#jo's theory corner

[jolynejay]

I think Ch. 7/4 may have just given us both Crowley's identity as well as the identity of his "dear esteemed benefactor"

Obvs. Spoilers Ahead in this analysis and speculative hypothesis (which will link the prologue to the current events in Ch. 7):

This moment is the moment that sent me down this rabbit hole:

General Lilia essentially calling Lady Malenore Briar Country's "most evil" princess.

I went over the prologue again semi-recently to see if the knowledge we have gathered since the start of the game recontextulizes some things. And while the purpose of the analysis then was different, what I did take special note of was that Crowley is speaking to a different but very specific person. To quote the man himself (from the English version):

"Ah, my dear esteemed benefactor...

My proud, beautiful flower of evil.

You are truly the fairiest one of all."

The way Crowley addresses this person is very interesting because it at once seems very subservient and almost intimate.

But what is even more interesting is the original Japanese phrasing. I will go through the lines one by one to point out the notable details:

ああ‥‥‥愛しい我が君

"愛しい" (itoshii) is generally used to describe something that is lovely, dear. "我が君" (waga kimi) is generally understood to mean "my lord/ruler/master". The translation as "my dear esteemed benefactor" is... alright, though it does seem to detract a bit from the portrayal of this person as someone that has a lot of power over Crowley.

What I'd like to note though is that since Japanese is a very context dependent language this line might also be read a very different way: if "kimi" was used in the context that Crowley knows this person very well, being allowed to address them directly like this... then the line could also be read as Crowley calling this person "My beloved." There is still the underlying power dynamic underneath but it is more finely tuned and something that reminds me more of a pair of royals.

This would certainly not be the first way for someone to understand this line but subtext and double meanings can reveal a lot.

気高く麗しい悪の華

Notable here is mainly that Crowley is using a lot of archaic words to describe the person he is speaking to (e.g. using the kanji "華" instead of the modern "花" - both pronounced "hana," meaning flower). This may indicate that this person is of a people whose culture does not move as fast as the rest of the world's - still bound to old ways of speaking and thinking.

貴女こそが世界で一番美しい

Now, this last line is spicy. The English version of this line is pretty gender neutral after all - the fairest of them all. But what the original line makes very explicit is that Crowley is talking to/about a woman.

"貴女" (anata) - not "貴方" (anata), not "我が君" (waga kimi) but "貴女"

Crowley is addressing a noble woman directly in a manner that implies they are of equal standing. Like a husband addressing his wife.

Now let's circle back to that conversation Lilia, Silver, Sebek and co. are having about Malenore for a minute.

Because what Lilia also calls Malenore is this:

Malenore is the only daughter to Queen Maleficia and she the ruling Lady of "Wild Rose Castle" (野ばら城). Which is known to Silver only as "Black Scale Castle" (黒鱗城).

In other words, Malenore is one of the most powerful noble women in the Twisted Wonderland, she is strongly associated with with Wild Roses/ Briar Roses, and on top of that described as the "most evil" princess by her own general (whether in jest or not is of little consequence).

And this description should ring very familiar after going over Crowley's introductory monolog. A noble, beautiful "Flower of Evil" as it were.

But if that is the truth, then the familiar way Crowley addresses Malenore can only mean that Crowley's true identity is Malenore's husband. Who else would be allowed to speak to her im such an intimate and familiar manner.

Malenore's husband whose status hasn't actually been confirmed, other than he is missing in some capacity. And while I have seen a many transcriptions of his name, no one seems to have gotten it right yet:

"竜眠公レヴァーン"

The Sleeping Dragon Lord Raven

And what is the associated animal of our dear Night Raven's headmaster?

A crow.

A corvid.

A raven.

Crowley did always had something of the mad hatter to him, didn't he? And he might just have something with a raven and a writing desk..

After all, a raven is nevar the same front to back as back to front.

And thus, at the end, we have the lost parents of a little dragon, summoning a human with no magical ability to this Twisted Wonderland - a human that cannot be influenced by blot.

Curious, curious...

Curious indeed...

[jolynejay]

i. this is so good, i cannot fathom this, it makes brain go brrrrrr

ii. some unhinged stream of consciousness thoughts:

Guda is a single person. An absolutely normal, average person that has some special skills here and there, and that falls below average in other regards. They are all in all a zero - a fool - bumbling through the world trying to find their place in it.

Guda is zero and infinity all at once.

Guda is a single person, but also the potentiality of Every Single Person.

Guda isn't humanity.

Guda is humanity's hope.

Humanity's will to live, to fight on in the face of impossible odds. Facing pains and horrors and joys and grace.

Being unable to do much and change anything by themselves, but through even just the choice to stand up and fight inspiring -inviting- others to join them.

Even if the universe is go dark and loose it's brightest stars to doubt and despair, there remains a single, tiny speck of light. A little star that has not given up, still reaching out. And as long as it remains, people will reach out in turn to that person that still belives in humanity - with all that is good and all that is bad and all that is inbetween.

That person that still belives in heroes,no matter the path in life and death that those heroes have chosen.

A person that is a single person but also every person.

Unknown to death. Not known by life.

A hope at a future as humanity is. Change occuring naturally within humanity, not have change forced upon humanity from powers beyond. A hope to find a path all of their own by their own volition, even if that path will eventually lead to the inevitable end.

Not everlasting. Not eradicated. Not regressed. Not purely a dream of an ideal world.

Simply, moving forward. Simply, living.

And it is a blessing.

And it is a curse.

For living means conflict. For living means strive. For living means dying. For living means grieving.

But it also means compromise. And living means comradery. And living means healing. And living means the pursuit of happiness.

And Guda is all of that and more. Compassion and cruelty. A dream and a nightmare. A reality impacting dreams, and a dream impacting reality.

