#making this finally got me to start s9

[ekconstantine]

Recently became obsessed with The Gold by Phoebe Bridgers and I just had to edit these two to this song. I remember watching the first scene and thinking “yeah everything’s going downhill after this.”

[shepscapades]

[Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [PART 4] [Part 5] [Part 6] [Part 7] [Don’t Let it Reach the Heart]

Part 4 is finally here!! The last few months got so busy, but I would be lying if i said i didn't spend almost every day daydreaming about/ wishing i could be working on this instead; this project has been such a fun break from work and i feel like each part makes me crazier and crazier as things gets worse and worse (better and better) LOL. The composition has been sooo fun to play with, and I've been having a blast trying to figure out how to write these guys in character despite the angst and chaos :] And, considering this comic project kinda came out of nowhere and disrupted some other comic plans i had for dbhc, finding little ways to rearrange how i'm presenting lore has been really fun >:3

[This comic is part of my dbhc au, following the chaos and panic that ensues after Doc and Xisuma try to get Etho back online at the start of s9 after a very rough s8 finale that leaves him a little. broken. It's set to the vibes of Joywave's Destruction!]

[avocadish0w0]

Mistletoe!! Mistletoe!!! Desert duo under a mistletoe somehow please!! <333

I'm finally going to be starting on the Christmas/New year's fics and it might take a while because I need to make a Christmas special oneshot for my friends in a FanFiction I write on wattpad in my mother language, but I'll try to write everything by Christmas

This will be set in s9

(Note: I will be using some of the IRL height difference because I think it's absolutely hilarious to see Pearl being a complete giant next to Grian and Gem//also don't mind me adding the "hey handsome"/"hey light of my life" at every fic, I just love it so much and I can't help but accidentally open a gap where I can write it)

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Grian's POV

Christmas... I hate this holiday! It's cold! Wet! I can't go out and keep building! I can't fly because my wings will get damp and freeze! I get sick! I hate it! I really should've left when Timmy offered me!!

But noo!! I had to remember Scar always likes to do a holiday dinner with the server on his base and then feel bad about missing it! Now I was running late and had to find a way to fly there as quick as possible while wrapping my scarf up to my nose, letting only my eyes visible

It's now or never!

I ran out of the boulder and spread my wings open, jumping out of the bridge and flying as fast as possible to his tree base he decorated as a Christmas tree, I could feel the snow hitting my face, my wings aching as I plummeted down by the entrance, entering without a warning, out of breath and shivering, completely covered in snow "S-s-sorry I-I'm l-la-late!" I stuttered, my lower lip quivering with the cold, Cod, this was awkward, everyone was looking at me and I could see Pearl bent over Gem, holding back laughter, I shook my body, spreading snow everywhere, my wings puffing up immediately, hiding my flushed face under my scarf.

Scar's POV (Sorry Grian's short, I just ran low on ideas for his POV)

I jumped slightly as I heard the door slammed open and shut hurriedly, turning to look out from the kitchen, seeing a snow covered Grian standing there, shivering and with his face flushed red "S-s-sorry I-I'm l-la-late!" I heard him stutter, Cod! It was adorable to hear, I chuckled lightly, feeling my cheeks heat up as his wings puff up after he shakes the snow off "Wait there songbird, I'll get you a towel and a blanket! Mumbo, can you take care of the turkey for me?" I rush upstairs as the moustache man nods and scurries to the kitchen, I grab the fluffiest towel I have and shuffle around chests to find the heaviest blanket I had, I felt bad for making him come, I remember he always hates winter because of his wings, I should at least make him warm...

When I go back down, Grian's shrunken by the fireplace, wings flat on the ground, with a mug of hot chocolate, probably from Gem, i approach him carefully, draping the blanket over his shoulders, being careful with his wings "Hey there G..." I smile softly, kneeling behind him between his wings and starting to dry his soft sand-colored curls gently "H-hi S-Scar" I see his face turning slightly pink as he smiles softly, my heart fluttering at the sight "Sorry for making you come over today, you're freezing here and it's my fault in a way" I chuckle nervously, untangling his locks "No! No! Don't worry, I had a choice, I was the one who chose to come here today! It's not your fault okay? Don't worry!" He puts his hand over mine, the touch soft and tender, making my heart skip a beat.

"C'mon , I'll lend you one of my sweaters, yours' completely wet!" I help him up, walking him to the corridor that leads to the bathroom, I walk upstairs again, looking in my closet for the smallest sweater I have, taking one with a desert mountain with a castle on it and going back downstairs and knocking on the bathroom door "G! I got the sweater!" I call him, watching as he unlocks the door and peeks his head through a small gap, giggling "H-hey there handsome!" He winks at me, making my cheeks heat up immediately, well, this is a great way to keep out the cold! "Hey there light of my life!" I flirt back, if this is even considered flirting, putting on my hotguy pose and leaning against the doorframe, this time, making him blush as hard as me "Here's your sweater, miss" I joke, handing him the warm piece of clothing "Thanks Scar... Really, you didn't need to..." He smiles softly, taking the sweater and closing the bathroom door, I wait for him leaned on the wall of the entrance to the corridor, looking at the other Hermits having fun and eating, the sight warms my heart, seeing everyone gathered together, the Christmas decorations bringing it all together.

After a while, Grian left the bathroom, the sweater engulfed his small frame, making me bite back a goofy smile, my heart beating faster and my cheeks heating up all the way to my pointy ears "Well hello in there!" I chuckle as he walks up and stands in front of me, huffing and crossing his arms "It's a bit too big I think." He rolls his eyes "It's the smallest I had there, not my fault you're short!" I laugh, watching his face go red as he mutters something I couldn't quite make out, i hear footsteps approaching us, looking beside me to see a smirking False looking at us "So, you two plan on kissing any time soon?" She asks out of the blue, making both me and Grian blush like tomatoes "W-what?! W-why?!" I hear the small avian ask, he didn't deny it, making my eyes go wide "Y-yeah! Why?" I ask too, too fast for my liking, she only points up "Mistletoe, darlings." She chuckles, I look up, having completely forgotten I put up a mistletoe to decorate the hallway entrance "Oh..." I mutter, looking down at Grian, that was also looking up, I could see the fluffed up feathers of his wings under the large sweater, it was big enough he could fit his wings under, so that was good, he looks over at me, fidgeting with the long sleeves, opening and closing his mouth, trying to say something. I bend over a bit to face him "Y-you don't really have to do it if you don't want to!" I smile apologetically, a bit sad that he might not want to kiss me, it's quite hard to face rejection from the person you've been in love with since season 7, I mean, I don't think he even feels the same and I guess he's just embarrassed by the question-

I'm snapped out of my thoughts as Grian's lips touch my own, his feet on tip toes, I can feel his hands on my shoulders for support, his lips are soft and slightly cold from the cool weather, my eyes widen as soon as my brain processes what's happening, my hands finding their way to his waist, being careful with his wings, pulling him closer and lifting him up slightly so he could match my height, hearing him squeal cutely into the kiss, wrapping his arms around my neck, the feeling made my heart want to burst out of my ribcage as I kept kissing him, forgetting about the crowd around us for a while, he pulled out breathing heavily, both of us having run out of air, hearing a click coming from somewhere, looking back, I see Pearl smirking with her communicator on her hand, probably she took a picture and wasn't going to leave us alone after that.

