#my *super* impartial list

[well-dressedwords]

My Picks: Top Dramas of 2023

This is really for me to refer back to when people ask me what to watch. In no particular order or category:

Meet Yourself - having leads that were already well-established in their adult lives and careers was sooo refreshing. And though my heart got utterly torn out in episode one, I was completely invested in seeing Xu Hongdou's journey through grief and back into truly living.

The Blood of Youth - I can't recall why I gave this a chance, but I am extremely glad I did. I possibly watched the whole thing 3 times from forcing friends to sit down with me, and I appreciate the humor and characters even more on re-watches. The only romance I remotely cared about was the tragic one, but that was okay because romance was not the point of the main plot.

The Trust - I had actually watched the animated version of this story, which is maybe the 2nd I watched all the way through, and I loved the live action as well. The lead actors did a good job playing each other, and the humor was a nice relief during a hard time of the year for me.

A Familiar Stranger - I think I finally am okay with short dramas because this one was so well done. I adored their relationship, and even despite how terrible the secondary couple could be, wished for them to have a happy ending (in another life). I considered watching My Journey to You for Cheng Lei alone after this performance, but just couldn't get through it.

The Scent of Time - I know "popular" opinion is that the ending ruins it, but as a writer, I can accept the different possible endings - the novel's version where she gets her peace and someone to be her loyal companion, as well as the dream ending where she will have to work again to make a life for herself with the prince. I will eventually make a post on my thoughts about it. But it made me fall deeper for Zhou Ye and excited to see other dramas with Wang Xingyue...

Story of Kunning Palace - I love Bai Lu. I haven't watched all of her dramas, but there's something about her that I really enjoy in the right story. I liked that Xuening was still flawed and so was Xie Wei, and yet this time all of her harem get (relatively) happy endings. I was also surprised by Liu Xiening's performance as the princess. In some respects she had more chemistry with Xuening than either Zhang Zhe or Xie Wei. Wang Xingyue, did you intentionally do two projects with this premise on purpose?? [Also, those aggressive kisses?!?! Zhang Linghe, I didn't know you had it in you.]

A Journey to Love - I haven't finished it as I only watch a few episodes per day, and I did spoil myself on the ending. I can accept it because there has been so much foreshadowing. I'm here for the mature relationship, the humor, the friendships, the princess (my god, the PRINCESS!) and to be baffled by people disliking Liu Yuning.

Honorable Mentions:

The Starry Love - I need to go back and watch the episodes I fast forwarded through... I was more invested in the older sister's love story initially. Nevertheless, this is one I will rewatch.

The Love You Give Me - not at the very top because the plot feels overused and there were too many plotholes for my writer's brain. But I love their chemistry and Quanquan was worth sticking it out for.

Provoke - After enjoying A Familiar Stranger I had to give this one a shot. There were so many scenes that really captured my imagination. The leads carried their roles so well. It's my first Republican Era show and I suddenly get the appeal. Also, I love Du Jingchuan as a villain. He's so good at being skeevy.

Exploration Method of Love - I struggled through terrible subtitles because I've dreamed about these actors in a drama together. Gao Hanyu grabbed me in Love is Sweet, and Song Yanfei was great in The Trust.

*Butterflied Lover - I've seen one episode because the rest is behind a pay wall... but I am determined to watch it!

*Hilarious Family - at times the humor felt forced, but other times it hit for me. It wasn't compelling enough for me to finish it (yet) though I am curious as to what the ending is going to be.

[dumbass-tumbler-cryptid]

Some time ago you answered the question what if Quaritch's case was retried and he regained custody. I wonder what if the court ordered supervised meetings between Quaritch and 16 year old Spider to start with, and the place where they were to be the home of the current foster family, the Sullys? How would a meeting go, considering the hatred of the Sullys and Spider towards Q?

Oh the Cabin Custody Au (part 1 and part 2) I loved writing that au so I’m happy to expand on it.

So I’ve read up on the reunification process between a parent and a child who’s been taken away by C.P.S. So from my understanding of things the process all depends on why a child was taken away. C.P.S and the courts comes up with a path to reunification that the parent has to follow in order to get their child back. That sometimes includes therapy, A.A meetings or parenting classes. In Quaritch’s case he would have voluntarily done a psyc evaluation as part of his court evidence that he is mentally stable and so the judge wouldn’t have him do therapy (even though he totally needs it)

So then the meetings. Again this is just my understanding of things but supervised meetings are overseen by a social worker or an agreed upon guardian in the court house or a visitation facility. They can take place at a home or park but only if the court allows. In this case since Quaritch and the Sully’s have beef that’s been well documented in court the judge would never allow the Sully’s to be part of Spider’s visitation. So the meetings happen at a visitation facility. Norm was Spider’s social worker until Quaritch argued that Norm being Jake’s best friend had a bias against him and couldn’t be impartial. So the courts assigned Spider a new social worker and he does not like her. She a complete Karen, fake nice and unsettling. She picks him up from the Sully’s four times a week to see his dad. Spider resisted the first few times, refusing to leave the house but Karen threatened to call the cops to force him to comply. Spider didn’t want to put the Sully’s through that so he begrudgingly goes.

Quaritch always gets there super early. When Spider is pushed into the room his face lights up. He’s so excited to spend time with his son even though he knows the boy wants nothing to do with him. Spider made that abundantly clear when the verdict was handed down. Quaritch went to hug him. Spider stormed out of the room. Now the boy is huddled in the corner, glaring at him, looking ready to lash out at the smallest provocation. Karen had given Quaritch a list of helpful talking points to try and engage his child in conversation so he asks, “how was your day.”

“Complete shit knowing I had to see you today.”

“Miles,” Karen shrieks, “there’s no need for….”

Quaritch holds up a hand, “it’s okay. This is a lot. I get that. He wouldn’t be my son if he didn’t have a spit fire attitude.” Quaritch smiles fondly at him. Spider dies inside refusing to speak for the rest of the meeting or any meetings going forward. Quaritch still tries to talk to him though, all calm and gentle. And it reflects well on him. Karen has to take notes to give to the court so she says that Quaritch is patient and kind with his son despite the boy’s attitude probably. She suggests Spider goes to reunification therapy, though this only stays a suggestion, the court never orders it.

So after a few weeks Quaritch gets bumped up to unsupervised visits. Jake won’t let Quaritch anywhere near his house so he drops Spider off at the chosen location. Jake doesn’t want to drop Spider off at all but everyone knows if Spider doesn’t attend his visits then Quaritch will accuse the Sully’s of keeping his son from him and then who knows how messy that’ll get. So Spider goes, meeting his dad at the park. Jake and Quaritch glare daggers at each other but for the sake of not ending up in court they don’t speak to each other.

When Spider approaches Quaritch tries to pat his shoulder only for his son to buck the touch and round on him hissing like an animal. Quaritch sighs, “well what do you want to do kiddo? We can grab something to eat, see a movie, i can take you to the skate park or….

“Can I go back to my real home?”

“Sure. In another two weeks when I move up to weekend visits you can come home. But for now what should we do?” Spider doesn’t answer, scowling. “Oh fine, I’ll surprise you then. Get in the car and let’s hit it.”

Spider runs off in the opposite direction instead. He’ll make his way back home on foot if he has to. Quaritch having expected this jumps in his car and follows him. Spider can run pretty fast but obviously the car is faster. Quaritch is driving by the sidewalk yelling, “you know if you go back I can say I didn’t get my full time with y’a. That’ll look bad on the Sully’s. I can go to court and say…”

Spider stops, rolling his eyes with a groan, “fuck fine, y’a bitch. Let’s just get this over with.”

Quaritch take him to a retro themed dinner where Spider gorges himself on food trying to hurt his dad’s bank account. His dad just chuckles and goes, “damn kid y’a sure you’ve had enough or do you need more.”

After to Spider’s surprise Quaritch takes him to the art museum. They don’t speak much while there. Quaritch just trails after his son as the boy happily runs from piece to piece.

The rest of their meetings are similar and then it’s time for a weekend visit before everything will be a done deal. Spider is determined to be a little terror the entire time. His dad just thinks it’s funny. Quaritch takes him shopping to get whatever he wants for his bedroom, a whole new wardrobe, a new laptop and anything else Spider’s heart desires. Spider once again tries to hurt Quaritch’s bank account but also is just a complete brat in the store in his attempt to humiliate his dad and get a rise of him. But it doesn’t work. Quaritch laughs at him and says, “boy do you really think I can’t see what you’re trying to do? Now stop this silly shit. You’re only embarrassing yourself.”

When that fails Spider decides he’s going to give himself a black eye and blame his dad. He’s in his room, winding up with a metal thermos when Quaritch just barges right in, “Miles dinner is - what are you doing?”

“Nothing!” Spider hurries to hide his thermos, “haven’t you ever heard of knocking!”

His dad smirks, hands clasped behind his back, “you weren’t plannin’ on giving yourself a shiner with that thermos we’re y’a?”

Spider smirks back, “maybe I was. Who do you think the courts would believe? The kid with the black eye or the convicted felon.”

Quaritch moves his hands revealing his phone, recording their whole conversation. Spider’s stomach drops “Me. Don’t try that dumb shit again. Now come down for dinner.”

After that it’s a done deal. So all in all Quaritch and the Sully’s wouldn’t really come face to face because they all know they’ll just break out into a huge fight that’ll lead to some messiness in court. Spider would make things hard but Quaritch would know what’s up and be patient with him.

