#worlds of borderlands spoilers

[wainwrightjakobshammerlock]

Isn't this a retcon? Like, both in BL3 and New Tales Promethea has a completely normal day/night cycle??????

[langernameohnebedeutung]

New Nisha lore ❤️❤️❤️

[incorrectly-quoted-queers]

Steph's Gay Mini Movie Reviews: Boy Kills World

SPOILERS POSSIBLE SO OBVIOUSLY SO BEWARE

Boy Kills World was a decent movie, but would've been a banger 6-8 part series. Characters and emotions and the world just all needed more space to breathe to go from cool ideas to killer storytelling, especially since his relationship with his sister was such a pillar of this film. Spouse and I were thinking Mike Flanagan style (a location/arc of mission for each episode spliced with flashbacks to flesh out each major player) would've hit it out of the park.

If you like the idea of Borderlands style murder humor and corpo mixed with some Hunger Games flair and Fallout inspired drugs, you'll have fun. But it lacks the stellar world depth it *could've* had in a series setting.

Movie verdict: 7/10 probably

Gay verdict: Not very gay, but very gay headcanon-able. Basho and Benny would be such a cute couple.

[dannystheone]

Merc With The Mouth (Lee DP/ Ler Wolv)

HI GUYS OMG IT'S HERE!

So I watched Deadpool and Wolverine in theaters being a big-time Deadpool fan since 2016 and I fell into the trenches HARD

I was not expecting to fixate on this movie as hard as I have but I wanted to try my hand at it! Now let me be clear, this is no @lovemybluebully work, they really have their finger on the pulse when it comes to these fics, but nevertheless, I'm still excited to share this piece :)

I hope you guys enjoy this is a big thing to take on after having not written in a while so I hope it's well received! Thank you for everything

WARNINGS: SPOILERS! Cursing, gore, violence, general shenanigans, fourth wall breaks

Wolverine snaps on Deadpool in the Honda Odyssey after hours of being a mouthy handful. But how does he deal with the silence that follows?

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

Hours of driving in the dusty Honda Odyssey, not getting any closer to the Borderlands where they were needed, and a jabbering idiot in his ear made Logan's eyeball twitching damn near audible.

The dense corn fields on either side of the Odyssey whipped past as Wolverine's hands clenched the steering wheel in a white-knuckled grip. Deadpool started up another nonsense topic to yap on about after Wolverine told him to shut up for the millionth time. Apparently, no one's ever taught Wade to sit in a comfortable silence.

"So if they fix your world, what's the first thing you're gonna do? Rubbing alcohol shots with a wiper fluid chaser?" Wade quipped. The weight of Wade's words hit Logan's ear like a bullet. It was the first thing Wade had said that Logan paid any real attention to, but this was arguably the most paramount.

Logan took his foot off the gas and slammed into the brake, making the Honda's tires squeal and jolt to a jarring stop. The vehicle shuddered with the sudden movements. Deadpool looked to Wolverine as Wolverine faced him, malice glinting in his eye.

"What did you say?" Wolverine asked Deadpool with chilling calm.

After discovering the ridiculousness that was Wade's so-called 'educated wish', Logan found himself in an uncontrollable rant after the days' past events caught up with him all at once. Once he started his rant, he found he couldn't stop. Everything he wanted to say to Wade that day poured out of him in a stream of hatred. Deadpool stared at him unnervingly with no comment while he raged.

"-Couldn't even save a relationship with a goddamn stripper! And motherfucker I wish I could say you die alone, but it's one of GOD'S best jokes that you can't die! Except that's on all of us!" Wolverine growled, his heart thundering in his chest after he ended his explosive tirade. He looked to Wade expectantly.

"Oh, what? You got nothin' to say, Mouth?" Wolverine spat.

Deadpool swallowed silently, being taken back to the photo that he had shown to Wolverine that had his whole world inside of it. His whole world, in one tiny polaroid. And even though it was that small, he still couldn't save it.

He felt his resolve slowly crumble as Wolverine's words started to sink in. He couldn't save Vanessa in his timeline, and when he brought her back to life she still left him. What if he failed again like he did last time, on an interdimensional scale, with not even a cream cheese spreader in hand to try to defend his loved ones? His whole world, his whole everything, lost? He couldn't defend them from an entire timeline collapsing. Maybe Logan was right-

Wolverine snapped his fingers in Deadpool's face to snap him back to reality.

"Hey, asshole. I'm talking to you. What have you got to say? You've had some idiotic little quip to respond to everything I've said to you today, and now you clam up?" Wolverine demanded.

Deadpool swallowed again and opened his mouth to speak, but he was truly lost. He was really at a loss for words. He didn't think this would ever happen to him, but he couldn't even begin to think how he could respond. Logan got him this time.

Unfortunately for Wade, this pissed Logan off worse than hearing about this 'educated wish' bullshit. Wolverine didn't want to admit that most of what he said was deflection, and he was frustrated and took it out on Deadpool. The more Deadpool was silent about his explosion, the more Wolverine would have to think and actually reflect on what he said to him. Wolverine wanted to fight, to argue now, to get this aggression out. Wolverine shifted in his seat to better face Deadpool and pointed a gloved finger in his face.

"If you think, that this stupid little game of yours with not fucking talking is gonna make me regret a SINGLE thing I said to you in any way, you're sorely fucking mistaken. We're not moving this car until you open your goddamn mouth." Wolverine snarled. Deadpool snuck a glance at the camera for this gratuitous quote from Wolverine but kept his mouth shut.

Deadpool decided to see if he could call his bluff because he was still at a loss for words. What was the point of any of this if everything would be destroyed, leaving him in the dark like his life before his family?

Wolverine growled and unsheathed his adamantium claws, and shoved them in Deadpool's ribs. The Honda Odyssey jostled with the violent movement. Blood began to seep from the wound and crawl down Deadpool's side. The red bled into the shade of Deadpool's suit. Yet, not a peep left Wade's mouth; He stared nonchalantly at the dashboard ahead of him. Nothing Deadpool couldn't handle of course. He's had worse from Vanessa in terms of penetration.

"Why is it NOW that you finally shut up? I said speak, bastard!" Despite the bliss that was Deadpool not speaking, Wolverine couldn't stand the thought of being remorseful of his words, especially in the direction of Wade Wilson. He should be able to say whatever he wanted and not feel guilt twining in his chest like barbed wire.

With an irritated sigh, Wolverine went to take his claws out of Wade's ribs. He jerked his elbow back to take his claws out, but his claws were caught on something. Grunting, Wolverine drew his elbow back more sharply on the next try, but Deadpool's body swayed with him. Now, if Deadpool were on speaking terms, he would allude to Wolverine's inability to pull out. However, he wasn't feeling funny right now.

Wolverine snarled in annoyance and grabbed Deadpool's ribs with his free hand to brace himself and wrench his claws out. Wolverine's fingers pressed into Deadpool's ribs, causing a jolt to pass through the merc. Deadpool snorted, a small sound coming out of his mouth. He slapped Wolverine's hand off his ribs, but Wolverine heard that small exchange.

"What was that? Something to say, Bub?" Wolverine tested. Deadpool stayed silent. Anger flared up in Wolverine as he clenched his fist. He shot forward and gripped his ribs with more force to seize his claws out. Deadpool jolted as he yelped and shrunk away from Wolverine's hands.

"GAH! Hey, no touching, Penn State. I don't have my rape whistle on me today." Deadpool shoved Wolverine's hand off his ribs again, but Wolverine figured this was the only way to get him talking again. Wolverine took his hand and gave Deadpool an intentional squish in his side just below his sunk claws, causing Deadpool to squeak.

