#it's not the best acting but it absolutely is the best for THIS series

[thelov3lybookworm]

Misapprehensions and Confessions (part 3)

(moodboard creds to @sunshinebingo🥹)

Day 5: Favourite tropes

Summary: It has been a regular routine for Gwyn to seek out the spymaster for training. And when he suggests helping her out with getting reaccustomed to society, it doesn't take too much persuasion for Gwyn to agree. But when he doesn't show up one day, Gwyn takes up the liberty to accompany herself into the city.

That one decision is all it takes for it all to fall apart.

•○●⛦●○•

Word Count: 3147

Warnings: none me thinks? like a tinyyy bit of angst but az finally stops being an absolute idiot loll so ig thats fun 🤭

A/n: heres the final part for the mini series for day 3 of @sjmromanceweek❣️ thIs part has a lottt of yummy tropes like... i wont spoil teehee 🤭

ANYWAYS. THIS FIC WAS MINE AND @sunshinebingo'S BABY AND IM SO HAPPY TO SEE IT BEING READ AJSASDFHSN🥹

Read on AO3 here

ANYWAYS, ENJOYYYY!!!🥳🥳🥳

°•°•°•○🌑○•°•°•°

Gwyn’s pov.

Gwyn stared at the letter that had accompanied the latest gift, this time a box of pastries from her favourite bakery in Velaris. She stared and stared at it, part of her wanting to open it. She stared and stared at it, everything she felt for the sender swirling inside her. Deception came to the surface the fastest, making Gwyn frown at the familiar handwriting which read, From Azriel.

Gwyn threw the letter in her nightstand drawer with the other unopened letters. Then brought the box of pastries to the kitchen of the library, leaving it for anyone who would like it.

Back in her room, Gwyn swapped her priestess robe for her training leathers. She tied her hair up in a ponytail before braiding it and tying the end with a white ribbon that was a smaller version of the one her Valkyrie sisters and she often wore around their foreheads.

Gwyn thought about the past week all through her walk up the stairs. She had done her best to act normal in front of the others. But it had been terribly hard to live with the heaviness that had settled inside her from the distance she had tried putting between Azriel and her. Especially when every day the shadows had dropped something new for her from their master. First it had been a bouquet of the same flowers that grew on a hill where they had gone to train one morning. Then books from authors she had fawned over. Then came some music sheets of compositions that had been played at a concert they had attended together and which had played such beautiful music that Gwyn had had tears in her eyes from start to finish.

Gwyn had refused to give any of them more than a first glance, her eyes teary and her heart heavy as she put them away somewhere in her room. She wouldn't allow herself to enjoy things that were meant to buy her forgiveness. The first letter she had received - the only one she had opened and read - had made her cry for the first time since that cursed day. 

Azriel had apologised profusely for missing their outing, claiming that he had an important mission that day.

“Fucking males and their fucking lies,” she muttered under her breath as she stomped her feet on each step leading to the training area.

It wasn't so much about the heartbreak she felt from the realisation that Azriel didn't return her feelings. She could live with that. It was more about him not being completely honest with her when she believed that they had been sharing everything with each other for the past few months.

Well, she could learn to live with that too, she supposed. Without the one that had turned into her confidant. But Gwyn was afraid that losing him had already turned into yet another thing that she would have to heal from.

Gwyn found herself alone as she stepped outside onto the moonlit roof of the House of Wind. It was the first night in a week that she was coming here at such a late hour. She released a heavy sigh when she looked up at the stars that shone down at her. The vastness of the sky and the beauty of the night never ceased to amaze her. Although tonight, she had no one to ramble about it to. 

Gwyn shook her head to erase the lonesome feeling that began to seep into her. She walked to the punching bag and, for the next hour, threw every bit of strength she had left in her on it. Until she felt familiar shadows surrounding her, enveloping her in a hug that comforted her. Gwyn smiled.

“I missed you too,” she whispered to them even though a few had been with her earlier.

She didn’t know if it was Azriel who had sent them or if their determination to not listen to him when it came to her was what had made them visit her at any random hours. Still, she could never push them away. Not when she loved them so much.

