grunt, harsh and commanding. She places the water on the nightstand before shuffling out, the sound of her plastic dress swishing as she goes. Your eyes never leave him in a challenge, but cautious to push him when your guards are clearly confused about who they protect.

Slowly, he creeps closer to the bed, calmer than you’ve ever seen him.

“I know the last day has been a shock for you, but you will adjust. You’re resilient.” He reaches the bed and places one knee on it, leaning closer to you. “You’ll adjust to the effects of spice, too.” His hand reaches up and you’re too scared to pull back more than an inch or two. His finger traces the line of your strap hanging over your shoulder. He is so warm, hot even. “Please me in completing your task, and I’ll buy you the Atreides’ planet.” He means please him in murdering Paul and inciting a war against the Fremen.

“Caladan?” Your voice snaps him out of his trance over the plains of your exposed skin and he pulls his hand back.

“Consider it a gift to my bride.” He smirks then, cruel and knowingly, before he gets off the bed entirely. “You are soft and not made for Geidi Prime. It’s too harsh, industrial. I will ease you into life there when you are with child, but perhaps the oceans of Caladan will help you rest when I’m away.”

“Away?” You ask.

“I haven’t been named, but the Baron will make me his heir. That will require me to tend to business in his place.”

With that he bows slightly to you and leaves the room, closing the door behind you.

You’re not sure what to make of that, but agree that his home planet is less than appealing. Though he can’t be that oblivious to know that sending you the planet of the man you’re about to murder it a cruel form of torture. Every hall reminding you of the life you stole. Perhaps there are worse places than originally thought.

Enraged at the thought of continued torture over this crime against humanity you’re about to commit, you rip the covers off and storm to the door. Yanking the heavy thing open, your tormentor is gone and your guards are nowhere to be found. The halls are quiet and still, dimly lit in warm lamp light. Unable to hunt down your guards in a skimpy slip, you abandon the idea. If Feyd was going to do anything to you without them present, he would have. He’s toeing the line again, testing when you’ll act out.

You must refrain from impulsively reacting to him. Anything that displeases him now will be paid back to you when you are married. No longer can you hide behind your father’s power. Your safety. and the safety of your sisters, is in his hands.

Re-entering your room, you close the door and get back into the warm bed. Unable to keep your eyes open longer than a few moments you allow them to close, the light on the wall is still shining upon the fish mural behind your bed.

Read Part 3

[sagesolsticewrites]

Backwards Hat

a/n: so! I wrote this for funsies like a month ago when Anto posted that pic of him and Raff and Barry and given that we won’t be getting any new Anto content (as far as shows, etc.) until next Wednesday when Shardlake drops (SOOOOO excited!!!), I figured we could use something to tide us over until then 😊 Happy Friday, stay strong Anto girlies (gn)!

Warnings: none! Pure fluff

Word count: 442 (short n sweet <3)

Masterlist

“Good job, my love!” You shout from the sidelines, biting back a smile as Barry and Raff begin their incessant teasing when Anthony meets your eyes with a bright grin.

You had tagged along to one of your boyfriend’s informal football games— organized as a way for him to get to see some of his former costars after Masters had wrapped— and you were having the time of your life watching him run around like a kid with his friends.

A brief time-out is called, and he jogs over to you.

“Hi there,” he grins, pretty brown eyes shaded from the bright spring sun by his beloved 100th Bomb Group hat.

You grin right back up at him, “Hi. Having fun?”

“Absolutely,” he laughs, his eyes flicking over to where Raff and Barry are shoving each other on the field like teenagers, “It’s really good to see these guys again.”

“It’s good that you guys stay in touch,” you smile, reaching up to flick the brim of his hat playfully.

“Hey,” he laughs, adjusting it back so it sits properly on his head again, “What was that for?”

“Well you’ve been standing here for at least thirty seconds, and I still haven’t gotten a kiss yet,” you pout.

He looks positively scandalized at the thought.

“I’m so sorry darling,” he says softly, though there’s a playful sparkle in his eyes, “Let me fix that.”

You rise up onto your tiptoes to meet him halfway as he leans in…

And jolts back as the cap protecting his fair Irish skin bounces off your forehead.

You laugh through your wince, rubbing the spot where it hit you.

“Or not, I guess.”

He frowns slightly, though the concern on his face eases as you assure him that you’re fine. You can see the gears turning in his brain as his friends call him back over.

“Honey, just go,” you wave him off with a smile, “I’m alright, I promise.”

“No, I’m not leaving until I’ve given my girl a proper kiss,” he retorts gently.

In one smooth motion, he flips the hat backwards and swoops in to plant his lips on yours.

You giggle into the kiss, squeezing him tight before releasing him as he steps away, eyes sparkling.

“There we go,” he grins with a wink.

“Get back out there, you dork,” you say through the wide smile stretched across your face, waving him off as Barry and Raff begin their good-natured teasing once more.

He stops to blow you a kiss as he jogs back over, making your smile grow impossibly wider as his friends playfully jeer about what took you so long?

[lathepoquerose]

WIP WEDNESDAY

Thank you @sulphuricgrin and @pocket-vvardvark for tagging me this Wednesday :3 Obvi I tag my dearly beloved @hadvarandralof , @kiir-do-faal-rahhe , and @gavalaa (if you wish, this might have other motivations hehe)

I've been too busy hating myself too really do much other than cry and rot in bed and be numb at work so I haven't got much done on Epistle & Elegy. I managed a meager 1.3k words of utter slop last night, so I gave it an equally meager edit. Anyway! Yeah! Here's my trash!

It’s half past the twentieth hour when exhaustion settles heavily on the boy priest’s shoulders, eyes half-lidded, writing growing woozy on the page. He rubs his weary eyes and tries to make sense of his most recent scribbles: Fire=hot? WEAR GLOVES. 

