#so when the act 3 scene finally happens it feels like it’s so earned act 1 hag romance would NOT have been able to do that

[rhiannonsknife]

ms knife ur actually kinda evil including a little sub pervert rhiannon and not expanding on the idea

now it’s all i can think about 😵‍💫

in conclusion: someone has to take my phone away from me when i ovulate. nsfw content. mdni.

sub!pervert!rhiannon who gets back from a kill, blood still spattered all over her, chest heaving with adrenaline, and drops to her knees before you the second the door falls shut behind her. she’ll whine, hands tugging at your waistband as if she thinks she can earn the praise she’s dying for. she tries so hard to be good for you after. sometimes, she even cleans up her clothes and scrubs the blood out from under her nails. rhiannon she still brings the knife home like a gift, though, drops it in your lap, all shiny and warm. “i thought you’d want it,” she says, almost shy. “it’s still got them on it.”

speaking of which: sub!pervert!rhiannon who gets so fucking needy after a kill. she’ll crawl into your lap, her mouth slick from licking the blade clean. “i did it so well this time,” she murmurs, breath hot against your neck. “aren’t you proud of me?”

sub!pervert!rhiannon who loves being restrained. whether it’s being pinned, tied or dragged into position, it short-circuits her. she could kill you, you both know it: rhiannon has always been the physically stronger one, and yet she doesn’t. she lets you hold her down, getting off on the vulnerability of being powerless.

we all know that scene of her slapping craig (lucky bastard, i mean WHAT) but…sub!pervert!rhiannon who comes embarrassingly fast when you slap her face and tell her to look at you. she gasps, stunned for a second, her cheek blooming red and her cunt pulsing. “again,” she whispers with her lip trembling.

sub!pervert!rhiannon who grinds down on your thigh when she wants attention. from just a little rutting, she’s already gasping and whispering how badly she needs it. “fuck- can i come like this? please? just like this, you don’t even have to touch me-” she’ll cry when you ignore her, mascara streaked down her cheeks as she grinds against you while you pretend she isn’t there. “i’ll behave,” she sobs. “i’ll do anything. i just want your eyes back on me.”

sub!pervert!rhiannon who loves when you make her wait naked on the bed, hands in her lap, lips parted like she’s already being fucked just by the thought of you. she twitches when she hears your footsteps in the hall, a puddle of her wetness left where she’s been waiting on the sheets. “you said ten minutes,” she pouts when you finally enter. “you made me wait twelve!”

sub!pervert!rhiannon obviously has a praise kink. she’ll come untouched if you praise her in just the right tone. “good girl,” you whisper, making her hips stutter. “god- please, say it again.”

sub!pervert!rhiannon who melts when you grab her jaw and tell her to open. she’ll obey before you finish the sentence, lips parted, tongue out, breathing heavy, not even knowing what’s coming, just craving the act of obedience. “look at you,” you tell her. “always so eager.” “only for you,” she rasps.

sub!pervert!rhiannon who wants you to dress her up after a kill…lace her into something soft and pastel, wipe the blood from her lips, brush her hair tenderly and make her pretty again. it’s the aftercare for her post-murder adrenaline <3

sub!pervert!rhiannon who gets so wet when you scold her……..

sub!pervert!rhiannon who wants you to mark her up. hickeys, scratches, bite marks, anything so that she can look at herself and see something you did to her, not something she did to anyone else. she’ll catch her reflection in a mirror and smile, pulling her collar aside to trace the bruise on her neck with two fingers and feel it pulsing.

sub!pervert!rhiannon who’s a squirter. she never used to be, she’s not sure she even believed it was real until you got her there. it happens when rhiannon is spread wide, overstimulated and near tears, her fingers twisted into the sheets as she sobs through her third orgasm. she’s soaking wet already, yet this sensation is different and she looks horrified when it happens. “did i-?” she gasps. “you did,” you murmur, smiling down at her. “look at the mess you made for me”

sub!pervert!rhiannon who wants to be recorded. not just the audio, she wants videos: full-blown, disgusting, intimate clips of her getting ruined by you. later, when she’s sore and clean, she gets comfortable on your chest and makes you replay it while she jerks off with one hand down her panties.

sub!pervert!rhiannon who wants to be watched. she touches herself, straddling your face with your legs spread as if she’s being examined, spread open, grinding against the three fingers she’s got stuffed into herself. “am i doing it right?” she whispers, biting her lip. “do you like how i look like this? how filthy i am for you?”

sub!pervert!rhiannon who sends you pictures and obscene texts from her desk at the gazette. she’s meant to be editing some article, yet no one is paying enough attention to notice that she’s taking the fifth bathroom break in the span of two hours. instead she’s got her hand down her tights in the stall, lips parted as she balances her phone on her knee and takes a shaky photo: soaked panties pulled aside, stiff clit on display. you make me so distracted, the text says. fix it when i get home?

sub!pervert!rhiannon who records voice memos while she’s touching herself. she sends them from the office bathroom as well, whispering your name between gasps. she knows the walls are thin, she just can’t help herself when she’s fingerling herself for you. “thinking about your fingers,” rhiannon pants over the obscene sounds of her wetness. “please- please listen to this later and think of me. was dripping all over my seat for you”

sub!pervert!rhiannon who asks you to film her with your strap inside her to see how far it disappears. “i want to know how deep you are,” she breathes as she hands you the phone. (as if the bulge on her belly isn’t enough yet…)

sub!pervert!rhiannon who is generally obsessed with your strap:

sub!pervert!rhiannon who insists on you packing in public. her knees are pressed together under the table, unable to think about anything but the outline under your jeans. she’s not subtle, either. at dinner, she slips a hand under the table and drags her nails across your inner thigh and over the strap’s tip. later, she follows you into the bathroom like a dog in heat and drops to her knees in the stall, nuzzling your zipper then mouthing at the bulge in your pants like she’s starving.

sub!pervert!rhiannon who will suck your strap like it’s your real cock. she’ll wrap her lips around it, spit slick and mess running down her chin, eyes teary and red. she’s shamelessly drooling all over the toy, too far gone to care. “doesn’t even matter,” she’ll mumble between slick kisses to the silicone. “doesn’t matter if you can feel it. i need to suck it. i need to-” and then she’s deep-throating it, one hand jammed between her thighs.

sub!pervert!rhiannon who rides your strap like she's trying to make it come. “you're gonna fill me up, yeah? gonna make me yours?” and you just watch her from beneath, one hand curled around her throat, letting her spiral.

sub!pervert!rhiannon who whispers “fuck, fuck, fuck, please get me pregnant” even though she knows it's silicone and completely impossible.

sub!pervert!rhiannon who also wants you to talk her through it like it's real. “feel that?” you murmur, rocking your hips. “feel how deep i am, baby? you're taking me so well.” and rhiannon nods frantically, sobbing. “so deep, it's in my fucking stomach” she babbles. “don't stop, please, it's perfect- you're perfect”

sub!pervert!rhiannon who gets so turned on from reenacting her own kills, in detail, with you watching. “i slit his throat, like this,” she’ll murmur, trailing the tip of her knife across your pulse point. she’s straddling you fully clothed and her hips start rolling slowly the more she tells you. it also gets her off when you interrogate her, asking her about her whereabouts the night before. where she went. who she saw. that’s enough to get her squirming, knees pressed together, as you pace slowly in front of her. “you’re not mad, are you?” she asks, blinking up at you. you crouch down, lean in. “should i be?” rhiannon inhales sharply. “maybe.” her panties are already damp.

sub!pervert!rhiannon who loves the humiliation of being stuffed with her own knife handle…? slapping sub!pervert!rhiannon’s clit with it…?

[calicoheartz]

need need need something about Caitlin dating a famous popstar, think Sabrina carpenter

☆ espresso ; Caitlin Clark

summary : caitlin clark x pop star reader!

synopsis : you are the music scenes next hot thing , who happens to be dating worldwide famous wnba player (set a tiny bit into the future)

warnings : tiniest bit suggestive if you squint , pure fluff !

my master list ㇀♡

a/n: thank you to the lovely person who suggested this! i changed some of the lyrics in the song for it to make sense but it shouldn’t be too noticeable. Enjoy ◡̈

You were the music industry’s next hot thing. From performing at smaller venues, to headlining at Coachella; you were everywhere. Along with your wnba superstar, Caitlin Clark.

The two of you had met while you were preforming a gig at a local bar , a little right before you got your big break. Ever since then, the two of you had been inseparable. Both instantly drawn to each others passion and drive for your careers.

