#with the mysteries in this show I am just along for the ride

[malachitebeck]

I’m just saying that if two teenagers being crowned king and queen at a high school prom counted as a “king and queen being crowned anew in Solace” for an ancient curse on a giant dragon man, then a girl doing everything in her power to become Student Body President probably counts as a holy conquest worthy of her corrupted god.

[tarotwithavi]

Their words during the act

18+ reading

＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊

＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊

How to choose a pile?

Close your eyes and take a deep breath and ask the angels to show you the right pile for you and open your eyes. The first pile that catches your attention is the right pile for you.

This is a general reading so only take what resonates and leave the rest.

Pictures do not belong to me, they belong to their rightful owners. I only own the content of this post.

Masterlist

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＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊

Pile 1

During the act, their words might reveal a sense of frustration or impatience at first. There’s an intensity in how they express themselves, almost like they’re trying to let go of control, unable to perfect every move or hold back what they're feeling. They may stumble with their words, flustered, saying things like "I can't wait any longer" showing a hunger that’s a bit unpolished but raw and real.

Then, as the moment deepens, the tone shifts. Their words start to soften, becoming more nurturing and sensual. You might hear them complimenting you, speaking about how much they desire you, calling you beautiful, irresistible, like they can't get enough. Their tone will be tender yet filled with admiration, like they are completely taken by you, worshiping your body and presence, expressing just how much you’re affecting them.

They may speak with a sense of excitement, almost playful, like they’re riding the waves of chance and pleasure. “This is so good,” or “You make me feel so good" they might say, hinting that they feel swept up in the unpredictability of the moment, like everything has aligned perfectly for this intense, thrilling experience. Their words would reflect how exhilarating and wild this is for them, like they’re surrendering to the heat of it all. Their words will become even more spontaneous, a mix of lust and sweet obsession. They might whisper things like "You’re everything I’ve ever wanted," their voice filled with both urgency and affection. Each word they say comes out between heavy breaths, showing how completely lost they are in you, almost as if they’re trying to express something they can’t fully put into words. Their hands and body language speak just as loudly, but the words , those hot, unguarded murmurs carry a sense of devotion and a craving for more. You can tell they’re hooked, every word dripping with desire and a hint of surrender to the intensity between you both. It’s like they’re on a ride they never want to get off, and they want to take you along for every twist and turn.

＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊

Pile 2

Okay so the message I am getting is that their words will be sharp and clear, no hesitation or uncertainty. They'll know exactly what they want, expressing it with confidence. You’ll hear things like "You drive me wild" words that show they’ve been craving this for a while.

There will be a sense of admiration, like they’re captivated by your every move. Compliments will pour in, heartfelt and genuine. They might tell you how beautiful or irresistible you are, making you feel like you’re the center of their world, like nothing else exists but the two of you. At times, their words might change into a playful, almost innocent tone , teasing and sweet. They could whisper things like, "You make me feel things I can’t even explain," making you feel desired and special. But there's a deep, mysterious side to it too. Some of their words might catch you off guard, adding an element of intrigue. They'll play with your mind as much as your body, saying things that hint at deeper feelings or hidden desires, like "I’ve been thinking about this for so long" or "You’re all I dream about." They might confuse you for a second about what they actually want to say. Their words will come faster, breathless, almost like they can’t keep up with how much they want you. They'll be raw, direct, and filled with urgency "I need you right now," or "I can’t wait any longer." Everything will happen quickly, almost like they're overwhelmed by their own passion.

＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊

Pile 3

Oh~~ this is the spiciest pile. Some of you might also want to read pile 1. For you guys they might start by teasing you with the idea that you are their world, saying things like, "I’ve been waiting for this moment… you have no idea how much you mean to me."

There's a sense of completeness, as if you are the missing piece they've been longing for. As things heat up, they might hesitate for a moment, teasingly asking "Do you want this? Show me." They’re testing the waters, wanting you to make the choice, but deep down, you both know you want the same thing.

Their words might be a blend of challenge and desire, encouraging you to match their energy, almost like a back-and-forth game. You’ll also hear a shift in tone, something more focused. Their words will be encouraging. They’ll want you to know they’re completely present, working with you, eager to build the heat higher, step by step.

You’ll also hear confidence in their voice, something that makes you feel secure and desired. "I know what you want… just let me take care of you." There’s a strong, steady vibe to their words, showing that they’re here to give you exactly what you need, with no rush , just deliberate, confident moves.

They may whisper something along the lines of, "Is this enough? Do you need more?" There's a brief flash of vulnerability, as if they want reassurance that this moment is as meaningful for you as it is for them. I see that they might have a fear of not being able to satisfy you the way you want. So they'll be ensuring that you feel good and comfortable.

＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊

[etfrin]

❝ ִִִִִִִִִִִִִֶֶֶֶֶֶֶֶֶֶֶֶֶָָָָָָָָָָָָָ higher with my lover — coriolanus snow ִִִִִִִִִִִִִֶֶֶֶֶֶֶֶֶֶֶֶֶָָָָָָָָָָָָָ ❞

☆　Warning: NSFW | Snow is his own warning, pinv sex, creampie, unprotected sex (wrap it dumbfucks), riding, handjob, mentions of blood & blood sucking, Capitol! Reader, reader is mentioned to be a virgin, mentions of poison and death, district+lucy gray slander (necessary to the plot), mention of Sejanus, degradation & praise kink if you squint, dry humping | lmk if I missed anything!

☆　Pairing: fem! Reader x young! peacekeeper! Coriolanus Snow

☆　Summary: Lucy Gray left but you find him in the forest instead and shit goes down

☆　A/N: this fic is inspired by the fact that i imagined myself to be the one sucking the 'poisoned bite' and be like now we both die and i like you lmao, i hope you guys like it!

Ps. This is the official canon ending :D

Ps². Listened to this song mainly to write the smut, so i am just gonna leave it here. . .

| masterlist | taglist | bc: @cafekitsune |

“Lucy Gray! Are you trying to kill me!?”

Coriolanus Snow yelled as he kept pointing the gun in random directions. It wasn't long after that he began shooting in the sky causing the murder of numerous mockingjays up in the air.

He had found the necklace, he had found the scarf. She left. She was a loose end. She needs to die, fucking die so Snow could have the life he deserved. The life he worked for, the life he was entitled to since birth. The life of a Snow.

“Lucy Gray! We can talk about this!” He yells out, “Just come out!” But Lucy Gray was nowhere to be found, as if she was a ghost. As if she was the Lucy Gray from the song, a mystery to never be found.

He pointed his gun in the direction where he heard the sound of a twig snapping. It wasn't Lucy Gray but you. Your eyes were wide, chest heaving as you slowly walked towards him with your hands raised. “Coryo,” you whispered, scared, your feet walking towards him with hesitation but never flattering.

He had no idea how you had found him. He wasn't sure why you were either here. It was already too much for him that Sejanus came (and now he is dead, dead, dead. The third person he had killed). And you followed him too, pulling in favors, deciding to be a medic along with Sejanus, serving time with your best friends (not his, he never considered you or Sej as his friend).

“Where's Lucy Gray!?” He yelled, walking towards you, gun still pointed. It makes you walk backward until your back hits the hard bark of a tree. The rough texture of the bark is uncomfortable due to your thin shirt. You scrunch your nose at the mention of her. You never liked her much. He didn't know why but perhaps it was all a ruse just for this very moment. This very betrayal from her.

“How would I know?” You scoffed, the haughty attitude of a Capitol citizen coming through despite having a gun pointed at you. He pressed the end of the gun at your chest. “Tell me the truth,” he growled. “That girl tried to poison me. Tell me where she is!”

“I don't know,” you hiss back, your eyes ablaze. “And get the gun out of my face. You should be heading to a fucking medic right now. Are you sure she poisoned you?” Your voice was now laced with concern, eyes softening as you looked at him, his t-shirt clinging to him with sweat, his cheeks flushed, eyes so wide that the blues were hidden with black instead.

Coryo gets the gun away from you to put his arm forward. Showing you his snake bite, the puncture wound oozing out beads of red blood on his snow-like skin. “It's probably non-poisonous,” you said, trying to sound optimistic.

“No, it's not!” He growls, and anger fills in every movement and word of his. “She's trying to kill me. She's district! I shouldn't have- shouldn't have-” You hold his arm, your fingers around his wound, trying to stop the bleeding.

“It's fine,” you whispered, trying your best that the tone you use with him is soft and gentle. You want to shake him out of the mental breakdown that was happening. He shakes his head and you press your fingertips into the wound.

“It's fine,” you whispered, “let's get you back. Come on.” You try to urge him forward, only for him to pull himself out of your grasp. “No! I need to find her. She's a loose end. She will tell. She's a snake, not a songbird,” he rambles.

Despite the confusion you felt with his words, you grit your teeth. “Come on, Coryo! We need to head back,” you said, your hand on his wrist, trying to drag him out of the middle of the green forest.

“No! We need to find her out before the poison works” he yells, pulling you back and pushing you. Pinning you effectively between him and a tree.

You glare at him before a moment of impulsivity takes over you. You take his arm, your mouth around the bleeding wound and you suck letting whatever ‘poisoned blood’ onto your tongue. His eyes widen as he sees the redness of his blood now painting your lips. “Now can we go back?” You said as you licked the blood clean. “Because if it's poison, we will both die.”

“Why would-” he visibly freezes. He doesn't want your blood on his hands. No- it would be on Lucy's hands. It's her fault. Everything is her fault. “Why would you do that?” He whispered, leaning closer to you, his face now mere inches away from yours. It was like he was seeing you for the first time. Like he never saw you for you until now. Someone like him. Unhinged (not that he's willing to admit it).

He hooks his fingers under your chin, holding your jaw and tilting your lips towards his. His eyes were searching for sanity but seemed to have found none as a smile (filled with insanity) spread on his face. “You're crazy,” he whispered, “Are you that desperate?”

“Desperate for your well-being, Coryo,” you whispered, hating the fact that your gaze fell on his soft-looking lips. “I don't know what's wrong, Coriolanus. But come with me, let's go back. Lucy Gray isn't worth anything.”

“Lucy Gray is worth everything!” He yelled, pressing his body with yours, pain in your bones flaring as he without noticing crushed you.

“I am sure she will have poison for you too. I am sure she will come back then,” you spit out. You felt outrageous at his behavior. “She ran, didn't she? To the North. You gonna go there too, Coryo?” you questioned, your eyes now meeting his. You try to find an answer but find something deeply tangled instead, neither a yes or a no.

You never felt such pity for Coriolanus Snow before as you did now. You put your palm on his cheek. “Come with me,” you said, softening your voice. “Back to the peacekeepers, the general told me about District 2 and I can put in favors so we can be back in the Capitol in no time.”

“You didn't choose Sejanus,” you whispered, the mention of Sej causing him to freeze. “Choose me,” you plead, feeling pathetic for being reduced to this. But it was for your Coryo so it was worth it. Wasn't it?

A chip from the bird makes him look away but you use your hand to make him face you again. Tears begin to pool in your eyes. You find your heart preparing itself for a rejection. “Choose me,” you choke out, a sob in your throat ready to come out when he says no, no, no Lucy Gray it is, never you.

You wait and wait for the rejection, your eyelids closing themselves so he doesn't see himself (or the way you looked at him with love) in the reflective tears. “Look at me,” he whispered, feeling his hot breath on your lips now. And you didn't want to listen but your eyes opened back up, light coming in and he's in your sight.

All glorious as you always thought of Snow.

Snow lands on top.

Haven't every Capitol child learned that from history? You were no exception. And you never planned to be. Even after finding out the truth about his situation, you never thought less of him, if anything everything you felt about him increased tenfold without your consent. Oh, how you should hate him. Oh, but how much you love him.

He leaned in and you didn't move. He stops for a mere second as if reconsidering his decision. But then decided to fuck it because the next thing you know his lips against yours.

He tasted like cheap alcohol, he tasted like ruin and danger. You ate it all up by parting your lips so his tongue could slip in. You let out a moan as his teeth bite into your lips. For a moment you think he's a snake and that he's the one poisoning you. His poison is more potent than an actual snake’s ever could be.

You were simple prey, that's it. Instead of a bullet, he was shooting your heart with a kiss. And it was working because in the future he will be the end of you. A slow, slow poison, he controlled the kiss despite the way his tongue slid against yours was clumsy but so perfect.

You kissed him back to the best of your abilities, wondering briefly if you tasted like the pastry you had in the morning. You let him take your bottom lip between his teeth to suck and bite however he wants. Your hands find his buzz cut instead of his golden curls and a whine leaves your lips from the frustration of the loss.

Your hand is on his nape and another is still on his cheek as neither of you breaks the kiss. It didn't matter that you were getting lightheaded. It didn't matter that you could feel your heartbeat increasing due to lack of oxygen. He was everything, you would be damned if you broke the kiss.

You gasp as the kiss is broken. You stare into his eyes, searching for something, anything. But you find nothing but ice blue. It sent chills down your spine but at least he had calmed down now. “Feeling better?” You asked and you got a rough nod as a reply.

“Come on, we have work to do,” he whispered as he pulled back. His dog tag dangles as he begins to walk towards the cabin again, navigating the path with his father's compass.

