#I may end up with a dedicated side blog one day who knows

[flightfoot]

ML Fanfic Recs for 2023: 10K - 20K Words

So I’ve been going through and adding particularly good fics I’ve read throughout the year. Only Complete fics, of course. Enjoy!

Chat Noir and Marinette decide to fake date in order to get Buttercup jealous enough to confess. Why won’t that boy make a move on such a wonderful girl as Marinette? And why is he beginning to hope that Buttercup stays blind?

Adrien wakes up in Nino’s arms. Neither of them have any explanation for this, considering they were nowhere near each other the night before. 

Marinette and Zoe uncover a ring stashed away in a closet. Why does it have an unusual effect on Chloe?

Felix isn’t careful enough when he goes snooping around the Agreste Mansion. Gabriel decides that he can’t let him roam free.

Kim bets Alix that she won’t be able to attend all of her friends’ weddings in a row. She has never been one to turn down a challenge.

All this and more below the break!

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May I Introduce Myself, Your Highness? by @chocoluckchipz

Whether picking up a stray animal off the streets or saving a dying child at the market, Adrien had always strived to be the best version of himself. Truly, he would've been the perfect candidate to be snatched up by a kwami, were he an orphan, dying somewhere remote after a short life full of nothing but suffering and misery. Yet as it stood, the sole heir to the French throne had little to complain about. Apart from, perhaps, a complete absence of a love life. That is until a mysterious girl, wandering around his gardens at night, catches his attention.

I love Fantasy AUs. It’s a bit unclear what’s happening at first, but it all gets explained in the last chapter. Also don’t worry about the age gap between Marinette and Adrien at the start of the story, I promise it’s not a problem in the end.

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do you think I have forgotten about you? by @roseinaugust

Based on the song 'About You' by The 1975. Memory Loss. Told in alternating time lines, one leading up to and one dealing with the aftermath of Marinette relinquishing the Miracle Box and the guardianship. Marinette struggles with her life after losing her memory, though there is a persistent voice that calls to her that always seems just out of reach in her memory.

Beautiful memory loss fic here, with seeing Ladybug’s and Chat Noir’s relationship before she gave up the Miracle box, juxtaposed with the present day, when Adrien is only a stranger to her. I could really feel how Marinette was struggling with navigating these new circumstances, with her friends seeming to expect her to remember, to be who she was to them, to Adrien especially, before, and her just... not knowing whether she can do that. It’s got a happy ending though, for those who are concerned about that.

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Creative Lies and Destructive Truths by @azuriteartist

Alya and Lila are two sides of a never-ending fight. The fight between truth and lies, between honesty and deception, between justice and personal gain. And now they have the powers to elevate that fight to a city-wide level.

Can Alya stop the deception before it destroys the city? And can Lila stop the truth before it destroys her?

So everyone who’s been around my blog for awhile knows how much I love Alya getting the spotlight (I mean my sideblog alyaappreciation is dedicated to her, because frankly, she needs it), and azurite’s lovely fic here is no exception. Fu ended up giving Tikki to Lila and Plagg to Alya. There actually isn’t tension between them at first, they get along well to start with, but Plagg knows Lila’s lying about things and eventually pushes Alya to take action once they grow alarming, until the two of them are both accusing each other of being liars as superheroes, and the public doesn’t know what to believe. 

I’m betting there’s more of this AU to come. I hope so, I love the consideration and agency it gives to both Alya and Lila.

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How Marinette Learned to Stop Worrying And Love The Ball by @rosie-b

Hidden from the crowds thronging around the busy fairy portal in Paris's town square, a fae gate sits at the edge of the forest, locked, rusty, and full of ancient magic. Marinette thinks that this abandoned gate must not work anymore... but one day, a fairy disguised as a black cat steps through it.

Ah, Fantasy Soulmate AUs, my beloved XD. This ain’t the only one of this fic type I’m gonna be recommending. This is just a cute fluff fic without much strife. I love Marinette and Chat Noir being able to be childhood friends via his visits, even if he has to pretend to be her cat whenever he comes over, and I ESPECIALLY adore Alya being his chaperone and quickly becoming friends with Marinette in her own right. It ain’t a complicated plot, but it is a nice and warm fic.

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Vengeance Noire by @phiellydinyia

After a horrific argument with his father, Adrien escaped from the mansion with his heart in pieces. In hindsight, it made sense why an akuma was sent his way. He shouldn't have let his emotions get the better of him.

But he never expected Plagg to be even more upset than he was. He never expected his own kwami to be akumatized. To become the threat of a city he swore to protect. And what's worse is the fact that Chat Noir can't jump in to save this one.

But Ladybug can. And that's why he has to find her as quickly as possible, suit or no suit.

I love some good Adrien angst, especially with a delicious side order of Plagg and Adrien’s bond with each other. Even as Adrien’s barely functional, though, he’ll do everything in his power to save Plagg, even if Plagg wishes he wouldn’t go quite that far. 

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the best laid plans (of bugs and bakers) by @mexicancat-girl

Paris is buzzing with the appearance of a new ladybug-themed hero, Scarabella.

Alya decides to use her second hero identity to help her best friend Marinette. A bit of her flirting with Marinette is bound to make Marinette's crushes jealous and finally ask her out! Her plan is fool-proof…!

Except when it's not. Not enough people are talking about Scarabella flirting with Marinette. How can Alya properly help her best friend if the news can't be bothered to cover Marinette's budding romance with Scarabella and only posts things about Marinette with Chat Noir?! So Alya puts her all into her plan, upping up her flirting each time she appears as the newbie hero Scarabella.

This totally does not backfire in any way.

I adore fics that center on Alya, I haven’t exactly been shy about that fact. This is a nice one for some Alyanette adorableness! (And some Scarabella and Chat banter, I really enjoyed reading that as well). “Fake” flirting to make crushes jealous tends to turn real very quickly, and this is no exception. It’s hilarious, Alya’s the last one to figure out that her romantic relationship with Marinette is very much real XD.

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Control by @generalluxun

A fun and rebellious gesture by her friend Zoé leaves Marinette accidently in possession of something more precious than she ever expected to hold.

It's a blessing. It's a curse. It's life itself.

She has no idea what to do. There is so much wrapped up not only in WHAT, but also WHO. Her friends and partners can offer advice, consolation, and support, but in the end when you are both Ladybug and the Guardian you are the one in control.

This is a fantastic SentiChloe fic. Marinette ends up with Chloe’s amok and isn’t sure what to do with it, whether to try to give it to Chloe, whether to try and use it to make Chloe a better person, or whether to just hold onto it secretly. Along the way, she ends up getting into Chloe’s head, getting a better idea of Chloe’s mindset, what she thinks and feels when she does the things she does. I loved seeing her struggle with figuring out what to do, it ended up being a great character study for both Marinette and Chloe!

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Within Your Heart by Inkyibis

It's Valentine's Day and Ladybug just wants to her superhero partner to find his love.

And what she wants, the Lucky Charm will create.

If only she could remember what it is she did last night.

Adrino fic here! Marinette’s drunk and feeling awful that her superhero partner is alone on Valentine’s (she’s in a loving and committed relationship with Alya), so she creates a Lucky Charm to help Chat find love! In this universe, Ladybug’s Lucky Charms have the power to create new rules for the universe to follow, such as making one that demands that if you have any magic in you, you have to tell the truth or else you’ll freeze. Or in Adrien’s case, that he has to wake up in the arms of his true love every day XD. It’s very sweet and I love both Adrien’s and Nino’s relationship, and the relationship between the rest of the Miracuteam members as well, even though that’s not the focus.

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This Distance Between Us by @coffeebanana

After defeating Monarch, the search for the Peacock Miraculous brings Ladybug and Chat Noir to a hotel room in London. But it's hard to enjoy the victory when Ladybug can't figure out why Chat's been so quiet, why he seems so sad. How's she supposed to help if she has no idea what's wrong?

This is a great Sentiadrien fic, with Chat freaking out about it and feeling like he’s not worthy of Ladybug’s affections, but not telling her what’s actually wrong because he thinks she won’t want him anymore if she knows. Of course, he’s wrong about that.

Also there’s a pretty intense confrontation with Felix, pissing Chat Noir off is a bad idea.

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Auspicious by The_Rabbit42

Entry #6 for AU April 2023: Reverse-Crush Kwami-Swap

Adrien is quiet and reserved whenever he's not consumed by stress. And between extracurriculars and modeling and his responsibilities as Mister Bug, he's often stressed. He appreciates his kitten, but he loves his bright and outgoing classmate. Not that she knows that.

Marinette's parents have always allowed her a good deal of independence, but she's felt her confidence skyrocket since getting Plagg. Simply being Lady Noire allows her to be more flirty and free. She likes her friends, but she loves her stoic and heroic partner. Not that he knows that.

This is just a lovely fic that’s exactly what it says on the tin. I like how Rabbit goes into what Lady Noire’s and Mister Bug’s dynamic is like here especially.

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Of Crisp Days and Crispier Cakes by @scribeofrhapsody

Gabriel wants to not be sick. Adrien wants to make a cake. Nathalie wants a chill birthday. Maybe they can help each other. Maybe it'll be a disaster.

So this starts off as just the cute fluff fic of Adrien and Gabriel attempting to make Nathalie a birthday cake that the summary indicates, but soon evolves into a more action-filled drama fic when Gabriel makes the terrible decision to akumatize a cashier while sick... a cashier who happens to be in the same shop as Nathalie and Adrien. Who are willing to put their secret identities at risk in order to save each other.

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After Irritation Do Us Start by @scribeofrhapsody

It was the most difficult decision of his life, but Gabriel did it. He let go of Hawk Moth. He moved on from Emilie. Now, all he wants is to enjoy life with his son and new wife. Unfortunately, a certain nephew of his seems to be determined to unearth what Gabriel needs to remain buried.

