#ahh the character development and the way relationships were explored in this show
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I am so sad that Nini and Ricky broke up, but damn did they write and act the shit out of that scene. It feels so authentic for childhood besties who live in smaller town to go through something like this. I think if Ricky were mentally in a good space and comfortable with change, they'd still be together. But he's had such negative experiences with change and now homies so scared. And Nini is growing and figuring out who she is outside of everyone else. And it's just a bad combination right now. They need to know who they are apart from each other. What are your thoughts on this season and character developments?
Ahh that’s a really good way to put it!! I agree with a lot of what you said about each of them, and I can even relate to the childhood besties/smaller town thing hahah. But my soft heart also just wishes it didn’t have to be like this, plus I want to believe there’s a way the show could’ve done this that would not have required a gut-wrenching breakup that caused both sides so much pain. Maybe they could have shown how honest conversation and mutual understanding can allow people to grow in a relationship together…how it’s possible to be on different paths yet still support one another……but I know this is a Disney show about high schoolers, so 😔
Anyways that’s just my wishful thinking—my true biggest gripe about this season is the writing. It’s been a little disappointing to me, kind of in general but especially when it comes to Nini 😢 To preface, I adore Olivia and I adore Nini. I thought Nini was so great in the first season; she was by far my favorite character. She could’ve just been one-dimensional, stereotypical “sweet and shy and nice but shockingly talented, everyone’s so surprised when they hear her sing!” but the depth and nuance given to her character + Olivia’s performance made her so much more than that. Season 1 Nini had some growing and maturing to do, yes for sure, but she was kind and empathetic and earnest and well-meaning—while also learning to believe in herself more and actively go after what she truly wants. It would’ve been so nice if this season she was still that person at heart, but with more maturity and strength, and a growing courage to explore new horizons. Idk if I’m alone in this, but I have sometimes felt like the Nini they’re writing this season is almost someone else entirely 😣 There have been moments or lines where I’ve just been confused, like ??? why would she say/do that, that’s not the Nini we know and love! She’s growing and nurturing her ambition, yes, and that’s genuinely great!! She is so much stronger and more confident and I absolutely love that, but outside of that, her characterization this season feels inconsistent to me. Olivia’s acting has been excellent (the entire cast is on a whole other level this season!) but I’ve just been disappointed in some of the writing she’s been given.
That being said, this season just in general feels inconsistent lol 😩 The plotlines are all over the place, the timing and pacing is a little weird, some of the characterization is rough, some choices don’t make a lot of sense.....it’s like Tim was just like, here’s how we can keep things interesting: let’s try to mess up all of our most beloved characters and relationships, throw in a love triangle here, insert ANOTHER love triangle there because fans sure enjoy those, use time jumps between episodes so we don’t have to actually show certain things, and not sing or reference HSM a single time after the first episode!!
Season 1 is the kind of season of television that I can rewatch from start to finish multiple times in literally the same week and not get tired of it!!! It has this ✨magic✨ that Season 2 (while still having plenty of great moments!) just hasn’t quite captured for me. I’m sorry, maybe this sounds a little harsh hahaha I am fully aware that this is literally a Disney tv show, and pandemic precautions made things a lot more difficult, and also I know that the “sophomore slump” (aka season 2 struggles) is a real thing in tv! So I’m definitely hoping they figure it out in the remaining episodes, or are given the chance to try again in a third season. That’s the optimistic note I’m leaving this on; y’all know that I DO genuinely still love this show or I wouldn’t be here at all much less making gifs for it sldkfjslf
Wow I apologize for unintentionally writing an essay.....again, these are all just thoughts that have been floating around in my brain, I really hope no one takes offense to any of it!! I only meant to put a few of my scrambled feelings into words so if you actually read all of this, I applaud you and I’m sorry 😂❤️
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Sen Çal Kapımı / Edser ask from episode 43 (2x04)
AKA Serkan’s episode.
There is also speculation about episode 44 based on the fragmans and a few random asks
(Asks under the cut)
Anonymous asked: Hey, Liza! How did you like the ep? I still get chills when watching the diary x video scene and the final one.. Finally the truth is out to both Serkan and Kiraz! And that fragman! 😍 but It seems like Aydan filing for custody will be the new drama, do you think it will last long? Because I highly doubt that they will give solely happy edser and Kiraz in remaining episodes..
My full episode thoughts are here, but I agree the diary and video scene was spectacular. It makes me teary every time.
I’m also psyched that the truth is out. Truthfully, I was one that wanted Serkan to find out at the end of the first episode, but now I concede that it was better to draw it out a bit to really build everything up to this episode and his journey to letting go of his fears. What a character arc they gave him. They really explored Serkan and what drives him this episode and it was a treat-- a painful treat-- to watch it all unfold and for him to finally admit what had driven him to push her away all those years ago and what was still holding him back in the present.
As for what’s next, that’s a great question. I agree that it’s unlikely we’re going to get happy Edser family from here on out, there has to be some obstacles and drama before we get to the end. The Aydan custody drama will clearly be the conflict in episode 5, but I don’t see it as any real barrier for Eda and Serkan. We see in the second fragman that Eda is already confronting Serkan about it, so if Aydan is doing something underhanded they can’t draw it out too long.
I assume that while the custody thing may cause a wee bit of miscommunication between Eda and Serkan, I think it mostly will serve as fodder for Aydan and Ayfer’s relationship dynamic and give the supporting characters something to run around and chase after while Eda, Serkan and Kiraz actually start forming their new family unit. If anything it might serve as a catalyst for Serkan. Picture it, Eda confronts Serkan about it and Serkan is like “I don’t know anything about that, I wouldn’t do something that would hurt you or Kiraz, but I do want her, I want us.” You know, serve to clarify things.
There are probably a few episodes of family drama in store for us as everyone, including Eda, Serkan and Kiraz adjust to this new reality. I assume once the euphoria of having her Baba back wears off for Kiraz, she might ask some questions that are hard for Eda and Serkan to answer. We shall see.
Anonymous asked: i don't think i've cried THIS much at an sck episode... in like ever lmao. i was full on silent sobbing at serkan watching kiraz's baby videos.. but the scene i really loved the most was the one where they have it out after that fancy dinner. it was EVERYTHING we needed to hear serkan's POV and i almost can't believe a lot of us got the "can't have kids" theory right. i have loved so much this season how edser have communicated, even when it's painful and hard.. it was sorely missing for them.
I know! The communication! I don’t think they’ve ever communicated like this. Of course their issues were not as deep and nuanced back in the first batch of episodes so going this in-depth wasn’t necessary, but they didn’t communicate like this when dealing with Babaanne or when it was really needed after the amnesia era.
Honestly, so pleased the “can’t have kids” theory was correct. It goes so far in explaining his actions and thought process when pushing her away, as distorted as that thought process was. It truly was selfless, because I’m sure all he wanted was to hold her tight and never let go, but it was also so unnecessary. Their love story has just been so tragic, but if you think about how many things were stacked against them, it’s also stunning that their love has persevered. They were so opposite and unlikely to fall in love to begin with and then you add in all the things that stood in their way, meddling mothers, family secrets, Serkan’s father being responsible for her parents death, evil, rich, powerful grandmother using everything in her considerable arsenal to keep them apart, psycho stalkers, kidnapping princes, crashing planes, amnesia, brainwashing and abusive exes, plotting “friends,” tumor, cancer, separation!
To come out of all of that and to see they are clearly still in love with one another... well they really don’t have any other choice. They should get married immediately with no pomp and circumstance just so they are legally tied together. So when the next tragic, catastrophic thing comes along it will be that much harder to pull them apart.
Anonymous asked: deniz and burak are the most harmless "3rd party" characters we've ever had in the show that it almost makes me laugh when ppl get so insecure about them.. especially with burak, knowing that he's gonna be melo's love interest, even if i don't want it. like, sure serkan is naturally gonna be jealous, maybe possessive, because of "buba" but it's all being shown right now as light comedic relief.. i've seen some people REALLY take it to heart when it really doesn't seem like it's that deep lol.
I know, it’s all so mild. They also aren’t actually even third party love interests, because there is absolutely zero interest from either side of the main pair. Both are there to a) serve plot purposes and b) show that neither Eda or Serkan is interested in anybody else. It’s nice, we get to see that while they both have had options, neither has been able to move on and both have chosen to remain alone.
As for driving the plot, Burak’s presence was necessary because they needed someone who Serkan thought was Kiraz’s father, and Deniz was necessary because they needed someone who would do whatever Serkan wanted when Serkan wanted to force proximity with Eda.
Looking at the fragman, the real “triangle” might be Buba - Kiraz - Baba but I also think that will mostly be played for laughs. A way to give us some “Drain the pool” and “Burn the flowers” type jealousy moments from Serkan, since that was a hallmark of Ayse’s early writing.
However, I can see why some folks were put-off by that vibe. Because, yes, if you’ve been standing in as a male-figure for the 5-year-old daughter of the woman you’re tying to woo (let’s not pretend that’s not why Burak takes such an interest in Kiraz) and the father that the 5-year-old has been wanting and pining for actually re-enters the picture, maybe you don’t need to force your way in and have “Buba day” the day after he returns. I’m not saying you can’t have it ever again, I’m saying you let the family have some alone time and figure things out. Anyone with any emotional intelligence would postpone such an outing. However, it looks like Serkan is not put off so easily and we know he doesn’t lose, so it will probably lead to humorous scenes.
The good thing about this is that it shows that Serkan won’t sit passively by. Here Burak is giving him an out, Serkan can have his day back, go to work, he can slide into fatherhood slowly, but looks like Serkan is going to have none of that and is going to crash their fishing outing. How’s that for someone who said he wasn’t ready for fatherhood a mere 24-48 hours earlier?
Also it’s worth noting that Kiraz doesn’t see Burak as a father-figure, if she did she probably would have joined Ayfer and tried to get her mom to marry him. Instead she’s been almost obsessed with her father, talking about him, dreaming about him, wanting him and was very quick to correct when someone mistook Baba and Buba. Also she wanted Buba to meet her father. So Kiraz wanting to spend time with him isn’t a slight, in her mind he’s a friend, an uncle and with all the upheaval keeping their plans might feel safe to her. We’ll see.
martha0206 asked: Hi! I love your pinned post. That moment was perfect. Also, I loved the sad and emotional scenes as well as the funny ones. The episode was amazing!!! ❤ Serkan made Kiraz dream come true and I've rewatched that scene and cried because it's too beautiful and touching 🥺 K: Dad? S: Happy Birthday, my daughter 🥺😭❤
Ahh... this post that was pinned. Thank you for the kind words, I also love that scene. I just love it because it’s such an EXTRA thing to do, putting on the astronaut costume and making an entrance like that, but both Serkan and Eda have always been so extra that it works for their little family.
I love that he made Kiraz’s dream come true in the most dramatic way possible. But beyond being dramatic, it was the perfect way to signal that no matter what fears or hang-ups Serkan had, he’s committed to getting over them and he’s ready to go all in on fatherhood. A perfect way to show not only Eda that he’s serious, but to show all their friends and family he’s serious. DO YOU HEAR THAT, AYFER? He’s back and he’s going to be her daddy, and there is nothing you can do about it!
Anonymous asked: do you think the writers goal is to make us hate Ayfer and Aydan? because its just a deeper and deeper hole for these two and I don't understand if they're supposed to be a happy family at the end. I actually realized going back that Ayfer never really developed into liking Serkan/Edser, she just accepted him one day and that was that but with Aydan, her character development was top tier up until episode 29 came along and she never recovered. Now I just want them gone.
LOL, I think this is a pretty popular sentiment among fans.
Personally, I need to see how badly Aydan is meddling in the next episode. If it’s fairly inept meddling that just causes some mild misunderstandings but also serves as a catalyst for an Edser conversation about the future, I probably won’t get too upset with her. However, if her meddling is more competent this time and she gets them into real trouble or causes real problems, then I’ll get annoyed with her. Although, I have to say if we need a few episodes of drama, I would rather this sort of controlled, family drama (meddling mamas causing a misunderstanding about custody) then, you know, other melodramatic things that certain other writing teams used to do... like kidnappings and obsessed stalkers.
As for Aydan, I can’t help it, even though I can never forgive her transgression in 29, I feel sorry that she lost out on so much of her granddaughter’s life. So if she wants to come in and cause headaches and drama for Ayfer (not Eda, Kiraz and Serkan... but Ayfer) then I have no problem with that. As far as I’m concerned those two can run around for the next few episodes playing cat and mouse while Eda/Serkan/Kiraz quietly form a family.
Honestly, I don’t think they want us to hate Aydan, because they give Aydan funny scenes and relationships outside of Serkan with Kemal and Seyfi and even Engin and Piril, but I have wondered if they want us to hate Ayfer. Because Ayfer doesn’t get any redeeming scenes. I mean we’re talking about a woman who managed to raise her orphaned niece and her niece never wanted for love and turned out to be a strong, smart, confidence, successful woman... sooooo she must be awesome, right!?! NOPE. I mean to take a character like that, who had to have been so instrumental in Eda not feeling lonely like Serkan did, but then make her so unlikeable... it has to be on purpose.
