#peter monologues :p

[troupe-of-eggs]

The Actors!

Red = Robin, he/him

#robin speaks :]

Orange = Tom, he/him

#tom talks :)

Purple = Peter, he/him

#peter monologues :p

Green = Snug, he/they

#snug speaks :3

Blue = Francis, he/him

#francis speaks :>

Normal text or small text = OOC

#ooc

Asks = #someone spoke to us!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

if you guys have pfp or banner suggestions please send me them I'm trying to find good ones :)

[troupe-of-eggs]

aw YEAH i'll make sure to tell the rest of 'em! can't wait!

oh robin and francis are SO down bad for each other hahahaha this is so fun to watch

-- peter @troupe-of-eggs

Pff, really? That's sweet. I'm writing the troupe into this script by the way, might come meet you all tomorrow for a drink, talk things over and see this for myself :)

[mariocki]

Shadows of Fear: The Death Watcher (1.4, Thames, 1971)

"I should like to have danced with you first, you know. It may sound frivolous, but I mean it. There's a certain communication involved there. Have you noticed how some couples have a much more highly developed intuition? They dance as one. There is instinctive anticipation. I used to be very good at ballroom dancing. These are my trophies. Once, I reached the county finals with a girl. Her name was Beryl Harcourt. We were completely in sympathy, you see. That's why I made her the subject of my first experiment. After she'd... gone, I used to play the gramophone in my bedroom for hours on end. We used to do a speciality tango. There's a lot of jealousy and backbiting in those competitions, you know."

[morwap]

𝐈 𝐇𝐀𝐃 𝐀 𝐕𝐈𝐒𝐈𝐎𝐍, 𝐀 𝐕𝐈𝐒𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐎𝐅 𝐌𝐘 𝐍𝐀𝐈𝐋𝐒 𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐊𝐈𝐓𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐍.

regulus black x fem!reader x evan rosier

smut

nav • r.a.b m.list • e.r m.list • poly!revan

sub!regulus, dom!evan, switch!reader, threesome, evan and reg are in the same year as the marauders, praise and degrading, oral m! & f!receiving, p in v, unprotected sex,

───────✧ 𓆩♡𓆪 ✧───────

evan rosier and regulus black.

the two names that have seemed to never leave your brain since the beginning of 8th year. two people you were never supposed to get involved with nor did you think youd ever even talk to without it being harsh words or hex’s but here you were having feelings for and relations with them.

evans dirty blonde curls and regulus’ grey eyes never seemed to leave your mind just like your frame and scent never left theirs, but at least they could express their feelings and needs with each other and you were stuck with inner monologues and your hand to satisfy yourself til the right time came.

one thing you all had in common was your friends hating the other person. evan had gotten more irritable and his patience was wearing thin when Mulciber or barty talked about you and regulus had to stop evan from lashing out at them and starting something that would be hell to finish, it was almost the same with your friends, james’ passive aggressive comments about regulus made you want to put him in his place but you refrained and remus and peter’s comments on evan made your blood boil as they talked shit about something they actually had no idea about.

sirius was a big factor, you knew hed be hurt if he found out you were fucking his brother and his brothers best friend behind his back but you never meant to get tangled up in regulus’ and evans web. the more you thought about it a lot of your friends would be disappointed so maybe that should’ve told you to cut it off after the first time but it was like a drug, the more you tried to stay away the more your want and need for it grew and eventually you gave in.

your bracelet vibrated once more, it was a gift from both of them to help make communicating better.

the three of you finally met up in the prefect bathroom durning dinner one night, regulus happily told you that him and evan were staying an extra day before going home for the break and that you should try so you all could spend time together before leaving.

and now here you were, almost everyone was gone for winter break and you were one of the few gryffindors left but there was just one problem, remus, remus fucking lupin had also decided to stay an extra day because he had been helping ms pince in the library. knowing remus he had the map, and would defiantly check it he if thought you were acting weird.

watching remus from your seat next to the fire, waiting for him to say he was gonna nap or walk around or go to the library, hoping and praying that he would say something like that so you could leave and get to evan and regulus’ dorm as fast as you could. your bracelet buzzed against your skin once more, you already knew which one was trying to give you the green light as to come to them.

normally it was evan, who only buzzed it once and then a second time if you were really really late; but today it was regulus, the constant buzzing at random times indicated that. you’d tease him about it since it seemed as if he couldn’t wait, you could imagine him mumbling the spell on the bracelet they had and waiting for you to show up at the speed of light and then doing it over and over when you were taking your time to get there.

jumping a little when remus coughed and got up and stretched. “i gotta go to the library, wanna meet up and walk to dinner together later?” remus asked, grabbing his wand and book then fixing his shirt while waiting for you to answer.

you nodded, “yeah ill come up to the library so you dont have to walk all the way over to get me” you said and smiled at him. remus nodded and left the common room.

muttering the spell towards the bracelet to let them know you were on your way. waiting a bit so you knew remus was far away before leaving the common room.

the bracelet buzzing again, making you smile and think about how to tease regulus about it in a bit. turning the corner as you kept looking around for any other people but luckily there was no one around.

evan was waiting for you beside slytherin common room, you watched him play with his sleeve before he looked up and saw you.

crossing his arms with a smile on his face as you got closer then reaching out and pulling you to him.

lips already going at each other and hands roaming and gripping at clothing and skin, hungry and needy for each other from being away for so long. the amount of glances and fantasizing while looking at the other person was gone and replaced with what you both desired, the real fucking thing.

pulling away to catch your breath, hands rubbing against his chest as your back was now up against the cold stone.

“you have no idea how much we missed you” evan whispered, his lips coming back to yours for a quick kiss before pulling away and resting his forehead against yours.

“i think i know by how many times hes buzzed me” you quipped, and evan instantly laughed and shook his head.

“i told him to quit, that you’d be here when you’d get here but hes basically cumming in his pants at anything that has to do with you” evan said, the happy tone in his voice made your heart flutter. you giggled and mumbled the spell to the bracelet, sending two buzzes to let him know you were and it buzzed back almost instantly which made you and evan bust out laughing.

“well, lets not leave him waiting” you laughed and took evans hand, pulling him towards the common room door. evan said the password and looked around to see if the common room had anyone in it, luckily no one was in there.

evan guided you to their dorm, all their dorm mates were gone leaving it the perfect spot.

regulus’ leg bounced up and down, he was excited to see you and get off since evan had been denying him since the night they found out they were staying too, no matter how hard regulus begged for evan to touch him or if he wanted to touch himself the answer was “no, you’ll thank me later” and regulus knew he probably would.

evan snuck you into the room, making sure no one would see you in case they just showed up out of nowhere. regulus jumped up when he heard the door click open. a smile coming onto his face almost instantly.

seeing them used to be awkward but now it was just like hanging out with your friends but so much more intimate, you wished you could be around them all the time which is crazy now since almost a year ago you didn’t like them and they did not like you.

the transition from seeing you again to already getting intimate was smooth and quick, it didn't feel forced like you were just there to have sex with them and then leave, it was loving and like you all had come home from a date together.

you sat on the side of evans bed, regulus was on his knees taking your pajama bottoms off, you could see his hard on in his pants.

“reggie you’re already hard, we’ve barely even started” you teased, regulus whined a bit at you pointing it out, he was aching, had been since he knew today was the day you were coming.

“told you he was practically cumming in his pants” evan quipped as he unbuttoned his shirt.

“I wouldn't be if you had let me cum” regulus snapped back, making evan laugh. you smiled then pouted at regulus.

“he’s so mean isn’t he, i’ll make sure you cum tonight baby” you said to him as you took the bottom of his shirt and pulled it up and off him. regulus had scars, not at many as sirius and definitely not as many as remus. he told you about them once, one day on the astronomy tower late into the night.