I love this look at what could have happened if during the season 3 finale, Gabriel had decided enough was enough and given up on being a supervillain, moving on with Nathalie instead. How much better things could have been if he’d just decided to stop - though Adrien still wouldn’t be happy to discover why Hawk Moth had suddenly stopped attacking.

Oh yeah, there’s an OC here called Gerald who Adrien’s puzzled by, since he’d never heard of this guy before the past year. At the end of the story you find out why he’s included in the story. It’s not a major thing, but it is kind of funny and fits well with the rest of the story.

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Rocking the Cat-Eyes by @buggachat

“I like being a girl.”

“That’s the alcohol talking,” Marinette snorted.

“I’ve always been a li’l jealous,” Adrien admitted.

“... Of what?”

“That you get to be a girl,” Adrien murmured, “and I don’t.”

—

When Marinette and Adrien host Girls' Night at their apartment, Adrien is easily welcomed to attend as "one of the girls"... but has a bit too much to drink. Some drunken confessions are spilt, some assumptions are made, and most of all...

Adrien is confused.

This is a great Genderfluid!Adrien fic. Marinette actually figures out that Adrien’s not entirely cis before he does, and tries to let him know she’s supportive... but unfortunately Adrien comes to some incorrect conclusions...

Anyway it’s a lot of fun, and Adrien rocks a dress and makeup!

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Desperation by OuzoAthena11

Marinette is at the end of her rope. There seems to be no hope for defeating Monarch, not now that he has most of the Miraculous and has figured out how to transfer their abilities to others.

Tikki has an idea: Awaken the memories of who Marinette was in the past to see if any of their knowledge across time and the multiverse could help.

But this means that Marinette might forever be changed, and so will Chat Noir, if he should choose to do this.

Little did they know that they knew each other in their past lives, and how frequently they crossed paths and even were a couple... well, that meant that they are soulmates.

Star Wars crossover fic here, with Marinette as Obi-wan and Adrien as Quinlan. I like how the reincarnation aspect was handled here, with Obi-wan’s and Quinlan’s memories being prominent and them “waking up” in a way at first, but those settling back down after a bit and Marinette and Adrien going back to being mostly themselves, but with a lot more life experience under their belts and some cool new abilities - which comes in handy for taking down Monarch!

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Family by @unecoccinellenoire

“You know,” Nino grins, “if you need advice on being a big brother in a year or two I’m sure I could help.”

The bottom of Adrien’s stomach dropped out.

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Adrien struggles with the concept of his father and Nathalie having children.

So this is a world where Adrien and Marinette managed to defeat Gabriel, taking his Miraculous, with them giving him an ultimatum: they won’t out him as being Hawk Moth so long as he doesn’t cause any more trouble and does right by Adrien. Gabriel does, in fact, move on finally to Nathalie, giving Adrien a lot of mixed feelings to deal with. He still loves them both despite everything, but he’s also angry at them and he definitely does NOT want them to have children, both because he thinks they’d like any biological child they had more (he’s also harboring guilt from indirectly being the cause of his mom’s death), and because frankly, they screwed up too much with Adrien for him to want them to inflict that on another child.

And then there’s also Adrien dealing with the realization that he’s a Senti on top of that and wondering why he and Felix look the way they do, what Emilie’s reasons were.

It’s mostly just Adrien getting to talk things out, navigating this emotionally fraught situation he finds himself in now that the dust is settled.

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Galaxy In Your Eyes by @liiinerle

Arriving in Paris, Kagami almost immediately finds herself assaulted by a dark, infectious butterfly. When she wakes up, a ladybug-themed superhero is standing over her, and her eyes are like holes into an empty, vast, and incredibly alluring universe...

An AU where the two main Miraculous function differently from the norm.

Nice Marigami fic here! Or should I say, Ladygami - technically Marinette doesn’t exist, only Ladybug, who’s an immortal creation goddess, or something like that. But she still fights to protect Paris from Hawk Moth alongside Chat Noir, who is still a normal, squishy human underneath the suit.

Anyway, there’s a but of inspiration from Nimona here, with a lot of people being scared of Ladybug because she’s a bit... out there, especially when she shapeshifts to have like, 6 extra arms and a lobster tail. Kagami’s into it though XD

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Stay Weird, Ladybug by @diadraws

Ladybug receives an invitation at the end of a patrol!

Contains some of my own headcanons, most notably: MIRACULOUS HOLDERS ARE CREATURES!!! They get actual animal traits when transformed instead of just a costume. My tumblr is diadraws where I elaborate some more on my headcanons which may add some additional context to this fic if you are interested!

CONTENT WARNINGS: *major* depictions of panic attacks, discussion of child neglect/abuse, and a minor emetophobia (vomiting) warning towards the end.

I’ve loved the comics and fanart I’ve seen dia create for this AU, with Ladybug’s and Chat Noir’s more animalistic designs, so reading a fic set in that AU was a real treat! It’s mostly just a Ladrien sleepover at Adrien’s house, but it’s very nice and cozy, with some good character development of Adrien helping Ladybug with panic attacks she keeps having.

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Trapped by @consistent-chaos-corporation

Felix asks to visit Adrien as soon as his father is gone. Gabriel catches him snooping, looking for Adrien's Amok.

Everything gets worse from there.

Damn, poor Felix. He came to try and help Adrien, but instead Gabriel stole his Amok, forcing him to obey his commands, holding him prisoner in his basement for months. If you want some quality Felix whump, this is the fic for you!

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When Secrets Come Undone by SortaArtsy

Ladybug promised not to tell Adrien... but she never promised not to confide in Cat Noir. What happens when Ladybug unintentionally vents to the one person who wasn't meant to know any of it?

****MAJOR SEASON 5 SPOILERS WARNING! ****

May not be season 6 compliant when it comes out.

This is a “Adrien finds out what everyone’s been keeping from him post-S5″ fic, and I think it’s handled really well! He feels very hurt, betrayed, and disbelieving initially about being a Senti and his father being Monarch (...mostly being a Senti, it ain’t that hard to believe that Gabriel was a supervillain), and is angry at everyone who kept it secret from him, but he still handles it well, going and talking to the people involved, getting their reasoning and perspective. 

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Wanted: Catnap by SortaArtsy

Adrien Agreste has barely been sleeping, trying to be everything expected of him. What happens when he spreads himself too thin? Sick!Adrien/ Cat Noir

Adrien’s just pushing himself so hard, trying to do his regular duties, until his illness forces him to rest. I love how concerned everyone is over him - even GABRIEL eventually relents and wants him to rest. It’s just cute and nice and fluffy.

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Felix is Fine by SortaArtsy

Felix wakes up sick, but is determined to keep it under wraps. Kagami refuses to be fooled. Feligami fluff. Implied past trauma/ abuse, though nothing explicit. Set post S5 so there are SOME SPOILERS!

If you want a Felix sick fic, this story’s the fic for you! I like how Felix and Kagami actually talk about why Felix is so determined to keep the extent of his illness hidden, what caused him to feel like he needs to do that, and Kagami’s understanding about it. Colt sucks.

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Our Tales Are Endless (That’s Why I Tell Them) by @joonapeach

Marinette lives a simple life - one surrounded by pretty dresses, fresh macaroons, and the calming view of Paris. It's a life she thinks she has always fit in.

And yet sometimes, when a certain boy comes by her shop with a flower and a new adventurous story, she can't help but wonder if there's something else she's missing.

This was a truly gorgeous story. It’s the classic “Marinette gives up the Miracle Box and loses her memories” storyline, exploring her life two years later. Even though she’s had time to heal and recover, she still feels like she’s missing something, something big. At least Adrien’s stopping by regularly to tell her stories about Ladybug and Chat Noir, even if she doesn’t understand why they resonate with her so well.

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a winter so warm by @rosekasa

winters were hard for even the best of vampires, but at least adrien had marinette to keep him warm with her cuddles.

december was going to suck without her. so it was only to be expected to get extra cuddles in before she left, right?

(well, not really, considering those heating supplements he was taking, but she didn't need to know about that).

This one’s mostly just cute cuddly adorableness! It’s basically like all those “Marinette gets the Ladybug trait of needing to cuddle up to someone for warmth”, but with Adrien instead. And of course featuring Marinette being a very talented witch who just wants to help Adrien stay warm when she isn’t there XD.

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The 8 Weddings of Alix Kubdel by The_Rabbit42

The bet is simple: with the Rabbit Miraculous, Alix will be speaking at all of her friends' weddings. No matter what age they tie the knot, she'll be there looking the same. From Alix's perspective, she's going to each ceremony and reception one right after another in a nonstop bender.

This fic’s a lot of fun! I loved seeing all the different weddings, as well as how Alix slowly felt more and more out of place, with going forwards in time. Some of the weddings could get, uh. Exciting as well XD. And while there’s been years in-between Alix’s appearances for her friends at the wedding, for Alix, it’s only been a few hours, if that...

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and I thought I heard you sing by @into-september

When Hawkmoth has been defeated and unmasked, Marinette is left with two problems and no solutions.

First, that Adrien is further out of her reach than ever before, and no-one can tell her how to get to him.

Second, that Cat Noir is far more troubled than she knew, and the only thing she can do is wait for him at the place they agreed to meet.

It’s your classic “Hawkmoth’s defeated and taken into custody but that means Adrien’s in for a rough time” sort of fic. Everyone’s worried about Adrien and wants to give him what comfort and support that they can, but he’s being hidden away from everyone (which I mean, honestly that’s a good move), so that’s not really possible. Plus, Ladybug’s noticed that Chat’s having a tough time in his civilian life, which worries her.

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Time Locked AU by PumpkinPatchworkQuilt

In Time Locked, instead of just fixing the damage it puts everything post akuma back to exactly how it was, people, buildings, memories, time. Since it’s more extreme than in canon it requires both The Cat and The Ladybug to complete the Cure,(and visually contains both as well). Because of this only those with a miraculous can recall the events and only those who cast the Cure will have any lasting effects from the fight and even then it’s limited to scars, phantom aches, getting a tad more muscle definition and of course spatial displacement in extreme cases.

