#see i like the first bring it on. big fan of that

[essenceofcreativedisposition]

Hit the nail on the head there for sure.

I'm guessing this is their way to keep people from "boycotting" it just because it's a live action remake. A lot of times people get furious that the live action remakes cut too much or changed too much from what their animated version had. Heck I've seen arguments for it being shot or shown differently before. I think the big execs who really know nothing about the hearts of films but know that nostalgia brings in the cash decided that if it's made scene for scene, since the blue print is all right there in 3D space already, then they'll secure both the avid fans and people who are reluctant about remakes.

I mean it saves them tons on hiring for the preproduction side sadly if they're going that route too. Because this way they need fewer opinions to discuss and brainstorm new ways to tell the story and new ways to bring back the emotion we felt when we first saw the movie. It's honestly a bit scary. I don't want all my cartoon favorites turned live action for the sake of "grit" without it offering a legit new angle for me to appreciate the story itself.

I probably won't be seeing this in any theater if it's really just done shot for shot because it's not going to be offering anything new. I LOVE HTTYD. I remember being enchanted by the flying scenes so much it solidified in my mind that I needed to change my university major to art and animation because it truly made me feel like I could soar.

Live actions aren't the problem. The problem is execs chocking the writing and art departments so much till we're left with clones of every other film we've ever loved.

laughing at the entire conceit of live action httyd being "animation is for babies so we HAVE to remake this shot-for-shot in live action" but also they need to sell a new wave of plushies at universal studios orlando so toothless still looks like a fucking cartoon character

[soo0hee]

His Good Kitten

Pairing — Yoon Jeonghan x afab!Reader

Summary — It wasn't planned that you had to stay back while Jeonghan flew out of country for a schedule. While understandable, you weren't all that pleased with your boyfriend upon coming back home...

Genre — smut, established relationship, idol!au, hybrid!au

Warnings — penetrative sex, unprotected sex (be safe babes), heavy makeout session, tell me if i missed sumn

Word Count — 1.7k

A/N — @svtiddiess It's finished wifey!!

Rating — nsfw

Disclaimer: this fic is written and copyrighted by ©soo0hee on tumblr. do not rewrite or repost on any other plattforms without my permission.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED!

When Jeonghan had left for Berlin to attend the Saint Laurent Fashion Show, he had left his very disgruntled Cat hybrid behind in Seoul to stay with his members.

On a normal schedule, he probably would have taken you with him, you were after all not just his Hybrid, but his girlfriend too, but this time was different. Not that he wanted to leave you behind, no that wasn’t it at all. It was more an issue with the Airline that had told him the seats were fully booked and that humans had a higher priority then Hybrids had.

HE had been pissed when the Company had told him that but there was nothing he could have done. His flight was full and you would stay home for a few days while he was almost 15 flight hours away.

This wasn’t up for debate in any way and so he had kissed you goodbye, ignoring the irritated twitch of your fuzzy black ear on top of your head and whining about how unfair it was and that he should just stay home with you.

The screaming of his fans had been like music to his ears, waving happily at the European carats that for once had the luck of at least seeing 1 member of Seventeen in their country.

The vocalist was still glad once he was back inside the aircraft on the way home.

The members, especially Seungcheol and Joshua, had dropped by his apartment, bringing his kitten food and keeping you company throughout his days in Germany to keep him updated on how you were doing. And so he knew that you were sulking big time.

You loved his members, always having fun with them whenever you were hanging out but this time, you were not exactly sunshine and flowers about that.

He also didn’t know what to expect when he got home but he was not surprised that instead of basically running him over upon entering their home, he was being ignored. Finding you in front of the TV, napping on your special fluffy bean bag while some Drama was running for background noise, he had dropped his bags on the couch to put away later.

You had not even twitched with your tail at his presence.

It had greatly amused him even now, days later was he rather amused at your behavior.

While it would seem like you were truly mad at him to others, he knew the truth. Knew that behind all the petty hissing, annoyed tail flicking, rolling eyes and typical cat behaviors that came with your instincts as a feline hybrid, there was a lonely kitten, waiting for her loved one to come back to her and end her misery.

Yes, the broken vase from the kitchen table or the scratch on his arm were minor inconveniences but nothing he couldn’t handle and certainly nothing that could make him love you any less.

What he did not find funny was the ignoring of his affections. Cuddling was not allowed, kisses strictly forbidden and hand holding had earned him a nasty hiss the first day he had been back.

That had all been very much nit to his liking but acceptable for him.

However now, he was staring down at the bleeding gash on the inside of his arms and that was had his jaw tense. The pain itself was bearable and while stinging, nothing to the pain his various injuries as an idol had brought him.

Judging by the wide, horrified eyes he was staring into right now, you were just as shocked as he was. The well kept manicured claws on your fingers were pressed to your chest, almost like you were hugging yourself away from him and trying to hide.

“I– I’m sorry Hannie! I wasn’t– I didn’t want to, but I was– and you, you were just laughing and I–“ you stammered out, tears already filling those beautiful eyes he loved so much and had the situation been different, he would have pulled you into his arms already. But right now, hugging you was the last thing on his mind. Instead he was glaring harshly at you and in the back of his mind the little voice yelled at him for making you flinch and back up a step or two.

“Jeonghannie I–“ your high pitched panicked voice fell on silent ears, and nervously you stared at the hand he held up to stop your rambling and get you to listen to him for once.

Harsher then he had ever spoken to you he growled out a forced quiet, “Quiet.”

Jeonghan turned his arm a bit to get a better view on the damage your claws had done to his skin before looking back up.

“You know, I get being angry I really do. But this time you went to far? Why are you being such a brat about something I, the company nor you had any influence in? It’s not like I made you stay back because I didn’t want you there, but right now I really don’t want to see your face!”

The second the words had left his lips Jeonghan already wanted to take them back. He watched the tears spilling over while you whirled around just to escape into your own room. A room you rarely ever used and that had probably so much dust collecting on the surfaces that you could draw on them.

You didn’t come out until late in the night. To busy sulking you had curled up on your bed, the missing scent of your boyfriend frustrating you to no end.

You hadn’t truly been mad at Jeonghan. His reaction to his bleeding arm more then understandable and even if you didn’t like admitting it, deserved. That didn’t mean that his words about not wanting to see you didn’t hurt.

The noises Jeonghan made while getting ready for bed could be heard even through the door and when they stopped entirely, you knew that he was deeply buried into your shared blankets.

You huffed, missing his warm embrace as you sat in the dark of your room. The LED clock on the bedside table being the only source of light.

0:34 am

Crawling down from the mattress you moved towards the door. The hallway was dark just like you had thought and the only sound your sensitive ears could make out was the humming of the AC.

Your boyfriend didn’t move an inch when you opened the door, pretending to be asleep until you had gotten comfortable under the blanket while clinging onto his back.

“Hey kitten.” He hummed with his eyes closed.

“Hey…” you whispered back, face hiding in the back of his shirt.

“You know that I didn’t mean to yell at you, right?”

This time it was your turn to hum at him.

“And that you will only ever be my good girl, right?”

Jeonghan turned around just to be met with loud purring rumbling from your throat and mouth pressed to his. Lips forcefully claiming his own in a way to try and get him to submit to your will. Jeonghan didn’t budge for a second, hand coming up to hold your face and tilt it away to look at you.

“Hanniiie…” you whined, pleading for him to do something about the heat building in between your legs. Being called his good girl had always had that affect. [Eunha I don’t want to hear a thing!]

