#they're both from season 3 so you can see the clear favoritism here

[limoneads]

ah yes. the bi-annual urge to completely rewatch teen wolf.......

[ittsybittsybunny]

ATLA Live Action Series Review:

The Good

Aesthetically this show felt right. Sure sometimes the outfits didn't quite feel lived in, but I always felt like I was watching a fantasy world with decent effects and interesting design. Also, I really enjoyed the sets!

Bending: Yes some of the fights feel very quick, but the bending looks cool. It is certainly better than 10 benders lifting one big rock. I can honestly say the opening bending fight scene gave me so much hope for this show.

Kyoshi Warriors: I loved seeing them in live action, and I thought Suki's performance was great!

Omashu: I think the mashup of the mechanist made sense since that is an important character overall and I would hate to see him cut. However, both Jet & the secret tunnels felt sloppily thrown in.

Northern Water Tribe: I really loved the way it looked, and appreciated the two episodes we spent here. I think Yue gained more agency in this interpretation, and why shouldn't the moon spirit be a waterbender. Also, episode seven felt the most in tune with the original show's spirit.

Zuko: I think he was one of the most fleshed-out and best parts of the show! Dallas Liu really captured Zuko's spirit, and the scene between him and Aang in episode 6 was wonderful!

Soundtrack: Hearing the original soundtrack bits is always great, and when I first heard the ending music I was so excited.

Is the show perfect, no - but I wouldn't mind a season 2.

The Bad

Pacing: Turning 20 episodes into 8 was bound to lead to some cuts...but oftentimes times things felt too quick or disjointed. I think there were editing problems contributing to this for sure, but sometimes things skipped around too much without a clear purpose as to why. Also, why bring in plots from later seasons when you barely have enough time already?

Writing: This show definitely suffered from exposition dumping, though it did get better as time went on. I think the biggest example of this is actually opening in the past rather than the present. We do not get to learn along with Aang that the world has changed, instead, we get to learn that 100 years have passed....which doesn't hold the same tension or worldbuilding.

Clunky Dialogue: Along with exposition, clunky dialogue is another example of bad writing. I think sometimes I felt like the acting was kind of meh in the beginning, but then over time I began to realize it had far more to do with the lines characters were trying to deliver. The actors themselves are not bad, just cursed with awkward writing and lines that feel out of touch with the setting they're in.

Main Trio: I don't entirely know that I believe Katara, Sokka, and Aang are friends as opposed to 3 people stuck together to save the world. Aang feels a little too somber for a young kid running away from his responsibilities, Sokka is protective, but not exactly the heart of the team, and Katara is sort of just there until the last two episodes. Where is her struggle, her desire to learn so strong she steals from pirates? Also, while Gordon Cormier did a great job, Aang does zero waterbending on his own, is overly serious, and tells Katara not to fight. Where is his desperation to protect his friends? It feels like they all lost emotional depth.

Tension: Bringing Ozai, Azula, and Zhao out in the beginning immediately causes us to lose the realization there is an even bigger bad. Part of why Ozai is so terrifying is he is a primarily silent villain until the third season when we finally see the face of the "big bad evil guy" behind it all. Yes, they add to Zuko's backstory, but again, they are revealing the villains too early. Azula is the antagonist of season 2 and one of my favorite characters, so I hope they do more with her in the future. Finally, Zhao is supposed to be an example of the uncontrollable nature of fire unrestrained, instead, he comes off as vaguely threatening with the supposed true power being Azula.

Characterization: While all characters are bound to lose something in a shorter show, it still felt like certain characters were more mutilated than others. I am sure there are 100 different opinions on who, but I think the biggest victim was Katara.

Katara: Katara manages to go from a complete novice to a bending master in what feels like a matter of days. The journey feels short, and that makes the results feel largely unearned. Katara is one of the strongest personalities in the show, determined, kind, and fiery. In many ways, she is the unpredictability of water - equally dangerous as it is necessary to live. She is the child of a war who lost her mother, forced to grow up too soon, and even raised her older brother. Yes, Katara often gets stereotyped as the mom friend, but overall she feels underutilized in this show. We really don't see enough of her journey until the very end.

Iroh: Iroh was always comedic but most importantly wise. Even when Zuko is trying to give himself advice, he mimics Iroh. Instead, he seems to be used more as comedic relief without the underlying experience. He just doesn't feel right. Also, he kills Zhao instead of Zhao getting himself killed - which is less about Iroh and more about the writing than anything.

Ozai is weirdly a little too nice. Yes, he burned Zuko and pits his kids against each other, but he feels toned down in a show claiming to be more mature than the original cartoon.

Azula is perhaps more realistically worried about losing her status as the golden child, but she is also missing the cruelty she and her father share. I understand worrying about making your character cartoonishly evil, but the Fire Nation is currently a deeply nationalistic empire trying to control the world. Where is the deep-seated belief that they are better than other people, not just trying to bring balance to the world? There is a line between creating complexity and toning down the very real evil inherent in this plan.

Roku: I can only say what the fuck was that. He was barely there, and not the serious master to Aang's youthful exuberance.

The Ugly

Show, Don't Tell: The show's single biggest issue seems to be speeding through story parts by simply stating things. Instead of allowing the audience to discover, trusting that we are smart enough to understand, let's just blatantly say things like Zuko is the only reason the 41st division is alive to their faces. Even though in the context of the story Ozai literally already said that.... it's the division, the division for Zuko, Zuko's division.

Thematic Misunderstandings: I think this show makes several minor changes with major implications, such as airbenders actively fighting the firebenders, when airbenders are known for their pacifist nature and the lie of an Airbender fighting force is actively propaganda. Similarly, Aang very quickly accepts his role as the avatar and doesn't even run away in the beginning. Without this conflict between his desire to be a carefree child and the fact that the world needs him - the show loses a key aspect of Aang's character. Also, the obsession with downplaying the avatar state as something dangerous feels like a disservice to the tradition, connection, and strength of the avatar, which can be permanently destroyed as the trade-off for that kind of power. It's dangerous for the balance of the entire world, not just because it's powerful!

The Agni Kai: Zuko's fight against his father is one of the defining moments of Ozai's cruelty, not just because he is willing to fight his child, but because Zuko tried to do everything right. Zuko shows deference to his father, apologizes, and most importantly refuses to fight! The determination not to upset his father and still be grievously injured and banished is a hugely important theme for the fire nation and Zuko's life as a whole. He tries to do everything he is supposed to and only regains his father's acceptance after he "kills" Aang. Zuko's struggle between moral vs. social right and wrong in contrast to his family is hugely important to his character.

-----

TLDR: ATLA was a fantastical animated television show that was never afraid to show character development and flaws. When you turn 20 episodes into 8, you are bound to lose something. You hollowed out the middle, leaving the shell of important moments and events without ever wondering if all the times in between formed the true spirit of the show.

Rating: 6.5/10 It's perfectly fine and worth a watch. Not a disaster, but certainly falls flat of the original.

[somehow-a-human]

The angels don't have to ask to enter the bookshop.

DO NOT ASK NEIL ABOUT FAN THEORY.

We've been operating under the assumption that BOTH the angels and demons have to ask to enter the bookshop, but I don't think that's true. I'm pretty sure it's one of our red herrings for season 2.

Continued under the cut.

When Gabriel shows up to the bookshop nude and oblivious, the doors are closed and (I believe) locked. Gabriel doesn't even know who or where he is, so he does what the default is... he knocks, and asks "Can I come in?" Aziraphale is frightened at first and tells him he can't come in but eventually our angels empathy wins and he says "Alright! Just... just get in!"

>> It's never clear that Gabriel would have physically been unable to come in otherwise.

When the Archangels show up Aziraphale literally cuts them off before they reach the door of the bookshop. Saraqael suggests, "Shall we discuss this inside?", and Aziraphale continues, "By all means. Would you like to come in?"

>> If Aziraphale hadn't rushed out to meet the angels, why wouldn't they have just walked into the bookshop like they did numerous times in season 1? Additionally I am fairly certain Aziraphale's "By all means. Would you like to come in?" was added in post via ADR. That doesn't necessarily add credence to anything, just an observation.

When Muriel arrives to surveil Aziraphale they ask, "Great! Well, could I come in and do it inside please? Only cause it's really noisy out here and I can't hear anything." Aziraphale replies, "By all means."

>> Muriel is an endearing angel who doesn't know much about life on earth, but had the shop been open and unlocked at the time of their arrival, they might've just wandered in as well.

We're never told the angels *can't* enter the bookshop explicitly like we are for the demons. We've always just assumed the same rules apply to all of the ethereal and occult beings.

But then, might I ask, why does Aziraphale tell us "Technically, this bookshop still counts as an Embassy"?

If the bookshop is still an embassy, the angels wouldn't need permission to enter, they would still have jurisdiction, and would still be able to monitor what's going on there... yes?

Let's compare this to the demons attempts to enter the bookshop, because Shax states clearly that she can't enter without permission. We see this again when she tries to get into the Bentley after it's canonically 'our car', and therefore at least partially owned by an angel.

I'm pretty sure John and Neil make a point of having the angels all ask in some way to enter, and Aziraphale seem to grant them permission as a red herring. They don't need to, but they want us to assume a false sense of security, to think that the bookshop is a safe space for our duo, outside of the reaches of both Heaven and Hell.

Technicalities are big in season 2 and I definitely think they're a huge underlying string running through all of Good Omens. In season 1, Crowley and Aziraphale stop Heaven and Hell from trying to restart Armageddon on a technicality. Gabriel and Beelzebub don't technically know if the great plan *is* the ineffable plan! It's definitely a favorite trope of Terry and Neil's to mock unfair, broken, bureaucratic systems, and Heaven and Hell are a PERFECT example of this.

**Somebody has written a meta on technicalities, I know I've seen it but I cannot for the life of me find it so if anyone could tag me so I could link it that would be brills! (Yeah that's right I'm adopting that from Charles from Dead Boy Detectives, 80's british slang ftw, I'm obsessed; please watch it, please, I need a second season.)