Guda is seeking heaven while decending into hell. Still hoping. Still holding on. For if even a single person reaches out, someone will take that hand. You just have to keep on living. You just have to keep going. You just have to keep hoping.

Guda is humanity's "what if?"

Guda is that which remains at the bottom of Pandora's box, even as its evils are unleashed upon humanity.

Guda is everybody and nobody.

Guda is every player of FGO and their own person.

Guda is hope.

Guda is Humanity's Last Master.

[-> from someone that started fgo recently, got through part 1 and is halfway through epic of remnant, while knowing quite a lot of spoilers (bc the way i consume media is very chaotic)]

Guda is like. Reverse unlimited blade works. Unknown to death nor known to life. But by god. These hands held many things. These hands held so many things.

[starl0rds]

Theory of Desire

Hwang In-ho x Fem! Reader ୨୧ · ♡ · ୨୧

Pt. 6 in a multi-chapter series!

“It wasn’t real. Any of it?” The words were less of a question, more of a truth you refused to accept.

The past has always been a part of you, and that includes In-ho. It only worsens the sting of betrayal.

Warnings: minors dni! smut, mentions of sex, masturbation, wet dream, fingering, oral sex, blood, dirty talk, dom!in-ho, praise kink, basically plot with porn/porn with plot

Author's Note: thank you so much for all the love and feedback on the fic!! I'm overjoyed to hear how many of you are liking it. chapters will be updated every few days on ao3 <3

︶︶︶ ⊹ ︶︶ ୨♡୧ ︶︶︶ ⊹ ︶︶︶︶︶ ⊹ ︶︶ ୨♡୧ ︶︶︶ ⊹ ︶︶

Chapter 6: it finds a way to live in you

What you're given, what you live in 

Darlin', it finds a way to live in you 

And your heart, love, has such darkness 

I feel it in the corners of the room 

- “De Selby (Part 2),” by Hozier

In-ho remembered those last days clearly. He sweltered in the heat of the urban summer, all those years ago, spent almost every day he could at the precinct. His life had shrunk to going between work and the hospital. Sometimes, he slept at either place. Today was no different. 

He arrived at 7:00 on the dot. After downing a cup of black coffee, he continued work on his open cases, throwing himself into this job like it was a life-line keeping him from sinking. And he was, sinking, quickly. This time was the longest she’d ever been in the hospital. And they had discovered she was pregnant. God, she was—

In his daze, his shoulder collided with someone else’s.

“Hey!” the detective scoffed as he adjusted his folders. “Watch that.”

“Pardon me. Detective Kang.”

“Detective Hwang. Still uptight as ever?”

“If that’s how you perceive me.”

“Would it kill you to lighten up? I’m really not going to miss you when you’re gone, Detective.” 

In-ho froze. “What do you mean by that?”

“Seriously?” The other detective laughed. “The captain’s assistant let it slip to Min-gi, and he told everyone else in the precinct. They all know.”

“Know of…”

“Oh, I see. Denial might work with the captain, but it won’t on me.”

Though his voice was even, a nagging worry began to grow in In-ho’s mind. “I assure you, I have no idea what you’re talking about.” 

“Moonrise Capital. Gwang-jo Ventures. Out of the few.” Detective Kang sneered now. “Sound familiar?”

The loans.

Sensing he’d hit a nerve, the other detective leaned in, emboldened. “I suggest you enjoy your last week. You’re fucked, golden boy,” he grinned. In-ho felt the pit of despair opening up in his stomach.

The smoke from his last cigarette curled into the afternoon sky. In-ho had never really been a smoker, but these days it was easier to indulge a few cigarettes during work rather than down a bottle of whiskey in his dwindling private time. He knew she would disapprove. Maybe he would stop if she would only get better.

The rest of the morning after his conversation with Detective Kang had passed in a blur. At lunchtime, he had stared down at the scant leftovers he had packed for himself, bulgogi over rice, and placed the lid back on top of the tupperware. It had felt too much like a prisoner’s last meal.

His mind drifted back to the open cases, sitting on his desk. He had work to do, undoubtedly. But after he was gone, they’d likely be reassigned to one of the other detectives. He pursed his lips at the thought of someone like Detective Kang going through his cases. 

And then there was that woman. 

In-ho thought of what he had read in her file—the words from her testimony, filling pages upon pages worth of notes, contrasted against the paucity of the rest of her file. He felt a pang of empathy for her. Firefighters fight fires with water. The police fight crimes with evidence, he heard Chief Kim say in his head. 

His mind turned. Below, the bustle of cars and motorbikes cut through the rippling heat of late summer. The sun beat down on his face.

He put his cigarette out on the balcony and grabbed his keys.

︶︶︶ ⊹ ︶︶ ୨♡୧ ︶︶︶ ⊹ ︶︶︶︶︶ ⊹ ︶︶ ୨♡୧ ︶︶︶ ⊹ ︶︶

(chapter cont. here on ao3!)

taglist: @k1ra-park3r, @fries11, @orihime188

[bisexuallsokka]

jo. bestie. hi. i’m holding your hands and asking u to please if u want deal us all permanent psychic damage with “you’re just as beautiful as the day i lost you” (the httyd divorced zukka agenda has to continue and nobody can do it as well as u <3)

Sokka had spent the entire journey to the Fire Nation imagining himself being so overwhelmed with emotion at the sight of Zuko that, decorum be damned, he would run into his arms as soon as they made eye contact.

The sting of disappointment he felt when he realized that Zuko wasn't even there to greet him and Katara was enough to extinguish most of the excitement he had felt and make him second-guess everything about this trip. It was odd enough that after over a decade of being broken up they had rekindled their relationship over letters, what would it be like when they saw each other in person for the first time in years? Did they only know how to be in love again in theory? Was Zuko truly ready to leave the throne and his home in a few months and start a life with Sokka?

