#like. that is legit very compelling and a beautiful relationship

[evelynpr]

Congratulations My Hero Academia for providing, possibly, the biggest and longest legit straightbaiting yet in shonen history.

Bonus points that their final chapter was released on yaoi day.

[jenyifer]

Pit Babe ep 13 initial reaction

Okay let’s do the final photo review. Okay ep 11 10 12 weren’t for me but I think 13 was good. My initial rating has to be an 8/10. A very surprising 8/10.

I was EXTREMELY upset that the racing bl that I had been looking forward to was ABO I like race car driving in general so I really was said abo was gonna happen. However this show didn’t take ABO in the creepy ways I hate mainly the sexism and homosexuality of it all. Honestly it’s straight girl’s fantasy most of the time. As a lesbian I am turned off by the sexism and breeding 🤮. But Pitbabe was interesting and bearable idk if there are subsequent seasons will lean into those tropes but I hope not. I love the actor for Babe he’s extremely talented ep13 only cemented this for me. I really enjoyed JeffAlan, PeteKenta, and NorthSonic I thought they had a good amount of side character relationships. JeffAlan felt very natural and sweet. I loved the characters of Kim and Kenta just interesting. What I didn’t like was how clownery the plot was. It was a little cheesy hokey. I think the writing didn’t do any favors for Charlie either. Charlie is very V A N I L L A I don’t think it’s the actors fault. I’ve decided it’s writing. Although I think the motivation of Tony was cartoon villain the actor really brought the evil to life I enjoyed his portrayal of a cult leader really. Anyways let’s get on to the photo review

Babe in this scene is just chef kiss if people question can bl peeps act show them this. He’s hysterical to see Charlie again. I was worried Babe would just accept Charlie back or be Angry but this is better. You can see he’s hurt but so happy Charlie is alive and with him that Babe is healed in a way. Charlie was being weird but I think it’s the writing. So beautiful in his emotions omg.

Wow… the three of them beating up winner and NorthSonic uploading the video. So cool. Really these scenes had me sitting on the edge of my seat rooting for them. ALSO WE ALL KNOW I LOVE KIM. I’m on board with Kim being a third for NorthSonic. Kim is also very fashionable. He fits in perfectly.

A little fall of rain can hardly hurt me now

You’re here and that’s all I need to know

I’m glad someone died. I do find it poetic and fitting that Way died saving Babe very full circle. I didn’t hate Way as much as everyone else. He was wrong for what he did but… I feel like he had the bones and the actor to make a compelling rejected love interest. I do think babe always cared about way in a true friendship which was beautiful.

Pete and Kenta bad ass bitches getting shit done. I think Kenta might legit be Tony’s child. Like biologically. That would be a good twist. I was said we didn’t get any PeteKenta reunion in the end.

Alan and Jeff are so…

Idk they have very high chemistry. Jeff really feels like a person who hasn’t been exposed to the real world really and he’s truly trying to comfort Alan. To be fair Alan has been through a shit ton but he does feel that pain and seeks comfort in Jeff. It’s very sweet even though we get the sexy scenes for them.

Quick note is way buried at the race track or something?! Why is his grave on his own?! Way’s ghost is going to be lonely…. It’s pretty but still.

The my kid is sick and so I need to sell him trope is sadly something I’ve seen before BUT!!!! I enjoyed the Dad’s acting he seemed really torn about it and he never ever gave up.

North Sonic’s contrast pants and hyping up Kim was perfect. Kim being happy to watch Babe and Charlie is very endearing. I hope Kim and Babe can be besties who push each other. I know Kim isn’t a special alpha but I like the dynamic of him being the best human? Idk. He’s 10/10 I love him.

Idk why Babe is so shy about Charlie lol it was very cute.

ALAN AND JEFF’s BRACELETS AND SNUGGLING ONTOP OF THE CAR OMG UNDERSTATED MARRIED COUPLE THINGS

How beautiful. I really loved this show and I enjoyed the ending. I wish Pete and Kenta had been there but I found this very beautiful and meaninful. Babe and Charlie crashing Alan’s intricate date so they can be found family couples together gahhh I really loved the family aspect to the series it wasn’t super loud or overdone but you knew Babe Alan North Sonic were truly family who added in Charlie Kim Jeff.

Anyways I had fun idk what I’m watching next. I need to catch up on 23,5 or I’ll lose my lesbian card hahahaha but I am quite busy. If anyone has a suggestion for what I should start on next plzzz tell me. Other people motivate me more than myself hahaha.

[weltonlasso]

Someone needs to shake Ted and remind him that when oxygen masks come down on planes you put your own mask on before you put it on your kid.

I just can't imagine this ending well for him...

ABSOFUCKINLUTELY they do. Had about 5 old women comment on a Tweet I made about this to tell me that I was not supposed to understand the overall story of Ted Lasso. that it was “obvious I don’t have children” and couldn’t possibly get what is so beautiful about Ted choosing Henry.

(k. Thanks Pam, I’m so glad all the Facebook moms with the awesome insights got the Ted Lasso ending they wanted!!!!!!)

I have been telling myself—like legit people are saying 10/10 perfect finale, no notes, which is truly insane to me but also here’s the goddamn thing.

I am a child of divorce. My my dad cheated on my mom constantly when I was young. When I was 16 I got a birthday card from an address I didn’t recognize. I opened it, thinking probably an old aunt or something. It was signed “with love, your sister xxx and not mom xxx”

and that’s how I found out from one of his mistresses ON MY BIRTHDAY that I had another sibling. I just sat there in the driveway of my house while I tried to reorient myself to this new world I found myself in. AT SIXTEEN.

My youngest sister (by my mom) was 6 at this time. And my mom made her choice to stay with my dad out of obligation to their children. She didn’t want my younger sisters to grow up in a different home than the one we lived in. She wanted to raise all of her kids there no matter what.

He left us a year later.

Cut to the next 10 years of my life 17-27 trying to be my moms partner, confidant, punching bag—she took all of her anger for him and directed it at me because I was still there.

My life will never be the same because of actions and choice that my dad made that specifically caused me and my family pain. I have spent years in therapy and will probably never ever have a relationship with him again. Obviously.

But it also really sucked having a single parent who relied on me for EVERYTHING. It is only now many year later, in therapy, that I can recognize the psychological effects and the physical toll it took on me to play that role. And I had no other choice because I was a child and this was what my mom needed from me. I did not have the skills to recognize that pulling me into the role of adult and spouse and caretaker to my parent would fundamentally change they way I saw myself and how I interpreted things around me. I wish to god my mom had not put that on me. It’s hard enough finding yourself as a child, it doesn’t help to have the extra burden of being “caretaker” to a parent when you’re still learning who you are. When your feelings are never validated because you’re always making sure your parent is happy and supported. YOU FEEL VERY ISOLATED. It’s a fucking burden to have to do this for a parent!!!!!!!!!!!!! And be strong for them when there isn’t anyone to be strong for you!!!!!!!!

Phewww felt compelled and somehow that all came out and now y’all finally know my big connection to the show!!! Father trauma at age 16!!! It’s fun here!!!!! Let’s NOT do that to Henry, how about?

Cause Ted definitely would have had enough therapy by now to be aware enough of the pressure he’d be putting on his young son by acting this way. and it frustrates the shit out of me that the show can use this misguided interpretation of “therapy” to say LOOK AT OUR SHOW ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH and then literally drop the ball on the storyline, like legit. Just. stopped. caring.

Instead the show really said: like ya actually instead of all that baggage, let’s cut that for time. From now on Ted is just a mystical woman who floats in and out of the lives of the people who need her.

WHO NEEDS THERAPY WHEN U CAN FLY.

[lovetraction-lines-review-scam]

Lovetraction Lines by Simon Mayers Scam or Legit?

Do you long to have a special man see you as the one woman he can’t live without? We Women have ALWAYS been taught to try to improve our relationships with men in useless ways that damage our self-esteem and DESTROY a man’s ATTRACTION to us. But it's not supposed to be so. The Lovetraction Lines will teach you how to quickly, easily, and powerfully reverse all the damage in your relationship and compel him to want and desire to get closer to you. The Love Traction Lines provides you with the “Secret Love Spell” that will help you instantly connect with a man’s heart and keep the attraction and deep emotional love going for a long time. You’ll learn exactly what men what to hear from their woman and how to speak directly to a man’s heart to gain his love, respect and attention. Lovetraction Lines is a 220-page relationship course for women, allowing them to enhance the level of attraction and also a man’s attachment switch. Through the power of specific verbal techniques, this program focuses not only on love, but self-improvement. Simone Myers has had many years of dating experience, both in terms of her personal life and her professional career. Focusing on what it is that men desire in terms of their psyche, she developed a system of lines and techniques to enhance communication and unlock their greatest desires. This dating formula devolves on the idea that using the right kind of emotionalism will rear their man's emotional temperature to super high levels and will cause him to see her as the only woman that can make him feel that way. These magical lines learned by Simone can enable a lady who has faced rejection with being accepted by the same man within a few minutes. These magic lines only involve complimenting men, which will turn everything around, making the man or boyfriend love you and want to spend his entire life with you. This program has enabled many women to have confidence and be able to get the love of their lives. It also helps women of age and wants to settle down or be in a serious relationship. 

