#me raving over Shadow OMG

[shadouge01]

I’m back.

My discombobulated thoughts now that I have finished Sonic Prime SPOLIERS!!!!!!!

********

Okay so I watched season 1 in parts and season 2 when it came out and just watched season 3 today. I binged everything, so if I don’t remember something 100% correctly, that’s why.

Sonic prime is good.

I know, shocker.

Okay, I haven’t watched any of the other shows so I can’t compare it to X or Boom or whatever. But this seemed to have a darker tone than most other sonic media and I enjoyed that a lot. (I know I need to watch SATAM, don’t yell at me.)I’ve dipped in and out of this fandom a lot. And my participation is all over the place (I won’t be posting about Ken spenders anymore, I took my Kenspiracies too far when I had that stupid twitter account yeah, that was me) but ANYWAY

This show was great. Not perfect, the main flaw I found was the pacing is very fact paced and action heavy which is good for a Sonic show and good for a person with ADHD like me. However I found the first season took awhile to get going and was more episodic. I know it was to introduce the characters but I got bored a bit. I’ll say again I liked the episode in Season 1 with Thorn Rose but the Boscage Maze and especially No Place never felt that fleshed out to me. I still wanted them to be saved because I cared about Sonic and his friends, but the worlds weren’t very interesting.

I. Love. New. Yoke. The aesthetic of this place is perfect and VERY Sonic CD bad future-seque which is PERFECT. I only wish we spent more time there. Especially in season 3 which takes place entirely in the Grim after the first two episodes, which I get, I do, but the pacing again, I felt was too fast and too much action and not enough character moments. The he ending felt rushed, because I really wanted to see the rebels rebuild New Yoke after the Egg Council was gone (assuming the other shatterspaces didn’t freeze in time like Green Hill did, but I got the implication that was a unique case.) and I wanted to see the others return home as well. I guess this leaves it open to a sequel or expansion of some kind, comics, some kind of spin off media, I’d even love an animated movie if they fixed the pacing issues, but yeah, that was my only gripe. I guess I wanted more time with Sonic and Nine reconciled too before everything happened but that’s the painful thing in life, sometimes you don’t get that. We know the prism still exists so then interacting again some way in the future might be possible, if they know how to control portals and such, hell with the chaos emerald they might be able to go to other worlds anyway. I wonder where Shadow is keeping the prism. I wonder if Nine stays on the Grim by himself or if he goes back to New Yoke. He deserves friends, and I’m sure some of the others would come around to him given time. renegade Knucks was up there fighting with Sonic after all. It could work. I just want him to be happy :((

I guess those are small nitpicks in the grand scheme of things because I want to say that the tone and storytelling was GREAT, the music was epic and cinematic and fit the tone of the show very well, the contrasting color palettes of different worlds really helped make it pop. The 3D animation was fantastic and felt perfect for a show like this. Characters were VERY expressive. (Hey Sega, can you update your in game models please thanks, you know it’s bad when the SA2 models have more dynamic facial expressions). Anyway, I thought the voice acting was great. Shadow’s voice felt a little wrong but I’m probably just used to Humphrey and Griffith, I don’t like his voice in forces either but I digress. It worked for this. Sonic’s VA was amazing and really able to convey a wide range of emotions and I thought the other characters had good VAs. Nine was great. I do wish maybe he’d had a redemption earlier against a greater threat a la Zuko style but one can dream. Nine is still easily the best version of Tails, ever. I was lukewarm on Tails as a character before and Nine made me appreciate everything about all versions of Tails. Incredible. What I love about Nine is he takes things too far because he has serious trust issues and him and Sonic fail to communicate which as a neurodivergent person is very relatable. I think Tails in general and especially Nine, is very autistic coded, and I love that. I just wish season 3 Nine had more development before the end because his arc was perfect until the end of season 2 but I’m at least glad he did realize and did the right thing. He’s really just a scared kid who wants a safe place, don’t we all? Again I REALLY want to see more material with him in the future and what becomes of him with Sonic gone.

My other favorite side characters were Thorn Rose, Rusty Rose, and Dread, but I thought they were all great. I loved that the roses had a great character moment, as did Dread when he finally realized that saving his friends was more important than treasure. The Egg council was awesome, taking different traits of Eggman and turning them into a squabbling family was PERFECT. The fact that they met their demise because they were arguing over the prism was so real. Great stuff.

I want to talk about Sonic himself because this is one of the best Sonics I’ve seen. I haven’t decided if this is better than Movie Sonic, but I love both a ton along with Adventure. This Sonic is one of the most expressive Sonics with the most emotional range. Yeah, he’s still overly cocky and hilarious, and mostly always optimistic, but I love that he actually learns from his mistakes and comes up with new ideas. The fact he even took inspiration from the Egg Council to never give up was great. I loved the robots of all the main characters as well. Sonic was well written, VERY in character but still serious when he needs to be (unlike Archie Sonic (sometimes) and 06, which is bad).

Speaking of 06, this is the best written Shadow we have gotten since 06. I mentioned very early on in this blog how I love his arc through Shadow 05 and Sonic 06. Sonic is way out of character and the Elise thing is stupid, BUT, Team Dark was perfect in 06. It’s sad we don’t have Team Dark anymore, but Rouge on team sonic was cool, I just like Rouge in general and if they’re gonna make her part of the main cast, good. Okay, back to Shadow. His development in game is that he goes from being angry at the world and wanting revenge, to being emotionally numb and trying to figure out the truth, to finally realizing his purpose and knowing not to give up and kicking the bad guys when it hurts. He’s hard to crack, but he DOES care about his friends, as you can see through subtle actions, rather it be Team Dark, Sonic, whatever. He’d never ADMIT to Sonic that they’re friends, but I do genuinely think he cares for Sonic.

Anyway, Shadow has been stagnant as a character since then, the best writing was in Forces with him vs. Infinite but it didn’t do much to further his character. He hasn’t been in a lot of media lately like Frontiers (although maybe they knew they couldn’t write him well for games and wanted to see how he went over in prime and the upcoming movie). Prime Shadow made me more excited for Movie Shadow, because if we got one of, if not THE best Sonics ever in Prime as well as the movie, I’m expecting good things from Shadow in the movie, considering they really nailed Tails and Knuckles in Sonic 2, imo, and now knowing that Shadow is allowed to have feelings again is so good. He’s very in character, overly serious, and cold, but he is incredibly dedicated to the cause and unquestionably a hero, like 06 Shadow. Prime Shadow reminds me a LOT of 06 Shadow and that’s GOOD. He’s also just great with his subtle nod to Sonic when Sonic talks about his friends, their excellent back and forthing with Sonic cracking jokes “I didn’t know you were a hugger” and Shadow responding with his straight man persona “do you want me to save you or not?” It was great stuff all the way through. I thought he was decent in Season 2, but Season 3 was AWESOME. I guess I had to trade Nine for Shadow, sigh. Nine did come back around in the end which GOOD, if they kept him as a villain the whole time I would’ve been pissed, but I digress. This might be the best Shadow since SA2, he’s SO GOOD YALL and I could keep raving about Prime Shadow all day. I loved when Dr. Deep called him an edge lord, it’s great meta humor, and in character for Deep who actually is an edge lord. Really hope SEGA takes the positive feedback from this and makes Shadow better in upcoming games/comics. LET FLYNN WRITE A GOOD SHADOW FOR GOD’S SAKE!

Ahem.

Anyway, I’m glad I watched Prime, it gave us the best Sonic Shadow and Tails maybe ever and it took the darker tone that Forces tried and really fleshed it out. Good job guys.

[merakiui]

hello!🤭

this is that one one phantom of the opera & TMDG anon! (i remember raving about ‘the point of no return’ and how the song perfectly captured the plot) 🤤

i saw the body swap post you made and…. there’s no words or emojis i can use to describe how i feel about it (there are picture memes but i’m nervy to come off anon😔)

and oh my god…

hear me out on this one…

*shuffles papers on podium*

instead of reader being affected the potion… and reader’s lovely boyfriend and the boy who has a huge obsession crush on you!!

this could just be his felix felicis kicking in, or it could be a happy little coincidence 🤭

of course, he probably meant to trade bodies with you / wished it was you instead of your boyfriend until it dawned on him.

he wanted to be closer to you than ever before, he wanted to see the secrets of your life, your body, your everything. he had a whole plan (daydream) set up and everything; you two getting closer because of this incident, him slowly sabotaging your relationship, him being there for you when you break up because who knows better about you than him?

because he was you

but now… now he was now your boyfriend.

he can only watch from your boyfriends body as he desperately tried telling you that he got his body swapped. oh no!! what do you mean you you don’t believe him when he says you’re his partner?? i know it all seems crazy but you have to listen to him!! he switched bodies!!

it’s a good thing he immediately swept over to your the moment he woke up. how he told you about how… strange and demented he was. that him, your precious boyfriend, overheard that… lunatic confess to stalking you, stealing your stuff, hell he even gave him a pair of recent panties you thought you lost in the wash.

so as your ex-boyfriend tried to tell you that it was him, how else would he know all these things about you?? that birthmark on the back of your thigh, how you like your eggs, even where you keep you ‘treasure box’ for memories.

yet with each reveal you get more and more horrified.

your real boyfriend wouldn’t be so worried about this if he didn’t catch sight of himself watching from behind a pillar. he could only stare horrified as a sly, impish smile danced across his own lips.

slowly, he brought his hand up to signal him to be silent. to stay silenced. you don’t turn in time to see his physical body slowly slip back into the shadows.

and now… for my cherry on top:

picture:

role of real bf: azul or jamil

&

role of fake bf : jade or azul

*i walk off stage*

also idk about your anon names, but do you have a phantom 👻 anon? i’d love to become an anon 🤭

Hi hiiiii, phantom anon!!!!! ⸜(｡ ˃ ᵕ ˂ )⸝♡ it's so lovely to hear from you again!!!

Omg this idea........ so delicious. orz the manipulation paired with the body swap!!!! The cruel sabotage!!!!!!!!! The cherry on top is just automatically perfect because of my bias LOL. Azul sabotaging your relationship with your boyfriend during the body swap and then being there for you in your time of need when he's back in his body. AAAAAAAA SO GOOD. The way he'd be so attentive, so soft, so soothing....... gently telling you to lean on him, that he's here for you, that you don't need your now ex-boyfriend. orz orz orz

[isuckatwritingsobenice]

you’re genuienly one of my fav writers! may I request the seduce me brothers with an s/o that’s a vampire? or some other supernatural being?

AHH OMG AM I REALLY? THANK YOU SO MUCH THAT ACTUALLY MEANS SO MUCH TO ME OMG 😪😪🫶🫶 i love you forever, Thank you so much for your request!! I hope you enjoy it!! I also decided to include what type of vampire they are. EX: taking inspo from Draculara from Monsrer High, or the Cullens in Twilight!

Warnings: death, blood drinking, implied smut,

Navigation!!! // Masterlist!!!

