#part of it will be a love story but it's more about. adapting to the changes of life and longing for connection idk

[fantasy-relax]

Sweet Alpha, Dangerous Omega

Part 17

When you closed your eyes, the only thing you could see was the expression of terror on the face of that poor maid, the blood covering your feet, and in your ears the echo of that man's cries resonated.

You cried for two days, silencing your screams and moans out of habit, hurting your throat as a result.

When your free days were over you moved automatically, nodding and shaking your head as was appropriate.

Your mind kept going over the scene and every day it gave you a new detail, the shadows took the form of hands trying to catch you and the puddles grew in size until you could feel the liquid through your shoes.

When you slept you relived the memory over and over again, every part, every second trapped until Cassandra came to free you from the cycle, Cassandra with her face covered in blood and a smile that showed her sharp fangs.

Your feelings of disgust and horror that the cruel scene caused you disappeared when you saw the Omega, speaking to you in a soft tone trying to give you relief.

“Blood and human flesh are our sustenance”

You had ignored the rumors surrounding the castle and the Dimitrescu because you knew firsthand how they could be twisted for someone else's benefit.

“We need it to live”

Every being needs sustenance to continue, plants, fungi, animals and humans.

And this could be different, adapted to the needs of each being.

“You understand, right?”

Of course.

“It's part of me”

Cassandra was not human.

“You love me, right?”

Did you?

Was it love you felt? You had never felt it before, all your life you have focused on surviving, and no one tried to get close to you unless it was to hurt you.

Was it love? The day you found Cassandra you acted on instinct, an Alpha protecting an Omega from danger, an Alpha attracted to an Omega in Heat.

Was it love? What enticed you was the fact that someone wanted you, desired you, needed you. For once you felt that your life was worth something.

Was it love? Cassandra was beautiful, more than once your gaze fell on her biceps observing even the smallest detail when she threw the easels.

Was it love? You were attracted to Cassandra's attitude, demanding and firm not letting anyone walk all over her, strong and stubborn pursuing what she wants without fear, gentle and sentimental, a side that you had seen during her Heat and in the stories her sisters told you.

You didn't know if it was love, but you knew it wouldn't take long to become that.

What should you do?

You turned to see the fur beside your bed, covered to the fiber of your scent.

The next step in courtship was to provide sustenance, food.

Providing your Omega with everything she needed and asked for was your duty as Alpha.

Your Omega needed human flesh for sustenance.

And it was your duty to provide it.

Hunting, killing another human, ending someone else's life for the chance at a Mate was selfish, cruel and depraved…

And so damn tempting.

-----------------------------------------------------

Despite your silence Dorothea could get an idea of ​​what had happened, after all gossiping was the servants' source of entertainment.

A few days ago, some prisoners escaped and their pieces ended up scattered in the hallway, her team salvaged as much as they could, after all wasting it meant someone else would take its place.

It was a grotesque scene, but over the years Dorothea has adapted to many things and made sure her team did too.

You, on the other hand, were gentler than you seemed to be at first look, despite the horrendous treatment you had experienced, witnessing such a scene surely was a tremendous shock for you.

However, if you wanted to court a Dimitrescu, even more so to Mate with one, you had to understand and accept their inhumanity.

When Dorothea found out about you, she didn't give it much importance, one more face walking on the edge of her knife.

She never thought she would become fond of you, she blames her wife for that, when it comes to Relia the barriers of her heart crumble easily as wet paper.

She never dreams that she would get to see Cassandra in harmony with her subgenre. For the new maids it wasn't much of a difference, but for the older ones the change in the young mistress's behavior was obvious.

Even though Miss Cassandra groaned in annoyance and Lady Dimitrescu turned a blind eye at her pup behavior, there was no doubt that the young mistress acted like a high-class Omega challenging her chosen one to see if she met her standards, if she was worthy of being her mate.

It was adorable and hilarious to watch.

So, Dorothea had faith in you, letting you process things in your own time despite Relia's whining was the best thing to do.

- "What is Cassandra's favorite food? Her preferences?"-

Your voice sounded hoarse from disuse, your face was pale, and your hands were shaking, yet you kept your gaze in her eyes, determined to get answers.

And Dorotthea gave them to you.

You have finally made your decision.

--------------------------------------------------------------

Dorothea gave you information about Cassandra's preferences and your butchering skills were more than enough to prepare the meat.

You just had to choose the prey.

