#look. im a sucker for elemental reactions

[hanasnx]

hi mina. my sweet sweet valentine minaaa <3 oh my god i have to say something:

this reblog is one of the most thoughtful, sweetest, kindest things ive ever read. genuinely it is my favorite thing to hear about what worked within a fic. considering i've written my entire life, i consider my own work with very high regard and hold myself to a standard when i write a piece and this one was one of my favorites. to hear that you daydreamed about THTM is insanely flattering (i do hope your grade is not suffering bcos of me)

"Only one person could do a worthy sequel to such masterpiece." when c+p this line into here to respond to, i was actually moved to tears. i remember when someone originally asked me if i were to do a sequel to THTM (around when it first was posted) i had told them that i couldn't even begin to conceptualize something that could ome close to it. i had spent so long on that original fic, and im so glad i did considering its my most popular anakin/dv piece. i'm very protective of it, and the fact this measured up speaks volumes to me and moves me in a way i can't articulate

"Knowing that they love when people highlight their favorite parts of their fics, I shall deliver." i do indeed. genuinely my favorite thing ever is when people pick apart what lines elicited a reaction from them. god and you delivered oh my god you delivered. what a wonderful wonderful gift

when you pointed out the part in one of the beginning scenes where anakin leans down to hear reader and back up to look her in the eys to respond..thats one of my favorite actions in the piece. ugh. god.

your petition for me to write a piece about anakin overcharging you for something you cant pay for so youre forced to pay him back with your body... i will take it under consideration. lord knows ive already got some ideas on it and have had it floating around in my head since i wrote that line

both this: "Indy, my love, you know I'm a sucker for a good blowjob and the fact that you consistently insert that fascination for dick in each piece you write make me the happiest ever. I'm so thankful for your mind." and this: "UGH ONE MORE ELEMENT I LOVE FROM YOUR WRITING. I've never seen anyone describe a making out session like this. [about sucking on a tongue like sucking on dick]" had me fucking grinning. i love writing those details bcos im such a dick rider irl i love dicks in the right context and i also love sucking on tongue like im sucking dick i swearrr

"Okay, let me practice: dadd-" this made me laugh hard

i love that you referenced my humping drabble bcos i love that piece so much and i too loveee humping goddd i love it sm

the one quote you loved enough to make the text bigger and just write a sentence about how much you loved it ugh!!! that is the shit mina!!!! this is so amazing i fucking love this !!!!

the two quotes about him calling you his hole and fucking it til you cry,,, and then the one about turning you off so he could fuck an even tighter hole.. those were prolly my two favorite lines and i love that you picked them out

"Indy, now you are not only writing the stuff I want to read, BUT ALSO writing the stuff I didn't even know I wanted." this. is. the. best. news. i love introducing ppl to shit oh my fucking god.

"[about anakins arm veins popping out while he finger fucks] I felt this in the very core of my clit. Like a fucking gunshot." this line had me in fucking stitches both times i read it i was laughing and doubling over no lie its so fucking funny im laughing about it still while writing about it

"INDY GIVING ME EXACTLY WHAT I NEED." this is what i like to hear. this too: "Indy, you've done it again. Planting the seed of yet another kink in my mind."

i loved your obsessive rant. i loved it so much i had to respond to your comments bcos i needed you to know a little bit about how much i love and appreciate it. your input is always always enjoyed and encouraged and youve thoroughly stroked my ego im so vain this was like christmas morning. thank you, i cant thank you enough really, for reading and enjoying my work. saying its one of the best things youve ever read is high fucking praise and i dont accept that compliment lightly, i really appreciate your kind words. reach out to me on discord at any time, seriously. you could stop talking to me for years and still reach out to me on discord randomly ill never be mad. thank you again.

❝𝐚 𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐡𝐮𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐞❞

anakin skywalker x fem!reader

prompt: supplied by @xstarkillerx | masterlist

summary: after a market mishap, anakin gives you a more personal lesson in how to speak his native language.

MINORS DNI 18+

word count: 3k | character(s): anakin skywalker

notes:

semi-inspired by my past work “talk huttese to me” but it is not required reading to understand this piece.

warnings: size difference, anakin lowkey babying you and then degrading the fuck out of you, you know a little huttese, anakin gets a little degraded too, vag fingering, some choking (f receiving), anakin being a mean sadist, overstimulation, squirting, anakin’s exhibits his piss kink interest, dacryphilia, edging, dumbification, no use of y/n i think

“Keep up.” Anakin chastises you, and you obey, increasing your pace to meet his monstrous strides, struggling to maintain his speed. “I want to make this quick.” 

“I don’t know if I know enough—“ you protest, glancing at your feet to avoid tripping over the rippled sand. 

“Don’t sell yourself short, you’ve been doing well.” he insists, his hand instinctively guiding you by the small of your back. “I’ll be right behind you.” The day breeze is warm, but it’s Anakin’s touch that burns you. Timidly responding with a complacent confirmation despite your doubts. 

Open-aired bodegas line the street, merchants with goods to sell wait for willing customers. Anakin had warned you about the demographic of Tatooine, but you’d expected far meaner appearances. Bashful still, your gaze turns to Anakin uneasily, who greets you with his kind eyes, and uncharacteristic patience. 

“Yes?” he says softly, and you feel like retreating into his arms. 

“What are we looking for again?” your tone, feathery light, causes your lover to lend his ear to you so as to hear you over the rustle of passersby. You repeat yourself, shyer than before in response to his abrupt proximity. 

He maintains that closeness, retracting only to look into your eyes. “An aeromagnifier.” A pause, so he adds, “Do you remember how to say it?” 

In this moment, you feel ashamed to admit how much you like when he babies you like this. “Yes, yes, I remember.” 

“Alright, this way.” His metal hand hooks around your waist, and you approach a man at his seat. Out of the options, he seemed the sleaziest by far, which did not assuage your nerves. “Go on,” he encourages in a whisper so only you can hear it, allowing you to step forward without him. 

