#the ust in this episode is everything

[dgct2]

Snoring? That's impressive.

3.06 In Quo Ego Vado Vos

[yveltalreal]

did you watch the actual noctowl house or like a bootleg version how do you not know what’s going on

i watched the actual noctowl house. way too much happens in the first episode. the amount of shit they do is stuff i would have expected to take place over the course of like 3 or 4 episodes. its incredibly hard to follow, especially when youre someone like me who needs to take amoment to fully process whats happening sometimes. not to mention that it gives you a very skewed idea about what the show is about. i should know the bare bones of a shows premise and what to expect by its first episode. the noctowl house does not let me do that.

you watch gravity falls, you have a vague idea that the show is about two twins who find a weird book that tells them about all the supernatural stuff in this small town, supernatural stuff they will be fighting. you watch amphibia, you have a vague idea that its about a girl and her friends who are sent to an alternate world where everyone are shit like froakies and stuff and its about her wanting to go home and learning how to live with the froakie people. you watch avatar the last airbender, you know its about aang who is the avatar trying to master the 4 elements and defeat the fire nation who are trying to colonize the other nations. you watch steven universe, you know its about steven who is this kid with magic alien powers who lives with 3 other people with magic alien powers and together they fight monsters and save the day and shit. like SUPER bare bones shit, no idea about the full plot, but you know the basic idea.

i could not tell you what they want me to know about the noctowl house. theyre going to be?? breaking people out of prison because theyre weird? being weird is illegal in this world? everything i have the vaguest spoilers of later in this show does not give me the impression that i am right. hell maybe its about luz being a witch?? i have literally never seen this talked about and like. YOU ONLY GET THIS AT THE END OF THE EPISODE. if the whole point is her learning magic why have an entire fucking. jail break and prison riot that served no purpose???? i literally needed a full 24 hours to comprehend what i had just watched. i watched this several days ago. i have been thinking on this mess for several days. this isnt me just like oh i didnt like the first episode at first but now that ive thought about it its fine. im not overwhelmed by it anymore. its just objectively hard to follow, and my close friends have told me that yeah, no, it does not get any easier to follow.

like tbh i think the owl house at least from what ive seen COULD work, just not with the pacing it has at this point. i would have split the first episode up so its like. kinda ends with luz doing more of the chase in the city with eda and maybe seeing more magic shit and putting the saving eda stuff in the city before they escape and have luz ask to be trained to be a witch there and then like. have the next few episodes be prepping and training before they break into the prison and then an episode for the prison break and ensuing prison riot that luz starts. either that or like. the owl house feels like it would be more fitting as a series of fantasy novels rather than a disney show.

like i dont hate the context i just think it has the most dogshit pacing. who knows though this is all from what i know of the first episode and some of my friends being like yeah no the pacing just straight up gets worse near the end so. idk.

[baronessblixen]

Fictober 2023

All the stories in one place. A huge thank you to everyone for their support this month.

Day 1: Secret Spots - This is cotton candy-flavored fluff set after "Millennium": Mulder and Scully go to Mrs. Scully's house and find themselves all alone for a moment...

Day 2: Just in Case - This is angst/hurt/comfort with a dash of hopeful cheesiness. Starts off in Dod Kalm (yes, you read that right). Mulder decides to be brave in what he believes to be his last moments on earth.

Day 3: The Deepest Cut - Diana/IVF angst (with a soft ending): Scully is already upset about a colleague's pregnancy and then Diana shows up and makes things worse.

Day 4: Always Expect The Unexpected - Some soft, fluffy silliness today: Scully and Mulder see her mother out on a date with... A.D. Skinner?

Day 5: If I Were The King of The World - Fluffy-fluff set in Detour: We get to see a bit more of Scully singing to Mulder...

Day 6: In The Blink Of An Eye - Angst/Mulder in peril: Mulder happens to be at the wrong place, at the wrong time...

Day 7: Glimpses of October - Post-IWTB/Pre-Revival vignette: Mulder watches his son play in the fallen leaves. Or is he?

Day 8: A Very Queequeg Morning - Hurt/comfort AND humor after "Pusher": Mulder doesn't mind Scully showing up at his apartment after the case at all. Only problem: she's not alone.

Day 9: Talk Vanilla to Me - Rated M/banter/humor(?): Mulder can't sleep, but luckily, Scully is there to listen… and maybe more.

Day 10: Wishes - Fluff(?) post "Je Souhaite": Mulder wants to know what Scully's wishes would have been.

Day 11: Always Partners - Set in season 6, hurt/comfort, some angst: Kersh puts Scully on another case without Mulder and once again she gets hurt.

Day 12: The Easiest Choice - Fluff, rewrite of the last scene in "Existence": Mulder asks Scully what she's going to name the baby.

Day 13: Don't Forget The Cake - Fluff-ish, season 6: Diana throws Mulder a surprise birthday party. Chaos ensues.

Day 14: Preparation is Everything - Fluff, set after "Alone": With Mulder being unemployed, and Scully on maternity leave, they spend their time thinking about furniture, baby names, and all the ways their lives will change.

Day 15: Temporary Insanity - Angsty first kiss fill-in for "Paper Clip": What happened on that elevator ride?

Day 16: Mothers Always Know - Post-ep (sort of) for "Chimera", fluff: It's the Sunday morning after Mulder stayed over at Scully's and he has a somewhat awkward run-in with her mother.

Day 17: In Sickness And in Health - Hurt/comfort post-"Arcadia": They're on their way back home from The Falls at Arcadia when Scully gets sick.

Day 18: Beautiful In My Eyes - UST-filled post-ep fic: Mulder thinks Scully is the most beautiful person wherever she goes. She doesn't believe him so he tries to make her see it his way.

Day 19: It's Us Against The World - Angst, canon divergence for "Nothing Important Happened Today": No matter what Kersh said, Scully doesn't want Mulder to leave her and the baby. But what choice do they have?

Day 20: Shooting Stars - Mulder and Scully sharing a bed during two nights in The Rain King. After a first awkard night, what happens during the second one after the party ?

Day 21: No Longer Stuck In The Past - A different kind of post-episode fic for "The Unnatural": After his and Scully's baseball date, Mulder runs into Diana.

Day 22: Cookie Theft and Other Crimes - How the Ghosts Stole Christmas post-ep, hurt/comfort, angst, fluff - all the fixings: Bill Jr. runs into Mulder in the middle of the night and it goes as well as you might expect.

Day 23: You're Not Welcome Here - AU in which Diana didn't die and Mulder didn't leave after "Existence": Scully and William are waiting for Mulder when no other than Diana Fowley walks into the basement office.

Day 24: Rules Are Rules - Set in season 7, fluff: They're not supposed to share a room while on assignment. But aren't rules meant to be broken anyway?

Day 25: Another Banner Year - Set after "Our Town", before "Anasazi": Melissa shows up at her sister's apartment, demanding a few answers.

Day 26: I Saw Your Face In A Dream - AU where Mulder and Scully meet on karaoke night at a bar.

Day 27: Christmas With You By My Side - Sequel to day 22 "Cookie Theft And Other Crimes" but can be read as a stand-alone: What happens when Mulder wakes up with Scully in his arms?

Day 28: The Truth Is (Not) Found In A Glass of Whiskey - All Mulder wanted to do was drop off a report. Now he has to deal with a drunk Skinner.

Day 29: Glass Half Full - Sequel to "The Truth Is (Not) Found In A Glass of Whiskey": It's the morning after and Skinner wakes up with a hangover - and remembers way too much from the previous night.

Day 30: Feelings You Can't Hide - A post-ep for "Bad Blood" obviously. A jealous Mulder, an attempt at humor and the hint of angst may be found here.