Anonymous asked: I loved this episode of sen cal kapimi. I wasn’t so mad at the pregnancy thing. I know lots of fans are but I really liked how they made Eda and Serkan emotional and we could understand them better. I just hate how all the people who don’t like the show anymore have turned into toxic haters. It’s so frustrating. If she show isnt working for you, then why do they keep watching? 🙁
This happens in every fandom where the show keeps going and takes turns that some fans don’t like. My best advice is to not expect others to change or to stop watching or stop hate tweeting/posting, but to take steps to change your own experience so they don’t ruin it for you. I can’t tell you how many people I currently have muted on twitter. Lots. I don’t want to see the cynical, nasty tweets day in and day out about this show, the writers etc. Twitter has always been hard to take because so many people post their knee-jerk responses there and often choose to word vomit their first emotional response which for some people is mostly negative. That is true for every fandom, and has been true for this fandom since I started looking at responses there.
So to protect yourself, seek out people who are enjoying the show and post content that you want to see and mute, unfollow or even block those who make your experience worse.
You’ll never regret curating your experience.
Also I don’t really consider this fandom toxic. Sure there’s negativity about the storyline and internal drama about a variety of things, but after you’ve been though shipwars that get hella toxic and include fans trying to destroy actor’s careers and who attempt to use social justice issues to bully their fanon ships into existence on a constant day-after-day basis for years, this is nothing. This fandom is a daisy-lined, sunlight walk in the park in comparison.
Anonymous asked: For the way they treat their child's SO, I prefer Aydan over Ayfer. Ofc Aydan has been selfish & rude to Eda but Aydan saw her as a respectable foe even when she didn't like Eda. Even now her ire has been directed more at Ayfer than Eda. Ayfer eventually accepted Serkan but never seemed to like him. I get why she thought he was bad for Eda but often her anger has been unwarranted. Ironic how mad she was at him for keeping a secret from Eda for 2 weeks. Even now we see how Ayfer's anger sways Eda
I also prefer Aydan over Ayfer, here’s my recent post on it.
The problem is not that Ayfer never liked Serkan, the problem is that Ayfer never care that Eda did like him. Ayfer can dislike him all she wants as long as she doesn’t interfere, but oh wait, she has interfered, time and time again. She’s used guilt and manipulation in attempts to control Eda at every turn, to the point, at times, of not caring that she was forcing Eda to sacrifice her career as well as her love.
It will be interesting to see Ayfer’s response when she realizes Eda is going to let Serkan into their lives. Will she double down on badmouthing Serkan and pressuring Eda not to get involved with him, or will she smarten up and back off? I think we know the answer to that.
Anonymous asked: Hii! I’m curious what they will come up with for the remaining episodes, I mean, drama-wise, cause no way will Ayse give us 7 episodes of Edser x Kiraz happy family time 🥺 but sure, that is also reasonable since Turks need drama to keep watching
You know, as I said above, I’m very curious about this. To be honest I didn’t really expect Eda and Serkan to be at this emotional place by the 4th episode. I mean they’re not totally ready to get back together, but they’ve both made it obvious that they still love one another, and that is kind of a big milestone in a romantic story.
Seriously, my assumption prior to the season was that we’d have these initial finding out episodes, and then Eda and Serkan would still be sort of outwardly pretending that they didn’t want to get back together, or still angry at one another, but then they’d be forced together by Kiraz. You know there’d be some parent trapping, and a handcuff episodes and then Kiraz would manipulate them into living together and we’d get all sorts of domestic sexual tension scenes. Now these things may still happen to some degree, but Edser is starting from a very different outward emotional place than I thought they would be. I assumed we’d get another 4-5 episodes of slow burn, forced proximity before they admitted things and got engaged. But now it feels like their feelings are out in the open and they could decide to get married at any moment.
So we’ll have to see how the writer’s decide to chart their emotional journey over the remaining episodes. One thing I’m sure of, there are some wonderful scenes coming our way.
Anonymous asked: I'm back and happy to say that Engin delivered!! THAT is how you use a side character. (Not whatever they were doing with Ayfer for what seemed like half the episode) This was a perfect scene for these two and had no business being as emotional as it was
Oh, yes, as I said here in my episode thoughts, the Engin/Serkan scene is the one that really started me crying on first watch. Anil was really fantastic in that scene and it made me realize how sorely I had missed Serkan/Engin as male best friends who actually talk about their emotions. Where was that guy when Serkan was being brainwashed and manipulated by Selin!?! Oh yeah he was in the hands of inept writers.
Glad the real Engin is back!
Anonymous asked: Serkan's vehemence against wanting kids, and his dislike of kids in general, make so much more sense with what was revealed.. we just had to be patient! I can't imagine wanting something so much, having it be your "dream" and being told it's impossible.. Serkan's method of dealing with it was trying to convince himself he never wanted it in the first place and trying to dislike the topic altogether. no wonder he was never close with Can either as an uncle... how heartbreaking!
Yes, I absolutely think that was part of it. He dealt with the fact that he couldn't have children by outwardly adopting the attitude that he never wanted it, even though he still knew deep down that it’s all he wanted with Eda.
Heartbreaking indeed.
Anonymous asked: i hate to think of more drama when it seems like we have such a fluff-filled episode next week.. but this week's conversations b/w edser have me thinking.. do you think a possibility of reoccurrence of his tumor, or just a scare could be coming as one of their "final" hurdles. except this time instead of making his mistakes from the past, he'll do it right this time. obviously everything will be resolved happily, but i was thinking of the possibility of this when serkan was discussing his health
While anything is possible, I don’t see a reoccurrence of his tumor happening because they had a scene where the doctor said he was in perfect health and that since it had been five years he now had the same chance of occurrence as an ordinary person. However, I suppose it’s not impossible that they give him some sort of scare so that he can prove he’s changed and that they won’t abandon his family if that sort of adversity comes again.
Honestly, if I was Eda, I would make him go to therapy as a condition of them getting back together. Make sure he develops some coping skills for the long haul.
Anonymous asked: the ending of the last episode was equivalent to ep 11 but kiraz version for me.. the whole build-up of serkan initially thinking he can't be her father - a good father - and his fears about leaving them both halfway culminating in him saying kiraz is a miracle, that she's perfect.. watching her home videos to showing up WHEN IT MATTERED!! for his daughter.. ugh i'm so glad there was that build-up, but also that it wasn't stretched out over multiple episodes.
Yes, I agree it was all really well done. It did feel like we had all the build up we needed to truly appreciate the moment and to appreciate Serkan’s extraordinary character arc.
He truly rose to the occasion at the right moment, and I love that his grand gesture not only made Kiraz’s dream come true, but it showed everyone his growth and acceptance of his role as her father.
Anonymous asked: can they just bring back Tahir - him and Melo had so much potential. let's just say he finally quit working for Babaanne and decided to come back to Istanbul to find Melo 😊
Yes, please! He really liked her! Though she never really liked him, lmao. She could have gotten there with time. Though, I guess if she really likes Burak I can get behind it. And by that I mean I won’t bitch about it too much. No promises. We shall see.
Anonymous asked: Anon here! Thank you so much for that explanation!!!! It seems really interesting, might just have to give it a chance now! Thank you kindly 😊😊
It’s a fun show and I do recommend it. Let me know if you start watching!
#Sen Çal Kapımı#Sen Cal Kapimi#edser#sck episode discussion#sck discussion#edser discussion#serkan bolat#sckask#asklizac#anonymous
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Happy anniversary to the Good Omens TV show! I didn’t get the chance to write a fic specifically to celebrate (where did May go? Perhaps I’ll do something in June for my own go-versary), so instead here I am with 25 recs :D Thanks so much to @forineffablereasons for the bingo board (here is her original post)! And thanks so much to the Good Omens fandom for countless hours of incredible fic to read and enjoy <3 Obviously, this list barely scratches the surface of what’s out there, but here are some of my favorites!
A fic you’ve read several times: South Downs University series by @nieded
I’ve read this series probably... ten times, and I still love it. It fits (one of my absolute favorite) very niche categories with Crowley and Aziraphale being cryptid professors and utterly confusing their students, and i am HERE for it
A fic not abt Aziraphale and Crowley: Bridge over troubled water by @moondawntreader
LISTEN this fic is so good, I’ve read it probably four times and it’s incredible. Short, but so powerful in so few words. Leslie/Maud is the true otp ;D
A fic published before the show aired: Slytherin Vaguely Downwards by @saviobriion
This fic is really, really well-written, and does a fantastic job transporting many Good Omens characters into the HP universe in a way that works really well!
A fic you followed as a wip: on the same page by @thechekhov
Still a WIP, and still incredible! Az and Crowley as authors with their own Arrangement is already fantastic, but add in the fake-dating-while-pining-desperately? Incredible!
a human AU: secondhand smoke by @paintedvanilla
This is probably my favorite fic in the entire good omens fandom tbh... human au set in the 1990s, and so so so well done-- this is another fic I’ve read several times, and every time i notice something new. The characterization and prose is fantastic, the development of Crowley and Aziraphale’s relationship is really sweet and realistic, and this was also the fic that definitively got me on board for Newt/Anathema as well!
A fic shorter than 2k: For Holding by theycallmeDernhelm
Ahh this one is really soft! Post-apocalypse hand holding is my jam, and the author does a lovely job of saying so much in so few words <3
A fic you stayed up way too late reading: Not So Different by effing_gravity
I stayed up until maybe... three in the morning reading this fic? After every chapter I would tell myself to only read one more, but it was so gripping I read it all in one sitting! Reverse omens meets the canon husbands in a super interesting and thrilling fic!
A south downs fic: The consciousness of loving and being loved by yolkinthejump
This is like... the platonic ideal of a South Downs fic imo. The author does an absolutely incredible job of conveying the depth of their relationship, and it’s so sweet and soft and <3
A fic with a favorite trope: There goes the neighbourhood by @jasmine-cottage-uk
so technically I’m cheating because the ‘favorite trope’ in this one is ALSO south downs (like above), but. This fic is so funny, and the author does a great job of capturing Aziraphale and Crowley’s voices and the way the care for each other, it’s very sweet <3
A dowling years fic: Floriography by Frenchmeister
This fic is very cute! Excellent Dowling-era pining, complete with misunderstandings and veiled communications :D And the author does such a lovely job weaving the narrative to show Aziraphale and Crowley’s growing relationship
A historical fic: Phersu by JCutter
This fic. THIS FIC. Is so fucking incredibly detailed and immersive, oh my god. I’m still (admittedly) in the process of reading it, but it’s a GEM. The characterization is on point and the whole thing is beautifully written and wonderfully interesting! It’s super clear the author knew what they were writing about, and that knowledge and passion really shines through
A favorite canonverse fic: England's pleasant pastures seen by @heavens-bookshop
this fic is my JAM-- overhearing a conversation, implicit marriage proposals, post-canon sweetness... this one’s got it all! And, as with all of their fics, squiddz does an incredible job of writing Aziraphale and Crowley in character and so wonderfully in love <3
MY FIC: A Guide to Fame for the Enterprising Demon by me!
This is my favorite fic I’ve written for Good Omens, and quite possibly my favorite fic ever. Listen, Crowley getting accidentally famous is SO funny to me, as is outsider pov, so if I write about it a lot... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
A fic that made you cry: reasons wretched and divine by @stammiviktor
Allison has been one of my favorite writers for a good long while, and this fic is just one of her amazing works. It’s touching and meaningful and so moving even in only a few thousand words, and between her characterization and writing style... this one packs a punch in the best of ways
A fic that inspires you: The Name of the Star is Wormwood by LusBeatha
So technically this could have gone up above, in the ‘stayed up too late reading’ category, because here’s another that was just too exciting to put down From beginning to end, the author does and incredible job connecting the past and present, and introducing characters in such an engaging way that, even though the fic is quite long, it goes by super fast. Probably my fave take on Raphael!Crowley :D
A fic you’d recommend to someone new to the fandom: Shotgun Wedding: sometimes a first date requires paperwork by @charlottemadison42
Still a wip, and absolutely amazing! Charlotte is an absolutely incredible author, and from the very beginning this fic does an amazing job of integrating canon characters (and even little nods and references to canon!) into an entirely different human au setting in a super engaging and clever way. 12/10 would recommend to someone new, and the slow burn is incredibly satisfying right up to the (current) resolution!
A comfort fic: it's a new craze by @areyougonnabe, [podfic] it's a new craze by @niceandaccuratetheatre
I’ve read this fic a few times, and it never gets old. attheborder’s humor is on point, and the conception itself- aziraphale and crowley on an advice podcast- is incredible! I would highly, highly recommend listening to the podfic if you can; it’s excellently performed, and in all honesty the podfic that got me onto podfics ;D
A fic that found you at the right time: two dad shaped beings by @jarchivism
i....... cannot express how much I love ineffable parents. And this fic seriously, seriously hits the spot. It’s super cute, super funny, and a really sweet and engaging read! The author did a lovely job with keeping Az and Crowley in character even as they raise the antichrist together
A fic you’d love to see as a movie: All's Fair In Love And Serial Killing by @wyvernquill
[Mind the tags] This fic does an incredible job of balancing darker content with humor. The whole story is fast-paced and exciting, keeping the suspense right up until the last moment, and the author does a fantastic job of constructing a satisfying ‘mystery!’ Most of all, the more morbid moments are countered by Wyvern’s clever writing style and narrative voice, making this fic interesting and even surprisingly fun!