The inhabitants of the castle were off limits due to the rules imposed by Lady Dimitrescu and Bela, out of respect you did not want to disobey them. Besides, you don’t want to ruin the good atmosphere you had with your workshop colleagues and the kitchen team.

In the village there are drunks everywhere, being prey to the Lycans is common, no one would care if one disappeared.

"How dare you even think of giving meat of such a disgusting level to our Omega?"

Your Alpha was right.

Cassandra deserved the best and your duty was to give it to her or die trying.

You had to hunt healthy prey, with enough meat to be nutritious and fat to give flavor.

Drunks were off the table.

You needed meat to offer Cassandra as food.

You needed quality meat, not too old, not too young, not too fat, not too thin, free of vices and with a healthy diet.

And while you had made your decision, snatching a child from its parents or parents from their child weighed on your conscience, you would stain your hands with blood anyway, but at least you wanted to sleep without dreaming about empty cribs and children crying.

You closed your eyes reviewing the faces of the village that you could remember, who met your requirements?

Image after image crossed your mind until you found the answer.

A couple at the peak of their age.

A couple with a balanced diet.

A couple with a life free of alcohol and cigarettes.

A couple whose parents have already died.

A couple without brothers or cousins.

A couple whose offspring is cursed.

When you opened your eyes the heaviness on your shoulders disappeared.

You have already made your decision.

Your two free days were close, you would use one to confirm the routine of your prey and on the second you would attack.

You would not let doubt consume you; you would take the next step as soon as possible.

Cassandra had waited more than enough.

--------------------------------------------

You couldn't find Greta anywhere, you needed to tell her about your temporary departure, it was either her or Bela but considering that neither of the Dimitrescu had approached you it was easy to assume that the blonde was not an option.

“Omega must be furious at our uncertainty and cowardice”

The shame of having run without looking at her burned you and the only thing that could extinguish it was to demonstrate your devotion and acceptance towards her.

Through the offering of fresh meat.

You couldn't waste any more time, so you took the risk.

- “A trip outside the castle?” - The maid was someone you had seen working close to Greta and held a higher rank than you, Olivia.

- “I’ll be back before nightfall on the second day.”- Leaving the castle temporarily wasn't that strange, as long as you had permission from the Dimitrescu or the Head Maid and returned on time, you were safe.

However, Greta had chosen the perfect day to take a vacation because you couldn't find any trace of her and time was passing.

- “Ok, as long as you arrive on time, there won't be a problem. I'll let her know your whereabouts.”-

You breathed a sigh of relief and offered her a grateful smile.

- “Thank you.”-

She smiled back at you.

- “My pleasure.” –

-----------------------------------------------------

After making sure your backpack was hidden, you covered your body in mud to hide your scent and set off on a path you knew by heart.

The house where your prey lived was somewhat far from the town, it wasn't on the edge like your cabin, but the distance was enough so that the neighbors couldn't hear screams.

It's not like you were planning on making a scene, being in better shape didn't mean you could fight a mob by hand.

Hiding among the branches of a sturdy tree your vigil began.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

After confirming the routine your prey followed, you prepared for the hunt. While attacking at night was perfect to avoid drawing attention, the darkness would be a disadvantage to you too and would cause trouble, plus the Lycans tended to be active at those hours.

Your plan was to enter the house just as the woman was cooking, as she used too many spices they would hide whatever leftover of your scent, you would finish her off quickly and hide her body in a closed room. When the man came home you would make noise to draw his attention and the moment he entered you would pierce his throat with an arrow to prevent him from screaming and then finish him off. With your two preys caught you would proceed to bleed them into two buckets and then dismember the bodies, focusing on taking only Cassandra's favorite pieces because you couldn't carry both bodies at once and making a double trip increased the chances of being discovered by the others more inhabitants or the Lycans. So, you would put everything you could in the backpack, cover the buckets to avoid spills and then start your way back to the castle.

After taking a bath, you would take your gifts and go to Cassandra's room to deliver them. You would apologize for your delay and depending on her answer...

Whether yes, or no, there is no turning back.

-------------------------------

You have to be fast and discreet.

Entering the house without being seen,  went to the kitchen where the woman was.

Alone.

Her attention was focused on the stew on the stove, the smell of the spices was strong enough to impregnate the kitchen and the entire house.

You approached her slowly.

And with quick hands in a precise movement, you broke her neck.

The body fell at your feet writhing unable to scream, her gaze fell on you which made you lower your head and maintain a submissive posture.

