#what's your fave subway scene?

[kdramaxoxo]

SUBWAY IS BACK!

[warningsine]

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/21/magazine/elsbeth-cbs-review-good-wife-good-fight.html

The most-watched streaming series of 2023, it turns out, was “Suits.” All your faves — the conceptually and emotionally difficult ones, the family-trauma dramedies, the zombie soaps and franchise space operas — were as dust in comparison with a bouncy basic-cable legal procedural. If Gen Z viewers are looking at the buffet of TV content and choosing old-school blue-sky procedurals over “Succession” or “The Mandalorian,” what becomes of the world all these streamers and premium-cable networks worked so hard to build?

CBS might have the answer, and her name is Elsbeth Tascioni. This defense attorney, played by Carrie Preston, was a beloved guest character on “The Good Wife” and its sequel/spinoff, “The Good Fight,” both created by the network veterans Robert and Michelle King. Tascioni is, in the parlance of today’s internet, a “weird little guy.” Outfitted in blaring patterns and carrying numerous quilted tote bags at all times, she is both hard to miss and easy to overlook. She appeared in just under 20 episodes across both series but delighted fans as one of the strangest and funniest running gags in two series already filled to the brim with running gags and high-wattage guest stars. Where Julianna Margulies on “The Good Wife” is all elegance and eroticism, Elsbeth is kooky and oddly mannered. Where Christine Baranski on “The Good Fight” is all gravitas and moral outrage, Elsbeth is non sequiturs and slapstick — a whimsical agent of chaos, an odd bird among all those silken and self-serious lawyers.

Now she has her own show, “Elsbeth.” The previous entries in the Kings’ trilogy took place in Chicago, but “Elsbeth” sends Tascioni to take Manhattan, Muppet-style. Without any of her former co-stars to contextualize her, she begins as a fish out of water. She has been tasked with observing a police precinct after a series of wrongful arrests and other violations (and, secretly, with collecting evidence for a corruption case). She wriggles her way into ongoing investigations, stymying police detectives and, almost always, proving them to be arrogant dummies. She is, in other words, an annoyance. Nearly everyone she meets reacts the same way: Who is this strange woman, and what is she doing here? Viewers might ask the same. Why would anybody greenlight a spinoff about a minor character who appeared in a smattering of episodes of two moderately successful series over a period of 14 years? Who is this strange woman, and what is she doing here?

The answer is that Elsbeth Tascioni, and the oddball detective procedural in which she now lives, exist because Robert and Michelle King know what they’re doing. They have always been particularly self-conscious creators of network procedurals, working in a kind of uncanny valley: The shows are immersive, dramatic crowd-pleasers, but they are also playful, ironic, even occasionally postmodern in their building out of intellectual property. “Elsbeth” isn’t just a spinoff; it’s a spinoff about spinoffs.

From the perspective of what we can now call the “Good Wife” Televisual Universe, the very existence of “Elsbeth” is a pretty funny joke. It is a canny management of the industry’s obsession with reused intellectual property, but it is also a satisfying mockery of it, a rogue spinoff that has become self-aware. Elsbeth isn’t just a fish out of water in Manhattan. She’s a fish out of water on her own show.

This estrangement is embedded in the visual language of the show. Subway ads for the series featured a shot of uniformed police officers, a burly polyester wall, with Preston seemingly poking her head in from out of frame, wearing a pink overcoat, a crocheted scarf and a foam Statue of Liberty crown. This is Elsbeth, they announced: Nobody knows who she is, but she certainly doesn’t belong here. Scenes in the show itself are often blocked as though a passing tourist has happened upon the filming of a “Law & Order” episode, butted her way into the scene and ended up solving the murder. At the start of the third episode, we see a row of bystanders behind caution tape on a dark Manhattan street, their bodies a gray woolen barrier — until we spot a soft pom-pom bobbing up and down behind them, straining for a view. That’s Elsbeth, who must crouch and sneak through a forest of legs to get to her crime scene. There’s a series of shots, repeated in several episodes, in which a central-casting homicide detective is interviewing an eyewitness; the camera moves back and forth, capturing the interviewee at a lower angle and the commanding cop at a higher one, until the diminutive Elsbeth invariably scoots her way into the cop’s frame, taking it over from beneath. They never see her coming.

The core joke of “Elsbeth” is its own wobbly preposterousness, the way its protagonist is at odds not only with the other characters but also with the show that’s nominally built around her. In ways both too cute and really quite ingenious, Elsbeth Tascioni keeps disrupting a boilerplate CBS police procedural already in progress. The characters themselves notice this: The first three episodes have been layered with double entendres, reaching a boiling point in an episode revolving around a “Real Housewives”-style reality series. Elsbeth tells a producer: “I don’t think I’d do well on television.” Later, the producer lashes out at her: “You have no idea how hard it is to make good TV, Miss Tascioni, and you never will.” One detective questions not just the character but the show: “Elsbeth? What kind of name is that?” In a particularly sharp moment, the guest star Jane Krakowski simply stops the action to tell Elsbeth: “You I don’t get at all. I don’t get who you are or what you actually do.”

These lines are both nervous tics and statements of blithe confidence. They are also one droll reason for why the show works: It’s in a constant, comical state of existential crisis.

A hallmark of the Kings’ series is their mischievous messing with established formats; they play with genre in order to destabilize it, asking us to rethink concepts like justice or the binary of good and evil. With “Elsbeth,” they may aim to mount an unassuming critique of TV-cop propaganda. (Elsbeth is almost always right, while the police are almost always blinded by cockiness and self-assurance, having never once questioned their own purpose.) But it strikes me that you could just as easily see this as a show that’s interested less in the police than in the industry that keeps making shows about them.

The Kings have already made self-referential shows about lawyers and cops and priests and senators, dramas and satires and erotic thrillers about the lofty and corrupt institutions that structure our world. Is television itself not an institution worthy of such critical minds? When “The Good Wife” ended, several critics called it the last great network drama — a designation that, in retrospect, says as much about the networks as it does about the drama. Elsbeth does not belong in a CBS procedural; she is a time traveler from an antique land before the boom of Peak TV, before our current era of algorithmic austerity. Thus far, her show is a relatively simple one, but the Kings do not have a reputation for keeping things simple. What if they made a show about their own institution, a self-referential tale about an industry that holds itself in such low regard that it imagines its product could be made by artificial intelligence rather than writers and showrunners? An industry that mourns the loss of “The Good Wife” but would never greenlight it today? That show might focus on a figure dressed in bright colors, gazing in wonder at aspects of the world that other characters never stop to notice, carrying overstuffed tote bags filled with new ideas to a place that scorns color and wonderment and ideas. Nobody would ever see her coming.

[twinkatchuk]

my thoughts on the faceoff doc:

- i do not like the leafs and the bruins, but I think i like willy and pastrnak a lot more today;

- loved willy going to games in the subway, thats hilarious

- who cares about eichel and mustache man? skipped episode 2

- swayman × Matthew, very nice. loved swayman's dad, but oh jeremy, some things you said can be used against you during your contractgate.

- tkachukfamily my beloved <3

- who tf thinks trouba is an example of a captain? they should've picked staal or larkin as the neutral 3rd guy, but the only real choice for me was Ovechkin. Only watched gabe's scenes. I really hope he gets to play again. Loved that his daughter's fave team is the penguins <3 even little swedish kids love Sid

- booooo the evil team episode. its clear to see them putting mcdavid as the main character and the bias towards the oilers. this is not just in episode 5, but i thought this doc repeats a lot of things unnecessarily. looooved the shots of Lenny. I had a LOT of fun seeing McDavids meltdown :)))

- games 1, 2 and 3 scenes are awesome, and my fave rat man eats it the fuck up!!! that man is made for the cameras

- skipped a lot of scenes from games 4, 5 and 6. what matters in the end is that evil was defeated and Matthew and the Panthers are Cup Champions ❤️

- i thought i got past tearing up after they won but I'm not

- my favorite shot of this whole doc is probably keith tkachuk crying while taryn and brady are like HE DID IT. thats love and pride and happiness right there in his face. i definitely cried, and i miss having my dad with me <3

- there werent enough paul maurice moments!!! not a single shot of him lifting the cup!!! not enough of his amazing lines!! him on the floor being a goalie, him calling the guys you fuckers... what an entertaining man!!!

- Overall a good series!! Id give 8/10

- Players i'd like to see in season 2: tyler seguin, sid and geno, trevor zegras even tho the ducks suck, mitch marner (hope you get traded babe), tim stutzle, jonathan toews coming back from the dead, someone on the kraken, kotchekov/svechnikov bc russian and in my wildest dreams Flower in his last run in the playoffs ever. hope he wins the cup lmao

[renlyslittlerose]

As someone who rewatches BtVS every few months or so and was thrilled to discover you enjoy the show too, I would love to know your fave episodes.

Also, super excited for your vampire obikin fic!!

Oh man, the noise I made when I saw this ask. Someone actually asking me to talk about my hyperfixation? Without me having to direct them towards it? My lucky day, indeed! I'm tempted to say every episode is my favourite (except for maybe 'Where the Wild Things Are'), but I will limit myself to five!

Fool for Love - Really enjoy the ride we go through in terms of Spike's character arc throughout the series, and I thought this episode really did him, his relationships, and his background a lot of justice. The scene where he's explaining the 'lesson' to Buffy in the alleyway, spliced with his fight with Nicky in the subway, is absolute perfection. And I really thought they did a great job mixing the flashbacks on Buffy with the sister episode on Angel.

Becoming Part 1/2 - Not the biggest Angel fan when he's on Buffy (it took his own show for me to warm to him), but his flashbacks did a lot to inform us of who he was, whereas before we didn't get a lot of that? Plus, Buffy determined to save the world despite knowing that it'll destroy hers, is both heartbreaking and inspiring. And the part where Angelus has Buffy cornered and is about to take the final blow, when Buffy catches the blade and shows us why she's the slayer??? Gets me every. damn. time.

The Zeppo - I know, I know, Xander is... a piece of work, to put it lightly. But the whimsy, the self-effacing humour, the genuine character growth that Xander goes through (and then seemingly loses come season six but whatever), all makes it really stand out to me.

I Only Have Eyes for You - LISTEN, again, it's not a ground-breaking episode, but I fucking love it. Flashbacks to the 1950s? A ghost story??? Placing the traditionally 'masculine' male character in the role of a vulnerable, scared woman??? THE FLAMINGO'S 'I ONLY HAVE EYES FOR YOU' PLAYING IN THE BACKGROUND???? Not to mention the development of Buffy and her grief and guilt is really beautifully done.

The Gift. What more is there to say? And while I enjoyed season 6 and, to a lesser extent season 7, I really do think this would have been the perfect finale for the show. "Be brave. Live." <- this has gotten me through a lot of tough spots, for sure.