Neil has mentioned that the plot for season 3 might've had to be changed from he and Terry's original vision a bit, based on the political climate of the current day, and I'm sure that means we'll see some technicalities being the downfall of Heaven and Hells systems in Season 3 as well. I don't think the metatron is a villain, nor any of the other angels or demons. They're just fulfilling their function, following a set of rules, very much to a fault. This is all just God's big experiment after all, freewill, choice, eating the apple, and the angels and demons aren't exempt.

I wouldn't be surprised if there's some sort of technicality about the angels and demons themselves in season 3. We've seen that they're of the same stock, and we know Crowley at least is technically still the same person he was when he was an angel... more or less. Could the book of life end up revealing something like that the demons still exist perpetually as their angelsonas? A technicality, if you will?

Given the bookshop is still technically an embassy, is everything that happens inside observable by Heaven? Can they access the bookshop in their Earth Observation Files? There is some questionable blocking surrounding the bust in Aziraphale's bookshop, coupled with a curious record cover from Maggie's bookshop pointed out by @noneorother

Anyway... Let me know your thoughts. I haven't been posting as much, I have been mega busy and I'm trying to be thankful for it. Love you all, hope you have something nice happen for you today! <3

[rightpastnowhere]

TLOVM season 3 episode 3 thoughts from someone who's slowly losing her mind

PART ONE: campaign vex and perc'ahlia VS tlovm vex and perc'ahlia

(yeah. yeah it's part one. i have so many thoughts gang)

SPOILERS BELOW THE CUT

okay. so. i feel like i've made it clear how much i ADORE the perc'ahlia relationship timeline in campaign 1. and it remains to this day one of my absolute favorites, and i was very afraid of it being changed in tlovm. BUT. i'm actually kind of fucking obsessed with these changes.

because, really, campaign!vex and tlovm!vex are two entirely separate characters. they're still the same vex at their core, but the changes to the narrative in tlovm have changed the show version of vex in ways that i think are perfectly suited to the "i'm going to turn this into a fling even though we're both fooling ourselves" plotline. tlovm!vex seems overall more committed to the facade she puts out. she's a bit colder in the beginning, and has slowly thawed over the past two seasons, but not in the same way campaign!vex has by this point in the c1 plot, and like. on the one hand, it might just be a personality shift for the adaptation! something to make more clear-cut character archetypes. on the other hand, i keep remembering that vox machina haven't been a party for as long in tlovm. she's still questioning whether or not to stay with the party in season one. she doesn't have as strong of a foundation with these people, less trust and less comfort. she's got so many more walls built up.

and that, of course, includes her relationship with percy. campaign!perc'ahlia, in my eyes, is a friends to lovers slowburn. it's been mentioned that they hit it off well from the beginning, and while they both were attracted to each other to some degree, they both dismissed it as a bad idea and moved on. over the year of in-game time they spent together (maybe more? i get confused with the timeline) before we even see them on screen, they build up a steady and solid friendship. one filled with flirting and teasing, but still a friendship. and it's clear that they both value this connection they have, especially in the briarwood arc, with the mask and all of that loveliness. and sure, some of that could be read as romantic, but it's love all the same. vex loved percy before she was in love with him, and that dynamic is one she's terrified to lose! "wouldn't it be so awkward, though?" she says, as if she's already decided that all that confessing would do would be adding tension, that there's no chance of reciprocity.

in tlovm, though? it's barely been any time at all. she's fallen in love with percy in the same time it's taken to really be his friend, to find that she can trust him and rely on him. the weight of their history isn't nearly as bulky, here. sure, she won't dare risk any revelations of her feelings or any attempts at a serious relationship, but sex doesn't have to mean anything. if it makes things awkward then, well, they're still settling into their dynamic as friends anyway - things can be shuffled around and fall into different places. there's nothing solid yet to risk, if that makes sense. they're still building a foundation, she can build around the cracks.

and another significant point of divergence: syldor. i have a lot of thoughts on the feywild arc and the changes made, but i'm going to disregard all of that now because they're, same as vex, basically different characters. to put it simply: tlovm!syldor is harsh and gives bad attention, whereas campaign!syldor is neglectful and doesn't give enough attention. as a result, we see that tlovm!vex seeks out good attention, whereas campaign!vex avoids getting close enough to anyone for them to pull the rug out from underneath her. tlovm!vex initiates a fling, a dynamic of gratification and positive attention without emotional weight, because actually being in a relationship can result in that trust being used against you. she trusted in her father, and he used being her father as a way to beat her down. campaign!vex doesn't even try to initiate anything, because she fears the silence, the lack of reciprocity and care, the fear of being turned down. she tried to build a connection with her father, and was met with silence and quiet disapproval and barely even a second glance. i don't know if this makes any sense, and i'm bad at words, but these feel like different fears of rejection to me? and yet they're both fears of rejection, something that is at the core of vex's actions and personality in both adaptations.

two different stories of a person driven by fear, and i love them for their differences!! they both feel more fitting for their versions of canon!!! and both make me insane!!!!!!!!

[leosficlist]

Parentlock Rec List (so far)

This trope is my biggest weakness, so you can expect to find fluff galore, lots of Sherlock being called “dad” for the first time, love confessions and guaranteed happy endings. Mixture of lengths

Parentlock 2, Parentlock 3

A Case for Domestic Propinquity by SilentAuror 32k words

Author’s Summary: As Sherlock and John renovate Baker Street with Rosie underfoot, Sherlock can't help but wondering how he could possibly convince John to just stay indefinitely...

Notes: The way this fic ends is genius, and one of my favorite concepts that I rarely see.

Iris by Slashscribe

Author’s Summary: Sherlock does his best to make John happy when John comes back to 221B with his new baby after the events of Season 3, but Sherlock has a track record of getting things wrong in this area. This story is an exploration of their gradual shift from friends to lovers, told from Sherlock's perspective, full of a lot of pining and lack of emotional awareness. 12k words

Notes: Sherlock falls in love with Johns daughter (named Iris in this), and John falls in love with Sherlock as he watches.

Small Sacrifices by Fandaround

Author’s Summary: Five times that Sherlock made small sacrifices for Rosie and the one time that John realized it was all for him. 3k words

Notes: soft and sweet, sherlock adjusting his life for his favorite people

Family Matter by FaithfulViewers

Author’s Summary: A little girl calling them both her daddies is all it takes for John and Sherlock to realize the obvious: they're a family now. (Parentlock.) 3.8k words

Note: Gen, no kissing or romantic vibes, still lovely and heartwarming

The Dilemma of the Watson Bedroom by Jemariel

Author’s Summary: Sherlock hates the name Rosamund. John wanted to call her Katherine. Sherlock thinks it suits her. Meanwhile, he and John are orbiting ever closer together. Sherlock tries not to wonder how long he will have them here, all three of them together in 221B. 7k words

The Stroke of Midnight by aqueliaofthelonelymountain

Author’s Summary: With asking John this one question, he might induce John to ask other questions himself. Like: Since when are you interested in college reunions? Or worse: You know that most people bring their significant others to college reunions, do you, Sherlock? Like spouses… 9.8k words

Notes: Sherlock thinks John is simply playing along to help him save face, but this is cleared up by the end of the night.

Lines In The Sand by JRow

Author’s summary: "He examines the plain white box, which clearly holds a new mug. John must have purchased it and he’s written a note on the top. “First time for everything. – J” Sherlock smiles and feels excitement as he opens the box. As expected, it’s a mug. It appears to be a boring, white mug. Sherlock pulls it out of the box and his breath hitches as he sees the image decorating the side. It’s not boring at all." 3k words

Notes: John is sappy and open, Sherlock is cautiously hopeful. getting together.

Beautiful Pictures by JRow (again!)

Author’s Summary: An adorable (but unacceptable!) photo of Sherlock and Rosie on the Mail online, a stolen Picasso, and a slip of the tongue force John to re-evaluate his long held assumptions 28k+ words

Notes: casefic, raising rosie together while pining, felt like a quick read, vulnerable sherlock, sherlock calls john when offered drugs, sherlock devotes himself to rosie, john takes a pre kiss walk

What Remains Unsaid by ScullysEvilTwin

Author’s Summary: “Sherlock,” he says quietly, shifting over beneath the now-ruined quilt. “Do you want children?” Sherlock stares at the ceiling, makes no indication that he’s heard John at all, but after a moment, he turns his head to meet John’s gaze. “Look at our lives, John. What a preposterous notion.” [] “Our lives are insane, yes, but you didn’t answer the question, did you?” 5.5k words

Notes: Established relationship, John sees Sherlock interacting with children a few times and decides they should consider their options.

Swan Dive by HitLikeHammers

5+1 Sherlock has definitely leapt blindly into worse things. Or: Five Times Sherlock Acted as a Parent, and One Time He Didn't Have Any Reason for Acting at All. 8k words

Notes: Little scenes from Sherlock raising rosie, absolutely heartwarming

Three Of Us by Salamboo6

Author’s Summary: He leans in as soon as he’s close enough, kissing Rosie’s forehead softly, murmuring a quiet “Morning love” as Sherlock goes into more detailed facts about Rosie’s sleeping habits. John isn’t sure what happens next, but without thinking twice about it and actually feeling like it’s the most natural thing in the world to do right now, he leans in towards Sherlock and kisses his temple with a smile. 2.8k words

Notes: starts with a sleepy kiss, end with getting together

Love Comes Softly by SHERLOCKED79

Author’s Summary: After Mary’s unexpected death leaves John alone to raise a months-old Rosie, the doctor tries to sort through the wreckage of his new life. Thankfully, Sherlock is there to pick up the broken pieces and put them back together. / A short, endearing fic in which it takes John Watson over half a decade of raising Rosie together with Sherlock to finally realize he’s absolutely in love with the man. (And in which John is the only one who doesn’t realize this.) 29k words

Notes: So fluffy I thought it must be a prank, but the love never stops ♡

Love Like Ours by Berty

Author’s Summary: In a moment of madness, John tells Sherlock that he loves him. He had not anticipated where the ensuing conversation would take them. 6,5k words

Notes: Lovely heartfelt, in character, love confessions and clarifications, John catching Sherlock being lovely with Rosies as.