Day 31: Trick or Treat - IVF arc, angsty fluff: They're supposed to go to the Gunmen's Halloween party, but there's something they need to make sure of first.

[ellsieee]

I've been trying to keep my expectations low for Blue Time but the posters/pictures that dropped are making me excited for it.

Fingertips lightly grazing the hand

Adoring, longing glances

Angsty misunderstandings and pining

Delivering on feelings without "crossing the line".

Not much info on the 2nd cp yet, but they look cute.

There's also a third BG cp, but for a series with only 12 episodes I don't know how much of the other cps we're actually going to get.

I feel like this series is going to hit all of mainland Chinese bl's strengths. I can feel the tension and UST from the pictures. This series is being released overseas only, like Stay With Me, so it may be able to be more obvious about everything. Now we just need for no one to get sent somewhere far away by their parents, get hit by a car, get into a car accident, get a terminal illness, or otherwise die and we're good.

[shoutoutout]

Fic list

Going to start reblogging other posts on this account so thought I'd keep a fic list pinned (and also cause it's cute to see them all organized!)

Harlivy ❤️💚

Set in the Harley Quinn Cartoon universe with references to BTAS.

she breaks (out, down, through) // 24k, complete // Everything Harley breaks. Pre-series // Canon compliant. Shows them going from Arkham to frenemies to besties. UST. Pining. Ivy POV.

And Love Is Holding Back // 4.8k, complete // Harley through season 2, reflecting on pre-series moments // Canon compliant. Harley realizing her feelings (she's down bad). Harley POV.

ATLA 🔥🌀

Where The Hot Springs Flow // 1.5k, complete. // Azula after the finale // Canon compliant snippets. Azula rekindling her inner fire. Azula POV.

Show You What All the Howling Is For //34k, WIP // June and Azula take a trip, 12 years after the final // Toxic yuri road trip story. Think ‘Thelma & Louise’ meets ‘Black Swan.’ Bounty hunters & treason. June POV (mostly).

Arcane 💎⚙️

Caitlyn / Vi series

Digging Like You Can Bury Something That Cannot Die // 2.5k, complete // Caitlyn goes hunting // Post-finale, intercutting scenes of young Caitlyn hunting. Angst. Caitlyn POV.

You and I, We Are The Only Heirs // 3.3k, complete // Vi attends a funeral // Post-finale, intercutting scenes of young Vi. Angst. Grief. Vi POV.

When Am I Gonna Lose You? // 5.8k, complete // Vi & Caitlyn after the funeral // Post-finale, funeral. Angst. Grief. Bittersweet ending. Vi & Caitlyn POV.

Caitlyn & Jinx friendship

Off Balance // 1.3k, complete // Caitlyn & Jinx. Target practice // Set in some indeterminate slightly happier future. Girls bonding over guns. Caitlyn POV.

Bubbline 🍬🦇

There's No Spark On A Dampened Floor // 2.3k, complete // After 'Sky Witch' Bubblegum gets back to routine. Well… her idea of routine // Canon compliant gap filler. Pining. Bubblegum POV.

Inches Above The Dust On The Ground // 3.6k, complete // Marceline spots Bubblegum on a date. References 'The Suitor' // Canon compliant gap filler. Pining. Marceline POV.

my last days on earth, eating you // 1.3k, complete // Marceline and Bonnie at the end of days. References 'The Star' // Doomed girlfriends from Fionna & Cake Vampworld episode. Toxic yuri. UST. Marceline POV.

Chaggie 😈👼

Believer, Took Me Over Like a Fever // 2.4k, WIP // Vaggie & Charlie, pre-series // Snippets before and after meeting. Angst. Switches POV.

[paperstreetlocal]

Please expand on your Narrator neurodivergency hcs too if you're willing!! I love the ones you did for Tyler.

this isn't just neurodivergent shit its also like other issues sorry i cant stay on topic

autism wise i dont think he really gets overstimulated ? not the type to have a sensory meltdown or something i feel like he just kinda blocks out everything around him if its too loud or whaetever.disassociates a bit.Textures though……thats a whole other thing i think he ust wears simple somewhat tight clothes.half the reason cuz hes boring and has no fashion sense the other half is he just cant stand having anything excessive on him

ithink he stims in more subtle ways cuz he masks a lot Mostly just taps his foot or bites his nails or fidgets with pens/longer objects and flings them around on accident.i feel like he would touch his hair a lot and always keeps it short and tidy cause he cant stand it eing longer.scratches his forearms Generic stuff like that

his ocd gets really bad tho his brain runs literally 24/7 which pairs w his insomnia and the guy just thinks about bullshit constantly.intrusive thoughts galore I dont think hes a perfectionist by any means but he has to keep certain things tidy/closed or it drives him up the wall.specifically his work cubicle which is a mess but organized to nobody but himself n i think he gets extremely paranoid at times especially right around when he moves in w tyler cuz of the lack of lock on the front door and tht stuff

also when it comes to compulsions i think he bites (previously mentioned) and eats his nails and completely decimates them for several reasons and picks at his skin/scalp/teeth/eyes a lot and not in a hygienic way (do i even need to put this in here? nothing about their house or them is hygienic) and having to move into tylers house fucked up with his routine super badly hedidNotlike it in the slightest

e strikes me as the type to be anemic and always be freezing cold (unlike tyler whos a radiator) and overdresses while outside (him in his silly puffy jackets) and i think he sweats waaay ay too much bad eyesight had glasses at one point but switched to contacts and then got his apartment blown up now he gets eye infections cuz he doesnt have any neww ones

for the schizophrenia stuff i mean. somebody hcs him as schizophrenic somebody as a did system .. . personally im either not sure or he has both but i mostly go w the notion that the whole runtime of fight club was the narrator having a schizophrenic episode and i do think tyler may have appeared earlier on in his life in a different form and he just forgot or wasn't aware it was him.i dont think chuck did his best repping either of the disorders so whatever goes honestly lol (my main issue is you can have alters and be schizophrenic but having an alter AS a hallucination is incredibly odd to me? is that even a thing /genq) neeway dont have any special hcs just whatever happens in the book/movie u know abt that already

also extra stuff for tyler i forgot b4 i think he likes sniffing him.his mind cannot comprehend Not Smelling Like Fucking Shit 24/7 (narrator is somewhat cleaner and thus smells ok sometimes. mostly like sweat though) CONTRARY to that id card (ifykyk) i think his handwriting is AWFUL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! his ass does NOT write in perfect cursive ik his shit is barely legible Fuck You and he cannot spell longer words like Wednesday what do you think this is ? Spelling bee ?

[dr-futbol-blog]

The Brotherhood, Pt. 2

So, yes. We find Acastus Kolya, let's say, having finished training. Taking his frustration out on two young half-naked men. We never learn that much about him or his personal life but I am wondering whether there was in fact a reason for why he was able to recognize that there was something special between Sheppard and McKay so quickly, how he was able to use them to get to the other so expertly. And now, he's fully consumed by his need for vengeance. He wants Sheppard, and he wants McKay as a way of getting to Sheppard. And since they're not here, he can't get to them at present, he's taking it out on these two. They are stand-ins for Sheppard and McKay.

They are that symbolically, as well, helping each other to stand when the other has been knocked down. There are several scenes in this episode where we get some meta commentary on the show:

Pranos: Does it still pain you? Kolya: Leave us.

What Sheppard did to him still causes him pain. What he did to Sheppard similarly still causes him pain, only Sheppard's pain is not physical. This is very much personal to both of them by now.

Pranos: They must be getting close to it. Kolya: Do we have any idea what "it" is yet? Pranos: We know a little more.