"You're gonna talk, asshole. We're not moving until you show me what you thought about what I said." Wolverine needed to know how Deadpool felt about what he said so Deadpool didn't power down on him when it came to saving the world later. He needed to know that he didn't actually take those hurtful words to heart. Deadpool narrowed his eyes at Wolverine and instead tried to yank his claws out of his ribs.

"What is this, a podcast? We already hosted one to promote the movie, where you said absolutely nothing- might I add- and now you care about my opinion? Too little, too late, Fresh and Fit. You don't get my opinion, you just get to drive." Deadpool faced forward again, but Wolverine wasn't having it.

"Alright that's it you piece of arrogant shit-" Well, this was one way to get his aggression out. Wolverine took the claws that were embedded in Deadpool's ribs and used the leverage to drag Deadpool closer to him. Wolverine took his free hand and started scribbling his gloved hand on Deadpool's stomach. Wade squealed and started pushing against him immediately.

"Mahaha! Nohoho no no- wahahait! Thihihis ihihihisn't hohohow I imahahagined it!! Ahahat leheheast rehehead mhyhy AO3 fihihihirst!" Deadpool started giggling and kicking his legs, trying to curl away from Wolverine's offensive hand. Wolverine kept a gruff expression, not knowing all these inane references he liked to use. Logan scribbled his fingers into Wade's side, making the merc squeal.

"Why do you always jabber on about everything I DON'T want you to talk about. All you have to do is one simple fucking thing and you can't even do that." Wolverine grumbled. He didn't want to sit here tickling Deadpool all day, especially when they were on a world-ending time crunch, but he needed a non-sulking competent partner.

"I cahahan't! I'm tohohoo commihihitted to the bihihihit!" Deadpool shook his head as Wolverine continued, his fingers squishing into Wade's skin as he kept a firm grip on him via his claws. Logan had to admit, he couldn't remember the last time he actively tickled someone. Maybe some antics back at the academy, but that was decades ago. Hopefully, he hasn't lost his touch, however, Wolverine wouldn't be surprised if Deadpool had a thing for this kind of stuff.

"You gonna talk now? We've got no time for games." Wolverine asked. Deadpool threw up his hands and gestured to Wolverine squishing his side repeatedly while still laughing, a wordless show.

"Juhuhust stohohohop ahahalready! Thehehese ahaharen't lihihike my heheadcannons ohohf yohou 'ler'ing' ahahat ahahahall!" Deadpool shouted. Wolverine figured maybe a different spot was in order. He went lower on Deadpool's side nearing the top of his hip, and Deadpool's laughter grew louder with the motion.

"Wahahait wait wahait! I neheheed a pahahassword behehefore yohohou goho behehelow the behehelt! Thehe mohohovie is R-rahated but stihihill!" Deadpool kicked the legroom he had in front of him as Wolverine started kneading his hip with his thumb. He always had to be theatrical, no matter what.

"Why don't you just stop wasting our time and say what I want you to say. You said your world is at stake, isn't it? And you're taking up time being an ass." Wolverine gruffed. Logan's four fingers were pressed against Wade's back as his thumb pushed and pressed into the hollow of his hip, which was surprisingly easy to find through his suit. Wolverine drug Deadpool closer with his claws every time he tried to escape.

"I dohohon't knohohow whahat you wahahant mehehe to sahahay! Thihihis ihihihisn't in the scrihihipt!" Despite this being a dream come true for Wade, he did agree that they were wasting time here. He didn't know what it was Wolverine expected him to do though. He wanted feedback for exploding on him like that? He was unclear about Wolverine's goals if he didn't say them aloud.

"Stop talking and just fucking speak! Quit wasting your breath on fucking nonsense!" Wolverine demanded. He moved his hand to Deadpool's waistline above his belt and started vibrating his fingers into the skin. Deadpool snuck a suggestive look into the camera before bursting out in laughter again.

"Yohohou knohohow fohohor beheheing mahahad yohohou're dohohoing behehetter thahahan my rohohohose tohohoy!" Deadpool shouted, his hands trying to push Wolverine's hand down below his belt line while Wolverine kept up his vibrating motion. Wolverine grimaced in disgust and shoved his hand as far away from his belt as possible, which he found was lodged in Deadpool's armpit. He began scratching into the space.

"Fine, then we'll just be here all day, wasting our time, when an entire timeline is collapsing because you don't want to take two seconds to say one fucking sentence." Even Wolverine didn't know what he wanted that sentence to be. He was starting to think even if he did hear what he thought he wanted to hear, it wouldn't be enough to calm his eternal war.

"I cahahan't dohoho thahahat! I cahahan't ihihimprohovise whehen I'm beheheing tihihickled!" Deadpool countered. Being giggly didn't give Deadpool the best coordination or strength for that matter, so trying to get Wolverine's hand out of his armpit was a herculean feat.

"Whyhyhy hahahahasn't Shahawn yehehelled 'CUT' yehehehet?! Thihihis ihihihis rihihidiculous!" Even Deadpool had his limits, and he was coming up on it. Some of his fantasies were much better on paper rather than practice. Deadpool decided to try and get out of this in a way that wasn't physical. Wade swallowed the remainder of his laughs and pointed out the windshield.

"Oh my God! The Bachelorette! The TVA sent Jenn Tran to the Void?! What is she doing here?!" Deadpool put on his best convincing voice as he pointed behind Wolverine. Wolverine followed his pointed hand before inwardly cursing himself. Deadpool took his leg and shot out at Logan's jaw, kicking the mutant in the face. The force knocked Wolverine's claws out of his ribs (finally) and sent Logan into the door of the Odyssey. The Honda wobbled with the movement, Logan looking temporarily dazed.

"Finally, now you'll- Oh God." Deadpool started, but Wolverine recovered earlier than he'd thought. Wolverine held Deadpool's leg in his grip with his leg draped over the center console, a grin crafted of pure malice on Wolverine's face. Deadpool looked at the camera with a nervous expression.

"Chat, on a scale of 1 to 10, how cooked am I?" Deadpool asked before nearly screaming.

Wolverine had plunged his fingers into Deadpool's thigh and kneecap, squishing and prodding the sensitive skin on top and inside his thigh. Deadpool belly laughed when he was just giggling before, unable to truly form words now. Wolverine snorted with a frown and shook his head at the ridiculous display as he continued scribbling and scratching over Wade's thigh.

"NOHOHO! Thihihihis ihihihisn't hohohohow yohohou treheheat Mahaharvel Jehehehesus!" Deadpool laughed hysterically, his leg kicking as the ticklish electricity zapped up and down his thigh.

"Talk and I'll let go. It's really that simple, you're doing this to yourself, Bub." Despite the huge threat the timeline was facing, Wolverine was starting to brighten with this treatment of Deadpool. He didn't think it would get him this bad, and after being an insufferable prick all day, he was starting to gladden at the fact that he could get him back in some way.

"Ihihihif I hahahad it myhyhyhy wahahay, yohohou'd behehe tihihihickling ahaha dihihihifferent bohohohody pahahart!" Deadpool let out. Even when he was getting tickled to death, he had to express his quips. Not being able to be a smartass was the REAL torture.

So they were there for a minute, going back and forth between each other with Deadpool being effortlessly funny and Wolverine muttering in reply. It would be listed out here for you but the author is running out of dialogue and doesn't want to admit it.

"Okahahahay seheheheriously! Ihihihif yohohou dohohon't stohohop I'm sehehetting Dogpohohool on yohohou!" Deadpool shouted, his leg kicking and shaking from its repeated abuse from Wolverine.