“thank you” regulus mumbled and side eyed evan. you took off your shirt and looked at evan, he was undoing his pants.

“how about you show her how thankful you really are” evan said with a smirk, regulus looked up at you.

“can i?” he asked, you nodded your head and regulus’ hands went to your panties and pulled them down quickly.

“good boy” evan praises him, your hand went to evans cock which was covered by his boxers. regulus kissed your thighs a few times before licking your slit.

regulus moved your leg over his shoulder, his tongue getting faster as you were getting more turned on. evan leaned down to kiss you, his hand going to your jaw.

you moaned as evan kissed you, regulus’ tongue was lapping at your clit quickly. evans grip on your jaw held you where he wanted you, you continued to touch evans cock.

you pulled down his boxers, he was as hard as regulus now, you broke the kiss and brought your hand to your mouth and spit before stroking his cock.

evan groaned and rolled his head back, you focused on his tip then started stroking him from his base to his tip over and over.

regulus pressed kisses on your clit before sucking then moving down to your entrance. he spread you apart with his fingers, his cock straining in his boxers made him think about touching himself but he wanted to be good for both of you.

“you’re doing so good reggie” you moaned, evan grinned and watched regulus.

a few minutes later you were struggling to keep your hand going, you were so close to cumming, evan knew it and so did regulus, reggie was going faster.

“i think that's enough reg, i think its her turn to make you feel good” evan said, regulus whined and pulled away from you.

regulus leaned up and locked your lips with his, evan started moving his hips while you kept stroking him. regulus pushed himself against his boxers, he was trying so hard to be good.

evan watched you two, his hand moving down to yours, he guided you— making your touches on him more firm. your other hand snaked down into regulus’ boxers and once he felt your soft hand grasping his cock his body shivered and pushed into you.

you could hear evan laugh softly. you smiled as you teased regulus, making him shudder and break the kiss multiple times.

regulus broke the kiss and rested his forehead on your shoulder.

“please—please, keep touching me— i'm almost there” regulus begged, his eyes were closed tightly and he pressed more into you.

you glanced at evan, silently asking for permission.

evan grabbed regulus by his hair gently, pulling his head back to look at him.

“why would you want to cum in her hand when i was gonna let you cum in her” evan asked, cocking his head slightly and furrowing his brows. you stopped touching regulus, pulling your hand out of his boxers.

“what do you wanna do reggie?” you asked him, placing a kiss on his neck.

regulus lets out a sigh, “i wanna cum in you” he says with a nod.

evan let go of regulus’ hair, your hand dropped from evan as he took a step back and walked to the other side of the bed.

“lay down regulus” he commanded, regulus moved from you and got onto the bed, you turned to watch them.

evan guided regulus onto his back, moving his head to hang off the edge of the bed a bit. your hand moved to regulus’ thigh, rubbing up and down and inching closer to his boxers.

you moved closer to regulus, now hooking your fingers on his waist band.

“you remember don’t you? tap my thigh three times for me to stop” evan reminded him, regulus nodded and hummed in agreement, you and regulus made eye contact as you pulled his boxers down to his mid thigh.

“i love you” you mouthed to him, his face went a bit red before he mouthed it back.

evan smiled as you moved to straddle regulus. he leaned towards you, locking your lips with his for a few moments.

he pulled back, “are you ready?” he whispered softly.

“more than ready” you said, pressing one last kiss on his lips before sinking down onto regulus’ cock.

a sigh came from both of you, you hadn’t had him in so long and it just feels so right. regulus was covered in goosebumps, the feeling of you around him felt so good.

evan tapped regulus’ mouth with his cock. “open your mouth baby” he instructed. evan’s cock glided into regulus’ mouth smoothly, regulus was basically trained to take evan, you three just started and regulus was practically deep throating him.

regulus’ eyes closed and he moved one hand to evan’s thigh and the other to yours. you could see the outline of evan’s cock in regulus’ throat which made you wetter. you started moving your body up and down, trying to find the right spot where your clit would make contact with his pubic area.

“you’re doing so good reggie, being so good for us” you praised, your hand rested on his ribs and the other on the bed. evan could feel regulus whimper, the vibrations took some air from him.

“he really liked that” evan groaned out as he fucked regulus’ mouth faster. you could hear noises coming from regulus as he took evans cock, his nails digging into the skin of your thigh.

you threw your head back as you found the right spot, your clit dragging on his skin and his cock hitting your sweet spot. evan watched you, he missed you so much and was so relieved there was time for you three to be together, he didn’t care if you three just sat in silence, he just wanted to be with you and regulus.

“you’re so pretty darling” evan moaned, his hand grasping your neck gently, you smiled at him and leaned closer to him. your head was still a little tilted back and evan bent to meet you halfway. a sloppy kiss broke out between you two, you tried to keep up but with the friction on your clit it was getting harder to keep a clear head.

evan kept his thrusts at a good pace with a few stops in between so regulus could get a breath, he could feel every moan and whimper regulus produced.

you pulled at evans lip with your teeth teasingly.

“i love you” you whispered into the kiss and evan moaned it back.

you gasped when you felt regulus cum inside you, painting your insides with his cum. your cunt basically milked him, it started to run down out of you and onto the part of his shaft that was exposed and down his balls.

reggie was trembling, you could feel it. Now the knot in your stomach was getting tighter, regulus’ hand was gripping your thigh harsher.

you muttered cuss words as you tried to chase your climax, you were close, so close you could feel the beginning of it. you twisted the bed sheets in your fist as you tried to keep the friction on your sensitive clit up.

evan pressed his lips to your forehead, you watched evan’s dick move in regulus’ throat. you knew you were probably overstimulating reggie.

you clenched around his cock which made regulus whine.

you moaned as you clenched harder, you tried to keep moving as you came, trying to get as much stimulation as possible, your muscles tensed up and your abdomen trembled.

evan was soon to follow, his breathing getting quicker as he could barely stand any more stimulation from regulus. his cum shooting down regulus’ throat, he could feel regulus swallowing everything he gave him and once he was empty evan pulled out of regulus’ mouth.

Regulus took in a few deep breaths and coughed a few times. you gently laid on regulus, your head resting on his chest, his cock still in your cunt. regulus’ hand came to your back, tracing shapes on your skin.

“you took me so good reggie, i’m so proud of you baby” evan praised, leaning down to kiss regulus’ forehead.

you hummed in agreement with evan, “we’re both so proud of you” you added. regulus smiled and mumbled a ‘thank you,’ you felt evan place a hand on your head, ruffling your hair.

“you alright darling?” he asked, you smiled and nodded.

“just perfect” you responded.

[measuringbliss]

Spider-Man Read-Through 056: The Frightful Four!!! (SSM 41-43)

MASTERPOST

The last time, Peter became a lizard for a while. Fun stuff!

In this issue, mysterious enemies try to seem menacing and utterly fail, homophobia, as well as special guests and the best villain ever!

Are you shocked, are you impressed, are you terrified yet? *snickers*

After using his powers to give his late paper to Professor Slater, Spider-Man interrupts Meteor Man at a microwave exhibition (...). We met this antagonist previously in Team Up, which shows you exactly how important he is. Bill Foster, whomst I know from Ant-Man and the Wasp (the movie) but who apparently has a different position, is giving a lecture nearby, but gets the opportunity to lend him a hand as Giant-Man.

The art actually has a lot of trouble trying to convey how big exactly Giant Man is supposed to be. There's perspective, and then there's whatever is going on here.

Meteor Man gets away, they track him down, and Giant-Man casually drops in his internal monologue that's he's dying of radioactive poisoning. Wow. Um. Alright.

They fight, Meteor Man gets to grow bigger, but...