Mother detested your rebellion.

“She is not a mother, she is prey”

Prey, yes, the woman was prey.

When you turned to see her, her eyes were already empty of life.

She would never look at you with contempt again.

You would never hear her insults again.

You would never feel the pain of the whip against your back for looking at her wrong, for speaking to her wrong, for breathing wrong, for existing wrong.

Never.

You took a deep breath and, taking her legs, you dragged her to the closet.

Before closing the door, you looked at the lifeless body once more.

- “Goodbye Mother” -

Your next prey had to be caught off guard.

--------------------------------------------------------

You kept your eyes on the kitchen door.

The soup was still burning to keep the smell of the spices, your prey was a veteran hunter, even covered in mud, he could detect your scent.

You heard the footsteps approaching and prepared your bow.

A shot to the throat to stop him from screaming and then you would finish him off with your knife.

That was the plan.

However, the arrow missed its target, nailing itself centimeters above the man's head, who immediately turned to look at you.

You froze.

- “What the fuck?” – The man's confusion soon turned to anger, before you could prepare another arrow, he lunged at you.

- “What are you doing here?!” -

- “Where's my wife?!”-

- “What have you done?!”-

Each question was punctuated with a blow.

“Stop being so defensive! Attack!”

- “I should have blown your brains out a long time ago” –

“Fight!”

- “Damn aberration” –

“Fight!”

He got up from your beaten body to take out his gun.

- “I'll end your miserable life once and for all” –

“Don't you dare to leave our Omega alone!”

You kicked his crotch before he could take off the safety, the man dropped the gun in pain, but you didn't grab it. You tackled him, knocking him to the ground and threw punch after punch.

In these three months you gained weight and the work in the workshop helped you build muscle.

The man was an old Beta, and you were a healthy young Alpha.

Unlike you he could not coordinate because he was not used to being the one receiving the beating.

- “No more” – No more punches, no more kicks, no more insults, no more begging, no more pleading.

The man's movements were weak and slow

- “Never” – You would never allow him to put his hands on your Mate.

The movement ceased.

You looked at the bloody face of the man and instead of feeling guilty for killing him you felt guilty for having wasted blood.

In the end they were right…

- “Goodbye Father”-

…the blood in your veins meant nothing.

------------------------------------------------

You tied two ropes to different ceiling beams and hung the bodies, placed the buckets and proceeded to cut their necks.

You sharpened your knives while you waited, when not a drop more fell you lowered them and laid them on the floor.

*THUMP*

You proceeded to cut so you could take the pieces that Dorotthea confirmed were Cassandra's favorites.

“Omega will be happy with our gift”

Blood covered the walls, the floor, your face, your clothes and your hands.

*THUMP*

You had killed your parents.

*THUMP*

They raised you.

*THUMP*

They fed you.

*THUMP*

They punished you.

*THUMP*

They tortured you.

*THUMP*

They never defended you.

*THUMP*

They abandoned you.

*THUMP*

And you killed them.

*THUMP*

It was your decision

*SLASH*

No one forced you; no one ordered you.

*SLASH*

It was your choice

*SLASH*

You are a murderer.

*SLASH*

A traitor to humanity.

*SLASH*

They betrayed you first.

*SLASH*

They attacked you first

*SLASH*

They abandoned you first.

*SLASH*

In the castle there are people who care about you, who appreciate you and take care of you.

*SLASH*

In the castle there is your pack.

*SLASH*

In the castle there is the woman who sought you out, who chose you.

*THUMP*

Your actions are breaking you

You are falling piece by piece.

*Drip*

And from the pieces that fall you will create a Mate worthy of her.

*Drip*

But you can't help but fear that it will all be in vain and all that awaits you is another rejection.

*Drip, drip, drip*

How much longer can you keep persevering?

*Sniff*

How much longer?

----------------------------------------------------

- “The Alpha is gone!” –

No…

Bela trusted you, had faith in you and this is how you repay her?

… is it her fault? Did you keep your resentment close to your chest until the opportunity to escape presented itself?

Did she ruin her little sister's chance because of her recklessness?

- “Cassandra!” - Daniela's scream brought her back to the present and she could finally notice the scent that fluttered around the room like a hurricane.

Anger and determination

Cassandra had gone from sadness and self-pity to anger.

- “Fuck this” -

How much she had missed seeing that flame.

- “Alpha is mine” - A statement that no one dared to deny.