Gwyn closed her eyes, reveling in their cool touch against her flushed face as she attempted to slow down her breathing.

“Hello, Gwyn.”

Her heart skipped a beat at the deep, warm voice that she heard every night in her dreams.

The shadows parted. And Gwyn found herself alone with Azriel for the first time since their last outing in Velaris together. It was harder now as opposed to their daily morning training to pretend like he didn't exist, now that there was no one for her to use as a shield to avoid looking at him. 

Azriel stood leaning against the doorway with a hesitancy that she had never seen in him. One of his hands fidgeted at his side, his smile was shy, and his eyes… Gwyn wanted to reach out and touch his cheek, ask him what's wrong and talk to him until he looked at her like he used to. But she reminded herself that she had no rights to do so. Such acts of tenderness would be no doubt more welcomed from pretty blond females with gorgeous skin and perfect curves.

“So… Did you like your gifts?” Azriel asked, his voice another thing betraying his lack of confidence.

Gwyn's emotions stirred again at the memory of them sitting in that restaurant and she felt herself spiraling into her own mind.

She couldn’t stand the way he was looking at her. 

For months they had been as close as friends could be; perhaps even more considering the tight hugs, the hands, cheeks and forehead kisses, the late night talks that turned into sleepovers, the deepest, darkest conversations that bled into the silliest, funniest talks she had ever had. All this time, while Gwyn had been steadily falling for him, he had been falling for someone else. And he hadn't trusted her enough to tell her. Instead he had lied and forgotten about her. 

Gwyn had accepted that she wasn't good enough for him. That wasn't a hard conclusion to come to when she had recalled the female he was with. But didn't she, as a friend, deserve trust and honesty?

“You should send them to your girlfriend instead,” she snapped at him.

She noticed his expression morphing into one of shock and confusion in the few seconds that she stood there before she decided to leave. 

His eyes were like a physical weight on her when she moved across the ring, brushing past him as she made her way down the stairs. She didn't take ten steps down before she heard him following her.

“WAIT!” 

She moved faster. But she wasn't fast enough to stop him from grabbing her wrist and turning her around. She gasped when her back hit the wall at the same time Azriel pinned both of her hands above her head.

Gwyn would have made him regret this if he had been anyone else, if they hadn't been in this position countless times during training, if it simply wasn't him.

“Let me go,” she ordered, his hold tightening on her when she tried tugging her hands away.

“Not until you fucking talk to me,” Azriel said, frustration and desperation lacing his voice.

Gwyn glared at him. She didn’t even know what to say anymore, caught off guard by his hands touching her and his eyes looking intently at her.

“Gwyn, I am so fucking sorry for what I did. I'm ready to do anything to make it up to you. But please. I'm begging you.” 

His shadows swirled around them, and somehow Gwyn heard their plea to listen to their master. She wanted to scream and push him away. She wanted to tell him everything she had felt for a week.

“Why are you wasting your time with me, Azriel?” She settled on asking instead.

Azriel looked at her as though her question had physically hurt him. 

“Surely she's much better company than me. You don't have to pretend anymore,” she added. She tried again to free herself but to no avail.

Azriel kept staring at her. His expression grew more puzzled.

“For Gods sake, would you stop being cryptic and just tell me what's really going on.”

Gwyn scoffed. She tilted her head with a frown, trying to understand whether he was really dumb or if he thought so little of her to actually not see the problem. Perhaps it had been her who had held him in higher regards than he deserved.

“Like you talked to me to tell me you couldn't make it to Velaris with me?” she said, her voice getting louder with every word spilling out of her lips. “Or when you talked to me to tell me how you've been holding my hand and kissing me before going back to touch that female you are clearly intimate with.” 

She felt Azriel freeze. His eyes widened. His lips parted in shock. Even his shadows stilled. He leaned closer after a moment. 

“Did you…” He gulped. “Did you see me with another female?”

Gwyn looked down, defeat suddenly washing over her. She nodded.

°•°•°•○🌑○•°•°•°

Azriel’s pov

Azriel’s lips parted, brows raising high, but no sound came out of his mouth, as if his vocal cords, too, were baffled with Gwyn’s admission.