Men yearn for women who understand them, offering them the type of attention they crave. When a man finds a woman that can truly open up his heart — he will love and adore her. In fact, he’ll do anything to get her. Are you ready to address a man’s unconscious mind, making him fall for you? If so, it’s time to invest in this program.If any a lady uses these magical lines to a man despite him having shown interest in your friend because she is beautiful than you, the man will shift the attention to you and will be dying to have you. This can be evident in Simone's story of a man falling for her friend's beauty, but Simone's introduction made the man gets lost and forget the beauty of the other lady, and he now claims to have an unending love for Simone. That research is centered on the brain. Furthermore, the findings reveal that the brain is set up to respond to certain keywords and symbols in a pre-determined manner. A hormone is released when those keywords and symbols are uttered or seen. That hormone is known as a love hormone. It works on what is known as the “romantic nervous system.” When a man’s love hormones are released, the attraction to a woman is instant. It is also intense.

What we really like about the Lovetraction Lines program is that the lines and phrases taught inside can be used for various scenarios and through different communication platforms such as text, chat and e-mail, and not only in person. This makes the Lovetraction Lines program a very practical solution for many different needs. Have real, practical and actionable tips that you can use in normal conversations that you are already having with your man. I have been in a relationship with a very nice guy for five years. But like what they said, nothing in this world is perfect. In that instant, I knew my future is not going to be about him and me anymore. There is no happily ever after for us. I was about to give up, when my best friend told me about this little secret she has been, apparently, keeping from me. She told me that it is her secret in keeping her relationship with her long time boyfriend strong. Simone Myers has been very helpful not only to me but all the women out there. He’ll candidly tell you thinks like “Other women can never replace the love and joy I feel when you hold me with those soft hands and look at me with those innocent eyes”.. “I really need you in my life”.....

Click Here To Download LoveTraction Lines Book Now

[artanisnaanie]

🔥food (be as general or specific as you like)

🔥prestige tv

🔥the miscommunication trope :-)

Yum!

Food: I love food. I love eating food, making food, talking about food, researching about food, I love everything about food. Food is definitely both a love language and an indicator of mental wellbeing for me: when I stop caring about what I eat or when I stop being excited to cook new things or researching, I'm probably not super fine.

I love to understand food as a societal tool, how different countries evolved in regarding of food habits, what is the history behind food, how food travels now and can be a tool with many purposes.

I love to understand how food works, from a chemical and physical point of view, what makes some foods better to the taste and how these reactions have been utilised all pver the world, in extremely different societies, to create dishes that are very different and yet built the same way.

I think food is fascinating and I can legit talk for hours about anything about it.

Prestige TV: so here I googled because I didn't know what you meant? If it's the Prestige tv show that's apparently airing right now, I have no idea what it is 😂

If it's about "high budget-high quality tv", I honestly mostly watch trash and, when I don't, I watch "prestige tv" with the same deep engagement I watch trash, which is to say, not much xD

As much as I'm sometimes interested in deeper analysis of text and content (made by others because my meta-commentary is limited to "i like it/i don't like it), I tend to focalise on the entertainment a piece of media gives me. Its production value can be off the charts, if I don't find it compelling for some reason, I will go back to binge watch Scrubs for the fifth time without regret.

I'm also very much a comedy enjoyer and find that, often, these very costly, very beautiful shows don't make me smile enough to be interested.

Miscommunication trope: I watched 15 seasons of Supernatural. I am done with the miscommunication trope.

Miscommunication is a very useful storytelling tool but, sometimes, it can be too heavily used. When a story needs to dumb down its characters to make the miscommunication work, when the story serves the trope and not the opposite, that's when I can't mantain my suspension of disbelief and/or my respect for the story.

Healthy communication surely offers less drama to a story (especially a romance, but any story with a central relationship) but I think it allows for character growth in a way the miscommunication actively prevents.

Or maybe it's just my burn-out, who knows.

[crhinge]

Breaking Down The Classic Rom-Com

I feel like I haven’t written a fun post in a hot sec so lets talk about one of my favorite subjects: Rom Coms

According to wikipedia, a Rom Com, also known as Romantic Comedy, is “a subgenre of comedy and slice-of-life fiction, focusing on lighthearted, humorous plot lines centered on romantic ideas, such as how true love is able to surmount most obstacles.” In the past, Romantic Comedies have also been called “Chick Flicks” but I think this is devaluing of both women and  the romantic comedy genre. 

The other day, I woke up to find that the most wholesome rom-com couple of all time reunited: Matty & Jenna (Aka Mark Ruffalo & Jennifer Garner). This got me thinking about the beauty of the Rom-Com and how unappreciated they can be. It has been years since we have seen a rom-com with the cultural impact of 13 Going on 30, and I would like to petition for more of them after a sad and painful year. 

I can already hear the millions (in my head this blog is extremely popular) of comments “What about To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before?!?” “What about The Kissing Booth?!?” And too that I say, "Good Riddance!” If you’re rating your rom coms on a TATBILB scale, or even WORSE The Kissing booth, I feel sorry for you. Truly I do. So let's dive into the best Rom Coms of all time, but first... 

What makes a Rom-Com good? Well let's start with a relatable as hell main character. I am talking a girl (sometimes guy), who has many flaws, but the audience can see themselves within her/him. Let's use Jenna Rink from 13 Going On 30 as an example. Well, she's literally a 13 year old in a 30 year olds body, but don’t we all still have a preteen hiding inside of all of us? She is 100% willing to be herself at every step, even if that means dancing thriller all alone. She touches on all of our insecurities, while teaching us how to break down our walls. 

Rom-Coms also need characters to make realistic choices. This does not mean that the movie itself is realistic, but rather than you can understand the choices the characters make. Again, 13 going on 30 does a fabulous job of this. Obviously, Jenna traveling in time because of wishing powder is not realistic, but the choices that her and her past self make are. Due to the insecurities of her childhood and a need to feel included, relevant, and powerful Jenna pushes important people out of her life, which happens to so many people in the real world. These decisions force her to miss out on the love of her life, and ultimately, the story ends sadly: the love of her life marries someone else and she is left with tears, wishing powder, and an old doll house. That is until she is able to travel back in time and change the course of her life. 

Lastly, Every classic Rom-Com couple needs to have chemistry. There. I said it. Hollywood loves just casting random famous actors without giving them a proper chemistry read. One great example of this is Julianne Hough and Josh Duhamel in Safe Haven. Both fun, famous, Hollywood actors who have zero chemistry. Mark Ruffalo and Jennifer Garner had more chemistry throwing back Razzles than those two did during an intimate sex scene. 

Alright, now that we have broken down the requirements of a Romantic Comedy, let's jump into the best and worst of all time.

Best: When Harry Met Sally. 9/10. A classic. A tale as old as time. Both Sally & Harry are very flawed, yet relatable characters. Sally is too picky and particular, while Harry is a player. They both suck at relationships, but make rational decisions based on their motivations. We all have friends like these two and their chemistry is on point, both on a friendship and romantic level. They bounce off of one another splendidly. 

Worst: Sleepless in Seattle. 1/10 I know, this is a strong take, but this is a terrible movie about a stalker. Meg Ryan (I don’t even remember her character's name) is the stupidest most unrelatable character I have seen in a long time. She is extremely unlovable, cheats on her SO emotionally, and flies across the country to stalk a man that she has never met before. And then you’re telling me that Tom hanks FALLS FOR HER? Nope. No. I refuse to except this. Plus, their chemistry in this is pretty mediocre (You’ve Got Mail is Way Better) and we only get to see them together once. 

Best: 10 Things I Hate About You. 8/10. I was tempted to leave all high School Rom-Coms off this list, but Heath Ledger is my exception. Talk about likability. Kat is a strong, powerful, independent woman who learns how to be more vulnerable while still being a feminist badass. We all wanted to be Kat growing up. Meanwhile Heath Ledger is the classic bad boy with a soft side, and who wasn’’t into that? Both characters grow into new people throughout the movie making them relatable, complex, and realistic. Not to mention the angel that is Joseph Gordon Levitt, who keeps the audience up beat and smiling throughout the course of this Shakespeare tale

Best: My Big fat Greek Wedding. 10/10.  Have you seen this film recently? Because it is an absolute DELIGHT and so relatable. It dives into the difficulty of family expectation and cultures merging. It also has the cutest proposal of all time with a realistic couple that fights for one another on a daily basis. You laugh. You cry. You get a dynamic cast with wonderful chemistry. You feel invested in the family and the relationship. Just a joyful wonderful film.

Worst: Something Borrowed. 0/10. If you’ve never seen this movie, don’t. Ginnifer Goodwin sleeps with her best friends fiancé and we’re supposed to be okay with it because she liked him first. Hard pass. And she ignores John Krazinski who is right in front of her. She is unlikable, unreliable, and makes dumb decisions that no one else would. 