Make a note of the relative heights of the half-naked men.

They keep referring to closeness a lot. This is a motif in the episode. Pranos even tells him that "This is the first planet we've managed to get this close to them" which is the 6th time the word is mentioned in this episode, and it's only just starting. In the previous episode, we were shown that Sheppard and McKay are comfortable being extremely close. In this episode, the concept of closeness is textualized.

While this unnecessarily erotic scene is taking place on the Genii home world, on Atlantis Zelenka is doing some repairs. Make a note of the fact that this is something that McKay should be doing. His skill-set would be much better suited for this than playing Indiana Jones but what they are doing, trying to find the ZPM, is important enough to warrant him being on the case. In addition to closeness, the concept of touching is brought up:

Chuck: I don't know what happened. It just stopped working. I got some of the functionality back. It still isn't doing everything it used to. Zelenka: Yes, well, maybe if people stop insisting on having food and liquid in such close proximity to the ten-thousand-year-old equipment… Chuck: Hey, we're very careful. We're not the problem here. Zelenka: Yes -- What did you touch?! Chuck: Nothing! I didn't touch anything!

Not only did Chuck touch the computer, he brushes his lip before touching it, basically giving it a kiss by proxy. What is that?

All of this is setting up the finale of the A-plot for the season but, at the same time, it seems to be commenting on the subtext. They are very careful, they tell us. They (the writers) are not the reason "it" isn't doing everything it used to do (inserting a male character and a female character into situations to create UST?). They mention "deep space sensors" that have been running in the background and have suddenly been foregrounded. The reason for this is the unexpected popularity of the "'ship".

With episodic television, the scripts for the first part of the season are pretty much written by the time they start filming but while there may an overall arc for the season roughly plotted, the scripts for the latter half are only finalized when the season is already underway and there is possibility for course correction e.g., following the November Sweeps that assesses viewer (and hence, advertiser) satisfaction. Often this leads to tweaks, the very least. Sometimes to jarring changes in the middle of the season when they feel that a greater course correction is needed. Anyway, professional writers like to occasionally poke fun at their own craft:

Zelenka: From what I can tell, they've been running silently in the background along with our other primary systems. Weir: In the background? Zelenka: Yes. Weir: So why the sudden leap to the foreground? Zelenka: Excellent question. Weir: We don't have an answer for that yet, do we? Zelenka: Not as of yet, no. Weir: Okay, well. Keep me in the loop. Zelenka: You are the loop. Weir: Isn't that a nice thing to say!

Weir appreciates that someone wants to keep her in the loop as Sheppard doesn't want her prying into his loops and McKay's loops are too complicated for her to follow most of the time.

Now, while it wasn't the focus of the show when it started, the dynamic between the characters of Sheppard and McKay had resulted in the kind of magic you can't really plan for, so why not lean into it? Obviously they could never go full hog because, for one, there were actual USAF consultants involved with making the show (lampshaded in the SG-1 episode Wormhole X-Treme), and they actually won several awards for a realistic depiction of the Air Force. And yet. There is this undercurrent, this definite subtext, that very much runs along the main story that a lot of people seem to have been making happen. So why the sudden leap to the foreground, why foreground these two characters on an ensemble show? Because the interaction between Sheppard and McKay is what audiences wanted to see, how ever they interpreted the nature of their relationship. Whether they watch it for the buddy comedy, the odd couple schtick, the homoerotic subtext, for what ever reason, it was worth foregrounding. If you find something that works, you make use of it. So they do.

From here on out, there are at least two alternative ways of interpreting the subtext. The storytelling is purposefully polysemic, allowing for multiple readings. We can read the subtext as implying that Sheppard wants McKay but that this desire remains unrequited because due to regulations he is never going to act on it, and you can take this reading all the way to the final episode. Given how they constructed the relationships between O'Neill and Carter, and Jackson and Vala, this is a perfectly valid way of interpreting their interaction.

The other option is that they are, and have been for a while by this time, very much fucking (or playing "the game") and due to regulations, they are required to keep this a secret. McKay has been doing civilian contracting for the military long enough to know how this works. We saw in the alternative timeline of Moebius that he understands the need to protect servicemen of alternative sexual orientations even when he has no personal stake in it, which is very Canadian of him. And because Sheppard is military, it falls on McKay to put up a performance that is not easy for him, and that does not come to him naturally. Sheppard is the one whose character and reputation has to be protected, and it falls on McKay to make sure that it gets done. But make note of the fact that they take care to keep both options for interpreting the story open. They leave just enough ambiguity to allow the audience to insert their interpretation to events.

Here, and from hereon out, I am choosing to go with the latter interpretation because at least one of the actors actually seems to have played it that way (and has explicitly said that reading the character as gay is a valid interpretation), and because unlike most network television shows of this era, this show had an actual reason for playing it out like they did. They managed to do an awful lot with what they had, and it just makes for an overall better, more interesting story. So, anyway.

Back on Dagan, we find the whole team being briefed by Allina. Sheppard is seated at the table, and McKay is standing behind him; had apparently been reading some ancient document just standing up there like Sheppard's personal body guard or guardian like that's a normal thing to do. Also, his body isn't angled toward her or where she had been like he was just expecting her to return, it's angled toward Sheppard. Here, in the beginning, Sheppard is between McKay and this woman with the whole table between them.

The dialogue is interesting. She gives some more exposition, to which McKay and Sheppard respond as follows:

McKay: Hm. It's fascinating. Sheppard: Yes. Fascinating. McKay: Please, go on.

They exchange a look, seeming to share their level of fascination. Note the huge, thick candle placed strategically in front of McKay. She goes on, and we get this:

Allina: We think it's a map. McKay: Mm. Amazing. Sheppard: It is, actually. This looks like an Ancient numbering system. Allina: That's what we thought. From what we can tell, they're numbers three, six, and seven. McKay: Excellent work. I mean, seriously, I'm very impressed here.

Surface level reading is that McKay finds this woman attractive and thus, is being very complimentary. But that's not at all who he is. His idea of actually flirting with a woman was to call her a dumb blonde to her face. The kindest thing we've ever heard him say to a woman was to call someone who worked for him "lovely and talented" when he was in a particularly good mood and barely paying her any attention. McKay does not particularly like women and does not find it easy to respect them. He's not captivated by her.

This is McKay on his "best behaviour," as he was instructed by Sheppard on Proculus the last time they had something really important they wanted to get from the natives. These scenarios are paralleled, only the roles of McKay and Sheppard are flipped here. It wasn't entirely McKay's fault that he was unable to actually behave and display his best behaviour in a way that would have helped them get what they were looking for there, because the planet's Ancient guardian was never going to let that happen, but it does not mean that he doesn't know how to make the effort when it's required. And he seems to be making the effort here. From the briefing they had with Weir we know that he considers them severely underdeveloped and their beliefs primitive, his tone here is like he's indulging a child.

This reading is supported by Sheppard's comments. He's trying to help McKay. Clearly this woman seems to respond best to McKay, so their best bet is to use him as a liaison (or, given what happened previously and how badly he was burned, it's possible that Sheppard is all charmed out at this time and simply can't bring himself to do it). Only, McKay s not really that good at this kind of thing, it doesn't come to him as naturally as it does to Sheppard. He doesn't sound genuine in his compliments, earnest in his encouraging comments.

He says "It's fascinating" like he's commenting on a child's finger painting which is why Sheppard reinforces with "Yes, fascinating," with an apologetic smile, trying to make it sound more genuine but only managing to make it more awkward. When he says "Amazing," it sounds dismissive, like his mind is already working on some other thing. Sheppard follows this with "It is, actually," acknowledging that they might be on to something even if all of this is wrapped in the kind of hokey religion McKay normally has no patience for. So, McKay is on his best behaviour and is trying to be personable, and Sheppard is very much trying to help him be the best that he can be.