Since technology is slightly resistant or incompatible with the miraculous magic, footage of right after the akuma attack will survive, on a technicality and as such only reappears when the time catches up the the recorded time, that could be minutes, hours, or days depending on how long it took to defeat the akuma.

First story: Alya’s Guide to Surviving a Magical Terrorist Which You Can’t Remember

In a world where the fight against Hawkmoth is kept secret from the public, one Alya Césaire sets out to bring the whole thing to light, (and possibly win a journalism award while she's at it)

This was an interesting AU, I loved the focus on Alya especially and her investigative abilities, figuring out that there was a battle between good and evil taking place in the background of everyone’s lives even though most signs of it are wiped clean after the battle’s over. And Adrien and Marinette pick up on her cleverness and want her to help! I love how much appreciation this fic shows for Alya.

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Stitched Together by @nedjsmlfavs

Stitch Witch Marinette was just supposed to be having a nice, terrifying outing with her best friends. She never expected to find a magically trapped kitten, but here we are! Whatever happened to this poor little guy?

Poor Adrien, being transformed and chained up for ages, having no idea that he was gonna be rescued. But at least he got to have fun at Marinette’s place as a cat! 

Most of this fic is adorable, though with some dark undertones lying in wait. After all, SOMEONE chained up that poor little kitty...

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Love Remains by @kasienda

Marinette stood in the center of her own room. The pink walls were adorned with sketches and photos, and other unfamiliar souvenirs of her life. Her eyes jumped curiously from a hand made purse to a bowler hat decorated with a feather to a cork board covered in pictures of her friends.

She loved her room. Which made sense, she supposed. She had theoretically been the one to decorate it, but she didn’t remember decorating it. And now, the room was like a cave filled with treasure.

Because each little piece of it held a secret - some part of herself that meant something to her, a clue to what her life had been like before…

Before she had woken up in the arms of a boy wearing a magic black catsuit. His heartbroken sobs had caused something in her chest to twist painfully. She hadn’t understood why then, but from that very first moment she knew she had wanted to make things better for him.

She had no idea how to do that now that she understood what she had lost.

Sixteen years worth of memories.

The echoes of which were papered onto the walls and notebooks of her room just waiting to be rediscovered.

No one else seemed to share her excitement.

Unlike most “Marinette loses her memories” fics, this one isn’t super angst for Marinette - she takes it in stride. Now, everyone else, not so much. It’s really interesting seeing her contrast who she appeared to be before with who she is now, particularly when it comes to her previous self being in love with Adrien and not Chat, while she’s in love with Chat and not Adrien. Of course eventually she finds out certain things that makes that make a lot more sense. She isn’t so different from how she was before after all...

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Betrayal by @jennagrinsoverml

MAJOR EPHEMERAL SPOILERS!!

Ladybug planned to use Viperion's power of Second Chance to get Chat's identity to Su-han without Chat knowing or agreeing.

Of course, then the world went crazy, and she didn't go through with it.

But when an akuma exposes Ladybug's plan to Chat, he doesn't know that. He just knows that his Lady betrayed him.

He deals with his feelings in the best, most mature way he can think of.

He disappears.

So I, like a lot of others, wanted more follow-up on Ephemeral, and particularly on the betrayal of trust it was for Marinette to try to trick Chat Noir into giving up his identity to a third party without his knowledge or consent (I wrote my own take on that at the time, called Transcient, that I’m proud of). This fic did a good job of exploring that, with Adrien reacting in a manner that made sense to me (repressing his negative feelings about the situation as much as possible and trying to justify it to himself, but still feeling terrible despite his own best efforts), and how Marinette realized that she messed up, since Luka keeping it secret that he knows hers and Chat’s secret identities caused her to be upset as well. It did a great job of exploring those negative feelings and letting everyone talk things out, explain their viewpoints, and rebuild their relationships afterwards, which is something I really value.

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Swimming in Circles by @generalluxun

Life has moved on for Marinette Dupain-Cheng. She's not where she thought she would be seven years ago, but she's still in a good place. Classes, hobbies, friends, her life is full despite the lingering shades of her faded yet sweet middle-school romance. Then just as quick at the first time, someone drops into her life and turns her into an absolute mess once more.

Love and crushes might be her undoing, but she's got a little more experience this time to weather the storm. This fateful stranger stirs memories as well as emotions inside of her, and with a forthrightness her old self would be jealous of, Marinette takes the plunge.

So this is a Trans fic, with Marinette’s new crush being a trans version of a certain classmate who she doesn’t recognize, who’s changed a lot, for the better. I like how it deals with the baggage she has with that person, has her think that through.

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Three’s company by @torvalvt

Kagami has been doing her best for years to ignore her feelings for her friends. It doesn't help that Adrien and Marinette insist on spending as much time as possible with her, even going so far as inviting her along on their dates together. If only the affection she felt for them wouldn't get in the way of their relationship. Because it is growing harder and harder to tamp down her feelings with how close they are getting to her.

This is adorable. Adrien and Marinette really want Kagami to join their relationship and she just doesn’t dare hope for it. If you want some adorable Adrigaminette from Kagami’s perspective, I recommend checking this fic out!

#ml fanfic rec #miraculous ladybug

[ruinedruminations]

Answer the questions and tag the fanfiction authors you know:

Thank you @mathiwrites for the tag! I decided to do this on my writing focused blog. @tamlinfairchild

How did you get into writing fanfiction?

I started out writing for fandoms almost sixteen years ago during one of my family’s last vacations together. I remember specifically hauling our very chunky and dependable laptop around the resort and curling up on various benches at age twelve to type out sentences. The work that I completed that week, as embarrassing as it is, I keep in my memory box as a dedication to what has become such a huge part of my life.

How many fandoms have you written in?

Glory. Officially on Archive of Our Own, I have written things for A Court of Thorns & Roses, The Chronicles of Narnia, and Supergirl.

The Chronicles of Narnia is what drew me into the depth of world building, characters, and writing in general. I will always have a special place for it in my heart. The original character whom I created sixteen years ago for that story still accompanies me to this day. I know her better now, as one gets to know a friend. She will likely find a home in my original works as that fantasy world expands.

Supergirl had my heart for multiple years and is what got me into working on one project for an extended amount of time. I was writing a long haul with @fangirlintheforest. We met and had a strong laugh over the fact that we have the same name. We are still friends to this day.

I believe I only wrote around 20k words to that story in a year, which I have now proven I am capable of doing in a month; but it was the first time I sat down and shared my ideas with someone in the way I do today.

How many years have you been writing fanfiction?

15 going on 16 years. I started original work four or five years ago.

Do you read or write more fanfiction?

I certainly write more than I read. Often, I can’t stop writing. Occasionally, I’ve written a sentence or two at a stoplight. I definitely have skipped dinner or stayed in from gatherings in order to let the words in my brain flow from my own. Writing is a core function of who I am.

I love to read fanfiction. My favorites of all time are definitely in the Dramione fandom. Some of their works have been very influential on me.

However, when I am writing fanfiction, I tend to avoid reading anything about the characters I am currently working with unless asked.

What is one way you've improved as a writer?

I could go on and on; but the three biggest things I’ve learned in the past two years are:

One — be your own biggest fan. especially when writing original content, you will not always have readers there by your side during creation. reread your own writing more often with excitement and love than you do with criticism. the kinder you are to your mistakes, the easier they are to correct.

Two — write for you. why did you begin this story? deep inside you know the reason why. you may lack the words for it (funny, right?) but the flame is there. start it for you, finish it to make yourself proud.

Three — just write. write it badly; but don’t let anything stop you from not writing it at all.

Do you have any bad habits as a writer?

Perfectionism and avoidance. I struggle ending stories even when I know scene by scene how it goes. I think it’s important to realize that writing your conclusion is not a death, especially for the first book of many, but an opportunity.

What's the weirdest topic you researched for a writing project?

Probably things on Psychopaths, Criminals, and truly dark details about death.

What's your favourite type of comment to receive on your work?

Honestly, I’m used to not getting many. So seeing them is still a bit surreal. However, I love when people point out that something truly touched their heart or made them notice something new. My emotions bleed into my words and so has the healing and trauma recovery that I have experienced in the last five years. Being able to share my grief, healing, and hope with others in ways that makes them feel seen and heard is truly what calls to my heart as a writer.

What's the most fringe trope/topic you write about?

I’m not super fringe. I think the plot that I enjoy which I’ve heard is unpopular is a pregnancy trope. I have always enjoyed writing them, I’m not entirely sure why. I have health conditions that prevent me from having children of my own and I think incorporating that into my fiction is probably a very good outlet for me.

What is the hardest type of story for you to write?

I am still learning how to write good action scenes and humor. Humor is still probably what I would consider my biggest challenge.

What is the easiest type?

Lyrical, emotional prose

Where do you do your writing? What platform? When?

I currently use GoogleDocs and am hoping to switch platforms soon. I want to start doing things with this blog as well. I’ve considered making a YouTube Channels about learning how to write.

What is something you've been too nervous/intimidated to write, but would love to write one day?

I approach a lot of different topics, because I believe that even if I haven’t experienced something — if you step into someone else’s shoes with empathy — your own pain will translate.

But, the one thing that does intimidate me is cancel culture. I am still working through my fear of publishing because of the recent changes to fandom and reading. Authors get devoured and critiqued down to the most intimate details of their lives. Critique is important and I am probably one of the biggest free speech advocates out there, but it still scares me.

Working with beta readers and listening to people who have outside experiences helps me look at my own work new ways; but I’ve also had to accept and acknowledge that no book can ever be perfect for everyone. That is part of why we write fanfiction. As an hopeful future author, I hope that I could embrace that.

What made you choose your username?

My main blog is positivelyruined, which is a line from one of my favorite books of last year: Assistant to the Villain. I decided I wanted something that matched and this fit the bill.