Your fate was sealed from the moment Mother brought you, no, from the moment Cassandra trusted you in her most vulnerable state.

You belonged to Cassandra and Bela refused to fail her little sister again.

But… if Bela found you first, she would give you the chance to explain yourself and she would listen to you until the end before punching you.

She owed you after all.

--------------------------------------------------------------

- “The Alpha is gone!” –

Daniela blinked, trying to dispel the hallucination in front of her.

Because it has to be a hallucination, you would never abandon them, you would never abandon Cassandra, the Omega you courted with fervent adoration.

… right?

But when she turned to see the stupefied faces of her family, she knew it was not an illusion.

You were gone, the moment she stopped watching you, the moment she placed her complete trust was the moment you decided to escape.

How could you live like that? They had given you their full blessing to court Cassandra and not counting the accident with Lucia they had been more than kind to you.

Didn't you love her sister?

Daniela looked at Cassandra and relief coursed through her veins as she noticed that the emptiness in her eyes had been replaced with the fury that characterized her.

Her sister stood up from Mother's lap, her scent intensifying with each passing second.

Anger and determination

The relief quickly turned to fear.

What was Cassandra going to do to you?

- "Cassandra!" - As much as your betrayal hurt, she couldn't let you die, they could still fix it, they could still convince you.

- "Fuck this" - Did she decide to end the courtship? End you? No, her sister would never give up.

- "Alpha is mine" - Cassandra growled the words, her eyes shining with the intensity of the sun itself and Daniela knew that her sister was finally in harmony with her Omega.

And they were ready to capture their escapist Alpha.

----------------------------------------------------------------

Mother had stayed in the castle to prepare Cassandra's room.

- "You would need a comfortable collar to wear and long chains"-

See? Mother had finally accepted you, she gave you permission to be in Cassandra's room outside of her heat.

Chained, but those are minor details.

According to the information they obtained, only Olivia had seen you leave; after what happened with Lucia, all the maids avoided you, the only ones who didn't were Dorothea's pack and Relia's group; but because it was your two days off, they didn't know your whereabouts because for them you were locked in your room as you always did.

Cassandra caught your scent without difficulty and without wasting time she followed the trail until she lost it a few meters before reaching the town.

An admirable feat because Cassandra's sense of smell was the best in the pack. They decided to split up to search for the town, Cassandra would cover the north starting from your cabin, Bela would cover the south and she would patrol the surroundings.

Being the fastest she could cover the perimeter of the village in minutes and her eyesight was far superior to her sisters, even in complete darkness she could see for miles there was no way you could escape from her.

On her third lap she saw it, a figure covered in blood walking with difficulty through the forest. Focusing more she could recognize its features.

Your features.

She found you.

* “I found her” *

* “On my way” *

* “Don’t let her escape Daniela” *

In less than a minute she was standing in front of you

- “I can’t believe you did this, after everything we’ve been through together, I gave you my friendship and you spit in my face, com-

*THUMP*

You dropped the buckets you were carrying to soon vomit on a poor bush.

Oh, shit she forgot you were covered in blood.

She came over and checked you over as you continued to expel your guts.

You were covered in bruises and the occasional scrape, but you had no wounds that could cause bleeding.

The blood wasn't yours.

The smell of blood was stronger in the buckets, bending down she took the lid off one.

Blood.

Fresh blood.

Fresh man's blood.

She moved her hand to taste it, but stopped when she heard you scream and notice the threat in your scent.

-“NO!”- You had never spoken to her like that - “It's not for you”-

Your posture and your scent made it clear that if she decided to ignore your words you were going to attack her.

She slowly covered the bucket and with the same care stood up, at no time did you stop watching her.

You were alert, tense and covered in blood.

What had you done?

The sound of a swarm arriving caught the attention of both of you.

-“Who do you think you are, Little Alpha?” – Bela growled.

Cassandra would not take long to arrive.

Her sister checked you from head to toe, approached you and flicked you on the forehead with a finger.

- “Didn’t I tell you to let me know if you needed anything?”- She said, quickly taking your face and wiping it with the rag she always carried in her pocket – “Leaving the castle without permission or notice warrants punishment, what’s your excuse?”-

- “I couldn’t find you nor Greta, but I told Olivia that I would be back in two days at most, being Greta’s second in command I thought there would be no problem”- Huh, it seems that the dungeon will have a new guest.

