#v: we're in the endgame now

[themegachessatron]

The Forsworn Conspiracy: A Skyrim Prison Review Prologue

This is a long time coming, but I've finally gotten around to reviewing the last of Skyrim's jails. This time however, getting into the jail is just as much of an experience as the jail itself.

This prologue tells the story of how we ended up in Cidna Mine, because it was necessary to tell and including it into the review itself would make it long enough to make mobile Tumblr users weep (more so than they already do with my reviews at least).

Arriving in Markarth, I had been reminded by local chatter of a terrorist attack that had occurred in the city some weeks ago. One of the local miners had made an attempt on the life of an innocent woman out in the market in broad daylight but my team and I had defeated the assailant before he could enact murder. His motives were revealed in his dying breaths, an agent of the Forsworn intending to cause unrest in the Nord population of the city. An onlooker had given me a note requesting a rendezvous in the local shrine of Talos. I had paid it no mind at the time but in this case, I had a suspicion that agreeing to meet would allow me a quick pass into the local jail. How did I know this? Inigo smelled a rat, and that Khajiit's nose is beyond compare.

The man whose name was very forgettable (unlike his zebra-esque face paint) was understandably very angry at the lateness of our arrival, but changed his tune at the size and strength of Team Prison Inspection (TPI for short). He tasked us with investigating the attack, those involved in it and discovering what information we could about any deeper conspiracy. This was perfect! Meddling where we weren't meant to was a brilliant way of getting into prison. We had to get involved!

We started by visiting the local inn, where Inigo and recent recruit Serana had some instruction in their "walking in place" technique, a local man temporarily levitated next to his chair (unfortunately not photographed, but perhaps some advanced form of magic from Morrowind in use) and where the target of the attack, Margaret, was staying. We inquired as to what she new but it was unfortunately little, she was just an innocent victim after all. Following this, a combination of Inigo's excellent nose and the bizarre arrow thing that occasionally plagues my field of view pointed us towards the warrens, where we sought insight into the attacker.

Entering his room... yeah, I've got time for a quick one.

The room was decorated with a chair, a distant table, a chest and animal sheets to sleep on. These amendments combined with a surprisingly large amount of space gives the room some compensation for the lackluster hallway and terrible smell.

Final score: Five Dead Forsworn Conspirators out of Ten Dead Forsworn Conspirators.

Makeshift Prison Review aside, the chest in the assailant's room contained a note from an individual going by "N" inciting the assailant to act. This was our first proper lead and led to the objective of identifying N, which ended up being a lot easier than anticipated.

To thank for revealing the identity of N we have this man, a hired thug sent by N to brawl me into dropping the case. Note that I said "me" and not "the team" because for whatever reason he was completely disinterested with the half dozen highly armed and very dangerous adventurers I was with and even more bafflingly they were completely disinterested in him right back. I was forced to fistfight this guy and at no point did any of my friends come and help, I could've sworn I even heard Lydia placing bets AGAINST me! Then again, perhaps that was her way of revenge for all the burdens she's sworn to carry. Either way, the thug divulged his employer's name despite having zero obligation to, Nepos the Nose. Mr. The Nose himself had a house in the city, so after waiting away the night we went to investigate his house.

The abode of the Nose was exquisitely decorated with the finest silver and the choicest cuts on the plates, all of which made Jordan *very* excited for what I can only assume are Reikling Reasons beyond the understanding of people.

We were granted an audience with a dose of nose by the man himself. For those interested the nose was exactly as exciting as one would expect. He divulged to us the nature of his favourite past time, luring youths to be murdered by a corrupt system in the name of an old man. The average right wing voter before us then explained in calm tones that he was sharing this information because he and his staff had no intention of letting us out alive. No points for guessing how that went for them.

With Nepos the Ash Pile dealt with in the appropriate manner, we decided it was worth reporting what we had discovered at this stage to Zebra-Man, though there was a problem with that plan.

The guards had had enough of my meddling. Under the orders of Thonar "My-Blood-Isn't-Actually-Silver" Silver-Blood and his brother who just so happens to be the acting Jarl of Markarth (What a coincidence) we had been saddled with a life sentence in Cidna Mine. That is admittedly a bit more than I bargained for but still a brilliant result. Part of me felt as though I should've felt sorry for our co-conspirator who had been murdered but considering I've been calling him Zebra-Man and didn't give enough of a toss to check his actual name I wasn't all that bothered about the whole thing. In the end we came quietly to commence one last operation.

I'm writing the final review tomorrow, and for once I intend to keep my word on timings.

[practically-an-x-man]

OC/Ship Ask Game: Firsts

We're back with another super-long ask game! Send a number + a character/ship for a description of their "first"... plus a couple questions for the author as well :D

If you reblog, please send asks up and down the chain for reblog courtesy! It's not a requirement but it does make things more fun for everybody 😊

____

For the Character:

First big aspiration (i.e. what did they want to be when they grew up?)

First time meeting their best friend

First opinion of school as a kid

First time experiencing grief

First time breaking a bone

First time they realized their "calling" in life

First time they experimented with their personal style

First time they took a risk, or the biggest risk they've ever taken

First time living away from home

First time adopting/taking care of a pet

First "big purchase" they ever made on their own

First time leaving their home country

First time being drunk/high

First time facing their fears

First thing they remember feeling proud of

First thing they remembered feeling ashamed of

First favorites - favorite color, animal, movie, etc.