The vendor notices you, and immediately turns on the artificial charm. A wide, toothy and yellowed grin, peering at you with his enlarged red eyes through bifocals attached to his head in meticulous machinery. “Hello, welcome, welcome,” he says in a rasp, and you can smell the cigarette he smoked prior to this engagement. 

“Hi,” The only formal greeting you know in Huttese, and you pray it suffices for proper engagement. 

“Ah, the little lady speaks my language. Should’ve known. Little lady, what can I do for you? What are you looking for?” 

You glance back at Anakin, who goads you with a chastening expression. As if to say that you can’t back out now. You pivot your attention back to the merchant clasping his gold-ringed fingers in anticipation. 

“Perhaps, the lady does not know what she searches for…?” he trails off, awaiting you to finish the sentence for him.

“No, no. I know what to do.” you reply, but is it to convince you or him? Your knowledge in Huttese is limited to predictable small talk and basic commands. You’re trying to keep it as simple as possible, and luckily he talks slow enough for you to understand him, repeating lots of words that help your context clues. “I need an aeromagnifier. The one there-'' You point to its location. “There.” 

“Yes, yes, this one, this one. I see.” The vendor recedes to the back of his shop, shaded by his canopy hanging overhead, and retrieves it, bringing it to the light to present it to you. He gestures to it with a tantalizing flutter of his fingers down its figure. “Good taste, good taste. This one, little lady, is two-fifty. Two-fifty nothing less.” 

“Two-fifty?” 

“Two-fifty, two-fifty. Nothing more, nothing less. Two-fifty.” 

“That… um, I don’t understand.”

The merchant lets his act slip marginally, enough for you to note it, but only to decide he must’ve enacted his contempt because of your unreasonable phrasing. You’re floundering, you must be. “What’s there to not understand? How do you not understand?” 

“No two-fifty. Too much?” Suddenly, your knowledge of Huttese is dissipating out of fear. Unable to properly convey your disagreement when the price isn’t what you thought it’d be. 

“‘Too much’—? How ‘too much’—?” 

The conversation makes your hands sweat, wondering if you did something wrong. No sooner do you turn to search for Anakin’s help when he meets the vendor at the table, at the ready for your rescue. When he interjects, you barely keep up to how quickly they talk. 

“Choy tay saka ‘ton-sin’? Mi wat do suzun nawee eet raun, kung. Ton-sin’d do karkin’ moocha. Soong wanga—“ You get every other word, something about being a thief, “to steal” specifically. You furrow your brows, attempting your best to follow the discussion. 

“Wanga-threnten!” The merchant declares, holding his finger up to Anakin’s face, who promptly pushes it out of his way. 

“Tagwa, deetso eff chuba noah moocha. Wanga mo noah, sleemo.” Decisive as always, Anakin silences his opponent with his confidence. From what you gathered, Anakin gave him an ultimatum. The price as one, instead of two-fifty. 

The vendor, reluctantly, concedes with a flapping of his hand to signal to Anakin to calm down. Dramatizing the situation because Anakin had been atypically placid the entire exchange. The way he took control of the situation and forced someone to yield so determinately, had you rubbing your legs together. You’re addicted to this personification he takes on when he speaks his native language. 

Anakin turns his attention to you, and you jump in place when he addresses you, having been too entranced to realize your own presence. “Go ahead and pay him, baby.” He eyes you through his brows, softening his voice, “Did you get all that?” 

“Just one, right?” you confirm, collecting five wupiupi pieces to give to the grumbling merchant. 

As Anakin guides you away with the aeromagnifier in possession, you hear a phrase you could never mistake. “E chu ta!” the vendor calls after the two of you. ‘Fuck you!’ he’d said. 

Anakin hollers over his shoulder, “Chuba ta, maya punchee.” You too, weak-minded friend.

You chuckle to yourself. 

“Should’ve known they’d try to take advantage of me. I mean, the guy talked to me like I was stupid- and I was actually grateful for it.” you relay to Anakin, wryly grinning about the ordeal as you wash your hair. Suds pouring down the column of your neck to trail around your naked body. Wiping soap from your eyes, you open them to gauge your lover’s reaction. There’s a smile on his face you cannot place, whether it’s endearment, or meant to be demeaning, you didn’t know. 

“I would’ve been surprised if he hadn’t. Pretty little thing like you?” he teased, moistening his lips and advancing on you playfully. You absorbed his subtle bump, curbing your instinct to scold him since you like when he talks down to you. “I would’ve tried to take advantage of you too.” 

A comfortable silence follows while you stare up at him with stars in your dilated pupils, hot water rinsing your hair. He holds your gaze faithfully, and you break it before you lose yourself in him. “I thought I did pretty good.” you praise yourself to change the subject from the idea of Anakin having his way with you, from the fantasy that he’d overcharge you for a product and when you can’t pay your way out you sell your body to him instead. Showering together makes you go crazy sometimes. “Speaking it, I mean.”

“You did.” he concurred verbally, but his tone conveyed another layer. His large hands cup your hips, guiding you to the side so he can have his turn under the faucet. You raise a brow at him. “You could do better though.” His challenge jellies your legs. You watch, like a lovesick fool, as he tips his head back into the water, and comes to, shaking his curls out. Droplets draw down his herculean form. Ever since he saved you from the market— as silly as it was— you could not stop thinking about fucking him. 

“Oh, yeah?” You fall into his trap. 

“Your pronunciation is too polished. If you don’t sound like a local, people won’t treat you like one. They’ll treat you like a sucker.” 

Much like that vendor today. As soon as Anakin stepped in, he backed off. Remembering how assertive Anakin was is all too much. You’re about ready to get on your knees and start blowing him like a real sucker would. 

Anakin sensed your frenzied need for him as soon as the two of you had left the market. Your desire is no secret. Certainly not one you can keep from him. 

“Alright, so what do I change?” 