#tag games #as a writer

[thedaughersofferrix]

A New Purpose (Chapter Two: Partners)

(work is not nsfw, but this blog is generally intended to be 18+)

synopsis: you’re an ex-rebel fighter struggling to adjust to no longer fighting against the empire and instead having to build from it’s ashes. to combat the overwhelming sense that you need to do something, you've dedicated yourself to wiping out the imperial remnants that still cling to the underside of the new republic. that changes when you meet a socially inept mandalorian and his adorable baby, who are running from imperial remnants.

tldr: an ex-rebel, a mandalorian and force-sensitive baby walk into a bar and nobody else walks out.

pairing: din djarin x fem! reader

content warnings: canon typical violence, slow burn, like really slow burn, strangers to friends to lovers, potentially smut in the future, reader has personality/backstory, little to no use of y/n, original characters, original planets

word count: 3.7k

prev. next.

-

While unconscious, your mind flittered through what were half-memories and half-unintelligible dream nonsense. 

One minute you were at a strategy meeting, surrounded by your friends and the Rebellion insignia, then a fyrnock jumped on the table and suddenly you were being chased. Nobody else reacted or cared, they didn’t take notice of you as you ran. Dream you was hurt by that, but you didn’t yell at them or ask for help. The fyrnock spoke to you like it’s capable of complex thought, all while it’s frothing at the mouth. You’re sure that it meant something to people who care about shit like that, you, however, didn’t have time to examine your own subconscious. 

Your eyes opened like rusted shutters, slow and heavy. An involuntary groan escaped you while you moved. It was dark, with only enough light for you to see the general outline of things. Strangely, you were comfortable. Patting the ground beside you, you realised it’s not ground at all. You were on a bed. Well, it was more like stretchy mesh than anything providing real comfort, but it was better than the floor.

The events of… yesterday? An hour ago? Last week? However long you were out didn’t matter because the most recent events that occurred to you hadn’t been forgotten. 

You were still experiencing some general aches and pains in your body. It’s only a fraction of the pain you were in before you had your little nap though. And the blaster wound at your side had been cleaned, sprayed with bacta and dressed. It got the job done, even if it wasn’t amazing. You’d have some new scars after all that for sure. 

You carelessly felt around for a little bit, before your hand slapped a panel and the door to the bedding area opened. You winced at the sudden light and swung your legs over the edge. 

There was some quiet movement from above you that let you know the Mandalorian and his green baby thing are awake. Your eyes finally focused and you took in your surroundings. It was about as quiet and methodical as you expected from him. He doesn’t have anything unnecessary sitting around or taking up space. There was a ladder directly to your right, as well as a fresher, both of which you disregarded in favour of doing some non-invasive snooping. I mean, you may as well know what you’re getting into, right?

You find what you deduce to be a portable carbonite freezing chamber, though the racks where his bounties are usually kept was empty. Must not have much time to bounty hunt while he’s taking care of the kid , you thought. Across from it is a compartment, which you opened without struggle. Blasters and explosive devices line every inch of it. There’s a brief moment wherein you consider filching one, but then you consider that he might not react well to that.

The act of climbing the ladder up to the second floor is a slow endeavour that ended up taking you longer than it should have, even on a bad day. Each of your joints is desperate for just five more minutes of rest . You persisted and made it up, though there was some struggle to actually climb onto the floor and then stand up. There was an Amban sniper rifle mounted on the wall by the cockpit door. Good to know.

The door opened automatically when you approached and the Mandalorian looked over his shoulder at you, then back to the window. It was only then that you realised you were in hyperspace. The light illuminated his silver beskar helmet like fireworks on the water. It was nearly beautiful.

“Mornin’,” you tried. He made a little grunt of acknowledgement in response. You were a little annoyed by that, though the annoyance melted away when you heard the sweet gurgles of the baby. He was playing with a small silver ball that you recognised as being the ship’s shift knob. His eyes seem even bigger and brighter than you remembered. You waved at him and his tiny clawed hand waved back.

“Where are we going?” you asked, trying to peer at his navigation system. He flicked a switch before telling you, “Korrus.” You choked out a laugh. He looked over his shoulder at you and you raised your hands in defence. “What?” he insisted. 

“Nothing, nothing,” you rejected. He moved to turn back around. “It’s just—” and then he was looking at you again, “—you really couldn’t have picked a worse planet.”

There’s a beat of silence. “Explain.” 

You sat down in the unoccupied passenger chair to his right and dropped your elbows on your knees. “Korrus is one of the only Outer Rim planets that has stayed under total Imperial control since the death of the Emperor. If we go there, we may as well walk out with our blasters in our mouths.”

Being able to see the look on his face would have been satisfying then. Or maybe not. It’s really hard to tell with the helmet on honestly. “Where do you propose we go instead?”

“The moon Jaji. It’s far enough away from Korrus that the Imps won’t see it, but close enough to bail out to other planets if we need to. Varied settlements and species, we’d blend right in.” In response to this counteroffer, the Mandalorian did what he does best: stared at you silently . “I can give you coordinates,” you proposed.

“Tell me,” he said and you couldn’t tell if you were making progress or if he was just this miserable all the time.

-

Jaji was how you remember; swampy and damp and dim . Massive willowing trees blocked out the brunt of the sunlight and made it seem like it was perpetually twilight. It was sort of nice, in an ominous way. It took the Mandalorian a while to find an appropriate place to land and he, with a little reluctance, accepted your guidance to a spot near the town of Eryuu.

The ground on Jaji is permanently mud and muck, the water has sprawling algae decorating the surface and yet the drinking water on Jaji is some of the purest in the galaxy. You didn’t fully understand the infrastructure in place, though a local merchant once explained to you that Jaji has had a complex water purification system for over two hundred years now. The purity is so intense that the first time you sipped a cup of Jaji water you’d thought they served you alcohol by accident.

When you landed, you told him your name. “Okay,” he replied dumbly as he twisted nobs and pulled levers. You waited for him to offer you his name back. He didn’t. “Is there a name I can call you?”

“Just call me Mando.”

“Oh come on! You’re not going to tell me your name? You’re going to let me bleed out in your ship and sleep in your bed but you’re not going to tell me your name?”

“Mando or nothing,” he maintained. You clicked your tongue in irritation. Your eyes fell on the kid. “Does he have a name?” you asked, pointing to the little guy. He made a little sound that you took as an answer to your question. “He does!” you grinned. “What is it?” Even though you felt like the Mando was annoyed by your attempts at basic etiquette, he told you: Grogu .

You were delighted to discover that every time you say his name, Grogu turned to you, cocked his head and made a noise you have to assume is an approximation of ‘ you called? ’

“What tools do you have?” you asked him, once the ship’s engine was off. “Enough,” he said. “Why?” Your eyes flicked over to the controls of the ship. “I think I can mod your transmitter to not be picked up by scanners.” That caught his attention.

Mando showed you what tools he had on hand for you to mod the ship and all the while, you tried to get some grasp on him. The tools were enough to facilitate the rewiring you’d need to do and the entire time you tried to work, he stood and watched you. He probably assumed you were going to plant a bomb beside his fuel injector or something. 

His ship had been taken apart and repaired not long ago, that was evident. The soldering was fresh and some pieces shined while others were caked in rust. In terms of the quality of engineering, it was pretty impressive. There was no way Mando did this alone. “Who repaired your ship?” you queried. “A friend,” he replied. You couldn’t get a fucking  inch on this guy, could you?

“What?” he asked. You looked over at him and furrowed your brow in confusion.

“Hm?”

“Your face, you look upset.” He wasn’t totally emotionally stunted at least. “Just didn’t think you’d have friends is all,” you teased. He would have made some disapproving noise or comment, you’re sure, but he didn’t get the chance because someone called out your name.

“Maker, it is you!”

You slid out from the Razor Crest’s walls and peered down the ramp. When you saw him, your face brightened. “Krav!”

The orange and white togruta smiled widely at you. He was as tall as he had been the last time, if not taller. He was over six foot three without his montral height added. The murky green coat trailing off his shoulders somehow made him look even taller. Krav immediately pulled you into an embrace, a hand resting on the back of your head affectionately.

“How long as been? Eight months? Nine?” he said when he pulled away. “Maybe a year by now,” you replied. At such proximity, he could see your face and the healing scars that littered it more clearly. His large hand grabbed your cheek gently, his thumb caressing the most obvious one. “My, my. Still, a troublemaker I see.”

“What can I say? Some things never change.”

He hummed. “Maybe they should.”

Grogu made a noise of curosity and Krav turned around, catching sight of him and Mando. “Ah! You’re here with friends!” he preened, clasping his hands.

“Friend is a strong word for it,” you interjected. Krav gave you a look. You shrugged. “He’s my chauffeur.” Mando’s head turned to you. “Krav, this is Mando and Grogu,” you introduced. Krav smiled. “Lovely to meet you.” Mando nodded. “Likewise.” Grogu cooed and Krav chuckled lowly.

“Are you staying?” Krav asked, sounding hopeful. You looked at Mando like you were expecting to see an expression from under the helmet. Stoic beskar stared back. “I doubt it,” you settled on. “That’s a shame,” he mused, expression now glum. It wasn’t hard to clock that he had more to say. “Wanna go for a walk, Krav? Catch up a little bit?” He smiled. “Sure.”

“Don’t be long. I want these mods done before the sun sets,” Mando informed you. “Yes sir, mister Mandalorian, sir!” You gave him a mocking salute, to which he huffed, then walked back into the ship. Grogu followed after in his cot, waving to you.

“He seems fun,” Krav commented. “He’s not. Anyway, start talking.”

“You just can’t be subtle, can you?”

“Never been one for beating around the bush.”

“I’m aware,” Krav laughed. As you gained some distance on the Razor Crest, his smile dropped and he looked at you with a hardened expression. “I’m glad to see you.”

“Oh no.”

“Why oh no? Can’t I miss a friend?”

“Forgive me for being realistic. People are only ever glad to see me when they want something done.”

“A testament to your capability.”

“ Sure . Get on with it, then.” 

“Do you remember a few years ago when we had an issue with the Crymorah Syndicate?” Your brow furrowed. “I do. I thought they fizzled out when Jabba died?”