But with Caitlin’s demanding basketball schedule and your international shows and tours , maintaining your relationship proved to be a challenge. Only relying on calls , texts , and surprise visits whenever you can to steal a moment together amidst your busy lives.

It had been almost 3 weeks since you’ve seen your loving girlfriend. With the wnba draft and Coachella starting to kick off, the universe was simply pulling you two away from eachother.

You were sitting in your dressing room , preparing to go on stage to kick off the second weekend at the bustling festival , the biggest festival of the year for that matter. Your nerves were practically eating you alive, you knew she would be in audience. You toyed with your hair as your makeup artist finished the final touches of your look , as you fidgeted with the hem of your skirt. The skirt that perfectly hugged your curves , delicately adorned with lace and bows , your signature look.

You soon snapped back to reality, with the cheers from the audience slowly making its way into your mind. There was no doubt in your mind that this was the moment that could make or break your career. You planned on preforming your newly released song espresso , as a way to give your girlfriend a little treat on her first day back.

You made your way to the stage , sporting your signature beach waves and skimpy clothes, the intro to the song soon began and your eyes darted across the crowd. Begging to meet with the one pair of eyes you can call her own.

You hear the crowd begin to chant your name , you lock eyes with Caitlin briefly, sending a smirk your way. Prompting you to slowly begin to sway your hips as you begin to sing..

❝ now she’s thinkin’ ‘bout me every night oh, is it that sweet? I guess so ❞

you turn towards caitlin , seeing a big grin on her face , as she very well knows the melodic tune is referencing your whirlwind romance. Your hips continue to sway as the lyrics danced off the tip of your tongue , hitting every note in the process.

❝ And i got this one girl

And she won’t stop calling

when they act this way..

I know i got ‘em ! ❞

The crowd begins to scream , noticing your small wink towards caitlin , making it painfully obvious of your ode to her throughout the song

As the lyrics then again roll off your tongue like sweet honey, you continue to prance around the stage earning gasps and applause from the audience, and most importantly; a hungry gaze from your girlfriend. Her eyes practically undressed you as they wandered from your hips to your face, and vice versa. You immediately felt butterflies in your stomach, it had been so long since shes looked at you with those eyes. And as much as you wanted to jump off the stage and into her arms, you only had to finish the rest of the chorus and verse before concluding your set.

You began…

❝ I'm working late 'cause I'm a singer…Oh, she looks so cute wrapped around my finger! ❞

The music continues and you feel as if you are on cloud nine. If this doesnt fully establish your relationship with cait, then youre not sure what will. You practically feel her eyes burning into you as you resume your soft sways, slowly becoming more provocative as you reach near the end of the song. You hair slowly flows with the gentle breeze, as you shoot a glance towards your girlfriend, receiving a approving nod in return. You hear your cue, and make your way to the front to face the audience head on, you quickly hit your iconic signature pose while belting

❝ Mmm, that's that me espresso❞

And the audience erupts with claps and chants as you quickly exit the stage, locking eyes with your manager who signals you to head to the back. As you make your way down there, you feel a strong and warming embrace wrapped around your hips, with soft kisses peppering your neck. “Cait!” you squealed, unable to hide your excitement to see the brunette, she grins at your reaction, snaking her arm beneath you as she slowly begins to carry you to your dressing room.

She soon gently puts you down, as she gently begins caressing your cheek. “You did amazing” she muttered, “everytime you preform you never refuse to amaze me with the amount of talent that you have-” you cut her off with a deep and tender kiss, tasting the mango flavored lipbalm that glistened on her lips.

You giggle, simply muttering , youre my honey bee.. Come get this pollen ;)

anywaysss this is my go at pop star reader x cc !! tbh i feel like this is train wreck but you be the judge of that! tysm for reading 🎀

[fantasywater]

Is Stolas actually cheating? Why or Why Not?

I've had some debates where I've been told that Stolas isn't cheating, and especially not continuously. However, I personally think that he is.

The not cheating crowd reasoning's are:

1.Only the initial act was cheating. Once Stolas screamed the morning after that he wanted a divorce than every sex act with Blitz afterwards was not.

2. Since the marriage was consentless, loveless, and abusive this means he was never cheating on her. This interpretation tallies with Stolas's words on the balcony and in Western Energy.

3. Divorce only takes one person's consent and Stolas called it so he's free to fuck whomever, whenever, and wherever.

My rebuttals:

1.It's still cheating until that balcony scene where he calls for the divorce and kicks her out.Because even after his petty moment of triumph he still tries to placate her, and she's still living in the house. She is also still eating dinner like a family while still very much pissed at what he keeps doing.

I also find it ironic that only when he finally stops being passive and goes through with the divorce is when he also finally stops sleeping with Blitz for good. He went backwards with it. Which means he absolutely would have kept blatantly cheating(as well as kept Blitz in the deal) if the dropoff wake-up call hadn't happened.

2. No one gets to redefine a word just because the character doing it is a fan favorite. Stolas is committing infidelity by the very definition of it. He's an adulterer and a victim of domestic violence. Both are true at the same time.

Basically Stolas as a character can think what he's doing is indeed not cheating,but this doesn't mean the narrative agrees with him.

Narrative disagreement: Stella and Octavia's call-outs in Loolooland. Asmodeus's call out in Ozzie's. Via's pain again in Seeing Stars. Andre's call out in Western Energy. Via yet again in the Sinmas leaks.

Out of all the people I've listed I think the narrative has been very consistent in using Octavia to drive home that his cheating was wrong, and therefore damaging, regardless of what he personally thinks about it.

3. Yes, he called for divorce, but he cheated to initiate it therefore breaking his daughter's peace and mental health in the process.

The Via angle will always be why despite his pain his cheating still makes him an asshole. As well as the fact that he kept doing it even after his daughter told him that it was negatively affecting her.

Do you all agree with the view that both parties need to consent if they want to have sex with other people during separation or divorce proceedings,and especially if one spouse still has feelings, is pissed, or sad about it?

I know for example celebrities very much sleep around when they're only separated or in the various stages of divorce though they're technically still married.

Other bits:

Anyone else think Stolas's take back my power moment against Stella was lacking?

I mean it didn't really hit because there was no strong buildup of her wronging him.

But there's plenty of him wronging her with his frequent and remorseless cheating, and therefore her negative actions are because of that inciting incident.

To me Blitz and Via's felt earned while Stolas's didn't.

We had a whole season(honestly Stars and Western as well) of Stolas wronging Blitz so when he so strongly lashed out in Full Moon it truly felt cathartic.

Same with Via. We have two full episodes of this man repeatedly neglecting his own child for his affair partner and breaking her mental health. So when the third time happened and she has her take back my power moment I cheered.

With Stolas however I should have been cheering, and in a vacuum it wasn't a bad scene,but then the buildup was pretty bad because he has been onscreen for a season, and the circus bedroom scene, very much wronging Stella not the other way around.

Thoughts?

[rei-ismyname]

Uncanny X-Men #14 review

Rejoice! After 14 issues we finally find out what The Outliers' powers are, and even get to know Deathdream a bit. The Antebellum South Mutants plot intersects with the present, the X-Men lose the kids again, and Rogue endangers everyone needlessly (also again.) Some very curious choices were made that make me feel nervous. Dark Artery part 2 of 4 is... worth discussing.

Becoming dead, very useful.

Man-Thing guards this Ancient Place of Mutant Significance and demands character exposition from The Outliers before they can pass. Hotoru seems to know all about it, which must be from communicating with the dead or something. It's a gorgeous looking page that's a quite clever way of getting this information across while establishing Ransom as the leader and forcing Calico to face discomfort. I didn't know half this stuff and we're 14 issues deep. I can imagine a YA story where this scene happens really early to introduce the characters, but why is it this late in a flagship X-Men book? Maybe to show growth and self knowledge, I guess, as an indicator of the X-Men's successful tutelage. I don't think that's been earned, though. Everything they've achieved has been away from the adults - who've fought them, blown them up, let them get kidnapped and attacked by sentinels.

Saving this for a 'beating a dead horse' joke. RIP Ember

The structure of this issue really stands out to me as spread too thin. 4 plot threads and 16 characters is a LOT for a 20 page serial that's still establishing its premise and cast. The Outliers/Henry stuff is the most interesting, but all they really did was walk down a hallway. The Outliers in general are the highlight of the run, and I feel like Simone would prefer to be writing them. I'd prefer to be reading them, frankly; these X-Men are kinda boring. Have they actually taught these kids anything? They're terrible carers and I'm not sure the kids need it aside from a place to live. Considering Haven welcomes The Outliers regardless, the adults feel redundant. The best Outliers stories so far have been away from the X-Men and the worst are when they interact. Training sequences and childish misunderstandings can work, but as soon as they're on their own they're acting like adults and kicking arse.