Baffled at his own lack of connecting dots.

After all, how could he not see that there was more to Gwyn’s anger than him missing their outing. Gwyn was not a bitter person. Azriel prided himself on knowing her enough, her soul enough, to figure she would not hold something like that over someone.

She just would not.

And so it should have come as no shock that she had seen him, but the guilt and regret spreading through his veins was evidence enough to his surprise.

A tendril of darkness slithered up to Azriel’s ear, hissing.

Master is so dumb.

Nyx is smarter.

Azriel scowled, but on the inside, he chastised himself for not seeing the reason for his beloved’s anger sooner.

Another shadow floated up.

Beloved?

His heart stopped, then sped up as he realised what he had been thinking.

Alas, it was too late to deny the sentiment. He liked Gwyn, more than he should, more than friends should.

But hadn’t Azriel known long ago how he felt for her, despite trying to play his affections for the priestess off as nothing more than friendly feelings?

Gently, Azriel let go of the tight hold he had over her soft, small hands, hands that were so delicate yet so strong, it left him in awe every time. Hands that were such opposites of his own scarred, ugly ones.

She tried to pull them out of his loosened grip as he brought them down to his chest, but his fingers refused to budge, prompting her to look up at him in confusion.

He met her gaze, the teal reminding him of the day he took her to a beach and her eyes had lit up like stars on starfall. He tried not to get lost in those beautiful eyes that made his soul sing - the image of those sparkling eyes that made him want to do anything in his power to make her laugh - and swallowed, trying to formulate a response that would let her know just how much he did not want to be there with the other female.

“Gwyn…”

Her eyes moved across his skin like a physical caress, wide and curious and confused. After what felt like a millenia just staring at her, Azriel inhaled, placing one of her hands on his chest before reaching for her face. He could feel the soft brush of her hair, reminding him of the day she suggested the two put flowers in each other’s hair sitting in a meadow.

His gaze roved over the freckles on her cheeks, the pattern so familiar and comforting, something he had learned the shape of long ago, resembling the stars and open skies that had brought Azriel the cherished feeling of freedom every time he thought about his past. So familiar that every time a new freckle appeared, he’d know with just one glance at that beautiful face.

He would listen to any song and would be reminded that nothing and no one compares to the sound of her voice. He would find beauty in every corner of this world that reminded him of Gwyn. He had been born and raised in darkness. But to truly understand what darkness is, one had to acknowledge the existence of light. Gwyn wasn't just light. She was the moonlight that could illuminate the darkest night. She was the sunlight reflecting on the surface of the ocean and making it glimmer. She was a thread that glowed inside Azriel, one that lit up his soul and gave him the most perfect reason to be alive.

“Have you any idea, Gwyn, how much space you take up in my mind?” He mumbled, leaning his forehead against hers. “Have you any idea how everything I see, everything, reminds me of you?”

“Az-”

He shook his head, begging her without words to let him speak, to let him get this out of his system before he lost his mind. “Have you any idea, that the past few days that you have been avoiding me like your life depends on it, I have not been able to function, I have not been able to breathe?”

A long moment passed before she shook her head, her gaze softening.

“Gwyn, I- what did you think- all those touches- the laughs- I-”

It was difficult for Azriel to speak his mind when he knew a few words could render him vulnerable in the presence of someone else, making him easy to hurt and maim. Under her gaze, it became doubly so.

He could do nothing but pray to the Mother that she would understand what he wanted to say, pluck words he was unable to form from between his heartstrings and weave them together into a confession worthy of the female she was.

Prayed she heard and saw what he felt without him having to spew poetry. Because if he was being real, he did not resort to poetry, sure, but even if he had to, he just could not. Because he did not understand which flowery prose to use under which circumstances. It was one of the things that made him glad for his looks, because most females who weren’t looking for lifelong partners did not need him to tell them he loved them.

Because that’s what he felt for Gwyn.

He loved her.

And he would be damned if he let a misunderstanding take her away from him.

And so he tried again, his lips parting and lungs expanding.

