#or rather tries really hard to because they have no talent in their writers or BTS who care about them any more

[blindtaleteller]

It isn't just that moment either; it's the seconds after that the camera lingers on him. That film was and remains severely under-rated for what it SHOWED and didn't just tell: including that contradiction of emotions in him.

Because it wasn't just that realization that hit Hiddleston's expressions: that and a lot more was there and in his tones. There was the hope she crushed still at it after 1500 years, the disappointment and hurt, the quieter recognition of those things and resignation, and the full realization that no, she did not care enough about him to truly try past the last 1500 years of lies about him, their relationship, or the fact he wasn't even the same species with extremely differing traits outside of backing solitary confinement lasting three thousand five hundred, to four thousand years over immediate execution (which in itself is a whole other level of wtfery when you start asking questions he probably had an inkling about like: how did they know the details of the supposed deal made and not know either the goal OR under what threat:) and in the last moments there was also the very clear wish none of that was the case... he wanted to trust her, and there simply was no grounds on which to do that at this stage.

Add in the clear thought that.. he doesn't know who his mother is any more than we the viewers do: or how honest even Odin's account is either. The likelihood is for us that Loki isn't aware of though: Odin very probably killed her and many others on his way into the temple he was still bloody from fighting his way into, to find Loki at all.

And TDW pulled that scene off so damned well in literal seconds long scenes with more expression than dialogue.

^That was just one of them, but definitely one of the best.

...also tags.

God the moment in TDW when Frigga asks Loki "Then am I not your mother?" is so fucking painful and sad.

Like Loki was hopeful that he still had Frigga as a mother, that he still had some family that actually loved him, that she was still the good person he always thought she was, but then she starts to manipulate him like Odin, defending Odin's actions, and basically saying "you can either have both of us or neither of us". And he decides that he's not taking it anymore, he already took enough from Odin, he's not taking it from her. So, he responds, realizing that he has no one left, "you're not".

And oh my god just seeing the realization on his face makes me cry

[pseudowho]

Hello! First off, I love your work, and second, I'm not sure if this is a dumb question but how do you actually get an idea and turn it into a product? Is it a natural talent or have you refined your writing skills to actually create something out of a mental prompt/inspiration?

Sorry if you've been asked this before, I'm just asking because college admission essays are actually KILLING ME and I feel like I have so many fleeting ideas and thoughts but I can't actually make anything worthwhile of them. Ur a writer, and a pretty amazing one at that, so I gotta know if this is a skill issue or if there is hope for me.

I think I used to be good at using words, but now I can only make an academic essay with check-boxes and rubrics and can't write anything less rigid than an elaborate answer to a question. I've tried to write things down and explore points yet still there is no morale to anything I write and it sorts of trails off into a recollection/timeline rather than something dynamic that can actually be explored. DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE AT ALL ????? How am I supposed to take a vague, shapeless idea and give it some soul?

IM SORRY THAT THIS IS LONG AND CONFUSING but yeah sending loveeeee <3

Hi!

Ohhh, it's time for another edition of

Haitch's Useless Writing Advice 🪴

First of all, thank you for loving my writing. I feel privileged and touched every time someone reaches out to me to tell me my stuff is good. It's been busy here lately and lovely comments always give me a glow.

Secondly: I have not refined this, I haven't been taught anything, and honestly I'm newer to writing than most of the people on this place (Tumblr). I'm ultimately an amateur, I do not know at all how I do it, and as such I have no legitimate advice to give.

My husband thinks I'm a non-writer who happens to write (I think this is what you said, @mrhaitch?). I never had any intention of doing this. I never had some 'writer' aesthetic in my head. Honestly, when I did start writing fiction (on here, October 2023), I had only a background in the occasional academic writing, and being a voracious reader.

I've always solved puzzles, and word games, and world-built in my head. Just in the background, for myself only. Nothing I ever shared. I suspect I have a very thorough grasp of 'storytelling' as a concept, from the sheer volume of fiction from all cultures and eras that I've read and enjoyed.

I have a good memory, and tend to 'write' whole stories in my head, line by line, and slow-cook them in my head for the day until I get a moment to write it down. I grasp the feel of the piece, and how I want the reader to feel, and translate. Not in any sort of intentional way though I think. I don't actively think 'how do I make them feel xyz?'

When I do write it down, it tends to go straight into my phone, as I have a very old beaten up notebook laptop, and no desktop, so...phone it is!

I hesitate to call it 'natural talent' as that's really arrogant, and I feel like a cheat or a fraud already, for being 'good' at something with no effort on my part. Writing anything has never been effort to me. I never had to stop and think too hard with essays at school or University. I never honestly thought about it. I'm vocally very eloquent and can talk my way into anything, but never really thought about my writing until...well...this whole Tumblr thing.

So in that sense...I don't think I can be of any help. And I really really hate that, because I fucking love to help.

My advice: It sounds like you're doing the right things to build a structure, but where is the heart? As you said, you're looking for soul. Formulas, and brainstorms, and writing guides, give you the structure. For me, personally, the heart comes from this extensive memory back of books and stories I've devoured, and a direct translation of feelings to words. I'm convinced emotions have a flavour and texture, and words do too; you can match them up to get that heart in your writing.

Wow, I hated writing that. How truly, utterly, disgustingly useless 🪴

I'm so sorry. I'm shit at writing advice. I don't know how I do what I do.

Love,

-- Haitch xxx

[korrasamibottles]

Year-End Writer's Roundup: 2024 edition

Thank for tagging me @sweetorangepoptart !! I'm not sure who's been tagged so @ any and all writers who see this and want to participate, consider yourself tagged!!

1. Words written (published or not, WIPs totally count too!!):

18,083?? I can't believe I did that. I can't believe that came out of me. Sounds fake. Also one fic is responsible for like two thirds of that, which also sounds fake.

2. Smut scenes:

Just one, in my Korrasami Week fic Love Bites (So Do I)

3. New things I tried:

Mmm I wrote an AU? Sometimes I have trouble getting into AUs as a reader because I end up missing the established universe, so I never envisioned myself writing one, but that's the fic that wanted to be written! It was a challenge to make the characters feel like themselves (if their personality is molded by their environment and life experiences, and then that environment and set of experiences is tweaked, what happens??) and also make the world feel Legend of Korra-inspired rather than exactly like the real world as it exists except with people named Korra and Asami (not that that's a bad way for an AU to be—it's just not how I wanted this one to be).

I don't want to spoil anything, but there are a number of little details sprinkled in that I hope make the fic feel somewhat rooted in-universe even though it isn't. Anyway overall I'm pretty happy with how it turned out? If I had endless patience I might've continued adjusting things, but uhh I don't lmao.

4. Fic I spent the most time on:

Love Bites for sure. It ended up being over twice as long as every other fic I've written, and I'm still shocked by that. I did not think I had 12,438 words in me. (And I almost didn't because I wanted to quit like a dozen times shhh🤫)

5. Fic I spent the least time on:

The Space Between Heartbeats, but not because I didn't care!! Turns out it's just way easier to keep the word count lower and tie everything up relatively quickly (for me. lol. takes me a while to write anything) when it's set in-universe and there isn't any extra world-building to figure out.

6. Favorite thing I wrote: 

You would have me choose❓️🥺 I can't. The two fics I finished are so different from one another, but they're both precious to me and I'm happy with the way they turned out.

7. Favorite thing I read:

Can I tag everyone who participated in Korrasami Week? I've started going through the Korrasami Week Collection on ao3 and there's so much talent in this fandom it's crazy. Shout out to @appalesbian @ozais-lobotomist @kingwuko @madlad-link for writing things that drove me absolutely bonkers.

I also fell hard and fast into Velcinta Madness after watching Andor earlier this year and subsequently spent weeks groaning in agony and rending my clothing (many such cases!) so I want to mention what a knife measures. It packs a powerful punch into a quick read and is beautifully written, as sharp as the title suggests, and has the kind of character dynamics that make me want to pull my hair out (complimentary). I love it.

8. Writing goals for next year: 

Specific goals: Wuko Week approaches......I have a doughy lump of an idea currently rising in a warm, humid location, and soon it will be time to put it in the oven. I also think I can loosely tie it in with an older Korrasami wip (which I really want to finish. and it rhymes with shmibrator shmic.) but I don't want to make any promises because fics always take on a mind of their own at some point and things change. I'm also tempted to try writing something Velcinta-related but idk. Participating in a new fandom is always intimidating. We'll see.