"You owe me 10 diamonds for that Ren!!" I hear Impulse shouting over in the back, my face heat up and I feel something in my chest, looking down and seeing an embarrassed avian hiding his face, clutching my own sweater and making me chuckle, his soft curls tickling my neck "Well hello there G!" I whisper to him, caressing his hair gently, untangling the locks between my fingers "Sorry for that..." He mutters, burying his head further "No need to apologize, songbird... I've wanted to do this for a good while now..." I huff a small nasal laugh, taking in his scent, floral and sweet, a combination that embraces me, making me bury my face in his hair "Cod, I love you so much..." I mutter softly, caressing his hair as I take deep breaths, committing the smell to memory, I feel him shifting a bit in front of me, looking up with his chin on my chest "I-i- love you too..." He whispers back, his fingers fidgeting with one of the braided strands of my hair, I smile warmly, carrying him to the couch near the fireplace and settling him down, sitting next to him, he snuggles to my side, making my heart flutter, I hold him close by his waist, just below his wings, leaning my head on top of his, my gaze fixated on the swirling fire. "I think.... maybe... Just maybe! Don't get any ideas!" He rushes to say, making me laugh quietly "Whatever you say, songbird." I hum, making him huff and continue "Just maybe... Christmas and winter aren't all that bad... At least with you..." He mumbles the last part, but I'm able to hear because of my elf ears, making me blush slightly hard, a goofy smile creeping up on my face "Well... You sure made my Christmas a whole better, birdie..." I place my lips on his gently, just a small peck, sitting back normally and cuddling him close to me.

I really gotta thanks False for that later, I owe her for that...

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Took me so long!! But it's finally here and in time!! Thanks for the prompt @chickensoup1025! It was really fun to write!

Funny side note, this has to be rewritten 3 times until I could get an idea I liked, lol that was hell to do!

Anygay! Merry Christmas everyone! Be safe wherever you are and don't forget to eat, drink water and get good sleep!

You matter and I love you! <3

[riacte]

Big Terracotta and the "Let's overthrow Rendog" storyline

My knee jerk reaction to Ren saying they would be making minigames to fight over the permits because they wanted the plot to progress was "oh no NOT again". I initially thought of the minigames in the King Ren arc finale but I suppose it's also similar to the Mycelium War finale. I love minigames, but it's like another Ren vs Scar plot, which might very well (but not necessarily) extend into Neighbourhood vs Mountain plot (and I guess the Redditors will cry about a "civil war" because they've been anticipating it since the season began).

First of all: Big T is basically Ministry rebranded. It doesn't contain everyone from the Neighbourhood, but it's inherently linked. From what I remember of that stream from months ago, Ren's idea was for the Neighbourhood (at the time the Ministers) to band together and sell terracotta. To me, the Neighbourhood feels like it's become a conglomerate of its own: they live next to each other, they collab together, build farms and minigames together, and they have storylines together. The Ministry storyline pretty obviously formed the basis and set the tone. False's rivers permeate through the entire neighbourhood. They have a meeting spot and maps and roads and villager set ups and the bank of Iskall. It's not just "people conveniently live close to each other"— it's "people whose individual storylines intertwine". We got invested in the Ministry storyline. The minister roles felt fairly early season to me, so no surprise that it ended. Now we get Big T, which seems like an optimistic look forward with the idea of a "permanent" branded group because it's about selling a highly wanted commodity.

But what if it's not.... permanent? What if Short-T gets the permits? What then? Another rebrand? I have absolutely no doubts that the Neighbourhood, broadly speaking, will continue to hang out as a neighbourhood. At least until they run out of space / ideas in there. So it's not like they'll stop interacting if Big T ceases to become a thing, but that's exactly what it is— Big T gives them something to do. A common storyline. A collab opportunity.

Back to the Ministry storyline. It's a typical "Rendog seizes power" arc that we've seen before, prominently in S9 King Ren arc. But the thing is, it kind of fails at sculpting Ren as this awful leader who needs to be overthrown. (Partially due to Cleo's mic not working when they suggested overthrowing Ren, and there were also talks of people doing a coup, but in the end Ren decided to take the matters in his own hands.) Ren tries to be incompetent and bossy but they all end up indulging him. Because, despite everything, Ren is good at bringing people together, both in and outside of the game. He organises stream weekends (the others were thanking Ren on his shift during the last stream weekend, a while ago on another stream weekend Scar made Ren tear up with his heartfelt words). He "annoys" people into following him, and then he gets scared of the power, "annoys" people into overthrowing him, and BOOM Rendog kickstarts another plotline by playing the villain (again. And again).

(Arguably, Third Life also kinda followed this formula. I had a feeling Ren was trying to make the Red King unlikable by barging into people's houses and demanding them join the Red Army, and Martyn did "claim" he had "planned" to "betray Ren" from day one (looking at the camera with knowing but non-judgmental stare) but didn't do it.)

Point is, Ren has the personal charisma and thick enough skin to start groups and wrangle people into joining them. He's silly and the hermits love him, so they kind of bemusedly smile and let Ren drag them along. That's his first way of uniting people. Ren's second way of uniting people is by playing the villain, which he often employs and tries pushing it into this direction. In the Ministry plotline, the first way worked, but nobody cared enough to overthrow Ren (lol) so the second way didn't work that well.

... And I feel like Ren doesn't trust himself to play the role of a good leader. He has to be evil. Because he likes dramatics and being publicly humiliated (side glance) and killed. And also because he doesn't like playing the role of a good leader despite having clear visions of infrastructure / change he wants to achieve (S10 roads, S9 Hermit Quests). If anyone's dreaming big about community storylines and banding together to work on something, it's Ren.

So my fear for the Big T storyline is that Ren will seize power again and turn evil so they can overthrow him and Ren volunteers to be the villain for plot progression. I like seeing Ren being in the leader role. But to see him be overthrown again feels a little sad considering what they all went through so far. I don't want more self sabotage. I don't want Ren to go "yeah it's fine you can have it". I don't want Big T to lose the permits and disband. Obviously Big T isn't just Ren, but Ren is the main guy who does story and roleplay.

Good news: Big T contains competitive people who will no doubt enjoy defeating Scar and Bdubs. Bad news: those are the exact same type of people who like trapping Ren in pits. Even if Big T as a whole pulls through, I hope Ren doesn't do something stupid on purpose to set himself up. I want the power of friendship and neighbourhood solidarity to win. It's such a good overarching storyline and content.

[whateverisbeautiful]

♥️ Ranking Richonne

#24: Family Fun Days (S9E03 & S4E15)

Grimes Family 2.0 has my heart eternally. 🥹 They are the best family to ever grace an apocalypse. And what’s so sweet is during their Family Fun Day in s9 and s4, it truly didn’t even feel like an apocalypse - that’s how much love and joy Rick and Michonne were admirably able to place in their and their kids’ lives. And while the fallen world turned Rick and Michonne into walker-slaying warriors, who they really are to their core are parents. (ours and their kids 😋) So the final Family Fun Day and the first unofficial Family Fun Day are a tie on this list for allowing Richonne to show why they're the greatest parents around...

Starting with the s9 Family Fun Day, one of my favorite parts is when Rick, Michonne, and Judith are walking hand in hand in ASZ. It’s so idyllic and so the type of rewarding happy life these three deserve.

I think back to s5 when Rick and Michonne were outside the gates of ASZ with Carl and baby Judith in the backseat of their car. I love that the leap of faith they took together in coming to this place has now turned into a stable home where they can fully enjoy being family.

I feel like words can’t fully even capture how much I love all this. Their smiles. Michonne cheering Rick on by saying, "come on, daddy." Judith skipping. Rick's countdown. And the way they lift her up and cheer Judith on. Somehow, I never noticed it until this rewatch, but after they lift Judith up, Rick and Michonne say “wow” at the exact same time. Always in sync those two. 🥰

And Rick and Michonne getting to just be parents is the best and so meaningful. After the devastating loss of children, the way Rick and Michonne have risen from those depths of despair and given Judith a beautiful cheerful life is so commendable. And, truly, it speaks to the strength of Rick and Michonne's impact on each other's lives that they can be this healed and happy now.