A fic by a favorite author: Four Cups of Wine by borealowl
I really, really love this fic. The whole concept, of Aziraphale and Crowley getting to know a family of humans and learn about their cultural heritage through celebration is wonderful, and the author does a wonderful job of portraying the growth of their friendship! The entire series (both main fic and the one-shots that come after) is incredibly fun and interesting, and one of my faves in the fandom
A fic that made you laugh out loud: What's in a Name? by @rosen-ritter
The first time I read this I was in public, waiting at a car rental place for my grandparents. So the fact that I couldn’t stop laughing out loud was... honestly worth it. This series is so fucking funny from beginning to end, especially on reread, and has such a fun take on who the archangel Raphael really is ;D
A fic longer than 20k: Dad Omens by @pookaseraph
have I mentioned I love ineffable parents??? Because I really, really do. This fic is hilarious, sweet, and adorable, and I absolutely love the progression of Crowley and Aziraphale’s relationship as they raise Adam together-- and, despite not being human, raise him well :D An absolutely wonderful take on what if the baby swap had been even more confused?
A fic with the them: and i don't care if you don't want me (i'm yours anyhow) by @quidfree
The main focus of this fic is Warlock, but the Them are featured pretty heavily and in a really important way! It’s a lovely exploration of kids growing up and going to college, and learning who they really are, and written so well and with such nuance that I really couldn’t put it down!
A fic with a line you still remember: A More Nourishing Love by @qorktrees
This fic is just. Really powerful. It’s so, so clear how much Aziraphale and Crowley care for each other, how much they love and support each other, and their unconditional love for each other makes me tear up every time <3
A GO: Lockdown fic: New slang by @carishouldbesleeping
This fic is super super cute! A lovely take on Aziraphale and Crowley’s reunion post-lockdown, complete with fluff and love confessions <3 So well-written and absolutely adorable!
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Happy Fanfic Writer Friday (#FFWF)! Tell us the meta about your writing that you really want to ramble about (symbolism you’ve included, character or relationship development that you love, hidden references, callbacks or clues for future scenes?)
Happy Fanfic Writer Friday!!
AHh this is such a fun question! My thoughts are a bit all over the place so I might just jot them down based on each story/series. Enjoy!
A Soul’s Best Friend / Soul Guide AU:
During the first chapter, Peter describes Tiger as having “stark blue eyes”, which is both a reference to Tony’s name and the blue eyes that Tony has in the comics
Tony claiming that he “wasn’t a cat person” was entirely a joke, but turned out to be pretty fitting for his self-deprecating nature as well hah! (This is something we’ll get to see more of in the sequel too)
Rhodey’s soul guide is a platypus, and you all know why lol
Soul guides reflect the physical and mental wellbeing of their counterpart, which can be seen in Tiger’s scars as the first one is physical (shrapnel in the chest) while the second one is mental (Cap’s betrayal)
Having the soul guides in this AU means that Tony and Peter already have a pretty strong connection before they ever meet in person, and that’s why their reveal was so important to me because they know a side of each other that no one else does, and the sequel gets to explore them figuring out a new understanding of each other after fifteen years. It’s heaps of fun!
Writing Happy and Peter’s interactions in I’ll Hold You Till the Morning Comes was one of my favourite parts of that story because it shows Happy’s softer, protective side, and also hints at a comradery they will share in future instalments
In this AU Happy’s soulmate is Pepper (in a completely platonic way), and this is a reference to their comic origins where they were actually married which... continues to spin me out to this day lol
Turn my Day from Good to Great:
Some of the employees that Peter talks to during this story are named after my family members :D
Return to Me, the One I Love so Endlessly:
I think everybody already gathered this one but Peter’s original name, James, was in honour of Tony’s best friend James “Rhodey” Rhodes.
During the second chapter Tony praises Peter for small things like his cooking and his first aid work, and you can see how much it impacts Peter because he rarely gets praise from Beck. He’s spent three years with Beck as the only person to talk to, so Peter rushes to speak to Tony while also being afraid to speak too much at the same time. These are all things that Tony will help him work through in the coming chapters.
The stars that Peter mentions looking at during chapter one hints at an important aspect of chapter three
When Peter recalls the day of the OsCorp field trip, you can see Beck’s double sided nature as he abuses Peter and then takes care of him the next morning like it never happened. Beck is a very unstable character, and he believes in his own mind that he is doing what’s best for Peter and that he loves him like a father should, when in reality it’s a twisted sort of possession, not love.
That’s all I can think about for the moment, but this was heaps of fun! I hope you guys enjoyed reading those quick references/character studies! Thanks for the ask and I hope you have a great day!
-Superherotiger
#FFWF#fanfic writer friday#tiger talks#tw: child abuse#Soul Guide AU#Return to me the one i love so endlessly
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Rewatch meta: mirrors, connections, and intrusion in Aperitif & Amuse-Bouche
This is the first of what is intended to be a series of analytical posts based on what sticks out to me as I do a close rewatch of the show, roughly 1-3 episodes at a time. This first one will mainly focus on the introduction of major motifs and thematic elements in the show; future posts may follow in that vein or just whatever else about the episodes gets me thinking.
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One of the aspects of the show that makes it such a vibrant experience, and lends vibrancy in turn to analysis and transformative works in fandom is its rich use of motif in how it communicates what is important and what is going on with the characters and in the narrative. The first two episodes are set up: they present to us the main characters along with the essentials of who they are, and they’re the opening sally of (some of) major themes and motifs.
Mirrors
Okay, the first thing I’m going to talk about here is not actually the aspect that got it included in this section, but I must: right before our very first look at Hannibal Lecter, we pan up his table and see fruit on a platter, mirrored in the polished surface of the wood. The fruit was the first thing that caught my eye, because of course it did, pomegranates being a pervasive motif in the fandom, and it’s an interesting layout: there are strong mythological associations for pomegranate (Hades & Persephone, etc) and figs (Dionysus, etc). Strawberries, somewhat less so; they are often associated with love, fertility, and/or new life, but in a less obvious-in-modern-pop-culture fashion.
So. An aesthetically beautiful array of fruit as a perfect symbolic introduction to the character of Hannibal! ... and then its mirror image in the shine of the table. Mirrors/the concept of mirroring will become a huge Thing specifically between Hannibal and Will over the course of the series. We also get “the mirrors in your mind can reflect the best of yourself, rather than the worst of someone else,” which honestly is a line that fascinates me in context of how, in seasons 2-3, the idea of Will and Hannibal blurring together, being mirror images to each other/two sides to a coin gets played with and explored.
The irony here is that Hannibal really does want Will to be his authentic self - yet by the end of the series, whatever it may or may not have been Before (”Before you, and after you”), Will’s authentic self is in many ways a sort of mirror to Hannibal. An answer to the question of Hannibal, as much as Hannibal is an answer to the question of Will.
Connection
So the really obvious place this comes out in a big way is with the killer du jour for episode 2 - Stammets’s whole schtick is that he’s obsessed with creating gardens of physical connections between people in the form of his creepy (and GROSS, honestly this is the grossest episode in the show for me) mushroom graves.
But really, this is also ultimately one of the deepest-running themes of the show. It’s central to our Murder Husbands, both of them profoundly isolated from the rest of humanity until they find each other. It’s front-and-center with Franklyn and Tobias, both wanting to reach out to Hannibal (and Franklyn also to Tobias), and him having none of it. And it’s necessarily fundamental to all the other interpersonal relationships, in the explicit variation of how mutual a given connection between characters is (and often, the contrast in how each of them perceives that connection - “Could I ever have understood you?” “No.”).
And it’s more subtly emphasized in these two episodes as we’re being introduced to and developing an understanding of how Will works as an investigator.
“You make jumps you can’t explain.” “The *evidence* explains.”
“Associations come quickly.”
I roll my eyes every single time Hannibal says “pure empathy” in the show because while, yes, Will has plenty of empathy, as he protests to Jack in the very first scene, the point is he has an active imagination, and applies it to the evidence. Will is so good at what he does because he makes connections between general knowledge he has and details of the crime scenes that seem strange or even nonsensical to others. Antler velvet in the wounds? Well, what do I know about antler velvet? And then that knowledge he has about it promoting healing probably later supports his assertion that the killer experiences some form of love for his victims.
(It didn’t seem to fit in well in the earlier section, but the mirror motif also comes into play with the Shrike case in that the first Copycat murder is a distorted reflection of what the Shrike does, for the purposes of making the essential elements of the Shrike murders stand out more starkly to Will.)
In the Stammets case, his mental reconstruction at the crime scene itself is literally just a review of what they’ve already been able to conclude from the physical evidence, plus the inference that it’s not important to the killer that his victims be aware that they were dying, which is a fairly obvious one to make given the lack of restraints. Then, when they’re discussing it in the lab and cause of death has been determined, he’s able to do more with the information - he’s able to determine the how of the victims’ docile interment and from then it’s a quick series of fairly obvious jumps to who the killer must be.
Finally, the debut of the Ravenstag is the result of the sudden, vivid connection Will’s mind has made from the imagery of the Copycat scene - crows and a stag’s head, a murder and a message. The Ravenstag will go on to embody the spectre of death, an omen, but also in some ways a guardian.
Intrusion
Hoo boy is this show ever about that, and these episodes certainly do get off to a running start on this theme.
First of all, just about everyone and everything intruding on Will. There’s Jack in his classroom, there’s Hannibal in Jack’s office and then Will’s motel room, there’s Beverly in Elise Nichols’s room and then again (slightly less unwelcome) at the range, there’s Freddie Being Freddie, and then there’s his hallucinations.
We explicitly discuss the intrusive nature in which Will experiences his work:
“Fear is the price of imagination.”
“No forts in the bone arena of your skull for the things you love.”
And then we start to see the basis for Will’s trust in Hannibal start to form has Hannibal backs off in episode 2. He lets Will roam about the mezzanine of his office (literally circling Hannibal, and part of me wanted to talk about lions because of that and the line with Franklyn, but that felt like stretching a bit too much) while he stays below, gives answers to the questions Will lobs back at him, becomes someone who will push just enough to show concern and interest, but will gracefully retreat into safer waters at the right moment rather than press for ever more.
It’s beautiful and infuriating to me that this is both the truth and the smokescreen for actions that make it also a farce - Will and Hannibal’s relationship is characterized both by a strong, genuine interpersonal courtesy and a staggering degree of intrusion (mostly by Hannibal, though Will has his moments), and these things can and do frequently exist fully side by side.
The other notable single target of intrusion in these episodes is, of course, Hannibal.
Something I didn’t really consciously grok on my first couple of watchings of Jack and Hannibal’s first scene together is that while Jack is trying to flatter Hannibal rather than intimidate/command (as he was doing with Will), Jack is still being very nearly as pushy and invasive as he was in his first scene with Will: shows up unannounced, assumes Hannibal will make time for him without stating his purpose in being there (I love how visibly taken-aback he is when Hannibal tells him to wait in the damn waiting room), then wanders around Hannibal’s office and messes with his drawings while casually talking about Hannibal’s personal history before he ever gets around to The Point. Yes, Hannibal’s eventually pleased as punch with the results of that visit, but Jack’s behavior is what it is.
Then there’s Freddie (oh, Freddie), who will continue to be a wildly intrusive presence in his life over the next few years in various ways. And then there’s Will, himself, pushing back when Hannibal asks questions in their office sessions - and who will ultimately be The One True Intrusion, the destabilizing element that will cause Hannibal to tear his life as he knows it to the ground.
There are other ways this theme can be discussed in the context of these two episodes, but I’ve hit the main points I meant to and this has gotten lengthy enough already!
(Below the cut, for your potential amusement, a smattering of my notes from rewatching that didn’t necessarily make it into this.)
JACK DON'T TOUCH PEOPLE'S GLASSES
I will never get over the irony of "You have to convince yourself that the lion is not in the room. When it is I assure you, you will know."
pURe EMpatHY
ahh yes, the Teleporting Cannibal Episode
"I'd rather not take it from you" - have to wonder how much Freddie remembered that statement later, as she was starting to wonder if Hannibal might
be killing with Will
And here's our first mention of God enjoying killing.
#hannibal#aperitif#amuse bouche#season 1#meta#my meta#rewatch meta series#hannibal lecter#will graham#jack crawford
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My top 20 favorite Tokyo Ghoul characters
I usually only do top 10s but like...I love so many characters in Tokyo Ghoul it was really hard for me to do?? So I did more. Also DO NOT GET offended. Even my honorable mentions are very...very dear to me. (Also the places are just how mush I, myself, enjoyed the character not how great the character is or that your opinion isnt valid. And I skipped most of the Suzuya squad because they would probably dominate my top six or something and that wouldnt be fair haha )
Honerable mentions:
Hide:
Itori:
Arima:
Matsumae
Kimi
Nishiki:
Shirazu ginishi
THE ENTIRE SUZUYA SQUAD (Nakarai, Mikage, Mizurou, Hanbee.)
Now onto my list!
20. Shuu Tsukiyama
I really didnt like him much at first. He made me uncomfortable and really annoyed. I mean, yeah, certain times I thought he was pretty funny but he made me more and more unnerved the longer I saw him. But then when I saw his nicer side and especially during seeing his loyalty and love for his family he started to grow on me. And now hes on this list!
19. Rize Kamishiro
Rize always was interesting to me. I wondered how she got to where she was, why she was so important in the ghoul world and just how she got to be so strong. Not to mention her characters personality made me very compiled to her. Then I got her backstory and understood her more. I liked her even more and began to respect her character.