Thanks for the question 💞

[boasamishipper]

Hello! You are my go to expert for Night Court and Dan/Harry, so I would like to ask, which episodes would you recommend watching for particularly shippy Dan/Harry moments or storylines? Thank you <3

i am beyond honored to have been bestowed such a title, thank you nonny! <333

there are so many excellent danharry moments and storylines across all nine seasons, but here are my (very painstakingly selected) top five danharry episodes in chronological order:

1. S3E9-10 The Wheels of Justice (Part 1 + 2)

every time i think about this episode i go fully insane charlie kelly standing in front of the pepe silvia conspiracy board style. admittedly the first episode doesn't give us a lot of danharry content beyond harry smiling super fondly at dan while dan screams at bull's tiny tv, but the SECOND episode. jesus CHRIST. dan talking harry out of his slump in that pool hall........'you were good, harry! very good. you were impartial. you were fair. passionate. compassionate. understanding. and i admired you.'............dan hugging harry after harry apologized and said he would come back to court........the way harry and dan looked at each other after harry's line about taking the good with the bad no matter how bad the bad gets...........dan's smile while harry tells mac that dan is the only reason he left the pool hall..........and then. of course. this.

what is their DEAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2. S4E1 The Next Voice You Hear...

'emily,' night court nation says. 'this is not a danharry-centric episode.' you are correct! 'then why is this on your list?' because after harry found out his mother was dead, mac's first instinct was to call dan, and dan dropped whatever he was doing to come and console harry. they're best friends!!!!!!!!! and i cry about it Every Day

3. S4E5-6 Dan's Operation (Part 1+2)

this is THE danharry episode. every other danharry episode go home (except please don't, you're all wonderful). seriously though if someone told me when i first started watching night court that harry would fall asleep on a comatose dan's chest after begging him to wake up (AFTER they had a huge argument earlier in the episode) and dan's first instinct upon waking up is to stroke harry's hair and also Not Move Or Say Anything Because Harry Is Sleeping and THEN they would have ANOTHER argument that ended in both of them saying 'i love you' to each other, i would have died on the spot. and then i watched these episodes and i DID die on the spot. larroquette won his third emmy award for his performance in these eps and it is extremely well deserved.

4. S5E14 I'm OK, You're Catatonic/Schizophrenic

a danharry episode that raises more questions than it answers. what do you mean dan just randomly took a nap on harry's conference table. what do you mean dan kidnapped mel torme for harry. what do you mean dan said re: his kidnapping of mel torme '[harry's] gonna kiss me on the lips for this'. what do you MEAN dan handcuffed mel torme to a chair using 'a trick harry taught him' with 'magic shackles' that HE KNOWS CHAFE and WHAT DO YOU MEAN HARRY DOESN'T EVEN HAVE MAGIC SHACKLES AT ALL. SO WHAT WAS DAN TALKING ABOUT. someday i will get a ouija board so i can talk to reinhold weege from beyond the grave and ask him hey man!!! what was up with this episode!!!!!!!!! and also harry destroying dan's car in retaliation for dan accidentally destroying his mel torme record collection (on top of harry strangling dan upon receiving the news and also screaming I'M GOING TO EAT THAT MAN'S EYEBROWS) is proof that these two match each other's freak like no one else and that's why they should be endgame, thank you and good night.

5. S5E22 + S6E1-2 Danny Got His Gun (Parts 1-3)

1980s sitcoms were operating on a whole other level because if even an iota of this plotline happened to one of my otps on any of my currently airing shows the entire fandom would burst into flames. dan is presumed dead!!! his plane goes down north of hudson bay!!! and harry is the first one to receive the news!!! and the first one to receive further telegrams from the army and also dan's belongings!!! in his will dan left harry his 'heartfelt gratitude'!!! harry had to plan dan's memorial service!!! he had to write dan's eulogy!!! he had to sit there and watch everyone in attendance including the funeral director (barring roz) not be able to say a single nice thing about his best friend!!! then said best friend CRASHES HIS OWN MEMORIAL SERVICE!!! dan is alive!!! he has a beard!!! he smells awful!!! which i will maintain to my last breath is the only thing that prevented harry from kissing the breath out of dan right there in the funeral home!!! they!!! looked!!! at!!! each!!! other!!! like!!! this!!!

LIKE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[sunskate]

former US ice dancer Morgan Matthews has been writing about fs on substack. she wrote a post about trying to become a judge, but it's not yet up on her page somehow - but really interesting for how she says low level judges were really unfriendly and resistant to her trying to become one of them. that the gatekeeping and territory guarding were rough to encounter and that at that level, their knowledge of skating wasn't great. that there are a lot of people in the sport with a deep knowledge of it, and their continued participation is necessary to ensure continuity in the sport. but that there are barriers to them becoming judges, even though they could do a lot of good on panels

I tried to become a judge and it sucked...

Morgan Matthews

Jun 17

Figure skating judges are nearly the opposite of the sequin clad athletes that they judge. It’s their duty to remain subdued, evaluative, and most importantly impartial. As a child, I recall only judges that embodied a certain archetype: grey hair, enormous puffy coat, glasses and a clip board. As my competitive career evolved I saw a bit more of the humanness behind the silent figures that anonymously shape our sport. I came to understand where some of the judges came from and what compelled them to volunteer endless hours of their time to the sport of figure skating only to remain a name without a face in the annals of figure skating history. But never in all of those experiences did I consider becoming a judge myself. That is, until I went down a rabbit hole sifting through detailed competition results and realized that the judges listed on those results were largely the same as the judges who judged me, and they were not spring chickens in my day so that meant they must be well beyond retirement age. This realization combined with a look at the obituaries page in Figure Skating magazine made me realize, with fear, that the figure skating judge, the tireless volunteer who dedicates their time to the sport of figure skating for nothing more than front row seats and a bit of sway over the results, might just be a dying breed.

Who will be the next generation of figure skating judges? Will they be parents, fans, or former figure skaters? I decided that the latter category must step up and take their place on the judges stand. The sport would be best served if judges had experience being on the other side of the boards. And so, I decided that I would be among the first to volunteer.

In the spring of 2019 I googled, “How to become a figure skating judge.” One would think that after years of competitive experience I would have a plethora of resources available to me if I were to decide to become a figure skating judge. How else will the sport survive if figure skaters aren’t encouraged to become judges themselves one day? But I did not have those resources. As it turns out, the figure skating world is often quite hostile to its athletes once they retire. A former figure skater who wants to become a coach is met with fierce, sometimes bordering on unprofessional competition from existing coaches who are afraid of losing their students. And judges are so silently protective of their slice of the sport that opportunities to join their ranks are not well advertised. So I turned to my friend google and found some online forms that eventually directed me to a “monitor.”

I was assigned a monitor who would guide me through the process of becoming a judge. Monitors are essentially super volunteers who not only volunteer their time to act as figure skating judges but also agree to mentor new judges. The mentor that I was assigned was a local judge who mostly judged tests but also mentored several other beginner judges in the area. She was a calm, mild mannered individual who answered my questions with efficiency if without enthusiasm. I felt equipped but not encouraged to pursue my training as a judge.

For my first trial judging session, I showed up at a local ice rink and made a beeline for the judges room. I still knew a lot of the figure skaters and coaches at that ice rink and didn’t think it would look right for a prospective judge to be found mingling with the talent. I opened the door of the judges room to find a room full of food and unfriendly faces. I felt like a puppy who had just been brought home for the first time to a household full of old cats. If the judges’ expressions could speak they would say, “You will be tolerated but you are not welcome.” The kind, doting test chair then brought me a clipboard and showed me the latest schedule. I am nothing if not an eager student and had brought my own clipboard and prefilled test papers so I didn’t need much help but appreciated her warmth. I tried to be as gracious and humble to everyone as I could be. My presence was tolerated and I maintained a cool, silent composure until it was time to get sign off on my judging papers from the judge in charge of each test.

I’m going to break with my efforts to be humble in all I say and do for a moment to say that I am confident that I know more about figure skating than your average low level test judge. I am happy to hear other perspectives on my candor or the content I produce, but I am not willing to bury the knowledge I gained from decades of hard earned experience as a competitive figure skater. My parents spent close to a million dollars for me to gain that knowledge, more than most people spend on an education in other fields, while most test judges have very little on-ice experience and have learned most of what they know about figure skating from their place on the bleachers. So when I was directed to hand my test papers over to the judge in charge to receive their input on my comments and scores, I was happy to receive feedback on the tone and content of my comments, but I was not happy to be told that my ruling was flat out wrong. Furthermore, when I went back to the judges room afterwards and heard the judges loudly gossiping about the performance of the skaters, I could not help but notice that both their criticisms and commendations of the skaters displayed a deep misunderstanding of the sport. And I took it upon me to interject and correct them on a few points. That is when the old cats showed their claws.

Many figure skating judges posses a masterful understanding of figure skating technique and artistry. However, the low level test judges that act as gatekeepers for new judges do not, in my experience, have a solid background of figure skating to stand on when they make their judgements. In figure skating there are many, many people with a deep knowledge of the sport, but very, very few of them become figure skating judges. After my experience with trying to become a judge I am not surprised by that.

I was not swayed away from my endeavor after my first trial judging experience. I kept going to test sessions and racking up experience. I learned to be quiet and accept whatever comments the judges handed me. I learned to be gracious. I probably would have kept at it if the COVID-19 pandemic hadn’t shut everything down. I then had a baby, which made it hard to be away from home at a test session for several hours. I’ve thought about going back to it a few times since I still think it’s important for former figure skaters to become the next generation of judges, but I’m not sure that’s possible since I’ve been writing so candidly about my experiences as a figure skater on this blog.