James:

You’re a regular vampire ( Dracula Coded )

He could sense it off of you, it was painfully obvious you were hungry

It was pretty dark out, and the club he was in was equally as dark

You don’t approach anyone, but others do approach you

You’re noticeably older, but not by much, maybe late 20’s early 30’s

In human years…

James decides to go over to you, what’s the worst that can happen? everything

Luckily for him you recognize that scent, and after a few drinks you’re both off to some cheap hotel room

It starts with a one night stand, one James usually doesn’t do, but you draw him in so easily it’s hard to resist

He doesn’t let you go, he refuses too

You two sneak off into small alleyways, hidden in the shadows where you’re safe

Usually if you ever go out it’s with an umbrella or long sleeve

rainy days with you are perfect for him >>

likes going to blood parties with you, which is just a fancy dance vampires have every few months

he’s seen you drink blood, he doesn’t partake in it, but he does feel better knowing you aren’t hungry

doesn’t condone you hunting humans but also doesn’t try very hard to stop you so ;)

Erick:

( Victorian Vampire )

Met at a demon ball

He was HOOKED when he saw you

He thought you were drinking wine until he saw how much it stained your lips and cup

He’s naturally flirty, and so are you

You two talk for hours about other worldly food is so much better than human food

He’s so sad when you leave :( but he gets excited when you appear in a library the next day

Cue him finding out you can travel through shadows and paintings ?!?!?!

Thinks it’s so cool and absolutely asks you out on a date

you go to a rave party when he watches you hunt

he’s in love

he helps you hide the body

he’s gonna marry you

Sam:

( Twillight based )

He met you on the bus …

not the most romantic but it was late at night and you were hungry

he watched you devour the bus driver

Of course you didn’t try to attack him but you acted like everything was normal afterwards

just casually started talking to him with blood all over you and he’s like ??? bitch wtf but like in a hot way

pulls the “ so you have plans later?” knowing damn well you don’t

you two end up having a one night stand, and the strength battle between you two is steamy ~

he does see you again though, it’s on his way home from work

he sees a dead body, he also sees you, he now sees nothing wrong and dismisses the complaints of noise, who ever knew? not him that’s for sure

you two hunt imps or animals a lot, you make a game out of it

he likes that you can be outside with him

shine bright like a diamond

Matthew:

( Draculara coded )

met at a bakery

you wanted a cupcake and Matthew asked if you needed help with balancing the cupcake and holding your umbrella together

it’s 80 degrees out

when you hand him the umbrella you step in the shade, and he follows slightly

you make small talk with him and he tells you he’s on the hunt to try all the bakery’s in the city to find the best cupcakes

you tell him the best bakery burnt down in 1857 and he’s like … come again?

he knew you weren’t human but vampire was not what he was expecting

panicked and thought you were gonna bite him

you did not bite him

he likes that you’re vegan though

at least you two can eat together, as long as it’s inside and not with a lot of sunlight through the windows

probably the most cautious about blood being around you

Damien:

( psychic vampire )

he actually loves that you can communicate telepathically

you also help with his headaches which he really appreciates

you two met under a bridge

he saw you kill someone and was like um… no thank you !!

but he did decide to give you a chance, he’s seen enough death one by a pretty vampire wouldn’t hurt

probably cuts himself on purpose for you

you don’t take the blood because you know it wasn’t an accident

he calms your bad behavior sometimes, messing with people’s minds and stuff

you help get rid of his mind reading powers

he loves you forever >>

[vtmgremlin]

Can I ask you to gush/rant/rave about your most favorite, and then your least favorite clans? Just totally go off. I live for it.

Oh!! Omg hello (sorry for the wait)

Gosh I wish I had more energy to answer this properly but I shall try lol (Read more to not clog mutuals dashes!)

I favorite has to be the Hecata (Specifically the Cappadocians, Harbingers, etc.) Love me the clan of death (save for....the Giovannis...looks at them from afar).

I just think their whole deal is so much more interesting (personally!) than most others. The fact that y'all are traversing past the shroud and can interact with the shadowlands and just...idk I find it so much more amazing than the board room meetings of the Ventrue's.

That being said my next top three are Ventrue, Lasombra and Gangrel LMFAO

Love the Ventrue because they are just the equivalent of wolves being domesticated into those little crusty white dogs. Fantastic, really. (Also they are awful in so many ways but so much of it is looked over because they are so BORING about it !!!! which is so slay honestly). Personally, to me, they are the more Yaoi Clan.

Lasombra because like come on ya know? Shadow Lords of the highest fuckery. You're telling me these guys get Oblivion (Obentenbration), Dominate, AND Potence???? So i'm just supposed to sit here and get my shit rocked, a'ight. (Also fully believe that the Oceans are a mirror of the Abyss, which is why they were saliors ye old ages ago. Something Something, they were called back to the sea....hmmm...)

GANGREL! I didn't care much about them before until I made my son Blake, and there is a good reason because they really got the fuckin' full fist : ( Like it feels as though everyone forgets about them, even their lore stated that they were meant for a greater purpose but...we shall never truly know. Not only that but in V5....? really?? you're going to make a beast man vampire and NOT give them the ability to use Shape of the Beast's Wrath??? Jail for a thousand years. Love them because a bit of bias now for sure, but also the way they view everything so so refreshing as well (Like the Hecata), so removed from the politics (in some cases). It feels like they see a bigger picture here, and yet they are called "cowards" for not getting involved. Like shit man, would you want to go help when an ANTEDILUVIAN is fully awake and going on a murder rampage?

Yeah, I really wouldn't either, honestly.

Least favorite...hmm...IDK! I truly do like all the clans for their own reason, I guess least though would maybe be Brujah? But that might also be a case like the Gangrel where they (writers) lost the plot a long time ago. Like the True Brujah, hell yeah, now we're talking. But Normmie Brujah are very one note and I think thats sad :,/

Personally, think that this could all be fixed if we BROUGHT BACK BLOODLINES INTO V5 but thats a talk for another time.....//flops around

Anyways, thank you again for the ask!!!! Very sweet of you ;; w;;)/ Hope that this suffices TT u TT

[dungeons-n-draw]

Not to be dramatic or anything but your use of lighting in your portraits is some of the most dynamic and beautiful I have ever seen 🤩 like, it is SO hard to get even basic shadows right, and here you are with banger after banger of absolutely amazing poetic use of light (the strip of light to illuminate Beau's facial scar??? Hello?????).

Anyway, welcome to Tumblr, I am so happy you came here bc now I can see all of this glorious art up close.

Can I ask what mediums you use? Is it digital via Procreate, or physical medium? I always love seeing an artist's process.

I can't wait to see the rest of the Bells Hells portraits. The Ashton one has me FEELING THINGS 😭

Omg, you’re the sweetest!! All of these portraits are really light studies I use to get better at lighting, so to hear you rave abt them is the highest of compliments!

I use photoshop for most of the pieces but I’m thinking of switching over to clip studio paint soon. I’ve had issues with photoshop forever and am kind of ready to move away from it.

When it comes to choosing lighting or pose etc, Pinterest has been a god send and if you look even a bit I’m sure you will stumble upon the references I use.

Moving forward I’m excited to lean more into composition and larger scale dynamic lighting. Im very happy with where I am right now but it’s always exciting to look forwards a bit :)

Thanks so much for reaching out and I’m glad you like the art!!!!

[snickiebear]

yo nadia <3333 i'm bored in my online classes and u reblogged the questions thingy at the right time lmao, so get ready: 1, 4, 5, 9, 10, 17, 23, 24, 28, 30!!!, 34, 38, 39, 40 (the intimacy of being understood) (imma stop here lol) (also i'm sorry u're not feeling well, ily and hope u'll feel better soon!! <33333)

ELE ILY. (and thank you, i’m stayin home today cause,,, yeah. i appreciate you sm.) you’re the literal best, i adore you. 

1. How long ago did you start reading fanfiction? Writing fanfiction?

The first fanfiction i read was for The Lunar Chronicles when I was like 11?? and it was 100% on accident and it scarred me because it was a hardcore porn one with a period kink and i was like WHAT IS THIS??? OH MY GOD???? LMAOOOOO i didn’t pick it back up until i was 13-14 and really got into the Fairy Tail fandom. I still reread my favorites on ff.net cause i love them. 

As for writing, I wrote a horrible, terrible x-men fanfiction when I was twelve. (my friend still brings it up and REFUSES to delete it so it still gets comments and views, that shit HAUNTS ME ELE.) then tried again for Fairy Tail, posted like two chapters before taking it down cause i wasn’t really feeling it. And then I posted The Intimacy Of Being Understood and here we are. 

4. Link your three favorite fics right now.

OMGG okok 

@murd3rm1ttens ‘s The Problem How Time Works IF YOU HAVENT READ THIS YOU GUYS NEED TO HOP ON IT ASAP. MITTEN’S WRITING SO SO SO SO GOOD. SAKURA AND INO ARE TOTAL BADASSES. KAKASHI IS A SIMPPPP. ITS SO FUCKING GOOD. 

@mouseymightymarvellous ‘s We Were Screaming In Color (Only A Possibility) yes, yes I KNOW. i always point into mousey’s direction but i WILL always advocate that everyone reads her fics, they’re literally so beautiful???? i just happen to be rereading WWSIN rn 

@safelycapricious ‘s Shaking Up And Breaking Down series. I found this like?? idfk but i’ve been raving about it ever since. ALSO CHECK OUT THEIR FICS IN GENERAL. 

fuck i have more than three but also check out @ambivalens999 ‘s Masks

i do wanna make a fic rec thing where i just rav about my favs,,, might do that later or sum

5. What are your fanfic pet peeves? Do they have a huge effect on whether or not you decide to read something?

Omniscient third person. I don’t like it. Like I can understand that it can be a little hard to stay in one person’s perspective but, in my opinion, if you can, it shows how disciplined you are as a writer. Plus, i just get so confused when I go from A’s thoughts to suddenly what B is thinking about A. 

When writers use ‘ ‘ instead of “ “. When writers put thoughts in ‘ ‘ instead of just italicizing them. It’s small things but like they just bother me sO MUCH. most of the time i can ignore it and try to enjoy but other times i just dip. 

9. Tag 3 fic writers you think are underrated/unknown in the fandom/fanfiction community.

@espoir-et-reves !!!!! THEIR SHISAKU FICS ARE SO SO SO SO SO GOOD. And they have a warring states one going on THAT I AM SO OBSESSED WITH. 

@writer168 idk if they’re really “underrated” but THEY HAVE SUCH GREAT FICS ON AO3. Like theres an AU with sakura, kiba, and shino that i reread constantly because it just. is. so. fucking. GOOD. and they posted a new one that i’m YELLING about. 

@eggtoasties okay they only have 2 in the naruto fandom (one shisaku which is still ongoing) BUT THEIR WRITING STYLE IS SO NICE?? I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT. I still go back and reread their shikasaku one cause UGH i can’t get enough. I love it. 

10. What’s your favorite fandom, pairing, or character to read fic for?

Fandoms: Naruto, Soul Eater, The Old Guard, ATLA

Parings: KakaSaku/ShikaSaku/ShiSaku/MultiSaku, SoMa, Joe X Nicky, Zukka

Character: SAKURA. I will read anything with Sakura as the main character and her being a fuckin badass or becoming a badass. I love her.

17. How obsessively do you sit and stare at your fic after you’ve just posted and wait for feedback?

aha.. haha.. well. I check my email like three times an hour. its the first thing i check in the mornings too. I’m literally a whore for praise and literally eat up feedback like its going out of style. I also reread a lot of my stuff because i make so many mistakes and spelling errors, or the spacing is weird oR SOMETHING. plus, literally any and all comments make my day, i go back and reread them cause they just make me feel so tingly and warm like “wow. this person enjoyed the fic/my writing enough to tell me. thats HUGE!”

23. What’s your absolute favorite trope to write?

Angry, feral, bloodied, morally gray women. They aren’t bad guys, they’re probably the good guy, but that doesn’t mean they cant be fucking raging at the world with raw knuckles and blood on their teeth. I just love an angry woman who struggles with her emotions and just has so much inner conflict but that doesn’t take away from her character or badassery, it adds to it. 