But I honestly adore almost every episode. Just as you do, I re-watch Buffy an obsessive amount of times - it's my comfort show! What are your favourites, anon?

And you didn't ask this but here is my quick top five list for Angel: 'Are You Now Or Have You Ever Been' , 'Five by Five', 'Lullaby', 'A Hole in the World', 'Not Fade Away' ✨ (and I'm so glad you're excited for the fic! Almost done the first draft, then it's time to comb through it all and hope it makes sense. And for those who don't watch Buffy, don't worry, the story should still make sense - it's mostly me mashing together Star Wars lore with basic Buffy stuff and hoping it works?)

[wellhalesbells]

[Based on Asks I Get] Here’s the Cheatsheet to My (Sterek) Fics, Folks:

Why am I Following You Again?:  👋🏻 You’re probably here because of There’s Monsters at Home.  Stiles is a BAMF, Derek is a Failwolf, the Pack has to actually learn how to form Voltron (figuratively), Derek gets possessed by a demon (literally), Stiles is blind (temporarily), and there’s a semi-sentient phoenix tattoo.  There’s art from @andavs​ for it here because she is one of the coolest people I’ve ever known.  Big facts.  There’s also a gifset that eeames made that can only be found in the fic now (thanks, tumblr) so check that ish out!

You Wrote a Sterek Fic Where, Like, They’re Dicks... But It’s Good?  Also, Stiles is Correct™ about How Much It Sucks to Sleep in the Same Bed as a Human Heater: You’re thinking of Seat Belts & Gravity, and your description is much better than mine.  On.  Point.

There was One Where, Like, They’re in College and There’s the Pack But Not Really Because I Think Everyone was Human and No One Knows Derek and Stiles are Together Even Though It’s Not a Secret?: You’re thinking of We’re Burning One Hell of a Something, aka The One You Will Never Find If You Don’t Bookmark It Now.  I’m serious, I just told you what it is but navigate away from this page for one minute and what’s it called?  You don’t know, but an Ellie Goulding song is stuck in your head and this is going to drive you gonzo now.  Just bookmark it, for serious.

😭 B-But Protozooey?: That’s Of Bananas, Babies and Buzzkills and I’m sorry.  Oh, and get all your bwhahas and wah-wah-wahs in podfic form: here!

What are the Rules to Brackets?: Brackets is a fictional game created in The Quadruped, Rhypophagus Team of Goatliness that is based solely on the pure chaotic energy of True American in New Girl ..... what about any of that fic makes you think rules belong there?

P.S. What Does Rhypophagus Mean?: Granted this was never a super popular word but it did used to be a... word and it means trash-eating - I cannot explain to you why there’s only, like, one link on Google that will tell you that now.  I’m thinking Larry and Sergey liked my fic so much they decided: all roads must lead to this miss!  It’s the only thing that makes sense really.

Did You Write a Ballet One Where, Like, Afterwards I Wanted to Crawl into a Dark Hole and Eschew All Human Contact?:  I did!  Thanks for noticing, and you’re welcome!  It’s called Birds of a Feather Fuck Together.  You probably remember this art for it too!

There was a Nerd/Jock Thing But Also Still Werewolves... Am I Remembering This Right?: You are!  It’s Option C) Some Bad Guys are Werewolves, but Not All Werewolves are Bad Guys.  I should make longer titles, huh?  Also there is awesome art for it by NateintheAttic.

Are You the Person Who Did the One Where the Hales are Still Alive and There’s, Like, Magic and Scott’s a Seer and Also Everyone Thinks Scott and Stiles are Gonna Bone (Including Derek)?  No, Right?:  I can see why you would think I am not that person because it is all kinds of happy but that was me!  It’s called Instructions for Dancing.  It’s got a bittle prequel on tumblr here and a scene from Derek’s PoV here.

Did You Ever Finish that One that I Started to Read on Tumblr and Then Lost Track of around Part, Like, Fifteen?:  I did!  It’s completed on tumblr as the Subway Sleeper Series and posted to AO3 as a huge block of zaniness under the name Hibernation Station.  Oh!  And art exists for it: here and here!

There was One about Allison?: There was!  It’s called Phases of the Weaker Heart and it’s entirely from her point of view with some of my fave pre-slashy Sterek sprinkled in.  @goodoceangonewrong giffed one of my absolute favorite scenes: here and lunchee did an absolute gorgeous reading of it here.

There’s One with a Dog and Baltimore and Frosted Flakes and Baseball and Smiling and Also, Like, So Much Baltimore Though?:  That’s [Hilary Duff Lyric Redacted]!  You might also remember the art for it: here.

There’s One Where Stiles Talks, Like, So Much?: That could be so many, help me out here! .... Holy-Os, Now with Thirty Percent More Bonermallows?  Oh, of course!  That would be How Weetabix Got His Marshmallows Back!  You’re welcome, you dirty birds 😉

Okay, This is Going to Sound Weird but Boyd was Just, Like, Stealing Clothes Off Dead Hunters in the Background?: That’s Apathy, Apathy, You’ll be the Death of Me and it sounds perfectly in character to me so I’m not even sure what you mean by “weird.”

Are You Ever Going to Finish Your Series/Write a Sequel Like You Said You were Going to?:  I am super sure that I am one day going to do those things, yes.  Is that based on reality or previous patterns?  Listen, sometimes you just have to have faith, y’know?

[yeetlegay]

Hey! Any wlw recs? Fics movies shows anything

ANON WHERE TO BEGIN

Some personal favorites off the top of my head:

Movies:

Carol (2015) - Cate Blanchett, period (1950s), absolutely stunning and iconic lesbian cinema

The Handmaiden (2016) - reimagining of Fingersmith by Sarah Waters, set in Japanese-occupied Korea during the 1930s, brilliant and imaginative and lush

Imagine Me and You (2005) - Lena Headey (Cersei from GoT) being a hot florist, love at first sight, cheesy romcom deliciousness, big warning for cheating tho it’s handled very well imo

Rafiki (2018) - coming of age love story, beautiful and ends on a good note but there’s a LOT of homophobia and some violence so be careful, was the first Kenyan film screened at Cannes which is amazing

Vita and Virginia (2018) - based on the real life romance between Virginia Woolf and Vita Sackville-West, the 1920s fashion + delicious sexual tension 🤌🏻🤌🏻 cw for depiction of depression and suicidal ideation

Tv shows:

First Kill (2022) - SUPPORT THIS SHOW, vampire and vampire hunter fall in love, set in one of my fave cities (Savannah), very camp Romeo & Juliet high school romance just with more blood and fangs

Fingersmith (2005) - British miniseries based on the same novel as The Handmaiden but much closer to the source material, Victorian lesbians ft the most magnificently crafted plot and sexual tension galore, holy shit watch it

Killing Eve - okay this one is a little controversial bc of the ending (which I pretend doesn’t exist) but holy fuck if you like VegasPete, Villanelle and Eve are their even more murderous and batshit crazy cousins. Cat and mouse games between a psychopath assassin and a British intelligence officer (altho she’s actually American but whatever) that I was sure would be queerbaiting, but nope they’re in love. Consider looking up how it ends tho if you need HEAs in your stories

Gap the Series - not out yet but when it is, WATCH IT. Currently in production I think, probably out later this year. It’s Thai and will be available on YouTube with subtitles. Office romance, so many lesbians I’ve lost count and like one (1) man total in the cast.

Gentleman Jack - just dropped season 2 unffff. Period British show based on the life of lesbian Anne Lister, who is one half of the first known gay marriage in England. She’s so fucking hot and butch if you’re not in love with her the second she jumps off that carriage in episode 1…and her love story with shy, repressed wallflower Ann Walker is tender and sexy and complex. Cw for depiction of anxiety and suicide attempt in season 1 (lmk if you’d like the exact ep and time stamp)

Portrait of a Marriage (1990) - a little hard to find but worth the hunt. Based on the romance between novelist Vita Sackville-West (yes, who also had an affair with Virginia Woolf) and her socialite lover Violet. I cannot believe more people don’t talk about this miniseries bc holy shit. Vita and Violet are so fucking in love and their chemistry and love scenes had me gripping the edge of my seat despite the abysmal quality of the version I watched on Dailymotion. Cw for a shitload of cheating, some toxic vibes, and an ending that while mostly historically accurate was still a bummer.

Fics:

Obv I will shamelessly plug my Kinnporsche f/f smut bc I love her and also am desperate for more f/f fic in the ao3 tag so I’m not over here by myself anymore lol

I don’t know what fandoms you’re in but if you’ve watched Word of Honor or read 2ha, holy shit is there some good f/f fic in those tags. Sort by kudos and godspeed friend

Books:

You didn’t ask about books lol but here are some faves of mine anyway

Delilah Green Doesn’t Care by Ashley Herring Blake - hot tatted bi protagonist, very gender, falls in love with cute single mom in her hometown when she comes back for her stepsister’s wedding

One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston - Kate and Leopold but gay and good, butch lesbian from the 1970s gets stuck in time on the subway, grumpy bisexual falls in love with her, makes me reconsider my stance on subway sex bc holy shit.

Dowry of Blood by S. T. Gibson - okay this one is sapphic but in a polyamorous context so if you want, like, zero men then skip this rec. Inspired by the lore around Dracula’s brides, very gothic and queer, Constanta (narrator) is the first bride who’s in love with Dracula but also her fellow brides Magdalena and Alexei. Cw for depictions of emotional abuse and gaslighting, Dracula is a manipulative piece of shit (who would’ve guessed lol)

Hope this helps anon!

[chaoslynx]

Chaos’s Fics and Faves

All my links! (Hehe. Lynx.)

I have a Discord server, a Ko-Fi, a Twitch, and more!

link to Google Drive with official bfish stuff (wip)

my works

my author website: If you’re interested in my original fiction, please check out my author website! Click on any of the images for the link to purchase that book.

my ao3: I have a ton of Banana Fish works up on ao3, so please feel free to browse and sort by tags!

Tumblr Drabbles: All of my Tumblr drabbles (from prompts that you all submit!) are under the tag #prompt fill. Feel free to submit a prompt (of your own creation or from a prompt list) at any time!

My art: I also recently started drawing! Those are all under the tag #my art

my faves

Following is a list of my favorite Banana Fish works by other authors, sorted into the following categories: fix-its, AUs, and canon-compliant. Also feel free to check out my ao3 bookmarks, all of which are public. I bookmark any fic I think I might want to read again!

fix-its

Apple Koi by VoidRain (series, 52k): Deals with Eiji’s grief, him learning that Ash is alive after all, and the two of them grieving Shorter’s death.

My Husband Is Better Than Yours by signpainter1 (5k):  I laughed a ton at this. Outsider POV, Ash's coworker and Eiji's coworker are getting married. At the engagement party, they tell each other about how they both have this one coworker who won't shut up about his husband, and decide to place bets on which one would win a debate about who loves their husband more. Little do they know that Ash and Eiji are married to each other.