Being candid does not befit the current figure skating judge archetype. Outside of the judges room, judges are expected to be quiet, subdued, and straight faced—qualities opposite of those celebrated in figure skaters. Being on the judges’ side of the boards is a completely opposite experience compared with performing on the ice, where showmanship and spark are awarded. Making the transition from figure skater to figure skating judge therefore requires a complete transformation of character that few have managed to succeed in. I can think of a few judges in U.S. ice dance who have managed this transformation: Shawn Rettstatt, Elyse Matsumoto, and Julia Rey. These judges show that the transition is possible. However, look at almost any judges panel and you will see very few former elite figure skaters.

Of course, money does come into play when considering the dearth of former figure skaters choosing to become judges. Elite figure skaters often go into coaching once they retire. And one cannot be both a coach and a judge (I am not talking about tech specialists here, only judges). So only figure skaters who go onto other career paths can become judges. This reinforces what I have written about in previous blogs concerning the need for figure skaters to stay on track with their education. From this angle you can see that this is not just important for figure skaters themselves but also for the continuation of the sport. If we want new blood on the judges stand, if we don’t want to see all the decent judges out there die off until all we’re left with is skating fans turned rudimentarily equipped competition judges, then we need to ensure that figure skaters don’t get burned out and that they are well equipped to transition into other careers outside of figure skating.

While I am not always the most subdued type, I mostly fit the bill regarding the kind of former skater who should become a figure skating judge. I have, or have had prior to becoming a full time mom, a career outside of figure skating. I’m good at math. I wear big glasses and have a big puffy coat. And most importantly, I am compelled to volunteer my time to give back to the sport (I am doing exactly that through this unpaid blog and my other writing after all). But my experience trial judging at test sessions reminded me too much of the “sit down, shut up, and wait your turn” kind of attitude that always made me want to smash through barriers as a figure skater.

If we want this sport to survive then we need to give athletes more opportunities to get involved in the sport outside of becoming a coach. We need to stop burning out figure skaters so they can be the next generation of fans. We need to make them feel welcome on the other side of the boards. When they want to become judges, technical specialists, referees, club officials, and any other volunteer or low paid job that must be performed to keep figure skating alive, we need to teach them new skills while respecting their existing knowledge. In a world where women especially are encouraged to stand tall, break barriers, and proudly be themselves, it will not work to make figure skaters and former figure skaters bow their heads and conform in order to go the places they want to in this sport. They will leave and go onto other endeavors as figure skating slowly dies. Change is not an option, it is a necessity to breathe fresh life into and ensure the continuity of this sport we all love.

[prettyboykatsuki]

would you...

...Fang do you have any horror book recommendations? 👀 i love horror. it is the other side of eroticism to me. most of my horror consumption in my life has either been through movies or the Goosebumps books, but lately video games have been scratching the horror itch too!

i've been looking to get back into the genre and i've been amassing books to read! anything would be helpful! or if not that, then books in general would be lovely too 🫶🏾

i have so many asks about this but i really don't read enough to give you a full list of them i don't think. im really only getting into it recently. i read more gothic romance than outright horror

ALSO DISCLAIMER. but because it's horror genre most of these have extremely disturbing content. read at your own discretion and do your research.

i did read tender is the flesh recently. i have mixed feelings and i'd probably have to give it another read for a real opinion but it was incredibly violent. basic premise is cannibalism is legal and farming people is too. stomach churning gruesome which is what inspired the post but wasn't like. great commentary? a missed opportunity to me but maybe im being harsh. i don't think it really unpacked what legalizing cannibalism could actually be.

I DID ALSO READ WHAT MOVES THE DEAD BY T. KINGFISHER AND REALLY ENJOYED IT. i read it mostly because it's gothic literature but i thought it was very well written imo. the description in it knocked my socks off. just the right amount of everything and incredibly engaging. i liked it enough that im considering purchasing a hard copy cause my loan for the library hasnt renewed and i want to read it again.

i liked house of leaves but i don't think it's for everyone. it's not as outright in the horror so it was easy for me to stomach but i'd probably have to read it again to give critical commentary. also the classic homoerotic vampire novel carmilla. not super scary to me but it's sexy and it did a lot more for me than dracula did.

i loved lord of the flies and always will. don't know if its considered horror but its a classic to me. I LOVEEE boys in the valley by phillip fracassi. about a group of orphans in the early 20th century and the catholic church and oh-so brilliant with moving characters and fantastic setting. i love the grit in it. it was more bone chillingly than graphic and at times melancholy? but i loved it. kind of in that same genre of social commentary about adolescent boys and survival but even better.

ive read a lot of stephen king. i do not like his writing style. ive also read anne rice. i like her writing. do not like the racism in her novels even though im usually pretty impartial about stuff like that.

tldr what moves the dead and boys in the valley are must reads imo. carmilla is also pretty good. i like house of leaves but it's not for everyone.

[wriokitty]

the way ive been scrolling through your blog to see if i missed any of your caleb posts since i was last here, you wouldn't believe how happy I am that you like him ksbsnsksk, also!! fun fact our fav list in lads is nearly the same sy-> caleb-> raf-> zayne/xavier (i just don't gaf about either of them 💀😭)

HAHAHA omg you know I thought I’d be impartial to him I really did. But I let it simmer for a few hours and then suddenly I was obsessed deeply so. Idk what to do about this besides accept it as a new additional source of mental illness

ALSO ur so valid bc idc for zayne or xavier either. Xavier looks too plain looking for me 😭 but who knows maybe if he’s super freaky soon like everyone says my horniness could blind me enough HAHA

[memietroubadour]

If asks are still open: Jugdral character designs tier list/opinions?

Going to answer this as opinions and ramble about my favorites!

All the rambles under the cut!

I'd like to firstly talk about Annand/Mahnya!

I love how much Mayo added details and to an extent, stayed true to Annand's original design! Tbh the skirt in her new outfit is something I'd wear it's just so pretty! My only thing is that she should wear some thick tights/leggings because 1) she lives in a cold country, and 2) she rides a flying horse. I had to wear JEANS to ride a horse so she should too!! But yeah 9/10 design 100% would cosplay her if I could.

Next is Tailtiu!

I love how she can rock multiple colors: light to dark purples, black, light pinks and white, etc. Also I like the flow of the outfits in the first two, the windswept capes and skirts are just chefs kiss! Also I'd wear her hairband it's super cute! AND SHE'S WEARING BOOTS! IF YOU'RE WALKING A LOT SANDALS AREN'T ALWAYS GREAT ESPECIALLY IF YOU'RE WALKING ON ROCKS! So yeah 9/10 designs I love her

Next is Eldigan! But specifically his dancer alt.

I am a SUCKER for men in like 1800s- early 1900s high fashion. It just goes so hard. Also big fan of the fur, it looks warm and cozy! Btw this is when I fell in love with him he's just so pretty! 10/10 would cosplay. Also have a bonus image of my Eldi charm (made by Quickalas) helping me cook ramen!

Okay now to end this post, I'll talk about my favorite outfit for Julia!

Adding my own ref sheet in there since it's not really easy to make sense of it (don't ask me how I know that)

But I'm just in love with how much intricate details were added to an older design. I don't know how to explain it other than it's the perfect balance between detailed, updated, and not too busy. Also the way her face is drawn in the cipher card (which I have >:3 ) is perfection. 1000/10 I plan to cosplay this exact design someday!

Okay some other cool designs rapid fire GO!

Unused Thracia portrait Hermina you are iconic to me

Treasure Book Seliph, very soft colors so I dig it

Concept art for Scion Leif and Seliph, they even have the 90s anime eyes!

Legendary Deirdre that I talked about on twitter when she was announced!

I'm also very impartial to all of these designs. The FE4/3h tea time banner is the best thing since the scions banner. Legendary Seliph's artist coming back for M!Shez is celebratory, and the duo and Sigurd's legendary speak for themselves.

[canonrpfinder]

Omg hi. My name is Canti !! I am here to humbly request a roleplay because I've been super into NARUTO lately. “But Canti?? I know nothing about you!!” You might be asking, and yeah. I'm very aware of that! Here's some quick Canti Facts™ ;

—> He / Him. 18 years young!!

—> semi - lit to literate roleplayer

—> cst timezone

—> discord user ONLY.

—> totally super awesome and cool

BAM! You know me, and I don't know you, but that's totally cool. Anyway, there's gotta be a point to all this!! And there is!! Because I'm looking for a handful of ships. Listed here ;

—> Obito x Kakashi

—> Obito x Deidara

—> Obito x Rin

—> Kiba x Hinata

—> Shikamaru x Temari

with some other info right here;

—> I only roleplay with people 18 to 25

—> I'm cool with making plots, but I want some input too!!

—> HEADCANONS ARE ALSO WELCOME :3

and that's it!! As for characters, I can play any of them listed, with the exception of Kakashi. I'm also sort of open to playing other ships, however I am NOT open to any oc roleplays at the moment. I'm slightly impartial to any ship with Obito bc he's my fav and I'm his biggest fanboy. Any other rules and such can be discussed privately!! Like, dm me directly or add my discord (divinerot. with the period) if you're interested at all :3

✒️

[alltimefail-sims]

If we talkin about ugly sims we got talk about the sims 3 twinbrook cause what was going on there 😭 the bayless family still haunts me and tay bayless looks British ngl

I never got into Sims 3, so I don't know any of the townies/worlds that don't relate to premades from the earlier games. Let me look them up! Gimme one sec...

... Oh 😬. Oh my. Well that's ummm a choice! But let me just read their wiki description real qui-

OH?! What the fuck?!

The absolute crime of excessive camo... the incestual implications...I am... lmfao I am just... WOW! There really are just no words. I feel like their description is a wild ride from beginning to end.