Take Gambit for instance. Last issue Sadurang took him for a ride to the Savage where they had a meeting that could have been an email. He puts Remy to the choice and he just says no, so they return. I'm sure the cannibalism thing will pay off one day (he should eat Logan) but 1/3 of the two issues is taken up with flying to the jungle and back. It's a four part thing called Dark Artery - show us that shit. WTF is a Dark Artery and how is Haven this generational mutant hotspot we've never heard of? Marcus knows what's up but he's more worried about people wearing pants than the dangerous graveyard mutant magic zone under the swamp? I think the Gambit/Sadurang dynamic would be more compelling if it was shorter. By the time they finish bro'ing down the year will be up. I've been waiting for more information about this Endling business, and I've decided I definitely don't care. The dragon was making confident prophecies in the first issue but now he doesn't know except they've got 'female energy.' An endling is the last survivor of a species and it's too soon for more genocide. Also, I just don't believe they'd do it.

What a surprise - another fight started by Rogue over nothing. It's getting old, frankly, and the implication that Gambit avoids her for her entire period is ridiculous. It was cringe when 80s sitcoms did it and I'm surprised Simone went there. For once Rogue is actually punished for being a violent, reckless idiot but how many misunderstanding fights will she get into? The plot just grinds to a halt whenever it happens and it's boring. Maybe she'll reflect on her recklessness next issue but I'm just not that interested in Rogue flip flopping and making the same mistakes. I'll take all this back and write Gail Simone an apology letter if there's some serious social consequences for being the violent hardhead on a team with LOGAN. An intervention or something. I guess Logan casually impaled Scott last week so whatever! She'll defrost eventually.

It's cool to acknowledge Jubilee's son that she left in Otherworld a few years ago. Shogo loved it there, but he was a baby. I wonder if she'll go say hi and he'll be Future Shogo we've met several times. Maybe! I'm not super invested either way tbh, I think it's funny that Jubilee found the kid, kept him, and then YOLO left him in a fairy tale multiverse dimension. Little MF stayed an infant for a decade. I'd abandon him too.

The Henry Nawlins character reaches the end of her journey and agent fucko confronts her almost immediately. She might be a Johnny Devil or a Moonflyer! So glad to have some new slurs, you know? 150 year old ones with no etymology that sound incredibly toothless. Obviously these government agents are up to no good, rude racist assholes. He even says he's a sentinel of purity. Like the killer robots. I sure feel mighty scared for these black folks in a very racially charged time and place.

The Orphan Train was a real thing that is the precursor to the foster home system. It was hideously corrupt, and children were taken from the urban poor to provide cheap or free labour to rural landowners, clergy run orphanages, and whoever would pay. Verification and oversight was minimal, so a lot of these kids suffered abuse and/or virtual slavery. It's a horrifying bit of history that had similar institutions all over the world. It feels ... significant to me that all the kids are white and dirty, contrasted with Henry's blackness and middle/working class markers. The intersection of class and race is complex, but while it's great to nod to this history do you really want to do it set in the Jim Crow south? It's terrible optics for negligible gain, and considering that X-books have often suggested that mutant status subsumes class and gender it's confusing.

What TF?

George is literally murdered for the hell of it immediately, and Henry transforms in grief and rage. She takes the cops out (yay) with buckwild rock powers and glowing eyes. It's a pretty hardcore display and the cops deserve it for killing an unarmed black dude minding his own business. Not imagery you'd want to use lightly, in my opinion, and it runs into an issue the mutant metaphor often does. Superhumans actually are dangerous in the same way a gun is, often much more so. In the sixties Henry would be a villain for killing these cops. Yeah they're racist murderers but why make their fear valid? I'd be terrified of a hovering rock person with glowing eyes and golems. Rockslide-Bling-Cyclops vibes.

Are we just calling her The Hag now? Oof

She kills the fuck out of them with ease too as they scream for mercy. Well, Muller's fate is left hanging but the sympathy of the viewer whirls like a top. We've followed Henry for two issues and are inclined to sympathise with her, especially after witnessing her harassment and poor George's death. Boy I hope she's luring kids to this spooky AF graveyard for a benevolent reason. It would be really fucking weird otherwise, don't you think? I sure do.

The black dude being introduced then blown away by cops next page feels really uncomfortable without advancing a statement. Gail Simone is quite well known for putting forward Women in Refrigerators - I'd think she'd know better than to fridge a black dude in an intentionally racially charged story then flip the oppressed black woman protagonist into an antagonist/monster. Yeah, that's right - Henry is still at Haven in the present and she wants one of the Outliers to take her place as guardian. Oh, that's really not benevolent at all.

It's certainly a swerve and a cliffhanger, but why link the mutant metaphor to Jim Crow at all if you don't have a hook? I think it's too weighty to be used as set dressing. Introducing a sympathetic black woman on a mission of love then coding her as a graveyard monster antagonist is... I don't even know what to say. I feel like I must be missing something here. I don't want to be throwing out criticism of thoughtlessly including black history and people unless it's there because that's ugly shit. At best we're going to need a HUGE save handled very carefully to Not Be Super Problematic. The Podcaster is a flat black villain whose skin colour and experiences have been left out. No problem with two black villains, but when you're adding more racism to the racism book there's the expectation that you're doing it thoughtfully.

The superfluous presence of Man-Thing just raises questions, but the mystery of the Dark Artery feels like a flop. There's 2 more issues of it, so there's time to turn it around but I'm really fucking tired of saying that. The worst thing is that the most problematic aspect might just be for a cliffhanger. This book and adjectiveless love that shit - introducing a threat on the last page and undercutting it next issue. This is exhausting honestly. If we took the Gambit and Rogue bullshit out there'd be room to give an ambitious storyline like Dark Artery the space it deserves. Maybe next time.

[lakesparkles]

(I was originally gonna post this in the replies of the last ask but I got shy ;-;)

YES. YESSSSS oh my god. you and I. we're like the same. ramona's guilt was what drew me to her in the first place. it's so rare to find a character that truly struggles with feeling like a bad person, and bryan wrote it so perfectly. it's such a shame that this part of ramona never made it into any of the adaptations. he represented how domestic abuse affects victims so well, SO WELL. anyone who argues that being interested in gideon/ramona is bad has never experienced d/a. long-term abuse destroys you. it rewires your brain. it makes you obsessive and vulnerable and lonely but afraid of people. I was attached to my ex for years after we broke up. years after we stopped talking I still fantasized about earning his approval and love and affection. I think it's quite natural to obsess over similar situations, in a way. healthier than thinking about your own lol

bryan wrote gideon and ramona. so. well. I do wish he would have explained more about them, but what we did get (in the comics) was really personal and important to me. ramona's self-hatred, her misplaced guilt, her feelings of being an evil person who can't be saved... yeah. any time someone says "ramona was the real villain!" I do the biggest eye-roll ever. no, she's not. being a victim makes you do some terrible, terrible things to yourself and others but I don't think even that makes her evil. she's just a person

and yes. I love villains, and gideon is nowhere near the worst. the way that he's presented, especially with the tone of scott pilgrim, is very comedic. he's hardly evil in the anime/movie at all

I love. characters who struggle with morality and feeling evil so much. if I had replied on the last post from my main you could've seen my fave for the past year😭😭

-🦊

(oh don't worry at all, I know how it feels 😔)

You understand me so much, reading your asks even comfort me in a way, thank you for this <3 EXACTLY!! And when I find a character who feels this way... They're usually written in a way that I can't relate to. But Ramona is very different, it was like she was translating my own feelings into words and I could finally understand what I felt, in the first place.

And you're surely not wrong or alone for being this way, with me it was basically the same. I don't see my ex for seven years (?) and I still think about her all the time. I wonder how different things could've been. I wonder if I was the one who acted wrong (not surprises, this is what happens after you have a relationship with someone who manipulates you to believe it).

This is exactly the reason Ramona is so important to me and why Gideon and her are the best representation of an abusive relationship. Many people are afraid to show that, when you're a victim of it, you don't feel good about yourself. In fact, it's like you feel guilty and ashamed for the longest time. And, even worse, that this kind of relationship has good moments too and this is the hardest part. When my ex was nice, she was VERY nice.

