#yes it’s not deep or poignant but it’s FUN

[ierogenvy]

i’m not gonna break a mutual over disliking a harry styles song i’m not gonna break a mutual over disliking a harry styles song i’m not gonna break a mutual over disliking a harry styles song i’m not gonna break a mutual over disliking a harry styles song

[riickgrimes]

saw barbie 20/10 no notes

[sgiandubh]

Imma need an in-depth breakdown of Puff please! And I’m not being sarcastic either. Puff pre-dates my time in the outlander fandom.

Regards,

Your curious anon.

Dear Puffy Curious Anon,

If my cantankerous boss would have summoned me at 03:03 pm EEST (when your request landed in my inbox), just to tell me "Imma need an in-depth breakdown of the Greek trade unions' position on the current critical understaffing of the HoReCa sector", I would have politely answered "yes, ma'am, when is the deadline". I would have then turned on my heels, rolled my eyes, sworn like a drunk sailor under my breath (fuck my life comes to mind, pardon my French) and quickly be done with it.

You, bless your Anon heart, wrote: "Imma need an in-depth breakdown of Puff, please". Wee difference, Curious Anon: you are not my cantankerous boss. That being said, since the question has been asked by several people in the comment threads of the day's posts, I am gonna give you my two cents on Queen Pufflander, even if you've been around before I even knew this weird place existed. And hopefully put to rest this nonsense forever (wishful thinking, doubt it will happen).

Once upon a time, when S&C's bantering was the plat du jour on Twitter and this fandom a considerably less toxic place, Puff the Magic Dragon of the US East Coast was one of the Queen Bees of Shipperville. Her blog was witty and no-nonsense (if a tad verbose) and, as *urv, she quickly earned her fair share of side performers: Stella and Deep Throat (SOURCES) or the tarot reader(s) immediately come to mind. People loved Puff and that is only fair, to be honest: I bet the farm she was great fun. Little by little, information traded in DMs started to pile up in her famed Vault, from which she was generously sharing, from time to time, sibylline rants ("maybe they did or maybe they didn't, but don't worry, something happened and all shall soon be revealed"). I can critique that forever and a day and tell you that all this sent people's expectations up the roof and beyond, of course. But, again: I was not here. It is unfairly easy to judge all these things with a historian's eye, and people who lived to tell the tale are far more entitled than me to comment their fandom experience, circa 2015.

When the whole Shatner/Watchtower baliverne started (early 2016, if memory serves) things ugly escalated and rather quickly so. People started jumping ship. With McSideburns already in the house (EIFF comes to mind and a certain poignant S&C penguin picture, too), enter Flukenzie Floozy. Thus, after IFH, Puffy decided to pack her crystal ball & tent and move to greener pastures on Wordpress. There, she held court with a keen eye for the Byzantine politicking of this fandom, not unlike what Perfidious Albion did with regard to the Thirteen Rebelling Colonies, after that Boston Tea Party. Her main moments of intersection with the rest of the shipper community are Covfefe Pics (of course) and Remarkable Week-end (of course). With regard to Covfefe, she quickly cried wolf, but by the time Remarkable Week-end happened, she pulled off a mighty witty breakdown of The Nuptial Charade of the Century. Blaze of glory was Quarantein Ha-wa-wee (of course), when she blamed S for all the world's evils and then some more. After that, she concentrated on her Neverending Feud with *urv (a Private Investigator was, at some point, hired and paid for via crowdfunding), which somehow managed to end (nevertheless) with a Report she might or might not have sent to S, "for further consideration".

As all good prophets, Puffy finally went into Occultation circa 2021, not without warning us that she was torn between Gay Sam & SamCait intellectual traditions, with a wee penchant for the first (reason why I completely ditched her peddling, because IYKYK).

I can understand why people might think I could be Puffy. I am, however, very sure about my own identity, whereabouts and creed: to state the opposite would really, really be mental. I fully assumed my responsibility and went ahead to actually prove you, this morning, I wasn't. Reading her rants was useful, but also taxing. I doubt Stella and Deep Throat were anything else but narrative helpers in a sophisticated Greimas actantial model. Something I would never do, for example: I am confident enough not to need any crutches. And I am very, very sorry for this word vomit: it should come, perhaps, as solace its length could never compete with Puff's storytelling marathons.

To wash my sins (not really: because I really love that picture), here's S,C, a penguin and a cakebox (?), at EIFF 2015. This is, you can be certain, the purest thing on this page, Anon:

[mobileleprechaun]

oubgh Tagged Game

I was kindly tagged by the eminent @femboty2k, thank you so much for tagging me!

This one is about introducing yourself with the following:

- One tv show

- One movie

- One album

- One game

However, she went the extra mile and did two each, so I'll do that as well!

TV Shows: Whatever Happened to Robot Jones and Making Fiends

I'm not entirely sure what it says about me that both of my picks here were ill-fated and obscure cartoons cancelled before their time, but I certainly hope it's nothing premonitory about the trajectory of my life!

Robot Jones was a full-on obsession for me when I was young. It's about a robot child having to attend junior high in the 1980s so he can understand humans better, and all the awkwardness that goes along with that. Something about it struck such a chord with me – probably the fact that the protagonist was a sheltered misfit who couldn't understand his peers. I was homeschooled until college, and all of my interactions with other kids were painfully awkward along those lines, so I guess I just felt seen?

It's a weird show, and the tone is pretty bleak. He's mercilessly bullied by both peers and authority figures alike, and episodes rarely ever end with anything working out for him. Maybe I felt seen by that too. It's kind of fucked up, and I'm 70% certain bits of it didn't age well, but for what it's worth, people still really enjoy the one episode where RJ comes to the conclusion that he's nonbinary. It's also lost media at this point, so there's an inherent rewarding feeling that comes with being able to find it at all.

Making Fiends is also pretty bleak, but in a very silly and fun way. It's about a town that lives in mortal terror of Vendetta, this extremely cruel grade-schooler who is able to make monsters (fiends) that can serve her every whim. However, her nasty little gangster baby life is turned upside down when a very dense friendly girl named Charlotte comes to town, and Vendetta finds herself terrorized for a change.

I was obsessed with this one too and was a young stan of its creator. I love that it's about two girls just being dumb as all hell and having weird and fucked up things happen to them. Nobody's boy-crazy, either – both of these little gremlins just get to be people. Neither of them are particularly deep in terms of characterization, but they're so much fun to have a romp with, and they get to fill that slapstick-heavy role that's usually only reserved for male characters. Also, the humor is super fucked up and morbid, but the way everything is delivered will just keep you hooting. It's definitely less emotionally exhausting than Robot Jones.

Movies: Chicken Run and The End of Evangelion

Weird pair, I know!

Chicken Run is another of my childhood obsessions that persists to this very day. It's a fun and surprisingly poignant tale of an insurrection on a farmyard and the brave hens (and one mostly useless rooster) who make it happen. Aardman just knocks it right out of the park with the quirky designs of their ensemble cast and just how rooted it feels in its 1950s setting. The villains are fun, the heroes are fun, somehow Mel Gibson doesn't completely ruin it, and I dunno, it's just very cozy. I could rewatch it over and over again. Also, Mac is best girl.