"You ready to talk yet? We go any more and you're gonna hurt yourself." Wolverine eventually asked. Deadpool simply nodded, too overcome with laughter, and Wolverine let him go. Deadpool held his thudding heart while he caught his breath, glad that his mask shielded the view of his red cheeks.

"Ha... ah... and I thought Colossus was mean. He at least asks if I'm comfortable and establishes a safeword first. You're just... vicious. I don't even think Blake has explored my body like that." Deadpool took his leg off of Wolverine's lap and slouched in his seat.

"So. What do you have to say?" Wolverine asked. Deadpool's heart calmed as he opened his mouth.

"Well... truthfully... I mean if we had the time and the budget for a segment that lengthy we could have used it for scenes you'd have to open your incognito tab for-" Wolverine shot his hand out at Deadpool but didn't actually touch him, and Deadpool jumped and yelled in surprise.

"What do you have to say about what I said, smartass? No fucking games." Wolverine said with icy calm. Deadpool exhaled loudly and dropped his head back into his seat, looking up at the ceiling of the Odyssey.

"I think you're wrong. I can save my family, my universe, and my timeline because I've done it before. But not without your help. You're right, I did lie to you. I lied and I told you what you wanted to hear just so you could help me, and there's a reason why you're the anchor being and I'm not. I was willing to say anything to get you here, to help me. And I'm... I'm sorry. I am sorry. I shouldn't have done that." Deadpool looked over to Wolverine who was looking at him with a softened expression.

Wolverine took a moment before he slowly nodded.

"Okay. Come on. Let's save your fragile ass timeline and save your world, so you can stay far away from mine as possible." Wolverine said ultimately. Deadpool nodded, pumping his fists into the air.

"Yes! Ketchup and Mustard are back on the road! The fanservice is our savior once more. It's a blue moon when it doesn't work, and those odds only kick up when you're writing for Voltron." Wolverine started the car back up and began to amble down the road once more.

Only a few moments afterward did Deadpool start back up his antics after Wolverine started driving down the road in the Odyssey like nothing had happened earlier.

"Hey, Honey Badger. English or Spanish?" Deadpool asked. Wolverine narrowed his eyes at the question and shook his head.

"The hell are you asking me?" Wolverine asked. Deadpool cackled unexpectedly.

"HAH! I always knew underneath that rugged exterior was a fruit bowl on the inside. The kind of fruit bowl with a single bruised banana and a brown lime in it, with some garlic cloves at the bottom, but still a fruit bowl nevertheless. Oh, you make me happy." Deadpool went and leaned his head on Wolverine's shoulder until Wolverine shrugged him off.

Something about Deadpool's fruit bowl comment nagged at Wolverine. Something about the garlic cloves made him unexpectedly snort. Deadpool looked at him like the god that he was as a ghost of a smile traced Wolverine's lips.

"You really are the Merc with the Mouth huh? You never shut up." Wolverine commented. Deadpool reached over and gave a generous helping of pokes up and down Wolverine's side. Wolverine growled and slapped Deadpool's hand away.

"You touch me again and you lose that hand." Wolverine threatened.

"That's the game, and business is good. By the way, next time let's establish when we're going to do a tickle scene, okay? Danny tends to be insecure about the length of the tickling scenes in their works because they feel they write too much exposition." Deadpool looked into the camera and winked.

"Who the hell are you- you know what, fuck it." Wolverine shook his head once more and stared out onto the open road.

"Don't worry Danny, you're doing great sweetie. And thank all of you for your unending support. You just say the word and we'll get Steve Irwin hear singing his laughter like he's on The Greatest Showman again. We'll see you next time, here in the Borderlands." Deadpool blew a kiss into the camera and waved off the audience.

[princesssarahblog]

"obx" characters in "aib"

characters: john b, jj maybank, pope heyward, kiara carrera, cleo anderson, sarah cameron, rafe cameron, ward cameron, big john b

warnin: murders, death, death games and just my headcanons

◇ - intelligence ♤ - physical ♡ - psychology ♧ - balance

author notes: I highly recommend watching "alice in borderland" there are spoilers for this series!

John B ◇ Arisu

john b will lose many people, eventually losing hope for anything. but, with each day in the borderland, his hope for life and the will to get out of here will only become greater.

he is literally the brains of the whole group and always thinks through all the plans, and pope can help him finalize the plan.

his life is always on the line, but his friends and especially sarah are always by his side. he will play the last game with sarah and they will finally put an end to these games

◇ In a way, john b is the equivalent of arisu. he loses people and hope but gains it back slowly. his plans and ideas keep the group together and help them survive. sarah and the others are his source of strength and support, and he does his best to protect and help them. In the end, he plays the final game with sarah and they finally overcome the games and return to the real world

JJ Maybank ♧ Karube

literally almost died from a laser along with kiara when they both protested the games

he became more and more desperate every day but never showed it, he felt lost when he was separated from his group and had to play the games alone.

when jj needs his gun, it's never there. but jj always manages to survive and get out of the water dry.

jj will eventually meet pope and they will both continue playing together and look for the rest of the group.

♧ jj shares many similarities with karube. both are carefree and enjoy living life on the edge, constantly seeking thrills and adventure. however, jj also has a loyal and protective side, always looking out for his friends and ready to stand up for themhis quick wit and ability to think on his feet make him a valuable member of the group, but his impulsive decisions can sometimes lead him into dangerous situations.

Pope Heyward ◇/♡ Chota/Chishiya

the most dangerous of the group, it will literally be a red flag if you upset him and hurt his friends.

rafe felt the wrath of pope and to this day is covered in bandages because hayward burned him

pope has been to some of the most horrific games. his biggest turnoff would be the "beauty contest" where losing players had sulfuric acid poured on them.

◇ pope will have the most emotional challenges in the borderland, struggling with the loss of friends and family. it's very difficult to define his character, so he is both chota and chishiya. his logical mind will help him deal with the games, but he will struggle with the psychological aspect of the situation. he will have moments of doubt and depression, but his love and loyalty to his friends will keep him going. he will work with others to try and find a way out of the borderland and back to the real world. ♡

Kiara Carrera ♡ Saori

she almost died from a laser when she protested the games, but she was lucky

she will be negative towards newcomers in the group, especially sarah and cleo, and will try to get rid of them.

desperation got the better of kiara every time, and she unknowingly manipulated her own friends and family, turning everyone against each other and driving herself into a dead end

kiara was angry at everything in this world. at her friends and family, at sarah, at these games and even more at herself.. she thought that she did not deserve it and without noticing it resorted to manipulation

from extreme despair and stress, she died in a game of trust. she set everyone against each other, and it turned against her

♡ kiara's transformation into saori will be a reflection of her own despair and desperation in the borderland. her attempts to manipulate her friends and family will lead to a situation where everyone turns against each other, further increasing the sense of hopelessness and isolation. despite her best efforts, kiara's actions will lead to sad and tragic outcomes, both for herself and those around her.

Cleo Anderson ♧ Kuina

the most experienced, fearless and ready for anything. she is very trained to survive and it was as if every day she was waiting for something to happen

the pogues met cleo on the "beach" and she immediately fought them and stabbed them from behind when they least expected it. but after.. she joined them and became part of the group

cleo has the greatest desire to live, when she met the pouges she made real friends for whom she is ready to give her life. she found love.. pope.