“Gwyn, I… I love you-”

A breathless gasp escaped the female he towered over, her eyes glittering under the moon beam that penetrated the dark stairwell. She didn’t speak, but she didn’t have to when her soft gaze spoke volumes.

The sight of her, the slow tears welling in her eyes, gave him the push he needed, and he squeezed the hand he still held in his, her other having moved to his shoulder. And he leaned in.

They were already close, so it didn’t take much before their lips were barely a hairbreadth away. And then Azriel paused, peering into her eyes, searching for permission.

The momentary pause made her anticipating gaze move down to his mouth, then back up to him, the corners of her lips turning down, brows furrowing in annoyance. The scowl had Azriel inching back, wondering if he had vastly misunderstood her intentions behind those secretive touches, the shared laughter and jokes, but she didn’t let him go far before her free hand came to loop around his neck and pulled him down to her.

The first brush of her lips against his sent shockwaves through Azriel’s whole body, making him suck in a surprised breath. But then he wrapped his own hand around her waist, wiggling for purchase between her body and the wall she was pressed against, and pulled her against him.

She gasped, but refused to pull away as she pressed her soft lips to his, her fingers brushing into his hair before clutching it. He squeezed her hand again, feeling her lashes tickle his cheek. And he let himself wonder what it would feel like to be able to feel every feeling the kiss induced everyday.

It was a long while before the two pulled away, their chest heaving in search of air, and Azriel smiled shyly, biting his still tingling lip.

She cleared her throat, gaze fixed to his chest. “So…”

“So?”

She sighed, exasperated. “So now what?”

Azriel cocked his head, grinning. “Now what?”

He barely had time to register her glare before a shadow came careening into the back of his head. Azriel turned to scowl at it. It ignored him and floated away to rest on Gwyn’s shoulder.

She giggled, proudly staring down Azriel until he gave up, chuckling. “Now… we are together, then? I mean, only if you want-”

“I do.” Her voice was soft, the love twined in each syllable tugging at something in Azriel’s chest.

He smiled, raking a hand through his hair, but then he paused, his smile morphing into a smirk.

“Were you jealous, Gwyn?”

“What?” She froze from where she had been poking at the shadows converging around her, refusing to meet his gaze, and Azriel leaned in, smug, trying to get her to look at him.

“When you saw me with that other female - who I was sent to get information out of, by the way - were you jealous?”

She scoffed, going right back to playing with the dark tendrils barely visible in the small space they were pressed in. “Of course not.”

Azriel chuckled, watching as she rolled her eyes and turned away to walk downstairs.

He didn’t move for a long while, watching her scold his shadows who were all too eager to get closer to her.

He could have gone after her and pestered her until she relented and admitted that he was right. He did follow her. But he let this subject drop for now. Azriel hated losing, hated being proven wrong. After all, he did hold the title of the most competitive member of the inner circle for centuries now.

But this time, he could not find it in himself to care. This was not worth it. The only thing that mattered was that she had not given up on him and their friendship. Their budding love. In the end, he had gotten his Gwyn back.

And their renewed relationship was something he intended to cherish until the Mother decided to take his soul.

°•°•°•○🌑○•°•°•°

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[witchofthemidlands]

this isn't a criticism at all because they're all ultimately derived of the same source materials, this is something i want to say in the hopes i can nudge someone towards a special interest of mine that invaded my brain & will never leave.

if you liked nosferatu (2024) wow, do i have the show for you! with the same content warnings as you'd receive for nosferatu may i offer upon you all: penny dreadful (2014-2016)