End of Evangelion is not cozy at all! It's the fucked up and horrifying ending to a fucked up and horrifying anime, and it pissed a lot of people off at how mean-spirited it felt, but like... it's a fucking masterpiece, like it goes incredibly hard. Every element of it – the music, the voice acting, the visuals – it's all stunning, like all the way through. Yes it's sad and upsetting and very strange, but that's just how the anime went. None of it feels out of place, either. I can go back and watch Episode 1 again and not feel like EoE mismatches tonally. I still think about it on the regular, and I still bop to Komm sußer Tod.

Albums: Spirit Phone and Act II: The Father of Death

I've picked these two because these are both albums I always feel the need to listen to as a whole rather than piecemeal. There's some other amazing albums that I feel dirty not including here, but these two are just the ones that hit me the hardest as albums, and I have to be fully honest with myself about that.

Spirit Phone came into my life when I desperately needed it. I had just lost my youngest brother and was trying to find my first apartment after years of being my parents' adult subject. It was such a heady and wonderful thing for me, all these skrunkly-ass songs about the occult and the inherently fucked up nature of American culture. I played it on repeat for almost a solid month, and it gave me the strength and optimism I needed to muscle through the most terrifying time of my life. It's still such a cozy and wonderful thing for me, and I thank Neil Cicirega from the bottom of my heart for putting it together.

The Protomen: Act II wasn't something that got me through a crisis, but it was a fucking crazy-ass bop and a solid goddamn chaser to their first album, which I also love listening to as a whole. The story of Thomas Light's descent into living as a pariah in his own city after his own friend turns on him is masterfully told by this band, and every track hits like a truck. The whole subplot with Joe was incredible, too, and that guy who sings as Wily is so fucking good, and Panther is ridiculously versatile... I still get goosebumps thinking about Breaking Out. Gorgeous album through and through.

Games: Sonic & Knuckles Collection and Cave Story

It might be cheating to include the whole collection as one game, but I don't give a phuck!!!!

I was like 7 or 8 when I got the Sonic & Knuckles collection on CD-ROM, and holy fuck, y'all. I knew I loved The Adventure of Sonic the Hedgehog on TV, but getting my hands on that game about spoiled me rotten. It just felt so perfect in every way. Having gone back and played earlier entries in the Sonic series really gives me an appreciation for how well they perfected the formula here, it's just so smooth and refined. Going back through each stage playing as Sonic, Tails or Knuckles is so good, too, like you really get a feel for how much there is to explore with their different styles of movement. I just love it so much, it's so cozy and so jammed to the brim with pure fun.

Cave Story was something I encountered later in life, and was pleasantly surprised to find as a free download. I was not adequately prepared for what a ride this humble-looking little platformer would be. God, it was such a wonderful challenge, sometimes frustrating, but always so compelling as to keep me coming back. And what a beautiful story, too, and what a gorgeous setting. I full-on cried at many points. Pixel just put his whole heart and soul into this game, and it's so sickening and unfair that he got fucked over by that shitty licensing deal. If you haven't already, please show this man's work some love. It went hard enough that when Undertale was first announced, I assumed it was going to be a Cave Story fangame. 😝

waow that's media!!! I must tag four people; @sammytoesis, @fetus-cakes, @johannesson and @badgrlebie. But if you wanna do it too, DO IT!!!!

[desertfangs]

The Armand/Daniel throwaway is insane because while I don’t see it as canon, (and I don’t think it’s meant to be taken as such), I do believe it makes their lore a lot richer and more poignant. Anne hit gold with them man, she really did. And in a way we’re pretty lucky. We got the best chapter OF ALL TIME written about them, followed by the weirdest, messiest breakup plans that never came to fruition, followed by a few one liners about them getting back together. Who knows what would’ve happened if she had decided to flesh out their story further and I’m scared to consider the possibilities. We know what we need to know and now the world is ours 😌

Yeah, it's not meant to be canon. Canon is anything published in the text itself. Anything else (notes, drafts) are things Anne chose not to include for whatever reason and while it can help us all inform the text if we so choose, she as a writer decided against using these in the final versions. It sure is fun though!!

AND YES IT IS INSANE!! Because even though I agree some of the dialogue does not sound like Daniel or anything he would say, their dynamic is there!! That is THEM. It's weird and it's messed up but you totally get shades of them in those notes and maybe a finished, polished version would have really done them justice. We will never know!

But you're right! We are so lucky. She really hit lightning in a bottle with Armand/Daniel. It's such a great story, they are such fascinating characters, and Devil's Minion is such a wild chapter. Their parts in QotD really tell us so much about them and how they interact and what they love about each other, even though it's so few pages.

It will always break my heart a little that Daniel was tossed aside in the final trilogy. I get that he wasn't really part of the story she was trying to tell, and that's why he gets a line here or there about being with Armand, but is otherwise not mentioned after Prince Lestat, but wow, I would have loved to see Daniel there to comfort Armand after Marius calls him a child or he bears his soul to Lestat, or any of that stuff. And of course I would have loved an actual reunion chapter beyond just "they're out hunting together." (Of course I think we got the same thing with Marius and Armand in the QotD... 😒😒)

But--and I've said this before--part of why I was scared to read the final books was a deep-seated fear that she was going to kill Daniel off. It felt like she had no use for him and I was terrified for his safety. So even though we only get a few lines about him being back with Armand, we know they've reconnected, and honestly, that's more than I had hoped for.

And the playground is ours now, absolutely! I've loved seeing how other people flesh out this stuff in fics and headcanons and art, and I love doing it myself. So while I regret the lack of Daniel in the rest of the series, there's so much potential for stories to tell, and this fandom has really stepped up to the plate on that score. 💖

[crehador]

brother crab's spring 2024 parting thoughts (part 1)

doing this quickly and messily this season because it has been a very messy season for me (how... how did i get 50+ episodes behind at one point)

anyway LOADS OF PHENOMENAL STUFF THIS SEASON although i would not call it flawless sentai daishikkaku is still far and away the anime of the season for me (but more on this in parting thoughts part 2, since its season hasn't finished airing just yet)

THE GREATS

kaijuu 8-gou was so much fun. imo it's a very typical battle shounen (but with an adult lead! fantastic) in that it hits all the beats you would expect a battle shounen to hit, but it hits them well. characters are fun, fights are dynamic, worldbuilding is solid and compelling (not terribly revolutionary, but it doesn't need to be)

it's overall just such a good time. hoshina im lov u. s2 please come soon

boukyaku battery was also phenomenal. easily one of the sports anime of all time. hilarious and riveting. the characters are so good, both as individuals and a team, and their backstories all unfolded so wonderfully. the visuals just get better and better. mappa let your staff rest but also. damn. undeniably good work

and todochi!! todochi forever!!! terrible fucking boyfriends (affectionate)

wind breaker was super solid all around as well, i haven't seen toman myself but i keep hearing that it's like toman if toman were good (lmao i'm so sorry to hear this toman enjoyers, stay strong)

oddly enough i'm not possessed with like... and overabundance of super strong feelings towards the characters, though. they're all really fun to watch, and i definitely plan on continuing the series, but i'm not quite rotating them in my head all the time. still good stuff though

THE GOODS (THE VERY GOODS)

astro note should be in the greats honestly but i'm trying to do three per section in this post, but it was just a delight through and through. there was nothing i didn't enjoy about this. takumi you are such a shit (affectionate)

tadaima okaeri... honestly i'm really happy with this adaptation! not only for voice actor reasons (but yes mostly for voice actor reasons) but like put next to all bl adaptations, this one imo does a lot very, very right

i adore the series itself too, did a quick reread before the series started airing and it really is just so wholesome and sweet. but personally i find it a stronger family (and found family) story than a romance, like where it really shines is its exploration of community and generational trauma despite best intentions. which is i imagine not what many people expect from an omegaverse bl but there it is

yozakura-san chi no daisakusen is continuing on into next season (i forgor) but i think it's pretty solidly made its home in this tier for me. it's a lot of wacky, zany fun, and really a delight to watch every week, but it doesn't really stay on my mind afterwards. so just, good stuff!

