#this writer is too powerful to be kept alive

[lixiesfreckless]

okay…it’s been like, a month? and I finally found the words to say regarding this series at [checks watch] 12:56 in the morning. do I have to be up in six hours to drive two hours to watch the World Cup Finale with the dads side of my family? yes, yes I do. but somehow, this is more important than any sleep I may or may not get tonight.

this series is a fucking masterpiece.

I feel like the best way to preface this is to mention that I started reading it in the middle of the day at some point last month, took a break to do something with my family, played jackbox games with my friends, and at 2 in the morning when we finished, CAME BACK to the series despite needing to wake up early the next morning. I was still up on part 3 at 3:30 in the morning. and then the next day, I called one of my best friends and had her start and finish it over a video call, where I also finished it. and the whole time we were sending each other screenshots of killer lines and screaming into the void over subtle facial expressions. and it takes one hell of a story to make me feel so inclined to share it with someone else and sit on a video call, completely silent while we devour it. it was just that good. I’m completely baffled by the characterization, the plot line, the SETTING, the premise, EVERYTHING, and I was so blown away that I swear, I try to avoid using curse words, but holy fucking shit how do you come up with a story THIS good.

I would like to take this time to highlight some of my favorite moments, and although I’m not directly quoting them because I’d need to find them, not only am I lazy, but I would actually just really like to reread this story and write down the quotes that had me screaming into my pillow later sooooo

SPOILERS AHEAD

Changbin’s initial character is so unreadable that it is in fact, as intriguing as the main character describes him to be

I have always loved the way my favorite writers wrote changbin, including myself. it feels kind of weird to reference shrek in a tumblr fic review about stray kids, but I feel like the line “ogres have layers” really fits here. he’s such a layered person in real life that it’s kind of hard to capture his essence in writing, which is why I feel like he kind of falls short in a lot of fics I read but HERE? not only did you capture him so accurately, you made him your own by being kind of standoffish and kind of a prick at the beginning of the story, and I LOVED it. the thought of making him and the main character so up in arms with each other, without really giving context as to why only makes their backstory all the more intriguing when you see them fall for each other. it makes you wonder how it all went wrong. why do they hate each other now? what the hell happened in Paris(no really I kept asking my best friend this as I was reading through it)(also I can’t remember if it was Paris or Italy)? and it just hits even harder when you start to see his softer side, like how he tells Felix to ask if the main character got home okay. THAT REALLY GOT TO ME. it was one of those “gotcha” moments when you smugly look at the imaginary camera, breaking the fourth wall, and whisper “I knew they still cared” like COME ONNNNNN. that was so good. of course his character arc is amazing but I just had to rant about him at the beginning of the story.

Felix is unreasonably amazing and had me wondering for a hot minute whether he was the main male lead or Changbin because I kept switching lanes

it was almost criminal that Felix didn’t get a potential love interest until the END of the story. his character in this entire fic was just so likeable. this is probably the best “best friend” portrayal I’ve ever seen in a stray kids fanfic, hell, maybe in any fanfic I’ve ever read. he is just so genuinely sweet, and funny, and hardworking, and he deserves so much that I was half wishing that the main character would hook up with him JUST because I wanted to see him happy for a moment in time even if I knew it would only hurt the plot. I JUST REALLY LOVE FELIX OKAY AND I WANNA SEE HIM HAPPY [sobs in a corner]. that being said, his absolute best line in the whole fic, is when he catches Bin and the main character arguing outside of Minho’s party. when he threatens them by telling them to “sort their shit out” or he’ll never speak to either of them again??? I read that part, put my ipad down, and had to just PONDER how such a short scene of a longfic left such an impact on me. because those are actually high stakes! Felix is the main characters best friend who has done NOTHING wrong essentially, and has only put his resentment for his brother aside because he was making her happy! and things were finally starting to go well, and then they both couldn’t pull their heads out of their asses and needed to set things straight and WHO ELSE in the story could have made a threat that was genuinely so chilling, that it might make them actually get their act together? none other than Felix, the mvp, the goat, the W character, just gosh he’s a real gem and I’m so glad you portrayed him this well. standing ovation for him ALONE.

Jisung is just such a good supporting character gosh how did you do this

to be honest, I loved all of the characters in this fic, and I could write essays about each of them, but it’s currently 1:23 in the morning so I’ll keep this one brief. the one scene that really sticks out to me with him in it is around the time that the main character gets invited to Minho’s party, and she asks jisung if Minho acts differently around her compared to other members of the kitchen. and there’s just this very subtle scene where she’s like “is he flirting with me?” and jisung just goes “do you want what I’d think or what’s really happening” and when you pick the latter, his smile fades a little and he just says “he’s definitely flirting with you.” HOW. HOW DOES THIS SCENE SO EASILY CONVEY SO MANY DEEPER PROBLEMS CONCERNING THE COMPLICATED RELATIONSHIP JISUNG HAS WITH ALL OF THE MORE “PROMINENT CHARACTERS??? on one hand, he SAW the main character and Bin’s complicated love arc and wants them to be happy not only for their sake, but for the cohesion of the kitchen. and on the other, he’s OBVIOUSLY grown close to Minho, thanks to the short scene where it’s mentioned that Minho has cooked him lunch before. and he would definitely want to see Minho happy. and Minho is obviously a good guy that is kind of just being led on by the main character which kind of sucks but it’s sort of justified by her and Changbin being such cowards when it comes to defining the relationship and UGH THIS FIC IS SO GOOD I HAVE PRACTICALLY NO ISSUES WITH IT

okay I’m kidding. the ONLY gripe I have with this fic that I would love to see a short film adaptation for, is that Hyunjin appears so close to the ending that he’s not essential to the plot, and that if you removed him, it wouldn’t do much😭 and it almost looks like he was only added so every member would make a cameo, WHICH IS TOTALLY REASONABLE BECAUSE THATS ABSOLUTELY SOMETHING I WOULD DO AND HAVE DONE BEFORE AND NOT ALL CHARACTERS OR CAMEOS HAVE TO BE ANYTHING SPECIAL AT ALL, and to be honest…I’m only sad because he’s my ult bias. like I KNEW he’d eventually show up in this fic, and when the painter was mentioned I KNEW it would be him, and his scene at the end is ADORABLE AND YOU MADE HIM LOOK SO CUTE, but the HWANGER in me made me wish he was a bit more relevant to the overall story.

and yeah. that’s literally the only thing wrong with the story, and it’s not even REALLY wrong, it’s just me being Hyunjin’s slut fr. and me nitpicking because this story is so goddamn good, there’s no way that the only flaw I can find isn’t really even a flaw at all HOW DID YOU WRITE THIS

and oh my gosh, don’t even get me started on their first kiss scene or the scene where they were playing cards or the pool scene or the bj scene in the kitchen or the maple(?) tree or the fireplace scene or the way the story was constructed where their love story and love reconnection story are being presented to us at the same time and is both heart wrenching and heartwarming to read in this format or how it was really cute how Jeongin was actually the main characters first time and it kind of makes a comeback but not really but it was really sweet the more that I thought about it or how we were canonically related to Seungmin or how Minho is actually such a sweet character and it’s almost kind of sad how the main character was preoccupied with Bin because he really did deserve a lot or how Chan is LITERALLY OPENING HIS OWN RESTAURANT IN THE END, WHAT IN THE RATATOUILLE IS THIS or how this is kind of my new favorite tumblr fic, and I hope you could tell that from how long of a review this was.

it’s a masterpiece. I haven’t even touched your other series because of how afraid I am of how they could affect me and the way that I structure my own stories. this feels like a “she was insane for this” but it’s literally just you writing something so amazing that if I wrote it??? it would literally be my legacy. my magnum opus. my peak. and for you I can’t even say if that’s true or not because I read falling rain and it wrecked me for DAYS on end. I should probably make a lengthy review on that fic because good golly gee whiz that one just attacked my very SOUL, and that was just a oneshot. you’re literally amazing at your craft and my gosh it’s 1:52 I’m gonna shut up

expect another review after I revisit this fic during Christmas break, but until then, thank you thank you THANK YOU for blessing us with this piece of fiction, and I have so much more to say about it, but until then

stay gold,

-bubbles

be my mistake

be my mistake — series masterlist  [ playlist ] [ back to general masterlist ] status: complete

this series (and this blog) are 18+ !! minors, please do not interact!!

