#rekha i’m so sorry

[mavenbeeee]

i feel like a FOOL i’ve been spelling rekha’s name wrong this whole time. rekha this is my formal apology i did check before i started posting but i guess i checked WRONG so psa for any other d20/dropout fans it’s reKHa not reHKa

[katasstrophy]

(S)CREAMING

hanma… when he WHEN HE NGGGHHHH he’s been sooooo horrendously on my mind lately rekha it’s becoming a problem :((( spare some crumbs as the shuji expert? 🥺🤲 what’s ur fave headcanon of him? mwah love ya lots<333

omg the absolute amount of hc's i have about my darling shuji<33 constantly thinking about him so i have so many thoughts i can share hehehe—hmm the first being that he's ticklish and a giggler! i have one or two drabbles on this posted, he's so ticklish at his waist and stomach and he giggles uncontrollably when you climb onto him and pepper his body with kisses. never asks you to stop because he lowkey likes the contact and of course! he gets an excuse to do it back to you v_v

another thought i have and this one is canon in my heart btw!! is that by the time he's 28 yrs old, he's 6'6. he was 6'4 when he was 16, and you're telling me he didn't grow an inch after that?? nuh uh he's 6'6 as an adult man he's sooo big and tall<33 and he makes himself seem even taller by only ever wearing pinstriped suits. his personal favourites come in grays and beiges and faded blues.

hmm and he's always wanted to match tattoos with you<3 it's so intimate and so hot to him, the idea of his tattoos on you, his brand on your skin— or at least some form of them. sin & punishment + virtue & pardon?? YES<3 he loves the idea of being the devil to your angel, the sinner to your saint, it's so romantic.

and on that note, he is such a romantic<33 he's good with his words, knows just how to fluster you, how to piss you off, and how to make you feel like the most special person in the whole world just by telling you things. his favourite thing to repeat—and really, your favourite thing to hear over and over—is that one day, you'll both rule the whole fuckin' city together. he also gets you the prettiest, custom-made guns and blades for your anniversaries. and they match the ones he gets for himself. he loves the idea of doing this whole thing together— him and you, with kisaki at the lead, he thinks you could rule the whole world.

[stacy-fakename]

We need a The Seven season 2 about the Daughters Of The Crown. Partially because I’m obsessed with The Seven’s energy, partially because I need more of these fairytale princesses. I also really want to see all the cut content from Neverafter (Goldilocks, The Old Woman In The Shoe, The Nutcracker, etc)

Erika and @quiddie have already claimed Snow White and Cinderella respectively, but what about the other girls? Here are my thoughts.

Snow White-Erika Ishii (duh)

Cinderella-Aabria Iyengar (duh)

Elody-Rekha Shankar (Elody already made me bawl so many times. Katja already made me bawl so many times. I know from Mice and Murder that she can pull that exes dynamic HARD. REHKA! DESTROY ME EMOTIONALLY PLEASE!! But seriously, she’s such an emotionally powerful actor, and this is a role I would implicitly trust her with.)

Mira-Isabella Roland (Do I just want her and her prince or Alba to have a romantic relationship so that I can freak out about how amazing Brennan and Izzy’s relationship is? Mayhaps. But seriously, Izzy always gets incredibly deep into her character, and I’d love to see her do that with as tragic of a character as Mira. Plus, part of the reason I love Mira so much is her rebellious streak (for lack of a better term), and I KNOW Izzy can bring that “fuck you world” energy.)

Rapunzel-Becca Scott (We know from The Seven that she can pull of INTENSE energy masterfully, and I would love to see her have that intensity with a more…devious character I suppose? I’m not sure if I’m making sense. Anyways, let my girl be cunning and cruel, I’m begging you. Give Becca this please.)

La Bête-Persephone Valentine (I hesitate to put this one, because I know the very common headcanon of La Bête as trans and I don’t want to treat Persephone as just “the trans one” like certain other people in this fandom. However, Persephone is just so good at portraying such a big character with so many underlying subtleties, it’s just perfect for her. Her ability to craft a character that seems so obviously one way at first glance, but with so many hidden layers and facets underneath is just amazing.)

Tell me your thoughts!! Sorry if any/all of this is bad, I wrote this at 3 am.

EDIT:Had some reblogs pointing out that Izzy and Sephie should be switched. Honestly, most of my time writing this post was dedicated to deciding just that!! Honestly, I could go either way on them, they would both be perfect for both! I mainly just went with what I did because I didn’t want to keep typecasting Persephone as “tragic water girl with abandonment issues”😅. But yeah, Persephone would probably be the better choice for Mira and Izzy would probably be the better choice for La Bête.

[youremyheaven]

https://www.tumblr.com/youremyheaven/754446269650452480/they-dooo-notice-everything-i-love-it-sometimes

Jupiter women can lowkey be like this too. Idk about the Freud stuff, but jupiter is the husband. When their dad fails to display positive jupiter traits and becomes arrogant, withdrawn and selfish, they become their own dad. So they embody or atleast attempt to embody positive jupiter traits of generosity and virtue. Now that I’ve typed that out, it doesn’t sound as relevant as it did in my head 😭

However I do think that what OP was describing is more of a Bharani thing than anything else. I’m sure other venus naks do it too but still.

Bharani has major connotations to childbirth and so many women make sacrifices when they have children, some are forced to leave education, some develop long term health problems, and some struggle to leave difficult relationships since children complicate that kind of thing. Before medicine advanced it was somewhat common to just die entirely bc of childbirth.

So therefore I think a lot of Bharani natives (esp moon bc we’re talking about mothers) are overly aware of the sacrifice their mothers made and it weighs on them. It becomes their “burden” as the translation of Bharani, “she who bares” takes on a literal and metaphorical interpretation. So basically Bharanis like to acknowledge the people who came before them and their sacrifices but they can have a bit of a chip on their shoulder bc of it. Inheriting their karma in a sense.

So when they experience that humiliation from their abusive parent they “eat the pain” as part of the burden they bare. Fighting back will always lead to more suffering for them despite their anger and resentment (aries). In mythology Yama was about to kick his mom but even though he holds himself back, she still cursed his foot.

Yama’s father ☀️ ☀️ also got mad at his mother for struggling to look directly at him and cursed Yama as a result, which is such a good example of the dynamics their parents have and how they suffer from it.

In conclusion, Bharanis are stoics become pushovers with daddy issues. Sorry for the unsolicited lecture, it may happen again

Nahh you're right. Jupiter women and their daddy issues are well documented (by me lmao 🤣🤡) they do become excessively giving because their dad's weren't giving at all 😤

Jupiter is a masculine planet for a reason after all. Reminds me of Rekha, Purvabhadrapada Moon. She and her siblings were the illegitimate children of a famous actor and he never acknowledged them publicly. Her mom had many other kids from other relationships etc and they were dirt poor. Rekha even went to school with her father's legitimate kids and other kids in school knew about the whole situation and called her a bastard 🥺🥹

She started acting at the age of 13 to support her ailing mother and 6 or 7 siblings. She hated being an actor and was severely exploited in the industry, esp since she had no mentors or father figures :(((( in turn she made sure none of her siblings ever had to work in the movies to make a living and supported everyone financially until they settled down 🥺 she in turn never got married or had kids :((( (she was manipulated into marrying a guy once and he committed suicide and she was hella traumatized by that as well, but that's a separate story 💀)

Here's a pic of Rekha with some of her siblings (2 or 3 are missing in the picture)

She does embody that Jupiter woman being the man trope.