THE NOT BADS (OR AT LEAST NOT TERRIBLES)

jii-san baa-san wakagaeru was actually overall really enjoyable to me! lots of really deep, poignant moments, an ending that... i shan't say, and loads of quality humor and sweet family moments

but it came out the gate real strong with a first episode that was rife with grandpafucker jokes so i feel like a lot of people might not have made it to the poignant stuff which, fair enough lol. wouldn't say this is something that can't be missed, but really wasn't bad all told

sasakoi... tragically... had i think a pretty strong start but alas. production issues have reared their head and the animation quality in particular got worse and worse throughout

personally i'm not that much a fan of the drama either. the main relationship is pretty cute, but the drama surrounding them... honestly i just couldn't get invested. but that's solely a personal taste thing

as for re:monster... the less said the better. never in my life have i seen a show that more obviously wanted to be a hentai but wasn't

THE SEQUELS/CONTINUATIONS

obviously dungeon meshi was excellent no one needs me to say anything about that

yuru camp s3... i can understand the criticisms, i can understand not vibing with the new art style. but tbh i personally still enjoyed it immensely, it's still cozy, it's still cute, i couldn't really ask for more

hashira training arc my beloved. i can't really give an unbiased review of this one because i love u genyaaaaaaaaa. and gentaaaaaan. god this was such a good arc for them. anyway

shockingly enough i think that is... all i watched this season? (besides yatagarasu and sentai daishikkaku, but more on those later)

i thought there were more than just these but i don't see anything else in my activity log

so basically EXTREMELY STRONG SEASON aots will be decided in like... 20 hours

[isfjmel-phleg]

All right, this is my one (1) gush post that I have been granted permission to do. I will try not to be too annoying about it. I'm going to talk about Young Justice, which is a comic that ran from 1998 to 2003 (not to be confused with an animated series of the same name that is almost nothing like its namesake). I've been rereading it lately after having read some of its characters' solo titles and have been reminded of just how good it is.

The series is about a group of young heroes (about 14-16, but for some of them exact age is...complicated). There's the usual battling villains and saving the world, but ultimately the heart of the ongoing story is how these kids have to navigate being a team and facing their own personal struggles. The tone tends to be light-hearted, and yes, it's frequently very silly and very 1990s and you have to go into this expecting all that. But the humor is well-balanced with more dramatic plotlines, some of which are quite poignant, and the series is unafraid to acknowledge when something is serious and shouldn't be brushed off with a joke. It tackles some surprisingly deep issues: war, mortality, loss of innocence, identity, trust, etc. But the sense of optimism is never lost, and the series ends on a (mostly) joyful note.

What I especially love about this series is the excellent characters. Most of the team are connected to well-known adult heroes, but they are not just smaller versions of their predecessors. They all have distinctive, well-developed personalities and arcs, and this extends even to the four major female characters (there's an equal number of guys and girls in the cast!), who do not exist simply to be love interests. Which is a big deal because this was not the norm in comics of this time, including those in which some of these characters also feature.

There's this scene in #7 in which the newly formed team is on a camping trip, and as they sit around the fire, they try to get to know each other better through a game of Truth or Dare that turns into a discussion of the question, "If you could just be normal, would you quit the superhero game?" And the ensuing conversation sets up the arc for every single character.

One of them would give it up "in a heartbeat" because the only circumstances in which he could do that would be if "mankind had entered utopia." Another, who was forced into heroics by her mother, would "ask my mother's advice...and then do the opposite." Another one declares she would never give up her opportunity to be part of "an epic of heroism and adventure that goes back millennia!" Another already considers himself normal; "it's the rest of the world that's weird." Another, who is a literal ghost, would give anything to be normal and able to connect with other people again. And the last one is vehemently in denial about how his unusual circumstances are actually hurting him.

Which pretty much tells you everything you need to know about where these kids are coming from, and where they're going. The stories are character-driven, and these arcs are followed through on.

I also appreciate that the writer clearly understood all the characters well despite not having created any of them (except for Anita and Slo-bo, later in the series). Their characterizations are consistent with their appearances in other series. And while you don't need to have read the solo comics that were running simultaneously, familiarity with them does enrich the YJ stories and vice versa--everything fits together.

It's a fun and satisfying read, unusually cohesive for a long-running comic due to having the same head writer throughout, and not perfect but an example of a comic from this era at its best potential. If this is your sort of thing, I highly recommend it. And goodness knows I can't say that about just any comic.

[trillscienceofficer]

Hi :) do you know some Star Trek books you could recommend? I've heard some of them aren't great so I was a little hesitant to go through all of them

I DO have Trek book recs! I imagine you're asking for novels &co. and not, for example, titles like “The Fifty-Year Mission” or “The DS9 Companion” which are non-fiction books concerned with the production of the shows (but in any case the two I've cited are my favorites and I think especially the first one is a clear recommendation for any Trekkie). Also caveat that... I've not read that many novels either because, like you, I'm kinda skittish about wading through them all, especially after I've encountered a few really terrible ones.

Anyway here goes, divided in in 'Novels', 'Things that aren't novels but I recommend anyway' and a few titles on my TBR list that sound good and I feel confident suggesting even if I haven't gotten around to reading them yet.

Novels

The Lives of Dax (short story anthology, 1999) This is unquestionably still my favorite fiction tie-in for the Trek universe. Not all stories are good (Emony's and Curzon's are especially bad) but the ones I like are truly outstanding to me and inform my understanding of the Dax hosts to this day. I love the fact that it's framed as Ezri remembering various events of her previous lives. It's an easy read, given the format, and if you're willing to be patient with some stories the other ones will totally deliver, imho!

Catalyst of Sorrows by Margaret Wander Bonanno (2004) This book is part of 'The Lost Era' series, which tried to fill in the gap between the TOS movies and TNG. This one in particular is wild; main cast includes Uhura, Crusher, Sisko and Tuvok (the latter two going on a road trip!) and it's also a fairly deep dive into Romulan society written by someone who was obviously a DS9 fan. This was recommended to me many years ago by @senyorspock and if you like Senator Cretak from S7 of DS9 this is definitely a book you want to read.

Worlds of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Volume Two (anthology, 2005) I have mixed feelings about some of the directions taken by the two novels in this book but I think they're ultimately both enjoyable and contain some fun and poignant elements (the scene where Ezri visits Jadzia's grave on Trill is permanently engraved in my brain). If you like Trills and the Sisko family I definitely recommend this book.