I added a Graphic with up-close pics of the family below for those who, much like myself, might have been blissfully unaware of this monstrosity of a family's existence before this cursed day.

Skeet and Gwayne... that's ummmm another choice! I have never heard the name Gwayne in my life and have no idea where they pulled that from! You're right about Tay though, he does look British! He's very out of place with his little sweater vest: a little sickly Victorian boy in the midst of what looks to be a trailer park family.

But listen... I have to admit that I hate the way all the sims in TS3 look, so I'm not super impartial. The animation just weirded me out for some unknown reason, but I've thought of giving it another chance in recent years as it is so beloved on here. My younger sister, however, loves The Sims 3 - I need to ask her how she felt about this family as they are indeed especially rough, you're right!!!

All that being said... I'm not gonna lie I'd play this family and have a grand old time. This kind of wackity-tackity cuckoo banana shit is right up my alley. Now they're on my townie makeover list! 😂

[nijjhar]

Gospel gets written over your own heart through logical reasoning and no... The Gospel Truth is received by your inner man Christ or Christ is known to the Christ of Spirit and not to the Christian dead in the forbidden Jewish Leaven, the FORBIDDEN Bible. Gospel gets written over your own heart through logical reasoning and not in ink on paper - 2Corn3. https://youtu.be/88u6YTOr9Pk Holy Gospel of our Supernatural Father Elohim, Allah, Parbrahm, etc., delivered by Jesus, the First Anointed Christ of the Highest living God Elohim that dwells within us called “Emmanuel”. He was the First Anointed Light from our Father and Satguru = Christ Nanak, the Second Anointed and Greatest of all the Christs because he had to confront the Kings and Emperors of Darkness of Khatri tribal people against the people of Judah tribe, the Princes of Darkness that Jesus confronted. He came in 1469 and Preached Gospel to Perfection through Five More Lights for 150 years. Still, the Darkness couldn’t be comprehended. Then, our Father Himself came in the name of Royal King = Sache Patshah Gobind Rai Ji with His Consort, Shakti, Holy Spirit in the name of “Maha Devan” to sort out the stubborn sons of Satan with sword power. Sons have no authority to take the life but our Father and His Philanthropic Soldiers of Akal Purakh, Khalsas, and the Puritans do have. GOSPEL IS CALLED “LOGO” AND LOGO IS THE EXTRACT/NECTAR OF “LOGICAL REASONING”. Once-born people are incapable of logical reasoning and, therefore, the logo is for the twice-born people of discerning intellect called the “holy spirit”, surtti or “common sense”. So, if you want the Gospel, then you must think logically over your own heart. Thus, listen to everyone and ponder over it in your own heart. Then, the Gospel would be written over the living tablets of the heart – 2corn 3. Scriptures, the dead letters are “deadly poison” to the Gospel. Scriptures, the “dead letters” that the once-born people are taught in the universities and colleges, are “old wines” or “milk for the babies”. This is the Jewish leaven which Jesus forbade. Twice-born people of “discerning intellect” are like the “birds of the air” capable of “logical reasoning” to brew the “New Wine” within their own hearts. For this, you need to be “impartial and unbiased” like the little children. Thus, you do not need to go to a university to know the Gospel but a heart burning for “Gospel Treasures”. University degrees in “dead letters” will turn you into a super donkey carrying “Holy Books”. Watch my over 8600 YouTube videos on the Gospel; channel One God One Faith. Hajj is for the Heavenly Peaceful living of the sons of Man, "Ba-Ilah" and not for the sons of Satan in "La-Ilah". http://www.gnosticgospel.co.uk/faithfat.pdf Family of God:- http://www.gnosticgospel.co.uk/FamGod-1.htm Ebook by Kindle. ASIN: B01AVLC9WO In Jesus, we are to be solitary Royal Priests. Test for twice-born:- https://youtu.be/__X89iAI_cE http://www.gnosticgospel.co.uk/antichrist.htm Flesh + soul = Once-born natural Disciple of the Rabbis Flesh + soul + spirit = Twice-born sensible Labouring son of God Fanatics are super bastard Devils – John 8v44:- http://www.gnosticgospel.co.uk/seedterr.htm http://www.gnosticgospel.co.uk/fanbastards.htm Much confused Trinity is explained:- Playlist:- https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0C8AFaJhsWyU_oUMJodHvSZGoNDPk5bu John's baptism:- http://www.gnosticgospel.co.uk/johnsig.pdf Please print these pages to understand Baani as well:- Punjabi Book:- www.gnosticgospel.co.uk/pdbook.pdf www.gnosticgospel.co.uk/trinity.pdf My ebook by Kindle. ASIN: B01AVLC9WO Private Bitter Gospel Truth videos:- www.gnosticgospel.co.uk/nobility.htm www.gnosticgospel.co.uk/Rest.htm Any helper to finish my Books:- ONE GOD ONE FAITH:- www.gnosticgospel.co.uk/bookfin.pdf and in Punjabi KAKHH OHLAE LAKHH:-  www.gnosticgospel.co.uk/pdbook.pdf Very informative Channel:- Punjab Siyan. John's baptism:- www.gnosticgospel.co.uk/johnsig.pdf Trinity:- www.gnosticgospel.co.uk/trinity.pdf

[chorusfm]

Liner Notes (October 29th, 2023)

We’re back with another newsletter. This week has thoughts on a stacked release week and the usual commentary. As always, there’s a playlist of ten songs worth your time, and this week’s supporter Q&A post can be found here. If you’d like this newsletter delivered to your inbox each week (it’s free and available to everyone), you can sign up here. A Few Things * Anyone who’s followed me for any time knows my longtime love for the TV show Friends. It was my comfort show for many years, the show I had every season of on DVD and would put on in the background and watch over and over again. It’s cliche, but it was like having a group of friends to hang out with. It made me happy. I’ve seen the entire show more times than I can count. So seeing the news of Matthew Perry passing has me feeling emotional today; I’m sad. RIP. * I enjoyed this piece by Ted Gioia and felt explicitly like this part resonated with me: “This has forced me to develop a number of tools and rules for my writing. For example, I only review albums I genuinely love nowadays. Life is too short to do hit pieces—although those are often very popular with editors and readers. Also, I try to focus my most intense criticisms on organizations, institutions, policies, and attitudes, and avoid direct attacks on individuals.” But the entire thing is full of gems and worth your time. In Case You Missed It * Review: The Format – Interventions + Lullabies * Review: Blink-182 – One More Time… * Blink-182 Announce 2024 Stadium Tour * New Found Glory Releases ‘Catalyst’ On Vinyl * Two New Blink-182 Songs Added to Streaming * Travis Barker Teases Two More Blink-182 Tracks * The Last Beatles Song * Spitalfield Announces Some New Tour Dates * Green Day Announce New Album * Albums in Stores – Oct 27th, 2023 Music Thoughts * It looks like Blink-182 will have the number-one album in the country on next week’s charts. I’m obviously very happy for the band. The late push to add two new songs to the album and the signing event seems to have put them over the edge. Of the new two new songs, I like “See You” and am pretty impartial on “Cut Me Off.” I’m still, clearly, playing the hell out of the new album and don’t see myself stopping anytime soon. If Blink wasn’t already running away with the top spot on my Last.fm profile, them releasing a new album while Jimmy Eat World didn’t this year, is causing some dramatic separation. * This year saw the release of several albums I’ve written about that are finally available to everyone. The new Taking Back Sunday album is shockingly good. I had written off the band after not liking the past two or three albums outside of one or two songs, but this album has blown me away. Highly recommended. And then we also have The Gaslight Anthem’s comeback album getting a release, and I’ve been happy with all the positive comments I’ve seen from fans in our community. It’s become one of my most-played albums this fall, and it feels perfect for this weather—an incredible late-afternoon album. * Crime and Stereo’s new album is also worth a look and could be a late contender for album of the year lists—super solid rock album with great lyrical moments. * Sigrid released her new EP, The Hype, and it continues her streak of releasing songs that I just flat-out enjoy listening to. Great pop music. * Last week saw the release of A Story Told’s Mundane Magic, and if you’re looking for a really solid guitar pop album, this should be on your radar to check out. Catchy, really great vocals and a super fun listen. * The monster release this week was Taylor Swift’s 1989 (Taylor’s Version), and I’ve listened through once so far. The original version is one of my most played from Taylor, so I was excited to hear the new renditions and the vault tracks. I’ve seen comments ranging from “it sounds identical and reconstructed with the wisdom of time” to “it sounds awful and is so different and demonstrably worse.” My take is dull in comparison. I like… https://chorus.fm/features/articles/liner-notes-october-29th-2023/

[brineffxiv]

Note to self: put something here when your head stops spinning

Ah, now that makes sense. I had wondered how you planned to ensure that the restored populace had your old culture, but it seems that you're simply going to replace the populace entirely. Humor me for a second though; once all the worlds are rejoined, won't the people of the Source essentially be your people again? Lacking the memories, albeit, but if I understand correctly, we have the same souls as the ancients of your time.

Listen, Emet-Selch, I have seen your city; I have met your people. I have met your people as you remember them. Do you truly believe that they would want to be brought back that way?

What does one say in the face of the judgement of the eternal? I do not doubt that Emet-Selch lived, experienced, and evaluated as he claims. And I do not doubt that we fell short of his expectations.

The problem is that Emet-Selch is not an impartial judge, despite what he claims. He's overwhelmingly biased and clearly still grieving everything and everyone he's lost, and has carried that with him for millennia.

I imagine he tried, genuinely, to find worth in us, but was so caught up in his grief that he was unable to see it.