• changbin x female reader, other stray kids members are featured, changbin and felix are brothers, felix is the mc’s best friend.

• non idol au, multiple timelines (past and present), slow burn, past relationship, best friend’s brother trope, exes to lovers, mcs hold grudges. a lot of guilt and a lot of fluff. 

• word count: 60k (60,215) 

• content: angst (a lot of it). strong language. drinking. trauma. mutual pining. smut (lots of building). fluff. mentions of depression, financial trouble, family issues. contains a scene of harassment (part two). each chapter will have its own warnings.

You’re delighted - you’ve finally found yourself a new job at a local restaurant. It’s everything you need, but when you meet the rest of the staff, you find out the head chef is your ex, Seo Changbin. What was supposed to be easy becomes very, very complicated. As you are both confronted with a forced reunion, you remember meeting him. Getting to know him. Falling in love with him. Him, your best friend’s brother. You’ve spent the past years convincing yourself you’ve moved on - but you haven’t, and neither has he.

• taglist: @tanyas97 ; @ughbehavior ; @softandfluffy ; @changbinluvr ; @bitchoftomorrow​ ; @babybabydoll ; @hyuneater​  ; @ipegchangbin​ ; @valreadsfics​ ; @i-say-choco-you-say-ice-cream​

• author’s note: Hi!! Welcome to this story. I’m glad you are here. Don’t hesitate to send me a message or to ask any questions. I hope you will like what I write. Take care of yourself! 

• part one: you, and a sunrise • part two: you, and a drive home • part three: you, and a whisper • part four: you, and blueberry pancakes • part five: you, and going back • part six: you, and the maple tree • part seven: you, and me

I’m hoping to publish some drabbles if it interests you. Thank you so much for reading ♡

[fromevertonow]

Suzanne Collins is one of the few contemporary writers who realizes the importance of names in her stories and the significance they bear. They add so many layers to the story, additional meanings that otherwise would not have existed.

The original trilogy:

Katniss: named after a plant of which you can eat the roots. Her father taught her where to find it and told her that “as long as you can find yourself, you’ll survive” (quote may be a little bit off, but it’s from one of the early chapters in THG). Additionally, the leaves are in the shape of an arrowhead, referencing her skills with the bow which her father also taught her how to use.

Peeta: literally bread lmao. But bread is one of the basic nutritions humans need, a little bit goes a long way to keep you alive. Peeta’s presence in Katniss’s life also kept her alive, literally and figuratively—the burned bread he threw her in the flashback and their complicated relationship.

Primrose: a plant with medicinal purposes, even more significant in light of her work as a medic in Mockingjay.

Gale: literally means “strong wind” and considering that in every encounter with Katniss he’s caused some reaction, he pulls her into directions she maybe initially doesn’t want to go in. Additionally, his name also represents his determination and steadfastness in his beliefs.

TBOSAS

Lucy Gray: named after William Wordsworth’s poem “Lucy Gray” which is about the titular character of the poem who got lost during a blizzard. She literally got lost in snow. Rachel Zegler sang this poem in two parts on the original soundtrack of the movie. When Snow asked who the girl in the song is, Lucy answers that she’s a mystery, just like her.

Snow: aside from the obvious snow references, I think his name is most significant in relation to Lucy and the poem. The only one who knows what caused her disappearance is Snow. He is the reason that Lucy is gone. But her traces in the snow are still visible. He will always remember her because the memory of Lucy has manifested itself in every part of his life.

Coriolanus: named after the Roman general (and also the titular character of Shakespeare’s play), Coriolanus wanted to attack Rome and become its ruler. He was scorned and celebrated by the people, only to be later exiled from the city by them. In TBOSAS, Coriolanus is the star pupil at the Capitol’s academy but sent into exile to the districts after he won the Games with Lucy through cheating.

Volumnia: Coriolanus mother who played a part in his ascent to power. In TBOSAS, she almost serves like a mentor to Coriolanus, teaching him how to think in terms of power.

(Edit) Sejanus: a roman soldier who was betrayed by the roman emperor Tiberius, just like the future president betrayed him.

(Edit) Plinth: got this info from here, but it was too good not to include here. A plinth is a base for a statue or vase to stand on. After Sejanus’s death, all of the Plinth fortune was given to Snow for being such a good to friend him. It was this money that skyrocketed the Snow family from poverty to filthy rich. The Plinth money was the foundation upon which Snow built his power.

There are so many other names that have historical (mostly Roman and Greek) connotations—Plutarch, Seneca, Cinna—but also regular names like Trinket and Beetee bear meanings that represent the character beautifully.

Names are important. For any lover of literature or (aspiring) writers, please look closely at them. They can shape your story into something unique.

Feel free to correct me if I’ve said something wrong. I know there are many names missing, but I can only add so many examples ✊🏻😔

[the-breath-in-air]

Okay Galadriel's whole situation in the first episode of season 2 of Rings of Power makes no sense to me. For the entirety of season 1 Galadriel was trying to convince everyone that Sauron's alive...and no one would believe her. And now suddenly in season 2 she's suddenly supposedly unable to trust herself around Halbrand because he deceived her once. But, like, he deceived Elrond too? Literally everyone trusted him at least to some extent. But somehow it's Galadriel who's brought ruin to Middle Earth by not catching that Halbrand was Sauron when literally...no one did?

Like, wtf? A second ago Gil-galad and Elrond were about to bring ruin to Middle Earth by refusing to believe Sauron's back...now suddenly it's Galadriel's fault she was deceived by an enemy that the rest of you kept telling her wasn't there?!

ETA: To the folks replying with explanations of why Galadriel feels guilty or how she was seduced by him, thanks but that's not quite where my point of frustration lies. Like when I say it makes no sense I mean like, as a story. Like, it's more about the weird self-righteousness of Elrond and Gil-galad as compared to Galadriel's guilt, given all the ways Elrond and Gil-galad were also wrong. And the fact that self-righteousness is unspoken by Galadriel. Like, at no point in all the arguments about the Three Rings did Galadriel bring up the fact that we was right before about Sauron being alive so maybe Gil-galad should listen to her because last time when he didnt, it all got fucked. But it doesnt feel like its deliberately unspoken...it feels like the writers just decided not to have any character bring it up. (At least not in the first 3 eps of season 2...I havent watched the rest yet)

[lazycatwriter1]

Azul x fem reader 

Little mermaid Fantasy au  

Summary: Azul fell in love with the reader who is a princess and Azul becomes a human to meet the reader and just being pretty cute stuff and not very serious 🩷

Genre :fluff 

Notes: probably not very good and it was just for a little fun since I have been in writer’s block for months and probably some grammar mistakes and I did Half asleep soo sorry if it’s bad 🫶🫶

Azul has been interested in land for a while now just imagine all the more business opportunities on land and more deals he could make. So of course he was interested in land. 

But he never thought he would be so interested in a human for a completely different reason than why he was interested in land . 

You were the human he was interested in. The princess of the powerful royal family . But he was not only interested because of the fact you were royalty. He had another reason, fell in love with you. 

He didn’t know why he liked you so much. He didn’t want to fall in love with anyone. He was coming with a plan for you to make a deal with him. But somehow he fell for you. He was watching you for a while to try to come up with a deal but something about you made him more interested then just making a deal with you.

One day you were on a boat sailing on the sea. You are having a great time as you look out to the Beautiful sea with a big smile on your face. You watch the waves of the sea and you find the sea beautiful. undisclosed to you Azul was watching you and daydreaming about you. Even though he would deny it. 

He watches you with a big smile on your face as you look across the ocean. You looked so happy it made him happy to see you with a smile on your face. It made his heart flutter for some reason. 

But then, eventually the blue sky turned gray,the winds started to pick up and the waves began to become bigger. A big storm was starting. The strong winds were so intense it knocked you down to the ground of the ship. 

You tried to pick yourself up and you grabbed onto the boat. You were trying not to let go but another gust of wind caused you to let go of the boat and caused you to stumble backwards and fall off the railing on the edge boat. 