You find the cabin and the guns. Coriolanus looks at you waiting for a protest, disgust, expecting you to run away just like Lucy Gray. You didn't do anything except sigh, your shoulder wearing down as you realized the truth of it all. You didn't say a word but your hand finds his. He doesn't say anything either but squeezes your hand back. An unspoken promise. He had chosen you. You had chosen him. You were in this together now.

There's no going back.

Both of you row the boat and let the guns sink into the river, never to be found again. You find your way back to the cabin, the rain pouring down again. You sit beside Snow- no, no, still Coryo. Always Coryo. Your head on his shoulder, your knees pressed to your chest as you hear the tip tap of rain outside.

Not a single sound is made. But as time passes and the rain doesn't stop, you begin to crave his lips again. As if that one kiss was morphine, and you needed more to heal the ache of your soul. “Coriolanus,” you whispered.

“Coryo,” he reprimanded softly, his tone enticing as if he was trying to bewitch. You feel your palms sweat as embarrassment begins to nag your mind. You blurt it out before you can think about how pathetic you sound.

“Can I have another kiss, Coryo?”

The next few moments were a blur. Lips on lips. Clumsily tongues meeting each other and whining into each other's mouths. You were shamelessly grinding on Coryo's lap as your lips continued to stay locked with his. “I want you so bad,” you admit as you feel his cock harden underneath you.

“Since the academy,” you whispered against his lips, a moan escaping your lips when he held your hips and began to guide them to grind on his completely hard bulge.

“Oh, yeah?” He mocks, “It's pretty fucking obvious.” He choked off a groan coming out of his mouth, “You're willing to let go of the fact that I am a murderer, huh?” You let out a whimper as he mentioned that. But both of you knew the answer to that, a part of you knew what kind of predator he was. Ever since you knew about how he killed a tribute, you just called it. It never mattered to you how horrible he could be or in this case, is.

“Yes, yes,” you moan into his mouth. Was it an answer or a mere whine about how perfect the friction felt against your pantie-soaked pussy? You didn't know but Coriolanus thought of it as the former. “You gonna be my girl, then? A capitol princess being a peacekeepers’ doll to fuck,” he whispered, his tongue licking a strip of skin on your neck.

You moan as his teeth begin to harshly assault your skin, covering your neck with marks. “Yes,” you gasp, “as long as it's you.” God, how much more pathetic could you be? But it didn't matter, it got him higher and fed his ego after everything that had happened. He loved it and perhaps, he could grow to love you.

Not in the way, Coryo loved Lucy Gray but in the way Snow would love his First Lady.

Your hands tug off his wet t-shirt and throw it on the floor. His hands do the same with your peacekeeper's uniform. He grabs your hips, squeezing the plump of flesh there, his mouth panting into you and he looks at you with dilated eyes.

Time seems to have slowed down as you touch his dog tag, your fingers tracing the name carved into the metal. “I want this. You, right now, right here,” you whispered like it was the biggest secret of your life. “Do you?” You ask as your hands go lower to fiddle with the zipper of his pants.

He doesn't give you a verbal answer, only pulling you into another kiss with his fingers woven into your hair in a fist as his free hand goes down below to free his cock from the confines of his trousers.

You grip his length, stroking it and squeezing out pearly pre-cum from the tip. You savor the deep groan that leaves his lips. “Fuck… just like that, doll,” he instructed and you obey. Your strokes get faster and his pre becomes natural lube as you continue. He lets out a hiss when you twist your wrist and his hand snares around your wrist. “Wanna cum in your cunt first,” he said, breathless from the ecstasy of having your hands on him.

Within moments the remaining clothes on both of you were scattered around the cabin. You moan into his mouth, your fingers desperately clawing at his shoulders as you begin to grind your soaking wet pussy against his hard cock. You gasp, elated by how your folds pressed against his length, his cockhead being teased by your slit but unable to breach the threshold.

The kisses you shared with him were sloppy. Saliva coating his chin as neither of you was willing to separate your lips for a single unnecessary moment. You knew your lips would hurt by the end of this, that they were swollen and the inside of it bleeding because of how insistently his teeth loved to bite your lower lip. He was no better either. You tasted more blood from the kisses now than anything, and it didn't matter to you because somehow the salty, rusty taste felt like just him.

You let out a sound unfitting of a Capitol-raised woman when his cockhead slips inside your gummy walls. His tip now profusely leaks pre-cum inside your gummy walls. You pulled back, biting your lower lip to stop the whimper as you feel his cockhead stretching out your virgin walls.

“That's it, dove,” he lets out, all needy and heated. His hands squeeze your hips to be encouraging as you let yourself down on his cock slowly. “Take it all in. You can do it, doll,” he whispered, as his eyes were down looking at his length entering you, being surrounded by the wicked, addicting warmth of your tight cunt.

“I can?” You let out a whine, as the pain bleeds into the pleasure, the ratio of it throwing you off the dizzy full lust. He hums in encouragement as you finally fill yourself with his dick to the hilt. Your slick walls pulsate around his length.

“Atta girl,” he smiles at you, his eyes brightening up from how well you took him and without any complaints whatsoever. “That's a good slut,” he whispered and smirked when he felt your walls clench around him deliciously.

You tried to move your hips but gave up when the burn made your eyes water. He coos at you encouragingly, telling you to adjust to his girth first. He wasn't going to rut into you like a dog, you're a Capitol girl, not a district whore. He wasn't going to disrespect you like that, no matter how much he wanted you to begin rolling your hips.

So your lips latch onto his neck, while your arms are around him and your legs around his waist. You were clinging to him, as if afraid that if you ease up in your grip he will fade away from your life, from this moment and your reality together. The smell of sex and sweat begins to become stronger than the smell of gunpowder as you continue to give him hickeys in various places on his skin.

Coriolanus doesn't complain that you're marking him like this, not when he's doing the same task with his tongue tracing the love bites his teeth left. And you suspect he rather enjoys when you bite, as his cock twitches whenever your teeth dig into his flesh as if you're eating and your wet tongue licks over the bite as if you're tasting the flavor of his skin.

When you're finally comfortable with his cock being inside the most intimate part of you. You slowly but surely begin to make small, shallow thrusts that have you gasping, your eyes rolling back with how good it feels already because he was fucking into your g-spot with every roll of your hips. The thrusts were teasing, it had him groaning praises of you being a good girl and his hold tightening over your hips, surely leaving bruises.

You begin to relish the feeling of being stuffed, his cockhead kissing your cervix when you get the angle just right. Your folds coat him with your creamy juices, a ring of white forming on his base with how wet you were. Slowly but surely the pleasure begins to build up, your nails digging into his shoulders as you start to put up force with the way you rock back and forth on his cock.

You pant into his mouth, your lips letting out sharp moans when his dick strokes your walls just right. He lets you control the pace, his mouth busy latching onto your nipple to suck. His tongue swirls around the bud, hardening it inside his mouth and he nips your nipple just to have you jolt from the bite and squeeze down on his cock.

One of his hands now kneads the other breast he wasn't giving much attention to, his fingers rolling the nipple, pinching the bud, and playing with it. His other hand goes between your bodies and finds your clit. You soon realize he was working with a pattern that was driving you insane, turning your cunt into a hotter slicker mess.

When he swirled his tongue around your nipple, his fingers did roll the other bud. Meanwhile, his thumb would drive small, rapid circles onto your swollen bundle of nerves. When he bit into your nipple, his fingers pinched your clit making you gasp with thunderous pleasure filling your veins.

He continues at this and tension begins to build up in your tummy. You close your eyes as animalistic instincts begin to take over your body. The need to cum overrides everything else as you begin to roll your hips faster and harder. Desperate to cum around his cock for the first time of many times in your life. He feels the same way because he encourages you with his hips bucking into you, thrusting perfectly inside of your slick walls.

“So close, Coryo!” You moan, your nails leaving red lines in their path on his shoulders. He latches off your breasts to whisper, “Cum then, my slut. Let me feel you milk my cock like a good cockwhore would.” You let out a louder moan at his words. His condescending tone snaps the tension that had formed in your tummy, you begin to cum.

Your pussy spasming around his cock, triggering his orgasm. He empties his balls inside of you without any hesitation, filling you up with his thick, hot cum. “That's a good girl. Look how well you took me. Look at the cum leaking out, dove,” his tone teasing, like many times he has teased in classes but the context of this was entirely different.

You look down, your pussy clenching around his cock again when you see his seed ooze out of you. Your body slumps into him, tired from all of this. Both mentally and physically. The storm was still going on. You lay in his arms, his cum now coating the insides of your thighs.

“You're smarter than Lucy Gray,” he said, “I pray you know better than to run. I won't miss the next time.”

You shake your head, trying to hide the smile forming on your face. Others would have run from his words, anyone sane would. Lucy Gray did after all. But you were just you.

“If I wanted to run, I wouldn't have found you in the first place,” you whispered, sealing your words with a soft kiss on his lips.

Current tag list: @stelleduarte @nowitsmissing @lifeonawhim @le-lena @dollfacedalls @motley-baby @champomiel @slytherinholland @randomstuff2040 @justacaliforniandreamer @emmalinemalfoy @hyuk4s @theamuz @watercolorskyy @littlebiwitchsworld @eir964

@skywalker1dream @darkangelkathiecookiesmith @ben-has-arrived @bucksdonkey @xyzstar @ellie-luvsfics @sunny-deary @daughter1of2anita3dearly @eir964 @nowsyhozey @ayaya-aa @serving-targaryen-realness @hansbasement @louweasleymalfoy @lettersandwhiteroses @arzua10 @wotcherpeak @ever8ea @daughter-of-the-stars11 @blippys-blog @iguanagwen @moonlight-by-the-sea @snowlandstop @badbleep88 @hobireasns @floswife @weeeoosworld @ludasgf

@sushirolliee @poppyflower-22 @dilucpegg3r @sleepysongbirdsings @cupids-scream-queen @fyhhuu

[scuderiasundays]

the one where the stars aligned

summary: 3 am flashbacks to packed pizzerias, comfortable silences, and post-race kisses + a little insta au at the end 💌

words: 871

a/n: writing fics is my form of self care. i’m seeing a lot of lando love so i thought i’d whip something up! tagging @vamossainz55, @sainzcaleruega , @monzabee, @ssainzz, @holllandtrash, and @diorleclerc just because. feedback appreciated as always. hugs and kisses 🫶🏼

"Come on, put down the melatonin gummies and lend a hand," Lando's voice beckoned, as he motioned for you to join him. It was Lando's brilliant idea to start building shelves for his prized helmet collection at the ungodly hour of 3 AM. Despite feeling drained from a full day of traveling, jet lag refused to let either of you rest. As you took in the sights of Monaco in the dark, your mind couldn't help but picture everyone sound asleep in their beds—a stark contrast to the state you and Lando were in, blasting Burna Boy and diving headfirst into a DIY date night.

You plopped down beside him, and he handed over some screws and posts. To be honest, you had no clue what you were doing, so you just sat there, watching your boyfriend hum along and niftily arrange the pieces. There was a particular air about Lando when he was focused: his slightly creased forehead, furrowed eyebrow, and bitten lip. He caught you midthought and playfully said, "Less staring, more doing," as he handed you the instruction manual.

Maybe it was the sleep deprivation or the fact that your two-year anniversary was coming up, but you found your mind aimlessly wandering. Lando had entered your life at a time when you least expected it. It all began on an evening out in London, which your friends now playfully referred to as "The One Where the Stars Aligned."

You had found yourselves scrambling for a last-minute table at a quaint pizzeria one of you had discovered on TikTok. The restaurant, a charming hole-in-the-wall, was filled to the brim with lively conversation and the aroma of freshly baked pizza. Your waiter hastily directed you to a 10-person table at the heart of the bustling scene, disappearing before any of you could say a word. The long table was already occupied by a few guys who looked to be your age. Reluctant but ravenous, you found yourself settling beside one of them. Throughout the night, you and your mystery man talked nonstop, effortlessly volleying back and forth. The rest, as they say, was history.

There were countless reasons you loved your boyfriend, but a few things really stood out. Lando's attentiveness was unmatched. If a conversation made you uneasy, he would pick up on it and hurry to your side, ready to rescue you from any situation. If he noticed a Netflix show had you on the verge of tears, he would edge closer to you on the couch and quietly slide over a box of tissues. If you were lost for words to congratulate him on an impressive drive, he would kiss you simply to shut you up.

Even though Lando's job required him to exude confidence and poise in public, behind closed doors, he was just as much of an introvert as you. Whether sitting side by side in his driver's room, with him editing photos and you buried in a book, there was an ease to the silence that never felt uncomfortable. It was your way of recharging your social batteries, soaking up each other's presence without the need for constant conversation.

You had also grown to love the people Lando surrounded himself with. He was big on quality time and always sought to spend as much of it with you as possible. Initially unsure if his friends would appreciate your constantly hanging around, you were pleasantly surprised when they warmly embraced you into their circle. "I'm just glad he's found someone else to bother instead of P and me," Max jokingly said during a double date at the driving range.

Your bond with Flo had also grown stronger, as you joined her for one-on-one horse-riding lessons at the stables. She would share stories about little Lando, granting you intimate glimpses into his past that, without him knowing, made you love him even more.