First example of real character growth along their journey

First time they felt rejected by another character

First time they felt accepted/welcomed by another character

First major change in their life, and how they dealt with it

First introduction in their story (share a snippet or description)

First display of their powers or abilities

First major loss/failure in their story

First major success in their story

____

For the Ship:

A. First meeting B. First impression of each other C. First physical contact (handshake? hug? something else?) D. First kiss E. First time meeting the other's family F. First date G. First time seeing the other one sick/injured H. First time sharing a bed (non-sexual) I. First time sleeping together (sexual) J. First concert/show/festival they attended together K. First fight L. ....And the first time they had to make up M. First time they introduced the other as their partner N. First road-trip/vacation together O. First double-date with another couple P. First time seeing the other all dressed up Q. First act of non-sexual intimacy (e.g. washing the other's hair, taking a bath together, sharing food) R. First time cooking for the other S. First anniversary + how they celebrated T. First time dancing together U. First pet names/nicknames they give each other V. First time they felt insecure/jealous, and how they worked through it W. First time they realized their relationship is endgame... or isn't X. First major hardship they got through together Y. First time living together Z. First time they said "I love you"

____

For the Author:

🐣 - First piece you ever wrote (share a snippet or description)

🥹 - First time describing strong emotions, and how you've improved since then

🎬 - First fandom(s) you wrote for, and if you still write for them

💀 - First time writing character death, and how you felt about it

🤝 - Favorite "first meeting" scene you've written between two characters

💋 - Favorite "first kiss" scene you've written between two characters

🔥 - First time writing romance/spicy scenes, and how you felt about it

🌍 - First attempt at worldbuilding, or a notable piece of worldbuilding you're proud of

🐉 - First genre you wrote for, and if you still write that genre now

🖌️ - First character you created, or first character you wrote for

🤩 - First big inspiration for writing (an author? a piece of media? a plot idea?)

🕷️ - First time writing something that scared you, and how it went

📝 - Pick a character: first draft of that character + the final version of that character

🏳️‍🌈 - First queer character/story you wrote

🤖 - First nonhuman character you wrote

🪶 - First longform/multi-chapter piece you've written

✒️ - First shortform/oneshot you've written

🪢 - First time writing a crossover or gift fic

🤯 - First story that gained traction/attention, and how it made you feel

📦 - First story that really took you outside your comfort zone

📖 - Piece you'd recommend as a "first piece" for a new reader to enjoy

‼️ - Free space! Tell us about a notable "first" in your writing journey!

[dorkynerd23]

"I Love Them And I Love That They're There For Each Other." 🥺🩷

[Liam Vickers (The Creator Of Murder Drones) Talking About N And Uzi.] (GLITCH X 2023)

In all seriousness though, although I'm a Nuzi/Biscuitbites shipper and all, I overall really do love and adore how much N and Uzi's relationship has blossomed and developed over the course of the show so far and how much closer the two have gotten. Whether you see them as either platonic or potential lovers, you can't deny that these two are absolutely adorable and badass, and just work so damn well off one another, they're honestly the heart of the show, in my opinion. (⁠◡⁠ ⁠ω⁠ ⁠◡⁠) You can honestly see the friendship and connection between the two and see that they do deeply care about one another and bring the best out of each other, it's honestly understandable why so many fans love the pairing between these two and their dynamic and find it comforting, because there's so much charm and even relatability to both characters. You truly do believe in their bond and their relationship is only going to get so much stronger once the final two episodes of the season are released next year, especially with the huge amount of stakes involved now + with N having to choose between either saving the universe or potentially killing Uzi.

N X Uzi is pretty much a slow burn, it's taking its time before things get serious between the two. To me, nothing in my eyes feels forced or rushed unlike other romances in pieces of media I've seen which didn't have the best development and growth, or the right amount of it. Although, relationships like N and Uzi have been done so many times and can be seen as cliche, (which I can get behind!) that doesn't always mean it's automatically bad and horrible, some cliche tropes for potential couples can/have worked as long as they're written correctly and done well! For me, when it comes to my favorite ships I like for them to have chemistry and believability and show the connection between the characters.

Honestly, for any romances/relationships in pieces of media to come across as believable than the audience must be convinced that the couple is genuinely connected and N and Uzi fit this category although we're only in the first season and we aren't sure what the future holds for the show, there's more potential to show more growth and development for N and Uzi and their relationship, with the potential of them being more! I honestly don't see how these two wouldn't end up together by the end especially after so much buildup and teasing only to have the two end up with different characters at the end of the show, it would've definitely left a bad taste in the fans mouths and would've been pointless. It would be understandable for N and Uzi to get together and it works, as not only do they have the strongest dynamic and relationship out of all the characters but throughout all the episodes (so far, at least) the two have shown to start growing closer and closer, the show has hinted at them being something more eventually. ❤️

Now, of course, anything can go and Envy might end up being the endgame couple instead, especially after V's sacrifice and her growing character development things could change. But, I honestly don't really see them getting together and besides, He and V could still be friends and connect and not everyone needs to get/be in a relationship to be happy. V doesn't need to be in a relationship with N to be happy, she needs to improve herself first and become a better person which is what she's slowly doing and as said, she can still find happiness in a found family and friendship, she can still find happiness in other places! 💙💞

[stagefoureddiediaz]

ugh this is horrible news tommy is still around, hope to god he's gone in the finale. v

Maybe in your world Nonnie, but not in mine and I'm not entirely sure why you felt the need to come and complain about it on my blog, but here we are!

It makes perfect Narrative sense for Tommy to still be around in the back end of the season, and even possibly into the start of season 8. The show is telling a story of Bucks bisexuality, so why woould they get rid of Tommy so quickly? To do so would do a disservice to that story - a massive disservice. I'm guessing you're hating on this relationship becasue you see it getting in the way of Buddie, rather than viewing it as a vital step on the route to Buddie.