You hit the water with a big splash. You tried to swim to the surface but you couldn't because the waves were too strong for you to keep your head above the water. Your vision started to blur and you began to become tired from trying to stay above the water. You couldn’t keep your eyes anymore or struggle and you started to sink. 

Before you passed out you felt someone wrapped their arms around you trying to see who it was but you passed out before you could see. Of  course it was Azul who was saving you from drowning.

Azul pulled you up to shore and laid you against the sand. He up his ear to your chest to see if you’re still breathing. You were still breathing. “Thank goodness” He said relieved

He stared at your face Looking closely. You were breathtakingly beautiful, he thought. He touched your face slightly. Your eyes open slightly and you only see a very blurry view of him only making out his silver hair. Before you get a better look at him a noise from the distance causes him to be surprised and disappear from your view. 

The noise in the distance came closer and you could make people calling your name. You finally slowly sat from the sand as you coughed up water. You looked around for the man you saw but you didn’t see him.

The people who called for you came up to you.  You recognized them from people who worked at the Castle. They had very relieved looks on their faces and they kept saying how thankful that they found you alive and that they need you to quickly come back to the castle so you can be warmed up since you were in freezing cold water. 

As you walked back you couldn’t stop thinking about the man who saved you. Who was he? Why did he run away? Will you see him again? You want to at least thank him since he saved your life. 

[little-diable]

Kinktober Day 31 – Dean Winchester

And now Kinktober is over once again, it passed by way too quickly! Please like and reblog if you enjoyed reading this, your comments keep us writers motivated. Enjoy my loves. xxx

🩶 Day 31 🩶 knife

Warnings: 18+, piv, shower, blood, use of a knife (duh)

Dean Winchester x fem!reader (1.2k words)

header by @deathofpeaceofmind

My Kinktober Masterlist

She was heavily panting, eyes focused on Dean’s bloody features. He was breathing just as heavily as she was, still shaken up by their somewhat successful hunt. While Sammy had stayed behind, (y/n) and Dean had decided to hunt a vampire down, preparing to fight against a nest of creatures both detested. And even though both had made it out alive, neither of them felt like they’d succeeded, unable to put their thoughts into words. 

The lamp of the motel bathroom alighted both their features, giving one another the chance to study their partner, trying to find wounds they’d need to take care of before sleeping this very night away. Dean took a step closer, hand still wrapped around his knife. She didn’t dare move, teeth running along her lower lip, trying to stay quiet as Dean pressed his front against hers. 

With his cold hand finding her chin, he forced (y/n) to look at him, pressing his lips against hers. A moan rumbled through the both of them, searching one another’s closeness, desperate for this kind of distraction. Dean pushed her against the sink, lips kissing their way down her neck as her fingers got to work, unbuttoning his bloody flannel, exposing his toned arms, a sight that would always leave her trembling for more. 

“I hate seeing you getting hurt, fuck, I wanted to kill them all, make them pay for touching you.” His voice dripped with possessiveness, forest green eyes turning a shade darker. (Y/n) could only hum, watching his hand move closer with the knife pushed against the neckline of her shirt. Dean didn’t speak another warning before he cut the fabric in half, making her breath hitch in her chest. No further word left her, feeling the tip of the blade pressing into her skin, tracing its way down the valley between her breasts. “Take off your bra, baby, let me look at you.” 

Trembling hands undid her bra, groaning as the cold knife was pressed against her hardening nipples, while his eyes kept searching hers, watching every reaction that tugged on her features. She was putty in his hands, would do whatever Dean asked of her, one with the man who owned her heart, one with the man she’d live through hundreds of lifetimes if she only could. 

His tongue darted out to wet his lips while his eyes flickered down to his knife, cupping her left breast with his free hand. Her moans guided him on, tracing the path down to her belly, slightly digging the knife into her skin without drawing any blood. Dean couldn’t help but feel powerful, guided on by the feeling of owning (y/n), knowing that he could do as he pleases, she’d allow it all. 

“Dean,” his name rolled off her tongue like a prayer, hoping that the Lord above would pick up on her begging. “I need you, please let me feel you.” 

Another fast kiss was pressed against her lips, a kiss that distracted her from the feeling of the knife being moved up her body, finding its way to her neck. Her blood was rushing, senses heightened, very well knowing that even though this was nothing but a game, Dean could easily end their time together right there and then. He parted from her with a grin, hand finding her waist to turn her towards the sink, eyes finding hers in the mirror. 

“I would burn earth to the ground for you, sweetheart.” His murmured words left her whimpering, watching Dean trace her skin with the knife, finding joy in the goosebumps littering her body. Their hearts roared in sync, begging one another to find solace in their company, to find their way together in the most intimate way imaginable. Without another warning Dean parted from her, with the knife finding its way to the sink and his hands pulling his shirt over his head. 

No words were spoken as he turned on the shower, watching her undress with trembling movements, stepping into the shower with Dean following moments later. Their lips found back together like magnets searching opposite poles, pushing her against the shower tiles before his fingers found her pulsing clit. 

“Don’t tease, Dean, fuck me.” Her whispers were swallowed by the hot water cascading down his back, washing away the reminders of their hunt, allowing them to forget about what had happened these past hours. The way he looked down on her made her wonder if anybody else had ever been fortunate enough to experience this kind of love, a love so sincere, so honest it left (y/n) breathless. She wrapped her arms around his neck as Dean lifted one of her legs up to his waist, allowing him to align his cock with her entrance. 

“I love you,” he spoke the loving three words, cock slowly pushed into her tightness, groaning at the feeling of her walls clenching around him. He fucked her slow, gave her enough time to adjust to the calm rhythm, to the feeling of Dean pulling out of her only to push in deeper. 

The moans leaving them echoed through the small bathroom, somewhat swallowed by the shower and yet they were loud enough to communicate with one another. The second their eyes met, Dean added more force to his thrusts, tightening his hold on her leg as his other palm was pressed against the tiles. 

Dean’s thrusts turned into something rather brutal, urged on by (y/n)’s pants, by the feeling of her walls fluttering around his aching cock, by the feeling of her nails scratching at his shoulders. A moment so raw, so perfect, Dean couldn’t help but thank his lucky stars for pushing them together all these years ago. He perfectly managed to hit her sweet spot, pushing her closer and closer to the edge, riled up by all his teasing. 

“Fuck, Dean, don’t you dare stop.” She could only hope that he wouldn’t tease her again, that he would push her over the edge within the next moments. One of her hands found her clit, rubbing the sensitive bundle with quick circles, set on matching his ferocious thrusts. Dean’s groans buzzed through her body, making her moan in sync as she felt the knot growing tighter, set on letting go. 

With a string of curses leaving both, they came in unison, making her feel his cum painting her walls white, leaving his stain on her. 

“You okay, baby?” (Y/n) could only nod, pulling Dean in for another kiss before she allowed him to pull away, finally getting to washing her, taking care of the woman he’d eventually marry, set on loving her till the end of their time together.

[void-ink-studios]

Wrath of the Wishmaster

You asked, you shall receive.

Thanks for helping me clear my writer's block. I might write more scenes that happened prior to this, but enjoy what's here for now! Might post to AO3 later, who knows?

Enjoy babes!

Word count: 2,500

There were many things Scarab did not understand about the Wishmaster, Prismo.  Many… Many things.

Why did an all powerful being decide to spend its eternity making pickles and writing fan fiction of the universes he observed?  Why, of all things to add to the featureless Time Cube, was there a hot tub?

And why, above all, did he tolerate all of Scarab's... strangeness?

Because no one liked bugs.

That was the lesson Scarab had learned in his eons of existence.

No one liked bugs.  At least, not the kind of bug he was.

Of course, people like butterflies.  They liked to watch the pretty and dainty little things as they flutter along.  But only from a distance.  People still recoiled if they got a good look at their face.  Or anything that reminded them that they’re bugs, and not just living little splashes of color.

And Scarab was no butterfly.

He was a beetle.  Was?  Is?  He wasn’t sure anymore.  So much of himself had changed since he first emerged from his burrow.

And yet, there was Prismo, calling his little chirps and trills "cute." Encouraging him to find places in the Time Room to burrow and hide and crawl.