Oh, between twelve and thirty feet? How audacious. How incredible. Show us, dude.

Okay, this is better! Actually a nice page.

That... was an issue alright.

Issue #42 has a neat cover!

Peter is trapped in traffic and ends up swinging to his class boat ride thingy.

I love this, because half the time I barely register that Marcy Kane and Debra Whitman are different characters. Digital issues (hey, have you seen these clean screenshots? Much better!)!

My opinions on each character: Philip is alright, I need him to have more of a personality. Marcy sucks, been there, done that (although I just read a spoiler about her and what the fuck, I'm curious to see how THAT plays out). Steve is hot and adorable. No opinion on Sloan and Debra.

I'm glad to see Peter's social life though. I still feel like these characters aren't anywhere as solid as the previous cast was, but I think jumping between both magazines really doesn't help either.

I missed you, hon.

No but seriously, I'd be interested to reread SSM only focusing on it, I think it's probably a stronger experience.

Marcy Kane immediately aggros Pete, but Connors interrupts them. Meanwhile, the Frightful Four aren't far away! We've got the Sandman, the Wizard, Electro and the Trapster (who even is that? :p).

They do a bit of mischief, and I'm pretty sure that cop is homophobic. "PARTNERS?", he says (lmao).

On the boat, Peter wonders whether he has a crush on Marcy (nooo) when Debra arrives.

Some depth? Wow.

Anyway, before Peter settles on whether he wants a relationship with our desperate lady, the Human Torch cockblocks him.

Why is this so funny?

She feels guilty about Peter getting away, and...

New, rare poses!

Hell yeah. Sorry for the amount of screenshots but I really enjoy looking at these!

It wasn't the Human Torch, however, only our Frightful Four! The Wizard created a suit imitating the Torch and gives it to Electro.

Our hero doesn't get fooled for long, and a fight quickly breaks.

A hilarious moment is Spidey trying to figure out who's attacking him. The Sinister Six? No, the Frightful Four after replacing Madam Medusa with Electro? No, it's actually the Frightful Four after replacing the Brute with Electro! What a mess hahahaha

In his own words, Spidey's fighting a "foursome". *snickers again*

The fight goes badly for Spidey, until... Electro interrupts everybody because now, he wants to know who's under the mask.

They sure are a bunch of idiots.

Their plan is to impersonate Spidey and eliminate the Fantastic Four. Uh-huh, sure. And the story continues in FF #218!

This is a really cool first page.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA ALRIGHT

The Human Torch acts extremely gay with "Spider-Man" in this scene. He gets knocked out. The Thing and the security system are also quickly neutralized, but as our villains enter the building, Sue wakes up... she finds her brother, but is quickly attacked and subsequently, knocked out. And just when Mr. Fantastic gets unconscious as well, Spidey arrives!

The ensuing fight is fun, and at last, all's well.

Anyway, SSM #43!

OH THIS IS GORGEOUS. THE SHADING ON PETER'S SHIRT. I LOVE IT. His face, not so much... Anyway, Steve and Peter being bros, hell yeah!

So bandits have broken into ESU and use Debra as a hostage. They get their stuff and get away, but not without Peter throwing a gadget of his at their car.

Handsome.

His spider-tracer leads him to a twink.

And what an ugly twink. Especially compared to this highly stylish Belladonna, what the heck, I love her.

I think I've been spoiled something on Roderick Kingsley, but we'll see how it goes.

Anyways, Belladonna wants to steal Roderick's ideas, apparently. Spidey decides to intervene. The villains get away, and Roderick's annoyed that Spidey ruined his apartment with the fight. However, our hero surmises that Belladonna wanted chemicals for her special gas.

The next day, at the Daily Globe, Sandy Jones is quickly charmed by Peter and she explains that Roderick is rumored to steal his designs. Plus, he has a show that night! Peter easily gets the assignment, and goes to his lab to work on countering Bella's gas.

I love that second panel, it's a very strong one.

Debra's here, she bought what was on Peter's list. He's so happy he asks her on a date, to which she obviously agrees. I would too, girl.

Turns out what Peter was searching for was vinegar. He worries about reactivating his ulcer, which is a nice callback to a storyline from like, ASM 80 something. That's cool!

This feels like a Pretty Little Liars storyline, I love it. Seriously, I love this issue! Also, Peter very pretty.

Anyway, Spidey stops the bandits, but Belladonna gets away!

Oh, I really went from bored at very excited throughout this post, wow! Hell yeah.

[ashesandhackles]

I've read Innocence again and would love some 'director's commentary' if you have some time? 🥺 It's one of those pieces of writing I could find new things every time I read it. Firstly, we both love a good dream sequence. Can you talk about Tonks' dream and how Sirius appears to be closer and more tangible to her than Lupin? I know it's her emotional state and would love to hear your thoughts behind it. Sirius also asks her: “I didn’t leave anything behind, did I?” - who or what is he referring to here? 👀 My instinct is Harry but he is looking at Lupin?

I am so flattered that you find new things every time 🥹

The scene opens with Tonks watching Remus walk away towards a coffin. I was playing with the idea of Tonks witnessing Remus struggle immensely after Sirius' death, to the point he is self destructive: choosing missions where he would come face to face with Fenrir Greyback. As Pottermore implied, Remus would rather walk to his death rather than face his feelings for her.

It actually follows the line you wrote for Toys in the Attic: "I’m the only one left.”

Remus wanted to follow them, disappear into the depths with his brothers, where even the memory of Peter was still pure and foolish.

And how this self destructiveness both makes her fearful (the image of Remus flickering in her consciousness, poised to disappear), helplessly angry (Tonks dug her fingers into her forearm, unable to move from the spot.The ground underneath her had grown a tender Devil’s Snare that formed knots around her boots), and makes her feel the immense guilt that she couldn't stop Bellatrix. She couldn't save Sirius. Of course, the detail of the Devil's Snare is to add surrealism to indicate to readers it's a dream.

So Sirius appears as a manifestation of her guilt, but he is also an active participant in the dream - a way for her consciousness to process her feelings about his death.

There are few things happening in the line you mentioned:

“I didn’t leave anything behind, did I?” Sirius smiled. Remus’ profile was shimmering under the white light. “I just went... Into the non-being, as they say. Vanished.”

He is talking about Remus! Sirius also introduces Tonks' main fear in this fic: the idea and the painful process of disappearing - of death. Her depression in HBP, her loss of powers are marked by loss of sense of selfhood, so I tied both Tonks' fear for herself and her feelings about Sirius' death (and fear for Remus, and fear of Bellatrix)

It's a very painful thing - Sirius' death, and how Remus (and Harry) don't even have a body to mourn. You and I wrote a impromptu scene about this - based on an angry Remus scene you are writing for your WIP, As Moments Do - where Remus snaps and tells his friend that he wants him alive and refuses to bury him. ( I'm taking the liberty to post these scene ideas because I am pretty sure it will look different when you get around to writing this)

And then...Sirius leaves no body to bury:

Tonks witnesses Remus' grief (in Ashes-Cat shared universe of Sirius-Remus-Tonks stories), and the idea of disappearance - hers, Sirius' and Remus are what Innocence plays with.

The other bit Sirius says is actually Tonks' memory of what her father used to say when healing her broken bones, what Andromeda reminds her of in the end. It's her mind showing the answer, the key to processing all these heavy feelings: "I just went...into the non-being, as they say. Vanished."

Dream Sirius pops intrusively into her waking life with the same concept. This is the interior monologue where Tonks is almost close to her answer:

D i s a p p e a r a n c e. Such a lingering word for absence. That it wasn’t gone - maybe it had changed shape. Like the bloom of her Patronus from the absence that festered. “Into the non-being, as they say,” Dream-Sirius reminded her.