Best: He’s just not that into you. 9/10  I will go to bat for this movie. It follows several realistic storylines in a Love Actually manor, except they actual seem legit. A woman realizing her boyfriend is never going to marry her. A girl facing the fact that maybe some guys just aren’t that into her, and she isn’t an exception to the rule. A man slowly making the decision to cheat on his wife as they are growing apart. A woman realizing that she is worth way more than her bastard husband. A woman realizing that the person she’s sleeping with will never leave his wife for her. It's compelling, has realistic characters that we can relate to, and still warms your heart in the end. 

Best: The Big Sick. 8/10. Okay to be fair, this is based on a true story so it automatically has realistic characters and decisions. Maybe I should leave this off of the list, but I wish this film got the recognition it deserves. Two lovable main characters who make mistakes that are understandable. Wonderful chemistry between Kumail and his girlfriend as well as her family. 

Best: About Time. 11/10 This is hands down the best Rom-Com of all time and Potentially the best film of all time as well. If you don’t cry in this movie you do not have a heart or soul. The characters are SO insanely likable and adorable.It touches on the importance of family and valuing time and how little of it we have. The chemistry within the whole cast is palpable, and we can all relate to at least one character, whether it is the protagonist Tim, his wife Mary, his sister Kit-Kat, or his father. 

Well it is important to point out the obvious here: this list is lacking diversity in a huge way. All but one of these movies follow a cis, straight, white couple, and that is extremely concerning. People have attempted to make more diverse rom-coms over the past few years, but they all seem to be lacking one of the three core components of what makes a rom-com great: Relatable, realistic, and great chemistry. For example. Crazy Rich Asians was a fantastic film, but the high level of wealth that Nick Young comes from, made his character difficult to relate to, and I’m sorry but the chemistry just wasn’t there for me. Always Be My Maybe’s characters fell flat and it’s not a film I would want to watch more than once. Love Simon made some huge waves for LGBTQ representation in the media, but that ending kiss was unrealistic along with his friends reaction to fining out he was lying, which left the movie anti-climactic by the end. 

Now, the most recent film on this list was made in 2017. And before that 2013. So where have all the Rom Coms gone? Why don’t we see more of them. There are a few Rom Coms that could be contenders on the “Best” list from the last couple of years that include a small amount of diversity: 

Yesterday 7/10. The big question here is does this count as a romantic comedy? The love story isn’t the main plot, but is definitely a large sub-plot. This movie features an interracial couple and is highly re-watchable. The main characters are entertaining, relatable, and have pretty good chemistry. We will see if it stands the test of time. 

The Broken Hearts Gallery 7/10. This movie has gotten NO recognition. The main character, Lucy, is an extremely likable 20 something, not unlike our Ginnifer Goodwin in He’s Just not that Into You. The plot is fun and predictable but keeps you watching. I don’t know if this one will stay on my list long, but it’s definitely up there. 

But here is my challenge to Hollywood: create some new, beautiful Rom Coms that celebrate diversity but that don’t throw away the relatable, realistic, and high chemistry characters that we are just waiting to fall in love with. It’s got like 16 ideas up my sleeve, so just give me a call Hollywood. 

[toraashi]

writers on tumblr I’m obsessed with lately (+ why I’m obsessed)

good afternoon I’m 3 hours away from getting off work and about 3 minutes away from losing my mind due to boredom so here is this go follow all these individuals and give them all your love because they’re amazing and their writing deserves all the love and attention in the world 🥰

Author: @nagito-kissmaeda:

Fandom: danganronpa (specifically SDR2)

Rating: 18+ (there are sfw works tho)

My Thoughts: kay listen… i’ve been rereading all these fics over and over for the past week and I can not get over how perfectly nagito is characterized 😭♥️ I love how much attention there is to emotional detail in these works. Like the surroundings are important ofc ofc but I think one of the author’s strong suits is conveying emotion through small actions. Like you can tell the characters love each other, but it’s through the twitch in their eyebrow rather than some straight to the point claim. It makes it feel real and tender even tho the characters are basically being tortured the whole time. Like despite everything horrible happening around them there is still a touch of humanity and it’s found in the smallest of nuances that feel like a hidden gem to the reader, a saving grace sort of thing. also the smut is great So yeah go check these works out.

Personal Favorites: arcade (sfw), lapse in judgment [chapters 3 and 4 have me 😳😭🥵😞] (nsfw 18+), alone at the edge of the universe (nsfw 18+) and the professor komaeda ones are hot as fuck okay that is all thanks

Author: @gureishi

Fandom: Mystic Messenger

Rating: 18+ (with some sfw fics)

My Thoughts: another author I just literally read from religiously anymore. The author’s writing feels so mature and cohesive that it’s so compelling to read. It flows so smoothly while also leaving you on the edge of your seat. The main thing that stands out to me about these fics is how adult the relationships are. I love the healthy dynamics and the way it’s so clear that each character actively works to maintain a positive, healthy and stable companionship and it’s just so fulfilling to read. LIKE ESPECIALLY THE SMUT FEELS LIKE THIS like leading up to the sex just feels so legit and like home-y? Is that a weird way to describe sexual tension? It just feels intimate and familiar. Like even in sex the characters feel really deeply for each other no matter how kinky it gets I guess. Listen idk if that made sense but the point is I really really like it. Also the titles are so cool teach me how to make good titles pls.

Personal Favorites: kiss me harder (yoosung), the only love i’ve ever known (yoosung) [nsfw], gentle fingers (saeran), breathe, darling, breathe in deep (saeyoung) [nsfw]

Author: @kisskunimi

Fandom: Haikyuu

Rating: 18+ only

My Thoughts: okay okay okay I will never ever shut up about this blog ever ever. Every piece of work is stunningly beautiful and literally feels like free verse poetry in the best way. The flow is very stop and go and the “stop”’s are utilized in such a brilliant way to emphasize some of my favorite lines in writing. (I see this especially in learn me, it’s so stunning) This author takes some of the most cliche metaphors/similes/common descriptions I see in fanfiction today and gives it a new feel. I was gonna give an example but it’s so startlingly present in all of the author’s work, so please just go read them, they’re phenomenal and make me feel like life is worth living if I can find a love that feels like this.

Favorite Lines: [I had to include this for this author, some of this writing is brilliant] there’s also more than this but these are my top favorites

“But in your arms he could fall. He could fall and land softly” - learn me

“He can look at you when you talk and see the stars shining in your irises like they somehow came down to earth to possess you. And he looks, he looks and longs.” - learn me

Personal Favorites: instantly (iwaizumi), learn me (akaashi)

[ashleyfanfic]

Ranking the Bridgerton Books

I've read all but one at least twice now, so I'm gonna give my ranking. 1. Romancing Mister Bridgerton - Colin and Penelope since the first time I saw them interact in the show, but their dynamic in the book I like just as much. You get snippets of them being around each other in the first books, but there is a pivotal scene in An Offer From A Gentleman that hurt me into my soul and I have never felt for someone as much as I felt for Penelope in that moment. And then in their book, you can see their friendship grow because as long as he's known her, it's taken him so long to see what everyone else already did. Penelope is amazing, even if she is hiding things from him. The scene in the carriage, but specifically their first time and Colin thinking that he wanted to make love to her in front of a mirror one day so she could see what he saw...lord. Also, Lady Danbury is phenomenal in this book. 2. This was really hard for me to decide which one I liked more, and the truth is, I actually read one of these books more than twice and that was The Viscount Who Loved Me. If you know anything about me, you know that I am a huge fan of Enemies to Lovers, and boy does this deliver on that. I love Kate. She's a whole lotta spitfire and just says things to Anthony that NO ONE else would say because she's adamant that her sister could do better. But then things shift and she sees him differently. The storm scene in the library cemented my love for Anthony Bridgerton. The "Oh Kate" KILLED ME. Dead. The Pall Mall game, which, I'm gonna be honest, if they don't give to us I will be FURIOUS! That shit was legit funny. But then there's the bee, the gazebo, Colin pissing off his brother. And the love story between Kate and Anthony and how these two idiots find love in one another is just *chef's kiss* 3. This was really hard because I loved this book so much. When He Was Wicked is the spiciest of all the books in my opinion. And it's because we start with Francesca being married. You don't see her wedding or courtship to her husband, John, in the other books, you just learn that she was married. And her relationship seems to be a good one. They love and care for each other. But that's not the story that's actually being told. We meet Michael Sterling (and if he's not played by Richard Madden I'll fucking burn the world down), a rogue, rake, an altogether scandalous man, and the cousin and close confidant of both John and Francesca. There's already a flirtation with Michael and Franny before John dies, but Michael would never act on it. Then he dies and both of their worlds are turned upside down. But it's when Michael returns from India and the two are being sought after by others that they're teetering on the edge of something. Michael knows his feelings but doesn't think he can betray his cousin like that, and Franny is just afraid of her feelings for Michael all together. But then there's their first kiss, and then Michael riding to fucking Scotland to seduce her into being his wife, which she doesn't agree to do right off. But the creme de la creme of this book, aside from Franny finally realizing her feelings, is the scene in the cabin when they get stuck in the rain. It's one of the women taking her sexual agency and fucking using it, and Michael is a more than willing participant. That scene was fucking hot. They also have a beautiful Epilogue if you want to read it.