[d-targaryenshoe]

Carpets And Premieres - Luke Thompson

Word count: 827

Summary: Arriving at the premiere of the third season of a show you've been working on for two years, is rather exciting, no?

As the paparazzi flashbulbs went off like a thousand tiny suns, you and Luke, made your way down the red carpet as his hand was placed on your lower back.

You were wearing a pastel blue dress with a fitted top, a plunging neckline, and a flowing skirt that added a touch of refinement.

The intricate beading and embroidery details on the dress not only improve its visual appeal but also make it a statement piece for all who see it. 

 The fitted top ensured a flattering fit, while the flowing skirt added a touch of drama and elegance. 

The air was electric with anticipation and the sweet, intoxicating scent of popcorn wafted past, carried on the warm, humid breeze. 

Fans lined up along the barricades, some holding signs that read

 "We love you!" and "Season 3, we are ready for the feels!" while others eagerly snapped photos with their smartphones.

You couldn't help but feel a flutter in your stomach as you spotted the familiar faces of the cast members, who felt more like family than co-stars. 

They were all dressed to the nines, looking like they'd just stepped out of the pages of a romantic novel.

 As you and Luke approached the interviewer, you noticed the microphone in his hand and the earnest expression on his face.

 He was excited to speak with you about the upcoming season.

"So, Luke, how does it feel to be here at the premiere of Bridgerton season three?" he asked, his voice steady and professional. 

You could see the flash of Luke's dimple as he smiled and replied

"It's absurd. We've all been working so hard on this season, and to finally share it with our fans like this is just incredible." He paused for a moment, looking into the interviewer's eyes before turning to you. 

"And, of course, having her by my side makes it even more special." You felt your cheeks redden at his words.

"And what about you, y/n?" the interviewer asked, turning his attention to you. 

You cleared your throat, trying to find the right words to express how much being a part of the Bridgerton world meant to you.

 "It's been such an extraordinary journey," you began,

 "I never could have imagined being here, standing next to this amazing man, watching our characters come to life on a screen. It's a dream come true." You glanced over at Luke, feeling his hand squeeze yours gently in support.

The interviewer seemed to sense the sincerity in your words, and nodded before asking, 

"So, what can we expect from the new season? Any special details you can share with us?" 

You and Luke exchanged knowing looks.

 "Well," you began, "I can tell you that the love story between y/c/n and Benedict, this season is going to be breathtaking. There's a lot of passion, a lot of drama, and course, a few jaw-droppers along the way." 

Luke chimed in, "And the chemistry between y/c/n and Benedict? It's off the charts. I think the fans are going to love what they see."

You smiled at him, feeling your heart flutter. Even after all this time, being around Luke still made you feel giddy. 

"And what about the other characters?" the interviewer prodded. "Any favorite moments or storylines you can share?"

 Luke thought for a moment before answering, 

"There's so much to choose from, but I think my favorite part is seeing how the Bridgerton siblings find love one by one. They're an amazing family, both on and off screen." 

You nodded in agreement.

 "And," you added with a grin, "I think we can all look forward to seeing how even a wallflower can bloom."

As the interviewer thanked you and Luke, you both excused yourselves from the media frenzy and made your way over to where your co-stars, Jonathan Bailey, Nicola Coughlan, Claudia Jessie, and Simone Ashley were standing. 

They were deep in conversation when you approached, but quickly broke away with hugs and well-wishes for the premiere. 

"How are you both holding up?" Jonathan asked with a warm smile. "This whole thing is such a whirlwind, isn't it?"

"It certainly is," you agreed, returning his grin. "But it's so exciting to be here with all of you. You've all been such a huge support system over the years." 

You glanced over at Luke, who nodded in agreement. "It does feel like a family," he said, squeezing your hand.

"Well," Nicola cut in with a laugh, "let's not forget that we also have some amazing material to work with. Lady Whistledown would be proud." 

They all shared a laugh before falling silent, gazing out at the sea of adoring fans.

 "This is going to be one heck of a ride," Claudia said with a mixture of anticipation and nervousness. 

"But I think we're all up for it." You couldn't help but feel a sense of camaraderie and pride as you stood there with your fellow Bridgerton colleagues.

[classicokid]

Y'all, Ham & Perry are always churning around in my head and I just wanted to share some of my favorite Hamperry thoughts... mostly from binge watching the show so many times over, but I do love their book dynamic too <3

I can think about this both ways, but I sometimes ponder the first episode being their very first time in court together and when you look at it that way, its kinda hilarious. Ham is so calm and professional and has no idea what kind of shenanigans are about to go down in his life from here on out.. From then on out, you can really start to see Ham's spiral into obsessing over Perry.

Perry is always SO bored when he's in court with prosecutors that are NOT Hamilton.. he's a lot meaner, more direct and a lot less playful with his "courtroom theatrics". He clearly has the most fun with Ham, everyone else is just part of the job to him. Perry seems to absolutely revel in the courtroom dramatics when its Ham <3 I think its because of Ham's outrageous reactions and the fact that he WILL one-up Perry if he can.

I really love that they end up thinking about one another SO much, just by way of needing to predict one another's moves in court and such. They gotta get into each other's minds in an obsessive way~

There's a decent period of time where Ham distrusts Perry to his core and its so funny cause, that's the love of ur life bro, chill. Ham thinks that Perry's out to get him so he's determined to get him first.

Ham cares soooo much about appearances and his public image, but tbh, all bets are off when Perry starts stunting cause Ham will fly off the handle without even thinking it.

Perry really does revel in being extra in the courtroom with Ham. He doesnt care much at all how he seems to the public as long as he can string Ham along with all the guessing games and such.

I really love how they grow more comfortable with one another as the seasons roll on, and yet neither one of them cut the other any slack in the courtroom, ever. They're both great at their jobs and I think that they both enjoy the challenge of doing their best with one another. Together, they clear the way for the truth in the eyes of the system.

Another thing I do love about them is how they compliment one another in regards to solving crime in the eyes of a system of law that neither of them have control over, but must partake in for better or for worse. Ham represents everything that is "seen" by the eyes of the law and the public. Perry represents all the things about a case that go "unseen" and he demands that it does be seen! But he's gotta be sharp by Ham's parameters because its gotta be seen by the law or it doesnt matter.

I like to think that Ham fixes Perry's tie a lot before they enter the courtroom because if Perry's gonna be seen with him, he's at least gotta look good for the photos and stuff.. and when Perry's tie is raggedy or sub par, Ham's casually got a backup tie for him.

Another one of my favorite things is in the later seasons when they're a lot more comfortable with one another, they speak so quietly with one another <3 Perry especially. I think this ties into some of their traits from the books everyone was chatting about the other week where we know Ham's got issues with getting too angry, so Perry tries to keep it calm for him sometimes, and speak softly.. (but then ofc all bets are off in the courtroom, He STRIVES to get Ham mad in court...)

We all know that Perry will break and enter onto any premises if he can, and we all know he flees the crime scene frequently with the cops on his trail... Another small thought I have is that sometimes when Perry's in trouble with the POlice or and needs a place to lay low, he will just show up at Ham's place, sometimes at the door and sometimes he just shows up there (he broke in quietly). What's Ham gonna do?? Tell on him?? and have to eXPLAIN to the cops why Perry's at his home? no way dude.. the tabloids would eat it up in a way he wouldnt want!!

My Hamperry thoughts are truly endless... the list will go on <3

[the-perfect-wagnerite-again]

Morning/Afternoon! If you have the time, do you have any recommendations for getting into classical music? Thank you

Taste for music, like any faculty, is a trait that can be trained and refined. Classical music is an enormous catalog with dozens and dozens of styles, more than any one person can reasonably experience in a single lifetime. Most people gravitate towards particular styles or composers that they like best, so the initial challenge for a lot of people new to classical music is finding a good entry point.

My personal recommendation is banal and predictable, but I think it's the most effective: start as far back as you're willing to go, and work your way forward to the present. In the process, you'll experience both the history of western music and its development over time. As you go, you'll find you enjoy some composers more than others. I happen to have a particular fondness for Bach, Schubert, and (of course) Wagner, but you might find a stronger affinity with Mozart, Tchaikovsky, or Saint-Saëns.

While it would be impossible for me to give a full listening guide to all of what I consider the essentials for art music in a single tumblr post, I can at least point to the Big Names as a starting point. I'll try to include videos that match quality recordings with sheet music, because I firmly believe that following along with a score mentally crystalizes a work's form, even if you can't read music yourself. A fun video I also recommend is this journey through the melodies of history's best composers, a highly abridged music appreciation course in just a few hours (timestamps in the video for convenience):

The Early Stuff

I tend to skip past chant and Renaissance music, despite their importance, because they're especially challenging to the modern ear. Early composers like Palestrina and Monteverdi mark a transition from the modal styles of ancient music to the more traditional tonalities of the music we know today. Monteverdi is also the first to compose what we would properly call "opera" today, though I won't link any but the most important operas in this post because they're all 3+ hours in length.

Essential listening:

Allegri: Miserere

Monteverdi: Vespers della Beata Vergine

The Baroque

Here's where the good stuff really starts. The baroque period was an artistic response to the Reformation and its aesthetic priorities. Baroque music, like art, tends to be highly ornamented, harmonically complex, and texturally dense. Counterpoint is a big feature of baroque music, and in Bach especially. Almost all baroque composers have merit, but if you were to pick only one to listen to, nobody could fault you for choosing Bach. I'm including some of my favorites of Vivaldi and Handel here as well. Bach never touched opera, which is a shame, though he got close with his St Matthew and St John Passions.