(This is Rekha & her mom Pushpavalli)

Despite everything, she's never spoken ill about her father or even her mother, who clearly made her the scapegoat and placed undue pressure on her to provide even though she was a literal child. She even named her house after her mother 🥺

Anywaayyyyyssss

I agree that Bharanis are in a unique position because of their mythology and in general I think Bharanis are more dignified and humane than other Venus naks

They're outcaste naks who know what it's like to be the outsider and work their way up

But yes they're pushovers with daddy issues 😭😭😭😭

I lowkey like how empathetic they are to women bc of what they saw growing up ���😔 like they're genuinely just like "no this is not how it should be, women need to be worshipped period, my woman will never suffer this way" and 🤧🤧😩😩😩i fall for that shit lmao

I had a recent experience with a Jupiter conjunct Purvashada Rising man who thought that broke men did not deserve to have women 💀��💀 he said men who cannot provide have no business dating or marrying 💀💀and that "real men" should never ask for a 50-50 and put the burden on his partner and if he truly loves her, he should want her to be relaxed and enjoy life. He said things like "what's the point of me working so hard if my family isn't enjoying themselves and having a good time, my wife can do whatever she wants and I'll support her but she will never have to work to pay the bills" and ngl I love this mentality lmfao 😂🤣🤪🤭

Venus men being scarred by incompetent dads and overcompensating by being the provider and father they never had is >>>>> 🥵🥵🥵🥵so sexy of them tbh

[nile-the-empathy-cleric]

My princess is making progress!😭

A very, very intense chapter. I'm glad that Nile is not alone in this, that he can discuss work with Rekha, because Armand's experience is difficult and very painful.

I'm soooo intrigued by a possible session with Armand and Daniel!

He is! I’m so proud of him. And thank you 💕 I appreciate the ask and can’t wait to deliver on the couples therapy— sorry to make y’all wait a few chapters for it 🥺

[chiangyorange]

more rottmnt game changer thoughts: i like the idea of them switching off who plays sam so they all have versions of The Suit™ because i fully believe they are all capable of being the most unhinged hosts ever

anyway heres my reasons why i chose who i did for the escape room and literally its because

leo: youre not getting a fucking joke out of me until im put of this room! cassandra, directed at cards: lets go baby lets go leo: you want BITS?? leo: YOU LET ME OUT OF THE ROOM FOR BITS, MOTHER FUCKER!

and

cjj: you can go ahead and take your podiums. raph: PODIUMS?? cassandra: im sorry were not done? leo: yeah now were doing a fucking episode of 'junior says'

(more episode ideas under the cut)

yes or no - mikey is hosting (for psychologial warfare reasons)

cjj as zac (him creeping up behind cassandra with a goofy crown is a HILARIOUS mental image)

cassandra as brennan (monologue intensity)

april as ally (her fucking up the rules even tho shes the first one to figure it out is really good)

sound impression challenge (aka noise boys series) - april is hosting

donnie as josh (THE GIANT BOSS IN A CONFERENCE MEETING.)

raph as zac (imagine him doing the moose. IMAGINE. “ muuuuuuu,,,? moooooorr?? mooouuuuuur???!!”)

leo as brennan (AUSTRALIAN SPANISH TEACHER CMON ITS RIGHT THERE)

as a cucumber - donnie is hosting

splinter as katie ([gets blind folded in front of a knife throwing board] "dont tickle me.")

april as brennan ("once the phone left, i was no longer participating in this world. whose phone? april? that's made up.")

mikey as carolyn ([holding a snake] "this is a moment for me. i dont care about your little comedy show. i'm communing with nature.")

sam says (1) - cjj is hosting

leo as brennan (remembering the virtuous economic cycle after like 1 min of staring at it)

april as izzy (after recieving an air horn after the 'dont flinch' challenge and uses it immediately)

cassandra as lou ("oj simpson is [REDACTED]")

a sponsored episode - cjj is hosting (hey junior where ya from? recurring bit is so fucking funny come ON now)

april as trapp (parmesan lemon biter)

splinter as grant (starter of the "hey junior? where you from?" AND "would you take a bite?" [of parmesan covered lemon])

raph as rekha ("would you take another bite?" [of parmesan lemon])

filmed before a live studio audience - leo is hosting

sunita as becca ("hi grandgoogly! no! im being embarrased publically!")

april as izzy ([climbs into the fridge] "im not getting back in the fridge. im a GROWN woman")

cassandra as erika ([breaks potted plant] "of course the one i figured out is the one where you have to smash something.")

[lailedcat]

I’m so sorry Rekha for laughing at your oily tshirt shenanigans, you knew what show you were on better than us

[subbyfoxelf]

[webseries review] dimension 20: escape from the bloodkeep (2019)

this is so unreasonably wholesome. the moment of this campaign that’s a microcosm of the whole thing is brennan just exclaiming in mock dismay, “this was supposed to be the evil campaign!!”

this is the first non-intrepid heroes adventure we watched, and tbh i was kinda halfway thinking we should just watch all the intrepid heroes stuff first and get to the side adventures if/when we got to them, but i’m so glad we didn’t end up going that route. obviously the fact that this is a loving parody of lord of the rings helped a lot, as did the fact that we still had our incomparable dungeon master brennan lee mulligan.

it also helped that i already knew a lot of the players from other dropout & youtube content. trapp of course i knew as the wonderful host of um actually. erika ishii was already probably one of my favorite performers on dropout just in the various gameshows/etc i’d seen her in, so i really appreciated getting to see her sink her teeth into something more juicy (see it’s funny because her character is literally a spider queen). i know matt mercer is famous for critical role, but since i haven’t gotten into that i’ve really only seen him on um actually where he’s flexed his d&d knowledge on a number of occasions so it was cool to get to see him in his element, and i’m even more interested in eventually checking out critical role than i already was. rekha & amy i’ve seen in a ton of dropout stuff and they’re just incredibly smart & funny, and the only person i didn’t really recognize was ify, but he grew on me basically immediately, and he has a play in the last battle that is legit one of the coolest & most creative tactical moves i’ve ever seen in dungeons & dragons. so, yeah! that’ll work.

as alluded to in the first paragraph, the tone of this thing is just this wonderful combination of wholesomeness & warmth and just terrifying evil? like, erika’s character lilith is a spider queen who wants to conquer the world, but she’s also an amazing mom? and i’m sorry, but i think her son jason is my favorite character in the whole damn campaign, i’m sorry, brennan’s npcs are just so great! but i love that they’re that great without actually detracting from the players’ characters. you also have trapp’s character sokhbarr lovingly caring for gross monsters, matt mercer’s legally distinct nazgul character leiland having weird good boy energy (and ending up in the devoted service of the literal infant dark lord heir apparent), and just… i could keep going with each character, but yeah!!

this is an extension of the tone that pretty much every dimension 20 campaign has of combining the mundane with the fantastical in surprising ways, and the players always being just incredibly wholesomely supportive of each other. seeing that applied to basically the faceless enemies of the lord of the rings movies (or books, if you must) was just such a fucking vibe!! my only complaint is that none of them were orcs, and actually the orcs were one of the big “bad guys” of the campaign? and like, i get it, structurally it makes sense, but dang it, i love me some orcs & gobbies!!! and not because i’m thirsty for them.

i mean, not just because i’m thirsty for them.