Hollow Men by Una McCormack (2005) This novel is a fun follow-up to "In The Pale Moonlight" and while it is a little too concerned with sympathizing with poor little meow meow Garak for my taste (I realize here my opinion differs from most other DS9 fans) I still liked for its explorations of Benjamin Sisko's state of mind at the height of the Dominion War. Also I ugly laughed at every scene Sisko and Garak have together, I do enjoy when they butt heads but still need each other... it is a well-written book!

String Theory - Cohesion by Jeffrey Lang (2005) Unlike the others this is strictly a Voyager novel, set in the Delta Quadrant. This book gets... a little bogged down by its own cleverness sometimes but the author was clearly concerned with science and world-building making sense, which I can't argue against. But you're not here for this: the best part of the book is B'Elanna and Seven getting stranded on the surface of a planet and being forced to form a 'collective of two' in order to survive. It goes as well as you can expect (yes they absolutely still manage to fight even when telepathically linked), and it is amazing. I don't always agree with their characterization here but this novel is, to me, the episode with a B'Elanna&Seven B-plot that we never got on the show. (This book is also the first of a trilogy but I found the second one unreadable and I hear the third completely ditches the themes established by the first two, so.)

Spock's World by Diane Duane (1988) This novel is a classic for a reason. I wholeheartedly recommend it even if a lot of the Vulcan world-building & characterization in it isn't strictly canon anymore. I love the way it alternates between the present and the past of Vulcan, and the Enterprise. The history of the planet is told through episodes but they are so effective in explaining why Vulcans are the way they are. If you've never read a Trek novel before and you love TOS, definitely start here.

I have a soft spot for the novelizations of Star Trek II, III, and IV by Vonda McIntyre, which contain some amazing backstory for Saavik and how she came to be Spock's protégée, as well as generally offering interesting characterization for side characters that the movies had no time to explore. Not all of it is still canon, given that they were written in the early eighties, but it's not a deal-breaker to me.

Things that aren't novels but I recommend anyway

Star Trek: Waypoint (Issues 1-6, which you can find in a single volume), Waypoint special and Waypoint special (2019). These are the BEST Trek comics, period. It's all short stories about the cast of the shows up to Enterprise, and the quality is amazingly high, consistently so. I'm not a big comic person and yet these get to me every time.

Hidden Universe Travel Guide: Vulcan (2016) and The Klingon Empire (2017), both by Dayton Ward. Okay I just... love the concept of these lol. They're travel guides! For Vulcan and the Klingon Empire! Neither takes itself too seriously (there are chapters such as 'So You Want To Purge All Of Your Emotions') but it's a nice riff on the Trek universe, and they're beautifully illustrated. Characters from all shows will occasionally chime in suggest their favorite places to visit, too, which was a pleasant surprise. For someone like me who has trouble coming up with world-building stuff on my own, both books have been giving me plenty of inspiration (of course I don't always agree with the way things are framed but hey, I didn't expect them to be perfect!)

In my TBR list

Dark Passions Vol 1 and 2 by Susan Wright. Wright wrote one of my fave stories from “The Lives of Dax” and these two novels sound absolutely wild, I can't wait to read about all the mirror versions of the Voyager characters

Time's Enemy by L. A. Graf. This collective of writers wrote arguably the best story in “The Lives of Dax” and they seem to share many of my sensibilities when it comes to writing these characters so I've been meaning to read this DS9 novel for a while!

The Rihannsu novels by Diane Duane, which are THE Romulan novels par excellence, I believe, but I still haven't gotten around to reading them somehow

Worlds of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Volume Three simply because I just found a paperback of it recently, and it sounds interesting

[spnfanficpond]

January 2023 Angel Fish Awards

(Angel Fish design by @slytherkins!!)

WELCOME TO THIS MONTH’S ANGEL FISH AWARDS!

Every month all of you fantastic writers work your asses off to post some truly incredible stories. Our Angel Fish Awards are the way for all of us, as a community of writers and readers, to lift each other up and give praise to those who have captured our attention and deserve a few kind words.

The monthly Angel Fish Awards are peer-nominated, meaning ANYONE (you don’t have to be a member) CAN NOMINATE ANY POND MEMBER’S FIC. Everyone in this community deserves to be showered with love and feedback, and we hope that this fun, thoughtful award will do just that.

Be sure to read through this whole post as people who were nominated more than once only had one tag activated for Tumblr tagging purposes!

WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, HERE ARE THIS MONTH’S ANGEL FISH AWARDS!

Nominated by @rauko-is-a-free-elf

To Love And To Hold by @glygriffe

This whole thing is just so cute. I think my favorite part is how ye great and powerful eldritch angel of the lord Cas is so cute and adorable that both brothers are hopeless against it. Sam moves quickly from "we can't keep it" to "well maybe if we can't find an owner," and Dean goes almost immediately from "hell no I'm allergic" to "dammit Sam pick up some Allegra I guess." 😆💚

~*~*~

Nominated by @glygriffe

Hate or Love by @rauko-creates

I love the poetry of this piece. It's poignant and have a depth that I can't quite grasp, but it's beautiful none the less.

Not Alone by @mrswhozeewhatsis

A sweet little fic set during the COVID-19 pandemic, featuring Sam x Reader. It's full of fluff and I like the type of narration, the author's voice in this fic. It makes me feel... grounded in the story, immerse in the universe.

~*~*~

Nominated by @mariekoukie6661

Under The Mistletoe by @katbratsupernaturalwhore

This was very cute!!!

~*~*~

Nominated by @mrswhozeewhatsis

...And Then There Were Three (series) by @thoughtslikeaminefield

It's been a heck of a long time since I've really read smut without just skimming through it for the vital details. This series? I read every word. So freaking hot!! Both brothers? YES, PLEASE!!!!

Just Like Heaven by @redmyeyes

On the Destiel to Wincest spectrum, I definitely lean towards Destiel, but I do love an occasional Wincest fic, if it's got the right feel to it. This fic right here? It's got it. The angst. The brotherly way of communicating without talking. The brotherly way of doing something gross as a way of saying, "I love you." (It's so gross. But so brotherly.) This right here is the Goldilocks of Wincest fics for me!

Smoking Spirits on the Roof by @stusbunker

And now I'm off to the other end of the spectrum with a Destiel rec! This is a sweet (and smutty) college AU that explores a little bit of the paradox of being queer and having religious faith and an uber-religious family. It doesn't go too deep, so it's not a slog, it's just right for some light reading!

~*~*~

Nominated by @princessmisery666

Rainy Days and Mondays by @kellyn1604

OMG 😱 those last three sentence’s literally made me teary eyed 😢 a smidge of angst but all the fluffiness and it was beautiful 🤩

THANK YOU ALL FOR THE AWESOME WORK AND GREAT FEEDBACK!

These are not actual awards, as in, there is no competition! This system is set up so everyone has a chance to share the love and promote a fic/author in the Pond that has grabbed your attention. The more people that participate, the better this will be :D

THANK YOU ALL AGAIN, KEEP UP THE AMAZING WORK, AND AS ALWAYS, HAPPY WRITING!

[meowzfordayz]

hi t!! sorry i just phase in and out of existence lol. wishing you a week as wonderful as you <3 what's something cool that's happened lately? also, what's ur writing process like?

