#their dynamic has so much potential and this is the hill i will die on

[aceofspades-sml]

If I see one more "uksies ruined the whole Sprace dynamic" post I'm gonna explode because while okay we are all used to them being gay icons have you considered the potential uksies Sprace holds right now ? They could be bi4bi. T4T. Enby lovers. Partners in crime. Idiots to friends to lovers. Respectable young man who is also an idiot x scary girl who can kick the shit out of him but likes him for some reason.

Your honor. Uksies Race has the potential to reach a whole new level of dumb (affectionate) here. Uksies Spot can reach a whole new level of done™ in this relationship and you bet I'm here for it.

[apollosgiftofprophecy]

What made you fall in love with Copollo and how can we angst this with Hypollo?

I had to marinate this in my head for a bit haha

First - What Made Me Love Copollo?

I don't know if I have the words for it, but I shall try! XD

First of all, I do love me some of that simple, satisfying ships that make you smile - ie, Percabeth - but -

But. But.

There's something about those toxic relationships that are so interesting.

And Copollo has an especially interesting dynamic - Commodus is the more toxic one, but Apollo's the one with all the power. Usually it's only one person with both those things but it's split between them (and note: I said Commodus was the more toxic one - Apollo was also toxic. he was enabling Commodus.)

So the dynamic is one reason. But I also just...love their story.

They relate to each other on a level rarely reached. They had a genuine relationship that was more than carnal, or even just affectionate. They loved each other, and I do think Commodus had just as much of an effect on Apollo as Daphne and Hyacinthus did.

I mean come on.

Apollo gets nervous around trees because of Daphne = Apollo doesn't like water because of Commodus.

Apollo describes Hyacinthus as perfect = Apollo has thought of Commodus as perfect.

It's all right there^^^^

And with Apollo, it's like he's caught in this "I can fix him" / "he can make me worse" mindset.

With Commodus, he's been seeking validation his whole life and clings to Apollo's when it's given to him - and his sanity spirals when he looses it.

They're that perfect mix of "match made in heaven" and "match made in hell". They would have worked but they also could not.

It's just. such a tragedy. which FITS because ya know, Greek Tragedy TM ;)

AND OF COURSE THEIR INTERACTIONS ARNUMNUMNUM!!!!!

How they're so very casual with each other in that flashback. Apollo's bouncing grapes off Commodus's nose for crying out loud THEY'RE IN LOVE YOUR HONOR-!

And then. In ToA. urhhhhhh it's so good. Commodus is That Ex with a picture of his ex on a dartboard. SERIOUSLY. and he THROWS KNIVES AT IT.

LIKE COME ON HOW MUCH MORE JILTED EX CAN YOU GET?

"dear heart", anybody? DEAR HEART? REMEMBER THAT?! I DO!!! LIVES RENT-FREE IN MY HEAD!!!!!

also the two innuendos in TDP and TTT are so good like come on Rick you know what you did there

and then. their final scene together. it's just. ARGHURHMMRM

Apollo reminisces on how he used to hold Commodus's hands with love. Commodus is so fucking eager to take a shot at him. Apollo screams him to death like omfg and the last thing - the last thing - Commodus hears is Apollo's pent-up heartbreak.

May I emphasize Apollo's pent-up heartbreak. HIS HEARTBREAK OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS YES BUT ALSO HIS LIFETIME. WHICH MEANS COMMODUS IS LITERALLY GIVEN A FACE-FULL OF PROOF THAT APOLLO STILL CARED FOR HIM.

Two people in love, and their love going so wrong when one betrays the other - killing them! - and the other is suddenly hellbent on revenge?

It's all about that lovers to enemies, everybody. Enemies to lovers is good and all but what about loves to enemies.

It's so good armnumnum.

GAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH I LOVE THEM OKAY I LOVE THESE BISEXUAL BITCHES MJHYJUFGH

inhale

exhale

i'm good now. ahem inspects ask angst it with Hyapollo now, eh?

Let's see here...

Well for one Commodus is 100% jealous of Hyacinthus. Like sorry I'm not moving from this hill I will die on this hill you will have to climb up this hill and drag me off it kicking and crying and screaming and clawing you. I'm not moving. crosses arms and sits down pouting

Meanwhile, in the Hyacinthus department, I think Hya would just...not really care? Or well, he'd care about how Apollo took the whole arc but he wouldn't be like "oh no he moved on :(" about it (Poly Apollo is canon y'all i don't make the rules!). more like "bitch you think I give a shit about you?" at Commodus. "YOU'RE NOT WORTH MY TIME!"

I also find it funny if it's this:

this hasn't really turned out as angst but the comedic potential is too good lmao XD

[lets-try-some-writing]

Do you have any ships that you enjoy, from any transformers media!

Been curious

Y e s

But I have a specific scenario where each is to be applied because I'm picky like that.

Oplita: The OG ship. Would die for them. Perfect for a particular brand of pre-war or post-war fic and absolutely delightful to engage with in a well crafted AU. Their interactions in a good fic never cease to leave me feeling all bubbly inside. Life goals ngl.

Starop: Post-war and or peacetime fics are my jam for these two. Although sometimes a nice flavor of hidden romance is lovely as well. I adore the way they play off each other in well crafted fics. I love when Starscream is the bad cop and Optimus the good cop.

Jazzop: Perfect for a bled of Pre-war or during the war. Jazz is a delightful foil for Optimus and I love seeing writers showcase the shift between his relationship to Orion and then to the Prime. Also it's a brilliant ship to showcase potential rebelliousness in them both.

Optiratch: Two idiots who can't take care of themselves taking care of each other. Need I say more? Their tender interactions always leave me screaming and demanding more. I love it, and I adore their deep connection, especially in TFP.

Dratchet: I have not read the comics enough to know as much as I would like about them, but they are CUTE and I will die on this hill.

Cyclonus/Tailgate: Same reasons as above.

Rodimus/Soundwave: .... Blame The Echo Garden. That one fic changed my entire view of them.

Megasound: Blame G1 and Prime for this one. "Don't leave me Soundwave." Gets me every. single. time. They are simply perfect. They've been together for so long and while I LOVE the friendship dynamic and the slightly toxic ally/master situation, the ship, when done well, makes me happy.

Megop: It's such a well known ship, but honestly, I am PICKY about it. I enjoy it in pretty much any setting, but I am disgustingly picky about what flavor I enjoy. Thus far, I've only liked Megop done by a few close friends and like, three random fics in my bookmarks. Very good for angst obviously.

Knockout/Breakdown: It's practically canon and I do NOT see it enough. When done well, they are adorable.

Prowl/Jazz: Thus far, I enjoy the concept but have yet to find a fic that sucks my soul into them. I really do think they are cute on paper though. The fanart has me intrigued.

Windblade/Starscream: Have not read enough of the comics to give a solid base for them, but I like the look and the chemistry.

Aaaand I think that's all for now. I am sure I secretly like more but have forgotten for the time being.