[dimension20quotes]

Mice & Murder Episode 4 Quotes

Back to all Mice & Murder quotes

“And there’s one more thing I wanna share. This painting has eyeballs.”

“If anyone’s a bitch, it’s Gangie’s mom.”

“I’m not that smart! Trust me, I am not that smart!”

“Let’s say for a moment that I believe you aren’t the Stabber of the Evening.”

“Rekha fucks all night.”

“So how does the Vicar really fuck up this last rites?”

“So you’re with the person who completes you, but when he completes you, you are not yourself.”

“These theories, everyone thinks that debilitating illness came from 5G, which is the name of the landline.”

“This was your husband, no? Oh, wait a minute. I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry. You just seemed so close. But still, this is an awful thing that has happened.”

“You know they’re owned by Eel Musk and he’s spying on everyone.”

[unsleepingtales]

Nsbu episode seven!!! I thought I wasn’t gonna get to watch this one for a while but then my partner’s flight was delayed so yk. You win some you lose some. Anyway!!! Reactions:

Love the body horror warning just to start off

Brennan is in outfits!!!

OH!!

Hell yeah

Love Brennan just granting Jacob advantage (which does not exist in this system) because that was such a sick choice

WARPED TOUR IN THE PARKING LOT BABEY

What you have done to this man is horrifying

Rekha looks so good tonight

Oh they’re in love :)

Why would you give up the backflippers???

Aren’t I on top of the world 🙂 I have history with everybody 😀😬😔 … and that’s nice ! 😃

I love Alex Song-Xia so much

Lawyer energy!!!

Wild for the fbi agent to be calling other people pigs

Oh fuck!!!

Art department wins so hard

Hey alright I guess that was the only way to do that

Oh boy

Ally your MIND

She falls onto his desk 😭

WHAT

Jacob’s vision is beautiful

Yeah no once you’ve said a thing like that in the dome you have to follow through

HOW DID THAT WORK

Their beliefs are changed.

Blaze it 😌

They were just being a little silly!

“What a fucking twerp” “twerp? Takes one to know one” I love them

The dome effect is so cool

Making a drive check on a hog is insane

Allyyyyyyyyy

And it Has to rhyme

Anyway yeah Ally the shit you just pulled was insane

ALLY

NOT OSCAR THE GROUCH STYLE

Oh my god

I love that we also saw some of the behind the scenes talk about how this would go and if it would be good

Went from “I’m your enemy” @ Rekha to “I got your back” @ Izzy so fast

We have not gotten a single moment to breathe in this episode

Liv can fill out a scantron circle perfectly!!

Oh god

Really turned into a wish item listing there

Hey cornholio??

I’m hyperventilating

Oh god

I’m pangea, that’s when I was born!!

Sorry uh. What just happened.

[faded-coat-of-blue]

Btw I am now exactly halfway through Mice and Murder and I am obSESSED

(also none of you fuckers spoil this one thing for me pls - usually I am totally fine with spoilers but for this)

[garoujo]

“OH, YOU WANNA PLAY PSYCHO KILLER?” — HANMA SHUJI

you and your boyfriend decide to add a little more thrill to your relationship.

♱ warnings — ghostface!hanma, f!reader, cnc, knifeplay, reader is a great actress, predator x prey kink, mask kink, creampies, shuji is a tease, fingering, choking. ꒰ word count : 4k ! ꒱

♱ note — here we go ! probs the kinktober piece i was most excited 2 write so hopefully u guys enjoy it 2 . tysm 2 rekha @/21-06-1996 & paradis @/blueparadis 4 reading through some of it 4 me <3

RETURN TO KINKTOBER MLIST ♱ REGULAR MLIST

it’s somewhere between 11pm and 12am you’d assume by the way the sky seems to have darkened outside of your apartment. the day had went by normal enough, you went to work, turned down some plans for drinks with your work colleagues and then you came home as normal — as planned.

but there’s a tinge of anticipation that’s present from your fingers to your toes, something you can’t quite place as you flick through the channels on the tv, sinking deeper into the couch when you settle on some cheesy slasher flick with a shrug, october and all. it’s the season for them.

your boyfriend, hanma is at work, so you’re home alone tonight — bowl of popcorn and a blanket that felt warmer when his daunting figure was underneath it with you.

for about an hour, you’re content — fishing around for the sweetened kernels at the bottom of your bowl with a sigh. your movies just kicking off, not that you’re paying much attention as you flick through the stories your friends are posting on instagram, trying to ignore the fact that he should’ve called by now, he normally did around this time.

but now you’re restless and worried, deciding to make another round of popcorn to soothe your nerves before you start pacing and it works, for a moment, before you’re back on the couch in the exact same position watching the exact same movie.

then you hear it, the first ring and you reach for your phone a little too quickly for you not to have been waiting, except it’s not him — it’s a number unknown, but maybe it’s because he’s at work.. you tell yourself to ease the uncomfortable shift in the air.

“hello?” you answer after letting it ring a few times, and you let hope linger in the air where you take a breath before it’s swallowed by the unfamiliar, distorted voice that answers back.

“hello.” their voice is smooth but.. not who you were expecting and you can’t shake the way your shoulders seem to slump with the reply. “hi, can i.. help you?” you ask, trying not to sound too disappointed that it wasn’t the man you seek.

“who is this?” the sound of the television on your end goes from near full volume to something a little lower, and your brows furrow almost instinctively at their question.. because, didn’t think they call you?

“who are you trying to reach?” you snort and you hear the person on the other side of the phone hum in a way that tells you they’re not too sure. “i’m not sure.. what’s your name?”

there’s another change in the air, one that makes you bring your feet up onto the lip of the couch at their question before you reply quickly, not wanting to let the silence they let stay linger.

“i’m sorry.. i think you have the wrong number.” a beat of silence followed by a cocky reply, “do i? then how about you tell me your name and i’ll tell you mine.” before you breathe and continue “no thanks, im waiting on a call but have a good night.” you don’t give them an opportunity to answer this time, and you’re pretty sure you cut off whatever they were next going to say.

but you feel cold suddenly, acutely aware of the noises outside your apartment as you sit your phone facedown on the table, and try to focus on the film you suddenly don’t feel like watching anymore.

but then it rings again, and you want to mentally punch yourself for letting your head turn a little too quickly — another unknown number, but maybe just a coincidence.. right?

“hello?” followed by a reply that’s a little too quick. “oh, i’m sorry. not the call you were waiting for?” but you curse yourself for the way their teasing seems to make your lips break into a whisper of a grin. “not this time..” you breathe and they don’t stop with that. “no? don’t wanna talk to me instead?”