I’m choked up from just this initial moment and it only gets cuter with each of their activities. It’s clear that this is Judith’s favorite way to spend the day, but make no mistake, this is Rick and Michonne’s favorite way to spend the day too. And I love that Family Fun Days are something they seem to do often and look forward to. (also it's sweet that, throughout the series, we got several indicators that little Judith is a mama's girl 😊)

It was such a joy to see this side of Rick and Michonne, especially knowing we’d only have 2 more eps before Rick’s departure. I love that we got to see Rick just have so much fun as the best girl dad. He deserved to have so many more days like this with his baby girl. 🥲

Also, what I would give to have seen a family fun day that included Rick, Michonne, RJ, Judith, and Carl all together. 😭

The good thing is Rick and Michonne are going to do everything in their power to get home to Judith and RJ, and I have hope TWD's best parents will be able to have plenty more days like this to enjoy with their children whenever the four reunite.

(Side note: Since we're talking Grimes family in this post, can I just say I never understand the complaints about our sweet prince RJ being a regular kid doing regular kid stuff - like ??? To me, it's actually the biggest flex that Rick and Michonne's baby is living a normal life. A whole dang apocalypse hit the earth, and your kid is able to just read comics and ride bikes because, even in the most dangerous possible world, you managed to create some normal (as normal as it can be in that world) stability for your children - What a win. And rather than find him "boring" as a kid under age 10 just living life, I find it heartwarming that RJ Grimes got to be so normal. The mostly peaceful and regular way RJ is living is the very thing Michonne and Rick wanted and fought for. It's the very thing RJ's big brother Carl fought for too. How wonderful that they got what they wanted 🥰👌🏽)

And then the montage includes my absolute favorite visual with the three of them on a picnic blanket all relaxed, with a brief glimpse of Rick handing Michonne a pink flower as Judith seems to notice the way her dad loves her mom. Even in just a .5-second clip of Rick wanting to give Michonne that flower we see yet another example of how Rick so naturally shows love to his wife. 🥰

I love that in s9 especially, Rick was like if y’all don’t know nothing else about me, you’re going to know that I’m head over heels in love with Michonne. And he’s just so good at courting her even in their married era, and I adore how he’s always thinking of how to gift her.

Y’all, everything in this moment (& the deleted picnic scene where Rick expresses wanting more years like this with his wife and kids) gives me so much happiness and peace. Again, it’s so idyllic and tranquil and pretty. I wanted them to live in this moment forever.

The picnic shot is just beauty and I will always cherish it. It makes me think about Carl’s vision in s8, of their family playing hooky. I know Carl would be so proud to see the three of them essentially doing exactly that on this beautiful family fun day. Like this whole montage is truly what Carl wanted most for the three of them. 🥹

To this day, when I see Scott running over while the three are reading, I’m like damn it. 😫 Richonne deserved to have a day to be all about their family and nothing else and Rick and Michonne look like they really do agree with me in the way they both communicate with a wordless look lol.

They don’t want this family time to end, but they know the world is ready to start screaming again. I do like how Rick sees Scott coming but keeps reading tho. Like ‘maybe if we keep reading he’ll just jog past us.’ 😂 

Seeing Rick kiss Judith before joining Michonne and Scott is so sweet and so sad because it’s his final interaction with his daughter before he’s taken away for years. 😭

Rick and Michonne again wordlessly communicate upon learning about that murdered savior, and you can tell they’re both disappointed. And I'm disappointed that Family Fun Day was cut short too, but I also was like, I should've known...

But I adore that this scene, which ends up being Rick and Michonne's last time side by side in the present, does not end on disappointment.

Rick is quiet and looking at Michonne, and then he looks away frustrated and stressed, especially because this new development could jeopardize the unity and safety he and Michonne so badly want to build for their people.

It’s so clear how Michonne feels for him, knowing how much they both wanted to have this day to just be. And then the shot focuses on their hands with Rick’s fist clenched to further illustrate his frustration. 

But Michonne always knows how to offer Rick the exact right uplifting encouragement and so I love that she then takes his hand. The choreo of it is so good with her slowly sliding her hand into his. It’s symbolic for Michonne to be the one who could most help Rick release his fist, thus release the frustration, and hold onto what matters most.

And, of course, Rick is receptive and holds her hand. He can always receive the positivity Michonne instills in him. And so I love that Rick tightly holds her hand and allows that to be the note they can end on together. 

Richonne handholds are always a thing of beauty so I love that their final moment like this ends on that emphasized visual. Even when things fall apart, they’re still in it together. They’re still held together by their love.

Y’all, how do even their hands tell a compelling story? I mean they always have. From exchanging bullets in Clear, to passing mints and holding hands in their canon ep, and this significant final present moment between them. It really does highlight the strength, love, and unity of Richonne's relationship. 

It’s also sweet how Rick and Michonne's official romance began with a handhold, and their final moment ends with one too. And while their journey is about to devastatingly take them on separate paths for years, I really feel like this handhold right here actually never breaks.

In many ways, during their years apart, Rick and Michonne still embarked through life as though their true love was still with them, still holding their hand and supporting them because their love is neverending - as noted in both Rick and Michonne's sentiments during the TWD series finale.

(Side note: There’s this interesting contrast I think about - because with losing Lori, part of what made it so painful on Rick is knowing they never got official closure after they grew distant and their marriage fell apart. But then with “losing” Michonne after he was taken, part of what likely makes it so painful for Rick is that their marriage was in such a great spot. Rick and Michonne were so beyond close, happy together, and hopeful for their future just before Rick was taken away. And that’s a unique pain to just be abruptly plucked from the woman you were so longing to spend the rest of your life with. Where the Lori loss featured an element of mourning a clear closed door, the Michonne “loss” is an element of mourning all the doors he hoped he'd open with her. And I’m really curious to see how Rick has been dealing with that type of pain while away in TOWL)

This whole sequence of events in 9.03 is the definition of precious. And the song in the background pairs so nicely with this heavenly time. I love Grimes Family 2.0, and this was like a beautiful love letter to them.

It was a lovely reward for Rick and Michonne after all they've been through in this series. And I just appreciate how much joy was depicted in every moment Rick got with his girls in season 9. (their opening moment in the s9 premiere also gets an honorable mention cuz I absolutely adore it)

So I called this Family Fun Days plural because before Rick and Michonne so adorably had their day as mommy and daddy with Judith, they had another version of a family fun day out in the woods with Carl. And this moment, along with the s9 montage, are my all-time favorite Grimes Family 2.0 scenes.

This one in season 4 is so meaningful because during their s9 family fun day in ASZ they were enjoying merriment in the safety of their community - but here the golden trio of Rick, Michonne, and Carl are traveling while unsure of where they’ll get their next meal or where they’ll lay their head for the night…and yet they smile. 🥹 The levity found in this moment is so important and heartwarming to see. 

I love that Michonne was so effortlessly able to be a best friend to Carl and helped him have fun even in an apocalypse. I adore the opening of the scene as Rick talks about resources running low and turns around to see Michonne and Carl adorably preoccupied with their train track competition.

Rick turning around to see Michonne and Carl reminded me of the s9 premiere when the first thing we see of Rick is him opening the doors to watch Michonne and Judith.

I know Michonne’s bond with Carl and Judith means the absolute world to Rick. And I can only imagine how moved Rick would (and will) be to see her bond with their adorable son RJ too. 😭

(Again, I'll never get over the fact that Michonne really carried Rick's child. How extremely beautiful. 🥹And soon Rick is going to finally know all about the son he made with the love of his life. Won't He Do It! 🥳)

I always appreciate that Rick walks over to Michonne and Carl, letting them have the moment a little longer, and the way Michonne playfully tries to win their competition. Carl sharing the Big Cat because "we always share" is also just so sweet.

And, of course, you know I love the way that man Rick is grinning while watching and appreciating this wholesome family moment. 🥰The way he keeps sneaking glances at Michonne as he smiles - I forever stand by the fact that Rick has fallen in love with Michonne by this point.💯

Even despite their circumstances, the three seemed so happy in this moment cuz they’re together the way it was meant to be. And I love that Michonne and Rick both valued giving Carl a good childhood against all odds.