24. What’s a trope that you’d like to never hear about as long as you live, let alone write?

The fake dating or miscommunication troupe. LIKE GUYS JUST TALK. AND TELL EACH OTHER OMFG. the entire like obliviousness of “nah they dont like me” while the They holds their hand and kisses their cheek. MOFO WHAT. it makes me so impatient and like mad HAAHHAHA. its probably because i’m a pretty confrontational person so seeing stuff like that just “cmon bro, USE YO HEAD.”

28. How do you deal with writing pressure (ie: pressure to update, negative comments, deadlines, etc)?

I have yet to receive a negative comment! Which i was really surprised about tbh. As for deadlines or pressure to update, i just kind of do whatever. I do set goals, but i set them flexible enough that hey, if i can’t do it, that’s okay. 

I have a lot of mini goals, like “i want to write this chapter and get it done this week” and then the large goal is “FINISH BY END OF MAY” so i have time. 

Actually, now that I think on it, the entire pressure to update thing is probably why i’m waiting until I have all of OL&W written to post it weekly,, cause well. I wouldn’t wanna leave you guys waiting as I tried to write and work out the next chapters and stuff, you know?

30. Post a snippet from your current WIP without context - no more than 300 words.

AAAAAA YOU KNOW I LOVE THESE AHAHAHAH

Have you seen the way the dead dance, World Breaker? They roar, half mad and starving. Do you not wish, do you not hope to see them twist and bend and dance to your will?

Shikamaru snarls, looking behind his shoulders to where his Shadows lay. “Patience.” He spits. “Is of the essence, Things of Ancient. Know your place as the dark you are.”

34. How much of yourself and your life experiences do you put into your writing? What do you think your readers’ image of you is?

None of my experiences match up to anything I write tbh,,, probably the only thing that is me in my writing is maybe the emotional turmoil? I’m pretty emotionally and mentally mature because from a pretty young age i started forming my own opinions, started looking into the world around us and being like “dude what the fuck this is not what disney advertised”. Then i started talking (read: arguing and debating) with my dad about a lot of it. So, like emotions are kind of hard for me. Like i’m pretty good at controlling them or understanding them, but still. idk its hard to explain ig.

Like the weight of stress, the anger, the sadness. It’s kind of therapeutic to write. Cause i don’t know how to put those feelings to verbal words so writing them really helps. 

As for my readers’ image? Probably like some kind of hunched over figure typing away in the dark with a maniacal grin on their face. I honestly don’t know AHHAHAHA but it is fun to think about. I think they’d see me as someone with potential but a lot of room to grow and someone who is imperfect but in a charming way LMAOOOO

38. What does your writing process look like? How chaotic is it on a scale of 1 (very tame) to 10 (you can’t handle this kind of chaos)?

I’m gonna be real honest. Its probably like a 2. I’m a bit of a control freak so I almost always go in chronological order, my writing is pretty linear. Unless, i get bored and jump to one of my fav parts. It's pretty much i sit down, i open the doc, read over my notes and just start writing. 

It’s a little boring to explain AHAHAHA but once i get into the groove of things its really fucking great, I can like feel myself in the world, I can feel what i want the characters to, i love it. I catch myself mouthing the words as i type too, which i find hilarious.

39. What’s something about your writing that you pride yourself on?

I rather like how raw my writing is sometimes. Which might sound really vain, but i do like the way i word things or describe things. I love juxtaposition and repetition, or making a good ole circle back to some minute detail that wouldn’t stand out until i repeat it at the end and you’re like “omg” AHAHAHAHA.

Like those little poetic snippets or certain wording i just sit back and go “damn thats kinda good nadia! go you!’ HAHAHA  

40. How did you come up with the idea for The Intimacy Of Being Understood?

AAAAA this fic is like my first child, my pride and joy LMAO

so the idea initially came when i was reading some fic, idk if it was even naruto, but i was like “i don't like this, but i do like the rain symbolism.” And I knew i wanted to write something kind of slow paced, something a little sad and angsty, but would show KakaSaku slowly but surely falling in love.

Idk if you’ve noticed but a lot of my fics, the pairings don’t change each other dramatically. They accept each other as they are and then they grow with together. Like that acceptance is something i just love writing, its so subtle, it isn’t something you declare. Its simply “I am going to love you. I am going to love you despite your flaws and faults. I am going to love you unconditionally because I know you, I understand you, and there is nothing you could do to drive me away.” 

The fic kind of wrote itself after that first scene. I kept going back to the rain, go being ghosts, and resurrection, and the small epiphanies one gets. I wanted to focus on each character’s growth with each other. They didn’t find light in life because of each other, but with each other. And i think that’s my favorite thing about that fic. 

I wanted something raw and real and just something beautiful. I’m actually really proud of it tbh. Would i go back and rewrite/edit it? Oh of course! I’d do that with every single one of my fics, but i’m not gonna cause i think its in its rawest form right now. :))))

ask me shit plz

[costellos]

𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐬 𝐛𝐲 𝐲𝐨𝐮! 

—asks received between Sept. 1 and Sept. 16.

anonymous asked: My all time favorite concept is cuddly Stands. Wingman Stands. The ones that figure out that I like someone and then proceed to act on it. I can just picture sitting there, beating down my feelings for Polnareff or Kakyoin and all of a sudden, my Stand just starts nuzzling into their neck and we make direct eye contact. I start trying to apologize but my Stand just keeps hugging and kissing them. I firmly believe someone (probably Joseph) would tease me about it. 😂🥺

AHHHHH I LOVE THIS!!! stands are basically a shadow of yourself sooo 👀 I think Silver Chariot and Emerald Splash would be flustered. especially Chariot; Polnareff acts suave but I like to think that the moment his flirting is returned the man just shuts down. Emerald Splash would handle it a lil better, but Kakyoin is doing everything he can to downplay the situation. you? like him? ugh, that’s unimaginable. although he’d tease you about it, that pink blush is unmistakable. 

anonymous asked: Ight, concept time. Im in college for massage therapy, and we spend a lot of out lab time massaging one another (and it's soooo niiiice. My touch starved quarantined ass LOVES it.) Anyway. Now I can't get it out of my head of treating my faves to a nice massage. Ceasar and Joseph after training. Literally all of the Crusaders, especially sweet Polnareff. Using swords is tough work! Id love to help him relax. (Something tells me Joot wouldn't want to cooperate. No matter. I'll massage Star. 🥰)

omg that sounds amazing! I’m so envious.... can I come to your massage therapy class? anyway, I think all of them would appreciate it! some would be more excited than others (Joseph, Polnareff), but most would be super hesitant (Caesar, Avdol, Kakyoin) or would straight up reject you (Oldseph, Jotaro). just put those hands to work and they’d melt to your touch. they’d be in the middle of protesting and the moment u so much as pinch their shoulders they just go “hhhggghh... nice......” (Star would be your best client, he’s so happy to have any sort of attention from you 😊)

💘 anon asked: 😔😔i’m here to openly confess my love for pannacotta fugo, i’m gathering my brain cells to write you good concepts but for now, i wanna give him a hug and tell him it’s okay and purple haze isn’t that scary bc have you seen a depressed bitch’s dirty ass room before?? that’s scary purple haze ain’t nothing (ps i’m bitch)

PUT THOSE BRAIN CELLS TO WORK, GIRL. I WANT UR BEST CONCEPTS!!!

hmmm... it depends on the situation on whether or not Fugo would accept your words. if you’re just coming up to him out of the blue, I think he’d brush you off. but if you’re calming him down after an outburst and you’re persistent about talking with him, he’d be much more receptive. he’s so lost and so, so scared yet having you here, holding him, would remind him that not all things in the world are terrible. although he still doesn’t think he deserves you, he’s glad that you’re here nonetheless. 

just a soft anon 💖 asked:  Bro. I'm taking my fine art entrance exams tomorrow morning and I'm 😃 afraid because it's gonna be my third attempt and I can't stand the idea of spending another year of my life on prep for that stupid school. I just hope Mista would be proud of me. Ftuefhsjjagj anyway I hope you're doing ok Toya bby

just a soft anon!!! I’m so sorry about the late reply! but I know you put your best effort in your entrance exams and I’m so proud of you for getting it done and over with 💕 please let me know how you did!

Mista would 100% be proud of you! he’d be waiting outside of the entrance, and the moment he sees you come out, his face would just light up. he’d be so proud of you for finishing your exam. and even if you’re not sure of your results, he’d pick you up in a giant hug and tell you that those admissions directors would be stupid to not accept you. I hope you’re ready to celebrate by going to your favorite restaurant, courtesy of Mista himself!!

anonymous asked: Not a request but I like to think despite appearances, Risotto likes playing cute games. Imagine his s/o showing him Pitter Patter Pop and gushing over how cute his character is. (I know Pitter Patter Pop is a Jojo game BUT LIKE. THE GAME IS SO CUTE.)

LMAOOO. it probably starts as something he plays to pass the time. like, Formaggio has been raving about it for a week now, what’s the harm in downloading it? but then it turns into a minor obsession. wow. this game is pretty cute. but what’s cuter (and funnier) is seeing Risotto show you his phone and say, “[Name]. look. they got all my poses down."

anonymous asked: Concept: Going in for a hug with Polnareff except you both lean your heads the same way and accidentally kiss 😳😂 (alternate answer, i can totally see this happening with Joseph) (I've literally done this on accident before lmao)

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. Polnareff would be so embarrassed! he’d immediately pull back, eyes wide and a hand over his mouth. how he’d respond after that relies entirely on you. if you’re embarrassed too, he’d try to change the subject to diffuse the situation. if you’re into it, however, Polnareff would waste no time going in for another smooch 👀 gentler, this time. and correctly!

anonymous asked: But just think GoT universe and Ris is a targaryen. Uffff he has a sword forged from the blood of his enemies and an armour of leather and steel, and he rides into the battlefield on his massive dragon Metallica, and his king's guard's leader is Prosciutto Lannister and Ris has an alliance with the northern lord bruno stark. ufffff...

my knowledge of GoT is super limited but! imagine Risotto’s skin stained with blood and dirt. his breathing heavy and rugged. his eyes vermilion, as red as the fire that burns behind him. his muscles ache and his mouth is dry, but he’s not done with battle. not yet, at least. Prosciutto watches as Risotto advances. his armor is as beaten as his king’s, and though he’s capable of assisting Risotto, he merely places a paper rolled with fine tobacco in his mouth. he knows that this this the king’s fight.

anonymous asked: I can't imagine the circumstances, but I like to imagine Risotto teasing his s/o by holding stuff over their head (for example, the t.v remote). Maybe s/o wants to watch a certain movie but he doesn't want to lmao. Alternatively maybe they'll try to wrestle the remote from his hand but he's just sitting there, chilling while his fingers won't budge at all--

omg.... yes...... I think he’d do it with a super blank expression too. like he’s amused, he just won’t show it. the most you’ll get is a quirked brow. sometimes you see the slightest hint of a smile, and you can’t help but smile yourself. you know that action is reserved for you and you only. also his just sitting there, chillin, while his s/o tries to wrestle the remote from his hand is CANON u can’t convince me otherwise.