“yeah, nice try. again—have a good night, see ya.” you feel a little unsettled when your phone hits the table this time, the caller was probably innocent but something seems.. strange. your neck feels unbearably warm and it takes a few moments for you to pull yourself off the couch before you’re retreating to the kitchen — splashing your face with some cold water to calm yourself down.

you let yourself take a moment, look in the fridge like the contents will have changed since the last time you were in there. but then even from the kitchen you hear the ring of your phone from the living room, and you’re suddenly aware of the goosebumps ripping across your arms.

but you stride quickly, not bothering to give the caller id a second glance because — it won’t be, right?

“uh, hello?” you repeat, and you think you’re suddenly sick of hearing the greeting. “don’t hang up on me.” there’s a drop in their tone this time, but it’s the same drawled out, smooth sound — followed by a long exhale like they’re smoking a cigarette or releasing a held breath.

“what do you want?” you shift, suddenly not feeling like sitting back down in your previous spot. “to talk, kill some time.. nice night for it, don’cha think?” you can’t see them, but you can tell they’re smiling with the way you hear their words curl around the expression.

“i’m kind of busy.” you’re lying but your hairs suddenly standing on end, “oh? but your movies almost over.. isn’t it? so how about you play with me instead, doll?” the petname is a low growl, but your heart pounds at the words before it, sucking in an uneven breath as you let your gaze dart to the movie still playing on the tv then the rest of your darkened apartment.

“how.. how did you know i was watching a movie?” your heart pounds with your sentence and you swear they must be able to hear it when they breathe out a chuckle in response.

“don’t look so scared, babydoll. you just look like you could use a little.. company.”

the line dies before you have a chance to hang up, but with the few steady knocks on the door of your apartment that follow in the silence you feel a shock of something shoot down your spine, and you can feel the uneasy pants you’re taking against your palm when it slaps over your mouth to muffle your shriek.

but then the silence settles, again. besides the pounding of your heart and the ringing in your ears, it’s still quiet enough for you to be able to hear the lock click when it turns — making you push yourself up against the wall in the hallway as you try to steady your breathing, putting you out of sight from the doorway.

this can’t be happening.

it’s unnerving the steady, slow steps you hear sound around the corner behind you, the way they enter your apartment over the erratic beat of your heart, combat boots against the hard wood floor that feel like they kick your feet out from underneath you with each step.

you could probably make it to your bedroom if you ran fast, maybe the bathroom so you can find someone to call — you’re not supposed to call him while he’s at work. but you think this might be an exception when you hear the door slam loud enough for it to startle you, followed by another low chuckle.

your palm is pressed so tight against your mouth you can barely breathe, your lungs feel like they quake but you can’t risk him hearing you — finding you, as you try to inch yourself further away from the front of your apartment.

you don’t give it much more thought, you hear his steps fade into the kitchen and you decide to put the adrenaline coursing through you to good use — it’s all part of the game, his game. but you feel your head twitch in the general direction down the hallway before you’re off.

but it doesn’t take long for him to hear you, you’re running.. but he’s not, not yet atleast. but he knows where you are.

you’re listening over your shoulder, following it with a glance and you watch the way his taller, intimidating form rounds the corner and his shadow seems to be gaining on you alarmingly quick considering you got a head start. he lets you see the peak of the blade, then he sprints, and he’s faster than you — long legs taking long, purposeful strides towards you as he enters the long stretch of hallway.

your heart is throbbing, a lick of fear curling down your spine and you can’t afford to waste any breath with a scream — but you gasp despite the way your heart feels like it’s about to burst out of your chest.

the distance he’s closing is quickly filling your ears, you can feel the warm air rush over your too hot skin as you run and the floor slams under your shared footsteps.

your decision has to be quick, the bathroom or the bedroom and you allow yourself a few moments you don’t have to think it over — opting for the bedroom, the doors open and you don’t have the time to kill to turn the handle to the bathroom.

but he’s trained, reflexes honed, he’s a killer after all — he can see your movements before you even make them, he can pick up on your body language or follow the direction you even do much as glance in.

and he’s right behind you when you when you make your little decision, fingertips already outstretched to reach and curl into the skin around the back of your neck.

you twist to your right, nearly losing your footing as you go to dart into the bedroom and slam the door, and your trip catches him off guard, makes him spit out a curse, only for a second. but he’s faster — your attempts to lose him, to shove him away are all in vain when you hear the heavy thud of the door hit the boot suddenly logged in the doorway instead of click into place when you try to slam it closed.

you can’t run anymore, you’re frozen when he comes into view as it bounces back open and you feel like you can finally take him in.

you can’t see his face, it’s covered by a mask — one you’ve seen a lot recently, october and all. it’s the season for them. but he’s a daunting presence from where he looms in the doorway, a muscle tight black shirt and black jeans—one arm resting against the doorway above him, not that it stretches far given his height. while the other almost mockingly, playfully lets the knife sway by his side — like he’s swinging intertwined hands or a purse, but it’s anything but.

no, it’s much more dangerous than that, he’s dangerous.

“gotcha. you’re a slippery little thing, aren’t ya?” he drawls in a sweet tone that almost turns your stomach, you can’t see his expression from behind the ghostface mask—but you can hear that he’s smiling, like he’s toying with his prey.

“please don’t! m-my boyfriend will be home soon, he’ll.. shit—he’ll track you down if you hurt me.“ you sound pathetic, whimpering and pleading, but fuck—he loves you like this, it’s exhilarating letting the blade tap along his covered temple like he’s scratching an itch before he’s cutting you off with disorienting grab to your jaw.

“oh, what’s wrong, doll? scared?” he grits but he knows you won’t answer with his palm now resting along your mouth to squeeze at your cheeks. black kanji barely visible under the dimly lit room, sin and punishment.

you can feel tears in your eyes, maybe it’s the way his fingertips are digging into your cheeks or maybe it’s him, his daunting presence and the blade in his other hand, and you feel yourself sway when he makes you look up at him.

you try to shove him off, turn back to try and run again but you’re snagged in his web now when he yanks you back down to earth. he takes you down heavily until your chest is hitting the mattress and you feel his hand clamp around your waist — reaching up between your breasts to squeeze his hand around your throat and drag you back a few measly inches until you’re against his chest.

“too bad, you could’ve made it too. but i think it’s about time i take my prize.” he growls, giving you a shake as his palm presses hard against the middle of your throat, making your eyes flutter before they widen when you feel cold metal smooth along the curve of your waist, and you finally go limp.

“atta girl. see, you’re a sweet little thing, just need a little time.. right?” his hips rub up against your ass with his words, letting you feel the impressive strain of his hard cock through his jeans, but then you feel him pull off of you to let his hand mould to your trembling thigh instead.

his fingertips squeeze at the skin before he’s twisting you onto your back and standing between your legs — almost menacing from this angle, but he lets you breathe.

“but you’re mine now.. so where should i start, hm?” he spits, voice straining under the weight of his desire as he lets his blade trace up the skin his hand used to occupy — featherlight along your thigh before it’s tracing along the waistband of your sweats, and he pauses with his next growl.

he lets it trace along your skin, up your abdomen until you’re tensing under his touch — adrenaline still making you shake when he groans and just barely drags the blade higher. “here?” he hums as he lets it rest against your chest, his movements careful and steady before he’s bringing the cool metal back down to your waistband. “or here?”

you really were the perfect, helpless victim.