“I’ll show you. Hear what I say,” he tells you and you swallow hard, mouth drying up. “At eeptuk schutta hagwa non che chee’toosa.” he says, and you practically melt. “Now, say it back to me.” 

Obediently, you parrot it back to him. There was one distinct word you're sure you’ve heard before.

No sooner had you finished your sentence than his palm cupped your chin, tucking it into the web of his thumb. The tips of his fingers press into your cheeks, pursing your lips for you. “Say it again,” He emphasizes his command by pinching further, a sting in your buccal. “At-“ You listen intently, the phonetic arrangement teaching you to put your tongue behind your teeth when pronouncing the “T” at the end. 

“At-“

“Eep-tuk-“

“Ee—“ you stifle a giggle at your positioning, worried you’ll earn yourself a reprimand from your stoic teacher. “E- eept—“ You dissolve into your laughter, and a loving grin breaks out onto Anakin’s face, contrasting his demanding nature from before. He draws you in by his clutch of your cheeks, kissing on your puckered lips over and over again until his hold loosens enough for you to escape it. “No, don’t distract me!” you plead, “I can do it! Ee… Eep-tuuk—“ Your weak dissent of your hands against his chest does nothing to dissuade him. He chases you, and envelopes you in his arms, sliding your wet naked bodies together as he captures your mouth. He wastes no time in prying your lips open, inviting his tongue in to explore all it can. 

It’s a wonder you didn’t notice how heavy his cock lay against your leg until he humps you with it clumsily, searching for some comforting friction after witnessing your attempt at immersing yourself in his culture. 

Habitually, you withdraw to make room for yourself, enclosing your lips around his tongue to suck on it and bob your head as if you’re giving him oral. Usually, such a thing coaxes a whimper out of him, a desperate beg to put that gifted mouth to use on his cock. Instead, it only heightens his desire for you, to have you as quickly as possible. He slams you against the cold tiling, stealing the breath from your lungs, freeing his mouth to plant sloppy, open kisses onto your cheek and down your neck. Anywhere within his reach is mouthed passionately, tongued as if it’s not a mundane part of you but your very core itself. Your eyes roll into the back of your head once he meets with your pulse point, propped up by his body against yours. “Ani…“ He hums in response to the call of his name, admitting his approval for it with a bite into your flesh. “What did you say earlier?” you exhale, palms outlined the dips in his muscle. 

“In Huttese?” he speaks against your skin and it tickles you, pinching your head into your shoulder, his damp curls brushing your jawline. “‘This little whore can’t do a thing for herself.’” 

“Fuck you, would you really have me say that?” 

“Tell that to your puppy eyes. Begging me to save you as soon as shit got tough. My poor baby, so pitiful,” 

As if to discipline him, you shove him, but he remains undeterred. There’s no need to make fun of you for needing help, besides he’d volunteered before you even asked. There’s plenty you can do on your own, without him. You can be independent. 

You don’t get a chance to defend yourself as he maneuvers you to arch your back, his mouth traveling to consume your collarbones and upper chest as he bends over you, thick arms behind you to secure you. “Gimme those tits, baby, wanna swallow them.” he demands from you in Huttese, but this time you’re able to understand the gist of what he’s saying. 

“Maker, Anakin, you’re so gross.” you tell him, but as you suspect, he grins in response. His teeth scrape against you, and he does as he promised. Lapping at your nipple as if seeking it out to latch, to suckle. Your hands slide into his hair, sighing out as he imbibes as much of the fat he can. “Ani—“ you whine, wiggling your hips to chase any friction you can afford. 

Swiftly, he answers you, with his large hand cupping your mound, soothing it with slow circles. You press yourself into his grasp, rolling your hips. It earns you a sharp bite to your sensitive bud and you yelp. To exhibit patience, you let him explore your pussy as he sees fit. Fingers dipping into its wells, circling your folds and flicking up against your clit every so lightly. “Such a pretty thing. My hole, you know that? My hole.” The key words are lost on you. “Gonna fuck this little hole til it’s red and swollen. Til you cry.” 

You whimper, regardless if you can’t understand him, and he sticks a single finger in, only to pull out to stretch you with two. 

“How fucking tight can you get? Almost wanna turn you off so I can make it tighter. You’d let me do it too.” He licks water off of you, up the valley of your breasts, and takes your lips in a passionate kiss, scissoring you open so he can swallow the noises you make. Experimentally, he massages your insides, his thumb brushing your clit every so often as he pistons deeper inside. Your curiosity is killing you enough to break the kiss. 

“What the hell are you saying to me right now, Anakin?” you breathe, slumping against the wall while he fingers you. Why the hell did it work so well on you? Immediately soaking when you know he’s talking dirty in a language you can’t translate quick enough. 

“If you keep up with your lessons, you’ll know one day,” he promises. Instinctively, you shy away, pivoting your head as you squeeze your eyes shut, nearing your release. To counter that behavior, Anakin heightens and uses his free hand to clutch your neck, redirecting your attention to where it belongs. On him. “Don’t be stupid.” This insult you know. 

You frown at him, but as soon as your gaze lands on him, he speeds up, curling his fingers in a way that has you reeling. Your favorite spot, erasing all of your offense in a motion. Worsening when he sneaks in another finger.

“Oh? What are you gonna do about it?” 

You can barely keep your eyes open, staring at him through thick lashes because it’s what he wants. His grip squeezes, and it enhances your pleasure, tingles spreading throughout your entire body. 

“Can’t pretend you hate it. Can’t lie to me, can’t hide from me.” His admonishing tone only adds to how the coil in your belly winds, the heat in between your legs desperate to go somewhere, anywhere. He leans into you, burying his nose in your cheek as he talks shit in your ear. ”You’re gonna say it for me one more time,” he demands, and you stifle your wail of despair. How he teeters you, so close to where you need to be, and takes it from you at the last second. “At eeptuk schutta hagwa non che chee’toosa. Do you understand?” 

“Ani, I can’t—“ There’s not a possibility, how could you think let alone speak? 