“What’s wrong darling girl? Hm? Got something to say?” he teased lazily and bit his lip.

“Need you. Missed you” It wasn’t a lie. You did miss his company over the last few days and right now, all you wanted was for Jeonghan to show your where your belonged and if that meant to be stuffed full, dripping cum and tears of pleasure running down your face.

“Oh you missed me? Well we can’t have that, do we now? Any idea what we could do about it?”

Your ear twitched when you felt his fingers wander further south.

“Play with me, please…” you sighed and Jeonghan chuckled.

“Oh gladly!”

He rolled on top of you and in between your legs, catching your wandering hands with his and held them together above your head.

“Let me make it up to you baby.” The vocalist whispered gently. You shivered at the husky tone, knees parted and tail swishing around, excitedly thumping against the soft mattress of the bed in anticipation of what was to come.

Jeonghan, just as impatient as you were almost ripped through the fabric of your clothes until you were stark naked before stripping himself. Hard cock pressing against your dripping cunt causing you both to moan at the friction.

He aligned himself with your hole, pushing in without further ado and enjoying the tight heat around his cock.

“Please Han, fuck me!”

Jeonghan didn’t let himself be told twice. Knowing that you could take it when he was rough he started a thrusting, finding a fast and hard rhythm that left you breathless.

“Such a good girl, taking me so well and sounding so cute all whiney for me to fuck her.” His voice went right to your head, clenching down and causing the man to groan as he got closer to cumming along with you.

“Can I cum? Please let me cum…”

“Cum with me, kitten!”

Your eyes rolled back as you felt Jeonghan spill his seed inside you, lips mouthing down your throat, nipping on the sweaty skin hard enough for you to know that he would leave bruises.

You came down from your high, only now noticing that you had worked Jeonghan’s back over with your claws.

“Sorry.” You mock gasped at him. Jeonghan snickered, knowing that you weren’t sorry in the slightest before fully laying down on top of you.

“Liar.”

“But you love it.” You purred playfully.

“That I do. I love you.”

[bumblebeehug]

When do u think Natsu actually realized that he fell for Lucy and i know he treats her differently but can u give moments where it's initiated from his side?

This is going to be a long post so buckle up!

Okay, first of all: the Phantom Lord arc. Though I don't think he fell in love with her at that point of time, I think it was the events that seriously solidified his partialness to her. I'd go into detail but I can already feel a long post incoming, so I'll keep it short: Lucy telling Natsu that she loves being a Fairy Tail wizard, while crying over the fact that she didn't want to leave ↓

After just trusting her life in Natsu, jumping from an insanely high tower, with a mere belief that maybe she had heard him in the distance – I think it struck a chord with Natsu. Like, it would be normal to cry after a fall like that, but Lucy wasn't concerned about that aspect. Her head and heart was all about the guild, how she didn't want to go, and that resonates with Natsu. Natsu's entire life at that point is 1) Finding Igneel, and 2) being with/protecting the guild.

Then I'd say it's a pretty gradual build in their relationship. They go on a lot of missions, hang out together, and just in general spend a lot of time connecting. There's some Natsu-saves-Lucy, some Lucy-saves-Natsu, some hand holding (tenrou arc I won't forget about that, thank you anime team for adding that scene), and then comes the next pivotal moment. GMG arc and the dragon festival that follows.

By then I'd say Natsu and Lucy are very much in this friends-with-emotional-benefit zone: much more than friends, absolutely not yet lovers. But with Lucy's near-death experiences in her battles, Natsu has to refrain himself from getting involved each time Lucy gets beaten up - he becomes helpless, and the worry that's sowed inside of him gets watered each time Lucy still puts his faith in him, still trusts him to come out a winner. That entire section when Lucy's in the infirmary and she tells Natsu that her entire being trusts that Natsu can do anything, I think that's when Natsu falls in love.

Now wait!! He still doesn't quite understand that he loves her. But he understands that his feelings for Lucy are more tender than any other feelings he's ever had. He treasures her in a new, heavier way. She's become precious to him.

Precious. Where have we heard that... oh >:) ↓

Now the Dragon Festival was LETHAL in a trillion ways, but especially for nalu fans. The whole Future Lucy plot and the forehead touches and the Future Natsu and Future Lucy fighting in a wasteland moments and the Natsu skipping the final GMG match to save Lucy. And of course. Future Lucy dying. It's not the first time we see Natsu get so heavily affected - it happened in the tower of heaven, when Erza was ready to give her life up. But it is the first time we see Natsu see a friend die. Like, a team mate, someone who he's responsible for bringing to the guild. And after the whole GMG conundrum? Had a single more bad thing happened Lucy during the dragon festival, he’d probably turn into a demon right there and then. Dare I even say: their relationship was the strongest at this point in time.

After the GMG and the Dragon Festival, we get the Sun Village arc (I don’t like the Eclipse celestial spirit arc so I’m not counting it, same with Key of the Starry Sky arc — technically some nalu moments but not exactly building imo) and then another big one: Tartaros. Ooooh brother, THE best arc of all times, wish Mashima knew how to replicate it. But alas, he doesn’t.

The Tartaros arc isn’t exactly a pivotal moment where Natsu “falls in love” but rather an important aspect to understand his later actions. Like this guy goes through some pretty grusome stuff, learns a lot of complicated, bad things about himself, and finishes off the arc with losing Igneel — his father that he's spent ages searching for. Natsu's entire life is turned upside down, so he decides that he has to become stronger: cue, he heads off for a year to train.

His time away isn't very elaborated on — not from Natsu's viewpoint or Lucy's. But I think it's understood that he chose not to bring along Lucy because she could be put into danger too much for him to be able to concentrate on building his strength: he knew his training would be dangerous. During this time we also have the Gildarts-scene in chapter (idk i can't be bothered to look it up but y'all know the one ↓) which is kinda debated on — who was Natsu talking about here?

I'm still not certain on if it was a heart to heart on the Igneel-matter, or if it was about his guilt of leaving Lucy behind, like many theorise. I'm not even certain that it's limited to one of them — he could be talking about both. But at the very least, this entire year was one of those "distance makes the heart grow fonder" moments for him. He wanted to get back to his normal life with Lucy so bad. After all, it wasn't like him showing up at the GMG was in order to meet Lucy — had he wanted more training after that, he'd head off again, but I don't think he could physically bring himself to do it, even if it hadn't turned out that the guild had disbanded. Though that's just me speculating a bit.

And about the guild disbandment: oh jolly, he was not happy. He had finally taken the step to grow stronger to protect everyone in his beloved guild, and here Makarov went and disbanded it? Leaving Lucy completely alone? Lucy, who once jumped from a hella high tower because she was just so devoted to stay in the Fairy Tail guild? Yeah, I think that broke him a little. At this point there was just so much guilt involved around his whole relationship with Lucy, because now he had put her through so much pain only because he brought her to Fairy Tail that day in Hargeon.

The next arcs I'd say Natsu's trying to spend his time redeeming himself for the countless things he's done bad (getting the guild back together, just generally staying by Lucy's side as much as possible). And naturally he keeps getting hit by challenge after challenge (it's not easy to be a book written by his immortal brother, yk?). And it's even harder to watch Lucy die again, this time for real (he thinks bc he's stupid and also has a tumour that's nothing less than a ticking bomb) (give this guy a break lol).