“p-please.. please.” your voice is tight with need, lifting your hips to try and rock against his before his large, free palm is pressing you back tight against the mattress — tall stature looming over you as he lets the blade trace up by your neck, and he groans in delight at the wild look in your eyes he’s meet with.

“there we go, babydoll. that’s more like it, let me hear you beg for it.” he goads loudly, amused but wrecked when he lets his fingers trace down to squeeze at your pussy through your sweats, chuckling at the mess and warmth he can already feel beneath the fabric.

“oh, you’re a twisted little thing, aren’t you?” and fuck—does hanma love it.

you nod quickly, panting out sweet like uh-huhs followed by whispered pleas, like you’re chanting mantra’s as you squeeze your legs around his middle. “fuck me.. please, i’ll be good.. i’ll be quiet. just please.” you sound so pretty, like the perfect prey he knew you’d be — and he can’t wait any longer.

“that’s it. good fucking girl.” he breathes through clenched teeth before you hear the knife clatter on the floor at the other side of the room. he’s much too preoccupied with tearing through the fabric of your sweats and panties, panting hard when he yanks them down just enough to hang around one ankle, before he leans back to rip his pants and belt open afterwards.

finally seeing his cock twitch with the first sting of sexual freedom makes you arch, yearning when you let your eyes sweep over the thick curve of him.

his chest is heaving with heavy breathes as he takes you in beneath him, letting his fingers swipe through your folds to tease the slick gathered between them before he’s sinking two into your cunt. grunting when he’s not met with much resistance, but you hiss at the stretch his thick fingers provide you with — feeling it burn and sizzle into something that burns along your body.

he sinks them into you a few more times after that, scissoring them until you’re a puddle of mewls and whines and you’re basically fucking begging him to just hurry up and fuck you when you send him a doe-eyed look, thighs twitching when he rubs a few sticky circles into your clit before pulling his fingers out of you with a growl.

his slender fingers in sin wrap around the base of his cock before he’s letting his head roll back with a few rough strokes of his palm, pinning your hand above your head when you reach for him as he leans over your figure to rub the blunt head along your slick folds.

you’re not sure if it was the adrenaline, the chase and the anticipation igniting your veins but you’re fucking soaked, feeling the first silky grind of his cock split through your folds before it’s catching on your clit, making you both gasp and moan at the wet tacky sound that follows. “fuck sake, doll.”

you feel his palm press back hard against your throat when your legs curl around his waist, pulling him close as he pushes you so deep against the mattress your back arches.

you can hear the way he’s panting even behind the mask, fingers twitching into your skin everytime he pulls himself deeper into the desperate hug of your pussy.

“fuckin’ knew you wanted it, a pretty little thing like you all alone on a scary night like tonight.” the way your nodding is instinctive, driven by the way your desperately rubbing your slick along his throbbing cock — greedily trying to force him closer through each growled ramble from his lips. before he finally parts your folds and sinks into your twitching cunt. “f-fucking asking for it, weren’t you?”

you’re barely prepped and so fucking tight hanma thinks he might pass out now that’s finally wrapped in you, his large palms dragging your hips down onto his cock as your body shakes — lips parting to moan as your fingers twist in the fabric of his black shirt.

“look at me. fuck, eyes on me, babydoll. that’s it.” his words are an order, natural dominance dripping from his tone as he pushes past the spots inside of you that make you twitch. his fingers twist along your jaw once more to keep your gaze on him, until his hips are pressed tight against your own with a shameless, ragged moan that makes your long lashes flutter and kiss along your cheeks.

the way he drags his cock out of you is slow, wet after he’s given you a few moments to get used to the thick spread of him, and the first draw back of his hips feels like it lasts forever until only the blunt head remains.

but then he gives your cheeks a playful tap before his hands are back squeezing at your hips again, and the slap of his hips back into you almost knocks all of the air from your lungs.

everything about this, him. the chase, the hunt, the way he looks over you has only drove to this point, added to the twisting pleasure you feel stir in your abdomen, you’re wound up so tight and you feel like you could already burst when he grinds his cock into you, you’re already so close.

but his pace doesn’t let up, he’s driving his hips into yours like an animal as he fucks you into the mattress — pressing his pelvis tight against your slick folds with every wet connection of his hips as he swirls his hips into yours. “already? yeah? feel so fuckin’ tight.. pussy’s real fucking greedy.”

you can barely breathe with how deep it feels like he reaches, and his quick, intense pace only seems to grow heavier — your body jolting as he digs his cock up into your pussy.

hanma can hear your need, your want for him in the way your moaning pretty with each sharp exhale as you head tilts back, his grip dragging you along the bed as he pushes himself even deeper into you. he’s pressing up against the swollen spots inside of you and when you feel his fingers come to squeeze along the sides of your throat once more, all you can do is take it as you lose yourself in the controlled anaphylaxis that makes your head spin with pleasure.

“shu-shuji! it feels so good.” you gasp, and the sweet sound of your slip up, the sound of his name makes him shudder against you and grunt before he’s rushing to pull the mask over his head, throwing it on the floor beneath you. “holy shit—i know, babydoll. don’t hold back on me now.”

you’re finally able to take in the way his hair is flat, framing his handsome, flushed features and the blown, amber in his gaze when he sends you a crooked grin followed by another low groan as he sucks his lower lip between his teeth.

hanma curls himself over you with the next tight squeeze of your cunt around him, before he’s pulling you in for a kiss, it’s needy and wild and so much of him that it makes your pussy throb when he sucks on your tongue. he’s been waiting to taste you all fucking night.

his thrusts begin to lose their pace as he presses deep into your body, stuttering just as he begins to lose himself in you. in the pleasure he’s earned, the pleasure he owns. “my babydoll. ran so hard for me, did so fuckin’ good.”

you feel hanma’s palm squeeze around your thigh before he’s hiking it higher around his hips and the new angle only fans the fire your orgasm sparks along your veins, feeling him pull away from your lips to mouth at your throat as he digs your orgasm out of you himself.

“fucking cum for me, doll.” he grits before your body seems to listen, your orgasm hitting you so hard and good that it almost hurts as your toes curl, fingers moving to claw along hanma’s shoulders as you cream around his cock.

but he doesn’t stop, not even when you’re panting and gasping with each shockwave of bliss below him — the vibration of his groans echoing somewhere deep in his chest as his cock throbs inside of your soaked cunt.

“pussy’s made to fuckin’ take me. mmm, shit.. yeah? my fuckin’ pussy.” his pace stutters at the milking compression of your walls, gritting his teeth before he curses and groans sharp. his amber gaze is narrowed between your bodies to watch your cream pool around the base of his cock, your walls throbbing with every unforgiving push of his hips before hes kissing you once more as he cums, just as he likes.

hanma cums thick and heavy inside of you when he feels your tongue push against his, swallowing both of your groans into the kiss as he pushes his load into your puffy cunt. he’s slurring curses against your lips as he almost pins you completely, continuing to fuck into your sensitive pussy until you’re both spent and he’s rolling off of you with a long sigh.

you let the silence settle as you both catch your breath, turning to meet his gaze from where he’s peeking at you underneath where his forearm rests over his eyes.