Profound, really, so much so that he flips the leather backing of his book about the page and makes to change into his nightrobes. No Mika yet; a blessing on this occasion. Lately, Mika has consumed his thoughts so ardently that he’s driven to the point of distraction in his presence. And it isn’t just the matter of Morokei’s book; impossibly, frustratingly, Mika is like…a flower? A bee? A sky on a sunny day?

It’s not quite the eloquent metaphor he hoped for; he had never claimed to be a poet. He has little time to push Mika from his brain before a fluff-and-tumble scurries across his unsocked toes, a distinct, high-pitched coo its gentile manner of excusing itself. He shivers and shakes the feeling from his foot. He thought surely Mika had given up on that awful spider by now. 

Thankfully, the subject of the crime is the adorable matter: a tiny horned owl, eyes wide in a perpetual state of starstruck awe, patters about the floor beside Mika’s bed, wobbling on uncertain feet. Loukas’s heart could melt at the sorry state of the disheveled fluff. He scoops it up, much to its confusion and abject displeasure. 

“Foolish creature, you. How lucky you are to have found a friend,” He lectures as the downy bird trembles in his hands. “Come. We will have to find your mother, then.” 

Lacking the blessed visual rotation of an owl, Loukas makes for the door to find himself face to face with a notably flustered Mika, hands clutching tightly to a rustling basket, a mess of tail feathers poking out rather suspiciously from the side. His suspicions are confirmed as the lid shifts just slightly, revealing a feathery brother to his unfortunate friend in hand.

“Mika,” Loukas starts slowly, not breaking eye contact with the basket of baby owls scrambling to escape their root weave prison. “Good evening,” 

Hands occupied, Mika winces, embarrassed, setting the basket of owls on his bed. Gingerly, he returns Loukas's discovery to the pile, another gladiator for the fluffball arena, burrowing into the comfort of his sibling's wings. 

[No mother. Nest fall.] Mika signs before readjusting the lid to cover the furious hatchlings. [Helping owls]

“Kind as that may be, I'm not entirely convinced at the thought of hiding a basket of owlettes in our quarters,” He says, eyeing the basket warily. “Have we so soon forgotten Spots?”

Spots had been a three-legged fawn Mika became bent on domesticating, a plot Ahzidal put a decisive end to when it hobbled into his laboratory and ate his entire supply of fire salts. Thus, Spots was forcibly relocated to the pine groves, which sent Mika into a mess of teary despair. Loukas had comforted him and promised Spots would fair well; honestly, trolls probably ate her. 

He bites his lip and waves his hands in denial. [No. No hiding. Baby escape.] He explains, gesturing to where Loukas had picked up the owl. [Taking outside.] 

“So you've brought them inside, basketed them as an unpleasant bouquet of rage, and now intend to take them outside once more?” Loukas questions reasonably. His answer comes in the form of a sheepish smile. 

[No. Show you. Come.] He suggests, hoisting the basket of owls into his arms. Mutism has a singular perk: one must only occupy one's hands to indicate the time for talking is past. He nods at the door encouragingly, turning in a flurry of layered royal robes and loose feathers. 

With the season's tide, one would expect warm nights and wet grasses, but there is almost always snow at Labyrinthian. As such, there is nothing Loukas wishes to do less than deliver a basket of owls to the snow-covered wilderness at nearly the twenty-first hour. But it's Mika -- and so he finds himself throwing on his over-robes regardless and tailing along hurriedly behind his owl-encumbered friend. 

Their weavings go long into the corridors; Loukas hurriedly makes an excuse to an attending night watch regarding their late-evening traipse. However, the ordinarily sour-tongued Deacon only offers a friendly wave to Mika in response. It's amusing; he's not sure even Archbishop Hevnoraak, in all his brutality, could resist Mika's good nature and better intention. Ahzidal certainly can't -- he'd procured Mika an elegant set of robes as consolation for the loss of Spots -- and even the solemn-mannered funeral Bishop seems to have a softness for him. It's by Mika's power alone that they find themselves stepping beneath the snowy stars without too much hassle to show for it. 

Their path had not been unlike the one Loukas usually takes to the crest. So it comes as a surprise to him, when Mika thrusts the basket of owlettes into his hand and flicks a ball of mage light in and out at once from his fingers, that he had so many times missed the fairly ample crevice nestled in the side of the mountain barrow. 

“Surely you don’t mean to-,” he begins moments before Mika slides into the rock, gesturing for his roommate to follow. Though Loukas had succeeded in putting some weight on Mika, he’s still obnoxiously thin, a waif, really, this being an advantage Loukas does not possess. He sucks in his belly and stances his shoulders, still finding it to be a tight squeeze. 

Once popped into the corridor, he follows the steady flow of mage light blooms accompanying Mika’s far more familiar pace, hands feeling on either side of the passage for support. What exactly he intends to do with a basket of rowdy owls in a cave the size of a birthing canal evades him entirely. But he’s in no position to communicate with his guide, being bound entirely to the mercy of his hands. 

Yet as they continue to move forward, he feels the walls bearing down a little harder, his chest growing tight, his stomach twisting -- tight spaces have never sat well with him, particularly freezing, damp ones that render him sightless. When he feels the ceiling crouch down further overhead, the cut of the rock requiring him to enter another crawlspace, he seeks to swallow his pride. 

“Mika, I can’t go further,” he chokes, hanging his head below his heart to try and slow its unruly flutters. Thankfully, Mika seems to have heard him, his quiet footsteps echoing between whatever further cavern walls await. A few moments pass before a hand slowly creeps back beneath the crawlspace—Mika, or rather, Mika’s hand, waves. [Open inside] he signs before beckoning him forward and slipping away like a tease. 