Anyways: Lucy's death nr2. Natsu can't live a life without her. Now I know — he still doesn't quite understand that it's romantic love, but I think he does understand that it's pure love. No matter if kissing and reproducing was involved, all he knew was that a life without Lucy is completely unimaginable, so blinded by rage he becomes and decides to decapitate everyone in his way (sorry about that Gray).

The last couple of moments I'll go out of my way to mention as signs of love is 1. when he's won over Acnologia and falls towards Lucy, crazy relieved, saying "I'm home", 2. Gajeel pointing out Natsu's crush on Anna, Natsu basically saying "oh that's why I like Lucy so much" (I embellished it lol) and 3. "We're still gonna be together from here on out, right?" yeah that man won't ever leave her. Ever. It's just not an option.

Now since I've only talked about specific moments, here's what I have to say about his relationship with her in general:

Throughout the main plot line, we also see a shift in Natsu's behaviour. Someone here on Tumblr pointed out that Natsu always finds a way to shield Lucy if something unexpected happens, after not being able to shield her from Future Rogue. There's also the small detail of the order he calls out to people - it goes from being pretty random, to Lucy almost alwyas being on the top of the list: likely because she's always on the top of his head. And in general I'd say that Natsu initiates (i'm adding this entire paragraph bc i realised that you asked about when Natsu initiated stuff, more than when he fell in love lol) almost all of their interractions. It's Natsu who wants Lucy to join Fairy Tail, to form a team, he's the one who enters her apartment constantly, he's always searching her out - his interest in her is at a constant high so we never feel like we get "moments" that he's paying her extra attention. He has one setting, and it's "Lucy" cranked to the max. Lol.

I could also add some HYQ moments to the mix here, but they've been few and far inbetween, and also mostly played off as jokes, so I can't really consider them as moments when Natsu initiates his love. I guess his jealousy can be considered a sign? And when (spoilers from the manga) he runs around to protect her/save her from creepy-freaky-jail (the only one who made it freaky was him, with those wild fantasies lol). Maybe I need to jog my memory a bit, but so far there hasn't been any non-pervy nalu moments initiated by Natsu in the HYQ, aside from jealousy-chap. Sadly.

Hope this gave you the answer you were hoping for! Sorry it took so long, I started writing on it and realised it would be a bible so I put it in my drafts to fetch some pics to make it less wordy, and then I forgot about it, lol. But here it is!

[apomaro-mellow]

Hot for Teacher(s) epilogue

Previously

"Do you think I'll make a good father?"

Steve looked up from his laptop at the question. Eddie was staring at the calendar on the kitchen wall, arms crossed. He turned his gaze to Steve when he took too long to answer.

"I don't know how to break it to you, but you already are a father. And a damn fine one at that."

"Well, Shawn's easy, you already did most of the training."

Steve snorted. "He hasn't even hit double digits yet. There's still plenty more training to go. And take it from someone who works at Puberty Central, it gets rough."

Eddie came behind Steve and leaned over to hug him from behind. "You think infants are easier than teens?"

"I think every age group has a unique set of challenges", Steve said.

"Spoken like a true educator."

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

Steve sighed as he finished turning down his room. Wrapping things up for summer always made him a little melancholy. But now that he was two months pregnant, there was an extra layer to it. Next year, he wouldn't be able to do this. If he was pushing it, he could stay in class until winter break. That might be too much for his body though.

He leaned back to crack his spine and put a hand to his belly. He was barely showing. It was possible to see a slight roundness from under his shirt though.

"Wait... you're pregnant?!"

"Dustin, why are you still here?", Steve tried to sound firm but he feared it may have come out as adoring. The few kids who had actually come on the last day of school were supposed to be in the auditorium, watching a movie.

"Mr. Clarke's letting us poach some stuff from his room he doesn't need anymore."

Ah, as Mr. Clarke usually did. Steve didn't even need him to clarify which 'us' Dustin meant. He had a crew he was pretty loyal to.

"Yes, Mr. Henderson. I'm pregnant."

"Does that mean you're not gonna teach us next year?"

Steve smiled at him. "It was already in the cards bud, I don't teach eighth grade."

"Yeah but I mean, you won't be here?"

He could sense the frustration in Dustin's voice and knew change could be hard. End of year always seemed to bring on big emotions, even if it was just moving from seventh to eight grade.

"I'll be here at the beginning of the year. But I'll have to get ready for this little scholar before you know it. And then there was the leave he got after having the pup. Still, their little bean was due in January, so Steve was sure he and Eddie could figure something out so that Steve didn't have to go too long without teaching while still getting some bonding time with his pup.

"You could've talked it over with your students first. I mean this seems like a pack decision", Dustin said, arms crossed.

"Sure kid. The next time I decide to have a pup, I'll run it through my students first."

"That's all I'm asking", Dustin said just as quick footsteps stopped to a skid and suddenly there wasn't one but a whole group of students in his doorway.

"Mr. H is pregnant?!"

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

Steve was fanning himself. It was July and he was trying to stand the heat for as long as he could, but it was getting to be too much. He turned to Eddie to complain to a sympathetic ear, only to see his mate looking at him with the most adoring expression.

"What?"

"You're glowing!", he gushed.

"I don't feel like it."

"Sweetheart, we can always head back inside. You don't have to fight the sun."

"I'm gonna be too big to feel like moving before we know it. Get ready to carry me everywhere", Steve said in a tone that suggested it was both a promise and a threat.

Eddie compromised by bring Steve another ice cold lemonade. Shawn was having the time of his life playing with the other kids as the neighborhood block party went on. He deserved to revel in the summertime just as other kids.

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

Hot summer days turned to warm summer nights and after a cold shower, Steve was ready to lounge in bed. And of course, be pampered by his mate. Eddie climbed in beside him and then slid down until he was face to face with Steve's bump. Eddie nuzzled it and kissed Steve all over.

It was hard to believe he was due in January. It felt like such a long wait and yet just around the corner.

"Have I told you lately how perfect you are?", Eddie asked.

"Are you talking to me or our little bean?"

"To you. And I think we can both agree she's a bit more than a bean now", Eddie said.

"'She'? You're taking Shawn's side now?"

"Gotta go with the winning hand. He was right about you and me. AND he knew how Charlotte's Web ended!"

Steve rolled his eyes. "Eddie, that movie is decades old. Plus you're the one who had a whole lesson on the life cycle of spiders."

"I'm keeping my stance. That boy knows what's comin'. And he knows you've got a little princess in there."

"If you say so", Steve chuckled.

"Which makes you a queen..."

"Mhm", Steve tried to look unaffected but his scent gave him away as Eddie removed his underwear. His body had taken on a slightly creamier scent. One that Eddie just couldn't get enough of. Especially at the source.

"And every queen needs a what?", Eddie prompted, pulling them both onto their sides, a position that was easiest, given how Steve was growing.

"Their throne", Steve finished, turning his head into his pillow as Eddie's mouth came upon him.

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

Steve was pretty used to being on the parent side of parent-teacher conferences. But it was Eddie's first time on this end of the desk, so he was a little nervous. He knew the third grade teacher well enough. And so far, Shawn hadn't come home with any problems.

"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Harrington. And good to see you, Mr. Munson.

"Mr. Reed", Eddie nodded.

"I'll cut straight to the point so that Mr. Munson can get back to his own conferences. I was a bit surprised at one of Shawn's assignments."

He pulled something from Shawn's folder. A drawing of the three of them, Steve's belly big and round, Eddie's hair all over the place, and Shawn with a huge smile. It was labeled too. Except-

"It caught me off guard that one of last year's spelling be champs would misspell a word."