Odour of Chrysanthemums by nyanja14 (21k):  Outsider POV from Eiji's mom's perspective as she tries to figure out what the hell Ash Lynx did to Eiji in America, only for the source of all the problems to show up at her doorstep after being presumed dead.

I Did It, Eiji by elena_stidham (2k): Recovery fic about Ash trying to overcome his trauma and have sex with Eiji. Even as a sex-replused ace person I really enjoyed this one. Not super explicit, although obviously about sex, so be aware of that.

snowy mountains (let's look at the view) by VoidRain (3k): Near Christmas, Ash and Eiji take a walk through Izumo, and Ash thinks about the last time he saw snow.

And At Last I See The Light by Ice_Cold_Beauty (9k): 5+1 Valentine's Day fic.

Take a beating. Now internalize it. by Honeyvalentine (3k): Ash breaks a glass in front of Max in the middle of the night, and expects repercussions that don't come.

a home out of hip bones by ac0rns (2k): Ash has a dissociative episode on the subway, long after Dino's death. Eiji helps him through it.

AUs

In Your Shoes, Through Your Eyes by kaIeido ( @norisquared​ ) (ongoing, 12k): Soulmate AU where you swap bodies when the younger soulmate turns eighteen! This causes complications when Ash is, you know, a gang boss, and Eiji is a naïve kid from Japan.

Something To Talk About by mara_cas (89k): My personal favorite of the Banana Fish high school AUs!

You and me from the night before by Honeyvalentine (46k): University AU where Ash is struggling with thoughts of suicide. This one fucked me up.

how to plant flowers, and why by Honeyvalentine (ongoing, 9k): Honey just started posting this one, and I'm super excited for it! She's been sending me snippets for a while. Flower shop AU where Ash is a university dropout, and Eiji is a student athlete who just lost his ability to compete.

brandishing your cavendish, yellow and white by planetesimalwords (ongoing, 29k): University AU where Ash learns important lessons outside of class as much as in.

Found In Translation by TurnUps (4k): Short soulmate AU oneshot. Ash needs a translation for the name that appeared on his skin. Guess who he asks? TurnUps also has some other fantastic longer AUs, including a vampire one and a cowboy one that I've read.

canon-compliant (missing scenes, pre-canon, etc.)

Just Act Normal! by elena_stidham (5k): Pre-canon, Ash and Shorter being idiots. Absolutely hilarious. Some Ash/Shorter shipping so be aware if you're not into that, but could be seen as platonic and it’s mostly just them being stupid and quoting memes. I'd also check out the other works by elena_stidham too. They have some really good post-canon fics.

In The Morning, You are Gone by wbss21 (9k): Pre-canon. Ash has a bad experience while selling himself on the streets, and goes to Shorter for help. Rather explicit, but very good.

Hydrangea by Bleed_Peroxide (4k): One of my absolute favorites. It's so incredibly well-written and beautiful and horrifying. Jessica's POV discussing her thoughts on Ash and his trauma, exploring the fact that she’s the only other protag to have experienced SA.

Eiji is Basically a Housewife by Blueskylover (89k): This is basically just a whole series of Eiji not understanding American holidays and failing at baking. When they live in the fancy apartment, Ash and Eiji's neighbors assume they're a young engaged couple. Unable to come up with a better cover story, Eiji accidentally agrees, and Ash plays along.

Orange Is The New Black by Suguru_Slut (10k): I would recommend reading Angel Eyes before reading this. Another pre-canon about Ash and Shorter, but more on the sad side this time. Focuses on their time in reform school. Makes a few errors about what's canon and not, but still really good.

Stray Cat by Wintervention (2k): Pre-canon. Explores Ash’s character from Nadia’s perspective by comparing him to a stray cat that comes by Chang Dai.

hindsight, love, and everything else unconditional by Honeyvalentine (2k): Ash's 16th birthday, with Shorter.

all creatures wild and tame by Quintessence (6k): Ash keeps expecting Eiji's touch to turn cruel. It never does.

Drugstore Cowboy by suffragettecity (2k): Pre-canon, Shorter and Ash plan to buy a gun and Shorter contemplates on how he knows Ash got the money.

Till time end bodies, but souls none. by meryzepam (3k): Cape Cod. Ash reflects on the memories that his childhood bedroom bring, and how tainted it feels now.

[shimmershae]

My thoughts on Episode 5--Out of the Ashes.

Okay, though.  I’m already excited about this one because Carol and Lydia are on the little guide picture thingy, lol.  My girls.  

As usual, I’m going to put the rest underneath a cut to save you lovelies potentially being spoiled should you not want to be.  

Wow.  Look at that full moon.  And the colors in the woods.  

I’m telling you.  These cold opening scenes have been generally pretty awesome this season.  

Aaron with Gracie always gives us such sweetness but this time maybe not.  

Omigosh.  Now *that* is a nightmare--the Walkers, the Wolves, the Saviors, the Whisperers, Mays.  Did I miss anybody?  And then Gracie gone just like that?  Poor Aaron.  All he wants is to keep his little girl safe and happy.  

So.  Is Gracie sleeping right next to her daddy because she had a nightmare or because her daddy’s been having them?  Because either way, oh my freaking heart.  Especially at her still sleeping with her stuffed bunny.  I’m really, really hoping that bunny isn’t a bad omen of sorts for our Gracie, because little girls with bunnies haven’t fared all that well--going all the way back to the first episode and as recently as the subway episode where Daryl found that picture of the two siblings after they’d already found the bunny from the picture amongst the bodies.  Please not Gracie.  Aaron has already been through so much.  

Are they all just communing together now?  Because I can see how that would harken back to Season 4.  

Jerry!  Not even 3 minutes in and already two of my faves are present.  I can tell this is going to be a good episode.  

That really sucks.  Not even being able to take a peaceful piss because you can see Walkers shambling past your window, lol.  

There goes my queen running straight at danger as real queens are apt to do.  ;)  

Were there always lights coming on in the windmill during the opening credits or is that a new thing for this episode?  

That orientation video was so surreal.  Had to laugh at the political touch of having “this message is approved by Pamela Milton” at the end.  

Okay.  So they’re getting their work assignments, huh?  Orientations are the worst, lol.  All that damn paperwork.  

Retail clerk--Princess being excited at the prospect of working in a mall, even having a mall again, has me LMAO even as I’m like girl.  No.  You’ll love it ‘til you hate it.  

I didn’t catch Eugene’s job.  But Ezekiel doing animal control kind of cracks me up.  For reasons.  

So.  Essentially Eugene and Princess and Ezekiel got blue collar jobs while Yumiko’s got an invitation to join the upper crust.  

I love Lydia being accepted as part of the community.  About damn time.  

For a second I thought Rosita said what’s left of the horses plural and I was fixin’ to go OH NO.  

This is where I’m at on the Maggie/Negan issue, for better or worse:  Maggie absolutely, IMHO, has earned the right to stay mad at Negan for the rest of her days.  Because Glenn.  Because her little boy was robbed of his daddy.  That said?  I don’t think I have it in me to watch 5 more episodes of this beaten horse antagonistic conversation much less a whole season.  It would be one thing if it hadn’t already stolen valuable and earned screen time from other characters that seem to have been pushed to the periphery to spotlight it like it was the marquee event or something.  I don’t want want 2/3′s of the final season so heavily focused on the conflict between these two when there are so many characters that are already woefully underutilized.  It’s only compelling if it doesn’t become commonplace.  

It’s a sad business having to put down people you know, I’d expect.  Funny, though.  We never knew them so the impact is kind of artificial.  I appreciate the intent of the scene, though.  

Where the hell are all the Walkers coming from?  Like, I thought most of them went skydiving off that cliff without parachutes.  

Judith training the other babies.  If only her parents--every damn one of them--could see her now.  

Gus!  How cool and awesome for him!

ASZ is just full of asshole teens isn’t it?  How dare that little dipshit push our Asskicker down like that and say such hateful things?  To be fair, though, the kid is probably just repeating what he’s heard from others and I’m glad they’re being realistic here even if I don’t like seeing Judith cry.  

Cailey Fleming’s expressive face and eyes!  This kid has my heart, ya’ll.  

That perfectly pretty cake wasted!  LMAO.  Seriously though.  How does a cardiothoracic surgeon end up assigned to work in the bakery?  Yumiko’s reunion with her brother Tomi honestly was on par with what I’d expect from someone seeing the sister they’d long given up as dead.  

Freaky still how the Whisperers choose to herd the dead even without Beta and Alpha.  

Was that the real Stephanie in the scene with the ice cream?  Right under Eugene’s nose while he’s with Fake Stephanie?  They have a connection, ya’ll.  Eugene felt it.  

Okay, though.  I wanted the kids having their first ice cream cones.  If I were Eugene, though, I probably would have inhaled that thing after being deprived for so long.  

The Milton Hotel?  Alrighty then.  Somebody feels self-important.  

Aww.  Eugene’s thinking of Rosita and Coco.  They really have evolved into such a sweet, good friendship and I miss them together.  

Literally, I love Princess more each time I see her and hear her open her hilarious mouth.  LOL at her with the ice cream cone.  

Is everybody in ASZ staying in the same damn house?  Whoever broke the board with Carl’s and Judith’s handprints on it needs an ass kicking.  

“Me, too.”  Welp.  Guess RJ’s already met his line quota per appearance 24 minutes in, LOL.  

Aww.  My heart.  A Rosita/Judith scene.  I’m already loving it but not gonna lie.  Who do we have topay to get a Carol/Judith scene because she’s been there since Judith was an embryo?  

“Now it’s broken.  He’s gone.  Everybody is.”  The way this scene is unexpectedly gutting me right now.  Because Rosita’s right.  It never really gets easier.  It’s just something you figure out how to carry.  How many people devastated by Covid or other illness or tragedy are carrying these same feelings of loss and hurt everyday?  

Give us more of those heartfelt moments, dammit.  This girl at least craves them.  Not the endless Maggie/Negan conflict.  

Ouch.  “I think I haven’t met a Whisperer who wasn’t a liar.”  Damn Aaron.  Lydia’s right there beside you. 

Angry Jerry hurts my heart in ways I cannot explain.  

On a completely shallow note, Miko’s brother is attractive too.  I quite like his accent, lol.  I wonder why he’s so hesitant to put his skills as a surgeon to use.  

“Want some cake?”/”Hell, yes.”  Yumiko=me 99% of the time.  LOL.  Just kidding.  In reality, I have to say no.  

“They clearly got a gym in this joint.  Your chiseling is perfecto.”  LMAO.  I’m all for Princess/Mercer.  She flusters him a little and I’m loving it.  When she told him he had beautiful eyelashes, I howled.  

Oh my sweet Aaron.  I’m in the same kind of pain and disbelief as Lydia watching you interrogate that Whisperer.  