In Carl’s devastating final episode "Honor" he tells Michonne "Don't carry this - not this part," and I always like to think that this moment on the tracks is one of the parts of their journey Carl hopes Michonne holds onto instead. Cuz it was such a beautiful happy moment that cemented the three as a family.

And, clearly, she and Rick did choose to carry the good parts with Carl and even pass it on to Judith as they and their daughter so presently enjoyed a day of fun and games seasons later, where for a few hours they didn't have to be community leaders or fierce fighters. Instead, Rick and Michonne just got to be what they so cherished being - mom and dad. Grimes family forever. 🤍

[xaeyrnofnbe]

as far as buffy comics go, so far i have read:

buffy season 8 (a wild ride from start to finish, everyone was out of character, i still have no clue how anyone came up with ANY of that. i've kind come to terms with it though. funny as hell in hindsight.) (bonus points for the spangel crumbs littered here and there. points withdrawn for buffy's reaction to them.) (season 8 is bonkers bananas all the way through, you have GOT to read it if you haven't. hell of an experience.)

buffy season 9 (a lil rough around the edges but the plot was much more casually engaging, buffy and spike had some very cute moments in the first half and overall i just like what the comics do with spike's character, even if it's a little inconsistent. oh and the plot twists were very silly and fun) (spoilers: the resolution was a little weird but i found it much funnier than i probably should have when illyria sacrificed herself. guy trying to destroy the world bc his girlfriend died and illyria was just like. hey i knew a guy who's girlfriend died one time. how'd he live with it? no yeah he didn't. he died. sorry.)

angel & faith season 9 (loved the callbacks to prior stories, though the stuff with whistler was kinda lost on me. pearl and nash were ok. i liked seeing drusilla again! though i'd prefer to see more of who she is now. the plot involving angel's nipple piercing struck me dead on the spot, weirdest part of the whole thing.)

spike: a dark place (extremely silly, spike leading spaceship full of giant cockroaches was not something i knew i needed but they were so so entertaining. generally just so amusing. i'm totally incorporating an appreciation for space into his character when i write him now.)

spike: into the light (PEAK comic!spike. thank you james marsters. easily the lowest-stakes, most grounded of anything i've read so far, which was extremely refreshing. this guy gets dragged through the dirt the whole time and still manages to be hilarious and endearing throughout. loved him narrowly hiding his vampirism at every turn from dylan. my favorite detail was the constant flapping of the bottom of his shoe.)

buffy season 10 (currently a little ways through, EXTREMELY promising so far. total vibe shift from seasons 8 and 9, way more in line with the feel of the show. every scene with buffy and spike has me kicking my legs and twirling my hair. love those two. dunno how to feel about giles yet. i am ECSTATIC at the notion of xander finally getting some character development, but i'll hold back on celebrating until i get firm confirmation.)

angel & faith season 10 (reading at the same time as buffy s10, the different art styles are a bit jarring to bounce between. genuinely the art in this one is making it way harder to connect with. i LOVED the style in s9, so the shift to realism has been disappointing to say the least. genuinely i just Do Not Know how to feel about this season yet.) (also separating your 2 main leads when their dynamic was the central focus of the last season is certainly A Writing Choice.)

[kinardsevan]

bucktommy proposal end of season 8 or start of season 9?

i mean what do I want? obviously sooner than later. I really do believe in the logic that we've seen stated about Bobby and Athena in relation to what Frank said in (I think) 702, that when who people work in the field, they understand the immediacy. I also think that you have two characters who have been through the wringer in their personal lives, and if this show is really going to let them have their happy ending, I don't see it being a long, drawn out process. For Maddie and Chim, it made sense. Healing from DV is a process, and she needed to be able to trust him. By correlation, Evan has always been seeking someone who would match his attachment style and not be turned off by how his abandonment issues affect him in relationships. Add to this the fact that I feel like Evan's highest love languages are physical touch and quality time (although quality time may also be competing with acts of service; we could argue removing physical touch, but I think that being a love language for him is clearest in s1 with his self-diagnosed sex addiction). Still, even in season 7, he's always touching people he cares about. His hand on Eddie's shoulder when Chris leaves; the hug with Bobby (both in 710), the kiss in the hospital in 706. Even the hands on Chris's shoulders in 709 from the stills.

By relation, I think Tommy's similar, with acts of service and quality time being his top two. I'm less inclined at the moment to say physical touch is as high for him, because we haven't had enough of out, therapized Tommy to really gauge it. Still, the acts of service is obvious. He shows up for those he cares for (flying into a hurricane, showing up to the wedding even after fighting a fire all night and day). And we know he's not just showing up for Evan to sleep with him; we've seen dates, dinner together, actually showing up for one another.

Ironically it's both of these that get me wondering if we'll be waiting into s9 purely just because I don't think that receiving gifts ranks very high for either of them. I honestly think we'll see them moving in together with more importance placed on it because that directly correlates to quality time AND acts of service. Truth be told, I think when a proposal finally happens between these two, I think Tommy will be the one to ask, because it's something Evan wants, and as stated, acts of service are important to Tommy. Still, I think if we're lucky enough to see it happen, we might be waiting a while. Again, I could be wrong, given the discussion Bobby had with Frank in therapy about not putting off more time than necessary to be together when you know life is limited (and this will be another relationship with two first responders who are in dangerous positions). But realistically? I think we'll see moving in together in s8, and then maybe a proposal in s9. I legitimately could see B/T getting completely domestic with a home, an animal (maybe even a kid) before they even make it down the aisle.

(This was far more than what you asked, but it's how I got there 😂)

[quantumripple]

Figured it might be neat to give post-mortems of fics I’ve written (in no particular order)

Gonna call this Quantum’s Post-Moretem Mondays even though I’m almost certain I’m never going to post this again on a Monday (work was just suuuuper slow)

So to start off we’ve got Pen Pals: https://archiveofourown.org/works/51609454

Premise: in early 2010 Taylor and Sveta become pen pals (hence the name).

Very much the definition of a rarepair since there’s only one other Taylor/Sveta fic that I’m aware of and it’s not even tagged.

And honestly hot take: the reason it’s a rarepair is that it lowkey just does not work as a ship. Taylor and Sveta are just not compatible, Taylor is far too… her. Sveta deserves better honestly.

What I like about the fic:

The bits of humour always blindside me when I do a reread. This one definitely leans on the sort of online humour you sometimes get with lesbians. Particularly the meme of two girls commiserating you each other that they “wish they could get a gf frfr”

I also just stole some funny bits from worm and adapted them but idk if I should count those bc they were just yoinked from worm.

I’m pretty proud of the background plot that’s happening in the fic. It’s pretty fun to explore those through only the lens of texts between two people. Things diverge a little bit and we end up with Echidna happening early, but the fight goes a lot differently. Ends up being a much longer fight/conflict but upside is case 53 stuff didn’t get leaked. Taylor eventually ended it by tag-teaming with a few heroes, getting the right power combo. S9 shows up after and a while after they’re there Amy takes Victoria. Taylor, thinking the s9 did it went on the warpath, she broke into the prt hq and stole the Bakuda bombs which she used to take out a few members before she found Amy and Victoria, made Amy fix her, then just fully executed her.

What I don’t like:

Taylor is extremely out of character. She’s too like… it’s hard to explain but she’s too cutesy, or dorky in a way that doesn’t really fit with how she is in canon. Triple especially anytime they’re discussing feelings. Honestly the only parts of her that feels in character is latter on in the fic when it starts getting into the broader hero plot stuff.

Sveta is also pretty ooc but not quite as bad as Taylor. She’s a hard character to write because while yea she’s got a lot going on at the end of the day she’s just a really nice person and that’s hard to write out unless you want something super fluffy.