Essential listening:

Bach: St Matthew Passion, BWV 244

Bach: Fantasia and Fugue in g minor, BWV 542

Bach: Orchestral Suite No.2 in b minor, BWV 1067

Vivaldi: The Four Seasons (popular for a reason!)

Vivaldi: Gloria, RV 589

Handel: Concerto Grosso in B-flat Major, HWV 313

The Classical

Like the baroque, the Classical period of art was a reaction, this time against the opulence and excess of baroque art (actually there were smaller, more molecular movements in-between baroque and classical, like the galante, but for brevity we'll skip those). The Classical period is stylized by elegance, simplicity, and symmetry. Think of the columns of Greco-roman architecture or the streamlining of Enlightenment thought. Big names of this period include Haydn, Gluck, and Mozart. We see here a shift away from the complexity of baroque to clear and distinct melody and harmony.

The Classical period also brings us the symphony in its nascent form through Haydn, who composed over 100 of them. The symphony is especially important because, along with the opera, it will become the world-building form of the musical landscape. Mozart, possibly the greatest melodist who ever lived, further perfected both the symphonic form and the opera. His tragically early death means we will never appreciate the true apex of his powers.

Essential listening:

Mozart: Symphony No.40 in g minor, K 550

Mozart: Piano Concerto No.20 in d minor, K 466

Mozart: Clarinet Concerto in A Major, K 622

Haydn: Symphony No.94 in G Major, HoB I:94

Haydn: String Quartet in E-flat Major, Op.33 No.2

Salieri: 26 Variations on 'La Folia'

The Romantic

Another movement of reaction, this time against the strictures of form and propriety of the Classical. Here we shift from elegance to raw emotional power, the composer transforming from a functionary of the elite to independent artist. None exemplified this shift more clearly than Beethoven, whose symphonies to this day reign as the greatest ever produced by a human being. Beethoven infused his music with the currents of his soul in a way no composer had, and after him, music changed forever.

The Romantic period saw a flourishing of music as an art to such a degree that abridging it here for a tumblr post is unironically difficult. Brahms, Bruckner, Beethoven, Schubert, Schumann, Lizst, Wagner, Verdi, and on and on and on. The extreme variety of composers and the sheer emotional impact of their output make the Romantic period a particular favorite for many music appreciators, myself included.

Essential listening:

Beethoven: Symphony No.5 in c minor, Op.67 (MANDATORY)

Beethoven: Piano Concerto No.3 in c minor, Op.37

Brahms: Symphony No.4 in e minor, Op.98

Brahms: Violin Concerto in D Major, Op.77

Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique

Schubert: "Gretchen am Spinnrade," Op.2 D 118

Liszt: "Liebesträume," S 541 No.3

Tchaikovsky: Swan Lake Suite, Op.20a

Saint-Saëns: Symphony No.3 "Organ," Op.78

The Post-Romantic

As we move past the 19th Century, we see an absence of what we would call artistic "movements," so admittedly the designations of composers within this time period begins to feel arbitrary. Instead, in the wake of the revolutionary movements of the 1800s, we see a development of national schools of style. The French, the Germans, the Scandinavians, the Russians, the Italians, and even the Americans each cemented themselves into distinct artistic camps based on national histories and aesthetic preferences. These schools would pave the way for the modern music of the 20th century.

Essential listening:

Dvorak: Symphony No.9 "New World," Op.95

Debussy: Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune

Mussorgsky: Night on Bald Mountain

Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade, Op.35

Elgar: The Enigma Variations, Op.36

Prokofiev: Scythian Suite, Op.20

Modernity

With the 20th Century came the World Wars and the collapse of the West's meta-narratives about the world. Music was no longer directed as an aesthetic process in the interests of artistic narratives, and instead became an exercise of modular, individual expression. Here is where music becomes the most difficult, because tonality is no longer a central priority. That said, you'll likely still find some composers that resonate. The torturous dissonances of Shostakovich are always popular with young men, while the Catholic mysticism of Messiaen is challenging from the exact opposite direction. Vaughan-Williams and Britten carry on the tonal tradition while Schönberg and Stravinsky went in wildly atonal spaces.

Essential Listening:

Shostakovich: Symphony No.4 in c minor, Op.43

Poulenc: Sonata for Flute and Piano, FP 164

Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring

Vaughan-Williams: Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis

Messiaen: Chronochromie

Britten: Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra

Sorry this took me so long, I could have gone on like this for another 20 paragraphs, but it turns out there's a limit to how many videos tumblr lets you embed in a single post. This is just a list of recommendations to get you started, don't be intimidated by its size. Every composer is unique, and they each bring a personal language to their art that you'll gradually become more acquainted with the more you listen. If you want any recommendations on particular composers that strike your fancy, don't be afraid to ask.

[zmediaoutlet]

twenty questions for fic writers

tagged to do the do by @prince-of-elsinore, ty ty for thinking of me

How many works do you have on ao3?

211 (and elsewhere, maybe a dozen we don't talk about, bc they suck, on livejournal; maybe a couple dozen short pieces here on tumblr that have never migrated to ao3)

What's your total ao3 word count?

1,515,103

What fandoms do you write for?

Almost all Supernatural, but also some video game fandoms (FF, DA, maybe BG3 soon), MCU, etc. usual suspects.

What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

1. oh so good, oh so fine -- 993 kudos 2. there will be better days -- 846 kudos 3. see things so much clearer -- 621 kudos 4. into the flood again -- 602 kudos 5. side two, track one -- 558 kudos maybe someday we'll break 1000, lol

Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Absolutely I do, and would find it rude not to. I know other people have all kinds of reasons they don't respond but I don't have any of those reasons, especially since I'm pathetically grateful every time someone bothers to say they liked something, lol. If anyone's even a tiny bit encouraged to become a repeat reader by the writer responding, I want to encourage that as much as possible. Plus, every once in a while, you can get a dece conversation going in the comments! Find a like-minded fan! That's worth any effort to compose a few sentences of thanks. The only comments I don't respond to are emoji strings or cut-and-paste 'another kudos here' comments, because they're not actually comments. (I appreciate the thought, but... I don't want them.)

What is a fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

I have had some beta friends who would argue about this one, lol. I guess the saddest is probably the hollow summer, since the whole plot is kind of hurt/no comfort. I don't believe in a successful boy king, let's say that.

What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

again, probably depends on how you define 'happy'. glory days is probably the most cheerful; for me, the happy comes better with more experience behind it, so the thirty-third yard would maybe be my personal choice.

Do you get hate on fics?

nope; worst I ever got was some twerp who actually responded to someone else's comment, bitching that I didn't put the right peepee in the right poopyhole. But only one of those, ever, and safely ignored. idk, I don't attract that much.

Do you write smut?

...yes.

Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

only one, and it only sort of counts -- i heard love was blind, which is Cordell Walker/Dean Winchester, but of course the point is that Dean's getting the body of his brother by other means. I like crossovers but I usually want there to be a point beyond 'let's mash these two faves together and see what happens'; I'm more inclined toward doing a whole-universe fusion, e.g. fully placing characters with what you can salvage of their key backstory elements into a universe not their own... which I guess would also count as a crossover, wouldn't it. so I also did that with putting the Winchesters into the Dragon Age 2 plot, in whatever we were before. definitely 'crazier' than the first one here, lol.

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

I think that's the kind of thing that happens on WattPad. Who cares.

Have you ever had a fic translated?

yes, a few.

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

I tried; it didn't work. Both people need to be contributing to the writing for it to really count as 'co-written'; nevertheless it's stuck with both author names on ao3 because I don't think there's a way to change that.

What's your all-time favorite ship?

I think from context this should be clear. Although will also forever hold many small candles for the little guys.

What's a wip you want to finish, but doubt you ever will?

the aforementioned "co-written" fic, which was meant to be a huge series. The first fic is finished because I brute-forced my way through it, but there was a full five-season arc we were going to try to get through. Alas. The first one is decent, though, and works as a complete fic on its own: In a Cursed Hour.

What are your writing strengths?

voice, pacing, naturalism; characterization, though that can be argued in a fan-space

What are your writing weaknesses?

plot -- I find it intensely boring. Avoidance of plot then tends to flatten stories into similar non-arcs; I don't mind that, but it's a skill to exercise.

Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

I'll only do Spanish, and that's only because I studied it for eight years. Even then it's usually the wrong choice, unless it's a fully blended multilingual story (which most are not, and in the wrong hands it comes off as absurd); better to convey through the POV character either understanding it or not, and dealing with it in narrative instead of straight dialogue. Although a word or two here or there is nbd, clearly.

First fandom you wrote for?

Final Fantasy VIII

Favorite fic you've written?

well, questions, you got me, because I don't believe in favorites. at this moment in terms of writing skill I think the best might be asceticism, but in terms of one that sits in my head and fully just is canon, lol, it might be there will be better days, mentioned above. the only heaven fic I need. I guess that says something.

kind of interesting to look at the stats, if also stressful. let's get some other writers to be interested/stressed -- uhh @redmyeyes, @phynali, @hellhoundsprey, @stillwaterseas, @whiskeycherrypie

some shots in the dark :)

[venus-is-thinking]

Disventure Camp All Stars Power Ranking (Round 20 - Venus)

The final power ranking... the finale is incoming...

Before getting into the actual results, here's the results of @accirax and my bench prediction face off:

My points: 7/15 Accirax: 9/15

I lose :( sad. To be fair, James made it very clear he'd have RATHER been on Ally's team, so I'm taking a moral tie at 8-8.

Anyways, here's the beginning of the post like normal:

Recap: Ally's Elimination (2/3 points)

(Total: 25/41 points acquired)

And with that, my dreams of getting a passing grade have officially died :'(

(I didn't actually run the math they were probably dead already lol)

I'm sorry to Ally that she didn't get to be in the finals (as her own contestant). I think it's honestly probably (?) a good move on the writers' part to give Ally a chance to process her loss more fully on screen, which wouldn't have been possible if she lost right at the very end.