Lando went above and beyond to introduce you to the other drivers too. You often third-wheeled on Carlando outings, intervening when they bickered like an old couple. On some nights, he’d arrange actual double dates with Carmen and George, the three of you trying but always failing to convince Lando to try some sushi.

You were the first person he FaceTimed when Daniel had confided he’d be back on the grid sooner than expected. “If this leaks, I’ll know who to hunt down,” he giggled while munching a chicken quinoa wrap, his staple pre-race meal.

Lost in reverie, you hadn’t even realized you’d zoned out until Lando waved his hands frantically in front of you, snapping you back to reality. The shelves were now magically built, showcasing the colorful helmets he’d raced in and swapped over the years.

“What were you thinking about, babe?” He asked as he stepped back to double check that the shelves were even.

“Just how much I love you,” you replied as you gave him a peck on the cheek.

If you could be anywhere in the world, you’d still choose to be right there with him, watching the sunrise paint your apartment the warmest shade of orange. You closed your eyes and silently prayed that you and Lando would always be this close, forever and ever.

﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏

liked by ciscanorris1, alex_albon, and 41,113 others

landonorris: a few of my favorite thingssss

yourusername: not even pressed danny ranks higher than me! he’s back like he never left 🙌🏼

danielricciardo: bisous

landonorris: nobody compares to you, baby!!

flonorris1: don’t have too much fun without me, lovebirds 🧡

heidiberger_: what a flight! let @yourusername and i know if anyone wants to join our “my boyfriend has a distinctive laugh” club

yourusername: more like the “i couldn’t get any sleep because my boyfriend kept cackling” club 🫠

fan2: the wags are spilling tea and i ADORE them

barbiethemovie: she’s everything. he’s just ken.

mclaren: in lando we trust 🫡

[loudclan-clangen]

Hey there!

Checking out Loudclan? That's great! Thanks so much!

Loudclan was originally planned to be drawn as I played the game like most other clangen blogs... Then I got frustrated about how slow it was moving and played ahead. Just a little bit, nothing to worry about, only about 1000 moons. So this blog should be running for A WHILE. I also take pretty big liberties with the designs and events. I think it's more interesting that way! Also it's been several real life months since I started playing and some things I just... forgot. Or lost. Either way, it's fun to stretch my creative skills.

As for the mechanics of the blog:

General Content Warnings Include:

Death, Animal Death, (Cat Death specifically), Death in Childbirth, Violence, Murder, Illness, Gore, Grooming, Abuse, Bad Parenting, Cheating, Affairs, Drama, Cursing, Language, Dirty Jokes, ECT. (if i missed something please let me know)

Start Here

Allegiances

Lore

Discord

RedBubble

Updates are not going to be on a consistent schedule... ever. I'm a college student. I just don't have the time or energy.

The style is going to vary wildly. It's been years since I've consistently drawn cats and I wasn't ever really happy with the way I did it back then anyway. Come along for the ride with me! I'm just as surprised by what my hands create as you guys!

Overview:

Loudclan is set in a fictional location that is based on South Central Alaska. A group of rogues fled up the mountains to get away from the deep snows of the valleys at the beginning of a particularly harsh winter. The clan follows three "Leaders" in the form of the Leader, the Lead Healer, and the Lead Mediator. These leaders will each pass their position on to their oldest heir, the closest related member of their direct family. Issues regarding what happens when two cats have similar claims have yet to be sorted out by the clan, and may never be fully decided... *insert mysterious foreshadowing sounds*

If you are interested in more of a deep dive into the lore check out this post: Lore, or anything tagged #loudclanlore .

Asks are welcome! I will do my best to answer them quickly and efficiently! I am happy to talk about characters, art, process, gameplay, pretty much anything. (I probably won't be showing sprites though, just because I've played ahead so far and a not insignificant amount of them are just... gone. Lost to the ether. Sacrificed so that my laptop could keep running the game.) All asks are tagged #loudclanasks .

Also fanart/writing/edits are more than welcome! You guys are so cool and talented and I am honored that you would want to make something based on my dumb little pixel cats. Referencing or imitating my style/designs/layout is absolutely allowed, just make sure to mention me so I don't miss them! All fan contributions are tagged #loudclanfan .

I will never complain about anyone "blowing up my notifications" or spam liking. I think it's so neat to see people go through the blog liking as they go. Don't worry about it. I enjoy seeing you enjoy my work!

A little bit about me, you can call me "D"! I use any pronouns, I'm pretty ambivalent about them but the majority of people use she/her for me and I'm fine with that. I'm 20, I live most of the time in Alaska and part time on a ranch in Texas and I'm working on my BA in Elementary Education. I started reading Warriors in 2nd Grade and stopped in 6th Grade but the brain worms never die. If you know me in real life no you don't: It took me all of high school to kill the furry allegations I'm not going through that again. Oh, and my main blog is @restinginpiecesofpizza but warning, there's spoilers for Owlstar's family tree for like 8 generations posted on there.

If you think Loudclan's cool and want to help me out consider checking out my RedBubble!

Anyway, thanks for checking out my blog! I hope you enjoy!

[lurkingshan]

Dead Friend Forever is a Marvel of Mystery Writing

I haven’t been watching Dead Friend Forever live, because I am not always that into the slasher genre and I figured I would wait to hear whether it holds up before jumping in. I admit, I was a bit dubious about a drama sustaining a slasher narrative for 12 entire weeks and didn’t want to spend time on something that might be too shallow to sustain and would end up falling apart. I basically told bestie @wen-kexing-apologist to vet it for me and holler if I needed to start paying attention. And a few weeks ago, they started poking me with increasing intensity, along with a few other friends, because the writing was holding up better than they could believe. I started asking questions, and once @ginnymoonbeam mentioned that Sammon was the writer, it all started to click and I dove into a binge to catch up.

And they were right! This show is excellent, and its strength is sourced in an incredibly strong script from a writer who knows how to construct a longform mystery. Because it turns out, that’s what this show actually is. How do you sustain a slasher for 12 weeks? By embedding a deeper mystery within the slasher framework and pacing your story so that the entire middle delivers a backstory narrative that is even more compelling than the current events. This show is expertly structured to grab your attention and then get you deeply emotionally invested in the coming bloodbath, which is crucial for a slasher to feel like it has any stakes. Let me also note that the excellent writing here is supported by extremely smart direction and editing and some standout performances from young actors. I am going to focus on the writing here because that’s what I do, but it should be said that this whole production is all around excellent. 

So let’s talk about why the writing in Dead Friend Forever works so well! Great drama mysteries should support two kinds of engagement from the viewer: 

no thoughts head empty engagement from the people who just want to be pulled along for the ride and be constantly surprised

red string board theory engagement for the people who enjoy finding clues and trying to solve the mystery in advance. 

It’s actually really fucking hard to thread this needle as a writer, because it requires seeding strong enough clues that attentive viewers could reasonably guess some of the big reveals, but not giving away so much that you are unable to surprise them. A reveal in a good mystery should have you saying “oh my god WHAT” and “of course, that makes perfect sense” at the same time. And the best mysteries support the viewer being able to go back and rewatch, find new meaning they missed the first time, and realize every single thing that happened adds up. A tight mystery has no loose ends and no false steps; it never lies to the viewer, it only works to draw your attention where it wants it at any given point in the story.

Dead Friend Forever does this masterfully with several of its reveals, but I will highlight the biggest example: the reveal of Phee and Non’s relationship in episode 7. In the first four episodes of the show, the story lets us in on a few crucial facts: Phee is newer to this friend group (along with Tan and White), he was not present for whatever went down with Non three years ago, he has some kind of fucked up not!friends with benefits relationship with Jin that involves lots of sexual tension and dick biting, and he seems interested in figuring out what the hell happened once all these dudes start acting crazy about the videos. The string board theorists had enough to go on there to reasonably guess that he was intentionally trying to uncover the truth—but not why—and the no thoughts head empty crowd could just vibe, enjoying his scenes with Jin and wondering how exactly he ended up hooking up with him and getting involved with this group of people he doesn’t even seem to like.

Once we get to the backstory and see Non’s narrative, additional clues emerge, like the existence of both an older brother and a mysterious sweetheart that is only saved as [heart emoji] in Non’s phone. No thoughts head empty is over here going huh I wonder who they’re gonna be and hey when are the rest of the characters going to show up; string board theorists now have two clear options for how Phee could tie in to Non’s story and why he might care enough to investigate, but no one knows for sure. So when the show ended episode 6 with Phee running into Non’s room and began episode 7 with The Most Effective Five Minute BL Of All Time, everything clicked into place. No thoughts head empty got to experience a very pleasant shock moment, the string board theorists got to feel satisfied that they figured out at least part of the reveal, everyone got to enjoy an unexpected shot of romance in the middle of this stressful narrative, and there were still parts of Phee’s motives and involvement with this group that we didn’t understand and would require additional reveals. That is great mystery writing in a nutshell.

And it’s not only the mystery construction that makes the writing here so smart. It’s also the way Sammon is weaving in tons of social commentary, embedding Thai cultural and religious values, incorporating complicated crimes with lots of players in the mix that somehow don’t get confusing, and drawing complex and nuanced characters whose choices and behavior you understand even if you find them abhorrent. It’s not easy to make a viewer both despise a character and still care what happens to them; when you write a story about despicable people you run the risk of inspiring apathy in the audience, which is a death knell for a mystery. We have to be invested for this story to work. We have to feel deep empathy for Non to the point that we fully support axe murdering his bullies, but we also have to be interested enough in the bullies and why they behave the way they do to watch 12 weeks of them running around being awful to each other and harming everyone in their paths. And Non, too, gets to have real complexity. He is not a perfect little Mary Sue who never does anything wrong. He makes big impulsive mistakes, and seeks attention and affection from the wrong people, and lies to the ones he loves, and doesn’t always ask for help when he needs it. He is a flawed human being and that’s so important, because he is the center of this story and we need him to feel real.

In conclusion: holy shit. I tip my hat to you, Dr. Sammon, and I am very excited to be on this ride for the final four episodes. 

[godhandler]

See No Evil 

| The mysterious nobleman Noritoshi Kamo is looking to purchase a mansion in Tokyo City. You’re the solicitor sent to aid him and you do, it’s just that… he has odd habits. He talks all night and sleeps all day, doesn’t allow mirrors in his castle, can summon wolves at a whistle. And lately you’ve come to suspect that he’s not letting you leave. |

| #1 | noritoshi kamo x reader | bram stoker’s dracula au | masterlist | heavy religious symbolism, aged terminology | 1k words |

[your journal]

3 May 1876– Left Yokohama at 8.35 PM. It is a most wondrous machine, the creation of the finest European minds, the railway train! It arrived as a caterpillar on a leaf-edge, chugging soot onto my freshly laundered cottons, carriage upon carriage in its bowels! I hardly had time to admire the clear window panes, the tea-cup holders, the cushioned seat before I arrived in Tokyo, less than an hour at that. Ah, the modern era!

Had a most delightful plate of grilled beef and a mug of steaming coffee with milk at the Time Vessel Inn, stayed the night. I left Edo years ago and returned to Tokyo– the men now wear western hats over their kimono, streets are wide as London’s, concrete buildings as of New York in Ginza, streetcars driven by women who smoked. Father would have a heart attack had he been here. 

Walked to the post office, received letter from Mr. Hawkins, smoked too much enroute to walk back myself, took a rickshaw. The puller, a rickety old Okinawan, set his sly eyes on the cross round my neck, and I promptly put it inside. These scoundrels are untrustworthy at the best of times, pagan at worst. Shogun men come, you no Christian okay? – and he urged me to agree till I did. Lord, I do hope it is better in the prefectures. 

4 May– In the interests of time I am taking horse mounts instead of a carriage. Mr. Hawkins, bless that man, has arranged my lodgings along the way to Hokkaido, says his letter. He has further parceled me cash in advance, stored at those lodgings, so that I may never run dry. Among the Japanese the sympathy I could never glean I am granted oodles from a White man in Exeter. 

My client is a deposed shogun of the Kamo Clan, Noritoshi-sama. Imagine my disbelief when Mr. Hawkins assigned me to such a lucrative business for my first solicitor work! I have prepared well, again and again, and I shall not let him down. 

Had miso soup over rice and eggs. (Mem. Get recipe). 

Left Tokyo at 4.30 AM, reached Fukushima by noon. Exchanged horses before the narrow pass through the Abukuma Mountains. Now another long stretch till Moroika in the Iwate prefecture. I fear that despite my young age my back is not built for this torment. Onwards we ride again! Unfortunately!

Farmers plant rice in those ankle-deep pond-fields. Some things never change. 

Reached Moroika 7 PM, exchanged horses. The countryside is as I remember it, but I am far too exhausted to be poetic about it. Dined and lodged at the ancient Tengen Hotel, collected the cash parcel. Fireflies outside my window.  

5 May– Left Moroika at 6.30 AM. Another 6-7 hour ride to the northernmost tip of mainland Japan, this little town called Oma in Aomori. 