And speaking of: the fic is just way too fluffy for my tastes these days. Like I had to skim the final scene where they’re being all sappy and confessional bc it made me feel ill lmao.

What I would do if I were to redo/re-explore:

Honestly this might be one of my few fics where I’d just cop it and say that it kinda doesn’t work conceptually. Taylor and Sveta just aren’t really compatible without changing one or the other.

Honestly if I were returning to it I’d probably drop Sveta (sorry) and actually just focus on the Brockton Bay plot stuff. So it’d be Taylor joining the wards, getting frustrated and then leaving and teaming up w Victoria and the focus is more in them becoming friends. And the other changes with Echidna and the s9 could be fun to explore.

Or alternatively I keep Sveta and lean into the doomed nature of the relationship, have it be a much more deep exploration of their characters and how they could interact. Follow Sveta as she makes an online friend but slowly realise that this friend of hers is weirdly violent as a cape. Have that introduce a lot more friction with Sveta judging Taylors methods more and more and Taylor just getting really defensive etc. and like…. It wouldn’t even need to have a bad ending per se. It would just be them realising that they’re really not compatible and that getting this invested in each other was a bad idea. Or the super good ending where Sveta comes around to Taylor’s way of thinking and they wage bloody war against evil, that could also be p fun. And not entirely impossible especially if Taylor is literally Svetas only friend.

Final thoughts:

This is one of those fics that still gets the odd random comment on ao3 which makes me remember it more often than other fics despite the fact that I don’t really have much to say/think about the fic beyond what I’ve already thrown up. It sits in my mind as a firm “basically ok, has its moments”

Curious to know what others think of it because honestly I barely do. I think I just picked it bc it was one of my shorter fics and sfw so I could read it between waiting for stuff to happen at work.

[boykingscourt]

thoughts on spn s8

ahh... good old s8

though it's been a while since I've watched it all the way through (currently in s6 with my friend) s8 without a doubt brings out the most mixed feelings for me compared to any other season

fair warning this got kinda long

let's start with the good:

1 ) the sam and dean drama

if you can look at it objectively, shutting out the narrative's dean bias and the general fandom reaction, it's just delicious. I've seen it referred to as the samndean dual cheating arc, which I love rather you consider that romantic or just in the weird brothers way lmao.

I'm a big fan of benny and unlike most of the fandom don't mind the sam/amelia plot. I like it what it represents for sam's character, showing just how mismatched sam and dean's priorities are in the beginning of the season. and even though sam would cop shit from dean, the narrative, and the fandom at large, those rare moments where he stands up to dean feel like mana from heaven

2 ) TRIALS TRIALS TRIALS

this is the most important aspect of s8 for me and maybe what I should have led with, but I'm sure it's not surprising coming from a sam stan or just if you're at all familiar with my blog (hopefully you are <3)

the trials arc is one of my all-time favorite sam arcs. it has unique whump, deep and meaningful revelations for his character, and ends with one of spn's greatest season finales (to me, and I'm always right)

it also spawned one of the scenes of ALL TIME, 8x21's "I'm not clean" iconic 10/10

the trials arc is of course absolutely heartbreaking from a sam perspective, especially when thinking about s8 collectively. sam going from defending himself and his choices against dean's unfair criticism -> choosing to leave his life with amelia behind -> bravely undertaking the trials but wanting to come out on the other side alive -> not caring if it kills him in the end because of his feelings of unworthiness, guilt over his past mistakes, and (chiefly) dean's infantilization and constant reminders of all that sam has done "wrong" is one of the most sickening (affectionate) journeys I've seen a character go on. even if most of the fandom doesn't recognize it for what it is, at least the dedicated sam corner of the fandom does, and I will never tire of reading trials-related meta

3 ) very distinct arcs

this probably seems trivial in relation to the other two but I like how s8 feels like two or three different seasons mashed into one

now let's talk about the bad:

1 ) wasted potential

you could say this about a lot of spn seasons/plotlines, especially the later ones, so of course it applies here too. as much as I like benny, I think there's more they could have done with him, mainly giving him more interactions with sam! I feel the same about henry winchester too. I didn't need peepaw to stick around forever, but without a doubt they should've given him more than one measly episode. he and sam had serious potential to bond and grow close, making his death (ideally later in the season) much more impactful

2 ) too much angel crap

I really can't tell you how sick I got of angel politics, and s8 only gives us a taste of many more boring conflicts to come. the angel "trials" do nothing for me, I hardly remember anything that's going on with c*s once he comes back from purgatory minus that cringe ass swan song imitation they give him and dean (and it's memorable for the wrong reasons), and the angels falling, which seems to be a big deal at first, is extremely underwhelming once s9 rolls around (maybe it's not fair to pin that on s8 but whatever)

3 ) narrative bias towards dean/fandom reaction to sam

maybe this is also not fair to pin entirely on s8, but these things are unfortunately forever intertwined in my mind and color my view of the season as a whole. s8 sam is arguably the most misunderstood and slandered sam of the whole series. you could certainly make that argument for s4 sam, s9 sam, even s5 sam, but I'm sure you will agree s8 sam is up there no matter which sam wins that crown for you

the significance of the trials and what they reveal about sam's character is entirely lost on most of the audience. all we seem to hear about instead is how stupid and pointless they find the amelia plotline, how jealous and unreasonable sam is regarding benny, and (you already know it!) endless endless ENDLESS "waaaaaahhhh sam didn't look for dean!!" just one of the three of those is enough to drive me insane, and we are instead treated to all three and more!

couple this with the narrative's dean bias (and s8 just happens to be the moment where, in my opinion, this bias becomes fixed and permanent) you are left with some of the worst takes and most fuck ass sam meta you can imagine, some of it being so bad I've heard of many instances of sam stans taking a break from spn or just checking out entirely around this time

s8 my beloved and s8 my beloathed

although maybe this is all entirely too serious and I should instead just thank s8 for its greatest gifts: estrogen!jared sam with his beautiful tan and glorious long glossy chestnut hair AND sickly trials era bella swan sam, both of whom I want to abandon the silverware for and eat with my bare hands

thanks so much for this ask, and if you were expecting a succinct response instead, I sincerely apologize

[alitgblog]

okok finally caught up on litg s9

gonna try to summarize this neatly bc my game didn't save properly and I played volume 10 twice and sped through volume 11

Zeph is hot and thats a problem for me bc I'm so annoyed at the lack of branching and consequences in this game it has manifested into me making up story for fusebox about MC being upset that Stefan keeps acting like nothing is wrong when I personally am still upset casa amor got Chen dumped (ok that was my fault technically but only bc I wanted him to come back to drama). So now I'm like MC should have a summer fling with Zeph, why not

they're so wishy washy about how Kelly and Finn broke up and it just all feels like hearsay all the time. at the end of volume 11 they seem to decide Kelly thought it was all done pretty respectfully but her comments in volume 10 about movie night seem to disagree??? just asking for a little bit of consistency since I gotta track other people's drama other than my own

also so sorry to kelly who is actually interested in zeph and I am less so interested in him and more just annoyed at the bad writing for stefan

the writing has always been stilted and/or cringe but for some reason I notice it especially with Zeph, like it does feel like his dialogue was written by AI unfortunately. And it puts me off his character a lot, except, again, he's hot and so maybe I'm just like hey don't hurt your pretty head trying to think up romantic scenarios, Zeph. Something odd about him too is he doesn't mention any previous connection to Love Island, and I know he's a new character, but at least Henri and Chen talked about their last times on the show.

I'd like to apologize

I don't know what surprise we're getting next volume but for my own storyline I kinda want the guy dumped post casa to come back. like I'd go back to Chen easy. but this is my delusional ass still just hoping we get drama from casa bc they dropped the ball on it again this season. Curious about talent show but considering how they fucked up Mr Love Island I have little hope.