You're not wrong. Most wouldn't. And the few that would would be the best of us, the least worthy of death.

The thing is, Emet-Selch is not wrong about any of this. People can be flawed, horrible, and brutal. All these things are true. But whether from trauma, or grief, or whatever reason, he's dismissed all the good in us, and conveniently overlooks any of the negatives of the ancients.

I do not believe that the ancients were as perfect as Emet-Selch describes them, remembers them: he himself proves that. And he's not an anomaly. All of the Ascians became monsters: Emet is arguably the kindest one we've met, and he's personally responsible for more atrocities than I can reasonably list. If the unsundered Ascians became what they are, then that potential lay in all of the ancients, just as it does in the modern peoples. They were not intrinsically perfect.

But all that is irrelevant, because this isn't about logic. As Emet-Selch puts it, yes, we "refuse to see reason." It doesn't matter whether the world used to be perfect or not, we are here now, regardless of how broken we are in his eyes.

We're fighting for the same thing in the end, for ourselves and those we love to live.

Uh-oh, I think we've made him mad.

I just want to appreciate how cool that looked. When the doors swung open unto a wall of flames.

No wave as he's walking away. No more performance. Nothing to be performative about. This is serious, deadly serious. And Emet-Selch is very tired.

Oh goodness this dungeon was horrifying. And awesome. The fire, the monsters, the falling buildings! It hurt my heart after seeing Emet-Selch's memory of Amaurot, talking to it's people. To know that this is what befell them.

Stop moving the goalposts, Emet! Great line though. Got to remember to use this cap as a reaction every time I'm mildly displeased by something.

Alisaie is so goddamn badass. All my friends are badass, but Alisaie jumping up and throwing herself into battle against the strongest opponent any of us have ever faced is just... beautiful.

And then Ardbert became part of me and stopped me from becoming a lightwarden. Which begs the question, how the hell did Hydaelyn know he was going to be needed to do that... can she see the future?

But that's a question for another post...

It's me! The ancient me!

I don't know how the Exarch got here, but boy am I glad he did. Now I've got all the backup I need to take on Emet-Selch properly.

Speaking of...

Now that is a hell of a thematic name. Hades, lord of the underworld. FF is pretty loose with its naming conventions, but I can't imagine they chose that one for Emet-Selch without at least a few good reasons. I will enjoy considering the implications.

Ah, I should have guessed he'd have a super-powered form.

And isn't that a somber title for a Trial. Is this the dying gasp of a man who's all but dead already? Or does it belong to the hope that the Ascians had for their plans for rejoining? Perhaps both...

Oh.

I think that's the first time we've seen his mask. At least, I'm assuming that's his mask.

That was a very excellent fight. And sad. And disconcerting. When Emet-Selch stabbed himself in the chest to kill off his body and take his second form... wow. Metal as fuck.

Yeah, that's what I thought. The phantom Amaurot, the shades of people, even this fight... you're drowning in your own emotions and grief.

My friends are here to help me!

To my eternal regret I was unable to capture a good photo of Ardbert's axe, and this cutscene is too emotionally fraught for me to re-watch just yet.

*sobbing uncontrollably*

He did everything for his people. Gave all of himself for their cause. And in death he thinks only of them, and their remembrance. He was their hero; their final hope, and this is the bitterest victory.

Goodbye Hades, I will miss you.

.

.

.

G'raha, I wish the game would let me give you a hug.

And everyone is gathered to welcome us home.

[wishingicouldfly]

Fanfic Faves - 2022

My 2022 favorites. Of course, I had 50+ on my fave list, and I had to narrow down to 15. I cut out fics that were rereads, and fics that I've mentioned elsewhere in lists. I removed double mentions of authors. It was still hard to get it to a manageable list. But here it is. My top 15 for 2022.

These aren't all published in 2022, but were all read by me this year. For some perspective, my total fic count for the year is 271, almost 20 millions words read. I've read some really good fics that didn't make this list.

Find me over at @FlyWishing on Twitter to chat, if you want! Adding a cut because this is long...

Say Hallelujah, Say Goodnight by alivingfire - https://archiveofourown.org/works/10749141/chapters/23831946

Louis is an angel who is just a little too bad to be good, Harry is a demon who is just a little too good to be bad, and they're both a little too in love to be impartial when angels and demons go to war.

My thoughts: Exceptional. No extreme smut. Soul mates. Louis angel. Harry demon. Save the world. Love each other across Millennium. Superbly written.

2. Of Mates and Men by BananaHeathen - https://archiveofourown.org/works/26640253/chapters/64964377

In which, Louis and Harry meet as best men for their best friends' wedding... well... sort of. Or, the one where Harry's just moved back from New York and Louis doesn't believe in romance. Or, I guess... the one where Zayn and Liam are getting married.

My Thoughts: This was the year BananaHeathen finished this WIP, so I can add it to my faves list! I LOVE this sweet friends to lovers slow burn. Louis is a romance agent, Harry is a photog getting over a serious break up. Great OT5 found family. Exceptionally written and long, but you never want it to end.

3. Burn to Ash by bethaboo - https://archiveofourown.org/works/1854157/chapters/3988654

Or the fic where Harry spirals out of control, the band breaks up, and then he shows back up, five years later.

My Thoughts: a new favorite. Canon to a point, except it's Harry as an alcoholic (Trigger warning) who leaves the band and doesn't return for five years. Slow burn as Louis learns to forgive him, but it's lovely and there's a small side plot of Ziam.

4. Lightning Strikes Twice by dinosaursmate - https://archiveofourown.org/works/12950415/chapters/29601396

Louis slipped his hand onto Harry’s thigh, snaking his fingers up and inwards. “I’m a big fan. You’re so talented, and I have to admit that I actually fancy you a bit.” “Yeah?” Harry reached up to push Louis’ fringe out of his eyes. “Well, you know, I like to try and be accommodating to my fans.” “You’re quite well known for that,” Louis whispered as he turned his head some more, their mouths an inch apart. “So I hear.” Rock star Harry Styles was nineteen when he met Louis, a groupie with a huge heart that Harry couldn’t quite shake from his mind. Fate granted him a second chance at the age of sixty, his washed up and lonely existence being transformed by a widower with a bookshop.

My Thoughts: I loved this one. Super sexy but also really sweet. Spans a lifetime. Older characters are written really well.

5. Torn on the Platform by frecklebomb - https://archiveofourown.org/works/6203497

AU where harry and louis are strangers but they always get the same train to work in the morning and one day harry falls asleep on louis' shoulder. louis wants to be annoyed because harry just broke a least seven rules of tube conduct but he looks so soft and peaceful that he just lets him sleep and wakes him ever so carefully when it’s his stop. it happens again and again until it becomes a regular thing where louis will let harry snooze and then gently nudge him awake, hand him the cup of coffee he took from him so it wouldn't slip and spill everywhere and send him off with a “have fun at work, love” and after the tenth time harry isn't even embarrassed any more.

My Thoughts: This is a PODFIC - I listened in the car. Such a good light story read by the author, who has a lovely narration voice. Loved everything about it.

6. Tied Down by HamPalphert - https://archiveofourown.org/works/16218140/chapters/37907963

The most interesting case in Liam and Niall's careers falls directly into their laps, courtesy of an epic fuck-up of one Harry Styles, partner to the almost-infamous drug dealer Louis Tomlinson. The investigation yields an unexpected yet satisfactory outcome for Liam and Niall. For Harry and Louis, however, things are far more complicated.

My Thoughts: I really liked this crime drama; it's told from a variety of different perspectives, and it all comes together at the end.

7. Desires for Woolgatherings by isolated - https://archiveofourown.org/works/30421635/chapters/75003873

AU: In the midst of his second world tour, Louis Tomlinson receives the devastating news that his former bandmate, Harry Styles, is in critical condition after an unfortunate accident. Fresh with the loss of his mother and his sister, Louis’ world darkens once more as he flies out to California, preparing for the worst. There, Louis is faced with the ghost of his past, realizing the hand he played in the band’s division. As time goes on, Harry’s condition becomes dire, and his only chances of survival forces Louis to participate in a makeshift, illegal drug trial orchestrated by a dubious neuroscientist.

My Thoughts: science fiction, love the angst and happy ending. Canon divergent. Louis has to undertake an experimental procedure to save Harry in his dreams.

8. Shadow Dances by itsmotivatingcara - https://archiveofourown.org/works/38097370/chapters/95165941

A FBI - Medium AU

My Thoughts: crime drama, supernatural, x-files-esque. GREAT characters. Great plot.

Cara burst onto the fanfic scene this year with a great list of crime drama/supernatural fics. If you like this genre, go read all of them.

9. I'll fly Away by juliusschmidt - https://archiveofourown.org/works/5390444?view_full_work=true

Harry and Louis grew up together in Lake County, Harry with his mom and stepdad in a tiny cottage on Edward’s Lake and Louis in his family’s farmhouse a few minutes down the road. But after high school, Louis stuck around and Harry did not; Harry went to Chicago where he found a boyfriend and couple of college degrees. Six years later, Harry ends up back in Edwardsville for the summer and he and Louis fall into old patterns and discover new ones.

My Thoughts: TW for some internal and external homophobia. But this has nice character development exploring small town Larry and 1 D.

10. Have Love Will Travel by kingsofeverything - https://archiveofourown.org/works/24971224

Rather than spend the summer working at their desks, Louis and Harry are given the opportunity to crisscross the country together in a tiny camper, filming their adventures for a YouTube series. It soon becomes obvious to their viewers that there’s something more than friendship between them. Eventually, they figure it out.