There was Prismo, who didn't recoil at the site of his real face. Who saw his strange mouth and eyes and decided to kiss it all over, rather than hide it behind his mask again.

So no, he did not understand many of how Prismo operated. But Scarab was not about to complain. He felt more alive in his own shell than he has in eons. He kept his mask off more often than on these days. His hidden arms had seen more exercise than ever before. He was starting to remember the strange language of chirps and trills and buzzes from his old home.

Of course, there were still bad days. Days where he had to sit still and stare at something stationary just to remember what direction was up. Days where he crawled away into one of his hidden nooks to tremble out of sight.

He had been reluctant to let Prismo in on those days, at first. He held up walls and scooted away and flinched enough to get the Wishmaster to back off for quite a while.

But, as he came back into contact with himself, and as Prismo called him beautiful and quirky, rather than disgusting and unsettling, the walls came down.

He wasn't ready to tell him what happened to his antenna and wings. But, Prismo was at least there to turn the screen wall to something calming. Or to rub his aching back and shoulders on days where he could do little else but shake.

It was... nice. He hesitated to call it wonderful, but it really was. Much better than a bug deserved, but he was not about to remind Prismo of that.

No, he had Orbo to do that for him.

He knew he had grown far too comfortable with Prismo when he heard the orb roll into the Time Room, loudly calling for his buddy the Wishmaster. Who was not currently there, but instead tending to his pickles for the moment. He trusted Scarab to watch the main room for any wishers, which he had been doing diligently from his perch on the ceiling.

Scarab froze, stuck to the ceiling like he was pinned there.

Maybe if I don't move, he won't notice I'm here.

It was a nice thought. But when had the universe been nice to him before?

"Uhm... Scarab? Mate? Whatcha doing up there? I thought we cleared up a while back that that creeped people out."

Scarab stayed silent as he crawled back down the wall. He ignored the way Orbo visibly shivered at his method of locomotion, standing at attention once his feet touched the floor.

He unconsciously made a nervous, light buzzing sound, his mouth parts clicking together as the orb stared at him like a disection project.

"So, what's all this then? You think just because Prismo's not here, you can do whatever you want? I thought we talked about this forever ago, Scrabs. You might be just a bug, but you got raised to the pantheon. You gotta act like it."

Orbo rolled to look around the Time Room. Scarab reached gingerly for the remote, trying to alert Prismo to their visitor.

"Seriously, I still feel bad enough for Prismo to get stuck looking at you when you were at your best. If he's stuck with you, it's the least you could do to not creep the guy out. That's not how you show appreciation, Scrabs."

Scarab tried to tune it out. He wasn't creepy, not to Prismo, Prismo called him beautiful, insect traits and all. Orbo swung around to look at him, now noticing his face.

"Where's your mask, man? No one wants to see the horror show your kind calls a mouth. It's bad enough when we have to watch you eat, you can at least put the rest of it away."

Scarab felt small. Tiny. Just like he did when he first met Orbo, who took one look at him, and decided he wasn't meant for the glittery Judgement Hall. He barely even noticed when he shuffled the plates back over his face.

"Much better. So, where's Prismo then? Not like I came all this way to talk to you, right?"

Orbo laughed. Scarab didn't. He just kept his eyes trained to the floor, still quietly chirping to steady his nerves. His world started to feel tilted. What he wouldn't do for his cane right now.

"Cut it with the noise, mate. It's like you've forgotten you're a god or something. You want to go back to the dirt? Is that it? I can talk to Boss for you, if that's what you want."

"...No. That won't be necessary."

"That's what I thought. Now, where in Glob's name- Oh, Prismo! Buddy, there you are!"

Scarab didn't look up to acknowledge the Wishmaster's presence. He felt so tiny. Just like a gross little bug pinned to the wall.

"...What are you doing here, Orbo?"

That made Scarab look up. Prismo's tone. All the warmth had been sucked out of his voice. There was an edge to it. One that the beetle had never heard before, not even during the whole Fionna and Cake disaster.

"Aw, mate, can't I just come check on my good buddy? It's been ages since your last party, man. Us at the office are just itching to groove again. We'd love to see you!"

Prismo's expression was unreadable. Scarab wasn't used to not being able to read the Wishmaster, he was usually an open book. The blue eye shifted between Orbo and Scarab subtly.

"Just haven't been in the partying mood, Orbo. I've been having some friends over for board games, I guess, but I'm not planning on a party any time soon."

The star core seemed to catch Prismo's shifting glance, turning his attention back to Scarab. The beetle stood ramrod straight. Partially to not draw attention to himself and partially to prevent his body from shaking on uncertain legs.

"Oh. Prismo, buddy, why didn't you say anything sooner?" Orbo rolled back over to Scarab, smirking.

"Say what sooner?"

"That this dude was killing the vibe in here! I mean, I totally get it, I wouldn't want a party either if that was lurking in my place somewhere."

Prismo's expression hardened.

"Scarab's not 'killing the vibe' Orbo. He's been nice to have around, he plays board games with me, Cos, and Death."

Orbo rolled his eyes.

"Prismo, you're cool. You don't have to keep it quiet for his sake. Just say the word and I'll find something else to do with him. It's not the first time he failed to learn a lesson."

"I'm not keeping anything quiet. I like having him around. He's actually pretty cool when he's got the space outside of work, and you're being, like, really uncool, Orbo."

Scarab was stunned. He'd been the only one to ever really talk back to Orbo. He'd never expect someone to do it on his behalf.

"What? Me, uncool? Pris, c'mon, mate. You're allowed to say he's creepy, we all know it. He's a bug. You know, those little creepy crawlies? I thought I trained most of the creepy stuff out of him by now. I know you're everybody's buddy, but you really need to make sure the lesson stays in his head if you don't want him weirding you out. Like, I came in here and he was on the ceiling! Looked like a ghost or something. And without his mask! I thought I made it clear his face is a horror show. Thank Glob I got him to put it back on before you had to see it, bud. It's a real doozy, I'll tell ya."

The beetle wasn't looking at Orbo anymore. No, he was watching the growing horror on Prismo's face. Horror not directed at him for once.

"Dude, Scarab's not that bad. A bit uptight when he's stressed, but still a pretty cool dude. Why should he have to hide so much? This is the Time Room, you're supposed to relax in here."

"Oh, Prismo, you sweet dream child. Scarab's not cool. He's not like us, you know?"

"Like us?"

"Buddy, you're the dream of one of the greatest living wizards in the multiverse! I'm the core of a collapsed magic star! That's where gods like us are supposed to come from! Scarab though? He's just a bug. A creepy crawly cockroach that somehow made it up from the dirt he's meant for."

"Didn't he manage to take down a galactic level threat that you couldn't catch?"

"He got lucky." Orbo looked annoyed. That usually ended well for no one. "Knew I should've finished his punishment before he came here..."

"I thought this was his punishment."

"Oh, no, I'm talking about his punishment for trying to start a revolt. Went over my head to the Boss! All over that nonsense with that unauthorized universe of yours. I was gonna take his legs. Maybe should've pulled out his other arms as well. I still can, if you wanted me to, mate."

The silence in the Time Room was deafening. Scarab has seen a lot of expressions on the Wishmaster's face. Contentment, sadness, boredom, amusement, joy, frustration, all of it.

But he had never seen rage. Not until now, anyway.

"What?"

Orbo seemed to completely miss the change in atmosphere, as he carried on just as before. "Oh yeah, it seems to be the only way he actually learns. Thought the antenna would be enough, but nooo, Mr. Buggy Bigshot still thought himself better. I really thought the thing with the wings would've gotten through to him, but I guess not."

The lights in the Time Room went out. Not even the stars from the void outside shed much light into the cube. Scarab never thought he'd miss the sickeningly bright yellow of the Time Cube, but he's permanently paint his shell its color if it would turn the lights back on.

"You. Did. WHAT?"

There was a guttural hiss coming from where Prismo once was. Blue what replaced by a bright purplish pink, staring down at Orbo and Scarab. A friendly smile was replaced with jagged teeth. Fingers replaced with claws. And a growl rumbled through the cube.