“shuji, you’re too fast! it’s no fair!” you start, and your usual tone of voice only seems to draw hanma in as he returns to his place leaning over you, pressing a gentle kiss against your pouty lips that’s a sharp contrast to how hard he’s just fucked you.

“that’s ‘cause im a killer, doll.” he hums before he’s playfully biting at your cheek, chuckling when you swat him back into his previous position on his back with another cute pout that makes him pull you against his chest anyway.

“i so wouldve got away too.” you try to reason but it only makes your boyfriend chuckle, amused as you brush the dual coloured hair away from his face when he looks at you — catching your hand with his own before he’s giving your fingers a short peck and resting them both against his chest.

“bullshit, they always kill the hottest ones first. you were never making it to the sequel.”

© 2022 garoujo. please do not copy any of my layouts or writing and translate or repost onto any other sites.

[shoyoist]

REKHA! (taps mic) I’m here to share some thoughts about how I think Kakucho would be the world’s best boyfriend. Here’s why:

ONE. Kakucho is the perfect embodiment of good, in every way you could possibly imagine.

TWO. His love language is acts of service; I can feel it in my tiddies, I just don’t know how to elaborate.

THREE. He’s a great cooker—he doesn’t even hesitate to get up and cook something for you when you’re hungry. Bonus: he looks really hot while cooking with only his boxers and an apron. (Jesus, the take the wheel. No, take the whole damn car because I’m going insane just thinking about it.)

FOUR. He is so attentive to you and so protective. You know that video where a guy covers sharp edges so the girl doesn’t get hurt? And he’s careful so she doesn’t trip? Or hit her head because she’s too distracted? Well, that’s Kakucho. His reflexes to keep you safe come as naturally as breathing.

FIVE. He’s such a good kisser—the type of kisses that makes your brain melt. You can’t even think. It’s like his kisses takes you to another dimension and only the two of you exist. The tongue and lip biting and sucking and hickies… and…. and… Oh, god. I need him really bad.

SIX. I feel like he’s a gentle giant, you know? I mean, he looks intimidating, and for fucks sake, he’s a delinquent, but I feel like outside of that, he’s so gentle…unfortunately I don’t know how to explain LMAO. But anyway, he’s the softest when he’s with you. He’s romantic and chivalrous; he brings you flowers, your favorite snacks and thoughtful gifts.

SEVEN. He can’t fall asleep without you. He needs to be cuddling so he can feel your scent and the warmth of your body. His face needs to be on your neck or your chest. It literally calms him enough so he can relax his body and fall asleep. His best nights of sleep are when you’re by his side.

EIGHT. (glue mic on lips) and his fuckgn MONSTERCOCK HE’S SO THICK AND LONG AND PRETTY AND THE HAPPY TRAIL!!!!! THE FCUHKN HAPPY TRAIL I’M DROOLING JUST THINKING ABOUT IT

NINE. I read this somewhere and thought I should add it here because that’s exactly what Kakucho deserves for being… Kakucho: He deserves the nastiest, sloppiest, toe curling, back arching, leg twitching, fingernail scratching, lip biting, butt clenching, sheet gripping, eye rolling, life changing, tear jerking, gob smacking, mouth watering, mind shattering, planet shifting, soul sucking, gut wrenching, reality altering, tornado twist, bed breaking, mattress soaking, vacuum seal, blood curdling, knee buckling head ever.

TEN. In conclusion, Kakucho is the best. 10/10

Thank you for your time Rekha, and sorry I can’t be normal about him. <3

GIGGLING YOU'RE SO RIGHT RUMI SO RIGHT!!!! he's constantly on the wait for a call from you when he knows you're out— he always insists on driving or walking you wherever you want to go, but sometimes you're out with friends or family so he can't just tag along (it makes him sad but he knows you need your own time! while you're not around he lets izana drag him around wherever he wants to take him LMAO) but he's aaalways checking his phone, just in case you need a ride home or if something went wrong and you need him to pick you up... he's ready to be there for you! he worries quite a lot too, bless his heart ;(

along with acts of service kakucho also enjoys spending time with you<3 if it was up to him he'd never let you be apart from him— he's so comforted and secure to know that you're by his side, safe and happy with him. he fears losing you, has nightmares about it even, so it's always so calming for him when he wakes up in the middle of the night and realizes that you're still asleep in his arms, snuggling up to his bare chest and stealing his warmth<3 ++ SO RIGHT ON THE PROTECTIVE INSTINCT !!!! every time you open a cabinet and squat down to go through it, he's got a hand on the top edge so you dont bump your head there. opens doors for you too, the door to your house, your room, your car, shops, restaurants, you name it!

and i think that even though kaku is sooo big and he's so naturally good at intimacy because of his passionate need for it, he's inexperienced. my baby<33 he doesn't like the idea of having sex with just anyone, he wants love, a real emotional connection— which he never really managed to find until he met you. he's all blushy and wide-eyed and godd he doesn't know what to say while you've got your little mouth wrapped around his dick<333 and when he gets used to it he gets so so good at giving you just the kind of praise you want to hear. "my princess" is one of his favourite petnames to whisper in your ear when he's got you folded in half. "doing so fuckin' well for me, my princess. pretty thing, i love you."

[canonicallyanxious]

hi! saw your last anon and sorry if this is annoying, but just wanted to ask u a question. i don’t know anything about d20 (assuming it’s like a d&d game) but i did watch all the free game changer episodes on yt and i’m lowkey obsessed and want more. is d20 the same kind of vibe, assuming it’s the same people? for someone who isn’t and has never played d&d would you reccommend starting d20? i kinda don’t want to pay for dropout, so maybe i’ll start with that :) have a nice day!

not an annoying question don't worry!! in fact i feel like i have to apologize in turn because i already know i'm going to be incapable of being normal about answering this question lol but me being verbose as hell on main, what else is new, etc. etc.

Re: whether d20 has a similar vibe to game changer -

so i'd say you're right in that d20 involves many of the people that are featured on game changer since they're both produced by collegehumor/dropout. as you might know Brennan Lee Mulligan who appears pretty often on game changer is the main DM for d20, and since d20 is an anthology show the casts rotate out every season but one of the most frequently recurring casts incudes Zac Oyama, Ally Beardsley, and Lou Wilson who are also pretty frequent guests of game changer [the others were also involved with Collegehumor at some point, can't remember if they've been on gc tho]. collegehumor folks sometimes appear in other seasons as well - for example rekha shenkar and lily du have been in multiple d20 seasons, jess ross and mike trapp have also featured, and there's even one season that's oops all collegehumor folks called Mice and Murder which is basically holmesian style turn of the century murder mystery but everyone is an anthropomorphized animal [dropout exclusive but the first ep is on the d20 yt channel]. so if you vibe with the humor and the personalities of the people who feature a lot on game changer, it's likely you will vibe with the humor and tone of d20 too!