I love villains, however, Ramona is NOT EVEN CLOSE to being one. I haaate when people say this about her... But let's be real, a big part of the Scott Pilgrim fandom hates women :( and yeees, Gideon is just "normal villain" level to me. He's bad, he's showed as bad but many of his scenes are funny. Bryan himself doesn't take his seriously and, most of all, he's a loser. I love him for this.

Now I'm so curious about your fave haha but like I said, don't worry at all!! You're always free to reply with your main or DM me, but only if you feel comfortable doing so ^^

[whispersleo]

So uhm I just finished Dragon Age so... NO SPOILERS here! Just want to do a tiny little ramble about the game. Be cautious, really bad english ahead!!!

Like what the fuck was that. Listen I WANT to love this game, really. As a transman I absolutely loved the representation, I think it's really important. But please. After 500+ hours in Baldurs Gate, it's impossible for me to not make comparisons and see the huge, absolutely gigantic, gap in quality between the two scripts. And I know Baldurs has a lot of problems with the script and the writing, It's not perfect, but after all the details it is REALLY GOOD, it is and can be truly beautiful, you can see and hear the beating heart of the game in almost every scene. I'm saying this not only as a Gale enjoyer (please believe me), but you can't tell me that Veilguard has a scene even REMOTELY close to the Gale scene where you contemplate the stars with him. He talks to you about immortality, about love, about dying and death, about suicide, his pain lingering in his voice in every breath, and if you happen to be interested in him, Gale confess his love in a way you can even hear him scared of ruining things (again?). He's scared, paralyzed in fear, regrets, pain, despair, sorrow, and yet he really is brave enough to open his heart completely to you in what is, in my opinion, the best scene in the game. I'm always excited to replay it, I hear him all the way through it every single time, I feel his emotions like they were mine and that is so beautiful and precious to me.

And then Dragon Age: The Veilguard, pales in comparison. This beautiful Gale scene happens in the middle of your journey, where you both still don't know if you can truly wake up for tomorrow. Hells, Gale doesn't even think he can live at all!, and yet he chooses to spend this specific night with you, to kiss you, to adore you. He tells you that he loves you. A lot of people criticize that the companions in Baldurs are too horny for their own good, and that they want to get in your pants too quickly. I get where they're coming from but I can't agree. For me, every company has its own reasons for doing that. Astarion tries to get into your pants because it's his way of surviving, for example. Gale doesn't try to do so until he's literally standing on the edge of a cliff in a desperate and maybe last act of love - if he can't love himself, he'll try to love and live for someone else. I won't go on about the other companions, but they do that because they trust you, because you have earned their trust.

We all know the elephant in the room in Baldurs Gate 3. Wyll. His story, cut short. His content, non-existent in comparison. His romance, with many fewer hours that makes me feel it's not worth it. His mission, not even about him. His character, boring to death (to me).

BUT, man, he's just one of the companions. It's not okay, but the others are amazing, Wyll is -sadly and in comparison- just a detail. In Veilguard, this problem is with EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM.

They all feel so rushed it's not even funny. As a Lucanis enjoyer (of course I am), I couldn't even get happy for finally getting a kiss from this man and an "I love you". It's just too late for that when it happens. So cold. When it happens, the character -me, as the player- can't even be in the "mood" for it. I hate it. I hate the moment. And I hate I love those puppy brown eyes -as usual, and can't even be excited, hopeful and happy and all the things I truly feel in the Gale scene. I can't. I've been wanting to kiss this man for the past thirty hours and is just too late when it finally happens. I wanted to kiss you before facing the horrors, not after. In Baldurs, you can feel the support of your lover all the way from the half game to it's end and conclusion, you can hear them say they love you if you want, telling you sweet words, greeting you with love and familiarity. The connections you form with the Veilguard characters is rushed, feels extra superficial, and the romance hides behind a poor "slow burn" excuse. This is just writing so fucking shit I've read fanfics at the age of 12 with like thousand of more layers and greaters sex scenes that Veilguard can't have in ANY moment of the script, not just the romance. I'm talking specifically about that because that's where I really felt like the game was freezing me out.

When I finished Baldurs the first time, I felt everything. I cried my eyes out, I laughed, I was so happy- and that was while watching Gale become a god and let Astarion ascend. But it all felt like everything I did (120 hours) was for a reason. It was all FOR this, good or bad choices. I cried when the credits rolled and kept crying when everything went silent. And I started a new playthrough feeling so excited to discover more and more.

Here, I tried to feel that again. To feel like I've saved the day, excited for the future, sad for saying goodbye, and happy for doing so. But I couldn't fake it if you had a gun pointed at my head and told me to smile LOL I was so cold. Just thinking "that's it? It can't be... can it?" And waiting for the game to say HA! Gotcha. But it never came. I watched the credits still trying to connect to something I just watched and finished.

If you're still here, let me tell you: I don't regret buying it.

Sure, the script is like a Marvel movie. A good one (I love superheros), but a Marvel movie still. Like Shang Chi, for example. Man I love that movie. I love the color palette, the characters look like fun, the scenography is amazing, the choreographies are just astounding! But the script. It's a Marvel movie. Characters are saying all the things instead of showing me. They're joking in really bad moments. Sometimes they don't even feel like people, just parrots saying random lines they suddenly remember. The ending it's a big battle that makes all the journey feel less enjoyable and more boring and flat as fuck. But it's really nice and decent entertainment and I'll watch it again if I'm doing the dishes or something.

It's just not great, but that's what Veilguard is for me. I love the colors, I love the character designs, I love all the places you can go, I love the gameplay and the combat experience and I'm excited to try new difficulty levels. But the script is just dog shit. It's entertaining enough to have it like background noise if you are doing something else, and that's it.

All I see is potential wasted. But I want to play it again, maybe as rushed as all the characters are. Just let me keep smashing shit, swinging my axe, and I'm pleased.

Thanks for reading.

[starmocha]

Omg so many typos in my last ask, sorry, i was emotional 😔😔

Yeah, been here for a while now, I remember so many snowdrop hcs were being thrown on the table, even that one where zayne's evol backlash happens while he's taking care of the baby 😭😭😭

i really can't believe the first chapter is out AND IT'S SO SO SO GOOD!!!

I forgot to mention but ZAYNE NUZZLING MC'S BELLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

since everlasting wish that's been something that has never left my mind, to see it applied so perfectly here 😭😭

And then him peering up at mc and mc's a bit insecure as in "what if didn't happen?"

But zayne is so down bad that he wants to fully pretend and act like she already is pregnant (cue me yelling: "she is!!! she iiiiiiis!!!!) and he uses his birthday as an excuse to do so 😍😍😍

I'M MELTIIIIIIIING

Again, thank you. Might read it for the 5th time tonight if I don't collapse onto bed and fall asleep.

also, take your time with everything, don't feel pressured. You're amazing ♥️♥️♥️

🥺 nooo, don't worry about it! I loved your enthusiasm! <333

omg the trauma hc 😭 I'm still so emotionally compromised because of that one lol

I've actually included a few references to past memories into the story! But the nuzzling I definitely wanted to include, because yeah....... that is never leaving my head. It's taken permanent residence 🫠 imagine when she's pregnant and showing ohhhh lord he's going to be over the moon lol

That was one of my favorite scenes! I love incorporating their playful dynamic from the game into the story. I also love how Zayne is always finding the most insane reasoning to justify his behavior or stance on things lol

I'm so honored this fic is earning multiple rereads from you. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and feelings. I am so delighted and overjoyed to be able to share this story with everyone finally. <3

[radashes]

TV Series Review: The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 2 (The Season Where Nobody Had a Clue What They Were Doing, Especially Belly)

Recently, I finished Season 2 of The Summer I Turned Pretty because… well, I was already in too deep. And listen — if you thought Season 1 was messy? Season 2 is a full-blown emotional trainwreck with sparkles on top. I am so tired and yet so invested.

🌊 What Worked:

Laurel’s grief arc was actually so good: She lost her best friend. She was holding everything together while her daughter was out here making a mess in three zip codes. Laurel shutting down emotionally made sense. Watching her finally break down and reconnect with Belly? That was raw. That was earned. That’s the kind of mother-daughter content I showed up for.

Steven and Taylor’s side romance >> They have more chemistry in one scene than Belly has with both brothers combined. They’re fun, flirty, awkward, sweet — and somehow more grounded than everyone else.

The house-saving plot was surprisingly decent: Okay, was it dramatic? Yes. Did it actually make me feel something? Also yes. Seeing the kids come together for something bigger than their love triangle was refreshing.

Introduction of New Characters: The addition of Julia and Skye brings fresh dynamics to the story. I love Cam and Skye moments and am really happy for my boy for getting her as a love interest. I like Skye. She has personality and actually stands for what she wants.