'Me' was written under Shawn. 'Dad' was under Steve. And written under the drawing of Eddie was 'Daddie'. Once they saw it though, both parents sagged in relief.

"It's something Shawn started doing recently", Steve began to explain. "He still calls me Daddy and when we started to grow our family, he decided he needed a way to differentiate between the two of us."

"So I was christened 'Daddie' with an -ie. It's mixed with my name and I think that's incredibly clever, don't you?", Eddie asked.

"Oh!", Mr. Reed said when he realized. "Well that's different. -ahem- Moving on..."

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

"So how did this one compare to the last?", Eddie asked, wiping sweat off of Steve's forehead.

"Ask me again when I don't hate you for what you've done to me", Steve said, still feeling plenty raw from pushing another human being out of himself.

He was feeling much better when his pup was cleaned and and returned to him. His heart swelled and he cooed, welcoming his pup into the world. Shawn and Eddie had been right. He'd given birth to a beautiful little girl. Eddie couldn't believe how lucky he was to have been there for Steve when Shawn was born and now again for his own pup. The two of them were given time to bond with their baby before Robin brought Shawn in.

His eyes got wide at the tiny bundle that was swaddled up in Steve's arms. Eddie got Shawn set up in a chair next to the bed and showed him how to hold a newborn before letting him hold her.

"Meet your sister", Steve beamed. "Stephanie Rose Harrington."

Shawn's head snapped up. "You used it for a middle name?!"

"It's a good name", Eddie said. "Pretty fitting for our little rosebud." He was already thinking of where to get a new tattoo to commemorate her birth.

Shawn looked back down at his baby sister. Her ruddy cheeks, how everything about her was impossibly small. She yawned and suddenly Shawn burst into tears, prompting both of his parents to worry.

"Shawn, what's wrong?", Steve asked.

It took a couple of sobs for Shawn to calm himself down enough to speak well enough for them to understand. "I don't-hic-I don't want anything to happen to her!"

And well, that made Steve start to cry because he understood. Eddie grabbed Stephanie and handed her over to Steve, then he gathered Shawn in a hug, picking him up off his feet.

"I promise with everything I am, nothing ever gonna happen to her. Or to you. Not ever again."

Shawn's arms went around his dad as he let it all out. Steve wiped his tears and Robin waited for them to put themselves together again before making them gather for a family photo. Steve knew Eddie would do everything he could to protect their family. It was every omega's dream for an alpha to devote themselves like that. But even more importantly, Steve knew the danger would never come from within their home. And that meant everything to him.

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

Linking this bc I used a few prompts from here.

[ofmdrecaps]

11/17-18/2024 Daily OFMD Recap

TLDR; Rhys Darby; Taika Waititi; Con O'Neill; Samba Schutte; Vico Ortiz; Minnie Driver; Dominic Burgess; Anapela Polata'ivao; Brian Gattas & Connor Barrett; Nat Torress; Articles; Transgender Awarness Week; Last Chance for OFMD Buys Boats!!; Fan Spotlight: Frames for the New Unicorn; Our Flag Means Fanfiction; Love Notes;

Hey crew! Sorry it's been a bit of a week over here between work and home stuff so I'm always like 4 days behind. I'm trying to catch up and will when I can. For now, here's a big ol pile of news!

= Rhys Darby =

Well as you can probably tell Rhys is super busy at the moment! Two interviews today! Now that's overkill! You're a lunatic and I love it!

More show dates!

Aotearoa dates!

WGN - 27 MAR, Opera House

CHC - 29 Mar, Isaac Theatre Royal

AKL - 3-4 APR, Bruce Mason Centre

You can get tickets on Rhysdarby.com w/password ROBOT

for UK / Ireland Tickets:

Order tickets on Mickperrin.com w/password RDPRIORITY24

Source: Rhys' Instagram

More Daily Doodles!

Sad news Daily Doodle Fans:

Source: Rhys Darby's Free Substack

= Taika Waititi =

More Interior Chinatown interviews!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by The Movie Podcast (@themoviepodcast)

Source: TheMoviePodcast Instagram

Source: Coastal House Media

= Con O'Neill =

PSA from Con on Bsky!

Source: Con O'Neill's bsky

= Samba Schutte =

Samba attended the Hell Hath No Fury Premiere!!

Source: Samba's Instagram Stories

= Minnie Driver =

Happy 6th anniversary to Minnie and Addison (Nov 17th!)

Source: Minnie Driver Instagram

= Vico Ortiz =

Vico is on Bluesky!

Source: Vico's Bluesky (Special thanks to Chloe, aka gheyandwoke for bringing it to my attention! It's also Vico and Ane's 3 year anniversary! Congrats you two <3

Source: Vico's Instagram

More news for Vico-- they will be performing in “Tales of the Transcestors: The Divine” in the Greenway Court Theatre in CA! "Tales of the Transcestors: The Divine is a must-see World Premiere that reimagines folklore, mythologies, and spiritual guides across time and cultures. Through three interwoven stories rooted in Native Hawaiian tradition (Kapaemahu), Islamic mysticism (djinn), and spiritual alchemy (the Rebis), the production unearths personal and cultural histories to reclaim trans wisdom, healing, power, and joy. Tales of the Transcestors: The Divine captures the tension between inherited memory and lived experience, building a portal for audiences to enter a "world between worlds"—where lineage, desire, time, and space are fluid and ever-shifting."

Show Dates and Times:

Thursday December 12th - Doors: 7:30pm, Show 8pm.

Friday December 13th - Doors: 7:30pm, Show 8pm

Saturday December 14th - Doors: 2:30pm, Show 3pm - *ASL Interpreted* Show followed by Talkback

Saturday December 14th - Doors: 7:30pm, Show 8pm

Ticket information

Source: Celebrationthtr and Vico's Instagram Stories

= Anapela Polata'ivao =

Official Tinā poster is up!

Source: Tinā Film Instagram

= Brian Gattas & Connor Barrett =

I am feeling like a goober but I forgot the context of where our Hornberry and Siegfried were at! If you happen to know please let me know-- getting to see Mr. Barrett dance though really made my day!

Source: Brian Gattas Instagram Stories

= Nat Torres =

Nat once again keeping us fed with the adorable pup content.

Source: Nat Torres Instagram

= Dominic Burgess =

Dominic doesn't just collect kitties, he collects physical media as well! He was kind enough to share some of it with us! (I'm a physical media hoarder so I was excited).

Source: Dominic's Bluesky

== Articles ==

Thank you so @adoptourcrew for sharing this article from The Geekiary!

Source: Adopt Our Crew Bsky

== Transgender Awareness Week ==

The fabulous These/Thems have shared a very instructional video with out bestie Vico on the differences between cis, genderqueer and trans! Check it out below!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by THESE THEMS Queer TV (@these_thems)

Source: These Thems Instagram

== Tiny Crew Big Raffle ==

More updates from OFMD Buys Boats! The raffle closes 23:59 Thursday 21st November 2024 (GMT)! So if you want to donate and enter for the raffle remember to get to it right away!

How to Enter

Source: OFMD Buys Boats Instagram

== Fan Spotlight ==

= Frames For The New Unicorn =

This beautiful collaboration by so many of our crewmates is finally up! Check out this beautiful dedication to Izzy and Con O'Neill! To learn more about the project, see the individual frames and who made them, please check out their linktr.ee!