4. To Sir Phillip With Love is a strange one for me. I love that Phillip and his weirdness appeals to Eloise, who I don't think would ever be content with an ordinary man. I could also see someone like Eloise being courted in such an unusual way as letters. What kind of puts me off about this is Phillip's treatment of his children. I get that he eventually catches a clue as to what's going on with them, but through most of the book, he doesn't even bother trying to be close to them. The best part of this book are 1) the brothers Bridgerton storming into their home and trying to pummel Phillip all while Eloise fights them for her man, and 2) the scene at My Cottage where Philip seduces Eloise.

5. While I think this book is the most unoriginal in terms of beginning and end, it's not a bad book throughout the middle. And I'm talking about An Offer From A Gentleman. This series actually shows that Step parents/Siblings aren't all bad, take a look at the Viscount and you get nothing but love between Mary, Kate, and Edwina. But this book goes with the wicked stepmother. Of course it does, it's ripping off Cinderella. The first chapter with the ball had me uninterested and it felt like a slog to get through, but once we get away from the Cinderella aspects and get to Sophie and Ben's actual story, I'm more into it. UNTIL Benedict decides that he's going to wear Sophie down about becoming his mistress. From book to show, Benedict is the most different in my opinion. I can't imagine that guy ever doing what book Ben does to Sophie. When he finally realizes who Sophie is, it's cathartic really. Because on the one had, she's known who he is the entire time, even knew he was looking for her, and said nothing about it. I do love Violet in this book. I love their scenes at My Cottage and I love the idea of a Colin Firth type scene for our Benedict, but the rest of it left me very underwhelmed.

6. It's In His Kiss was cute enough, but my problem with this one is that Hyacinth is in all of the other books as a pesky younger sister, a girl if you will. So, it's really difficult for me to wrap my head around her being a grown woman at this time. And it would take a special man to handle her. Gareth is that man. I love the scenes with Lady Danbury. She shines everywhere she goes, though. I don't know, I just didn't feel this one and I guess it's because seeing Hyacinth grown is weird to me.

7. The Duke and I. If you've seen the show you've read the book, I feel. This book had so much promise until THAT scene. Like, I get it, you're mad about being lied to, but the man was drunk and Daphne took advantage of that. It caused him to start stuttering again, it was so damaging. And she wasn't sorry. I guess that's my real gripe. She wasn't apologetic about what she did. This is the only book I read once.

8. On the Way to the Wedding felt like a lesser version of the Viscount. Gregory wanting Hermione, but having to go through Lucy to get to her... I read this story before and it was done much better. Not that I dislike Gregory or Lucy. I don't. I just don't find either of them as compelling as Anthony or Kate. I don't have a lot of thoughts about this one because once I hit the wedding I was like "I just want to be done with it already". Maybe it was burnout. I don't know. Perhaps if I start with this one instead of saving it for last I'll have a better opinion.

[fuck-you-i-am-spiderman]

Spideyyyyyyyy!!! 🕷️♥️🧡💛💚💙💜 hello

*stretches fingers* where to begin, where to begin. WELL, one of the things that stands out to me about your writing is that it’s the embodiment of the “is for me? 😳👉👈“ meme in which me is….. me jkldjakljgklsdg. Like, this is why we can just plot an entire novel-length fic together off the top of our heads on VC, just give us like five minutes, because we share perfect taste in ships and tropes. The beautiful thing about this is that I always know I’m GOOD going into your fics. Like, you know what I want without having to ask. And so your fics are always a safe, familiar place for me to go and yours is some of the work that helps me calm down and sleep if I’m having a bad night and just need to read something that’s like a virtual hug.

Another thing that shines about your work is you do such an amazing job of ensuring equal parts love and attention to all the OT4/Core Four. I think it’s really sweet how you take the time to write stories where each one of them gets the spotlight for a while and has their trauma addressed, like with Lost in Lace and Baby Dragon, for example. You offer representation for everyone who relates to these characters and you very tenderly craft that representation and treat the characters with the respect they didn’t get from canon. With your multi-chaps, you do a wonderful job of honouring all the dynamics and never letting the BROTPs feel less important. The bonds are SO strong whether romantic or not.

Stemming from the above actually, I feel like the way you write the Core Four reflects a lot about you as a person (all good things!) and I see that in HD since we’ve become friends. You treat your characters with the same respect and attentiveness that I feel you treat people, not just me but others I see you interact with. Your people skills translate into your writing, if that makes sense. Like what I say above about how you take the time to ensure everyone gets the spotlight for a while, especially when they need it most, and I think that’s just something you do as a friend, too, and it’s a really great thing about you! You have a very big heart and your sensitivity makes you extremely empathetic, which allows you to get deep into these characters’ heads and write beautiful, believable relationships that are full of feeling.

Your passion and drive to overcome all the hurdles of life and keep creating is very inspirational, my dear. Truly, truly, I cannot say it enough that passion ALWAYS shines through and IMO it’s one of the most important things a writer can have ‘cause it’s the fuel for everything else, but also it’s just something that can be *felt* and I always feel your passion in your work and in everything you do. There is so much of the essence of Spidey in your work and that’s a very good thing! There is an inherent value in that, as in you. It is certainly a gift to this fandom.

Anyway anyway I honestly just think you are a natural born storyteller and that’s just something you have to accept. I’m very fortunate to be privy to all the fun ideas you help bring to life over VC. I would gladly listen to you narrate Rotten OT4 fanfic to me. You have good energy and you always make me laugh and I love that I can just interrupt like “OH MY GOD WAIT WHAT IF” and you’re just like “FUCK YES WRITE THAT DOWN” and then we don’t jdklajklsgjlkg but it’s so much fun tbh. Our VCs are probably the reason I haven’t gone completely insane without regular human contact outside my family jkldajkljglsdg. It’s easy to forget we’re in a pandemic with good company.

in true ADHD fashion this has ended up a little left of the point, but you get it, you get it lmao

SO MUCH LOVE ♥️🧡💛💚💙💜

(shout out to tumblr for letting me write essays in people's ask boxes now...... y'all are gonna live to regret this experience jdklajlgjdsklg)

BABE, ILY ♥️🧡💛💚💙💜 

I cannot fully explain how happy it makes me that you think of my fics as a safe space. Like YOUR fics do that for me, they’re like a breath of fresh air that uplift my every mood. whether they’re soft and silly or more indepth and angsty, like you got me and it’s like my own personal library of comfort fics for every occassion and mood. Honestly yeah, we have such good taste in ships and our VCs are one of my absolute favourite things, they always stem the best and most glorious ideas.

Thank you so much, for me - I love all of the different dynamics within the rotten four so much and it’s super important to me to get the balance right and show equal amounts of love to all of the dynamics, even when a specific dynamic is more of a central focus. Like the others don’t just disappear and what compells me the most with ot4 is that they’re all so important to one another and they’re all so interesting in their own right, I’ve read and seen far too much media for poly ships that try and ignore parts of the ship and that’s just not what I’m about. Seriously I keep saying thank you but truly, it means a lot to me that you feel like I write something that offers representation, that’s something so very important to me and it’s so validating to hear that it’s coming across in the intended way.

Have I said this before? Um I love you !!!!!! But seriously, you constantly say how lovely I am but you are such a wonderful person, like I’m so glad we’re friends because you are one of the most kind, genuine and glorious people I know. You are truly fantastic and I feel so blessed to have you in my life 💖💖 💖💖 💖💖 💖💖 

I can’t believe you think I have people skills :’)) I mean...like I try very hard to make sure people feel respected and loved and heard. I try really hard to make sure my friends know how much I care and yes mutuals, you are all my friends and I love you very much! But something that is important to me within my writing is to really show that love and care. So I’m so relieved that that translates well into my writing. Thank you so much, that’s such a high compliment.

(lol side note I now am imagining “essense of Spidey” as a little potions bottle with like a gradient shimmery colour 😂)

I’M NOT CRYING YOU’RE CRYING. You think I’m a natural born storyteller? 🥺 I have so much anxiety when it comes to my own capabilities and this means so much, I can’t even fully take it in but wow just thank you, it means so much more than I can express. Babe, I will gladly narrate ot4 for you any time!

🙈 OMG no, we are the worst when it comes to not writing our ideas down omg dheruhrgefvgvfehwgwvey like I legit just want to record everything on our video chat so I can savour it. We truly have some of the most fantastic ideas and I love crafting them with you, it is legit so much fun and it gives me so much serotonin. I think we need to video chat more!!!!!! Because legit, you make me feel so much better and you just have this way about you, like you are a gift and you radiate such soft and warm energy, like you and your writing and your art and everything are a ray of sunshine that I never thought I deserved.

and you know I love your rambles because oh would you look at that? my reply is just as rambley and I love that for us so, so much. and anyway, I love you very much and reading this made me so happy ♥️🧡💛💚💙💜

[shekissesturians]

Animes Watched Since Quarentine Started ~

So I just sat down and realized... I have developed a problem X’D  BUT it could be worse! So I figured I would share for those looking for something new to watch! Also, what have y’all been watching!?

Full list below the line + reviews! * No spoilers, I promise! I wouldn’t do you dirty like that! *  ;-*

1. Kakegurui 

This show took me by surprise, I had no idea gambling could be so thrilling! Plus let us take a moment to appreciate the facial expressions animated in this show! Beautiful, just beautiful. Beware though, this anime gets dark, and sick, and you will definitely forget to breath at times. It is a thorough joy.