[wrinkly-fucking-qtip]

Gallavich Headcanon (almost a meta): Ian and Mickey befriend a Hispanic old lady with a family-owned flower shop [Pt. 1/3]

So I created these scenarios in my head... if someone wants to write a fic about it, better than I could. But, after receiving that awful treatment from the old lady at the shop in 10x11, I believe Ian and Mickey (especially Mickey) deserve a nice old lady that sells flowers and just... bonds with them y'know?

I don't have it all figured out, but they're at Southside again at this point. I'm part of the club that believes they don't stay in the west side forever. In my head (fuck the felony) Ian is either nurse, EMT again, whatever, something in that area, not working with Mick anymore. Although, Mick's business is thriving so much cause our boy gots the smarts for business.

Basically, it's Mick going in this shop, defenses a little high up. He no longer cares that much if people in the Southside are blatantly homophobic, like, it takes a while now to ruffle his feathers with beautiful wisdom coming down on him. But y'know, something about old ladies in a flower shop, am I right? He's buying flowers for Ian (part of some stupid dynamic or inside joke, don't know, but he's being traditionally husbandly right now) and he's looking for bright candid ones, warm colors, as warm as his ginger husband.

The old lady catches sight of him, and with this very thick Puerto Rican accent trying to dance around a broken English, she just greets him and asks him if he's looking for anything in particular. Mick... loosens up? Not much... but he feels it. She seems warm, safe. Nice. He just mentions "warm toned flowers," something fiery, but delicate. Pretty. He mindlessly points at the color of a table top close to them. Important to know that he uses his left hand, so that ring is oh-so visible.

She goes something along the lines of "Oh! You buy something for your señora? Esto, the wife?" I will forever die on the hill that Mickey does know Spanish, not that the lady knows this, but, y'know, she's Hispanic, some Spanish words go along the way. He looks at his ring and considers if he should say.

"No, uh, husband- actually."

This old lady doesn't light up, but she doesn't react badly... just... carries the conversation as if the sky continues to look blue. "Ohh! Ok, ok, show me picture then! I can make suggestion if I see what he look like, or what he dress like." And she sounds earnest, which, frankly, took him aback. Mickey kind of eyes her questioningly, perhaps she runs with a user persona? Mix match appearance with potential products?

Anyway, he proceeds, shows him a selfie with him, and a mid shot he took without Ian knowing. She eyes the pics for a few seconds and she just excitedly raises her voice, Mick still trying to get adjusted to it all, she tells him she understands why the warm colors and stuff, cause this husband is a ginger. She walks him through the selections and he ends up picking a bouquet, one along the lines of a warm cinnamon spice.

They have a lovely goodbye exchange, Mick still somewhat serious but kind, this old lady oozes warmth. She invites him to come back whenever, maybe even bring the husband along. He nods goodbye. He tells Ian all about it, surprising him first obviously, but he shares this... odd interaction he had today... and how... nice? It felt?? He's still trying to figure it out... Ian thanks him for the flowers, they have a lovely evening together. Life is good he thinks, perhaps.

.

It's Ian's turn now, he just has to meet this old lady. He goes in, and he finds the place, the old lady is behind the counter, so she has sight towards the door. She greets him, and he has the pleasure to hear her accent. And she's just so bubbly, he comes to her, trying to bite down a grin. Ian, not being much about the flower guy, yet (but loves receiving them 🙄) he asks for the stargazer lillies, the lady puts a dramatically sad face and tells him she's out of stock, as soon as the came, they left.

A little disappointed, ofc, but he still goes and asks for other options similar. Ian has his hands on his pockets, but the lady asks "what's the occasion?" And he says, "Husband" and with a stammer "Um, Mickey? You might've- uh... Met him? A week back...? Black hair, blue eyes... Short?" The lady is truly trying to recall, and then she brightens up. Not only cause she remembered Mick, but because she just realized he's the guy in the pic! And oh how she glees.

She walks through the options, he buys a bouquet, gains a lovely interaction, and he finally understands Mick when he says something about this old lady just feels... warm... at ease.

This wouldn't be the last time they visit.

And they actually gather quite the like to her.

[eoieopda]

CONGRATS ON THE MILESTONE BABY, here have some flowers 💐

here i come with a humble request 🫡

i was thinking of a hobi + secret relationship trope... maybe smutty too if you're up for it lol 👉🏽👈🏽

can't wait for the drabbles you're gonna write omg 😭🤲🏽

what lua wants, lua gets 🫡 tbh i think this is one of my favorite things i’ve ever written, so tysm for unwittingly setting that stage 🫣

the one where hoseok plays with fire

pairing: degenerate!hoseok x afab!reader type: (d) angst, smut (18+) | wc: 1.6k au: secret/forbidden relationship, rival gangs, romeo & juliet kinda vibes 🤫 cw: acknowledgement of membership in street gangs but just to explain the dynamic (no depictions of gang activity); minor threat (not the band, just the potential consequences of their actions); public (ish?) sex; unprotected p in v penetration; not much in the way of foreplay because i’m operating under a word limit, lol; biting, a lil bit; gratuitous imagery of hoseok wearing chains 🫣 a/n: this popped into my head while listening to $20 by boygenius on reeeeepeeeeaaaaat. def check out this song (and the record!) there’s a direct quote from the song in the dialogue, btw. credit for that bolded bit goes to julien thee baker.

There’s a decommissioned junkyard outside of town. It sits within a constellation of run-down warehouses and empty parking lots, and has a gravitational pull all its own. Finding it doesn’t take much, just fifteen minutes on the expressway, two turns at perpetually-blinking traffic lights, and a specific strain of desperation not many will ever know the likes of. It’s desolate and depressing, but despite all that, it’s a sanctuary.

A hill to die on.

You’d spent more time there lately than you’d ever be free to admit. A veritable coffee stain on a map, you’re not sure that its existence on that side street was anyone’s conscious decision. Likewise, you can’t say for certain that the drop of its name would mean anything to anyone. It means everything to you, however, so asking after recognition isn’t a risk you’re willing to take.

You’re risking enough as it is.

As is usually the case, you’re the first to arrive. When you do, you ignore the dirt that kicks up with every step and swirls around your bare ankles; and you keep walking until you reach your usual perch. The bare-bones, American-made t-top sits where it seemingly always has: on cinder blocks. It’s older than you by thirty years or so, but it groans with vigor when you grip hard to the frame, slide your foot over the exposed wheel hub, and hoist yourself onto the hood.

The bare skin on the back of your thighs is chilled instantly by the paint-chipped metal below you. It loses more and more of its smoothness the longer it sits out, exposed to the elements, but then again, so do you. Maybe that’s why this spot is a hard-fought favorite of yours.

Your crows’ nest, your perfect vantage point. A place to sit and play look-out while your eager eyes scan the driveway ahead.

You hear him before you see him, but that’s purposeful. Hoseok kills the headlamp on his motorcycle before he comes anywhere near the junkyard — just in case, baby. The rumble of his four-stroke engine is one you can feel in your stomach long after he shuts it off. Even when he parks that pristine, second-hand Hyosung somewhere only he’d be able to find it again. Still, when he finally steps under the yellow glow of the street lamp — your only source of light, save for the moon — and he’s all you see.