I do wish there had been a bit more warning/lead up to how it was going to play out though. Since I didn't think Jake was actually getting eliminated, I predicted the "someone doesn't have all of their diamonds" twist coming, but I incorrectly assigned Riya as the loser, considering we'd heard confirmation both Jake and Ally had their 10 and we never saw Riya pick any up with her bad tools. Still, I think the overall decision was probably a decent one.

For context, we normally rank people by how likely they are to go home. This time, we're ranking people based on how likely they are to win, but #1 is most likely to win. So, I guess lower numerically on the list still means you're more likely to be the episode's loser. But, also, we're putting #2 physically higher than #1 so we can talk about our winner prediction second? That was phrased really badly, but it'll make sense when you read it.

2: Riya (Loser)

C'mon, guys. There's no way Riya's going to win.

She's been the villain WAY too hard this season. I've said before that I think Riya could have gotten a negative win in Season 2, but I think it would feel extremely unsatisfying here, especially when you consider that it may be a lot of our All Stars' last times competing. Like, can we leave Connor's character off with "man, Riya still fucking won. Guess I'll never play this game again!"? I don't think so.

The appeal of the negative victory is a mixture of shock factor and the intrigue of winning not necessarily being a good thing. However, I think it'd ring hollow this season, because the consequences of Riya's actions have already been made plenty apparent to her. She already knows what she's putting at stake, and she's already decided time and time again that it's worth it to her to lose it for the sake of winning.

I don't think that winning the season would change her mind. That fundamental truth alone bars Riya from the win, imo.

Also, like... we aren't going to give Yul some of the prize money. Alec and Ellie seemingly being on her team makes it more (?) plausible, just because they're both characters who very clearly need the money, but like, c'mon. We're going to give the money to the heroic fan favorites, not the villainous fan favorites.

1: Jake (Winner)

If you've read any of the last, like, six of these power rankings, you saw this coming. I've been talking about how I think Jake is gonna win the whole thing for a LONG time now.

Even before his only remaining competition was Riya, Jake had major winner equity. A large part of the season has been centered around his relationships with others and his character arc of trying to change for the better. Even more than that, a lot of the season's theming is around the willingness to try to change for the better no matter what (and Riya's unwillingness to do so will be her downfall). Jake's character arc fits perfectly into the overall narrative of the season, positioning him perfectly for being the winner.

He's also being supported by James, Tom and Ally, all people who I can definitely see the show giving a cut of the prize to. The people love James, Tom has a good cause for the money already defined (giving money to local schools) and Ally has been fighting her hardest throughout the season as well. It's nice that both Jake and Ally will presumably be monetarily rewarded for finally being able to work together.

I really don't have much else to say about Jake being the winner. I feel like I've said it all already. Go claim your crown, king.

[mynamesaplant]

It Changes, like Water (CH. 3)

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Summary: Akari has just met Gaeric for the first time and is still a little rattled by the experience. Ingo tries to reassure her by telling her a story.

Content Warning: Blood, bodily injury, and wild animal attack

Notes: I've made this in honor of Monsoon-of-Art and their PLA mer au (and just a touch from a different au where Gaeric acts as Irida's guardian). Many of the scenes in this fic are directly inspired by their work, there mer stuff more specifically. I've been a big fan of them since I started playing PLA and I've only grown to love all their characterizations of some of my favorite characters in all of Pokemon.

Just before we get into the swing of things, I should mention that much of this story is based off my understanding of the coastal waters of western Canada and Alaska. That's why you'll see mention of char and lamprey, you can find both in that region. While not entirely faithful to the actual location of the Hisui region, I thought it was a nice balance of environments from the Arctic Ocean to around Washington state in the US.

This is also where I first mention the Nobles and you'll see I do not change their names in the coming chapters. I thought it would prove to be a little confusing if I called them by the animals they're based off in Mons mer au (this will be more clear in the next chapter). I'm treating the names (Lord Avalugg, Lady Lilligant, etc.) like they're genuine titles, like the Duke of York. There were many Dukes of York, but they all went by the same title. Sorry if it seems confusing.

Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy! Don't like to read on Tumblr? Read it here on AO3.

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As the autumnal equinox approached, Gaeric spent many hours teaching Irida how to defend herself when she was in the water. The girl was still far too scrawny for her age, but that began to change with the migration patterns. The clan began to prosper again, which meant that Irida was expected to see the elders more regularly and start learning about her duties to her clan. However, it was abundantly clear that she had gained… certain undesirable traits from her pseudo-guardian. She frequently mimicked his irritable attitude and sever distaste for Diamond Clan. She never made it to her lessons because she was usually asleep during the day, just like Gaeric. Irida was not interested in her position, she wanted to continue her life as it was. She had grown to see Gaeric as an older brother and, like any younger sibling would, she would mimic his every move.

This worried the elders and the rest of the clan. Palina, the only other person who Irida found even the remotest of kinships with, did her best to influence her – but that influence only went so far. Gaeric carried on exactly as he was, the protest of the elders falling on mostly deaf ears as a sort of retribution for allowing his mother’s death to be a passing footnote in the clan’s history. They had told him to watch over Irida, that was his only instruction, and that was exactly what he was doing. He was a brash, angry, and mourning teenager who was forced into a position of guardianship, and nobody seemed to want to understand that from his perspective. He couldn’t have predicted how Irida would latch on to him and he to her – although he would never admit that- and now they were asking him to just let her go?

“What are we looking for today?”

“Char. Its mating season for them, so we’re headed inland today. Watch yourself. There’ll be a lot of predators. If we’re lucky, we’ll get a good haul.”

The warning was not without merit. Gaeric remembered his mother warning him about the same thing. Although her primary concern had been bears, there was the off chance of sharks. He was collecting various equipment - a few spears and a make-shift trident he fashioned for the less dexterous Irida, and a few nets for their haul. After such a lean winter, a haul of fatty salmon just sounded divine, and he had hopes that this would somewhat get the elders, and the likes of Palina, off his back.

“Where are you two headed?”

Speak of the devil. Gaeric pointedly kept on task, but Irida was gleefully explaining their plans to her other sibling figure, even if she was being scolded for missing another lesson in favor of this trip. The girl puffed up and said that the lessons she learned were boring when she could be going out to explore their territory and learning how to hunt and provide for her fellow clan members. That made a smug grin appear on his face, even if he kept his head low to conceal it. He could imagine Palina rolling her eyes in agitation as she gently, but firmly tried to reiterate the importance of the elders’ teachings.

“Gaeric can teach you about hunting and gathering, but they can teach you about our history and about the importance of our nobles. Your father told you about the nobles, right?”

With lightning like reflexes rarely seen on land, Gaeric had whipped around and had slammed his hands down on either side of Irida, leaning closer to Palina with a snarl. The intimidation did not fail and actually made her lose her balance and topple backwards, blinking up in astonishment as Gaeric huffed down at her.

The topic did not come up often but mention of her parents made her deeply upset. Irida was pressed up against him, motionless but at least not crying. He still wasn’t sure how to deal with crying after all this time. It was like she was still thinking about what Palina had said when she responded.

“Yes…”

“W-Well, you should go see the elders. They could teach you a lot more about-”

Palina glanced up at Gaeric looming over her, his stance protective behind the small girl.

“They could certainly teach you a lot more about that.”

The smallest mer did not reply, but she removed herself from the conversation by crossing the cavern and sliding through the hole into the sea. Now that the initial shock had worn off, Palina was upright and shoving Gaeric back with just as much ferocity as he had displayed. He looked remarkably unfazed and went back to packing his stuff up for their hunt as Palina berated him.

“Don’t you ever lunge at me like that again!”

She hissed, baring her teeth which almost made him roll his eyes.

“Why do you suddenly think you know what’s best for her, Gaeric? The elder are worried that she’s not going to want to take up the mantle because of what you’ve been teaching her.”

“Yeah? Well, maybe they should have reconsidered that earlier.”

He could hear the stress in her voice, obviously someone had been putting a lot of pressure on her to try to win Irida over. Since either he or Irida herself stymied her every time, it was clear Palina was on the receiving end of some backlash. While he could understand her position, he didn’t feel wholly sympathetic. He hadn’t been asked, he was simply told to watch over Irida, and he had done as he was told. Now everyone wanted to have a problem with it. A year and a half of raising her like she was his kid sister and now the elders wanted to scoop her up to start training her? Talk about being late to the game.

“She’s going to be our leader – she has to learn about our traditions and teachings at some point. You can’t shelter her forever.”

Just under his skin, his blood was boiling but he just focused on what he was doing. Palina was just in a bad mood, letting off steam at him because he was somewhat the source, but not exactly the pressure. He was leaving soon anyway; no point being held up by an argument where there would be no victor.

“The rivers are dangerous this time of year and you know it. What are you going to gain from bringing her with you? Valuable experience from being in life threatening situations?”

“Hey!”

He barked, jerking around and narrowing his eyes at her.

“I was also going to take her to some of the shrines. Cut me a little slack here Lina, I’m not total moron!”

She stared back at him, completely incredulous, as if asking herself how this little detour would solve any of the issues facing their young clan leader. She turned away and started making her way back out of his cavern with a derisive snort.

“Whatever Gaeric, but if there’s a single hair on her head missing, I swear to Sinnoh above, I’ll leave nothing left of you but catfish food.”

This only earned her a scoff. The bag securely in place, Gaeric clambered through the hole and into the water. A short distance away, Irida was chasing after some fish, but it was like she had no real interest in it. Something in her movements seemed sluggish and preoccupied. The contents of her thoughts were not too hard to figure out. He didn’t say a word. Irida saw him coming her and stopped, Gaeric placed a hand to her back and steered her in the right direction.

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[heythereofficerfriendly]

{{Sending you a couple for ... variety XD : Rick/Merle, Abe/Rick, Rick/Shane, and Rick/Daryl ((guess just talking about shipping!Rick))}}

Rick/Merle

SHIP IT.