Thank you, Carol.  Melissa McBride?  I effing LOVE you.  My heart hurts.  

I’m sure she’s gonna get hate from the usual crowd while they cheer Aaron further along his dark and desperate path.  Yes.  Ya’ll are *that* predictable.  

But Maggie, though?  How long you gonna wait?  Because you gonna be waiting on Daryl’s ass a long time.  

“Cheesy video guy.” LOL.  Leave it to Princess.  Somehow that Lance dude looks even cheesier in RL.  

By the screaming cave?  What the hell is the screaming cave?  

Ohh.  Next episode actually looks interesting.  Thank goodness it’s not a bottle episode strictly focusing on Virgil/Connie though because no matter how much I like Connie/Lauren?  I don’t think whatever story she’s stuck in with Virgil is enough to keep me riveted to the tv.  

Overall impression of this episode--again, I enjoyed it.  Aaron’s dream was dark AF.  Hell.  Aaron was dark AF in this episode.  Ross Marquand did some really strong work and I’m glad he finally got a moment to shine even though I hate seeing him leaning into the darkness instead of his inherent goodness.  Judith and Rosita’s scenes were touching.  Carol/Melissa made me bawl in the span of two minutes.  That’s why she’s the MVP of this show, lovelies.  She does so very much with so little.  I’m just glad we didn’t have to see Leah and her band of bitchass brothers this episode.  

I’m going to miss this show when it’s gone.  At least I’ll have the Carol and Daryl spinoff off to ease my heartache.  

[dramarants]

KDrama Actors Who Caught My Eye

GIF by iamacolor

Ji Chang Wook 

Surprise! Healer is one of my all time favorite dramas and this man has one of my all time favorite faces. He gives the sweetest heart eyes, can handle heavier emotional scenes, and most of the main roles I’ve seen him in are puppies with grumpy exteriors which he does so well. His latest drama choices haven’t been great (older posts in his tag can tell you more) but his swoon factor makes the mediocre ones worthwhile!

Dramas watched: 7

Greatest Hits:

Healer (2014) - action, political drama with fluffy angst romance

Suspicious Partner (2017) - lawyer romcom with a serial killer plot line

Empress Ki (2013) - jcw as a sheltered crown prince, the show guts you

Latest:

Melting Me Softly (2019)

Lovestruck in the City (2020, still airing)

Park Seo Joon

Tumblr was in love with this man when I first started watching kdramas and he grew on me too. He kept showing up in popular recommendations (and in the boba shop across from my favorite study spot on campus lmfao) and his charms work well in bringing warmth to some of the typically “alpha” characters he’s played. What can I say, I’m a sucker for smiles.

Dramas watched: 6

Greatest Hits:

Fight for My Way (2017) - slice of life romcom, a tumblr fave!

Itaewon Class (2020) - slice of life with some punch, great OST*

What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim (2018) - psj fan holy grail romcom**

Breakout Roles:

She Was Pretty (2015)

Kill Me, Heal Me (2015)

*haven’t seen this yet but really looking forward to it!

**ngl this cloying tropefest was too much for me but v cute, great kisses

Kim Seon Ho

Oh man where to begin. When I first saw him on the Start-Up thumbnail, I thought “who casted him, he seems creepy” and good lord was I wrong. By ep 3, I was completely awestruck by his talent, expressions, charisma, dimples, voice - okay I’m stopping you get the point. This man is an insanely wonderful, versatile actor (plus a total dork on season 4 of 2 Days 1 Night!) and I can’t wait for all he has in store for us.

Dramas watched: 7 (in 30 days, whoops)

Greatest Hits:

Start-Up (2020) - tech workplace drama, jipyeong breaks your heart

Catch the Ghost (2019) - subway action dramedy, lead role!

Welcome to Waikiki 2 (2019) - pure comedy, he just looks pretty even when he’s suffering

Breakout Roles:

Good Manager/Chief Kim (2017)

Two Cops (2017)

Im Siwan

I’m cheating with this one bc there’s other actors I’ve seen more of but recently I’ve been obsessed with his absolutely adorable, grounded portrayal of Ki Seon Gyeom in Run On and I just started Strangers From Hell where he plays a much darker role! He’s an idol turned actor I believe, and while I haven’t seen a lot of his work, I’m loving what I’ve come across so far.

Dramas watched: 2, one in progress

Greatest Hits:

The Attorney (2013) - legal drama movie, his breakout role 

Misaeng (2014) - classic workplace ensemble drama, so so good

Run On (2020, still airing) - feel-good slice of life, awkward cinnamon rolls with various burn degrees

Latest:

Hell is Other People/Strangers From Hell (2019) 

Honorable Mentions: 

They stood out in the roles I saw and star in dramas in my watchlist!

Kang Ha Neul - 3, so glad he never got braces for his dorky smile

Jo Jung Suk - 3, hospital playlist is what really sold him to me

Nam Joo Hyuk - 5, didn’t realize I've seen so many of his dramas

Yoo Ah In - 2, secret love affair?? Jesus Christ??

Lee Junho - 1, his performance in just between lovers is exquisite

Jung Hae In - 2, fits the beta lead trope so well if you’re into that

Kim Myung Soo - 3, held his own across shin hye-sun, a cutie

Oh Jung Se - 2, stellar performance as kang tae 

Lee Jae Wook - 2, mostly fascinated by how a man can look like a dinosaur but still... cute? dare I say hot?

Jang Seung Jo - 1, wanna see more after his role in jtbc’s chocolate

Kim Won Hae - 9, one of the busiest drama dads/comic reliefs in the biz let’s be real

Sung Dong Il - 8, another busy drama dad/comic relief/evil historical politician but his role in my drama journey has to be acknowledged

Happy to discuss or get recs for dramas with strong performances or your favorite actors!

[agent-of-sam]

Favorite Thor Ships: Part 1

Out of all the MCU, the Thor movies are my favorites.

It helps that I'm a multi shipper and all the women in Thor's life are awesome. So I want to do some posts about my favorite Thor ships. And I’m starting with my personal favorite: Thor/Sif.

                                                      Totally biased, I've been quietly rooting for Thor and Sif to hook up since 2011 and no matter what direction the story takes Thor x Sif will always be my favorite potential relationship.

Obviously, part of this is just because I have a massive crush on Sif, the character, and Jaimie Alexander, the actress. I love her...why?

Lady Sif is sort of the MCU equivalent of Wonder Woman, an immortal who combines strength and nobility with a sense of warmth, compassion, and emotional openness. 

She doesn't get a huge amount of screen time but comes off as an incredibly well-rounded character, especially in a genre where many female character are assigned valued based on how well they can mimic the traditional cliches of male Action Heroes.  

Sif is able to switch from playful and cocky, to stoic and serious, to gentle and supportive, depending on the situation (as benefiting a literal goddess).

In other word's, she's Girlfriend Material of the absolute highest quality! 

Beyond that, I love that she's so high-key Romantic in her feelings for Thor. Having your Badass Warrior Princess character mournfully pining as she gazes across a crowded room at her lifelong friend, her eyes brimming with unspoken feeling... it's exactly the kind of over the top, melodramatic bullshit that I love about the Asgardians and their weird alien/pseudo-Shakespearian/mythic warrior culture. 

At the same time, she's never fawning in her interactions with Thor. They banter like old friends and flirt in mid-combat. 

Sif tries to counsel him when she thinks he needs perspective or patience. 

She advocates for him when he's not around.

To me it's a very romantic set-up, a long-term friendship based on loyalty and mutual trust with the potential to develop into a very deep relationship. (Though, flipping it around, I can definitely see how female viewers might not appreciate their Super-Hero/Immortal Warrior Woman power fantasy character being portrayed, pining from the sidelines for several centuries).

Plus, their dynamic has this tropey, genderswap thing going on. A Fantasy Prince and his Loyal Female Knight. Except the Fantasy Prince is a giant Viking Immortal with a magic hammer and he and his girlfriend ride into battle side by side which is both hot and romantic to me.

Of course the downside  to Thor x Sif as a relationship (also maybe what makes it appealing)... is that it's all potential. As far as we know, Thor is either unaware of Sif's feelings or does not reciprocate. Which is weird because Thor generally comes off as a very socially/emotionally aware guy... at least in the context of Asgardian society. 

One of my favorite things about Thor is that he's confident but honest and genuine as well. He never comes off as a "ladies man" i.e someone who puts on a smooth, crafted persona specifically to interact with women. 

However, he clearly seems to be aware when women are attracted to him (Jane Foster, the woman in the subway)...so how come he doesn't seem to notice the very obvious torch Sif is carrying?

My personal headcannon for this is that they either casually dated as adolescent (whatever age that is for Asgardians) or came very close to it. But then Frigga and/or Odin stepped in, took Sif aside and basically told her to hold off because they thought she had the potential to be a good queen.

Before his time on Earth, Thor was reckless, arrogant, impulsive, and quick to violence. He wasn't ready to be a king or a committed lover. And so Sif was encouraged to do the responsible thing and wait. 

The irony being that by the time he had matured into the person he was supposed to be, he had met somebody else.

To me, there's something there that mirrors the fall of Asgard. Why not wait? They're gods after all, there's always going to be more time.

Then Thor gets banished and comes back different. He's met a mortal woman and doesn't want to be king anymore. Frigga, who Sif always thought would be her mother-in-law one day, is dead. 

Thor goes searching across the universe and then Odin sends her away from Asgard. And when she finds her way back even her home is gone. Her people live on Earth now, or at least the fraction of them that still survive after Hela, Surtur, and Thanos. 

Thor is gone again, traveling through space with a bunch of mercenaries she’s never heard of.

Maybe I'm just projecting because I want someone in-universe to mourn Asgard and everything those people must have lost in what must seem like a very short amount of time to them.

I always thought Thor x Sif had the potential to be a very stable, well-rounded couple. However, given Thor's general arc in the first two movies  it would have seemed a little off, thematically speaking, if he ended up with the immortal warrior princess/long-time friend that his parents wanted him to get with all along.

However, post-Ragnarok/Endgame I think there is a lot of dramatic/narrative potential to a romantic reunion between Thor and Sif, someone who knew him before everything started and can see how much he has changed. Maybe someone he didn't realize how much he cared for until she was gone. 

For her it's a second chance at something she thought was lost, a piece of her past that's come back damaged and different but still worth fighting for.  

--

Obviously, this is all conjecture. There's no guarantee that Sif will return in Thor 4. As a shipper part of me is hoping for it, however as a fan of her character I'm also worried about her being crammed in and either sidelined or mischaracterized by the those behind the scenes.

If she shows up in the Loki show, that's more screen time and room for character development. 

However, I'm not hugely interested in Loki's show and depending on the direction it takes I'm not sure that it will play to her strengths as a character. My dream scenario was for Sif to have her own Xena-style high fantasy adventure (with Thor showing up in a supporting role) but that’s seem very unlikely.