Hihi, you've nothing to apologize for! 💖 I'm always happy when you phase in again, and totally understand that #life is a thing lol.

I recently started projecting a 5.11a lead climb 💪🏽 (and took a huge whip aka fall on it �� — very fun hehe), so that's pretty cool. 😁 I'm also fiiinally going to start managing my new store (not my store as in owner, but "my" as in manager of it) tmro !! 🥳

Sending you wonderful Wednesday vibes; hope things've been gentler toward you lately. 💞

Continue below for my writing process... 🤓

My writing process varies, but—for me—it all starts @ the point of inspo.

Sometimes inspo hits me like a truck, and the story simply flows until it exhausts itself i.e. a hug (or, a thousand words too painful to say, but too precious to be left unspoken). Other times, inspo trickles like a nearly depleted stream, and writing feels like wiggling a baby tooth from dawn till dusk, trying desperately (and tiredly) to pull it out i.e. NSFW Alphabet — Himejima Gyomei — I've been writing basically a letter a day, and am ~halfway finished.

As an occasional dabbler in playwriting, dialogue is def a stronger aspect of my writing, and I often outline scenes by their dialogue rather than their physical/emotional aspects. However, sometimes I write the other way around!

For instance, I started a hug (or, a thousand words too painful to say, but too precious to be left unspoken) w/ poignant imagery (the first paragraph) that drove the rest of its plot, but for i hear your heart, feel your soul, see your body; i love you, I actually wrote literally all the dialogue first, and then slowly pieced the rest of the scene together.

I've found that 500-2,000 words tends to be my preferred length of writing, so anything 2,000+ means either a. inspo hit me like a truck (for one shots) or b. it's headcanons/preferences, so it's really just a ton of shorter works strung together into a ~technically longer piece. I can't exactly speak on the process of writing longer works, bc they're just not my instinctive style.

That being said, when writing something 2,000+, I find myself only writing the most important moments to inform the entirety of the plot — otherwise I get overwhelmed/lose steam.

I suspect I float around 500-2,000 words bc I strongly dislike revisiting unfinished works. 😅 If I can't write it all in one sitting, then I (generally) don't want to write it! 😝

Imo, the most important thing about a writing process is that it works for and serves the writer. Ofc, professional/reknowned writers have their own recommendations, processes, "do this!", "never do this!", but discovering my own needs and boundaries has been the most helpful for me.

A deep love and desire to write, along with the ~somewhat consistent time and availability to write, are ultimately the basis of my writing process. No, I don't wake up at 5am every day to write; no, I don't do many quick write exercises; no, I don't consciously implement challenges to better my writing; but yes I love writing, and even a sentence is better than no sentence at all. 🤓

[emeraldreverie]

Loz Reads 2024 Roundup pt 1

I am an avid reader. Here's Storygraph links and my reviews to some of my faves that I read this year.

Gender Outlaws: The Next Generation by S. Bear Bergman, Kate Bornstein

I think this definitely achieves what it sets out to do. Some pieces I loved, some I vehemently disagreed with, some will be touching me with echoes for decades. I def recommend.

Heavy: An American Memoir by Kiese Laymon

An important witness, hard to read needing digestion and space. I am compelled to reread it.

I'm a Terminal Cancer Patient, But I'm Fine. by Hilnama

A gracious, earnest, upfront depiction one person's experience with a terminal illness. I deeply appreciate how sincere and kind Hilnama depicted her situations and approach. Definitely some valuable lessons and reflections to take away that I appreciate being shared.

Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch by Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman

I have read The Book. Now I can watch The Show.

Yes it was good. I will likely read it again immediately.

[note for this tumblr post: am rereading, am in s2 of show]

Shubeik Lubeik by Deena Mohamed

Fantastic. Enthralling and compelling. Love the world set up and the philosophical questions it inspired!

A Stitch in Time by Andrew J. Robinson (audiobook)

I have read the prose of this before. This time I opted to listen to AJR's audiobook and legit cried when it finished. Thank you AJR for such a deeply felt book. My absolute favorite trek book.

The Single LIfe vol 1: 60-year-old lesbian who is single and living alone by Morishima Akiko

I demand more. So much more. *grabbiest of hands*

Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett

A delight. Truly fun and fantastic.

Seeds for the Swarm by Sim Kern

It drew me in hard and didn't let go. Great writing, great rep, great action. Excited if more happens!

Is Love the Answer? by Uta Isaki

Great! Really. An empathetic and honest discovery of self and realization of the falsehood of normality. Representation of both ace and aro orientations, of multiple flavor combos. I highly recommend.

(cont'd in pt 2)

[shipcestuous]

Helaemond + fig wasps anon actually reminded me of NegativeContinuity's connected Aemond-centric fics on AO3. The main pairing there is actually Aemond/Rhaenyra, but there's different ships both on-screen and hinted at. The first fic, "teething season", features this short but lovely, poignant scene:

"“The Doom was a mercy,” Helaena says, dreamily.

He splits bruised figs, Dorne’s sun sunk deep under their skin. Pieces with wasps he keeps to himself.

They sadden her. “You think so?”

“Yes. The Freehold would have torn itself apart. The Doom kept them from that pain.”

Grand Maester Mellos only smiles, an air of sorrow about him."

Here's a link to the fic: https://archiveofourown.org/works/42351876

And here's the other ones:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/42406008 (Aemond/Mysaria, but with Rhaenyra's shadow hovering over them)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/42538917 (Aemond/Rhaenyra)

Thanks, Anon! How fun to see the whole wasps/figs thing already existing in a fic.

I think it's so cool that there's a healthy little collection of Aemond/Rhaenyra stories.

[litcityblues]

Doctor Whoquest Part Three: Smith, Season 1

The debut season of Matt Smith (Season 5 of Nu-Who) also marked the beginning of a new era for Nu-Who with Russell T. Davies handing over the reins to Steven Moffat. Overall, I think the Moffat era might be my favorite of the three-- though I would like to finish watching the rest of Whittaker's seasons before I lock that into place. I think his story-telling and writing are top notches and he did a lot of interesting things with the show that didn't always come back to the inevitable return of the Daleks and/or Cybermen (though, both do show up now and again throughout his tenure.)

In terms of a double-debut then, I'm going to put down a marker: 'The Eleventh Hour' is the best debut episode for any Doctor in Nu-Who- maybe any Doctor ever. It just crackles with tension, introduces the new companions (though we don't know that about Rory yet) and teases the underlying mystery for the season (the crack in the wall), and does so with a time limit of twenty minutes or so. Plus: Olivia Coleman at the very end! This moment is one of my favorite moments in all of Nu-Who and is the perfect encapsulation of what Matt Smith ends up doing with the role. He just nails it. He's quirky, he's powerful, he's fun, he's stern all in the same sequence. Absolutely steps into the role and just owns it. (Bonus: this scene as well.)

I think the biggest surprise of the season- other than the brief appearance of the colorful shiny new Daleks, was the welcome return of the Sontarans in the two-parter 'The Hungry Earth'/'Cold Blood'-- I'm not a Classic Who Fan, so maybe the Sontarans don't feel like refreshing- but at the very least, they were a deep cut and made a nice change from, you know, the inevitability of the Daleks and/or Cybermen doing something.