He's hiding out on some balcony that the two of them frequented in his Ambassador days, and he jumps when he hears the door open behind him. It's probably Katara telling him to stop moping, and he's about to tell her that he just needs a minute when he sees Zuko there, giving him a tentative smile.

"Hey," he says.

"Hi," Sokka says, the corner of his mouth twitching in amusement.

"Sorry about," Zuko gestures, and Sokka knows what he means.

"I get it. You're a busy guy," Sokka says.

That makes Zuko frown, and he walks over and takes a seat on the bench next to him. "Not too busy for you," he says. Which, historically, is kind of a lie, but Sokka appreciates the sentiment all the same. Especially since soon, they won't have to worry about the Fire Lord nonsense ever again.

Zuko seems to be thinking the same thing. "For what it's worth, it wasn't 'official business' keeping me away again," he clarifies. "Izumi was getting a little overwhelmed with everything going on to get ready for the party, and I spent longer in the garden with her than I realized. She's with Uncle, now."

Sokka softens at that, his doubts slowly starting to fade away. "That's understandable."

"Thanks for coming all the way here," Zuko says quickly. "It means a lot and it...it's really good to see you."

The sincerity in his tone is a little overwhelming. "Wouldn't miss it for the world," Sokka says, despite having missed the last ten or so of Zuko's birthday celebrations.

It makes Zuko smile, though, which Sokka relaxes at the sight of.

"You look good," Sokka says, smiling back.

"You look..." Zuko trails off, a strange expression on his face as he just keeps staring at Sokka.

"What?" Sokka asks suspiciously. "Is there something on my face?"

"You're just as beautiful as the day I lost you," Zuko says, so softly Sokka might have missed it had he not been hanging onto every word from those lips.

"I..." Sokka says, feeling speechless for once as heat rises in his cheeks. "That's...great, thank you."

As soon as the words leave his mouth he groans, putting his head in his hands as Zuko laughs loudly at him.

"You can't just say things like that," Sokka complains, even if he can't stop smiling.

"I can and I will, especially if that is the kind of reaction I can expect," Zuko teases. Sokka looks over at him and feels his cheeks flushing again at the soft look on Zuko's face.

Sokka takes a shaky breath, calling upon every ounce of bravery he's ever possessed to help him reach for Zuko's hand. "Twelve years?" he asks, giving it a squeeze.

"Twelve years," Zuko confirms, squeezing back. “It’s not that I haven’t seen you that whole time. I just…never let myself really look.”

Sokka nods. “You’re sure this is what you want?”

Zuko raises his eyebrow. "I've started packing."

Sokka rolls his eyes and shoves Zuko's shoulder with his own. "Oh, so romantic, run away with me just because you're already packing."

Zuko laughs again, and Sokka feels lightheaded. He's not going to get used to constantly hearing that sound anytime soon.

“I've had all this time to think about it, and my answer is still the same," Zuko tells him seriously. "This is best for the Fire Nation, best for us. Are you sure, though? Six year olds are pretty crazy.”

“Raising a kid with you?" Sokka asks. "That's all I've ever wanted. Craziness and all."

The way Zuko looks at Sokka erases any of the doubts, the questions, the worries Sokka had about this. About them. After the years of heartbreak and separation, Sokka knows that's behind them, and the future looks much brighter.

[soft-pine]

spn20rewatch 2.02 everybody loves a clown

oh golly this episode has it all! dean's closed-off expression at john's pyre! dean in a t-shirt working on baby (layers theory!) sam all of a sudden wanting to do what john would have wanted and grieving his loss heavily while dean is coming apart at the seams! sam accidentally phrasing something so it ends up sounding like CSA implications and dean making a face. after they have to ditch the car, sam only carrying a backpack while dean carries two duffles. dean biting his nails!!

there are so many superficially little moments in this episode that feel like little pieces in a much larger puzzle.

but one of the most interesting ones to me is dean starting to flirt with jo and then stopping himself.

DEAN: So, I guess I've got fifty-one hours to waste. Maybe tonight we should, uh... No, you know what? Never mind. JO: What? DEAN: Nothing, just, uh, wrong place, wrong time.

at my core, i really do think dean is gay. and it's moments like this that solidify it for me. because, while i do think he craves the touch and intimacy and public ease of hooking up with women, sometimes the necessary performance can be too much.

dean, here, is very vulnerable. he's grieving his dad. he's furious with his dad. he's raw and undone and could really, really use some comfort. and yet, there is something about trying to seek out that kind of physical comfort that exhausts him.

and, of course, there are other possible readings of this but we'll revisit this theme in 5.14 and 13.05...

and we just have to talk about the smashing baby scene. visceral and musicless and furious and agonized. it is magnificent. and deeply meaningful to me that dean smashes up baby's trunk - the part of the car that represents his life as a hunter and all that entails.

and, like dean's face looking at john's pyre with a single tear down his face, dean's face here in the end of episode shot with his damp eyes and slumping shoulders and trembling lips, contains so many layers. confusion and anger and grief and feeling cornered.

[joandfriedrich]

Something I’ve always been confused about is where was Amy getting money? She mentions several time in the chapter called “Artistic Attempts” that she would pay for the little party to entertain the girls in her in her art class. I know she was Aunt March’s companion at the time. But did she get paid for it? Where did she work? Do we know? Or did I miss something or somewhere it was mentioned?

This is an interesting question, I had to go back to the chapter and reread it to find some clues.