---

Anyway, I'm a multi shipper and I'm planning to do more of these for Thor x Valkyrie and Thor x Jane. I just wanted to get my fave out of the way first.

[jokerownsmysoul]

Q and A about Joker

10 questions.

Thank you so much @arthurflecksgirl & @will-you-be-there for the tag, I loved doing this 💙🌺

I tag: @daydreamhustler, @arthurflecc, @daincrediblegg, @fleckcmscott, @tinyclowndancer you don't have to do it if you don't want to 🌹and anyone who wants to do it, consider yourself tagged 💕

Rules: If you wanna join this Q & A just copy and paste and change the answers :) Tag 5 people :) ENJOY

1. What's your fave scene in Joker?

Omg can I say the ones where Arthur is in? 😩 I started listing some scenes but then I realized I was listing the whole movie lol. There are scenes that make me particularly soft, but I think it's impossible to answer this question. I cherish each second of this movie 💙 some of those scene though, are the one where Arthur is stretching his shoe up at Haha's, I find him very handsome in those few frames. The scene where he comes home and talks with Penny and the domesticy of their shared moments, the one where he answers the phone, the Pogo's one, the one at the hospital, the dancing scene at Arkham at the end of the movie, the one of Joker talking with Murray... These are so many and I didn't even finish to list them, it's just impossible 😭

2. The cutest scene in Joker?

Another tough question omg. The iconic scene of "Oh yeah? Who do you talk to?", the one where he's playing peekaboo with the kid, the one where he does the gun gesture with his hand in the hallway to Sophie, and each one of the Carnival scenes, because Carnival is the cutest clown ever existed 🥺

3. The saddest scene in Joker?

I don't think it's possible to find the saddest scene, the whole movie is sad and painful. But I think that Arthur reading Penny's file and in general being aware of the dynamics with his mother is a point of no return for him and his mental health, Penny was too important for him.

4. The funniest scene in Joker?

Assuming that there is a funny scene in Joker which I find difficult to believe, I'd say when he scares Gary. This scene is brilliant and so well composed, he looks particularly amused by himself when he does that. This particular sweetness mixed with a sort of soft pride in managing to scare him off makes me smile 🥺

5. The sexiest scene in Joker?

Every scene where Arthur is in, don't mind me. 😂 Starting from the one where he's watching Wayne on the television with Penny, the second therapy session, the stairs dance, when he's rehearsing, and every scene where he's wearing the red sweater or the red suit. But again, my answer is every scene where Arthur is in 🙌🏻🤡

6. Do you want part two?

Joker is perfect as a standalone, but Arthur is so complex that there's a lot to explore in a sequel. A part of me would love to see Arthur again, of course, but another part of me is afraid that a sequel might ruin the glorious memories that Joker gave us. If they get it right, being respectful of Arthur and his story, and don't mess up things like very often happen with a sequel, I can be only happy to see him again. But they must make a sequel not just for a matter of money because the first one became a cult, but because they want to explore Arthur better and have something to say. Todd loves Arthur as much as we do, I'm sure he'd love to explore him better and I think with him we would be in good hands, he cares about Arthur and this movie. 💙

7. How many times did you watch Joker?

I've legitimately lost counts. A lot of times 😂

8. Are you more of a Joker's or Arthur's girl?

I don't like this expression tbh because Joker is Arthur, it's the same person. Joker is Arthur, he's just in a different state of mind. I'm his through and through no matter what he's going through in his life and in what state of mind he's in. But if you want an answer, I'd say Arthur because Arthur is who he is and who he wanted to be. "He doesn't want to feel so bad anymore" 🥺

9. Do you believe he was adopted?

After a whole year I am still very confused about this. I don't think he was adopted, but the theory that says he was adopted got some points too. I think it's one of the hardest things to understand of this movie because both of the theories are valid and believable, though I think he wasn't adopted.

10. Worst/most hated person in Joker?

Honestly every person who was rude to him in the same level. And I don't know why, every time I see that Wallstreet guy taking Carnival's wig off him on the subway scene, wearing it he himself and simulating Arthur's laughter to mock him before beating him, I get nauseous. It's such a disrespectful gesture and privacy invasion, I don't know why it hits me like that but I hate it.

[sukirichi]

read the new chapters and aAAACKKKKK BESTIE???

y/n - ‘I was born to make everyone’s life a living hell’ maam this LINE?! JAW DROPPED, TIME STOPPED being insecure all her life and wanting to live up to the expectations to her dad just to have that sliver of attention from him, that sentence gives us a glimpse on how little she felt despite being accomplished, rather successful actually because she always cleans her boss’ mess have a lot of baggage to unpack. and when the secret was confirmed, her anger rejects all of the entity that ties with her past because both her parents deprived her for the things she was supposed to have– becoming greedy to fulfill those. then eventually, somehow, going back to her roots aka being humble after having the talk with her dad. As most of her insecurity started because of him and how she had to be the bigger person for his other family, clearing out the misunderstanding between them brought a sense of peace  while she’s settling in the restless turn of events.

and with our main man gojo, this guy, it is not wise to- 😤😤 how can you say you’re engaged after doing the body tango huh? esp when you said you want y/n to be your wife? oh gee and the revelation of his past relationship with mia and how he sees her in y/n is so fucked up. can’t help but think that satoru wanting to marry and be this lovey-dovey with y/n is just him reliving the moments that mia never gave him in the past. and y/n accepting that their current relationship is based on how they’re filling up the cracks in their needs and settling for the sake of familiarity. imagine how deep in love our girl is to keep satoru in her life 💔 im still in it for the second lead agenda

needless to say, everyone here needs a therapy so they can get their shit straight together 🤧🤧 (ノ•̀ o •́ )ノ ~ ┻━┻

BUT i know you mentioned this many times but laywer! naoya all poised and in his best behavior while helping y/n in her new situation has my heart go💕💕 winning lots of cases and is known in his field, he proved that he is both beauty and brains. and the pen spin??? man be pulling those fast spins either to distract or impress the person he is talking to flashing those perfect white pearls wtf now i can’t get that out of my head naoya brain rot 🥵���� also celebrity chef! sukuna in charge of all those delicious, exquisite cuisines? imma make myself broke just to taste his masterpiece🥲 ooh but how about him being a michelin star chef and owning a michelin-starred resto?! no doubt, left and right you see this man appearing on some high food magazine on the cover 😊😊 oh oh i also saw that supermodel! choso?? also his face is plastered on magazines AND luxurious advertisements ex. shibuya crossing! where most people be drenched in his glorious presence yea weird shibuya arc ref pls kill me and everyone talks how handsome and intimidating he is while he just have a rbf and only the closest people in his life get to see him drop that front 😌😌

with that in mind, imagine supermodel! choso being a godfather to the baby of y/n?? he would go soft immediately at the sight of the child and would probably love giving lots of branded clothes it will be good enough for more than a year ☺️🥲😭

oh and there is this one scene in chp7 that reminded me of the recent korean movie i watched i dont wanna say it in case you wanna check it out its called sweet and sour and oh god idk why but watching it, mind keeps on prompting your fics 😬😬 maybe bcos i some of your fic always had med related topics and the main actress role there is a nurse. i remember that you’re on your clinic training so maybe thats why 😳oohh pls don’t forget to take breaks and be safe heart and oh ur a psych major too? oh wow hi ig in relation to one actress in the sweet and sour fic, she was also in a kdrama the heirs- which was popular at the time with it being packed with some solid household actors and actresses. sky castle tho, ig it relates to the theme of reckless more because its mostly how parents from the upper class will mindlessly destroy someone’s life to attain their materialistic desires  🤧🙂

this fic, easily in my top 3 ‘heart belongs to who it dictates’ so many twists, so much drama and ANGST! YES BESTIE GIMME THOSE ANGST 🥲😌

i hope you’re doing well nowadays :’)) we need to find gege the best chiropractor to take care of his back, so good that it’ll make naoya respawn to life 🙂 suki i don’t think i’ll get tired of saying how much i love your work that it feels illegal im reading it for free 💔. i don’t really have much to offer, but im wishing you good health and success in your life :’)) aah i’ve mentioned this already but take care always 💕💖😊🥰

- 🍳

read the new chapters and aAAACKKKKK BESTIE???

y/n - ‘I was born to make everyone’s life a living hell’ maam this LINE?! JAW DROPPED, TIME STOPPED being insecure all her life and wanting to live up to the expectations to her dad just to have that sliver of attention from him, that sentence gives us a glimpse on how little she felt despite being accomplished, rather successful actually because she always cleans her boss’ mess have a lot of baggage to unpack. and when the secret was confirmed, her anger rejects all of the entity that ties with her past because both her parents deprived her for the things she was supposed to have– becoming greedy to fulfill those. then eventually, somehow, going back to her roots aka being humble after having the talk with her dad. As most of her insecurity started because of him and how she had to be the bigger person for his other family, clearing out the misunderstanding between them brought a sense of peace  while she’s settling in the restless turn of events.

and with our main man gojo, this guy, it is not wise to- 😤😤 how can you say you’re engaged after doing the body tango huh? esp when you said you want y/n to be your wife? oh gee and the revelation of his past relationship with mia and how he sees her in y/n is so fucked up. can’t help but think that satoru wanting to marry and be this lovey-dovey with y/n is just him reliving the moments that mia never gave him in the past. and y/n accepting that their current relationship is based on how they’re filling up the cracks in their needs and settling for the sake of familiarity. imagine how deep in love our girl is to keep satoru in her life 💔 im still in it for the second lead agenda

needless to say, everyone here needs a therapy so they can get their shit straight together 🤧🤧 (ノ•̀ o •́ )ノ ~ ┻━┻

BUT i know you mentioned this many times but laywer! naoya all poised and in his best behavior while helping y/n in her new situation has my heart go💕💕 winning lots of cases and is known in his field, he proved that he is both beauty and brains. and the pen spin??? man be pulling those fast spins either to distract or impress the person he is talking to flashing those perfect white pearls wtf now i can’t get that out of my head naoya brain rot 🥵🥵 also celebrity chef! sukuna in charge of all those delicious, exquisite cuisines? imma make myself broke just to taste his masterpiece🥲 ooh but how about him being a michelin star chef and owning a michelin-starred resto?! no doubt, left and right you see this man appearing on some high food magazine on the cover 😊😊 oh oh i also saw that supermodel! choso?? also his face is plastered on magazines AND luxurious advertisements ex. shibuya crossing! where most people be drenched in his glorious presence yea weird shibuya arc ref pls kill me and everyone talks how handsome and intimidating he is while he just have a rbf and only the closest people in his life get to see him drop that front 😌😌

with that in mind, imagine supermodel! choso being a godfather to the baby of y/n?? he would go soft immediately at the sight of the child and would probably love giving lots of branded clothes it will be good enough for more than a year ☺️🥲😭

oh and there is this one scene in chp7 that reminded me of the recent korean movie i watched i dont wanna say it in case you wanna check it out its called sweet and sour and oh god idk why but watching it, mind keeps on prompting your fics 😬😬 maybe bcos i some of your fic always had med related topics and the main actress role there is a nurse. i remember that you’re on your clinic training so maybe thats why 😳oohh pls don’t forget to take breaks and be safe heart and oh ur a psych major too? oh wow hi ig in relation to one actress in the sweet and sour fic, she was also in a kdrama the heirs- which was popular at the time with it being packed with some solid household actors and actresses. sky castle tho, ig it relates to the theme of reckless more because its mostly how parents from the upper class will mindlessly destroy someone’s life to attain their materialistic desires  🤧🙂

this fic, easily in my top 3 ‘heart belongs to who it dictates’ so many twists, so much drama and ANGST! YES BESTIE GIMME THOSE ANGST 🥲😌

i hope you’re doing well nowadays :’)) we need to find gege the best chiropractor to take care of his back, so good that it’ll make naoya respawn to life 🙂 suki i don’t think i’ll get tired of saying how much i love your work that it feels illegal im reading it for free 💔. i don’t really have much to offer, but im wishing you good health and success in your life :’)) aah i’ve mentioned this already but take care always 💕💖😊🥰