The cousins’ moments — finally some light: That brief scene where everyone was laughing, playing games, and genuinely having fun together to escape grief? Gorgeous. It was the one time we saw joy in the middle of the storm, and it made me ache in the best way.

❌ What Definitely Did Not Work:

Love triangle whiplash: Every episode is like, kiss Jeremiah → cry about Conrad → rinse and repeat. Sis is a teenager, sure, but basic emotional responsibility wouldn't kill her. Also, what triggers me the most is when Belly says that "a piece of my heart still beats for his brother." Like bro no one forced you to be with Jeremiah.

Jeremiah’s glow-down: He used to be sunshine. Now he's just petty, bitter, and jealous 24/7. Also, stop blaming Conrad for everything. He’s not the one making Belly play ping-pong with your heart.

Belly’s emotional intelligence hit rock bottom: I didn’t think she could get worse, but here we are. She's grieving, yes, but that doesn’t explain why she’s still stringing along two brothers, crying about both, and acting like the victim in every situation.

Jeremiah kissing scenes were painful: I’m sorry but the chemistry just wasn’t there. Every time Belly kissed him, it felt like she was trying to force herself to move on from Conrad, not because she wanted Jeremiah. It was giving “fake it till you make it” but in the most uncomfortable way possible.

The plot is thinner than a wet paper towel: Nothing really happens here. You could summarize the entire season as “Belly has feelings and doesn’t know what to do with them.” That’s it. That’s the show.

🌪️ Spoiler Rants (because I have feelings):

Conrad is more broken than ever, and somehow hotter for it.

Jeremiah’s doing way too much and not enough at the same time

Belly has kissed Jeremiah more times on screen than Conrad — the dude she claims she’s loved since childhood. (Conrad is the guy she supposedly ends up with in the book. Make it make sense)

Belly shows up at Conrad’s college unannounced and then gets mad at him for not being emotionally available. HUH??

Conrad is clearly not ready for a relationship, and Jeremiah is only acting like he is.

When Belly was literally having a moment with Jeremiah, and then few minutes later at the same damn playhouse, she’s giggling and emotionally re-bonding with Conrad? BE SO SERIOUS. I had to pause and take a lap.

Who decided to start Season 2 by switching between past and present every 3 minutes with similar outfits and same lighting? I was sitting there like: “Wait… is this before the prom or after the funeral?” “Did they break up yet or are we at present?” “Conrad and Belly meet in the present, or are we seeing their past moments?”

Final Verdict: 🌟 3.5/5 stars

You’ll scream. You’ll cringe. You’ll question why you care so much. And then you’ll click “Next Episode” anyway. We need Season 3 because... we’re in too deep now. And we all need therapy before the new season drops.

Watch it for:

The beach views

Laurel’s arc (she deserves a whole show)

Conrad looking sad in hoodies

The soundtrack (Shoutout to Phoebe Bridgers)

Steven and Taylor being couple goals and carrying the season on their backs

The cousins trying to heal with joy (even briefly)

Skip it if:

You can’t handle secondhand embarrassment

You want the main character to grow

You need clean, logical pacing

You hate love triangles that drag forever

Is it good? Not really. Is it addicting? Painfully. Will I watch Season 3? Absolutely. With snacks. And judgment.

[great-kung-lao]

KazuKaoru and Infinite Wealth

I can't even describe properly what kind of an emotional adventure it was witnessing an ancient ship of mine getting brand new development.

When Yakuza 3 sadly happened the way it did at the beginning, I put KazuKaoru at the backyard of my mind. That part of me lived in limbo with no proper closure in sight. Yakuza 5 only briefly referenced particular Yakuza 2 events, but it wasn't enough. It honestly felt half-assed.

Then unfortunately Yakuza 6 happened. That one particular scene I don't want talk about. If you know - you know. Darkest chapter for any KazuKaoru enjoyer. But the way it ended gave me a window for headcanons. If Kiryu needed to be "dead" for everyone to keep them safe, then the best way would be to move to another place, another country even and why not go to USA and try to find Kaoru? In my head they reunited and lived happily ever after in a post Yakuza 6 timeline before we knew 7 will be a thing and when we thought 6 is the last Kiryu Kazuma game.

Like a Dragon 7 confirmed that Kiryu remained in Japan and oh well, I could still headcanon him eventually leaving to keep playing "dead" in USA while living with Kaoru.

With all the water under the bridge and Yakuza Kiwami 2 being released, we finally arrive to Infinite Wealth promotional materials. The first gameplay trailer had Poundmates showcase and one of them surprisingly was Sayama Kaoru with a brand new design.

Considering how you could get Poundmates in Like a Dragon 7 by progressing story or doing substories, I almost went hysterical at the possibilities of how we can acquire Kaoru as Poundmate in Infinite Wealth. When we also learned that Kiryu and Ichiban are going to Hawaii, a USA territory where Kaoru was supposed to be still, well, I felt hopeful like never before. After 15 agonizing years of technically nothing new, my dormant KazuKaoru shipper was rising back to life.

But there was major scare at the possibility of RGGS using this opportunity to write Kaoru off for good as someone who moved on and forgot about Kazuma completely. It would've been devastating for someone who just regained some hope.

Then the bomb was dropped in the form of Bucket List trailer where we see Kaoru voiced acted by Hisakawa Aya again in a story cut scene! And she said the line that made me sigh with relief so hard I could've been heard by aliens in another galaxy.

"Maybe a part of me is still waiting for him"

Even though this particular storyline didn't go the way I imagined it after the trailer until the game's release, it did the one thing I needed very much: it left the door open for potential endgame for a pairing that I love since original Yakuza 2, which will be 20 years soon. That's two decades of shipping and getting this after 15 years of nothing? That felt extremely good.

I was relieved by revelation of ongoing mutuality of romantic feelings between Kiryu Kazuma and Sayama Kaoru and my formerly dormant KazuKaoru shipper is living his best life right now with hope that RGGS gives us a well earned happy ending where these two finally got back together in one of the future titles, preferably a mainline one, because I would like to have KazuKaoru as a party in JRPG, doing tag-team attacks like back in the old days.

Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, I'm practically begging you at this point, standing on my knees, to not disappoint us after giving so much hope.

[ohwell-itsme-but-danganronpa]

oops, another lyrics inspired ousai/saiou AU

[me, on 24/09/2024] finally gave in to youtube recommended and listened to "Taste" last night, and it crossed "Good Luck, Babe!" in my mind at some point and proceeded to create this scenario in my mind, and ngl, it's a rough fit for saiou, but bear with me person A, let's say Shuichi, because I can at least somehow see Kokichi as B, is in a straight relationship, and maybe breaks up or "goes on a break", and got forbid I'd make the poor soul Kaede, but her LSE neglectful boyfriend who doesn't make moves seems like a good reason. Point is, summer fling, hot, fast, and very much gay, gay, homosexual. And then he goes back and gets back with his gf. It's technically not cheating! They were on break, and now, he's going to be capable, he'll be attentive, he'll know what to do (kinda going into Espresso territory, "I brand new'ed it for ya"). He'll be trying real hard to make it right, prove that this is what he wants, but the only reason that he can is because he has Kokichi to think of. And after a few months Kokichi moves there (he knows Shuichi's around, they exchanged contact info, but never ended up using it, or maybe texted very briefly and let that trail off), and finds out that Shuichi is back with his ex that he was supposedly totally over with, so what gives? The taunts in verses are directed to the girl, but chorus, and even more so pre-chorus "Now I'm gone, but you're still layin' Next to me, one degree of separation" are directed at Shuichi, this is the same as Chappel's "You can kiss a hundred boys in bars/Shoot another shot, try to stop the feeling". And just. the violence in the mv, changing the perspective to being a memory she's violently trying to get rid of, rather than jealousy, using the guy to try to get the taste out but only getting more obsessed and earning the wrath of of a lover scorned, so both her mind and the actual person are playing against her

step 1??, step 2??, step 3 mmaybe hate sex, revenge home wrecking, marking him up and leaving him no excuses, step 4 profit? oh and they should get in a fight that's weirdly sensual at some point, that seems to be the trend lately generally, a lot of fighting, but more mind games than physical fights, but at least one actual physical fight, and all of it unsubtly horny, fighting that makes you think "This scene is about gay sex" idk, my brain is mush, I just want them to aggressively make out, biting, killing, same thing