Non-specific goals: I really want to reach a point where my recurring perfectionism/shame-induced writer's block no longer gets the better of me👍

[minorfamilysupremacy]

it is insane to watch bible's actions nowadays. i will say, even back in kp era, there were one or two things he said that made him deeply unlikable to me, but like most i just ignored it. but holy hell has the facade dropped. the only thing he is now is a professional victim and you can tell he is SO pissed that his little show failed. these interviews or rather fluff pieces are just for bible to be sad on camera because it's the only way to stay relevant and ensure his fans continue to attack and blame build for everything, because despite it all, his fans couldn't be arsed to watch his show so this is all he has left. they will continue to beat the dead horse of "it was a thing that happened between two people", because anything else would mean they had to admit they chose the side of the woman who was sentenced to prison. oh and btw bible, weird how you never faced any repercussions for your social media posts about underage girls, rape, and transphobia... sure has its benefits being close to ponf hasn't it. god I hope karma comes for all of these people.

yeah, as an ex-stan i know i personally handwaved away a lot of stupid shit as his being young and having been catapulted into overnight fame and blah blah blah, but no. we got played for fools. dude's a piece of shit through and through and it's honestly kind of horrifying to watch. like, really, dude? pond is the fading star you want to hitch your wagon to? i'm just embarrassed watching him make a bigger and bigger ass of himself in every interview. it's always someone else's fault, he's always the victim, bloo bloo, crocodile tears (even more embarrassing since a lot of these interview questions are sent in advance so he can practice his fake waterworks).

and i think in his warped little mind, it IS build's fault that 4m is such a shitshow, or at least he's firmly convinced himself as such, because he and pond are glued at the asshole now and he can't let himself go against the party line. i've always thought sammon deliberately turned in a subpar product -- after all, did BOC ever say boo about the plagiarism accusations? because i sure don't remember it. and poi was punching way above her weight class by dragging in a much more respected writer when she was just trying to have a petty grudge match against her ex. i lost respect for sammon in the entire debacle for other reasons (i draw a hard line with animal violence, and the very vague details i know make it just sound gratuitous and lazy writing), but i was shocked she even stuck around to give them SOME kind of script. pond must have the best lawyers in thailand when he draws those contracts up.

but 4m was a shitshow not because of build, but because of poi and, more importantly, because of pond. pond sat back and dithered about which nong (gag, dude) he could wring more coins out of and tried, unsuccessfully, to play both sides like the loathsome little quisling he is. he did fuck-all to protect his talent and then he gambled on the 4m name still having enough appeal to gawkers to be successful, when anyone with two brain cells to rub together could have told you the project should have been scrapped with a quickness. (besides, if the version of the show we ultimately got bore ANY resemblance to its original vision, i sincerely question what was so tear-jerking about it. but i have a feeling what it was originally envisioned as is a far cry from the steaming pile we got.) the fact that they couldn't get anyone to pair with bible for ages is yet another red flag pond ignored, because god forbid he admit to any fuckups, and the coping about how jes is actually So Much Better and Lovely and Wonderful and their chemistry is So Incredible is...well, it's fucking pathetic. it's clowns all the way down.

and pond further bears responsibility for that fuckup of a 'rollout' of the show. how many countries did it get aired in, officially? seven? eight? half of those were places where explicit gay sex (which, as near as i can tell, is a good portion of the show to make up for the limp writing) is banned. european and american fans got entirely shut out from official support. i suppose that's probably because when build was in berlin, he personally spoke with the german government and explained that they needed not to air this particular show as an act of revenge, right?

but bible is never going to fucking look at the dumpster fire his life and career have become and lay the blame where it belongs, because he and pond are in this creepy symbiotic relationship where pond pimps him out to keep the business going -- seriously, jeff fucked off ages ago and mile is MIA with schrodinger's girlfriend, so they have no major talent outside bible to rely on -- and in return, bible gets shielded from repercussions outside of some well-deserved social media jeering. and both of them constantly pat each other's asses and soothe each other's egos and keep each other from any kind of introspection.

bottom line is, pond thought build was expendable at the time, because he was rolling in so much KP goodwill he thought the gravy train would never stop. turns out build wasn't expendable, so now pond's gotta choke the life out of the other half of the pairing to make sure he doesn't give up the grift (his constant european vacations don't pay for themselves, do they?), and that other half is more than content to play his simple-minded lackey because it's easier than having to fucking put a modicum of effort into anything.

karma will get them -- of that i have no doubt. there's too many rumblings of discontent, too many oldheads who have turned anti, not enough new people to stem the hemorrhage. man suang, for all pond's windbaggery, sank without a trace. THC is more notable for its controversy and rigging than anything else. DFF and 4m both couldn't sustain themselves through their entire runtimes and even people with no axe to grind with BOC were critical about the latter. they keep scrabbling for relevance in idiotic ways -- a sitcom with bible? a sitcom?! with what fucking comedic timing? -- or are late to the party -- they're supposedly planning a GL, which, by the time it gets to market, will just be one of many. gap was a while ago. GL isn't as much of a novelty as it was. and i mean, let's face it: do you trust this fucking studio with GL? i wouldn't trust pond to take out my trash without ripping the bag open, spilling it everywhere, and then making childish vague references about how SOMEONE he used to know paid off the hefty bag company to make his (pond's) life harder.

pond's all ego, greed, and stupidity. he'll trip over his dick (well, harder than he has already) soon enough. i personally can't wait to see it happen.

[e-s-willswriting]

So, You've Seen a Bad Play: An Essay

Yesterday I went to see a show.

It was a student production my friend was involved in. I’ve seen student productions in the past and overall, I have been very impressed with them. They’re a showcase for budding talent and intriguing ideas, even if aspects need to be refined. I can’t say any of the shows I’ve seen are bad (all that comes to mind was a production of Measure for Measure, but it was simply that I hadn’t studied the text itself. The production was great and had intriguing fight choreography).

Part of me felt I would do an actual review of the thing, but for the sake of privacy for those involved, I felt I’d rather not. But I still wanted to discuss it, nonetheless.

It was a small-scale production by someone who was not from an Arts and Humanities background, but a medical sciences background. I really respect when artists incorporate their studies and careers, even those unrelated to creative fields, into their work. In my student workshops I’d read one text about a pilot written by someone who was a trainee pilot, and another time I’d read a book that, even if I didn’t like the text, I loved the details that came from the writer being an archivist and imbuing that into the text. It adds a real richness to those aspects that can only be gained from hands on experience, and I love that. I feared that the work I was going to see might be too technical, that aspects may go over my head, but I hoped to go in and appreciate it even if I didn’t fully get it.

I didn’t get it.

But not for those reasons.

Let me set the scene. I’m sat in the back row on pretty standard fold-up chairs with limited visibility due to those in the front two rows, sipping a complimentary cider that came with the ticket I paid for (much needed). Tiny studio room. The writer gets up, only gives an epilepsy warning and promptly sits back down. I make a mental note of how unceremonious of a welcome that is, if you could call it one, but pass it off. Play begins.

In short, the next hour was an incredibly poorly written production. Character arcs were non-existent, things would be introduced then promptly dropped, they wanted to deal with too many environmental and political messages for an hour runtime and all of them fell flat, scenes were poorly established, and the messaging felt non-existent.

But it’s not like I can’t praise aspects of the show. The actors hard carried the production despite the abysmal script they had to work with. If I saw them in another production, I’m sure they could absolutely kill it. And there were interesting things that could have worked if fully incorporated. There was a musical accompaniment for one (1) scene that was very well done and pleasant to listen to and then she just sat in the corner quietly for the rest of the show not to be used again (like multiple aspects of the script, established and ditched). There was a cool little red beep under one of the characters’ tops to act as their heart. They really tried to do things with what little they had.

As a creative, it feels weird to be a critic. Especially one to a student production. I'm always having to clarify that I understand that making stuff is hard because I do it too. Perhaps I'm only harsh because I'm affirming to myself what I want to see out of my own works. I see a thing, I think ‘this could have been better’. and I think about how I'd apply those lessons to my works. It only comes from a deep love for the medium that my critiques are harsh. I’ll always look for good, even in things I don’t like (even if it’s just ‘I think the concept is cool’) because there’s very few things that are wholly bad. Hell, some terrible things can at least be entertaining, which I don’t deny this production was (if not for the reasons it intended). I am a firm believer that one of the worst things a story can be is boring.

I’m particularly harsh on this production because I sincerely believe it was AI-generated.

What doesn’t help is the show all but confirmed it, with an almost 5 minute long in-universe advert for a hospital. Multiple AI voices (man 1 to woman 2) saying effectively the same thing. All it served was to establish setting.

Here’s roughly how I would have done it, in about 30 seconds:

A man walks out in a white coat. He puts on blue gloves and a face mask, and hurriedly walks off stage as CHARACTER A walks on, nervously pacing the hall of the hospital.

There. Done.

Could my friend have told me it was AI-generated?  Sure. Thing is, they didn’t know for certain, only that they were paid to work in it (thank God) but thus under contractual obligation to finish the production for pay (they’re a uni student, any money’s good!) And by the time they’d told us to get tickets, they’d come to realize just how bad it would be, and it was too late at that point (student productions can be under tight time constraints).

Thing is, I believe one of the core issues of AI is consent, or lack thereof. I believe that as a consumer, I should have had the right to know what content was involved in this production, and it was up to the production itself to disclose that. Just as people deserve to know any potential content warnings and epilepsy warnings for a show and to make the educated choice to engage with that material as a consumer, I think they also deserve to know if a production uses (or is entirely made with) AI.

Sure it's not going to harm them if they're seeing it, but don't they deserve to know? Because what if next door, there's a small self-produced play written by humans that could change their lives and speak to their souls? Don't they deserve to know that it was made by a person, honestly produced by them?

Little on the webpage communicated that it was AI generated, and the text only appears as such now after I’ve seen the play. If I had known the play used AI, and seemingly was entirely written in it, I would have not paid to see this show. Simple as. I want to support shows written by people.

But now I must grapple with the fact that I paid money to see something made with a tool I have extreme ethical complaints against as an artist and consumer. I have seen one 15-minute play (Caryl Churchill’s What If If Only, a quarter of the runtime) and a free production by Mamoru Iriguchi (What You See/What You Don’t See) and I would much rather have paid the ticket price for those shows which I absolutely loved, than to have seen this seemingly AI production once.