Hoseok keeps his pace casual as he makes his way to you, but his anticipation is visible in his posture. He’s swallowing words, based on the blatant twitch of his jaw. Always clenched to keep from calling out to you, as if the abandoned area wasn’t chosen for its ability to keep your secrets.

With much more ease than you, he jumps and pulls himself up to the car hood to meet you. The metal creaks under the weight of his body, but when it hovers over you, it’s a sigh of relief. A millisecond can’t pass by before he cages your head in between his arms — palms pressed against the dusty windshield — and swoops down to capture your kiss.

“Missed you,” he mumbles against your lips. His tone is low, hushed, and yet still sandpaper-course in a way that screams I mean it. The distance at which his limited words keep you is contrary to the way he holds you — close to the chest like your feelings are as fleeting as moments like this, gently as if you’ll break apart in his hands.

Like he loves you.

Your fingers instinctively thread themselves in his wind-swept hair — no helmet, no surprise there — and now it’s his turn to sigh. Hoseok tries to pull away, likely to gaze at you the way he always wants to, but you claim his bottom lip between your teeth and refuse to let him — this — go.

It sounds so silly without full use of his mouth:

“Baby,” he warns.

You release him with a smirk, brushing the tip of your nose against his. There’s enough fondness in his eyes to drown in and you would, in a heartbeat, if time was ever on your side.

“Good girl.”

The delicate, cuban-link chain around his neck glints in the half-light. Little slivers of silver dance across your own collarbone as it sways in the space between your bodies. A little constellation, guiding you North from your southside trap to a home you can’t have.

You, who can never seem to leave well-enough alone, run the thin, interlocking rectangles between the tips of your thumb and middle finger. You know you shouldn’t, but you pout, “You’re late.”

Hoseok’s expression says more than he does. You hear, “I know,” but you see, “I didn’t have a choice and I never will.”

He grunts when he sits up onto his knees. Wordlessly, he spills over your side and collects into a puddle in the space next to you. Once he settles, he stares up at the sky. You know he’s focused on something even further away.

“Did someone follow?” You ask gently.

Hand slipping easily into his, your fingers interlock. Links in a chain. Never an accessory to be worn in public.

Hoseok’s mouth pulls up slightly at one corner; and you know what that looks means. It means twenty minutes down the drain, shaking a tail before he can make his way to you. It means that, next time, you may need to find a different hiding spot.

The arm furthest from yours is draped over his abdomen. He moves it, and you move to hover in the space he’s cleared for you. Anchored with your knees on either side of his hips, you cup his jaw with the hand not holding his. For you, he lets himself soften, leans into the warmth of your palm.

You don’t normally say the obvious out loud, but reality doesn’t always stay in the cage you try to lock it in. “We’re playing with fire.”

“In another life,” Hoseok replies wistfully while his fingernails scratch — affectionately, teasingly, cautiously — down the expanse of your bare thigh. “We were arsonists.”

When he kisses you a second time, it’s enough for you to forget where you are. No longer in a junkyard on the outskirts of town, no longer on opposite sides of a line in the dirt, no longer trying to shove flowers into the front of a shotgun.

It’s enough.

It’s routine. You hike up the hem of your dress while he unzips his black jeans. Those are pushed down while your thong is pushed to the side; and so is the thought that this is the most of him you can have. You don’t get all of him, can’t lave your needy tongue over all of him, because it’s not safe to love him with all the layers cast aside. It’s practical, promotes a quick getaway in the event one is needed.

It’s enough, you think again, like repetition will make it true.

It’s perfect. Both of you keen when he enters you. Your thighs tremble; your walls grip him tight as they reacclimate to the stretch his cock demands. Hoseok notices your rapid blinking when you settle down on him. He knows without having to ask, kisses you through an ache that isn’t physical at all. It, like him, stays where it’s kept: in the left side of your rib cage.

“Shit,” he grunts. “Feel so perfect, baby — fuck.”

You roll your hips against him, taking him all the way and dragging the curve of his cock over that secret spot inside you. Aren’t they all? His fingernails leave impermanent, crescent indents in your thighs. You try not to care that the moon looming overhead is unapologetically full — and present every night.

There’s a newfound desperation in the way Hoseok clings to you. He digs the heels of his boots into the Stringray’s hood, hands pulling you down onto his cock while he fucks upwards into you. It drives him insane when you swirl your hips with him buried inside you, so you do, smirking like the devil.

You burrow into his neck to leave wet, open-mouthed kisses on any hint of skin you find. As you do, your fingers return to his hair and tie themselves off. If you chain yourself to him this way, maybe you can stay this way.

A quick nip at his neck unearths a groan that makes your cunt flutter around him. Tragically, no sign of you or your teeth is left behind on the side of his throat. Still, you kiss it better, whispering, “Could fuck you like this forever, baby.”

“Oh, my love,” his breath is hot against your ear when he chuckles darkly, “You hear the way your pussy is gushing all over my cock? You won’t last forever.”

His thrusts deepen. Hoseok is dead-set on unraveling you, thread by thread.

“In fact —”

Your teeth pinch his lobe. Hoseok snaps his hips forcefully in response, and your gasp echoes over the rusted squeak of a worn-out suspension. It briefly overpowers the muted slap of his pelvis colliding with the underside of your thighs. It doesn’t compare with his breathless laugh, though, not by a long-shot.

“Little vampire,” he chides you with a grin that takes effort. You mewl when his fingertips press bruises into the flesh of your ass. “Don’t think you’ll last another minute.”

Hoseok is a lot of things; and while frustrating is one of them, wrong rarely is.

It’s white hot, the uncontrolled pleasure burning through your core, and your vision matches when your wildfire orgasm ignites. Fingers searching for purchase grip tight to his jacket. Your heavy head dips forward as you cry out. Like always, you fall apart at the seams over him.

Slumped against him, he envelopes you in his arms as he fucks straight through your high and into his. Spent in every way that matters, you can’t fight off the sob that starts in the pits of your chest and crawls out of your mouth. The shiver down your spine can’t be blamed on the wind.

“Hey,” Hoseok murmurs, petal soft, “Baby, no, don’t cry.”

He takes your face in your hands and leaves you no choice but to look at him. With concern wearing creases into his forehead, he smatters kisses on every part of your crestfallen face. He whispers promises between each as he goes.

It’s okay — We’ll figure this out — I love you — We’ll be alright, you and me — I love you.

And even if it’s not all true, it’s enough.

Enough to keep you going.

Enough to glue your broken pieces back together.

Enough to keep you both from noticing the faint hum of an engine in the driveway.

[angelshizuka]

The way canon-defenders are constantly crying about how the reveal can't happen because it would "kill the show", but at the same time they're being awfully quiet about Adrienette becoming canon, even though it literally killed the love square, aka the biggest appeal of the secret identities plot line.

Finding out the reveal was originally supposed to happen in s5, but got removed when more seasons were ordered, speaks volumes on why pre-reveal Adrientte feels so basic. There was originally supposed to be more to it, but they had to scramble last minute to replace it with anything that wasn't about the love square, but failed to find any interesting substance.