 I can see my freezing breath-smoke as I write with shaking hands, slouched on my horse. My legs, back, belly, shoulders, arms, neck, even hands hurt. I cannot grip my reins anymore. I think of Mr. Hawkins, the cash parcel at the next lodge. Perhaps I was not made to be a solicitor. 

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.

I have made up my mind. I shall show Noritoshi-sama the old Chinese mansion, vestiges of a former noble time. I wondered if I should instead display the Buddhist temple-turned-castle near Roppongi, but I believe he should prefer the outskirts of Tokyo more. Well, the decision lies with him, after all. 

Imagine if I ruined it all up! Barged into the shogun’s bedroom and demanded that he buy the disco club instead! Or the new English townhouses! I wonder if he would cut me with his longsword or have his horses trample me. 

Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

I am too giddy now. I can hardly keep my eyes open for I am tired, tired. And cold. The temperature has dropped like dead flies the more I ride. My thoughts, cockroaches released from a jar, run amok.

Truly, I want to sit on my horse and weep. I cannot bear this any longer. 

The farther I go from the beating heart of Tokyo the more this country vexes me. There is nothing but trees. No people, only trees and dirt for miles. Red-leaf maple, spruce, oaks, beech. Cold. 

Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. 

There is more humanity in filthy streetcar exhaust smoke than here. More God in the shaved cunts of night-bar transvestites than in this desolation. I would drink the sewers under Tokyo than travel any longer. 

Amen.

3 PM– Reached Oma. Had a heavy lunch full of oysters, chicken, crab and drank half a bottle of sake. It is hilarious how shocked the waitress was when I sent for my fourth bowl of rice! 

Reading back on my earlier notes I feel that I mayhaps overreacted slightly. It wasn’t that bad, honestly. I just am not used to physical exertion. 

Lounged about the beach till 4.35 PM. Ferry to Hakodate reached a little before 8 PM. Hokkaido finally! Tired, will fall asleep in my suit, no energy to bathe or change. 

Noritoshi-sama, man of my miseries, I meet you tomorrow. I have never met nobility before (Mem. Practice deep bowing), but I hear from the waitress that he is rumored to be so handsome. How wonderful it will be if he turns out to be an armour-clad samurai! Perhaps he keeps ninjas about his castle. Perhaps he is lonely, as I am, and takes me to be his bride. I cannot even write this with a straight face, I cannot stop giggling at the thought now! It would be a perfect romance, a Cinderella story! I would certainly not have to work a job or travel anymore. 

Suddenly my tiredness is -whoosh- gone! Oh be calm, fluttering heart, be calm, excited mind! I know that I shall not be able to sleep a wink tonight despite my fatigue. I await him so eagerly, the noble Kamo!

[permit of entry to Hokkaido]

Passenger - ln yn  Date of Entry - 5th May 1876

Departure - 4.37 PM Arrival - 7.45 PM 

Permit Available Till - 5th August 1876

Purpose of Visit - Business (Real Estate)

I hereby attest that I am of sound mind, of major age, and aware of the laws regarding Hokkaido Island.

I shall leave Hokkaido Island before or on the date of expiry of this permit, failing which the local authorities shall take action. 

All the information provided on this form is true and accurate to the best of my knowledge. 

Have a great stay!

Signed, ln yn

a/n: reader is jonathan harker coded. this is a homage to bram stoker’s masterpiece. here is the route described (i ensured the travel times are period accurate!), and here is the eventual lair of the vampire. instead of 1880s england and transylvania, i moved the setting to japan during the same time period. early meiji era japan (1868-1912) was a time of intense conflict and confusion in society: westernised modernity vs japanese tradition, shoguns vs the emperor, shinto and buddhism vs christianity. can you guess which side the reader falls and where does kamo? 

the way i see it, vampirism is about not letting go. its ennui, its sameness. the same endless life where you can consume only one thing (blood) and walk in the same moonlight. of course vampires would fall in love easy. besides, kamo = blood = vampire. made perfect sense to me.

i actually did a lotttt of research for this and found a tons of cool stuff. please check them out! Tokyo | Railways  | Food culture | Christanity | End of the Shogunate | Transport | Religion | Divider

fun facts: 1. the train that the reader takes here is the first passenger train of japan which opened on september 12, 1872. 2. influenced by the west, meat products and milk was highly encouraged diet at this time. miso soup was esp looked down upon. 3. ginza was the fancy area of tokyo, look at some old pics of the time here! 4. racism against okinawans was and still is unfortunately present. 4. christianity was persecuted and repressed throughout the tokugawa shogunate and remained so until the japan’s isolationist policies ended about 1850s. 

as the author i am both irreligious and an atheist. honestly id shank god if i met it. all the religious stuff here is for the narrative and nothing more. 

[rice-pudding-slaps]

CATS SANTIAGO 2024: My review and experience

On July 12th I saw CATS Santiago on opening night. And I had the best night of my life

I'm sorry for the very late thoughts, but life has been a bit hectic and I have a lot of stuff to say.

If you have any other questions please do send an ask about it because I'm very excited to talk about this production

Also excuse my grammar as english is very much not my first language

TLDR: I absolutely loved it. I cried tears of joy

The General Stuff:

The stage was very tiny. But they made up by using a staging and set very similar to the Warsaw one with big climbable structures so the cats had a lot of places to go

The costumes were changed from the press releases. If you've been following along the ride, then you'd probably seen more or less how the characters are supposed to look. Sadly not all of the changes were to my liking, but none of them I outright disliked.

Bomba and Tanto lose their long wavy hair. Bomba had a wig more similar to the classic cat shape, and Tanto just had a short bob-ish hair

Exótica changed her full white face make up for one that showed her natural skin tone and it was a much appreciated change. She looked beautiful.

Misto's wig also got changed from the classic shape to a sleek silhouette with two horn-ear thingies that were buns on his head

Also Vic lost her bangs and changed to some buns on her head

Jemima's wig also changed from being very short and spiky for a very fluffy and kinda cat shaped hair. I liked it!

Jellylorum made an appearance cuz sadly I didn't have her portrait and she had long straight hair and a knitted shawl which was adorable

Also another ensemble character played by Alexis Sepúlveda, whom I had no idea was in this musical. My guess is that he came along because Andrés Zará, the first Tugger, is leaving after the Santiago shows and won't be joining the tour.

Another important change is that a lot of the characters are plainly different, as it often happens with non replicas

First off, the Alonzo debacle. In this case, Alonso (With an s, as is more often written here in Chile) is a kitten that is following Munkustrap all the time. He is very much a "protector in training" kind of type. Very childish and moving a lot with the other kittens, even if he's supposed to be a second in command. Very similar to Plato in 98 or other replicas

Then it's Pouncival, that Fernando Vargas, who plays him, defined as "A cat in transition from childhood to adulthood. He admires and respects everyone who are his guides and protectors. Athletical and energetic". He is very often during the play in the forefront, and is the cat who is always on alert and besides Munkustrap too.

Coricopat also had a bit of a change in his usual place as the mysterious part of a duo, since he was very often close to Victoria and was who did most of the lifts with her. He would often "split" himself between Tantomille and Vicky, and honestly it was eyecatching everytime. They stole the stage.

Sadly is not customary to give playbills or similar to attendees, so I couldn't get any. However, I do have a very special memento that I'll share later.

Now, song for song, I will give my thoughts

THE OVERTURE:

There wasn't the usual yellow eyes nor cats coming from the audience. It was only the orchestra giving it their all and that's more than enough for me.

Needless to say, I was already crying when the overture started. It was starting to hit that I was watching CATS.

Everyone jumped when the starting chords hit and I didn't flinch because I am a bit used to it and was just awaiting for it to start. I was already into overdrive

JELLICLE SONGS FOR JELLICLE CATS:

First big difference is that it wasn't Demeter the one who appeared first, but Exótica! Not a major change, but one that I noticed

Needless to say, the second Munkustrap started singing I was bawling. My deepest apologies to the cast that only saw me cry that day oh my god.

The translation was a bit of a mix and I don't mean in quality, it was a literal mix of the spanish translation from 04 and the mexican translastion. I didn't notice at first, but after rewatching Madrid 04 for insanity reasons, some phrases that were not direct translations but artistic choices started to come up. It's honestly a shame, since the 2014 version did have an original translation done by Andrés Sáez, who also did this one. I don't really know why or how the process was made. But it didn't sound clunky nor unpleasant. Unless you're a bit insane like me and like to compare spanish versions of CATS for a hobby, you wouldn't even notice lol

Since moment one all the character's personalities were noticeable. And since I was on the first row, middle seat, I was always looking directly at Munkustrap at all times. This ended up being my favorite part of the show

Back to the song, the choreo was completely original with few traces of Gylliann Lynne's. Which is understandable because the stage was *far* smaller than the ones in the UK. Third world things! It stil worked amazingly well and all the actors had their time to shine.

There were a few audio troubles but nothing I cannot forgive for being opening night.

Also -Misto doing some conjuring turns ln the middle of dancing cats is gonna live in my mind rent free

NAMING OF CATS

For starters, it wasn't done in a "pyramid" position, but all the cats were around the stage doing their thing. Mostly crawling around and doing kitty motions.

Thank GOD it was all clear and I could understand everything lol

Good things, the Cats that were named actually gestured at their names being called. So, Alonso, Demeter, Bombalurina, Munkustrap, Coricopat and Jellylroum did a little paw thing when called or beamed with pride.

Munkustrap's voice was the one you could hear more clearly and it was very much hypnotic.

It has some choreo and some kitty acting and it was amazing.

They did end up in a "pyramid" which was hypnotizing and yes I teared up too because I'm pathetic like that

VICTORIA'S SOLO

What can I say? Rosario Muñoz hit it out of the park, she was absolutely gorgeous and did wonderfully. I could tell she was a bit nervous but again I was like. a couple meters away. She did amazing

It was Eduardo Yedro's choreo, which is more about equilibrium and stretching. I would've preferred the original but it was absolutely gorgeous nonetheless

INVITATION TO THE JELLICLE BALL

Misto entered and they danced a bit (Even with a lift!!!) and it was really cute 🥹. Afterwards Asparagus sang the invitation!! His voice was really nice

José Miguel Callejas' Munk can ruin me uh yeah

But on his performance? Absolutely perfect. One of my favorite parts. His voice was very soft and he looked so excited. If Gruber is your dad and Rebaldi is your cracked uncle, Callejas is like your older brother that knows what he's doing but go to you when you're in trouble and won't tell your parents.

Jesus, back to the Invitation. Victoria and Coricopat danced in the background and it was mesmerizing.

THE OLD GUMBIE CAT

Again, Munk's performance was lovely. He was very excited to be there for sure.

There wasn't a car in the set. Jenny entered being wheeled in by Alonso and Asparagus in a big speaker that was revealed to have Jenny inside. Her coat was lovelyyyyyy it was very fluffy and looked really soft

The Gumbie trio was angelical, truly. They did so good and they all danced and sang like they MEANT it. Piamaría Silva was such a highlight for me, her voice was the one I could hear more clearly and also the highest pitched one, and she had a giant smile all the time.

Alonso was very munch cuddly with Jenny, very much a spoiled kid lol

The cockroaches were adorable!!! They only had antennae but they were very much visible. And the choreo was super fun with the usual tap dancing but also some elements of "rondas" in there. Also Munk followed Jenny around trying to keep things in order and it was really cute.

Important!! During the dance they paired up for a second to dance and Munk paired with Jenny and it was ADORABLE

JENNY'S DRESS WAS LIKE A 20S FLAPPER I FELL IN LOVE 😭

And at the end Munk had to fan some air into Jenny until he got distracted with Tugger LMAO

RUM TUM TUGGER

Andrés Zará was absolutely amazing oh my god. He was the right amount of sexy and funny. He was very much sold on being a rockstar on stage with hip thrusting included! Not a surprise, since is his second time playing the curious cat, but always needed to praise him for his talent. Sadly he's only staying for the Santiago shows and not the rest of the tour.

All the kittens were absolutely adoring Tuger, both toms and queens. Munkustrap looked to be absolutely on board with his shenanigans, too! Everyone had a great time, seemingly, except Skimbleshanks and Asparagus lol. They ended up joining on the fun too from the back of the stage tho!.

Is very important for me to mention that he came on the stage with a giant baseball bat and hit a "home run" in the middle of the song lol. Fun addition of the original choreo!

Etcétera was absolutely on point too lol big props to Teresita Rojas for making herself noticeable (Even if for the first half of the first act she didn't have her blue jacket)

GRIZABELLA THE GLAMOUR CAT:

Well, first things first, absolute props to Carolina Soto for her interpretation of Griz. She was absolutely on point.

Onto acting stuff. Demeter got close to Griz as usual, but was taken away in a swift motion by her waist from Munkustrap. This lives in my mind rent free and will not let me sleep. Alonso actually attacked Griz point blank lol. And it was Exótica who did the dancing around Griz similar to Cassandra on 98. Victoria actually tried to touch her but backed down.

Back to vocal performances, I have to say I am in actual love with Andrea Rodriguez's Demeter. She sounded so pained to see Griz in that state. And also her pronunciation of english places was incredible oh my god, I did not expect that at all. Montserrat Bernal's Bombalurina has the sweetest most pretty voice ever, and it works surprinsing well for her interpretation of the character.