And I think that’s why I wanted to write this blogpost. To remind people that as consumers, we deserve to know if a production uses AI machine learning software. We deserve informed choices. AI probably won't leave anytime soon and might significantly help certain sectors, but right now it’s a wild west and often not used for these purposes to sincerely help people and provide accurate information. And there are those that assume that it democratizes the writing process. On the surface, yes. My mum could put in a prompt and get a script. But the love of labour? No. Not now, not ever. AI devalues artistic processes, and it's insulting to a medium that's withstood all of human history to effectively be told that a robot can recreate it.

But no, it can't replicate heart. It can't replicate real human experience.

In a strange way, seeing this production is somewhat affirming. I struggle with writing. Sometimes it’s just the act of getting up to write after a long day or a late night. Other days it’s harder stages (editing for example). At some points it’s having the ideas and having little way to communicate them. At times it’s just the isolation of it all and the compulsion to just scroll through my phone- I’ve written best when I’m working with others at times, even if those people aren’t writers!

Writing for me has been a struggle, and it’s a struggle I’m still overcoming. I’m still discovering who I am as a writer, what works for me, what stuff I want to produce. And there’s those times when I manage a good session, or an idea burns in me like fuel, or I make people’s eyes light up with the stuff I’m producing. That’s when I know the reasons I struggle. It’s because I can’t suppress the urge to make stuff, and I don’t want to live a life I’d regret in not at least trying to make cool things.

I’ll probably make bad things. First drafts and such that aren’t good. I’ve made bad things in the past, absolutely!

But I chose that struggle.

And if this play can exist and be produced, then the only thing really holding me back is myself. Seeing things like this galvanizes me to push on and make the things I care about.

And I will them with my own hands.

[spectralsleuth]

Now that we're entering into 2024, I'm asking some artists and writers that I follow:

1) What is the one piece you're most proud of from this past year?

2) What are some pieces that you would have liked more people to see? If you can include links, I'd love to go check them out!

3) What were your top three favorite pieces (art, comics, fics, etc) that someone else has made this past year?

(As always, no pressure to respond! Feel free to just ignore, or let me know if you'd rather I not send you these kinds of asks in the future.)

This is such a sweet and fun ask!! Thanks so much! I enjoyed seeing other authors answering this it’s so hype to get it myself.

1. This is hard to answer, because this year I tried to do something different with every fic I posted. When I got a concept I very pointedly didn’t shy away from it because it seemed difficult, or I thought I might be bad at it, so there’s something that makes me proud with each one. IF I HAD TO CHOOSE THOUGH I’m going to cheat and pick two.

What it Will Be I’m proud of this because it fell out of me SO EASY. I felt like the process of writing it was a testament to how hard I’ve been working at improving all year, and it came together very quickly and very well. I’m also proud because I incorporated @heckitall ‘s comic page to base it off of, and I’d never tried writing fic for a visual media like that. It was super fun!

On the OTHER end of the spectrum is Case of the Hidden City vs Lou Jitsu because it is VERY technically and narratively complicated and is by far the most ambitious thing I’ve ever written. It’s very hard, but I am VERY proud because I haven’t QUIT it. It’s not complete yet, but it is a good amount of the way there and I’m excited to finish it. Probably once I’ve recovered from surgery lol.

2. This sounds insincere maybe, but I really am happy with the engagement I get on my fic. I really do write my fic for me, and while I love to make sure as many people who want to read it can find it, at the end of the day I don’t like assigning people homework! I went through my whole works list and scratched my head and really tried to think of there was anything I wanted to plug, and I don’t think there is!

I guess I’ll post my lowest viewed, my Swanatello fic! @tangledinink ‘s AU I’m sure everyone’s familiar with lol. I knew that one would be lower when I posted it, if only because it has prior required reading (Swanatello). But I wrote it mainly because the AU was starting to reach a critical point and I REALLY wanted to write fanfiction of how I fantasized an ending might be, so I could go back and read it for comfort. I love Odette and the lore Kayson made for his AU, so I’ll plug this only because I think some people may have missed it!

3. Three works!! JUST THREE?? AUGH.

little kid with a big death wish

By @remedyturtles ! This made me leak tears the whole way through, so huge CW’s obviously. Not only was it one of the best fics I’ve ever read, but I got the privilege of seeing how talented Rem is behind the scenes a little and saw how they write and work and I really want to emulate them going forward. One of many all timer fics for me, for sure, I’d love to read any original fiction they put out.

The Whispering Forest and Other Tales

By @sroloc--elbisivni and @kithnkin ! I love love LOVE the feudal Japan fusion, the research, and the perfect blend of Usagi Yojimbo’s universe with what the Riseverse would have been like in this era. Even the little segues into what they’re wearing and eating is endlessly fascinating to me. Every single character is written to be the best and most interesting version of that character I could imagine. Theres Leosagi, there’s a PB&J murder mystery, there’s spookiness- AND Raphael Hamato gets wifed up!! WHAT MORE COULD YOU WANT? I love people that write a fully fleshed story that could be a standalone universe, without losing ANY of the flavor or humor or narrative of the original source material.

And last is I’m Sorry, Teenage Mutant What Now

@tangledinink has such a good grasp of family and writing, and realistic portrayals of what would HONESTLY HAPPEN if you discovered literally any aspect of the ROTTMNT narrative. Not even taking into ACCOUNT the turtle nonsense, how do you unpack a family that’s been devoted to destroying a magic monster and sacrificing themselves, or a Dad that fought in a death match battle royale for over a decade, or a RIVAL CLAN OF NINJA? All the characters are written SO WELL, and Kayson does a fantastic job of never letting the characters or story fall into cliche tropes. Their characters are always super detailed, to the point where I really feel it if they’re hungry or hurt or itchy. Which is a weird thing to point out but they make sure you really FEEL the situation. Also like, turtles in highschool? Body dysphoria? My CO-CEO of Hamato Yoshi???

What a great year!! I had so much fun in fandom this year and made a lot of friends.

[mermaidsirennikita]

Need your Saltburn review though 👀

I will preface by saying that I personally find Emerald to be a filmmaker/writer that is rather boring at best and kind of... horrifically misled in that she thinks that shocking "darkness" = depth at worst. I think A Promising Young Woman had some fun visuals at points (and so does Saltburn--though I think this has less to do with Emerald having an eye and more for Emerald understanding aesthetic, which makes sense when you realize that her dad is an Eton-educated jeweler to the stars, King of Bling, I wonder if that possibly could ever have anything to do with a UK performer's rise, hmmmmm--) but the way it ended was just... Lol. Yes, Emerald! I know that this is how the story would probs end in real life, the women of the world NEEDED TO KNOW.

(Princess Weekes did a good little video essay about PYW btw, would recommend.)

But yeah, point is--I don't think Saltburn is a misstep for Emerald. I think she's just very mediocre and self-indulgent. You can be self-indulgent and get away with it when you have a vision and something to say (see: Baz). I don't think Emerald has something to say. I think Emerald has concepts, which she pushes to a point she thinks is edgy, but doesn't actually... string into a coherent idea.

First off, Saltburn is nothing new; and it doesn't need to be. I like the pretentious rich people problems aesthetic. I love the bacchanal of the upper crust sensibility. Hell, I loved Donna Tartt's The Secret History. Sierra Simone's Thornchapel series is one of my favorite things she's done. I love Cruel Intentions. I also love The Talented Mr. Ripley, which--

My good man. If you wish to watch what you think Saltburn was going to be, but with better actors (including Jude Law in what is essentially the Jacob Elordi role, which, uh, how we have fallen as a society) and honestly better homoeroticism in a movie made like 20 years ago... just watch The Talented Mr. Ripley.

But yeah. So, I think everything Emerald does is meant to shock but doesn't go quite far enough. It's little moments that happen, and aren't really contextualized in a way that feels like it's there to be anything more than shock value, which makes it less shocking. Like, the period fingerbang--if those characters had a dynamic which led up to that moment, if I felt the actual power play there, it might actually shock me. Or be sexy? For the record, Fair Play has a period sex scene within its first five minutes that is both more surprising and better in every way. The shit with Farleigh? Would be compelling. That was the one bit of chemistry in the movie, the moment when Oliver and Farleigh talked to each other right before the whole singalong disaster. But then it's happening and I'm like "why is Barry Keoghan fucking everyone in this movie except for Jacob Elordi? What is the point?"

And what is the point indeed. Jacob Elordi has the charisma of a medium-sized tree, and I suspect a medium-sized tree would do a better job of ditching the Aussie accent. Emerald's inadequacies could be overcome and made into a thing that is campy, maybe? Not good, but fun? Barry Keoghan does his best with the material. He's fun in the last like ten minutes of the movie wherein he's basically monologuing like a demented real housewife and dancing around naked. He tries so hard to create chemistry with Jacob, while Jacob's vibe is very "no homo". (But the character is supposed to be no homo, you say--is he, first off, because I honestly don't know what Emerald is saying, and second... Like.... The character can be not attracted to Barry's character will still giving us an essence of intrigue that would inform why Barry is spellbound.)

But the biggest issue is that the movie hinges on Jacob Elordi being worthy of obsession, and he is just a flop in this role. He doesn't sell himself as this posh, beautiful, Brideshead Revisited-But-A-Bro guy. He can't really act (there's a scene where the movie cuts to him giving a smile that I think is supposed to be charming and I went "yikes" out loud). He is up against people who are actually actors, which makes it a bit worse. Everything feels very forced and constructed, for want of a better term. If you do not get WHY this guy, then the movie flops. And try as I might, I cannot get WHY this guy.

(Might I add--the bathtub scene would've been more intriguing had we seen Jacob interact with the voyeurism, some sense that he knew, whether or not he enjoyed it. The queerness in this movie is so... It's just this queer guy being obsessed and rebuffed and murderous, and I don't know, there didn't seem to be enough exploring the ramifications of that kind of story.)