“You can.” He leaves no room for argument, his teeth biting down onto your earlobe to tug on it. “Don’t tell me you’re this fucking dumb and all I’m using is my fucking hand.” 

“Fuck,” you curse in the language, which earns you a snicker from him, his breath against you sending shivers down your spine. “Okay— ah! Okay… Uh,” 

Your walls clench around him, signaling your impending release. Reading them like a book, he keeps you right where he wants you. A damn near painful experience, and he knows it. 

He recoils so he can see your pretty face, jutting his chin. Bragging about his competence when he’s the one unaffected. “At-“ 

Idling for too long earns you a hard press of your clit and you mewl. Hastily, you manage, “At-“

“Eeptuk-“ 

“Eeptook—“ 

“Baby.” he lowers his voice, fit to scold you. “Do you want to cum or not?”

“I do, I fucking do, please.”

“Then do as I say.” He commands it of you as if it is so simple! His thumb traces your jawline soothingly, but his grip stays firm. 

“Eeptuk,” you flinch, worried that if you’d pronounced wrong like before you’d receive some sort of punishment. “schutta-“ The word you most recognize. Slut. His favorite pet-name for you whenever he was persuaded to speak his native tongue. Keen on tripping you up, he increased his pace, and out of the corner of your eye you witness how swollen his arm has become from this workout. Veins popping out. It fucked you up. “Hagwa non che-“

“Chee’toosa. Right, baby? Almost done.”

Your eyes burn, red in the face out of frustration. “Chee’toosa.” 

“That’s right. Like I said, ‘this little whore can’t do a thing for herself.’” If you had the energy, you’d fight him on it. Unfortunately you’re spent, the only reason you’re upright is his body weight. He’s right, all you wanted from him is what he can give you. 

Unintelligible noises spill from you, rocking into his hand movements, but this time he lets you. His intense eyes hold your gaze unapologetically, waiting to feast on your orgasm. 

“Does a brat like you really deserve to cum? Should leave you like this.” Weakly, you shake your head, on the verge of crying from his cruelty if he really put you through all that just to steal it from you. You’re at your edge. There isn’t anything in the world you crave more than finishing right now. His thumb works into your clit, getting you to reach that breaking point, attaining it. You cry out, your orgasm crashing through you beginning from the tips of your toes, crawling up your spine. The fact he can bring you to this using only a hand awes you. You brace yourself on him, clawing into his bicep. 

He doesn’t stop there. An overstimulation already setting in from how heartlessly his rough fingers glide in and out of you, unbothered to let you recuperate. How he takes your pleasure for himself. You’re fucking his hand, but he’s feeding off of you, playing with your parts for his own fascination. 

Your throat is released, causing your vision to haze, and he hooks his hand under your knee, hiking your leg up. Your cum drips from his palm, but he’s still going, regardless of your protests. “You wanted this, c’mon,” Your pussy feels raw, yet he probes it, and when he pinches the sensitive flesh between his fingers, tears prick the corners of your eyes. “Are you about to piss? Fuck, you really are a little slut. You’re about to squirt all over me, huh?” 

“Anakin!” 

“Do it, go on. Can’t believe how disgusting you are. Don’t worry, I’ll make you clean it up with your tongue afterwards.” 

It stings how he fucks with your bladder, readying that most sacred attribute. Not everyone can squirt, but you can, and Anakin fucking loves it. Enough to pull it from you whenever he wants. You don’t need to know Huttese to get what he’s trying to do to you right now. 

“Yeah, you like that, whore? You wanna lap up your piss from my legs? Suck it off my dick? Here it comes, get ready.” 

You keen, the floodgates finally opening to spray your dirty fluids all over your lover. Hot and wet, running down your thighs. The act itself, the intensity, causes you to choke back sobs. Anakin lets your leg drop, and gingerly he tugs his digits from their wedge inside you. Flattening his hand against your sex, soothing it with a light massage. He bites his lip, holding back his smile as you try to hide your tears from him. “Too much, baby?” 

“You are such an asshole.” you speak Huttese, with perfect pronunciation. It gets him to laugh, drawing you to him so he can lick your salty tears away, and help you clean up in the shower. 

[mocha-tapioca]

I haven’t interacted with u before but hihi and who do u main genshin impact or ur team?

hello!!!! i dont rlly play anymore bc of how much space it takes up BUT!!!! my team comp iirc is diluc mona ganyu n kazuha/venti depending on wtv ^^ ig if we're talking abt MAIN main i think its diluc bc ive had him n mona since beginner banner but i tend to just like swirl comps

[bitimdrake]

im curious how would batman!tim and robin!damian work in a dick dies universe? since tim isnt adopted and that probably means damian is going to tolerate him a bit more? but like, batman tim is almost always Dark Future Tim too, to how would that go? personally i think the only way to salvage this is by doing Batman!Cassandra and Robin!Damian, but id like to hear from an expert!

(in reference to)

Oh I don't think it works at all!!! This is not intended to be functional! The conceit here really is that Tim tries to do something out of a sense of responsibility/obligation except ultimately it fails and everything sucks, because the universe where Dick dies in infinite crisis is an inevitably bad one.

(I mean, you could write a version of it that works out, but that would really require nudging Damian's characterization, to an extent that imo would not be able to remain in-character. I might still enjoy it, because I'm a sucker for stories of people who don't like each other learning to get along, but...it would be a stretch. I really think Tim and Damian coming around to like each other requires Dick to be there for Damian first.)

Tim not being adopted might soften Damian a little bit, but my interpretation was always that Tim being Robin--being Bruce's partner--was the greater source of his resentment. I did propose in my "what would happen if dick did die" theorizing that Tim and Bruce might drift apart and not end up entirely close, so that might make Damian less insecurely jealous and bitter towards him. But it also leaves Damian with even less reason to respect him, if Tim (seemingly) doesn't even have the endorsement of being Batman's partner.