After Griz leaves, Bomba comforts Deme in a kinda "okay, let's breathe together" kind of way. It was really cute and also very much lovers coded I am in actual love

BUSTOPHER JONES THE CAT ABOUT TOWN

He entered from the audience, and it was so fun!!! I was smiling more than ever in my life. And not to talk about his vocals because they were absolutely breath taking

Pouncival and Misto were looking together very excited when Bustopher came and it was really cute. Alonso was at his feet dancing at it was so adorable

Munkustrao was nodding over Bustopher's choices in food so we can absolutely say he agrees lol.

They pantomimed a table and giving Bustopher food. And in the background Alonso and emima were laughing and stealing some bites until Munk caught them, it was so cute!!

MUNGOJERRIE AND RUMPLETEAZER

Jerrie and Teazer appeared with their little robber shirts and it was so adorable I swear they made amazing choices of character.

It was less acrobatic than normal, but way more mimed and acted. Every verse had some acting with it and they were super expressive. They also had some acrobatics tho!!! Especially when they said they were "acrobats and jugglers" Rumple got on Mungo's leg like cheerleaders. It's weird to explain lol

Also they characterized themselves as unemployed lazy asses which I think is very funny lmao

There was no double cartwheel, but there was an attempt!!

Also also, Isabella Burotto (Rumpleteazer) clarified in a short interview that they were playing them as siblings and it absolutely showed with the whole "pushing each other around without care for their well being" lmao

OLD DEUTERONOMY

Misto's line was cut here, as were all of his lines. I think this was a decision by the actor.

All the cats were stretching and cuddling together as usual. And Munkustrap in the middle did his singing very nicely :) When Tugger came on and praised his "numerous proginy", Munk was very mmuch like "aw shucks" and embarrased. It was adorable and very much a win for Deuteronomy brothers enjoyers

Deuteronomy entered and everyone went to hug him :)) it was really cute and aalso I got some tears out lol

Roberto Díaz absolutely had all the vibes of a leader btw. He was incredible from the first second. His voice was, oh my god. It filled the theatre.

THE JELLICLE BALL

Once again we get very excited Munk, which is always a treat. But when Macavity gets called he inmediately goes into aggro form and yes I want him to make me worse.

They used the revival verse about Macabity, which I actually enjoy alot. The protectors here were Munkustrap, Asparagus and Pouncival and it showed with how they got.

Victoria and Jemima were adorable together and I love them

Alonso sang his lines, less in the proud tone of 09, more in a playing way. Pouncival actually took his side besides Munk to say "Jellicle cats never grow" in place of "Jellicle cats develop slowly", which again, did that not happen in Warsaw with Alonzo? Lol if it wasn't that, it was the exact same positioning as their line. Tugger made fun of Pounce and called him a little thing. Bit funny lol

The ball was absolutely hypnotic. There was a bit of influence from the revival that i can see, with breaking into groups. Also- again- a bit of Warsaw influence? I swear @per-the-jellicle-magician Warsaw pilled me because I see it everywhere lol. A lot of couple dances. It had little to nothingsimilar to the og choreo, which wasn't a surprise but it was actually really fun!!

Tugger stayed mostly in the back but everytime he came to the front of the stage he bowed to Old D and also swayed a lot lol- Again Coricopat, Tantomille and Victoria were a highlight for me, just because they did an aazing job at making themselves noticeable

Misto had his little solo, and it was just as mesmerizing as ever. Mugojerrie actually followed him and some other cats in the background too.

There wasn't a pas de deux, but a little round where all the acts lifted the firls, and then they all lifted Victoria up. She also had a litttle solo afterwards before they all went to "sleep" in separate places.

Pouncival as a protector was even more prominent during the little scare and honestly I'm living for it.

The ball later had a girls section and a little conjuring turn from Misto. Then it devolved into all the cats dancing and it was really pretty as usual. Again lots of lifts and circles, aI think to make use of the small stage

The last bit of the ball was again a bit of a round with everyone tgether that devolved into more "classic" cats choreo. And Coricopat did one more lift with Victoria that later also included Munk.

It was gorgeous and I REALLY enjoyed it

MEMORY

Munk Inmediately went into aggro with Griz and when Deme tried to hug her, stopped her very fast. Almost a bit mean about it. Again Alonso attacked, too

The twins approached with their heads down and most of the cats started to go to the background and turn their backs to Grizabella.

Okay, now real talk, Carolina Soto absolutely and utterly knocked it out of the fucking park. It was gorgeous and this is my new favourite Memory.

Everyone stayed while she sang, just turning their backs to her. Very much a "if I don't look she doesn't exist" vibe. With Old D looking directly at her.

At the last moment Munk actually did face her, while leaving like most of the cast. With Old D trying to touch her but failing exactly like in 98

MOMENTS OF HAPPINESS

Have I already praised Roberto Díaz as Old D? Cuz I'd like to do it again. Old D actors don't get enough praise and oh my god I adore him. Also praising ahead for Antonia Ascui (Jemima) because she was angelical.

Everyone was very attentive to what Old d was singing, and the light was shining to Jem since she started. She actually started crawling around the first verse and by "Generations" she was front and center. I actually liked that little detail! Her singing didn't come from the psychic twins, tho, weirdly enough. But it had the exact same effect. And she was gorgeous while doing it

It was actually Misto who took her out of the "trance" by starting to play with her! Which, again, was so adorable. Misto is much more of a kitten

Also Old D helping Gus come in is the cutest tihng ever, especially since Munkustrap inmediately took in. Something something like father, like son. Munk was the most invested in Jelly's singing for sure.

Jenny was crawling to Gus, which also was so adorable. Asparagus was on the background standing too and again, so cute.

Have I praised Piamaría Silva (Jellylorum) yet? Because she was such a highlight for me. She was so sweet and now my favourite Jellylorum. She was so into it too. Some true loving.

As a little detail, when Jelly mentioned he got "7 standing ovations", everyone did a little bow, which again, really cute!!!

Everyone got closer for Gus' verse, and they were so into it. Especially Munk and Exótica. POunce took the time to fool around with Cassandra and Femeter which was again, so cute. And they all followed Gus' gaze when he mentioned being "Up in Juliet's balcony with Romeo" and Fireforfiddle.

When Jelly came back on Pounce and Cassandra swayed with the rythm and once again, cute! Munk agreed silently on the background when he talked about kittens, too. The whole number was really cute

Also massive prpos to Andrés Sáez, who was Bustopher and Gus. And also made the wigs for the production!

PEKES AND POLLICLES

Yeah, it was revival pekes. Which I have thoughts about, but that's for the revival.

In this case, once again, really cute! MASSIVE props to Andrés Sáez for sounding both old and young at the same time, somehow.

The whole vibe of Munk and Gus was "Student who is absolutely PUMPED of acting with his prof" and it was, once again, adorable

Also, the lyrics were not racist! Hooray!

Munk did the orchestra director silence thing of closing his hand while shushing the crowd. Which was visible practically only to the first row, but is such a tiny detail that I think Munk absolutely does lol He's such a theatre kid and this younger, enthusiastic Munk is usually not my brand but one I definetly welcome.

Also I was next to people who had never seen Cats, apparently! Cuz they were laughing a lot and very surprised by everything. They were friends of José Callejas (Munkustrap) and their laughs and gasps were very fun for me, as someone who has seen the musical one too many times.

It's still so weird to hear Growltiger's song with Pekes lyrics lol. But it was absolutely well executed and well done. I'm just a bit insane

SKIMBLESHANKS THE RAILWAY CAT

Fun fact, this is my favourite number of the original Cats! So I was so pumped when Rumple ran to Old D as the song started

I haven't praised enough the absolutely gorgeous lighting, and I absolutely should because they were working with few lights and it looked absolutely beautiful, btw.

The song started with everyone looking around with the music rythm, it was adorable. They also mimed some and started looking for Skimble which, ADORABLE

Everyone made room for Skimble (Daniel Donoso) to come in a line , and it was SO cute. This whole number was adoring Skimble times. His voice was very much an uncle voice and it was adorable. He did amazingly!!!

Also the train motions in the dance??? Adorable. The whole choreo was so cute.

At some point Jerrie and Teazer started miming to rob Misto and Skimble took them both by their shirts and got them out the "train" lol.

As another little bit, Tugger was dancing and JAMMING all the times

They also pantomimed the waving passengers on the train, the bed, and some other stuff Skimble said. There was way more miming that anything else.

OH important bit, Skimble had a pocket watch he was constantly looking at. Another Warsaw parallel! D. did they watch Warsaw? It seems so

Then they did the train omg I was so happy!!! It was mimed with frames for the windows and Munk and Tugger were fighting to drive it.

Skimble was so happy and honored at the end of his song, like he felt truly appreciated and I was visibly shaking.

MACAVITY THE MYSTERY CAT

For starters, it was aggro Munk protecting Old D again, but with the whole tribe behind who were slowly getting out. Last minute hooded figures got to Old D WAY more violent than usually lol

Also Mac was Coricopat with a red vest and a slightly different wig. Uh. Yeah, it was a bit shitty

NOW to the important stuff

I want to personally kiss Demeter on the lips uh yeah Also Bomba and her were quite handsy with each other. Like- a lesbian amount. And so good for them, Santiago said lesbian rights.

I have already praised them, but their interpretations were absolutely perfect.

Oh!! Also all the girlies were dancing on the background since the start, and then Jerrie, Asparagus and Alonso joined too

The whole tone of the song was very mocking and more like "get a load of this guy" kinda stuff. I loved it. I was in absolute love. And Bomba and Deme were having the time of their LIVES like. Pure fun.

Also Jerrie came to his mention lol

The whole dancing was so fun and yeah extremely gay like I'm not exaggerating. They only needed to make out lmao

FIGHT WITH MACAVITY

Macavity entered and Demeter started to get anxious, so Alonso fucking ran to protect her and it was him who took the cloak out. Not my favorite interpretation, but sure

When it was time to fight, Mungo, Alonso and Misto tried and got YEETED. I am not kidding Misto literally flew in the air.

Then it was Munku time. They all circled them while they fought, hissing and showing claws. Once again it was way more mimed and acted, but also more acrobatic than usual. And it was Exótica who he tried to leave with, and she beat the shit out of him lmao.

I have. My issues. With the storytelling. But the fight was actually really really fun!! It's the part I usually skip, but this time I had a great one

MAGICAL MISTER MISTOFFELEES

Oh boy

First off. Tugger entered doing his monologue but with swag lmao. And the kittens absolutely fawned over him. Again, the voices were amazing! And everyone was miming and dancing with the first part of only Tugger

When Misto appeared he was the inmediate focus point! Jean Paul Bauer did an amazing entrance and the crowd loved it! Tugger inmediately started screaming in the background too lol

The solo was very different to the replica one. Less ballet heavy and, again, more miming. And the magic Misto had was more of the mind control variety, making all the cats around him dance to his liking! Even Munk, Tugger, Skimble and Jenny! (Again, did they watch Warsaw or smtn?)

And there was some being gay with Tugger too, as a treat

Of course Jean Paul Bauer was a star. And Andrés Zará knew how to make his voice go just as hard without ofuscating him.

When it was time for the trick everything went silent and Tugger did a bit of a small monologue. And also they were a bit gay too, as a treat. But the best part was that he made the public actually clap and told us to not laugh or move for the trick to work. The trick was made with a disappearing box instead of a cloth, and Tugger gave the biggest hug to Old D :')

Everyone then also hugged Old D and they all danced behind Misto, who then did more dancing with Tugger flexing his voice behind (And Skimble clapping!)

To finish the number, Misto also disappeared!

MEMORY (REPRISE)

Okay, serious time now guys!! Jemima did Daylight in the climbable part. And again, she was perfect for the role, absolutely angelical. The silence in the room was absolute just to hear her.

Munkustrap was SO excited. I loved him, if you couldn't tell

Then Griz shows up, and everyone makes way. Munkustrap stands there confronting her all through her song. It was actually an interesting choice I'm not against

Carolina Soto, oh my god, she was gorgeous and her voice was perfect. She had the tone and also the emotion completely perfect. When I thought she couldn't get better, she did. I rarely care for Memory, but this one was so gorgeous. The translation was more close to the spanish one than the mexican one, which is a shame specifically for me because I think the mexican one is superior

Back to this version. When Griz fell everyone made a half step ahead, as to try and help her. But no one did except, well...

Okay. This is my one big thing with this version. They changed the ending. Jemima comes and helps her up, by holding her hand while singing her verse. It was beautiful! But. it kind of. fucked up the foreshadowing they had done by spotlighting Victoria so much. And they also changed the lyrics a bit weirdly by saying "just leave me alone" which is- the contrary of the thing she supposedly wants. And afterwards everyone kind of stands around until Old D comes and touches her hand, which props to the rest of the tried gasping and starting to come forward. Like. Come on, guys. You were so close.