My Thoughts: super cute. Road Trip Larry. Lots of state parks, travel. Louis has a crush and of course they end up together.

11. Promise Your Whispers are mine by lightswoodmagic - https://archiveofourown.org/works/30297759/chapters/74675502

Harry’s the head chef at Azoff’s Catering, and he loves his job; the opportunity has always been more than he could dream of and he’s proud of the food he creates. Until he meets Louis, an event coordinator rising through the ranks with his own company, and who reminds him of the dreams he once had for his own career. While their easy friendship initially thrives in an industry known for chaos and betrayal, they soon discover they both have their secrets, and maybe it’s too late for either of them to try to find happiness outside of their work. Especially when they realise that their happiness might rely on each other.

My Thoughts: I liked this one a lot--it would make a good Hallmark channel movie--a bit of angst. Some internalized homophobia. Good OT5. Side of Ziam and a glimpse of Shiall.

12. The Murmur of Yearning by MediaWhore - https://archiveofourown.org/works/24575821/chapters/59353969

Four years ago, Harry Styles was forced into a marriage of convenience to enrich and ally both his and his promised's families. The sudden, and slightly suspicious, death of the Marquess of Haxshire, however, brings great disturbance to Crescentfield Hall and, as his late's husband's closest male relative, Harry unexpectedly finds himself the head of a family he never felt he belonged to. Between a meddling distant cousin hellbent on inserting himself in Harry’s life, his wicked and mistrustful mother-in-law and his late husband’s advisors refusing to help or take him seriously, Harry struggles in the fight to keep what he’s earned and make the Estate finally feel like home.

My Thoughts: This one is really good. slow burn. historical fiction. really lovely Harry. Great Louis. Rocking Niall as the valet.

13. Golden by shaylea - https://archiveofourown.org/works/38275321

Harry is fully dressed when Louis returns to the room. He’s slumped on the edge of the bed, fingers twining awkwardly around the edge of his pink flounces. “Can I come?” he blurts when Louis opens the bathroom door.

My Thoughts: Great slow build. Secret identity falling in love. Louis as a farmer is particularly sweet.

14. Down the Line by sunflouwerhabit - https://archiveofourown.org/works/34559743/chapters/86026318

OR: Star shortstop Louis Tomlinson only finds solace between the white-chalk lines of a baseball diamond, until Harry Styles- the absolute bane of his existence and (probably) the worst pitcher in Major League Baseball- becomes an overnight sensation in the city Louis calls home.

My Thoughts: Really liked this baseball fic. Good solid OT5, great character development. Love story feels believable as does the angst and past-trauma.

15. Swallow the Knife by whoknows - https://archiveofourown.org/works/19429339

“You came,” Louis says, still breathless, clinging to Harry, uncaring that his sweat is getting all over Harry’s presumably clean dad shirt, or that he’s making Harry hold up all of his weight. “Of course I came,” Harry says. He shifts, one arm curled underneath Louis’ arse, the other spreading wide in the middle of Louis’ back. “If I ignored you every time you pissed me off we would have stopped being friends a long time ago.” Louis already knows that, of course. It doesn’t do anything to stop the pleased squirm in his belly every time Harry proves it, though. They fight like nobody’s business, both of them too stubborn to pull their punches when they’re arguing, and it used to get them in trouble, but they always make up. Adrenaline makes Louis loose-lipped, and they both know it. He tightens his arms around Harry’s neck, buries his face in his hair. “I missed you,” he confesses, quiet. “Doesn’t feel the same up there by myself.”

My Thoughts: really enjoyed, slow burn, canon compliant. Louis needs support on his first solo tour and Harry comes along to help him.

Happy Reading!

Rosann xoxo

[viscountessevie]

Idk if and when you'll start answering benophie asks again but I cant help but notice how all the 🌼 that shit on aofag by saying its classist and elitist are also the same people who don't want to see that story played out on screen. It's such textbook virtue signaling and I'm tired of it. Like just say that you don't relate to to sophie or her story of trauma and abuse, just say that you want a story about two rich people going to balls and falling in love. There's nothing wrong with that. (1)

Related Ask I got about a week after(?): 

First off hii anon thank you for sending this in and waiting a while! 

Just a lot of shit happened on this blog and then when you sent this in I was trying to keep my blog ‘neutral’ because some people took offence to my post calling you-know-whos after a old timey disease and decided that we wouldn’t be impartial with our poll results which btw I apologise to everyone who is still waiting for it - I’ve been depressed (I’m fine don’t worry it just be like that sometimes) and my friends all have started school/work so life has happened we’re going to try to compile everything starting this weekend hopefully! Will come back with more updates when we’re ready to post. 

That tangent aside, that’s why I couldn’t answer right away and then everything on my blog happened but now it’s free rein, The Petty Viscountess is here and ready to answer all your anons venting and calling shit out on you know which fandom. Not even gonna bother giving them a cute nickname, they’ll whine. 

Let’s get into your ask, shall we! I don’t have more points to add to be honest - you said it all! 

Sophie saved their book!! And also we have Luke T to thank for making Ben even more likeable! Ben has his charming moments in the books but we all - even those of us who love him - gotta admit he was so creepy at times being so pushy. I think its good for us Benophines to accept that part of him in Book Canon and engage critically with that aspect of him. 

However that being said, you’re absolutely right about the way other subfandom fans can be so annoying about our ships by acting all high and mighty about their ship both being virgins. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that inherently and it can be romantic - but to act like that somehow makes their racist faves a morally better couple??? Do they realise they sound super puritan and like Church Pastors and Nuns who scared us former Christian kids into not having sex cos it was supposedly a sin?? 

It’s funny when you realise now most of them are trying to their couple out to be Kathony 2.0 in order to generate the hype for S3 its pretty sad that they don’t even believe in their own ship to let them be their own people.

To end this ask off I do wanna reiterate two very poignant points you made in your ask: 

I'm disinterested in half the bridgerton ships but I don't go around pretending to have a good reason why.  

They're already getting their season a year early, just leave us to our misery and they enjoy the content you get instead of constantly rubbing it in our faces. Every single ship is annoying but *god* their egos have inflated to the size of a bounce house lately. 

I have no idea why That Subfandom is so hellbent on everyone liking them and their ship so damn much. Like just accept that the show version have shitty versions of those characters and that majority of your fandom are racist assholes so the rest of us want nothing to do with you!! Be secure in yourselves and accept that you don’t need anyone else’s validation - yall have shown yourselves that you’re are deluded enough anyway. 

[I always say this but just a reminder: the only valid ones are most of the time Book Polins who hate the show version and are upset their fave chars have been character assassinated - I actually have a Polin who sent me an ask about this! I didn’t forget you - I’m just putting tgt a list of positive rep for you anon so hang in there <3. Also there is ONE rare person I’ve talked to who does critically engage with Show Pen so they’re okay - I just wish they would be more confrontational with their fandom tho.]

Back to you Benophie Anon: Your last line made me LAUGH OUT LOUD and LOUDER FOR THE RACISTS AT THE BACK: 

They're already getting their season a year early,... enjoy the content you get instead of constantly rubbing it in our face. *god* their egos have inflated to the size of a bounce house lately.

Check yourselves @ you-know-whos!! Another season why we don’t like you, no one likes gloater and we get it Production Loves You so just stay in your corner! Leave us the fuck alone and stop being so self-righteous and trying to make your ship Kathony 2.0, they’ll never be Lord and Lady Bridgerton. Only Mr. and Miss for you. 

Anyways last thing: @ both anons who sent in their asks if you’re anti-racist/homophobia/sexist Benophies who don’t send doxxing threats, please hit up my friends Belle aka sophiamariabeckett and Michaela aka minim236 they need more sane Benophie mutuals/friends! We’re tired of finding out some Benophies here and/or Twitters are secret racists or homophobes [this ask got long so I’ll put the red flags in the comments] 

[fangirlmedstudentblog]

Ann's 2022 Wrapped Pt. 2(B)

Ok, so continuing on from my last post here, Part 2(A)

My list is in no way even close to an exhaustive fic rec list for the pairing. It has some gems to get you started if you're new to the ship, or some fics to re-read, if you've already read these. If there is a podfic of the fic, I'll include that too! Podfics deserve more love and are a boon, allowing us to listen to our favourite stories while doing other work or playing games! They're one of the top reasons I've not fallen asleep while completing exploration in Genshin Impact lol.

In the m/m fics, i don't write the ship name with the top/bottom fixed in mind as i always headcanon them as versatile. (I know some people like to read fixed dynamics for certain ships, so this is just a fyi for them.)

Do check the tags of the fics before reading and check the author's pages for further fics to read!

All fics are complete unless mentioned otherwise.

Fandoms in this part

8. Frank Hardy/Nancy Drew from Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys Mystery series

9. Prapai/Sky from Love In The Air

10. Tim Drake centric, Batman, Red Robin comics

11. Miscellaneous fandoms

Let's go!!!!

Pairing: Frank Hardy/Nancy Drew aka Francy from The Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys Mystery Series

This, I think, was my first crossover ship EVER, all the way back in 7th grade. I remember reading my first super mystery, Club Dread and boy was i surprised to see hints of Frank being attracted to Nancy and being the romantic that i am my mind latched onto that idea and i recently got my hands on a copy of a Crime for Christmas with the ICONIC KISS SCENE and boy did all the feels come rushing back.

1. Baby I Hope (That It's You) by questionablemotive

She didn't mean for this to happen, plain and simple. Frank was never supposed to be an intricate piece of her puzzle, and she was never supposed to fall in love with someone who wasn't Ned. But, well, here we are.