This was a hell of a debut season. Sontarans! Space whales! Vincent Van Gogh! A wedding! The Weeping Angels! River Song! There was a little bit of everything and while yes, there were Cybermen and Daleks they were either working with other villains against the Doctor (a new angle on their usual usage) and weren't the main focus of the Season with the sole exception of 'Victory of the Daleks.'

I think Matt Smith and Peter Capaldi might have to duke it out for the title of my favorite Doctor. We'll see how I feel at the end of the Whoquest.

Three Episodes I Liked:

'The Time of Angels'/'Flesh and Stone': We first meet River Song in 'The Silence In The Library' which is a David Tennant episode, but here, she instantly becomes the most interesting character in Doctor Who and starts an arc that spans the Moffat era and ties back perfectly to her debut in 'The Silence In The Library.' It's excellent. Love it.

'Vincent and The Doctor': Meeting historical figures is a Doctor Who specialty, for obvious reasons, but Vincent Van Gogh was a treat. I loved the way they incorporated references to his art throughout the episode and I especially loved that they took him to the future to show him that it wasn't hopeless and that he would be revered as an artist-- sadly, it doesn't help, but that was such a wild choice, I loved it. (My idea would be to have the Doctor take Dr. James Naismith to like an NBA game. No idea why, but that's always rattled around my head after watching this episode.) It's just beautiful. poignant episode.

'The Pandorica Opens'/'The Big Bang': The two-parter to end the season is perfect. It was hinted at. It ties it all back together. The Doctor is brought back in such a cool way. It's perfect. Leaves you wanting and begging for more and it's the perfect platform to jump into the next season.

Two Episodes I Didn't Like:

'Victory Of The Daleks': Okay, 'dislike' is a strong word... it's not a bad episode, but again, I have Dalek fatigue. Even though there's a decent attempt to do something a little different with them with the introduction of the Cult of Skarro, I remember when this episode first dropped, people thought the new Daleks looked like Nissan Micras, which is an apt comparison. There's a tinge of 'new colorful car' about them that doesn't exactly scream 'genocidal alien race that can now do stairs'. While the Doctor taking them on with the jammy dodger is a nice bit of Matt Smith's quirkiness at work- I didn't mind that at all. Playing Winston Churchill is always a tall order, but Ian McNeice does all right. Going back to the Blitz feels like familiar territory when there are so many new places this season ends up going.

'The Vampires of Venice': I wrestled with this one so much, but while 'The Lodger' didn't exactly knock my socks off, the conceit of The Doctor having to be somebody's roommate was just too charming, and while vampires and Venice were a nice mix and the ending where the truth is revealed and the reason they came to Venice comes out (they were on the run from the mysterious 'Silence') it just lands as broadly 'okay.'

One Episode To Consider:

'Amy's Choice': This was a really interesting one as the Doctor, Amy, and Rory flip back and forth between two realities thanks to the Dream Lord (Toby Jones). In one, Amy and Rory are married. She's pregnant and they're being chased by old people possessed by aliens. In the other, they're trapped in a powerless TARDIS heading toward a cold star that will freeze them all to death. Ultimately, Amy choices the TARDIS reality after Rory is killed in the Future Reality because she doesn't want to be in a reality without him-- which would be a pretty decent Doctor Who episode in and of itself, but the twist at the end is one you don't see coming and it speaks to the layers of the Doctor's personality that we don't see.

Overall: This season might be the strongest debut of any of the modern Doctors. Matt Smith slips into the role effortlessly and makes it his own. Moffat takes the reins and quickly puts his stamp on the show and it's excellent. I really do think, as I said above, when it's all said and done, I'm going to be debating Capaldi vs Smith in my head, but wow does Smith just leap into this with both feet. Moffat brings back different villains. Works in Cybermen and the Daleks in an interesting, creative way that you don't see coming from a mile and a half away. Just an amazing debut season from top to bottom.

My Grade: 9/10

[mommalosthermind]

I can’t pick just one so~ here’s a not remotely comprehensive list of fics I have never gotten out of my head under a cut bc even tho I only did like five it’s Long:

Sterek! It’s a series so I’m probably cheating but this is one of my favorite hale pack fics that follows Stiles’ journey from bullied teen to detective-savior, with emphasis on growth and companionship. I don’t even know how to summarize this. It’s so good. So much happens. So much. Fantastic characterization, major deep dive into both stiles and Derek and Peter is so much fun.

Dean/cas! Merman cas!! Merman cas is kidnapped and needs to be rescued and everything gets real bad but love wins! …eventually. Yes It’s another series. Im not sorry. This fucked me up so bad. I have never had another story affect me so badly that I can never read it again or I’ll die. I am so serious. I love it so much, it put me fully through the wringer and I can’t ever read it again or I’ll straight up cease to exist. I think about this fic all the time.

Bakudeku! It was hard to narrow down which bkdk fic to pick bc I’ve been obsessing over so many good ones, like we wear chains on the weekend by surveycorpsjean (TRUST) or courting & coupons by s_the_queen (SO SOFT) but if we’re going most brainrot post read then this one has me chewing on the walls. The boys have to survive what is essentially a torture maze without their quirks and it’s just a gorgeous study in how well they know each other and how well they work as a unit.

Diluc/Kaeya— Kaeya’s cursed and loses the ability to speak. Listen. This is beautiful and I wanted to pour it into my veins while reading. The entire concept is just stellar and the way it’s written is so soft and sweet and heartbreaking. Diluc is trying so hard. Kaeya is so fucking sweet. Jean and Lisa need a vacation, but I am swooning. Secondary shoutout to literally everything kae_karo has ever written, like to love (and be loved in return) or fated to be doomed together.

Sskk- the best kind of crack fic in that it is deeply silly and somehow also deeply poignant. Aku has circulation problems and decides to stop pretending he isn’t deeply weird, and Atsushi doesn’t know how he became his caretaker but also if anyone else tries he will bite them. Gin is amazing. Fantastic character development, wonderfully done flow for the various relationships. Also everything by postcardorigami and scriveyner.

there are so many more fics that just will NOT leave me alone but this is getting so long sekjfnvskdjfnvoj

fuck it everyone tell me about one fanfic which has changed your brain chemistry

[ledarth]

Le Posh...

Archibald Isaac Thwaite

────────────────── ·  ·  · ♡

❝ Yes, my parents own my freedom and I do afford the comfort of distance with obedient silence, but do not mistake our estrangement for a belief that I no longer belong to the peerage. Those of us actually born and bred in it all know the rules of our milieu but in my infinite kindness, I'll issue a reminder on the most fundamental one: This is a members-only club, one purpose-built to keep commoners out and you, baby, you just don't look like one of us. ❞

Age:: 18

Height:: 188 cm

Born in London, England, he spent most of his younger years further up in Scotland, more specifically Edinburgh where he picked up the accent. Until 6, he was kept in the family house where his grandmother oversaw every minute of his existence alongside his nanny and the plethora of private tutors he was assigned. Eventually he earned to be sent back to London, where his parents resided with his older brother but was absolutely gutted to leave a younger sister behind. However, the cohabitation was not pleasant and he jumped on every opportunity to be away from home, whether it was educational, time at friends' houses or holidays in different locations. Luckily for him, his parents possessed properties in several countries and took great pride in telling others where their sons had chosen to study or reside at the moment. As a result, Archie had resided for at least 2 months in over 20 countries and will gladly call any of those residence home rather than the family house.