18. Renj Yomo
I always liked his ‘silent protector’ vibe even before finding out his backstory. I thought he was loyal and smart. And then it was revealed that he was the uncle to some very improtant characters and it made me love him even more. His backstory contributed to his gruffness and protective nature and not to mention his kagune is freaking AWESOME.
17. Ayato Kirishima
Hes grown into someone I really enjoy. I...really didnt like him. He hurt Touka and acted like an ass the whole time. Then I saw a softer side when it came to Hinami. He was so concerned and cared about her so much that it touched me a lot. And he was a little more calm and controlled compared to what he had been in the first series as well. He developed into someone who not only cared for his love interest but his family and those important to both of them as well.
16. Amon Koutarou
Amon, poor poor Amon. This guy has went through a whole lot during his time in the series. And hes accepted a lot as well. I always liked Amon even before everything like changed him. He seemed like a really cool guy who truly did what he thought was best. Then he learned what we the audience already knew. That ghouls weren’t as bad as everyone thought they were. And then fought for peace. And that coupled with how much he tried to help Seidou and loved Akira made be like and respect his character even more.
15. Kurona Yasuhisa
Another character I really liked from the beginning. See, I have a weakness for twins. I always loved the idea of one and think that no matter the relationship they are always interesting to watch in media. And her relationship with Nashiro, while not explored a whole lot, was still prominent and known. And her denial about her death and the form of insanity she went through because of it was both sad and entertaining to watch. The fact that she started to think about forgiving the person who killed her as well was...amazing. Over all I wish she was explored a bit more but am happy with what I got.
14. Urie Kuki
Another character that I slowly learned to appreciate. He started out as someone who cared only for his own motives but after losing someone who he hadnt realized he cared for he begun to care for his team and mant to protect them as much as he can. Becoming someone worthy of their loyalty and love. Going as far as to save one of the ones who betrayed him and tried to kill him just to get them all together again and keep his promise to his dead friend.
13. Ui Koori
Im not sure what made me drawn to him? Maybe his relationship with Hairu or his sense of Justice? I dont know but I do know that I like seeing his appearances. His fights and thought process was always fun as well. Over all Im not sure why I like him all I know is that I really do haha
12. Ken Kaneki
Okay I know, its basically illegal to have him so low on my list but honestly? I never really got that deep into his character? I mean he was sweet at first but then he was kind of boring? And I liked Haise a lot but really didnt like the reaper? The OEK one is cool and all but I still never got overly attached? I dont know. But I will say he is cool and I love how dedicated he is to his loved ones. And how honest he is about his flaws. Its really nice to see a protagonist that admires that he is selfish in certain ways and isnt always trying to do things for ‘the greater good’. And will do cruel and horrible things when push comes to shove. It makes him seem...a lot more human and tragic. Yet the fact he still had his happy ending made me happy for him. After the hell hes been through he deserves it.
11. Seidou Tawkizawa
Seidou. He...certainly needs a little help. Poor guy was such a innocent kid before his whole life was turnt upsidedown. I’ll be honest...I thought he was kind of annoying at first and then very scary later on. But after seeing a bit of his side of how everything went down and how much he cared for Akira and Amon my liking for him skyrocketed and I couldn't wait to see him again in the next chapter. How he sees himself and his future...it just hit to close to home for me. And soon enough he became one of my favorite characters.
10. Haise sasaki
Ahh, my favorite of all the Nekis. I really, really liked him. How parental he was with his squad and his storyline always interested me. The amnesia thing has always been one of my favorite tropes. He, to me, was a perfect mix of Kuroneki and Shironeki. Having the lightheartedness and empathy of Kuroneki and having the toughness and ability to fight as Shironeki. I liked how goofy he could be (i.e dressing up as women) and all his little moments with Akira, Arima and Juuzou. But he was a dream, nothing meant to last, so he had to go. But that does NOT mean I didnt enjoy watching him the most.
9. Kanae
I just really like her. I think her backstory is sad but not overdoing it and her dedication to Tsukiyama was certainly something that drew me to her. At first I thought I’d hate her but found myself sorely mistaken. And I cried a whole lot at her death and the touching moment when Tsukiyama, the person she loved so much, called her by her real name and accepted her despite
the fact she thought she never deserved anything even similar to perhaps she’d be even higher had she stayed longer but she left far to soon.
8. Eto Yoshimura
Eto is very interesting and fun to watch. Cruel and mean, yes, but also unpredictable! She never failed to make a impression on me everytime I saw a panel of her. I was always wondering ‘what will she do next?’ you know? I absolutly loved watching\reading her. Her backstory made me love her even more seeing as she had a bit of a struggle to get to were she is now.
7. Hairu Ihei.
Hairu is someone else I dont know why I like so much? We didnt see her much at all and what we did see of her was little. But something about her drew me in. She was cute and I didnt expect much from her but found out she was pretty strong. Also with how sweet and air headed she acted I already liked her a little, the strength was only a added bonus. I only wish we got to see more of her.
6. Uta
Uta, someone who I already liked, only grew on me as time went on. I thought he was funny, unique and very good looking. And as time whent on, and seeing how twisted he could be, it only made be want to see what would happen next with him. Whose side he was really on. Things like that. But then his fight with Yomo made be see him in a more emotional light. Seeing how close he was to him and still was in in a way. It was sweet and only made me like him even more.
5. Akira Mado
Akira Mado. At first I never thought much of her. Just a sort of bland character who had lost her father. Nothing new, nothing interesting. But her relationship with Amon certainly made be feel a little closer to her and made be pity her at the end of the first manga. But then in Re: I grew a lot closer to her really quickly. Her character seemed more open to others and friendly. Her realtionship Haise especially made me like her a whole lot. Then all her confusion and journey forgiving and accepting ghouls made he so interested and caring of her character. How much she wanted to protect Seidou and the fact she still loved Amon-It just...Made he love her. So much.
4. Saiko Yonebayashi
Saiko is a very funny individual that I didnt like much at first. I thought she was more or less dead weight and didnt understand why she was their to begin with. But the more we got to know her the more that I grew to love her development and character. Shes funny and kind but also strong and determined. I love her a whole lot. How determined she is to do what she thought was right and how much she cared for everyone in her squad despite her own initial unwillingness to try and work. All things I love about her.
3. Tooru Mutsuki
Now I know how much this character is hated...And I understand too. He did a lot of twisted and messed up things. Stayed on the bad side a long time, attacked Touka and his squad helped turn Kaneki into a monster...But his backstory and the personality we were originally introduced to made me love him so...so much. It didnt matter much to me what he did because I knew why he did it and not to mention...Mutsukis one of the most interesting characters to analyze because of his mindset. Also the fact he tried to redeem himself and felt guilty about everything he did...It shows that he is trying to do better and he is. I just....really, really love Mutsuki.
2. Touka Kirishima
Touka is a very rough character, and I get that some people just dont like her, But I loved every second of her. The person with a rough outside slowly breaking out of their shell and becoming gentler as time goes on- its something I have a soft spot for. Loyal, selfless, strong and knows what she wants. A woman who is strong without being controlling or mary sue. I never got annoyed or bored of her and looked forward to seeing her every single time a new chapter was put out. And also her protectivness towards Kaneki, her child, Ayato, and Hinami made me love her all the more. Shes also got my favorite Kagune of the whole series-Yet another thing I love about this character.
1. Juuzou Suzuya
By FAR my absolute favorite character in Tokyo ghoul. Now dont get me wrong-Im well aware of his faults. And I know he wasnt on the good side for a while either, But even though these things are there, I love him anyway. Hes so interesting and his backstory was so heartbreaking. When I first saw him I was indeed mildly creeped out but it also made me curious. The more I saw of him the more I wanted to analyze and get to know his character more. And right when I thought I got to know him-The one person who saw him as a person and treated him as he should be treated was taken away. This caused Juuzou to experience his first emotional loss in a very long time. And he changed. I personally enjoy his more mature personality compared to his more bloodthirsty one but love both either way tbh. And hes also very adorable when he wants to be so thats always a plus.
#juuzou suzuya#juuzou#tg#tg re#tokyo ghoul#tokyo ghoul re#touka#touka kirishima#ken kaneki#kaneki#akira#akira mado#amon#amon koutarou#kurona#kurona yasuhisa#kanae von rosewald#kanae#karren von rosewald#mutsuki tooru#mutsuki#saiko#saiko yonebayashi#haise#haise sasaki#uta#yomo#yomo renji#eto#eto yoshimura
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Writer Asks
Tagged by: @grelleswife Thanks for the tag! ^^
Author name: I go by Bemused Writer pretty consistently now! In the past I went by Sky Falls and Elisabetta Avalone as well in the early 2000s on FF.Net. Bemused Writer became my default by accident if I’m completely honest and it’s because of Tumblr. XD Eventually I figured it would be nice if people could easily recognize my works, so there it is!
Fandoms you write for: At the moment I’m mostly writing for Vanitas no Carte but I’ve written for several fandoms including Pandora Hearts, Voltron, Dragon Age, Good Omens, Blackwell series, etc. In the past I wrote for Death Note, Harry Potter, Naruto, and Fullmetal Alchemist (this was back in the FF.Net days; most of those aren’t online anymore, alas). I’d actually like to write for those fandoms again someday, but for now I’m focusing on my in progress stories. ^^
Where you post: AO3, FF.Net, and Dreamwidth primarily. AO3 updates the fastest.
Most popular oneshot: Based off of the kudos count on AO3 it’s basically a tie between two oneshots: Earth Is Where the Heart Is (Good Omens) at 97 kudos and Trust (Banana Fish) at 94.
Earth Is Where the Heart Is was my take on what things would be like if Crowley really had been the archangel Raphael before he fell and what his time in Heaven would have been like and how his friendship with Aziraphale and Lucifer developed.
Trust was a look at what might have happened if Eiji had taken Ash up on his offer to “come alone next time” and visit him in prison. That makes it sound kind of ominous, but it was mostly fluffy with a bit of angst (it’s Banana Fish, so...).
I think it’s interesting that my most popular oneshots aren’t even remotely related to the fandoms I write for most. XD
Most popular multichap: The reigning champion for this is still Change On the Horizon (Vanitas no Carte) with 116 kudos. I did this as a multichapter fic for the 2018 VaNoé week. It was a series of loosely connected stories showing the development of Vanitas and Noé‘s relationship from friends to possibly something more. I tried especially hard on this one to keep everyone in character and I feel pretty good about how it turned out. My personal favorite chapters were “Wearing Each Other’s Clothes,” “Face Holding,” “Ice Skating,” and the free day, which I used for “Rooftop Dance.”
Favourite story: Ahh, now that is a tough one. It’s often whatever I’ve written most recently. XD However! There are a few that have stayed with me, possibly because they truly reflected something I wished for in fandom most:
The Descent (Vanitas no Carte/Diablo AU) - I wrote this one so quickly; it just flowed out of my fingers. It was a very cheery kind of mania. XD Diablo is a game I’ve played since I was a kid, so getting to revisit that and write the characters in a new environment where everything is so different was a great deal of fun. I really liked having just three characters to focus on (Noé, Vanitas, and Jeanne) and how they related to one another through such difficult times. I’m working on the sequel right now as well and while it has a different tone, I’m enjoying that one, too. ^^
Dealing with Monsters (Vanitas no Carte) - I don’t write from Vanitas’s perspective as much as I do Noé’s but this time I did as I explored a possible past for him. This was another one that just poured out.
Starting Over (Blackwell series) - This is probably the smallest fandom I’ve written for to date as far as AO3 popularity goes. But this story means a great deal to me simply because of how much I love Rosa and Joey. I write a lot of romance in my stories, but pure friendship and devotion still remains one of my favorite relationships to see depicted and I believe that’s what these two had. In terms of writing I also feel like I really captured their voices and I am proud of that. It was also pretty cathartic considering the actual events of the game. 8D
What Once Was (Dragon Age) - I always thought it was implied in DA2 that Merrill cared a great deal for the Warden, but that doesn’t often get explored in fandom or in the game itself either. In this story, I explore how she joined her clan, how she the met the Warden, and how she may have felt for Mahariel.
Story you were most nervous to post: Hmmm, no specific story, but I’m always a little concerned about posting things that are a little more explicit in any regard whether it’s violence or sexuality. As such, I probably rate things a little higher than they merit, but better safe than sorry.
How you pick your titles: I am the worst with titles. If I could just entitle everything “A Story about X” I probably would XD Instead, I usually attempt to name it after a theme present in the story.
Do you outline? For chapter stories, often. How detailed the outline is depends on the kind of story. Whether or not I follow that outline is something else entirely, but the outline helps get the ideas flowing and then I know if something needs to be moved around, removed entirely, or if there’s an entire arc that needs to be added a little bit better.
Having said that, I have definitely started stories without any outline, added one later, and all that jazz, so it’s a mixed bag. XD
Complete stories: According to AO3 I have 30 completed stories. Most of these are oneshots, of course.
In Progress: I currently have 8 in progress. Two of these are meta-based, so there’s a little less urgency there. As such, I’d say 6 in-progress stories proper.
Coming Soon: I have about three stories planned for The Untamed! I also have chapters for the in-progress stories planned! I just ... need time to write and edit! 8D
Having said that, the next chapter for The Red Streets of Paris is currently at nearly 4k (woo!) and the combined word count for The Untamed stories is nearly at 7,500 words.