We know that she had thought of it carefully, as she tells Marmee, who worries that it will be expensive, "Not very; I've calculated the cost, and I'll pay for it myself." She knows she can cut corners by getting help with the Laurence's carriage and her sisters to help her, and this is clearly something she knew would take money and effort.

Earlier in the book, Chapter 7: Amy's Valley of Humiliation, the girls had shared what was called "rag-money", for the month. Perhaps Amy was allowed the rag-money for that time and use it for the party. I also believe that Amy may have done what Jo had done, sell her art for some extra money. Quite a few times, other character's refer the money used as "your money" meaning Amy must have earned it some way, rather than asking it from either Aunt March or the Laurence's.

It may not be much, but that is what I can think of at the moment. If anyone can remember something I've forgotten, or have a theory, please share. Thank you!

[captn-trex]

and so it begins…

with clone x oc week right around the corner, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to kick off my next longfic, shadows of kamino, which includes 5 original characters, paired with 5 existing clones — Rex, Fives, Hunter, Tech and Crosshair. their stories don’t really intersect at the beginning at all and I know that 5 new characters may be a lot to get your head around so I thought I’d do a little introduction post :) complete with songs because yeah I’m a music nerd sorry

just a quick note — I won’t be posting chapters of this every week like I did (more or less) with Technical Devotion, because tbh I just don’t think that brings out great work from me lol. so I’ll just be posting as and when I write/edit chapters, and will be more active posting it at some points and less at others. the first chapter will be out tomorrow !

the basic idea is that they are all other clones that the kaminoans made at some point and for whatever reason (to be discovered during the story). the images are just ones I made up using this website, but I’ll replace them with my own art as and when I make it.

okay! so here they are (under the cut):

— Etta / Rex

"nobody said it would be easy, and if it was you wouldn't want it anyway"

The circumstances of Etta’s creation are completely unknown to her, which made it hard to explain her existence to the clones of the GAR when she was placed among them at the (accelerated) age of 7 years old. The clones were suspicious of her at first, but the squad she was placed with, domino squad, took her under their wing, even if they did originally nickname her ‘Miss’ — due to her slow progression in being able to hit the target with a blaster. Throughout training, she became a formidable warrior and an even better shot, and with her designation CT-3774, her ‘brothers’ started to call her Etta, as her numbers resembled the name. She is very earnest and intentional with her words and actions, always follows orders, but also lets loose around her close brothers. She is fiercely loyal and takes immense pride in being part of the Grand Army of the Republic.

— Indri / Fives

"slow down, you crazy child, you're so ambitious for a juvenile, but then if you're so smart, tell me why are you still so afraid?"

Indri was created just before the clones of the Grand Army of the Republic, as a preliminary test for the Kaminoans’ newer theories of accelerated aging. She does not age as fast as the other clones, but faster than the average human, and does not know anything about her donor other than the fact that they were from Alderaan. Indri works with the Kaminoan Nala Se, and assists in the process of cloning and figuring out new methods to stretch the DNA of Jango Fett further. She is not allowed to talk to the other clones, and so none of them know of her existence, apart from a small girl in a similar situation named Omega, who sometimes helps in the lab. Indri is extremely intelligent but relatively timid, though if someone asks about her work then she could talk for hours and hours.

— Minra / Hunter

"I come unhinged, and play before your pale eyes, and suck you in, to make me feel everything"

The Kaminoans created Minra for a very specific reason, though it is not fully known to her. Throughout her life on Kamino, she has been trained by a plethora of bounty hunters, teaching her how to fight, self-defence and stealth tactics. The only thing she knows about her DNA donor is that they were Pantoran, which she had to figure out by herself after realising she didn’t look like the humans she interacted with. She isn't strictly allowed to speak to the other clones, but she also isn't one to pay much attention to the rules. Minra is a relatively guarded person, and revealing her true feelings about something would be the last thing she'd do. She has been known for having a flirtatious personality, which has landed her in hot water with the Kaminoans a handful of times. She can be more self-centred than others, but her sheltered upbringing on Kamino is mainly to blame.

— Nyx / Tech

"this life lived mostly underground, unknowing either sight nor sound, 'til reaching up for sunlight just to be ripped out by the stem"

Nyx is a defective and enhanced clone, with the designation CT-9905. She was created shortly after the defective clones of Clone Force 99, though was not allowed to join them in training as she was ‘behind’ them in her development. Her enhanced skills include speed, stealth and agility, and her weapon of choice is a pair of vibroblades, only using a blaster when absolutely necessary. She knows that she was cloned from a bounty hunter, like the rest of the clones of the Grand Army of the Republic, but unlike them, she does not know who this bounty hunter was. Nyx doesn’t talk to anyone unless absolutely necessary, and is incredibly focused, intelligent and rational. She particularly dislikes the Kaminoans, as she feels they only see her as an experiment, especially when they refuse to call her by her chosen name.

— Tiyunne / Crosshair

"the fire in you is long gone, it burned too bright, like the red sun, the child in me is elsewhere"

Tiyunne knows nothing of the circumstances of her creation, but knows it couldn’t be without reason. She was trained as and works as a mechanic on Kamino, tending to the more major problems of the Republic ships that land on the planet, and is widely known, although nobody knows she is a clone. She does not have accelerated aging like the other clones, so she saw the rise of the clone army first hand, but doesn’t remember much from her childhood, making her further suspicious of the Kaminoans’ intentions for her. She is very witty and personable, easy-going and selfless with her work, which she enjoys immensely and finds particularly intuitive.

[the-elusive-soleil]

Silm x Doctor Who: Curufin

Still later in the Long Peace, after Caranthir's and Ambarussa's adventures (that he has no knowledge of), Curufin is minding his own business in his workshop and gets abruptly vworped across time and space to a room he roughly recognizes as a workshop, but with absolutely no familiar equipment.