The Talented Mr. Ripley also hinges on the focal point of obsession being worthy of obsession. And again. It's Jude Law. And it's Jude Law giving a really good performance, too.

The movie also does some shit I really don't think it's equipped to do. Like, the premise is essentially the working class interloper (but like, he's not as working class as he saaaays so oooooohhhhh) is preying on this family of rich folks who offered him a place to land. And it's not inherently bad, imo, to tell that story. However, you need the rich people to have some role beyond being prey; you need to understand the predator's contempt beyond jealousy. But the rich people are cardboard. They aren't sharp. They may have a few throwaway lines that illustrate their own sins (including some very clumsily handled racism) but ultimately the movie gives Oliver more power than it does the elite upon whom he preys. So ultimately, you come away from it feeling like you're watching the anxieties of the upper class, re: the encroaching middle and working class... But there's no examination, because the rich people are just victims lol. I think it's genuine anxiety.

Yeah though, I thought it was really hokey basically.

[atwooozi]

gojo x original character

Chapter 8: Danger

summary: Ai's supposed break from work turns into a frustrating battle with writer's block until a surprising phone call from Geto interrupts her misery. Ai's reluctance gives way to curiosity as she discovers a rare moment of relaxation and connection.

genre: modern AU, slice of life, comedy, eventual romance, eventual smut, some angst

A/N: I really like this chapter, it's because we get to see a little more of Ai as herself rather than just her in work mode. I feel that you don't really know a classmate or a coworker until you see them outside those spaces. Of course, some people are always the same no matter where they are, but there's something kind of special about seeing another side of a person that you might see every day in a new light.

The song for this chapter is Miracle Love by Takeuchi Mariya (remastered by Night Tempo)

READ ON AO3

Officially, Ai’s one-week break had begun. Unofficially, however, it was time to start writing–or at least laying down a foundation. As Ai went over her notes, she quickly realized that she didn't have much to work with. This wasn't surprising, given how difficult it was to get anything out of Gojo, but she didn't expect it to be so bad . She had been sitting at her desk for hours and she just couldn’t get anything that she liked down without wanting to throw her laptop out the window. How could her past self betray her like this? 

Just before Ai could decide on whether or not she wanted to wallow in ‌self-pity, her phone rang. It was Geto. If Geto needed something he typically texted, so his calling her made her heart stop. If he was calling to give her bad news, she was going to start drafting her resignation. She would take it as a sign that this assignment was officially cursed.

Ai hesitantly picked up the phone and tried to prepare herself mentally for whatever Geto was going to tell her. 

“...Hello?” 

“Ai-san, are you busy?” 

Much to Ai’s relief, Geto sounded like his usual self. She wondered how he was able to convey such a calm, yet smug tone over the phone.

“No,” Ai felt her phone buzz against her ear. Who was texting her? And why did they send message after message? “Why, did you kill someone?”

Geto scoffed. “No, but I might have to kill a certain six-foot-tall furby if they don’t stop touching my very expensive camera.” 

There were some frantic shuffling sounds that Ai could hear in the background, but whatever it was ended just as quickly as it started. 

“Satoru and I are grabbing dinner and he insisted I invite you,” Geto explained calmly as if the whole commotion never even happened.  

Ai had a confused look on her face as she listened to Geto. “Dinner? Today?” 

Were these two not tired of seeing each other day after day? They had just spent a whole week together, but they were acting as if it had been ten years or something. Ai couldn’t imagine spending that much time with anyone. She got exhausted answering work emails some days.  

“Yeah? What do you think I meant?” Ai heard snippets of Geto talking to someone quietly in the background but was unable to make out the words. 

“I…”

Ai was a planner; if she was going out, she liked to plan it ahead of time. Whenever she met with her friend, Utahime, another writer from Hollow; they would always plan a week or two ahead of time. They would meticulously scour over new restaurants and stores that they could check out that day. It was always hard for the two to coordinate schedules, so scheduling so far out was needed. This suddenness was something that typically came with working with talent, but not during off hours. 

Ai pursed her lips in thought. “I need time to mentally prepare…” she muttered. 

In her defense, she felt that anyone would need time to mentally prepare before dealing with Geto and Gojo. They weren’t bad people, but Ai doubted she could handle their antics outside of work. With Geto's smart mouth and Gojo being, well, Gojo, she was sure she'd end up fined for being a public nuisance for just being seen with them.

Geto chuckled on the other end of the line. “It’s nothing fancy, just ramen. I'll text you the address.” 

Before Ai could answer, Geto hung up. She sighed as she looked at her phone. She had several texts from an unknown number. 

03-032XX-XXXX: Ai-chaaaaaan  03-032XX-XXXX : I stole your number from Suguru’s phone 03-032XX-XXXX: I told him to invite you to ramen 03-032XX-XXXX: It's Gojo BTW  03-032XX-XXXX: Ai-chaaaaaan are you ignoring me?????  

Ai couldn't help but chuckle as she looked over the messages. What a weirdo. Just as she was about to reply, Gojo sent a picture. It was of him, a perturbed-looking Fushiguro, and Geto looking as relaxed as ever giving a victory sign to the camera. 

03-032XX-XXXX: Proof that it's me Ai rolled her eyes and typed out a quick reply. Ai : I'm not getting ramen with you guys. Gojo : Ai-chaaaaaan please :c Ai : No. Gojo : you're making me cry :’(((((( 

With that Gojo attached another picture of him seemingly crying. She supposed that he couldn’t cry on command because she had to squint to see the one tear that was rolling down his cheek. It was almost refreshing to know that he wasn’t good at everything. 

Gojo : If you don't come I'm QUITTING the story

Ai sighed and set her phone down. As much as she was enjoying texting back and forth with Gojo, she was already playing a dangerous game. She really didn't want to blur the lines anymore… but getting dinner with Gojo and Geto could mean more material to work with for the story.

Her phone buzzed a few times and despite the alarm bells going off in her head, she picked up the phone. Gojo had sent several messages and screenshots saying that he told Ijichi that he was quitting the story because Ai-chan was mean. This was followed by even more screenshots of rushed and panicked messages from Ijichi asking what had happened. 

Ai groaned and texted Gojo back. While she was at it, she decided to change his contact name as well… mostly to serve as a warning. Hopefully, when her future self saw it, her brain would remember to stop. 

Ai : What time?  Red Flag Gojo: 9 DON'T BE LATE  Red Flag Gojo : I'll tell Ijichi nvm :> 

Ai glanced at the clock, realizing it was a little past eight. She quickly looked up the address to the restaurant and she bit her lower lip. She needed to get dressed now so she could run to the train in time to meet those two weirdos. She dashed to the bathroom, splashing her face with some cold water to help her get out of her writer’s fog. After a quick touch-up of makeup, she changed into a casual yet presentable outfit, opting for jeans and a baby blue cropped sweater. 

As she hurried out the door, she sent a quick text to Geto, letting him know that she was on her way. She quickly made her way to the train station, her mind still reeling from the unexpected invitation. Despite her initial reluctance, there was a bit of excitement fluttering in her chest that she tried to ignore. 

The train ride passed by in a blur, luckily, not too many people were in her train car. Before she knew it, Ai found herself standing in front of the ramen shop, a small smile playing on her lips since she hadn't gotten lost. She checked her phone, and she had a few minutes to spare thankfully.  

Sure enough, Ai spotted Gojo, Geto, and a rather smart-looking woman, sitting at a table near the back of the restaurant when she stepped inside. From what Ai could see the mystery woman was wearing long dark brown hair in a low ponytail and sporting a navy turtle neck and dark pants.

��Ai was surprised that Geto and Gojo even knew a woman. She began to wonder how much suffering this poor lady must’ve endured thanks to those two menaces.   

Gojo’s eyes lit up as he caught sight of Ai and he waved his lanky arm enthusiastically at her. “Ai-chan, you made it,” Gojo called out, his voice carrying across the rather empty restaurant. “You’re on time too, I'm impressed.” 

Ai quickly made her way over to the table so Gojo would stop shouting, drawing attention to their little group. “I didn’t want you to quit and give Ijichi-san a heart attack,” she said as she settled into her seat next to the mysterious, but elegant woman. 

“Ai-san, this is Ieiri Shoko,” Geto said as he nodded over to the woman that Ai sat down next to. “She went to high school with the both of us.”

Ieiri nodded her head in greeting with a lazy smile on her face. “I’m sorry you have to work with these two.” She gave Ai a sympathetic look.  

Ai chuckled and bowed her head slightly in greeting to Ieiri. “It could be worse, I could’ve gone to school with them.” 

Ieiri laughed and glanced over at Gojo and Geto. “Yeah, I suppose you’re right.” 

Gojo leaned back in his seat, a wide grin on his face. “I don’t know what you two are talking about. I’m truly a gift in every way. You should be thanking me for hanging out with you.” 

Ai gave Gojo a skeptical look, while Ieiri just let whatever he said go in one ear and out the other. 

“Anyway…Ai, I read your piece on Nobara. It was pretty good.” Ieiri mused as she looked over the menu. “I haven’t watched one episode of Satoru’s show, but it makes me want to.”

Gojo gasped and dramatically clutched his chest. “You haven’t watched my show, Shoko? I thought we were friends.” He feigned offense, but there was a playful look in his eyes. 

Ieiri rolled her eyes. “Sorry, I’ve been busy with work. I’ll watch your movie though,” She paused for a moment. “...If you give me a ticket.” 