The silliness alleviates some initial terror, and he begrudgingly slides onto his belly. From this angle, he can see a strange glow coming from the side of the crawlspace and the just-there shadow of Mika waiting at the entrance. He sucks in hard, suddenly regretting having three servings of grits, and hoists himself up through the hole. 

“Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,” 

Loukas doesn’t think any of the three would blame him for cursing, not now. Illuminated by dancing towers of candlelight cast upon salvaged baskets and urns, pulsing with the glow of fireflies and luminescent faunas, tens of animals chirp and chatter amongst their tiny stony home, blanketed soft with brush and leaves. He catches the gaze of a one-eyed wolf, a cracked-beak hawk, many bent-leg spiders; this is a proper sanctuary, each animal cast in an unfamiliar purple gloam. 

At the center, on a mossy stone bench, Mika sits with basket beside him in favor of nuzzling a little deer. Upon closer inspection, a three-legged deer. 

“Dragon’s fire,” He breathes in something akin to disbelief. “Spots?”

[rmd-writes]

Tag Game Tuesday Wednesday: 911 Lone Star Fandom Edition

Tagged by @liminalmemories21 and @freneticfloetry thanks, and good timing! You both caught me on my lunch break

When did you first start watching Lone Star? Who or what introduced you to the show?

I can't remember the exact timing, but I'm pretty sure I watched the first two seasons while s3 was airing and then caught up after - I wanted to start earlier but I had some issues finding a way to watch the show here!

My introduction to the show was via @three-drink-amy telling me to watch it (repeatedly), @clottedcreamfudge's judicious use of gifs from the show in the gc and a bunch of SC mutuals yelling about the gay howdy wee woo show on my dash every week.

Season 4 was the first season that I watched "live" which I did with @welcometololaland, both of us texting and screaming as we watched each episode together hours and hours after everyone else had.

Which season is your favorite?

Season 3, hands down. I don't know that they'll ever beat it?

Who is your favorite character? (Bonus: If you answered TK or Carlos, who is your favorite besides them?)

Other than Carlos and TK, I think it's Grace. I just adore the her energy and the way that she takes everything in her stride and even when things are hard, she's very practical about it. Also she doesn't take shit from anyone.

Top five episodes. Go!

I don't think I've ever tried to do this? I'm generally very bad at choosing, my SC fave ep list contains three episodes that I insist must be watched together so they only count as one ep hahahaha Anyway, in no particular order, and not necessarily by episode title or number because I can't be arsed looking them up:

Push, my beloved

3 x 13

the one with Lou

Bad Call

the Soulmates one

Bonus: the Marjan ep in s4 which was just so, so good

If you could pick any character to be given a "begins" episode, who would it be and what would that episode look like?

Either Nancy because we know nothing about her and I want to know, or Paul because I think he's had such an interesting journey.

What is a scenario or storyline that you would like to see in season 5?

I love @liminalmemories21's idea of a Halloween ep! It would be so fun!

We probably won't get it because of the shorter season, but I'd love more Lonestar-is-a-comedy-actually episodes like Red vs Blue and the (original) Lou arc.

More realistically, I'd love to see Carlos actually grappling with the consequences of his actions in s4 and also working through his grief and TK helping him do that. And I'd like to see an absence of Owen love interests.

What do you think is going on in this still?

I want it to be something silly like Lou 2 is lost in the loft and Carlos is Not Happy about it (the reason for TK's posture) and then he answers his phone in the middle of all of that, hence the facial expression. The phone call isn't that important, it's Owen asking Carlos for help on a side quest.

We all know about the elusive 5x05 spicy scene that has been teased, so what is your prediction for how it could possibly top 1x02?

I don't know about a prediction, but I'd love to see them getting distracted from getting ready in the morning. Carlos (in just his underwear) waking TK up with a kiss and TK pulling him back into bed for a good make out session and that turning into more. A very different vibe to 1x02 but hot nonetheless.

Where was the Tarlos honeymoon in your mind?

I think it was somewhere close to home - with the accelerated wedding timeline (lol) they didn't have time for a long trip for to somewhere far away, and by all accounts, travelling overseas wasn't on their radar anyway (see: TK's disbelief when Carlos says he wants to go to Tuscany). So a long weekend at a nice resort somewhere. Enzo paid for it as their wedding gift because he couldn't make it to the wedding when they moved the date up.

Shoutout one of your favorite fan creations.

Just one (1)? Impossible! This Rafa fan art by @ambiguouspenny made me actually say "oh fuck" the first time I saw it. I adore the way @whatsintheboxmh uses light in all of her fan art. I love @howtosingit's Carlos episode edits because they a) let me watch all of the Tarlos scenes on repeat (and before I actually get to the watch the episodes when they air because time zones), b) give me an easy way to check canon dialogue and c) make it easy to convince new people to watch the show when they sneak into my DMs and tell me that the number of Tarlos gifs I am putting on their dash is tempting them. @liminalmemories21's Knave-verse might be my favourite Tarlos AU, everything about it makes me swoon. Okay, cutting myself off now.