And finally, Andromeda reminds her and Tonks remembers:

"It’s from the theory of vanishing spells, Transfiguration, Grade 5. What happens to vanished objects?”

“They go into the non-being,” Tonks responded.

“Which is, everything ,” Andromeda smiled.

The idea that death (in terms of Sirius' death, her own fear of her identity loss, Remus' loud absence) is not the end of something - the energy remains, and it simply changes shape. Of course, Tonks' ability to change shape is tied to her well being here, so it's thawing out the frozen state of her depression.

[goddamnwebcomics]

Is it bad that the porn comic is more accurate to Peter's P&C characterization than the actual canon sequel comic? It sure is.

Wait, Peter, you are not supposed to say that. You are supposed to say "WOW, HER LIPS ARE THE BEST I'VE EVER SEEN. THIS IS LIKE A COMBO OF MY SEVERAL FETISHES. SO INNOSEXY". The fact Peter has zero inner monologues already makes this way better than Peter and Whitney.

[teachingmycattoread]

Things We’ve Yelled About This Episode #3.4

Death on the Nile, Agatha Christie

Dream of the Endless in a fishbowl; this is a reference to Preludes and Nocturnes, the first volume of The Sandman by Neil Gaiman, or to Episode 1 of Netflix's The Sandman (2022 - )

The AgathaChristie.com blurb can be found here

Death on the Nile (2022)

Jenga

Barbies

Betty Spaghetti dolls

Gal Gadot (imdb)

The parable mentioned is found in 2 Samuel 12

Murder on the Orient Express, Agatha Christie (our episode here)

House M.D. (2004-2012)

This scene from Brooklyn 99:

Katherine Applegate's definition of ruthlessness here

Benoit Blanc (fictional detective - see Knives Out (2019) and Glass Onion (2022))

This quote from Murder on the Orient Express:

“ “What’s wrong with my proposition?”

Poirot rose.

“If you will forgive me for being personal – I do not like your face, M. Ratchett,” he said.

And with that he left the restaurant car.” - Murder on the Orient Express, Part I Chapter 3

D&D "I know a guy" - a gambit players can use to introduce an NPC to help them in their current quest

Jeeves and Wooster, The Inimitable Jeeves, P. G. Wodehouse (our episode here

Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries, Dorothy L Sayers

"People who are brutally honest get more satisfaction out of the brutality than out of the honesty," Richard J. Heedham

Sherlock (2010-2017)

Sherlock Holmes, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Gomez Addams energy:

“One gets the idea, watching Gomez, that he delights in getting to be a man, short and boisterous and nurturing and bursting with hope and pocket watches...[i]t’s very easy to imagine Gomez’s inner euphoria-driven monologue when he wakes up every morning: Ah, how wonderful! Another stormy day! Ahahaha! Once again, I’m a short and stocky husband and father, with a wife as tall as God! What luck! Why else would he spend a thousand dollars a month on cigars, or own so many bathrobes with exquisitely-designed lapels, or tend so carefully to such a thin mustache?”  Chapter 17, Something That May Shock and Discredit You, Daniel Lavery

The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins

The Hunger Games (2012 - 2015)

The Muppets

Knives Out (2019)

The Glass Onion (2022)

Sparkling Cyanide, Agatha Christie

Mansplain, manipulate, malewife (manslaughter) (meme)

Be Gay Do Crime (meme)

This meme:

Tom Cardy on Lord of the Rings (youtube)

Hot Fuzz (2007)

This scene from Hot Fuzz

Sam Vimes, Discworld character

Cat Rating: 9/10

What Else Have We Been Reading

Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, J. R. R. Tolkien (Andy Serkis audiobook)

Next Time On Teaching My Cat To Read:

 Guards! Guards!, Terry Pratchett

[themovieblogonline]

Will Smith's Emancipation

Emancipation is a 2022 American dramatic historical action thriller film directed by Antoine Fuqua and co-produced by and starring Will Smith as an enslaved man in Louisiana in the 1860s who escapes his plantation. The film, written by William N. Collage, is loosely based on the real-life story of Peter and Gordon, two formerly enslaved Black men, and the photographs of Peter's bare back, heavily scourged from an overseer's whippings, that were published worldwide in 1863, giving the abolitionist movement proof of the cruelty of enslavement. The film also stars Ben Foster and Charmaine Bingwa. https://youtu.be/wafyhTpWpUs THE GOOD I really like the way the visual effects overlay throughout this movie. There's this awesome technique that you'll notice almost immediately when watching. Antoine Fuqueaand crew create this visual filter where the movie first looks black and white. After a few moments, you notice that the filmmakers creatively introduce flourishes of color. Emancipation uses these flourishes of color for a dramatic effect that actually soothes you into watching.  It was a pleasant but unexpected surprise that really feels visually soothing after a few moments. It's also unsettling and triggering when you see the red of the blood of the brutality on screen. I really am impressed with this technique and it really enhances the film. Aside from the visuals, Emancipation has really good pacing. The movie doesn't get stuck in any particular moment or scene and carries us through a lot of events in a little time. There's a lot of that happens in Emancipation.We meet Peter, his wife played by Charmaine Bingwha, and Ben Fosters' character Fassell all in the first 20 or so minutes. Things only pick up from here as Peter makes his escape and the chase is on! There's a surprising amount of action in Emancipation including a scene Paul fights a crocodile! I didn't know how much I needed to see add punching crocodiles to his Hollywood resume. It's one of the most thrilling scenes in the movie that really gets showcased thanks to the camera work and visual effects. THE BAD Emancipation is a movie that makes me wildly uncomfortable. I feel weird watching it, and hearing about it.. hell, even writing about it makes me uncomfortable. I like the idea of Emancipation more than I do the final product and I don't like that. Antoine Fuqua blends elements of a lot of different genres but doesn't get good results. I don't like how Emancipation uses more of the elements of a Hollywood 'chase' movie rather than a historical movie. Emancipation ends up feeling like a combination of multiple genres of film that shouldn't go together but mechanically work. Ben Foster as Fassell is fantastic and is given a good amount to work with. he conveys a good villain to run away from. He's almost like agent smith from The Matrix. Will delivers a great performance once you get into his character. Ben Foster is amazingly stoic and he delivers great performances when he's the focus of the scene. Charmaine Bingwa delivers one of the most memorable monologues when warning her children of danger in the entire movie>  But there's something about this ensemble that just doesn't quite fit with each other. There's a distinct lack of chemistry with the cast that comes off in the film. There are few scenes with any of th principles together but their performances come off stiff when on screen together. Unfortunately, some key scenes suffer when they needed the leads to deliver the emotional impact when on screen together. I have a hard time getting attached to Will Smith's Paul as a character. This could be because Emancipation doesn't devote a lot of time to developing Paul as a character before thrusting him into troubling situations. In fact, I never saw this as 'Will Smith as Paul' but rather what if 'Paul was Will Smith'. What I mean by that is that there are moments when I just expect to see Paul 'Will Smith' his way out of a situation like an action movie star. Paul is shown to be extremely capable in this movie. Paul is one of the smartest, most courageous, and most skilled people in the movie. Paul's ability to navigate the swamp, perform first aid, handle a rifle without any on-screen training, and survive a war is remarkable. This is absolutely an action movie set in a time of slavery and it's a wholly unique approach to the genre. OVERALL Emancipation doesn't feel like it's trying to tell any story of any particular importance. The film also feels oddly out of place for Will Smith and also ends up feeling forced. Paul's story bookends with a famous photo but I feel unfamiliar with the person that ended up in that photo. There are technically great moments in Emancipation but it doesn't come together as a great film. Read the full article

[troupe-of-eggs]

i bought a dozen eggs from a definitely not shady merchant.