[gffa]

More details from Dooku: Jedi Lost: - Another example of the dark side being genuinely dangerous and Dooku’s sliding further away--when they go to a dark side-infested planet, Dooku gets drawn into it and attacks the people they’ve come to stop, just massacring them, without even realizing it, because it’s stolen into him and hooked into the dark stuff he hasn’t been facing. He starts to rant a bit about how this is what they should be doing, out (murdering people) restoring balance through whatever means possible, and Kostana is looking at him warily, like she thinks he’s going to attack her next, Dooku recounts in his journal.  Maybe he would have, he thinks. (Interesting because this is what I was talking about when saying that Qui-Gon was starting to say similar things and his behavior was starting to follow similar patterns in some ways, not an exact copy of the same path, he wasn’t going to become a Sith Lord by any means, but that maybe Dooku wasn’t as far off about Qui-Gon agreeing with him as we would originally assume.) - SNORT, the Sith relics (that she’s never actually found one of) that Kostana is sneaking around and running after lead her directly into a trap by an enemy trying to lure her into it, putting her life and the two Padawans’ lives in danger and, look, you can be right about the Sith being out there, but honestly ancient Sith relics didn’t make a single bit of difference in the galaxy’s fate and also this is pretty reckless and dangerous. Especially when the enemy (that Kostana thought was wiped out) was obsessed with prophecies and OMG THE PARALLELS. - DEATH MAGIC IS A THING GFFA NOW, I GUESS. - The moss on the dark side planet is affecting Dooku and it’s making him have visions-slash-hallucinations, which is what the alien species was after, they’re using death magic (ie, the lives of Kostana, Dooku, and Sifo-Dyas) to bring clarity to the visions of prophecies they’re having.  We hear snippets of Palpatine’s voice and Yoda’s voice and other stuff from Dooku’s visions, and they keep going and going.  He says, “I saw the future.  Futures.  Every prospect, every possibility, and all of them a living nightmare.” I was just talking about this in another post, that between Master and Apprentice and Kanan: The Last Padawan and Star Wars: Propaganda and now Dooku: Jedi Lost, it’s becoming further and further clear that there was no easy way out of this mess, that apathy of the general public and the corruption of the government, Palpatine’s genius at manipulating the systemic corruption and injustice, meant that no matter what they did, a nightmare was coming. - Dooku’s journal, talking about his relationship with Qui-Gon:  “I must admit, at first I was concerned.  Had I misread the Force?  Qui-Gon and I struggled in the early days of our partnership.  Everything about us seemed at odds, moreso than it had ever been with Rael.  Perhaps we were too alike.  I needn’t have worried, ‘Trust in the Force,’ Master Yoda used to tell me and, as in most things, he was correct.  Now it feels as though we were born to serve together.  Qui-Gon the student and I the teacher.  Aerith says we have become inseparable and I, for one, welcome it.” There’s also a really cute bit of banter, where they’re watching a race and Dooku’s not entirely hating it: Qui-Gon:  “Your brother is quite a pilot, Master.” Dooku:  “He is.  I hate to say it, but I’m actually impressed.” Qui-Gon:  “Whoooaaa, careful now.  You almost sound as though you’re enjoying yourself.” Dooku:  “Perish the thought.” - Dooku and Qui-Gon are a delight.  Later, they’re chasing down a suspect and bantering along the way: Qui-Gon:  “Ha!  A tracker in the Inspector’s collar!” Dooku:  “A Jedi is prepared for every eventuality, Qui-Gon.” Qui-Gon:  "And you’re okay flying while you’re practicing beast control?” Dooku:  “Animal kinship, my dear Padawan.  And of course I am.” Qui-Gon:  “Ah, you never fail to amaze me.” Dooku:  “I’m glad to hear it.” - G O D, okay, so, there’s a Jedi who steals a thing to get out of trouble and the Jedi have to deal with this and they ASSIGN HIM TO THE ARCHIVES, I’m dying because, god, they’re so nice to people, they constantly believe in the best and don’t just disregard them and want to keep them around, like, this is exactly what happened in Jedi of the Republic, where Dibs tries to murder Mace and, instead of shipping him off somewhere for it, even when Dibs is ranting and raving against them, they still say he’s valuable and they still want to reach out and help him and I’m just like UGH WHY ARE THEY SO COMPASSIONATE I LOVE THEM. Ky’s reaction is the greatest, though: Asajj:  “According to this, Arath was assigned to the Archives.  Hardly what I’d call a punishment.” Ky:  [in a completely disgusted tone] “UGH.  You’ve never been there.” Ky:  [wry humor]  “Besides, you know the Jedi.  Always ready with a second chance.” Asajj:  “More fool them.” - Dooku addresses the Senate, trying to get them to help some of the Outer Rim planets via policy, because “while [the Jedi] gladly serve the Republic, our numbers are few compared to the very real threats that endanger starfarers, the galaxy over”, and one of the senators shoots back with, “With all due respect, our honorable friend oversteps the mark.  The Jedi Council claims to be servants of the Republic and yet, here they are, attempting to influence Senatorial policy! Master Dooku has no business petitioning the Senate on such matters!” And it’s a fascinating scene because they shut him down, point out that he’s just an advisor, he has no right to be addressing them like this, and it’s incredibly clear that they’re not going to listen to him or tolerate him shifting out of that role, ultimately pointing out that the will of the people (at least those in the Senate) want to concentrate on the Core Worlds, because they don’t have the money to protect everyone equally. It further highlights that the Jedi were in between a rock and a hard place--the Senate wasn’t going to listen to them much more than what they already did and they weren’t going to tolerate more, but the alternatives (like the Separatists) were still far worse.  And it’s fascinating to put this together with Master and Apprentice where Qui-Gon is angry that they’re not pushing the Senate harder, when it’s clear that route doesn’t work, because they HAVE tried it.  And they’re nowhere near the point where they should be overthrowing the government (because, again, any other options were worse) and Queen’s Shadow shows that going around the Senate made it so they would have been blackballed. What’s even more interesting is that, when Serenno (who have withdrawn from the Republic) is being attacked by Abyssins, Dooku says that they should ignore the Senate and just rush in, lightsabers blazing.  The Council points out that Dooku just gave a speech about how the Jedi couldn’t police the entire Outer Rim systems, but now here he is suggesting they mount an assault on Abyssian Raiders.  (Which, as the scene shows us, would have been illegal, which we all know would lead to a lot of nasty fallout, as Queen’s Shadow has shown.)

[genesisarclite]

All of MD’s little things

After logging an obsessive number of hours over 200 hours a lot of hours in Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, there’s so many little things that keep me coming back for more, same as for Prey before it. Below is a list of things that I just absolutely love about this game.

...it’s really, really long. :D

- Adam’s eye-shields glitched to “off” after the last convo with Sarif, and stuck off until after two area transitions or reloading a save

- HUDless gameplay. EVERYTHING IS SO PRETTY.

- The way Adam idly peeks around when he’s in cover against a wall

- LONDON. LONDON. FUTURISTIC LONDON. WHY CAN’T I SEE MORE.

- Nighttime in Prague with the music off. So peaceful.

- Hilariously bad B-movie showing at the Tubehouse. Cyborg protag kicks an “anthropomorphic... thing” and it “EXPLODES” and the OP is totally stoked and omg dude you are the best

- Blue-hair lily dude in the Pent House

- Chucking fridges out balconies and having literally no one care

- Stacking dumpsters to reach higher locations

- Hairless Adam when viewed through a camera or turret. Adam. No. Please. PLEASE keep your hair.

- “I can’t feel my... * long pause* ...anything!” Poor Neon Ravers.

- “You should probably get rid of that.” Hmm. You sure I don’t want to leave a random dead body in some slob’s apartment?

- Miller’s spotlessly and freakishly clean apartment

- Gleefully stealing all of Miller’s stuff. *CHA-CHING*

- Costache calling Adam a “showroom” and pouting if he doesn’t buy anything

- Aria telling Adam to “be careful” and Adam saying, really gently, “Always”. FFFFFFF MY HEART.

- Getting MacReady riled up because I can

- Aria not wanting Mac “stinking up [her] range”. Oh, Aria, I love you.

- “wait what you charge HOW MUCH for falsified permits?!”

- “...arts and... crafts...?”

- “Permitification.”

- Nonchalantly calling up Sarif while shirtless.

- Letting Adam chill on the couch for ten minutes with no shirt and a hot drink

- Adam looking up at Rucker’s camera and flicking out his nanoblade without a single change in expression

- Adam’s sexy walk

- CLOTH PHYSICS. SWISHY COAT.

- Mac panicking because OMG ADAM A BOMB in the stairwells

- BZZZZT go the Tesla victims. Also, they make funny noises.

- *tap-tap PUNCH*

- The little smirk Adam makes after certain nonlethal takedowns

- THE RAVE MUSIC. WHY ISN’T THIS ON THE SOUNDTRACK.

- Ascending the super-creepy metal canyon in Golem City

- Adam’s death glare

- Pritchard mouthing off again when Adam is trying to do a JOB. ffs Pritchard chill your grits.

- Ascension of the Blade

- Taking Adam’s eye-shields down for the entirety of A Criminal Past MMM-HMM Y’ALL KNOW WHAT YOU DO

- Delara never quite knowing what to do with Adam. NONE OF THIS WAS IN THE PAMPHLET.

- Miller having a breakdown if you TOUCH his bag. DO NOT TOUCH MILLER’S BAG. ESPECIALLY DO NOT PUT IT ON HIS DESK.

- Aria totally not flirting with Adam ever why would you say that

- Adam’s little eyebrow quirks

- Entity wanting in Adam’s pants and his “ffs not this again” reaction to it

- Adam snarking whenever it’s not appropriate. Especially to Marchenko and MacReady.

- “I can only think of one headache right now, Doc.”

- Mrs. Kadlek burying her “you’re too effing pretty and full of nice augs to belong here, stupid” under a lot of super-polite words worthy of a politician

- Knocking out Dominic and DRAGGING HIM INTO A GARAGE

- “Reporting to you...” *wink* “...’live’ from Picus” a.k.a. the BS News

- Alex telling Adam’s she’d smack him for being late if he was her kid

- CASIE makes use of... *squints at description* ...vaginal acids?! Adam is SEDUCING these people. *squints at Adam* ...actually, does he even need the help?

- Using Smart Vision to spot a gold mine of stuff. CHA-CHING.

- Piling a bunch of sleeping Shadow Operatives in the corner on top of each other

- Bodies getting jammed in geometry, then proceeding to twitch at random, do the funky boogaloo when you tug on them, or just SPIN in place for no reason at all. Thanks, physics!

- “Otar ffs I know it’s you I CAN SEE YOUR FACE stop introducing yourself”

- Adam not caring one whit about Delara sleeping on his shoulder

- Adam making a personal request of ACRNYM for a new coat

- Adam’s workspace being full of packing peanuts, a box knife (I guess a nanoblade would be overkill), a cereal bowl, oh and he DOESN’T LOCK HIS TERMINAL. Also, “Aug is Here” *big black arrow*.

- Adam’s adorable little smile when he finds the toy VTOL

- THANK YOU EIDOS MONTREAL FOR THE SHOWER SCENE BLESS YE

- Eliza obsessing over Adam and his polite attempts to stay somewhat detached like ffs Eliza you’re creeping me out a little

- Adam snarking about “booze and flesh” after the lockdown at the Red Queen

- The takedown where he knock outs someone’s knees, grabs their face, and drags them behind cover to punch them in the face again

- The PEPS in general

- Adam slinging himself over cover, feet-first, to kick his target, grabbing them, lobbing them behind cover, and hopping back over

- Finding the GARM schematics and watching Adam quietly panic at this new info. I’M SORRY BBY LET ME HUG YOU.