- “What was so important that you couldn’t wait?” - Daniela had an idea and from the sidelong glance of her older sister she had also drawn her conclusions.

- “I-” – You opened your eyes and hurriedly walked away from Bela to take off the backpack you were carrying on your back.

*BUZZ*

Cassandra had finally arrived.

Both Bela and her walked away from you, however Daniela remained alert to protect you in case Cassandra’s fury was unleashed.

But Cassandra reformed silently, without screaming and without attacking, walking towards you with an indifferent face that was betrayed by the scent fluttering around her.

Anger

Despite that, the one who shortened the distance between the two of you was you.

You knelt at Cassandra's feet to place the backpack in front of you and the two buckets flanking it.

- "Omega" - Your voice was firm, but Daniela could notice the slight tremor in it, - "My behavior the previous nights was regrettable and I understand if you wish to end the courtship," - You raised your head and she was sure that in your eyes there was only that perpetual adoration - "Even so, I dare to beg for another chance and as an apology for my horrible behavior I give you sustenance from prey that I hunted with my hands" -

You opened the backpack and Daniela gulped because the wrappers were useless, only the smell gave away its contents.

Fresh meat.

Fresh human meat.

Of man and woman.

You bowed your head in reverence as you bumped your bloody and wounded fists together, a courtship posture that she had only read about in her books.

- “I promise you that you will never be cold because I will give you shelter, you will never go hungry because I will bring you food, you will never be alone because I will be by your side until the day I breathe my last breath; dear Omega, beloved Cassandra, could you forgive this pathetic Alpha?”-

Daniela bit her hand hard to silence her excited cry while with the other she shook Bela's shoulder until her sister slapped her without looking at her because just like her, she was focused on the scene in front of her.

Cassandra took one of the pieces of the backpack and when she opened it two pairs of eyes in perfect condition were in the palm of her hand, Daniela licked her lips hungrily, after all eyes are the favorite snack of the three and for which they are always competing.

Her sister took one and examined it in detail and then set her gaze on you.

- "Alpha, look at me" - You obeyed in seconds like a trained dog.

Cassandra placed the eye between her teeth and chewed it without closing her mouth, she did it slowly without looking away from you.

While Daniela could not see your face your scent revealed the disgust you felt towards the action.

Her sister took another and repeated the process, always staring at you.

Despite your clear displeasure you did not look away for even a second.

When you finished Cassandra smiled and that was enough for your displeasure to be replaced by pure and absolute euphoria.

Her sister's smile faded, and she leaned down to held your face, her gloved hands stained with the blood from her snack but you didn't seem to care as a content rumble came from your chest.

- "Did you leave the castle just to hunt?" –

- "Yes, I used my two days off and told Olivia I'd be back before nightfall on the second day." –

- "Why didn't you look for Greta to inform her directly?" –

- "I looked for her, but I didn't find her neither I find B-" You flinched and hissed in pain before continuing – "L-Lady Bela and I didn't want to waste any more time."

- "Why in such a hurry?" –

- "I've made you wait too long." –

Cassandra brought her face closer to yours and her whisper was clear to her superior ears.

- "I think the same." –

And she kissed you.

Cassandra, out of her Heat, totally in control of her actions, kissed you.

SHE KISSED YOU.

Daniela screamed without a voice and proceeded to do three backflips before kneeling and raising her hands to the sky.

- “Praise the Dark God”- She whispered with all the gratitude and happiness her body could generate.

[catboymachinegun]

to keep myself sane ive been working on a webcomic about a cyborg that ive been wanting to write for... 6 years now. it works like a visual novel game but it's in browser since i dont know how to actually code. most of the backgrounds are taken from various pc98 games (listed on about page) for right now. i'll make character sprites eventually.

looks best on chrome + relies on css animations for typing effects, pop-up messages, and something like cutscenes. the site's meant for 1920x1080 resolution. you might have to zoom in or out depending on your pc specs.

only 1 chapter is finished and the 2nd just started. i dont have the energy or will to get up from my bed or the couch these days so itll probably update often.

[thorinlandscaping]

waaaaa they took away my male lead in the Only Straights Show from 2-3 seasons from now and made him a girl for some sort of WOKE AGENDA they're changing my badly written misogynist book series woe is me we need more straight rep!!! this is because i like their story not for any other reason!!! i'm bi as well!!! more straight romance!!!! no nonconformity!!!! the books!!!!!!!