Tagging: @welcometololaland @howtosingit @three-drink-amy just so they know my earlier tags in this post were tags to do this and also @lightningboltreader @orchidscript

@danieljradcliffe @guardian-angle22 @reasonandfaithinharmony @alrightbuckaroo

@cold-blooded-jelly-doughnut @nancys-braids @heartstringsduet and anyone else who wants to play 💖 PS. if ao3 user olympia2007 is here on tumblr, I'm tagging you too (and please come say hi)

[fearandhatred]

thank you to my beloveds @crowleys-hips @knifeforkspooncup @crowleys-bentley-and-plants @sabotage-on-mercury @eybefioro @seven-stars-in-his-palm (and @captainblou i made this chart before you tagged me 😭 and @itsscottiesstark thank u bestie) for the tags!! <3 this is like everyone i've ever known. i also made a mindmap of who tagged who because i thought it was hilarious:

Rules: In a new post, show the last line you wrote (or drew) and tag as many people as there are words (or as many as you like)

And oh, he'll give himself time to agonise over this later, over their innate and opposite natures, the possible impossibility of the two of them. But for now—

tagging some writer mutuals i haven't tagged before pspsps: @angie-words @crvwly @voluptatiscausa @weasleywrinkles @waitingtobebroken

[chickenstrangers]

2023 gifs in review tag game

tagged by @khaotunq (here!) to post my favorite/most popular gifs throughout the year. thank you!!🩵🩵🩵

I only started making gifs partway through this year, so there was a big learning curve and i still think i'm pretty newbie but it has been a lot of fun and it's nice looking back on how much i think i've improved, though i have so much left to learn next year

i am going to ramble too much because this is my post, fair warning, forgive my self indulgence

april

this was the very beginning, back in the photopea days before i tried photoshop (i am still quite fond of photopea, 1. because it is free and 2, for stills i think it's just as good as photoshop, but i could never figure out how to make gifs look good with its dithering system. i have seen some remarkable gifmakers using photopea tho so that's a my limited skill problem, and i'm glad i used it to dip my toes into the process!)

i only posted 1 set for abaab this month which looks not good but is still a very fun scene, but this was not actually the first thing i made (see below).

may

most popular: msp finale, tinn knowing all the words to gun's song <3

favorite: moonlight chicken, my first ever gifset and the reason i got into gifmaking because i wanted to capture the way moonlight chicken visually returned to locations and shots to underline its theme of loneliness being replaced by community, which is the mlc repetitions series

june

most popular & favorite: kiss me again (2018) and the lovely way june say's goodby to his friends (i learned how to add text to gifs for this one, and not only that but timed text! i thought it would get like 5 notes. it's very messy and doesn't look great, but i'm proud that i learned something with it, and i think its very funny and that's all that matters to me)

july

it's photoshop time now!! photoshop beloved you make such beautiful gifs and also you are So Slow and my computer cannot handle you.

most popular: only friends original trailer set

favorite: jimwen looking at each other set (the start of my most belovedest of series, the followup to the first ever meta i wrote)

august

most popular: part 1 of the can't i look at you edits, cool tones edition

favorite: part 2 of the can't i look at you edits, warm toned edition (i love them both but this has two of my all time favorite wen faces)

hey its my profile picture and also i find it very funny that the Os line up with his eyes, and the second gif i love how impossibly happy they look

september

my busiest month in terms of gifs, in large part due to only friends

most popular: topmew and fire

favorite: alanwen poetry edit i spent soooo long learning keyframes for the heartbeat effect and then the ghosting effect was a happy accident thank you person in the background walking past at the right moment

(i also love my charn laws of attraction set because he was a surprise favorite character this year, i loved collecting the quotes for how he speaks of himself)

october

most popular: only friends sandray finale parallel set (it is. very very close to 1k which is. so many).

favorite: he's coming to me edit because it was so fun to make for @dudeyuri

november

most popular: not me sean and black getting along super duper well!

favorite: moonlight chicken haunted house edit, accompanying this meta/creative writing thing. i loved choosing liminal feeling shots for it and i liked how the simple typography turned out

december

most popular: a little jim and wen set i am very fond of

favorite: the moonlight chicken new years set i posted today. i love this little chicken diner

hey look i managed to mention moonlight chicken almost every month (i swear, i watched so many favorite shows this year but i loved making mlc gifs so much)

and that's that! thanks for reading if anyone read til the end.

no pressure tags for some amazingly talented creators who have made some of my favorite sets this year (if you feel like talking about some of your highlights, whether monthly or not, because you all make so much incredible work and i'd love to hear about it) : @hoppipolla @sollucets @icouldhyperfixatehim @celestial-sapphicss @chinzhilla @krystaljungs @moonkhao and anyone who wants to, consider yourself tagged <3

[tobernaut]

Get to know me game!

I was tagged by the awesome awesome @the-one-who-lambs

rules: answer + tag six people u want to know

fav color: constantly changing tbh I can never make up my mind. I'm a big fan of impossible colors, obsolete and dangerous paint pigments, and black.

last song: Bass Boat - Zach Bryan. I've been leaning towards bigger, faster songs lately but I still like my slow tunes. And jazz. And swing. Swing... <3 (Note that I'm actually listening to The Landlord Song - Mute Frank ft. The Plague Review while writing this. One of my favs.)

currently reading: The better question is what I'm not reading. I'm constantly on A03 eating things up. I've also been skimming though Merlin Sheldrake's Entangled Life. When I'm sad I read The Hobbit, and I'm currently waiting on my new edition of Scooby-Doo Zombie Apocalypse along with Spiderman: Miles Morales. Also got my eye on Bloodshot Reborn vol. 2. Comics. Yay.

currently watching: Usually the answer to this would be Good Omens, but ever since the Neil Gaiman thing came out I've had more conflicted feelings. Huge comfort show, though. I have the TV guide and everything....sigh. Anyway, I've been meaning to rewatch the 2016 live action The Tick my beloved. That, or Firefly (2002). I'm the type of autistic that just watches the same shows over and over. So.

currently craving: I just ate so not much, HOWEVER I'm going to the city tomorrow and praying I can get this coconut chicken curry from this amazing Indian food place. Their curry fries and garlic butter naan are to die for as well. If not then maybe I'll go to the hole in the wall Indian buffet I found a rat skeleton outside of that one time. Incredible food. God I'm hungry again now.

coffee or tea: ,,,Neither. I'm sorry, can't stand the stuff. I've been cutting back on soda too so...sugar free sonic limeade water flavoring from the dollar store 🤤🤤🤤

Tagging @beautysnake @z00lea @wowowsophawowow @aveloka @donutfloats @adair-trashart (Sorry moots I tried to check if any of y'all have already done this but I may have missed someone 🤐)

[woozification]

i was tagged by both @jeonwon-wonwoo and @irlvernon, tysm maddie & max!! i was hoping someone would tag me this year, i love looking back on things like this <3

rules: link your favorite and/or most popular post from each month this year (totally fine to skip months) and tag some CCs you love!