...or maybe in the brief time they knew each other, Bruce still managed to say something complimentary about Tim to Damian and/or Bruce and Tim were still a united front in the face of this new element, so Damian comes out with the exact same resentment anyway.

Now, the silver lining for Tim not going evil future Batman is that Cass and Alfred and Cassie are all still around, and Bart and Conner come back right about when Bruce 'dies'. (Steph is also back, but things are very awkward/tense between them at this point, so I don't know if that really counts as a mark in his favor.) I think that's too much of a support system to let him slip fully into the dark side or depression.

...but that still doesn't actually make the "being Batman" or "trying to be responsible for Damian" parts work out.

Batman!Cassandra and Robin!Damian, though? That's a great solution. Hmmmm potential story thoughts under the cut:

OKAY. Tim takes after Dick in the "emotional support child" determination to fix everything, so in the aftermath of Bruce's death, with Dick not around this time, Tim feels compelled to try to make it work. He can't give into his own emotional struggles, because Dick isn't there as a safety net to pick up the slack. Clearly Tim must Fix Everything.

And in the same way that canon Tim broke a still murderous Jason out of prison because he thought Bruce would want him to have a second chance (does he still do that in this AU? not sure. we could lean on the butterfly effect to avoid it, or could leave it), he thinks Bruce would have wanted Damian to be looked after and trained. And since clearly Tim must Fix Everything, Personally, Himself, that means he must also be Batman (which Gotham needs), and try to look after Damian (which Bruce would want). And probably he can win some points by giving Damian the Robin name he's been gunning for the whole time? Plus, it'll give him a great excuse to push Damian to abide by The Code because everyone knows Robin doesn't kill, and he wants to be Robin, doesn't he? This will work out great.

[Narrator: it did not work out great.]

MEANWHILE, over to the side there is Cass, who is going through a bit of a crisis of faith in herself. Maybe we are actually keeping the brainwashed and evil arc and this is a reaction to that. (Or maybe she's just messed up that her mentor and not-dad has died so suddenly, and she wasn't ready yet, but let's go with the former for now.)

And Cass does not have the "I must fix the people around me" instinct that Tim has. She's much more inwardly-focused. She's trying to work-through/avoid her own issues while drifting away from everyone else, and wondering if maybe she shouldn't be Batman because: is she really good enough? She killed people (while drugged and brainwashed, but she accepts no excuses for herself). Her idea for the network fell apart. All Bruce's message told her was to make Stephanie Batgirl. Maybe he didn't even believe in her. Tim has already taken the cowl, and he knew Bruce better and longer, and maybe she just isn't good enough :(

And so we end up with this structure of dramatic irony, where Cass wants to be Batman but doesn't want to want, and is convincing herself that Tim has it covered. And Tim doesn't want to be Batman and is crashing and burning and has no idea how to get this awful little gremlin of a child to listen to him, but he's trying to act like everything is okay because It Has To Be. His mentally stability is kinda hanging by a thread right now and so Everything Has To Be Okay. And Damian is half a blink from leaving Gotham forever because fuck this, fuck Drake, this sucks.

Aaand then something something Tim has a breakdown, or Cass realizes he's struggling hard as Batman. Or Cass has a solid interaction with Damian for the first time and realizes she can relate to and/or help him, or Tim realizes that by seeing them together (because Cass just assumes that she's not doing anything special and everyone can talk to Damian like this) which either encourages to ask Cass for help or causes that aforementioned breakdown depending on his current state--

Or, I don't know, some combination thereof. And Tim and Cass realize this situation is terrible and stupid actually. Tim is like what do you mean you don't know if you can do it; I did this because you acted like you didn't want it anymore, of course you can do it. And Cass gets the cowl and cape and mantle she desperately wants. And Damian has way more respect for her to follow her lead, and she gets him way better than Tim. And Tim gets to not be Batman, which is so much better for him--though he is still very much supporting Cass in the areas she's less secure in.

(And we did start this whole AU with Dick dying, so when Tim gets a new mantle he might take on Nightwing in his big brother's honor. But I want to say he takes on a different name that is still in tribute to Dick but not directly picking up his name again.)

(and uuhhhh also someone else is going to have to figure out that bruce is alive and what happened and how to get him back. whoops)

[vynsvision]

Yo i think Sumeru may be my favorite region. I dont have a favorite region yet (altho Liyue always feels like home) but looking at some of the preview of the update on Hoyoverse and also just. The fact that we've had so little information about Dendro as an element...

Also. Look how pretty the oculus is!!

I'm always a sucker for plants and Dendro's whole thing of course is. Plant. So like. A win.

The two enemies shown in the Hoyoverse preview look so neat. The electro Reginsivine is something I didnt realize we didn't have, so having it here is gonna be so cool. It looks sharp and badass but also just really pretty.

The terrorshroom..... I want to pet it. I need to be friends with one. We haven't gotten to ride anything yet except the waveriders and uuuuuuuh I just think it would be neat. Its free real estate, yanno?

Two new artifact sets are both beautiful. I'm not much of an artifact farmer or anything like that and these aren't really much of an exception unless Collei needs them, but theyre so pretty and as I receive them from, yanno, runnin' around and doing the domains or whatever, I'll be glad to admire them.

Its also interesting that both artifacts have names to do with memory and dreams. Hmm.

The weapons........ are so pretty. I have never really wished on the 5* weapon banner, and I dont really think I will this time even, as I'm intending to save for Kokomi. That being said, if I save enough primos and wishes... I may be interested. But its unlikely.

4* weapon set is also gorgeous!!!

I would love to use these and so I hope that as I wish, they all eventually come home. They're really pretty though. I dont think I've ever really noticed there were sets of weapons like this before. Are there other sets and im just oblivious? Probably. Thats ok.

And the new characters from Sumeru being released are all gorgeous, the three here included. Of course, im frustrated that a region based on the Middle East area doesn't have more characters with darker skin tones, and I also don't love that the lighter characters are colonizers that accuse the darker characters (natives of the land) of idk misusing the land or like just being in general of bad moral and character.