filled with some of the best ever adaptations of the characters from dracula, frankenstein, jekyll & hyde, the wolf man & the picture of dorian grey is (in my personal opinion) the most phenomenal gothic series i have ever seen in all my years of being a gothic literature fan, i have a degree in literature, a segment of it being in gothic literature, i have read these stories over & over again, dracula is my second favourite novel of all time, frankenstein is also in my top teen novels of all time & i love jekyll & hyde & i don’t think i have ever seen a loosely based adaptation get these characters so well. do you vibe with nosferatu's ellen hutter? let me tell you about the beautiful, the love of my life, vanessa ives! played by the ethereal eva green! vanessa is tragic, beautiful & literally possessed by a demon. she is brave & brilliant, not to be a lesbian but oh my god, i rarely cry at pieces of media but i have shed so many tears over her & been in awe of her existence, she is derivative of both lucy westenra & mina harker, the calibre of acting from eva green is like nothing i have ever seen, her possession moments is just a masterclass in acting & the pain & desperation… oh vanessa will ruin your life. harry treadaway must have been touched by some acting deity & i cannot believe he isn't a massive name in television & film because he is the best version of victor frankenstein i have ever seen in any adaptation of frankenstein & this isn't even about just the frankenstein story. harrytreadaway!victor is an absolute cringefail pathetic wet cat of a man (affectionate) who sits there looking like he's on ten different substances whilst sometimes going off on side quests with his best friend vanessa & often judges the rest of the squad nobody is matching his freak. he is THE version of victor frankenstein of all time. if there is anything else that man has done that anyone recommends send it my way because that is an actor. rory kinnear gives the emotionl performance of a lifetime as frankenstein's creature & explores so many aspects of that character in ways i have never seen before in all my years of watching adaptations of frankenstein. josh hartnett as ethan chandler… that man's story is a RIDE, he is a disaster & a gentleman. he is also openly bisexual & for no reasons why & in no way beneficial to the plot, has sexual relations with dorian gray & speaking of dorian gray. i have never liked that book, that story has never been for me but that beautiful singer reeve carney made me see so many different aspects of a character i have never liked & is just brilliant because his character is just there to have sexual relations & not really benefit the overall plot that much at all. there are new iterations of mina murray, her father malcolm murray, a grumpy old man played the same bloke who portrayed niles caulder from doom patrol & basically plays the same character, van helsing, a charmingly sinister iteration of dracula & an otherworldly brilliantly acted version of dr. henry jekyll who seems like he had a situationship with frankenstein.

ultimately vanessa, sembene, malcolm murray, ethan & frankenstein are forced found family, they are strays, they are disasters, they are frenemies, they're forced found family bound together, in the most dysfunctional manner, the only one with a braincell is sembene who's too good for their shit & of course my love, the brilliant & the gorgeous billie piper plays a phenomenal iteration of the bride of frankenstein in the most raw performance i have seen from her. i am absolutely in love with her, she is so beautiful & so talented & did something to my brain chemistry. there is heartbreak, humour, adventure, the gothic, the weird & the tragic. this series is something else & that's not even the half of it.

also broadway legend patti lupone plays a genderbent dr. seward from dracula & i want her to do unspeakable things to me.

[ghostboy512]

Get to know your mutuals: tag game

thank you for @mapofyourstars and @ashestxr for tagging me 😊😊

What's the origin of your blog title?

when i was a teenager being a closeted pre-transition trans guy i felt really invisible and like i didnt fit in anywhere, a "ghost". and 512 is the name of a song i listened to a lot at the time. nowadays i find the url a bit cringy but im too lazy to change it lol

OTP(s) + Shipname:

honestly at the moment i only care about cherik haha but i appreciate raven x emma and logan x ororo as well :)

Favourite colour:

black for clothes, pink for literally anything else i own

Favourite game:

i have 1500 hours of stardew valley on steam lol. its an absolute obsession. it comes in waves tho, like twice a year ill get hooked on it again and create a new farm to achieve perfection on. other than that, i really loved playing undertale and graveyard keeper.

Song stuck in your head:

this is kind of embarrassing but atm im a bit obsessed with daisy by ashnikko (the ft. hatsune miku version).... I LIKE BETTER MUSIC TOO I SWEAR

Weirdest habit/trait?

pacing around my apartment thinking abt my current obsessions... i used to be so embarrassed but ive come to find out lots of people do this too so thats fine i guess

Hobbies:

reading and playing games, mostly. ive been trying to write more lately too

If you work, what's your profession?

ESL teacher. its not the coolest thing in the world but i really enjoy it

If you could have any job you wish, what would it be? Realistically?

literature professor in uni/published author

Something you're good at:

(literally the same thing ashe, who tagged me, said) i believe im a pretty good writer despite being slow and not doing it that often lol

also i know im a very good teacher (i know its my job so duh but youd be surprised with some of my coworkers...)