2. Steins;Gate

3. Steins;Gate 0

Honestly, Steins;Gate + Stains; Gate 0 is one of the best animes I have EVER seen. Legit. Also, It is one of the best stories of time travel I have ever encountered. The way it is explained in the anime is brilliant! Compelling, thrilling, emotional, so much amazingness. I watched in chronological order instead of season order which I really enjoyed. Also one of the most moving anime endings I have seen. All the characters you will fall in love with, and their character development is one heck of a ride. A must watch, 100%.

4. Fullmetal Alchemist

This was a nostalgia back flash for me! It was been years and I felt like reliving it all over again. Which I am glad I did, cus boy was there a lot of heavy themes and topics I did not pick up on when I was younger! One of the biggest themes was this existential undertone throughout the whole show that explored the ideas of humanity, authority, morality and race.

5. Fullmetal Alchemist Conqueror of Shamballa

A must follow up to the original FMA series. It just ties the whole story up in a pretty bow. I remember when I first saw this movie, it was my first encounter this the idea of multiple dimensions and it just blew my mind. The whole this felt so exciting and surreal, and I loved the addition of our timeline playing a part. Watching FMA + Movie over again leaves me a bit torn on which is better, Brotherhood or first adaptation. I think both should be watched for a full understanding of the lore. The first anime series definitely has some holes and details missing, but it’s also so nostalgic and they really give you a better development of characters and feels than Brotherhood does, as they rush through that to get back to the main plot.... so grab some popcorn and watch both and just enjoy the ride :)

6. Angels of Death

This anime has such a unique premise!! And morally it is just all sorts of twisted, which I love! The music is fantastic in it and all the characters you encounter are very unique and fun... it’s dark though, don’t get me wrong.. and twisted. BUT a fun ride if you are down for that kind of adventure!

7. Another

WHOOOO BUDDY! If you want to go on a journey THIS IS ONE! It’s a mind bending premise and each episode ends in so much suspense. I literally could’ve watched the whole thing in one day. This anime is like a jar of Pringles, once you start you just can’t stop!

8. Death Parade 

This anime gets the prize for the most misleading opening ever! X’D But it is such a BOP Please watch if you can. The anime overall is a joy, its very thought provoking and touches on the darker topics of death and mortality. Who is really good? Who is evil? Where do they seamlessly blend into each other? Besides the premise being so unique and tantalizing, the artwork is breathtaking! The background and environments the characters exist in are gorgeous. As an artist and a writer, I appreciate this anime on so many levels.

9. Sekkou Boys

Oh god, this anime is a joy. Just pure, clean joy T.T The episode are VERY short so you could finish the whole thing in an evening. But if you are an artist, a Renaissance history lover, or a J-pop fan, you will especially appreciate this joy of a creation. Watch it for your soul, you will feel better afterwards.

10. Kokoro Connect

This is a very intriguing coming of age story to say the least. There is an element of fantasy/science fiction that comes into the picture that stirs all sorts of trouble for our dear group of friends. It makes you really reflect your own intra- and interpersonal relationships and how we perceive and interact with one another. Overall a fun trip to go on.

11. Occultic; Nine

HOLD ONTO YOUR HORSES CUS THIS ANIME IS FAST! Omgsh, if you watch in Japanese like I did, get ready to have tired eyes cus the pace and speech of this anime is like nothing I have encountered before, but it is soooo much fun! It is mystery combined with the supernatural. It’s one of those animes where there is a lot of characters involved and some how everyone is connected in some way, like Baccano! if you have seen it. I would say to watch this AFTER you watch Steins;Gate if you have any interests because it is written by the same writers and there is little things that reference back to Steins;Gate which are really fun to pick up on.

12. School-Live!

I didn’t know what to expect when I started this series. It is not the kind of art style I am normally drawn towards but I am soo glad I watched. The characters are all really fun and cute! Especially the puppy!! <3 You deal with psychological stress as well as a nice mix of slice of life all in the midst of a zombie apocalypse! It’s a combination I never knew I wanted in my life, but now I am glad I have it. Don’t let the cute animation style fool you... it gets DARK. I was full out trying not to sob at one point, but I think that just shows how many levels are involved in this story. Have fun with this ride my friends <3

13. My Hero Academia

GUYS ARE YOU FREAKING READY!? This was the story I never knew I needed in my life, but now I don’t know how I lived without it. Dear god, I binged this one so hard I think I forgot to breath for a week. All of the characters are so dynamic and the overall tone of the series is so uplifting and positive. If you are in a depressive slump just turn this one on. I promise you, you will be smiling and feeling better in no time! It is so motivational as well. Humor, action, suspense, thrilling, emotional- I don’t think there is anything they don’t touch on. Uhg gosh, I could prob write a dissertation on all the themes and undertones expressed in this work. I promise you, this is a journey you will not regret taking <3

14. My Hero Academia: Two Heroes

I’ll be honest, I think sometimes series’ movies miss the mark, or just feel lackluster, like a power hour of filler. This one my friends.... DID NOT. I was really glad I watched it too, because I felt as though it added so much to the main story line. Plus you get to see college years All Might... so bonus! X3 But seriously, it is a very fun movie and it gives you more background to the world you wouldn’t otherwise get.

15. Shiki

First off... THE ART. This anime’s art is so unique and fits so well into the overall narrative. But honestly, I feel like this anime is a work of art, it feels like an old folk tale/dark fairy tale you would elders talking about in a pub late at night. The narrative never went where I expected it to, and by the end I was so morally conflicted I didn’t know what to do with myself. It’s a dark fantasy that really explores all the little nitty gritty grey areas that are often passed over in stories. There were definitely a few scenes that made me so uncomfortable I was squirming. Human nature is truly a sight to behold, and this anime shows it to you.

16. Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress

The Feudal Japan- Post apocalyptic- Steam punk journey you never knew existed! Gosh this anime is amazing. First off the art is breathtaking and many scenes reminded me of Miyazaki. Second, the music is SO GOOD. It’s a concept on the undead that I find to be very unique and truly thrilling. Most of the anime takes place on a train which is such an intriguing element. You also go into human fear of the unknown and how our nature can truly be our biggest hindrance. The characters are great and you get to the point of really rooting for them. Get ready for this feast for your senses!

17. Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress Movie: Battle of Unato

After watching the series I felt like my heart was still missing something. Honestly the whole thing felt like it went by too fast. I still wanted more! This movie helped fill the void in my heart. You get to see relationship begin to form between characters as well as more insight into kabane and all their abilities. Standing alone, this movie is a really fun adventure and gives more insight into the state Japan is in overall.

So THERE YOU HAVE IT! I hope you might have found some new things to watch. I would love to see others lists of things they have watched, feel free to leave in the comments! Or if you have watched any of these, I would love to hear your thoughts! Let’s chat <3

[cina-full-moon-xanadium]

Last Kamen Rider thought of the night:

If they wanted Izu to work as a character, if they wanted her singularity to feel legit, if they wanted her to feel like a person... she needed a scene where she said “no”.

She needed a scene where she heavily, fundamentally disagreed with Aruto on something critical. She needed to shoot down an idea of his in an ideological context. She needed to have her own opinions as a humagear and as an individual that greatly differed from Aruto’s that aside from developing her character, also shone a light on his blind spots as a human who couldn’t truly understand humagears without being one himself; something that came even from his supposed closest humagear friend.

Because the thing is that without that clash and character conflict, yes she’s a likeable enough character; but she isn’t much more than Aruto’s yes man. She doesn’t truly have thoughts and opinions of her own despite apparently going through singularity multiple times, and as a result she’s reduced to just agreeing with everything Aruto says and sometimes cutely, quirkily explaining one of his jokes to his chagrin.

It’s not like this series has an incredible track record with female leads, and I’m not saying the drama has to get to the level of the two breaking up or even Izu deciding not to be a secretary even more. But if you look back on other examples, even the closest, friendliest of lead/female lead relationships had drama that underpinned their relationships — Izumi pleading Ankh and Eiji to just stay as they are near the end; Mana having all her running away and suspicions of Shouichi through an identity crisis; an absolute masterclass of an emotional scene where Sento begs Misora to take responsibility for the Build killswitch. All of these characters are very close both at the start of their seasons and by the end, but they all went through SOMETHING that changed or strengthened their relationships.

This is really the issue with Takahashi’s writing in general — he has plenty of strengths, but he simply does not understand how to write compelling character drama and relationships, and that is why Zero-One’s ending failed to land for me despite so much beautiful cinematography and wonderfully performed emotional beats. Those emotional beats were never earned; we never really see what led Aruto to becoming Ark-1, or understand the severity of he and Horobi’s conflict, or really get a good idea of what Izu or anyone else meant to him.

As such, Izu without any truly character defining moments fails to truly land. Without any drama, without any conflict, without any of her own scenes where she even considers other possibilities outside of being a secretary or considering other viewpoints or paths or going through anything that tests her resolve, she dies as the same character she was in episode 1. She is cute, and she is funny, but she is not a character that ever came into her own.