Dori looks super fun, I think she must be a teen-aged size. I feel like she's gonna be sassy. I love some good sass. And I can't perfectly tell but is she a catalyst? Either way, super neat.

Collei and Tighnari are both gorgeous designs as well, and I like that they're both mostly simple. I like the flow and the colors. It makes sense, as they're part of the forest ranger groups, and would need camouflage. I'm 90% sure I'm not going to wish for Tighnari, as Collei will be our free Dendro and so far hes just not that interesting to me. Even if he's interesting in game play and story, Kokomi has evaded me twice now and I could really use her on my team, mostly for some variety outside of Zhongli, so. Unless I have plenty of primos and wishes for Koko on the last day of his banner, I won't wish for him. I'm at 60 pity so the next ten-pull i may get a 5* and I dont want to win 50/50 on Tighnari. Will I regret not pulling for him? Potentially. But thats a bridge to cross for another day and Koko is someone I passed up on her first banner and since then I've wanted her. So bad.

Overall, im super excited for Sumeru and the next act in the Traveler's story. I'm excited to meet the archon and all the other people in Sumeru, not to mention exploring the gorgeous region and get the hang of the new reactions, element, and enemies.

[an-american-teen-against-crime]

Why You Should Watch CW: Nancy Drew

Now hear me out- if you’re reading this post, you’re either one of three people. 

1. You’ve already seen the show! So you can either skip this or read it to reminisce about the show

2. You don’t give a flying fig about this show and haven’t really interacted with it much

3. You’ve seen some stuff about the show, at least enough for you to decide it looks like crap 

Well, allow me to recount why this show is actually amazing and you should give it a chance/second chance :) (heheh since that’s...that’s yakno....second chance...okay im sorry) 

Preface:

Now, I was really skeptical about this show at first too, don’t get me wrong. When I heard it was going to be on the CW I was like “.....good luck with that.” I have watched a lot of CW back in the day and they are certainly deserving of their reputation. I saw the casting and I was like WHAT !?!??!!? 

When the trailer came out, like everyone else I was salty about the inclusion of ghosts/the supernatural and hoped this wasn’t just another Supernatural taking on the name of Nancy Drew. (I enjoyed the first few seasons of Supernatural but not after and also these are two very different stories)

However, the trailer was indeed intriguing and made me decide to give it a chance, despite it having that darker undertone. 

I watched the first episode, and while still a little skeptical, I was hooked. 

The Actual Show Content:

Writing:

The actual structure of the show is really well done. It has an overarching plot, in fact, several plots, two intertwined mysteries, as well as character and relationship development. There is a balance of answers given to the viewer over the course of the season, while still leaving questions to keep you intrigued so that it doesn’t get frustrating while also not revealing everything at once, so every reveal feels earned. 

The mysteries are also very well written, leaving clues along the way, that helped me solve what was going on but on the times I missed the clues I could re-watch and see what I missed. They are set up well in a way that the viewer can figure it out themselves, but not so much that it’s crazy obvious. And honestly making theories and predictions about this show is one of the many fun parts. The ending to the mystery is ultimately very satisfying which made me happy.

Sure, you have your classic CW relationship drama, but I think it was actually toned down for this show. There are a lot of changes, but the show has a very distinct feel to it, and I think ultimately holds the core feelings of what makes Nancy Drew such a special character. They have so many references to the books, and show so much care for the character’s lore and despite the changes, there were so many times I really felt I could see the original character coming out in them- it’s a different version, but honestly ever form of Nancy Drew media is different- this is just this specific version. 

Before I get into characters, I would like to mention the fact that while there is an additional element of the supernatural, it works really well for the plot and ..... no spoilers but I’m actually so glad they put it in. Despite the supernatural angle it still very much works as a mystery structure which is the most important thing to me.

Characters:

I love Nancy so much in this version. Kennedy McMann is what I think of when I think of what Nancy’s face looks like. She’s a lot colder than the Nancy I’m used to, but that’s understandable considering her circumstances- and I think you see her grow and open up over the course of the show. 

She IS Nancy though in my mind- her witty remarks, putting the case above her own well being, the breaking and entering, the clever tricks to find information, putting the pieces together, all that. And the emotion Kennedy is able to portray is amazing- this show made me cry. You really feel for Nancy. 

One of my favorite things about this show is the classic “I work alone” and a bunch of friends being like “do you now”. But it works so well as you see the group grow to trust each other and work together and care for one another. I am a SUCKER for found family stories and the Claw gang is wonderful. 

Bess is her usual bubbly self, probably the casting I was the most disappointed with, but the actress does a wonderful job. Her whole story is a lot different and she’s not George’s cousin, but the personality??? Is perfect. 

George is probably one of my favorite characters to come out of this show. Well... I love them all so much but she really sticks out to me. She had a completely different arc from what I was expecting and at first I was like “really...this is what they’re going for...” but honestly I think they really turned it around and.....I just love George and I care about her and want her to be happy. Also she does seem a bit different but she has that brash, kind of tough personality that I feel is classic George. :) 

Nick/Ned: I still forget to call this man Nick, but oh well. I love him. Probably one of the best actors on this show. He’s so sweet. Like so many times there are things he says and I’m like OMG THATS NED!!!!!!! Like one time they ask him what he found out from following someone and he just replies “that I don’t like following people.” Like tell me that’s not something Ned would say. He’s. He’s a great man. I would date him. He is a comforting soul.

Ace is a new character for the show that made me so confused I was wondering why he was here- but the Claw gang...Claw Crew would not be complete without him. He’s got some of the best lines and is basically this show’s version of Joe Hardy. He’s also really smart,,,,, and got some secrets but I’ll leave them for you to find out. ;) 

Also side note Carson is amazing and honestly perfect. On point. Very solid characterization. 

Anyways....I love this show. If you wanna try it out before season two comes later this month, it’s free to binge the full season on the CW website, or you could probably buy or rent it if you’re feeling boojee. 