Prompts: I’m not totally sure I follow what this one is asking? But if it’s asking whether I take prompts the answer is not at this point in time. I already have way too many ideas I want to explore and several stories I need to wrap up. Attempting anything more would be too much. XD
Upcoming story you are most excited for: Right now I’m looking forward to finishing up a oneshot for The Untamed that explores what Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian discussed in The Silent Room after their revelations. I’m also looking forward to a multi-chapter story going over their adventures once they reunite. It will feature illness, curses, WWX defending LWJ, and a lot of chaos, so I think it will be fun. 8D
Five authors: I will tag @ineverywordandsong, @thecryoftheseagulls, @bagel-san, @descendant-of-truth, and @skylights422 if any of you would like to give this a go. ^^
#Bemused's post#fanfic update#vanitas no carte#the untamed#blackwell series#dragon age#banana fish#good omens#long post#Tagging for the stories I've written and planned#Basically it's tagged for the fandoms that actually got talked about here XD
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[Please, respectfully disagree in case you wish to write a reply]
Ahh, I’m not even in the mood to write a beautiful review as I was doing in the last few week, mostly because I feel so sad for Tom. He’s always left behind as if he were some kind of rock in the way for things to happen. He’s so much more, he’s done amazing things for Star and Mewni. I love him so much, he deserves better. But deep down I knew he would be left behind once more.
And it seems the svtfoe crew is not ready for a poli relationship. They are aiming for Starco, it’s pretty much clear to me as they simply got rid of Tom to make room for Star and Marco. I would be more than happier for this happen IF Tom were also there, since I’ve been always rooting for Stomco.
I miss the subtle hints. It’s been centuries this cartoon throws metaphors at our faces. But I guess this closure needs to be explicitly canon. My theory is that Starco was planned since day 1 and they couldn’t change that now, even when the fandom is divided. (why divide when we could have it all, though?)
It’s something I’ve recently discovered reading Voltron’s meta. There’s a book which the crew follows strictly, no matter what development the characters may have through the series. I couldn’d find this post anymore and thus I forgot its official name, so I’m gonna call “meta book” for easy understanding. In this book, Shiro was planned to die and remain dead. But the execs wouldn’t let this happen, so they couldn’t follow the meta book anymore. Alright, so for the second arc (season 3-4-5), since they had to “stand” Shiro instead of their previous guidelines, they decided to explore Shiro’s relationship with Keith. Everything was fine.
But have you noticed how the third arc was so off from the previous seasons? This happened because they were following the meta book. They did gave Shiro a spotlight when they presented us with a gay character, but it was just an easy way to keep him important while he was left behind from Voltron’s main arc. Yes, he was Atlas’ pilot, and this is amazing. But he was barely a main character in the last season. He barely interected with Keith! After all that “I love you” drama, they were like strangers in season 8. The same goes for Lance and Allura. The crew really intended to create drama with something else - by that, I mean Klance - but since day 1 Allurance was there to become the main plot for these two. Only they screwed up even with the only canon thing they could give us lol. Felt betrayed by Klance? Felt betrayed by Sheith? Felt betrayed by Allurance? It’s the goddamn meta book. They wouldn’t change it unless the execs told them so. A dirty trick indeed.
I guess the same goes for Star. Tom was terrible at first. He was a toxic character. But guess what? He changed. He became such a beautiful, special character. And for what? Drama purposes. It would be so much easier hating Tom and root for Starco than watching a love triangle, and for the worst, while the crew always knew Starco would be endgame. It was all written in svtfoe meta book. Yeah, it’s sadly a dirty trick, as I pointed out.
It doesn’t mean I’m blaming Daron and the crew. No, I love them. I love the things they’ve accomplished. Star is so much more than a stupid love triangle. Most of my rage is actually pointed to the Magic High Commission. I’ve always wanted to love Hekapoo, but I simply can’t. And this makes me so mad. They’re just a bunch of racists and I want them ripped off from existence ugh.
On the other hand, it saddens me such a beautiful crew sticked to their previous idea when they could accomplish so much more. Bi Star, bi/pan Tom, trans!Marco: all subtle yet it’s right in front of our eyes. So why such a lame excuse for a trope? Again, why a love triangle when we could have it all?
The show isn’t over yet, but I’m not dumb enough to keep nourishing hope when it’s crystal clear where they heading to. I don’t know, I’ll keep shipping Stomco and ignoring canon, I mean, this is not new for me. For any of us, I’m sure of it.
I’ll just appreciate the rest of the show. I hope you all do the same. Oh, and for those children who keeping teasing fans over an OTP, I’ll quote Alex Hirsch: “Don’t feed the troll”. They’re not worth it of our time.
Be safe, folks.
#i'm afraid i'm off with my reviews though#they did trick me#i feel even su would do this for us with lapidot ugh#svtfoe#stomco#startomco#star butterfly#tom lucitor#marco diaz#i'm just venting at this point
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Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor
Finished: January 14, 2018
Rating: 9/10
Review: *this review contains spoilers after the cut*
Before I wrote this I checked Goodreads for an idea of what criticisms other readers had. Overall, this book has an amazing rating for the first book in a series, and I found most criticism unfounded (asking questions that were clearly answered in the book) or something I could overlook, and possibly even why I liked the novel. While I may not have liked the ending, I can understand and explain most of the character’s actions based on their previous characterization.
Taylor’s writing is phenomenally beautiful. I’m used to writing and reading in this style, and her prose is what I aspire to. Poetic without a loss of understanding. Not everyone likes it, and there are certainly better poets, but to keep this style so consistently and without overdoing it is impressive. I wasn’t taking notes, but there are so many beautiful quotes and even just turns of phrase. Her ideas and descriptions are captivating to me, and I want to know more about each concept she introduces, so I do not mind a slower pace. I didn’t expect this to read like a thriller, and it doesn’t. It takes time to let you explore the characters’ worlds and understand them, so when the time comes and they make a decision that you as an omnipotent reader would not, you understand why. I just enjoy the little tidbits that remind the reader that this world is nothing like our own. Despite expecting to be (as often happens to me in similarly formatted books) I never felt lost about who was speaking when the perspective changed.
The trope of putting an out of context scene from the end of the novel as the prologue works here. It stays with you throughout the book, though how could I not assume that characters created by Taylor were somehow doomed? It allows you to both hope and dread what is to come at turns. Could the dead girl be another of the godspawn? Of course. Did I flip back to the prologue throughout the reading to look for some detail I had missed, that might make it so? Yes. Was I surprised when the outcome could only be what it was sold as? No. Taylor manages to keep you invested even when you know from the first moment that the characters arrive at Weep that there is less than a month until it’s over.
I do have one unanswered question, which is how Sarai has never visited the dreams of the other godspawn and known that she can interact with them in dreams? It’s pretty obvious that Lazlo is godspawn, and she doesn’t notice because she’s missing this experience. How has she never tried to comfort her adopted siblings in dreams? I know she was out doing Minya’s bidding, but it seems unrealistic that at no point in 4,000 days did any of her 100 moths visit them.
My main criticism personally is losing some of the other characters in the final portion of the book. I wanted to continue to learn about the other godspawn and Calixte but their stories are somewhat pushed aside. However, it may be that there is not much left to tell. I just like them and wish there was slightly less focus on Sarai and Lazlo’s relationship.
Ahh, the romance. First of all, as this is a book of connections between characters, there is not only one. We do not see a world of insta-love. A canon lesbian relationship develops and is simply allowed to exist. Old lovers are broken apart by their pasts and eventually heal. A married couple is secure and healthy in their connection. Two people thrown together by fate and not love have a friends with benefits arrangement to discover their sexual desires. But the main love story is Sarai and Lazlo. Lazlo is innocent in a way, grown up around men and books and ideas rather than concrete experience. Sarai has seen everything through the eyes of her moths and in people’s dreams, but never gotten to live it. When presented with someone who is of questionable reality or the first person to really see you, why not take the only connection you’ve ever been offered? Their lust does not have time to develop, is simply sweet in its moment and affords hope to those who thought they might never find it. There is even a scene where their auras are read and show them on their way to love, but is it clear that they haven’t reached that level of entanglement. Lazlo’s actions in the end, blinded by his fear of missing out on what can grow from the relationship, are what condemns both of them. Is the one moment they have before Minya takes control worth it? Probably not. But Lazlo must live with his mistake. And honestly, Sarai’s spectral enslavement was pretty much guaranteed anyway. Minya was looking for her ghost the whole time. There was no way Lazlo’s arrival would not mean she was used against him; Minya knew of their connection. The only hope might have been disruption so she did not catch Sarai’s spirit, but I’m not sure what short of death would have stopped her. I do take exception to the fact that the other godspawn did absolutely nothing during the final scene though.
Minus herself is a fascinating character in a terrible way. Her power is horrifying for a child and she has no tools with which to mentally recover from her trauma. While she says and does terrible things, it is clear that she is not solely evil. She does not mourn the deaths of the gods, only the children. She blames herself for not saving more. She is, in her twisted way, trying to protect them. I wanted her to die, but that feels selfish. It’s not the resolution she deserves. I don’t know if she will get a redemption arc, but I hope she at least develops in a positive way. The sequel will be boring and difficult to read if it’s just her torturing the other characters.
The excerpt of the sequel gives me hope. It is clear that this world is more developed, and we are going to learn what was really going on.
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ahh so I’ve been pretty quiet about my chapter thoughts and I’m sorry if there’s anyone who was genuinely curious about what I thought. I started writing up a big post about it but I don’t want to publish it until after we’ve gotten the official translations and/or Japanese raws in case there’s anything I change my thoughts on. I get tired of backtracking when I realize something isn’t the way I thought it was.
I actually quite enjoyed the content of the chapter and have been drowning in a mixture of angst, laughter and relief about a number of things. I’ve been ignoring tumblr purposefully to allow myself the time to let things sink in and genuinely enjoy the chapter rather than get caught up in what I assumed was gonna end up being another serumbowl-style fallout. So I’m not sure what the climate is over here, tbh. And I’m still not going to go seek it out.
But for a really short oops it got too long bullet point ramble on my initial thoughts:
EMA makes me sad and I really need more backstory on the way Armin and Mikasa are behaving toward Eren. I can’t doubt that they still love him, but they clearly disagree with him and don’t like how he’s changed. I’m looking forward to hopefully getting a flashback or at least some more exposition on this. A panel placement has me excited that my theory about Mikasa’s role in EMA separation might have been on the mark though.
Levi is undoubtedly concerned about Eren and also very upset with him and gave us one of the most pained expressions I think I’ve ever seen from him in the entire manga. I hope to see this further explored. I’m not upset about the kick. I neither think Eren deserved it nor didn’t deserve it. I’m neutral on that. I need more context before I can pass judgement.
Sasha’s death made me feel really hurt but I also had been expecting it since she spared Gabi’s life and also due to her lack of an active role in anything plot-wise. I’m going to miss the shit out of her, though. I’m not upset about her last words, as they seemed in character since Sasha thinks a lot about food due to her history, and they had just been talking about supper. I also saw it as a small tint of Isayama’s dark humor, but mainly I just chalk it up to her suffering massive blood loss and just really lightheaded and not even thinking about the fact that she was just shot. Not everyone’s last words are going to be meaningful, and often I find that kind of storytelling unrealistic. So in a way it was kind of refreshing to see Sasha so out of it before she died that she was still just focusing on what made her happy - food.
I empathize a lot more with Gabi now that Isayama finally allowed her to really emote and show the audience her real thoughts on her situation. I haven’t liked how he’s handled Gabi thus far, so this chapter was really refreshing in that respect. I can’t hate her for killing Sasha. Her homeland was attacked and people she loved died and she wanted revenge for that. It’s no different than Eren, the only difference being that she had a means to actually counter attack immediately where Eren never did. I’m really curious about her story arc and hope that her development can bring me to love her in the end.
Falco is fucking precious as always. I love how he tried to reason with Gabi and shows that he understands a bit more about the bigger picture. He will be crucial in Gabi’s development I think. I’m devastated for Colt losing his little brother though.
Ultimately I’m curious what’ll happen to Gabi and Falco when they get to Paradis.
Jean is MVP and his commentary after Flocke says to throw the kids out being “will this killing stop if we throw them from the sky!?” utterly gutted me. He’s managed to stay so level headed through all of this though it’s very clear how distraught he is. He accepts his role in this war and will kill people if it’s absolutely necessary, but he’s still the same Jean who’s always abhorred the loss of life in war and detests the idea of killing other people.
Pieck was on point as always. I suspected that she was suspicious of Zeke. My question is why she didn’t act on it sooner or if she was still trying to give him the benefit of the doubt since she had trusted him so much until that point.
Elenna, whatever her name ends up being, has piqued my interest immediately, especially if she’s truly Marleyan. Between her and Onyankopon, I’m really happy that Isayama is putting in Marleyan characters who are siding with the Eldians and want to see change in the system, or to dismantle it completely. The story has been screaming for this since Marley’s introduction, and I’m excited.
Zeke and his interactions with everyone were gold to me. He was very cold toward Gabi and Falco and I’m left wondering whether he cared about them at all or not. Or if he’s just irritated they got in the blimp. The banter between Levi and Zeke has me dying in all the best ways and I hope to see more banter from them. I also love how when Levi was cornering Zeke, Eren interrupted and spoke of the pros of the plan that took place, and when Hange started cracking down on Eren, Zeke hopped in and did the same. I wonder how much they’ve interacted to this point. Yeagerbros is a relationship dynamic I’ve been dying for since chapter 83.