Polyglot:: Scottish Gaelic was a matter of familiar pride so he had to learn from infancy. France being the nearest neighbour, French was an obvious choice. His parents required learning an asian language and gave him free rein in the choice but reserved themselves one veto, which was used on Bahasa Malayu. Not planning to give them the pleasure of learning Chinese as they clearly intended him to do, he chose Punjabi, eighth most spoken language in the world. He also picked up on some Spanish during his time in Latin America (and theoretically knows some High Valyrian strictly for fun).

Alignment:: Lawful Neutral.

Sexuality:: Bi-sexual but will eagerly choose to conform to heterosexuality because it's just easier'. [He's got some things to unlearn/unpack regarding sexuality for sure.]

Hobbies:: He plays the Viola, has been playing since his infancy. At first it irritated him but now it calms him, helps him think more clearly when the notes ring in the air. He likes pizzicato a lot, pinching the strings feels so satisfactory. That has given him a genuine love for classical music but though he always apply to join orchestras when possible, he'd much rather listen to the music than play it so he goes to performances and the opera quite a bit. He will also happily spends evening in jazz bars, soaking in the atmosphere, maybe sneaking in a cigarillo to share with his friends. Of course he plays Polo, it is the sport of nobility per excellence, requiring both horsemanship and strategic prowess. He plays Lacrosse as well because Football was simply too pedestrian in his parents' opinion but a team sport where he'd actually interact with common folks felt like a nice addition to his pedigree. Finally Sailing felt like a key to freedom so he learnt and will eagerly spend time on his own sports Catamaran or on the family's sailboat. More discreet about his enjoyment for poetry, whether it is Catullus, Lorenzo De' Medici or more contemporaries such as Verlaine or Poe, he has a keen interest in the work and finds the earnestness of the post-colonial movement particularly poignant.

Specie :: Varies on the verse.

The case of a mysterious beast: This verse is the origin of the idea for this OC. In it, Archie is very much mortal but has magical ancestries thus magical affinities to eventually develop once his specificities are evaluated.

To Be Added.

Personality:: Arch has the expected deep and soothing voice, with a peaceful sort of cadence but tends to sound more high-pitched when he is flustered or more growly when he gets angry. His voice, betrays his emotions far more than his face, being who he is, he mastered a great deal of self-control. However, he never really seems aloof, he paints on hints of emotions based on what he evaluates the situation requires. Sternness and deference are the usuals he adopts around family, except for his little sister with whom he will expresses mirth and match her cheekiness. Around his peers, he will showcase matching glibness and adopt the smug smirk, confidence radiating enough to erase some of the jerk aura he'd carry. He knows himself and thus carries himself alluring enough to draw eyes to him and has enough creativity and conversation to be outright seductive when he bothers. The seduction, he mostly uses as a tool, sometimes sheerly to distract himself, at others to obtain something from someone, rarely to make someone like/love him. He's terrible at that particularly. Usually the intensity of his own, often unaddressed, feelings hits him like a freight train so he constantly has to keep a tightly shut lid on his emotions. Not particularly of a curious nature, he will adopt a very laissez-faire approach to things, content to simply witness the natural cycle of things and not particularly seeking to better anything for anyone. Not even himself. He's stagnant in the way water is, will let his own wounds fester and his traumas unaddressed unless someone or something quite literally impulses change for him, builds a path for the water to actually run. That stagnancy also means he doesn't go out of his way to upset or harm others, but unless he has a reason to, he won't go out of his way to prevent it either. Sometimes the reason can be as simple as a fondness for wounded creatures or as petty as the fact that he doesn't like the person perpetrating harm or as vapid as an audience he'd be perceived as a heroic figure by. If asked if he was a good person, Archie would asked what he'd get out of being one. If asked if he was a bad one, he'd ask what he'd get out of being one. He merely meanders through his own existence as is, not particularly alit but rather bored, perhaps seeking for something, or someone, to put an end to his dispassion and ennui. Though social, Archibald doesn't particularly mind being alone, because he's understood that the real loneliness is living among all these kind people who only ask one to pretend. He'll do it well too, but the vapidity doesn't elude him. Not particularly one to showcase his academic achievements, Arch remains a smart young man, astute and dedicated to the work he undertakes. He likes to finish things, to see them through clearly and doesn't settle for any less than great. Good is achievable by far too many and perfect is a fool's errand, so he'll settle for great, for memorable, for exemplary. Less, would be disappointing, or so has his family taught him. Sadly all this reasoning does not save him from crippling Atelophobia. That's because he didn't learn how to lick love from knives, rather he found a way to satisfy the hand supposed to feed it from silver spoon, even if he had to settle for drops at a time and endure terrible droughts in between. Particularly patient, his night time at boarding school was originally spent keeping himself awake so as to train himself to see people move in the dark, to feel them move. It was almost necessary training to avoid waking up covered with tasteless, obnoxious drawings all over your face and taught him how to discreetly perceive others' presence. But coupled with his sharp ear and inability to put his defenses down, it made him a light sleeper on good days and an insomniac on bad ones. He always considered sleeping a bit of a waste of time anyway. It's all very counterproductive to lay down doing nothing but try to shut down his inner thoughts. Demons that whispered during the day, happened to shout at night...

Backstory:: As much as Archie's parents will boast about belonging to the peerage, they remain of fairly low nobility, barely above the outskirts allowed to new money. Their title wasn't bought though, it was acquired the good old fashioned way: inheritance from extended family and some won't let them forget that they're not actually from the main branch of the family. Arch's father also takes great pride in the fact that his own father served in the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers and that their first born son now is a Royal Air Force Firefighter after retiring in the Army where he served as a Team Medic for a Ranger Regiment. Well, someone oughta be the Golden Child. And though Arch's older brother, Elijah, isn't particularly mean with him and actually does bother to check up on his younger siblings, the younger brother mostly feels resentment and a deep longing for a bond that could've been. Perhaps that's why he pours so much of his love and support into their younger sister, Eupraxia or Peppy for most, Eps, for him. Eupraxia, quite literally named good conduct makes a point of misbehaving and skirting punishment by being able to cry on command and muster particularly convincing simulacras of heartfelt apologies. Archie loves her to bits though he, at times, envies her ability to be so much of herself and finds so much enjoyment in that. They don't see each other much anymore, not living together and him only visiting when his schedule will allows for it. That and being able to stomach the presence of his grandmother, his first tormentor. The old bitter hag well understood that physical harm had to remain as mark-free as possible but that mental torment was however boundless. She wasn't particularly creative with it, locking him in cellars, depriving him of food, smacking his fingertips with a wooden spoon. What particularly disappointed her was the fact that he wasn't afraid of the dark nor did he cry in front of her. He got well-adjusted real fast, much to her chagrin and the single memory of intimacy ever traded between them was a polite peck to her cheek expected of him as he left the residence join his parents in London. He remembers so well because she'd asked it of him after seeing him embrace his nanny teary-eyed. All he'd wanted to do was step on one of her well-shined shoes to have her crouch in pain and spit in her face, but instead he sniffled his aching away and complied to find a satisfied smile blossoming on the old woman's lips. She still isn't dead, after all those years, even though she's been old as long as he's known her. It truly is the good ones that leave first so she's likely to outlive him.