“A traitor and a freeloader.” Gojo tsked as he turned his nose up at her. 

“You read my work, Ieiri-san?” Ai asked curiously. 

“You don’t have to be so polite. Shoko is fine.” She said as she tucked some of her hair behind her ear. “Satoru has a habit of never shutting up when he’s excited about something.” 

Before Ai could ask a follow-up question Gojo butted into the conversation. “ Anyway !” He smiled. “Why don’t you tell Ai-chan what you do, Shoko?” 

 “I’m a doctor.” 

“A doctor?” Ai was in awe of Shoko. “That’s so cool!” 

How could such a cool woman be hanging out with clowns like Geto and Gojo?

Unlike the two men sitting across from them, Shoko carried a cool air around her. Her movements were so measured and relaxed in comparison to someone so animated and cartoonish like Gojo and Geto. On top of her elegant aura, Shoko was just beautiful to put it simply. Her pale skin, long dark brown hair, and her large downturned eyes just suited her so nicely. If Ai didn’t know any better she could almost find herself falling in love with someone like Shoko. 

Geto leaned over to Gojo with a frown as Ai and Shoko continued to talk. “Has she ever called you cool?” 

Gojo pouted as he watched Ai and Shoko continue to ignore his existence. “No…” he sniffled. “She hasn't even told me I’m handsome yet.”

Shoko giggled. “You’re so cute, Ai.” 

Ai blushed. “Oh, um, thank you.” 

“What about me?” Gojo whined as he leaned over the table forcing himself into Ai’s and Shoko’s view. “I’m cool. I’m cute.” 

“Adults are talking, Satoru. Sit down,” Shoko sighed, pushing his face out of the way. 

Gojo huffed and sat down in his seat, crossing his arms over his chest like a toddler. 

Geto couldn’t help but chuckle. “I hate to interrupt all the fun, but let’s order.” 

“Yeah, I’m starving,” Ai agreed, picking up her menu. 

After a few minutes of deliberation and recommendations from Shoko, they placed their order with the waiter. This ramen shop was a place that Shoko went to regularly since it was so close to the hospital.  

“So, Ai-chan, tell us more about yourself,” Gojo said, leaning forward with a genuine interest in his eyes. “Besides writing about the most amazing man in the universe, what else do you do?” 

Ai shrugged and looked down at her lap as she tried to think about what she liked. How was it that whenever someone asked her about herself she was somehow always at a loss for words?

“Well, besides writing, I enjoy reading– mostly fiction…I also like to try out dessert places and go shopping with my friend Utahime.”

“You only have one friend?” Geto cocked his head to the side. 

Ai pursed her lips as she thought about it. If she wasn’t working or prepping things for work she didn’t really have much time for herself. Come to think of it, Ai couldn’t even recall the last movie or show she watched that didn’t have to do with some piece she was working on.

“I guess so.” Ai shrugged.    

“Sounds like Satoru,” Geto mused.

Ai furrowed her brows as she looked between Geto, Gojo, and Shoko. “I-is Shoko not Gojo’s friend?” 

Shoko’s lips quirked up in a small smile. “It’s hard to call us friends when we barely get to see each other anymore.” She glanced Ai’s way and gave her a little wink. “We can be friends though.” 

Ai blushed and gave Shoko a small smile. “When was the last time you saw each other?” 

“The three of us?” Gojo interjected. He leaned back in his seat as he tried to think about it. “I’d say maybe…” He started to count on his fingers. “Almost three years?” 

“Something like that.” Geto nodded in agreement.

Ai frowned at the answer. “Why so long?” 

“Well, Suguru abandoned me for Hong Kong to go be artsy or something.” Gojo frowned. 

Geto rolled his eyes. “I did not abandon you, I was working, and you FaceTimed me every day. ” 

Gojo turned away from Geto with a pout. “I don’t recall that happening...”   

“I was on call until only recently,” Shoko explained as she leaned her elbows onto the table, using her hands to prop her head up. “I don’t have the energy to keep up with Gojo, but he makes a point to reach out to me now and then so I’m not completely left out.” 

“What about you, Gojo-san?” Ai asked, glancing his way. 

Gojo shrugged. “Working. What about you, Ai-chan?”

“Working, too.” Ai frowned at her own response. 

Was that all her life was now? Working? It was depressing to even think about‌ it. Had she wasted her youth on work when she could’ve been doing more fun things? Watching Gojo interact with his friends–keeping in constant contact with them despite their busy schedules—made Ai’s heart ache. She couldn’t even remember the last time she saw someone that she went to high school with. 

“I think it’s time to play everyone’s favorite game, name all the things you like about Gojo Satoru,” Gojo exclaimed, causing other guests to look over at their table.  

There was a brief pause and before anyone could say anything, Shoko let out a small laugh, which caused Geto to smile to himself. Gojo grinned and glanced over to Ai. For a brief moment, there seemed to be a hint of concern on his face that vanished when Ai smiled back at him. Had Gojo created a whole outburst to ease the tension?

“I think I’m gonna pass,” Shoko said. “Your turn, Ai.” 

 “No comment.” Ai shook her head. 

Geto pursed his lips in thought as he looked at Gojo who beamed at him in return. “I like your glasses.” 

“That’s not even about me! ” Gojo whined.     

As they waited for their food to arrive, the conversation flowed rather effortlessly. Ai found herself relaxing in their company. She hadn’t realized how on edge she was while working with Geto and Gojo while on set. She was so keyed up that it almost felt normal, but now she could feel a shift physically. Her muscles seemed to relax somewhat. 

As they chatted and laughed over bowls of steaming ramen, Ai found herself having more fun than she had in a long time. By the time they finished their meal, Ai was almost reluctant to leave. The evening had been unexpectedly enjoyable. They said their goodbyes outside the ramen shop, Shoko and Geto went their separate ways, leaving Gojo and Ai outside. 

“She said she was gonna quit...” Gojo sighed as he watched Shoko and Geto walk off, both of them with cigarettes in hand. He shrugged and turned towards Ai, a gentle smile on his pretty face. “Thanks for coming, Ai-chan.” 

 Ai returned Gojo’s smile, feeling that similar sensation she felt when he tried to teach her how to make shadow puppets. She bit the inside of her cheek, trying her best to distract her from her racing heart. “It was nice.” She looked at the ground. “I didn’t expect to have such a good time.” 

Gojo’s smile turned into a boyish grin, his eyes sparkling with mischief. “Oh really?”

Rolling her eyes, Ai did her best to stop ‌smiling. “Yes…” 

There was a quiet moment between them as they watched the passersby make their way through the city. A small smile spread across Gojo’s face as he watched a young couple walk home. They were holding hands and their soft laughter gave off a sense of carefree joy that was in stark contrast to the otherwise indifferent crowds around them. 

“You seem a bit more relaxed,” Gojo said as he stuffed his hands in his pockets. “It’s like you’re a completely different person than the Ai-chan I know.” 

Ai shrugged. “Work brings out a serious side of me, I guess.” 

Gojo nodded, his smile becoming more relaxed. “Yeah, but I think it wouldn’t hurt to show more of this side. It’s nice.” 

“You think so?” Ai tilted her head, studying him curiously. He almost seemed unreal with the way his eyes glittered under the streetlights. 

Gojo nodded and looked up at the moon. “Mhm, I feel like I understand you a bit better.” 

Ai stared up at Gojo, a bit taken aback by what he said. Maybe she was too rigid when they first met. It made sense, but she felt so stupid that he was bridging the gap for her. She wanted to be annoyed with him for doing her job for her, but she couldn’t. Instead, she felt a warmth spread throughout her chest. It was a strange sensation, one she couldn’t quite place, but felt comforting nonetheless. She glanced up at Gojo, his profile outlined against the night sky, and she couldn’t help but smile. 

“Thank you, Satoru,” she said softly. 

Gojo’s grin widened, and he reached out gently to ruffle her hair, his touch was light and playful. “No problem, Ai-chan,” 

Ai swatted his hand away. She was playing a losing game with Gojo. She knew what she was letting happen was bad, but she liked it so much. She wanted to indulge in the moment just a bit longer. 

“You’re so annoying.” Ai pouted at him as she tried to fix her hair. Despite her words, there was a softness in her eyes as she looked at him. 

“So I’ve heard.” Gojo grinned unapologetically, his gaze lingering on her for a moment longer than necessary. 

They stood there for a moment, the night air enveloping them in a comfortable silence. 

“Well, um, I’m gonna head home,” Ai said, as she awkwardly pointed in the direction of the train station. “I have to, uh, water my plants?” 

“Oh yeah?” Gojo replied, doing his best to hide a chuckle. “Have fun, Ai-chan!” 

Ai nodded, a small smile playing on her lips. “You too!” 

You too? Ai couldn't help but cringe at herself. 

With a final wave, Ai turned and started walking back towards the train station, feeling Gojo’s eyes on her until she disappeared around the corner. As she made her way home, her mind buzzed with thoughts of the evening and the man she had just left behind. She couldn’t deny the flutter of excitement in her chest, but she felt something nagging at her in the back of her mind. 

But for now, she pushed those thoughts aside. She wanted to revel in her moment with Gojo just a little while longer. There wasn't any harm in that, right? 

[expecto-kedavra]

Hey buddyyyy I was wondering if you could write about Slytherin male MC discovering their healing powers and healing Ominis of his blindness and Anne of her curse. I’ve read fics of those individually but never together

Keep up the good work 👍🏼

Hey! I love this idea. Fun fact, the first ask I ever sent on Tumblr was to the ever talented @hogwartslegacyreactions and it was how the HL characters would react to Ominis being cured of his blindness. Be sure to check her out! Scarlet is a lovely writer and I adore her blog. I owe much of my inspiration to her This was originally a bit long all together, so I'm going to split it into multiple parts. ONWARD!