♧ fighting skills, strong will to live, experience to survive makes her similar to kuina. she also changes and chooses the best side for herself by making the right decision. she finds friends and a new meaning of life, ready to give her life for it

Sarah Cameron ♧ Usagi

will have a lot of problems with her family and rafe, she will meet the pogues on the beach and will become attached to john b and after the house on the beach she will become part of their group

always ready to protect and help, she is literally the heart of their group and always keeps the group united and strong

sarah often encounters her brother who went crazy when he was engulfed in fire, she felt sorry for her brother and at every skirmish she tried to bring him to his senses

♧ sarah will likely struggle with feelings of helplessness and hopelessness like usagi. she will be emotionally vulnerable throughout the borderland experience, but her loyalty and resilience will help her push onward. she will stick with john b through thick and thin, and their relationship will be a source of strength for both of them. despite her struggles, sarah will ultimately find the strength to keep going, driven by her love for john b.

Rafe Cameron ◇ Niragi

will always be high on almost all games, he does this to forget about panic.

teamed up with barry and he sometimes tries to talk rafe down from doing so much cocaine. he also still holds a grudge against him for not giving him his money back

was furious after pope roasted him and he and his friends destroyed the entire beach. rafe is always trying to find pope and get revenge on him

◇ rafe is likely to act similarly to niragi, as his selfishness and cruelty are likely to come out in the borderland. he will be confrontational and aggressive, and will prioritize his own survival over the safety of others. rafe is unlikely to feel much empathy for his fellow players, and will view them as opponents rather than allies. his actions and behavior will likely be selfish and ruthless, with little regard for the wellbeing of others.

Ward Cameron ♡ Hatter

the main antagonist at the location "beach"

"the beach" is his own house where he gathered all the people he could gather, he did this not out of sympathy for them but to gather for himself and his family essentially slaves. he pretends to be kind to them, but of course he also does this to get out of the mud and make people trust him

in the final battle at this location, he will kill john b's father right in front of him because of the "betrayal" ward will be very sorry for what he did.

will die at the hands of john b himself and all the people will watch all this and will understand that: "ward cameron has not changed at all"

he did everything for his family and died.

♡ ward is a wealthy and greedy man who values material possessions above all else. he is willing to use any means necessary to achieve his goals, including manipulation and deception. this is similar to the hatter, who is also a wealthy and manipulative character. both ward and the hatter are willing to go to any lengths to get what they want, even if it means harming others.

Big John B ◇ Aguni

secret second head of the "beach"

tried to get out of ward's house all the time but it was very difficult for him. ward kept him close to him all the time and hid him from other people all the time

as a result, he will reveal himself in the finale right in front of everyone and his son, he will tell that eard attacked him but he miraculously survived. he will also tell about that very gold. but, in the end, he will die at the hands of ward himself right in front of his son's eyes.

◇ big john b and aguni share some similarities in terms of their personalities and roles in the story. both characters are tough, experienced, and have a sense of loyalty and duty. they are also both highly skilled and capable. however, they differ in their motivations and actions, as big john b is motivated by the protection of his loved ones and the search for the truth, while aguni is motivated by vengeance and survival.

the main question... who is the queen of hearts? ♡

[bloopitynoot]

What I Read This Week: 03/23/2025

I am a librarian, and unrelated to stereotypes about my profession, I do read a metric shit-ton in a week. Most of it is fanfiction but hey, I thought maybe it's time I share my reads?

This is what I read this week:

1 as prescribed, i'll date your dad by nyoomerr (67, 251)

Summary: Just months before the Immortal Alliance Conference, Luo Binghe discovers the cure to Without-a-Cure. With his own heritage still sealed and mostly unknown to him, there seems to be only one solution: Shen Qingqiu must receive the cure from the last known Heavenly Demon, Tianlang-Jun, even if it means that Luo Binghe has to grit his teeth and set his precious Shizun up with another man.

Shen Qingqiu does not want to receive the cure from Tianlang-Jun. He doesn't particularly want to receive anything from Tianlang-Jun.

Shen Qingqiu somehow ends up fake-dating Tianlang-Jun anyway, if only to swindle the System into delaying the Endless Abyss plot for as long as he can.

What a way to start my reading week. The premise of this fic is everything I didn't know I wanted. This is so ridiculously absurd XD The fact that Shen Qingqiu has the entire mountain urging him to get some demon dick floored me

This is rated T (there is no demon-dicking involved!). The journey is wild though

I wish there was a part two or some insight into the resolution, but sadly there isn't. I would still read it again with that knowledge! It's an open ending.

2. Heaven Official's Blessing by MXTX Chapter 68-73

Summary: Born the crown prince of a prosperous kingdom, Xie Lian was renowned for his beauty, strength, and purity. His years of dedication and noble deeds allowed him to ascend to godhood. But those who rise, can also fall…and fall he does, cast from the Heavens again and again and banished to the mortal realm.

Eight hundred years after his mortal life, Xie Lian has ascended to godhood for the third time. Now only a lowly scrap collector, he is dispatched to wander the earthly realm to take on tasks appointed by the heavens to pay back debts and maintain his divinity. Aided by old friends and foes alike, and graced with the company of a mysterious young man with whom he feels an instant connection, Xie Lian must confront the horrors of his past in order to dispel the curse of his present.

I finished book 4 and have just cracked open book 5! I'm reading about a chapter a day and live blogging the experience. you can follow along on the Bloopitynoot reads TGCF tag

NO SPOILERS PLS.

I am so soft for Hualian

3 Scales & Rivers by wirevix (29,743)

Summary: Shen Yuan's luck was funny his whole life--it came in peaks and valleys, ups and downs.

Escape the Demon Realm before he's killed in a territory fight! Almost slaughtered by cultivators. Rescued by a couple of friendly, atypical demons who look out for him! But their lives are terrible because of an old betrayal. Adventure, explore the world, find treasures! But get into a lot of trouble on the way, almost get killed all the time, and never find something that can really help get Great Uncle out of his prison.

Meet an unexpected half-demon in the Borderlands! ...Well, that one had no downsides, actually.

This was kind of cute! I definitely want to read more (if there are any) Shen Yuan is a demon/demon hybrid fics.

I love this being shen yuan POV and him just being a little guy who wants to roam around and cozy up to human culture.

I desperately wish there was a little more at the end (the story feels abrupt).

Mind the tags if you read!

4 How To Train Your Employee by ParueCake (MiraEyeteeth) (96, 969)

Summary: Shen Yuan has transmigrated into a dragon. An apparently extremely wealthy dragon with his own mountain and palace and everything. Unfortunately, he runs into a problem in the form of trying to find an ethical source of labour to actually help maintain the whole palace. After several misunderstandings with the local human beings, he finally manages to clearly communicate his desires and one city provides him with a (rather scrawny and underfed) boy who most definitely agreed to the terms of employment that Shen Yuan tried to put forward! Luo Binghe has been shoved into the clutches of a dragon without being told anything and is surely about to be eaten at any moment.

This was such a fun read!

I love a transmigrated shen yuan who breaks all social norms and cultural boundaries.

This man said Workers Rights.

This is part one that ends on bingqiu but the second part is end game bingliushen (it is in progress though, only 1 chapter out atm).

5 How to (Not) Be A Dragon Slayer by ParueCake (MiraEyeteeth) (7,312 1 chapter atm)

Summary: Liu Qingge is good at his job. Liu Qingge was hired to slay the evil dragon that lives on Qing Jing Peak. Liu Qingge is in over his head.

Part two of the series above; so far only 1 chapter!

This is the Liu QIngge POV and it's incredible.

The author states it will start with Liu Qingge POV and then head into the bingliushen endgame.

I honestly hope this fic continues because it's a solid read. I also need to know what happens with Qi-ge.