[newyorkthegoldenage]

The Algonquin Round Table Onstage

One hundred years ago today, on April 30, 1922, members of the Algonquin Round Table rented the 49th Street Theater for the evening and invited their friends to a satirical revue called No Siree. Its name was a takeoff on that of an immensely popular revue called La Chauve-Souris. Each performer chose his or her guests, ensuring an enthusiastic audience.

Heywood Broun was the MC. The first number was a parody of Eugene O’Neill’s plays Anna Christie and The Hairy Ape called The Greasy Hag (music by Arthur Samuels, played by Jascha Heifetz, no less). It featured an all-male chorus line of F.P.A. (Franklin P. Adams), Robert Benchley, Marc Connelly, George S. Kaufman, John Peter Toohey (a theatrical press agent), and Alexander Woollcott. The setting was up to the audience, multiple choice:

According to Connelly, the sketch included “a line so full of swear words that no one would quote it in mixed company” (the Twenties weren’t that far off from the Victorian Age).

The next number was He Who Gets Flapped, a not-so-subtle play on the title of a current drama called He Who Gets Slapped. It featured an original song by Dorothy Parker and Deems Taylor, “The Everlastin’ Ingenue Blues,” which included the lines

We are little flappers, never growing up, And we’ve all of us been flapping since Belasco was a pup. We’ve got the blues, we mean the blues, You’re the first to hear the devastating news. We’d like to take a crack at playing Lady Macbeth, But we’ll whisper girlish nothings with our dying breath. As far as we’re concerned, there is no sting in death We’ve got those everlasting ingénue blues.

It was sung by the 6’8” Robert Sherwood, in white flannels, blazer, and bowler, surrounded by petite chorus girls who included Tallulah Bankhead, Helen Hayes, Ruth Gillmore, Lenore Ulric, and Mary Brandon (whom Sherwood married later that year).

Above: Dorothy Parker in 1924 and Robert Sherwood in 1928.

Robert Benchley delivered a monologue (which was left off the program, to surprise the audience) that he had thought up in the cab on the way to the theater: a rambling, disjointed report delivered by an ill-prepared company treasurer at a meeting of the board of directors. It was so big a hit that it was filmed six years later, thus beginning a new career for Benchley in Hollywood. It was included, in modified form, in the 1943 film The Sky’s the Limit:

Other highlights of the program included a spoof of popular playwrights Zoe Akins, called “Zowie, or the Curse of an Akins Heart,” and A.A. Milne, called “Mr. Whim Passes By.” After the show, cast and audience (i.e., their friends) went to a party at the home of Herbert Swope, the editor of the NY World (newspaper), who often played poker with members of the Round Table. It lasted till 4:00 a.m.

A review in the Times the next day called the show silly and amateurish, but a later critic theorized that it marked a turning point in the Vicious Circle, ending their apprenticeship phase and moving into more serious comedy.

Photos: Painting of the Algonquin Round Table by Milton Yarensky via the Great Neck Record;  Dorothy Parker by Vandamm via NYPL; Robert Sherwood by Vandamm via Wikipedia; program from Ashcroft & Moore Auctions

[reidyoulikeabook]

A is for Ankle Socks

Summary: The first installment in my A-Z of Spencer Reid series. Spencer Reid is very particular about his socks.

Ship: fem ! BAU reader x Spencer Reid

Word count: 2.8k

Warnings: Discussions of case-typical violence, blood, brief description of a fight, minor injury to reader that requires some stitches.

A/N: hello! this is my first ever series and i’m very nervous about it! it’s going to be a chronological a-z series with Spencer, detailing the progression of your relationship!

Spencer Reid permanently wears odd socks. The only time you can recall him wearing matching ones, in the year you’ve known him, was on days he had to go to court. Then, it was required that he wear the technically mandated uniform of proper leather shoes, and monochrome socks. On those days, Hotch would turn up with a pair of black socks tucked into his briefcase, just in case. Spencer had needed them, twice.

However, today is not a court day. Today is day 8 of a case in back of beyond Oregon that, quite frustratingly, seems to be going absolutely nowhere.

It says quite a lot, really, that in a day spent combing over convicts with domestic violence charges, the sight you look up to see is more viscerally disturbing. Spencer’s perched on the end of a desk, as he so often seems to be, his ankles crossed over each other. Signature black converse on his feet. And he appears...not to be wearing socks?

He notices you looking at him, and flicks his eyes downward self-consciously, “Is something wrong?”

“Are you wearing socks?”

He lets out a quiet laugh, “Uh. No. I meant to go to the laundrette last night but then Hotch called us into that meeting. I wasn’t expecting to be out here this long.”

“Is it comfortable?” You ask, “Wearing those without socks?”

He kicks his feet around just slightly, “Not really. I guess I’d forgotten about it until you mentioned.”

“Sorry,” You say, with an apologetic smile.

“Not your fault,” He says, looking back at the paperwork in his lap, “Hey would you mind coming to take a look at this actually? I think I might have something.”

***

By day 2, you’d learnt that the only sandwich shop in town had a reputation for bad food hygiene that none of you felt like risking. Normally, everyone would roll their eyes at Spencer for his investigation into such things. However, in this case, everyone else seemed to be as thankful as you always were.

It’s your turn to do the lunch run today, so you head to the grocery store that isn’t too far out of town. Putting your car in park, you mentally run through the list that the team had given you: cheap pasta for everyone but Rossi, who was willing to risk running foul of their microwave meal selection, as many coffee supplies as you could manage, some sour gummy worms for Spencer, mineral water for Hotch, and tights for you. It was frankly quite impractical to wear the things. You ran through so many brambles, fell down so many times, that you almost felt you should get pantyhose hazard pay. In fall in Oregon though? You’d splash out the $6 for the sake of preventing frostbite. If only because Hotch would be furious.

You smile at the thought. Wandering through the aisles, you collect everything you need. Spencer only asked for a pack of sour gummy worms, but, with a smile on your face, you decide to get him the strawberry laces he likes too.

It’s only when you scan the cart, last minute, that you realise what you’ve forgotten.

Tights. Shit.

Wheeling the cart around, you weave through the aisles looking for them. The underwear aisle is aisle 20, and it looks like it’s been ransacked. Flicking through the disorganised display, you see them.

A five pack of socks, adorned with farm animals and backgrounds of a completely clashing colour. It’s almost too bright for you, but you know a certain sockless Spencer who will be sure to appreciate them. Out of curiousity, you navigate your way over to the men’s section and have a look through. Mostly, it’s all black and navy. Right at the back though, you spy a similarly garish looking pack, this time with vegetables on.

You put them in the basket, eyes flickering over a pair of matching aubergine patterned boxers, as you make your way over to the tights. You select your usual kind, turning your attention back to the boxers.

Is it weird to get him boxers?

He’d know it was a joke, right?

Is it weird to get him socks?

Well he didn’t have any

Yeah but you don’t need to get him two packs

Yes I do we might be here a while

10 more days?

He could fall. He could spill coffee on his shoes. He could get shot.

How would socks help with him getting shot?

Your internal monologue gives you a moments reprieve, and then.

Kinda weird you got him socks

Nobody else would have got him socks

Yeah well I’m just thoughtful.

The last thought crosses your mind without permission, and you almost bristle at the brazenness of your lie to yourself. However, you decide, examining the real reasons you’re so eager to provide comfort to your favourite co-worker would require mental stamina you didn’t have right now. Mental stamina that would be better put to use on the case at hand. Mental stamina that definitely wasn’t being used to employ the BAU’s favourite defense mechanism: denial.

***

“I got you a surprise.”

“A surprise?” Spencer spins around in his chair to face you.

“Yep,” You say, plopping the sweets down onto the desk in front of him and grinning.