I forgot this meant we'd have to deal with eddie. hes there like Johnny/Nicolas to the point where I almost prefer if it was one of them around but at least his chaos run makes more sense than johnny/Nicolas just randomly deciding to stir shit out of nowhere after leading MC on and the game forcing us to couple with them.

Eddie pls stfu poor Kelly

said this before but if eddie was gonna show up for heart rate challenge why didn't he do a little dance? is it because he sucks as a bombshell??? YEAH. It makes so much more sense to switch him and Zeph, like yeah that would mean we have less time with zeph and more with Eddie, but Zeph could put on a good heart rate challenge performance and Eddie could be way more catty and start shit during movie night than Zeph who wanted to play nice.

I'm so sad to say goodbye to Finn because it felt like he didn't get a good chance (unless MC is pursuing him I guess). but compared to Hamish, who, even if he got dumped here, would've had a lifelong friendship with MC and Natasha and had multiple chances to couple with people, it feels sad to see him go without a good ending. I mean I guess he's got closure with Kat and Kelly, but he felt always stuck in those couples whereas Hamish tried to explore connections with Natasha, Uma, and Melissa. I just think we should've let him punch Eddie in the face after eddie was so mean to Kat and MC.

I've decided to watch the hamish route vicariously through yall and I'll go for wither zeph or Stefan unless something else wild happens until the finale. so yall better tell me what happens it was such a hard decision when the game narrowed it down 🥺

I also think it would be great if we had chats with characters to decide who we're sticking with. like this season aside from maybe the beginning henri/chen/MC/Melissa thing, it feels like one of the other girls always asks you "who do you want to be chosen by" and then you tell her and that person picks you, but then you never address it or outright reject the other person face to face. it's always just like two sentences or just "a sad look" or a gem scene I'm not paying for.

one positive thing I've seen this last volume though is the mini date with your LI before Zeph's date. like its one of the better scenes they've written that isn't just someone outright saying I like you or just chatting. like its fun, and the only other moment I can think of that's similar that doesn't cost gems is the Hamish eavsdropping scene. now if only this was also tailored to your LI because as someone coupled with Stefan, low key unexpected, but imagine if I had picked Henri??

also a lot more choices this volume were worth 10 gems I think

that being said the amount they're asking for in the heart rate challenge is crazy for literally one scene because MC's outfit is like 14+ gems, then you van go for am extra 10 to see your male LI's outfit, and then another extra 10 for the female LI outfit. and this hardly changes the gameplay or gives you more info 🙃

[periwinklemoonlight]

I AM VERY INTERESTED I LOVE HEARING THOUGT PROCESSES AND ITS SO CLEAR HOW MUCH PASSION AND CARE WAS PUT INTO YOUR ZINE PIECE

AHH THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!! i have so many thoughts i dont know where to begin LMAO ill start with the outfit designs first!!

to start things off, every design has one specific colour in mind to represent that hermit! pearl - blue, gem - green, impulse - yellow, doc - black/gray, and grian - red! (everyone's nails are painted their colour) every design was deliberately punk-inspired, since during the king arc the soup group was a force of resistance against the monarchy's tyranny :P therefore, the soup group are the main focus of the art and their designs are intentionally made so that they stand out more from the other two, though i made sure they were all unique in one aspect or another :] let's go character by character now! (i'm including all my initial design sketches + some inspo photos too)

pearl - she's the lead singer of soup group, along with playing the electric guitar! her design features a double tank top + low rise big pant combo, moon motifs of course, and two distinct shades of blue! The darker one is seen throughout her hair and outfit, while the lighter one in her moth antenna is reflected in her guitar. the main inspiration for her look was avril lavigne, which is also what influenced me to add those fun blue hair streaks :D on her shirt i wanted to have a sort of skeletal moth/butterfly design!!

gem - the keytar! i wanted to make sure that gem and pearl's designs looked very distinct from each other, so i went for a slightly different vibe with gem's! her design is based more off of the plaid skirts, big boots, and fishnet looks i found while looking through early 2000s lip service magazine scans (as well as some hayley williams looks!!) :D additionally, shes got vine tattoos over her body to call back to her nature elf vibe this season!

impulse - the drummer of course!! for his look, i wanted to go a little more anarcho-punk (since its a much older punk style and hes the oldest member of soup group LOL), so his vest jacket has got a bunch of diy additions like patches, pins, paperclips, and chains, along with a bunch of spikes!! in my mind, the back of his jacket has probably got a whole lot more patches, spikes, and studs :] beyond that, i made sure to give him lots of piercings (though my options were limited since s9 impy has a beard lol), and stretched earlobes for fun!! ideally his pants would also have a lot more patches and fun bits, but since his legs would be entirely covered by his drums in the final piece i went for something simpler

doc - an opener and feature on the song! since he's not part of the soup group, his design is quite a bit simpler than the others in terms of both look and concept :] his look is monochrome save for his robotic red parts and green skin, but still looks interesting thanks to that fun leather jacket :D his look is purposefully more reminiscent of a 50's style greaser, i wanted to go for an older fashion style to make him look more intimidating/mature, as well as set him apart from the look of soup group since the perimeter was an independent nation in the king arc!

grian - another feature/opener! design wise? hes literally just green day i can't even lie like the pun was perfect and also the black shirt + red tie combo is iconic and also fits his look so effortlessly it had to be done LMAO also, if you look closely in the final piece you can see he's wearing eyeshadow! this of course is again because hes grian day /silly. but to be real, i think this style also fits him really well since the tie + spikes & studs combo gives the look that sorta rebellious vibe that was all over his videos during the king arc :]

AND NOW FOR THE INSTRUMENTS!! this segment is thankfully much shorter

pearl's guitar is of course a nod to my design for her and her moth wings! butterfly guitars are harder to draw than you'd think LOL

gem's keytar has got a vine design all over it to match her tattoos

impulse's drum set has got the soup group punk band logo! the logo design may honestly be my favourite part of the piece, i feel like i really nailed what i was going for :D

and thats it! i'll edit this post or rb with any details i missed if they come to mind! thank u for reading anyone who has made it this far <3

[rvspecter]

ramble about each of ur suits ships for as long as u can (might result in a novel)

omg sweet anon asking about all my ships <3

ok so first i don't ship something because i want to see two ppl get married i don't do that. i'll ship it because i find it interesting/sexy etc

LET'S START WITH THE SEXIEST

jessica/harvey

-everyone sleeping on this ship makes me so mad. like they are so sexy!?!?!?!?!?? even when they banter they are sexy. THEY ARE TOTALLY FLIRTING?!??!?! anyways i particularly like when they fight for dominance which is basically every scene with them. oh and i like how she's taller than him in heels and how she stares him down like he's breakfast. SO WHY ISN'T THERE MORE FIC!??!? what i need is for someone to help me establish their backstory. like i know they fucked in a bathroom stall on the 53rd floor but i'm not sure when. was it when harvey was working in the mailroom? i feel like they are the hardest ship to write for actually and make believable. BUT I KNOW THEY FUCKED!!!!!

mike/harvey

-mike legit has harvey wrapped around his finger. if that boy said “hire me as a lawyer even tho ive only finished high school and then offer to go to prison for me when im found out” harvey would be like “how high”. i don't think anyone can argue that harvey loves mike

but to me marvey is an unrequited love story. idk what to say. mike doesn't love harvey. sometimes i don't even think mike likes harvey as a friend. that's how soured by s6+ i was. mike treated harvey like shit and harvey kept coming back for more. it was actually painful to watch. i read marvey and usually the stories i find believable r the ones where mike leaves with rachel and GROWS UP (even tho he's a 30 yr old man at the start of the show) and everyone's wounds have had time to heal. i can buy marvey getting together then. what i don't find believable are stories where mike is pining for harvey!?!??! i don't know what show that is. the guy literally couldn't get away from harvey fast enough. he gets out of jail and almost immediately fucks off to seattle with his wife and doesn't even tell harvey about it like??