Or

Nancy's journey of falling in love with Frank Hardy, denying it like crazy, before finally accepting it and doing something about it.

As it says in the summary. It's a character driven piece, and takes place via the universe of the Nancy drew games, so contains spoilers for them.

2. To Protect and Serve by rosa lunae

Special Agent Nancy Drew of the FBI has been given her first op as a lead agent in the Witness Protection program. She's shocked to find that the men she's vowed to protect from the deadly Russian mob are none other than Frank and Joe Hardy.

Since it's such an old fandom, one has to go to ffnet as well to search for fics and boy was i rewarded with this fic. It had suspense, action and romance that keeps one at the edge of their seats.

3. The Ampersand Series by kennac

From Exploring Fraud and Friendship (1st fic in series): Nancy heads to New York to consult with Hardy Investigators on the ins and outs of claims investigation to help her boss in Chicago prepare to bid on a new contract. This simple information-gathering assignment quickly turns deadly, and Nancy learns fraud and friendship can both be fraught with unseen land mines that can test even a seasoned detective’s resolve to remain impartial.

It's the longest series in the Francy ao3 tag that contains an awesome series with suspense, mystery and romance in spades. It keeps you engrossed in the mystery and the story and will be treat to those who enjoy reading the series.

4. Bringing Down The Barriers by DesertVixen

Nancy Drew and Frank Hardy find themselves on a family vacation together, with a few less barriers than before.

The first fic of another great Nancy Drew Hardy Boys crossover mystery series with the 1st fic having Francy have feels and get together, and the last fic deals with a mystery regarding Nancy's mother.

5. if the fates allow by veterization

A special machine delivered by P.G. Krolmeister sends Nancy into a future where she can witness firsthand the repercussions of her rejecting Frank Hardy.

A sweet Francy fic a based on the movie Just In Time For Christmas!

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Pairing: Prapai/Sky from บรรยากาศรัก เดอะซีรีส์ | Love in the Air

I discovered this show mid-November and caved to finally watch it in December and gods I've fallen into the prapaisky brainrot so bad. Rainpayu is a close second, but something about the way prapai just cares about sky just does it for me personally. All fics have trigger warnings for mentions of sky's past. I legit have such a crush on the main cast of bossnoeul and fortpeat, especially fortpeat it's kinda embarassing 🥴 Oh to have prapai of my own 😭

1. Chasing Sky by kibosama Rated M

A prapaisky getting together fic, which was written before the prapaisky episodes were aired in the show. It picks and chooses parts of canon that the author likes and pretends the rest doesn't exist. The prapaisky dynamic in this is so self indulgent and yet so good.

kibosama has written some of the most beautiful canon adjacent fics in several fandoms that i highly recommend you read and can be read even if you've not seen the show yet. Their works have single-handedly pushed up certain shows up my to watch list and let me tell you that isn't easy, at all.

2. The Good Kind of Red by tennisuhs Rated M

“I do not owe you shit.”

Sky’s hand is slightly trembling as they clutch on the other boy’s collar.

“You don’t.” The racer scoffs. “But my friend will.”

“Let’s get you out of here, cutie.”

*

What if Sky and Prapai never fucked on the first meeting? What if, still, they haunted each other's memory from that they on?

Canon divergence from prapaisky's first meeting and it is OH SO GOOD!!! Sky is precious and just 🤌🏻

3. Pheromones on the Wind by loveleighalissa Rated M

Having been burned badly before by love, Sky plans to focus on school and pretending that men, mainly alpha's, don't exist. To bad for him there is a strong wind trying to blow down the walls he's built around his heart.

A omegaverse re-write of the prapaisky arc of Love in the Air. Part 1 is PayuRain and is still a WIP, read it here

4. Never Say by kibosama Rated M

Prapai is an auction house for the sole purpose of getting someone to sign a contract. He doesn't have any interest in owning a blood slave--until he lays eyes on Sky. That, he must have.

Sky's there for reasons of his own, mostly desperate reasons, and he's braced himself for a year of hell. Which doesn't seem to be forthcoming.

Someone needs to explain to this vampire that he's supposed to use Sky, not spoil him. Prapai doesn't seem to get it.

A vampire!Prapai fic that actually seems much softer than one might expect from a vampire fic. Also sassy sky is everything. Fun fact, this is the fic that actually convinced me to finally watch Love in the Air before another show that had caught my interest (Not Me the series).

5. Possessive Boyfriends Support Group series by kibosama Rated T

A crossover series between Love in the Air and The Eclipse where Ayan is Rain's childhood friend and him, Rain and Sky get upto various shenanigans and their poor boyfriends are pulled along for the ride (ehe 👀).

Made me watch The Eclipse after LITA lol. The power of an awesome fanfic author 😍😍

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Fandom: Batman comics, Red Robin comics

Wayne Family Adventures introduced me to Tim Drake, aka Red Robin and I just fell in love with him so bad, it made me go back and read up on the history of Batman and his various Robins and i fell further in love with the various Robins over the years, though my favourites are Tim Drake and Jason Todd.

1. Code Bat Series by Listentothelittlebird

Within Gotham, the Bats are a tight-knit group - family - that runs like clockwork.

Outside of Gotham, none of their teammates know they’re related.

This series explores the shenanigans that the Bats get up to, as well as how this distinction would affect canon.

(This is an AU where the Bats are secretly affiliated, but nobody knows that.)

One of my favourite Robin centric series with occasional appearances by Teen Titans, the Justice League and the Outlaws. I love the bonds between all the Gotham vigilantes and how dedicated they are helping each other despite the occasional complicated bonds between them.

2. Liminal Space by Calamityjim

Bruce's habit of collecting strays is not limited by dimension.

Or

When Young Justice Batman comes across an angsty, seemingly abandoned by his Batman Tim Drake, he decides to step up to the plate and parent the crap out of him.

I love this genre of fix-it fics because let's face it,in canon these boys do not have it easy at all. Especially Tim Drake. And Bruce isn't much of a parent in comic canon as much I would like. So I look to fanfics for my emotional needs.

Also has a Podfic and is part of a awesome as fuck series that i suggest you read here (features Tim/Kon in the later parts of the series)

3. Doctor!Tim by wintersnight (Tim Drake/Dick Grayson/Jason Todd) Rated E

It's really just the usual day. Home after a grueling seventy-two hours on the ER rotation. Make a pot of coffee. Find a bleeding vigilante on your fire escape. All pretty standard for Gotham.

Civilian doctor Tim AU who's a bamf ER surgeon (just being an ER surgeon is bad-ass enough, but being one in Gotham automatically deserves bamf status, because I could NEVER).

It actually is somewhat medically accurate (as a doctor, myself, i can verify that) and is ALL TOO ACCURATE as to how busy the life of a surgeon can get. And Steph as the nurse is genius and makes me miss all the nurses I worked and made friends with. And the trio of Tim/Dick/Jason have sizzling chemistry with each other.

4. Jason Todd: The Not-So-Outlaw by GoAwayOlivia Rated M

Jason Todd isn't what Batman made him, he isn't what the Joker made him, he isn't what the League of Assassins made him, and he isn't what the Lazarus Pit made him. He's his own person and he's taking himself back, one home renovation at a time. Also he might just make friends with the people who are supposed to be his brothers while he's at it.

One of my favourite Jason centric fics!!!!!

5. Latchkey by goldkirk

or, How Tim Drake Found A Family, Became A Photojournalist, Learned To Love Coffee, and Grew Up, not necessarily in that order.

Tim Drake is thirteen, runs the famous BatWatch blog that has spiraled hilariously out of control, has absentee parents that suit his purposes just fine, is training himself to run the streets at night, and is doing absolutely peachy, thank you.

Alfred and Jason disagree, and get Dick and Bruce involved in figuring out their weird nextdoor neighbor kid’s life. Everything goes uphill from there.

Part of the Shutterbug series . It's one of the Tim joins the batfamily early fics that I love. Please, give Tim more love, especially kid!Tim. That kid made me want to give him ALL the hugs with his backstory. Plus it has mother hen Jason with lots of bat brother bonding, all of which i LOVE.

6. One Eternal Round by Boogalee99

His name is Aizawa Shouta.

No, it’s Bruce Wayne.

No close family. No children.

No, he has an …Alfred? And children, lots of children. Too many to count.

Current Residence: Musutafu, Japan.

No, it’s Gotham. Gotham, USA.

Current Occupation: Hero and School Teacher.

No, he’s a CEO, and… wait, hero? He’s just a vigilante – he’s technically a glorified criminal with a day job.

Aizawa, Midoriya, Bakugou, Kirishima, and Todoroki get caught in the emergence of a new quirk and find themselves remembering a past life, a life spent in heroics, a life without superpowers. Chaos ensues as they navigate old new skills, relationships, and goals.

A Boku no Hero Academia X Batman series crossover series that really made me realise the similarities between Shouto, Katsuki and Izuku and Damian, Jason and Tim. It's a definitely a good read!

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Miscellaneous Fandom fic recs

Gokusen : Sawada Shin/Yamaguchi Kumiko

Gokusen: The Novel by Jane Elliot

A novelization of the Gokusen manga, including extended and missing scenes.

As much as I love the live action versions of ShinKumi (one of my first jdrama crushes), the manga will always win for more Shin scenes and actually making ShinKumi canon.

The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System: Luo Binghe/Shen Qinqiu|Shen Yuan aka Bingqiu

I Wish You Were My Husband by Feynite Rated E

AU based on The Dreamer in the Spring Boudoir (familiarity with that story's not required).