Lets put it into simple terms - Buck figures out he's bi and then begins to explore that newly discovered aspect of himself. The show has also taken the time to move Buck from someone who didn't really do relationships (of the long term variety), into someone who is looking for love and looking for forever. But in amongst all of that, he hasn't really had a healthy long term relationship, the closest he had to that was with Ali and that one didn't last especially long and she wasn't around for most of it

Buck isn't ready for an endgame queer relationship right now - he is still to immature from a relationship perspective - especially a queer relationship perspective. If Eddie was available and he and Buck got together - as they are as characters right now, they wouldn't last - they're not in a position to do so successfully. And this isn't me suggesting that they need to have figured everything out before they get together - to have fully healed etc, because thats neither realistic or something I would want to see - what it means is that they both need to get to a point where they are in a healthy enough place to put in the work together, understand each others flaws, and their own flaws and proactively work towards overcoming those things together and as of right now, neither of them are - they are getting their and moving rapidly in the right direction, but Buck needs to learn a bit more, and in many ways learn how to be with a man, before he will be ready to start anything with Eddie.

The growth we're getting to watch Buck go through right now - in the aftermath of the lightening strike, his reckoning with his mortality etc and the fact he's now off the hamster wheel and moving forward - in a healthy and faster way than we've ever seen from him, speaks volumes.

Tommy is also a far better developed love interest than any other love interest we've seen Buck (or indeed Eddie) with (Abby excepted but she was a main, so had her own purpose on the show)- I'm sure I'm not alone in feeling like I know Tommy more after 3 episodes plus what we got from the begins episodes he was in, than I managed to ascertain about Taylor or Ana or Nataila etc!

Not to mention, him figuring out he's in Love with Eddie as part of this process is going to be fun to watch. The show has made no bones about re-enforcing at every. Single. Opportunity how close, how entwined and how important Buck and Eddie are to one another - the show has quite literally been prioritising that over anything else Buck and Eddie related - Buck was there front and centre - placed very much on an equal footing with Shannon and even Eddie himself in 7x01, and then Eddie was the centre of Bucks bi arc in 7x04 and in his coming out in 7x05. They are literally moving chess pieces into place to tell an amazing story of queer love in later life and creating an epic slow burn for the ages.

And finally, Eddie is, as far as we know at this point in time, still in a relationship with Marisol - why shouldn't Buck get to explore who he is and what he want's within a relationship rather than sitting pining on the sidelines - that isn't healthy in any way shape or form. Eddie still has stuff to figure out about himself.

Even Tim and Oliver have stated in interviews that this is about a happy and joyful queer experience of figuring out bisexuality and therefore within that is giving the narrative a romcom vibe. But they have also stated that Tommy isn't going to be around for that long - that he is very much a narrative device.

It is worth pointing out that timelines on various aspects of the narrative may have been shifted because of the season 8 renewal - but that is only going to help tell the story because now it doesn't have to be rushed. I'm still fully expecting some form of feeling realisation from one of them by the end of the season (my money is on Buck), setting up for season 8 and Buddie going canon either 8a finale or early into 8b.

You have every right to dislike Tommy if thats you jam - have at it, but don't come to my blog and expect me to agree with you. I'm not a multi shipper by any means - I'm a one ship kind of gal and I will be a Buddie shipper until the end of time, but within that, I am here for amazing storytelling and amazing queer storytelling - the like of which I've not had the privilege to watch on my screen before - especially one that hits so close to home. Its a really important story to tell and I'd rather it not be rushed.

And if you had to pick - I'm pretty sure you'd rather have Tommy around for a bit longer that Marisol!!!!

[airi-p4]

hey Airi, can you recommend me some alya salt fics (bonus if it's lukanette)

Hi! I haven't been reading many fics lately (I want to catch up so baaad ;v;) and my memory is not the best but sure! I'll do what I can! (Tbh, I don't think I've read any Alya salt fics that's not Lukanette so the bonus is definitely included LOL)

These are the ones I have bookmarked or subscribed on AO3 (some of them are minor salt and some are dark so make sure to check the tags, please!!):

Oops by @quickspinner [Rated M] (I recommend all Quick's fics in general btw -SO GOOD)

Two Letters by cartoonaddict564

We're a kiss at 2am by @nerdypanda3126 [Rated E] (Panda's writing is just SO GOOD- I 100% recommend all her stories)

Juleka vs the forces of evil by @goldenlaurelleaveswrites (SO FREAKING GOOD!! I get so excited every time I see an update. I LOVE IT)

Luckier without , Choice chances and LadyBugOut by @miraculouscontent (I ADORE everything MC writes. Both FLUFF and SALT are exquisite. 100% recommend all of MC's stories and rants)

I'd kill for you by @notasiren21 [Rated M]

For the Lady's Favour , Liquid Courage and Living Arrangements by @mintaka14 [Rated T , M and M] (I LOVE Min's stories!!)

Marinette's Hanahaki by @haphira

Of Science Teachers and Coffee Addicts by N3verlandsShadow and Toko_Shadow (Nixys11)

When a Snake Strikes by lunamugetsu [Rated E] (Yandere Luka - VERY DARK)

Multibug and Vipercat AU by broadwaynerd_3

Hello Stranger by Freedom_shamrock

What goes around comes around saga by Cornholio4

Minor Alya salt:

Practice makes perfect by @ladycat1

Chords and Courtship by @goldenlaurelleaveswrites

And these are three Alya salt fics written by me:

Surfacing secrets

Fact check

The choice (just a pinch of salt)

I'm sure there's more, but I can't remember right now ^^; I recommend using AO3's tags to find more of them, either "Alya salt" or "Alya Césaire Bashing" (plus "endgame Luka Couffaine/Marinette Dupain-Cheng" or "lukanette endgame" for the bonus)

I hope this helped!