6 Lan Wangji, Lawyer at Law by siralanoftrebond (57,447)

Summary: Lan Wangji lives the boring life of a corporate lawyer for his family's law firm until Wei Wuxian's band starts using his garage for practice bringing chaos (and many unwanted fantasies) into his life. Will he and Wei Wuxian ever come to an understanding or will the long arm of the law intervene before they have a chance?

This fic was absolutely stunning and I don't think it's getting the love it deserves. Truly, so good for a modern au with lighter-moderate angst.

This is a love story and a case fic between two absolute freaks

RIP Lan Qiren's peace of mind honestly.

I highkey would read a part two in the same universe.

7 Antiquated Practices by Prim_the_Amazing (58,121)

Summary: “Would the honorable Mobei-Jun agree?”

“WHAT!?”

There’s a loud crash, and everyone’s attention instantly flicks over to Shang Qinghua standing off the side. He seems to have dropped some large platter of something - he should not be doing something so lowly as serving things, he’s not a servant any longer. But it is very typical of him to mindlessly reach out and start doing whatever unfinished tasks he sees before him, grumbling all the while as if someone is forcing him into it. Right now, he looks gobsmacked. Pale and wide eyed and gaping in shock, looking shaken to his core.

“Marriage!?” Shang Qinghua demands, his voice high and strangled.

-

Several misunderstandings happen in a row.

I am absolutely here for the drama that is this miscommunication. no, no, do not misunderstand, there was barely any emotional turmoil in this plotline. It was 90% two people thinking very different things of one situation and I LIVED for it.

the plot can be summed up as: Mobei-jun: he's finally wifing me. SQH: Shit- fuck- We are going to die!?- Oh. My. God.- not today satan!!!!!!

SO GOOD

8 Stealing Sun From the Flowers by CherriChou (40, 576)

Summary:

After some investigating, it seems he’d lucked out even further; he doesn’t have some shitty System telling him what to do! Those things are always so annoying in isekai stories—restricting the transmigrator’s actions, punishing them for doing something ‘wrong,’ etc, etc. He’d probably tear his own hair out if he had to deal with one! …Then again, it would be nice if some sort of pop-up could just tell him, real quick, where the hell he is. What world is this?

AU where Shen Yuan wakes up in the mushroom body with no memory of his time as Shen Qingqiu, nor a System to guide him. Fun times are had.

Normally I am not one for amnesia plots (they are too sad and angsty) but this was actually so heartwarming!

Amnesia drove the characters to communicate better and become better people

Very sweet minimal/light angst. Solid read!

9 Building it back, stone by stone and seal by seal by KizuKatana (134, 279)

Summary: It had been over 200 years since the war between cultivators left more than half the land ravaged and uninhabitable and the practice of cultivation punishable by death.

Despite the risks of being caught as a practicing cultivator, Wei Wuxian took on the hunt of a dangerous yao that had destroyed a small village and killed all of the civilians. While searching for the demon, he encountered a mysterious cultivator dressed all in white. Wei Wuxian was excited to finally meet another cultivator, but instead of greeting him or making pretty much any conversation at all, the man attacked Wei Wuxian on sight. - - - - - - There is NO WAR in this fic. This takes place two centuries after the war happened, and it has a sort of post apocalyptic vibe. This is a story of rebuilding and finding safety. It's about found family and forming a new society away from the old one that persecuted them.

I think this might be the top fic of this reading week. Very much recommend if the summary vibes with you. The writing was incredible.

The story of found family absolutely ruined me in the best of ways.

It's very much a story of being in a hopeless situation and carving out space for yourself through the power of community. Happiest of endings!

10. Love in Another Shape by celardor (WIP- Read Chapter 17 this week)

Summary: After the events of the Immortal Alliance Conference, Luo Binghe and Liu Qingge find themselves suddenly dependent on one another for survival. In order to return to their beloved Shen Qingqiu, they’ll have to face down innumerable monsters, Luo Binghe’s unstable demonic powers, and their own tangled feelings.

Meanwhile, all Shen Qingqiu wants is to be left alone. Unfortunately, even with the System in hibernation he can’t seem to escape the demands of the plot. He finds himself tasked with sorting out the aftermath of the Conference, investigating a missing person case, and taking a trip to visit Liu Qingge’s family. Through it all, the narrative continues to deviate further and further from the original story Shen Qingqiu had read, ultimately leading to a discovery that could shed light on the past and bring long-buried secrets to the surface.

Part two in the series and this is endgame bingliushen! looks like there is a chapter count now 17/21!

eeeep! I dont want to spoil, but cute things

also a little bit of angst while plans happen.

Honestly such a solid series if the summary interests you!

11 Help! My Shidi Turned into an Adorable Cat! by NonBeeArrow (33,878)

Summary: Of course. Of course that hack author would include a plant that turns people into cats.

Liu Qingge gets turned into a cat. This will have terrible consequences for him.

Part of a series! (Part two is in progress) This part one was very cute.

Totally fluffy, literally 0 angst besides small relationship miscommunications and individual sexual awakenings.

A fantastic palate cleansing fic. Also I am weak for these tropes LOL

12 Don’t We All Fall? by Adey (42, 841)

Summary: The Wen remnants—those survivors whom Wei Wuxian had pulled from certain death, defying the righteous sects in the process—were still a contentious topic. The fact that they had not attempted any retaliation, that they lived in this forsaken place away from the prying eyes of the world, did not erase the fear their name invoked. The sects had their grudges, deep-rooted and bitter.

Or, Lan Qiren goes to Yiling to determine whether the information he’s been fed adds up to the reality of it.

Y'all know I'm weak for good uncle lan qiren and this entire story was that.

Qiren thinks something is suspicious and decides to check in on the burial mounds himself- he sorts some things out!

This was such a soft fic- WY gets the sweetest family and a golden core fix! Very cute, very warm.

That's what I read this week!

I think I have enough fics left in my MFL for another week of reading, but I will be doing a fic sweep for SVSSS and MDZS soon. Every once in a while I will mass hunt on ao3 and it's about time I did it again.

As usual I always appreciate any of your recs! In addition, if you want a personalized rec list (MDZS and SVSSS right now) I am always happy to make one! Just dm me with what you're looking for :)

till next week!

[moxxis-bar]

Any headcanons for Mordecai x reader? It’s so rare finding x reader writers in the Borderlands fandom thank you for being here

Mordecai Relationship Headcanons

YES THANK YOU FOR REQUESTING MORDECAI I LOVE MORDECAI SM HE'S THE LOVE OF MY LIFE

Content: Romantic, Gendered nicknames (Both masc and fem), No use of pronouns, Spoilers for Borderlands 2

Mordecai is a pretty laid back partner.

He doesn’t really care much for PDA. It makes him feel kind of weird to do stuff in public. The most he’ll do is wrap an arm around your waist when you have a moment to stand around. 

It’s different behind closed doors however. While he doesn’t engage too much, he really enjoys kisses: the playful, loving kind where he can show you how much he appreciates you.

Mordecai is more charming than people give him credit for. The sweet names he calls you with his gravelly voice is enough to give anybody butterflies.

“Cariño”, “Amor”, “Hermoso/a”, “Handsome/Beautiful”. Kicking my feet and punching the air rn.

He’s not really much of a cuddler because Pandora gets too damn hot for that. In the rare circumstance that the weather in Pandora is manageable, he likes to curl into your back and dangle an arm over you. Alternatively, he doesn’t mind when you rest your head on his chest as you drift off to sleep.

He likes friendly competition. He’s always down to have a snipe-off or see who can take down the most targets. He’ll never say no to your offer of a competition because he thinks you look hot as fuck when you’re shooting.

If Lilith has a job for one of you, you can bet the other one is coming too. You work better together, and she likes having the two of you on her side as a power couple.