It did was time for a change, since the pre-reveal dynamic has been dried out for a long time already, but they really should've dived deeper into the love square switch (and not unreversing it only episodes later) instead of the canon Adrienette route. Though I will die on the hill s5 was about time to do a permenant reveal. There is SO MUCH plot and relationship potential post-reveal and people who unironically think there isn't are either weak or have been brainwashed by the show.

If your argument is how the creators said a reveal can't happen until the very end, then that's literally part of the problem. The "a reveal would mean the end of it all" mindset is such a harmful message to put in a kids show. because it adds to the toxic idea that your life is over once you're done with your "adventurous childhood" and enter your "boring adulthood".

And honestly, knowing why the writing is bad somehow making the writing worse, really says a lot.

[highlordofkrypton]

I know you like these, I know I like these (your thoughts are so nice, well formulated and pls ramble all you like)

what is your unpopular opinion on Azriel?

what is your romantic OTP for Eris?

what is my platonic OTP for Cassian?

I DO LOVE THESE AND IT MAKES ME SO HAPPY WHEN YOU SEND THEM!!! 🥹

For this ask game.

1. What is your unpopular opinion on Azriel?

I need to disclaim that I haven’t finished the series, read the bonus chapters and interact with Azriel in fandom except through the shipping wars that come across my feed or Azris.

Personally, I have two opinions that might feel unpopular.

The first is that I think Azriel’s relationship towards his brothers lacks depth and needs to be explored in the sense that his first set of brothers tortured him, and then Rhysand took him in only for Rhysand and Cassian to bully him. The wiki technically says that they stopped fighting when they realized they needed to work together to survive, but that begs the question—why didn’t Rhysand’s mother step in? Couldn’t she see his hands? She was supposed to be a friend of his mother’s but why didn’t his mother get saved or at least taken to Velaris?

I think that if Tamlin doesn’t get the tools to deal with his trauma, then the same should be true for other characters. Azriel especially because in comparison, Rhysand has everything and Azriel gets relegated to the shadows by his father? There’s potential for a lot of resentment there.

The second might get me in trouble with the fandom so I just wanna be clear I am taking no sides when I say this. I feel like Azriel’s concern about three sisters for three brothers likely stems from trauma (as mentioned above) and the idea of a mate—someone who wants you unconditionally, above all else, is appealing to MANY people both in and outside of fiction, especially for people who have experience abandonment, feel unworthy and unwanted, etc. I think it’s less about who and more about when for Azriel.

Either way, I think it’s fantastic for him to be making connections with people outside of his brothers. It’ll be good for him and open his mind to different perspectives of the world and of himself.

I could be missing information but that’s what jumps out to me.

2. What is your romantic OTP for Eris?

Keeping in mind the many disclaimers above, I think Neris is a great dynamic. I’m disappointed that canon Nessian didn’t play out the way I imagined.

While I do like Azris, the dynamic I prefer personally is something closer to Cassian x Eris which has more bite than Azris and Lussian. That said, I haven’t explore much with Eris so take this with a grain of salt.

3. What is my platonic OTP for Cassian?

THE BEST HIMBROSHIP OF ALL TIME: TAMLIN X CASSIAN. I WILL DIE ON THIS HILL I AM BEGGING THE WORLD TO SEE THE VISION 🙌

[3milesup]

My BoB ships ranking

(as encouraged by @sleepy-hyperfixations - thanks!)

i have thought about this from all sides to find a criteria and then i decided it probably comes down to which ships make me feel a particular way about them or spark thoughts, curiosity, creativity, and i found a compromise between the two things^^

so, here's what i come up with:

1. winnix - aka the pinnacle of ships, the Relationship Goals™ that i can't even bring myself to read much for because it stirs some deep deep nostalgia for what i've never had... but they've been for me the stamp of true love ever since i saw the show...

1. webgott - a ship that to me is almost too emotional to think about because either way you turn it around, it is always so painful (but so meant to be as well). but also: sizzling, fiery dynamics, so much depth to dive into, ahh they're everything...

3. now, here i am, shamelessly putting on the pedestal what i believe is a figment of my imagination, as i have never seen it anywhere (if anyone has, pretty please let me know^^) but it owns a chunk of my heart, and it is smokey gordon/alton more (what would that make them? smore? idek anymore... what even is my life…) i could write an essay but i'll keep it lowkey and say (affectionately): how have you people not seen it? they sooo had a thing, and a tad complicated, repressed, emotionally constipated but passionate one for that matter…

on shared 3th, because *shielding my eyes from the first two places* i will however die on rarepair hill, is speirsroe - it makes so much sense if you stop to look for a while and i love to do so. many feelings abt those two.

4. luztoye  - i wanted to put them higher, actually, bcs i am biased, bcs they are my flagship (that currently is like, adrift and half sunken but i'll pull it back afloat just like i will do myself) but alas, they're here. yes, i acknowledge that it is a ship standing on pillars of quite dry sand of two (2) interactions in the whole show lol, but the possibilities it offers to explore the personalities are vast and interesting...

5. speirton, bull/martin - are here in the ranking because i totally get the appeal and the dynamic and they are sort of "comfort ships" to me? like, an... angst-proofish certainty but just... never say never, but for the moment not quite on top of my list^^

6. quite the same for baberoe, placed here because it's an integral part of the fandom and i have all the respect but i'm sorry, i just can't see it, no matter how hard i squint...

ALSO, there is speirs/nix out there somewhere, but i can't for the life of me rank it, it just exists in my subconscious, intriguing and sadly underdeveloped, and i just wanted the world to know, because i think they are a gem full of potential^^

...'aight, i can't seem to think of other ships, so... i guess this is it^^ if you have any thoughts or your own rankings i'd love to know <3

[sandinmybed]

Please tell me about prophecy and the seventh sign and any other movies/media that explores the dynamics you're talking about I wanna hear!!

WALL OF TEXT!

For anyone reading this who doesn't know what this is about, I am recommending movies with religious themes that are not like... NICE religious. These are more along the lines of "Angels do not have free will and exist to do God's bidding - God's will frequently involves horrible, horrible things. Source: the Bible." My mother, who was raised to be devoutly Protestant and is now a devout atheist with religious trauma, loves movies like this. She calls them "nasty angel movies" but in general she likes things with religious themes that aren't preachy - and in fact might be the opposite. She likes media with the premise that God (of abrahamic faiths, particularly christianity) is real, but not benevolent. i'm struggling to define this genre because it's late lol

so, The Prophecy (1995)! fucking great movie. it's told mostly from the perspective of a detective who was previously training to be a catholic priest but lost his faith because of horrible visions. Christopher Walken portrays the angel Gabriel who has come to claim an extremely evil soul as a weapon for a second war in heaven. he is NOT a nice angel. i THINK the angels are upset that God has focused all His energy on humanity? but i may be misremembering. anyway this evilest soul ever has been placed temporarily in the body of a little native american girl who immediately becomes ill and is looked after by her teacher mostly, and Gabriel is looking for it and he's the villain of the movie, basically. it does have potentially uh,, slightly 90s ideas of Native American spirituality? possibly problematic/stereotyping? but i'm british and know almost nothing about native americans so i can't tell you if it's egregiously bad, or if its just a bit cringe. but the movie itself is really really good imo. also, Viggo Mortensen as Lucifer. Can't really go into that too much without spoilers, but he's INCREDIBLE. He makes the entire film.