JANUARY

most popular: lee jihoon, world's cutest loser (2.2k notes) - i loove compilation sets, and this one was so hilarious and fun to make favorites: bss just do it & woozi's habit - i love the colors of my bss set! & i hadn't done much with fun text before, so i enjoyed picking out the font lol. - as for woozi's thumb-biting habit...once i noticed it, i started looking for it everywhere

FEBRUARY

most popular: mafia mingyu (700 notes) - i giffed so much of its2, and cute mafia loser mingyu was impossible to resist favorites: attacca era & post-show arts and crafts - i had a brief affair with attacca as my favorite era...it is impeccable, after all <3 - i noticed woozi making a little fan in the background of an after-show video and thought it was cute

MARCH

most popular: hao & vernon "get your hand off of me" (800 notes) - these two were just too funny dsjfnlsfhj, i had to immortalize them somehow favorite: dk & woozi at caratland 2023 - sweet sweet boys whom i adore with my whole heart...

APRIL

most popular: woozi for rmtcrw (500 notes) - as the caption says, rmtcrw woozi was an absolute gift favorite: super mv outfit details - my dirty little secret is that i didn't care much for super when it first came out, but watching the mv while making this set made me come around

MAY

most popular: woozi wants to be reincarnated as a cat (2.7k) - we stan one (1) catboy in this house. he's so correct actually. favorites: svt's 8th anniversary & woozi fml video behind - i was camping during the 8th anniversary and i literally drove 40 minutes back to my house to post this set...i couldn't let it go to waste. - behind the scenes woozi is so goofy silly, i love his awkward little hiccuppy laugh

JUNE

most popular: jeonghan "what would you do if i became a cockroach?" (1.2k notes) - classic jeonghan behavior necessitating a set... favorite: an ode album covers - my first foray into anything graphics-adjacent! it came out exactly how i planned, and it's my favorite thing i've created thus far

JULY

most popular: snoozi (5.2k notes) - my most popular set of the year! i love how many people enjoyed the pun, and i looooved compiling all the sleepy woozis favorite: it's definitely snoozi, but honorable mentions include strawboory & svt + tv tropes - strawberry boo was already too cute not to gif, and as soon as i had the pun in mind, nothing could've stopped me from using it - svt + tv tropes was so fun! i actually have a few ideas for a part 2, but not enough for a whole set yet.

AUGUST

most popular: "in the market" song (700 notes) - i was flabbergasted by this, woozi's memory terrifies me. instant gifset. favorite: a rainbow of wz hair colors - i loved coloring this set, for obvious reasons. vibrant gifs my beloved.

SEPTEMBER

most popular: follow tour vcr (500 notes) - the moment i saw this, i loved it. i'm not exactly sure what the plot was, so i had my own interpretation ofc. favorite: svt mvs + pink & blue - i was on a mission for rq&s, but i ended up going a little broader instead. i had fun making the templates!

OCTOBER

most popular: pd woo (700 notes) - it's just a single large gif, but man is it a cute face. the 700 notes are me reblogging it 700 times in another life. favorite: first love & letter album covers - wahhh these were so fun to make! the "love" one is my favorite, they're such good boys honestly.

NOVEMBER

most popular: woozi's birthday (400 notes) - i really enjoyed creating the layout for this and adding all the cute bits and pieces. it's one of my favorites from this year :) favorite: it's definitely the birthday set, but honorable mention for the birthday box photoshoot - pink sweater...

DECEMBER

most popular/favorite: 2024 sg spot (180 notes) - life got difficult in december, so this is my only set. behold!

this was fun! here's to more giffable content in 2024! ^^

a lot of my favs have already been tagged so apologies for any double tags, but (if you're so inclined) i'll tag @jeongtokkie @sevencoloredstar @woozis @goblinvern @wnjunhui @junranghae @dinoboos @junmail @hoshingi and @kiimtaehyung <3

[alienturnip]

Finished FF16 a few days ago and I do have some (long) thoughts about it, so I'm noting them down below. Reactions include the Waloed & Origin arcs.

Tagging @zadien as you requested <3 My thoughts won't be organized but I'll try my best to articulate as I go. Wall of text alert!

I think this is yet another case of "the story didn't satisfy me a lot but the characters bewitched me body and soul" so here I am at the end of the roads... with a lot of grievances toward how the story was structured & written but also impossibly attached to the cast haha, needless to say I have fanart ideas planned and incoming.

Things that I enjoyed a lot:

CliveJill's scene with the snow daisies, where she tells Clive that she wants to spread her wings after all this is over. MY GIRLFRIEND... YOU SHALL HAVE THE WORLD.

Jill being so good with acting dkfjsl <3 <3 she's so cute....

Jill being as much of a ruthless mtfk as Clive, they're soooo in tune when it comes to wrecking havoc

Everything about Joshua he brings SO SO MUCH to the table both with his personalities and the themes he represents. I would ramble if not for fear of this post's length...

Dion's contradictory demeanor hahahahaha - he insisted everyone call him "Dion" but wouldn't shut up about "Ifrit" and "Phoenix", he also refused Harpocrates' gift but then gave another to Clive 2 seconds later, then sauntered off without even checking if Clive likes it or not...