[kittykat940]

Better men probably have already pointed this out years ago, but using Can't Fight This Feeling by REO Speedwagon for a milkvan make out scene in s3 was too funny considering 1) the lyrics in general and 2) the fact that that song is featured in the 1987-set jukebox musical Rock of Ages (as well as the movie adaptation, but I like to pretend it doesn't exist) as a duet between two male characters, Lonny and Dennis, who were first business partners, then friends, and now are confessing their feelings for each other. One of them, Lonny, sings the first verse alone (the most vulnerable one), thus beginning the confession and giving Dennis assurance to begin the second verse and open up as well. Lonny even sings parts of the last few lines of the second verse, then Dennis and so forth during the the hook and the chorus.

I can't fight this feeling any longer And yet I'm still afraid to let it flow What started out as friendship has grown stronger I only wish I had the strength to let it show I tell myself that I can't hold out forever I said there is no reason for my fear 'Cause I feel so secure when we're together You give my life direction, you make everything so clear.

And even as I wander, I'm keeping you in sight You're a candle in the window on a cold, dark winter's night And I'm getting closer than I ever thought I might

Song from the musical here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfnZNPf6jsg

Again, these lyrics and their meaning have been analyzed more than a few times (light references, “cold dark” mentioned, fear...), but the interesting part is that in the original REO Speedwagon song, immediately after the chorus, there's another verse that could, maaaybe, be read as m¡lkvan:

My life has been such a whirlwind since I saw you I've been running 'round in circles in my mind And it always seems that I'm following you, girl 'Cause you take me to the places that alone I'd never find.

…in a expositional way, I guess? This verse feels just like a factual summary of their time together.

Now, here's the catch: this is the only verse not used in the Rock of Ages version. This is only me speculating, but I even doubt it wasn't included in the musical just because of the “girl” line. So... what was the excuse in ST? Again, this is a song about repressing romantic love for a friend -if the writers only wanted the chorus of this song playing in the background to create an atmosphere that screams 'hormonal teenagers can't fight their urges' (ick), a) they should've picked another song -there are many about “first summer love” b) they should've played the verse mentioned above to directly allude to the ship they supposedly wanted the audience to root for.

What do you think?

omg anon i never noticed this thank you for telling me! i think the duffers just want us to not root for milkvan lol they have been building byler up and building millkvan down i need s5 now i want my byler endgame lol

[park-jimin-isnt-real]

"dusk" masterlist

pairing(s): yoongi x reader (endgame); kai (exo) x reader; kai x oc (endgame); side namhope, jinkook, vmin rating: PG-16 genre: twilight au, urban fantasy(ish) romance current total wc: n/a

summary: When you moved to Forks, Washington, you only expected awkward conversations with your adopted sister's biological father and a lot of rain. You did not expect to see the love of your life walk through the high school cafeteria doors - especially when you thought he died back in 1918. But Yoongi doesn't remember you, and believes you to be fully human. With the seemingly endless amount of danger coming your way, how long can you keep the act up?

tw: angst, depression, suicide attempt, violence, fights, murder, blood drinking, liar revealed storyline, fluff & crack, yoongi and a piano, mint yoongi, so many kpop groups and soloists, chaotic taehyung, covering twilight-new moon-eclipse, i am not touching breaking dawn, nearly everyone goes by their real name not their stage name ~ this will be updated as the series goes on!

read on ao3 ~ read on wattpad character profiles playlist ~ faq moodboards ~ characters ~ pt.1 main masterlist

act i ~ dusk

prologue: when dusk falls ~ one: and they were roommates ~ two: just another fucking monday

three: they always say 'i can explain!' but they never get the chance to ~ four: in case you haven't noticed, i'm weird. i'm a weirdo. ~ five: rule #1: the doctor lies

six: get in loser, we're going shopping ~ seven: hi, welcome to chili's ~ eight: my brand of heroine

nine: "be myself", what kind of garbage advice is that? ~ ten: late-night interview with a vampire ~ eleven: and then i didn't

twelve: the iconic baseball scene ~ thirteen: there's only one snacc here and it's me ~ fourteen: how to run from the mess you've made

fifteen: not everywhere you fit in is where you belong ~ sixteen: was that the bite of '87?! ~ seventeen: it's just a flesh wound

act ii ~ dark

eighteen: and you did it at my birthday dinner ~ nineteen: as if i never existed ~ twenty: don't cry, craft!

twenty-one: it is wednesday my dudes ~ twenty-two: top 10 anime betrayals ~ twenty-three: take a number

twenty-four: at least there's a dog ~ twenty-five: wishful thinking, mindless dreaming ~ twenty-six: a world so dark

twenty-seven: so maybe i'm not okay ~ twenty-eight: v is for validation ~ twenty-nine: we could be

thirty: my past, my future, my hell ~ thirty-one: now would be a good time to be anyone but me ~ thirty-two: orpheus and eurydice

twenty-three: late-night interview with a half-vampire ~ thirty-four: feel my wrath and extreme self-doubt ~ thirty-five: how to be a failure 101

act iii ~ dawn

thirty-six: oh my god they were roommates ~ thirty-seven: howdy-do, fellow kids ~ thirty-eight: it's murder time

thirty-nine: the fine art of bullshit ~ forty: hey guys, i'm really trying here ~ forty-one: alexa, intruder alert

forty-two: thanks, i hate it ~ forty-three: you, bulletproof, in black like a funeral ~ forty-four: prom (an important high school rite of passage)

forty-five: there's no 'i' in 'justice league' ~ forty-six: the blood on your hands ~ forty-seven: probably unethical experimentation

forty-eight: i promise to love you forever ~ forty-nine: late-night interview with a werewolf ~ fifty: murder time is now almost exclusively the time, always

fifty-one: for what it's worth ~ fifty-two: t.g.i.f. ~ epilogue: dawn was breaking

[mariejordans]