when i first got into the fandom side of suits i really liked the romanticized version of marvey where they wud do ANYTHING for each other. but when i watch the show - this only goes in one direction

donna/harvey

-this is this ship i was rooting for when i watched the show the first time. the thing about them is their history and emotional connection. to me they are a single entity. they r partners and they have always been partners. u don't even get to talk to harvey without going thru donna - she is literally the physical border between him and the outside world

i love how they protect each other. harvey has never let anything bad happen to donna. it's a fact. he'd do anything to protect her and we see that. but here's the thing about their relationship - it's mutual. donna does INSANE THINGS for harvey like KEEP A DOCUMENT THAT SHE STOLE FOR OVER A DECADE ON THE OFF CHANCE THAT SOMEONE GOES AFTER HARVEY FOR CAMERON'S CRIMES. they wud do anything for each other and they both know it

i also love how highly they think of each other. we always see donna defending harvey. she defends him because she thinks he's a good person ("because ur worthy"). she's one of few ppl on the show who does. most ppl think of him as a dick and that group includes mike

the way harvey views donna is almost worshipful. he thinks she can do no wrong. “donna doesn’t make mistakes.” he trusts her completely. she's his compass. every success he has is a shared success. “we made partner.” he doesn’t even think he can be himself without her. and don’t get me started on how debilitating her moving 3 doors down the hall was for him

anyways tldr their relationship is a two way street. they love each other and they both know it. and i'm not talking about after they finally get together (let's not talk about s9). i'm talking about before. because even if they didn't know the other person wanted to be with them - they knew they loved them and would do anything for them

MIGHT AS WELL GO THROUGH ALL MY SHIPS

scottie/harvey

-s1 version of them was so fun! i wanted this to have been a long term friends with benefits type thing. when they became a couple i didn't like it because it was always her sacrificing stuff for him and not the other way around

sean cahill/harvey

THIS SHIP NEEDS MORE FIC. i was just thinking about them. sean tells harvey 'I MOVED HEAVEN AND EARTH FOR YOU ONCE BEFORE AND NOW THE WELL IS DRY' like sean was totally IN LOVE WITH HARVEY. it's crazy how much he did for him actually. like what did sean get out of it??!?!?!?!??! anyways they totally fucked while mike was in prison

travis tanner/harvey

they way i see them is travis is obsessed with harvey's hair and hands and generally thinks he's just a pretty girl he wants to get with. harvey is like eww no but also we know harvey likes fucking the competition. so i think they fuck on and off, after or before cases and it's very kinky because travis is a total freak in the sheets

LAST BUT NOT LEAST

cameron dennis/harvey

plz see this fic for details

[jimmycarterghostland]

I'm currently reading Plague 12.8 of Worm.

Man, the Slaughterhouse Nine are some ruthless, cold-blooded people. They're what fictional villains should be: terrifying. And their lack of a conscience makes them so much worse. Like, how can Shatterbird even do what she did? Shatter every glass in a city full of innocent people, wounding them or killing them? So brutal, and evil. The good thing about that is that I can take her and the other S9 members seriously as villains. They're genuinely scary. BTW, Bonesaw is annoying to me, though. I would like it better if she didn't have that stupid goofy, childish personality. I guess it's supposed to be uncanny because of the contrast of how violent she is, but it annoys me instead of terrifying me.

Jack Slash hurt Tattletale. Now you've gone too far, JS. She's my favorite character in Worm. I wonder if she will finally reveal her backstory soon, something I've already spoiled a bit for a myself at some point before starting this proper, chronological order read of Worm. On the bright side, it's good that Jack has hurt someone. Now we have even more proof that the S9's violent reputation is real. Their leader just cut a teenage girl's face just because she revealed something that he wanted to reveal first. Jack doing that isn't a surprise, though. After all, in his introduction chapter, he throws a baby at her brother. That made it pretty clear that Jack is a monster, if the S9's reputation wasn't enough proof.

I still want to see Crawler.

Also, before Shatterbird appeared in Hookwolf's chapter, I thought her power of shattering glass was the only thing she could do. But no, she also controls glass. Can do things like move it around. That makes her even more of a threat.

Mannequin is horrifying. It doesn't help that I've got a doll and mannequin phobia. And the body horror aspect of Mannequin only unsettles me more. Someone being able to turn themselves into a mannequin, with much of their flesh and blood missing, is hard for me to comprehend. Mannequin doesn't even have eyes. Even if someone could survive having their body modified in the way Mannequin did to himself, who would screw their body up that drastically? What Mannequin did to himself is worse than what happens when someone's face gets ruined by botched plastic surgery. The dude practically isn't even human anymore.

I did like how Taylor insulted him to try forcing him to attack her instead of that woman and her son. Mannequin wanted to kill those two and he wasn't going to let a stupid insult get in the way of that. A less scary villain would have gotten offended and turned his attention back to Taylor, falling for the bait. And the fact that Mannequin can't speak makes him scarier. The funny thing is that I feel more fear whenever he shows up than I did when Leviathan did. Maybe because there were a lot of capes fighting him, and it was easier for a single cape to survive, because there were so many of them. When Taylor fought Mannequin, all of his focus was on her. And there were no other capes to provide backup.

And a few people in the comments of some Worm chapters were surprised that no one has killed Jack Slash yet. They were shocked no one ever put a bullet in him, considering he's not invincible or nearly so. Well, the guy clearly knows how to pick his battles. You see how he went to Purity's home when he knew she might be too weak to kill him with her power. Plus he has Siberian as a deterrent, which he used to his advantage when he confronted Taylor and the other Undersiders. A lot of the time preventing your death is all about taking precautions. Jack isn't one of those villains in badly written novels where the bad guys get defeated because they don't use their brains. Jack is genuinely clever. Not being invincible doesn't mean you can't be unstoppable.

The S9 are well-written villains. And their introduction chapters show how menacing they are, and that they're a threat to be taken seriously. They give a great, villainous first impression. Wildbow is doing a good job writing them.

I'm really loving this arc. The stakes in Worm get higher and higher, which is a sign of good writing.

[shaddytheguyislazy]

I really like TheRealJims's youtube channel. He has this boundless well of positivity and curiosity for everything about The Simpsons and never fails to find something to say about an episode, even a bad episode, that I never noticed or that makes me look at it in a way I hadn't before. His analysis, his mysteries and histories videos and even his season reviews and top 10 lists are really even-handed with regards to what a "good Simpsons episode" even means, and it's inspiring. So much so that I decided to bite the bullet and finally watch into the middle years after staying in S1-S9 town for so long.

...And then I realized no, it really just starts sloping down at Season 10 then fuckin nosedives from S11 onwards. These episodes are borderline incoherent. Why does Mel Gibson get an entire episode. Why did those bikers turn into children for Marge to parent? Who thought putting Apu's children in a human zoo was a good idea for an episode. The Stupid Sexy Flanders episode has Lisa trick Homer and Bart into going to a leper colony?? Homer got fucked by a panda??? I feel like I've seen twice as many episodes because so many of them have entire first acts that are totally disconnected with the actual plots of the stories

There's still the occasional good episode that doesn't fuck anything up too bad but yeesh I wish this was as fun as my wholesome Youtuber made it sound

[heymacy]

hi! i haven’t seen mickeyless seasons so i wanted to ask if ian ever has issues about being bipolar like he did with mickey? like him breaking up in s5 for not wanting to see mickey hurt and s10 when he asks if he’s crazy for wanting to be with him! i think i read somewhere that caleb? maybe had a talk about self love or whatever to ian but that dude was horrendous ( not that trevor was best for what ive seen ) so im not sure that counts ahah

hi anon!