What Made You Ship It?

It was into season 3, when Merle started coming round to the group that I honestly saw the potential there. Specifically Merle's last episode, when he talks to Rick. In that scene he almost acts as Rick's conscience, and I saw the irony in it being Merle, the asshole from season 1 that Rick had cuffed to the roof, actually being the voice of reason for Rick. How far he had come and how much potential he had to grow. And more importantly, how Rick knew he was valuable in his own way to the group and their survival. uhh sorry that was detailed but I feel a lot for them.

What are your favorite things about the ship?

Since there is very little to go on in canon, I will say its more the potential that the ship had. And just the many different directions you could take them; antagonistic and angry, or growing to trust and softening to each other. I see so many possibilties in their dynamics.

Is there an unpopular opinion you have on your ship? uhh...maybe that i ship them at all? its so rare... Abe/Rick: ship it.

What made you ship it? Probably the moment Abraham wrote that little love letter note about the world needed Rick Grimes. <3 im easy that way.

What are your favorite things about the ship? That it feels more sexual than emotional. I can see it being a casual and experimental fling between them, for reasons that they just find each other attractive to look at. sometimes a ship doesn't need to be very deep lol. and i just love the idea of abe being very smug about screwing rick grimes.

Is there an unpopular opinion you have on your ship? i don't know...this ship seemed to contain about 0.2 people lol.

Rick/Shane: ship it (can you see a theme developing lol)

What made you ship it? probably just how tropey it is tbh. the friendship and the gradual antagonism between them, which is always set off by the clear *love* and devotion that was once there between them is very intriguing to me. They feel very tragic in that respect and i love angst. also theres some pretty gay scenes between them ok.

What are your favorite things about the ship?

the possibility of sweetness between them. shane being this jock type since high school, and rick being the more naive sort, so it always gives opportunity for some fun 'first time' scenarios between them. also the contrast between their personalities is great to play up. particularly in sexual scenarios. Is there an unpopular opinion you have on your ship? again..i really don't know? im bad at this hah....

Rick/Daryl: Ship it. What made you ship it? Just how...obvious it is, maybe? here's a funny thing, when i first started watching the walking dead, i legit thought for a moment there that daryl and rick were going to have an...interlude of sorts lol. i definitely thought daryl had some confused feelings for rick for a while, anyway.

What are your favorite things about the ship?

to put it simply and shortly...just how believable it is. even though they're not my number one ship, i can absolutely see why people latched onto it.

Is there an unpopular opinion you have on your ship? i don't know if this is unpopular or not, but i am not that big on fic/art where daryl is absolutely clueless innocent and rick is doing all the domming. they're both as clueless as each other lol.

[litsnobconfessions]

Literary Trash Talk: Why The Beach is Avatar's Weakest Episode

Unpopular opinion time. I Hate. The Beach.

No, not the place where the water meets the shore--l love that. I'm talking about season 3, episode 5 of Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Look, I know "The Beach" is a fan favorite. And I'm probably not going to change your mind here, and quite frankly, you probably won't change mine. But that doesn't mean it's not worth analyzing its flaws. At the very least, it might help me get it out of my system because I tend to get particularly frustrated with things I dislike when either (1) I don't see what others see in it or (2) I think it could have been a lot better with a little more effort. "The Beach" fits both of those. This has been a long time coming.

First off, it's completely episodic. I've already mentioned my creative writing teacher who said "if it's worth putting in once, it's worth putting in twice," but... almost nothing from this episode shows up again? Except for like... the location? And did we need an entire episode to introduce the royal family's old vacation house?

Aside from that, we have Combustion Man, and we have Zuko admitting that he's angry at himself. But Combustion Man appears in the following episode, so you don't miss anything if you skip it. And while it's satisfying to see Zuko admit that he's angry at himself, I don't think that two minutes is that goundbreaking. Not in a plot arc that's been brewing for two and a half seasons. Honestly, it feels like "The Great Divide," in that someone new to the show could skip over it and probably never realize it was there. But "The Great Divide" is dominated by these animation shifts, which make it visually interesting, and someone (the Gan Jins and the Zhangs) make clear progress in the story. In contrast, the evil teenagers who arrive at the beach end as... evil teenagers who destroy people's houses because they feel like it?

But let's dig a little deeper, starting with Zuko and Mai. They have a fight in this episode which, to me, feels like it comes out of nowhere. The last we saw them, they were being hella cute, and Zuko was loving on Mai for hating the world. And now, suddenly, they're mad at each other? I know this is because Zuko is angry, but from what we've seen, Mai is his grounding force right now. His relationship with her is what makes him feel good. So I think it would have made more sense for us to see at least one or two scenes before this where he is angry around her, even if he's not angry at her.

I also don't really buy the scene where Zuko tries to give Mai the seashell? Like... he just reaches over and grabs this seashell and he's like, "I got this for you." Yeah, you worked real hard for that, Zuko.

Except, Zuko does work hard for things. That's a major part of his character. And other times that we've seen him show kindness it's very deliberate and well thought out--he gives Lee the knife in "Zuko Alone." He makes tea for his uncle. He firebends for a girl he barely knows, so she can see this fountain she loves! He's known Mai all his life. I think he would have some idea of what she likes. And he would be deliberate about his gift-giving. Honestly, to me, this plays out like he's already done something to anger her, and he's trying to frantically make an apology. Only, I don't remember that happening. Is there an episode I'm missing?!

I also don't really see him getting jealous just because the guy says, "oh, you all came early, huh?" Again, he knows Mai; she's his grounding force. I can see him getting annoyed, but not jumping to the conclusion that Mai must like this dude she has literally never interacted with. Again, if we had seen some kind of jealousy or other conflict between them, I would buy it, but it comes out of nowhere.

I do buy him getting angry when he spills the food. We've seen Zuko get angry at minor slights before. And I believe that that would lead into his jealousy when he immediately sees Mai talking to another guy. Likewise, the blowout they have at the party is believable, though I do kind of wish Mai had said just about anything other than "it's over" because they get back together in like... five minutes... so it kind of takes the teeth out of the dramatic moment. In the show's defense, they are teenagers, and teenagers do break up and make up this quickly. But as a storyteller, I think it would have been stronger if there has been a longer period of lead up or cool down.

I also think the complaints they have about one another are valid. Mai tells Zuko that he's been angry all the time and wants to know what that's about. And Zuko yells at Mai for not being emtionally expressive, which to me reads as him telling her she's bad at communication. I've been there with partners--where they just say "meh" to everything, and I don't actually know what I'm doing right or wrong. But again, this episode is the only time we see them struggling with these conflicts.

When I talked about "The Great Divide," I said that the reason I think Sokka and Katara's argument works, even though it begins and ends in the same episode, is that we've seen them fight before, and we'll see them fight again. Katara's argument with Toph in "The Runaway" works for the same reason--it's part of a larger pattern. But there is not larger pattern of Zuko and Mai fighting.

Honestly, to me, it feels like the creators decided they needed to fight to prove it's a real relationship, but I don't think that's true. Consider Hiccup and Astrid in How to Train Your Dragon. They don't have a big blow-out argument like this. They're just cutesy and supportive over the course of three films. ATLA could have done the same with Zuko and Mai, and honestly, I think it would have made the show better. Because Zuko has had a healthy relationship with probably him mom, and his uncle, and that's it. Mai's relationship with Azula is obviously not healthy. Her relationship with her family is also possibly unhealthy? Based on what she tells us in this episode? If that's true, then having a proper healthy relationship could potentially contribute to the decisions they make later in the story. 

And this brings me to Mai's family drama. She tells us here that her mother told her she needed to be quiet and not express her opinion so her father could rise in the ranks. Honestly, this felt obvious to me, but maybe it wouldn't be to a kid, so I'll give them credit there. The bigger problem is that we see Mai's parents in exactly one episode: "Return to Omashu." We don't really see this conflict with her mother in this episode, and we don't see her parents ever again.

Compare this to Zuko's family drama, which shows up in nearly every episode he's in. Over and over and over we see him talking to his father, talking about his father, having flashbacks about his father. We see the same patterns with his relationship with Azula and his mother. We see it with Sokka and Hakoda. Even Toph's family drama, which only shows up in two or three episodes... shows up in two or three episodes. Not one. If it's worth putting in once, it's worth putting in twice.

Now let's look at Ty Lee and Azula, who overall feel more in character. Ty Lee is the pretty girl, so she's getting a lot of attention, and she enjoys it. But I also totally buy her getting overwhelmed by the guys all fighting her and just knocking them out. I do think this supports the Tyzula ship--Ty Lee enjoys the attention from the boys, but she wants the attention from Azula. I could also see this as Ty Lee not knowing how to stand up for herself. Like yeah, she's a good fighter and all, but so far the majority of her characterization has been pretty-girl-who-goes-along-with-whatever-Azula-does, and her reasons are pretty vague. Her "character development" doesn't really help because, like Mai, it's just her telling us about her problems with her family. Except Ty Lee's family doesn't show up at all in the show. They are completely irrelevant to anything else that happens. Which makes them completely irrelevent here. If it's worth putting in once, it's worth putting in twice.

As for Azula, it's funny to see her not understanding normal social situations, and while I do believe that this is the way she would flirt, it's also not important? Again, we never see her in any other situations where she's trying to socialize normally. Like... what are we trying to say with the flirting? That she controls people because she doesn't know how to befriend people? I think I already knew that. I also think the volleyball scene tells me that just as much as the flirting scene. So I think the flirting is just in here because of comedy, which would be fine if the rest of the episode had any substance whatsoever.

Because if you're trying to give Azula's character depth--if you're trying to give any of the girls depth--you know what would help a lot? Flashbacks. Flashbacks are half the reason Zuko's character has depth. Like... imagine if we never had any flashbacks with Zuko and his parents. Instead he just told us that his dad burned him and mother disappeared. And then we never heard about them again. This is basically what they did with the girls.