But anyways

Jenny actually grabs Griz and parades her around

JOURNEY TO THE HEAVYSIDE LAYER

She gets paraded around and everyone gives her a greeting (Tugger gives her a sassy greeting and Munk an apologetic one)

To my surprise, there was a plataform that went up and let her go on the heavyside layer. It was really nice. I didn't expect it, to be honest! And the "wow" from the audience really made me realize why Cats is as big as it is. Like, not to exagerate a bit, but there's a reason why musical theatre gets revived everytime Cats goes somehwere

ADDRESING OF CATS

The cats started on the ground looking at Old D, as usual. And slowly took their positions standing (I was still in front of Munk, and just to his right was Tugger! Fan favorite spot. To his left was Skimble and just behind him Jenny)

Roberto Díaz killed it. I was bawling. Full on bawlilng.

And they said my favorite line!! "First you must know that barking is not the same as meowing". I want it on a shirt lol

Every cat stood and showed their personality. As it's usual. Pretty part for the chorus. But I was bawling my eyes out. I couldn't believe I just saw the musical that had consumed my thoughts for years

Personal thoughts (that you can fully skip if you don't care)

I've said it multiple times. I never thought I would see Cats. I never thought I would see Cats in Chile, my country. I never thought I would see a good Cats. I thought that my experience was going to be a school play with just 3 songs, hald a cast and shitty costumes. But I got something so different. I got to see an amazing Cats non replica with unique costumes, absolutely amazing performers and so much love put into it. And not only that.

On July 12th, I saw Cats on opening night. I have been following this produciton since last year and making posts about it on instagram, because I wanted to. I was so excited and I needed to follow everyone and document everything. So I made an account to get all the chilean cats fans in one place and we could talk.

On opening night, I had a bunch of pictures printed because I wanted some of them signed, whichever I could get. Just to get a memento in case there was no playbill-esque thing. There wasn't. I asked José Callejas if this could be done on Instagram and he said yes, to ask the staff. When I did, the staff recognized me from my Instagram and told the cast.

The cast asked to meet me. So I went backstage. And they were all so excited to see me. They all wanted to thank me for bringing light to the production and being the biggest fan possible. They all hugged me and thanked me. Even thought I was just a guy who really fucking liked Cats the musical, and they just made my dream a reality. They signed my pictures, they told me I was awesome. I could just cry and keep hugging people and thanking them for everything, every single thing. I don't have enough words to describe how amazing it was.

Thanks for reading this, even thought is several pages long. And thank you for caring about this non replica, as it means everything to me.

[jedidryad]

Something up, Luke?

The more time I spend working on piecing together Mara and Lando's misadventures and sham relationship, the more surprised I am that this conversation never took place while Luke and Lando were off on Lando's courting mission (aka his wife hunt). Lando must have been biting his tongue so hard...

“Something up Luke?”

“Why?” Luke glanced over from his place in the co pilot’s seat where he had been staring, brow furrowed, out the viewport.

“You’ve been extra quiet. Like something is bugging you.”

The younger man flinched ever so slightly, a reminder that he had not always been a mysterious Jedi Master, “I’m just wondering if you’ve told Mara about this new mission of yours?”

Lando shrugged, “haven’t seen her much lately. I think you’ve spent more time with her than I have.”

“That seems unlikely. I haven’t seen her since Almania.”

Lando refrained from pointing out that had only been a couple of months earlier.

“Why would I discuss it with her?” 

“You have a past.” Luke’s tone was mildly rebuking,  “she might appreciate the heads up before you show up married.”

“Nah that’s long over, whatever it was.”

“Whatever it was? What does that mean?”

“It means I was just along for the ride.”

“Ride?” Luke sounded offended.

“What? Does it bother you that Mara might have been looking for some casual fun?”

“No.” Luke caught his raised eyebrow,  “of course not. It just, just didn’t seem like her style.”

“Sounds to me like it bothers you. You should ask her about it.”

“It’s none of my business.”

“Kind of sounds like you’d like to make it your business.”

“If Mara wanted it to be my business, she’d have talked to me about it.”

“She didn’t?”

“No.”

“Not even when you asked?”

“I didn’t ask.”

“You didn’t?”

“No, it’s none of my business.”

“But you’re asking me now.”

“Well, now I know about your plan to get married. And I know Mara’s not big on surprises.”

Lando contemplated Luke for a moment, weighing his loyalties.

“She really didn’t tell you anything about us?”

“Not a word.” 

“And you really never thought to ask?”

“It’s not my business.” Luke was insistent enough that Lando fought hard to keep a straight face.

“Yes, you’ve said that, several times.” He took in his friend in silence a moment remembering the look on Mara’s face when Luke introduced her to Callista: a sort of frozen impassivity that revealed nothing of the frantic determination of the prior hour during which she’d altered hyperspace routes, and faced down armed Gamorreans to make sure the Jedi was safe.

Luke wore the same expression.

“So you think Mara would be upset that I’m hoping to marry someone else?”

“You were together a long time. I figured you’d wind up together.” If anything his face closed up further.

“Jade and me?” Lando laughed, "you think we made sense?

“You have connections in the same community. You know how to dance and which fork to use.”

“I do, but Jade’s not really all that into that.”

Luke blinked, “but you’ve spent years together.”

“Business. We had work together, a project that took a number of years. It was easier to let people think what they wanted.”

“She didn’t tell me that.”

“You already said you didn’t ask. She probably thought you didn’t care.”

Luke sucked in a breath and the impassivity seemed to drain out of his expression, leaving something unexpectedly agonized behind.

“Oh.”

“You really thought we were together?”

Luke nodded. 

Lando smirked, “she really let you think that.”

“She would,” Luke murmured. “If she didn’t want me to know, she wouldn’t share.”

Lando looked away so Luke couldn’t see him roll his eyes. Stars, he was even worse at this than Mara!

[marinettesaltprompts]

Cat in the Belfry (Part 1)

Adribaten x Gotham City Sirens

Prompt by @somereaderinblue

OP NOTE: I got sent this prompt but posted them in the wrong order. Sorry😅

Instead of Marinette/LB going to Gotham & finding the Batfam, what if Adrien did it instead? So, Fu & LB continue to leave CN out of the loop. Their partnership deteriorates thanks to secrets, miscommunication & the whole Lila dilemma. In their civilian life, Mari’s already written Adrien off as a ‘traitor’ & gives him the cold shoulder whenever he tries to be civil or offer some modicum of support outside of class. One day, CN tries to ask LB if she’s made any headway on HM’s ID & she blows up on him, ranting abt how stressed she is from her responsibilities as the Guardian, hero & team leader and verbally attacking him, calling him a bad hero, a worse sidekick & a nuisance. 

CN is hurt. He’s dialed back on the flirting, esp after Plagg gave a stern talk abt boundaries when Lila went too far. He fires back at LB that she wouldn’t be so stressed if she let him help only for her to once again remind him of all his shortcomings. They go back & forth until LB just yoyos away.

Adrien decides that if she won’t let him help her, he’ll do it on his own. Instead of hiring a normal PI, he takes it a step further: tracking down the Bat Family themselves. The fact that his dad is going on a business trip to Gotham soon is the perfect opportunity.

He tells LB he’ll be absent. She scoffs, unsurprised that he’s ‘slacking off’ & smugly says she’ll get the temps to fill in for him. At least they know how to do their jobs & respect her leadership. Instead of anger or jealousy, CN just feels….pity. And worry the more he imagines the temps doing what he does: being the distractions at best & meatshields at worst.

He has to find the Batfam ASAP.

Here’s where some deconstruction kicks in. He tells himself he’ll wait for the Batfam to show up at a crime scene. While looking for said scene, he stumbles upon Catwoman who’s fighting with Penguin over a relic both of them want to steal. CN intervenes to save the relic & can’t help but save Catwoman too. Then the cherry on top comes: Firefly who decides to burn the place down bcz clearly someone has to die tonight.

Luckily, before CN could lose 1 of his 9 lives, Harley & Ivy arrive as Catwoman’s getaway & CN is brought along for the ride. Cue a car chase that’s intense enough to push CN into unlocking a new ability: Black Storm. Plagg is so proud.

And that’s how CN found himself sitting in Ivy’s greenhouse, stroking Bud & Lou while Harley demands Selina explain who how when & where she got her new stray. Sipping Ivy’s herbal tea, he awkwardly clears his throat & reveals he’s looking for the Batfam. Harley continues to prod until CN ends up telling her everything.

“You must think I’m crazy.” he says at the end….only to remember he’s talking to Harley Quinn & 2 other women who were born in Gotham and bred to bleed for it.

This leads to some research & after seeing footage of the fights and more concerningly, the imbalanced power dynamic, Harley asks CN more questions that confirm their worst fears: that he’s unknowingly being abused & worse, has likely been abused before he put on the mask. 

It’s a bitter pill to swallow, but the Sirens show him more support than he’s gotten since Plagg. It’s already 5 AM but those hours he’s spent with them got months worth of stress off his chest. Sadly, all things must come to an end & he reluctantly prepares to leave.

S: Are you still going to look for the Bats?

CN: I have to try. 

S: Wait, you told us Hawkmoth’s source of power is a piece of jewelry, right?

CN: Yeah, a brooch. Why?

Selina gives him a cheshire grin & he realizes that detectives could solve mysteries but thieves could steal jewelry. Plus, Selina loved a challenge & what could possibly be bigger than magical jewelry? Payment-wise, Adrien had already accumulated some Gabriel accessories to pawn off. Also, compared to the vigilantes, Selina has more freedom to leave Gotham.

(Selina would also be lying if she said she wasn’t a little bit tempted to see more of CN’s potential.)

And thus, Selina books a ticket to Paris. Oh, and Harley & Ivy come too. Time to psychoanalyze the hell out of the Parisians & check out the gardens.

[xx-thedarklord-xx]

saw your name on the erised particpant post and i'm so excited to read what you wrote! it's like seeing authors in the wild when they do fests and stuff. can't wait

Ahh thank you! I've participated three times in Erised and unfortunately, this year will be my last time for that particular fest, but I am glad you are looking forward to it! There's another fest I participated in as well that will get revealed in the next couple weeks. If you are interested in my past fest fics, I'll link them.

-Dear Cousin, Love Regulus [Harry/Draco Big Bang 2018] As the sole Malfoy heir, Draco understood that his path was set long before his birth; who to be, how to act and what his choices should be. What he had not counted on was the power of outside influences. Letters from his deceased cousin caused him to realize that he did have choices, starting with the choice to be someone else, to be who he wanted to be. The road to self-discovery was difficult and navigating that path in the shadow of Harry Potter was its own challenge but maybe, just maybe, his friends would help him along the way. And he would owe it all to Regulus Black.

-Ardour of Karma [H/D Erised 2019] “Malfoy knows something is going on with you and unless you both want to go back to fighting and death glares, you should fix it.”

“How do I do that? Just waltz up to him and say, ‘I know I’ve been a prat but your scent makes my dick swell. How’s your day?’”

“Mind repeating that?”

The familiar drawl had Harry’s throat clamming up as his blood ran cold. Oh no.

-The Forsaken [Harry/Draco OwlPost 2019] When Draco imagined his future as a child he thought he'd be a Potion Master, get married and maybe have a kid. But the reality was he was a retired Assassin, bitten by a Vampire and mated to a reckless, idiotic, foolish ex-Auror now turned Veela—Harry Potter.

-Borrowing Courage [H/D Erised 2018] After years of being a Magical Artist and painting for other people, Draco decides it’s time to paint for himself for once. The secrets pile up as he tries to unravel the mystery of his relatives but the only thing he didn’t count on was having to go to Potter of all people for approval.

-Save a Horse, Ride a Malfoy [HP Kinkfest 2020] Riddles are woven throughout life, some never answered and many lost in frustration. Whatever riddle it was that defined what Harry and Draco had was a mess of a riddle that worked for them, despite what everyone else thought, even if there was no answer—yet. Sex was another riddle, only that was one they had solved many, many times over. 

-Still Standing [H/D Fan Fair 2019] Not many know the evil origins of a Philosopher's Stone. When Draco discovers that the Goblins found one and kept it, he'll stop at nothing to see it taken care of. Even if that means having to deal with Gringotts' very own resident twat: Harry Potter.

-Augury Forecast [HP Drizzle Fest 2018] Draco had always known that teaching at Hogwarts would be an experience, he just didn’t think that meant a flash flood in the kitchens, a windstorm in the Great Hall, or a sandstorm in the Quidditch pitch. Months of extreme weather would grate on anyone’s nerves, but to have Potter, the ever annoying Divination Professor, around every corner was even worse. So much for a quiet life at Hogwarts.

-Teach Me [HP Contest Fest 2018] "If you can’t learn Occlumency, then you can’t become an Auror.”

No. All of this couldn’t be for nothing. Harry hadn’t spent so much time proving himself, proving that he was more than just a famous name for all of this to go to shite. “This can’t be the end.”

"I have someone in mind that could teach you if you are willing, but I can't guarantee he will help, especially considering your... past." 

"You don't mean Malfoy, do you?"

-Worth Betting On [HP Joggers Fest 2018] The easy way Malfoy breezed into the arena in an unprofessional attire—grey joggers that outlined far too much, and a white dress shirt open with nothing underneath—which showed off his chest, his sweaty sweaty chest—had Harry sitting up straighter. It wasn't unusual to see Malfoy in such a state of undress, it was a signature move that he refused to change.  

Not that Harry wanted him to change. 