[un-pearable]

as true as the jokes about “everyone wants to rewrite ninjago” are i feel like smthn people forget when complaining about the inconsistencies of the show is that…. it wasn’t planned? it’s not like most other animated shows lately - it didn’t start with a deeply fleshed out world or a meticulously designed pitch bible with grandiose plans for a long-term story or character arcs. the ninja don’t originally get their powers from heredity because they weren’t hereditary powers yet. the magic system doesn’t make sense bc they literally just made it up as they went! they go back and forth on stuff like whether non-elementals can learn spinjitzu bc it’s a collaborative piece of media made by people with vastly different levels of control over the story, the animation, the sets, etc. that varied over the course of the series. it’s totally understandable and exciting to see so many people reworking the early stuff with the lore and logic later seasons introduced but i personally feel that… if you’re doing that. you need to understand why the show is like that instead of writing it off as being bad and shitty. it was working with what it had. it’s only what it is now because of that awkward troubleshooting phase, not in spite of it

[himblebo]

What’s wrong babe? You’re thinking about Glinda’s face before she is handed the torch to light the funeral effigy of her friend? Her best friend who was fundamental to the woman she has become? The woman that she abandoned at the most pivotal moment of their lives in an act of cowardice that she has spent the rest of her life running from? Her best friend that, through her own lack of action when it counted most, is widely believed to have deserved her murder?

[clegfly]

Small thing I’m cooking for idksomethingclever99’s fic MITPP!! For some reason I’m having trouble tagging them but here’s the fic!!

This seemed fun to do… probably won’t get more done than this page though…

[akkivee]

KR!!!!!!!!!!!!! NELKE!!!!!!!!!!! WHOMST TF EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

LET ME IN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LET ME IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[britneyshakespeare]

you know i'm usually the last person to have strong opinions on movie casting announcements but the idea of jacob elordi playing heathcliff stirs a fiery sense of indignation in my heart

[aparticularbandit]

So I started the dub of Fruits Basket again.

Forgetting, of course, that the primary theme is about life changing and having to be okay with letting go of the past even though the future is uncertain.

More importantly, forgetting that one of the main threads of this throughout the series is Tohru's grief (and guilt) over her mother's death.

....

Well, you know what, my therapist told me to engage with grief as homework the past couple of weeks, so between this and starting Anohana again I THINK IT COUNTS.

[idiosyncraticrednebula]

I will never understand why some people feel the need to defend the indefensible.

[princekirijo]

Istg I actually need to sit down and write a proper bio for Riku because even I get confused af as to what his personality is sometimes.

[scarlet-alleyway]

Hi again, Anon! I'm pretty sure these are all from the same person from that other ask, so I hope you don't mind if I answer all three of these at once: I'm glad to hear you enjoyed the new chapter :)

About changing Ch 16, I personally won't be updating it unless there's a typo somewhere. However, I give you full permission to download that chapter and change Leo's interaction however you like- as long as you don't re-upload your version of the chapter anywhere online.

-------------------------------------------------------------

This is actually a blanket permission for all of my readers. If there's something in my story that you don't like, it's okay to download the fic and change it into something that suits you better- as long as you keep your version of the story offline.

I hope that's a reasonable compromise, and that no one is offended/upset by my decision to not change the story on AO3.

Wishing everyone a wonderful day <3

[oveliagirlhaditright]

Fandom things I'm looking forward to:

Kingdom Hearts IV and Missing Link

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth

Final Fantasy IX Remake

Final Fantasy Tactics Remaster or Remake (whichever it is. I've heard both things)

The fourth Madoka Magica movie, whenever that comes out (seriously. Where is it? First it was announced as the Concept movie. Then it was re-announced years later with a new name, and it's still missing)

The Percy Jackson TV show

The Infernal Devices TV show

Maybe the Twilight TV show. Maybe.

The animated Smallville continuation that Tom Welling and Michael Rosenbaum are working on, whenever it comes out

I was going to put Baron and Toluca on this list (that's, like, a spiritual successor to the OG "Roswell" TV show. Majandra Delfino who played Maria in the show wrote the script, and she and Brendan Fehr who played Michael star in it. They're also planning for more Roswell cameos in later episodes), but it came out and I didn't even know it? But I have no idea how to watch it, though, as I guess it only came out in theaters in Albuquerque. Here's hoping it comes out on DVD or something...