Clown: I love when Shuichi Saihara is the messiest bitch alive I need him to get his ass handed to him immediately I am looking very hard at the physical fight, who initiates that? What pushes them to start clawing at eachother like two feral cats?? I hope kaede hits them with her car/silly

me: I said god forbid it be Kaede… idk, maybe I could copy Most Heavenly Way to Die's homework and say Shuichi refused to be grouped or paired with Kokichi for something, and Kokichi blew up depends on the setting, it wouldn't even have to be a school thing, it could happen at a party, because they have mutual friends, and Kokichi just gets fed up with the avoidance, don't pretend you weren't just staring, don't you fucking ask someone to switch places with you- or maybe even hears Shuichi lying about why he "doesn't like" him, and that really gets to him because of the combo of dishonesty and talking shit about him and the fact that Shuichi is just full of it like, overhears after somebody casually asked about it I'm seeing it as a most likely college AU, (it'd be honestly cringe of them if they were adults with jobs acting like that, but I don't want to get into the whole bucket of last year of high school cliches either, even though that'd probably make the most sense with the messiness levels)

[a couple days later] I got caught in a music loop so hard that my sister started complaining, but I just wanted to say [screenshot of full lyrics to Sue Me by Sabrina Carpenter] Kokichi bringing that petty vibe to their fighting maybe making eye contact with Shuichi while kissing someone else

[ridgystasis]

Now that the official trailer is out and we’ve gotten the final bit of promotional material, I wanted to write out some thoughts and concerns regarding the Devil May Cry Netflix show. Namely, one main concern that kept coming up the more we saw. A lot is happening. In this show. Like all the time. Enemies pulled from all the games, references sprinkled everywhere. 3-Dante has a hat, like that one time! It’s overwhelming, a bit. The biggest red flag was the recent trailer, which presented a plot spread across so many locations and moments that I struggled to piece it together. 

If you look at the DMC games and most of the franchise’s external media, what you realize is that almost every DMC plot is incredibly basic. V puts it into words in DMCV—“A powerful demon is about to resurrect, and we need your help Dante.” Substitute in some variety of “unite the human and demon worlds” and there you go. This is further reinforced by the fact that DMC’s antagonists* are incredibly basic. All of them are some variation of “true evil”—they all just want power to have it, and that’s that. It is important to say, though, that this simplicity isn’t a flaw. Rather, it’s actually a really important component in the presentation of DMC’s story. These uncomplicated plots provide the necessary foundation for the heart of DMC’s complexity—its characters.

I think anyone that’s engaged with the franchise would agree that DMC is not really about demon resurrection, but rather the relationships with those you love, especially those you consider your family. And these relationships are presented in interesting ways, with difficult dynamics being exacerbated by characters struggling with their own traumas and maladaptive coping strategies. This is where the asterisk comes in—it’s not a coincidence that the DMC antagonist with the most intricate characterization is also the one who is most involved in this overarching story and arguably acts as its central antagonist. DMC allows itself to be simultaneously over-the-top yet subtle. It doesn’t have the need to spell out everything due to a trust in its players to read between the lines.

I don’t think that the DMC Netflix Show doesn’t trust its watchers. Quite the opposite, actually. Its seeming complexity, the constant referencing without any real intent, even the showrunners’ relentless fan engagement communicates that it doesn’t trust itself. It doesn’t believe that it can “capture the magic”, and so it constantly wants to get ahead of its viewer and give them what it believes they want to earn their approval. But like! DMC shouldn’t ever be like this! Just like its larger-than-life characters, DMC is always confident in itself. Sure, not everyone will like it and some might find it cringe, but the franchise never compromises for these people. It will always be unabashedly, ridiculously itself, and the story invites anyone who wants to come along for the ride. 

Some extra thoughts in this paragraph, but it has spoilers for a scene in the show as well as the DMC3 manga so skip if not interested. Basically, that last shot with Vergil seems to be part of a scene previously shown off last October. In that scene, Vergil shows up (as seen in the trailer). Dante is shocked, shouting that Vergil is supposed to be dead, and we flashback to the night that Eva died and the twins lost their home. After the flashback, it's shown that it wasn’t Vergil, but actually a shapeshifter. Pretty simple. The scene tells you Dante’s feelings, gives you the reasoning behind them, and then continues onward. Compare this to how the DMC3 manga handles this “reunion” (this scene is also the moment that Dante is talking about when he tells Vergil in DMC3 that it’s been a year since they last met, for those who haven’t read the manga). 

Like they immediately start snarking at each other! Pretty similar to their first scene together in DMC3. Their dynamic is funny in this way, since they’re both super larger-than-life there’s never any sort of normal communication that you would expect, it just immediately jumps to shooting the shit. The manga also had a previous scene before this reunion where Dante believes he sees Vergil and he just stands there, stunned.

Whereas the scenes in the manga simultaneously communicate information to you and show off the characters’ dynamic through subtle ways, the show just tells you what you need to know straightforwardly and moves along. The show isn’t out yet though, so I’ll save my judgment for when the full context is shown but yeah. Feels different, I guess. Maybe that's not a bad thing? Guess we'll have to see.

[botherkupo]

Woo finished all 8 episodes of atla live action show. So here are my final thoughts:

Show had its weaknesses but overall was very enjoyable. Would watch again

I loved everything they did with Zuko, Azula, and Ozai. I’ve rambled about this a few times now so won’t add anything more. Just want to emphasize that all extra scenes/changes etc were very satisfying for me and made me excited for the future seasons

I wasn’t sold on Iroh in that first episode but he grew on me quickly and the use of Leaves From the Vine still makes me heart ache. Perfect emotional touch. (Also Zuko saying Lu Ten would be proud to have Iroh as a father before the NWT battle was so sweet)

Aang was wonderful. Some parts with the Avatars being like” bro get your act together” felt repetitive at times, but I also like we got to see all the last 3 avatars. (Also Kuruk focusing on spirit battles was cool. Thank you for giving him more substance and explaining why Koh may have targeted him through Umi)

One thing I really appreciate about Aang here is that yes he didn’t technically “run away” and get trapped in the iceberg. He left to calm down because he was feeling so overwhelmed, then all that stuff happens, and then 100 years passes and he’s stuck not knowing how to be the Avatar — especially in a world so different from his own. The part where he said he didn’t belong in the world was just 😭😭😭🥺🥺🥺

Anyway I like that Aang is trying even though he’s so uncertain and lost. He has his flaws and he has his strengths and at the end of the day his role will be to fight for peace and try bring back the world he knew — when ppl could have fun and be friends with other nations. Also yeah the whole direction they went with the Ocean Spirit was awesome. Aang knew what was going to happen but he did it anyway because he thought that was all he could do, even if it meant he would be lost. I was very emotional lol

In terms of Sokka and Katara, this show definitely feels like it has placed Zuko and Aang as the leads. So yeah, in some ways Katara has stepped back a bit this season compared to what we saw in the cartoon. I honestly wasn’t happy with all the ways she was handled but overall I am still happy with her in the show. Her fight with Pakku was awesome, I love she rounded up the female waterbenders to fight, and I cried when she was calling out to Aang as he was lost to the Ocean Spirit. I think she will be even better in season 2, since her story in this season was about overcoming her trauma and not holding herself back for anyone

On that note, the 8 episode limit definitely made the show suffer in terms of pacing for those last few episodes. I would have loved to have seen Katara do more to fully accept she IS a master. I also didn’t feel much for Sokka and Yue since I felt he had better chemistry with Suki. They definitely could have done with more episodes to build that relationship up. I did like Yue though and how her sacrifice felt less like a destined thing the Moon Soieit had always intended her to do and more like something she chose to do freely.

Also can I just say the horrified screech I made when Momo got hit. I was going noooo momo the whole time until he got healed. (Show needed more Momo. Also Appa. Budget probably made their appearances few snd far between but still. Momo is my fav and I missed him)

It was interesting how they completely changed Hahn but also quite refreshing. One of things I do like about this live action (and I’m probably in the minority) is that they made complete changes sometimes. We all know the story, but it was cool to see unexpected stuff, especially since I could appreciate the changes. Like Yue actively choosing not to marry Hahn (even more so because natla Hahn is not a dickhead) is more satisfying to me than her feeling all sad about a betrothal she doesn’t want. (Also meant we got to see Katara earn Pakku’s strength all on her own instead of because he used to have the hots for Gran Gran)

I thought the show also did well combining omashu, Jet stuff, and Mechanist together. I’m actually happy we didn’t have to deal with The temple being taken over by the mechanist etc because it never sat well with me anyway. Also the episode limit meant they had to focus on ways to condense season 1 into a satisfying story — I think they did good with what they had. We have to remember the cartoon had heaps of episodes to work with, and animation is a different medium with a lot of strengths when it comes to fantasy etc

Anyway, this is getting super long. I will wrap it up by again saying the live action is not perfect but it is a good show that hits all the right emotional beats. I really hope it will get renewed and we’ll get the full story

[wheredostarsgowhenyoudie]

Finally finished Moonlight Mystique :)

Here's my honest review, if you'd care to read.