[lykegenia]

I think it’s time for a hype post! Inspired by hype posts by @tortuosity-writes and @fine-tevinter-wines​ - banner by me!

Are you:

New to Avatar: The Last Airbender and looking to expand your experience with compelling fic?

Redisovering your love for the show and wanting something a little bit different?

Wishing the chemistry between Zuko and Katara had been explored in more depth in the show?

Looking for a story that adds to the world of Avatar and its themes?

Are you fond of:

Detailed worldbilding wrapped in an action-packed story full of political machinations, mistaken identities, and a quest to save the world?

Themes of choice, destiny, justice, and revenge?

Slow burn romances with lots of mutual pining?

AUs that ask the question of what would the world be like if only one thing were different?

Do you think it’s neat when A:tLA fanfiction features:

Zuko and Katara treating each other as equals as they grow closer and develop feelings for each other?

Katara being shown as compassionate, but also as a powerful waterbender?

Zuko struggling with morality and finding his sense of honour?

Found family dynamics where trust is earned?

Nuanced portrayals of secondary characters that doesn’t leave them sidelined?

Explorations of bending and what benders are capable of?

Conversations about how the war has affected the characters emotionally, and how they grow from that?

THEN DO I HAVE A FIC FOR YOU!

If you have answered yes to at least some of these questions, you might want to take a look at The Things We Hide

A 120k enemies-to-lovers AU asking what might have been different if The Southern Water Tribe han’t been wiped out in the early years of the Hundred Years War, featuring a more jaded Katara and a Zuko who just wants to do what is right, caught in a gripping tale of vengeance, forgiveness, and love as they struggle to do what is best for their people.

But don’t take my word for it, here is what others have to say:

I remember being fairly new to this fandom and pairing and it was this fic with its intricate storytelling and captivating characters ... that convinced me to stay and I love it so much!

Oh my GOSH IT WAS SO GOOD!!!! I adored the characterization of everyone, the way you took elements of the plot and twisted them just so. The whole story was so tight and concise and well paced, and your writing a joy to read. The thematic elements were *chefs kiss*—the recurring theme of the painted lady  and the blue spirit, yin and yang... This is one of those fanfic stories you read where you go, wow, this legit could have been a book I picked up at B&N. I loved it, it’s officially going in my bookmarked favs and on my kindle.

I just couldn't stop reading the whole thing at once. So much creativity, but still a wink here and there to the original, this is the optimal state of a fanfiction!

This was nothing short of utterly beautiful! I loved every single piece of Southern culture that you included in this story, it felt so careful and respected, I really appreciate the emotions you used. Don’t get me started on the breathtaking battles either!? This was so cleverly written that I’ve had to pause multiple times just to truly appreciate what you’ve created. Thank you so much for sticking with this ... this story has helped me get through one of the most stressful weeks I’ve faced in a long time. I can’t wait to read it over and over again.

B IT CH IM SO IN LOVE HOLY S HIT GOOD WRITING SUCH GOOD WRITING IM DFHBBJJJJBVVCCV H O HGFHBV

I want you to know this story blew me away and the political world that you've built was so fascinating and complex and well thought out! I think the relationships the characters have to each other and i think zuko and katara were each really well fleshed out, interesting characters (and i loved that they had such rich lives outside of each other too!!!!). like, your writing is amazing and characterization is so good and the budding romance between zutara in the first half was very sweet! and i loved all of it! but i am legit IN AWE of the wider world building here, the intricacies of the politics, etc. like, i think it's the best i've read in the entire fandom.

This fic is a literal masterpiece. Your prose is so smooth and reads so well, you can really feel the scene. Your imagery is amazing and I wish I could write half as well as you lol. All the characterizations were spot on. I absolutely loved bamf Katara. She was indeed a bamf. She was just so cool. And I really enjoyed the Gaang banter. This fic had me on the edge of my seat the whole time and I had to stop myself from staying up all night reading it.

I'm actually going to cry. WOW.

[ziracona]

With the rumors about Until Dawn possibly being in dbd I’m curious about what the game actually is? Could you give a description of it and it’s quality?

>:-D I would be thrilled to break it down! 

So, I personally adored this game. Actually, back in 2016, I bought a PS4 for the express purpose of being able to play the game more times until I got a happy ending.

Basically, Until Dawn is a decision-based horror game that is a self-reflective on horror as a genre, with a special focus on the way mental illness is treated, and a secondary focus on native tradition in horror. There are 10 playable characters, eight protagonists. Everyone can die. You swap between characters as you go, and the storyline branches depending on your decisions. Your choices alter your characters’ relationships with each other, which is important, as well as their stats (bravery, curiosity, humor, romanticness, honesty, and charity), all of which impact game outcomes and events in the story. You cannot simply win by always being as kind to people as possible, and I’d personally recommend trying to do your best, but playing the characters in-character if you want people to live. Almost everyone I’ve ever seen loses at least Matt their first time. Often Josh or Jessica as well. 

Anyway, the basic plot is, ten friends are at their winter getaway on a mountain. They’re late highschool/early college age. A bunch of them decide to play a super cruel prank on one of the friends, because they all know she has a crush on one of the guys. So he and a bunch of the others have him pretend he wants to make out with her, they film her, and then shame her, and she runs off into the night crying. Her best friend tries to warn her and fails, her sister didn’t know and is furious, and her brother and his best friend are both passed out drunk at the time, and have nothing to do with it. Anyway, older sis runs out into the night after baby sis. They’re at their family’s cabin on a mountain in Canada (their family is in the movie business and super rich). You play as the big sister. The girls do not make it through the night.

The remainder of the game, you play the remaining eight friends. They meet up a year later on the anniversary of the sister’s disappearance, because the surviving member of the family, Josh, the baby brother, wants to keep their tradition going and meet up to honor them. Things start to go wrong almost immediately. Some masked man is on the loose, and begins attack teens. Meanwhile, something weird is happening at the abandoned sanitorium nearby, and inexplicable things start to happen in the woods as well. The player does their best to collect clues, which go with one of if I remember correctly three storylines? It might be four. Anyway, all clues help your survival, and give you extra dialogue and sometimes choices. It’s very good to know. You have to make a lot of decisions, and sometimes doing nothing is the right call, so go with your gut. You also find totems, which give you a glimpse into the future, and come in multiple kinds (warnings of danger, death, death to friends, fortune, or guidance--the first three are bad, the last two you want to reach. They will not make sense, but then, when you hit the moment they’re connected to, a lot of the time stuff will click, so do your best to let them guide you).

Basically, your job is to try to understand what is going on, why, and to survive until forest service can show up at dawn to get you the fuck off the mountain to safety. There’s a ticking clock letting you see how long you have left to go, and each chapter has a unique title that changes based on player choice. Also, in-between chapters, you have segments where you play as someone who for most of the game is unknown, being interviewed by a psychologist. The player answers his questions, and makes decisions in the interviews as well, and these also effect gameplay and outcomes, and are responsible for chapter names. Actually, people still haven’t even found all the things the therapy sessions effect, which I think is extremely exciting.

Review wise, horror has long been one of the absolute best genres for intense character study, because the character can be the world’s biggest piece off shit, and you’ll still root for them not to die. Literally the bar is just they have to not be so awful you want them to die horribly. This exponentially increases in video games, because you have the added motivation of wanting to succeed/win. So, UD does a great job of having a super complex cast of characters it does not apologize for, but forces you to view as the complex whole and mix of good and bad they are, and is a great character piece. I hated everyone but Josh, Chris, and Sam when I started (the only three who didn’t do the prank), but by the end Mike, the asshole who pretended to want to make out with the sister, and Emily, the resident bitch, were both characters I loved, and I think I liked everybody but one member. It’s also just a super beautiful game, and it does a great job of being scary and intense, and there’s some amazing sequences. The structure is solid. Your experience will be different depending on how many clues you get ,as will your perception of characters based on choices and motives you understand or don’t, actions you see them take or miss, but that’s just kind of the nature, and it gives it some decent replayability. Also, the dialogue is hilarious and if sometimes pretty goofy, incredibly enjoyable.

The gameplay comes in multiple types. Sometimes you walk around free-reign and look for clues, and sometimes you’ll be in cinematic cutscenes where you act via quick one or the other choices (Run or Hide, Left or Right, etc) and reaction commands. There’s also shooting challenges, where you go into bullet time and line up the cursor on a target and press shoot before time runs out (and if you fail, probably die, but it depends on the severity of the situation), as well as Don’t Move segments, which quite literally mean hold the PS4 controller as still as humanly possible. You can see the glowing sensor on the front of it on your screen, and the bounds you have to keep it in, and can try to correct if it looks like it’s going too far left or right, but these are incredibly hard--I think most people consider them the hardest part of the game--and I know a lot of people just put the damn controller down during those bc they’re so hard. (For this to work you basically have to be playing with your arms already resting on a table though, or it will sense you going to set it down and you’ll auto-fail. It has to be a situation where setting it down legit just means letting go to work). It’s PS4 exclusive game, but it’s also a free game on PS now, so you if you get the 7 day free trial, you can play it on PS now on a computer, so long as you buy a controller (or borrow one or whatever) to play with.