“Strawberry laces!” He says, smile lighting up his face, “Thanks ____!”

“That’s not the surprise.”

He quirks his brow, confusion tugging at his features, “Then what’s the surprise?”

You untuck your arms from behind your back, handing him the pairs of socks.

He looks down at them. He’s silent for a moment, and your heart thuds.

Fuck.

Told you it was weird.

It’s definitely weird.

He definitely thinks you’re-

You don’t have time to finish that thought, however, because Spencer scoots his chair back. Standing up, he pulls you into a hug. He gently squeezes you, and when he speaks his voice is low, cracking a little.

“Thank you,” He says quietly, “That was really thoughtful of you. Thank you.”

You lean into him, allowing yourself to be enveloped, “No problem. I know you have some issues with sensory things sometimes and I just thought, you know,” you trail off, “Anyway, I didn’t know which ones you’d prefer and I know you like to mix and match anyway so I just got both.”

He doesn’t say anything. But he squeezes you again, tighter this time, before releasing you. Strangely, he won’t meet your eye as he does.

“I’m gonna go put them on, okay?”

“Okay,” You say, watching a little quizically as he hurriedly heads out of the room.

Derek happens to be heading back to the room, bumping into Spencer on his way out.

“You alright kid?” He asks.

“I'm fine," Spencer says, waving him off. He tries to avoid meeting Derek’s eyes, knowing as well as he does that if the profiler catches the look on his face he’ll be found out.

Derek allows him to shrug past him with a confused glance over his shoulder. He walks into the room, scooping the nearest file off the desk and asking in your general direction, “You know what’s up with him?”

“Nope,” You say, popping the p.

You don’t. And it’d bother you, except you genuinely don’t have time right now to dwell on it. Although, try as you might to focus on narrowing down this list of factories in the area, it niggles at you.

***

You don’t see Spencer again until you’re heading out to the unsubs location. You get called out by Hotch in the minute before he returns, and then it’s all guns blaring. Emily and Dave managed to work some magic with Penelope, and the place he’s holding the hostage has been narrowed down to a factory quite far out of town.

You’re perched in the back, discussing entry tactics with Hotch when your eyes travel down to Spencer’s shoes.

One chicken, and one broccoli sock sit on his left and right feet respectively. It’s hard to see them though, with how far they are down his feet.

Hotch answers his phone then, immediately barking down commands at the local PD who are apparently failing to summon adequate manpower, in Hotch’s opinion at least.

You take the moment to cautiously lean over to Spencer, whispering, “Were they not the right size?”

He smiles at you, “They fit just fine as ankle socks.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t even think to check the sizes, womens ones are pretty much all one size. I completely forget that men have massively different sized feet.”

He laughs, “Are you suggesting I have huge feet?”

You feel yourself flush a little, “I don’t think that’d necessarily be an inaccurate suggestion.”

Amused, he smiles. Hotch turns around to you both, momentarily taking his eyes off the road, “I need you to call Penelope, and tell her to get us all the CCTV she can get in the area. If we’re going to have to go in without enough men to cover the perimeter we’ll need all the tactical advantages we can get.”

“Of course, sir.”

***

Lunging forward, you tackle the unsub to the ground, effectively freeing Spencer from the grasp he’d previously been held in.

“It’s over Peter,” Hotch’s voice comes, even and steady.

“No it’s not.”

Before you can even register what’s happening, you’re being tossed backwards, landing against some barbed wire. Immediately, you’re on your feet again, running after him. Not noticing how the wire has ripped a hole in your tights, and cut into your leg a little.

Grabbing his arms behind him, you use all your strength to subdue him to the floor, handcuffing him. Wiping the sweat off your brow, you breathe out a deep sigh of relief.

Derek has it from there, patting you on the shoulder and giving you a “Good job kiddo.” He leads Peter out.

You rub your chest, feeling the adrenaline start to flood out of your body with all the excitement now over. A stinging senstation in your calf gets your attention, and looking down you see the nasty wound oozing blood. It isn’t much, nothing that two stitches won’t fix.

“Are you alright?” Spencer asks, having gotten up from his position on the floor, “You didn’t have to...Derek would have gotten him.”

“Why should he be the only one that gets to tackle people?” You ask, letting out a breathless tinkle of a laugh.

“Statistically, he is the one who does the most tackling out of all of us. Then Hotch, then Emily, then Rossi, then me, then you.”

“I am not the one that tackles the least,” You say indignantly.

He tips his head to the side, “Are you gonna argue with the guy who has an eidetic memory or are we going to get you stitched up?”

“Both, please.”

He laughs at that, linking his arm around your waist. You limp against him a little, out to the paramedics. Mostly it’s for Spencer’s benefit. That’s what you tell yourself, you’re letting him help you so he doesn’t feel emasculated.

When has Spencer Reid ever fallen pray to toxic masculinity?

He might have

When?

Well he could

You just like how he smells

It’s true. The faint waft of his cologne is incredibly comforting. He doesn’t loosen his grip on you for even a second, helping to hoist you so you can sit on the ambulance bed while the medics attend to your leg. You’re feeling a little woozy, so Spencer sits next to you, allowing you to lean on him for support.

“Can you tell me something?” You ask, gritting your teeth, “Distract me?”

It doesn’t really hurt, getting stitched up, you’ve just never found it the most comfortable of processes. All your favourite cases have ended with you not having to get sewn up. You know that much.

“I’ve actually only tackled one more person than you in my entire BAU career,” He says, deciding to return to your former discussion, “I didn’t really go out in the field all that much until a couple years in, it was only because of Hotch that I really went out in the field to take down an unsub for the first time. That was March 12th, 2005. You’ve only been here 9 months and have done almost as much physical stuff as me. One more and we’re even.”

“Well, if you could try not to be the person getting tackled by the unsub next time. Then I might not have to make a tackle.”

His mouth turns up at the corner, “You tackled him for me?”

You feel yourself growing embarassed, “Not for you. For the socks.”

“Oh the socks?”

“Yeah, I mean, it’s a little unfair to go putting yourself in harms way while wearing a gift someone got for you. 5 dollar socks Spencer, practically designer at that price, I’d hate to see them ruined day one.”

He laughs, his tone playful, “Well you’ll need to bare that in mind.”

“Huh?”

He tilts his head towards Emily, strutting her way across to the ambulance with Spencer’s go-bag in her arms. She hands it to him, smiling at you.

“Should I let Morgan know the team will no longer be in need of his services?”

You snort, “I’d hate to steal his brand.”

She shakes her head, “Drinks when we get back? Hotch said the jet’s ready for whenever you’re done, and Rossi says he’s buying.”

“You got it,” You nod.

She pats you on the shoulder, exaggeratedly eyeing your leg again and rolling her eyes as she walks away, “Idiot.”

You smile, turning back towards Spencer, “Are you coming for drinks? I can drive you home.”

He visibly considers it for a moment, “Yeah. That’d be nice.”

“You’re all done here,” The paramedic interrupts, wiping down your leg with an anti-bacterial wipe, “Was a really smooth tear for barbed wire, shouldn’t leave that much of a scar.”

They press a bandage over it and you thank them, getting to your feet with the help of Spencer.

“Wait, why’d you get Emily to bring your go-bag if we’re going home?”

He looks almost bashful. Out of his bag, he pulls a three pack of tights. Just the kind you always wear. Down to your preferred brand, and everything.

“When did you-?”

“I noticed you rip them a lot while we’re on cases. I didn’t know if it was weird but then...the socks?” He gestures at his feet, floundering, “I’m sorry if that’s...I just didn’t-”

“No,” You cut off his ramble, “No, Spencer, that’s really sweet. Thank you, thank you so much. Can I hug you?”