Good casting of beautiful actresses and actors

Let it be said that I love the ML, and truth be told, this role showed Ao Ruipeng in a better light than previous shows (not that I've watched many, so can't say much). I've just always found him adorable in A Female Student Arrives at the Imperial College in his role as Yan-yan.

Bai Lu has always been beautiful. Her acting is the same in all shows but it always helps to see a beautiful FL. She does that well.

And Dai Lu Wa, I was really excited for her role here. I thought she was epic as An Yan in Lost You Forever. She's even more epic as Fu Ling and Bai Xi.

Cang Shan was adorable. Tian Huo was badass.

Muji was so sweet and the wolf trio were really interesting.

A'chi is handsome and on the same level as Fan Yue.

Great outfit and creative design

I'm honestly awed by the costume design and the creativity involved in the show. The gowns, the hair accessories, the robes, the make-up, like wow.

Promising plot, but the possibilities are untouched.

Given that it's supposedly the third part after Ancient Love Poetry and The Last Immortal, I truly expected a lot more. It just didn't feel right nor enough. And yes, I've watched both.

Script writing and choices of scene cuts wise, the possibilities remained unexplored. They could have added more awe effect to give the storyline more justice and life. It's a love story of different relationships. Family. Friends. Found family. Love for the people and the world. A battle of eternals and demons and deities and then the humans. It already has depth, but in the end, the potential just felt unexplored and untouched.

For instance, the excitement of waiting for Jing Yuan to appear was a letdown given the shortness of his appearance. For someone who supposedly divided his divine mantle to spend 60,000 yrs looking for Xing Yue, was that really the only ending he could have had? And where was the consciousness of Xing Yue?

Fan Yue's character as someone revered and respected by the Polar Region was a tale told but limited scenes were shown. There was no scene where he interacted directly with the little demons that showed how he earned their appreciation and respect. How do the little demons react to him roaming around? There were minimal scenes for that and most were overpowered by his interaction with Bai Shuo.

Also, why was Fan Yue always sleeping? This one, I found amusing lol. For someone so powerful and who lived for long, where is the wisdom of thinking outside the box? Why does his every move have to be a sacrifice?

Bai Shuo became a supreme deity. The first and only human supreme deity in the story. So how did the humans react to this news? Do they know of her? What was the reaction of the demons and the humans to what happened? What was the reaction of the citizens of Ningan City who once thought of her as spoiled and unruly?

The number of deaths reminded me of Hamlet.

There were a lot of sacrifices from each side. And it started with the wolf clan. So when the time comes, will the last of the wolf trio also take her own life? What becomes of A'wu?

I've always thought that the love that stays behind is bittersweet. It's a sad fate to be the one left behind, no matter how much others call it honorable. Bai Shuo was a badass for choosing to live on. Unless you live it, most people would not realize the strength that living takes when you feel you're the only one left. She recited lines about exploring the world to keep her promise to Fan Yue. But not one scene of that was shown.

The story is about love. I love romance, no doubt, but what I love even more is the love that transcends beyond the two people in love. When love becomes a pay it forward kind of thing, and people all around learn to show kindness and love and offer a hand and forgiveness without expectations. That is supposedly the plotline of this story and the 3 books it's supposedly based on, or so it looked to me. So why wasn't that explored in the ending and the extra episode? A sacrifice supposedly for the world. So how did the so called world react and live on?

I could say a lot more. But that's the point. So much potential. Unexplored possibilities.

Villains are a bit weird.

The serpent became the master of the Cold Spring Palace. Only near the end, did we learn his whys and in the end, he died and for what and for who? For Mo Li to comeback. The thing is, Mo Li is a character who is supposedly the third deity but who did not receive love so he does not know how to give it. He was and is literally alone with just the serpent for company. He doesn't even have other minions. He is like this lost soul, a child who takes what he thinks is good for him. But even if he gets it, where is the satisfaction? He does not know of love, does not understand the warmth of having someone care for him. Even if Chong Zao lived his life, his consciousness is different from Mo Li's.

In a way, Mo Li's character is even more pitiful than Tan Tai Jin in Till the End of the Moon.

Anyway, I still enjoyed the drama. :) As a fan and viewer, it's always a delightful pastime for me to watch beautiful people play good roles in dramas. I was always looking forward to the next eps. Nice acting too.

But as a writer...well, yeah, you get the gist. I still wanna ask the writer why. Just why.

[beeoftheboop]

D e s t i n e d w i t h y o u ; SPOILERS

I just finished watching Destined with you and AHHH <3

Plot: 7/10

The plot while one of the best things about it and is very entertaining it does get a bit repetitive they always come back to the overarching plot which is good but they only have 2 actual plot points (and yes I know its a limited series) and one of them the Stalking plot they don't really play on it at all and pretend that its normal?!? they act as if nothings wrong until the end and then ALL of a sudden they are responding normally too it because it could wrap up the series nicely.

The other plot point of the past lives I like it and a lot of dramas have done it amazingly and this drama does well at it but from the information you find out from episode 12-16 (ish) you earn no new information and they just keep going back to it from different perspectives not really adding anything new. Although I do love the plot of its destined to happen so why try to avoid it.

Also the ending left me wanting more although I know realistically that was the natural end to the show I still wanted to see Lee Hong jo and Jang Shin Yu have the wedding I feel like we don't get enough scenes of them happy together maybe that just the rom-com lover in me though.

Also the ex plot and her father (mayor of the company) just did not interest me at all the only good thing to come out of it was Lee Hong Jo's speech to her in the restaurant (in one of the final few episodes) and the scene where Jang Shin had figured out that the GF (now ex) slept with his old boss (correct me if I'm wrong), but other than that I was bored of it a few episodes in.

The magic / spells plot was honestly the best plot and funny asf especially when they only half believed in it towards the middle, and the whole scene with Kwon Jae Kyung when they were trying to prove to him it worked was good!

Characters / Acting: 7/10

The acting throughout the whole show for a most part is great there is a few moments especially in the first few episodes that the actors just don't funny understand there characters yet but apart from that the acting is good (yes there is a lot of 'cringy' bits BUT when is there not in a Drama, although I will say I did notice toward the middle and end i stopped pausing it from second hand embarrassment)

However the characters is what brough this catagory as the characters had the possiblity to be fleshed out and they have bac stories its just never gotten into, i mean Lee Hong's back ground is she was bullied and an orphan and while yes the part with her dad was cute and bonding for her and Jang Shin for the majority it is not explained like - WHAT I would have really liked to see that more and especially the behind the scenes with her mum and yes I get she died while Lee Hong was young i still would have at least liked for the show to show the affects of both of her parents dying.

I also think while yes there are quite a few characters I would have liked Lee Hong to actually have a good friendship instead of her and the women from her office as they were mostly in it to get closer to Jang Shin and Kwon Jae Like 0-0 at least let her make an actual friend!!

But all in all the characters have the potential to be fleshed out but they just didn't go into depth and I know that it is a limited series but still there is 16 episodes FIND SOME TIME.

Pace: 5/10

The pace of the whole show is quite slow BUT it does start to pick up around episode 7, and although it picks up at some point it becomes repetitive. And yes although I did watch it all in one (over the spa of like 3 days) and not weekly like intended but I still don't get why they give us the same plot point over and over again, ALSO the pace of the show is very much intended for a casual watch while still giving a good romance and thriller just thing they could have done it a bit better. And I'm glad they only stuck to a handful of plot points so they could go fully in depth in to a plot (meh) I wish they sped it up a tiny bit and gave us more of the day to day life.

Also the in universe time frame can get confusing at some point as they jump back and forth and sometimes a day had passed between scenes and sometimes months and most of the time they just don't tell you.

All in all I loved the show and I probably will try and watch the other shows that the actors are in just to see how they are in that.

This is all just for fun and what I liked and disliked! <3

[hedonists-den]

wait what was wrong with arcane? I thought it was pretty good and I used to be really into league. just curious what it was that you didn't like

I want to clarify: Season 1 is FANTASTIC, and I can still go back and love it if I ignore where the show goes in Season 2.

This is going to be a longer post, for I have many grievances, in no particular order. I'll put a tl;dr at the end.