Source: So Many Places, going with the Youtube Channel

= Other Frames Projects =

I'm waiting on permission to share.. but there's another frames project in the works! This time the moonlight scene! If you'd like to learn more you can go to Ram's Bsky Does anyone know of any other frames projects going on? I would absolutely LOVE to see something for like Oluwande, or Lucius, or Jim, or Spanish Jackie! I'm just curious if I'm missing some!

= Our Flag Means Fanfiction =

New episode of Our Flag Means Fanfiction-- and it's the #AssTonight episode! An "Oral history" (tee hee). Oh and Alex Sherman shared it on Bluesky!

Source: Our Flag Means FanFiction Instagram

== Love Notes ==

Hey there lovelies. This week has already somehow been pretty crazytown on my end, how bout yours?

I know a lot of you are going through it. I am so sorry it's so hard. This is just a gentle reminder that you are allowed to be upset, and you are allowed to be stressed or depressed. Life isn't all sunshine and rainbows, and it's okay to not be okay for a while. Please just remember that even when the darkest days are here, there is ALWAYS some light. Find some things that bring small bits of light to your life-- maybe a walk, or a special treat, a hug from a friend on or offline, or taking a moment out of your day to give someone a compliment -- whatever it is that brings that dopamine to your brain. Little things help train our brain to know that good things CAN happen, so exposing yourself to those little things day by day can help build what's sort of like a good things muscle. As more and more happen, the rough times become easier to tolerate because they are sprinkled with good things.

You are so very strong, and I know you can get through whatever you are going through. I know you don't feel like it, but you are, even when you feel your lowest. I believe in you, the crew believes in you, even if we've never spoken, we want you to be okay, okay?

Please take care of yourselves lovely, you make the world a better place by being here <3

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by @thelatestkate

Source: The Latest Kate's Instagram

[thelonelyshore-if]

sfw for ravi to keep me from going insane pls

Nonnie I'm soooo sorry this is so late I've been going through it. But here's Ravi's alphabet, I hope it brings you some joy <3

A = Affection (How affectionate are they? How do they show affection?)

Ravi keeps his distance. It isn't that he doesn't want to be affectionate, but…he hesitates. Especially with physical affection. He isn’t sure it’s a good idea to get to that close to someone, in a very literal sense. When he is affectionate, though, he likes holding hands and slow dancing together when there isn’t any music. He’s a big fan of just holding hands while you’re having a conversation. Having that little tether of connection is big for him.

B = Best friend (What would they be like as a best friend? How would the friendship start?)

Infuriating. He'd be infuriating…though he's a fiercely loyal friend. He tends to act on his whims and he can be smug and superior, even with his friends. But he'd love to talk magic and do puzzles together. Much like Croft, if you want to befriend him chances are you're going to have to be the one pursuing it on the front end…unless you somehow attract his attention. Such as, if you wash up on shore in the middle of the night. 

C = Cuddles (Do they like to cuddle? How would they cuddle?)

Ravi loves to cuddle and avoids doing it whenever possible. Too intimate, too close.

D = Domestic (Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking and cleaning?)

Ravi's house is pristine. He's an okay cook but not actually all that skilled. He wants to settle down in theory (especially with the right person), but probably not in practice. 

E = Ending (If they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?)

He'd just ghost you! You'd never see him again. And if he ran into you in public he'd do his best to avoid you. Full on pretending you don't exist. Unfortunately Ravi isn’t very good with Big Feelings or with confrontations.

F = Fiance(e) (How do they feel about commitment? How quick would they want to get married?)

The idea of marrying the person he loves is enough to make Ravi shut down completely. He'd love to do it. He never could do it. There's no chance.

G = Gentle (How gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?)

Physically he's very very gentle, barely risking touching you at all. He's also…decently emotionally gentle, but he's complicated. As seen in game he can be kind of a dick. But he can be so soft and tender when he wants to be.

H = Hugs (Do they like hugs? How often do they do it? What are their hugs like?)

Ravi loves hugs, and doesn’t mind them from friends. Hugs from crushes or a partner are even better, but he'll be much more stressed about them. His hugs are brief, though there's always the lingering impression he wants them to last longer. 

I = I love you (How fast do they say the L-word?)

It would take him a while (like. years) if left to his own devices, but I could see a near-death situation making him say it much sooner. 

J = Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when they’re jealous?)

Eh Ravi doesn't really get jealous. He finds it funny when other people try to flirt with his partner or whatever. He trusts the person he's with, and jealousy just isn't really his thing. 

K = Kisses (What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss you? Where do they like to be kissed?)

Scared. Passionate. Hesitant at first, more uncontrollable the deeper it gets. He likes being kissed on the face and the hands especially, he likes kissing his partner on the hands, too.

L = Little ones (How are they around children?)

Ravi doesn't really get kids, but he likes them. He usually just treats them how he'd treat adults…which sometimes can get him in hot water when he lets a kid or teen do something irresponsible that they Are Not Old Enough To Do. He just assumes kids know their parents’ rules and will follow them lol. 

M = Morning (How are mornings spent with them?)

Very much so like the first morning with him in the game!! Except you’d presumably wake up in bed together. But he’d wake up, press a gentle kiss on your forehead. Go start breakfast (unless he’s too sleepy for it), prepare you your favorite drink (even if it’s water), and then he’d wait for you to get up. His brain is shut down early-morning so he’d sit in silence and read the paper unless you prompted conversation, but he doesn’t mind a comfortable silence.

N = Night (How are nights spent with them?)

Just as low-key as the mornings, tbh. Share dinner together, and then he’d try to prompt some sort of shared activity. Doing a puzzle together, going for a hike or a drive, even just watching a movie. Eventually he’d shower–probably on his own, it would take a lot to get him comfortable showering with you–and then time for bed! He doesn’t sleep much, but he’d love to just lay with his eyes closed, holding you.

O = Open (When would they start revealing things about themselves? Do they say everything all at once or wait a while to reveal things slowly?)

Ravi’s very open, so long as you aren’t expecting the truth c:

P = Patience (How easily angered are they?)

Not very, but it’s definitely possible to push his buttons. He prides himself on his control, but is kind of addicted to anything that makes him lose said control. Ravi is very, very level-headed. It takes a special sort to get him angry.

Q = Quizzes (How much would they remember about you? Do they remember every little detail you mention in passing, or do they kind of forget everything?)

Ravi remembers everything. He really isn’t the type to forget even the smallest detail. It’s almost a little unsettling how much he manages to remember.

R = Remember (What is their favorite moment in your relationship?)

Ravi’s first date is a hike in the woods c:

S = Security (How protective are they? How would they protect you? How would they like to be protected?)

He’s incredibly protective! Especially when it comes to the fog. That being said, he presents said protectiveness in a very particular way. He believes it’s more meaningful to teach someone to protect themself than rush in to be their knight in shining armor. Minor spoiler, but Ravi will be one of the biggest proponents of MC learning to control their magic. And he’d be flattered if MC was very protective of him, but also amused. In theory, he’s one of the safest people in Easthaven–he can take care of himself.

T = Try (How much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, everyday tasks?)

Ehhhhh it fully depends on the day lol. It’s something he’d like to do, but honestly he doesn’t always think about that sort of thing. Ravi’s a romantic guy, but it’s definitely in his own way, and these kind of details can fall to the wayside.

U = Ugly (What would be some bad habits of theirs?)

He’s a liar. He’s incredibly set in his ways. He’s arrogant, and likes feeling superior. Also he’s not above putting his cold hands under your shirt in an attempt to warm them up.

V = Vanity (How concerned are they with their looks?)