The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes

The alleged Firefly reboot

The new Daredevil show

The Batman Part II

The next part in Tom Holland's Spider-Man movies

The DCU, starting with Superman Legacy in 2025

The Five Nights at Freddy's movie and Help Wanted 2

The Iron Lung movie

The TV show that it sounds like Markiplier will be working on after he's done with the Iron Lung movie

The next Bendy and the Ink Machine thing being worked on

MAYBE the Hello Neighbor sequel. I know. I KNOW! (It's really only because the second game had to end on a cliffhanger.)

Five Nights at Candy's 4

Frozen III

Disney's "Wish"

The next and final season of the Clear Card arc of Cardcaptor Sakura

The new Avatar series (the one about the third Avatar in the cycle: the Earth bender)

The live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender series, perhaps

The Chosen season 4

[summersunqueen]

rebloged for the hashtags :)

The Percy Jackson renaissance and The Hunger Games renaissance happening in the same year is something so special to me

[weirdly-specific-but-ok]

for whom good omens is being written

Hey maggots and the rest of the fandom, it's the Good Omens Mascot here. Today I read a post about this tweet:

The accompanying video genuinely made me cry. And I've been thinking about this for a long while, as far back as February, when I saw a lot of conflicting opinions on what people wanted from the third season. It really is true that no matter what you do, some people will be dissatisfied. But what matters is that Neil is writing this for Terry.

And I was reminded of some paragraphs from the Good Omens TV Companion, which I'd read in Amazon's sample excerpt of the book. I know this is a long post, but I really truly do think you all need to read these, I've done my best to select only the most important parts. Here you go:

'His Alzheimer's started progressing harder and faster than either of us had expected,' says Neil, referring to a period in which Terry recognized that despite everything he could no longer write. 'We had been friends for over thirty years, and during that time he had never asked me for anything. Then, out of the blue, I received an email from him with a special request. It read: “Listen, I know how busy you are. I know you don't have time to do this, but I want you to write the script for Good Omens. You are the only human being on this planet who has the passion, love and understanding for the old girl that I do. You have to do this for me so that I can see it." And I thought, “OK, if you put it like that then I'll do it."

'I had adapted my own work in the past, writing scripts for Death: The High Cost of Living and Sandman, but not a lot else was seen. I'd also written two episodes of Doctor Who, and so I felt like I knew what I was doing. Usually, having written something once I'd rather start something new, but having a very sick co-author saying I had to do this?' Neil spreads his hands as if the answer is clear to see. 'I had to step up to the plate.' A pause, then: 'All this took place in autumn 2014, around the time that the BBC radio adaptation of Good Omens was happening,' he continues, referring to the production scripted and co-directed by Dirk Maggs and starring Peter Serafinowicz and Mark Heap. ‘Terry had talked me into writing the TV adaptation, and I thought OK, I have a few years. Only I didn't have a few years,' he says. 'Terry was unconscious by December and dead by March.'

He pauses again. 'His passing took all of us by surprise,' Neil remembers. 'About a week later, I started writing, and it was very sad. The moments Terry felt closest to me were the moments I would get stuck during the writing process. In the old days, when we wrote the novel, I would send him what I'd done or phone him up. And he would say, "Aahh, the problem, Grasshopper, is in the way you phrase the question," and I would reply, "Just tell me what to do!" which somehow always started a conversation. 'In writing the script, there were times I'd really want to talk to Terry, and also places where I'd figure something out and do something really clever, and I would want to share it with him. So, instead, I would text Terry's former personal assistant, Rob Wilkins, now his representative on Earth. It was the nearest thing I had.'

(...) As Neil himself recognizes, this is an adaptation built upon the confidence that comes from three decades of writing for page and screen. But for all the wisdom of experience, he found that above all one factor guided him throughout the process. 'Terry isn't here, which leaves me as the guardian of the soul of the story,' he explains. 'It's funny because sometimes I found myself defending Terry's bits harder or more passionately than I would defend my own bits. Take Agnes Nutter,' he says, referring to what has become a key scene in the adaptation in which the seventeenth-century author of the book of prophecies foretelling the coming of the Antichrist is burned at the stake. ‘It was a huge, complicated and incredibly expensive shoot, with bonfires built and primed to explode as well as huge crowds in costume. It had to feel just like an English village in the 1640s, and of course everyone asked if there was a cheap way of doing it. 'One suggestion was that we could tell the story using old-fashioned woodcuts and have the narrator take us through what happened, but I just thought, “No”. Because I had brought aspects of the story like Crowley and the baby swap along to the mix, and Terry created Agnes Nutter. So, if I had cut out Agnes then I wouldn't be doing right by the person who gave me this job. Terry would've rolled over in his grave.'