“We did too, until recently. They’ve been interrupting our trade with Aibal. The summer drought has been particularly hard there this season, we’ve nearly doubled the water rations we send to them, but less than half of what we send is making it there. Then, the Syndicate take what they’ve stolen and sells it for triple the price.”

You weren’t ashamed to admit that the implication of what he was saying lit a spark in you. The promise of a fight always did that to you. Especially with fuckers like the Crymorah Syndicate. They had provided the Empire with sensitive intelligence from the start of its reign until the day the Emperor died.

The ever-growing confidence of the Imperial remnants might only serve to be invigorated by a lack of consequences from the New Republic. Who knows what information you could stand to gain from taking down this wing of the Syndicate? The transmissions you could gain access to if you got on one of their ships. Was it worth the risk though?

“You’ve tangled with the Syndicate before.”

“That was during the war, Krav.”

“This is a war to us,” Krav retorted, voice rife with emotion. “People are suffering because of this. Is that not a worthy reason for war?”

You considered this. Fuck it , you thought. Who has time to consider the risks? War was more appealing than peace anyway.

“I should probably run this past Mando first,” you thought out loud. Krav grinned at you. He could see where this was going. “I’m willing to take them down a peg though.” A large orange hand slapped your shoulder in gratitude.

“You and your Mandalorian will be compensated for your work.”

“Okay, calm down, he’s not my Mandalorian,” you said, half laughing. “He’s a Mandalorian and I think he’d object to being anyone’s.” 

“Potato, tomato.”

“Potato, potahto.”

“Who calls it a potahto?”

“That’s the— hm, you know what? Never mind.”

-

“Mando.”

He looked back at you from his spot, kneeling on the floor. He had been inspecting what you’d done so far. “How would you feel about scoring some credits?” 

“By doing what exactly?”

“Got some bandits upsetting a trade route from here to Aibal. We’ve been asked to stop it.”

“How much?”

“Six thousand.” He scoffed. “That won’t cover fuel costs for a week,” he dismissed. “Six thousand, each . You’d get my share.” Mando paused. “...Why would you be willing to give me your share?” You kissed your teeth like you were thinking about it. “I’m just that nice.”

Mando stared at you silently. You stared back. “And I mean—”

“There it is.”

“—Fuck you and I mean this is a great chance to get some perspective, isn’t it? Crymorah has been in the Empire’s pocket since the end of the Clone Wars. Intercepting these guys could let us know where we stand with them.”

“And?” You looked at him innocently. He looked back at you, waiting for the twist. No point in letting him fester, you supposed. “And it’s a great chance for you to give me a blaster.” Mando sighed at you like you were a petulant child bothering him. He stood and walked over to his weapons compartment. “Which are you familiar with?” You raced to his side.

“The DL-21, that’d do me just fine,” you said before you even reached him. If he noticed your familiarity with the weapons in his compartment, he didn’t mention it. “I assume you’ve used it before,” he said, picking it from its mount and handing it to you. You gladly accepted and check its condition. “I’ve more than used it. Used to call these things Rebel blasters during the war. She’s my blaster of choice.”

“You were a rebel?” he asked, closing the compartment back over. “Still am,” you replied. “The war is over.” You raised your eyebrows. “For some,” you remarked. “Anyway. Shall I get back to work then?”

-

It hadn’t taken very long to rewire the ship’s transmitter, especially since you had done it so many times. “That should be it,” you announced. “Turn on the engine and let’s see.” Mando disappeared wordlessly up the ladder and the engine roared to life. “Well?” you called up to him. “Come see for yourself,” he yelled back.

You entered the cockpit and Mando pointed to a new light on the dashboard. “That’s new,” he quietly stated. “Yeah, that’s an indicator that lets you know your ship is flying silent. This is an old military issue model so it’s there to avoid friendly fire,” you explained. He nodded in understanding, before saying quietly, “Thank you.” Mando was more polite than you’d originally given him credit for. “You’re welcome.”

“I need to pick up some supplies in town,” Mando said, flicking the engine off. “There’s a market about a two-minute walk away,” you told him. “And there’s an eatery nearby too.” Mando grabbed his rifle off the wall and slung it around himself. “Good. I think Grogu’s getting hungry.” Grogu babbled in agreement. You chuckled, giving him a pat on the head. 

The town of Eryuu hadn’t changed much since you had last been there, in a nice way. It felt untouched by corruption festering in the corners of the Outer Rim. The people were as polite and welcoming as the first time you landed here, though they were perhaps a little intimidated by the wall of beskar trailing a few feet behind you. His demeanour was softened by the presence of the sweet-faced green baby though.

Grogu was examining his surroundings in the way only a young kid was able to; without a speck of judgement or disgust on his tiny wrinkled face. Just curiosity and intrigue at somewhere new and safe.

Mando purchased med nog and some bacta spray at one stall, then settled for just looking at merchandise offered by the rest of them. It was hard to not think about how all your precious gear was rotting away in an Imperial garrison, but you’d lost more at worse times.

The eatery called the Fifth under Seventh ( but known as Five-Seven to the locals ) was moderately quiet. Enough people for it not to be awkwardly quiet but enough people for some privacy. Mando ordered a bone broth for Grogu, nothing for himself and you ordered cushnip, which earned you a look from him that said ‘ I know you’re going to make me pay for that .’ You gave him a smile in return.

“So,” Mando began as the serve walked away. “You’ve modified the Razor Crest not to get picked up by scanners.” You hummed in confirmation. “How did you learn to do that?”

You laughed. “I can learn to do anything if I’m given enough time. With the right tools, I could hide loth-rat from a loth-cat.”

“And in this situation, I’m the loth-rat?”

“Grogu is the loth-rat. You’re something worse, like a little loth-rat in impenetrable armour maybe.”

He ignored that comment. “What can—”

“Ooooh, let me guess: What can you do for me if the scanner hides me anyway? ” you said, imitating his asphalt rasp. The server returned with Grogu’s broth and your cushnip and you didn’t wait to start shovelling the food into your mouth. It must have been nearly twenty-four hours since you’d last eaten anything substantial. “I don’t sound like that,” he defended.

“Everyone’s a critic, huh? First of all,” you started through a mouthful, “Any malfunction with that modification and I’m one of the few people who’re going to be able to help you fix it. Secondly—” you swallowed, “—the Empire isn’t a one-person fight, Mando.” You chose not to hear the hypocrisy in your statement. You leaned over the table slightly and looked directly at where you thought his eyes were. 

“We don’t have to be friends, acquaintances or even speak outside of what’s necessary. I don’t have a ship and considering what I had is left behind on Creda, I’m not really in a position to buy one. You just need to provide me with some transport and I’ll work at keeping the Empire off our backs. That’s more than fair.”

Mando digested your words and went quiet for a few seconds. “How do I know I can trust you?” he finally asked. “The same way I know I can trust you: faith .”

“Faith,” he repeated in disbelief. “Faith,” you affirmed. “You didn’t kill me, patched me up, took me here, gave me a blaster. I didn’t kill you, led you out of the garrison on Creda and am offering you help. From there, faith in each other is all we’re going to have.”

Grogu cooed.

“And Grogu,” you joked. “He’s a reason for us to trust each other.”

“How?”

“He likes me.”

“No, he doesn’t.”

“Yeah, he does.”

“He likes everyone who doesn’t want to kill him.”

“Good to know he has standards.”

He ignored your comment again. “You could look after him while I go after bounties.” Your face screwed up at that. “I’m not a babysitter,” you snapped. “I’d pay you.”

“ Fuck off!” you told him bluntly. “I’m not your employee either! If we’re doing this we need to be equals. I’d be willing to co-parent.”

“Co-parent?” he said, confused by your offer. You gestured as you tried to think of an explanation for it. “Uh, y’know, like you look after him and I go on a bounty, I look after him you go on a bounty. We take turns.”

“You’re not a bounty hunter.”

“I’m also not a babysitter.”

“I didn’t mean offence by it,” he said calmly. “I know,” you replied. “I just can’t go along with this if we aren’t both on the same page.” You took another mouthful of food and chewed thoughtfully. “Don’t get me wrong, I like him. He’s sweet, but ,” you place your half-finished cushnip back on your plate. “I have my shit to do, Mando. Same as you. I can’t prioritise him when I’m already committed to something else.”

Mando shifted in his seat so he was sitting back. “I understand.” He eyed you for a moment. Even with the helmet on, you could sense it. “I’m okay with… co-parenting .” You grinned at him. 

You extended a hand to him. “It’s a deal then. We’re partners.” He hesitated before he reached across the table to shake your hand. 

“Partners.”

#din djarin x reader #din djarin x you #din djarin x y/n #the mandalorian x y/n #the mandalorian x reader #the mandalorian x you #star wars x reader #din djarin fanfiction #star wars

[zaunseye]

RULES OF PLAY

My blogs are selective.

Only mutuals will have access to full paragraph roleplay. However, anyone can send in OoC interactions like asks, memes, or questions. This blog focuses on long form roleplay (1 or more paragraphs).

Reblog etiquette is important.

Personals are allowed to follow my account to enjoy the writing posted, but please do not reblog roleplay posts or drabbles. Those are to stay within the RPC and not end up circulating main blogs. Basically, you can reblog gifsets and fan art I post, but not my text posts.

The mun(i.e. player/writer) must be 18 or older to follow/interact.

Nothing suggestive, NSFW, or explicit involving minors will be accepted or tolerated. Pull anything like that, you get yourself blocked and reported.

Roleplay blogs only.

I do not roleplay with personal accounts. You will need a dedicated roleplay account to interact with me and my characters. I accept multimuses, of course.

IC =/= OOC.

Actions my character takes or things my character says do not 100% reflect my own thoughts.

No godmoding/metagaming.

Only work with information your character knows, and never assume any of my character’s actions. You cannot control what my character does, and I can’t control what yours does. Nor can either of us autohit the other.