He nods, happily. You wrap him into your arms, pressing your face against his chest. Inhaling the scent of him. Reveling in how safe you feel, how protected, thinking how you’d take three hundred stitches if it meant you got Spencer out of harms way. He was so thoughtful, so kind, so attentive to detail.

Oh fuck.

You can barely look at him. It hits you like a train, the realisation. Co-workers save each other from unsubs. Friends buy each other gifts that have meaning and value. But only somebody who is in love feels like this when they get handed tights. Oh.

It’s a warm feeling. Overwhelming. So much so that you miss Spencer saying he’ll be right back, scooting off to Rossi who’s shouting him over with a question the local PD need answering for their report.

You stumble a little, thankful that you have the blood loss and adrenaline rush to blame if anybody were to notice.

You wait for the wave of denial to hit, to come and lock your feelings back in the treasure chest you’ve managed to shove them down into now. It doesn’t come. Instead, you look at Spencer with a sense of awe that feels newfound, but has actually been here all along. Watching him speak to Rossi, you really notice him: just how much he gestures with his hands, how quickly he relays information, how the huge smile on his face, when he turns around to notice you staring, truly meets his eyes.

***

You can’t tell if it makes you a good profiler, or somewhat of a stalker, that you notice Spencer wears the ankle socks you got him to work everyday for the next 9 days.

Spencer worries he’s being a little too obvious, but he can’t help that whenever he sees the socks he beams at them. They remind him of you. Unbeknownst to everybody but Dave (who somehow notices everything), he spends a good minute or so a day sneaking a peek at the novelty socks under his converse. And then trailing his eyes over to you. Thinking how much he loves the person who got them for him.

----

B is for Blindfolds

Tagslist (this is just people who replied to the post about this series and said they’d like to be tagged! let me know if you’d like to be added/removed to this series masterlist): @reidingmelodies @rem-ariiana

[ghostofbambifanfiction]

I just started my WATJP reread and i just have to say that James's internal monologue cracks me up everytime. The best part however i found this time, ( i kind of find out a new favorite moment everytime i read it ) was when Sirius told Peter to come outside so that James and Remus could hug it out. The male friendship is written so well here ....like i mean, WOW.

However, I couldn't help but ask, does Remus like Bea in this fic, cause I did read it very thoroughly and the hints are mostly one sided. But I did read a previous ask and was soo proud of my girl Bea. She definitely deserves all the love in the world. And I love it soo much that you keep the essence of friendship in both sides. Like, Peter's never jealous of James, Bea never resents Lily for being Juliet.

Thank you soo much for making these amazing characters, Sarah.

Your fics never fail to light up my boring, caffine fuelled, broke college student days.

P. S. I might have made a playlist for Bea and Remus. My sister told me I'm weird and creepy. Do you think people majorly interested in fictional characters are creepy ?

Babe, I write fanfic, why on earth would I think you were creepy for being invested in fictional characters? How do you think I got started in this particular leisure activity? Tell your sister that it's pretty pathetic to judge other people for their passions based on her own preconceived notions of what constitutes normalcy, and to stop yucking your yum. If I knew that my stepson was talking to his little sister like that he'd be getting a talking to immediately. I'm touched that you made a playlist!! Thank you very much for that and for this message!

Yes, Remus does like Bea. He's also very young and unsure of himself and intimidated, so this is not going to take overnight to happen.

[i-got-the-feels]

Things in Luke Cage Season 1 that I can't stop talking about:

•Quotes that stuck with me:

"Slavery has always been a good deal...to the masters" - Carl Lucas to Rackham

"He is in prison but he isn't a prisoner" - Reva about Carl Lucas

"I was in love with the idea of her, not her specifically, no" - Luke Cage about Reva to Claire Temple

•Claire telling Brustein that he should be thankful Luke has the powers because if he did to her what he did to Luke, he would be dead.

•Willis Stryker telling his father was a preacher to reveal who is to the audience paralleling to Carl Lucas telling his father was a preacher and reciting the passage from bible before he declares himself as Luke Cage- our reveal to him.

•Misty Knight always chasing the truth.

•Claire temple calling Misty out for speaking to her in that way, and then them bonding about how taught them how to fight. Their fight and their bonding is because of their own values and beliefs and not because they are interested in the same man and that is some powerful shit.

•Shades and yes, he indeed the Petyr Little Finger of Harlem (read he took inspiration from that character and I can see it) P. S I did not think Mariah and Shades would actually happen.

• Mariah, Cornell, Peter and Mama Mabel's dynamics

Mariah Dillard loosing her calm and beating Cornell because he doesn't understand the abuse she went through with Peter and how she never ever wanted or enjoyed that.

And Cornell not doing anything to protect her, in spite of her being the closest mother figure he had because Peter was the only person in the house who acknowledged and encouraged his talent and gave him hope that there maybe way out of streets for him only for him to be have to be the one to kill him- for betraying Mama Mabel.

•Cornell and Pop's

Cornell Stokes not even for a moment thinking Pops would be dead and saying that's okay his shop can be rebuilt after he sends money anonymously and then pushing Tones off the roof when he realises what he did. And that scene of him crying and mourning for Pops. Good acting.

•Luke's monologue in the police station, "When did we all stop caring?" and ending the monologue with Pop's mantra, "Never backwards. Forward always, forward" to which Claire says "He sounds like a wonderful man. I wish I could meet him" to which Misty replies "In a way, you have" saying Luke has Pop's spirit now.

• Luke telling Aisha's father to stop disappointing his daughter (with respect and empathy because obviously it is Luke we are talking about) and showing up for Aisha with the ring and stopping her from killing Cottonmouth, to the extent ensuring to bend the gun to which Aisha says, "So you are one of the those, huh?" and Luke's reply being "People who give a damn, yeah"

•And finally the most beautiful and powerful one - the bulletproof rap with montage of multiple black men wearing the bullet torn hoody while Bulletproof love plays in the background and this show has multiple times acknowledges race - "Being bulletproof always comes second to being black" "He is a black man with special powers and there are special bullets to kill him and cops are chasing afted him for being a cop killer, you really doubt why he is running" "The way you are blue, you may as well be white". The bulletproof love rap is dedication not just to Luke cage but every black on the streets who is judged and threatned by a powerful system simply for looking how they look, simply for existing. The rap and people showing support to Luke Cage, openly, a black man with superpowers who has supposedly killed a cop is what Luke meant in the euology gave at Pop's funeral "People of Harlem make it what it is"

Tying in with

•Luke and Stryker's fight taking place in open, for all to see paralleling when Claire said, "Too much of things in Harlem happen in the shade and darkness. You need to be seen and fight on open, so that people have something to believe in" (heavily paraphased)

Season 2

[confusedsiewmai]

I had to take a break from TPP again because Juno Steel, my beloved ;-; im way too emotionally invested in this sad self-destructive self-blaming lady. He pulls at my heart strings so damn well my chest genuinely aches.

Ramble incoming because I need to get it out before I go crazy (spoilers till Juno Steel and the Promised Land part 2 cos thats where im at)

I am a REAL sucker for characters with immense amount of self-blame and constantly feel guilty about everything. And god, Juno really just... blames himself for everything, doesn't he? To the point where it's nearly ridiculous, and I think that's what compels me about him. It's the way you see some of your own thoughts mirrored back to you.

The way he feels guilty for leaving Peter in S1 finale. Has dreams where he gets Peter back and they get to hug and kiss, and he gets to apologise. Because he knows he's definitely hurt Peter. But a part of him probably never wants to see him again because he KNOWS he's hurt him before, and he's convinced he'll hurt him again. Because look how many *more* people he has hurt/gotten killed/going to get killed! This lady is legit giving himself wayyyy too much credit for things he can control geez

When Alessandra informed him that she was engaged. I feel like it was a realisation that people move forward. Other people move forward and find new places to be, but Juno feels permanently stuck in place, always trapped in the past and in hyperion city. Which is probably why he kept insisting that it's a happy ending. Because he feels like other people are reaching the goals he wants earlier than him and he's kinda angry about it.