The way Levi and Jean address Elenna I think shows they all have enough of a history together they can talk interpersonally. So I’m curious what happened after her ship arrived on Paradis and if she took one of the bigger roles in constructing the alliance between Paradis and Zeke.
Also, as of now, I’m absolutely convinced that Zeke is eager to work with Paradis and give Eldians their freedom. Nothing has given me reason to think otherwise yet. I’m going to do a lot of rereading to try and figure out his character a bit better. This chapter finally gave me the fuel I needed to do so, and I’m really excited. He bumped up a lot on my faves list with this chapter.
Hange was very upset and blunt with Eren and it hurts me, but I understand where she is coming from. Eren used them and that wasn’t okay. I really just need to know what the climate was between Eren and the SC. I felt that her relationship with Eren even before the time skip was strained after Shiganshina, so I wonder if they’d been struggling with each other this whole time, or if they did manage to move past the events of the serumbowl and this instead a fresher wound.
I was relieved to see Eren finally show some intense emotions when he learned that Sasha died. He starts with a quiet laugh and it shocks everyone so Jean calls him out for Sasha’s death (although I disagree that Sasha’s death was Eren’s fault, it was a “miscalculation” as Zeke would put it). But the comment seems to snap Eren out of the odd uncomfortable laughter and starts bringing out some anguish. So he’s been holding back a lot of shit the last few chapters and undoubtedly his own actions have started eating at him. He knows he did something horrible. I’m happy to see him let some of that out and off his chest. The Eren we know and love is still there underneath the newer, colder demeanor.
I have some theories and other thoughts but I’ll cover those later.
My bigger post later will probably just sound like this one again, lol, but I felt like getting some of those initial thoughts out there before my brain starts wracking into 50 different interpretations on everything as it tends to do when I have a lot of discussions. Anyway... yeah! I really enjoyed this chapter. Looking forward to 106!
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for the tv series thing, I know it isn't one but star wars?
send me a tv film series and I’ll tell you:
my all-time ultimate fave character:
Since the sequels came, I’m highkey loving Rey. But before that it was Vader. Still is, I guess. They’re kinda tied. Yeah I like the villains okay fight me.
a character I didn’t used to like but now do:
Hmm…Kylo I guess. I never disliked him, but I was pretty meh about him. I just didn’t care all that much. But I like how they fleshed him out in TLJ and built-up his backstory, and I’ve warmed to him since. He’s very much a tragic character and I always like that. Between the two of us, he reminds me a little bit of Ward—or FW Fitz, take your pick. It’s the whole lack of affection/evil mentors make monsters out of good boys/men thing all over again.
a character I used to like but now don’t:
I actually left this question til last to see if I could think of something, but nah, I’ve got nothing. I don’t think I went from liking to disliking any one character completely, just kind of…liking them less. Padme is one of those. She used to be my girl through my childhood and now I’m more meh about her. I guess that’s the closest example I can think of right now.
a character I’m indifferent about:
There’s a good few. Rose, Finn, Holdo out of the sequels. They’re the first ones that come to mind. Boba Fett, Phasma, Hux (aside from the fact that he makes for good comic relief). I don’t know, probably a few more.
a character who deserved better:
Maybe Padme, because the whole ‘breed and die’ trope, but it was obviously necessary because she never shows up in the originals and they had to explain that somehow. And Obi-Wan. Though it’s less of a ‘deserved better’ and more of a ‘fuck he’s been through a lot of shit in his life.’ The Rogue One crew I suppose, though again that was a plot thing.
a ship I’ve never been able to get into:
Finn/Rey. I’m just not very interested in friends to lovers ships (looking at you FS.) And maybe Han/Leia. I know they’re basically at “iconic” level by now, but they never really wowed me. Tbh most SW ships are like, “eh, okay” for me. I tolerate/moderately like them, but there are very few that make me go into hardcore shipper mode. Mini-me loved Anidala growing up, they were literally one of my biggest childhood OTPs, but over time the allure has started to fade and I’ve picked up on more and more flaws, and honestly, I think I’ve just outgrown them. Now I’m focusing on Reylo because it’s just such a cool dynamic that’s never been explored in the films before (I mean, a telepathic/empathic bond that lets them tap into each other’s skills and memories? That’s so awesome, I’m so here for this) and all that build up and development in TLJ really got me. I was kind curious (but mostly in the worried kind of way) to see how they’d approach it after TFA but now I’m 100% on board. I loved what they did with them. Aaaand that’s not the question. (Totally unrelated: I lowkey shipped Vader with Aphra from the Comics. It’s such a rarepair, but the dynamic was quirky and I’m always here for that. She was kinda like a S1-Skye cracking jokes at this evil, murderous Sith Lord. Plus, the line “you’re what I’ve been waiting for my whole life.” ‘Nuff said.)
a ship I’ve never been able to get over:
Reylo. Please don’t screw it up in IX, please please please.
a cute, low-key ship:
Jyn/Cassian. Also, I really like platonic Finn/Rey. And Luke and Leia’s relationship. And I wouldn’t be opposed if somehow Finn/Poe happened. And Poe/BB-8. Okay so not all of those are ship-ships, but y’know.
an unpopular ship but I still enjoyed it:
Tbh I lowkey wanted Poe to be with Paige, Rose’s sister, but lol she got killed off pretty quickly. Unpopular…well, I’m kinda looking forward to seeing how Han/Q’ira plays out in Solo (I’m 99% sure she plays him somehow. But hey, that seems to be my type.) I don’t know.
a ship that was totally wrong and never should have happened:
Eh, I don’t hate any ships, really, or think something was “wrong.” Not a huge fan of Rose/Finn just because I don’t see any chemistry between them and it sorta feels one-sided, but I mean, you can develop feelings over time, so that might change in IX. I don’t mind them, they’re just kinda…there. Not a fan of Kylux but that’s just a fan thing, so whatever.
my favourite storyline/moment:
Right now it’s the Reylo Force Bond scenes. Yeah, all of them, lol. And the throne room fight scene because you expect them to start attacking each other, but instead they work together and subvert all expectations and I loved it. That scene at the end of Rogue One where Vader just demolishes the rebels. It was so dark and chilling and just all around ahh. Also, the Obi-Wan/Qui Gon/Maul fight from TPM is one of my all-time favourites. And the music! Ahh, awesome. Oh, also, the arena fight on Geonosis. I’m not sure I have a favourite storyline—though I’m admittedly a sucker for the whole ‘here, go on a totally-not-romantic trip to protect to senator on this beautiful, lush, fragrant world and try not to fall in love lol bye’ storyline because it’s just so wonderfully tropey. It’s like something pulled straight out of fic (and not necessarily in a bad way.) I’m kinda tempted to write a fic based on that, ngl. One day.
a storyline that never should have been written:
Predictably, lol, I’m gonna say the Jar-Jar Binks/Gungan stuff from TPM. The whole underwater kingdom concept was cool, but it just felt like it took up way too much screentime. I wouldn’t have minded if it was just more of a background thing, or if it was of lesser importance. They’re just a huge part of this film and then they’re virtually never brought up again (in the films) in any significant way, so all of that just feels so moot and unnecessary, like it was just a run time filler. The political plot, although somewhat frustrating, does prove relevant to the story later on so I’m cool with it. I don’t think I hated any storyline really. TFA was a disappointment for me in that it felt a little too familiar and I really wished they would’ve taken more risks and tried to pave their own path as opposed to recycling elements (I mean, ANOTHER Death Star? Sorry, Starkiller Base. Really? And the Empire’s defeated but like, merely a few years later they’re back and crushing the rebellion again? Sorry no, that’s…It’s the First Order now. Got it. Totally different. My bad.) from the originals just to please the hardcore fans, but luckily TLJ assuaged most of that frustration. I can only hope the mood for IX is closer to TLJ than TFA because that would be regression and honestly just a huge insult to the saga.
my first thoughts on the show films:
I think I just loved them straight away, lol. I must’ve been…five at most when I first watched them—well, the originals and I and II, they were the only ones that were out at the time—on the good old VHS with my dad because he was/is a huge fan and he got me into it. Obviously the more nuanced stuff flew over my head as a small kid and certain things only really clicked when I rewatched them years later, but the love was there.
my thoughts now:
I still love it, though my love tends to come in sporadic bursts now as opposed to being linear all the time. Like, I can just push it to the back of my mind for a year/two/three but then something like Rogue One comes out and reminds me just how much I love that world. I ride the high for a few months, read fic, etc. and then the hype tapers off and plateaus for a while. Nothing for another few months/a year, new movie, and wham, I’m sucked back in.
I try to stay in my own little corner though and not get too involved in fandom because the drama is just nasty and can really suck the enjoyment out of, well, everything really. For a long time I guess I just wasn’t aware of how nasty the SW fandom was—aside from the group that hates on the prequels for the sake of hating the prequels because it’s what the cool kids do or whatever—probably because I didn’t actively go looking for this type of stuff. But then TFA came out and it kind of erupted like a volcano that’s been…somewhat dormant since III in 2005. Still, I stayed away from it for the most part, only hearing stories of hate in passing, and never really engaged until after TLJ, when it became a little “safer” for the Reylos to emerge. Before that it was two years of hell and name-calling and threats and verbal abuse and general fandom wank, to my knowledge. And that’s fucked up. No one should have to endure that, not in any fandom. Stuff like that just pisses me off so much. But I’m sure you already know that.
#replies#ilosttrackofthings#thanks for asking!#i got rambly lol what else is new#star wars#about me#long post
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Weekly Voltron Fic Recs #47
I am probably going to do two of these this week to catch up on all my recs before the new season drops, so hold onto your hats. I’ve been reading a lot of fics, just haven’t been posting them because I’m lazy and easily distracted.
Rules: You can find past weekly rec lists here, and non-list recs in my general fic rec tag. Also follow @maychorianrecs for individually tagged posts, the easier to search and reblog. This is stuff I like, and I have a huge bias toward Lance, hurt/comfort, and general fluff, in that order. Gen unless otherwise noted. Please comment on the fics if you read and enjoy them!
Shadows of Stars by squirenonny
Words: 11,030 (1/42)
Author’s Summary: The paladins have dealt a major blow to Zarkon’s empire. Reunited with their families and stronger than ever, they’re ready to launch a counter-offensive. But to do so, they need more allies. Allies like the fabled New Altea and their spy ring, the Accords. But Zarkon isn’t about to sit idly by as his enemies gather their strength. He means to put an end to the Voltron Coalition once and for all–and this war is about to get personal.[Season 3 of Voltron: Duality] [Updates Mondays]
My Comments: DUALITY IS BACK! I’m so excited, ahh, one chapter in and still amazing, of course, not that I expected anything else. I’ve been reccing this fic since we were only a quarter of the way into the first volume, and the AU has expanded immensely since then. I will keep reccing it until squirenonny quits writing it, so hopefully never. It’s so good, so amazing. Obviously you should start at the beginning, and I don’t want to spoil anything with a detailed review here, but just… Take my words for it. You will not regret the investment of time to devour this masterpiece. There are lots of romantic relationships, but the focus is on the team as a whole and the war, which is incredibly well thought-out and executed. Everything is good.
Equinox by vacant houses (the_lost_robot)
Words: 4,862
Author’s Summary: There’s an entire universe inside the Black Lion. There’s a ghost in the Black Lion’s cockpit. OR: the path back home is never straightforward.
My Comments: Fascinating and heartbreaking exploration of the concept of Shiro as the “white paladin.” A beautiful read.
One Step Closer by wilyasha
Words: 8,142
Author’s Summary: Her father is more rigid, more cruel, and she cannot stomach the thought of him destroying Altea.
My Comments: I’m usually not much for fics centered on an OC, and this one is about Zarkon’s never-mentioned-in-canon daughter, which is usually a sign of shenanigans. But this is good. Really good. Reading it is a great experience, though painful and heartbreaking set as it is right before the destruction of Altea. Give it a shot.
Someday by akaashikeijis
Words: 1,223
Author’s Summary: Shiro is tired and they know.
My Comments: I love fics where everyone just surrounds a hurting character and does everything they can to make it better. It’s good for Shiro to get a turn.
The Poster by GlowwormiK
Words: 5,199
Author’s Summary: The story of how Varkon, a policeman, managed to meet the Emperor and receivd the poster we saw in his office.Inspired by this awesome art: http://aminoapps.com/page/voltron-legendary-defenders/7445245/varkon-dream-come-true . Written for https://platonicvldmonth.tumblr.com/, but i cannot wait to post it right now.
My Comments: As much as I love and will never tire of the familiar fanfic tropes of some character I love being hurt and then comforted, there’s something I love even more about fanfiction, and that’s when a story can make me feel something NEW, something I never expected. Especially for a character who is basically a one-off joke in-universe. I mean, did you ever expect to read a Varkon-centric fic? Did you ever expect to read about a Voltron Galra mall cop saving the day and meeting his hero and just being the sweetest, humblest, most genuinely GOOD guy you’ve ever met in fiction? Well, here’s your chance. Read this fic. It will make you feel things. It made me feel so much, and I am truly grateful for the experience. Just a great, wonderful thing that you will find nowhere else. Unique and memorable.