"The Beach" ends with people sitting around a fire expositing at us. We've already had this as a full episode--"The Storm," in season 1--and something very similar two episodes after "The Beach" with "The Avatar and the Firelord." These are purely expository episodes, but still often fan favorites because they are told in flashback. This is the basic concept of show, don't tell, which, for some reason, when it comes to these Mai, Ty Lee, and Azula, is ignored.

Maybe you're going to tell me that well, only the major characters, like Zuko and the gaang get flashbacks. But Iroh gets a flashback. Well, maybe Iroh is special (he is). Except that Jet gets flashbacks. Yue gets a flashback. Bumi gets a flashback. Appa and Momo get flashbacks. Zhao gets a flashback! You know why they get flashbacks? Because the creators deemed these moments important to plot and character development.

Consider this: Hama is a villain for one episode. She gets a flashback. Azula is a villain for two seasons. She gets to sit around a fire with her friends complaining about their family drama--drama that get less screen time than the drama between the Zhangs and the Gan Jins in "The Great Divide."

When I first watched "The Beach," I turned to my husband and said, "What the f*** was that?" I was frustrated because I knew nothing that I just saw was going to be relevent for the rest of the show. And I knew this because, in a show so laden with flashbacks, all we get in this episode is a few snapshots from Zuko. And I love Zuko. I am Zuko. But they did my girls dirty, ya'll.

I said when Mai, Ty Lee, and Azula showed up that they're considerably less developed than the other female characters on the show. When people tell me why they like this episode, they say it's because of the character development. But with the exception of maybe 2 minutes from Zuko, none of this development is given the time and attention that character development has been given in basically every other episode of the show. And honestly, in another show, this episode might not bother me so much. But considering ATLA's level of attention to detail, the missing elements are glaring. The whole episode feels like a frantically paced bit of filler that they put in because they needed another episode and weren't sure what to do. And Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee are the victims.

[cocoabeloved]

thank you for the tagg @someones-name-insterted-here, love you bestie <3

coke or pepsi - coke is the one and only right answer!!

disney or dreamworks - OBVIOUSLY DISNEY THE OG

coffee or tea - take a wild guess!! coffee obviously ☕

books or movies - i adore books so much but movies hit different for me, i'm an absolute movie freak

windows or mac - windows but honestly i'm indifferent to this 🤷‍♀️

dc or marvel - marvel >>>

x-box or playstation - playstation all the way

dragon age or mass effect - wtaf??

night owl or early riser - i'm the definition of a night owl, consider me nocturnal atp

cards or chess - chess!! but cards are also super super cool!!

chocolate or vanilla - depends honestly but you can never go wrong with chocolate 🍫

vans or converses - converses are SO comfy and i love them

lavellan, trevelyan, cadash, or adaar: ⁉️

fluff or angst: FLUFF <33

beach or forest: beach

dogs or cats: cats are my literal livelihood and reason for existing so KITTY CATS

clear skies or rain: depends on my mood <3

cooking or eating out: cooking >>>

spicy food or mild food: mild food. i can't handle anything spicy, it's so unpleasant

halloween/samhain or solstice/yule/christmas: christmas!

would you rather forever be a little too cold or a little too hot: a little too hot

if you could have a superpower what would it be: telekinesis would be so fucking awesome imo <3

animation or live action: animation :))

paragon or renegade: IT'S STILL A CASE OF ⁉️

baths or showers: showers, i hate baths with a burning passion because i see them lying in your own filth (sorry)

team cap or team iron man: team iron man all the way

fantasy or sci-fi: i'm a horror girlie but ig fantasy

do you have three or four favorite quotes, if so what are they: three or four?? how much time do you think i have??

youtube or netflix: BOTH!!

harry potter or percy jackson: harry potter

when do you feel accomplished: when i finally get something done i've been procrastinating for a prolonged period of time

star wars or star trek: actually haven't seen any of them before

paperback books or hardcover books: paperbacks are superior!!

live in a world without literature or music: WHAT? i'd rather kill myself

who was the last person to make you laugh: myself methinks

city or countryside: city (NEW YORK LET'S GO)

favorite chips: texas bbq-flavoured pringles!!

pants or dresses: i'm sorry but are you genuinely expecting me to choose between them??

libraries or museums: libraries ALL THE WAY

character driven stories or plot driven stories: character!!

bookmarks or folding pages: def bookmarks (THEY'RE SO <3)

dream job: something media OR music-associated <33

what gives you comfort: music and sleep <3

what are you currently having brain rot levels of interest over: a LOTTT of different things but currently freddie mcclair and effy stonem from 'skins'. it's bad. really fucking bad.

what is your current favorite song: now that we don't talk by taylor swift

how many books have you read this year? i've been a serious reading sum so honestly none but i'm currently reading bttm <33

what's your favorite scent? this might be weird but air freshner. it smells so clean yk?

what's our favorite season? autumn :))

RULES: answer all questions, add one question of your own, and tag as many people as there are questions

thank you @good-enemy for the tag <3

coke or pepsi: coke

disney or dreamworks: sorry but i prefer disney i could name maybe like two dreamworks movies off the top of my head

coffee or tea: tea because coffee tastes burnt

books or movies: books

windows or mac: windows

dc or marvel: unfortunately i am a marvel fan

x-box or playstation: i havent used either of these in years

dragon age or mass effect: what

night owl or early riser: night owl

cards or chess: cards

chocolate or vanilla: depends on the food but usually vanilla

vans or converse: docs

lavellan, trevelyan, cadash, or adaar: ⁉️

fluff or angst: angst. hurt that blorbo you know you want to

beach or forest: beach

dogs or cats: dogs by default because im allergic to cats

clear skies or rain: clear skies but like the kind of clear skies when its sunny with no clouds in the sky but its chilly out

cooking or eating out: depends on the food

spicy food or mild food: mild food bc im a picky eater and also white

halloween/samhain or solstice/yule/christmas: hanukkah

would you rather forever be a little too cold or a little too hot: a little too cold

if you could have a superpower what would it be: telekinesis but that might just be because im a jean grey girlie

animation or live action: live action

paragon or renegade: ⁉️

baths or showers: baths but unfortunately showers are more convenient

team cap or team iron man: i hate both of them

fantasy or sci-fi: anyone who knows me knows i am the biggest fantasy lover out there

do you have three or four favorite quotes, if so what are they: idk i have a lot but i couldnt name them off the top of my head

youtube or netflix: youtube

harry potter or percy jackson: percy jackson obviously. he'd also kick harry potter's ass but thats a whole other conversation

when do you feel accomplished: when i succeed

star wars or star trek: ive seen bits of star wars so that one

paperback books or hardcover books: hardcover books because they have built in bookmarks and also theyre pretty

live in a world without literature or music: nice try but no

who was the last person to make you laugh: i dont know probably my dad

city or countryside: city i love the city i am a big city person (i dont live in a big city)

favorite chips: baked lays

pants or dresses: pants

libraries or museums: museums we have no good libraries here

character driven stories or plot driven stories: oh thats hard. probably plot but i do love a good character driven story

bookmarks or folding pages: bookmarks

dream job: music therapist

what gives you comfort: my dog. also music

what are you currently having brain rot levels of interest over: the once upon a broken heart series by stephanie garber and also maisie peters's music

what is your current favorite song: coming of age by maisie peters

(added question) how many books have you read this year?

tagging @henwilsons @napollya @thegoosewitch and whoever else is interested

[willel]

This show draws from a lot of different tropes, genres and such. At the same time, it seems pretty straightforward and simple, which is not bad because a story should be accessible and digestible, though it's fine to like something more complex. You dig deep into plot speculation and theories on this blog, and I am wondering how you get this out of a while great, yet simple story?

Well, the show doesn't just draw from different tropes and genres. It takes specific inspiration from specific 70's and 80's movies and Stephen King books. That's where the speculation comes from.

For example, Poltergeist was one of the inspirations for season 1. It even gets named dropped in a conversation between Joyce and Will. Poltergeist happens to be one of my favorite movies so I know all about it and its intricacies.

Is it a coincidence that it is mentioned by Joyce and Will? Absolutely not. Joyce and Will's predicament is almost exactly like Diane and Carol Ann from the movie. If you watch the movie you'll see it clear as day.

Diane's daughter Carol Ann is kidnapped by an evil powerful ghoul from the "other side" via her closet (in which shines extremely brightly as she's being taken) This is why I do believe them when they say "subject 001" was mostly planned from the getgo but "Vecna" himself wasn't. The big bad evil guy from Poltergeist only makes 1 appearance at the very end of the movie and the rest of the times he's brought up is in passing. You don't even figure out who he is until the sequel movie.

Diane does "crazy things" convinced she's communicating with Carol Ann on the other side and gets proven right about halfway through the movie. Maybe sooner. Her family communicates with her through the tv static and can "feel" her around the house sometimes from the "other side". Here's the portal to the "other side" btw. Also, tentacles come out to try and pull them in.

Nearing the end of the movie, Diane goes into the "other side" to bring Carol Ann back and they're both covered in goo (much like Will was cause of Upside Down slime)

Like, the parallels are there. Because of these similarities, I take a leap and see what other "inspirations" they might've taken from these movies such as themes and hidden lore.

For example, the hidden lore of Poltergeist is that Diane's family, unbeknownst to her, are extremely sensitive to the spirit world and the big bad evil guy on the "other side" noticed Carol Ann's power and decided to take her for his own means.

If you're read any of my theories, that sounds very familiar doesn't it? I often speculate that Joyce's family, unbeknownst to her, are born with the potential to have power, and Will has inherited that.

BUT THAT'S NOT ALL. It also parallels to El and Terry, though El and Terry's story have a much more sci fi twist to their life story, the basic outline is the same. Potential to have power passed down through the family line and the daughter is kidnapped by big bad evil guy (Brenner) for his own means.