- 🍳

y/n becomes a real baddie when she’s pissed off 😫

hmm y/n wasn’t really working hard for her dad’s attention, it was more like she felt so left out and unwanted (she feels unwanted wherever she goes) that she just decided to pack up and support them from afar bcos to her, she’s so alienated in her dad’s family that she felt like she had to work hard to earn a spot in their table. she knows she’s the outsider but she wants to feel like she can be part of them, that she is also a child deserving of love and care, but becos her stepmom focused more on her actual kids and her own dad was too busy with his new family now, it made y/n feel that she had to do something to be worthy of that.

that’s why most of the money she made working in tokyo was still wired to her family; she put her brothers in school and supported them, all because she hoped it would make them accept her more. now, things are different because she finally found her biological family, but even if valeria and co. still don’t want her, y/n is now more focusing on building something that’s truly hers that no one can take away. yes yes, she did become greedy, but more for power than of acceptance. she got to a point she doesn’t care as much vying for her parents’ approval and now thinks her luxury gives her comfort; only because at least she has that much. like she said in the latest chapter, happiness was not what she needed, it was stability and money - all things she lacked before.

and yea she did go back to her roots! all of her issues started with her dad anyway but that part is slowly patching up 🩹💔 oooh actually your theory is right bestie 🧐 gojo found y/n interesting bcos she reminded him of mia, so the more she pushed him away, the more he’s like wait, i’ve been here before, let’s not repeat past mistakes but i can do better now. on the part where gojo talked to mia while she was asleep, notice how he said he’s given a second chance to do better now, all because he couldn’t do them with mia but he could with y/n.

ohhh actually y/n was the one who established that ‘fulfilling mutual need and settling for familiarity instead of being lonely’ type of relationship. gojo avoided her for weeks and he’s pretty settled in keeping his distance, but she was the one who sought him out. deep down, y/n is afraid if she doesn’t at least use him as an anchor to her more humble roots, then she might spiral out of control and end up like valeria, thus using him as a ‘distraction’ but in reality, she needs his comfort to be grounded.

SECOND LEAD AGENDA OMG LETS GOOO 🏃🏻‍♀️🏃🏻‍♀️🏃🏻‍♀️ geto the fine fine option.

NO BESTIE MOMENT U MENTIONED LAWYER NAOYA I JUST KNEW I WAS GONNA SCREAM. okay but lawyer! naoya is so fine, i love his character so much bcos he’s a pure bean. originally, i was gonna make him an antagonist but i found he had more potential as a good, supportive character. HIS PEN SPIN HELPPP WHY COULDN’T HE JUST BEEN OUR BABY DADDY 😫 he pulls them fast spins bcos he’s nervous btw HAHAHAHA y/n can be quite intimidating and lawyer! naoya is sometimes too precious.

celebrity chef! sukuna is MEAN! he was pictured after gordon ramsay so lmao. omgggg sukuna being famous not only for his food but also his handsomeness 😳 he gets so cocky over how no one can get in his level while popping a battle of champagne, listening to ‘careless whisper’ while dancing to his reflection in the mirror 😤

also yoo supermodel! choso is THE hot shit 🥵 he’s so famous his schedule is packed for an entire year and a half and those are just for very selected brands and designers! ugh imagine going to work on the subway when you see supermodel! choso with rbf posing sexily and you swoon because he’s so sexy. plot twist that choso doesn’t know how to drive bcos as a kamo family member, they grew up with drivers taking them to and fro, so when his driver got sick and everyone else was busy, supermodel choso takes the subway himself and hides behind a face mask and cap while still wearing extravagant clothes that makes him stand out more. he does not have ‘subtle’ on his book at all.

and yeah people say he’s intimidating but its more his height and build + rbf! in reality, he’s just as soft and sweet as naoya, but both of them go into protective mode when someone they care about is being crapped on. and boy when they DO get into “what did you just say?” mode, better run away 🏃🏻‍♀️ supermodel! choso is also an heir to the kamo empire though not after the business, but he still has enough power to take you down in a second.

meanwhile, lawyer! naoya didn’t become this successful without being so savage yet composed he makes you question your entire existence before he drags you to court. lawyer! naoya is so scarily convincing that he can make you plead guilty even tho you did nothing wrong 💀

aaaah omg supermodel! choso LOVES babies actually! as the eldest child who looked after his brothers bcos the kamo parents are always away for work, being a father figure is so natural to him. i can picture him being the one who cries harder than gojo if the baby is born bcos he’s so excited, then reads poems to the baby before sighing that childbirth is such a beautiful thing 🥺

omg i know sweet n sour, the actresses are one of my faves tho i haven’t watched it yet! oooh they’re a nurse? i didn’t know that 🧐 i actually finish my short training in a week so i’ll be heading on to heavy majoring in psychology! wait bestie are YOU also a psych major 😳💕 oh and i see i see, sky castle *jots that down for future references* reckless actually has lots of significance in terms of the parents’ roles so i’m excited to see that! and aww thank you so much, can’t believe i made it in someone’s top three 🥺💕

HELP AHSKWKW i’m gonna call the best chiropractor in the world and send them gege’s way, i’ll cry a river if that’s what it takes to bring my boo back to life 😭 and noo baby the support already means a lot to me, i’m just happy to indulge in my hobbies and share it wih you all so thank you very much for everything 🥺 please take care of yourself too n have a nice day!! kith MWAH 💕

[grlsgen]

my favorite 2020 kpop songs

there were some bangers this year... this includes title tracks & bsides and everything else under the sun.

i always got shit to say and i always see youtube videos like this but i simply can’t edit so here we are

you never know - blackpink

okay yeah i didn’t really fw hylt or lovesick girls when i first heard them but when i listened to the album you never know really stuck with me... i never get sick of it. definitely the best track off the album imo. rosé’s prechorus has made me cry a few times ngl

alien - lee suhyun

alright miss thing... i was obsessed with this song when i first heard it... the pre chorus with the ooo ooo ooo and the switch to the chorus is so good it gets me every time. she’s cute i like her... while we’re here i’ll also mention i really liked her ost in your time for it’s okay to not be okay.. i loved that drama and that’s my fav ost from it.. but anyway

lalalilala - april

They Served. Big time. the music video is so pretty and the song was stuck in my head for 6 months straight... they really did the damn thing with this. kinda sounds like an apink song but that’s a compliment... overall this whole comeback was really good and deserved better. honorable mention : the bside on this ep you.zip is so good too

open your eyes - iz*one

this is all i listened to for months after bloomiz dropped... izone’s music is really a hit or miss for me and i didn’t really vibe with fiesta but i’m so glad i gave the album a chance because open your eyes is definitely in my top 5 releases of this year. their other bside dreamlike is really good too

the book of us : the demon - day6 album

now where do i start with this... to this day i am still obsessed with 1 to 10... like that’s gotta be the best off this album imo. zombie was so good and i really liked the lyrics. the album as a whole was really really good. i sound like a broken record

children - bvndit

oh boy... another one of my top 5 releases from this year. not only is the overall sound of this amazing but i love the lyrics too. these girls deserve so much better

d-2 - agust d/yoongi/suga mixtape

my king. i shit myself when this dropped ngl... i don’t even know how to elaborate on how much i love this. daechwita was stuck in my head for the longest time.. i think the highlights off this for me have to be people, honsool & dear my friend. this mixtape was really a moment.. i love yoongi y’all

love again - baekhyun / underwater - baekhyun

alright alright .. i put these two together since they’re from the same album idk but it took a while for candy to grow on me but i’ve loved these since i first heard them... i was Obsessed. the final bridge/chorus whatever the hell thing he does in love again put me into shock for 3 months straight and the beat in underwater is heavenly

the dream chapter : eternity - txt ep

this serve. has to be my favorite from txt yet... rookies with the best discography fr. i love dark concepts and really like that they did something different with this. can’t you see me was Amazinggg. fairy of shampoo has to be one of the best songs i’ve ever heard it’s insane. i also really liked eternally, who else has that range... Nobody. top to bottom this ep is really good, i hope they do another dark concept like this again soon bc this hit big time

eight - iu & suga

it took a while for this to grow on me but whew...when it did... kinda makes me feel like i’m in a coming of age movie and i like that, makes me nostalgic for that. eight soty, they both did great on this

# - loona ep

Now... Cmon. so what was either a hit or miss for a lot of people but something i think everyone can agree on is that the bridge is godsent. like that shit makes me cry sometimes. the music video was really good, i always come back to the subway/train scene. number 1 is also so damn good. overall i really loved this ep. they really ate with this one

eyes wide open - twice album

when i first heard this album i didn’t like it That much but it’s really grown on me lately. the whole retro trend was fun and then it got a little overdone so i was tired of it by the time this dropped but actually.. some of the bsides are insanely good. behind the mask is definitely a highlight for me, mina’s bridge is heavenly. i love mina so bad. but anyway, i can’t stop me took some time to grow on me as well but it always gets stuck in my head. i also really like up no more & depend on you, they’re cute

maybe - gidle

Y’all... i love this song. it’s short and simple but it was so addicting to me. i really like that one part in the last two choruses if you know what i’m talking about (i’m not sure who sings it ? some people say soyeon some say shuhua idk, shuhua my queen btw) and soojin’s verse in the bridge hits. to this day i’m still obsessed with this song

a song written easily - oneus

this is so underappreciated, this is easily one of my favorite title tracks released all year. i’m not a huge fan of beat drops but this one was really nice imo, i also liked the lead in before the drop and the final chorus. this was really good and i never get sick of it

wannabe - itzy

CUT THE DAMN CAMERAS.... no fr this is my #1 favorite song released this year. talented brilliant incredible amazing... itzy seriously ate up everyone with this. i keep going back to this song it’s insane. iconic choreo good mv good styling amazing song.. like everything here lined up. i don’t know how they’ll ever top this for me. definitely my soty (next to psycho)

black swan - bts

this is excellent idk what else to say. i thought it was just okay when i first heard it but it’s seriously so good, me being yoongi biased i loved that he got multiple verses but i love the do your thing with me now breakdown part too. the choreo is one of my favorite from them and the mv was really pretty. black swan is one of my favorite movies so the comparisons with it made me love this song more. overall, probably my favorite off mots7

my time - jungkook of bts

jungkook always has the best album solos fr. i loved this the second i heard it, kinda justin bieber esque but it’s so good. i love the lyrics and transition it takes thru the song. the chorus hits man.. this song always makes me a little sad but he really did amazing on this

monster - red velvet irene & seulgi ep

my queens what can i say. i was so excited for this unit and they did not disappoint. monster still hits, aged like wine. the best track is fr feel good, i still have it on repeat.. insanely good. seulgi really delivered with uncover, it’s so beautiful. i think sm’s intention was always to have a subunit this year but i thought it was smart to do while wendy was recovering, hoping for ot5 soon y’all..