There seems to be a puzzle involving nine mystery plates, and this interests McKay. There's a problem to be solved, there's something to figure out, to occupy his mind with. Sheppard is half-listening to the exposition and idly (even dreamily) looking over some parchment while his mind is clearly half-way somewhere else, so he doesn't even notice that McKay has moved at first.

McKay walks from behind Sheppard to look at the tablets, and although his mind seems to be entirely on solving the problem and not on her, we see Sheppard's mood change. First, he's smiling to himself. And then, all of a sudden, he looks at them and seems upset.

Someone described Sheppard in this episode as being "a huge eye-rolling bitch" and to be sure, he is. But I don't necessarily think jealousy is the crux of the issue here. At least, not in the sense one would usually think (liking someone who is giving someone else attention). He is jealous, but not of her being interested in McKay, or McKay being interested in her (and certainly not because he wants her to himself, let's not even entertain this reading).

Now, let's just start with the fact that McKay is not interested in this woman. There's nothing interesting about her, she's a Renaissance historian, as in actually from a Renaissance society, meaning that he barely thinks she's evolved enough to be considered the same species as he is. There's no reason to think that Sheppard thinks that McKay is interested, either, since he knows what McKay's interest looks like (both the feigned and the genuine kind), and the man is so obviously clueless here.* Like, he barely manages to feign interest in things she says that might be relevant for finding the ZPM here. Sheppard also cannot blame someone for finding the man and his intelligence attractive, especially when he's in his element. He thinks falling for Rodney McKay is as easy as breathing.

But he doesn't have to like it. He especially doesn't have to like the fact that this woman is free to express her attraction openly and that he would be unable to make any sort of reclamation of territory even if he wanted to. If he was a civilian and woman and someone was moving in on his man, he would be free to express how he feels about that. They would be free to be around each other in a way that would prevent that from happening in the first place because everyone could just see that they are something to each other. But as it is, he will never be able to do that. It's just something he has to live with. He especially doesn't have to like the fact that McKay can just walk up and stand this close to her like it's no big deal when he has to always make sure there are inches between them that he would rather were not there. So yes, he jealous after a fashion. But most of all, he is feeling bitter.

When you're newly in love, your step is supposed to be lighter, your smile brighter. The world is supposed to be rose-coloured, you're supposed to be on the top of it, walking in the air. You've found someone important, someone who seems to like you as much as you like them, and even though there are so many, many, many reasons why you know it's a bad idea to try to forge any kind of a relationship under the conditions they are in, he has found himself a helpless moth circling the flame anyway.

John Sheppard is not young anymore, he's been through things. He's in a whole other galaxy where he was supposed to get away from the pettiness of some of their particular social conventions. And yet he's still not free to love, not like other people are. He's not free to let it show to the world, the thing that you're supposed to want to scream from the mountain tops. The feeling that is supposed to be pure and beautiful is ever tainted by the need for secrecy, the requirement to keep it hidden. It's not right. But that's the way it has to be.

But, make no mistake that McKay's act is a performance. You can tell his genuine reaction from the feigned ones when Sheppard mentions his observation about the tablets. First, this this is foreshadowing to the resolution of the episode where we see even more clearly how much McKay admires and respects Sheppard. And McKay actually pays attention to what Sheppard says.

While he has pretty much been humouring the Renaissance woman so far, as soon as Sheppard mentions that he actually finds something interesting, McKay looks up. That has meaning to him, it is of value to him. It gets his attention easily.

Allina confirms that Sheppard is on the right track, that they had figured out the same thing, only they've had much more time to come to the conclusion that Sheppard arrived at pretty much instantly. This is foreshadowing him impressing McKay with his math skills once more, later. It's interesting that it is only now that we get the first comment from McKay to Allina that seems genuine. He smiles at her and says "Excellent work. I mean, seriously, I'm very impressed here." He seems pleased. He is impressed that their Renaissance minds could arrive at a solution, and the fact that he has to underline it just confirms to us that he meant nothing he had been saying to her previously. It tells us that up until that moment he was making a performance of it.

It might be that he's able to make the compliment sound so much more genuine than the previous ones because he really, truly feels it. Just, not about her (and also, when he's seriously very impressed with Sheppard later, he doesn't have to say it, we can see it in his eyes). And even here, he seems slightly awkward about having to say it to her because McKay is more about showing than he is about telling. Note also that it's when she smiles and says "It's very kind of you, Doctor" that Sheppard rolls his eyes. McKay is many things, some them good and some of them awful, but kind is not one of them. Sheppard knows McKay; by this time he has seen the other man in many different situations, has seen him pushed to all kinds of extremes. Knows that in his heart of hearts, he's a good man. But kind he is not. Kindness is the most alien of all dispositions to McKay.

This just tells him that she doesn't even see McKay. Doesn't know who he is. Could never appreciate him the way he does. He's annoyed by the freedom she has for showing her appreciation and affection for McKay, but he's not worried for one second that she has a chance with him.

Since all the characters are looking at McKay as the smart one that's going to figure everything out it's easy to miss the fact that McKay and Sheppard actually solve the whole thing together. Sheppard makes small comments that prompt McKay to figure out the system the Brotherhood had used in hiding the stone tablets that are meant to lead them to the ZPM. But we are again reminded of the fact that Sheppard has absolute trust in McKay's abilities. As soon as he's done explaining, Sheppard is ready to execute his plan. Like, immediately.

This also tells us that he understood McKay's explanation very quickly. In fact, there's an argument to be made that he figured it out even before McKay when she first mentioned the numbers of the stones they had discovered. He's clearly mentally piecing something together there and, as a pilot, probably has much better spatial awareness than McKay and wouldn't need the map to visualize it; but letting McKay shine and impress her here serves their purpose. And so Sheppard splits them up into two teams, and they start looking for buried treasure.

Continued in Pt. 3

-* I'm also convinced that up until the moment he tells them "Woolsey wasn't the weirdest thing about that timeline" in The Seed (S05E02) that he believed McKay was a Kinsey 6. Sheppard doesn't understand that it only happened because McKay and Keller were grieving together and she was literally the only thing left in his world that reminded him of Atlantis and of Sheppard. And because he did not understand this he, through his own actions, ironically, pushes them on a trajectory in our reality where McKay ends up exploring something that seems to make him very unhappy at the end of the day.

[thirdeyeblue]

🩷🩷CLICK HERE if Ao3 is down and you’d still like to enjoy some smut🩷🩷

Note: Currently, all of my stories (except for one) are rated Explicit. I take plot and buildup seriously, but feels-heavy smut is at the heart of everything I write. Also… all of the tropes.