Crossovers/OCs/Multiverse characters are welcome.

I can’t guarantee I’ll know all the facts about your character or their canon, but I’ll make sure to read your lore or information before interacting IC.

DO NOT INTERACT:

Lolita content

HH/HB

MLP

Harry Potter

I use the new post editor exclusively.

If you refuse to, expect your replies to come at a lower priority to those who do. Sorry, guys, it’s just too much to try and work with, and it requires new posts all the time instead of one thread, which makes it harder for me to track. Posts using the new editor are easier to trim, too.

Needless to say, bigotry will result in a block.

If you’re a terf, nazi, swerf, racist, fascist, antisemite, zionist, or transphobe, I will ignore your existence just like everyone else should. Shame on you.

Give me time to reply, I’m only one human.

Depending on my life outside of this blog, it might take me longer to reply to things. It’s fine to check on things every few days, but constant messages or haranguing will kill my energy to rp with you.

Triggers will be respected on both sides.

I have some odd ones. You probably have some odd ones. I will always tag the obvious warnings (self-harm, graphic violence, emeto, gore, suicide, death or animal death, etc) but if you have a unique need, just let me know!

I only ship with chemistry.

Canon ships are not guaranteed if there isn’t chemistry between our muses. Just because our muses date in most universes, doesn’t mean it’s going to happen.

I don’t do exclusives.

I may develop ‘regulars’, but all blogs are equal to me, and each character duplicate will have their own universe.

It's a no-go on Jilco.

I do not ship it. I do not like it. I do not want it on my blog.

#zaunseye rules

[rays-of-fire-and-ice]

The ship meme for Hitsuhina, Renruki, Ichihime, Ginran, Byahisa, Grimmnel, and Rukihime please?

Send me a ship

Hitsuhina

You saw this coming, I saw this coming, if you didn't see it coming, you can look at my blog and see why this my OTP.

Renruki

LOVE this ship! I've talked about several times before, but if Hitsuhina weren't my OTP, I'm certain these two would be.

Ichihime

Just good wholesomeness all around. They;re cute together, they work well together, and I think they're what they each needed: Orihime is empathetic and can help Ichigo open up more, and Ichigo is a stable presence, a base for Orihime to finally have a stable life and family.

Ginran

I still like this ship, but I remember a time where I LOVED it. I've always been a sucker for childhood friends who have feelings for each other, so of course Ginran had me from the start. They feel like a pair with a lot of history together, knowing things about the other that no else does and thinking about each other often when they're a part. Finding out how they met and how important they were to each other as children made ship these two hard, and then of course wanting to see Rangiku confront Gin just made me stick with them to see how it ended. I sobbed a river the first time I read Gin's death, and even to this day, when I go back and either read the chapter or watch the anime version, it gets me every time.

As for why I went from LOVING to liking this ship...I think it's two things. First, looking back at Gin's reaction to finding Rangiku after she was attacked by Aizen's men and had something important taken from her, it was a terrible way to go about things. Of course, he's a child, but the thing about Gin is he was a smart and cunning one. He single-handedly tracked down Aizen, gained his favour by killing grown adults, and twisted and warped himself to become the perfect solider for Aizen; of course, this was all in the name of avenging Rangiku, who he was leaving behind in the Rukongai, and eventually in his life almost entirely. Also, as time went on, I came to think about how if Gin lived Aizen's attack, the ship can't really work. In a way, it hinges on the fact Gin dedicated himself to avenging Rangiku, the person he loves and cares about the most, and that his tragic death shows the true feelings of both himself and Rangiku, who doesn't know why Aizen killed him or why he betrayed the Soul Society. If Gin had lived, he'd probably be sentenced to imprisonment and Rangiku may visit him. She'd likely find out why he did what he did, or may she doesn't find out. Regardless, even though she still cares about him, Gin wasn't there for her in the way she needed him to be in childhood, he never told her where he went or what he did, and the distance between them - created by Gin in the first place because of his focus of avenging Rangiku - is too much. I don;t see Rangiku willingly overlooking everything and wanting to be by his side again with all fo that in mind. I'd like to think that just like it went down in the manga, Rangiku would choose to move on with her life, even if Gin can no longer be a part of it, and Gin would recognise just how too far he went.

Byahisa

We need more of this ship! I want to know how they met, what was it about Hisana that Byakuya go against his family and traidition for her, what their courtship was like, what they talked about, and if Byakuya talks about Hisana more openly now that Rukia knows the truth. I've said it before, but a great anime only film for BLEACH would be the story of these two. Yes, it wouldn't be very 'shounen' but you can throw in some action scenes or some great conspiracy plot, just keep the focus on these two.

Grimmnel

They're a Brotp for me, and I love their dynamic! They kind of remind me of two siblings, with one being the older, more resposbile one and other being the daredevil who basically screams 'You can't tell me what to do!' everytime they decide to run off and rebel. Nel can be childish, but she also knows when to get serious and how to keep wildcards like Grimmjow in check,and of course she doesn't abide by Grimmjow insulting Ichigo or trying to goad him into a fight, so she's got Ichigo's back on that one. I can see Grimmjow eventually having the tiniest small spot for Nel. I can see him not ever admitting it, but that he likes fighting alongside her and respects her on some level.

Rukihime

I love these two as a brotp and also as a ship. I've spoken about them a few times on the blog, but they have such good chemistry together. Orihime brings out the softer sides of Rukia, and Rukia always has Orihime's back and helps her to get stronger. I wish we got more interactions between these two in the manga, and if there's a new arc coming or if there's a chance in the anime for filler, I hope they get to have more moments together!

Thanks for sending these in!

#hitsuhina #ichihime #renruki #ginran #rukihime #byahisa #grimmjow #nel #bleach #asks #ask meme #toshiro hitsugaya #momo hinamori #byakuya kuchiki #hissana kuchiki #gin ichimaru #rangiku matsumoto #ichigo kurosaki #orihime inoue

[tnbnr]

Welcome to “tnbnr”. The full name is “Tumblr Name : Band Name : Rock” This is a blog dedicated to my OCs, the titular BNR.

TL;DR: Octo and Urchin live together, learning from each other in a mutual relationship. Like clownfish and anemone. Yay.

We take asks. By we I mean me (and I guess the ocs.) Details under read more.

The Pinned is very long, with all information necessary.

This is BN:Rock!

Music usually produced to practice, later refined into actual songs either via Fans or requested to be done officially. Their albums typically consist of a few songs, with at least one song having versions with a different instrument. Fans typically mix the versions together to create a “full song.” By the way, fans are called “FN:U’s”, or “Fan Name Unknown.” The band itself is named “Band Name: Rock”, often shortened to “BN:R”. Initially, none of their songs were used in Turf War. They still aren’t.

In regards to the members, it consists of an Octoling and a Sea Urchin— the two had an encounter in a music store, and the octoling could not help but realize it was fate for them to meet up! Few weeks after, and the two had their first song: “SN:IHY”, uploaded some time later via Pink’s demands.

From there, the group garnered the exact fans that Black was worried about— young inklings who found the rough and unprofessional style trendy, as a rebellion from the more popular bands (though all the same, there’s no difference other than quality.). Of course, there are not a lot of fans, and for that, Black is grateful.

Oh right the characters.

CN:Pink is the Octoling, and the Guitarist. His real name is Charles Peach-Tree (hyphen occasionally dropped.) Roughly around 30, he pursued Inkopolis to grasp music in a way that Octarian Society cannot provide for him. A chance encounter in Inkopolis Plaza led him to meet his partner, the soon-to-be CN:Black! Together, they’ve made a group titled “BN:R” to pursue learning music in an interesting environment. As a duo, CNPink is the more joyful of the two, though occasionally he’s able to show a more serious and hostile side. But in the end, he’s the face of the group— that’s why he’s the vocals!

COOL FACTS:

• His tentacles were stylized after leaving Octo Valley— he was once shy, and it reflected in his style.

• He often complains about his inability to maintain a love life, but isn’t quite sure what he wants from that, really.

This one is CN:Black, the Sea Urchin. He is roughly around 42 years old. He was once a hobbyist, who collected hobbies such as playing instruments and learning languages (hence his ability to speak with Pink.) Despite this, his genius is nothing special. He lives in a small apartment in Inkopolis Plaza, where Pink also lives. However, he hates leaving it unless absolutely necessary, so he usually instructs Pink to do anything.

COOL FACTS:

• Black has gotten sick back when he was twenty— it’s still there, and it could claim his life any day.

• Nobody knows his real name— not even Pink.

And this is CN:Yellow! Otherwise known as Honey Esculent, the cuttlefish. She may not look it, but she’s the reason the band can sound nice! You could call her the editor. Around 39 years old, Yellow is not really a member of the group, but someone they reached out to for helping them. As such, she lives in a completely different area, and hardly talks with either party. Notably, she never wears anything special, but her face is usually dolled up.

COOL FACTS:

• Several years ago, she went to study abroad in Inkopolis. It was there that she met Black, but hardly remembers him. As such, she doesn’t know his name.

• you’re never going to see her again.

#splatoon #splatoon original character #I’ll tag the guys later idk. #when I figure it ou.

[umichenginabroad]

Week 6: Peaked (literally)

Welcome back to my blog! I'm a bit behind so I'll be posting weeks 7-9 within the next few days as well :) Thanks for your patience, life abroad gets busy real quick!

CSE UAO visitors

This week we had visitors from the University of Michigan CSE UAO, IPE, and CGIS offices! All the students in the program were able to chat with them about how things are going in Prague, in terms of academics, accommodations, social life, and anything else relevant to our well-being here. I’d like to give a special shoutout to Julie and Shelby from the CSE Undergraduate Advising Office (UAO) for making the trip! I’ve been looking forward to their visit and was so thrilled to catch up with them both :) For those of you who may not know, I worked as a CSE Peer Advisor this past semester and absolutely loved my role in supporting other CSE students and helping out around the office. I highly admire all of the UAO staff for their kindness and dedication to bettering the CSE community, and Julie and Shelby are a prime representation of their hard work. Also a shoutout to all the visitors for conveying some of our concerns to the IFSA staff, particularly in regards to our Spring Break (which was more like a singular day off) and our exam accommodations in Prague. We now have an extra day off of school, making our break a 5 day weekend! Also, we have more clarity from our professors on what to expect from our midterms and exams here, due to mandatory practice exams and added transparency in format and grading. Thank you all, we’re happy you came and glad you made it back safely!