Please go watch the show and then come talk to me about it!! Or live blog your reactions. Either ways, just please get in on this great piece of content. :D

Also I wanna tag @naancypants and @nancydrew-onthecase queens of this show and the Nace ship :3 

[sanstropfremir]

it's kingdom time for real!!! the first episode is here and mnet finally uploaded the stages from like a month ago so i can actually watch them more than once to review.

happy to see them all actually performing. not the most interesting stages overall, but it was the 100sec one-take so i wasn’t expecting anything crazy. like the performance stages, this is about what i expected at this point in the show.

ranking under the cut, i have Opinions(tm) and they are not all pretty.

(anyone that’s seeing this for the first time, i’m a trained performance designer with over 30 credits and a decade of experience, yes i can talk about this with authority)

a few general notes:

this type of stage that mnet has built is called a traverse, or alley, stage. named exactly for the reason you think. it’s characterized by a narrow playing space with audience on opposite sides, and two entrances on either end. so mnet had a pretty typical setup. there are some advantages to this type of stage:

because of the narrow stage space and usually smaller audience capacity, the performer and audience are in much closer proximity

because of the shape of the space, blocking (choreography but for not-dance) can travel well and be very dynamic

it’s uncommon outside of midsize/small productions so there’s some novelty for the casual theatre goer

however! there are some pitfalls with this type of stage. the hardest type of stage to work with is (theatre) in the round. theatre in the round is characterized by being....in the round. that means the audience is placed 360 degrees around the playing space. which means that they can see everything; every entrance, every exit, every performer’s back, 360 degree sightlines means there is nowhere to hide. and in a medium that relies on concealment to create magic, it’s a tough stage to work with. not saying it doesn’t work. some of the most incredible shows i’ve been to have been theatre in the round, but when you go to those type of shows, as an audience member you understand that there will be some scenes where you only see the actors’ backs. there is no perfect seat in the round. the reverse is true as well, the actors can only act to those in front of them. and like i stated previously, on the production end it becomes difficult to hide things like props/set/costume changes that you might have been able to in another type of theatre. why am i talking about theatre in the round? because traverse works on exactly the same principle. even though the audience is only on two sides, the same issues still arise. directionality is key: a director has to be careful of how exactly the stage gets blocked.

why am i talking about stage formats? because the space always informs the performance, that’s why. i think mnet made a sort of smart choice to build a traverse stage. since the ‘audience’ is a video camera, that eliminates the need to play to the opposing seating banks, and opens up more staging opportunities. it’s a fancy looking stage that does what they need it to. 

now here’s my gripes. if you’re going to specifically orient a stage so that it is by nature directional, why are you broadcasting in a format where direction doesn’t matter? if the camera has no fixed position, then you’ve just skipped directly into in the round staging without taking into account the function of the space. it's a round peg in a square hole; yes it fits, but you can see the spaces where it doesn’t quite match up. for a very obvious example, any shot that is not staring directly down the barrel of the stage from left or right has audience in it. and not enough to be worthy of a reaction shots (because those are just cut in in post), but enough to just be there. why would you do that when you could just.....not? just go properly in the round and then you wouldn’t have that distraction. especially when the audience is wearing white. also, there are only so many ways you can stage on a traverse, you’re pretty much limited to directional points on a compass, because there are literal risers in the way. because of the way most groups are choreographed, the member layouts lean more towards having the members in a line than they do layering the members deep. this configuration is fine on a proscenium stage (which is what most stages are), and would even be fine on a traverse stage if you were playing to the risers. you could even do some interesting choreo alterations. but! because mnet has decided that the camera is perpendicular to the risers, that means that most of the formations are not optimized for the stage dimensions and are in fact the opposite dimensions. most of these groups are doing their longest blocking across the shortest area of stage, which is dumb. although it isn't much of a problem because the stage is still very large, but it's still a bizarre choice on behalf of mnet. why would you not arrange the stage so you have more clearance for the camera, the audience, and also the performers? i would have to check back over the rtk performances, but im pretty sure at one point they switch to an in the round stage. why are you not doing that from the start? this would also allow for more built setpieces. although it does remain to be seen if they do switch after this episode, since this particular challenge was a one-take with minimal props/set pieces. which segues to my next point: these groups barely took up the parameters of the challenge, or utilized them effectively! this is also mnet’s fault, mnet if you say that you’re gonna do a one-take, don't cut between seven other cameras!! show us the power of that single point of view! let the groups actually do some interesting blocking with the path of the camera! there’s so many interesting things they could have done, but no!! had to be boring!! i know this is technically an introductory stage, but i also don't care. these groups have (relatively) competent ADs and stylists, they can think outside the box.

ok now here’s my actual rankings:

1. btob

sorry babies, none of you can match them vocally. love you ateez but you sure fucked up picking them to go after you because they blew you out of the fucking water. and everyone else, but ateez cumulatively is the weakest vocally. more on that later. like the performance stage they showcased their strengths and the experience (and training) shows. good use of the directional stage having three vs one that came together in the middle. loved the white suit variations, im especially a sucker for a belted suit jacket. loved peniel's gigantic trench and massive earrings, very mid 90s, his stylist definitely took a lesson in how to accessorize very short hair. always love good use of fog. uniform colour theme, all elements were there to support the vocals. no complaints, chef’s kiss.

2. ikon

hey baby groups? see bobby having fun? do that more. i know you think performance face is sexy and serious but none of you know how to act and you all look dead inside on stage. the lights may be on but nobody’s home. anyways. excellent beginning formation, excellent ending formation, no complicated position changes that make the camera give you motion sickness. fun choreo that they are obviously having fun performing, which goes sooooo far in the success of a performance. only group so far to use silence as an effective device, and the arrangement was interesting and suited to the song+performance. i think it was smart of them not to deploy bobby right away, although it would have been funny to watch after whatever it was that stray kids was trying to do. again, like btob and also sf9, sticking to their strengths. costumes fun and fitting, indicative of both the colour of the group and of the song. nice detail in the monochrome and the black accent details.