Leaving the first home he's known for London wasn't as unpleasant as he'd imagined. His parents were wholly uninvolved eager to throw money and occupations at him so they could brag about those in front of others. Familiarity with his mother extends to a hand running through his hair when he takes ill and his father clasping him on his shoulder after a good game of polo or after watching a good game of whatever sport currently holds their interest. They always had dinner all together though and Eppy was even brought to London when Elijah was in town. They'd even go to events all together, to be seen as a harmonious family. Then a soon as Archie's education began to directly influence what his future would look like though, it was time for boarding schools and immersive traveling experiences. So when thinking of London he mostly looses himself in what ifs, what if he'd dared reaching out for his mother's hand like Peppy does, what if he'd asked his father what brandy tasted like like Elijah had boldly done at fourteen, what if he'd told them what his grandmother had done to him? Would his mother have looked at him and smiled fondly like she does at Eppy? Would he have been invited to the men's club along with his brother? Would he just be happier now? Would he actually stop always running from everywhere and hiding from everyone?

[mlobsters]

supernatural s15e1 back and to the future (w. andrew dabb)

find it a little weird that they're using the bob seger famous final scene song for the season premiere big recap thing, they used this song in an episode - for kevin's funeral pyre in 9x10. maybe they've reused a song like that (poignant moment within an ep and then a recap, they reuse recap songs certainly) before and i just didn't notice, did this time because that song is in my main playlist from when i watched that s9 episode. typing all that up, what a pointless thing to care about. not sure i vibe with the clips and music selection but they're really hit or miss for me in general. music thematically, yes. anything else, ehh

also been thinking like. i don't see why s13-14 (and 15 remains to be seen, obviously) are said to be so much worse than say, s7-12 (though 11 had bright spots for me not seen since way, way back - or hey, better than *gasp* s1-5 at times because it occasionally focused on good feelings in a way that was just not happening before.) and i'm sure i'm in the minority yet again but i just haven't particularly liked the main plots for most of the seasons. and while i had some big issues with s6, it didn't go campy-ridiculous for me until the leviathans. and again, for me, pretty much everything since has gone that direction. some not campy, but all pretty ridiculous. i tolerate, not delight :S but i'm here for the characters and relationships, so i keep on keeping on.

anyway. dark and jittery longer than i deem necessary battle in the graveyard which somehow became not a death sentence in between the season break

DEAN Great. So we go outside, we get ripped apart. We stay in here, w-what, starve to death?! CAS Well, I wouldn't starve. DEAN Well, good for you.

LOL good one, cas

CAS He's an abomination! BELPHEGOR You're an abomination with that stupid, dumb trench coat.

ooh burn. and so true

BELPHEGOR I mean, the last time I was on Earth, I mean, I was human. Ah, it was a while ago. I mean, but, you know, we were all worshipping this giant rock that looked like a huge penis, and... Anyway, folks back then, you know? Had a lot of humps. I mean, a lot. Look at 'em now. I mean, look at you. I mean, you're, uh, you know, gorgeous. DEAN What? Okay. When are you gonna get out of that body? BELPHEGOR Eh, when I find another one. I mean, I would've jumped at the cemetery, but all those meat suits were a little too, uh, you know, wormy. Difficult to blend, if you will

giving me leonardo dicaprio accent/cadence there with the wormy bit. weird. also mentioned dicaprio way back when he was in that nougat scene in 13x01. anyway, i mean this is something. can't resist the whole new character for the same actor thing. but seems like a more fun role for calvert

music they've got playing while sam and cas search the houses is pretty unique. i like it. this really muffled deep fast percussion. miracle. and jay gruska?? okay, i see you!! look at you, sir!!! finally coming up with a win

the killer clown makeup, good!

the blood mary wig and makeup, HORRENDOUS. reminds me of the knockoff ringu girl in 7x18. called it party city costume and makeup 🤪

spn s7e18 party on, garth

handy that the spell that needs a human heart, there's an abundance of freshly dead people around. i don't have the energy to even ponder what this demon's agenda is

BELPHEGOR What? Oh. No. I-I mean, uh... – I'm a fan. DEAN Excuse me? BELPHEGOR Yeah, I-I didn't want to say it in front of the other guys, but when you were in Hell, with Alastair, I, uh... I got a chance to watch you work. And, I mean, the things you did to those people, I mean, it wasn't torture. It was, um... It was art. DEAN Yeah, but that was a long time ago. BELPHEGOR Depends how you look at it.

dean surprisingly chill about this conversation. far more chill than i am. maybe he's been doing some work

so every door in hell opened, including the cage. ok. so is that how they finally address adam?

stupid god weapon which i assumed was lethal no matter what, well. festering at least.

and some sort of hallucination flashback vision who knows what i don't know what with evil!sam and dean begging sammy. great, visions 3.0?

lol, seen the gag reel gif from this scene where misha calls him dean instead of sam

it's fun that they're doing new spellwork magic stuff with a character, but. clearly it's gonna be some big Thing, what with how useful and powerful it is

not remembering why dean's being snippy with cas. i guess because he doesn't want to talk about jack dying? they've pretty well glossed over it

little more fester-y. needed some gooey bits to dab off with the gauze

DEAN Okay. Hey, do you remember when we were little? What I would do to distract you whenever I'd rip off a Band-Aid or something like that? SAM Yeah. You'd tell some stupid joke. DEAN Yeah. Knock, knock. Come on. Knock, knock. SAM Who's... DEAN Still got it.

cute cute. i don't care if it's pandering i will take any and all pre-series anecdotes

SAM Yeah. So, when Chuck… God… said "This is the End," I guess this is what he meant. DEAN Yeah, well. Screw him. He's been playing us this entire time. Just when we thought we had a choice. You know, whenever we thought we had free will. We were just rats in a maze. Sure, we could go left. Sure, we could go right. But we were still in the damn maze. Just makes you think, if all of it… you know, everything that we've done… What did it even mean? SAM It meant a lot. We still saved people. DEAN Yeah, but what for? You know? Just so he could throw another End of the World at us and then sit back and chug popcorn? SAM Maybe. Yeah, maybe. But… now he's gone. DEAN You think? SAM That's what he does. He gets bored and… and… and… and pulls the ripcord. I mean, that's what he did with Apocalypse World and… and probably with all of them. He moves on, starts another story. But you know what? Good. 'Cause if he bailed, it's just us. For the first time. It's just us. DEAN And about three billion ghosts. SAM Yeah, well, what's one more Apocalypse, right? But, seriously, if we win… When we win this, God's gone. Hm. There's no one to screw with us. There's no more maze. It's just us. And we're free. DEAN So you and me versus every soul in Hell? I like those odds. SAM Yeah, me too. DEAN Well, you know what that means. We got work to do.

also will always accept sam and dean vs the world

i'm not totally understanding this jumping to the conclusion that chuck is gone-gone. what with his repeated stated desire last episode that they're his favorite show. would presume he's just orchestrating his big farewell season arc

jay, it was too much to ask for good music throughout, i know. the music backing sam and dean's conversation at the end made me roll my eyes lol