I agree Jordan Marie and cate are the best most interesting characters if they're going to kill someone it should be Andre like you said he's useless and also unlikable as a person lmfao he ain't doing anything right. I love cate and I love villains so whatever way they go with her as long as it's believable I'm all for it. My thing with them killing more characters is because we're in the endgame now as in the boys probably has 2 more seasons to go and they're also going to start killing a lot of people like by the end I expect most of the main supes and at least half of the boys to be dead so as the gen v characters get pulled into that they're also going to start getting killed off but idc they better not touch Jordan and Marie I'm not kidding I already have hives thinking about stranger things maybe killing Steve in the last season I don't need this 😂😂😂😂

right EXACTLY jordan marie cate 🔛🔝

i genuinely didn’t expect them to pivot on cate’s character bc i really thought they’d stick with cate wanting to be good/wanting to be a hero, trying to earn her friends’ trust back, but i��m SOOO glad that they’re going the villain/anti-hero route. especially with marie and cate now on opposing sides and them basically being each other’s narrative foils, like i need them to go full on villain with cate like it’s just too good a set up for a really complex relationship between marie and cate.

*sighs* okay so my thing with andre is that he COULD’VE been a really interesting character. like, daddy issues, bisexual, doesn’t really care about being a superhero and lowkey in love with his best friend (the writers are cowards for not making the throuple happen) like there were so many ways his character could’ve been done, but then he ended up being a stereotypical nepo baby. it’s kinda like the writers put little to no effort in his character development and didn’t even try to make him likable 😭 he just constantly gets thrown around by the other characters, he slept with his best friend’s girlfriend, and he’s just kind of a dick in general. really the only thing i found really genuine and likable about andre was his love for luke, and to a certain extent, cate. but beyond that, he’s just not a very sympathetic character to me idk 😭

honestly, i’m not suuper attached to any of the boys characters, maybe it’s bc i always end up taking super long breaks between binge watching but if they decided to start killing off main characters, i think i’d be fine (except kimchie or starlight pls don’t touch them thx) but THEY BETTER NOT TOUCH MARIE OR JORDAN OR I’M STARTING A RIOT IN THE PRIME VIDEO BUILDING FR like you could even take cate from me just dont touch limoreau…

i’m gonna be honest, i kinda wish gen v was less tied into the boys and got to stand on its own more bc i really need homelander to stay FARRRRRR away from marie and jordan and cate. butcher too. but also bc i really liked the college setting but seeing as how we now know the entire college is a scam, it might completely move away from godolkin, which is a shame bc i loved the superhero college-sky high esque concept of it and i wish we had gotten MORE of it before we got into all the plot heavy stuff but…it is what it is ig 🤷🏼‍♀️

[eddiezpaghetti]

Hallo! Like many other people, I found you thanks to the incredible piece on why Byler IS GONNA be endgame. In your second/response post on this matter you briefly mentioned Supernatural, Teen Wolf and Sherlock, and I was wondering if you could make direct comparisons to these cases and explain how exactly they differ from Byler. If you knew about these shows while they were still airing, did you also strongly believe or at least had a bit of hope that those ships would become canon? If no, what are the main differences that make ST's pair so unique? If yes, do you believe you overlooked/assumed things back then that you now account for better? And sorry if this is an annoying or repetitive question, I imagine you've gotten a bunch of similar requests and you might want to distance yourself from the topic alr + from what little I know about those 2010s shows I can already kind of predict the answer myself thanks to your definitions of queerbaiting v queer-coding v accidental romance, so I guess this is more of an excuse so I get a chance to read another one of your masterful posts, apologies for that hehe <3

Honestly, I used those examples because they're really well-known in general, not because I'm an expert on those pieces of media. A piece of media I probably know better on a personal level that did queerbaiting isn't even a great example because it was just on such a small scale, but definitely still held true under "We're doing this simultaneously to pander to and make fun of queer people," but no one was too invested because it was with a minor character, so no one cared much, and no one really believed was going to happen. Tonally, though, it matches up with the other examples, and it's another piece of shit that came straight outta Moffat's ass. Uhh...

Yes, that's James Corden. Not relevant. The important thing is that this is a scene that works as an example of what The Queerbaiting Tone™ feels like.

If you haven't seen Doctor Who--first of all, how did you find Tumblr, but more importantly--this character was in a whopping two episodes. Minor character, had a love interest, but his relationship with the Doctor was still remarkably, like, intimate?

The doctor's companions never joined him on the episodes he was with this character, they were roommates for a while (oh my god they were roommates), they had the whole one-sided-rivals thing (Corden's character was jealous of how the Doctor seemed to charm everyone around him while the Doctor just wanted Corden's character safe and happy), there was a goddamn scene where Corden's character got poisoned and the Doctor nursed him back to health complete with staying at his bedside and gently brushing the hair out of his eyes and all that shit... And the second episode Craig (I just remembered the character's name--shut up, it's been a while) was in happened because the Doctor was informed he was about to die and he decided Craig was someone he wanted to see just one last time.

Then the above scene happened.

And you can see that, like, it's blatantly a joke, Craig mentions he has a wife, he's such a minor character that no one actually believes he's going to romance the Doctor and run away with him, but all of the genuine moments between them still happened. This is still a character the Doctor (normally a ~mysterious~ character) chose to have a goddamn Vulcan-style mind-meld with.

And, again, this was a joke. The punchline is the idea of them being gay. Hilarious. Two men being in love. Absolutely ground-breaking humor.

Queerbaiting is just that scene, and those two episodes of Doctor Who, but with a much longer buildup to the punchline. The longer that buildup is, the more real it feels. The more effort is spent on it, the more you want to believe it's too much effort to be a joke. And the more space is spread about between them, the harder it is to remember all the little micro-jokes the big joke is made of.