AO3

Deviantart for my fanart (lots of nsfw)

Pillowfort for my fanart without login restrictions (warning: includes rarepair content)

Latest Updates: 10/26/24

Added No One's Gonna Love You (David x Billie RPF; Multi-Chapter)

Previously: Updated The Purpose of Repose

* = Work In Progress

Bloodstream

Main tags: Shag-Or-Die, Romance, Action/Adventure, First Time

Length: 200k

Chapters: 27

For All We’re Worth

Main Tags: Truth Serum, First Time, Sharing A Bed

Length: 30k

Chapters: 4

Mending

Main Tags: Injury, Sonic Screwdriver (used as a sex toy), First Time

Length: 22k

Chapters: 3

The Doctor’s Brilliant Idea

Main Tags: Oral Fixation, Cunnilingus, Asexual Doctor, Eventual Romance, First Time, Crack Treated Seriously

Length: 23k

Chapters: 3

Peppermint Tea

Main Tags: Sick Fic, First Time

Length: 20k

Chapters: 2

With Love & Luck

Main Tags: Intoxication, First Time, Group Sex (but Ten and Rose only shag each other), my follow-up to ‘The Stone Rose’ by Jacqueline Rayner

Length: 35k

Chapters: 4

🌋 Explosivity *

Main Tags: Shag-Or-Die, Fake Marriage, First Time

Length: Currently 40k

Chapters: 4/6

Wrong *

Main Tags: Shag-Or-Die, First Time, Amnesia

Length: Currently 10k

Chapters: 2/5

Extemporary Intimacy

Main tags: Virgin Ten, First Time, Romance, Fluff

Length: 28k

Chapters: 4

Fated to Stay *

Main Tags: Aphrodisiacs, Magical Healing Cock, First Time, Romance, Multiple Orgasms

Length: Currently 25k

Chapters: 4/5

Ordinary Gifts

Main Tags: Sex Pollen, Bittersweet, First Time, Canon Compliant

Length: 15k

Part 1/3 of my Love On The Other Side series

Remedial Needs

Main Tags: Angst, Hurt/Comfort, First Time

Length: 13k

Exposure

Main Tags: Huddling For Warmth, First Time

Length: 11k

Apples, Coffins, and Hearses

Length: 10k

Main tags: First Time, Halloween, Dry-Humping

* = Work In Progress

Washed Up Together

Main Tags: Mutual Pining, Domestic Fluff, First Time

Length: 20k

Chapters: 3

Every Lovely Little Thing

Main Tags: Romance, First Time, Cunnilingus, Dirty Talk, Vaginal Sex

Length: 20k

Chapters: 3

Never Letting Go Again *

Main Tags: Whump, Romance, Angst, First Time, Graphic Depictions of Violence

Length: Currently 4.5k

Chapters: Currently 1

Resolutions In Satin

Main Tags: Lingerie, First Time, Jealousy, UST

Length: 23k

Chapters: 2

Light from Beyond the Hills [New!]*

Main Tags: First Time, Emotional Sex, Multiple Orgasms, Post-Episode: Journey’s End

Length: Currently 1.7k

Chapters: 1/3

A Clever Touch

Main tags: First Time, Premenstrual Cramps, Romance, Hurt/Comfort

Length: 14k

As Soon As We’re Alone

Main Tags: Established relationship, edging, rough sex, jealousy

Length: 11k

Loving The Insatiable

Main Tags: First Time, Sex Pollen, Phone Sex, Rough Sex, Dirty Talk

Length: 16k

Forever, But Better

Main tags: First Time, Sick Fic, Romance, Hurt/Comfort

Length: 15k

Potential For Brilliance

Main Tags: Established Relationship, Wall Sex, Idiots In Love, Dirty Talk

Length: 3k

Part 2/3 of my Love On The Other Side series

Snapped

Main Tags: Halloween, Semi-Public Sex, Established Relationship

Length: 1792

Part 3/3 of my Love On The Other Side series

🧇 Up The Wrong Tree

Main Tags: Fluff, Smut, Crack, Established Relationship

Length: 8k

Vintage Incognito

Main Tags: Pregnancy, Baby Shower

Length: 2k

Rating: T

So Much For Sleep *

Main Tags: Vaginal Fingering, Road Trips

Length: 3k

Chapters: 1/2

Miscellaneous Fics:

No One's Gonna Love You *

David x Billie RPF

Main Tags: Infidelity, First Time, Intoxication, takes place in 2023

Length: Currently 10k

Tiny Lights Below *

Tentoo/Rose - Ten/Rose OT3 (heterosexual, absolutely no anal or Tencest) 💖

Main Tags: Slow Burn, Romance, Action/Adventure, First time(s), Whump, OT3, Eventual Happy Ending, Het, Threesomes

Length: 160k

Chapters: 18/19

Dead Dove; Do Not Eat fics:

(Hiding my rarepair-related content down here, as I recognize this is a tender topic)

The Purpose of Repose *

! Ten/Rose — Ten/Martha !

Main Tags: Angst, Friends With Benefits, Complicated Relationships, Dark!Doctor, Romance, Canon Divergence, Hurt/Comfort

Length: 130k

Chapters: 15/20

Can’t Shift the Tide *

(Companion piece to The Purpose of Repose)

[unknownfaceless-ds9]

SPOILER PRODIGY SEASON 2

OH. MY. GOD!!

I've been finally able to see the first 13 episodes of Star Trek Prodigy because I have an amazing friend. She doesn't even know anything about this fandom, but she sat down for like six hours and watched those thirteen episodes and hopefully I will be able to watch the rest within the next few weeks, because it was soooooo good?!?!?!

The visuals are as beautiful as ever and I love how much has already been "Explored" around the kids. They're individuals with individual desires and fears and it's just so heartwarming to watch!!

But not only the kids got more complex.

We get e.g. a much nicer side from Noum where it seems like he actually cares about the wellbeing of the kids, even offering Jankom the possibility to talk with him if needed.

And Tysess... Oh Tysess. I'll probably make an additional post ust for him, because it was amazing so far.

I feel like the producers saw the tumblr posts about him and went like "Yep, they want more of the blue guy"...

And let me tell you.. they delivered. EVERYTHING. I wanted.

I mean, episode 10?!?!?! Hello?!?!? That was more attractive than it should've been.

[I cried in the scene where they found the skeleton of chakotay's first officer though]

[mylittleredgirl]

m*a*s*h season three continues!! disc two!!

"alcoholics unanimous" is so funny oh my god

the scene where trapper, hot lips, and hawkeye are all lit and making each other laugh is note perfect i want to live in it forever. i can't decide if "who was that guy?" was scripted or if loretta swit just went for a one-shot kill after the scene was over but i live for these bits when margaret accidentally ends up on team 100 proof

it's also nice of them to periodically remind us that frank has a huge wang. i'm glad he's got that one thing going for him

they're really softening hot lips this season 💕

they're styling her much younger, too. the barrettes! the ponytails!!!! i might never recover from the ponytails.

and the scene where she is reading a that letter to radar while he's in the hospital, and she has that little giddy smile at the end! it's so sweeeeeet it's killing me come on

i have a lot of thoughts about frank and margaret, and like five of them are about the phone call in the nurses episode

"knowing you'd kill me makes my life worthwhile" see. with the laugh track off, this joke turns into just margaret staring dreamily in soft focus and the realization that ohhhh. oh no. she really means that. she's like in love in love with this clown, that's so embarrassing for her

(also from that episode: the afterlife song is stuck in my head! the nurse song with the halfhearted montage though like. what happened in the editing room there.)