Scarab didn't think. Just acted. He opened himself a passage into the lower levels of the Time Room, scurrying in as fast as his legs could carry him. He could faintly hear Orbo yelling after him, but he ignored it completely. The adrenaline let him ignore the pain, ignore the feeling of constantly tipping over. All his instincts told him was run and hide.

He crammed himself into one of his many makeshift burrows, backing as far into the hole as possible.

Prismo was angry, he knew that much. Anger meant pain. Anger meant he'd lose another piece of himself. What would it be this time, he wondered.

It didn't matter he knew Prismo would never hurt him. It didn't matter he knew he probably couldn't be hurt like that while in this form. All he knew was to curl up and hide.

And so he did.

He shook, in fear and pain, and waited. For what, he wasn't sure. But he didn't dare come out of his cubby.

So he waited.

He didn't know how long it was until he felt the familiar tingle of light against his back. He flinched, a frightened trill falling unwillingly from his throat.

"...Scarab? Sweetheart, are you there?"

...At least he sounded like Prismo again...

"...Yes... Yes, I'm here."

"Good, good. I... I'm sorry you had to see me like that. I don't like what I am when I'm like that but... What Orbo was saying... Your wings..."

Scarab felt his elytra twitch under Prismo's touch. The ragged scraps of wings shivered as well, as the beetle sighed out a soft little chirp.

"...It is the way of things, Prismo... Orbo is not the only one with thoughts like that. It's what I've been taught for eons. No one likes bugs, after all."

There was a long silence after that. Prismo was looking at him with a sad calmness. He reached his other arm into the hole, petting a hand over the parts of his face he could reach under the mask. The bug shivered pitifully into the touch, trying and failing to resist the urge to lean into it.

"...You deserve better, Scrabby."

That's what did it. That's what broke the dam.

Scarab wept into Prismo's hand, shaking hard enough to make his carapace rattle.

"Shh... It's okay, honey... Can you come out here?"

It was slow. Almost painfully so. But he managed to peek his head out of his hiding spot. The Wishmaster gave him a kind smile, if not a sad one.

"Can you let me see you, beautiful?"

Scarab hesitated. Orbo's words echoed in his head, loudly, cruelly.

"...I'm not pleasant to look at, Prismo... Much less beautiful..."

"Nope. Not true, Scrabby. C'mon. Let me see that pretty face of yours."

"Prismo..."

"Please, Scarab?"

The beetle sighed. His face plates shivered again, tucking behind his head. His eyes stared, wide and wet at the Wishmaster. A soft kiss was planted on his forehead.

"There we go. Much better."

Scarab refused to start bawling again. Instead, he climbed the rest of the way out of his burrow to curl against Prismo's chest.

"You don't have to worry about Orbo anymore, by the way. He won't be coming back. Not for a few eons, at least."

Scarab didn't choose to question it. Not right now at least. Instead, he closed his eyes as Prismo's hand pet gently over his aching back, the beetle unconsciously opening up the elytra. The dream's hands were always careful when working around his sorry wings. They made the ache go away.

Scarab began chirping. Softly, at first. But it slowly grew, morphing into a simple, but filling cricket song. He heard Prismo softly join in with a light humming.

He might've been just a bug.

But it turns out at least one person likes bugs after all.

[buffyfan145]

The s2 "Rings of Power" finale was great!!! 😀 A lot happened that I expected, and actually was leaked again, but still had some surprises too. Overall, I really enjoyed the season and what we got, including for Haladriel. All the spoilery things behind a cut, but also we're getting great interviews with the cast/writers now too with more insight, especially from Charlie, and about s3 and I'm so excited for that even if we likely have to wait 2 years again. LOL But so much to talk about.

Have to start with Haladriel and honestly I'm totally fine with what we got. I know wanted more but again I had low expectations for the season and we got so much more than I expected. This finale did confirm to me that Sauron does love her, but it's now twisted like a lot of other enemies to lovers ships. They had him tell her back in Halbrand form that again he didn't lie about everything and that what he felt and they had was real. He also again told her about how they do have things in common and she felt it too. Then about how he was going to have her as queen and that he was going to serve her had she said yes. Also being happy to see Nenya and how beautiful it was, even though like an angry ex-fiance/husband he wanted it back. LOL Seems to confirm that in the show he and Celebrimbor designed it for her. Then even though he stabbed her with the crown it was in the shoulder and he even told her he didn't want to kill her. I'm also certain he helped slow her fall (which was part of a now true leak a few days ago about Galadriel jumping and Gil Galad & Elrond healing her) as he was shocked she jumped off the cliff and a fall from that height would've killed her instantly. They showed mostly her falling and didn't show him after he first reached for her, so that seems intentional.

Plus, I agree with others that she likely isn't fully healed from Morgoth's crown stab wound either and that it'll connect her further to Sauron. I noticed she kept touching it and was still weak and recovering. And we got to see Sauron talking with her telepathically now too. Charlie also in interviews this morning brought up how there will be more with Sauron and Galadriel too and that he never wanted her dead. We all knows this fits with the books too and he never stops trying to contact her and see her till the One Ring is destroyed by Frodo, so we're going to get more and show that this is one of the big dynamics of shows.

Also loved seeing Morfydd and Charlie hug and laugh in that bts video after the episode aired too. Those scenes had to have been hard to film, and with Charles Edwards too.

Still so sad about Celebrimbor even though I knew it was coming from the books. Loved though that he foresaw about Frodo too and the One Ring being Sauron's downfall, including that he would never go to Valinor again and being a prisoner in Middle Earth as that is exactly what happened as he's supposedly still stuck as a formless spirit to this day for those that think Middle Earth turned into our world. Really hope at least both the Charlies get Emmy awards as they deserve it.

Very happy they finally confirmed that The Stranger is Gandalf!!! 😀 I figured he was this whole time and now it's finally out there. Curious what will happen for him next and for Nori, as I saw the writers say she'll be on her own journey in s3 too. They writers also confirmed now The Dark Wizard is not Saruman, so he's likely the first Blue Wizard that went evil. So likely Saruman, Radagast, and the 2nd Blue will show up too.

Then happy Arondir is still alive, Elrond realized the rings are good, and the elves founded Imladris/Rivendell and are starting the war on Sauron. Also loved Isildur and Estrid kissed, and that was the most passionate kiss I've ever seen on the show so far. Was hoping Elendil and Miriel would kiss too but loved she gave him Narsil, and he's on his way to find his other son Anarion, who I still wonder if Tom Taylor is playing as his agency is still tagging him on posts and maybe the show cut his scenes till s3. Adar's death was so well done too and I'm glad Nenya healed him too and he was able to reconcile with Galadriel before that. Loved Durin III realized the rings were bad too and went after the balrog to save the others. Now Durin IV is king and his brother is coming to dispute it, which might be another reason they hired a writer from "The Crown" for s3.

I can't wait for s3 and already have seen Charlie teasing that him giving out the 9 is the main storyline for him. I still think he'll switch back to Halbrand or a more regal form of him to recruit the 9 men to his side. He also teased about making the One Ring but isn't sure yet when that happens and if it happens before Sauron goes to Numenor or after. And we know Numenor will be a huge part now that Isildur is going back and Elendil & Anarion will lead the Faithful. Hoping too Galadriel gets more screentime too and Morfydd's schedule is clear so her other projects don't interfere like this time, and since there is a gap in her storyline in the books that the show could add to. And I've got some fics ideas and I'm sure we'll get a lot of fan content till it's finally back.

[clockworkprism]

Watched Kaos, and it was amazing. Very slow start but then episode 3 onwards it just rips.

I also had to mentally try very hard to separate from the source myths, because while the Greek myths are very much fluid in the sources and the writers are far from the worst offenders when it comes to retelling of Greek myths, this was still a big departure. They kept enough of the spirit alive in my opinion, but some might be completely turned off. But Ovid was using alternative myth tellings as a way to criticize rich assholes all the way back in the first century. So it's not without precedent.