Something you're bad at:

keeping secrets, especially my own 😭😭😭

Something you love:

cats, wine and contemporary brazilian literature

Something you could talk about for hours off the cuff:

why i love charles xavier so much and queer/feminist theory.

Something you hate:

uhhhhhh idk my ex i guess (happy valentines day!)

Something you collect:

hello kitty merch 😌😌😌

Something you forget:

dates and appointments, its so fucking bad i put everything on a calender above my desk and i still manage to forget them sometimes

What's your love language?

im very touchy and affectionate but i also love acts of service, like surprising people with small gifts (i believe thats part of acts of service?)

Favourite movie/show:

my favorite movies are xmen fc, dofp and xmen II (obviously) but also amelie poulain and fried green tomatoes

my favorite series are breaking bad and the office, ive watched them both multiple times

Favourite food:

chicken!!!! fried chicken, roasted chicken, chicken with pasta, chicken with rice and beans, chicken with mashed potatoes, give me!!!!!!

Favourite animal:

i was OBSESSED with cheetahs as a child, still love them but in general rn id say cats. also love monkeys

What were you like as a child?

a very idealistic dreamer with a bit of a savior complex (hello charles xavier). not the sharpest social skills.

Favourite subject at school?

in high school it was english just because it was so fucking easy bc i was fluent lol

in uni any of my literature classes

Least favourite subject:

hated physics in hs i was so fucking bad at it. and in uni i'd had ENOUGH of pedagogy classes they were soooo boring and repetitive

What's your best character trait?

im very honest and if i love you i will do anything for you

What's your worst character trait?

probably snapping at ppl sometimes. i know its terrible but i really try not to and i always apologize. up until last year also i always let ppl treat me like shit and didnt set boundaries. im unlearning that now.

If you could change any detail of your life right now, what would it be?

have enough money to only focus on my studies and not have to work lol

If you could travel in time, who would you like to meet?

maybe kim jonghyun. he was my favorite singer when i was younger and he passed away in 2017 :( he was such a great person :(

im not sure who has already been tagged in this but ill tag @caramelc0rgi , @foxherder , @disasterhals , @eriknocherikyes , @stinkrat-aleks , @mooniel, @eriksdefender and any other moots who'd like to do this!

[jeahreading]

wait charles and edwin DON'T end up together??

that's so sad, I will be going to Ao3 for fanfics

[sherrymagic]

If saying I like you first means I'm surrendering Then I think our story is like an unstoppable war 💓 ChanyaAya as VIVIE&KAIMOOK in LOVE SEA THE SERIES

[romanticatheartt]

I'll never understand the hate toward acofas...

[aq2003]

i say this 100% unironically and as someone who very recently watched rtd1 era twice over; if you think the writing quality of the 60th specials is any worse than the episodes from rtd1 era you either a) need to rewatch all of rtd1 (yes all of it, not just cherry-picked clips), b) are unable to recognize you have outgrown the show and lost your sense of whimsy, or c) are a conservative offended that the progressive sci-fi show is progressive and looking for any reason to hate it. or some combination of these 3 things

[theheadlessgroom]

@beatingheart-bride

"Of course we did," Randall replied with a shy smile, as he leaned over to press a loving kiss to her cheek, adding, "I just...didn't think it'd be fair, y'know, for us to sit down and eat and you not getting a chance to, I-I don't want you to have to go hungry..." Especially since she couldn't partake in family dinner, it seemed wrong for them to eat in front of her, without making sure she had at least a little something!

"Do whatever makes you comfortable, dear," June reassured, not wanting to shoo Emily out of the room while she drank her meal-it was how she ate, what she had to do to survive, and no one could fault her for that. If she were to be completely honest, June had the distinct feeling that she'd seen much worse at work as a nurse (even a pediatric one)-a little blood, even being drank, wouldn't rattle her too much, she felt.