I personally loved it because Gabriel is the angel who told Mary she would be giving birth to the son of God, right? most children raised in Western Christian nations are familiar with the Nativity and angel Gabriel above all others. But he's not a nice guy here - he's a servant of God, and he's mad about it. He uses humans as tools, kills, he's horrible lol. Interestingly, wikipedia seems to suggest that most people thought it was bad but it's gone on to become a cult film? idk i think its great.

Seventh Sign (1988) I didn't enjoy as much (personal opinion, my mum loves it) but the concept is really good. Basically, signs of the biblical apocalypse are happening and mostly being explained away, but they're happening. Leans a little bit into Hebrew theology too. A woman (demi moore) is pregnant with a baby, but there were a limited amount of souls in heaven, and now the first baby without a soul is soon to be born, and it's hers.

My mother also recommends Devil's Advocate (1997) which I've not seen myself but the main actors are Keanu Reeves and Al Pacino so I reckon it must be good lol. From the wikipedia it seems to be more of a horror, so if you have triggers I'd search on "does the dog die" (i've heard it's good for spoiler free trigger warnings) but according to wikipedia: "Based on Andrew Neiderman's 1990 novel of the same name, it is about a gifted young Florida lawyer invited to work for a major New York City law firm. As his wife becomes haunted by frightening visions, the lawyer slowly realizes the firm's owner, John Milton, is in fact, the Devil."

She also likes Constantine and Legion but i've not seen either nor talked to her about them so can't say anything about those lol

also this is a series and not a movie but I NEED you to watch Midnight Mass. it's by the same director who did The Fall of the House of Usher and the Haunting of Hill House and it's just absolutely incredible. It's a single series and it's about a village of like, a hundred or so people that's dying because small village. it's quite a religious town, the centre of the community is the catholic church, and the aging and senile priest has gone on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. He doesn't return, and instead, a younger, unknown priest returns with new enigmatic sermons and then he performs actual miracles - he heals a girl in a wheelchair, for example. I don't want to spoil this but weird shit starts happening and it's a horror series again. My mum particularly liked (hated) a character called Bev Keane, she said she reminded her of her mother. The most miserable, awful, religious zealot, who never actually says anything cruel - she hides her awfulness behind scripture and religious quotes and is impossible to argue with or accuse of anything because she serves god! she's awful in such a hard to define way. Honestly the whole series is fantastic, and it's so well done. its one of those series where its impossible to make a sequel because its done perfectly. can you tell i liked this one

Also i think everyone on tumblr knows this one, but Good Omens. Obviously not a horror show like the others, and the "bad angels who are meant to only do god's will" thing is taken much more lightly here, but still worthy of inclusion imo. The book and the series are different, but not hugely. Humorous take on the apocalypse, and a demon and an angel who've been watching over earth for 6000 years and have decided actually, they like earth, and they dont want it to explode because heaven and hell are actually full of pricks and they dont want to deal with them, theyre too busy enjoying earth. so they decide to stop the apocalypse. they're not very good and it all goes a bit wrong a few times.

Final "religious themes" rec is Small Gods by Terry Pratchett, who also cowrote good omens and it's not actually about christian religion or angels but I think it's worth a mention because it's about a young monk called Brutha who is training in the city of Omnia, a religious city state on the Discworld that is devoted solely to the worship of the Great God Om. The church of Om run the entire city and everyone is a believer, the church is ultimately powerful, and everyone lives in fear of upsetting the church. And then the Great God Om is dropped from the sky from the talons of an eagle, and lands in a garden in the main church citadel - because he's a tortoise. He's been stuck in the form of a tortoise for years because he has no power anymore, because in Pratchett's discworld, there are many many gods and they only have power if someone believes in them. Om has just one believer - Brutha. Brutha is the only person in the ENTIRE CITY who actually believes in the god they claim to worship - the rest just believe in the system, in the religion and in oppression, because that's very real. Brutha knows more about Omnian religion than Om does, because to say Om was an absentee god is putting it mildly. it was the first discworld book i read and it's what got me into the series, it's absolutely great. Also really, really funny as well as reorients your worldview a bit. Pratchett is good at that

okay i need to stop, I have work in the morning, but hopefully this enormous wall of text wasn't too much for you!

[panboba]

So a lot of people like the idea of tfa Sentinel and tfp Starscream interacting with each other, so I will share more thoughts about these two. I'm no artist, and I don't have the motivation to write a fanfic because this will be a long story. I might write it but it will take time. So these are scraps of my imagination with these two idiots. I will state these are my personal perspectives on these two, so please don't take them personally. I'm well aware that everyone has a different idea on these two. Share ideas or make comments, I would love reading them!

Now, where did I get the idea of these two connecting with each other? It was quite simple. Both are complex characters that have a coward attitude and have the characters and the audience to hate on them. It wasn't hard to realize that these two are literally the same person.

When I have these two interacting with each other. I love the idea of having both redeem. Of course, it has to be done right and take some time. I will die on this hill that Starscream should have gotten a redemption. I'm so glad that fanfics do justice for me. Sentinel is more complicated, I know a lot of people think he doesn't deserve redemption, but I personally would give it to him. Because as much as I love villains turn good, I also love antagonist "hero" jackass to being an actual hero and change for the better. I think the idea of these two redeeming each other fascinates me. However, it's going to take a lot, especially since they are both toxic, but it's isn't impossible!

Now I said in my last post about Starscream being a parental figure. I got the idea because I saw a post about Starscream being a potential good father figure, and I just thought he would be perfect for Sentinel. I also like it because I feel like Magnus was not a good authorative figure to Sentinel. Magnus just gave him orders and never tried to care about Sentinel's attitude or tried to suggest improving, just throwing shade. Starscream doesn't do that. He criticizes Sentinel about his fighting skills and makes comments about his shitty personality (look who's talking) for being an Autobot. Starscream realizes that Sentinel isn't being a piece of shit for the sake of it. He realizes that the blue bot is acting out of trauma and loneliness. Which Starscream completely understands because he's does the same thing (cough* Knockout). Starscream starts to sympathize with Sentinel and slowly starts caring about the blue bot. I want their dynamic like Optimus and Bumblebee except more bickering and mean attitude.

The two deeply hated each other at first, especially when they found out they're enemies in different multiverse. They get in constant arguments and constantly insult each other. Starscream at some point scratches Sentinel, which actually scares Sentinel. However, after some time, when Starscream does it again, Sentinel gains the courage to fight back. Starscream is an excellent fighter, which he wins at the end and makes Sentinel to be furious. Starscream gets really smug when he wins arguments and physical fights. Sentinel fucking hates it. He is confused how a fucking twink is more heavier yet has the velocity. I figured the two were going to be working with each other. Starscream sees that Sentinel is stupid with his planning and does a bad job at fighting, and is very cowardly. Starscream just has his mouth gape at Sentinel and yells while questioning how the hell he became a prime. If they are going to work together, Starscream forces Sentinel to train with him. Sentinel tries to refuse, but Starscream uses physical force, which makes Sentinel give in. Starscream doesn't want to train, but by primus, Sentinel is very horrible, which leaves the seeker no choice. However, Starscream is no better. Sure, he's better than Sentinel, but that doesn't mean he's great. It didn't take long for Sentinel to realize Starscream is also a coward and does make dumb decisions, which reminds him of his own starscream. Sentinel tends to tease starscream about those weird sounds that Starscream does when being scared. Starscream, of course, insults or scratches Sentinel, causing both to fight.