And I will acknowledge that I believe most of the issues stem from how rushed it was because they only wanted to do 2 seasons.

⚠️ SPOILERS FOR ARCANE SEASON 2 ⚠️

No character makes it out unscathed. Jayce actively does nothing or is sidelined most of the season when he should absolutely be intervening (act 1) and makes really stupid decisions given what he knows later in act 3, his and Mel's relationship is completely scrapped (even though it was really interesting) in favor of having Mel do...pretty much nothing all season in an alternate dimension, Heimerdinger is reduced to a silly caricature that seems to have no input on anything that's happening when he very much should and is then quickly forgotten about, Ekko and the Firelights are mostly forgotten about when it feels like they would have a massive stake in trying to stabilize Zaun all so that Ekko can have a shipping moment with not-Jinx that came out of nowhere (also he doesn't interact AT ALL with Vi in this season??), Vi almost immediately compromises her principles in episode 1 and joins a strike team in gassing Zaun which is actually insane given her character in season 1, Jinx's trauma is pretty much glossed over for a redemption arc that feels forced and feels like a complete 180 from what was teased in season 1 so that we can reach a "happy family" payoff that I just don't buy, Caitlyn does some of the most irrational flip-flopping on her motivation from episode to episode that I've ever seen, and her relationship with Vi feels weak compared to their relationship in season 1, Sevika is completely wasted as a character and I don't believe for a second that she would ever team up with Jinx after what happened in season 1 (especially that I don't believe for a second that she doesn't find out that Jinx killed Silco and then immediately try to kill her. Also the chomper claw arm is dumb), and arguably the worse offense: Vander's likeness is dragged from the grave and stapled to a different champion (Warwick, I've been told) to be used to reach a cheap payoff that felt so manipulative.

Silco gets his own point because he was my favorite character and even he doesn't survive the character annihilation in this season. He's retroactively turned into a dulled version of himself and it tries to play this whole "oh no, if only Silco had seen this note, everything could have been different..." that completely ignores the core of Silco and Vander's disagreement. And the alternate reality super happy place makes this worse. The only thing he says there is like a Disney Jr. message of today's episode line. And the flashbacks to him, Vander, and the girls' mom calls a lottttt into question with how Vander and Silco behave towards the girls in season 1.

Everything felt very spectacle > quality and plot > character. So much is just like, "Yeah! Look! So coooool!" rather than making things make sense and provide proper setups and payoffs that felt character based. Season 1 did all of this amazingly, so idk what happened.

Sooooo many storytelling opportunities left on the table in favor of rushing to a finale that didn't feel earned. Mainly, the almost complete dropping of the growing tensions between Piltover and Zaun which seemed to be the core of the show's drama. The Chem Barons are totally wasted and it would have been super interesting to see more of, but that's done away really quickly.

Thematically tone-deaf music videos that fail to completely capture the scenes that they're montaging over in a couple minutes. This goes in line with wasted opportunities.

Character interactions that feel missing/poorly fleshed-out, which I've sort of covered a little bit already. Characters do not say/do what they should/what we're given to believe they would because if they did act in character, the plot couldn't happen.

The whole season felt like it lost its teeth/edge. I mean, season 1, episode 3 sees the death of five named characters that you got to know fairly well before they bit it and, while sad and emotionally impactful, it's the result of character decisions and their fates feel narratively earned. The plot armor of (almost) all the characters is so ridiculous here. And yeah, I know there isn't a ton of wiggle room that they have with the champions because of game canon, but still, it's absurd. But to be fair, there is plenty of plot armor in Season 1 as well. That's one of my very few complaints about it.

The Jinx child. Just everything about her. She's a shallow plot device to achieve an unearned emotional shortcut.

tl;dr: Season 2 lacks the emotional depth, character dynamics, character conflict, sensical cause & effect, and proper dramatic tone that Season 1 built. The quality took a massive plummet, and after a second watch, I'm prepared to drop my rating from 4/10 to 3/10. Only the animation quality saves this season.

[max-imumbooks]

Renegades Thoughts

Spoilers ahead!

----

There are things I really enjoyed about Renegades. It's just that it's shortcomings kind of overwhelm everything else. Like, they have the perfect characters to carry a truly interesting story right there, and they chose to just... not. I saw so much potential as the books progressed that every refusal to go down an untraveled road just got me more and more frustrated.

Adrian's and Nova's team members are adorable and convincingly normal. Unlike the adult superheroes, the patrol team are all teenagers who could be anyone's brother, anyone's sister. They're people first and foremost. AND they have cool and unique superpowers! Girl who can transform into a swarm of butterflies, anyone? And being one of the most badass heroes among them? And Adrian brings his drawings to reality, which doesn't seem all that valuable in combat on the surface, but in execution lends Adrian a versatility that others don't have.

As far as the plot goes, the fact that the story plays with superhero archetypes meant that I was looking for a predictable/archetypal story structure. In my head, it should have gone thus: Book 1 = ends with Nova being found out, Book 2 = consists of heroes vs villains with Nova and Adrian on opposite sides, and Book 3 = Nova and Adrian realizing the hero/villain conflict of their parents' generation doesn't have to be their story, and find a way to come back together to navigate a path of their own, joined by others their age from both sides.

That's not what I got.

I read these all back to back, so it all kind of runs together in my brain (especially since I listened on audiobook), but iirc Nova isn't even suspected until Book 3, and even though she's arrested, she's ultimately acquitted in short order. She's not TRULY found out until the finale.

The FINALE.

She then proceeds to stand by while Adrian is quite literally tortured, flayed even, with hardly a word of protest. It turned my stomach to know that this girl I've come to enjoy so much suddenly lacked any spine whatsoever, and it was enough for me to feel like Adrian's quick forgiveness after wasn't actually earned. Nova ends the story still in a moral deficit, which was kind of lazy. Like-- why.

I also expected Nova to grow into her own identity, as she starts of executing someone else's plan to infiltrate the Renegades, and then ends up crafting her own plan when she's suddenly required to maintain the facade longer than expected. In my mind, I expected her to actually take on a role of authority, but any time she's undermined or in conflict with other villains she shrinks back into obedience. When she finally acts to her own morals, it's not because she's grown and gained unique experiences, but because it turns out her uncle lied to her about the deaths of her parents and baby sister Evie.

Speaking of, what REALLY gets my goat is that the most interesting twist on the story, the thing that would have 100% redeemed this story if it had been explored in the main text, happens in the EPILOGUE.

See, there's this character we meet in the same scene we meet Nova. Nova is on the street during a parade, and a young pickpocket tries to steal her bracelet-- the last token Nova has of her parents, her most prized possession. The pickpocket turns out to be Maggie, codename Magpie, a Renegade who has a talent for identifying and unearthing valuable items. From then on, Nova positively loathes Maggie, and the feeling is mutual. They hate each other's guts, and can barely be in the same room without fighting each other.

It's actually quite refreshing that Nova doesn't suddenly lapse into mother mode, as other stories may be wont to do. Two girls hate each other-- it happens! And it's 100% in character on both girls' parts.

But here's the thing: in the finale, Maggie is revealed to be Evie. You know, Nova's murdered baby sister whose death motivates every one of Nova's actions for three whole novels? Yeah. That Evie. No one knows, not even them. Maggie was delivered to an orphanage as an infant, after her parents were found murdered and her older sister missing, never to be heard from again. Maggie grew up hoping that her sister would re-appear and claim her, but she's abandoned that dream-- she's far too cynical and streetwise for that.

But imagine. If the story had let Maggie and Nova learn the truth... How would they reconcile? Would they believe it? Would they eventually come together and love each other like they always dreamed of doing? THAT would have been 100% more compelling than the lukewarm commentary of the hero/villain dichotomy that we got. That could have easily been the main focus of Book 3.

Ugggggggghhhhh... it makes me want to tear my hair out.

Especially because there's been no mention of Marissa Meyer of returning to the world of Renegades.

On a side note, as a kid I had a habit of fancasting the characters in almost every book I read. I've mostly grown out of that, but this series did have a character (Nova's uncle) that instantly put an actor in my head-- Phil LaMarr, who I know predominantly as Malefic J'onzz in CW's Supergirl. Nova's uncle Ace had such a distinct presentation and delivery that LaMarr's face was the only thing that popped into my brain. (And in casting LaMarr, it would suggest that Nova would be black or at least mixed race, which opens up a whole world of wonderful casting choices.)

So-- yeah. Any story where the most interesting and compelling plot twist happens in the epilogue is certainly on the struggle bus.