And again, Byler has never had that. Stranger Things has never had that. I'd love to show every goddamn scene with a queer character or queerness mentioned in the show just to prove that it's not the same, but that's hard because it's harder to show the absence of something than the presence of something. It'd take too long. And the sincere scenes that do make up Will and Mike's love story, those are between the jokes with queerbaiting. Again, there was a scene in Doctor Who where Craig got poisoned and the Doctor stayed by his bedside and made him tea and did his work for him in the meantime so he wouldn't fall behind. But, again, that's between jokes.

Mike and Will have never developed their relationship between jokes. They're not a punchline. There's no joke here. It's only Mike desperately calling Will's name through the radio when he hears him singing. It's only Mike saying that meeting him was the best thing he's ever done. It's only Will tearfully telling Mike that he wanted to play games with him for the rest of his life. It's only Will giving Mike a veiled confession by projecting his feelings onto El. Over and over and over again, it's sincere, sincere, sincere, sincere, sincere.

Their closeness isn't funny, it's just love. And that's the difference.

[icannotreadcursive]

So You Want To Get Into Star Trek

But watching every episode of every show and every movie feels like a bit much.

Then I have the watchlist for you! My father, wonderful nerd that he is, has compiled a list of what select episodes and movies to watch, in order, to get you a comfortable overview of Star Trek from the 1960s to 2000s. This list does not include the most recent shows from the sort of Trek revival era we're currently in, which started in 2017, but it should allow you to dive into any of those recent shows without being lost in what they're building on.

Full list and a below the cut because, even though it’s greatly shortened from the full episode catalogue, it’s still pretty long to display on tumblr:

ST: The Original Series

Where No Man Has Gone Before Charlie X What Are Little Girls Made Of The Galileo Seven Space Seed The Devil in the Dark The City on the Edge of Forever Journey to Babel The Doomsday Machine The Trouble with Tribbles The Menagerie, Parts I and II The Conscience of the King The Enterprise Incident

OPTIONAL: The Cage, Amok Time

(Note: if you’re here for Kirk/Spock reasons, Amok Time is not optional and should be watched after City on the Edge of Forever)

ST: The Animated Series

Yesteryear One of Our Planets is Missing More Tribbles, More Troubles The Slaver Weapon Albatross

FILMS

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan NOW OR LATER: Star Trek III: The Search for Spock NOW OR LATER: Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

ST: The Next Generation

Encounter at Farpoint, Parts I and II 11001001 Conspiracy Q Who Peak Performance The Survivors Yesterday's Enterprise The Most Toys The Measure of a Man Sarek The Best of Both Worlds, Parts I and II Darmok Ensign Ro Unification, Parts I and II Cause and Effect The First Duty I, Borg The Inner Light Realm of Fear Chain of Command, Parts I and II Tapestry The Pegasus Lower Decks Preemptive Strike All Good Things…, Parts I and II

FILMS

Star Trek: First Contact

ST: Deep Space Nine

Emissary Dax Duet Necessary Evil The Wire The Jem'Hadar The Search, Parts I and II Defiant Past Tense, Parts I and II The Way of the Warrior The Visitor Starship Down Broken Link Trials and Tribble-ations In Purgatory's Shadow Far Beyond The Stars In the Pale Moonlight Take Me Out to the Holosuite Treachery, Faith and the Great River Chimera

ST: Voyager

Caretaker Prime Factors Death Wish Deadlock Remember Unity Scorpion, Parts I and II The Gift Timeless Think Tank Someone to Watch Over Me Tinker Tenor Doctor Spy Pathfinder Body and Soul Endgame

ST:Enterprise

Broken Bow Dear Doctor Fusion Carbon Creek Dead Stop Similitude Borderland Proving Ground These Are The Voyages…

FILMS

Star Trek (JJ Abrams) Star Trek V: The Final Frontier Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country Star Trek: Nemesis

[tbgkaru-woh]

i just need you to know that im watching word of honor w/ my sis bc your fanart is so good and we just got to the part where the anji sages died and now we're both crying and its your fault bc THEY WERE MY PERFECT OLD PERSON POLY SHIP AND EXCUSE ME BUT AFTER I FINISH THIS STUPID SERIES IMMA BE WRITING FIX IT FICS ABT HOW THEY LIVE HAPPILY EVER AFTER AND NEVER RETURN TO THE MARTIAL ARTS WORLD. my babies deserved so much better ;;;; (thx for leading me onto this show btw its fucking amazing)

I'M SO GLAD YOU'RE ENJOYING IT!!! it's quite different from MDZS, more "slice-of-life" and the focus on two villains flirting around like normal people and kind of ignoring the main plot is really fun ;v; there's WAYY TOO MANY old character, some i could do without if only for the sake that it's more approachable to people, but i LOVE the costume designs and i love the main-ish casts (and the sworn brothers too, but that's for slightly biased reasons) ;v;

as always, it quite deters from the novel and most of my brainrot lays in few lines of text and implications of the life that once was, but! this show deserves the love ;v; there were few cute behind the scenes and really cute "concert" (where half the cast couldn't sing but it was wonderful, they played games and were happy) and i have a little endgame animatic for the characters too ♥

please update me with scenes you go to that you like/dislike, i love asks like this!! ♥

[gleetournaments]

Well if we’re thinking of Rumours v 2009 - as someone said many fans just haven’t made it to season 6 or watched 2009 more than once. It’s an enjoyable episode, the main fascination being Kurt’s story and his glow up, but this tournament has all other ships and stans voting. Is there any britanna in there? Season 2 remains popular. Rumours is popular for Songbird especially plus other extra songs plus the Britanna Artie plot, plus the Sam of it all - the story is cute. Klainers love to laugh at the stupidity of people thinking Kurt is cheating on Blaine.