As they tried to get back home, the more time they spent, the more they learned each other. They both learned that their own Optimus are different. Sentinel is shocked that in Starscream's universe, Optimus and Megatron were best friends, and their dispute cause the war. Starscream shares the fact that the war cause the end of Cybertron, which made Sentinel to be very anxious, especially since Megatron is still out there free in his universe. Starscream was also shocked that in Sentinel's universe, Optimus didn't have a history with Megatron and was a young bot that actually has personality (no hate to tfp Optimus, I love him). Cybertron was still there, which had Starscream to be jealous since he greatly missed his old home that was destroyed. Starscream was weirded out by Sentinel's hatred for Optimus, for what he knows, every autobot loves the great Optimus. Then, they bonded by making mean comments about Optimus and other Autobots. After they are done laughing at each other insults, Starscream gets curious and ask why he hates Optimus, which immediately had Sentinel to be quiet. There was a moment of silence before Sentinel just said they had a complicated history. Starscream wants to pry more but leaves it there. Sentinel would make comments about Megatron, which Starscream has his optics to come out. WHAT DO YOU MEAN MEGATRON ACTUALLY HAS BRAIN THAT FUNCTIONS AND IS MORE CHARMING?! Sentinel asks how's Megatron in Starscream universe and tells him that right after everyone thought he died, he didn't come back with a great army or power, he came back with a rock that gets him high. That's when Starscream opens up that Megatron would constantly beat him. Sentinel is disturbed and wonders how Starscream gets to live like that. He then finally understands why Starscream can get a super beat down and still get up like nothing happened. Starscream is surprisingly comfortable in telling his life to Sentinel because he's different from the other autobots. Sentinel doesn't pity him. He just listens, which is enough for Starscream. Although he can see Sentinel being kind of uncomfortable with his dark stories but doesn't express it. Starscream's stories make Sentinel realize that being a decepticon is hell.

When Sentinel shares stories, it's just Sentinel bragging about being a prime and working to be Magnus, which Starscream had to hold his laugh. When Starscream asks if he has friends, it makes Sentinel to be quiet and states that a true Magnus has no time for friends. Starscream is confused by his reply. Normally, a typical autobot has to have friends. This is when Starscream realizes Sentinel is truly an abnormal autobot. He is not surprised, though, but it concerns him because even tfp Sentinel had companions and got along with Optimus. He tries to pry more personal info on Sentinel, but Sentinel resists and lashes out to Starscream. This is when Starscream starts to see himself in Sentinel. He's paranoic like him. He's a coward like him. He's trying to have an authority power like he does(Starscream being a leader/Sentinel being Magnus), He will do slimy things to gain benefit like him, and he's lonely like him. Starscream starts to sympathize ironically with Sentinel, so he tries to show a bit of affection. I know I said Sentinel would resists, but I take it back. He's absolutely touch starve and is desperate for compliments. At first, he does resists because Starscream is still the enemy, and a true Magnus wouldn't be friends with the enemy! But over time, he would slowly give in. It's been so long since someone is willing to give him the attention he craves. Starscream and Sentinel ended up getting close and not being hostile with each other. They actually start having more positive moments and no longer hate each other. Starscream stops scratching Sentinel, and Sentinel finally stops acting like he's above Starscream. Before they knew it, both ended up caring for each other deeply. However, they are too stubborn to admit it and still have optics on their primary goals. But sooner or later, they're going to face those feelings.

Phew! This was a long post. Thank you for reading! And again, share your ideas and comments! I wrote these at 1 a.m., excuse my grammar.

[sepublic]

I love the Castlevania show, but I can't help but be miffed by how much of the source material and colorful bestiary the show tends to ignore in favor of more vampires. I love characters such as Striga and Morana, but then you've got fairly generic ones like Dragan or Nikolai, who are just there to be obstacles and don't have any real personality themselves.

It's just a little confusing, because why do the writers keep trying to come up with OCs when they have plenty to pull from the actual games? In the games, vampires themselves are actually very rare; They're usually only represented by endgame bosses like Dracula, Bartley, Brauner, etc. Otherwise, the vast majority of enemies are night creatures, ghosts, haunted suits of armor, and the like.

But instead of embracing the weirder monsters like the Minotaur or Werewolves, the Castlevania show keeps defaulting to regular old vampires who are basically just humans with pointy ears and teeth. The show keeps defaulting to Vampire melodrama, like it's trying to emulate other pieces of Vampire media, instead of embracing what sets Castlevania apart from those stories. It has a concerning lack of weird castle exploration for a show called Castlevania.

Skeletons only appear in one scene, and I'm sorry but a common staple of a series should not be reduced to a mere fanservice cameo. It's like the Resident Evil live-action films making everything about zombies and reluctantly including a Licker as the ultimate monster. It's like if the Super Mario Bros. Movie barely had Goombas, they made the show too normal from the source material.

That isn't to say the source material is a perfect narrative, far from it; It can get pretty damn repetitive at times, especially with certain character roles and dynamics. I'll die on the hill that Annette's reimagining was justified, and Ortega and Hugh Baldwin are admittedly less interesting versions of Maxim Kischine.

The repetition makes sense! Castlevania's priority is gameplay, and each installment is meant to be its own thing. But when you're doing it as a TV show, a story, and having each story arc play a part in a larger narrative, you have to mix things up in terms of story and characterization, because you can't rely on different gameplay mechanics and levels to differentiate entries in an animated show.

But all that said, it's tiring how much the show will ignore aspects that wouldn't conflict with the writing at all in favor of more generic vampires. I don't want to see vampire politics and melodrama, but it's infinitely more interesting if its melodrama and politics between slimes and minotaurs!

I dunno, it feels like the show is limiting itself on an aesthetical level. What difference does it make in terms of writing if there's a flying Medusa head, or an Axe Armor? I think the writers are afraid of coming across as 'corny' as if Castlevania itself isn't crazy and anime as hell, but this just makes them come across as lacking sincerity. It's like how people complained about a bunch of 2000's movie adaptations of superheroes watering down everything to be more 'serious' and 'realistic' and 'believable', but it just made it grey and boring and cut away what made it unique.

The writers could've easily replaced characters like Dragan with, say, Sir Grakul from Super Castlevania IV, or had freakish looking night creatures be the ones to monologue (instead of treating Flyseyes as the one exception). There's acceptable departures from the source material, and then there's just straight up ignoring it, and then going out of its way to make up new things when stuff is already there to use. It's not as if the animators struggle with animating non-humanoid beings, considering how many unique night creatures they've come up with. So can we please stop being lowkey embarrassed of the source material???