And, finally, this paragraph:

"Once again, Neil cites the absence of his co-writer as his drive to ensure that Good Omens translated to the screen and remained true to the original vision. 'Terry's last request to me was to make this something he would be proud of. And so that has been my job.'"

I think that's so heartwrenchingly beautiful, and so I wanted you all to read this, too, just in case you (like me) don't have the Good Omens TV Companion. It adds another layer of depth and emotion to this already complex and amazing story that we all know and love.

Share this post, if you can, please, so that more people can read these excerpts :")

Tagging @neil-gaiman, @fuckyeahgoodomens and @orpiknight, even if you've definitely read these before :)

[fuckyeahisawthat]

Controversial opinion among Dune book fans maybe, but I loved the changes they made to Chani's character. Making her a fedaykin who is already an experienced fighter before Paul arrives was a brilliant choice. Dune Part Two is a war movie, and this puts her at the center of the action, side by side with Paul, and gives her a much more active role than she has in the book.

We got a hint of where things were going in the beginning of Dune Part One. The first thing we ever know about movie Chani is that she's a fighter. She serves as a voice for the Fremen, telling us the story of their struggle from her point of view. I wrote here about the difference this change makes compared to other adaptations of Dune, what a perspective shift it is to have the world of Arrakis introduced not by an outsider, describing it as a dangerous but valuable colonial prize, but by one of its native inhabitants, who tells us before all else that it's beautiful, her home that she's fighting to liberate. I am so, so glad that the second movie followed up on this characterization.

I never found Chani and Paul's love story in the book particularly convincing, because why would this woman, who already has a prominent and respected place in Fremen society, even give the time of day to her deposed would-be colonizer, let alone fall in love and have children with him? Without a compelling reason for Chani to love Paul, she ends up feeling like a prize to be won, and "indigenous culture personified as a woman to be wooed (or conquered) by the colonizing man" is a trope we've seen and don't need to repeat.

But as soon as you tell me it's a barricade romance I get it. Cool cool cool, I know exactly what this relationship is now and it makes sense. Movie Chani doesn't respect or even particularly like Paul when she first meets him, and she doesn't think he's the fulfillment of any prophecy. She comes to respect him, and eventually love him, through his actions. He's brave--sometimes recklessly so. He fights well. He's willing to stick his neck out on the front lines with the other Fremen fighters. He can (after a little help) hack surviving in the harsh desert environment. He's not too proud to learn from others. He seems to genuinely want to be her equal in a common political struggle. All these qualities make sense as things she values.

Fighting side by side as equals is just about the only way I can see movie Chani falling for Paul. And it fits perfectly with the film's pattern of reversals that Paul's capacity for violence would initially be one of the things Chani likes about him, only for her to be repelled later when she sees what he becomes.

And as for Paul, well, he's had people deferring to him his entire life. Someone who doesn't take any shit from him is probably refreshing. He seems to like people (Duncan, Gurney) who challenge him and engage in a little friendly teasing--and aren't afraid to go a few rounds in the sparring ring.

It's easy to speedrun a romance when you're spending all your time together in mortal danger fighting for a shared political cause. Especially if you then start winning in a war your people have been fighting for decades. Are you kidding me? That is the perfect environment for intense battle camaraderie to turn into romantic love, and lust.

It makes sense that this version of Chani never believes Paul is any kind of messiah. Of course a character like movie Chani wouldn't believe in or trust some outside savior to liberate them. She's been working to liberate her own people for years. The more Paul invokes the messianic myth, the more he starts sounding once again like someone who plans to rule over them, and the more uncomfortable Chani becomes. In this way she becomes a foil to Jessica, the two of them representing the choices Paul is pulled between. It's a great way of externalizing the political and philosophical debates that often happen within characters' heads in the book.

And of course this version of Chani would leave Paul at the end of the film. It's not just the personal, emotional betrayal--although that stings. What common cause does she have with someone who just declared himself emperor and is sending her own people off in a war of conquest against others? Given the important role she plays in Dune Messiah, I am super curious to see how they get her back into the story, but girl was so valid for being willing to just gtfo. Given that she has the last shot of the whole movie, I'm sure she'll be back somehow, and I can't wait to see what they do with her character in any future installments.