Wherein Shen Yuan transmigrates into a harem intrigues romance novel (gay edition), Yue Qingyuan really fucks up, Liu Qingge is not suitable for his job, and no one even remotely sees Luo Binghe coming.

Also has a Podfic by the prolific lunchee that i highly recommend listening to!

The Umbrella Academy

Keep Trying by pprfaith Rated T

At thirteen, a drunk Klaus goes wandering the mansion instead of locking himself into his room.

Seventeen years down the line, he saves the world.

In between, they're all just trying not to drown.

(Klaus and Vanya against the world.)

Part 1 of the on some days,in some ways series that is so dear to my heart. Klaus and Vanya were my favourite characters of The Umbrella Academy series and this fic all the right spots. Do check the tags for this as it does deal with some heavy topics, though they're at the level of canon.

OC centric fics:

The Medic-Nin's Guide to Casual Revolution by spideywhiteys

Aikawa Toshiro is born anew on the heels of the third shinobi war. He's clanless, average in strength, and is alive on luck alone. But he's here. And he's about to make it everyone else's problem. Life beget change, and if Konoha is so frequently likened to a tree, shouldn't it be expected to grow?

Original Female Character/Hatake Kakashi. A WIP that i still have no clue how i came across (because i usually avoid OC/SI fics) but it is SO SO GOOD and i have no regrets. A OC/Self Insert fic that is just awesome as hell.

It is work of love and passion and it SHOWS in the fic. Medically, i would say it's kind of like House MD levels of accuracy, which it's more than ok, especially since I'm pretty sure konoha doesn't even have the concept of germ theory known, since they deal with chakra for healing.

Sanitize by sage_thrasher

Basic medicine and sanitation are simple. During the Warring Clans era, they become revolutionary.

Another self-insert fic with a medical professional who gets isekai-ed to the Naruto universe during the warring clans era and decides to become a healer. WIP

The Yondaime's Assistant by dianamoth (lunaemoth)

When I reincarnated in the world of Naruto, I was lucky enough to live in Konoha but not lucky enough to get all the superpowers you could hope for. I failed my jounin-sensei test and ended up in the Genin Corps.

Bye-bye jounin rank! However, considering it also meant avoiding the battlefield, that was fine with me. Now I just had to get a position allowing me to change History…

Hatake Kakashi/Original Female Character/Shiranui Genma. OFC gets isekai-ed into the Naruto universe and decides to change some things and lead to a fix-it. The OC is a bad-ass, very observant and believes in proper communication as well!! Also a proper explanation for the isekaification is also given!

Akatsuki no Yona: Son Hak/Yona

Unaccounted Factors by Fai_Gensou

Su-won’s disregard of Yona in his planning for his coup was ultimately his downfall.

“I can’t believe this.” Yun said, shaking his head as Yona fired off rapid questions that the now hapless king couldn’t answer.

“You came after Yona not to kill her, or keep her quiet, or to take over the Dragon Warriors, but so she could balance your books and get the castle running smoothly again. I don’t know whether to laugh or cry.”

“Cry.” Ju-do advised. “We couldn’t even track you down ourselves; we had to bribe the maids to tell us, since the couriers flat-out refused to say a word.”

An underrated WIP that deserves more recognition for it's sheer uniqueness and yet rightness of concept (if that makes sense) of the fic and whose updates I'll wait years for.

Genshin Impact: Zhongli/Tartaglia|Childe

Entirely Out of Spite by bgtea

"Welcome to a new user experience! You have triggered this interface with the keywords, ‘Stupid game! Stupid devs! I want my f*****g money back!’ You are now bound to the character Tartaglia, the Eleventh Harbinger of the Fatui, codename: Childe! We hope you have an enjoyable user experience and we welcome you once again to Genshin Impact 2.0!”

Those are some of the first words Ajax, starving college student extraordinaire, has the misfortune of hearing upon waking up in a brave new world from what he's fairly sure is a very, very fatal accident involving water and a shit ton of electricity.

Okay, so he's not dead. That's good. But what's this about him being stuck playing the character Tartaglia? Tartaglia, as in the shitty, one-dimensional, cartoonish villain who met his untimely, gruesome death in the first act of the original game?

Fuck that noise. Like hell Ajax is going to share that fate.

And so begins one man's journey to unfuck himself.

A Zhongchi fic based on Scum Villian that in my admittedly biased opinion, one of the best Zhongchi fics. A WIP clocking in at almost 300k that updates regularly with long long updates that'll keep you engrossed!

Game of Thrones

A Wolf Amongst Lions by Kallypso

Tywin Lannister discovers the true identity of his cup bearer at Harrenhal. Now, with another bargaining chip in his possession, he has a chance to turn the war. Arya Stark, despite her best efforts, falls back into the Game of Thrones. To survive in a lion's den, a wolf has no choice but to adapt.

This is a beautiful, lovely fic that kept me engrossed till i finished the fic's last sentence. The evolving relationship and bond between Arya and Tywin depicted in this fic is fascinating to read. As is her evolving relationship with the rest of the Lannisters, and how it all affects the rest of Game of Thrones canon.

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This ends my 2022 fandom recap!! Hope anyone who has read upto this point has enjoyed my ramblings and also gotten some new fandom, fanfic or media recommendations!!

I'll see you 💜

[champion-of-thedas]

WoT Reread: New Spring Chapter 2

Next installment! This chapter definitely had a lot more comments from me. I think I’ll also include a quick summary from now on in case someone comes across this and forgot what happened.

Chapter 2: A Wish Fulfilled

Moiraine and Siuan serve tea to Tamara and Gitara and end up hearing the prophecy of the Dragon’s rebirth. 

·My babies! Moiraine is on my top ten list (sorry Siuan) so it’s always exciting to see her and I also see so many parallels between baby Moiraine and baby Rand (my increasingly unapologetic fave) , so that’s always fun. The biggest trouble I’ve had is trying to grasp her voice and creating the right amount of slightly petulant and wisdom born of experience. Weirdly, the show is making that so much easier.

·Moiriane thinking about things in order to give us exposition about the Tower. Also I’m so amused that Moiraine wants to join the war just so she knows what is going on.

·Okay quick thing: When I was reading Gathering Storm I was on a server and we discussed the lack of experience that the head of the Green Ajah had and it bothered me that Egwene was showing so much more composure that the HEAD OF THE GREEN AJAH. Someone pointed out that in this book it was mentioned that the Green Ajah never saw war (I’ll wait until something reminds me). BUT! Moiraine just said that the Amyrlin and her Keeper did not seem to be bothered because “they had certainly seen the aftermath of more battles than any general”. While this does not mean that they fought in those battles, the implication seems to suggest as such. I’m super confused. What the hell Jordan?

·A lot of description given for two people that are not going to survive this book.

·Once again, we must know too much about women’s dresses and jewelry and their breasts. I love these books, but I will be giving a lot of eyerolling literally any time he brings up problematic gender dynamics, which is all of the time. I think someone in a discord server put it once that if he wrote these books today, he would have probably written that part differently, and I agree. That doesn’t make it less frustrating, especially since a lot of the more interesting parts of his writing (commentary on institutions and power) suffer greatly from the fact that many of these institutions are solely run by women. For instance, instead of making it a commentary of institutions (whether military, political, economic, or academic) in general, he unintentionally (and I think it was unintentional) made commentary on women-run institutions. Just getting this off my chest before we keep going, but I will be frustrated by it multiple times. Just know that I am frustrated out of love for these books and how much better I know they could/would be (also my reason for being super excited about the show, which has been doing a better job of this so far).

·Ha! It’s called a wish fulfilled because Moiraine wants to see a foretelling and she definitely will.

·Okay so it just explicitly said that no Aes Sedai have taken part in battle since the Trolloc Wars. What the hell Jorday?

·I do get it, since they are trying to be impartial and taking part in battle would be taking aside. At the same time, this goes back to the weird gendered stuff and also irritates me because now we have a Battle Ajah with no practical experience. Again, I get the idea of an institution resting on its laurels and being something in name only, but we once again run into the issue of what is meant by the narrative and what actually comes across given the nature of the world. RJ created a patriarchal society where women just happen to be in positions of power instead of matriarchal one and sometimes he likes to remind me of it. I promise I do get less salty and I do love these books, but weirdly this first iconic chapter is getting me in my feelings. At least I’m getting this out now so I have less to say later.

·As some who is 5’0” (152 cm), I feel the frustration with other people being irritatingly taller. I feel it strongly.

·Moiraine and Lan clearly both truly bonded over being horse girls. Hell yeah.

· Moiraine being uncomfortable with someone reading erotic fiction and then confronting her about why she can’t read it seems to hilarious. I feel like Moiraine later in the series wouldn’t have bothered or would have just said exactly why she shouldn’t.

·The foretelling! Only a few minutes on page and Gitara has by far one of the most dramatic moments in the series.

·I appreciate Moiraine being in shock in this moment. I can’t imagine being in a position where someone with authority over you that seems almost mystical in their own right (given the way Moiraine thinks about Gitara) just drops dead. The denial and disbelief are there in spades.

Be careful what you wish for indeed. Definitely some food for thought. We’re still not quite where I’m starting, but I feel like a lot of this chapter is helpful both to get Moiraine’s perspective and also because this moment is technically the inciting incident of the series. A prophecy about the end times is said and because of it our Gandalf goes out to see it fulfilled in a way that keeps the world going rather than end it. There was a LOT of discussion of the culture of the Tower which could be very helpful if someone chose to read this book first (although I would not personally recommend it; too many spoilers). I definitely like where my initial placement of it in the series was, because I feel like it was a good primer for the increase in Tower politics that would be coming in Lord of Chaos.