Overall, I think the difficulty level is challenging enough to be fun, and varied enough to not get boring, but the don’t-moves--especially at the very end of the game--can be frustrating. So, I’d recommend either prepping for them and cheating a little in the finale sequence itself (which is like 7 extremely intense Don’t Moves back to back), or living by the age-old decision based proverb “If you hit power before it saves, it didn’t happen,” or both.

The characters are enjoyable, and the story is really good. There’s multiple, well-executed twists, and it’s incredibly sad and compelling as a story--to me anyway. Overall, it’s probably my favorite horror game unless you count season one of TWDG as a horror game, and I definitely wholeheartedly recommend it--especially if you like choice-based games. I’d 100% play it blind your first time, too--that’s the absolutely best way to experience it, even if people die. But, to keep it from getting super frustrating, I’d also totally recommend playing it the “I missed an action command and my fave just died so I hit menu or power before it could try and am gonna do the fight sequence again” way too. Games should be fun! Playing blind is fun, but having a fighting chance to keep your fave alive is too, and that gets you both. Also! Take looking for clues seriously, and do it before you leave an area--the free-walk events are not timed events, unlike in Man of Medan, so it is safe to do so. Some clues will literally change the fate of your character.

Scare wise, I’d say it’s a pretty creepy game. There’s a number of jump scares, but the biggest scares aren’t jump-scares, they’re chase sequences, which are quite nice. It is scary, but not like, any more scary than other horror video games tend to be, like Outlast or Silent Hill. Some of the deaths are pretty damn gorey too, so be forewarned.

And I think that about breaks it down? I’ll throw in some pics for feel.  

I could write a whole essay on why I think the narrative has intense value for its meta commentary on horror and its work as a self-reflective genre piece, but that would be rife with spoilers, so I won’t right now. Feel free to ask if you’d like to hear the short version of that, but I want to at least keep in a different post so it’s easy for people looking to avoid spoilers to do so! : )

Oh! Also as a last note, the cast is all phenomenal! Hayden Panettiere, Rami Malek, Brett Dalton, Meaghan Martin, Noah Fleiss, Nichole Bloom, Jordan Fisher, Antonella Lentini, Galadriel Stineman, Peter Stormare, and Larry Fessenden all do bang-up jobs, and it’s a pretty diverse cast too. And there’s a good dog, so games get +10 for dogs. There’s super cool making of stuff in the unlockables I enjoyed a lot, and the checkable character stats are fun. Also the intro is beautiful, and the single prettiest rendition of O’ Death I’ve ever heard.

[dont-offend-the-bees]

Just finished teotfw 2

Largely spoiler-free thoughts:

It wasn’t bad. Like, it was perfectly well made TV and the performances were great as usual and there were some genuinely heartrending and hilarious moments (the bit that made me laugh hardest and feel bad about it was a scene with the ashes in the last ep). But it felt a bit like a dead end? Like, considering how much momentum the first season had with those two kids on the run from everyone and everything and feeling like they were legit all each other had in the world because they were the only ones who understood, s2 just felt relatively... slow. S1 kind of took them on this short, beautiful, tragic arc and ended with the perfect level of ambiguity after kind of taking those characters on an emotional journey that left them as better, happier, more well-rounded humans at the end of it (even if it wasn’t to last) and now it feels like they kind of hit a wall before they even started. 

Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed watching it- mainly because I was happy to see James and Alyssa again. But overall it didn’t have the fun or the energy of S1, it wasn’t as narratively compelling and I felt like there weren’t enough moments of lightness and fun with James and Alyssa to really counterbalance a lot of the tension. I don’t think it ruins the ending of the first one- unless you let it- but if you are super super attached to the original ending and think you’d only risk watching s2 if you thought it was gonna be better, well, I’m not sure it lives up to that. 

More spoilery ending thoughts below the cut

That being said, as much as I enjoyed the beautiful, poignant ambiguity of the first season’s ending, and I think just in terms of execution and narrative it was the superior ending, I did like how James and Alyssa wrapped up this time around. I like that they admit they love each other, but they’re learning to find themselves outside of their chaotic ride or die relationship. I like that James apologised for putting her on a pedestal and seems to know that he has to find his life’s track without making it all about her, and I like that Alyssa confronted her demons, decided to get help dealing with them properly and told James upfront that she’s going to take time for herself. It was sort of a levelled up, more thought-out version of the end of season one where she tells him she doesn’t want to have sex- which was a perfectly valid and necessary moment in itself but very much felt like what it was, which was a horny but scared teenager pumping the brakes even though she didn’t one hundred percent know why she was still so affected, or why something horrible with a horrible person should ruin something she wants with a person she loves. She knows now that what happened has seriously affected her, that it’s not going to go away over night and that she needs time, space and help, and James is clearly willing to give that to her, and basically I’m just super proud of both of them. They didn’t get such a complete and compelling character arc this time around but if like me you are depressed and looking for more happy, hopeful endings, watching these two kids crack it after all they’ve been through might just be your cup of tea.

[nolongerapileofashprobably]

I think about Zelink in each game and I seriously give Nintendo props for creating a compelling dynamic between the two no matter if it’s purely platonic or has romantic undertones or is just blantantly spelled out as soulmates.

OoT Zelink has romantic undertones. Don’t even try to argue with me if ya feel differently. It isn’t spelled out plainly enough that we could say it’s practically canon, but it does have that bond between them that’s undeniable.

In the game, you can literally go back into the castle as Young Link and show Zelda the different masks Link acquires through the side quests. And the entire idea of Link sneaking pst all those guards to show Zelda some mask is hilarious and adorable.

After the time jump, Sheik then accompanies Link and it’s 10000% obvious that he’s fascinated with them. Link wants to spend as much time with Sheik as he possibly can. Water Temple aftermath scene anyone? That made it obvious (for me) that OoT Zelink are soulmates, because it’s their souls pulling them together and creating this attraction. Gender has no say. (It’s also makes Link 10000% bi in this game since Sheik is considered a “guy” to everyone else and I live for this headcanon). No matter who they’re disguised as, the chemistry and attraction is THERE. Plus, in Kakariko when they’re attacked by the Shadow. Staying by the others side. Trying to protect each other. Please let me live.

And the final battle. Oh this poor bby. He sticks his arm out to protect her. He’s so loyal to this girl. He found out she was this person guiding him the entire time and she’s separated from him as soon as she reveals her identity. Foolishly banging on a crystal to free her? Desperate boy wanting to save the girl he cares so much about. Link’s entire life ends up revolving around Zelda in this game. She is the one person he truly truly cares about on a deep level.

I love Malon and all, but I never saw the connection. I’ve always headcanoned the idea that Link comes back from MM’s events and goes straight to Zelda and legitimately just grows up in Castle Town under Zelda’s orders and is trained for the Guard and eventually becomes the head of the entire Hyrulian Army. I also headcanon that OoT Zelink both die young, but not before they have a child who is then given to their trusted friend Malon to raise. (I know it’s a dark headcanon but hey I think it makes sense)

Twilight Princess, on the other hand, gives off much more platonic vibes. Partly because Zelda is barely in this game. I do love Midlink in this game too, but as an endgame, nope. The thing about Twilight Princess Zelink is that it could POSSIBLY happen after the game’s events. But during the actual gameplay? This Zelda and Link play their respective roles to ultimately defeat Ganon. It’s more professional.

People can debate about this one, with Link’s attention whenever Zelda is in the room being solely on her and all, but I see that more as a ranch hand meeting royalty for the first time and being awed by the regal and natural beauty she exudes. I have said that I can see them happening through a friends with benefits type of situation, but only after.

In game, the story pretty much implied that Ilia is the love interest and not Midna or Zelda. Tbh, I didn’t love her character but I knew for a fact that Link did so I went with it. But I’m replaying the game now and BOYYY it seriously points to Ilia and Link being an item. And it makes perfect sense too. But after everything, I’d see Link sticking around Zelda more because she at least understands. But again, in game and from the canon events, Zelink is more platonic than anything.

Skyward Sword is completely platonic. Idk how y’all got “soulmates” from this Zelda and Link, I mean-

Yeah no do I even have to talk about how this game is blatantly romantic? Its not even UNDERTONES like it’s full out “I’m doing this to save the girl that I love”. They’re literal soulmates and started the kingdom of Hyrule and I couldn’t be MORE PROUD! The first Zelda and Link happen to be in love and they managed to get cursed so in every incarnation they’re bound to meet each other and I think that’s beautiful (despite the angry third wheel that reincarnates with them). But otherwise, this game is legit a love story between Link and Zelda with a bit of action and adventure sprinkled in. Good quality and excellent eyeliner.

Breath of the Fucking Wild people. I know I already did romantic undertones but would I be me if I DIDNT go on a little rant about the beauty of this Zelink??? Didn’t think so. It’s also not even undertones. It’s also not blatantly romantic. It’s heavily implied.