Tiny Tina and Brick are CONSTANTLY poking fun at you two. Mordecai gave you a quick peck in front of them one time and they bullied the fuck out of him.

“Aw, shawty, that's beautiful. Just beautiful. And gross! Get out.”

They’re happy for you, but as his friends, it’s their duty to fuck with him as much as possible.

Makes Mordecai’s heart flutter to see you with Bloodwing. It takes her some time to get used to you, but you can buy her love with food. 

Sometimes she’ll even stick closer to you than she does Mordecai. Normally he’d be a little jealous. That’s his bird, damn it. But he likes that his favorite animal and his favorite person get along so well. 

It doesn’t really bother him if you don’t drink, but if you do, he likes when you join him. Sometimes he’ll overdo it and you might need to tend to him and watch over him.

Borderlands 2 spoilers ahead

Mordecai is a wreck after the death of Bloodwing. He becomes much more reclusive, closing himself off from the vault hunters, from the world, from you. He drinks much more than he normally does, getting blackout drunk almost every night. He doesn’t know what to do with himself.

If you choose to stand by him through all of this, you become his rock. You’re the only thing anchoring him down. You’re a warm, safe place for him to nestle down and cry when he’s feeling too much. He clings to your warmth as you wipe his puffy, red eyes and kiss away his tears.

With time, with love, with patience, he’ll learn to heal. But for now, he’s eternally grateful that he has you.

Talon was a blessing. Of course, he would never replace the love Mordecai had for Bloodwing, but it filled the hole in his heart that formed after her death. Talon was a new start for him, the creation of a little family: You, Mordecai, and Talon.

He quit drinking after he got Talon, finding the strength to move on and grow. To be a better man for himself and for you.

[jadelotusflower]

Hard times in the world of men: Hadestown

Greek mythology and musical theatre have been two of my obsessions ever since I was very young, so Hadestown was always going to be a show perfectly tailored for me. After absorbing it through the OBC soundtrack and various clips for a few years I was finally able to see it live in the Sydney production several weeks ago, and unsurprisingly I loved it! This is a musical that absolutely needs to be experienced in person (although I eagerly await the recently filmed proshoot) as there is so much nuance and depth that after seeing it, the show has gone from one I've quite enjoyed and from which certain songs appear semi-regularly in my playlist, to one of my all time favourites.

Spoilers for a 3000 year old myth (and this interpretation of it).

Greek myths are so malleable to retellings because of the power of the stories they tell, resonant over thousands of years adapted through different lenses. The inspirations in Hadestown are undoubtedly referential of America - New Orleans, Appalachia, and of course musical theatre is arguably an American creation much like jazz and soul music. And yet the telling is also somehow timeless, on the borderland of reality and myth - "don't ask where, brother, don't ask when".

The show is referential of the myth, but also of musicals as an art form and a particular style of storytelling - this is a troupe of players re-enacting an old story (not unlike the framing device of Jesus Christ Superstar), and of course there's the textual power of Orpheus's song that could "bring the world back into tune" - the intersection between storytelling and human experience where art has the power to heal. From ancient Greek tragedy to bards and balladiers to opera, its modern musical theatre with its accesibility and ability to convey emotion through song that is the perfect way to retell this particular version of the story.

Anyone whose read any of my various media ramblings will know that I love a thematic mirror perhaps more than anything else, and Hadestown is brimming with mirrors, or rather, reflections and revolves. The whole show is circular, as myths are retold and recycled and renewed, always changing but never ending. The dialogue is repeated and echoed throughout the show, ("Orpheus was a poor boy"/Eurydice was a hungry girl"), and through repetition the meaning is altered and deepened ("It's you"/"it's me" both when Orpheus and Eurydice are reunited in Hadestown and again when they are ripped apart).

The set is circular too, and makes use of a floor revolve so our characters are constantly spinning, ending up back where they began. The underworld of Hadestown is the inverse of the Earth above - both an allegory for death but also dehumaniation and disconnection from nature and ancient myth - the increasing industrialisation of the below affects the nature of the world above.

There's also the recurring motifs that define musical theatre but used to great thematic effect - Orpheus sings Wait for Me on the journey down to Hadestown, and Eurydice sings it on the way back up, Hermes opens and closes the show with The Road to Hell as the set and characters move back into position ready to "sing it again."

The beginning is the end is the beginning.

We of course have our primary mirrors in Opherus and Eurydice as reflections of Hades and Persephone, connected by the "old song" Orpheus sings anew and the dance that is each couple's expression of falling in love/rediscovering their love. Persephone with her fur and basket, Eurydice with her workman’s coat and backpack; as Persephone sheds hers in the Underworld, Eurydice’s are literally ripped from her by the Fates. Persephone with her flowers brings joy and blessings to the world up top, Eurydice down below with her heartbreaking rendition of Flowers - somewhat evoking that other doomed heroine Ophelia singing of “lily-white and poppy red”.

The coersion of Eurydice by Hades at the end of the first act, an echo of the stealing away of a Persephone. Hades with his low baritone and Orpheus with his high falsetto, the denizens of Hadestown going from echoing Hades in We Build the Wall to Orpheus in If it’s True representing fundamentally opposing views of the world - Hades building a wall of stone while Orpheus builds a coalition of hearts, Hades's loneliness and greed corrupting and polluting the world, Orpheus's song bring it back into harmony.

Our (greek) chorus is reflected in the patrons of the railway station bar and the workers of Hadestown filling roles in both the above and below, and even the omnipresent Fates serve both their mythological purpose and as the metaphorical Cerberus guarding the walls of Hadestown.

And then there's Hermes, our storyteller who is at the same time part of the story and yet beyond it. While they have no direct counterpart there is us - the audience - we are part of this retelling, Hermes starting off with a call and response to the cast and then to us before the show can begin. Because a story always needs someone tell it, and someone to hear it.

Hermes who knows the story, who has told it many times before and will many times again, playing the same part, aware of the irony when he tells Eurydice that Orpheus will "make [her] feel alive" when we know he will be unable to save her from death. And yet there is the hope of a world in balance, where "if no one take too much, there will always be enough" - where the fallow and the fertile blend in harmony allowing respite and renewal, rather than one encroaching on the other causing disruption and destruction.

The best allegories are those that are somewhat malleable - climate change, industrialisation and capitalism, greed and artificial scarcity, fear lingering and othering - Hadestown is particularly relevant to the hard times we are experiencing now, where feckless overlords are crushing all of us below and while we are forced to "play the game they fix". If only they could be moved by the power of a song, but sadly it seems they are even more capricious and craven than the ancient gods. But still, we raise our cups "to the world we dream about, and the one we live in now."

While the Australian production of course closely follows the Broadway original in staging and direction, it happily includes some local touches - most of the actors retain their natural accents, Persephone's basket is full of Australian native flowers, etc. We also get a slight adjusment to Hermes's costuming, keeping the nod to a train conductor aesthetic but including more pronounced feathers on the forearms and in her feather necklace and earrings (I believe they are emu feathers - emus feature prominently in many First Nations Dreaming stories, being a spirit creature associated with the sky).

The cast is across the board excellent - Abigail Adriano as Eurydice conveys both her tough world-wearyness and heartbreaking vulnerability, the show giving Eurydice a measure of agency she lacks in the original myth, choosing to go to Hadestown in distress and neglect, because while Orpheus is touched by the gods, she is tormented by the Fates. Noah Mullins is a sweet and shy Orpheus, they give have such a youthful, fresh energy to the role that is heartbreaking to see crushed - I'll never forget the absolute despair on their face when Eurydice is gone and they look to Hermes as she sings "and that is how it ends". The choice for Orpheus to acknowledge Hermes in that moment and for him to understand the inevitability of this outcome was incredibly powerful.