that said, given that game changer is styled after a traditional competitive game show and d20 is an actual play show where people play tabletop rpgs together they are very different in the sense of genre. d20, while largely improvised [which believe me is a fact that will probably be hard to believe when watching it but is entirely true], is very much a collaborative storytelling effort between the people involved and makes very concerted efforts to present a tight and cohesive narrative through their seasons. so d20 is great if you like fictional narratives and fun and colorful characters, but if you want more traditionally unscripted content like gamechanger i recommend checking out:

dirty laundry [which is actually a spin-off of a gamechanger episode; hosted by Lily Du, first ep available on the CH yt channel]

make some noise [unfortunately i think right now all the make some noise eps are also dropout exclusive, here i have linked to the trailer, but it is another spinoff based on this honestly iconic game changer ep wherein Josh Ruben, Brennan Lee Mulligan, and Zac Oyama make weird sounds at each other and it's the funniest thing in the world]

Um, Actually [nerdy trivia game show hosted by Mike Trapp]

Rank Room [fyi it's an older show and they don't make it anymore but i still think it's a fun watch; hosted by Katie Marovich]

[do u see what i mean. i thought this first question would be a short answer skdfjnsdkjfnsdns so uh deep apologies for what will come after this bc i have THOUGHTS about your second question]

Re: would i recommend d20 for someone who has no experience with d&d -

short answer: yes absolutely 100%.

long answer: why do i so enthusiastically recommend d20 for people who have never played dnd? because i am a people who has never played dnd and d20 is one of my favorite shows ever! tbh i do think i am kind of biased as d20 is really the only actual play show i've ever been able to get into and i'm sure there are plenty of other shows out there that work for other people [if you're a podcast person for example you have tons of good options, i however am Not] but there are a number of reasons why I personally enjoy d20 as an actual play show:

I often struggle with other actual play shows because of how long and meandering they are. I think this is more of a personal preference thing because even when reading/watching more traditional forms of media i always tend to prefer tighter narratives with a clear ending in mind [e.g a 3 season show with a good finale is more compelling to me than an ongoing 10 season show with no ending in sight] but because d20 is an anthology show and each season is more or less a self-contained story aside from the few sequels i find it much easier to keep my attention on the episodes. to be sure the eps are still quite long, most ranging from 1.5-2 hours, but brennan + the other dms they feature on d20 do a really good job of keeping the pace moving while still giving the players freedom to explore the world and make their own narrative choices [which i think is one big appeal actual play shows has over other forms of media, the improvised and collaborative nature of the storytelling versus something that's already been fully scripted beforehand].

another thing i struggle with is how cumbersome dnd combat can be, personally i don't think it's the most accessible especially for people who have no ttrpg experience but d20's combat actually works pretty well for me because 1. they plan their combats before the season starts and especially in the earlier seasons of d20 they stuck pretty strictly to alternating between roleplay versus combat episodes so it's easier for me when i know kind of what to expect and 2. because they plan their combats in advance they are able to build INCREDIBLE custom battle sets with custom minis [shout out to Rick Perry!] and for me the visuals really help me keep my attention on the combat versus when combat is more theater of the mind [which to be clear does sometimes still happen in d20]. Tbh i still think combat can be a little clunky especially in the earlier seasons of d20 but i think the show has always gone to a lot of effort to create really creative and engaging combats for both the players and the audience and as it's gone on they've only gotten better at achieving this

in that vein i think the fact that d20 is 1. entirely filmed and 2. edited very well is VERY helpful for someone like me who has traditionally struggled with podcasts because the lack of visual context makes it hard to stay focused. as far as the editing goes i know some people prefer more of a livestream feel but just for me personally having the editing and the different camera angles and the sound cues and the music [d20 is really good at picking royalty free music for their soundtracks btw may i just say] gives me something more concrete to focus on and keeps it more visually interesting. and i do feel that they still make an effort to preserve the more natural/organic feel of ttrpgs by limiting their cuts story wise and focusing a lot on player reactions in the moment so for me it kind of hits the best of both worlds!

personally i think the choice for d20 to cast a lot of talented improv comedians is fucking inspired, especially when the show is so comedy-oriented. improv comedians are good at making bold choices on their feet, crafting rich characters while improvising their dialogue on the spot, and collaborating with each other, which are all skills that are very helpful for an actual play show context and everyone they cast on d20 is SO talented at all of these things. there are some players on d20 who also have little to no experience with dnd [notably Ally Beardsley has only ever officially played dnd on camera for d20; Rekha Shenkar and Mike Trapp in Escape From the Bloodkeep were also very new to dnd at the time] which on the one hand i think helps audience members like me who are inexperienced with dnd knowing some of the players are in the same boat but also they tend to make some of the wildest most out of the box choices as a result of being new to the game. so i think ultimately it's just a really fun combination and it's so much fun to watch in action!

and just a few more reasons why I consider d20 a favorite in a more general sense:

I mean Brennan Lee Mulligan as d20's main DM is a HUGE draw of d20 in my opinion. like if you were already a fan of him from game changer or other college humor content i think you will especially appreciate him in d20 because he is absolutely in his element here. actually last year i made a ppt for my friends about why i like d20 so much so here is a relevant excerpt:

i want to emphasize that d20 is a comedy-oriented show so tonally comedy is what it will prioritize. however i also want to emphasize that this does not mean it pulls any punches with the emotional depths it's able to reach. the themes and the worlds and the characters are SO rich and complex and compelling and I think i have experienced basically every human emotion and then some while watching this show. i also think it's incredibly character driven and does an amazing job of prioritizing character and relationship development and player agency, which is one of my favorite things to see in any kind of show!

and conceptually i just think it's so much fucking fun! it being an anthology show means there is something in here for everyone but i have enjoyed every season i have watched immensely [which is all of them except for one!] and have found it remarkably easy to become invested in every single one. you want to know what it would be like if dnd took place in a john hughes style teenage coming of age movie? or what if lord of the rings was about the bad guys but also it’s a workplace comedy? or how about an urban fantasy story set in modern day new york with a secret sixth borough hidden away in the world of dreams? you can have it all and more from d20! and this is just the seasons that are available on yt for FREE there are so many other cool and fun stories and worlds and dms to engage with!!!

tl;dr it's a good show and i like it very very much thank you for coming to my ted talk

[elliesgaymachete]

post/674378474101899264/not-me-crying-at-the-new-game-changer- definitely in my top 5 game changer episodes, I start crying went telling people about it. When Sam told the one rule,I immediately when F* U Sam. Then Remembered Jess's answer about crying at commercials in the first episode. By the second half, I was all you son of a b* Sam,you literally made an episode to reverse roast Jess for 20+ minutes. THEN the practice ceremony.. THEN THE PAID FOR HONEYMOON!!!! Sorry for rant, emotions.

Bruh the reveal when Rekha starts reading her letter for Jess and you’re like SOMETHING IS GOING ON HERE and then when (I’m sorry I don’t remember his name but) the other contestant who was supposed to be like the best man at her wedding read his speech that was when I was like ohh hmm mayhaps this has something to do with the wedding that never happened 👀 (also proposing during a game of dnd? That’s heckin’ cute tbh)

But man at the end I was just cryin it was so good 😭

[discotreque]

Disco 3.09: Terra Firma (Part 1)

That scene of [spoiler] flat on the ground getting just systematically pummeled by [spoiler]—punch after punch after punch after punch—was a perfect metaphor for what the themes this season have been doing to me emotionally. It’s been a pleasant, if occasionally heart-wrenching, surprise to feel something about this show besides “whoa, cool CGI!” or bone-chilling dread—but hopefully Season 4 won’t feel quite so much like it’s being aired directly at me.