In fact, his initial assumption is that he's been yanked into some corner of Angband by foul magics, and that the old man over there is a thrall, albeit an unusually well-dressed one. He's not sure whether the man's shock and bemusement at seeing him is evidence for or against such a theory. The man - the Doctor, Three - claims that he was merely trying to fix his vehicle, but it malfunctioned, bringing Curufin there instead of bringing the vehicle and the Doctor somewhere else.

Curufin demands that the Doctor reverse the process immediately if he wants to prove he's not in Morgoth's service - he has work he needs to do, his wife and son and brothers need him. The Doctor tries, but whatever he was working with explodes and becomes inoperable. Curufin is stuck.

He rages at this, but the Doctor, having picked up meanwhile that Curufin is a man of science in his own right, makes him an offer: if Curufin helps him get the TARDIS working again, he'll take him back to Arda right away, and no one will even know he was gone because it's also a time machine.

Curufin is dubious about this, but it seems like his only option, especially once he discovers that he's in an entirely different world, and that this corner of it is controlled by a heavily armed and highly suspicious military force. So he agrees (and also resolves to study UNIT's weapons as much as he can, to try and recreate them to use on orcs once he gets home).

The Brigadier and most of UNIT are suspicious of Curufin, but tolerate him because the Doctor vouched for him. Jo doesn't particularly like him, because he doesn't particularly like her - he thinks she's silly and not all that bright and a bit useless, and doesn't get why the Doctor is as taken with her as he clearly is. Curufin's romantic taste tends to run to the "shared interests, intellectual equals" kind.

(The Doctor tells him that a) he's not interested in Jo like that [a clear lie], b) his last assistant was as close to an intellectual equal as he was likely to find while stuck on this planet, and it didn't go well, and c) Jo is kind and brave and loyal, and that's why he has her as an assistant and friend.)

Curufin slowly but surely learns temporal engineering, occasionally having to craft new Quenya words for the TARDIS to translate certain concepts to, and they make progress. The Doctor is impressed. He's less impressed with Curufin's forays into learning about modern weaponry, but Curufin just gets sneakier about it.

Oh, yes, and the Master is also lurking about every so often, and once or twice tries to tempt Curufin to his side with the promise of a quicker trip home in a working TARDIS. It's a well-crafted offer, for sure, but Curufin lies too much (even now in his pre-Nargothrond era) to not recognize it from someone else.

The Brigadier ends up liking Curufin a whole lot more when he applies his new knowlege to invent a type of gun that works on the next monster of the week. The Doctor is less of a fan. Curufin ends up making a deal with him - he won't make any more weapons (on Earth) if the Doctor will quit pining and confess to Jo already. He still doesn't get it about the two of them, but he's tired of them being so obviously, irritatingly nuts about each other and pretending not to be. (Also, though he'd never admit it, he's become grudgingly fond of them and wants them to be happy.)

Finally, finally, the TARDIS gets fixed, and the Doctor fulfils his promise to get Curufin back home. Jo comes along for the ride. Naturally, they end up making a few unplanned stops along the way and having adventures. But they do finally make it to Curufin's workshop, just minutes after he was pulled from it, and they say their goodbyes, and the Doctor and Jo take off.

The multi-Doctor incident doesn't happen, since Three is freed and no longer at the Time Lords' beck and call, and Jo does not run off and marry a Welshman. She lives out a long life of adventure before dying of old age, and sometime later the Doctor returns to UNIT to mourn - where he eventually meets Sarah Jane and standard plot resumes.

Curufin, back home, works on making new weapons, citing a "burst of inspiration". He can't quite recreate what UNIT had with what's available to him, but he comes up with some things that severely inconvenience Morgoth's forces.

It's still not quite enough to stop the Bragollach, to save his wife.

He and Celegorm and Celebrimbor and other Himlad survivors make it to Nargothrond. Curufin vows that if he ever meets the Doctor again, he'll make him take him back to save his wife. In the meantime, he and Celegorm try to shore up their position with smooth talking and Curufin's advanced weapons.

(TBC)

[f0point5]

Is anybody else kind of uncomfortable with how confidently people talk about Max's and Jos' relationship? Like... we don't know 99% of it, Max is clearly fine with his dad, Jos is kind of an ass but also VERY FIRMLY in Max's corner, and given how his early years were in the sport, Max definitely needed that? So ppl talking about how awful and horrible Jos is and how Max should cut him off.... idk it seems so invasive to me, Max is a grown ass man, he's got his own support system, if he decides he wants his dad in his life why not? I'll still side-eye Jos but at the end of the day idk enough about the kind of environment they grew up and lived in to rlly judge

Yes, but I’m also uncomfortable with how confidently people talk about driver’s personal lives in general. It’s pretty wild 😂

People are very comfortable throwing out all kinds of words and theories in regards to people they don’t know, and they love to infantilise grown men. At the end of the day, who even asked y’all? Definitely not Max. It’s bizarre that people think Jos, who has a good relationship with his children and his ex wife, needs all this discussion like he’s the boogeyman. I assure you that whole family does not care about the psychological diagnosis of some chick on Twitter calling him a narcissist.

[palepersonaturtle]

DWY review

As much as I love this show and our main couple I think I really have to talk  the issues I had with it so that I can be at peace with myself and then go back to enjoying it with its flaws. Please guys if you have thoroughly enjoyed this show and the plot then do not read this.

This show, imo had so much potential to become one of the greatest hits of all time for me with its innovative idea of spell books, characters and brilliant actors and yet they ruined it with the inconsistency of the characters and undeveloped plot.