Adrian Tamburini brings operatic depth to Hades, alongside Elenoa Rokobaro's emotive Persephone, the still menace of Hades contrasting Persephone's physicality. The chorus is also impressive, including Josepha Laga'aia (son of theatre great and Star Wars alum Jay Laga'aia) - this is a diverse cast not only in ethnicity but body type and gender parity (in fact, there are more women in the show than men).

But the soul of the show for me is Hermes - played by the iconic Christine Anu (thirty years on My Island Home remains a bop). It is particularly apt casting for this show given the importance of oral storytelling and songlines to Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander people and the role of Elders as cultural custodians, which Anu acknowledges in the program; "[continuing] the legacy of her maternal grandfather Nadi Anu - a lauded Songman of the sea from Saibai."

Retaining (and even emphasising) the broadness of her Australian accent adds authenticity - this may be an American production of a Greek myth, but it is adaptable through cultural lenses. This is reflected in Hermes more than any other character, cast as both male and female in various version of the show, and as much as I adore the iconic performance of Andre De Shields on the OBC, personally I think a woman the role just works, and Anu in particular gives it a fresh and vibrant take. This is a Hermes who took Orpehus under her wing, and Anu radiates comforting Aunty energy, embodying hope in the retelling rather than tragedy.

I also enjoy the ambiguity of the show, so much is open to interpretation including the reason behind Orpheus’s fateful turn (explored so beautifully in Portrait of a Lady on Fire). The Fates give Orpheus’s doubt form, as he questions if he is being tricked, for the first time unable to find strength in his song - do those doubts overwhelm him at the very last moment? But we also see the steps ahead of Orpheus glow leading to the world above - in that final moment he is in the light while Eurydice is still in shadow. Was his turn rooted in carelessness, turning because he thought the trial was over (reflecting his earlier neglect of Eurydice in the storm while he was consumed with his song)?

This production was staged quite appropriately at the Theatre Royal in Sydney, with its two -tiered circular lobby tying into the theme, although the structure of the theatre means while we keep the revolve the centre no longer lowers into the floor which was slightly disappointing. Instead the back of the stage below Hades and Persephone's balcony has a door that opens and closes to take people to and from Hadestown. While perhaps not as evocative as sinking below, this staging does give the impression of a train platform, and there is a certain power at the end as the door slowly closes with Eurydice behind it and she disappears from view.

This could feel Sisyphean - an endless, inesacable cycle of tragedy where hope is ignited and then cruelly dashed, and yet instead it forms part of the natural cycle of death and rebirth - as in the original Persephone myth. Yes, Orpheus is doomed to always turn and lose Eurydice to the underworld, but then the song begins again and the lovers are reunited/meet once more, their summer of happiness to counter the despair of inevitable winter.

The power of tragedy is the hope that "it might turn out this time" - if only Orpheus hadn't turned around, if only Isolde had arrived in time to save Tristan, if only Romeo had received Friar Lawrence's message - we want to live in a world where these loving couples got their happy ending, where love triumphed, wounds were healed, feuds were ended and sins forgiven. But a world needs winter to thrive as well as spring and darkness to counter the light - would any of these stories have the same resonance if they ended happily?

Or maybe it will work out this time! There are changes in the story as it starts again - Eurydice finds the flower in her coat, Persephone returns to Earth on time rather than starting the tale still in Hadestown. Is is a sign that the cycle can be broken, or just inevitable alterations in the retelling, the story evolving alongside us as well tell it again? It’s for the viewer to interpret.

But either way and crucially, the show does not end with Orpheus looking back at Eurydice as she is pulled back down to Hadestown, but towards her as their love story begins again.

[lin-chrstian]

rue flowers

➺ pairing: chishiya shuntaro x gn!reader ➺ word count: 0.1k ➺ cw: fluff, written in lowercase, possibly off character chishiya, not proofread, aib season 2 spoilers a/n: not perfect writing, but it is what it is.

the first thing you feel when you wake up are the soft covers and the faint throbbing in your head. you open your eyes to see a white hospital ceiling. you look around and see flowers on your bed. ah.. rue flowers.

a minute passes by, and you start to remember everything that had happened. from the start when you got transported to borderland, reuniting with your friends, chishiya, to when you decided to return to the real world, everything.

suddenly, you notice faint footsteps coming closer to your room and eventually a knock to your door. when the door opens, a man who has platinum blond hair walks in. the man looks familiar, you know who the man is. "you finally awake huh?"

"...chishiya?" The name slid off your tounge.

"hmm?" he mumbled while he takes a glass and fills it with fresh water. "how long was I out?", you said as you sat up from your bed.

"not that long, just two days." he offers the filled glass. "is that from you?" you said smiling while looking at the rue flowers. "who knows? ready to go home?"

"yeah. let’s go home."

rue flowers - a symbol of healing and protection.

[enigmatist17]

So I did go see the Borderlands movie this morning, and holy cannoli, it was a flaming dumpster fire of a movie. Spoilers about below just FYI

However!

Kevin Hart ended up being one of the saving graces when I thought he would be the worst of the lot! Sure, he doesn't physically embody Roland from the games, but performance and combat-wise, he was very solid! Jamie Lee Curtis as Tannis was alright as well. She nailed a lot of Tannis' mannerisms to a T, and overall, unlike Lilith and Moxxi, I didn't mind her being aged up. Kreig was great despite being pretty much silent most of the game, and looked like he'd been quite literally pulled right out of the game and dropped into the movie.

Tina was very meh, it's like they wanted her to me more unhinged but restrained themselves at the last moment, and it doesn't work in the Borderlands world. They also had this thing where she's really a clone of a supposed "Daughter of Eridium", whatever the hell that means??? I think if it had been rated R or unrated like it should have been, Tina would have made more of an impact, but she just ended up being very meh.

Lilith was...well, I'm not sure. Most of the movie kinda centers around her backstory/her mom, which tbh is not what I wanted to see from a Borderlands movie? Like seeing some twists about Pandora/her being older was fine, but to have almost everyone fawning over her/her mother got old super quick, and they waited until the end for her to be the badass siren we all know and love??? I'm not the biggest Lilith fan, but Cate did her best with a script that couldn't decide if they wanted Lilith to be an asshole or sympathetic, which for an actor who's played/loves the games, has to suck :/

Jack Black was not great, and to find out he VA'd the Claptrap lines before they started filming makes his odd detachment make so much freaking sense. It always felt like Claptrap was just slightly removed from everything, and I couldn't nail down why until I googled that midway through the movie (which btw my sister, a friend, and I were the only ones in it lol). They should have just gotten the VA for him, Jack was not it :/

The CGI was either really good or really bad, and Lilith's wig did not blend in with any of it at all lmao. The sets/Pandora/costumes, aside from Tina's, were pretty damn good, but where it really shined was the guns. I could literally point out specific guns and their manufacturers despite all the motion of combat, and to be able to do that for even a casual gamer? Loved it.

Sadly though, despite them having been credited for months leading up tot he film, Hammerlock, Wainwright, Ellie and Scooter all got cut from the movie and it's a fucking travesty. I was kind of hoping Hammerlock would kick ass, but to get to the end and find out the asshat who ruined this movie said "oh they were gone for pacing" made me SO mad.