In an attractiveness sense, Ravi’s concerned on an average level. He wants to look good, sure–doesn’t everyone? But more importantly, he’s very self-conscious about his scars. He doesn’t let anyone see them, other than the ones on his hands and face, and even those make him feel anxious. Though I suppose it does have less to do with being judged and more to do with what those scars mean to him…

W = Whole (Would they feel incomplete without you?)

Yes. If given the chance, MC will become his entire world.

X = Xtra (A random headcanon for them.)

Ravi is scared of dogs. He doesn’t like coffee but loves the smell–he prefers tea. His favorite season is winter, even though he hates driving on ice. He has at least one puzzle that he’s used puzzle glue on and every so often considers framing and hanging on his wall. He hasn’t yet because it feels kind of tacky. When he was a teenager he used to sneak out and fall asleep in the graveyard.

Y = Yuck (What are some things they wouldn’t like, either in general or in a partner?)

He really will struggle with a MC who is hell-bent on getting out of town. He can work with a skeptic, as much as they drive him insane. He finds it kind of funny and kind of hot, in an odd way. Ravi finds stubbornness sexy lol. But if the person he’s fallen in love with wants to leave him? It terrifies him in a way he can’t explain. How can he in good faith help them do it? And wouldn’t it be equally bad to try and stop them?

Z = Zzz (What is a sleep habits of theirs?)

He frequently falls asleep with his glasses on.

[compacflt]

YOU'RE ALIVE??? - my reaction upon seeing your most recent reblog

Anyway, your fic and blog single-handedly kickstarted my U.S. military history obsession <3

im alive!!!! yeah I've been away for a while. it, ah... has not been a grrrreat time to be a military historian or a Big Fan of military propaganda pieces like Top Gun for the last year or so...

lmfao I just saw that the second trump admin plans to haul up all the commanders in charge of the Afghanistan withdrawal (which HE negotiated btw) in front of congress with the plan to charge them all with TREASON per the UCMJ (good fucking luck dude)

but um in my timeline... that includes navy secretary 2021-2022 tom iceman kazansky, bro... so in case you're wondering what these characters are up to in the present day apparently the answer is "getting investigated for treason." sorry to bring down the mood. my happy ending's a little sour now.

mostly I've been insanely busy. I graduate university in may & have to have a journalism capstone, an English research thesis (my paper on military commanding officers in fiction inspired by my top gun fics tbh) and a creative writing capstone (novel) done by march. plus job applications, work for the place where im currently freelancing, apartment hunting... so im a wee bit crunched lately.

some minor updates for anyone who still cares: I am, extremely slowly, still editing WWGATTAI & the other stories. I've finished a complete overhaul of the Carole-dies chapter, chapter 7, but have yet to post it because I'd like to sync a logistical change in the story across the other pieces. and I'm mostly done with a COMPLETE overhaul of chapter 6 (aka "the nineties" chapter where ice & mav move in together & build their family) which goes into much more detail about how... emotionally and logistically... they could pull that off. + a lot more baseball stuff + the Clinton sex scandal. which leaves just chapter 10 left to do. ugh, my least favorite, which is why im putting it off... and then debriefing etc. which won't take as long because I don't honestly care about debriefing at all and I just have very minor changes to make to it. slider doesn't need editing and idgaf about the other pieces.

once I finish with the edits, which will happen eventually I swear because more than anything I just want to hold the updated edited final thing in my hands the way I did with the first draft, I'll upload my pdf (with meta analysis and notes that go back to mid-2022) for u guys to do with as you wish

also for the m:i doubleheaders I am planning on editing my m:i fic pre-m:i8 next year and pending ilsa life status will write much much more

[wickedlyqueer]

As someone who has been in this fandom for 8 years now, let me enlighten you: the Wicked fandom isn't a large community at all! We are, in fact, a very small fandom.

Paradoxical isn't it? Wicked is the second highest grossing Broadway musical and has been running for 21 years. It has had dozens of productions all across the world, and yet the fandom has been revolving around like 100 active people, max.

Wicked is a worldwide phenomenon, yes, but like you said, the franchise is old. The first book is from 1995, the musical is from 2003. The last book in the Wicked Years was published in 2011. Apart from different productions and cast changes, we've had no content for 13 years. Let me repeat that:

We've been entertaining ourselves for over 13 years now!

This is why gelphie has a lot of "sleeper agents" fans. People who see the musical, read the book(s), get obsessed with it for a time, and then move on. This is why sometimes (gelphie) posts "breach containment" and escape to the larger wlw community.

No, the gelphie fics aren't hiding on some other sites. Only the older ones (like pre-2010) are. We've been active on AO3 for years. And as a gelphie fic writer myself and someone who is very protective of this small but active community we've fostered over the years: remember that 833 works is a lot!

It would likely take you months to read it all. Seeing some comments that "it's all on ff" or "it's all lost" is heartbreaking! The gelphie tag on AO3 has one of the most groundbreaking, profound and engaging literary fan works I've ever read. We've had some absolute talent cross our borders over the years. It's a FEAST for any gelphie lover out there. It takes the book and musical and other source material and challenges it, engages with it and brings it to a new high!

I think I speak for the majority of the fandom when I say we love the new wave of interest in this ship! We love that so many people are seeing now what we've seen for years! Yes, we too, are absolutely baffled this ship has never been more popular. Honestly, where have you all been hiding? 😆

I get the bewilderment - it's a very common experience when first entering the fandom - but to all the new folks out there: please remember that before the movie dropped, this fandom was a small community that we've fostered and nurtured for many years. Don't dismiss the love we have for this show and pairing just because we aren't a big fandom!

Was I the only one really surprised by the shockingly low amount of Glinda x Elphaba fanfic on AO3?

Like. Wicked is an old fandom. And a large community too, I mean it's pretty well-known as far as musicals go. Gelphie has always been a popular ship, but there's only 833 works with their tag somehow?

Now, don't get me wrong, I'm used to wlw ship fics being very scarce on AO3, and I've been in fandoms where there's only like, 5 works about a pair, if any! But I'm in also in some much, much newer fandoms that have an insane amount of wlw fanfic despite not having been around for two decades like Wicked has. I mean, caitvi has 8,808 works tagged, villaneve has 3,949, wenclair has 7,162, you get the picture.

I don't have a point to make here tbh, it's just very puzzling to me? Like, are all the gelphie fics hiding on some other site or something? Because if so do let me know, I am starving.

[2stepadmiral]

So every year or two, I go through a period of reconnecting with my high school Trekkie interests, rewatching some Star Trek clips, episodes, and movies, and during this particular period, I have to voice my main criticism of the reboot films: namely, the treatment of the Enterprise.

To be clear, I think the reboot Enterprise had a nice redesign. She looked very clean and futuristic while capturing the original design in broad strokes. The lens glare is certainly annoying, and it doesn’t have the same heart and retro feel as the original, but I feel they generally did a fairly decent job with the design. I’m talking about how she is treated throughout the films, namely, how she’s treated effectively like just another ship.

In the original series, the Enterprise has a certain heart coming across almost like a character in of herself. You get a clear feel from the characters that they consider the enterprise almost to be home, and Kirk and Scotty in particular see her almost like an actual woman, one who they cherish and will protect at all costs. This sentiment is magnified in the first three movies, particularly in the motion picture and in the search for Spock. When Kirk first sees the refit Enterprise, you can see how much he loves the ship, and when the Enterprise is plunging to her final resting place, the mourning on all of their faces, especially Kirk, makes this moment particularly powerful and truly hammer home that the Enterprise was a character in and of herself. The original Enterprise felt like a character fans had grown up with, and her destruction felt almost like the loss of an old friend. And at the end of the voyage home, when the crew has that last-minute surprise reveal of the Enterprise-A, the triumph and homecoming feeling is so clear that even the audience shares the sentiment, almost as if the character has been reborn.