(also hilarious that trapper misses his wife for the first and only time when every woman in the camp is gone)

"adam's rib" - i like how everyone universally thinks hawkeye's quest is dumb, but they climb aboard the shenanigans because they have nothing else to do

WE LIED TO MILDRED!!!

i don't think i've mentioned how much i love henry and radar together. their comic timing is flawless. that bit of talking over each other never gets old. and then whenever they love and defend each other!!! i love a professional substitute dad

time for "bombed"!!! blow that pyrotechnics budget babyyyyy! blow shit up! break windows! light stuff on fire!!

the trapper/hot lips ship watch on this blog turned into a ship warning just in time for the two of them to get locked in a supply tent and not bang

you gotta admit the long-running ust potential here is pretty great (they hate each other) (but he's a little obsessed about hating her) (and she lusts after him) (and they're both hot)

SADLY for my cause there was no booze in there, because every time she gets drunk she's like "regrettably, there's frank" but sober she wants to marry him

no wonder he wants to outlaw alcohol in the camp

"we held hands and said the pledge of allegiance together" okay they are genuinely so funny sometimes though

i'm also falling hard for hawkeye/trapper but they would never be exclusive so multishipping is built in

last on the disc is "bulletin board"!!!

an episode about nothing is so soothing after all the explosives. the balance of action and Just Hanging Around in this series is really enjoyable

trapper writing a letter to his daughter 🥺

"korea? the war still?" and the rest of that little pillow fight scene. so much sibling energy in the swamp.

henry losing that patient hit well. i hate to be like "i'm rooting for patients to die" because it's not that, but they save them so successfully that it's dramatically satisfying whenever they don't. and i like how it silently affects henry through the rest of the ep while the rest of them have fun

that long beautiful shot of all of them running back to camp!!!!

ok this post took me like three days to write somehow because i rewatched everything ENJOYYYYYY

[merlinrarepairfest]

Round Up: Week 1

This concludes the first week of posting! Thank you so much to our brilliant creators, and everyone who's read, left kudos and comments, and otherwise lent their support!

All works that have been posted this week can be found beneath the cut <3

Title: can you understand me? Writer: sleepygecko Rating: Teen & Up Warnings: None Medium/Word Count: 3,606 words Pairing/main characters: Merlin/Leon Up to 10 tags: Animal Transformation, Fluff, Magic Reveal, First Kiss

Summary:

Leon wakes up in the forest as a dog with no memory of how he got there. Luckily Merlin stumbles upon him and is able to help.

AO3 link: https://archiveofourown.org/collections/bbcm_rare_pair_fest_2023/works/49873792

---

Title: Friendless Monster Writer: I_think_he_knows | @marlenemckinnonsuppremacy Rating: Teen and up audiences Warnings: No Archive warnings apply Medium/Word Count: 4891 words Pairing/main characters: Merlin/Arthur/Gwen Up to 10 tags: Polygamy, miscomunications, Fluff, Angst, Love, Love Confessions

Summary:

After years of peace in Camelot, Merlin is forced to reveal his magic to the two people he loves the most

AO3 link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/49932865/chapters/126062422

---

Title: fool's gold Artist: kairennart (Personaje) | @kairennart Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Warnings Apply Medium: Digital Art Pairing/main characters: Lancelot/Morgana Up to 10 tags: Fanart, Shade Lancelot, Episode: Lancelot du Lac.

Summary:

Morgana and her knight.

AO3 link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/51030379

---

Title: Love is a Banquet Writer: eachpeachpearplum | @eachpeachpearplume Rating: T Warnings: No archive warnings apply, alcohol mention Word Count: 2k Pairing/main characters: Merlin/Gwaine, pre-Merlin/Gwaine/Arthur Tags: fluff, canon era, jealous Arthur, hungover Arthur

Summary:

When it comes toArthur, Gwaine does a lot of pretending for Merlin's sake: pretending he doesn't know how Merlin feels about Arthur, pretending he doesn't know how Arthur feels in return, pretending he doesn't want to punch Arthur in the face and shout at the pair of them to stop being stupid and snog already (Gwaine's planning on being involved in the snogging too, he'snot self-sacrificing enough to give Merlin up entirely, but he sort of thinks one of them has to make thefirst move.) Or: Arthur is jealous and hungover, Gwaine is exasperated and really struggling to be sympathetic, and Merlin's heart is big enough to share...

AO3 link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/51617992

---

Title: These Walls, Thy Sphere Writer: Zorbo_Jorks | @zorbojorks Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Warnings Apply Medium/Word Count: 6,111 Pairing/main characters: Balinor & Arthur Pendragon Up to 10 tags: Canon Divergence- Balinor Lives, Father-Son Relationship Dynamics, Developing Friendship, Post-Canon: The Last Dragonlord, Arthur's Changing Opinions on Magic

Summary:

“And what of your son?” Arthur pressed. “He must want you in his life!” “I know he does,” Balinor sighed, expression odd and unreadable to Arthur, “but I missed the chance to be a father to him long ago. He is a grown man now, and I am no fit father in any case.” “You would be better than many!” Arthur scoffed, not realizing the emotion hiding in his words until they had left his lips. He screwed his mouth shut and glared at the table, feeling Balinor’s gaze heavy on him, weighed further by the realization that he was comparing the dragonlord to the king. ------------ Balinor did not die, and despite everything, the dragonlord's company begins to grow on Arthur.

AO3 link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/49938067

---

Title: Apple Moon Writer: Winter__Moon | @the-king-and-the-druidess Rating: T Warnings: No Medium/Word Count: Fic, 1670 Pairing/main characters: Mordred/Morgana. Mordred, Morgana Up to 10 tags: Canon divergence, knife feeding, apples, UST, old religion, good!Morgana, dark!Morgana

Summary:

The moon has two sides, just like Morgana and Mordred.

AO3 link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/50346283/chapters/127191832

[audiofictionuk]

New Fiction Podcasts - 12th October 2024 (part 2)

Historias Inmersivas Audio Drama Historias Inmersivas es un podcast único que te transporta a mundos fascinantes a través de historias cortas donde tú, el o la oyente, te conviertes en un personaje más. Producido por Felina Estudio, una destacada productora boliviana de podcasts, cada episodio te sumerge en narrativas envolventes que te harán sentir parte de la acción. Descubre relatos emocionantes y vive aventuras inolvidables con Historias Inmersivas. ¡Sumérgete ahora y sé parte de la historia! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20240922-04 RSS: https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/historias-inmersivas

Fogueira Assombrada Audio Drama Uma jovem perdida na floresta acha um grupo de amigos sentado a uma fogueira contando histórias de terror. Quem são essas pessoas? Quem é essa jovem? Embarque nesse Audio Drama de Terror e viva com os personagens todas as histórias e contos de terror. https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20220513-11 RSS: https://anchor.fm/s/7f361a44/podcast/rss

La Terapia de la Dra. S. | Lironda Producciones Audio Drama La Dra.S. (es su expreso deseo permanecer en el anonimato) es una psicóloga que hace unos meses nos encargó recrear en audio algunas de sus más interesantes sesiones con distinguidos pacientes. Las transcripciones que nos facilitó fueron muy detalladas. Así, nuestra única aportación (más allá de intérpretes, micros y demás) ha consistido en proporcionar un contexto sonoro a los apuntes de nuestra cliente: hemos supuesto que las sesiones fueron grabadas y que todas ocurrieron en su despacho. Lo demás, asegura la Dra. S., pasó exactamente como se cuenta. Por cierto, gracias, Dra. S., por haber contado con nosotros para este trabajo. Aunque es cierto que no muchas personas hubieran estado dispuestas a hacer estas grabaciones… para nosotros ha sido un placer. Esperamos, como usted, que estos audios ayuden a quienes los escuchen. Bienvenida/os a esta ficción. Toda la información relativa a los créditos del pódcast y sus distintos episodios se puede consultar en lirondaproducciones.com https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20241007-02 RSS: https://lirondaproducciones.com/category/la-terapia-de-la-dra-s/feed/

Tales of Myth & Mayhem Audio RPG Telling tales of horror and chaos via TTRPGs. https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20241005-02 RSS: https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/tales-of-myth-and-mayhem

Scream Play Audio Drama Step into the haunting world of Scream Play, a virtual horror-themed theater presenting spine-chilling radio plays and immersive horror stories. Each episode brings a new nightmare to life, blending atmospheric soundscapes, eerie performances, and gripping suspense to make your skin crawl. Our talented cast of voice actors breathes life into every chilling tale, delivering performances that will leave you on the edge of your seat. Their haunting voices and dramatic storytelling transports you into terrifying realms where the supernatural and unknown lurk around every corner. Whether you love classic horror, paranormal stories, or psychological frights, there’s something here for every horror fan. https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20241001-03 RSS: https://feed.podbean.com/screamplaypod/feed.xml