THEY FILMED A WEDDING SCENE YOU ASSHAT, I WANT THAT FOOTAGE AND I WANT IT NOW

Overall, my score is a 1.5/10

[wainwrightjakobshammerlock]

"hammerlock is an insignificant boring ass side character" bro idk how to tell you but he is the exact opposite

(this post is NOT abt him being "good gay rep" or whatever else so please don't derail k thanks)

[langernameohnebedeutung]

And not to be like "Vindication!" but with the whole "How many Vault Hunters of the team are anywhere at any given event at any time?" I've seen some disagreement over whether Nisha lost against one of the Vault Hunters from B2 or more than one.

But World of Borderlands finally settles that she was defeated by the "full team"

Which also exonerates her slightly from TV Tropes saying that it was an unfair fight because she brought her Deputies to fight 1 Vault Hunter. So yeah, thanks for clearing her name of 1 crime.

[quack-quack-snacks]

The All In Masterlist

Chishiya, Shuntaro x Fem!Reader

Author's Note: Niragi will never, in any of my AiB stories, be a sexual assaulter. We do not condone SA on this blog. Warnings: Blood, gore, death, graphic depictions of violence (the games), Niragi being himself except he respects consent, just basically every Alice in Borderland warning there is (except sh/sa), season 2 spoilers, slow burn, enemies to lovers, Word Count: 40,000+

My Navigation and Masterlist

My Alice in Borderland Masterlist

My Chishiya Shuntaro Masterlist

You originally thought getting thrown into a world where only a fraction of the population of Japan still existed would be the worst experience you could possibly go through. After entering a specific game in which you meet a boy in a white hoodie, you start to reconsider.

Chapter 1 - Poker Face

Chapter 2 - The Beach

Chapter 3 - Lady Eros Coming Soon!

Chapter 4 - Tag, You're It Coming Soon!

Chapter 5 - Polus Coming Soon!

Chapter 6 - Betrayal Coming Soon!

I am taking a hiatus for a little while but I’ll get back to the series soon (hopefully after my finals stop)!

More to come :)

[reddamselette]

rewatching aib and i’m just thinking abt valgrace in it.

whoever doesn’t know what aib is: alice in borderland is a japanese drama where the characters have to play games in order to survive. these games are based off playing cards meaning that each suit is a different type of game (spades - physical, diamonds - wit, etc) and the number of the card determines difficulty (face cards like king and queen are inherently much, much more difficult than a card of 2 or 7). not to mention that players can also just chill and relax until their visas are up. if they fail to play a game beforehand, boom they die. and last but not least about the games; players don’t know what type it will be until registration is closed. basically the gist of what aib is.

but anyway. valgrace.

i definitely think they wouldn’t have met until they entered the borderlands. maybe it was during a game or even in passing but they meet.

and while they both have extraordinary skills depending on who they were before entering the borderlands, leo would be extremely well-versed in diamond games while jason excels at spades games.

so the way i’m thinking is that if they were to meet in a game, it would probably be one of those or even a club game (because clubs are teamwork games and hearts games genuinely play with your heart). so they meet and all in all, they end up working together—protecting one another, picking up what the other lacks, bouncing off of each other’s capabilities pretty much.

and they spend a lot of time together after that, possibly even meeting the others like percy or piper or nico. but it just doesn’t last.

because the universe will never let them love each other and live. so jason loses leo in a hearts game and he’s fucking devastated. and the thing is—this is a spoiler but i mean come on, aib has been out since 2020 i think—is that after they return to the real world, it doesn’t even matter. because jason doesn’t remember anything about the borderlands but there’s always that emptiness in him. and he doesn’t know what it is or what it could be.

which then brings me to the next drama.

squid games.

jason would still lose leo before inevitably dying himself. remember that marble game with saebyeok and jiyeong? yeah. leo would sacrifice himself, he would thank jason for playing with him, for talking about getting out together and making their plans that are nothing but a pipe dream. and just like saebyeok, jason dies later on.

it’s always going to be unfair. they’ll never be able to love each other and grow old together because it’s simply impossible. they’re not allowed to.

i just think that no matter what universe it is, valgrace will never completely have eachother. they’re just so fucking doomed. and i love them for that.

[sidneycaitlinart]

♡ Kuina ♡

Warning - Alice in Borderland S2 spoilers ahead - proceed with caution!

Kuina is such a great character - her backstory is so heart-wrenching, but the fact that she pushes past all she’s endured and remains a heroic person, even in the Borderlands, is incredible.  I was a fan from her first appearance on screen - I loved her attitude and style, and her friendship with Shiya too! (I really hope they meet again after returning home!) But I think it was her fight with Last Boss which really cemented her as one of my favourites. The duality of her fighting her demons and coming to terms with her traumatic past while simultaneously defeating a terrifying swordfighter with the martial arts skills she had previously resented - all while standing barefoot on broken glass - was just incredible! That was it, I was in love ♡

The King of Spades battle broke me - it was just SO BRUTAL. Everyone did so well but watching everything rapidly falling apart as the main cast got taken out one by one was absolutely heartbreaking. Kuina fought so bravely, and her being stabbed was incredibly painful to watch (kudos to Aya Asahina - she played Kuina brilliantly, and this scene in particular was so well-performed). Kuina later being helpless to do anything as An dies beside her was tragic, and the realisation at the end that An had survived because Kuina held her hand and pulled her back home with her (“let’s go back together”) was so beautiful and touching ♡

I was overjoyed to see Kuina alive in the hospital, and the scene with her father had me in tears again. The promise Kuina and An made to be friends when they got home makes me believe that they’ll reconnect in the real world. I can only hope for a cute little love story too, because I’m a huge sucker for the relationship between these two damn it!

As with my Chishiya piece, the face card designs are exactly as shown in the series, and I made sure to include all of the games Kuina plays!

[fiction-fantasy-folks]

I have been watching the AIB trailer on repeat since it came out and I have thoughts... slight manga spoilers I guess but I haven't actually read the 3rd one - retry...

I have a lot of thoughts so this might be a bit disjointed.

I don't think anyone other than Arisu and Usagi are going to be in it... we might get a token scene of the other characters and how they are doing in the real world... but I really feel like it's just going to be them. Hence them in the trailer.

I also believe the 2nd season did ACTUALLY end in the real world, not the "it's still a game itself" theory.

I think this cause based on the scenes in the trailer here's what I think the plot of the new season will be.

I think the story will start a few years on from the meteor disaster everyone healed up and moved on. (This might be where we find out how Ann, Chishiya etc are doing.) I think Arisu and Usagi might be friends but maybe not together or a new ish couple... I think that however, Usagi isn't dealing with life after the accident very well. I think the scene with her on the phone saying sorry to Arisu... is her saying a goodbye, before she tries to kill herself. The scene of her on the bed with the oxygen is because it only put her in a coma, like Ann...

I think Arisu will have been having "memories/dreams" of the borderlands and realising that's where she is, will find a smart way to comatose himself in order to go in and pull her out. And so the joker game will begin.

Ann might be in it if she is still in a coma (she might have been surviving in the borderlands all this time, bad ass Ann moment, or not).

The jokers are likely to be Banda/Yaba who will have been running games as citizens since we last saw them. Maybe they have "changed the rules" so they last longer or something than the last lot.

The wheelchair character I'm unsure about. I don't think it's original cast though. Think it's likely to be someone they meet in the borderlands who can give Usagi/Arisu the new lay of the land...

I say all this because Replay (the 3rd manga) that I know of has Arisu/ Usagi return (unsure why like i said haven't read that one yet) but it's just them i think? And it's a few years after the initial problem. The hospital isn't like a game itself. I don't think this will be set a few days after the meteor essentially.

But that's all just my thoughts/rants on watching the trailer and analysing bits of it...

Let me know if you have any other ideas :)