I do find myself now reevaluating rings of power a bit. Because it too is rewriting a mythology. But I guess I can justify loving Kaos and disliking rings of power because Kaos 1. is trying to tell a clear message and the deviations all feel like intentions rather than rewriting for a general audience and 2. is actually well written

[humanpurposes]

I hate the prophecy stuff in hotd SO MUCH :)

(Spoilers for Season 2)

So everything seemingly revolves around Aegon’s dream and the visions had by Alys and Helaena. As an audience, we’re told that things are set in stone. Daemon will die at Harrenhal. Aegon will be King again. Aemond will die too. Alicent will be remembered as a villain. All in service to this “greater purpose”.

Effectively, the wants and needs of these characters we’ve been following for two seasons have been made redundant.

Take Daemon, he has his own ambitions for power, struggles to accept Rhaenyra as his sovereign because it would mean he wasn’t Viseys’ favourite. And that’s resolved because he’s shown a vision and he’s decided that he’s going to play his part in the story. Not, idk, the fact that maybe a way he could remember his brother is to support the claim of his chosen heir?

And it’s so frustrating because there are some really good moments and arcs in this season. I really like Aegon as the reluctant King, enjoying his first few days as a ruler, wanting to be good at it, and then the reality of it setting in once Jaehaerys dies and he realises that no one expected him to be anything more than a puppet. He’s desperate to prove himself and it backfires, but he’s still alive, he’s still going to see this through. Then I really like the turn in Rhaenyra’s character becoming more assertive after The Red Sowing. But this happens in the penultimate episode, and 7 WHOLE EPISODES after the death of her son??? Why was Luke’s death not the turning point?

Nothing that happens in the show will matter anyway because it’s already history to the main series, and that seems to be exactly the mindset the writers have kept going into writing this season?

It’s not interesting because these characters don’t act like people. They don’t make decisions. Most of the characters don’t WANT anything for themselves. The show is driven by plot points while the characters have the same conversations and wait for the writers to decide that things need to move on. And after season 1 had such a good buildup with a promise of an emotionally driven conflict, I finished watching this season as I started, very underwhelmed.

[bellamer]

Did people know that they could just… keep T’Challa alive in fanfic ? Like all Black Panther fanfics I was reading just stopped updating with notes saying how they couldn’t keep updating because it was disrespectful to Chadwick and like rest in power to Chadwick but… he didn’t own the character. He played the character really well to the point it was his but ever since he died people, including the MCU have just buried T’Challa’s character to the point that he’s being forgotten and I hate it and it’s partially what killed my interests in the MCU too because the first black superhero with his own successful movie since Blade and because the actor died, he’s being forgotten and left out even though he’s still alive in the comics and fanfic writers could just take their inspo from that.

I don’t know. Put me in an ice coma and wake me up in 50 Years when people start actually using T’Challa again. Maybe I’m one of the few who thought that maybe if the studio knew about Chadwick’s condition (because I doubt he kept it a complete secret from the people he was working with) that they could work with him to find a suitable replacement to continue T’Challa’s role and people would be more okay with it because it would be Chadwick’s choice in successor but whatevs. I stopped watching MCU movies so it has nothing to do with me.

[clockwayswrites]

OKAY, so I have been rereading some of your stuff, as anyone with a wonderful taste does /j. And I got to the One Stop Soup Shop? I hope that titles right lmao; anyway. So rereading that, and I got to the part where Jason and Danny are talking right after Jason wakes up, right? And I managed to overlook it for the first few rereads but the conversation where Danny is explaining what he used to be and what Jason is now makes me think of a couple different theories on what Danny could be now? Because he's almost, or he is implying, he isn't a Halfa anymore.

So, Fascinating. And I have a couple theories on that? So; here they are,

My first thought was Danny is the ghost version of a liminal. Like the opposite of a liminal. Ghost with human traits, instead of a Human with ghostly traits.

My second one was that whoever had him/captured him basically forced him, either permanently or until something can be done ie with Frostbite the yeti doctor or some other means, into his Ghost form, unable to turn back into human/living form.

My third was that, on the basis that a halfas core is connected to their heart, they tore Danny's heart out from the core, Either by the Fentons misguided attempts at believing Phantom was hiding in their now dead-from-the-portal-opening boys body, so taking his heart out to both kill Phantom, seeing him as some kind of parasite now, and allow Danny to be laid to rest, or the GIW got him, saw it, was wishing to experiment on it, did so, and when Danny was escaping, he tried grabbing it, and the pieces wouldn't rejoin, having been apart for a little too long, leaving Danny as this Halfa Husk, almost but not quite. A Core with a human body but missing the most vital piece of being alive, a heart. So he's essentially stranded to be a ghost, unable to turn human without dying slowly, and painfully. Again.

.... As you can see, I am so normal about OSSS. Clearly. Lmao, anyway, yeah I have gone slightly insane but it is so good, it's worth it, honestly. I think i have said enough to last a thousand years about OSSS. But I will leave with the fact that I am so excited to go reread, and spin in my head with OSSS, LBFD and BWAO. Hope you've been taking care of yourself, all the writing and head thinking you've been doing, okay? Great writers must be kept happy or something like that

I had to sit down and reread the first fic of this just to make sure I was thinking right LOL which was enjoyable, so thank you for that. It's always nice to have a reason to reread my own work, even if it's at the cost of your sanity I suppose? ^_^;

Like most of my fics, I have the scaffolding but not necessarily the details. Bobi esp was written more on vibes than on a plan. That said, your third one is closest.

Spoilers, I guess lol

But Jazz talks Danny into revealing Phantom to their parents, who go the route of being convinced that Danny is dead and his corpse is just being puppeted by Phantom. And in their experimentation he tips from being balanced to being more dead. The details I don't know, though your idea of heart is chilling! Basically Danny has a 'living' form that breaths and bleeds and is solid, but it's only that way because he started as a halfa. Unlike before when he had to transform to use some of this powers, he's always basically more ghost than not and so can turn off any of that. And he's still alive in his unique way.

JLD would have a fit meeting him lol.

[justaphan]

POTO Fics by Mertens

More than any other Phantom of the Opera fic writer, I find myself consuming Mertens’ works over and over for the pleasing writing style, the complex emotions, and the raw and realistic portrayals of Christines in particular. Mertens’ writing is how I also got into modern AUs! 

I’ve never done any rec list for this fandom so let’s start with my fav fics from @intothemertensverse! (Hi there! Thank you!) 

Gustave Daae’s Daughter: A disfigured man on the edges of society with a good heart, Erik has been Gustave Daae’s closest friend for years. When Gustave realizes his time is almost up after contracting an incurable disease, he leaves his two most prized possessions to his friend—his violin, and his daughter. In progress as of 01/09/2023. If you’re not reading this then honestly what do you actually do with all the hours of your life? Some big surprises in this one. Featuring Ayesha and also Angst with a capital A. 

A Love There Is No Cure For from Sonnet 86: A fic of epic proportions but it can be read independently of the larger verse it’s in. Major Leroux influences, and follows the SLOW BURNING journey of how Christine’s grumpy old insecure teacher became the happiest man alive (including all the very awkward sex). Mertens’ masterpiece. 

An Old Fashioned Love Song: After an incident results in Christine needing to fulfill community service, she volunteers at the local old folks home where a chance meeting with a resident will change both of their lives forever. Cranky 80-year-old disabled Erik? I love this little goblin so much. You will too.  

Saved From Solitude: Feeling anxious and unable to sleep in his own house, Erik spends the night in Christine’s dressing room to get some much needed rest. He’s certain Christine will never find out—as long as he wakes up on time. Erik may seem tall, dark, and imposing, but he’s actually the sweetest sleepy old man with a cane. I want to tuck him into bed myself. Bonus total BAMF Christine!

Scuffle in Box Five: The Ghost had requested that Box Five be kept empty, but on the night of Mlle Daae's first performance, Box Five is most certainly not empty. There is popcorn in this fic and it just makes it ten times funnier. 

And Ask Me To Open Up The Gate For You: Christine Daae has tried every trick in the book to achieve the clear complexion she so desires, and all without result—every trick, that is, except for one. She can’t do it on her own, but perhaps her beloved Maestro will be able to lend his assistance in the matter. In progress as of 01/09/2023. This one is so innovative and different! POTO London Christine Alternate Holly Anne Hull’s Instagram Story had a callout for long-term acne solutions, and turns out a few people told her to go get pregnant to achieve clear skin :D 

First Impressions: Erik takes Christine to his home and the cape flip goes awry. BLESS YOUR HEART ERIK!!!