So I went zero for two on last week’s predictions in the first goddamn scene, lmao. Turns out the post-TNG combadge on Vor’s early-TNG uniform was just a VFX mixup in the trailer, since he’s seen with the correct oval-backed delta in the actual episode—so that’s neither a meaningful plot element nor a cute inside joke about historical accuracy over the centuries, shame. Still got to see Gersha Phillips’s take on a spandex front-zip, though—that piping! *chef’s kiss*

I also thought Georgiou’s condition was “obviously” something engineered by David Cronenberg’s character (subtitles say his name is Kovich). Apparently he didn’t cause what’s happening to her; he’s just here to explain it. Now if only he’d explain what the fuck is up with his tie...

Speaking of the unfortunate Lt. Cmdr. Yor—he was from the fucking Kelvin timeline??? I wasn’t sure they’d ever acknowledge that in prime canon—and I don’t think the mainline Trek universe has ever been called “the prime universe” diagetically until now, either. (“Why not The Mongooses? That’s a good team name! The Fighting Mongooses.”) I especially love what a small connection it is: one guy crossed over from there, a long time ago, in what was apparently a one-off incident. (He also arrived a year before Lower Decks S1 is set—will we see an animated Vor on the Cerritos next year?)

Tilly: *aggressively eats lunch with you*

You can see how the hope and idealism of Discovery’s crew has softened Admiral Vance—his conversation with Captain Saru was so mentorly and almost tender that it gave me the terrible, terrible feeling that his character growth, and especially his soft “See you when you get back,” mean that he’s definitely going to be killed by Ossyra before they actually get back :(

Likewise, Georgiou’s goodbye scene with Saru and Tilly was a transparent attempt to manipulate my emotions, and guess what? I was successfully manipulated 😭😭😭

As a “computer person” myself, I found Adira forgetting to un-pause their descrambling program—then thinking, since it wasn’t running, it had broken—almost painfully relatable 😩 Also in that scene, Stamets sticks up for Gray’s presumable intentions in (sorry for this...) ghosting Adira (...it was right there!), and Adira says, correctly, “but he doesn’t get to decide what’s good for me”—and speaking of painfully relatable moments, I loved Stamets’s reaction there.

When you’re an adult of a certain age and you’re talking to someone a fair bit younger, you’re sometimes confronted with the uncomfortable reality that wisdom rarely comes from quantity of experience alone. To grow wise, you have to experience things that teach you important lessons, and you have to be willing to learn from those things. That can happen at 16 or 46, and realizing it’s more about luck than time when you’re closer to 46 than 16 can give you a little existential vertigo. It’s a lovely grace note in Stamets and Adira’s relationship (and Anthony and Blu’s performances!) that Paul doesn’t always have the high ground when it comes to emotional intelligence.

SPEAKING OF PERFORMANCES, just drive a truck full of Emmy statues up to the Martin-Green household and dump it out on the lawn. Every one of Prime Michael’s pangs of hurt and confusion and desperate affection for Phillipa comes through loud and clear—and Mirror Michael is just unhinged. Sonequa Martin-Green is one of the greatest acting talents any Star Trek production has ever had, she’s clearly having the time of her life sinking her teeth into this role, and it’s a genuine fucking privilege to watch her work every week. I can’t decide whether I want Evil Michael Burnham to have a SUPERLATIVELY AWESOME death scene or show up again down the line as a recurring villain—but this is Star Trek, so you never know, we could easily get both.

David Ajada shows up to collect a paycheque, ask Saru if there’s room in the A-plot yet for Book (not this week, sadly), and walk around looking like the goddamn Wikipedia entry for "compulsory heterosexuality" in yet another long black sweater from H&M’s 2019 "Gender? I don’t know her" collection. (Face it: there’s no man more attractive than a fictional one written by a lesbian.)

I guessed last week (privately; no points) that the barren planet we saw them on in the trailers was going to have some kind of Guardian of Forever situation, but I didn’t expect Paul Guilfoyle to be there, and I did not expect Carl—who, sort of like how Book has a Star Wars vibe, feels right out of Doctor Who.

(The only other headline in Carl’s newspaper that I could make out, by the way, besides the big one about the emperor, was about the USS Jenolan having gone missing—the ship that crashed into the Dyson Sphere with Scotty in its transporter buffer, as seen in TNG’s “Relics.” Easter egg? Or plot point???)

Michelle Yeoh has been so great in so many ways on this show, but she outdoes herself in this episode, in every single scene. Just like Michael Burnham, Georgiou was conceived as a one-season character—she wasn’t designed to have room to grow—and Season 2 didn’t really do anything to write her out of that corner. Season 3, though, has done a really compelling job of giving her interesting things to do and interesting ways to change.

And sending her back to the motherfucking Mirror Universe is possibly the most interesting way to show just how much she has changed, holy shit. (I guess Carl didn’t read about the Interdimensional Displacement Restrictions in that newspaper of his.)

There are two legitimate reasons for sending characters to an AU with extremely out-of-character doppelgangers: to highlight something about our regulars through contrast, and/or to let the actors vamp. The MU arc in Season 1 was grim and almost entirely joyless, and didn’t really shine a light on anything in the prime universe—it was just a generic escalation of stakes for our heroes. The Klingon War was the frying pan, and the MU was the fire.

This time we actually learn things about these people: Georgiou, of course, but also that the “real�� Captain Killy has a lot more of Prime Tilly’s trademark nervous disposition than Prime Tilly pretending to be Captain Killy. (Too bad Killy’s destined to get blown up by Klingons with the ISS Disco in the Prime Universe.) It was also a ton of fun to see Rhys and Owo as deadly rivals, Rekha Sharma as Evil(...er?) Landry again, and Bryce throwing knives in the mess hall—at, please correct me if I’m wrong, a brunette Hannah Cheeseman as an un-augmented Airiam?????

Also, I don’t know why they got Mirror Stamets of all people (inventor of the evil spore drive—not, as far as we know, also an evil slam poet) for that dramatic recital at the evil ribbon dance, except I know exactly why: he’s played by Anthony Rapp, who’s a goddamn treasure. And Georgiou changed the timeline here—Mirror Stamets was still alive to get phasered by Mirror Lorca in S1—but I hope we come back to the MU in Season 5 and Stamets is somehow, inexplicably, still around—only to get killed in a hilariously blasé way again, because—again—he genuinely sucks at like, the logistics of betraying people.

Finally, those adorable little DOT-7 drones... but make them eeeeeeeevil.

Next week: We must leave behind all of that which destroys us. A mood for 2021 if ever I’ve heard one. (Plus, Mirror Saru grabs a dude—either Mirror Culber or someone else in medical red—and bodyslams said dude into the ceiling, which... is also a mood for 2021, tbh.)