The enterprise in the reboots was never portrayed this way. She was treated like just a ship, one that might’ve been nicer and fancier and more advanced than the others, but not really all that special beyond that. In the first movie, that’s acceptable, as the focus is on bringing together the crew and getting them where they need to be for the start of their journeys. The second one focuses more on the captaincy, and what it means to really earn that seat, so it’s excusable that this one focused more on Kirk and how seriously he took his responsibilities, though they could’ve put more emphasis on the ship as part of that arc. Yes, the ship almost crashing was an emotional scene, but that had everything to do with the characters aboard and nothing to do with the ship beyond it being the place where the characters were and it’s damage being the reason that they were about to die.

And then in the third one, they just blow up the ship in the first 30 minutes and try to portray it with the same sentimental weight as the destruction of the Enterprise in the search for Spock. Which would’ve been fine, if it weren’t for the fact that they spent the last two movies treating the enterprise like just a thing, just another tool in the characters belt. She had no heart, no soul, no feeling that she was a home, or that she was the thing that brought the crew together, and kept them together, the thing that made them a family. She was basically just a big car, there to get them from point A to point B and occasionally shoot at some bad guys, and then, we’re supposed to feel devastated when she goes down for the final time.

The reveal of a reboot version of the Enterprise A was a nice surprise, but it lacked the emotional payoff of the original version, largely because of how ordinary the first Enterprise had been in this timeline. You can’t really celebrate the revival of a lost character when the character was never really there to begin with. They might as well have put the crew on an entirely new ship, like maybe a rebooted version of the Excelsior, and it would’ve had the same basic impact.

My point is that classic trek, as well as the next generation and DS9, did an excellent job of portraying the dynamic between captain and ship to the point where the ship felt almost like a real character. And that worked really well. It made the crash of the Enterprise D in generations a shocking scene, and it made her surprise return in season 3 of Picard a heartfelt and deeply nostalgic scene (Even if I wanted the Enterprise E, sorry but she’s my favorite). It made the loss of the Defiant in season seven of DS9 a powerful and emotional moment. I haven’t watched a lot of Voyager, so I can’t comment on that, but I can say with decent confidence that they couldn’t have done worse than they did in the reboots.

[deadwrites]

I wrote up a big ramble about the comments on fics thing then got halfway through and realized I am just very tired, to be honest. It’s sad to see how people have divided themselves into creators and viewers, and even sadder that the environment for fandom and original works actively encourages this stratification. I will say—viewers have gotten out of the habit of talking to writers and artists, but I know of quite a few writers and artists who actively encourage this divide by being aloof, dismissive and even outright rude (after remaking tumblr for the first time in 8? years, right off the bat I saw an artist literally mocking an anon’s headcanon, saying word for word “do better”) or angry at people for taking their work and… interpreting it.

like for me, I know I’m not gonna get a lot of action on my fics cus a) it’s an original work with a ton of cliche elements like space elves and space pirates and just sounds fantastically cheesy and bad and b) it’s poorly disguised kink content and so people are Scared To Admit They Like Noncon And Torture. But I also welcome any interpretations that people have. Like bad ending/ grey x alaric endgame? Yeah man I’ll tell you how that would play out. Layne and grey? Sure man I’m sorry I won’t have any content for you of that but please think about scenarios for that if you want! Wanna guess the plot? I’d love to hear. Like idk I see artists and writers also getting like… “no this is MY story and MY ocs you’re not allowed to BREATHE near them” and it just baffles me at how hostile people are. Like if you’re gonna share this shit on the internet with strangers then be prepared for people to bring their own spin to it. You’re gonna get a “I just jacked off so much to this” comment every now and again, or a completely OOC headcanon or fan art that doesn’t look like your OC and honestly I live for that because it lets me know that people like my work enough to live with it for a minute, and that’s mind blowing to me. I’m not at risk of bailing on my stories because I am borderline obsessive with the need to purge them from my brain, but I also write quicker when people have stuff to say, and I get new ideas or think about my own work differently depending on what people do say.

so I guess tldr (I’m so tired so idek if that made sense), I think part of the issue is the unapproachable nature of creators. Ten years ago you knew a creator, even a big one, would talk to you if you talked to THEM, and you could count on—if nothing else—to not be treated like shit for sharing your thoughts or art or whatever. But now it’s a gamble. That’s my two cents.

[rey-jake-therapist]

The “no sex scenes” policy is what’s hurting the show. I’m sorry but someone has to say it. Amazon wanted ROP to be the next GOT as a pop culture phenomenon but can’t and won’t get there. What made GOT attract non fantasy fans was the sex and the violence. It’s true. Fantasy is not that popular of a genre, overall.

Respectfully anon, I completely disagree with you. TROP should have turned mainstream because it was a LOTR prequels. The LOTR movies didn't have a single scene of sex and no gratuitous violence and yet, they're some of the most popular movies of all time.

I'm actually glad that the Tolkien estate was adamant that there should be no sex scene in TROP, because doing it like GoT would have been an insult to Tolkien's work, more than any change they would bring to the lore. There was no sex in LOTR or in any of Tolkien's work, no gratuitous violence either.

And regarding GOT's success : yeah maybe a huge part of its success was due to these elements being present but I'll tell you what : everybody I speak to, especially women, either refuse to watch GoT because of the gratuitous sex scenes and the general objectification of women that this show constantly promotes, and also because of the gratuitous violence that they deem unnecessary, either they watch the show despite this stuff (include me into that group), because the story itself is actually great, and because most of the characters are complex and brilliantly developed.

So yeah, you may be right that with sex scenes and gratuitous violence, TROP would attract all the morons who watch GoT only because they want to see boobs and ass and useless bloodshed, but they would also suffer even more criticism than they do now imho (because the show would be no more than a travesty of Tolkien's work), and many people who love this show would probably not even consider watching it. So what they'd gain on one side, they'd lose on another.

No, the real problem imho is that they aimed too big and put too much money into it since the start. And also the fact that the audience has to wait for more than two years between each season. It's too much !! How many new shows are out every month ? It's not the 90s anymore, the choice is so vast there's not even time to watch half of the shows that are currently produced. This is ridiculous at this point. In two years, the casual audience will have forgotten about TROP and won't be there the first day of streaming of season 3, like they had forgotten about it after season 1. That's what they need to think about it, and not about including gratuitous sex and violence scenes imho.

[girlw-amermaidtattoo]

Hello Princess thank you for your time. May I ask a question, I have been talking with my wife about kinks because she is not really familiar with any. She is open and willing but what are good ways to encourage and support her trying to Domme so she will continue to try and won’t be embarrassed. Thanks again Princess apologies if this was a long ask.

What a thoughtful question, and I love that you’re prioritizing your wife’s comfort and growth in exploring her dominant side! Here’s how you can encourage and support her while keeping things fun and pressure-free:

1. Celebrate Her Openness

Start by praising her willingness to try something new—it’s a big step! Let her know how much you appreciate her curiosity and how exciting it is to explore this together. Confidence starts with feeling valued.