never gonna dance again : act 2 - taemin album

taemin my king wtf!!! i loved criminal so i was really excited for this and of course... he always delivers. top to bottom i loved this album, he really did amazing on it. identity might be the best song i’ve ever heard... and of course i loved the collab with wendy 🙏 overall such a good album, taemin always serves the best

pporappippam - sunmi

what can i say i love a little retro tune. even though i just said earlier i was sick of it idc i loved this. sunmi always shows up, i don’t know what else to say. this song never gets old

dystopia : the tree of language - dreamcatcher album

i didn’t expect to love this album as much as i did... i don’t listen to it as often anymore but i can’t deny that scream was a major serve. every time i hear it it’s like the first time... their bside jazz bar was so good. dreamcatcher’s bsides always hit what can i say

12:00 - loona ep

Yes. why not is not necessarily my favorite title from them ever (it’s butterfly, btw) but it’s always stuck in my head... obviously i loved voice/star, was obsessed for weeks and i was happy they decided to promote it a little. styling on those stages were so cute btw. i also loved fall again from this ep, chuu sounds angelic on it. loona had some amazing cbs this year

la di da - everglow

Obsessed. i watched every stage as they dropped and listened to this every 5 seconds, Amazing. sihyeon really owned this era for me and shes my bias so of course i ate this whole thing up. this was definitely one for the books, what more can i say

literally everything gfriend released this year

this might be their best year yet for releases imo, i really liked how they tried out different concepts and sounds this year, i’ve always loved their music but the switch was refreshing yknow. crossroads was so good, i loved that mv. here we are is still on repeat almost a year later... and now APPLE. apple was so mf good. i love that they decided to do a dark concept, this song really fit them well, still obsessed w it. mago might be my least fave out of the 3 but it’s still so good. don’t even get me started on yuju in the mv.. Queen. i liked the subunits on walpurgis night, especially better me. gfriend had a really good year imo, they deserved more for it.

Anyways. that was my 2 cents.

wannabe & psycho soty

[the-hellsing-organisation]

What's your fave episode of the OVA and/or Gonzo?

Gonzo I haven't seen in years so I don't remember the episodes too clearly. I enjoyed certain scenes in that Andersen in the subway episode, but I don't remember much more episodes.

As for the OVA... Hard one. Probably OVA 7. It has so many powerful scenes.

[fleckcmscott]

Q and A about Joker

Thank you so much for tagging me, @jokerownsmysoul!

Rules: If you wanna join this Q & A just copy and paste and change the answers :) Tag 5 people :) ENJOY

1. What's your fave scene in Joker?

Oh, god, I've never been able to pick a favorite scene - there are far too many good ones. The ones I've watched on repeat the most are when he gets home and takes care of his mother, the one in which Randall gives him the gun, the one in which he greets Sophie at the door, the subway and kiss, and the one at Wayne Hall.

2. The cutest scene in Joker?

When he talks to Sophie in his doorway. He's so shy and sweet but eager and excited that a pretty woman is actually speaking to him.

3. The saddest scene in Joker?

The one where he is laughing/crying on his sofa after he leaves Sophie's apartment. Where his neighbor yells at him to shut up.

4. The funniest scene in Joker?

I always laugh when he "punches out" at HaHa's. I love his sass.

5. The sexiest scene in Joker?

Oh, there are a lot. But the scene in which he dances with the gun and fantasizes about being hit on always gets me.

6. Do you want part two?

Hm. I love Joker as it stands. But I wouldn't mind seeing a prequel about Arthur's earlier life.

7. How many times did you watch Joker?

Far, far too many. I still watch it.

8. Are you more of a Joker's or Arthur's girl?

Well, I do not see them separately. I think Joker is Arthur when he is manic and no longer gives a fuck. He's always Arthur. That being said, I'm an Arthur girl.

9. Do you believe he was adopted?

Given that Todd Phillips said the "Love your smile - T.W." on the back of Penny's picture was a clue, I'd say the intention was probably to have him not be adopted. However, I think both possibilities are plausible.

10. Worst/most hated person in Joker?

Randall. According to the commentary, he has a history of taking advantage of Arthur.

I’ll tag the following people, but there is no pressure to participate: @mur-raay, @mrscarnival, @joaquinfeed, @pocket-clown, and @honking4joker.

[ziracona]

Do you have any tips for people who want to start writing? Specifically dialogue or how to research thoroughly?

Sure! For starting writing in general, the best advice to start with is look at the stories you yourself love, and identify what you love most in them. Relationships of a certain kind, high-stakes fight scenes, murder mysteries and scenes where people have to choose under pressure who they’re going to trust, redemption arcs, someone ending up adopting a child more or less because the kid has no one else to look after them? If there are scenarios you daydream about writing stories in your head, what are the common themes? No matter how oddly specific that gets or how often or scarcely you see it in fiction, I garuntee you you’re not the only one who likes it, and it’s good to base writing ideas around whatever you want to see more of yourself. You’ll be happy writing it, and the other people who yearn for it too, once they find you, will be very happy to see some as well! For me, I’ve always really enjoyed stories where someone who has no connection to the action ends up choosing to do the right thing and gets pulled into dangerous scenarios, found family, hope punk, and scenes where someone is injured/sick/drugged/unconscious/trapped and ends up at the mercy of someone they expect to hurt them, but who chooses to do absolutely nothing bad to them and saves/helps/looks after them instead (to name a few of many, many faves, haha). Some of those are pretty broad and some are wildly specific, but I love writing them all, and I’m not the only person who enjoys reading them either, so it’s a great kind of springboard to work with. : ) —Ok, for the specific questions though—I’ll do them in two parts to go with the two questions.

For writing dialogue, the biggest thing is to establish distinctive voices for all your cast. That sounds a lot harder than it is. The first real step is just to have some idea who they are as a person. Now, I know you probably don’t have time to be Bleach and have a sidebar backstory that goes for eleven pages about every guard who gets knocked out (and tbh I wouldn’t recommend it either haha), but don’t worry—you don’t need to. A lot of the time, I know very little about characters who aren’t primary cast when I write them first, and only during writing really get to know them either. Think of it a little as improv acting. If you ever have like, done bits with your friends, you actually know how to do this whether you’ve acted a day in your life or not. Friend greeting you on the phone with a fake accent & pretending to be an interviewer & you responding in kind & being like “Well yes, in my best selling novel How to Kill your Ex-Boss” and just running with it totally counts. You have no idea who the person you’re pretending to be is. You don’t know their favorite food or where they went to school. But you do know what they’re going to say next, because you’ve tapped into the person you’re running, and that’s the only thing you need to know. Same if you have ever given yourself fake interviews in your head. You’re playing both interviewer, fiction self (for whom you are for SURE making up details on the fly) & anyone else involved in that scene simultaneously. Writing can be pretty similar. Now, I do this to a bigger extent then most people, because I method-write (which uhhhh, I cant completely recommend, as it is devestating on the emotions :’-] ), but it works used less extremely too.

The idea, really, is to give characters a voice in your head, and have that voice not be the same for any two characters. And I mean voice literally. What do they sound like. Do they talk fast, get excited & into topics easily? Always sound mildly done with everyone else? If it helps, pick the voice of an actor or a friend or different tones you can use yourself speaking outloud—just give them voices. A lot of it will start flowing pretty naturally once the character is created. Writing has a lot of overlap with acting, in that you really need to grasp and be able to kind of jump around in a lot of different types of peoples’ heads. Most people have significantly different ways of speaking, even if they don’t have different accents than your other characters. Some people cuss more, some never do, you get varried vocabulary sizes, and just word choice and tone. I’m probably making this sound a little hard and overwhelming, but trust me, it’s not so bad. Mostly it will come naturally once you get a mental idea of what your character is like, sounds like, and the vibes they give off.

From a more technical standpoint, a couple of really good suggestions are to run dialogue in your head before writing it, and to read your written dialogue out loud. No matter how well you write, you will think dialogue better most of the time. This is just how it goes, because writing is a different process. So something that helps is to mentally “play” a scene out, and jot down some of the dialogue as you hear it, or to pause in writing to run some of the scene mentally, then pick back up again. Another big one is that almost all people, when writing dialogue, will start out writing too formally. Now, that’s totally fine if your character actually just speaks very formally, but most people 80% of the time speak using contractions. Like, you’d probably say, “Hey! How’re you doing? It’s been a while, hasn’t it?” and not “Hey! How are you doing? It has been a while, has it not?” (And obviously, most people aren’t going to actually write out “has it not,” but simpler ones like “How are” vs “How’re” or “It is” vs “It’s” are super common to write. Try to keep that in mind writing dialogue, and also try reading your dialogue out loud verbatim. A lot of the time, something will read totally normal to you, but the second you hear it out loud, you’ll go “Oh. Oh, no. No one speaks like this.” It is SUPER helpful, and kind of funny too. Also, don’t be afraid to use verbal interrupters like “Uh” or “Uhm” or substitues for them like “Well” and “Like” —people use ‘em when they speak. We also tend to interrupt our friends to agree when talking about stuff, because the way language is set up a lot of the time you know the end of a sentence before it is said.