I generally bemoan the lack of discussion on Dion's relationship with his country's imperialism and his hands in that (like, everything about him was perfect to address that topic even in very brief ways?), BUT I highly enjoyed Dion's theme about the loss of personhood and to be reduced to a vessel of power and worship, his multifaceted relationship with the concepts of power & duty & hierarchy. So subtly yet powerfully done with so little screen time... I think Clive's own engagement with the theme (which is supposed to be his central theme) comes short in comparison.

Dion's side quest with Harpocrates also scratched my brain in INCREDIBLY ways, but again I won't ramble too much in this post...

(Hahaha by this point I think everyone knows who my fav is)

Dion & Joshua's dialogues are all so well-written (maybe save for Joshua's last speech...)

Everything about Mid & Gav, they're beautifully done, I love them they have such solid places within the narrative and lovely personalities too. When I watched Mid navigating the Entreprise I was just squealing and cheering for her! Her talking about the dream of flight and the danger it might entail, and her plan of turning such a weighted topic into a lighthearted treasure hunt! My gosh 💗 Gav's drinking scene with Clive is also especially touching, I felt a lot for his burdens.

Lady Isabelle may I have your hand in marriage--

Clive holding Joshua or clutching his body...... breaks me every time I love love LOVE tragic siblings

I can honestly write an essay for each of the characters (especially Jill & Dion my thoughts about them are overflowing) but they will have to be separate posts at this point, let me know @zadien (or anyone else reading this 🫣) if you'd like me to talk some more.

NOW onto the criticisms proper...

Waloed & Origin arcs were pretty underwhelming, mostly because I feel like they haven't offered anything new that wasn't already resolved in the previous arcs...? I enjoyed Barnabas' vibe but his impact on me was a big fat 0, and here comes the conundrum because, well, I'm guessing him being emotionless & devoid of a personality is supposed to be the point with his worship of Ultima, but even that was not done well... All his bedroom scenes kinda ruined all of that, not to mention the out-of-nowhere 'mother' appearances that the story doesn't even bother to explore aside from showing her naked body (Benedikta got the same treatment after her death my god I'm so sorry my beloved)...

Idk what I'm supposed to take away from the character and, in consequence, the Waloed arc? I know nothing of who he was, his dialogues didn't even match Clive's growth at that point - again, why is Clive questioning his humanity NOW of all time, when the story has been going so well? Could they have, idk, shown Clive's fear coming back to him after reuniting with Joshua & discovering Dion's descend to madness, so that they can segue into the Waloed arc more smoothly - that despite Clive's best intention he may lose all his control at the most crucial point and ruin all that he holds dear (like Dion), and that he never let go of his guilt at Phoenix Gate, and having Joshua back unwittingly brought back the nightmares he'd lived with for 13 years? Maybe that would give his identity crisis at the beach some more substance instead of "Barnabas bested me twice and now I'm wet and sat" situation he got going on... I am thankful for Mid & Dion's arc & CliveJill romance & everything about Joshua but the main villain & plot points felt so distant... MY BRAIN WAS NOT SCRATCHED

(I adore Mid & Dion & Joshua hahaha they're so colorful in 3 entirely different directions, my silly children)

I am also not really convinced by Ultima's writing. The plot reveal of him being a God who created humanity but then abandoned us all *could* have been pretty powerful and on point if it wasn't executed in such fragmented ways. If only they dig deeper into one or two specific aspects of that concept to explore...

I am especially fond of the idea of Ultima as symbolic for "the absent parent" and "the narcissistic parent" (both in the intimate familial context and the wider context of head-of-state/leader figures), which could have paralleled SO WELL with Anabella & Sylvestre & EVEN ELWIN had they not cut off Anabella's presence immediately after her death, or had they make Dion reflect deeper upon his relationship with his father beyond "I killed him I am so sad", or had they make Joshua's and Clive's memories of Elwin more complicated - maybe in how they (especially Joshua) worshipped his as their father & leader, but less so as a man, someone human & flawed? And then they can explore how the children gaining autonomy & freedom despite their parents & the circumstances that shaped their childhood as a direct mirror to them breaking away from Ultima? The frustrating thing is, I THINK they did try to do that, what with all the Inner Voice snippets and the initial buildups and all, but the execution keeps coming up short...

Ultima & the Eikons as symbols of "power that binds & enthralls" in contradiction with Clive's fight for a "free world" could've been much more relevant and poignant if maybe they allowed us to get more invested in Ultima's backstory (flashback cutscenes perhaps? more involved murals? a more multifaceted discussion around the concept of will? some attempts at humanizing Ultima's race so that when Clive says "you're just like us" we feel it a bit deeper?) instead of just having the guy monotonously narrating all the plot twists... my god. Not to mention all the on-the-nose dialogues of power of friendship & crude slavery allegories... I don't know! I think Square did NOT do it well in this one.

That's all I can pull from the top of my head at the moment! Ready to hop into replies or asks to talk some more, but yea!

[nutcasewithaknife]

Rules: List 10 comfort shows and then tag 10 people

Sorry its been a while since I got tagged! thank u @fangdoubing <33

In no particular order, here goes:

1. Old Fashion Cupcake

I have watched this start to finish over 5 times in just the last year. Confident gay who is actively having a crisis all the time? An older man coming to terms with himself at 40? Who would've thought an office drama could go that hard. Especially when everything about it is so soft it just wraps me up in a warm fuzzy blanket

2. Beyond Evil

Something about how justice and grief and guilt and love are all one massive tangled knot that none of us can hope to sort through without each other. About wanting to be damned but being saved instead, and finding out it's just as painful.