Nbk v hos - well someone pointed out in comments only good thing about Nbk is Klaine meeting. And theres been a lot of anti Blaine stuff around this week on twitter so that’s changed again. The beiste plot is horrible and puck is an ass, and it’s not really Britanna focussed. hos is a competition episode which people tend to enjoy and you’ve got one of the sancedes mashups in there too.

I think, and I mean no disrespect to you, but we do know ultimately there’s a handful of episodes which will be in the top 4. Pq and Os have been long term fan faves and have won many times over the years, I’m not convinced it’ll change now. I’m interested to see what fills in the spaces 3-28 or whatever.

But I love you doing this. It’s fun. It’s not to be taken too seriously. It’s interesting to hear PoV even if they’re wrong (I jest) . I’m not commenting or reblogging because people can be so rude or shoot people down for having a different opinion.

I don’t want you to stop it. Plus you’ve worked hard on it.

Hi Nonny!

Sorry - I am finally getting around to addressing all of this.

First of all, I just want to say, even if I'll campaign passionately on my own blog, I completely understand that this blog's intention is to service the wider glee fandom, and not one particular corner of it, therefore the opinions are going to be different. That is usually part of the fun of it.

What isn't fun is when there's an obvious bout of cheating going on and all of sudden those numbers get skewed in a really wonky way. And as I said before, I know there's always some form of cheating going on in these things -- especially in polls that reach a huge audience. But this particular blog really only gets out to 200-ish people, so when someone spams it with an 100 extra votes it feels really noticeable.

And, at the moment I discovered it - it felt... idk violating in a way? It's like someone did it intentionally to make some sort of statement?

Most of the polls they did it on, the episode in question was already winning. So, why even bother?

That said - I do agree that we're hurdling towards a pre-determined endgame. I've ran this particular poll maybe four times over the course of the years, and it's always ended the same way. But the real fun is getting there, and seeing where everything else shakes out.

I'm glad you are having fun, and I think overall, most people are, too. As of now, things seem to be normal again, so I'm continuing on with the tournament. But if things seem suspicious again, I may decide to pull the plug then.

As an aside -

I’m not commenting or reblogging because people can be so rude or shoot people down for having a different opinion.

I'm sorry to hear this, and this is a good moment to remind people that everyone is entitled to have their own opinion. No one is dumb or stupid or whatever if they like something else. It's a TV show, and subjective to each person. Someone not liking your favorite isn't going to hurt you, and people should feel safe to state opinions without getting ridiculed. I realize this is the internet, and the anonymity makes that hard. But c'mon. This is so not worth getting into it with people over.

Thanks for dropping a line! I do appreciate hearing from you guys. <3

[procrastinationau]

i'm going to bed but the rough draft of the chapter is done :V

gotta edit the fuck outta it, it's VERY rough, but it's done. should just be one more chapter in this fic/episode after this.

also heads up i'll probably be taking a fairly long break between the end of this fic/episode and the beginning of the next one for a number of reasons (i'm starting a new job, i'm a little burned out on the au from how long this fic's been taking, i need to plot out the next fic more than what i have now which is literally just 'clay shows up,' we're getting into the endgame of season 1 so again, i gotta PLAN stuff) so just, be aware that things may be a little quiet here for a while.

I do have a short interlude planned and partially written that's set after this episode, but I wrote most of it before certain plot stuff changed so it needs extensive rewrites lol.

[vermanaward]

anyway keynote stuff

nutkin doing a public service by cockblocking thancred

painter krile is cute as hell im so happy for her. green mage truthers in a shambles

picto's af is relm's gear from ff6. which, you know, fits lmao

i love the stylised skill effects, something actually unique looking in the game

i don't have any expectations whatsoever for how it'll play but as long as it's better than smn idc

another buffing class (: ofc, the two minute meta lives

no rez, so it'll cream rdm dps wise, F

we're condensing fantasy n and s america into six zones, huh

the cyberpunk city is. setting whiplash, huh

area name is 'solution nine' I Don't Like This

oh and it's the endgame hub. at least it's pretty ig

one of the healers in my static is being a complete pissbaby about the Weird Shit i might tell him to fuck off to lotro if he continues

oh shit is the Brand in the dungeon vid. gw2 collab confirmed /shot

the stacked cactuar lmao

no wings on the smn af. heresy

rpr going for the dommy mommy look i see

firmament... 2! lunar boogaloo

wait. what multiple planets. as side content. oh this is going to be intensely shallow it's it

oh wait are just. it's just elysium 2.0 by way of the diadem. okay. as long as it lets me fish and doesn't make me want to die (hello diadem this means u)

cyberpunk savage raid lets go. explains why the cyberpunk city is the endgame hub. maybe

supposedly mr ozma soft confirmed 2 ultimates but we'll see

surprised they confirmed eden ult before stb story but i can't say im sad

7.1 eden ult pog

'new plans for deep dungeons' that will be fucking dead after six weeks because we need people to do roulettes instead

no pvp updates until 7.1 LMAO

ayyyyy new field operation (now just tie it to the relic so it doesn't die immediately like v&c dungeons did because you had the unhinged idea for it just to be a tome sink)

BST limited job finally fucking confirmed

im not one of the people pining after it personally but limited job enjoyers will be happy

oh no it has a collection feature i am going to have to 100% it i say while still missing like half the blu spells

the textures on that arr gear in the update preview is hilariously pixelated lmao

(i do like the new skin shaders tho)

the metal shader looks v nice too but on that low rez top just. highlights how bad it is

the highlander f lost half her eyebrows wtf

they gave the femroe a nose job I Don't Like This!

for the most part the face looks a lot better but. Weird Noses Good

lizards look nice at least

'we know some people like that dead eyed soulless look so we enabled you to have that too' l m a o

'please look forward to adjusting your character to your preference' so free fanta when

oh shit lmao

i like that they are showing dark skin exampls as well. the catgirl had me going [hmm] bc the skin tone became noticeably cooler but the rest of them (even the non fantasy skin colours) look decent to my eye

femhroth looking better than i was afraid of, still decidedly more cowardly than male hroth designs but such is fantasy games

inb4 no hats

i like the key art

[qwertystop]

Hearing things like this is what got me to actually get the game - haven't seen the conclusion myself but I've got all the badges from the three chains leading up to those conclusions. There's so much *promise* and the games keep falling short of it.