So, you get the hate to love trope, the princess and her knight trope, AND the amnesia trope. All three in this very special pair. The memories play these two very well. The actual story to the game may have been a bit underwhelming, but Zelink’s story is MASSIVE. The memories show us a very complex Zelda, a mute Link who is loyal to a fault, and an epic love story between the two. This isn’t even a theory. It’s actually canon. (Thank you Kass, ily bby)

Now Link’s perspective isn’t fully fleshed out, but that’s the thing. It’s not supposed to be. But what we do get is a few pieces of information that makes you go “oh so he does have feelings for Zelda”. First being the Journal Entries. He wants to save Zelda ASAP so he can see her smile. He wonders if she will be pleased with how far he’s come. He is determined to save her after gaining all his memories of their relationship back. This Link only truly remembers Zelda. The Champion’s have some place in his mind, but he doesn’t remember like like he remembers Zelda.

Second being the little moments in the memories, like him staying by Zelda’s side in the castle to just hang out with her, listening to her ramble on about science things, being Extra Asf when the ground shakes and he immediately goes to make sure Zelda doesn’t stumble, turning around when Zelda begins to doubt herself, sheathing his sword despite being chased by murder bots. It’s just all those little things that makes you THINK.

Third being the flowers. The symbolism. It’s all too real and I won’t even get STARTED on how Nintendo gave us a canon ship name for BotW Zelink and we had the audacity to IGNORE IT!!!

Fourth being the fact that they practically debunk Miphlink after giving it the potential to become official. Stay with me. They painted Mipha as the typical childhood friend that falls in love with the protagonist. Except, I can say with certainty that it’s 1000% one sided. In the game, Link goes to Zora’s Domain as a kid and Mipha heals kid Link’s wounds because she a kind and gentle soul. There’s nothing romantic about that given the fact Mipha writes about it before she writes about the feelings she develops.

When Link goes back, she writes about how he looks past her, doesn’t open up to her, but still remains the kind soul she knows him to be. This in and of itself tells us that Link has no feelings for her whatsoever. He’s a knight and he does his best to protect whoever is in need. But he doesn’t truly reconnect with Mipha as a teenager because he remains closed off and in her diary, Mipha confirms the fact that he doesnt give her the same attention that she gives him. She makes the Zora Armor, yeah, but she didn’t present it to Link AND she prayed to Ruto. Ruto being the Zora that fell for Link but that relationship never happened because Link didn’t have feelings for her whatsoever. That in and of itself gives the impression that this relationship is also one sided. The thing that always stood out to me was how Mipha never presented the Zora Armor and how she realized Link and Zelda would grow closer because all the time they had was spent with each other. My theory is that Mipha saw Link and how he seemed a bit less weighed down. And it hit her that the Zelda is also more carefree at this point. And she puts two and two together and realizes that Link and Zelda have opened up to each other and gotten much closer as a result. Hence, why she didn’t give him the Zora Armor since she saw where Link’s heart truly lies. That’s just my own personal idea and theory on her not giving him the armor, so don’t judge lol.

But BoTW Zelink is so COMPLEX and is heavily implied to be canon after the events that I cannot wait to see how the sequel treats their relationship. It’s definitely going to be fun to watch and play.

OKAY SO MY POINT WAS

Nintendo provided all thes unique takes on two characters yet never gave them a toxic relationship, but always one where they can rely on the other when they needed to. And I think that’s beautiful.

*please take note that these are more of my personal opinions and how I view the relationships which may differ from others but that’s okay since LoZ is supposed to be a franchise where you are Link and so whatever you love, he loves. I’m just a slut for Zelink 🤷🏻‍♀️

[elenatria]

Chernobyl is the only show who gives us a wide variety of beautiful (shipable) persons, from nerd-twink Dmitri to pure-twink Leonid.

Do I have to make a list of Chernobyl’s badass yummy tragic shippable men?

Oh well. I’ll make a list of Chernobyl’s badass yummy tragic shippable men.

Because I’ve never seen a show with SO MANY badass yummy tragic shippable men in such few episodes. And some of them had only one memorable line. One. Line.

Do I start with Dyatlov? Watch me start with Dyatlov.

I remember… he was the second thing that impressed me when I watched ep 1 (the first was Valery leaving many bowls to his cat and committing suicide right after. I had to re-watch the bowl scene.) I was so struck by his guy-next-door looks, I was like “what the hell am I looking at, why does he look so familiar? Why does he not look like… an actor?” And then the detached way he’d say “Akimov…” as his voice trailed off, a voice so cold yet calm and mesmerizing. I’ve never seen such a realistic “villain” before and, just to play the devil’s advocate here, it still kinda bugs me that Mazin talks about him as this super nasty irredeemable villain. I have the impression that even in the recent podcast he talks as if HBO Dyatlov and the real Dyatlov are one and the same. Lack of time to explain himself maybe? Jared starts poking into that with his mention of an excerpt in the script of the court scene where we were meant to feel some compassion for Dyatlov (34:55) (his “history and motivations”). That part was omitted in the script btw, but if anyone has seen it… 

And of course there’s the deleted scene here. That we will probably never see.

I do understand that an auteur has to support his choices no matter what, and Mazin’s choice is Dyatlov = villain. But I do believe he is kinda absolute with some things, conveniently overseeing them, even saying that he didn’t give Jared any jokes because “Legasov wasn’t funny” (46:32) . 

Wut? 1:14

If he had said “I didn’t write Legasov as funny” he would have kinda owned it but the use of the past tense (”wasn’t”) implies that he meant the real Legasov. Same goes for Dyatlov I guess.

Akimov.

His relationship with Toptunov. Enough said.

Akimov wears a wedding ring and that feeds lots of “forbidden relationship” fics and I love it.

On to Toptunov. Yeah. Twinkest twink I’ve ever seen.

And I mean these guys are on fire, and we had to watch the very last episode to find out.

Steamy Toptumov fics? Bring them my way.

Then we have Vasily. 

Thank god I hadn’t seen The Terror before Chernobyl so I watched Adam Nagaitis’ Igantenko with pure eyes.

To this day it hurts to watch his scenes. All of them. And it’s even worse to read his story in “Chernobyl prayer”. Soooooo much worse. Not only because it’s a true story but because his wife’s description makes you feel the pain. How a decaying body can suffer, and the people taking care of it.

I understand some fans were kinda bummed that the show didn’t dig deeper into his and Lyusya’s love story. Makes sense. But to me they’re the definition of tragic puppy love and it hurts as it is.

And then my beloved Sitnikov with his exasperated, confident “Follow me”. I mean.

Another ring-bearer that one.

Aaaaaah look at that handsome confident face marry meeeeeeee. 

Bryukhanov. Another guy-next-door. Had me staring at the screen, listening to his every-day high-pitched husky voice and I was like “Did that guy jump right out of that seaside pastry shop where I was with my dad  back in the summer of 1985?”. Did they use a time machine to bring him to the show or something?

And now I’m finding out he has a fan base. Fuck yeah.

Fomin. Ok I legit knew that guy but I couldn’t put a name on his face

He was James Potter. ^^ And oh, he has worked before with Stellan and Emily in Breaking the waves. Somehow you feel compelled to trust that face, never mind if in “Chernobyl” he was cowardly and scared as a rat. The way he yelled “It was Dyat-lov!…” as they took him away, so beautiful, so dramatic.

And now, on to the main course.

DMITRI.

Oh my paws and whiskers.

He cares about Ulana SO MUCH that he follows her around on a Saturday like a puppy. Bringing her coffee and who knows what else. 

He even jokes about her dedication. But oh look, he’s dedicated too.

Comrade, I don’t wanna say it out loud but I’m crushing on you.

You can see Ulana is almost afraid to look into his eyes when she asks him what he’s doing there. She knows. 

But of course there are so many things keeping them apart. There’s the age difference - people would call her names even if they wouldn’t call Dmitri the same names if their ages were reversed. There’s their professional relationship that shouldn’t be compromised. There’s that ring on her finger that Dmitri doesn’t know if it’s a wedding ring, an engagement ring, or an ex-lover’s present. Does she even have eyes for him? Dmitri doesn’t know.

Even meatier stuff. 

PIKALOV. 

*screaming*

Wanna love a character because of a single line and the way he delivers it? Yeah, Pikalov is your man.

The steady decisive pause before his statement. The honour, the nobility, the self-sacrifice. If you didn’t know by then that “Chernobyl” was going to be the show with the biggest number of small but honourable characters, you got your first hint with Pikalov.

Another overlooked but honourable character. Shchadov.

And he has lots of power bottom potential.

Alrightz. Fan favourite time. I don’t even have to go into details. Glukhov.

Thank you, Mr Ferns, for being the only character in the show to deliver both noble heroic lines as well as eye candy.

Next: TARAKANOOOOOOOOOV.

Big dick energy right there. His resigned pauses between sentences, the way he sucks in the smoke, his authority as he greets each and every soldier. Stunning.

Pavel.  *cries* 3

If you swear to never watch the dog scenes again there is so much shippy potential in that one. Pacho prompts, here I come!!

Bacho, his war code of honour and his “I’m happy every day”.

You *know* he’s not happy but it doesn’t matter. What matters is how he’s trying to convince everyone else that he is. His perseverance. There’s a war to be won, even if he knows he’s losing.

Last but not least: Stepashin. Give me Roose Bolton in a minor courtroom role anytime, ANYTIME.

Honourable mention to Charkov because yeah, you know me. Because I just can’t get over this man. 

Also C-V-B. Also dub con. Don’t judge me.