3. Word of Honor

MY FIRST C-DRAMA. the sheer plot chaos. Gremlin murder husbands and their kids. The manic delight of seeing how hard they went with the gay despite censorship. Glorious unparalleled and perfect

4. The Untamed

My second c-drama gays. Fundamentally altered my view on people and relationships. Came for the gay, left haunted by every single sibling relationship. How devastating grief can be, and how moving on is both inevitable and impossible.

5. The Good Place

FAVOURITE COMEDY EVER. There's so much love and kindness at its very core. Commentary on the inherently fucked up nature of the capitalist world AND the most gloriously absurd and meaningful afterlife system ever. They all have my entire heart.

6. Yuri!!! on Ice

I don't even know what to say. It's gorgeous. It's unbelievably soft and just. so lovely. Go watch it if you haven't it's worth it.

7. Good Omens

AUGH MY BELOVED 6000+ YEARS PINING ANGEL AND DEMON. I can watch them just exist around each other forever. S2 destroyed me but I don't regret a single thing

8. Bad Buddy

They're such fucking idiots. Obsessed with how silly and gross and sincere they are. It's the first Thai BL I went beserk over

9. Moonlight Chicken

The next Thai BL I went berserk about!! I think it does a lovely job of showing queer relationships for different generations with their differences without condemning or glorifying any one. It's so sincere and grown up in an incredibly kind way.

10. Mysterious Lotus Casebook

If you've gone through the last 2 months without blocking me for the MLC spam, thank u. It won't stop anytime soon. I'm just obsessed with li lianhua and his tragic and convoluted connection to grief and the past. Also also his silly little polycule. The biggest emotional mindfuck of an ending since BBC Merlin. The brainrot is here to stay

Tagging @istgidek1234 @redemption-revenge @difeisheng @linacies @deus-ex-moshina @t4tadrienette @tejoxys @fanghuas @franklloydweft (feel free to ignore, no pressure!) and just anyone who wants to share :)

[captainsjack]

i know this is like 3 months late, but ah! thanks for tagging me @matbaynton ! 💜

my wallpaper:

last song i listened to: anti-hero by ms swift <3

last movie: mission impossible dead reckoning part one (in theaters opening night!)

craving: pizza (it is currently in the oven👀)

what you're wearing right now: cropped grey vineyard vines t-shirt and grey sweatshorts!

how tall are you: 5'8.5 (yes the .5 matters bc i want to be like 5'10 lol)

piercings: lobes & double on both ears, and helix on my left!

tattoos: none. i'm wayy too indecisive to get any unfortunately

glasses? contacts?: contacts, i haven't worn glasses in years (they're only for emergencies bc i hate them lol)

last drink: earl grey my beloved <3

last thing you ate: cinnamon muffin (with the earl grey)

last show: i'm currently re-watching new girl!

favorite color: light blue or lavander

current obsession: mi & benthan if you couldn't tell :)

unrelated obsession: speak now tv vault songs!!!!!

any pets: a cat (meatball) and dog (hazel)

do you have a crush on anyone?: non fictional characters? unfortunately, no :(

favorite fictional character: umm well i cant just choose one... so jack harkness, benji dunn, ethan hunt, bill potts <3

last place you travelled: i'm actually currently on vacation in michigan!

tagging: @liass-21 @agentsinlove @sneakertin @j-harkness @r1ver-6 @msjessicaday @benjiwyatt and anyone else that wants to play!

[gardenerian]

today is actually a super busy day so of course i am avoiding it all by doing @celestialmickey's sweet lil tag game! ty @metalheadmickey @mmmichyyy @tanktopgallavich @energievie ily ily!

your name: mel

your age: respect your elders

your first fandom(s): time to out myself again, huh? i was on fandom tumblr for downton abbey (and sherlock oh god) when it was airing but i never really participated? i just lurked. the first fandom that i wrote fic/made graphics/did headcanons for etc. was riverdale 💀 then it was schitt's creek, and now.... well. we know what this is.

your current fandom(s): shamey wamey

how did you first get into fandom? i was on tumblr for the angst and nudes for a while asjkfh and then fandom found me. never looked back babyyyyy

how long have you been engaging with fandom spaces? i still have some very treasured riverdale mutuals, and i started in that space in 2017? that's when i first seriously engaged in fandom. i jumped right into shameless tumblr in 2019 and have been very comfy!

how often do you read fanfics? not as much as i used to! it used to be every day, multiple times per day. but now... my brain, it is broken. i would say once a week or so? sometimes more, if the noggin allows. i really want to do better!!

top 3 characters from your current fandom(s): ian/mickey, lip, fiona

have you ever written a fic for a fandom? if so, shout it out! ayyyyy yes i have, and i am trying to get more out there!

have you ever drawn fanart for a fandom? lmao no, you guys astound me every single day with your talent, but i do not have it

share a personal headcanon that you feel very strongly about: i don't want to say asdfklh

you’re trying to convince a friend to get into your current fandom(s) with you. what episode, clip, or scene are you showing them? god that's tough. possibly 4x08? it's one of my favorites and it's such a classic! the music.... everyone's storylines... the performances! s4 is such a HNNNNHHHNNGG good one. i would say 7x12 but i'd need to show them mickey..... oh god maybe 2x02??? s2 my most beloved! this is an impossible question. they need to watch the whole thing.

and finally, what does fandom mean to you? oh my god. fandom has always been something of an escape for me? i joined the riverdale fandom in a pretty rough spot, and it was such a fun and sweet way to disconnect from all of that. despite the Stupid of that show, i had so much fun. but now... it's still an escape. it's still a way to turn off the world and mess around and have fun. but it's also a way to learn and express myself and try new things and feel brave? it's a way to create in a way i never thought i could??? it's a community of kindred spirits. this fandom in particular has infused my life with so much color. it has given me my best friends. the tumblr table at my wedding is REAL and it will be the most fun table IMO. my life was very different before these folks came around, and fandom is 100% responsible for that. *clears throat, wipes away tears* anyways. fandom is cool.

tag shy today despite just spilling my guts askjdafksh please do this and share your thoughts! i am tagging yoU!