Episode 1& 2 review

The good-

-Okay I love their first meet it is symbolic and that was a killer opening for me. The cinematography, bgm were spot on…perfect amount of spooky fantasy vibe. Also the introduction of characters was great. Jang shinyu tapping her foot with his to see if she is dead or alive gave of his cold, stern aura. Hong jo’s humourous dialogue showed us her loneliness and her knack for dramas I mean watching dramas is the only wayout from her lonelinss

-The introduction of red hand was awesome. And I have read some theories from k-fans about the details that scene had. So it was perfectly done.

- Something I very much enjoyed was the banter between our main couple. Like it wasnt silly it had logic and humour and that made their chemistry one of the best for me.

- I liked how they portrayed Hongjo’s loneliness. She had no friends, family, relatives to talk. Her situation was compelling.

-The whole spell book revelation part was done excellently.

-Also the plot development for these two episode was really good.

The bad-

I have to say this the editing for first two episodes sucked. The aprupt scene transitions and scene placement made my head hurt.

Changes that should have been made-

-They actually made the use of the evil gardener in a very lousy way when he could have been a more compeling villain who is connected to our lead couple in the past. They could have shown us that it was his fate to get the main couple together while being the bad guy because of his past life karma.

- There are various questions like why did hongjo got transferred to the city hall. And I think that first scene where we are shown her handling a complaint would have been a perfect example for her and the evil gardener to meet indirectly and start his obsession for her since he recognizes her from his past so that he would have been able to get her to transfer to the city hall by using black magic or using his connections which could have been revealed later in the series. Because that transfer of hong jo was so abrupt it didn’t make any sense to me.

-Now onto Shinyu’s curse I think it would have been far more better if they had shown us him having blurry dreams about jang mujin killing aengcho on that snowy mountain rather than dreams of his past life love story in the first episode. Because the main point is him suffering from a curse where the gist is him killing aengcho the love of his life.

Also the explanation for his curse and illness should have been done cohesively rather than spreading it in parts throughout the first two episodes.

Relationships-

1)  Shinyu and Hongjo-

As I said earlier I love their banter. You can see the sparks but it is still platonic and I love that. And even though they are destined I am glad that the writers actually worked to build their relationship.

Shinyu is cold,stern,rude and hongjo gives him back equally.

And that scene where he saves her from the the drunkard was an ice breaker for hongjo imo to trust shinyu and be comfortable with him especially physically. Like her hitting his shoulder playfully, cornering him in the office lobby are some of the examples.

Also he was very much attracted to her subconsciously okay.

Now coming onto the bad side of their relationship- For like one and half episode shinyu was written perfectly but then his character started showing inconsistency.

That scene where he told hong jo to accept nayeon’s apology was so ooc of him. Like he is shown as a competent lawyer and he should know better than anyone else that no one is obliged to forgive the person who has inflicted hurt on them and like what was his intention to do that. Imo he should have just shut up.

Look I get that he is a flawed character. But I also believe that a cold,stern, rude character could also be written as a green flag he needn’t always be a red flag.

Onto the next scene, where he hurted hongjo  that was not ooc for there was atleast some intention for him. I get that he was jealous  of  jaekyeong and he used the information he got from his gf to be an asshole. But the fact that he says, “I just said what I saw” I was like dude you are a lawyer you shouldnt just judge someone with what you see. Though he felt  bad about what he said afterwards, he never apologized and that for me is a bad character development.

2) Shinyu and nayeon

Like many people I also think that shinyu wasn’t in love with nayeon but I also think that their relationship wasn’t political. From what I have read from nayeon’s char intro, she met shinyu in his law firm while she was there for renovation work and fell in love with him and after that chased him and then they started dating. I think shinyu liked and cared about her enough to get married with her. I mean he seems distant with her but he is also polite and humble with her. Maybe the constant nagging of his father had prompted him to get in a relationship so that his father can shut up.

3) Shinyu’s parents(sorry i dont remember their names)

This side story could have been made more compelling but they failed it awfully.

If they wanted to reprimand verbal abuse then they should have ended it with a divorce or should have made sure that his father repent and grovel at his wife’s feet for like 10 episodes before that reconcillation happened.

Or they could have simply shown a couple who is drifting apart having a midlife crisis since they got married early and how they overcome it eventually.

Or they could have simply been an affectionate and passionate couple where a father is worried about his son being alone when he is sick and wants him to get married asap to have someone take care of him(which is also selfish but later they could have redeemed him)

4) Other side charcters-

I may be in the minority but I really didn’t care about Ms Ma amd Mr gong’s relationship like why does she have to get into a relationship when she doesn’t want to. But I love Ms Ma as a character.

And those coworkers of hongjo were annoying af. Yes I get that the writers wanted to show Hong jo as an outcast to us but they could have handled it better.

Also I like Gidong I wish they could have given him more screen time and his own story line.

Overall, these two episodes were more of a plot building for me. I had fun yet i was bored at times.

[jolynejay]

Now wait a damn minute - I just figured out something important about the prologue and why MC doesn't have their phone when arriving in Twisted Wonderland

So, right off the bat the Prologue presented us with a couple mysteries in its introductory sequence:

Someone is in the middle of the mirror chamber slowly approaching the central mirror which itself flickers with green flames and mist. Over this scene we hear Crowly speak with another person: his "dear esteemed benefactor", that "proud, beautiful flower of evil" as he describes them. He seems to essentially be thanking them (almost groveling) for providing him the means to summon a specific person to him with the help of the Dark Mirror. Because he next seems to be talking through the Dark Mirror to the person slowly approaching said mirror.

Crowley says:

"O magic mirror, thy wisdom I entreat... Reveal unto me the visage I seek.."

What follows is an image of a carriage arriving with a coffin at the entrance of NRC. The implication being that the one whose "visage Crowley seeks" is arriving with the carriage.