And although he didn't voice it, Wilhelm felt similarly: He'd seen some pretty nasty injuries his coworkers had sustained on the job when things went awry, and even before that, he had long been accustomed to some of the less-than-palatable sights that came with growing up on a farm, the sorts of things people didn't think about when they looked at their supermarket-purchased meat and poultry and so on. Thus, if Emily was comfortable eating around them, he'd be comfortable with that.

And of course, Randall had already seen Emily drink before-he wasn't bothered then, and he knew he wouldn't be bothered now...

[heirbane]

Like I earnestly believe that for all he's known for, gaius DID look at the black rose project and put his foot down and did his best to make it impossible to proceed. Even earlier on, before Werlyt, we were seeing glimpses of the cracks in how far he was willing to go for Garlemald. How is that overlooked? How do people see that and blanket him as a bad person? Like, he IS - but there's hope there.

[darlingace]

(Not about to make a habit of this but)

Reason 12938393 why i would be a better husband for jem: you would not fucking catch me looking like this after he proposed to me. dont care that i had to tell the other guy who’s been a cunt to me but suddenly confessed his love that i’m engaged. i would be ecstatic. and horribly fucking offended by the proclamation from the other man.

[scarletttbitch]

the first saw movie is in no way my fav of the series, but Fuck can cary elwes act

[toestalucia]

this one is still ridiculous LOL

[moviesstoriesandbooks]

Dear God am i happy to be aliveeeeee 🤣😂🤣😂😂😂🤣🤣🤣

THEY DID NOT

[fandom]

It’s Tumblr’s 2024 Year in Review!

Hello, Tumblr. Welcome to your Year in Review. Grab a slice of hear-me-out cake and some tea or other beverage of choice, and settle in for another year’s worth of sweet, sweet data—brought to you by the folks behind your weekly Fandometrics lists.

How does it work, you ask? Well, each year, we collect and categorize data from every post you made, each search, all the tags you used, and each and every like and reblog—to see what you yelled about the most. Lists are grouped by topic using 365 days of data between October 21, 2023, and October 20, 2024. Rankings are based on volume of appearance—not sentiment, importantly—so you might see list entries you Do Not Like that Tumblr as a whole has been vocal about Not Liking this year. We don’t tend to include on-platform events, so while you all booped and BOOped each other to distraction, that won’t show up here. Those joys are simply unquantifiable.

But what can you expect to find? It’s been quite a year. Alongside supporting each other through and discussing world turbulences, you rallied around the things that bring you joy. You polled the heck out of pretty much everything and anything you could think of and created more fanart and fan fic than we could wave a moderately shaped wizard hat at. It's also been another huge year for fictional characters—arguably the best characters out there—so this Year in Review, you’ll find new and returned rankings of fictional characters from movies, video games, TV shows, and anime & manga. And finally, we've made the lists longer, which means you'll have more chance of seeing some of your more niche fandoms reflected in them this year.

That's all for now! And so, without further ado and absolutely no gilding of lilies, thank you for another Big Year on Tumblr, Tumblr. Please enjoy your Year in Review.

Top 24 of 2024 Ships TV Shows TV Shows Fictional Characters Movies Movies Fictional Characters Celebs Books Anime & Manga Anime & Manga Fictional Characters Video Games Video Games Fictional Characters Web Series Web Celebs Musical Acts The 'Blrs

[slavicbeastie]

Just wanted to add Emily. I can't say much not to spoil the plot, but it's rare to find depicted this kind of female scientist. She started off rather simple, then they gave her complexity through humane angle, like the rest of the characters.

Emergence

It’s anyone here watching this show?

It surprised me, it has good characters, good plot, it’s fast paced… like there are answers in every episode, but again… the characters and the dynamic between them, I really like this kind of shows that can show you not only the plot but set relationships.

So we have:

Jo! She is the police chief and she is a leader like I’ve seen few times, she is so human! I know it sounds weird, but it’s true, she actually apologizes! (what kind of tv shows I watch that I’m actually excited about that fact?). She isn’t perfect, but even some of those aspects you get where they are coming from. Her dialogues with some of the people around here are a priceless as are her face reactions.

Piper… I wont say much about her because plot reasons, but I like the actress, she plays the part well and it’s not an easy part, and she is so damn cute that it makes the philosophical questions the plot asks very difficult. 