Just Us Two: The day after the performance, Christine spends the day with her son, just like she promised. A beautiful, poignant continuation of Love Never Dies focused on mother and son. 

Like Everyone Else: Mr. Y has cracked the code of blending in to society. At least, he thinks he has. LND-inspired crack. Just hysterical. Honestly how could anyone argue against Erik moving to New York, it’s plot-powering gold! 

Mr. Y’s Christmas Surprise: Erik accidentally and inadvertently invents the ugly Christmas sweater. SEE COMMENTS ABOVE

Joyeuses Pâques (sans masque): Erik tries to celebrate Easter with his family on Coney Island—and what better way to celebrate than with a visit from the Easter Bunny? Guys just a reminder that Christine moved across the ocean to live with this guy, so.   

My Three Eriks: Erik doesn’t actually speak in the third person. OR “What do you mean James Gant and James Hume aren’t the same person” Shit gets too real in the lair, and it’s laugh out loud funny. 

The Nanny: College dropout Christine Dee lands what appears to be a dream job in taking care of a reclusive rich man’s seven year old boy. As she settles into her new life, however, she discovers a mysterious secret about her boss’s former wife that threatens to unravel everything. Modern AU. Definitely Gerik. Very relatable and insecure Christine. Very funny too. It’s a thrilling murder mystery and it’s very hard to stop reading once you start. 

Baby Shark: Erik is haunted by a certain song his neighbor is playing. Modern AU. I thought this was going to be a crack!fic but I was profoundly moved by it. Both Erik and Christine are a hot mess. A very refreshing take! 

Honolulu Sun: After two years of relative isolation during the pandemic, Christine is a little chattier than usual with a strange masked man in the grocery store. I’m more than a little bit obsessed with this one. Give me all the Gustave Sr./Erik bonding!!!

Boulevard of Broken Dreams: Wealthy Opera Populaire patron Raoul de Chagny has been kidnapped and the Opera managers have been receiving threatening letters regarding emerging star Christine Daaé. Private Investigators Erik and Antoinette have been called in to get to the bottom of what's going on, which means they'll have to be keeping a close eye on the safety of the young soprano. It really is a shame, then, that Erik seems to hate Christine who in turn seems horrified of Erik - but things aren't always what they seem. Film Noir AU. Big sweeping fic. Angles that haven’t been explored before. And an Erik that deserves to be seen!  

[idkyourleastfavoriteartist]

SEASON 6 SPOILERS OF THE DRAGON PRINCE!!!!! Also I'm just gonna say this post is LONG (overall thoughts,rewrite?) I'm not a actual writer so take evey thing with a grain of salt. It's fine if you disagree or even dislike my opinions and (kinda) rewrites just be nice about it please and thank you!! (Also this has really bad grammar it's not that deep if it's not perfect)

I overall felt that this season was really good and it's one of the shows strongest!!!! I don't want it too sound like I'm complaining because that's not the case because I really enjoyed this season so don't take like that please. Let start with the positives I really liked the scene where Soren shouted at Viren in the jail (as he should loved that reunion). Rayllum finally got back together loved that for us. I feel like the darker atmosphere the show really works and I couldn't be happier about it. Corvus is so lovely him and him having too babysit Soren is so fun too watch. Learning about Callum's dad and Claudia's/Soren's mum was really interesting and was nice too get info on them. I'm really happy about how better the animation is getting better each season with it being a overall higher quality. Literally like 90% of this season I liked.

The only questions/slight problems I have is that I personally don't understand how Aaravous wanted Viren too kill sir sparklepuff (he calls them THIER child) so him being a grieving father doesn't make sense too me especially with the fact that Viren at first didn't care about sir sparklepuff, it was only when Aaravous said it was their child, like sir do you want Viren too live?????? Like what was the reason too humaninse sir sparklepuff if Aaravous didn't see them as a actual being with feelings and if goes against his plans that he made to control Viren to get him out of his prison??????? (I actually like his back story because of how it relates to the themes of love in tdp but in a way which is so similar but so different to our main cast).We all knew that Viren was gonna be redeemed well I felt it coming. But it should of been handled better because due to Aaravous for no reason making Viren feel bad for sir sparklepuff just so Viren could have a situation too get on the dark magic bad high horse didn't really rub well on me. I would of made Viren care about sir sparklepuff without Araavous input so it will make more sense that he wouldn't want too kill him and his redemption feel more earned despite Araavous who only made the being too finalise the spell to keep Viren alive(idk if it makes sense but too me it does) then have the "I'm over with dark magic and you" speech. With Araavous backstory I would of liked more that Araavous did have rebellious feeling about the power structers with elfs and humans (he felt it was unfair that elves get all the power and how rude elves where to humans despite them just wanting too learn too use magic) and he teaches a little bit too much leola but she tooked his teachings to other humans when she should of kept quite then being punished death after that he would go villain mode. I like the idea that Aaravous is evil but tried too keep quite until leola because he felt like he owed her the truth which led too her death and years of terror expanding on dark magic with humans till he went to prison. (that's my rewrite I don't really do stuff like this so if it's bad just understand where I'm coming from and give me positive input please☺️)

I also kinda felt that cladiua leaving Terry just for her to come back too him in the same episode is felt abit rushed but it's only 9 episodes so I understand why they did all in the same episode. (I would let that stretch for another episode so it's more impact full).

ALSO WAS I THE ONLY ONE WHO REALLY WANTED TOO SEE A VIREN AND AARAVOUS REUNION 😭😭😭😭😭 Maybe it's just me because they were one of my favourite dynamics in the show (mostly through season 3 and abit in season 2) so not seeing the communicate sucked abit. I like the ideas that are in this show but only wish they would be expanded more and fleshed out abit more.

[narrativelysignificantturtleduck]

okay so i just stumbled upon your blog and the first thing i saw was the pianjeong tag.

i have to ask.

do you ship piandao and jeong jeong??? do other people ship piandao and jeong jeong ???? is pianjeong a thing, and if so, WHY ?????

i'm truly baffled but i want to be enlightened

(i know you sent this a while ago sorry, took me some time to figure out how to respond and gather all the links to fic)

yes, yes, and yes, though of course it's a pretty niche thing since it's about minor characters.

as to why - imo it stems from the fact that if you want to ship either of them with someone, the other is the most obvious choice. around the same age, fellow white lotus member, fellow ex-fire nation military, easy to interpret as gay. like no, they don't have any canon interaction, but it's easy to imagine that they've interacted offscreen.

for my part, i got into it in 2020 when my friend abby @rarepairnation came up with it while writing earth system history, a zukka fic with piandao as zuko's gay professor. when trying to find a character to be his husband, she landed on jeong jeong, and then decided to go explore that dynamic with spark from a flame and we said forever (but forever wouldn't wait for us). i'd always liked both characters - i'm a sokka fan so of COURSE i like piandao, and i thought jeong jeong was fascinatingly tormented - so i was drawn in.

i think i'm still into it so many years later bc the storyline and characterizations established back then are legitimately really good. there's kind of a pianjeong "canon" to me:

they meet as young men in the fire nation military. young piandao is desperate to prove himself worthy (backstory from an old nickelodeon lore site says his parents abandoned him as a kid for being a nonbender) meanwhile young jeong jeong is a firebending prodigy (from that same lore site) vaguely uncomfortable with the status & privilege that grants him. they both crave what the other has

piandao brings a sword to a fire fight and wins. they both find the experience exhilarating - piandao is thrilled to be defeating a powerful firebender, and jeong jeong is thrilled to have someone stand up to him (spark from a flame, an old phenomenon)

they start a relationship of sorts, kept secret bc of the homophobia in the military (army dreamers)

jeong jeong deserts, leaving piandao behind (we said forever)

piandao eventually leaves the military too, traveling the world and learning the truth of the war (beyond your darkness)

they both independently end up in the white lotus

piandao offers jeong jeong a place to stay at his mansion after the war and they reconnect. it's been so long and so much has changed and jeong jeong definitely isn't in the right mental place to be in a relationship but slowly, he gets better and they get close again (i'm your light, ghosts, diary of the deserter)

like, is this kinda just two OCs in atlaverse? probably. but i think another reason i've been into it so long is that it allows me to engage with atla without always having to deal with the broader fandom discourses that frustrate me. i think atla is a pretty good show so the way fandom tends to want to change or ignore canon doesn't really appeal to me. i'd rather just play around in the universe! also i started writing a lot of pianjeong fic in 2020-2021 and tend to be a slow writer so i'm still working on it, and that keeps my interest alive.

so yeah. feel free to join us in old man yaoi if you like :)

[angelofverdum]

Agatha All along S01E08-09

What the hell? I've thousands of questions. Come back.