 Or the one where Draco is a professional Duelist, and Harry can't stay away from the matches.

[docholligay]

Part two of worst book because this entry broke my tumblr

First place for giving me the RIDE OF MY LIFE

So. This is kinda on me. The worst book I read this year was Arrow's Fall. It's the third book in a trilogy and the other two weren't good. I have liked some of the other work by this author but this is some of her earliest stuff and it Shows. We start off "strong" with a girl from a religious group which is definitely not fantasy Amish-Mormonism, who runs away from home because she is not like other girls and she wants to be a magic knight. Luckily, she is Chosen by a magic horse to be the specialist magic knight in the whole kingdom. She attends knight school, where she is bullied by normies who want to be magic knights but weren't Chosen by magic horses. They attempt to murder her (as children are wont to do) but she miraculously survives and awakens a whole new super special magic power! There's some court Intrigue (the princess' nanny is a traitor, so apparently the castle vetting system sucks) and then we are introduced to the concept of "lifebonds" (psychic, soulmate-adjacent nonsense) when one half of a Bonded pair (and I think the only lesbians in this trilogy) is murdered and the mc uses her special magic powers to save the other. Don't worry, the lifebond concept will return. Many. Times. Somewhere in there, we also met an older magic knight (but not too old ;) ) who was the mc's magic teacher for a while. There is some very obvious romance setup. Thus ends the first book. I want to know who hired the nanny and who helped her escape so I start the second book. I do not find out. The second book takes us away from court and almost all plot lines related to it are dropped until the third book (except the one with the very obviously evil noble who wants the crown and isn't being particularly subtle about it -- seriously the castle intelligence system must be absolute trash). I will not go into detail about the second book because the only thing that happens which has lasting consequences is that the mc starts sleeping with the best friend of her teacher from the first book. This guy actually has some personality and sometimes conflicting opinions to the mc, so he is obviously not endgame. I STILL want to know what's up with the court drama (I am a fool) so I read the third book. The third book sucks.

We return to harping on lifebonds (gotta love fated romance with boring men, I only just noticed the Usagi/Mamoru parallel). But oh no! Misunderstandings! The mc was sleeping with her fated partner's best friend and the Poor Man has trauma with people liking his friend more than him! (Can't imagine why.) To be completely fair to him, using someone's feelings for you in order to get closer to someone else IS a dick move. It is part of his Tragic Backstory that this has happened to him before. Since the mc has already successfully slept with the best friend multiple times, I'm not sure why this keeps getting brought up though. Clearly she doesn't need his help with that. There is also an arranged marriage being offered to the princess that could not more clearly be some kind of trap, but we have to debate it for several chapters anyway. People keep trusting the Obviously Evil Noble, who continues to be Obviously Evil. (He is somehow still a trusted advisor despite the fact that his advice somehow mysteriously keeps resulting in the almost-death/disgrace of the Royal family. No one questions this.) The mc and the actually interesting man are sent to investigate the Clearly A Trap marriage proposal to the princess. The stars align so that they arrive as the potential suitor is in the process of murdering a bunch of people as part of a coup. (He is the prince, but apparently got impatient because he is Evil.) The mc is captured and tortured. It turns out the nanny was the mastermind all along (and a powerful mage) who has Seduced the prince to Evil. We spend Way Too Long discussing the fact that she and the prince are getting sexual pleasure from torturing the mc. The mc uses her magic horse (who escaped) to communicate that she has been captured but not to rescue her because it will be too hard. Her soulmate uses magic to rescue her anyway. But Tragedy! She has drunk poison to escape her fate!

Not to worry though. She's the main character, and thus functionally immortal. She wakes up and tells the princess (despite the fact that the Queen is Also There) that the Obviously Evil Noble is Evil. She did not figure this out herself. The Evil Prince had to tell her. I need some of the charisma this guy clearly has to get so many people to blindly trust him. Instead of telling the Queen or accusing him in court and having a trial. The mc and Princess set up a "trap" in which the mc basically just tells him that she knows he's Evil while the princess hides to witness his reaction. As he has reached the end of his plot relevance, all his scheming ability deserts him and he tries to kill the mc when she confronts him. (Which is wild, because she has no physical proof so it's her word, secondhand from the Evil Prince, against his, and he's apparently a super trusted Royal Advisor. Like, I feel there were ways he could have spun this so it just went away, but his intellect only existed as the plot required so.)

The princess kills the Obviously Evil Noble on the spot for trying to kill the mc. There are no other witnesses to him trying to do this, so I am not sure why this was any better than just killing him outright and not bothering with the plan. We are reaching the end of the novel, so the mc gets together with the boring man, it is confirmed that the two of them are soulmates, and the book ends with them getting married. And the ghost of the interesting man leaves them a message saying he approves of their union (I am not entirely clear on how.) I wish I had something more witty to say about that, but instead I just find it inarticulably annoying. 2 out of 5 stars -- probably still a better use of my time than TikTok.

Nax (can't tag you so pay attention to the draw) I loved this. I read it more than once. I want it acted out as a street performance.

[strangersteddierthings]

Writing Prompt from this list, #81. “We’re in the middle of a thunderstorm and you want to stop and feel the rain?” requested by @irregularbee

-

Eddie's bouncing his leg furiously and a little mindlessly. He's aware that he's doing it but doesn't care to stop. He's full of energy that's just been building and building since Steve picked him up this morning. The sky is dark and the low rumble of thunder echoes. His fingers itch with the need to roll the window down to hear it louder.

"I told you we should have left an hour earlier," Steve says from the driver's seat in a mocking tone, misinterpreting Eddie's energy. Which Eddie can't blame him for. They don't hang out. At least, not just the two of them. When everyone gathers together, Steve and he are technically hanging out, even if all Steve does is watch him from afar with this Look he can't quite decipher and then spends all his time doing his best to avoid Eddie.

It's the strangest fucking thing. Dude drags his half-dead ass out of the Upside Down, making Eddie stay awake and swears he'll be fine and then seems to hate Eddie for having actually survived.

Fuck. That's not true. If Steve did hate Eddie, they wouldn't be here now, driving back from Indianapolis.

Eddie had got a call from the music shop up there; his guitar was in and ready to be picked up. Which was fuckin' weird because Eddie did not order, nor could he afford, a new guitar after the gate ripping through Hawkins had destroyed the trailer and his sweetheart along with it.

Anyway, he'd argued with the dude. No, I didn't order that. Send it back. Can't afford it.

The poor employee had gotten done with Eddie quickly, saying 'The guitar is paid for!! I don't care who paid for it, but it's done, and we were told to call an Eddie Munson at this number and let him know. Either pick it up by end of the week, or I'm gonna take it home!' before hanging up on Eddie.

And well. Free guitar.

He'd actually asked Nancy to drive him because his van was still in the shop (some asshole had found where he'd abandoned it and went to town. Eddie's afraid to hear how much it's gonna cost to fix his van up). Nancy had said she was busy and called Steve over.

"Steve, Eddie needs a ride to Indianapolis tomorrow. You available?" she plastered a smile onto her face while staring Steve down. The two seem to have an entire conversation with just their eyes and the tilting of their heads before Steve's face had turned red (probably pissed at Nancy) and he let out a defeated sigh.

"Yeah. I'll pick you up early, Munson. Be up."

And now here they were. Eddie's beautiful new guitar, mysteriously paid for, along with a case, taking up the backseat of the BWM. Weird, tense energy in the car. Eddie's leg bouncing because the thunder is rolling, and he wants to feel the rain falling.

"I wasn't ready when you showed up at the ass crack of dawn, Stevie," Eddie says, finally responding to Steve's comment, turning to look at the side of Steve's stupid, handsome face.

"Ten AM is not the ass crack of dawn," Steve rolls his eyes. "I told you to be up early, which might I add, early is closer to seven AM than ten. But I knew that would actually be too early for you so I-"

Steve continues but Eddie tunes him out. He doesn't want a lecture. He's not one of the damn kids. Steve's not his mother. Eddie turns his face away to look out the passenger window as the storm breaks loose. The thunder rumbles loud and the rain drops heavy and Eddie watches as lightning flashes brightly. "Stop the car."

"-ould go to breakfast with me and- what?" Steve was apparently still talking. Had been in the middle of a sentence, but Eddie's not interested in whoever he'd been talking about having breakfast with.

"Stop the car. I need out. Wanna feel the rain," Eddie says, fingers tapping on his knees as his leg still bounces.

Steve gives him a quick sideways glance but doesn't look away from the road. “We’re in the middle of a thunderstorm and you want to stop and feel the rain?”

"Yes."

Steve huffs out a breath that could almost be a laugh (Eddie's certain is just another defeated sigh), but he does it. Flips the blinker on (even though there's not another car around for probably miles) and pulls of the side of the road. Flicks the hazards on after putting the car in park. "Alright then. Let's go play in the rain."

Eddie unbuckles and crawls from the car. He's wearing his leather jacket, so he quickly strips that off to the Metallica tank underneath.

The rain feels blessedly cool on his skin, and he can feel the rumble of the thunder in his chest. There's nothing but flat land between Hawkins and anywhere, really, so Eddie's got plenty of room to spread his arms and spin in the rain. It's windy enough the Eddie's hair whips around, and it doesn't take too long before he feels the bandana he'd had on get pulled from his head.

He stops spinning and has to take several seconds to make sure he's not going to stumble before he can look up and search for where the wind might have taken his bandana.

The last thing he expects to see is that Steve is already chasing it down. He didn't even hear Steve get out of the car. The wind whips the bandana up and swiftly changes direction to throw it back towards Steve. It's not aimed right at him, though, so he watches as Steve throws an arm out and lunges to the side, catching it out of the air by just his fingertips.

Steve turns to Eddie and sees him watching. Surprisingly, amazingly, Steve beams at him. A smile that Eddie doesn't think he's ever seen on Steve's face before, happy and a little proud. He thrusts the hand gripping the bandana into the air with a victory punch. "Caught it!"

Eddie can barely hear him over the storm and the blood pounding in his own ears. Steve is soaked, hair clinging to face, shirt sticking to his body, and looking so damn good with a smile on his face. Eddie stands frozen as Steve jogs up to him.

"Watched the wind rip this right off your head," Steve says, like Eddie hadn't been an active participant in the wind stealing his bandana. Steve doesn't offer him his bandana back, though. Just stands there, smile still on his face even as the rain slaps into it.

"Thanks, I guess," Eddie says, dumbly.

The smile leaves Steve's face slowly, like he's realizing something and doesn't like it. "Right." Lightning streaks across the sky, illuminating Steve's face brightly for just a second but it's enough for Eddie to see, like, really see, Steve.

He's got that Look on his face, but Eddie can see hurt laced under it this time and Eddie finally fucking sees.

Everything plays through his head again, as Eddie filters through it with a different understanding now; Steve's eyes always on him when he's near but not brave enough to approach. When Nancy volunteered Steve as today's driver, Steve wasn't angry, he was blushing. Steve wasn't mocking him about the time they left Hawkins this morning, he was teasing. Steve was laughing earlier, and he probably wasn't lecturing Eddie, either. More teasing.

Steve had pulled over to the side of the highway so Eddie could feel the rain on his skin and had said 'Let's go play in the rain'. Let's. As in, Steve had wanted to join him.

Holy. Fucking. Shit. Steve has a crush on him and has been being shy about it.

But now he's watching Steve retreat to his car, rejection lining the edges of his hunched shoulders. Because of course he'd think Eddie's rejected him. Eddie's been nothing but dismissive and distant all day. He'd already written Steve off, thinking he was an asshole and it's Eddie who's been the asshole.

"Wait!" Eddie shouts, because he needs Steve to stop walking away. It works. Steve does wait. Holy shit, Steve's got it so bad for him, doesn't he? Steve turns back around, and he just looks confused as Eddie closes the distance between them.

"Dude, I'm such an idiot," Eddie says and Steve snorts a laugh at his expense but that's fine. He offers up a hand to Steve, "Play in the rain with me, Steve."

Steve looks from the hand to Eddie's face and back before he reaches out and takes Eddie's hand.

Eddie uses his other hand to grasp Steve's other hand, the bandana squished between their palms, and spins, taking Steve with him. He's so got to apologize for being an asshole later.

[hypequeenves]

ALASTOR RADIO SHOW

So this has been sitting in my brain for a really long time. I've made about a 50 minute video on what Alastor's Radio Show might sound like. Because I am who I am I've also put some references to Vesper in there, because of course I did. The full video is will be up on YouTube https://youtu.be/zWNpshsogiQ?si=0Ct8ygRoAYF1-f4u , but it’s quite long so here is some of my favourite clips and also the ones pertaining to Vesper's story!