- “I need you to kidnap Dominic.” *cue wtf expression*

- “He said this one is on the house, ‘cuz I’m such a nice guy.” *cue eyebrow quirk and roguish half-smile* Oh, Adam, I love you.

- *sneak up behind a sitting guard* *neck punch* *satisfied smirk*

- “Must’ve left it in my other coat.” “You expect me to believe that?” *enthusiastic nod* STOP IT ADAM I ALREADY LOVE YOU.

- “I was the captain of the debate team in high school :D”

- Miller stumbling over himself because what, Adam, you actually found the bomb-maker... and more info we didn’t know about... and... and... I don’t know what to do with you I’m going to just walk off now bye

- Adam’s slightly panicked “whoa chill dawg” expression when Slaw yells at him

- Adam panicking because the killphrase is taking a while to work on Daria. Uh... uh... MUST KEEP TALKING.

- “And don’t forget the data rod when you leave.” O_O *picks up data rod as nonchalantly as possible*

- Smiley has a smiley on his office’s window. :)

- Jennifer “Adam isn’t taking his N-poz and Aria needs double the usual amount” Phillips.

- Not being able to bring myself to hack Aria’s computer or safe

- Milena teasingly mimicking Adam and making him smile

[shirtlesssammy]

13x21: Beat the Devil

Guys, we may have just watched Robert Beren’s last episode for Supernatural. I’m a little emotional about that, but am so excited about the possibility of Wayward Sisters.

Then:

Let’s do the time warp again!

Now:

Guys! We finally FINALLY get some domestic fluff. We’ve paid our dues and now the family is finally together, happy and whole. Sam, Dean, Cas, Mary, and Jack eating pizza and shooting the shit around the bunker’s war room table. Dean eats too much. Mary tells cute childhood stories. Cas judges his husband’s choices. My teeth rotted during these two minutes of goodness.

Alas, it’s just a dream of Sam’s. Let’s break it down --because we rarely get an inside look into Sam’s thoughts (let alone what he’s really thinking, and a dream can reveal things even he’s repressing on the outside!) He honestly has an open hostility towards Dean’s eating habits. His purity/demon blood feelings run bone deep. Ouch. He craves a homelife and Mary’s little stories about Dean’s childhood. He clearly sees Dean and Cas as domestic nuggets of love. He wants to save Mary --for her to recognize him as a hero. And Jack! Is part of the family. My heart.

Also, baby boy Sam really needs a bigger bed. If Dean can get memory foam, Sam can get a California King. Just saying.  

Well, with Gabriel on board, Team Free Bunker has all the ingredients and a witch to cast the spell to get them to AU land. Unfortunately, Gabriel doesn’t quite have the umph to produce the grace necessary for the task.

Cas makes the argument that they need archangel grace and they only have one source for it --Lucifer. Sam and Rowena are particularly distressed.

*Team Free Will Meeting in the Kitchen Alert*

Sam, Dean, and Cas meet to discuss their options. Sam is adamantly against finding Lucifer, but Cas makes it clear to him that *they* let Lucifer out and he’s *their* responsibility.

Meanwhile, Gabe is finding interesting historical materials at his local library #LOVE YOUR LIBRARIES EVERYONE

He’s also making excuses for his poor grace performance to Rowena. She wants to hear nothing of it.

So, like Boris is a complete Samwitch shipper (obv. after Saileen and Sody), but this WAS SO FUNNY. Why wouldn’t these two hook up? Gabe is all about that and Rowena deserves to get hers. But, yeah, what even is this script? Lol. Apparently Ruth and Rich ad libbed the voiceovers. I’m dying.

TFW decide that Lucifer is the best option, and they can use his grace indefinitely to keep the rift open. They run to the war room to tell Rowena and Gabe. They catch the archangel and witch in flagrante delicto. Omg, guys. Sam and Dean’s reaction is one thing, but Cas! I die.

Cut to Lucifer getting not-drunk on liquor at a bar. Harry Chapin’s Cat’s the the Cradle playing the in background (Ouch, please, please, please do not let his child turn out just like him.) The bartender is sympathetic to his complaints--- but not really! It’s Gabe! And Lucifer was drugged! And Rowena binds him so they can haul him back to the bunker for their plan to be enacted.

Once at the bunker, Rowena prepares the spell, and Cas cuts Lucifer’s neck to extract his grace. They’re going to slowly use his grace to keep the portal open longer than 24 hours.

TFW and Gabe head to the AU while Rowena stays behind to monitor (a very annoying) Lucifer.

Once in the AU they all take a bit of a tumble down a hill. Gabe ends up face first in Cas’s crotch. Awkward. And Show, why pray tell do you only cut to a reaction to --and a very interesting one --of Dean? No chill.

Cas places them about two days walk away from Dayton, Ohio, and Mary and Jack’s outpost. While walking, Cas and Gabe have an angel heart to heart. Cas asks Gabe what his next plans are. Gabe’s not sure. Cas informs him about how heaven is dying --heavily implying what Gabe’s next role might be. Sam and Dean have a heart to heart about Sam’s mood. I mean, it might be that they’re so close to finding Mary and Jack, but I think Sam’s just happy about the humidity giving his hair that extra curly bounce. On point even in a dying world. But seriously, Sam’s so happy to be so close!

Cue screaming. Hahahahahaha...nothing bad can possibly happen now!

They find a couple battling a vampire and take the monster out. The couple inform our merry travelers that there’s only two ways to get there --over the mountains via a very out of the way detour or under a tunnel where a whole nest of vamps are camped out. Samwise Gamgee gives a stirring speech and they all head for the tunnel.

And we’re back with Rowena and the archangel everyone voted as Heaven's most annoying ass (ask anyone in the garrison). Lucifer continues his serenade to Rowena. When it doesn't appear to be working he shifts his strategy, reminding her vividly how he assaulted and then killed her. Rowena can't tune that out and, to be fair, neither can I. It's so disturbing. It’s the casual taunting of a sociopath.

Rowena tells Lucifer that TFW and Gabriel are in the AU to go rescue Jack – and that they're more father to him than Lucifer will ever be. This makes Lucifer so angry that he powers up again and busts out of his cuffs. I'd roll my eyes, but this “anger power” was established earlier this season. Anyway, he grabs Rowena by the throat and pushes her up against the wall. Before he can kill her, Rowena manages a quick word of magic and casts him away. Lucifer flies across the room and straight through the rift.

Left alone, Rowena hastily packs her things and talks through her predicament. She's the only person who might be able to keep the door open but... “Au revoir, bon voyage, not my problem,” she announces saucily, ready to head out. And then she pauses, curses, and starts to dig through her book of spells for something to help with the rift. That's our girl <3

In the AU, our team heads into the creepy tunnel system. It's dingy and dark and before you know it, they find their first vampire. Sam kills it quickly and they move on, but not before another vampire catches their scent and begins to trail them. Another vampire attacks and they successfully defend against it. Guys, it's just like the Fire Swamp in the Princess Bride! They suffer a few dangers but it's nothing they can't handle, right? RIGHT? The team spreads out in a large junction of tunnels (not smart guys NOT SMART). 

As they're all split up and investigating different tunnels, a whole bunch of vampires attack. Damn it. These vamps may be feral but they don't appear to be total loners and instead hunt in a pack.

Floyd eats it in short order while everyone works to fight off the rest of the vampires. Sam gets captured by two vampires and one bites the carotid right out of Sam's throat. Blood gushes from his throat in quite a shocking manner. They must have strapped the blood cannon to his neck. The vampires drag Sam away down the corridor. Cas races after them.

Dean finishes off the last of the vampires and races after Sam, only to be stopped by Cas. To Dean's despair, Cas tells him that Sam's dead and that they've got to continue their mission. They don't have time to go after Sam. Dean is devastated and...I know this is all over Tumblr but it's SERIOUSLY HARSHING MY MELLOW to see Dean's face after this. The agony! (Curls up into a ball.)

Here, have a kitten instead.

The next morning they're hiking on the other side of the mountains and Dean is completely checked out. Maggie tries to thank him and tell him that she's sorry about his friend. He's barely responsive, lost in reliving watching his brother's death.

And so we cut to Sam. Or rather, we cut to Sam's body lying on the ground in some dead-end tunnel, his eyes wide and empty. Sam. Is. Dead. This show isn't fucking around.

The Dayton-bound team runs into angel warding, blocking Cas from going any further. Gabriel helpfully burns out the warding (nice job, man!) and human soldiers race out. It's the resistance! Mary enters the scene like a goddamn vision, greets Cas, and then heads for Dean. She pulls him into a hug and then asks after Sam.

Ugh. I'm sorry. Here, have another kitten.

And just as we're all single-man-tearing our way through our Supernatural-themed flasks (or whatever) Sam wakes up in the tunnels. He checks his throat and it's healed.

At first we're worried, thinking he's been turned into a vampire. (It's gotta be a bitch to hunt down your crazed vampire sire in the pitchdark tunnels of an apocalypse world.) But then Lucifer shows up.

Lucifer reveals that he brought Sam back to life. I'm so conflicted because it's a great explanation for how Sam might be resurrected. And yet...it's Lucifer. What a bag of dicks. Lucifer goes on to explain to a not-at-all-okay Sam that he powered up by eating a gaggle of Michael's angels. Ew. Lucifer. Not cool.

Sam's still in shock when Lucifer offers him a deal. Sam can lead Lucifer to Jack or he can stay back in the mine and die at the gaping maws of the ten or so rabid vampires who've gathered just outside the little room. “Join our monster RAVE, Sam!”

Sam considers it. I mean...he considers Lucifer’s offer. (Obviously he’s got a glow stick so he’s gonna rave a leeetle bit.) “You need me,” Lucifer tells him.

Elsewhere our heroes arrive in camp. Jack demands to know why Cas didn't bring Sam back to life. Cas isn't powerful enough – and neither is Gabe. Dean loads up on fresh water for a mission to go retrieve Sam's body when...TA DA! Sam walks into camp. He's shadowed moments later by Lucifer.

Let's get ready to rumble, I guess.

Alternative Quotaverse:

We've been avoiding dealing with him because we're afraid

The three amigos with their bro hugs, pep talks, and melodrama

I know you're trying to bait me with your seeming neanderthal misogyny. Anything to distract yourself from your profound, deeply emasculating humiliation. Sorry, Lucille, I'm not biting.

Not our world, not our problem. Right?

Want to read more? Check out our Recap Archive!

[dragonwarriorgal]

My feelings of a certain TV teen drama...

Okay so...

I have been rewatching the Shadowhunters TV series on netflix and I just finished the first season and oh boy it is bad.

I mean don’t give me wrong, it has some good moments, but it suffers of being the typical cliche tv teen drama. It is abundantly clear that the studio has been making all the bad decision to the show. “Let’s make Alec have a wedding to a girl” (who btw is apparently a “cousin” of the Fairchilds, but if we take any mark to her family’s “backstory” it makes no sense compared to the books and I love the books) and “Let’s age up Maureen and have her have romantic sane feelings for Simon” (she was like 14 in the books and cray-cray for Simon) are good examples of the cliche tv teen drama, and it is so stupid. 

But it is also clear that SOMEBODY on the production and/or writing team has a great love for the books and is trying to do some justice to them, even if it is like someone took the basic plotline: Clary meets Jace and the shadow world and they fall in love, Malec, (which I give a huge prop to the studio for having the BALLS to go through with that plotline, other than a certain movie I have heard rumors about) dangerously foxy Izzy, Simon becomes a vampire. And then someone put some other actions in the story, put them in a blender and threw them all over the plotline at a random encounter in the story. Which is a weird decision but hey, it’s a TV teen drama, it’s supposed to be stupid sometimes.