Pt. 2

Pt. 3

Pt. 4

The Healer, pt 1

Ominis was definitely frustrated. He was having a lovely night's sleep when the Margaret the Diricawl landed on his chest. I was going to send a Niffler, but I didn't trust any of them to deliver a message swiftly and efficiently. Especially Ricky. I rescued him from a particularly grouchy vendor in Irondale, said he "pilfered the town and should be sent away to Azkaban." The last thing I needed was detention for the little stinker stealing Professor Ronan's hat, or Weasley's glasses. So I sent Margaret with a note tied to her- "Come to the Room please. I have something to show you." She was the sweetest of my Diricawls, one who wouldn't peck my dear friend's eyes out. They were very important to my plan. Anyways, the grumpy Gaunt stumbled into the Room of Requirement, muttering and cursing. "What? This could not possibly be more important than my rest." I laughed. I wasn't sure if it was really early or really late. I had been working for hours. "Oh trust me my friend. It is." I stared at the small vial that was the reason behind all this. A clear liquid glowed inside, occasionally flashing a brilliant blue. "Go sit on the couch." I ordered, and Ominis agreed. I had definitely piqued his interest.

"You told me that your childhood healers tried Phoenix tears and it didn't work." My heart was in my throat. This had to work. For him, for Anne..for everyone. "Right." He replied. "They thought that if that couldn't give me sight, nothing could." He was very stoic, I knew he had long accepted his condition and made it work. "Well. They didn't try everything. Mainly because this didn't exist until now." I brandished the small vial. He blinked slowly. "Wow. How incredible. I am in awe." He said flatly. Oops. "Oh right. Sorry. I call it Miracle Tears." I was tired. Naming stuff is hard, why do you think two of my pets are named Margaret and Ricky? Being creative was hard enough while not sleep deprived, Miracle Tears was going to have to cut it. "And who's tears might they be?" Ominis laughed. It was good to hear his tone shift from sleepy grouch to his usual sarcastic drawl. "Mine. Helios shared some. So did Diana." I replied. Ominis had met my phoenix, and my herd of Unicorns, so he recognized the names. "What? They cried for you?" He sounded shocked. "Yes, they are my bestest friends and they were much nicer when I woke them up." I shot back. "I thought of every healing substance I could think of. Phoenix tears, of course. Then Unicorn blood, but I knew that was out of the question. I consulted with Poppy, and we theorized that the tears could be used to a similar effect. We tested our theory, and we were correct." I didn't mention that our method involved jumping off of the balcony in the Room. "However, it wasn't as powerful, only healing partially." I said sheepishly. "Wait. Was that why Poppy was in the Hospital Wing for three days?!" Ominis more so sounded disappointed in me rather than upset. "You're getting off topic." I was glad he couldn't see my face reddening. "The last healing power I could think of was my own. Isidora went insane by removing pain and absorbing it. I did not want to risk that, so I thought up another way to bottle this power." He was quiet, I could tell he was thinking. "Listen. MC. I know you want to help me and Anne. But we've both made peace with our lives. As hard as it may be to hear, I don't need this." He was right. I knew he didn't. "I know. Sebastian does." I said softly. He was silent. Since the end of last year, Sebastian had fallen into a funk. His punishment of losing his twin sister was wearing too hard on him. He rarely spoke, and ate even less. I worried for him, and I knew Ominis did as well. "If it doesn't work, you can say you told me so and I will forget about it. But he's our friend, and he's slipping. We are losing him." That was enough for Ominis. "Alright. For Sebastian." I handed him the vial and he drank.

Ominis fell to the floor, writhing in pain and clutching his face. Shit. I didn't know what to do, or what to say. "My eyes! They burn!" He screamed. I ran into my potion room, frantically looking for something...anything. Dittany maybe, I can brew a Wiggenweld...I tried to focus, but my friends pained screams were throwing me off. As soon as I was about to scream for Deek, he stopped. He picked himself up off the floor, blinking. "I...can see." Ominis looked up at me. His normally pale eyes had turned into a deeper shade of blue. It worked. "Sorry my ragged mug is the first thing you saw." I laughed. He tackled me with a hug. "This is the world...the real world!" It was quite adorable seeing him staring at everything, his smile lit up the room. "We need to find Sebastian."

[veethewriter]

I should get back into writing myself, but I'd rather let more talented writers take over that instead-

That being said, can I request a Lilia work, general or nrc is up to you, with a gn reader who gets stuck in twisted wonderland and has no way of going back to their world. They have to figure out how the cultures are, the currency, how to work without magic, etc.

(I'm writing a story where this is the basic concept, but I'm really curious about what you'll do with the idea! As long as you're comfy with it, of course ^^)

If you feel overwhelmed, don't worry about my request and feel free to delete! Hope you have an awesome day/afternoon/night and please take care of yourself!

Of course! I'm gonna do NRC Lilia for this because general Lilia makes me nervous, (｡>﹏<｡).

Lila can understand how hard it can be to get used to a culture you're not, I mean he did have to learn human culture once he started to raise silver. He would love to help you figure out stuff though not before being a tease however and making you ask him. He would help you by teaching you the base of magic things and the types of people you don't have in your world before going into deeper topics.

Like feas and what they look like or the different types of beast men and also sea people (I tried to find the official name for them but couldn't lol). Then he would start to go into different cultures or types of magic that people can have. Either way he loves to help you learn about everything you wanna know. Or things Crowley wants you to learn because we all know Crowley likes to set tasks for you.

[notherdeadrobin]

20 Questions for Fic Writers!

Tagged by @itsfirecat and @thesandsofelsweyr (tagged me via @thejasonandsladeagenda)

How many works do you have on AO3? 58!

What’s your total A03 word count? 257,825

What fandoms do you write for? Uhhhh DC and DC and DC lol

What are your top five fics by kudos?

✧ By Any Other Name (my first fic!) 1,056 Kudos ✧

This started from a short and sweet idea of "what happens when Jason realizes he uses the same nickname for Slade and Bruce?" I thought it'd be a dirty crack-fic one-shot, but now it's turning into an actual JaySlade getting together story, featuring some batfam feels, too. Also, Slade ambushes Jason on a rooftop and turns him into a hot mess, so that's pretty great too.

✧ Warmth 729 Kudos ✧

When Batman sliced Jason's neck open and left him for dead, Slade Wilson pulled him from the wreckage to patch up Jason's injury and his life. Jason doesn't understand why Deathstroke even bothers with him, but he's going to enjoy someone giving a damn about him while it lasts. He just wants to belong to a pack again.

✧ The Last Cookie 568 Kudos ✧

In the background of the Wayne Family Adventures webcomic, Jason Todd is hooking up with Slade Wilson. It's fact. Their growing relationship is all there in the subtext (if you squint hard enough, and make some wild guesses), and this fic illuminates the details of the story unfolding right under the Wayne Family's noses. Aka the fic where the Lazarus Pit left Jason stuck with raging hormones, and Slade's the only one who can satisfy him

✧ Two Raging Fires Meet 551 Kudos ✧

Slade takes Jason on one of his jobs to get them away from the overbearing bats. All is well for awhile, but then Slade does a classically terrible job of handling his feelings, forcing Jason to remind Slade that he's a badass vigilante who doesn't need Slade to be his keeper. Featuring Jason being soft, smart, and capable - Slade being a bit of a dumbass - and sex

✧ Parking 550 Kudos ✧

When Batman catches Jason stealing the tires off the Batmobile, Jason tries to make it up to him in the only way he knows how, but Batman isn't biting

Do you respond to comments? Why or why not? I have so many unreplied to comments right now and I'm so so sorry about that. I go on spurts where I'll get the number down lower, and then it'll get out of control again. I think responding is important because I know how much it means to me when people comment on my fic, and I don't want them to feel like their lovely words are going unread and unappreciated <3

What’s the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? I don't think anything I've written would qualify for an angsty ending lol, but I rather like this one, and it's more bittersweet, at least? Living in the Moment

What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? Sanctuary has the softest ending (it's also one of my personal favorites ^.^)

Do you get hate on your fic? Not really, no. Or, not that I've seen, anyway/

Do you write smut? Alllll the time. SO much smut. Everywhere. 4 of those top 5 are E-rated. I think I write too much smut tbh lmaooo

Do you write crossovers? I've written two! Crossovers aren't really a default thought of mine, though.

Have you ever had a fic stolen? Man, I hope not

Have you ever had a fic translated? Nah. Someone did ask me, once, and I was honored to be asked, but I have weird feelings about my fic being out there on an account I have no control over.

Have you ever co-written a fic? Nah, though I'd like to give it a try ^.^ so many talented writer friends

What‘s your all-time favourite ship? Oh geez...so hard to say... I guess Jason Todd/Slade Wilson XD

What’s the WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? Aha the first series I ever started, but that's mainly because it's not meant to be a completed storyline, more so slices of life together. I have like, at least 10 ideas for future fics for that one.

What’s your writing strengths? I think I'm good at emotional smut, and a commenter called me "witty" recently, so that too? I'd like to be witty

What’s your writing weaknesses? finishing WIPs. Though I've already decided in advance that this next year is about finishing things. I won't let myself get distracted by prompt events or BINGO cards. I'll be all about adding more to the series I've started (hopefully finishing a couple), finishing longfics, and also working on bigger ideas that I've let fall to the wayside.

Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic? I think it's fine if it's done well and respectfully. And it is useful in situations where you want the reader to be able to translate something if they want, but you still don't want the POV Character to know what's being said.

First fandom you wrote for? Harry Potter. If anyone out there used to be in the group of people who wrote Marauders Era Fanfic with OFC/Sirius Black on Quizazz (now quotev) over a decade ago, hmu

Favourite fic you’ve ever written? Last time I picked something else.... but I'm watching Bridgerton rn so I'll have to go with Moonlight Symphony <3

[dashrgpx]

Adriana’s POV (pure and none of that other stuff just true care for each-other)

I sat outside of Ashley’s backyard just getting some air she was having a get together all our friends and their partners were over I don’t really have a partner but I am the girls friend So. Lately I’ve been having writers block and can’t quite seem to come up with anything for our new up coming album after also suffering a vocal hemorrhage and going into surgery not knowing if I would be able to ever sing the same again all while fans have waited through the recovery and recording process and I can’t seem to deliver and it’s really starting to frustrate me.

Pablo’s POV

I was at Ashley’s house with Pedri’s who’s dating Natalia I came because most of the guys from the team are also here . After a while I realized Adriana had slowly disappeared from the group I wondered what was going on she’s been extra quiet lately and I mean she’s usually quite but she zones out more on us I mean I made fun of her hair and boots today and although she usually has a salty comeback today she didn’t have one I decided I was thirsty so I went to the kitchen to get a glass of water when I see Adriana outside in Ashley’s backyard “hola que haces “ I said to her she just turned and saw it was me and turn back to where she was looking at before “hey Pablo “ she replied “what’s going on Adriana” I said to her to which she chuckled and said “huh never thought you would ever actually ask me if I was okay considering you hate me and all” to which I said “cmon Adriana I like to mess with you see you mad but I don’t wish miserable on you “ to which she chuckled again “I can’t write for my life Pablo I mean I’ve tried everything to get me back in that studio in hopes I’ll sing the same “ I said practically almost letting a sob out “I don’t understand Adriana your an amazing writer I’ve never ever seen struggle in all of the two years I’ve known you but what’s all this of not singing the same “ he said and that’s when it hit me the girls never told anyone of my vocal recovery surgery “Pablo there reason our tour has been on hold as well as our album is because I suffered a vocal hemorrhage and had to get surgery then recovery but see I haven’t even attempted to sing in fear it just won’t be the same “ I said finally letting out the sob I didn’t even know I was holding in

Pablo’s POV

man it broke me to see her cry and so vulnerable all of the years that I’ve known Adriana she’s never ever showed such hard emotions she’s a hard shell to crack to see her just break down in front of me made my heart take over rather then my senses and I reached to embrace her and she just cried into my chest “you’ll sing again you just have to believe it Adriana trust me if I continue this whole painful process of trying to heal my knee knowing that even if I do heal it’s not guaranteed that I’ll play the same ever again just to give up i would be disappointing everyone in my life but most importantly myself and my younger self that all it took for me to give up was one little injury not you Adriana you have a stronger mindset then that you’ll do it because of those girls in there they are your friends and your fans you wish to bring everyone pride but you have to bring yourself pride as well “ I said my hand on the back of her head and I kiss the top her head and she took her head out of my chest to look up at me “ Pablo your so talented please don’t ever give up on football it’s your dream I’ve never meet someone so in love with the game I mean the way you take about it shows just how fascinated and mesmerized you are by it “ we just stared at eachother “yk those girls will inspire you always they are your family” Pablo said smiling “and now so are you” she said giggling and he did as well “thanks gavi that all really meant a lot truly “ to which he relied “just so you know I don’t hate you “ she said and they both walked back inside.

The next week

We had just won against Madrid and I was walking back to the lockers when I hear “Gavii!” And I turn around “hola Adriana” I said “yk that talk we had the other night Gavi your like my muse now I went home and just started writing and made what would become Spotify’s top song “ she said laughing so excited “god adriana you did the damn thing “ I said also laughing “I know I did it we did it “ she said laughing and hugs me “yea I guess we did” and hugged her back .

I have an idea of how to continue this story but should I ?

[clouds-of-wings]

Well, Sheldon has already learned one thing from his trip to Heidelberg before he has even left: unlike Sam, he doesn't actually need to make an effort to advance his career because he's already got the most important job skill: being personal friends with a well-connected older person in his field. With whom he became close mainly because the friend used to date his grandma. This show is too realistic occasionally.

To go off on a tangent from this, it makes me want to tear my hair out sometimes how Sheldon's development into a well-rounded individual is constantly sabotaged, sometimes by good intentions or "coddling" as he put it recently, sometimes by bullying or - most often - by lack of effort and interest from those around him. It would be VERY good for him if he had problems he couldn't solve with just his intellect (like having to actually apply for stuff like a peasant without being treated like a celebrity) and hobbies that he can't get good at by thinking really hard. He should have stuck with the violin. Or the acting club. He shouldn't have been fired from his museum "job" for making some rather harmless mistakes. He should have continued to take non-science college classes. I can't blame him for this, he's a child who's responding to what his environment rewards. The adults around him should encourage his development more. Sheldon is curious about the world, even outside of science, even the areas of life he's bad at. He could learn and develop so much if he weren't locked in this "nerd box" the whole time.

At least Mary tries to get him to have a social life, but things just never go well and the people he's around are too easy to look down on. Except for Paige, and with her he can't handle the fact that she's on the same level as him precisely because he thinks his intelligence is all that makes him special, it's what makes him him, it's the only part of him that's valued. I often feel like the writers actually undo his character development once an episode ends because they need him to be this one-sidedly intellectual person for comedic value. But I would love for him to develop other sides of himself.

I mean, come on. Child Sheldon has religious visions! He has perfect pitch and a talent for dancing! He has the craziest synaesthesia! He remembers his time in his mom's womb! Adult Sheldon is wicked funny, casually saves Lennard's life at one point, and gets positively psychedelic even on rather mild drugs. I still remember the time he dressed up as the Doppler Effect. Which, yes, is nerdy, but it also shows a sense of humor and outside-the-box thinking that isn't limited to his work. He's actually a super interesting person regardless of his IQ, and if only the development of any part of him except his intellect had been consistently encouraged when he was a child, he'd probably have a much easier time in the world. I haven't watched the later seasons of TBBT except for some clips and it seems like he actually catches up a bit thanks to Amy and his friends, but things could have been much easier and more fun for him and everyone else.

[michelleelizabethtanner]

Omggggg, I am so thankful you answered my ask! I love your work and your blog is my safe haven for Brio! I love that you always take the time to answer in depth and reading your blog is just as fun as reading your fics!

Fangirling aside, I agree with everything you said about Mick! Not gonna lie, I read "miscast" and had to take a deep breath for a hot minute 🤣 But I finished reading your response and I see your reasoning. I totally agree!

I hate to keep saying it, but I think the writers really dropped the ball on that one. I do believe they intended him to be ruthless with no loyalties, but when a performance shines through differently from the script, they should adapt to it, especially since it didn't seem like they had much understanding of the character! I agree that Carlos made that character what it was and did the work for them. Mick is my baby and I attribute my love for him to Carlos' performance. All they had to do was follow his lead like many other authors in the fandom did with their fics! Or they should have given him direction to play it meaner if they wanted ruthless, idek at this point. He was such a cinnamon roll and it was so hard to think he would do that, especially since he seemed to end up really liking the girls.

As for Rio and Nick, my interpretation of their whole relationship comes just from the opening scene of 4.08 alone. Again, this is all headcanon because, once again, I don't think they put as much depth into Nick's character as they should have, therefore, I don't feel that we got deep enough into his and Rio's dynamic despite the backstory. There are some holes to fill in!

The scene starts with Rio drawing and Nick playing on his gameboy. He appears discouraged because he can't draw the eyes, so Nick does it for him and then encourages him, telling him "you'll get there, brother" and Rio playfully corrects him saying "cousin". Then when his abuela starts groaning by the oven, indicating something went wrong, little Rio gets up to go check on her and Nick stays playing with his game boy. He tries out Abuela's cookies even though they taste bad and Nick declines to taste it when offered. Then of course comes the pretty on-the-nose rotten egg metaphor where the egg that Rio drops sinks (indicating good egg) and Nick's floats (bad egg)

Rio getting up to go check on his abuela shows he cares for her. He heard her fussing and got up right away to check on her. Meanwhile, Nick stays seated. I think because Rio shows he cares, he is grandma's favourite. Later in the episode, we see them joking around about him buying her a new oven and just being a sweet grandmother/grandson duo. We never got any shot of Nick cutting up with grandma like that.

So Rio is a good-looking guy, charming, smart, very talented in boxing and he's grandma's favourite? Oh, brousin is clearly jealous and insecure and that causes tension between them growing up. I think he spent his whole life trying to prove to himself that he is better than Rio. When you're jealous of someone, there's an aspect of wanting to be the person you envy because really, you envy that person because that person is great. I think Nick hates himself and wishes he was Rio, which is why he does a lot to put him down. He rats him out and gets him arrested, which causes his trainer to drop him and he assumes the boss position in all of their operations and makes him an underling. It must feel validating to "conquer" him.