3. sf9

taeyang is that bitch and they only way this would have been better is if he had actually grabbed the ties of those two other members (if you think i am going to remember anyone's names other than the people i already know you are wrong). love the confidence to waste a good chunk of your 90 seconds for walking and standing in formation. actual good use of one-take directional camera, even though they ruined it once they started dancing. choreo perfectly fine, lighting good complementary colour scheme, costumes nothing to write home about, surprisingly good projection design? wasn’t expecting that. im not the biggest fan white suit jackets over black shirts but ill give it a pass for the proper suit accessorizing.

4. ateez

i applaud your dedication to the pirate gimmick but boys you don't need that anymore, i promise. hongjoong's lil bloody cough was a fun gag that didn't draw too much attention but fit with the theme. came out of the gate strong with an actual clear narrative, which can be a challenge to do in 100 seconds, and the only group to have a narrative. also actual camera choreo! that was interesting! mnet stop fucking cutting to overhead shots! apparently im destined to always be beefing with the ateez stylists because what was the point of all that? very little variation in texture or pattern on matte all black just made any relevant details disappear. torch gimmick and end formation fun, and the arrangement had an obvious climax. weird and kinda fun projection design, but not helped by concert-style stage lighting. pick one or the other lighting designer, don't make them fight like that! props to them for actually having their mics on the whole time, even though they are probably the weakest group vocally. im also going to be beefing with the choreographer because they are always making seonghwa sing while doing ridiculous moves that make him go offkey. ateez has some of the stronger 4th gen vocals, but they're at a disadvantage because a) none of them have proper vocal training, and b) their main vocal is not actually a skilled singer and is destroying his voice.not a lot of vocals for them to showcase this stage and that was probably for the best. hanya (@changdyke) is in charge of vocals critique and will have more to say about this than me, even though i am also trained. im just here to talk about the production.

5. the boyz

im neutral to positive on tbz because i did really like their danger stage from rtk. this performance is just....fine. I don’t like the arrangement, but that's mostly personal opinion. but it doesn't have a conclusive end and the whole dissonance thing isn't really working for me in this instance. the choreo is quite flippy and tricking is not necessary for an interesting choreo. i did like the throwback/use of modern choreo, i think that's a strong choice for them and it's not something that many other groups are doing, so they should stick more to that than to tricking. the camera choreo is also not good. here’s where the clearance issues and fighting against the stage layout happen! stop making a handheld do a 180! are you trying to make us motion sick? to be fair, this is not the most egregious one, but at least ateez got it right by having a person lead the camera in a particular pattern. also, what even is the theme here? leatherclad boys in the forest? nobody give me any shit saying it's based off one of their music videos or whatever, that shouldn't matter. there should be a clear theme that can be easily identified without prior knowledge of the group, especially when this is an introductory stage and they are a relatively young group. none of the other groups have this issue. that being said, at least the costumes were interesting to look at, although thematically confusing. good use of accessories, texture, and bedazzling to make the black stand out against the stage. the hands in front of the camera were kind of fun but didnt really mean anything? again, back to the lack of clear concept. i did like them reaching out to pull that member forward, it would have been better if they had just left it at that.

6. stray kids

the more i watch this the more i hate it. im not even sorry about it anymore. starters, and i will admit this upfront: i do not like most 4th gen music, so the spiderman meme groups are already operating on a deficit in my point of view. and i particularly did not like this arrangement. same as with tbz, why did it not have a conclusive end? also overuse of sound effects. and stop saying your fucking band name! the only musician that’s allowed to do that is jason derulo and thats because hes a meme now. but twice in 100 seconds? no. and what was the point of that logo/crown reveal? im tired of crown reveals we have seen them so many times by now, we don't need to see it again. was it meant to be that they were carving it into the ground?? very unclear. there was an attempt with camera choreo, and i will admit that the pan up and then back down to the ‘wolf pack’ was probably the strongest moment in the whole performance. the lights were in their mouths, by the way. however, the rest of the choreo is all over the map, quite literally. as with tbz there’s a lot of members in the group and so in order for everyone to get their screen time they break down into smaller groups, which i don't disagree with on principle, but here.........the breakdowns are just tricking, which although eyecatching, does not a very compelling or cohesive choreo make. even the unison choreo is weird, obviously its stylized horror but it just looks awkward and strange. you can make awkward/unattractive choreo work (see taemin’s want, or even move, to some extent)***, but skz doesn't have an ounce of the charisma that taemin has so it just looks awkward. also, that rapid switch between opposite sides of the stage? nausea inducing. ateez was the one with the pirate concept but skz apparently trying to make us seasick. im not gonna say anything about that rap other than it was bad, why was that allowed on stage. the sparkthrower was fun but that's like the 14th gimmick in this 100 second stage and that’s too many gimmicks. costumes are truly nothing to write home about, extremely unclear relation to the theme. if you're gonna be wolves then at least have some fur accents or something. the makeup effects were a bit over the top and not necessary in the actual performance. a hairdresser needs to thin out felix’s hair because he looks like he's wearing one of those lego hair helmets. oh, i did like that one guy’s shirt with the collarbone cutout, but again: how is that relevant to the theme? cmon people!!!! design the whole experience!! im sure there’s more i could write but holy shit this is long and im tired and also i don't want to watch this stage anymore.

ok im done. jesus this is long. again, this is just the intro stage so i suspect that some of my complaints will become null next week, but we’ll have to see! well, what i actually want to see is changmin insulting children but i’m not holding out hope for that to happen. hopefully we see some more spectacle-y stages and i can really go in.

***this is not me saying that taemin has a bad choreo that he’s making the best of. want is purposefully choreographed that way in order to showcase taemin’s ability. same with move. the point of want is that it IS awkward and should not be seductive or appealing and yet it still is. almost like....it’s in the name of the song or something.....