Viceless Audio Drama Ten years of marriage, ten years of lies. She’s always known her husband’s weaknesses—his love for gambling, women, and excess—but tonight she turns them into his downfall. In this short audio thriller, follow a couple on the night of their ten-year anniversary as the wife uses her husband’s own vices against him. Don’t miss the moment when everything unravels. https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20241002-02 RSS: https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/viceless

Black Flare Audio RPG A Delta Green actual-play podcast.Delta Green is a Lovecraftian-horror, X-files-like tabletop role playing game. If that sentence made no sense to you, just think of it as Dungeons and Dragons, set in the real world, with a twist. Black Flare will begin it's initial release with episodes 1-3 on October 1st 2024, and will continue to release biweekly on Tuesdays from that point until the conclusion of Season 1. https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20241001-04 RSS: https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/blackflare

It Happened Here 2024 Audio Drama IT HAPPENED HERE 2024 - A 6-episode “audio documentary from the future" adapted by Richard Dresser from his novel and directed by Joe Cacaci Starring Edie Falco, Tony Shalhoub and John Turturro, Inspired by Sinclair Lewis’ dystopian novel, It Can’t Happen Here, Dresser offers a glimpse of what could happen after the 2024 election if fascism creeps into the USA. Told through the voices of a fragmenting American family, It Happened Here 2024 describes a country that still has Netflix and free two-day delivery, where the only thing lost is freedom. https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20241002-03 RSS: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/2402472.rss

The Lorecasters D&D Podcast Audio RPG A group of friends get together to do something never attempted before by humankind.... A D&D PODCAST!!! Okay fine, it has been done before, but if you love D&D and love hearing friends have too much fun, check out Lorecasters. Come sit at the table with us, you are going to love it! As long you don’t hate puns. https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20240913-08 RSS: https://feed.podbean.com/lorecastersdnd/feed.xml

The Tide Audio RPG In the summer of 1998, one man finds himself in a strange seaside town on England's east coast, in search of an old flame. But when tragedy strikes, Russell Coldron begins to uncover a sinister mystery at the heart of Kingstide. The Tide is a mystery roleplaying duet - one player and one GM working together to tell a story with the help of immersive sound design. https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20241003-03 RSS: https://tide.show/feed.xml

Alone in the Attic Audio Book Enter the Attic, if you dare, to have yourself a fearful fright. Step into a supernatural space where haunted objects have scary stories to share, and listen to the terrifying tales told by the ghosts who are trapped within. Not only will you hear some horrifying histories, but with the Keeper as your guide, you may also discover the dark secrets that loom within the ancient walls of the Attic. https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20241003-04 RSS: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/2409849.rss

Serenity: A Vigilante Justice Action Thriller (Enhanced Audiobook) Audio Book Immerse yourself in the gritty world of Shelby Alexander with this enhanced audiobook of "Serenity," narrated by author Craig A. Hart. When a young woman dies in his arms, retired prizefighter Shelby is drawn into a deadly web of small-town secrets and violence. With atmospheric soundscapes, a pulse-pounding soundtrack, and realistic sound effects, this audiobook brings Northern Michigan's dangerous underbelly to life. Experience the first book in the bestselling Shelby Alexander Thriller Series like never before in this heart-racing audio adventure. https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20241001-05 RSS: https://feeds.transistor.fm/serenity-a-vigilante-justice-action-thriller-enhanced-audiobook

Tourbillion Tales Audio Drama The Tourbillion can either be a whirlwind or the intricate component of a mechanized watch. One destructive by nature. The other perfectly balanced under the control of a skilled craftsman. In the spirit of "The Twilight Zone" and "Alfred Hitchcock Presents", Tourbillion Tales is a 6-part fiction anthology series of original short stories specially crafted for the mind's eye. Follow or subscribe now to join the adventure.  https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20241008-01 RSS: https://feed.cdnstream1.com/zjb/feed/download/44/22/b7/4422b77d-4207-45c9-a050-8b273321345f.xml

Whispering Headlines Audio Book In a sprawling West Coast city, star reporter Charlie Anderson and her eclectic team at The Daily Beacon investigate the mysterious plot that threatens the balance of the world, uncovering a tangled web of secrets, tech moguls, and hidden agendas—all while navigating the dramatic twists and turns of their own complicated relationships.Written, produced, and read by Matthew Theall https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20241009-01 RSS: https://www.spreaker.com/show/6286935/episodes/feed

[somenamewithepineapple]

✨You gave some splendid answers so far dear giftee, wonderful!✨ I thoroughly enjoyed reading them 😊. But we’re not finished yet!

Here’s some more:

Tell me about some of your favorite Silrah songs! They can be general Silrah, but I’m also curious if you have any songs that scream divorced or separated -but still in love- Silrah 👀.

What is your favorite line from Farah? And from Saul? Why?

In your prompt you spoke of Silrah separating due to a misunderstanding. Any ideas about what that misunderstanding could be? I myself am more inclined to go the "their-bottomless-guilt-and-subsequent-bad-communication-skills-drove-them-apart" route, so I could really use your input on this!

Arrivederci!🌞

aaahhhh i‘m soooo sorry for taking a whole weak to answer!! My week was super busy and I wanted to take time to think about my answers 🥺😭 I‘m really sorry 🥹

Very sorry!

But now onto question number one: when I think of divorced silrah songs I immediately think of Sam Smith’s Fire On Fire 🔥 hear me out! imagine this scene: Farah and Saul being divorced but forced to dance together by the plot… lot‘s of drama, the UST, the memories, the banter… and in the end one of them dramatically leaves the dancefloor 💕

Also Breaking Down by AILEE and while I don‘t understand the language it gives me the silrah vibes. Don‘t ask me why it just does!

I even have a whole Silrah enemies to lovers playlist (anyone surprised?)

Okay so about my favourite lines from our favourite idiots (I thought about this for ages): I love love love Farah‘s „I feel like a glorified babysitter“ because this tells us so much about what‘s hidden behind that headmistress facade. Between the two Farah is the reckless and impulsive one, fight me!

Saul‘s „Did it break you skin?“ killed me because a)our boy just had to fall in love with a person with zero self-preservation instincts and b)I’m sure back then in their soldier youth Saul asked Farah that particular question on at least five different occasions because she has no chill. Saul probably learned everything about emergency medicine just to keep up with Farah‘s various injuries (not that he was any different, poor Ben). Aaaalso just one episode later, he was the one getting injured, oh the foreshadowing!

My dear HEX anon, your brain is perfect! I imagine they‘d separate for this exact reason (communication? admitting vulnerability? lol) If only they went to therapy, they‘d be happy as a pair of butterflies together. Also Farah definitely has a habit of thinking and assuming things for other people in a sometimes misguided way of protecting them. She’d certainly do the same for Saul which is not ideal. But yes they‘d totally get divorced for a stupid reason (according to literally anyone else) and stay divorced because the S in Silrah stands for Stubborn.

I hope you could gain some insights into my weird headcanon-brain 💕 and I‘m soooo sorry for taking so long 😭

Ciao ❤️🥰

[ladysophiebeckett]

I read you think Freddy knew about Armando and Betty or at least suspected something weird was going on (Wilson most likely too). At Inesita’s house, it was obvious that something was happening to Armando and it had to do with Betty, but the night at the bar the day she returned to Ecomoda, do you think Freddy suspected that Armando had feelings for Betty? We, as the audience, know that everything Freddy said about having a loved one looking more beautiful than ever and picturing them with someone else at that very moment was painful, which voiced out loud exactly what Armando was thinking judging by his reactions, but do you think Freddy picked up on that?