It'd honestly make the show so much more memorable if we got to see Richter fighting a Skull Knight or Mummy. It's just so much wasted potential, especially when they ignore game Richter's compelling narrative of a Fallen Hero, in favor of making up something completely different. I can understand revising protagonists who barely have anything to them, like John Morris from Bloodlines, but Richter HAD a meaningful storyline to expand on, and one that deconstructs his role as a vampire hunter!

Given the show's attempts to be a grittier deconstruction and its suggestion that killing vampires isn't 100% good, I don't know why they didn't go with the idea of Knight Templar Richter whose desire to be needed in battle leaves him vulnerable to Shaft's brainwashing. The deeper, character-driven writing does not have to be mutually exclusive from fantastical and weird elements.

[natalias-pierogi]

the only thing i will never forgive not me is that gram wasnt in love with black in canon. the possibilities of gram being so hurt and lost bcoz black isnt behaving like his black. because black is looking at sean instead of him. because black is nicer and more careful, but at the same time hes keeping gram at arm length distance. and its so weird and so confusing, but what is he supposed to do? he cant just go up to black and confront him, because theyre not a thing, they never were, so hes just. left there, feeling jelous and confused.

and the possibilities of sean knowing theres this something between black and gram, and it was never a problem, because he used to hate black. but now blacks different. blacks looking at him with something else than hatred. black is nicer. black is more careful. black has his back and trust sean to have his back. and sean knows theres something between black and gram, and grams his friend, but yet he cant help but look back at black. to have his back and trust him. he cant help but fall for this new, changed black, and he cant stop this new, changed black from falling for him.

and white? white who figures out that gram loves black and there probably was something between them? getting caught in the middle of this because of his own decisions. and maybe he should stop himself from looking at sean, trusting sean and falling in love with sean, but he cant. he knows hes making a mess of blacks life. he knows hes hurting gram. but he cant help it. he wants to tell them the truth, for all of their sakes - his own, seans, grams - but he cant. he knows hes making a mess, but he cant stop himself from doing so.

there was so much potential. so much angst. so many dynamics to explore, character studies to be done, and i will die on this hill.

[thedevilscarnival]

Karin for the character ask game :)

yesssss thank you >:3

This thing got really, really long, so her character analysis will go under a cut. F&H's writing is just that good LMAO

Sooo, Miss Sauer... She's quite the gal, isn't she? I adore her, really. You take a person who sees so much injustice in the world and wants to do something about it, but, due to her upbringing and the fact she hasn't truly experienced hardship in her life... (yes she was kidnapped, but she had a relatively normal childhood despite The Dread of being raised on ransom) She does. Not know how things work. At all. Karin's the type of girl to chastise the powers that be and then use said powers to her advantage when they benefit her and not realize that's what she's doing. Her civilians arrest dialogue where she says she'll relish in the player being sent to Bohemia's notoriously inhumane prisons sticks out to me a LOT.

But she genuinely loves people. She loves people so fucking much and puts herself through absolute hell to "save" them. Unfortunately, she's gotta put people into boxes of "deserving" and "not deserving" or she'll go god damn insane. So she's biased, people fall through the cracks, and despite it being her worst fear there is a reason journalists like her are called "vultures".

Anyway, rant aside, ships. I enjoy Karin/Olivia because Karin needs to be dominated by someone she initially thought she'd need to protect. Go have your worldview shattered by the freaky gun fetishist who has terrible bdsm etiquette and masquerades as a Normal Girl to hide her pent up envious rage of her sister. Karin/Levi also appeals to me, but more in a way where they'd REALLY enable each other but not realize that's what's happening. Levi'd 100% fall into her Valkyrie complex and I love examining when characters go wonky.

I don't care for Daarin though. It can be good (and I've seen it be very good! Ao3 user Bobsledhostage's fic "Remaining Routine" is an excellent example of how that type of mutual spite-filled codependency can work), but a combination of it being... so common, and Karin's genuine hatred of Daan being flattened down to a "haha the wife hates her husband isn't it funny???" type beat has left me soured on it. But this game has phenomenal writing and literally every single character dynamic has potential so its a very minor, and very fandom heavy misgiving.

I'll die on my hill that Karin's not a natural blonde. It makes insane amounts of thematic sense for her character and is one of the few ways I'll be interested by Daarin, with Daan once again gravitating to a brash, black haired woman who steps all over his boundaries.

Let's see, let's see... Fanfictions... Well. I am. currently, in the process of writing a Karin/Olivia sm*t fic, but that's been on the backburner for a couple of. Months. By this point. But know it does exist. And it is emotional.

She's loud bird to me. If she were a Pokémon she'd be a yellow Squawkabilly, or perhaps a Mandibuzz if I wanted to be really evil.

I believe that's it. I love Karin a lot. I really, really do. She's an amazing character from an amazing game who reminds me so much of myself when i was 14 it's physically painful.

I hope she finds more empathy in the world.

[noemitenshi]

I'll die on the hill of 'second chances' and it'll be a bloody mess...

aka my thoughts about s8ep8

i'm at a point where im just chanting 'don't let them fuck this up don't let them fuck this up' actually since everything troy in this ep was *very very* promisinggg. loved it (except maybe the part with tracy's mother saving Troy from the dam (so... unimaginative haha... maybe if they showed it I'd change my mind but from him just telling it, it took me a bit out of the story) and of course STILL not over the name 'tracy'. WONT EVER be over the name tracy, jesus christ)

and them keeping referencing second chances has my hope at an all time high 🙃 even though I do realize there's enough bad shit between everyone apparently that it could not be about Troy at all. But then, come on, this is just bad writing. I mean! Madison going "People change, Troy. They can do shitty things and come back from them." AND THEN NOT USING THIS AS FORESHADOWING!?!??! Im gonna SCREAM if it isn't alluding to how their dynamic will develop and instead is just a throwaway line to show us how bad Troy is 😭(like, he doesn't even get the concept of second chances. he never really understood nick. etc etc, let it not be this, please!)

also the quick glimpse of Troy and Madison working together to find the kid (refusing to call her by her name) 🫠🫠🫠 Yes, yes I'm hopeless, I know. But please, please, let them do this again, longer, have some heart-to-hearts too

god

i want it

let Madison die in the end either way. Let it be heartbreaking and bittersweet.

i just. THERE'S NOW SO MUCH POTENTIAL I WILL DIE IF THEY FUCK IT UP

[pumpkinnning]

Horror(ish) books I've read so far this year :

The Lost Village, Camilla Sten : 7.5/10 Documentary crew goes to isolated Swedish village where everyone mysteriously disappeared 50 yrs ago to investigate. Great tense atmosphere, broke my heart, I felt so much for the characters, loved the complex take on female solidarity and understanding btw mentally ill characters. Some nonsensical character decisions and plot explanations, esp at the end. Horrors of ableism, hive minds, the scapegoating of difference and cult dynamics (although that last bit felt thinner than the rest).

Black Sheep, Rachel Harrison : 6.5/10 Daughter returns to culty family she escaped from for her sister's wedding. A bit forgettable, and slow in the middle, but the ending has some great oomf and imagery. The horror is about charismatic parents you can't help but be compelled by even when you know they're abusive and awful, and what it takes to break away from that.