But what makes the most stupid sense, and that I always giggle when it comes up on the screen (especially since I am now on s2): The fucking techno music while a dramatic fight sequence is going on! I mean come on! Jace is fighting Valentine in an epic showdown and you choose to have a funky techno music in the background like they are in a rave party (the fight is on a boat fyi)?! 

Sigh

This show is so stupid, but it s also the reason I went to read the 45 books in this universe. This show is the reason I read the Infernal Devices series, one of my favorite series I have read last year. I thought that this tv series was just going to finish up the 2 trilogies and not have any reference to the ID or the Dark Artifices, but the latest episodes in s3 proved me wrong on one part (I am still waiting on Aline and Helen!) even though going back on the first season they have been putting out those easter eggs even before Brother Zachariah made his appearance (I am never gonna let the eyes go): In ep 4, the episode Magnus went “hellooo sailor!” to Alec, Magnus said to a warlock to go to the Spiral LAbrinth to TESSA. (omg) And also the whole Lydia Branwells’ story of her ancestor HENRY (boo!) 

Anyway, this show is stupid, a lot of times not well acted (sorry Matthew), not that great direction, the d.o.p. is doing a piss poor job. And even when the show has some lines from the books, it sometimes doesn’t make any sense, for example: “Our numbers (shadowhunters) have been dwindling for years!” *later they go to the institute where there is literally 50+ people who are shadowhunters*

Yet I am “watching” this, and I will likely still watch it, even though it is so stupid.

(Clary lying in an awkward angle on a car she fell on to from a 30ft fall is fine in the next scene)

(Imogen writing a freaking letter as she is dying with a single rune!(why didn’t she write down her last will and testimony while she is at it, or her bank account?!) 

[lee-yan-druh]

“Anything worth doing always starts as a bad idea.” • • • Now THIS is what I'm talking about!!! I cannot tell you guys how marvelous Siege and Storm is! It's LOADS better than Shadow and Bone. I finally got the Grisha action that I wanted, and it was just so gripping from start to finish. This installment was definitely more plot-driven, and the characters are really complex! I love how Alina's starting to realize that she's got this dark side to her, and aaaggghh I lament over the rift that's grown between her and Mal. 😭 But OMG can I just rave over Nikolai Lantsov for a moment?!? He is the absolute BEST AHHHHH. 😍😍😍 This book definitely had so much more humor because of him! I feel like the Darkling wasn't around here that much? But I still do LOVE to hate him. 😈 Those final few chapters got me so STRESSED (in a good way) and there's this one scene where I actually teared up! Definitely no sequel blues here. And now I'm soooo excited to get a start of Ruin and Rising! 😊❤️📚👍🏻😍👏🏻

[oliviaswriting]

A Modern Retelling of Howl by Allen Ginsberg Part One

I

I saw the softest hearts of my grade roughened by pressure flashing        shaking manic, huddled in the blighted parking lot between bureaucracy itching for        thrumming cigarettes, straight-a students carving flesh from bone for systemic miracles from        the screwed god in the freedom of classrooms, who kneeled teeth dwindling and throats fucked raw blinded by the hollowed       porcelain bowl, filled the room and their very human fingers with the       smell of regurgitated breakfast, who chain-smoking their own splintered ribcages ruminated on the inherent       possessiveness of very adult and very teacher and very real hands on       shoulders or claiming eyes focused on developing breasts, who whispered fuck as an act of quiet rebellion, formed Revolution on the ways       they watched classmates and the school crumble beneath them, who scratched off assaulter’s gargantuan body using purposely dulled       nails, purgatory penetrating haze of marijuana smoke, quiet       rap music, poem wreckages, who fist fought walls in last week’s dirty laundry found Enlightenment by       pissing in the advancement of the new buildings, cock out territory       marking territory, who waited in the designated weed waiting place, fingers tapping out       apprehensive melodies for best friends who aren’t coming back, who waged a war against the machine of the hills cannibalistic & flowering       omnivore rage’s uterus, who got smashed off parent’s liquor and molotov’s cocktails swayed their       grinding bodies against someone else’s mom jeans until the ache       of muscles and spinning worlds reminded them of the consequences       of frugal teenage reality, chugged rubbing alcohol from the drawers that were supposed to be       locked between scenes of a play in middle of being written actors       melodramatic fragments of the director’s regulated Artistic       Freedom, open roads & hitchhikers of temporarily permanent habitants the twisting       cobblestone path, trees menacing shadow puppets, talked about ways         to run away on the way back to school, played russian spy against the ever watching Big Brother of the rotating         cameras put up posters with the head of school saying we care       about you like a campaign promise, who carved messages to god in all too pliant skin, raving ruining madness       masked by large & sometimes ominous tree outside the library, captured       bees by using other bees’ dead bodies, apocalyptic light filtered       out by gardener’s design of Eden, stringy unwashed hair falling out in pious clumps painted shower walls       as new aged hipsters gossiped over their non fat soy lattes about the       fucking Patriarchy, who midnight meandered, walking past a noticeable political figure’s make       shift house blunt in one hand gasoline drenched fingers in the other       mumbling fragments of a found Atlantis, who slouched from behind prison bars called ‘for your own good’, homework       lying untouched as they sank further into sweet sweet isolation, who staged sit ins beneath their unwashed and sweat soaked hand me         down sheets lying in their own food crumbs dust dirt filth and       shit cursing the benevolent gods, who checked Stanford’s acceptance rate on their overloaded computers daily       see if they’re good enough to be accepted, talks of Future Future       Future, who professed obscenities the entire school year long a new person in       their vendetta with every thrashing breath,       an abandoned orphanage of vilified teenage boys tying rope around       a school project ceiling fan setting up the recently painted       chair just in alignment clobbering pummeling exorcizing striking noses and cheek bones and       stomachs and red cats cradle and retaliation of parents and failing       grades and let down families, who stood Safeway frozen for hours debating popcorn classmates         reactions temporality of life, panic attacks in bathroom stalls       clawed out of their skin and then went to class still lumps of       bloody & exposed flesh who shouted panicked prayers from the bottom of pill bottles saw the school       on fire and teachers burning read their expellment email with baited       breath until the words were bruised & bloody, who collected class As to hide their bruised bodies, shovel and suffocating       dirt numb looked down at the corpse, screamed obscenities to       tripping gods joined the body in the dirt pleading parents to throw       the dirt themselves, instead watched the Buildings wrench shovels       from sobbing hands and start burying, who carried knives pressed against the soft of stoner’s anathematized bellies       puncture wound freckles, metallic cottages painted the color of students nos swaying in manufactured       wind, collapsing roofs & prison walls & floor & concrete &       tables & nostrils, who broke bookshelves as an act of rebellion against the collapse of the       old Athenian, threw chairs, threw bricks, threw whiteboards, threw       students who crawled out Phoenix ash covered body from the bones of chairs &       bricks & whiteboards & students crowing tales of how they       almost died who whispered a shouting declaration to the neverending teenage angst of       cultural suicide, who drank coffee by the gallon sat in classes refusing to share poisoned       ambrosia eye twitching fingers on homework triggers money into       computer screens casual death of millions talked about their kills using       holy words and rape jokes, who foreplayed while driving fucking rhythmic beats with the windows rolled       down and knowing anyone could look in and see them come undone to       the bumbling sound of a breaking car over unpaved roads,   who clawed defiance in the form welting possession into sweetheart’s back       raw & exposing nail marks, they bled like humans too, special       gluten-free noodles with that one sauce and that one side from that       one restaurant thirty minutes away, who matched curves and angles to body types moaning prayers to lesbian me       and lesbian you they laughed sanctified and carried condoms in their bags       for those who need it, were one of the boys, flannel clad pedestrian       touched without permission,   who LOLed and WTFed and OMGed their way their way through the unwanted       unneeded unappreciated change,       the drug of choice was billowing clouds of marijuana that wrapped tendrils        around throbbing throats or the recently destigmatized nicotine shakes                declared exorcism,   and vaping gaping bruising vocal chords dysfunctional against school system       machinery, ambulance declared a necessary act of evil, banishment                    declared a necessary act of evil, evil declared a necessary act of evil,      with the destruction of poetic musings from the off beat thrumming of                 lackluster hearts declared acts of lawful mutiny.

[themomentofdavyprentiss]

Not Your Average Zutara Fic Rec

So I’ve gone through a LOT of Zutara fanfiction, probably too much if I’m being honest, and finding good fics can be really hard. When looking up fic rec lists I’ve noticed that a lot of the lists are just the same select fanfictions recommended over and over (We get it, everyone and their mother loves ‘His Majesty Prefers Blue’ and ‘Stormbenders’ [I never finished HMPB, sue me]). 

So this list is for all of you who are in my shoes and can’t seem to find anything besides the same ten or fifteen stories recommended and are desperate for something new. Everything listed is complete! (If I listed the incompletes/abandoned stories I’d have a lot more chaptered stories listed… RIP ‘The Confrontational Approach’…) 

I have a lot of bookmarked stories that I have yet to read and am in the middle of (Almost caught up on @firelordandlady ‘s ‘Say Anything’!), so I’ll try to update this when I finish something I think deserves a recommendation. 

Chaptered

In the Same Candlelight by Like a Dove

In a world where there is no war, Zuko and Katara spend their summers together. Growing up is messy, embarrassing, and at times sad, but they think it might be okay because they have each other. Edited summary.

I know. I KNOW. I LITERALLY JUST SAID I WASN’T GOING TO RECOMMEND FANFICS THAT ARE ON EVERYONE’S LIST. But I NEED to mention this one. I spent so long not interested in this fic. I don’t like drastic AU’s, or modern AU’s. My taste is strictly canon divergence, so I didn’t think I would like this. I WAS SO WRONG. Trust me, if you are like me and don’t like big AU’s, read this anyway. I promise, you won’t be disappointed. Characterization is still so spot on, even with such a different take. Aang is precious. There is nothing but fluff, fluff, and fluff. It will melt you. You will probably die and your spirit will rise up smiling and beaming out rainbows and sunshine. That’s what happened to me. 

Lilacs and Lily Pads by sadladybug

A tale of clumsy courtship and calamitous court weddings, featuring awkward family encounters, floral mishaps, cultural complications, and good old fashioned fluff and conflict. Takes place in the five years following war’s end. For Zutara Week 2016. A prequel to Bones.

Clothe Me in Seasons, Dress Me in Snow is a very commonly recommended Zutara fic (And for good reason, I shed many tears reading it). But this two-shot (A companion to Bones, a smut one shot) by the same author is really underrated and beautifully written. It follows Zuko and Katara as they try to plan their wedding, as well as shows two scenes from before they got engaged that solidified the relationship to be one they knew would last. Just really well done overall and very very sweet. 

EDIT: I talked with the author and apparently it isn’t finished?? But they are apparently working on the next chapters so yay!! And each chapter is independent so it doesn’t feel unfinished.  

The Slow Path by Tazainian Devil

Eight years after the fall of Ozai, Aang returns to the friends he left behind - Taang, Zutara, Sukka

This is technically a Taang fic, and if I’m being honest I kind of just skimmed through the non-zutara chapters, but the Zutara storyline was good enough that I think it’s definitely worth the read. And the overall plot has a great premise. Be warned, it has a sequel that was never finished. 