2. Make It a Team Adventure

Frame this as a journey for both of you. Ask her what excites her about the idea of Domming, and discuss how you can support her vision. This keeps it from feeling like a performance and more like a shared discovery.

3. Introduce Playful and Low-Stakes Scenarios

Suggest starting small, with light, playful dominance. Examples include:

• Verbal Commands: “Tell me to bring you coffee like you’re my Queen.”

• Roleplay: “Pretend you’re the boss for the night.”

• Simple Control: She decides what you wear, what you eat, or when you get attention.

4. Provide Resources Without Pressure

Recommend books, guides, or even steamy fiction that explores femdom themes. A safe, private way to learn could help her feel less awkward and more inspired. A great start: “She Comes First” or fun erotica with dominant women leads.

5. Encourage Positive Feedback

Reassure her during and after your scenes. Compliment her tone, decisions, or even how she looked while in control. Celebrate her efforts with phrases like:

• “That was so sexy when you ___.”

• “You looked so confident; it turned me on immediately.”

6. Avoid Critiques or Corrections

Even if something doesn’t go perfectly, focus on what did work and avoid nitpicking. Let the experience be about fun, not perfection.

7. Be Her Biggest Fan

If she feels silly or embarrassed, remind her how hot it is to see her take charge and that she has nothing to prove. A little humor can diffuse awkwardness too.

8. Discuss Boundaries and Desires

Make sure you’re both on the same page about what being a Domme means in your dynamic. Some people enjoy teasing control; others might want to explore more intense power exchanges. Find the sweet spot together.

9. Give Her Full Control

Make it clear that she decides how far things go. This takes the pressure off her to “perform” a specific way. Subtly reinforce that you’re here to follow her lead, not dictate the experience.

Lastly, patience is key! Building her confidence and finding her groove will take time. Keep reassuring her that this is a safe space to explore, laugh, and learn together. She’s lucky to have someone as supportive as you, and with your encouragement, she might discover she loves this new role more than she expected!

[vanweezer]

sometimes a friendship is one guy away from his phone while the other guy is infodumping about the bring it on sequels

[bigskydreaming]

Imagine if you were a gay or bi man who tried a certain firefighter show because of all the attention it was getting for one of its mains having a later in life bi awakening.....and between seasons you ventured into its fandom in search of material to tide you over til the next one. And you're greeted by a deluge of posts and fics that are just cheerfully homophobic towards one half of the newly out bi character's canon relationship on the basis of 'well he's not the RIGHT gay guy' and pushing the idea that actually its fine to cheat on him because Reasons and he's sexually predacious based on......behind the scenes implications people have divined like they're reading fucking tea leaves.

But don't get it twisted....this fandom, like all fandoms, really cares about representation!

Sorry not sorry, but we really need to kill this idea that fandoms are welcoming and inviting and inherently progressive when they're frequently insular and reductive as fuck. Every single fandom I've been in has had major trends of people doubling down on their own headcanons and fanon interpretations of the characters and willfully enacting trends aimed at running off people who like the 'wrong' characters (usually characters marginalized along one or multiple axes), like the characters in the 'wrong ways' or other bullshit.

Scott is a Bad Friend fics overtaking Teen Wolf fandom was not incidental, it was a FEATURE of the fandom, because the vast majority of that fandom did not want to share its space with anyone who had the nerve to like its main character. Survivors complaining about or criticizing the prevalance of rape fics in a certain fandom has in my experience always led to a reactionary UPTICK in those fics, with gems like 'this character can, will, must be raped' in the tags making it crystal clear that some of these fics exist because how fucking DARE anyone try and push forth a narrative not agreed upon by Fandom Main.

I could cite examples for so many other fandoms, with the commonalities always being that vast majorities in these fandoms are explicitly reacting defensively to being asked to be more mindful of fandom trends revolving around or exacerbating racism, homophobia, transphobia, rape or abuse apologia, ableism, etc....

With the most prolific fucking rallying cry across countless fandoms being "No the fuck we will NOT be doing that," because lolololol.....

Fandom is an inherently progressive space, didn't you hear?

[seaofreverie]

Sparkstember Day 18: Balls (Bullet Train)

Sometimes (oftentimes) it's true that all you need are Balls. I personally absolutely love Balls. I'm a big fan! Ekhem. Today I'm using the help of (I mean, copying most of the passages from it) my earlier Balls rant that I have written down after my first listen of it back in January. I really love this album and I don't want to completely skip over saying a couple words on it at least but I really don't think I have the headspace to write anything very good for it today. I'll still try though!

So yeah, Balls. It's a great album, fun and chill (in my sense of what I call and consider chill anyway), consistent, as Sparks albums tend to be, and as I suspected / hoped it does fit this specific vibe of driving around at night somewhere city-like and illuminated. Or being on a train deep at night and looking at the world zooming by (if you'd even see much of it on a train at night anyway.....). And I do think that it's not so dissimilar to Gratsax (I'd say now that it's definitely darker and moodier than its predecessor...). So it's interesting to think about how it's considered to be one of the "weak" ones (by music reviewers at least) while Gratsax is so beloved in comparision.

I will admit, I don't really know what the big problem with this album could be. As I said, it's fun, it has the melodies, it has the energy, it has the theatricality (I like seeing how more and more orchestral instruments such as strings are being incorporated into the music, in a way the jump into Lil' Beethoven two years later doesn't come of as THAT much of a shock because of this. The evolution of sound here is fascinating!) I really like the intense beats, just as much as the more laid-back and moodier pieces. And there's lots of gold to be found in the lyrics department as always.

One more thing I wanna say is that at some point I wondered if this music sounds older than it is. Maybe it does? But then I remembered that this was 2000 and honestly when I think about it, there just IS something about this album that fits so well with the Y2K image and vibe and all. Sparks 2000 and all that.

Favourite songs (and other highlights):

Balls: I mean. It's Balls.

Scheherazade: absolutely LOVE this one and I had the strangest impression of it sounding very familiar when I first heard it. Months later I found out that it was just briefly featured in TSB so I think that explains it (I will talk more about my TSB viewings on TSB day. EVERYTHING has to be explained in excruciating detail, lmao)

The Calm Before The Storm: bugsonas 4ever. Song itself is amazing too

How To Get Your Ass Kicked: how can a song about getting your ass kicked be so pleasant and relaxing, it always keeps cracking me up, how perfect that is actually

Bullet Train: I love it how introducing the topic of the song with a "It's the [topic of the song]" is a reoccurring theme on this album. Thank you Sparks for this ode to technology and art (these lyrics always have me giggling). And also it just goes hard as heck

It's Educational: a perfect fusion of / sequel to I Thought I Told You To Wait In The Car and Progress (it's mostly the vocal delivery that reminds me of the latter)

The Angels: such an odd one here but I still like it a lot, I apparently said that it sounds "surprisingly mainstream for Sparks but somehow in a positive way". It's very sweet and I absolutely love how Russell sings here, it's so different from what we're used to but that only makes it hit you even more in the feels, lol. And I actually prefer the alternative version of this song that's featured as a bonus track, and I do think that's in big part because you can hear Russell better on it (or that was my first impression of it at least and it kind of stuck)

[dan-crimes]

LMAO so funny thing is everyone knows the whole Sonic and Shadow looking alike thing is total bullshit and I totally agree those comments they try to pull in the games and show(s? I'm not technically a Sonic fan I dunno if it's multiple) make basically no sense to me but then my Mom comes in while watching Sonic Prime and says "So what, Sonic has a brother or something?" and this whole other world has opened up to me and I've seen the truth of it all