Vampires of El Norte, Isabel Cañas : 7.5/10 Dramatic love story between childhood sweethearts separated by class and tragedy, in 1846 Mexico, on a backdrop of war against the US and vampires. Very compelling worldbuilding, the romantic plot felt a bit cliche but I was so sold on it - one of them learning the other isn't dead after grieving for a decade and imagery of love as haunting was gorgeous. The horror aspect feels underused, this is more of a spooky romance. The horror is about class differences, authoritarian familes but most of all colonialism and white supremacy.

Gallows Hill, Darcy Coates : 7/10. MC inherits estranged parents' winery and estate when they die, the place is very very cursed. Tense as fuck through most of it, the action and vibes really worked for me, a few amazingly sinister yet heartbreaking bits. I grew up near a winery and the whole process was always spooky to me so the setting was great. Characters are underdeveloped. Effective overall and I really liked the poetic justice of the ending. The horror is about family secrets, the dehumanization of poor people and how greed perpetuates misery.

From Below, Darcy Coates : 5/10. Documentary crew goes to film the wreck of a Titanic-like cruise ship that sunk mysteriously a century ago, but sinister shit is afoot. Great set up and tension up until half of the novel, but then when the source of the horror is revealed, it just becomes a slog of repetitive action. Explanation felt incomplete, source of the horror in the plot (worker exploitation) and the horror mostly shown on page (deep sea scary brrrrr) somehow feel mismatched and it doesn't land. Underdeveloped characters, the most interesting character's story is only revealed at the end and not properly explored. Lots of potential but disappointing.

House of Hunger, Alexis Henderson : 7.5/10. In order to escape the slums, MC becomes the 'bloodmaid' of distant reclusive noblewoman. Inspired by Countess Bathory but make it Gothic/sapphic/vampiric (ish). Great setting and set up but became a little bit underwhelming at the middle point, feel like the author held back on going as fully bonkers as she should have, still pretty awesome. The horrors are about abusive relationships, power imbalances, exploitation, racism, and the way rich people dehumanize those who work for them and literally consume their life force.

Night's Edge, Liz Kerin : 7/10. MC spent most of her life completely isolated in order to take care of her mother, a vampire that she feeds with her blood. Very realistic, powerful depiction of codependent relationships and the horror of parentalized childhood ; also a metaphor for drug addiction and how it can be enabled by loved ones. The sapphic love interest was kind of annoying and felt very manic pixie dream girl vibes (although I guess that was part of the point, and they had some sweet moments). Overall incredibly draining to read, points for psychological and moral complexity, but the individuation journey of the MC felt less convincing - I didn't like that it was carried almost entirely by the romance - so I was fucking depressed at the end. But yeah personally triggering lmfao.

A House with Good Bones, T Kingfisher : 6.5/10. MC returns to her mom's home during a lull in her job as a paleoentomologist and starts to worry she's unwell ; then there are swarms of ladybugs in the house and jars of teeth buried among the roses, and her evil grandma might be haunting the place. I liked the MC but her very millenial quirky self deprecating voice got a little annoying at times, and it's a drag in places. The overall plot concept is very interesting but somehow it didn't fully land ; the monsters are very scary at first but their origins were so ridiculous it killed the vibe for me and the end felt silly. Good sendup of fatphobia. Horrors of conformism, neglectful egocentric fathers, white hegemonic femininity and...??? yeah the end lost me a bit. Also i do NOT vibe with the author's insistance that roses are evil.

Overall - good decent batch although I didn't feel really wowed by any of them, which is frustrating. I'm having a 💀 horror year 💀 so I absolutely want to be wowed - please send recs if you have any !

I'm trying to figure out what I think makes good horror - from these I feel like a lot of horror authors underestimate the importance of emotional character development and weight. AND i feel like you have to know what the core horror of your story is and radiate it through the entire story, slowly drawing the reader to it right from the start ; it's not easy knowing when to bring pathos, when to build up tension and when to do temporary relief/sweetness ; if you get the rhythm wrong you can easily kill the tension or end up with something underbaked.

[cabeswaterdrowned]

Decladam

•Whether I ship it or not: I ship it a little but primarily my interest in it comes from from an obsessed-with-Adam’s-psyche pov, I read and interact with it purely from a standpoint of how it could provide interesting character work for Adam rather than an emotional attachment to the idea of it as a *romance* yk? So, would answer yes over no but it’s a more clinical interest rather than something that gives me feeeelings ( my favorite pairings are the ones that make me experience both a thirst to analyze and potently strong feelings simultaneously). It’s my second favorite Declan ship after Jordeclan though.

•Why I ship it or not: I like thinking about Adam going through it and making bad horny choices and Decladam lends itself to this nicely. I also enjoy stories about mirroring and identity work so their foilisms and similar tendencies as social maskers, while also there’s some distortion and projection at play, are interesting to explore through having them interact. But I would need more canon material and emotional content to get to a higher level of shipping than just *intriguing* like I said.

My opinion on their canon potential (chemistry, canon interactions, etc): well Adam being at least a little attracted to Declan in early trc is basically canon, as is his multifaceted complex and *thing* for men *cut from the same cloth* as Declan. So definitely basis for physical attraction within canon / I think Adam’s thoughts about Declan have historically been So much hornier than he’d ever be willing to admit, although I think when it comes to romantic attraction on Adam’s side you need to diverge / spin off from canon to a certain degree for me to see it. I don’t think within the sequence of canon events he would develop much in the way of romantic feelings for Declan but I could see him getting there in the right story that either diverges from canon (@decladams fic is a really excellent take on a decladam relationship that I can buy) or is an au. Really I think the most compelling way for that to unfold that I could buy the most is a situation where Adam is at rock bottom which sounds mean to Declan but like.. yeah that’s the headspace I think Adam would need to be in. I like a good trainwreck relationship though so that’s not a deterrent for me. My interpretation of Declan’s side is less fixed, but I definitely think Declan finds Adam to be compelling to a greater degree than he would like to admit to himself, and I don’t think it’s difficult to extrapolate that response into repressed attraction if you want to. I also do think Adam and Jordan have some interesting parallels / are similar in some ways personality wise, so I think you could use that as basis for Declan being inclined to fall for someone like Adam. But I only feel strongly about teenage Adam having some type of physical attraction/psychosexual thing for Declan / that’s the only part really set in stone in my head as Sana’s-trc-canon, in terms of them. With anything else I think there’s potential if you want to see it but I wouldn’t die on the hill of reading the rest of the dynamic as subtextually queer.

My opinion on fanon interpretations/fandom around it (Favorite widespread hcs, pet-peeves, etc): hmmm. I don’t have a lot of thoughts on fanon about them I guess the only thing I’ve seen that I specifically disagreed with was takes on Declan’s perception of Adam in MI that position it as entirely a correct read, I think he has a better read on the Adam and the crying club situation than Ronan does at that point because he doesn’t have Ronan’s specific emotions/insecurities there but I also think Declan projects onto Adam in a weird way and so I don’t take his interpretation of Adam in those chapters as wholly reliable or correct. But I haven’t interacted with fanon about them a ton tbh

(send me a ship and I’ll answer these questions about it)