yes, ian grappling with his disorder is a very very big theme throughout seasons 6, 7, 8, and 9. in fact i would argue that aside from him becoming an EMT, the bipolar storyline is his most significant one (i typed out my response and it got very long so i'm going to put it below the cut 💛)

in s6 he is fresh off of the diagnosis, the breakup, and coping with mickey going to prison (and he was definitely trying to cope, he still loved him and seeing someone you love locked up is immeasurably hard. i feel like we don't talk about this enough). he feels very aimless and it isn't until an incident (he's a bystander to a car crash and rescues a woman from a burning vehicle) that he finds his new path (becoming an EMT, which he does by the end of s6). caleb was absolutely awful in so many ways but the one good thing he did do was encourage and support ian in finding a new life path, which is the only credit i will give him. there's also a deleted scene in s6 that is so, so important re: understanding how mentally ill people are viewed and treated in society and of course ian's monologue about how he's good at his job because of his illness, which is one of my favorite scenes in the entire show.

in s7, he's getting healthy again and taking his meds, but it isn't without struggle. there's a very poignant and important scene (part one, part two) with lip where he expresses his struggles with his disorder and how hard it is for him to cope with taking his meds and listening to the warning signs for episodes (he was behaving in ways akin to a hypomanic episode/showing signs of slipping into an episode just before the conversation happens). by the end of the season, after he leaves mickey at the border, he's still relatively stable, but the emotional triggers of leaving mickey behind + monica's death start to take a toll on him, which we see in s8. there's also the trevor of it all in s7, but that's a whole other issue. trevor did not have a positive impact on ian's self-esteem whatsoever and even went so far as to demand ian forgive monica and "move on" after knowing 0.1% of the history between the two of them. that scene in particular makes me unfathomably angry and i just know it was deeply, deeply triggering for ian to hear that from someone he cared about.

in s8, we have the gay jesus storyline, which i absolutely detest and hate to discuss, but it's part of his story and it needs to be acknowledged. he's taken advantage of a lot this season, propelled towards some sort of fucked up end goal with very little control over his circumstances, and it quickly spirals out of control. while the writers never explicitly state that ian is hypo/manic during this season, you can watch the progression happen if you pay close enough attention. despite not being given a lot to work with, cameron did a great job at playing the nuances of bipolar disorder this season, showing ian's descent into hypo/mania as the gay jesus movement grows and warps.

in s9, he's in prison for the first time and is noticeably manic. after being released, he starts seeking out meaning and purpose in religion. eventually he's forced to face the consequences of his actions and pleads not guilty to arson by reason of insanity, not only defying the wishes of the gay jesus followers (they feared him going public with his diagnosis and pleading insanity would delegitimize the movement) but also finally choosing to really acknowledge his disorder, reckon with it, and make peace with it, in a strange sort of way. it's a very important and pivotal moment for his character and cameron absolutely delivers during his plea monologue.

if you've see s10 you know how his self-worth takes a hit regarding the marriage storyline, and how he's so terrified of marrying mickey because 1) he doesn't know if he's capable of being a good partner because he doesn't feel like he had good examples of healthy marriage standards growing up and 2) he isn't sure mickey knows what he's signing up for re: his disorder and everything it entails. which, of course, is not the case, because mickey doesn't love him in spite of his disorder, he loves him completely, and his disorder is just a part of that. he wants all of him, always, and that's a huge plot point in s10 and s11 ("i gotta worry, you're my husband" scene my absolute beloved).

anyway. the short answer is that yes, ian spends a lot of time grappling with his disorder and the realities of life as a bipolar human. he deals with issues regarding his self-worth, his purpose, and his relationships. speaking as a bipolar individual, i can say with absolute certainty that coming to terms with your diagnosis is a long, arduous process that takes many years and a lot of commitment to achieve. it's not easy, and though the writers dropped the ball on a LOT of storylines in the show, they did a pretty damn good job of showing how hard it is to cope and live with the realities of bipolar disorder and everything that entails.

if you ever want to see more of his journey, gallavichscenes on youtube has playlists of all of ian's scenes in season 6, season 7, season 8, and season 9. i highly recommend watching the show in its entirety but if you don't want to do that, i recommend at the very least watching the rest of ian's storyline. it colors so much of his story and mickey's and it's hard to fully comprehend the extent of their relationship without understanding that storyline. i hope this answered your question! sending tons and tons of love 💛

[the-log-ffl]

S10:W15

That’s it, that’s a wrap on the 2024 LOG regular season. Congratulations to all the teams who are still off and running, seeking that championship:

#1 Sarnia Slut Slayers

#2 Embarcadero Burd Turds

#3 Big Sur Buckle Nuggets

#4 Redfield 49Knerrs

I don’t think I missed a write up and only a handful of dicks got skipped.. Pretty good season for ol mish….  I’ll try to get on those if I get some downtime after the holiday. We got “Roman” up to the same ol bullshit, Raj narrowly escaped the clutches and house is looking down the barrel of that losership as we speak. Lots of familiar faces.

I will give Matt Peterson 10,000 fucking dollars if he texts me….. Never mind.. You know what, we all knew what we knew and I now know who the real ones are. If anyone reading this message other than Matt Peterson directly texts their mish “thumb in the bum” that person will receive an automatic holiday $10 venmo payment. Fuck you Peterson.

It’s that time of year gents, The League of Ordinary Gentlemen First Annual Ordinary Gentlemen of the Year is upon us and I am pleased to announce this years nominees

Matt Peterson, for not paying attention to the season at all, starting injured players, bye week players, multiple weeks in a row and not reading a single weekly write up all year and still making the playoffs. (maybe more)

Chris Raj,  for becoming a farmer of friendship and advocating for microdosing and heavy microdosing psychedelic mushrooms amongst  the league. Raj’s subtle touch and gentle approach to reaching deeper into ourselves has been palpable this year.

Max Marple, for taking his team from worst to first in the AL in one year, attributing his success to cold water exposure and trying to masturbate less.

Brad Knerr for wearing that hat in his holiday card.

Text me your vote for LOGFFLOGOTY

Kick back with a microdose boys, a heavy microdose, and enjoy the playoffs!

LOG 4 life!

~mish

LOG WEEKLY DICK SIZE RECAP

Brad Knerr has the BIG DICK OF THE WEEK: 144 Points

Roman Reed has the small dick of the week: 64 Points

Shawn House has THE THROBBER - 190.64 (S9:W3)

Ethan App has the STINKY DICK - 48.14 Points (S10:W7)

SEASON X BIG DICKS OF THE WEEK - $100

Sarnia Slut Slayers 5  $100.00

Odusty Beckham Jr. 3

DISCIPLINE = FREEDOM 2

Embarcadero Burd Turds 1

Papi Gringos 1

Redfield 49Knerrs 1

Sordidus 1

Spirit Halloween/OTS 1

Big Sur Buckle Nuggets 0

The Raj Hotel 0

BIGGEST DICK OF THE YEAR - $100

Odusty Beckham Jr - 177:Week 2

LOG CHANGES FOR 2025 

We are going back to our roots for draft day. We are going old school. Clip boards, paper and pens at the draft. No more phones or tablets to assist in the draft. Now I know the value in these modern gadgets. But I don’t want to see guys annoyed or upset that their gadget might get ruined by a pool dunk or a champagne squirt. I don’t want to see “Roman” avoiding the sticker board because he is catching up or having trouble with his app.  We put them away, we do paper and pen, we try to pay attention, it’s a shit show, if we find a violation, we will penalize accordingly, loss of keeper, loss of FAB or something. Clipboard, trunks and a positive attitude is all you need to bring to draft day moving forward! 

Loser of the league will sing the national anthem to kick off the following draft. (after the maier/hames bet is final)

The LOG is moving to the SLEEPER app in 2025

Draft weekend is now 2 weekends before Labor Day. Not the weekend before labor day, but the one before that. 

The throbber and stinky dick will be retired. There will be some other rule tweaks that affect scoring and those will be retired

The LOG championship belt will also be retired after year 10. LOG 2.0 will have a new belt and the old will be present for photos at draft weekends (not for losers).