He continues:

"You, whose image the Dark Mirror did beckon forth...

If your heart bids it, take the hand of the one reflected in the mirror."

With that a hand appears in the mirror. And I think it is important to note that the hand is, because this is the first concrete depiction of a person within this sequence.

After establishing all this, we are left with a bit of a conundrum as to the sequence of events we are presented with. (Especially, since time itself in the Twisted Wonderland seems to be a little backwards of sorts)

As the hand appears to be reaching out to "us" (the player), I first thought that MC is the person approaching the mirror. However, that shouldn't be able to be the case (unless it is a dream sequence). Because it would mean that MC already was in Twisted Wonderland when being reached out to from another (?) Twisted Wonderland.

So, that would leave us with the hypothesis that the person who is approaching the Dark Mirror is actually Crowley. And that means potentially that the hand we first see reflected in the mirror is also his - but for the person on the other end of the connection, they sees someone else. They see a student from NCR that will be attending that year.

If this hypothesis is true, then that would imply that the interspersed scene of the coffin arriving with the desired "visage" follows after the summoning is completed. Crowley knew that there would be an additional student, one that doesn't belong to this world, because he had to provide them with the ceremonial robe.

Now, as to my claim that I think I know why MC doesn't have their phone: The summon is an active task. The one, "whose image the Dark Mirror did bekon forth," had to actively take someone's hand and make a choice to do so "if their heart bids it."

This means that the mirror must have connected to another - otherwise travel between the two points would not be possible. But then how would the Dark Mirror connect to another Dark Mirror in a world where magic does not exist? Simple. You are likely even looking at it right now.

Your phone screen.

I propose that MC entered the world of the Twisted Wonderland through their phone. Either, completely in body, mind, and souls. Or perhaps... maybe their spirit alone entered the Twisted Wonderland as an avatar - as the "Main Character" - for "The Player" in the real world.

After all, we are playing this game on our phones and mobile devices..

On our own Dark Mirrors...

TL;DR The initial sequence of the prologue we see is from Crowley's perspective before switching to MC's perspective as they choose the hand they will take. And the reason MC doesn't have their phone is because they couldn't take it woth them - their phone was their portal to the Twisted Wonderland.

[amakumos]

yun amakumos i come with my hypothesis about who the vb anon is and slash or who runs cupid corner 🤪✌️

okay so my first guess for the owner of cc is eunchae : doesn't make sense but it also does to me ?? i remember jake saying in ch two that the owner/s of ss is/are scary and eunchae is ,,,, well . very violently interested in everything . she's onto rikiyn agenda everyday so i might just as well claim that she could be vb anon and taki's with her in this plan ??? not backing up the last part, it's a blind guess but idk im heavy on eunchae being the owner,,, but again if she was the owner, she's know who vb anon is ,,,, in short ai dee kay 😎

second guess : harua. I KNOW U MENTIONED HOW HARUA AND YN TALKED FOR LIKE TWO SECS but i cant ignore how the vb anon also mentioned that they talked to yn and that too in the same chapter,,, u r messing with Us .

third and final guess and im confident with this one : jo . okay first of all my guy texts once in two chapters and it's almost never when the cc acc posts confessions unlike others who're basically housing in the comments ,,,,, and then he only texted when riki asked the boys ab the confession ???? maybe im reading too much but the guilty always backs themselves up with claims ‼��� ‼️ ‼️ jo my eyes are on You. OH AND HE'S ON VB TEAM, HE WANTS TO GET TO KNOW YN BETTER, THEY BARELY TALK IT MAKES SENSE ,,,, feeling very detective rn im sending this to riki as we speak asking him to team up with me

i will cb with more as the chapters are released but for now my money is on mr jojo siwa from jojo's bizzare adventure ✌️🤘 also i read formula of love yesterday idr if i've read it alr but it's cute . i hate it bc i had to spend chem w boring ass guy who asked me for electronic configurations . no help at All.

VBALL ANON BEING JO?? that is the first time i have heard that theory . and eunchae being cupids corner seems to be pretty popular Hmmm😅😅 i cannot confirm or deny but i Like ur theories !!!

[sapphire-writes]

The door creaks open. There's the sound of a lightbulb going on and off. There is the sound of nails scratching on the wall. there in the corner our most beloved Jo is snickering to herself, swinging back and forth. There are ripped pages thrown across the floor. Fire and Blood.

"Hey there precious pookie. How are you doing?"

"The theories! The damned theories!", she whispers harshly.

We love her all the same!

HELP IM SCREAMING 😭😭😭😭

literally me rn trying to connect dots

[droumack]

slutty princess jo wants nate to get into more fights, probably. don't ask me.

///

Jo likes feeling pretty when he’s not playing hockey. 

That works for Nate, who really likes buying him pretty things. 

Jo owns a lot of different sparkly collars, some that Nate likes, some that Nate loves, all purchased by the man himself because Jo gets tired of wearing the same thing all the time. 

Jo also owns a lot of different makeup, sultry eyeshadow palettes and soft blushes, shiny lip glosses and burgundy lip stains. 

At the rink, he’s Jo-the-hockey-player. Anywhere else, he’s Jo-the-omega, and anyone who has a problem with that is tasked with the enormous, if not insurmountable, feat of taking it up with Nate. 

Like tonight. 

Jo’s lipstick—pink, to match the glitter on his eyelids and the barrettes pinned in his hair—keeps getting smudged because Nate gets a little obsessed with Jo’s mouth when they’ve been drinking. Nate keeps lifting his fingers to prod at the plushness of Jo’s bottom lip, or hook a finger in the corner of Jo’s mouth, or try and get Jo to suck on his fingers only for one of their teammates to snap,

“Too fucking far, guys, Jesus Christ.” 