[smblmn]

20 questions for fic writers!

Thanks for the tag @a-noble-dragon! 😘❤️

How many works do you have on Ao3? Technically 14, but one is the epilogue to another fic and another is a collection of drabbles, so I'd say 12 complete fics.

What’s your total AO3 word count? 167,100

What fandoms do you write for? At the moment Schitt's Creek and RWRB (though I haven't posted anything for latter yet)

What are your top 5 fics by kudos? 1- In the eyes of the beholder 2- Just because you like to wander, that doesn't mean you don't know the way 3- On the Outside Looking Through 4- The Great Canadian Baking Baker Show (Off) 5- When you least expect it

Do you respond to comments? Why or Why not? It might take me a while, but I do. I really appreciate people commenting on my fics, so I think the least I can do to show that appreciation is to answer. I admit that there have been times when I've saved those comments for later, when I've been dealing with a particular bad case of writer's block, as some sort of motivation. I'll answer to every comment eventually.

What is the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending? I don't do angsty endings, so none.

What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? This is very hard to judge because all my fics have happy endings... But my angstiest fic is In another life, so maybe it feels happiest because I put them through a lot?

Do you get hate on fics? I haven't yet. It's not something I'm particularly looking forward. (PSA: don't be mean to writers, if you don't like what they've witten, just close the tab. It's not that hard.)

Do you write smut? If so, what kind? I've written sex scenes but I don't think they can be considered smut. They're rated M, but if anyone comes to my fics expecting smut they're gonna be very disappointed. I have every intention of writing smut eventually, but at the moment I have a couple of fics with placeholders like: character A puts X part of their body into character B or they do filthy things to one another. All my respect to smut writers, I wish I knew how to do what you do.

Do you write crossovers? I haven't, no. Who knows if I'll try in the future.

Have you ever had a fic stolen? Not that I know of.

Have you ever had a fic translated? Nope.

Have you ever co-written a fic before? Nope. I'd like to, though. It must be fun.

What’s your all time favorite ship? This is very hard to judge, but I'll say that David and Patrick are the ones that made me brave enough to share my writing, and my obsession with them isn't going anywhere.

What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? There are a few that I don't think I'll finish. The one I'm most sad about is a David/Patrick Russian Doll AU because I have quite a lot written and I find that Universe fascinating. The saddest part is that I even have a title for it. I can never come up with a title, but this one, that I doubt I'll ever finish, has one already 🤦🏻‍♀️

What are your writing strengths? Oooooof, I don't know. I think I'm okay at plotting? And dialogue comes quite "easy" to me, but I don't know if that's a strength...

What are your writing weaknesses? Punctuation for sure.

Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic? Everything I write in english is in another language for me... Alexander or June Claremont-Díaz might give me the chance of writing in my language for a change 😅

First fandom you wrote for? The Hunger Games my beloved (never posted, of course)

Favorite fic you’ve written? This is an impossible question but my go to answer is always On the Outside Looking Through. First fic I ever finished and posted, I'm still enormously proud of that one.

Tagging @lizzie-bennetdarcy @beaiola @wordthieve @noahreids @dinnfameron @blackandwhiteandrose @jamilas-pen @alienajackson @stereopticons @tyfinn @apothecarose @vanillahigh00 and anyone else who wants to answer!

[alicentsgf]

tagged by @oneeyedaemond thanks babe 💫

RULES - List eight shows for your followers to get to know you better.

(there are so few shows I actively watch that it makes this easy af)

1. the xfiles - I cannot overstate how much this show characterised my entire childhood but especially ages 14-16 ish. the space it took up in my brain was phenomenal. I should have been studied. haven't watched it in a while but I guarantee if you said an episode name I could tell you what happened in it.

2. agents of shield - I stand by this one. was the first season (or at least the first half of it) a bit lackluster? yes it was very much so. But as soon as they told the rest of the mcu to go fuck itself and stopped including the tie-ins it got really good. seasons 2/3/4 were some of the best. then it got tired in season 6 imo... but THEN it had one of the best concluding seasons of any show ever. good for them. not very gay though - only real criticism - and yet still gayer than the rest of the mcu.

3 You - me? watching a show with a male lead? improbable but not impossible. he's so awful and so so funny and I looovved Love (no surprises there). the new series being set in London was very jarring for me lmao but the characterisation of the british upper class was spot on tbf.

4. His Dark Materials - I'm a little obsessed with Ruth Wilson in this show like idc that everyone says she doesnt look like Marisa like she just IS marisa. the first season rearranged my brain chemistry.

5. Warrior Nun - idc if this makes me a stereotype like yes im a lesbian and I fucking loved that stupid show so much and I cried when they cancelled it. also I know some fans argue it wasn't campy but is WAS and it was GREAT like idc that sometimes the plot was weak it didn't even matter because the characters and their connections were everything. and just... Avatrice my beloved..... I have never seen a sapphic couple written with so much genuine love and care. like you actually get to see them fall in love?? believably???? and they're good people who are good for/to each other????? it fucked me up. I miss it so much like I love my messy gays too don't get me wrong but I'm also so scared I'll never see rep like them again rip.

edit: realised I only did 5 (my attention span ain't great sorry) - will maybe add 3 more later.

tagging @alicenthightowr @lovelydreamscapes @lillia-autumn-windsong @aemondryvers @witchleia