Vyšehrad

I showed my dad around Vyšehrad hill, which was the location of our first architecture tour. Situated next to the Vltava and Botič river valley, Vyšehrad is very strategically located for defending Prague, and was first incorporated into Prague’s medieval defense scheme by King Charles IV. Following the siege of the Swedish forces at the end of the Thirty Years’ War in 1648, Emperor Ferdinand III began to fortify Prague, including transforming Vyšehrad into a formidable fortress. In an earlier blog, I wrote about two churches within the fortress, a rotunda and basilica, with rich architecture and even richer history. This time, I’m going to focus on new sites & views within the walls that I found while exploring with my dad! 

First we explored the Vyšehrad Cemetery, the resting place of some of the most influential people in Prague’s history. Within we found the graves of political figures, musicians, composers, artists, priests, reformers, and more. Notably, I found the grave of Milada Horakova, a Czech politician, a women’s rights activist, and an anti-Nazi and democratic resistance leader, which was special because I did a presentation on for my Essential Czech class. Her grave is pictured below (with flowers).

Next we peeked into an old bunker (bottom right photo) that used to be a food cellar for the royals of the first ruling dynasty in Bohemia, but is now a museum. After, we climbed the hill adjacent to the old residence and the views of Prague (the two photos on the left side) were immaculate. It was peak daylight and there was clear visibility for miles, offering the most amazing views of the Vltava river and the bridges that span it. We ended our visit at one of the coffee shops atop Vyšehrad and got some crepes and coffee before parting ways.

Josefov (Jewish Quarter)

One of the most significant places that my dad and I visited was Josefov, the historical Jewish Quarter of Prague. Dating back to the 10th century, Prague's Jewish community is one of the oldest in Europe. The Jews flourished for centuries here, despite facing persecutions and pogroms before emancipation, and their community contributed significantly to the city's cultural, economic, and intellectual landscape.

To buy tickets we visited the Jewish Museum and got entry to 7 sites as well as an audio guided tour to supplement our visit. Josefov is home to several beautifully preserved synagogues. Among the most notable are the Old-New Synagogue, which is Europe's oldest active synagogue, and the Spanish Synagogue, renowned for its stunning interior (pictured on the bottom left). 

We also visited the Old Jewish Cemetery, which is among the oldest surviving Jewish burial grounds in the world. It was the only place Jews were allowed to bury their people for centuries, so the site is unique for its multiple visible layers of graves. It was quite surreal to see in person.

AnonymouS Bar

Lydia’s best friend Courtney was visiting this week too, so we headed to the infamous Anonymous Bar for drinks Thursday evening. This bar is a hidden gem with a V for Vendetta-inspired interior and employees wearing Guy Fawkes masks. They offer cocktails served in a unique style corresponding to the name of the drink. The drinks pictured on the bottom left are fixed on knife platters, but other drinks we ordered were served on infusion stands and another featured a whole show tossing around a drink lit on fire! They even offered me a separate non-alcoholic anonymous menu since I wasn’t drinking that night, and they were absolutely incredible. Way better than the alcoholic ones in my opinion. The staff was great the entire night and let us stay past our 2-hr reservation time with a mini bribe. I definitely recommend making a reservation if you come to Prague.

Tram interaction

This week, a Czech woman approached me on the subway with a question in Czech. She had asked if we had arrived at Můstek, and I responded with, “Ne, příští stanice Můstek.” She replied “Děkuju!” and sat back down with a smile on her face. Though simple, our brief exchange felt like my first step towards becoming a true local. She not only understood me, but replied in Czech! Acknowledging my progression with the language has been a motivating factor to engage in more local interactions. 

Switzerland

This weekend my dad and I went to Switzerland, which was absolutely incredible. We flew into Zurich on Thursday night as I scrambled to finish up an assignment due at 11:59pm (I turned it in at 12:04… but my prof was nice and didn’t mark it late :) )

On Friday, we spent the morning in Lucerne, which is a beautiful, quaint little town in between Zurich and Interlaken. We got brunch and walked along the water, then drove to Interlaken where we would be spending the next two days! The drive is known to be incredibly scenic, and did not disappoint. After arriving, we checked into our hotel and immediately went for a walk to try and beat the sunset. After wandering for ~45 minutes, we found ourselves an insane viewpoint at an old amusement park and playground. We climbed a random tower to get the views and met these two American students at the top! They were studying in Florence but were here for the weekend as well. I’m sure you could tell by now that my dad and I never shy around talking to strangers :) Afterwards, we got dinner which was arguably the most amazing pasta I’ve had in my life. Bold statement, I know.

On Saturday, we planned to hike Harder Kulm, a mountain peak overlooking the city of Interlaken and its two lakes. It was a pretty steady incline, but we were cruising for the first hour and a half or so. At about the halfway mark my dad told me to continue without him. He’s in decent shape, undoubtedly great for his age, but he had taken a break from running recently so I guess the fatigue hit him hard. I continued to climb and after reaching the first peak, I set out for the tippity top of the mountain. There was a point in the second half of the hike where I truly hadn’t seen a human for about an hour, and there was a lot of snow on the ground so it was hard to see the trail markers, but I kept climbing (with caution). Right as I’m considering turning around, I hear a couple of voices ahead of me so I hurry my step. On the last switchback of the hike, I catch up to a group of 3 other American students studying abroad and, together, we peak the mountain. At the top we got to know each other a bit. They are studying in Geneva, another city in Switzerland, and were also here for the weekend. I ended up spending the next 4 hours or so with them, chatting and making our way down the mountain. It’s crazy how much we ended up having in common. One of the students goes to WashU and knew one of my camp friends and another was in Cape Town at the same time I was this summer! The world really is so small. The hike was also a race trail closer to the bottom, so we picked up the pace and started running down the mountain. This may sound cheesy but I cannot remember a time where I had felt so free. We had hiked around 12 miles by the time we reached the bottom, and had climbed over 4000 feet. I got their instagrams before parting ways, and I plan to keep in touch through social media. Maybe we’ll meet again someday!

Sunday was a bit rainy but my dad and I found a hotel spa to spend the day at. I definitely needed to chill after yesterday, and found myself immersed in salt baths overlooking the cliffs I had recently climbed. Afterwards, I laid in the sauna and washed off in the shower. It was an extremely tranquil experience and perfect before heading to the Zurich airport and eventually back to Prague.

Now again, let me share some ins (what’s working for me) and outs (what has brought me difficulty).

Ins:

Clarifying relationships: Ummm so my dad and I have now been mistaken as a cross-generational couple on numerous occasions, so he began introducing me as his daughter in pretty much every new place or situation we find ourselves in. This has helped us avoid any more humbling and extremely awkward encounters with strangers and their assumptions.

Suiss Chocolate: On a lighter note, the chocolate in Switzerland is to die for. We flew SwissAir in and out of Zurich and they give chocolates as their in-flight snack. Even that was incredible. My dad and I couldn’t help ourselves but to stop at every chocolate shop we passed to sample and make a purchase.

Wandering: Simply wandering around without any strict agenda in new places led to some of our best experiences. From stumbling upon the seemingly abandoned viewpoint on Friday to the new group of friends I met on Saturday’s hike, core memories were made. Highly recommend just living in the present.

Outs:

Staying in touch: I’ve realized how little time I’ve had to catch up with a lot of my friends both in the states and abroad while I’ve been in Prague. By no means is this purposeful or a reflection of how much I think of or care about them, but it’s definitely gotten worse as I’ve begun to travel more. Hopefully this is something I can work on in the coming weeks.

Alcohol: I realized I’ve taken a break from drinking this week, and will likely continue to in the upcoming weeks.

That’s all for now, thanks for reading!

Na shledanou,

Reese Liebman

Computer Science and Engineering

Institute for Study Abroad (IFSA) CS Tech Career Accelerator in Prague, Czechia

#UmichEnginAbroad #IPEcsPrague #ReeseLiebman #IPEWinter24 #CzechRepublic

[goddamnwebcomics]

My Brief Review of Letters on the Wall (Chapters 1-11)

When I started reading this comic, I was a bit suspicious. Anyone who has read this blog or has read webcomics in general knows that webtoon comics focusing on LGBT+ couples are either attempting to be a Coffee Shop AU levels of fetishized wholesomeness, or just are really insulting. Thankfully Letters on the Wall quickly proved itself to be more nuanced. But what is it about anyway?

Plot and Writing

Letters on the Wall follows Tara, an introverted artist who returns to Manchester after living in Spain for 5 years to get her bachelor's degree in arts. Tara can't handle big changes and unfortunately a lot of things have changed. She is forced to live in a campus because her mother is pregnant and out of town. There she runs into Emma, her childhood friend and a fashion designer. Tara is also forced to see how much his childhood friends and the city have changed to her dismay. But also, a romance starts brewing between her and Emma, slowly but surely as their shared passion for arts and moments of romantic tension keep happening between them.

Let me start my review by stating I am not on this comic's target audience. Not because of the lesbian relationship but more because of the setting, the comic focuses on two university students who are coping with the childhood's end and reaching their young adulthood, while I am slowly capping up my 20's. Thankfully since the comic is set in UK, it feels very European so the ever-present cliches of American college life aren't there to annoy me. It's also very mundane, there are no supernatural elements sprinkled in, aliens are mentioned but they play no role whatsoever.

In terms of writing, the comic is written very realistically, nothing is exaggerated for the sake of comedy or strawmen, which makes me think it may be mostly based on the author's own experiences and memories. Characters rarely feel like gimmicks, though some of them do require a bit of expansion, I will talk about that more on the characters section.