Other things that govern how characters speak a lot are their comfort level in a scene and what they want, how open or closed off they are about themselves in general, and their personal ways of thinking in general. For example, Joey Harmin and Quentin Smith are extremely fun to write in scenes together for me, because they both follow fairly understandable and clear logical thought paths, but those paths are completely different. Like they could not be operating on less similar wavelengths half the time, which is hilarious. There’s an exchange I haven’t uploaded for New Dawn Fades where they’re talking for the first time, and Joey is operating nearly 100% on small-picture context (But since you woke up, I have been very nice to you. Why don’t you trust me?) and Quentin is operating at nearly 100% big-picture context (You have killed me before—I have literally no reason to think you won’t any second now once again. I have no idea why you have not already). And both thought lines make total sense for the character to be following, but they could not be more confused by each others’ response. People think super weirdly and super different from each other, and that’s amazing, and some times you legit wont totally get what wild shit your own character is on, but that’s fine. You don’t need to—you just need to know it makes sense to them, and be able to understand it on some logic level, even if you could never really get it emotionally or more really than ‘in theory’ on a personal level. Also, side note—sometimes people speak super differently when in a professional setting vs relaxed, or with different friends, and that’s totally fine. Also-also, you might notice that if some characters spend a lot of time together, they start to speak similarly—that’s super normal too—don’t worry. It’s not you doing a bad job. Friends tend to pick up each others’ mannerisms and speech to some extent, and this is wildly more apparent when they hang out together.

This was a very long and in-depth answer to writing dialogue, but really, don’t let it overwhelm you. The TLDR is more or less just give them different voices in your head, and listen to them, then write down what you hear. Read it out loud to make sure it sounds like them if you feel unsure about it. I personally get into character and try to really think as/become them a bit at least when writing, because I approach writing from a very acting-based standpoint becuase that’s just how I am wired, but even if that’s not how you vibe, just know them a little. Know once you’ve talked to someone for like, three minutes, you have some idea how they talk. The synonym they’d chose, if they’d agree, or disagree, or just give a judgy look, or stay quiet. Know them that well, and try to hear them in your head. Read everything you write for them in that voice, thinking that voice well you write, and it’ll do wonders.

Now, for research.

First up, research is FUN! It’s amazing. It’s so wild to learn things and dip into thousands of parts of human existence you had no idea about at all. Try to think of it as a plus, not a pain, because really, it should be. Now, to be fair, I lean heavy into research—I’ll do days of research to try to find something out if I have to, and I have. I’m learning some of how to write and conjugate an extremely dead language right now for a fanfic, I’ve done massive deep dives from everything to ancient cultures and religions, screen shotting films to zoom in on set detail to learn what artist or band a character is into, what they drink, what they own, to the appproximate timing from specific streets in New York I’ve never seen to each other by specific subway line, to a myriad of wounds and diseases, to mental illness, to historical events as insignificant as marsh draining in specific cities. But bro? It was fun. Sometimes it’s a lot, but the thrill of finding what you were looking for? It’s great.

Now, I’m not saying you need to be me if you don’t want to haha. But when it comes to researching whatever you want to research, here’s some tips: First up, if what you are researching has anything to do with a human experience? (Mental illness, physical illness or injury, sex, birthing, death, how it feels to shoot a gun, or fall from a great height, or have a PTSD episode, anything like that?) You really need to hear it from people, if at all possible. The good news? In this day and age? It super is, almost always! Even with death. You can find people describing death (body death, not complete brain death) experiences they went through, and it’s very cool. I definitely recommend discussion threads, like Reddit, and YouTube videos of people giving their personal accounts for this kind of thing. They’re amazing resources, and also usually surprisingly fast! This is especially important for stuff like neurodivergence, disorders, mental illness, drug experiences, or anything else that’s on a cognitive more than physical level, because if you look at just textbook explanations, they’re not only usually very incomplete, but sometimes even inaccurate. Listening to people can give the truth if it’s missing, and the majority of the time while that’s not the biggest issue—especially concerning like, wounds or freezing or a near drowning experience, etc—it gives it a completeness a medical account just can’t. Also, if you have got any personal experience to lean on? Go for it! I’ve never been electrocuted horribly really, but when researching for the torture sequence in Proven, I both looked up a ton of first-hand accounts and some science to better understand what was going on, and took my own experience of the electric shocks I have gotten as the first building block in making a mental picture of what it would feel like to go through that. Obviously, being shocked hard enough to be flung backwards from a cattle fence (my history) is a far cry from being subjected to parrilla torture, but having a small amount of basic knowledge of the kind of pain electricity causes was useful as a first block in translating the information I was reading into something I understood better.

For non human-experience based research, a lot of it is pretty easy to look up, even if you wouldn’t think so. For example, guessing at the time period for cars in Autohaven and searching different years + truck + brand names for American cars was actually a really short process for finding a match—same with the make of the metal gas cans, back when I was trying to determine when, exactly, Philip was from. Visual image searches are great when applicable, especially if you’re trying to figure out what something is, because chances are if you describe a plant you saw once as ‘Tall lake reed plant with hotdog bun looking top,’ someone else will have once used some of those words when searching for a cattail as well. Also, for non-human research, books and academic papers are great, but so are non-academic sources like videos and photos for locations or objects. Sometimes again though, human info will honestly be where it is at, like reading firsthand descriptions of specific places. For most things, just type what you’re looking for into a search engine honestly and start there. You can totally start on the Wikipedia page for a city or a Greek god or a type of bomb, and move on from there—people put references in wiki articles, and you can check the bottom of the page for the specific source too. You can go on from basic knowledge to add or subtract keywords and refine your search. It’s pretty simple once you get going. If you’re getting extraneous results because a film title shares the name of what you are looking for, or a song or whatever, try quotation marks for an exact match, or - and then quotation marks around what you see that you want gone from results. Pretty basic stuff. Tbh, a lot of the time, it’s all you’re gonna need. Want to write a Stranger Things fic, but you have no idea what movies or shows were popular in the US at the time and need to know what they’d be watching in a scene? Honestly, searching “1980s (or 1980whatever-more-specific year) popular shows” will probably get you what you need in like 4 minutes. Also, if you’ve got a parent who was alive at the time and lived in the place, or older friend (or younger, I don’t know you, maybe this one doesn’t apply to you because YOU were there, but you’d have to ask a teenager irl now what the kids are into for a 20teens story, haha), utilize that resource and just ask them. Discussion spaces again, a massively useful resource. You can find people talking about their shared experiences with almost anything, and hear it more or less first-hand.

If you’re trying to learn about culture or history, again, first-person accounts are where it’s at. If you can’t find any, go for the next best thing, which is descendants or historians with a personal connection/interest. If you really, really can’t find much of that (as sadly has been the case for some cultures or religions I’ve researched in past, considering the lack of documentation period and/or intentional culture erasure going on), then read what you do find on it with a grain of salt. Who wrote it, and when? What biases did they bring? Also, often an old document like that might be the only first source you can find, but taking whatever badly documented info they have and trying new searches with the specific language you learned from them can yield new and much better results. Just do your level best. ^u^ Really, that’s all anyone can do. Sometimes there will be things without much out there period, and you don’t have to like, put 97 hours of research in combing your local library for any thing you may have missed for the fic you’re on right now or something. Just do your best, do what you can, and care, and you’ll be okay. It can seem daunting, but doing your sincere best is what anyone who does know the answer—living or dead—would care about, and it’s an important thing /to/ do, and also a pretty informative and fun one. Also, I swear it’s not as intimidating as I might make it seem. Pretty much always you’ll be able to find some decent chunks of solid and very useful information eventually, on anything. And most things actually do not at all take that long to research. I’m a monster, who likes to down research more and more each morning like I’m building up a resistance to iocaine powder to someday win a battle of wits, but you really don’t have to be me, and if you want to be, chances are that means you also just really heckin love learning new facts, so you’re gonna love the wild deep insanity of creating It’s Always Sunny Meme level conspiracy walls trying to track down ancient evil trees in mythology to figure out what in the goddamn the Entity really IS and you’ll adore it all. If you’re not, trust me—that’s completely fine. Most research is gonna take between 20 minutes and a few hours, depending on the level of complexity, and once you learn it, you have all this cool new knowledge! Like that you can fake a death with tetrodotoxin so well someone with a high but not fatal does in them could die undergoing an autopsy! Or how much opium kills someone, how it actually feels to black out, how hard it actually is to chloroform someone, or that wolves have been known to hold funerals for loved ones, or how to stitch a wound. It’s like, amazing. Join me, and become that thing from Adventure Time going “I have approximate knowledge of many things” while rubbing its grimy hands together with glee.

Uhhh haha, I made this one more concise wildly, but the TLDR version is just ask people or read or watch what people who have undergone X thing say it is like (oh, and make sure to read more than one account—big one with accuracy). For non-human research, start with just a basic search. If you’re a student and have access to academic searches more easily, totally use that. If not, don’t worry. Lots of academic search compilation sites are still open to you, and honestly, you’re only going to need to turn academic for highly specific and wildly rare information period. Most of the time, hear it from people who know the answer. Discussion forums and YouTube journal-type videos are fantastic resources. For what living in rural Wisconsin in the early 1980s was like for Philip, I searched about living in the early 1980s in rurual Wisconsin, found specific names in an article for the kinds of cheap apartments common, adjusted my search, and found a ton of good resources by people documenting the struggles and mistreatment of life there at the time, and also found out Milwaukee is surprisingly one of the most dangerous and racist cities in America, then and now, on the way. For Kate experiencing being forced to drink bleach, I watched seven different people on YouTube talk about their experiences drinking bleach, and read up on the medical side to understand the science of what happens to you, plus a few text descriptions as well. But really, both of those were pretty fun and fascinating and quick research stints. Most are. I super recommend trying some deepish dives out, even just for fun and not with writing planned in mind at all!

Anyway, I hope this helps! I wrote it at one in the morning & didn’t proof because I feel very bad and need to pass out to try and heal, so sorry if there are any errors that make this hard to read. Thanks for asking! This was fun to answer. Please feel free to ask any follow-ups if there’s something I didn’t seem to cover, or you want to know more about either of these or something else. I’m certainly not the world’s leading expert or something, but I got some fun methods and tips I’ve developed over the years I’m happy to share with a fellow writer (or bored or curious person just interested in the process, haha). Again, I gave long answers because I wanted to be thorough, but I promise neither dialogue nor research is a difficulty level reflected in the length of those answers—that’s just me being me. Don’t let it intimidate you! They’re both fun and actually not so hard things to do. You just kind of need to learn your starting off points and get your sea legs, and the rest mostly comes naturally and easily and is very fun. It’s super satisfying to read a line and be like “Only you, my dumb child” seeing the stupid crap they say, or “You’ve come so far” watching how they’re choosing to reach out to someone now vs as the story’s start; or to have needed a way to have a character pry open a wedged car door and find just exactly the perfect tool you could even have a logical reason for them to easily find in the scene and be able to sit back down thinking YES!!! I got it!! —it’s a rush, and very, very satisfying. I’m sure you can do it!! And I wish you the best of luck. I sadly made this on mobile because I forgot tumblr sucks and won’t let me retroactively add read mores on mobile now and it’s too late for me to change that, and I’m so sorry this is so long 😭😭😭, but I’m tagging it “long post” so hopefully tag blocks can still save people :’-] — anyway! Hope this helps and best of luck. Night! 💙