At Rest (Five Miles Behind the Front) by Mytay
Words: 19,258
Author’s Summary: Shiro is no longer the Black Paladin. He is no longer the commander of Team Voltron. He is a soldier without a purpose and a leader without a legion at his back.Lance is a seventh wheel. He is not fit to be a leader, and perhaps not even fit to be a Paladin. Or, in which two Paladins of Voltron learn their true worth, and finally, there is well-earned rest.
My Comments: This has everything I love, ahh, I love it, instant favorite. Shiro angst, Lance angst, both of them trying to sacrifice themselves for the other and then trying to convince each other that they’re worthwhile and important. Not to be that person, but it kind of reminds me of my own fic, Boom Crash the Sound of My Ship, except in a post-Season Three context where it feels amazingly in-canon and in-character. I’m so glad it’s so long, too. Utterly satisfying read. I’ll be enjoying it again, probably more than once.
Full Capacity by spitfire00
Words: 863
Author’s Summary: The healing pods are full. The paladins are bloody and bruised. Shiro helps ease their aches and pains.
My Comments: Just so cute, gah, Shiro is the best. Everyone needs a Shiro in their lives.
the shuffle of crabs by againstmygreeleaf
Words: 12,253
Author’s Summary: Dinner is loud in all but volume. Shiro and Keith don’t show. Allura keeps trying to help by saying sentimental things that don’t help at all. It grinds on Lance’s nerves but he’s too drained to tune her out. He just lets her words unintentionally pelt his battered heart like stones, and watches the subtle way her hands shake as she spoons up her goo instead of trying to eat his own. Pidge eats hers, but it’s all automatic. She starts crying midway through the meal and doesn’t seem to notice.
My Comments: I don’t write major character death. I rarely read it. Awhile ago someone asked me how I would write it, if I did, and I described exactly this scenario. Hunk dies at the beginning of the fic, and the rest of it is about the others learning to navigate their grief and finding some means of continuing on even in the face of this utter devastation. I’m glad this has already been written, by an author I trust absolutely, so I don’t have to do it. It’s gorgeous. Absolutely gorgeous. But yeah, Hunk dies, and it’s brutal and unfair and hits like a rocket to the midsection. Don’t read if you can’t handle that. I almost couldn’t.
Scent by Red_Dead
Words: 1,400
Author’s Summary: Lance has taken something from Allura and she’s not to happy about it.
My Comments: Aw, poor Allura. Lance really didn’t mean to hurt her like that. I love that it ends with bonding.
The Sleeping Habits of Humans (Far From Home) by hulklinging
Words: 1,618
Author’s Summary: Pidge doesn’t sleep much. Neither does anyone else, really. No, Lance, annoying her to death will not make her more rested.
My Comments: I love Lance figuring out why Pidge can’t sleep and gently bullying her into resting. He’s so smart and kind.
The Rain is Gone by isabeau25
Words: 5,066
Author’s Summary: Keith has a bad night, but it ends well.
My Comments: Another part of a super lovely and relaxing platonic coffee shop AU. Poor Keith is having a rough life, and you can really feel Shiro’s grief and frustration for him. But he’s in a good place now, with cats and sunlight and people who care. It’s a great read.
The Packrat by VelkynKarma for maychorian
Words: 11,519
Author’s Summary: While the paladins of Voltron fight a war that spans galaxies, Coran has a more personal war going on right under their noses in the Castle of Lions.
My Comments: Even if this wasn’t a gift for me based on my prompt, I would still rec it. I was grinning the whole way through this fic and laughed aloud several times. Coran is so good and he deserves more fics where he’s the protagonist, and he and Lance teaming up was delightful. Fun, fun stuff.
Empty by Bandity
Words: 21,248
Author’s Summary: The sequel to A Lonely Mind. You should read that first. Inner strength waxes and wanes. Lance finds himself facing his inner demons again when he begins having issues with his antidepressants.
My Comments: Everything Bandity writes is amazing, and this one is no exception. This one is just about life, how it doesn’t stop no matter how much we want it to, and sometimes things don’t easier, they don’t go away. Everyone struggles, everyone needs to be accepted and loved. There are good days and bad days, hopefully more than good than bad, but all we have is each other. It’s great.
give out to give in by tyrellis
Words: 20,198
Author’s Summary: So typical. So fucking typical, that Lance is the youngest and worst of his siblings, and then the kids come along and he isn’t even the cutest anymore, and he only made fighter pilot because perfect fucking Keith dropped out and even when he piloted a lion he didn’t have a thing like the others, and now he can’t even have Blue. Maybe he was the one to suggest it, but he was barrelling towards this point all along; rock fucking bottom. When it becomes clear that Allura is a better pilot than him, Lance steps down as the Blue Paladin. It is, after all, the obvious decision. Lance is, and has always been, the afterthought. But who needs an afterthought?
My Comments: Langst done right. Warning for attempted suicide. Lance’s depression and downward spiral feel realistic and understandable, and the emotional scenes are absolutely perfect. Klance at the end, and even that didn’t put me off. It was cute without being overpowering, and the romance wasn’t used as something to “fix” Lance, but a natural outgrowth of their development together.
All Sorted Out by genericfanatic
Words: 3,135
Author’s Summary: Lance is so excited for his first day of Hogwarts, and looks forward to getting sorted into one of the four houses! His sorting doesn’t go quite as planned, however.
My Comments: Absolutely adorable Harry Potter AU in which the hat stalls forever in sorting Lance, because he has qualities that would make him do well in any of the houses. Later, naturally, he worries that he doesn’t really belong anywhere, but his friends help him see differently.
Conversation in Blue by FroldGapp
Words: 1,414
Author’s Summary: Lance talks to Shiro about his ‘Keith problem’.
My Comments: I love that Lance actually takes steps to understand why he and Keith sometimes rub each other the wrong way. Going to Shiro for insight is exactly the right move. Keith and Lance could be such good friends, but their backgrounds and methods of communication make it difficult, sometimes. Lance is a sweetheart for trying.
Tambourine Man by oldmythologies for SassafrassRex (Serbajean)
Words: 1,166
Author’s Summary: “They knew his path well. They winked in front of him as a guide as Shiro swallowed his yawn, feet dragging. He was tired; he knew he was tired. Going to bed wouldn’t fix it; he didn’t sleep there either. There he was alone, without even the lights to keep him company. In bed, he had to close his eyes, to trap himself between his ears. It wasn’t a fun place to be. Better to make sure everyone else slept well than to waste time being afraid of the dark.” A commission for sassafrassrex <3
My Comments: Really sweet comfort fic with Shiro and Black.
Don’t Let Me Be Gone by Cocopops1995
Words: 1,402
Author’s Summary: Lance comforts Keith after watching Keith’s paladin vlog.
My Comments: Really sweet. Angsty, hurty fics that end with cuddling are my favorite.
Keep Them Galra Rollin (Rawhide) by Demenior for Serbajean
Words: 1,377
Author’s Summary: Sendak, Shiro, ‘n Ulaz have crashed on a jungle-y Death World, and they’ve got till sundown to speed-run their way to a safe pickup location to rendezvous with a ship. They’re all grown men who are working together to take down the Galra empire (some more willingly than others), which means they’re over the whole ‘yeah i tortured and killed you that one time’ thing. Totally over it. It’s all in the past. Hint: it’s not [a birthday gift for Sassafrassrex]
My Comments: The possibilities of this setup are fun to contemplate. A little on the dark side, but nothing wrong with that.
Steady Footing by SilverMoon53
Words: 3,735
Author’s Summary: Pidge is good at many things. Coding, robotics, and sneaking into enemy bases to steal information, are all quite high on that list. People, however, are not one of the things she’s good at. Or Keith has a panic attack while on a mission. Pidge has an… interesting way of making sure he gets out alive.
My Comments: Very angsty exploration of Pidge and Keith and their trauma. I’m glad they eventually shared with each other.
A Bland Night Across Space And Time by genericfanatic
Words: 4,156
Author’s Summary: Across the universe, people have a night in. A reward fic for getting 1,000 followers for my blog Bland Voltron Headcanons
My Comments: Bit of a dizzying trip across time and space, but fun to read.
Not Just Another Mall Trip by Eastofthemoon
Words: 1,519
Author’s Summary: Lance, Hunk and Pidge see many different kinds of aliens at the space mall, but when they catch a spy they discover something they never expected to see there.
My Comments: Really fun little canon-divergence AU with a very different way to bring the gang together. Everyone is adorable.
Previously Recced Fics That Updated:
Water and Blood (30658 words)
As Color Fades Away (171897 words)
The Ones Who Were Left Behind (58391 words)
In Sickness and Health (19550 words) - complete
Ten Days (71938 words)
Truce (186702 words)
The Field of Blood (26588 words)
Words Fail (27376 words) - complete
Gate Keeper (100127 words)
I'm not the Lance You think I am (67010 words)
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My Beef with Alien: Covenant
I had a lot of beef with this movie, and I didn’t expect to, so it really hit me in the face and left an unpleasant taste in my mouth that’s still lingering two days later. While this wasn’t a bad movie by any means, I personally strongly disliked it and I think it marks the nail in the coffin of this franchise. My reasons why are in a spoiler-heavy review below.
The opening scene really set this movie off on a bad note, in my opinion. I felt like I was in detention sitting in this room watching what looked like a deleted scene from Prometheus they crammed in here to remind us who David is, which made his “surprise” reappearance later a total “No shit” moment.
When Michael Fassbender-As-A-Different-Android was the first person we met aboard Covenant, that was just confusing. Two different androids have never been played by the same actor in the franchise, so the fact that suddenly Michael Fassbender is playing both David and Walter was kind of “Huh?” It made me think “Well, the only reason they did that has to be because at some point in this movie we’re not going to be able to tell David apart from this guy.” That totally took the punch out of David’s sneaky “I’m going to pretend to be Walter to get off this rock” moment and the twist of “Holy shit, it’s David!” because, yeah, no shit. We saw that coming a mile away. It also meant for the first act of the movie I was trying to figure out if Walter was legit, or if it was David in disguise, or what.
Right away, the ship was met with some kind of catastrophe because of course it was. Some guy burns up in a cryo chamber and I don’t care because we have no idea who Deep-Fried is until several scenes later when we gather he’s Short-Hair-Girl’s husband and Underqualified-Billy-Crudup is now our captain. This film lacked the character development we saw in Alien, Aliens, and Prometheus, which made this feel more like some “Random Teens Get Together in A Cabin in the Woods to Be Murdered” movie, only in space.
Speaking of which, we have a totally bloated cast of characters, none of whom are developed further than a few stereotypical surface traits, if that. When everyone starts dying horrifically right off the bat, we learn everyone on this ship was married to someone else. So when a chunk of the cast dies, most of the remaining characters are left emotionally crippled because “Oh my God, my spouse just died!” Literally, if you’re not a shady android, your only options as a cast member of this film were to be an expendable spouse or a grieving spouse. This meant that every single character was making dumb snap decisions because “Ahh! The grieving!” or something. I don’t even think anyone thought it through that much, to be honest. Oh, and of course we have our two non-emotionally-crippled cast members (also married, but we don’t know that until they die later), but they’re just hanging out on a ship awaiting further instructions and have no idea anything horrific is happening because comm problems. What?
Okay, we know this is an Alien movie, which means several cast members are going to die horribly. But, could you maybe not slap us in the face by not even bothering to give us any character development at all? “Here, watch a bunch of people die in space because aliens” really isn’t what made the original Alien great. We had a competent crew with a comradery we got to see before everything went to shit, which made their motives and behaviors make sense. This was like watching an improvised Whose Line is it Anyway skit where everyone got handed a slip of paper with a vague character description, and no one had any clue what anyone else was doing. It was like Crudup’s Wife didn’t even know she was his wife and when she died he only just remembered it himself. When the two Flight Crew people were showering together that was a total surprise. Nothing about them expressed they were at all fond of each other, let alone a couple. The only relationship I bought was Short-Haired-Lady’s and Deep-Fried’s and we don’t even get his end of it at all.
When we get to the “explore a strange planet” part of the story everyone’s brains just fall out of their heads, and this is before everybody’s spouses die horribly. I mean, I get that these guys aren’t yet aware of the dangers of Xenomorphs because these are pre-Ripley films. However, this is still a strange planet they got some kind of weird message from. You would think there’d be some basic precautions like “don’t leave anyone alone somewhere because some screwy animal could jump out of a bush and bite somebody” or “don’t clomp all over strange looking spores with your big ass boots.” I mean, it makes no sense that before they leave Covenant they all pack their weapons as if they expect trouble, but then tra-la-la around the planet with no concern at all for their safety. No shit they all start dying, because everyone’s kind of stupid for no apparent reason. Examples? Alrighty.
Captain Crudup commits two horror movie sins at once by suggesting they split up so half of them can investigate the strange noise, which comes in the form of a garbled radio transmission. Captain’s Wife tries to wander off alone and is saddled with Guy with Cigarette as a sidekick. Doesn’t matter because they split up anyway and he contracts the space asthma and doesn’t let anyone know. Captain’s Wife notices Cigarette Guy’s not feeling well, but ignores it. Meanwhile Obnoxious Dude does the same thing as Guy with Cigarette in his group, going off alone and getting space asthma and not mentioning it to anybody. Captain’s Wife then decides to bring Sick Cigarette Guy back to the ship so he can spread his sick to everyone else, and Panicky Blond Girl lets them in because she doesn’t have a Man in Charge to tell her not to, ‘cause comm problems and Dipshit Captain.