I also think this is why he switches between calling him cousin and brother. Whenever he refers to Rio as brother, it's to put them in the same boat. For example, during the dinner in 4.06, he doubles down on calling him brother to show Beth he's not different from Rio or rather, that Rio is not better than him. Whoever this suburban mama is who Rio clearly has a thing for, she has to know he's not all that. They are brothers connected by blood, the closest he can be associated with Rio. Another example is when he has to get Rio out of jail in 4.08. He feels so high and mighty telling Rio that he owes him and he says "That's why you got me, brother". It must feel incredibly validating to him to be needed by Rio at this point (same sentiments for the first scene in 4.08 when he draws the eyes for him). Calling him brother is pulling him down from this imaginary pedestal and puts him on Nick's level.

When he calls Rio cousin, it's to lift himself above Rio. He refers to Rio as cousin only twice. The first time is in the same episode when Beth comes to the community garden. In the midst of humblebragging about being a councilman who actually does something, Beth asks him "what does your brother think?" and he corrects her by saying "cousin". It's giving now that we're talking about my accomplishments and how great of a councilman I am, he's no longer my brother, we are not the same, I am better. The second time is in 4.09 at the boxing ring right before he "disciplines" Rio. He feels so on top in that moment because Rio is powerless.

For all these reasons, I think Nick hates Rio because he hates himself. But does Rio hate Nick?

I think you're right, no he does not. The first scene in 4.08 shows they were not always butting heads, but Nick's growing resentment and insecurity caused more strife between them. I believe Rio admired Nick. When Nick ratted Rio out, I don't think Rio fully understood why. He made it seem like growing all of their illegal money-making endeavours was for family and for Rio's benefit and Rio was the sacrifice for a better life. He thought Nick was smart for thinking long term. He probably expected that after being sacrificed, they would be chill again, but that's not the case because Nick hated him. I think not understanding why Nick hated him so much really affected him, which is why he lacks emotional intelligence (c'mon, his brother/cousin gets him arrested, he doesn't walk away, then Beth gets him arrested and he doesn't walk away either. He was taught those were just setbacks in a long term plan. No emotional intelligence!).

I think he only really understood once Beth got shot. Nick used her to torture him under the guise that they really needed her for business (which they did, it was a good idea to involve her, but let's be real, he wanted to toy with Rio). For Rio, there's clearly no reason for Nick to want Beth other than Rio wanting Beth ("always want what I got"). Beth and Rio both chose each other and Nick just could not stand that, could not understand why people always choose Rio. His rage causes him to hit Beth where it hurts. When Beth gets shot, I think Rio finally realizes that his brother figure is not some great man to be admired. There's no method to his madness, he's just mad. It's the moment he realizes that Nick's competitiveness is just a result of him being insecure and jealous. In their final call in prison, Rio does not address him as bro, or cousin, he just calls him "man". I think that shows he finally sees through Nick entirely and addressing him as "man" is him severing their familial ties. I don't think that means he hates him. A part of him will always remember those times when they were cool, but he will never consider him family again.

Oh gosh, this turned into some 500-page essay that might only make sense in my head 🤣 I apologize in advance for this mess!

What are your thoughts on Rio and Nick?

Anon, this is such a good dissection! All the supporting evidence and analysis! You did such a good job, idk what I could add. I agree: Nick always resented the easy way Rio gained affection from others, and Rio always tried to justify Nick’s cruelties despite them escalating over time. Their natures were set up in the flashback scene and you picked up on so much important detail. I love it. 💕

[danielfuckingricciardo]

Vent post under the cut don’t mind me!

Tw for some serious depression shit

I had a great weekend with my friend but now I’m back to my normal life in the absolute crackden I call a flat I’m feeling a little… like shit???

Like I know, I know we shouldn’t compare ourselves to others, but I’m having a hard time not doing that right now.

We both went to uni together, and yeah she’s a year older than me cos she took a year out while I went straight into it, but we finished our degrees at the same time so we were at the same stage in our lives by then.

And now there’s just… so many differences between us and I can’t help but feel like a total fuckup.

Like she has a boyfriend of a year, a really good job in some fancy head office in London, she’s planning on moving out, she’s got a whole ass life.

Meanwhile I’m here, rotting away, failing the masters degree I didn’t even really want to do, I have no prospects for the future, no driving license, no money, no anything.

I just feel like such a solid failure. Like I’m so behind where I should be in life now. The only difference between me now and me at 15 is that I clean my own bathroom and share a kitchen with mental strangers instead of my parents. I also have better hair.

Like don’t get me wrong I’m super happy for her and everything she’s achieved. She deserves it all and more.

But I see her thriving and living a real life meanwhile I’m seriously considering dropping out of my masters and just calling it quits because I genuinely just do not see the point anymore.

I don’t see the point in anything to be honest. Like one of my major failings is just me struggling to care about my life now. I know it’s gonna be disappointing and shit, so why bother?

I have no talents, there’s nothing I’m really good at. There’s nothing I care about enough to get good at, besides writing maybe, but I tried that, I did my degree in it, and in three years I hardly improved. It’s just not viable, there’s nothing in it.

I’ve literally dedicated my life to being a writer, it’s all I’ve ever really wanted to do. I’ve tried different kinds of writing, different styles, and none of it I’ve ever been any good at. I’m literally the most unremarkable person to walk this earth. Everything I’m just… okay at. I’ve tried hard to excel and be good at things, but it never really comes to anything. I’m just… average. I always have been.

And average people rarely manage to make something of their life without help. And I have no help because I’m working class and broke. So that’s it. There’s nothing for me that’s going to be fulfilling. It’s all just going to be as shit as this. If not shitter. And honestly the thought of having to do something shit because it’s the only option to keep a roof over my head makes me want to walk into oncoming traffic.

Anyway, the depression is depressioning rn, I’m a total mess and live in delusion to dull the agony of my boring ass life which is doomed to be uninspiring and pointless until I drop dead. I only hope it’s sooner rather than later to spare me from the pain of living a pointless existence for 60+ years.

[kendrixtermina]

Now I haven't seen her in those other shows so IDK if she can actuallly act/ do better than this.

But to me personally, Whittaker's character rarely ever felt like "the Doctor" to me.

And no it's not her gender, cause imho Gomez nailed the Master. Also, it wasn't unique to the Doctor cause all of the main characters felt very bland, to the point that one-off characters often had more personality when a good-ish guest writer or talented guest actor showed up.

It was like a superficial pastiche of the character that was missing the all the depht.

Like, ok here are some quirky jokey lines, but often the character seemed like someone who wants to be normal but can't manage it ("am I being weird?") rather than someone who is charismatic, wie & confident, but also a proud eccentric & nonconformist. Someone who has a detached big picture perspective, but still is compassionate, or makes an effort to be if it doesn't come naturally.

Instead there is this very annoying conflation of eccentricity & detached perspective with lack of caring. (The Graham Cancer scene)

As an eccentric nonconformist who doesn't give a fuck about social conventions, it's a bit hard for me not to take this a wee bit personally... Also, it's just the standard stereotypic TV genius, so more generic & boringer than "the Doctor" & for me personally it takes away what I liked about or related to about the character. They made the "I'm weird & proud of it" character ashamed of being weird and also just like ppl's misconceptions of weird ppl as uncaring.

And then of course the backstory retcon also changes her from someone who is special due to being a nonconformist & disagreeing with her civilizations views (but still having a bunch to learn from the ppl outside & not always being free of its hubris) due to someone who is special just because she's a walking plot device from nowhere, & is an unambiguous victim but also secretly superior.

Like past Doctors were tactless abrasive & foot-in-mouth as fuck, but if someone's outwardly expressing worry, there would have been some encouraging, inspiring speech there. 2 talking about his family. 10 saying that a longer life isn't always better or how fragility has inspired humans, 11s speech in the Van Gogh episode. Even 6, probably the most tactless Doctor, managed to confort Peri after the ravalox reveal.

Likewise, 2 and 5 were written or played as a tad more soft & nervous, but they could still do an epic speech or comforting gesture if needed. Also I question the choice of making the first female incarnation unconfident & self-conscious.

They also tried to have the sort of moral dilemmas typical of the sci-fi genre but here too it looks like lifting just the superficials. It lacks dephts, it's not actually consistent. It's just "guns bad" (why? Ryan was shooting at robots there...) but ends with crazy takes like "killing bad but slow suffocaton/eternal imprisonment rules", or having her make a "you can be better than this" speech but she's not really giving the villain a chance but stalling time to blow him up.

This is different from having characters take an edgy/ambiguous action & treating it as-such in-universe complete with repercussions. Rather the narrative treats her like a moral paragon & doesn't seem to realize it's inconsistencies. Wasn't the whole point of gender-flipping her supposed to be to fix the lack of female anti-heroes? I see no anti-hero, or the characters seriously disagreeing in a non-black & white way, even though we have a relatively large cast.

Also, Sci-Fi is a genre that tends to expect a high-bow audience, but the scripts constantly talk down to me. "Did you know that... climate change baaad?" And this show is theoretically aimed at a young audience. As if gen Y weren't all racked with climate anxiety & the ones doing all those protests even in school.

jodie whittaker was not miscast as 'the doctor' but she was severely miscast as wqhat chibnal lwantewd from the thirteenth doctor. like whittaker is rewally weak and tedious to watrch doing Silly Quirky Doctor but unfortunately that's most of what the script gives her to work with. she's not tom baker or matt smith who can imbue even boring scripts or poorly written lines with comedy just from body language and mugging at the camera, she comes across as so bland and such a weak presence. she needed dramatic, angry, spit-flying tears-in-eyes speeches because in the stuff she's g ood in (broadchurch, antigone, etc) that's where she shines, being passionate and bursting with feeling, whether it's sadness or righteous anger. i honestly believe thirteen should have been a broodier darker doctor if chibnall wanted to play to whittaker's strengths as an actress