And the way Alessandra just... argues with him about the way he thinks, like Thank God someone is finally calling him out on his martyr complex. (Also Alessandra oh my god i love u ahglsjgks) Because no! It isn't a happy ending—it's a happy MIDDLE. Because theres more after that! Theres so much more after that because life goes on! And living is so much harder than dying!!!

I also love how meta TPP is and how the writers themselves call Juno out on his complex. Like they give him this schtick of talking as a narrator at the start and then have Alessandra cut in to inform him "hey, this is life. Not just some stupid story book you're crafting". Juno Steel feels this need to perform (as in like a stage performance) and you can really see it in the way this podcast allows him monologues and the way he tries so hard with sassy one-liners. Its a bit ironic but the writers are basically slapping a rolled up newspaper on Juno's head and going, "Your life isn't just some stupid story you have to perform out for an audience."

And gosh, I'm just gonna say the Sarah Steel plot? Hurts me. A lot. Juno hates his mother a lot and tries his hardest to be separate from her. You can see it in how he avoids everything in Polaris Park that could possibly bring up Sarah Steel. But then hes compared to her by people like Vega and also himself. The way it pains him that Sarah Steel will forever be in his blood. ((Not something i picked from canon but i wonder if Juno's gender might make things complicated for him? Feeling like being a lady makes him feel more like his mother than lets say his twin ever was.))

Finally, ohhhh boy. The stuff that went through his mind while he was rapidly drained of blood. I love anger in a character so much and gosh the anger Juno felt then? Delicious. Just... anger at the world for being so terrible and that this scumbag of a politician might win and that he'd never prove himself to be different from his mother. Just anger at how things aren't better. It's not all better but it's way better than when Juno had pretty much given up.

I just really love juno steel and i want soooo badly to see him grow and recover from the pain life has put him through, and the pain he actively puts himself under too.

End of rambling :p Phew i finally got it all out.

[arce-elliot]

Magnus Archives - First Impressions (101-125)

Back on my bullshit. Starting to get into the nitty-gritty of it now. Had 75% of the series spilled blah blah blah you know the drill!

EP 101 (Another Twist): - oh thank GOD some normalcy, hello Nikola - Nikola: Elias ur son is annoying - Michael: i'm going to kill you Jon: get in line lmao - poor little michael shelley he never stood a chance - bye bye michael EP 102 (Nesting Instinct): - BEETLE WIFE BEETLE WIFE - HOW DID I FORGET ABOUT BEETLE WIFE - also the boys are communicating kind of a bit maybe EP 103 (Cruelty Free): - this dude is so strange i love it - m o n s t e r  p i g - awwww rest in peace toby - LMAOOOOO JON finally using his powers for evil EP 104 (Sneak Preview): - hoo boy time to cry it's Timothy Time - my baby Tim :c EP 105 (Total War): - wheeee another war one - I feel like this woman knows more than she's saying - "i'm lucky i suppose" are u sure buddy - "how long would it be that i would have to wait for death" dude just die sounds like it'd be easy in this hellscape - "gerard keay after he faked his death?" nah u wish it were that simple jonny boy EP 106 (A Matter of Perspective): - M E L A N I E - yo space boy does not shut the FUCK up - AYYYY THERE'S MY ACE REP - Elias: I'm gonna have to dock points for the murder attempts - lmao Elias is gettin' tired of his employees asking him to kill them EP 107 (Third Degree): - time for the American leg of the tour - Gertrude what the actual fuck ma'am - Elias said "here's some eldritch tylenol" - ah yes, back to your regularly scheduled kidnapping - TREVOR'S JUST IN THE T R U N K EP 108 (Monologue): - as a theatre person this person sounds D R E A D F U L - this was an odd one but i like it EP 109 (Nightfall): - i love these two so much holy shit - listen I KNOW i’m gay but like,,,,,found family makes brain go brrrr EP 110 (Creature Feature): - TRANS STATEMENT GIVER AYYYY - lmao spider time EP 111 (Family Business): - GERARD TIME GERARD TIME - my poor darling boy - Mary Keay’s A+ Parenting way to go lady EP 112 (Thrill of the Chase): - "welcome to buzzfeed unsolved today we're going to kill a man" - JON'S BACK THANK FUCK - a w w daisy misses basira :C EP 113 (Breathing Room): - Jon's trying to stop the apocalypse but Martin just wants a travel diary - MARTIN STOP TOUCHING IT - oh ew wtf brain kebab - jon: wow. interesting. what the fuck did i just read. EP 114 (Cracked Foundation): - If y'all don't leave Hill Top Road ALONE - poor lady she's just trying to do her job right - oh wait she's not...real? the web confuses me but i guess that's kinda the point - Tim ouchie my feelings - What a right little investigator, you go Timmy EP 115 (Taking Stock): - FINALLY a Salesa statement it's about time - m e a t g r i n d e r - HELEN!!! - aww poor Helen :c she's being nice Jon don't be rude EP 116 (The Show Must Go On): - lmao love this Archival Staff Meeting - Elias trauma bonding is not the same as team building - GERTRUDE VOICE HELL YES - Chess Robot - what in the Spiral statement EP 117 (Testament): - aw hell yeah mini doomsday diaries - okay martin is actually really funny lmao - JON BURN THE FUCKING PAGE YOU SHITLORD - oh okay thank u EP 118 (The Masquerade): - SHOWTIME MOTHERFUCKERS - Martin deserves a little light arson - Elias can't you just behold the door opening what an eldritch loser - oooooh i love this Martin and Elias face-off this dialogue is superb - Tim: Jon needs to learn how to sacrifice people also Jon we have to save all these randos EP 119 (Stranger and Stranger): - I'm two minutes in and I'm already stressed - Daisy: level up - Gertrude and Leitner yelling at Jon is just a Sims Family Discussion - aaaand there goes my boy :C EP 120 (Eye Contact): - Again, I lose another precious character and I gotta listen to ELIAS - Time for the Season 1-3 recap - Peter said "lmao nice" - "be seeing you" okay elias that was funny - "i'll do my best to keep the place afloat" okay peter that was also funny EP 121 (Far Away): - season 4 baybeeee here we go - Oliver Banks Time - me, eatin my chef boyardee: alright Oliver gimme a good monologue - "i've learned to live with it" i dont think you LIVE with anything mr. banks - i love his voice it's nice - did he just...manifest a gun - A FUCKING SATELLITE LMAOOOOOOO - georgie: sir your vibes are rancid I'm going to have to ask you to leave - wakey wakey jonny boy! EP 122 (Zombie): - Basira Georgie no don't fight - poor Jon y'all lay off the poor man - this statement is too relatable bye - JON'S SO WORRIED ABOUT MARTIN PFFFF EP 123 (Web Development): - CAN'T ANYONE BE HAPPY FOR JON LMAOOO - Basira: "wehhh you're not human also Melanie being a whirlwind with a knife is 100% normal" - GOD imagine if Peter never existed and it had just been Martin lying his ass off trying to save face - wooooosh - Jon: at least Tim and Daisy have the good sense to be dead damn - "play dead" G O D - spoooooooky website EP 124 (Left Hanging): - oh what's good sky grandpa - MARTIN WHAT HAVE THEY DONE TO YOUUUU EP 125 (Civilian Casualities): - baaaah - the 16th fear is Scotland - we love a good DIY surgery - god Melanie's VA is brilliant