El Cuartel should have discussed this piece of gossip with Freddy because they notice Betty is being really cold with Armando and know they definitely had a falling out, but Freddy knows for a fact that Armando supports her presidency and admires her a lot, and also gets really defensive about her (well they all know that because they saw how upset he became with the dude that wanted to dance with Betty who wouldn’t take no for an answer). Anyways, I just can’t believe they didn’t suspect anything sooner. I guess this is one of the most unbelievable parts tbh or how about when Armando went insane trying to contact Betty when they told him she was gonna quit and yet they still didn’t think his feelings were genuine? Even after they found out he broke up with Marcela for good, didn’t do anything with Alejandra, not even Inesita, of all people, dared to think he was jealous for real? (She does pick up on this later when she sees his desperation, but not before he had a breakdown and destroyed Mario’s office). I’ve seen people say Armando and Mario share one brain cell, but also El Cuartel sometimes 😂

I can't take credit for the Freddy knowing addition, one of my mutuals added that and i had to go back the episode to confirm. And also super agree(!!). If Freddy suspected it at Inesita's house, then the scene in bar the night of Betty's return confirms it. let me get the caps:

like why is freddy saying 'y, usted?' for? he knows that something happened between them but freddy is discrete. (like, everyone at ecomoda knows about armando's infidelities towards marcela, why wouldn't Freddy, who takes care of armando's car, has access to armando's apartment and probably took care of that dog that disappeared---why wouldn't he know about betty and armando?). he's the closest employee to armando that's not betty.

going back to the bar convo--yes i think Freddy picked up on it, lol.

el curatel was never gonna discuss that with freddy bc, well they didnt know he had important information, but also bc he was only sometimes an honorary member. they themselves wouldn't have discussed this with freddy bc they would say its not his business. (son cosas de mujeres). cuartel loves gossip but they're hit and miss with their investigations. they never suspected be The Quiet One to be having an affair with her boss (this aside from the fact that Betty is 'ugly' (we know she isn't but thats how they perceive her).

Bertha is actually the closest person in el cuartel to finding out about the affair. She literally saw them leave the exhibit together and Armando shut her down quick from saying anything to Marcela. So it's very convenient that she gets sent away bc of her pregnancy right when everything at la junta directiva is coming to light. convenient also that her return to ecomoda is also the day that betty returns to ecomoda. the one person that could have pieced part of it together while armando was on a binge and betty was away, was also missing in action.

Regarding when not believing Armando and not telling him where Betty is--I think part of it is that they know what he did and that doesn't exactly give them incentive to help him (on top of Betty giving instructions not to tell him). At least that's how Aura Maria feels about it, bc she's the one who doesn't waver and also the last one to support Armando at the end (I mean the eps of the arrival of Michel).

They're not completely dumb bc whenever Betty is sad or upset, they notice it but they never know the reason why bc Betty wont tell them. Tho they're heart is often times in the right place, they're very nosey and get caught very easily. That's why Betty doesn't tell them everything. (probably why Freddy doesnt either).

[imsocialshit]

Buddy Daddies Thoughts: Edited Edition

To preface: I am sick and dying (hyperbole, I have a head cold and am coughing a lot) so this will make no sense

Slightly less dying so I'm editing this

Just going insane about Kazuki, like his childhood backstory is so obvious: he had negligent (emotional or otherwise) parents. But episode 9 he's like "Fuck if I know, I've never been to a school sports day" which is like..... is that normal? Can you just skip those? He doesn't say "I've never had my parents show up" it's specifically "I've never been." Not to read too much into this but like this makes me think Kazuki either

A: Skipped school frequently as a child, this is way more likely considering his idea of Deliquent Miri (as a result of lack of parental attention) only steals and like holds hands with a boy. Futher, his parents probably didn't notice or didn't give a shit. And I'm sure if a kid knew their parents were never going to come to a school event, they'd just start skipping mandatory events

B: Didn't fucking go to school period. The difference between this and A is that he ust stopped at one point, just realized "no one gives a shit, why shohuld I be here"

Like Rei's backstory (gang leader dad who is physically and emotionakly abusive forces his son into a specific life) is kinda par for the course I'd say? Like yea of couse. There's no mystery (for the audience) but Kazuki's childhood is so silly funny 9sad) to me.

Neither of these men have parent to model themselves after and they are trying so hard

Now ignore everything above this line (the one you're reading)

Some people (two) were kind enough to be like "Kazuki literally said he was an orphan." So I've had to rethink things: newest conclusion is it was probably A anyways, I'm sure that like mandatory school events are mandatory even if you are braving the horrors of the foster system. Simply reworking that idea from "my parents aren't going to show up" to "No one's going to show up and I'm tired of other kids being mean to me"

Which is like probably what the show was aiming for ngl, considering Kazuki's mentioned being bullied in the past (like loosely) for being poor.

Anywayz I love thinking and I love being wrong and i love changing (genuine! science is so cool actually)

[nachosncheeze]

Sending lots of asks today, but I was curious:

I don't think you've written XF fic (which is my exclusive fic wheelhouse, usually), but if you WERE to write XF fic, what would you focus on? Friendship, RST, UST, casefile, MOTW, in-between scenes, or just a drabbles (LOVE me a good drabble.)

Hah! Well, I guess now is as good a time as any; you've outed me! Or, I'm outing myself, since you asked. I actually have written some X Files, but I've never posted any of it. I got back into writing fiction fairly recently, being wildly inspired during lockdown by a tv show called Blindspot (which my original blog @nachosncheeze is based around - I later made @nachosncheezies for other fandoms). I was encouraged by a writer I really respect, and recklessly gave it a go.

I started dabbling with XF a few months ago, when I found myself getting lost in the details on a couple of my Blindspot WIPs. XF has characters I can connect with, but I'm not too much in their heads, if that makes sense. Playing with the Spooky Squad is giving me some practice (especially with dialogue, which I've felt weak at - the ways they talk to each other [and the ways they don't] are SO interesting) and a bit of distance from my other WIPs. The original goal was just to be able to come back to those other ones fresh, but I'm finding I'm enjoying it now, too!

To answer the hypotheticals I suppose it's easiest to look at what I've written in the past. In general, I'm a sucker for angst, I do introspective sorts of character things a lot, and so far everything has been canon-compliant fill-in-the-blanks/extra scenes. At this point AUs, casefic, etc feel a bit too ambitious for me. I've done some ship work but no smut, so not much you could call UST/RST. I think the lion's share of it has been one-shots around siblings and different iterations of [found] family.

When it comes to XF, anything I have/can imagine doing probably fits a similar pattern. My first exercise was an extra Scully/Bill scene for the Reduxes. I wrote it before I knew there was a deleted scene for Memento Mori and I was delighted to find some overlap because it kinda felt like I must be on the right track. 😆 Mostly, I've been playing pretty extensively with season 8. It hits the angst button pretty hard, moved fast enough to leave lots of space for in-betweens, and the second half has some useful places to practice fluff while still indulging my usual angsty "traumatize those suckers!" shenanigans. My house is currently watching 8 too, and I've been challenging myself to try to do a 150-word drabble from Doggett's perspective for each episode. That man is just so earthy and reliable. 💕 Soooo yeah, I suppose if I were to write XF, it would be something like... *gestures broadly*... that. ;D

Huh. Now that I'm chatting about it I guess I actually have a lot. Maybe I'll actually post something sometime. 😂