Another Word For Alchemy by FanPanda13

Five years have passed since the Avatar defeated Fire Lord Ozai, and the members of the Gaang have all gone in their own direction. But when Aang invites them all to a Peace Summit at the North Pole and tells them of his new project, for which he will need their support, the group comes together again for adventure, fun and romance. AU. Zutara. COMPLETE.

So this fic is crazy for me. At first, it started as just really good natured fluff. The writing wasn’t anything fantastic (Although I loved how it broke the 4th wall and didn’t take itself seriously), and there were some definite OOC moments. But I had so much FUN with it. The plot (while definitely not the focus as everyone is more concerned about when Zuko and Katara will get together) was interesting, and there were some really sweet moments. It was also HILARIOUS and I had multiple moments where I genuinely laughed out loud. But then about five chapters before the end, the quality SKY ROCKETED. As the plot and mystery come together, the characters all come together in a moment that truly feels like it came from the show. Even the writing quality increases by a lot and I was genuinely shocked and impressed. Definitely recommend. 

Kyoshi Hold ‘Em by cupid-painted-blind

When a blizzard shuts down the fourth annual Peace Summit, the group has to find some way to pass the time. /Zutara, Taang, Jet/Mai, Jet/Everyone, Sukka

If you’re looking for a good crack fic, look no further. It’s post war and utter nonsense. Jet is alive for some reason??? No one questions it and he’s shipped with pretty much everyone. It’s funny, it’s decently written, there are drinking and sexy time shenanigans, and overall just lighthearted. Also, it does a great job of being a crack fic without crossing the line and becoming unfunny and just a trash fic. A lot struggle to find the balance and resort to going over the top and ridiculous, but this one does a really good job. 

Come With Me by Steamboat Ghost

Coauthored by fuzzytomato. Troubled over his newly restored honor, Zuko finds solace in the familiar guise of the Blue Spirit. In a chance meeting with the Painted Lady, a friendship is forged as the two heroes seek to help the Fire Nation’s neglected.

I’ll admit it: I’ve never gotten into Blutara fanfictions. I only read the first couple chapters of HMPB and dropped it after the tree scene. I don’t know, it felt really OOC for me and I may go back and read it again just because EVERYONE raves about it, but IDK. I’ve never been a huge Blutara fan because while I love the concept, I’d much rather see the Painted Lady and the Blue Spirit come together as equals. Most fics present Zuko behind his mask to Katara, and it feels imbalanced. There aren’t a lot of stories where we see their alter persona’s come together even though that’s the entire point of the parallel between the two. Insert this fic. I only wish there was a sequel dealing with Zuko in the Gaang after these events. Hey, a girl can dream. 

A Zutara Story Anastasia by LastSunset

Katara, the only suviving waterbender of the Southern Water Tribe, joins two con men, Zuko and Iroh, while a fearful admiral chases for her death. A Zutara Story. Based on the movie Anastasia.

So this isn’t so much a retelling of Anastasia but with Katara and Zuko as it is a fanfic version of the movie but with the characters names and world changed. It takes a lot of lines from the movie. But WHO CARES? It’s Anastasia and Zutara!!! What more do you need??? 

Oneshot

this burden you bear by cowlicklesschick

Word travels, and war stories will be told round campfires and on freighter ships until every person in the world knows what Master Katara did for the new Fire Lord. She fights the burning in her throat at the thought of people knowing why she had to heal him in the first place. Post-war Zutara.

This is an angst-with-a-happy-ending, which I say is the absolute BEST type of angst. Katara deals with the guilt of what Zuko did for her as the Fire Nation celebrates what she did to save his life during the Agni Kai. The two come together beautifully while struggling to see the feelings they both share. Really well written and like I said, it has a happy ending, which we all need. 

The Best of Me by Laririn-Shadow

The night before his eighteenth birthday Zuko wraps a bandage around his left wrist. He has a country to run and no time for frivolous things. It will make everything easier if he waits. Zutara Soulmates AU

Soulmate AU’s usually aren’t my thing (With the glaring exception of one Until Dawn Soulmate AU, but that’s besides the point), but I really enjoyed this oneshot. It isn’t sweeping or insanely romantic and the reveal isn’t “OMG I’VE LOVED YOU THIS WHOLE TIME” But it’s a subtle love that grows, which I really like.  

my salvation, he’s not anything by sarsaparillia

Let’s run away and start another war. — Zuko/Katara.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯ What can I say? I love the ‘Let’s run away together, consequences be damned’ trope. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

The Time is Ripe by Casa Circe

ZUTARA WEEK 2012 Day Seven: Seasons. There are many stages that a heart goes through before it can finally be ready for the love it was meant to have. The road is often a rocky one but eventually, it leads you home.

A oneshot for the Zutara Week 2012 prompt ‘Seasons’. Not too much to say about it. Short, sweet, and well written. What more do you need? 

Serendipity by Boriqua-chan

Iroh goes hunting for tea leaves and finds something…interesting. /Zutara week, day 1/

Secret relationships! Fluff! Happiness! And all from Uncle Iroh’s perspective!! Everything I love in one great oneshot! 

Too Close for Comfort also by Casa Circe

ZUTARA WEEK 2010 Day Three: Pain. After watching “The Ember Island Players”, no one is in the mood for teasing. But a little slip of the tongue leads to the painful realization that the play was more accurate than they were willing to admit.

There are two Zutara plots/tropes that I am a complete and utter SLUT for. The first is the ‘Let’s talk about that EIP show’ trope. This is one of my favorites. 

The Color of Truth is Red by Mrs. Pettyfer

Written for Zutara Week prompt “awkward.” Zuko and Katara discuss the Ember Island Players.

Another post EIP oneshot

Enlightenment by Blade Quill

Choices are made on the day of Zuko’s coronation, and sometimes, enlightenment is just the simple truth at hand. Zutara. AU of the final moments of the Book 3 Finale

The OTHER plot/trope I’m a slut for is finale rewrites. LET ME SEE THEM COME TOGETHER AFTER HE TAKES LIGHTNING FOR HER. Ugh, I love it. 

Framework by profoundlycan

What if in “Sozin’s Comet” Katara had come into the room instead of Mai? Zuko/Katara. Prequel to Schema.

 Another finale rewrite! Let’s just get Mai out of the picture here… 

Lightning Shocks the Heart by drunkzutarafeels

Why do our hearts remain dormant until a climactic moment makes time stand still?

And here’s yet another finale rewrite. There is a really popular Zutara gifset that someone animated of the Agni Kai ‘Thank you’ scene, but Katara kisses Zuko after she hugs him. This is the fanfiction equivalent of that gif set. 

Sunrise by lewilder

The days go on and on, and even if she feels more comfort from the moon, Katara learns to cherish the promise of each new sunrise. Zutara AU, largely finale-centric. Oneshot.

LAST FINALE AU I PROMISE. Really sweet, starts right after The Southern Raiders and goes past canon. 

all the ghosts we cannot kill (we learn to love) by raisindeatre

Zuko and Katara; the moments we didn’t see. Or: Maybe we are all somebody’s ghost. And maybe sometimes we can be more than that.

“…My quarrel has only ever been with you, Zuko,” she says, his name sharp on her tongue. “This has only ever been about me and you.”

“You’re wrong,” he rasps, his voice rough in the late afternoon sunlight that falls around them, tangles them in golden nets. “This has only ever been about me and the Avatar. Not you and me. What we hold between us has nothing to do with it.”

This is a really beautiful one-shot that follows a battered, war torn and hardened Zuko and Katara through the scenes we DIDN’T see throughout the entire show. A Zutara must-read.

Drabble Collection/Series

And Other Fairly Stupid Tales by Advocaat

A collection of humorous and crack-tastic oneshots corresponding to the days of Zutara Month

Really great Zutara Month themed drabbles, and it contains the only body swapping plot that I’ve read and really enjoyed. Also the chapters ‘Potential’ and ‘Festival’ are some of my all time favorites. 

Zuko Was No Coward by hootowl

Zuko was many things, but a coward he was not. A collection of Zutara100 prompts. Title may change.

Definitely some heartbreakers and angsty drabbles in here, but all well written and thoroughly enjoyable. If you read ANYTHING from this list, read chapter two of this drabble collection. I MELTED when I read it. It’s perfection. Aunt Wu’s prediction has always been a plotline I’ve loved in Zutara fanfiction, and this one just does it PERFECTLY. 

Zutara Week 2012 by ichilover3

A collection of oneshots inspired by the prompts for Zutara Week

Not much more to say. The first, third, and fourth prompts are my favorite from this series. 

Zutara Week 2015 by bianca_anna

It started at a tea shop and ended with forever. My entries for Zutara Week 2015. I hope you enjoy them.

Oh my GOODNESS. So they’re Zutara Week prompts, but all set in the same universe. The Zutara!Family depicted in these drabbles has become my headcanon. I’ve seen many a Zutara family, but this one is by far my FAVORITE. This is now my official family for them. I want the very last chapter fully animated because it’s so good and epic and I want more of this families adventures. 

[rhiminee]

DavidArchie’s Orion EP appreciation post!

So. This might come as a shock to some of you on this blog but I kinda like David Archuleta. I mean, I think I’ve posted about him here a time or two... 

WELL. He has just released his first collection of new music in 5 million years and it’s freaking brilliant and I wanna talk about it. Gird your loins.

There are only 4 songs on this EP but there are 2 more EPs planned to be released this year. So I won’t get too salty about only having 4 songs to rave over right now. But really my people -- it’s the quality not the quantity 😉

Numb - watch the video here

This song was released as a single last year so it feels kind of weird to be talking about it as part of a new EP but it honestly deserves all the love. Going through and listening again and I’m still blown away. This song has my favorite overall lyrics that David has ever written. There is so much meat on these bones you guys. Random favorite lines in no particular order:

~I think I’ll take a second chance, I won’t be passing by the waters again.~  ~I wanna feel redemption’s hand.~  ~Everybody needs time away, to wake up with the sun on their face.~  ~Love this life only for what it is.~  ~I hear the whispers in the stars.~  ~It hurts to live so wide awake but it’s a chance I can take.~  ~Falling over all of my shadows.~  ~Open soul in an open sky.~  ~I don’t wanna feel numb.~ 

Like. At this point I should just write out the lyrics of the entire song. IT’S JUST THAT GOOD. This song is about David’s struggle to find himself and get his motivation back for making music. About coming from a lost place and being unwilling to remain lost. It has such a strong beat and an intensity that matches the words. I love it. 

Invincible - listen to the song on yt

BRAND. NEW. SONG. I posted the lyrics here a couple weeks ago so you already know how I feel about that. This is the song that I was most uncertain about before the EP came out; it’s also the one we knew the least about. You guys. Super surprise: I love it. The beat, the tempo, the catchiness is like woah you didn’t think you were gonna jam didja?? And yet here you are, JAMMIN. Omg I can’t stop smiling while listening. I started a war, I sent out the battle cry. Fighting me, myself, & I. David. Why do you sing the lyrics to my heart. Take a breath, look at how you’re trying to think it to death. YES DAVID YES. You guys. David Archuleta is the gift that we don’t deserve. He’s just so good. This song. You need it. Go listen. I promise you need it. Don’t forget that you don’t have to be invincible. There’s even some kinda child choir or something busting out in there omg unicorns and purple hearts are actually flying out of my eyes. I’m done. I. LOVE. IT.

Say Me - listen to the song on yt

This song just about put me 6 feet under the first time I heard it. David premiered it live for the first time anywhere at Tuacahn last November and I cried strongly. He talked about how the song is about being willing to say ME, to value yourself and your own voice. Have we talked about how we don’t deserve David Archuleta? I mean.