Everything goes to shit quickly as Panicky Blonde Girl tries to handle a back-burster and instead makes the ship into a fiery hellhole. Luckily they have the Covenant crew waiting in the wings in case of this exact thing… oh, wait. Comm problems, so no they don’t. So, we have aliens chomping and bursting their way through this group of useless dummies, but totally-not-a-surprise!David shows up to rescue them. Except David is shady as fuck from his intro and while this is noted, no one seems to care. No one asks questions about all the corpses outside his dwelling either. Seriously, how did these people get their jobs?
The absence of Shaw was troubling to say the least, and David’s “she died in the crash” story stank of bullshit. As David’s sanity began to reveal itself to be absent and the crew got picked off one by one I wondered what the hell happened to this movie. The end of Prometheus set Shaw up to be our answer to Ripley in this collection of films, and suddenly she was unceremoniously killed off-screen between films and we get new underdeveloped characters so we can devote most of our time to David, who has become both the protagonist and the villain. Why did we skip over the cool story we were promised at the end of Prometheus to get stuck with this half-assed slasher film that basically tricked us into watching it?
I had some hope when we got back to Covenant and Short-Haired-Lady seemed like maybe she’d be our new heroine. Except Walter was clearly not Walter because Walter’s wounds healed on their own and we got a whole scene between Not!Walter and Short-Haired-Lady that revolved around her patching him up. Also, why did no one test this fucker when he came hobbling up to the ship, considering the evil twin story we’ve been dealing with since David Single-White-Female’d Walter’s hairstyle? Unfortunately our heroine is also inexplicably stupid and doesn’t figure this switcheroo out until she’s trapped in a cryo chamber being put to sleep by this crazy dude.
I’m not sure what was supposed to happen with this movie, but I know what definitely didn’t happen. We didn’t get a kickass heroine beating the odds, nor did we get a resourceful crew pitted against an unreasonable alien villain. The aliens became a backdrop for David to do his thing in as he played God and puppet-master and we sat and watched the fallout.
Alien franchise, I want my kickass heroine. I want the aliens. I want the scrappy crew. As pretty as Michael Fassbender is, I really didn’t need David to have his own movie. Maybe this direction was great for some people, but not for me. Alien: Covenant, missing the point.
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First Thoughts on the Anastasia Broadway Cast Album
So I grew up watching Don Bluth’s Anastasia, like a lot of people, and it’s now definitely one of my favourite movies of all time. I’m also a huge theatre geek, so when I first heard whispers about an Anastasia broadway musical, I was VERY excited. Sadly, I haven’t watched the show because I live in Manchester, England (I read the plot online and I am VERY disappointed that Rasputin isn’t the antagonist), but I pre-ordered the cast recording asap (I don’t think it has every single song on it, though) and they’ve recently released it onto soundcloud here and I have opinions that I want to share lmao. Also, these are just my FIRST thoughts, after hearing the album ONCE - in my experience, I tend to grow more attached to songs the more I listen to them, so these definitely aren’t my final opinions on this soundtrack.
Prologue / Once Upon A December - This very first song actually made me cry because of the nostalgia XD and also Mary Beth Peil has an AMAZING voice.
A Rumor In St. Petersburg - I also really like this song, including the additions they made to it. Not much else to say really.
In My Dreams - I got chills listening to this song; it’s so beautiful, I can’t wait to learn it.
Learn To Do It - Admittedly, I personally prefer the faster pace and more upbeat original version of this song, however this new version saved itself with the part where Anya flips her shit and has a go at the boys. Amazing.
The Neva Flows - So this is the antagonist’s (Gleb) first song, and uh...it’s pretty good, I guess, especially during the crescendo. They’re definitely trying to create a more humane “villain”, showing how he’s been affected by what he witnessed as a child. Still would’ve preferred In the Dark of the Night, though...
My Petersburg - I like the energy of the song, very upbeat, I love the ending buildup. And I’ve always loved how adaptations of films delve deeper into the characters’ backstories a bit (like Shrek the Musical)
Once Upon A December - Beautiful. I’ll probably always prefer the original, due to nostalgia, but Christy Altomare did a really good job capturing Anya’s emotions in this more vulnerable moment. They were right to not mess with this song too much.
Stay, I Pray You - I have no idea who tf Count Ipolitov is but this is a very emotional choral song, and has a beautifully melancholic melody. I love how Anastasia ends it.
We’ll Go From There - Awh, this song is so cute! I’m glad they gave Vlad (ha that rhymes) a song about Sophie- sorry, I mean Lily. Nevermind all three of the gang are singing it....I like it! It’s a good, quick way to show their feelings (which are mainly anxiety) at this point.
Still - Um why the fuck is Gleb in love with Anya. I HATE that. Haven’t they met, like, twice at this point? I’ve only read the wikipedia page for the plot so maybe I’m wrong. But still....fuck this subplot. So yeah this song is ok I guess, I think I’m just too stubborn about my dislike for the changed story lmao. I also quite like the whole....idea? of this song, how it ends with “but still...” like, it doesn’t need t explain what comes after the “still”, it just needs to show his hesitation/inner conflict.
Journey To The Past - I’m not bothered by the fact that they moved this song to this point in the story, it still fits well actually, and like with OUAD, they smartly didn’t change it much. And like with OUAD, I’ll always prefer the original, but this version is also amazing.
Paris Holds The Key (To Your Heart) - It’s a great chorus number, and definitely a good one to start off act 2 with. Again, I prefer the original, although I like how Anastasia has a solo in this one too.
Crossing A Bridge - I love this song, tbh I’ve realised I think I just love any added Anya moment now lmao. I’d love to see this live, to see the image of her on the bridge singing this.
Closing/Close The Door - (the wikipedia says “Closing” and the soundcloud name says “Close”). Like the Anya moments, I will lap up ANY added Dowager Empress moments, too! Her tired, hopeless emotions were shown a little bit in the original film, but I love how this explores them further. So low-spirited and heart-wrenching.
Land of Yesterday - Another thing this musical explores more in-depth is Russia in general, the state of it, its people, and this song is really cool. Lily’s voice is amazing!!!! (Caroline O’Connor)
The Countess and the Common Man - Awh Vlad and Lily have a love duet!! Fuck yeah! This is what I signed up for!! It’s funny, flirty, and all-round lovely.
In a Crowd of Thousands - I don’t mind that the story of how Dmitry and Anya’s pasts were linked has changed, because the new one they made up is presented so beautifully in this song. I absolutely LOVE Altomare’s voice in this, possibly more than in the other songs, and omg when she realises!! When she realises!! You’re like oh shit ! It’s her and they both know it now!! It’s also a nice development to Anya and Dmitry’s relationship.
Meant to Be - This was also in the original film, and I think it’s done wonderfully here. ‘Nuff said.
Quartet at the Ballet - The Swan Lake music gives me huge Barbie nostalgia! And then it blends so seamlessly in and out of the OUAD tune...ahh I love it. I like how it shows all these inner thoughts of these different characters, like We’ll Go From There. The ending with the overlapping solos is beautiful omg.
Everything to Win - This is a good song, but not one of my favourites or anything, it’s nice to see Dmitry’s conflict. The ending is sweet (or I guess bittersweet).
Once Upon A December (Reprise) - I’m not crying, YOU’RE crying!!!!
The Press Conference - Yet another good chorus number; I love the typewriter sound effects. And Vlad & Lily’s parts are quite funny (it’s funny when he spells out his name, for some reason. And her high notes at the end..DAMN GIRL). I’m slightly feeling like they’re being kind of lazy with the use of the OUAD tune, however.
Everything to Win (Reprise) - Nice!! Good! I like it!
Still / The Neva Flows (Reprise) - Can Gleb just shut the fuck up already. Yes, I’m still salty. (although admittedly this is a good song - I especially love Anya’s fierceness in it).
Finale - I’m not surprised they decided to end on Once Upon A December, and this is exactly what you’d expect from a musical finale, tbh.
In conclusion - I love the musical’s soundtrack, yet I’m still iffy on the whole villain thing. Feel free to reply or reblog with your own thoughts, it’ll be fun to discuss!
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Congratulations ADDI! You have been accepted as Sarah Parker. Please go through the checklist and send in your account within 24 hours. If you need more time, make sure you send a message to the main.
A roleplay always needs someone like Sarah Parker around to spice things up and add her own spice to the sugar that the other’s bring around. From the fact that she was basically conditioned since childhood to be the way she is, it’s always a little more difficult to play a character that their personality is genuinely harsh and dominating. That’s just who they are. It’s a challenge, we know, but when there’s experience, it comes easier. Your application gave just that, not only with the capability to play someone like this as you did before, but with the answers you gave in regards to your plan with her. Sarah’s emotions are something to always take into account, and to see that you want to do that shows everyone there’s a depth even to the queen that wants everyone’s head. Even the ‘eyeroll’ was spot on – it’s what sold Admin Dannah and I on your app. It’s always hard having to choose when two apps for the same character come in, yet your comprehension of Sarah checked many things off the list of what we were looking for to add another gem to Elysium, and we couldn’t be more ecstatic for you to bring her even more to life. Welcome to Elysium!!
OOC INFO
Name: Addi
Age: 21
Timezone: EST
Preferred Pronouns: She / Her
Previous RP Experience: [RFP]
Activity Level: I’ll be really active especially over the summer, I work in a lab but I have free nights and I’ve been pretty bored.
Anything Else: Nope
IC INFO
Character Name: Sarah Parker
Why did you choose this character:
I have been searching the tags for a role-play that looked like something I would have joined 3 years ago and I finally found it with the perfect character to match. Ironically what first drew me to Sarah was the fact that she was really similar to a character I created way back in the day who was the only girl in her family, was a werewolf (not even kidding), and left her life behind for a pack. So obviously I was drawn to her. I also love playing sass master characters whose egos could suffocate an entire room.
Describe your plan for them:
Ahh the possibilities, I love all her connections so that’s probably where I’d start. I love the idea of the mighty Sarah sucking in her own ego to kiss Kyle’s ass just because she wants more power. I just imagine the fake smiles and flirting with eye rolls every time someone turns their back. I think their relationship would be a curious one to explore. (Obvi depending on what’s going on with his character) I can picture them just sassing at each other non-stop or this weird hateful yet sentimental relationship and the past being dug up and angst all over the place. I don’t even know.
I’d like to see her become close with someone over time but not for a while. I think it’d be really cool to see her develop from a person who trusts no one to a person who maaaaybe trusts one other person. I think the dynamic of her and Nathaniel could be really interesting. Like what would happen if he found out she was the reason they went up against Kyle’s pack. I also would love to do some self digging for her and her feelings for her last husband. Possible regrets and such.
Describe your character’s feelings and reactions to the initial reveal of the supernatural world:
Eyeroll, someone had to go and make her life more complicated. Sarah didn’t really care whether humans knew she existed or not. What she did mind were all the complications that came with it. However she didn’t let that hold her back in the slightest. All she wanted was power, and power she should have. The rise and fall of violence didn’t phase her, she knew in the end that she was superior to humans. Even taking to social media to show just how much better she was than the average human. It didn’t take long for her account to rise in fame amongst the supernatural and non-supernatural communities. She was both praised and berated for her photos, although to Sarah all attention is good attention.
Describe your character’s feelings and reactions to the current state of the world, and how it impacts them as an individual:
In Sarah’s world, her biggest problem is her new “family”. The dimwitted wolves she is now forced to be nice to both bore her and occupy her thoughts. Yea, she’s pro supernatural and she occasionally supports the cause with an instagram post but other than that she can’t really be bothered to do more. Her own agenda is her priority and as long as the government stays out of her business she really couldn’t care less.
Para Sample:
“Stop…please stop. Kyle not like this!”
In the moments before, she had watched her husband fall to the hands of her ex-lover and now as she hovered over the only remaining wolf in her pack she knew she had failed.
That day is one she could never forget and as she listened to the rainfall outside her window, she couldn’t help but mull over her losses. Sarah loved the rain, there was something calming about the gentle water that fell from the sky. It washed away everything, and for the time, the world could be as it was meant to be, and for what it was. There were no pretenses, no masks, no walls or games. The rain kept things simple.
Simple, was a word she missed. Her life had never been ordinary, however there was a time when getting what she wanted had been a lot easier. When she had a loving husband and a loyal pack by her side. She hated to think about it. What she had, what her stupid decision and aggressive manipulations had caused her to lose, and the pain she had endured. The worst of it was she had no one to blame but herself. She might as well have held the knife to her late husbands throat. And for what? She thought. An ex-boyfriend whom by all accounts should have sliced her throat open but had spared her only to promptly ignore her.
Sarah sighed, pushing the negativity out of her mind was a task each day. She could never let the other wolves see her weakness. The more of a mystery she made herself, the less vulnerable she would be. Her priority was to climb that ladder again. Kyle had loved her once upon a time and what a power couple they had been. She couldn’t help but smirk at the image of her standing atop his pack. One day, she thought to herself, one day I’ll get there.
Any questions/concerns/things you’d like to change: (siblings to add, pronouns, sexuality you’d like to specify, personality, face claim, history, etc., etc.)
N / A
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