I have so many feelings about the finale. My mind went from "Jac Schaeffer, you're brilliant" to "What the hell, Jac?"

I loved Agatha and Niky's backstory. The way they created the ballad was one of the sweetest things Marvel has done. The fact that Agatha kept killing witches using the ballad was amazing because in a way she was still scheming with her son.

I was expecting the road to not be real, but not that Agatha was the writer of that ballad. Where is her Grammy for songwriter of the year?

Also obsessed with the idea that part of Agatha's power is being annoying. She upsets these witches to the point the want to kill her.

The way she looked for the door every time knowing damn well there was no door cracked me up.

Jen was my favorite witch from the coven, besides Agatha obviously, so I'm so happy she made it out alive and well. She should be in Agatha all along season 2 doing magic together.

I love Agatha as a character so much. How can they do her so dirty? There are two problems with the finale: Billy and Rio.

My problem with Rio, as a character, is that you give me all these implications of a complicated backstory with Agatha, for what? Hey, I wasn't expecting much tbh because it's not that kind of show but they could at least give us something.

How Agatha and Death were lovers? Rio is literally death. How did they cross paths? How do you start dating death? I didn't want a whole season about it but damn.

When Agatha was giving birth Rio gave him more time with her son. She didn't show up once. Rio gave Agatha six more years with her son. So, they were lovers before giving birth then Rio took Nicky and they didn't see each other until now? Then why is Agatha so mad at Rio?

The first part of the season made it seem like Rio did the most awful things to Agatha. Tell me how your kid dying of a natural cause is worse than sacrificing him for the darkhold?

Also, the big thing about being "THE green Witch". Yes, I know Jen explained briefly about the meaning but it was so whatever. And what do you mean Agatha was literally fighting death? Rio shouldn't be able to kill anyone.

Now Billy made me sigh.

My problem with Billy is why the fuck would you make a show with a female lead about a man? You kill the show's female lead to create a story for a man, and then she becomes the sidekick. That's insanity.

I'm fine with them using the show to introduce Billy bc Agatha is part of Wanda's world but damn. Everything was him? Was it Billy All along?

Then she dies to save him and becomes a ghost somehow because those are details that we don't need to know, apparently. Fucking Billy then tries to banish her because why? Because she outsmarted him? She knew the road wasn't real? She killed Alice? Like fuck you Billy and your fuckass brother too.

And I hated that ghostly effect. It looked so cartoonish. Couldn't she look like herself without that effect? the wig was fine HaghAtha is sexy too.

And Jac saying that they planned to turn her into a ghost all this time is crazy to me. She has everything planned and she decided to give Billy a whole-ass episode instead of a glimpse of Agatha and Rio meeting each other.

If you read Jac Schaeffer's interviews about the show you can see she has so many good ideas. So, what happened baby? Was it Kevin Feige?

Anyway, I wish all these made-up shows didn't matter to me that much and I could consume media like a normal person.

[thevindicativevordan]

If DC is to a "Ultimate DC" for Superman? What would be your preferred vision / direction for Superman and his mythology? In other words, how would you handle an "Ultimate DC" Superman?

If DC has greenlit this, it's 100% because of the success of Hickman's Ultimate Marvel relaunch. Therefore the logical thing to do is take a look at what Hickman has done. His Ultimate line is a success in part because it serves as a contrast to the main 616 universe, while also throwing in a few genuine curveballs to attract interest. Approaching an Ultimate Superman with that mindset, here's his status quo as I would establish it:

First off: Put him in a different suit. The only complaint I have with regards to Hickman's Ultimate Spider-Man is that he's wearing the classic suit with a slightly different spider symbol. I get that 1610 Peter was the same, and Hickman is simply following tradition, but I think that if you plan on having an alternate counterpart to your main hero exist on an ongoing basis, their costumes should be different enough to let anyone identify who is who at a glance. For an Ultimate Superman, that means a different s-shield and no trunks. Let the Earth 0 guy wear the classic outfit, and put Ultimate Superman in something like the pic above. Also incorporate some of the New 52 designs that marked him as younger, like the messier hair.

Earth 0 Superman serves as the head of an extended "family" who wear variations on his crest and share in his mission. Ultimate Superman therefore should be a loner, at least at the start. No Kara, John Henry Irons, Kon, Kenan, or any other fellow Supers. No World's Finest partnership or Justice League either, I want Ult. Supes isolated.

Hickman gave us a married Spider-Man to contrast with the eternal bachelor 616 Spider-Man. Therefore the Ultimate Superman should be the eternal bachelor to his married mainline counterpart. Therefore if he's dating anyone it should not be Lois. Pair him with Lana or a villain like Livewire/Maxima, make a new OC love interest, don't have him dating anyone at the start, whatever. But we've seen Clark and Lois together as boyfriend/girlfriend and as husband/wife, don't immediately rush into that here. Keeping this Superman free to date others helps keep him unique and worth reading on an ongoing basis.

Against my wishes, Pa and Ma are alive again on Earth 0. Fine - kill them off here. Again, Earth 0 Superman has the large family, Ultimate Superman is a loner.

Keep the power levels low. My preference would be to have this Superman starting off at Golden Age/early New 52 levels of strength. He can't fly, can't bench press a planet, can't liquify concrete with a glare, can't hear a bird squawk a galaxy across, he's a street level hero who's basically Spider-Man tier. Earth 0 Superman is insanely powerful thanks to PKJ buffing him, let's make this guy more grounded.

We need a few wild curveballs like how Hickman killed Aunt May but kept Uncle Ben alive on Earth 6160, or how Peter and Harry don't know each other at all. My approach? Ultimate Clark does not work for a news organization, not a traditional print/legacy one anyway. He does not work for the Daily Planet, or even the Daily Star, he works as a writer for the popular podcast Wired In With Williams, hosted by Leslie Williams and exclusively licensed by CatCo (major entertainment/new conglomerate owned by CEO Cat Grant). Lois and her comrades at the Daily Planet are Clark's rivals, the dying remnants of traditional journalism who are giving way to the "new media". I would defy tradition by not having Clark ultimately join the Daily Planet - instead the Planet ultimately closes it's doors and it's Lois and her co-workers who find their way to Catco.

Jimmy is not a photographer, he's a vlogger and an incredibly popular one too. Everyone loves seeing him investigate weird shit that frequently results in Superman showing up to bail him out. Clark also helps script Jimmy's videos like he does with Leslie, and the two are close. They were roommates but Jimmy ended up moving somewhere nicer while Clark remains living in Suicide Slum.

Current Superman run makes heavy use of Lex - therefore I'd buck tradition again and not have Lex be featured for the first year. Instead, Ultra-Humanite and his Intergang, Red Cloud and the Invisible Mafia, and the secretive group known only as the 100 serve as the criminal foes Superman must face, with Maggie Sawyer and her Special Crimes Unit hunting Superman for his vigilante activities.

Earth 0 Superman is beloved and trusted, Ultimate Superman is hated and feared. People do not like or trust this freak, even the common folks Superman is trying to protect. He's viewed as a dangerous outlaw with uncertain motives. At the start people do not know he's an alien, most believe him to be a human with superpowers.

Instead of the North Pole, Superman's Fortress is in a pocket dimension called "The Phantom Zone", and he is able to teleport there via a "signal watch".

This is the basic building blocks for how I would approach creating an "Ultimate Superman". It's a status quo that is recognizably Superman, but also different enough from the mainline version to intrigue.