INTRO:

SUBTITLES: Ah, good evening, my devilish comrades! It's been an eternity since I last graced the airwaves! What with those celestial attacks and constructing a spiffy new studio, I've been positively swamped. So, do pardon my absence from our nightly rendezvous. But fear not, for I've returned with a vengeance, ready to regale you with tales that'll send shivers down your spine! But before we delve into the depths of the night, let's ponder a question that's been buzzing in the back of our minds: Is VoxTek Angelic Security as impenetrable as it claims? Or are we merely being hoodwinked by the corporate demons? Fear not, my friends, for we shall uncover the truth. But first, let's kick off this evening with a toe-tapping tune, "Let the Good Times Roll" by the incomparable Louis Jordan. So, let's not waste a moment more, shall we? Or as they say: Laissez le bon temps rouler!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

YOU SAID YOU WANTED TO BE ON THE SHOW? TW: Screaming, Crying, Someone is in PAIN BEWARE! (Also, I can't tell if its cringe or not)

SUBTITLES: The song slowly comes to an end, when the mic goes hot again you can hear someones panicked breathing along with Alastor humming. There is the sound of a knife hitting the table and then a scream. ALASTOR: Quiet now dear - You’re ON AIR. Can you be quiet for me now? VICTIM: mhm... ALASTOR: Yes? VICTIM: Yes. ALASTOR: Good. While I finish up with our distinguished guest here, let me deliver you a delightful ditty, that is just the perfect amount of ironic considering our current company. Here is "Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out" by the sensational Bessie Smith. The breathing gets more intense until they scream, but their scream is cut short as the mic goes cold again.

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AIRWAVE ALERTS w ALASTOR!

SUBTITLES: Wasn't that just the most delectable interruption. Well as promised: Here is Airwave Alerts with Alastor. There seems to be a string of murders in the Mafia and Weapons District of Pentagram city! You heard me right, murders! It seems that the perpetrator is using angelic bullets to take out their targets. And although I would like to stake a claim on these murders, I cannot take credit for another's work. While the culprit remains a mystery, where they seemed to have acquired the weaponry is not. Unusually Carmilla Carmine has seen fit to stay silent on the topic. One would hope that she would be able to make a public statement soon.  Ah, while you mull over that jaw-dropper, let me serenade your senses with a tune that'll have you tappin' your toes and hittin' the road in style! It's none other than "Route 66" by the legendary Nat King Cole. So sit back, relax, and let the smooth sounds of this classic take you on a ride down that ol' highway of dreams!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

UPDATE ABOUT CHARLIE:

SUBTITLES: Ah, listen up, denizens of the infernal realm! It's time for a little update from the Princess of Hell itself. Seems our friend Charlie Morningstar has taken matters into her own hands, bless her devilish heart. She's put forth a petition for those brave souls willing to stand tall in the face of the next extermination - should it come to that, of course. Now, I hate to rain on anyone's parade, but our heavenly counterparts up above have been keeping mum on the matter. And let me tell you, my dear fiends, that's not exactly music to our ears! But fear not, for there's a glimmer of hope yet! If you're ready to lay down your very essence to defend our infernal home from these angelic invaders, then you best hotfoot it over to the Notice Board smack dab in the centre of cannibal town. Sign your name with pride, for in unity lies our strength! (slightly less enthusiastic) Or something along those lines. With that obligatory bit of unpleasantness addressed, my dear listeners, it's time to lighten the mood and spread some cheer! This next tune is dedicated to none other than our beloved Charlie Morningstar, the beacon of hope in this dark and dreary place. So kick back, relax, and let the melodies of "You're Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile" by Charles Strouse and Martin Charnin wash over you. Remember, my dear souls, even in the depths of Hell, a smile can work wonders!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

GOSSIP ABOUT VESPER:

SUBTITLES: Well, well, well, my curious listeners, have I got a spicy tidbit for you! It seems our resident pop sensation, the one and only Vanessa LaBlanc better known by her stage name Vesper, has been spotted gallivanting around town in the company of none other than Asmodeus, the King of Lust himself! Now, isn’t that a twist? It's been a hot minute since the Cardinal Sin of Lust graced the Pride Ring with his presence. So, what devilish plans could he be concocting with our delightful Vanessa? Ah, my dear sinners, the plot thickens! But fear not, for yours truly will be keeping a close eye on this tantalizing tale. So stay tuned, my friends, for the juiciest gossip this side of Hell. Up next the weather! But before we delve into the forecast, let's soar among the stars with the timeless crooner himself, Frank Sinatra! It's time to let the velvety voice of Ol' Blue Eyes serenade us with "Fly Me to the Moon." So close your eyes, let the music carry you away, and dream of celestial delights as we prepare for the weather—though, as I suspect, the forecast may indeed call for a storm of scandal!

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If you made it this far - if no one has told you today, you're amazing!

[ploppythespaceship]

Doctor Who Series 14 / Season 1 Review

Man, it feels good to be enjoying Doctor Who again. I haven't been keeping up with the show in years, but I caught up to see Tennant's return leading into Ncuti's run and I am so glad I did. This season is far from perfect, but it gets a lot of little things right and is consistently fun to watch, even if a lot of the details fall apart.

What I Liked

Ncuti Gatwa is simply phenomenal. He settles into the role so quickly and so easily, bringing such a fresh energy to the character. I love how distinct he feels, too -- when you're playing the fifteenth iteration of a character, it can be hard to find a new spin on things, but he's done it. He's also a fantastic actor, getting to show an incredibly wide range in just a few short episodes. I truly think he'll be remembered as one of the best Doctors.

Millie Gibson is also very good as Ruby, and her dynamic with the Doctor is a lot of fun. I appreciate having another Doctor/companion relationship that isn't romantic. They're just best friends, and it's very cute.

The show looks great. It's very clear that they've had a budget increase -- the costumes, effects, etc. are noticeably improved since RTD's first run.

Murray Gold's return as the composer is extremely welcome. His stuff isn't quite as bombastic as before (or maybe the episodes just have better sound mixing), but keeps a lot of the same leitmotifs. The result is a more subtle score that perfectly suits each scene.

Mel is so cool now. She was one of my least favorite classic companions, so seeing her worked into these storylines and feel more compelling is an unexpected delight.

What I Didn't Like

Ultimately, I think the season is just too short. Council of Geeks has an excellent YouTube video on this -- because there are only eight episodes, and a lot of them are going for bigger ideas and weirder premises, it feels like we don't really settle into a status quo.

The Doctor and Ruby's relationship also isn't as developed as much as I would like. If you pay close attention to the dialogue, there's actually a six month gap between "Space Babies" and "The Devil's Chord" -- we could have used another episode or two in that time period to really flesh out the beginnings of their friendship better. Instead the show jumps straight to them being best friends, without really showing us why that is.

I don't think the mystery box format of this season really worked. The mysteries were built up to such an extent that no answer could really be satisfying, and the finale really almost entirely on the big reveals that ultimately didn't amount to much. Ruby in particular feels like an underbaked companion, and I hope she gets more time to get properly developed.

Individual Episode Thoughts

Space Babies — This is easily the weakest episode of the season. It's not bad by any means, but it does remind me of some of the sillier episodes of RTD's first run. It felt like we were speedrunning the companion introduction, when things could have been slowed down and spread across a few episodes to feel more natural. The baby VFX also do not work and fall very firmly into uncanny valley territory.

The Devil's Chord — This one makes very little sense, but is entirely saved by Jinkx Monsoon being so iconic as Maestro. If you just go along for the ride, it's a ton of fun.

Boom — This episode is proof that Steven Moffat truly is at his best when he's writing self-contained stories under someone else's guidance. I don't think it's as iconic as Moffat's previous stories, and I felt like Ncuti was getting a lot of dialogue that better suited Matt Smith, but the entire concept was interesting and the execution was solid. Also, Ncuti acted his ass off without even being able to move.

73 Yards — Honestly, I'm mixed on this one. The setup is fantastic and eerie, and I enjoy the exploration of Ruby's character, solo from the Doctor. I like her experiencing this inexplicable thing, and deciding to find purpose in it to help others. But the story does fall apart for me at the end when it doesn't explain anything. I don't need every single thing handed to me, I understand the value of leaving things to the imagination, but the fact that the episode's last impression is "wait what?" does leave a bit of a sour taste. That being said, I do respect how weird and different this episode is, and how much discussion it prompted afterward.

Dot and Bubble — The trailers looked like a Black Mirror ripoff, and I was prepared for a shallow "social media bad" episode. Instead, we got something far more nuanced about the dangers of trapping yourself in a bubble of like-minded people and refusing to ever look beyond it. And the ending reveal that it's a society of white supremacists is so, so well-handled, because all the clues were there for you. If you're like me and didn't piece it together until the very end, it really challenges you to ask yourself why you didn't notice sooner. Also, another episode where Ncuti acts his ass off. My personal favorite episode of the season.

Rogue — Another with mixed feelings. Rogue himself is tons of fun, and I enjoy his dynamic with the Doctor, even if parts of it are pretty rushed. I really hope he comes back. The episode plot itself is serviceable but nothing special. My main complaint is the severe lack of Ruby. Her relationship with the Doctor doesn't feel sufficiently established, so the emotional beats don't really land.

The Legend of Ruby Sunday — This was an underwhelming finale, unfortunately. The first part barely even qualifies as an episode. It launches right into starting to answer the season's mysteries, but does so in an uncompelling and heavy-handed way. The Sutekh reveal is pretty epic in isolation, but...

Empire of Death — The Sutekh reveal doesn't really lead to anything satisfying. He doesn't have the presence of Toymaker or Maestro, he's just a CGI dog monster. This second part finally answers some questions, some of which are vaguely interesting, but it's happening in a plot so dull and so dry that I just can't bring myself to care. The episode is also just confusing? The plot points don't seem to flow naturally together, like multiple stories were smashed together with little rhyme or reason. The resolution is some of the most nonsensical nonsense that Doctor Who has ever come up with. Then we get to the reveal of Ruby's mother, which is so forced and it becomes clear in retrospect that things were added to seem more mysterious than they really were. And capping it all off is the Doctor's farewell to Ruby, which falls flat because, as I've said, their relationship is rather undercooked. It really does end the season on a downer, which is a shame because so many of the preceding episodes were pretty good.

[bunnakit]

what shows are you currently watching? (shows that are airing weekly rn, no older shows)

for each one, list two things that you love about them and one thing you would like to see in future episodes!

ohohoo what a treat (finally getting to some of your amazing prompts anon, i assume its the same person but i apologize if im wrong)

Bake Me Please - I absolutely love the aesthetics of this show. They show off some of the most beautiful cakes and pastries and it's just gorgeous. I also love the way each person in the show is broken in one way or another; generational trauma, childhood trauma, dreams that feel out of reach, etc.

After my rant today I think we all know the one thing I want, NEED, to see is Shin apologize to Peach. I cannot stand the idea of Peach bearing all the emotional work for this relationship.

Cherry Magic 30 - So I'm coming at this from a place of knowing nothing about the originals. I'm really enjoying Karan just in general, his thoughtfulness, his care, all of it. He reminds me of a quote from episode 3 of The Last of Us: "Paying attention to things is how we show love." I'm also really enjoying the importance the show is putting on consent as well as Achi's care to make sure he isn't taking advantage.

I'm really going into this right now with no opinions, no theories, I'm just along for the ride. I hope we see some more cat thoughts, I guess.

Cooking Crush - I really wasn't sure if I was going to stick this one out. It's a little too goofy for my tastes but OffGun's chemistry is doing a lot of heavy lifting for me, so that's one of the things I'm enjoying. I'm also enjoying the playfulness of Ten and Prem and this cute courtship they have going on.

I hope Fire's mom explodes.

Last Twilight - You guys have seen my meta posts. I could wax poetic about this show all day long. Thus far I ADORE how they're treating Day's disability and showing how important him maintaining his agency is. I'm also really enjoying Mhok's perspective as a caretaker and the way he adapts and learns every day. I've been both - I'm currently disabled and I was a caretaker for five years. This show is so near and dear to my heart already.

I really hope we see what the hell is going on between Night and Day. Like, we have to, right?

Pit Babe - I'm an omegaverse bitch. I'm sorry, it's my guilty pleasure. One of the first things I do when I get the brainrot for something is go see if there are any good omegaverse fics (I'm very picky, we don't like misogyny or thinly veiled transphobia in this house, no thanks.) I'm enjoying seeing the worldbuilding of this show so far as well as each of the characters and their personalities. Everyone, even North and Sonic, feel like fully fleshed out people and I'm very much enjoying that.

I hope Way explodes - No, I hope we see them build more on the omegaverse aspect of things. I wanna see a man get pregnant. I also want to see a woman, just one woman, just a single one. Where are the women?

Playboyy - BOY HOWDY. Listen, I'm mostly watching this to avoid FOMO. I'm asexual, the sex is doing nothing for me really. The wet noises make me scream and throw my headphones off. I AM enjoying the mystery aspect of the plot a lot, I'm very curious where that is going. I'm also very much enjoying the exploration of different sexualities, like the hints that Soong and Zouey might be demisexual.

Obviously I want to know what the fuck happened to Nant, but I also just want to see more Prom. Also wanna see Aob become soft for Puen.

The Sign - My absolute beloved. I'm obsessed, I'm going to be obsessed forever I fear. The mythology is just fucking superb, the yearning is incredible, the action is great, the friendships phenomenal. I could go on and on about everything I love about this show. It's everything to me and I know I'm going to be a WRECK when it inevitably ends.

I can't wait for Phaya and Tharn to fuck, sure, but I can't wait for them to be in love. I can't wait to see them hold each other gently, look for reassurances in each other, and I hope they each regain at least some memories of their past selves and maybe how much they loved each other.