Nate always scowls at them, and Jo just smiles beatifically, because maybe it’s too far from them, but Jo kind of wonders if it’s not far enough. Jo wonders if anyone would really try to stop them if Nate got a hand in his jeans and started to finger him open, fast and unsubtle. Would the bouncer kick them out if Jo straddled Nate in the booth and let him slide in with one continuous slide, or would he just watch, the way Jo suspects everyone else would, as Jo’s hole is forced to gape itself wide to accommodate the impressive width of Nate’s cock?

He won’t test that theory, but he thinks about it sometimes. Nate, able to smell it on Jo every time his brain goes down that rabbit hole, tends to take him home not long after so he can do something about the way Jo is slicking up despite his best intentions. 

He slides out of the booth so that he can fix his lipstick in the bathroom, and his lips curl at the way Nate's nostrils flare, the way he can feel Nate's eyes on him for the entire journey.

There are actually a couple of nice girls in there, ones who love the color of his lipstick so much they take photos and show him ones of their own favorite shades. 

Jo leaves primped and pleased, ready to rejoin his friends, when a hand around the back of his neck suddenly has his instincts screaming deafeningly in his head. 

“There you are, beautiful.” It’s an alpha, unfamiliar to Jo, maybe a couple inches taller and built like a lumberjack. “Pretty thing, d’you fix your makeup ‘cause you saw me watching you?” 

“Let go,” Jo snaps. The way the guys hands are digging in have him involuntarily pliant, digging into all the most vulnerable parts of his scruff, parts of Jo that no one but Nate and his family should dare to touch. 

“Not before you show me how pretty that mou—”

Jo staggers back as the guy is unceremoniously ripped off of him. Eyes wide, Jo doesn’t move as Nate cocks his first back to throw his first punch. He doesn’t intervene after the second one, or the third one, just quietly observes that the sound of Nate snarling has him getting even wetter in his jeans. He hopes very badly Nate’s still up to fuck him after this. 

A crowd is forming, and Jo sees a couple of their teammates plunge into the fray, Cale frantically attempting to talk some sense into Nate while Miles and Devon just barely manage to pry him off the half-conscious alpha. 

“You’re not going to stop him?” The question comes from Sammy, who’s appeared

Jo blinks at Sammy, cocking his head curiously. “Why would I? The guy was a creep.” 

Sammy appraises Jo. “Are you okay?” 

Jo takes in the blood oozing from Nate’s knuckles and a small cut on his bottom lip. When Nate catches Jo’s eyes, he bares his teeth and lurches towards him, and Jo sees that the altercation’s got him riled up enough that his fangs have dropped. Jo wishes he weren’t on birth control.

“Never been better,” Jo says. 

He wonders if Nate fucks him hard enough tonight, he could get Jo pregnant despite his IUD. As he walks to reclaim his battle-scarred alpha and escort him from the bar, he decides that they're both going to try their very best for the rest of the night and well into the morning. 

this talk of unhinged alpha!Nate (and also other Nates who exist in a setting that allows them to be unhinged) is also making me think of enabler Jo, Jo who has IN REAL LIFE been like well I try to calm him down but sometimes he just doesn't, he's just intense, ya know? with an adorable grin on his face like he can't see anything remotely wrong with this. Princess thinks Nate is just the bees knees! What's not to love?

the image this put in my head. of like, nate leaving the bar with bloody knuckles and a split lip because he got in a fight over jo. and jo is just like :) he just loves me a lot! :)

PLEASE princess

[ladyknightskye]

Get Thee Behind Me, Assbutts - Chapter 16 "Red"

Read the full chapter here on AO3.

Read the fic from the beginning.

Excerpt:

Castiel had not fully understood the phrase, “seeing red.” It was a common saying among the humans he walked amongst, and he understood in theory what it meant. Anger so consuming that it was like everything had turned that color. 

Red had many meanings to humans, and those meanings could be heavily dependent on culture. For some cultures on the African continent red was the color of health, but for others it was the color of mourning. To Indians, red was the color of purity and fertility, and traditionally the color of bridal gowns. The Chinese saw red as a symbol of fire and courage, as well as other positive qualities. To Westerners, red was the color of blood and love and anger.

So when Castiel saw red for the first time, a small part of him was still able to be surprised by how apt the expression was.

Because there was Dean’s blood spilled on the claws of a werewolf, bloody furrows opened across his arm. The creature’s maw was wide, ready to bite, and no one else could reach him, and Castiel had just gotten permission to hold him whenever he felt like it, and -

Castiel was still adjusting to his power as a Seraph. When he’d been a regular Malahk, he’d been unable to do certain things that only higher level angels could do. He could not manifest his wings on the mortal plane by himself, and he could not smite something into bloody chunks. So, he was again surprised when he came back to himself, cradling Dean in his wings, the werewolf nothing more than a bloody smear on the concrete. Sam and Lucifer had just turned the corner, and Castiel could feel Jo and Gabriel down the street. He sent reassurances in the group chat that he and Dean were okay, but was having a hard time calming himself down. 

He looked down to Dean to ask if he was alright, and more red greeted him. This time it was the red of a blush gracing Dean’s cheeks. Castiel had caught him up into a bridal carry, his wings wrapped around him like feathery armor. Dean was cradling his injured arm, but his lips were parted, his pupils blown wide. Castiel could hear the wild pulse of his heart. Almost without thought, he leaned down, wanting to lay a kiss on Dean’s parted lips, but stopped himself. He had permission to touch, but he was not willing to push boundaries. “Are you alright?’ Castiel finally gritted out, his voice deeper than usual. 

Dean made a sound that wasn’t quite a moan, but something like “guh.”

The angel blinked. “Dean?”