This could have been an opportunity for the return of actually growing Berries, just to pick one option out of a hat. They've still got a dedicated bag pocket, even though they don't have any particular mechanical traits in common anymore, now that both making treats with them and growing them are long-gone mechanics.

But imagine: this is a full open 3D environment, with weather patterns and shadows and at least three or four different terrain types - so take all the berries and assign things like "prefers rocky terrain" and "full sun" to the existing data on growing times and crop sizes and amount of preferred watering (which can check rain - they don't even need to give you a watering can, keep the possibility of making it busywork away, make it about the *ecology* and not how frequently you remember to run a circuit and manually irrigate). Scatter plantable soil patches across the world, bring back the variety of plant-specific, growing-stage specific wild fantastic tree designs from gen 3 and 4, now in 3D with some weight to them - it's not *that* many, there's a lot of palette swaps, but it's better than the single generic tree with perfectly round fruit regardless of the actual berry being grown that we got for the planting areas in 6. And now, that's one more thing in the open world to look out for, to pay attention to - splashes is bright color among the greenery means a crop of berries and the chance to grow more, instead of finding berries as little sparkles on the beach or bare rocks or grassy fields nowhere near so much as a shrub.

Then, if we're counting wishes, repeat that for all the other features that's been left behind over the years that would work well in an open-world environment. Involve the berries and the existing "prefers <flavor>" stuff in the picnic cooking, instead of an entire new bag list and dozens of new items just for sandwiches. Or, hey, keep the sandwiches but let us make jams from the berries, like with Pokeblocks and Poffin! Make double battles a thing you can just opt in to for most fights, or make them the standard style for trainer battles in the region, since there's at this point a thriving official competitive scene that runs exclusively doubles. The games have never supported competitive better with things like mints and hyper training and super-early access to the Power EV-training items... but if you want to actually play in that format before postgame and multiplayer? You get four fights, all in the same endgame-leveled gym challenge, and maybe I was just lucky but they were a pushover even underleveled.

Oh, and you know what else works super well in an open world, that they've abandoned for years? Roaming legends! No more of this "added to the random encounter table in one route that changes randomly every time you change areas", it's got a model in the world now and it *actually runs around*, you can track it, maybe even track it by rumors from NPCs instead of having a magic dex that treats "where is this single individual" just like "what are the usual habitats of this species".

I keep a list in my head, of games notable to me as much for missed potential, what could have been, as what they actually did. It fluctuates with mood and memory (was Xenoblade X missed potential, or just underappreciated, did TWEWY have higher to climb or was the jank part of the charm, how the *null* do I classify Ar tonelico and the MMBN1 remake, etc), but two things have always been on it (Avalon Code and Achron). Pokemon S/V? Time will tell, but I think it's going to be a solid third benchmark entry, there.

I am still recovering from that ending and it's been WEEKS.

I think I'm going to be the same. I'm certainly going to be thinking about it for a while

I mean... Fuck me but this is a good game??!

It's making me angry with the Pokémon Company all over again, actually. There are like four different companies who make/produce Pokémon, and the one with the most power is the one cracking the whip to churn em out fast so all the lucrative money making stuff like merch and the animé can dance the capitalist dance. But look at this!!! LOOK AT THIS GAME. The heart and skill that went into this one is spectacular, and if only Nintendo could have done their usual trick that they pull all the time with Zelda ("We are sorry to announce that we are pushing back the release date for a fifth time because we've just had a really sick idea for how to incorporate some worldbuilding and we want the game to be perfect ^⁠_⁠_⁠_⁠_⁠^") this game would have been utterly incredible.

But like... this game has stuff to say, anyway. It's a game about trauma, look. Team Star, the fates of Miraidon and Mabbostiff, Arven's entire arc, Turo's choices and attempts to - well. No spoilers, but YOU KNOW.

And then! All tied up one again into the ongoing Pokémon theme of environmentalism! Violet ends with a rousing speech about how, if we all fight for what's right and love each other, we can beat climate change the unfortunate choices of Pokémon scientists and forge a bright future! Biodiversity is good and invasive species are bad! And also we should all have picnics with our friends more! And also the point of life is to find your own meaning in it, the meaning that's true to you, and then go and live the hell out of it! And also there's a Pokémon that's two mice now and it fucks behind your back to become four mice!

What a game. What a beautiful, brilliant game. I fucking loved Legends Arceus, but this, this I love even more. This is the most I've loved Pokémon in years. And there's still the entire post-game to play. Fuck me I love it.

Ed Sheeran tho wtf

[giveninservice]

@rehandles liked for a starter

It was all over.

Now that everything had come to a standstill, the adrenaline was beginning to ebb away, a rush of exhaustion taking over, and Bucky found himself dropping down onto a piece of rubble to catch his breath, pushing his flesh hand through his hair. There was so much to take in. The battle alone was a hell of a lot to process never mind the whole ‘we’ve been gone for five years and now we’re back’ thing. 

Yeah, he was probably going to spend a while processing all of this.

Individuals were scattered all around the area, talking, recovering, holding each other. Steve was somewhere, he’d seen him a few times during the fight. Sam was somewhere too, neither of them seemed to be too badly injured. Small blessings, he supposed.