You can take almost any movie from their inspiration list and you can draw these kinds of lines. Some movies I think they dropped the ball (with The Thing, they really missed out on the suspense of not knowing who was flayed unlike the movie where that's where all the suspense comes from)

I'm not someone who believes that "EVERYTHING THEY DO HAS THIS DEEP MEANINGFUL PURPOSE". I'm also not someone who thinks they've planned absolutely everything from the beginning. But I don't think the entire story is an accident or the writers don't know what they're doing or that "nothing is significant everything is simple".

When they tell us "this specific movie is a big inspiration", I take their word for it and draw some parallels. It was impossible to do that for season 4 because they released a century long list of their "inspirations" that I stopped paying attention to about 3 weeks in. But it's very easy to see all the little plot threads they've been building up over the years for season 1 and 2 at the very least.

All that said, I like to think out of the box. Take one thing, see what it COULD mean. Doesn't mean I think it'll absolutely happen. It's all for fun.

[dystopiandramaqueen]

I'm begging you to write Nick eating June's pussy. I'm begging.

To match the urgency of the Bridgerton scene, we need this to be the first time in a while.

Setting: Cannonverse.

Present Day.

Season 5, Episode 1

*clears throat* *cracks knuckles* *stretches neck* here we go.

We saw at the end of S4 that Luke was straight up horrified that June is now a cold ass motherfucker. Straight up murdering her enemies like Uma Thurman in Kill Bill. Luke is frightened of what she's become.

As he cowers against the nursery wall, watching her kiss the child she made with another man, it finally sinks in that there is no future for them. The woman he married all those years ago- she's gone. She died in the woods escaping America. He will never get her back.

Luke asks for a divorce the next morning. June agrees. They sign the papers that afternoon at the courthouse. They share a final (closed mouth, bland ass, boring, passionLESS) kiss before parting ways FOREVER.

*looking over my glasses at the writers*

Ok.

So we cut IMMEDIATELY from June divorcing Luke-

to June pacing the floor in a cabin somewhere deep in Colorado. She's chewing her nails. Her nerves are shot.

Nick was supposed to be here by now. 3 weeks, he said. It's been nearly 2 months. She has plenty of supplies, but all she wants is him.

She had kept the horrible thoughts at bay the first week he was overdue. The second week? She drank. ALOT. But then the bourbon ran out and he STILL hadn't shown. And she couldn't block out the voices any more. Asking if he was dead. On the wall.

Or worse. What if the Eyes found out. What if they took him in for questioning...

June shakes her head, pressing her palms to her ears. She squats on the floor, feeling physically ill at the thought. Her brain full out goes there. Showing her. What she knows it would look like. What she remembers. She can hear it.

June stands. She can't breathe. Tears sting her eyes. She wants to puke. She crosses the cabin, unlocking the deadbolt, throwing the door open, her heart stopping completely when she finds herself face to face with Nick.

She whimpers thankfully, pulling him into a kiss, both of her hands on his cheeks. His skin is SO COLD! She pulls back, looking him over. Her eyes fix on a bruise on his left cheek bone, and another under his right eye. She brushes a scab on his lower lip with her thumb, her brows creasing together with worry. Fresh tears burn her eyes and she's seeing it again. The images that had tormented her all these weeks of Nick at the mercy of the Eyes. She shakes her head, closing her eyes. A tear runs down her cheek.

Nick instantly pulls her into a hug. "Hey, it's ok. I'm alright."

June's horror is too much to bear. She feels herself burying it somewhere deep and dark. Pushing it all the way down. She lets her mind narrow down to awareness of him. Letting the world fall away.

She inhales deeply, nuzzling Nick's neck, smiling at the familiar scent of his skin, her favorite smell. She starts kissing his neck and feels him swallow, hears his breathing hitch when she gets to the sensitive skin just behind his ear. June's heart quickens. She loved tormenting him with pleasure, and his ears were one of her favorite weapons. The sounds he made when she tied him up that one time and nibbled and licked and kissed his ears until he could have come just from that.

Nick finds June's eyes. His eyes are dark, his lids low. "We should go inside."

June nods. Realizing she has goosebumps. They're in Colorado, it's fucking freezing outside.

She takes his gloved hand in her bare one, leading him into the cabin. She turns to him. In seconds, they're in eachother's arms again, kissing like their lives depended on it.

Nick sucks in a breath.

June smirks. He still forgets to breathe. She always considered that a huge complement. Like he wouldn't mind dying, as long as he was kissing her.

Dying. Eyes. Torture. Bruises. Cuts.

The images flood her mind.

June needs them gone. She needs something stronger than the fear.

She realizes that they both have entirely too many clothes on.

Her hands fly to open his peacoat buttons, sliding her hands between Nick's coat and his sides, along the lean lines of his athletic body. She pushes his coat off his shoulders. She slips her fingers under his suspenders, pushing them off his shoulders, to hang at his hips. She makes quick work of his tie and quickly unbuttons his dress shirt, pushing it off his shoulders to join his coat on the floor.

Nick's undressing her just as urgently. He gets his gloves off, pulling her shirt up and off, dropping it to the floor, his skillful fingers unbuttoning her jeans in seconds.

June pushes her jeans down as Nick unfastens his belt, making quick work of his pants too. They both kick their shoes and pants off, embracing and kissing again. June finds it difficult to get Nick's shirt off, he's so entranced kissing her he doesn't seem to understand she wants him NAKED. She finally gives up, squeezing his ass through his underwear.

Nick's in his black boxers and a black v-neck soft cotton t-shirt. June's wearing light blue bikini panties from Victoria's Secret, with little white and pink flowers on them.

Nick backs away, his eyes fixed on the delicate feminine fabric. June blushes, quirking an eyebrow at him. "You're staring."

Nick doesn't respond. It's triggering but in a good way. It reminds him of the Hustler magazine he found under Josh's bed when they were kids. It reminds him of before. Before the damage. It sinks in that this woman in front of him, she's his. They made it.

He's overcome by a storm of emotion, sweeping June up into his strong arms. He takes her mouth in a fierce kiss, carrying her to the bedroom, kicking the door open, then closing it behind them with his boot.

He lays June down on the bed, hooking his long, slender fingers in her cute little panties and dragging them down her legs, holding searing eye contact with her.

June's mouth drops open. Her heartbeat quickens.

She knows that look. He's hungry.

Her cheeks burn as she remembers the last time he looked at her like that. The Boston Globe. She'd nearly fucked him to death that first day. When she told him to try, and his dick wouldn't listen, he got that look on his face, and ate her out for the first and only time. It lasted an hour and she'd never been so satisfied.

Nick keeps his dark simmering eyes on hers as he brushes his lips against her belly, tracing down her sensitive abdomen with his open mouth.

June's hips buck toward him. Her body screaming for him to get that perfect mouth where it needed to be.

Nick smirks, slowing his descent in response to her desperation. Teasing her. Stopping to kiss her hip bone, and the valley connecting it to her garden of desires.

June can't take it anymore. She fists his dark curls, guiding his head over her center. Nick's eyes crinkle with delight to see her so worked up. He lowers his chest to the bed, pulling her hips closer. He wraps his right arm around her leg, resting his hand flat on her lower abdomen, pressing down with gentle pressure.

June's eyes close and her head arches back into the mattress. Her mouth is open, she can't breathe. He's doing that thing with his hands...

Nick hovers his lips milimeters above her pussy, his shaky breaths hot against her skin. After a few seconds of this torture, he can't take it anymore. She smells so fuckin good, and he's starving for her.

Nick plants one chaste kiss on her slit.

June nearly jumps off the bed, but Nick secures her hips, wrapping his forearm across her belly to hold her still. He kisses her again, again, again, so softly, just on the outside.

His fingers grip her tighter. His breaths are rapid and shallow. He's kissing her pussy, Deeper. Exploring her, rediscovering her with his lips and tongue, moaning at the perfection of her taste.

June's writhing beneath him, helpless against his strong arms. He pulls her hips to his face, burying himself in her heat, his lips and tongue wet with her nectar.

“Can you hold still for me?"

June moans with need, her hips bucking already. Needing friction.

Nick brushes the backs of his knuckles down her slit, his mouth dropping open in awe at how hot, swollen and slick she is for him. He slips his middle finger between her folds, dragging it through her wetness, and bringing that wetness to his lips. He takes his finger in his mouth, humming approval at the taste of her.

He starts fingering her in earnest, probing gently, adding his index finger, palm toward the sky, plunging his long slender digits deep into her heat. He lowers down to drop soft kisses on her thighs.

June is nearly in tears. She's pulling his hair, bucking her hips against his face. "PLEASE" she begs.

Nick laps at her swollen clit. June gasps. "Oh Nick"

Nick repeats this, waiting less time between each swipe of his tongue. He presses upward with his fingers, deep in her heat, his finger pads searching for the spot that makes her see stars. He knows he's found it when her thighs clamp around his head painfully hard.

Nick can't hear anything, but he knows he's where he needs to be. He fucks her with his fingers and mouth, steady and deep.

His cock is so fucking hard it hurts. He can feel precum leaking out already. He presses his hips into the bed, moaning against June's pussy when the friction is good. He thrusts his hips in rhythm with his finger thrusts, afraid he'll come too easily. He forces his hips to be still It's awful. He forces himself to focus on June. She needs him. She's suffering and he's the only one who can help her. Nick slips a third finger inside her and her fingers dig into his scalp. It's good. It's not as good as his cock, but it'll get her there. Nick leans down, suckiing her clit, lapping and sucking hard and fucking her with his fingers.

June opens her eyes, feeling herself start to build. Her orgasms with Nick were always very overwhelming. She could tell already she was gonna cry with this one. Her hand leaves his curls, gripping his forearm.

Nick reaches up between her breasts, letting her hold his hand. She does, she takes his hand in hers, squeezing as a mind bending orgasm shatters through her. All she can see is his perfect black pompadour, framed by her thighs, and those dark, smoldering eyes, watching her come undone.