Everyone ...sees the rust when I see shine, you need someone to take your side, say me

That right there. Possibly my favorite single lyric ever. Everyone sees the rust when I see shine. I get teary just typing it out. Y’all. This song is so impossibly beautiful. A ballad, real-ass strings up in here like so dramatic. Omg. This boy’s voice. His heart. The sooner we start this life living as we’re loved. Freaking heart eyes all over the world tonight.

I cried listening to this studio version the first time. That very rarely happens. I’m a big live music crier; not much of a recorded music crier. But this one got me. So moving. Bless this boy.

Up All Night - watch the video

A joyous end to this gorgeous EP. Honestly I feel like Numb and Up All Night are perfect bookends to this collection because they’re like a continuation of each other, describing a time in David’s life when he was working to find his voice. And did he ever. The danciness of this song is insane, it’s so upbeat and celebratory!! Nowhere else that I’d rather be, no greater gift than what you’ve given me. Listen to that tone, my lord. This guy’s voice. Our ears are blessed. I can feel David’s joy in finding a place to belong, a feeling of inclusion, of home. It is a thing of such beauty. And it’s just a fun song!! I’m blown away with all these feelings inside <3

And as long as we’re here talking about Up All Night I just want to say how completely in love I am with the video. I wasn’t sure what to expect but it sure wasn’t what we got. Joyous is right because David Freaking Archuleta is dancing. D.A.N.C.I.N.G. Like. Busting a move type dancing. What universe is this? And the message of the video is such a lovely representation of who David is a person. People invited him in and helped him find the way to himself (irl) and so he wants to help others find themselves. The message of inclusion and diversity and just caring about each other because we are all connected is so freaking sincere and GOOD. You guys. What did we do to deserve David Archuleta. That’s our lifetime motto now. What did we do to deserve David Archuleta.

Final thoughts

Overall, this EP is so gorgeous and worth your time to listen to. David has a voice and message that is so needed. To see where he was at 17 years old on American Idol and then see who he is now at 26 years old...I am thankful that he continues to share that with us. To share his struggles and vulnerabilities and his joy and hope. I am verklempt. All the praise hands in the universe ALLLLL OF THEM (JUST IMAGINE ALL OF THEM HERE NOW BUT I’M JUST GONNA PUT ONE BUT REALLY IT’S ALL OF THEM ONE IS ALL THAT’S OUR MESSAGE DON’T FORGET) 🙌

You can buy Orion at iTunes or Amazon or stream it on Spotify!! Do it.

Thanks for reading my feelings!! I love you all ❤️

[drinkthehalo]

Shanghai. Again.

So I went to Shanghai again last week.

(I know. Ridiculous.)

A few thoughts... Consider this a sequel to last year's concluding thoughts and guide.

The Show

Some cuts that made me sad; some improvements that made me very happy. I'll do my best not to spoil.

The Porter/Boy Witch story has improved, because they have incorporated moments to replace some of the ones that are missing due to the changed lobby space.

I love one moment where Boy Witch looks at himself in a half-shrouded mirror. If you stand behind him, you see his reflection looking back at him in the mirror, and the Porter, like another reflection, peering at him from behind the curtain to the lobby desk.

And while I still miss the Porter's mirror in "Moonlight Becomes You," I love that if you stand in the right spot, you can watch both him and Lady Macduff, their movements mirroring each other.

Boy Witch has a great moment, coming up from the ballroom dance and after teasing the audience at the lost & found, where he walks through a long dark corridor into the lobby. Following behind him, you walk into the darkness, his shadowed outline slowly becoming apparent as you approach the light of the lobby. It's a powerful moment; Boy Witch in general feels more ominous in Shanghai.

"Witches 1" looks so beautiful. I've never found a reliable place to watch the New York version - some angles are always difficult to see. But in Shanghai, the lobby desk functions like a proscenium stage, and if you stand in the center you can see the whole thing clearly. They use the space so well, the witches spending more time behind and atop the counter, and the symmetry of the spacing and the movements is gorgeous to watch.

The lack of "Is That All There Is?" is still a huge loss. :(

I also adore the moment of the Bride dancing in the trees - not only is it beautiful, but it feels achingly like Wendy in Drowned Man.

I'm sad that they cut the hide and seek between Sexy Witch and the Bride on High Street. It was so much fun, although I'd guess that the logistics were too difficult.

I do love the new scene those two have together, but in general I don't feel like the Bride's story has as compelling of a narrative arc now as it had in December. Her relationship with Sexy Witch also isn't as clear to me now.

I really miss Hecate's fifth floor scene with the Bride, also cut. :( I felt that it incorporated the Bride more clearly into the existing narrative, better clarified her relationship with Hecate, and added emotional resonance to her story.

The Husband has a more developed story now, and I loved the emotional arc of his loop.

Duncan does something totally unexpected and brilliant. Which again, I won't spoil. But I loved it.

I greatly appreciate how much more dynamic and interesting the loops of Duncan, Cunning Man, and Speakeasy Barman have become. I know there are fans who enjoy watching a character sleep, or sew, or scrub cardboard, but to me these just seem like side effects of poorly defined character loops, and I don't mourn the loss. I think it's great that these characters have more to do.

There are new 1:1s. I had some but not others. All of the ones I had impressed me very much. I won't say anything else since it's spoilery, but kudos to Punchdrunk for doing a great job developing these. 

The commercialism of the product tie-ins is a little bit distracting. But I don't think that the integrity of the show itself is compromised. The show is a work of art; I'd rather Budweiser and Kans spend their money on it than on another stupid TV commercial. I think people who criticize forget that art throughout history has been sponsored by those with money.

For the most part, the audience has gotten better since December. The stewarding is great, and one of the Woman in Bar characters actually demonstrates in her lift speech how to give performers space. It helps.

But I did make the mistake of going to the 100th show party, which was by far the worst audience experience I've ever had at a Punchdrunk show. I've honestly never experienced anything like it. People shoving ahead and pushing you behind them like a wild mob. There was no way to win - either you fall behind and can barely see, or you push ahead too, and either way you feel awful. I can't imagine how stressful this must have been for the performers as well. :(

On the plus side, 100th show Follies was delightful. (Only it's not called Follies there, I forget the actual name.) Fun to see such an interesting combination of people on stage - Lily and Sam, Conor and Garth, and several of the local cast.

The Performers

I don't even know where to begin. There are so many brilliant performers doing exceptional work; even in eight shows I didn't have time to follow everyone I wanted to see. A few specific thoughts:

Andrea Carrucciu

Andrea is brilliant. I can't complement his performances enough. He's exceptionally expressive with both his body and his eyes. From Porter to Macbeth he absolutely transforms, from sweet and awkward to intense and terrifying.  His "Moonlight Becomes You" is beautiful, and his Macbeth is convincing both in his monstrousness as a killer and the aching vulnerability of Macbeth as a man who is in way over his head.

Fania Grigoriou

Fania is delightful to follow and brilliant at engaging the audience. She fully embodies her characters in every way. The contemptuous blasphemy of her Bald Witch must be seen to be believed.

The witch combination of Fania, Miranda, and Olly is the best I've ever seen, which is saying a LOT. They have the most amazing energy, pushing each other to the next level, shrieking and cackling and smacking each other, so absolutely delightful and wicked and thrilling. I'm in awe.

Lee Wen Hsin (Debby)

I somehow ended up watching her Dragon Boat scene like five times, and was consistently awed at her performance every time.

Lily Ockwell

In some ways Lily was the star during this visit. Every show she popped up in a surprising role - Lady Macbeth, Bride, Sexy Witch, Lady Macduff, and Nurse.

I never would have expected to see her as Lady Macbeth, but she totally killed it. Lily exudes sympathetic humanity, which made the cruelty of her actions toward Duncan even more painful to watch, and her remorse completely convincing. Her final bathtub scene was heartbreaking.

Also, her Sexy Witch scream in the rave deserves its own credit in the program. I knew it was coming and I still jumped out of my skin.

Liu Yu

His Calloway is charming, handsome, and by the end he remembered the names of everyone in my group. Seems like the entire show might stop running if he ever takes a sick day.

Miranda Mac Letten

Miranda's Sexy Witch is a work of art. Dark and haunting, more layered and mysterious and compelling than I ever thought Sexy Witch could be. Her bar solo seems to defy gravity and move at light speed; it's a stunning accomplishment.

Olly Hornsby-Sayer

Olly has totally come into his own as a performer - he’s very confident and comfortable with the audience, and seems like he enjoys his roles. I had a great time following him. At one point as Boy Witch, he startled me and other audience members so much that we screamed out loud. He's gotten so great at the Boy Witch eye contact and audience interaction. As Speakeasy he was an absolute delight - I found myself laughing multiple times throughout his loop.

Omar Gordon

Some of his dialog as Cunning Man cracked me the fuck up, which I will not quote here because it's spoilery, but omg. Brilliant.

Omar's Banquo is also fabulous, never more so than in the ballroom dance, where his chemistry with Fania's Bald Witch lights up the room.

Sam Booth

Sam is a genius, let's be honest. He took a character that spends half his NY loop sleeping, and made it into one of the most interesting performances in the show. I don't want to spoil anything, but I will say this Duncan feels deeply and uniquely human, and his story is absolutely haunting.

Shen Ni

Her Hecate is riveting and terrifying.

Tang Tingting

In both her roles, she is one of the most impressive Punchdrunk performers I've ever seen. She has such presence, and can go from otherworldly and intimidating to profoundly human and sympathetic.

Tim Bartlett

I was very impressed with what I saw of his Taxidermist - didn't get any 1:1s, but even just watching his loop, I loved the intensity of his nervous energy, and the humor in his friendship with Speakeasy.

The Spaces

The Drama Hotel is open - it's Shakespeare-themed, expensive, and not designed by Punchdrunk.  It has an outdoor bar on the ground level, which is more lively than the Manderley after the show.

The eighth floor rooftop has the Cosmos Cafe, which looks like a bland version of Gallow Green, also isn't designed by Punchdrunk, and doesn't serve alcohol. The views are gorgeous.

The seventh floor has both a speakeasy and a restaurant, also not designed by Punchdrunk. I didn't go into the restaurant (it doesn't have vegan options) but I loved the speakeasy. We met a fabulous bartender there named Eddie, who'd traveled the world - his cocktails and conversation rivaled the best bartenders I've met anywhere.

The different bars feature two different cocktails named "Sleep No More" - one absinthe-based and one espresso-based. The espresso one was particularly fabulous (and appropriately named!).

Shanghai

A few updates to the recommendations I shared last time:

* James Turrell "Immersive Light" exhibition at the Long Museum. Fascinating series of artworks created with light; worth spending half a day to take it in.

* M50 Arts District, especially the Island6 gallery and its amazing artworks incorporating video, light, sound, and interactivity.

* Propaganda Poster Museum - incredibly interesting, and sheds so much light on China's historical perspective on the West.

* Huangpu River Cruise at dusk - amazing to watch the futuristic cityscape light up around you as the sun sets.

* Mount Sanqingshan - we took a two-night trip here via high speed train and climbed a beautiful mountain. Thank you @whenwillweawake​ for planning it!

The Drowned Man

I was traveling with a group who were mostly Drowned Man fans, and talking mostly to cast members who'd been in Drowned Man. Everything seemed to bring up memories of it, and we talked about it for hours. It continues to awe me how deeply that show left its impression on our souls.