Mia is Jo’s daughter and she is a delight, she is smart, lovely, loyal, and so sweet. I find that I can totally believe her as Jo’s and Alex’s daughter, she has a personality that seems to be the merger between those two, which I believe to be good writing.

Alex is Jo’s ex husband and Mia’s father and he hasn’t been written as an asshole or bad. He is a good father and a good man, things just didn’t work between the couple (for all I know). To be honest sometimes I can totally understand his point of view, even if a love Jo for hers. It’s nice to see that.

Benny is the journalist with the information, the contacts, the first crumb, and zero good luck, I’m telling you… ZERO. They are doing a very fine work with his mental state too.

Officer Chris… look, I can not tell you how much I love him, but is a lot! He is adorable and awesome at his job! 

Ed… again… I LOVE HIM SO MUCH!! My heart can’t take it ok? You are gonna kill me Ed.

Abby is the kind of friend that I hope we all get at least one, and very conveniently: a doctor.

Daphne… She has been like in five episodes for a few moments but I love her ok? She is a whole mood!

And then comes the plot that disrupt all of their lives of which I will not talk because there has been so many mysteries and answers so far, I can not talk.

[dunmesh]

okay i don't have anything smart to add i just genuinely love that these seemingly trivial jokes are actually an important part of his character. we see it throughout the entire manga, how he pushes aside his own frustration and discomfort to accommodate everyone else's and avoid needless confrontation- another example off the top of my head would be the barometz chapter in which he slowly gets frustrated with izutsumi but still tries his best to talk some sense into her calmly and soundly.

and in contrast, there are very few times he expresses his anger and hurt towards others, and it usually takes a lot for him to finally lose his patience and control.

i mean, even with kabru he tried to be polite despite the circumstances until the guy said the one thing that triggers an immense sense of shame, hurt and rage in laios. and you know, the manga does say it quite clearly early on. when we are introduced to namari and then to shuro, laios acts all friendly and shows his respect and trust in them despite how things ended between them, and everyone else gets frustrated with him for acting so strange- why are you the one who tries so hard to pacify the rest when you should be the angriest?

and they don't understand him. they don't know him well enough to be able to understand, but we as readers get to see during the manga that they aren't wrong to question him- he does, in fact, feel all those ugly emotions. and it's when the winged lion finally confronts him that we see to what extent these feelings he buried so deep go, and suddenly all those funny little moments where he sometimes pretends to be mr nice guy speak volumes about his character. honestly, ryoko kui is a master at using jokes in order to define important character traits and this one doesn't fail to amaze me.

and laios's hatred and rage and deep scars he can't get over aren't shown explicitly during most of these moments i mentioned before, but now you realize there are 26 years of emotional baggage to all of them and they sting. he is angry but he can't say shit, what difference would it make? it won't make his friends choose him instead of themselves when he needed them most, and it won't help his party get any farther. of course, this logic doesn't apply to them- they are absolutely allowed to get angry and it's fine to get mad at him, he can take that.

so after finishing the series it's so clear that he tries his best to avoid clashing with others not just due to the current circumstances and him needing to be a reliable leader but also because he knows that people don't even like him when he tries to show his good sides and hide all the rest, so who the hell would tolerate his rage and despair? who would stay after realizing that he is so deeply flawed he doesn't even like his own being?

but he does get mad. he can't help it, and sometimes it gets out of control and now everyone knows. and it's funny, isn't it? that most of those moments ended up bringing him closer to others. shuro admitting he is envy of him and actually becoming the friend laios thought he was all along, fighting for his sake and waiting for him to come back- believing in him even after he turned into a monster and searching for him the way he couldn't bring himself to do for falin when he learned of what became of her- or kabru being pushed to just let it all out because he couldn't bluff his way out of this one and get to laios any other way, so now they are even. they are both horribly honest with each other and they both choose to stay. a weird way of getting to know each other, but it is what it is.

it's simply... the more laios let himself just be, the deeper his relationships grew. and there's intimacy in being your ugly, weak and furious self around someone and them not leaving you. feeling safe enough to let it be known you are hurt and angry. and he knows that now, too.