A lot of chapters begin with a random flashback, which gave me bad memories of Console Girl, but most of the time the flashbacks do have a convenient role in helping to build the relationship with Tara and Emma, or establish Tara's relationship with one of the secondary characters. I do think some of the flashbacks are too long, and take away from the present day, like the most recent chapter as of this writing, Chapter 11, is 80% flashback and 20% modern day. I think flashbacks could have their own chapter as long as it's framed well.

Now I know what you're thinking, on a scale of Tsuki and Kriti to Burke and Sulfur how does the main relationship of this comic rank? Well, what I like the most about it is, it's not Love at First Sight type deal, it's romance that started from a childhood friendship. Yes, both of them being in a career field that involves drawing is a bit too convenient in my taste, but I do like the contrasting personalities of the protagonists, while both of them are socially awkward Tara is a very introverted cynic while Emma is a sweet-tooth perfectionist with more of a social side. I do elaborate on my thoughts on them as individuals later. But the comic does dedicate a chapter to introducing both characters, instead of just throwing the love interest into the scene for the protagonist to flirt with like a lot of other comics do. Objectively it's easily the best written lesbian couple I've seen in any webcomic, but when compared to every couple in this blog I still prefer Lexx and Chel due to both of them having more screentime and Burke and Sulfur out of pure bias.

In terms of writing flaws, as you can see my synopsis of the story was very short. There are 11 chapters of the story out, and I can confirm the story progresses very slowly, though sometimes the chapter progresses an entire week within the span of one chapter, and sometimes it takes 3 chapters to go through one day's events. Webcomic pacing, especially with Webtoon comics, is nothing new, and a lot of the negative aspects of this comic can be attributed to the problems of Webtoon's structure, but I'll talk about that more in the art section.

Characters

We talked about the protagonist relationships, but what about protagonists as individuals?

Tara Muñiz is an introverted art student, she's never been a people person but also she is not incapable of having relationships. Deep inside she is afraid of becoming an outsider as the world around her changes. She also carries guilt for some past event that the comic only hinted at in the first chapter. Tara does tend to be somewhat pokerfaced when Emma is not around, which can be irritating sometimes. She is capable of showing a wider arrange of emotions but it takes people she likes to get them out, like Emma and her grandparents. She is still a good protagonist, in any other comic she would've been written as an edgelord whose only defining trait is her introvert personality and she probably would hate people to the point of being a misanthropist but when she meets Emma she goes so fucking bananas she might as well be out of character. But this is thankfully not the case.

Emma is Tara's childhood friend, a perfectionist fashion designer who's much more motivated at studying than Tara is. She is also a scaredy cat and a sweet tooth. Emma feels like a human version of Noelle Holiday from Deltarune, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. That being said, I think she is weaker than Tara because she doesn't get that much screentime when she isn't around Tara outside of her introduction chapter. It's not as bad as most love interests in this blog, but you know it's still a flaw. I do wish we got to see flashbacks with her that wouldn't involve Tara, so we could get a good idea of how she handles the world around her. This comic isn't always told from Tara's point of view, and the most recent chapter featured more of Emma's inner monologue. Retroactively this does make me appreciate the scenes of Lexx and Chel being separated in Alien Dice more because those scenes helped to build them up as individuals, even if every decision wasn't perfect, but I'm going off-topic here. Emma's foundation is good, but she needs a bit more independency to help establish her as a fully grown person and not just "person in Tara's life".

As for rest of the cast, we have Min. Tara and Emma's childhood friend and a neurotic nutcase who acts as Student Council President and campus's tour guide. I was worried that her quirk was going to be the "girl who scolds everyone" but while she does scold people a lot and basically act as the comic relief more or less, she is still a decent character. She was apparently bullied at school as shown in one flashback and Emma and Tara helped to fend off their bullies, but she looked so different I didn't realize it was her until while I was writing this part of the review. I'll go more in detail on the art section, again. She is decent but she still needs a bit more establishment.

Then we have Richard, the most important male character. Richard is even more of a pokerface than Emma. He is Min's boyfriend, son of a tech company owner, but he prefers baking. Richard never changes his facial expression, and he is often very blunt, but he is thankfully not a strawman of men in general, like other comics would portray him as. Still he is shown to be somewhat of a negative character due to the fact he isn't someone Tara knows from her childhood, and he also finds Emma still treating Tara like her childhood bestie weird. I think Richard is a very very very light anti-hero of the comic because of this. Richard could have potential to be the most interesting character in the comic, because his stonefaced nature is a sign that he is very heavily repressing his emotions, and him dating someone very emotional like Min is an interesting contrast to say the least.

The other guy in the comic, Ethan is a diabetic bodybuilder who used to be fat when he was younger. He has a good relationship with Tara because they go way back, but other than that, he is more positive male character than Richard is. He is even less established than Min, so moving on.

The final important characters I want to spotlight are Emma's grandparents, her italian grandmother and her sick but optimistic grandfather with a tendency to tell wild stories about aliens. These two are my favourite characters in the comic because the elderly being depicted positively AND realistically is a rarity in webcomics, and I think both of them work great, and them having such a wholesome relationship with Tara and eachother is nice to see.

Lastly there is Tara's deadbeat pregnant mother who Tara has so little respect for she only calls her by her real name instead of calling her Mom. She is still unseen as of chapter 11 but Tara tends to have very tense phone conversations with her. She has a tendency to be very controlling, she forced Tara to move back to Manchester from Spain, forces her to live on a campus and she disapproves of her career as an artist, and Tara herself believes she's only having a baby because she considers her only daughter to be a failure. I do hope the comic approaches her on a nuanced level and isn't just Author's Mommy Issues: The Character.

There's also a receptionist woman who appears frequently in the early chapters of the comic, she mainly works as the exposition character but she doesn't have a name so I guess for now she isn't that important.

The cast of the comic is very strong and at worst need a bit more time in the oven. I do think some of them having mystery to them is a good thing because it gives the reader some reason to continue looking forward to future chapters.

Art

Art is probably the section I have the most critical things to say about. The comic is on Webtoons so naturally it follows Webtoons toilet paper format, and a lot of scrolling is required just to get one speech bubble. Thankfully it's not as bad as in Console Girl, but if I ever were to riff this it would be incredibly tedious and difficult to turn the comic into a more traditional comic format.

But enough about formatting, for the art itself, it's passable on the first look, but something that I had an issue since chapter 1 is, most characters tend to default for the same expression. Tara has a constant bored look on her face (which is even acknowledged in the comic), Emma has a constant look of uncertainty, Min has a constant look of neurotic disapproval, Richard has a constant bored look similar to Tara but more refined and so forth. Characters get more expressive as the comic goes on, especially Tara, and the comic does a nice job to justify lack of change in Richard's part, and also Emma's grandparents are immune to this problem. However if the characters aren't having samey expressions, you do notice how samey their faces tend to be. I don't want to accuse the artist of having same face syndrome, as again, Emma's grandparents and Ethan look very different from everyone else, but some characters just have identical facial structure and it is a bit distracting.

Speaking of faces, I mentioned the flashbacks earlier and they're often set in either 2008 or 2011 while the main comic takes place in 2016. although they're younger, the faces of the protagonists barely change. They have different haircuts but they're practically the same, and it's rather distracting and see how the characters look like little adults in 2008 when they're supposed to be in middle school or something. Again, Emma's grandparents are immune to this because they have more wrinkles in the present than they do in the past, but then again adding more wrinkles is a bit more easier than making two characters who I presume are 18 or 19 look 10. With Ethan we see he was fat in his childhood, but he also looks like a child at least. Min also looks more like a child, to the point of being a bit too unrecognizable as I had no idea she was supposed to be Min when I first read the page.

Lastly, the comic for some reason treats facial expressions as sound effects. That doesn't help with the "lack of expression" criticism. Like here is an example.

I know this is one of the few manga-esque elements this comic has, but I find it dumb and the comic tends to overuse it instead of having it happen occassionally.

Lastly, the comic is very inconsistent about backgrounds, we see a real background in far shots, but in closeups we just see a gradient backdrop that doesn't match the color of the scene, and of course we get fades to black and white at times. Do you love the colour of the sky?

In a nutshell, while also not irredeemable, there are some things about this comic's art that need the most improvement.

Final Thoughts

Now some of you may be thinking "What the hell GW? Why are you reviewing a random lesbian webcomic out of the blue? Are they holding your family hostage?"

Well, the reason I am riffing this is because my friend became an english translator to this comic, and since I am the webcomic riffing man, I did decide to give it a look. I wouldn't have probably touched this comic otherwise. But I am glad I did.

Even if the pacing is slow, the comic is easy to digest and doesn't take too long to catch up. I found myself getting invested into the story and the characters. I do hope they don't mystery monger too much about the past event Tara feels guilty about, I hope they don't screw up with Richard or Tara's mother and make them generic soap opera bad guy characters and I especially hope they don't make Tara's mother a super homophobe who hates gay women more than Cydnee hates dogs or Siggy hates orcs. But I do have a lot of trust in the creators of this webcomic, and I don't think my friend would've become a translator for the comic if it was bad. She has a good taste.

The comic did have an old version that is still readable online, and while I haven't read it this old version had a goth butch woman who I presume might be making this a love triangle, which I really really hope isn't the case.

I will be returning to Letters on the Wall in the future as more chapters come out. You can read it here. If you're a fan of slice-of-life webcomics about lesbians that aren't fucking insulting, you'll definitely get something out of it.

#letters on the wall #review #non-riffy review

[lettersfromandie]

2022 Highlights

My first blog post this year is dedicated to the year that was. 2022 was filled with so many memories with the people around me and also with myself. As we are gradually adjusting to the new normal, I was able to bond a lot with my friends and family. After being stuck at home almost everyday for two years, being with other people was what I needed. But as much as I enjoy spending time with people who I care and bring me joy, I also spent a lot of time for myself alone, that I genuinely had become more comfortable with solitude. Hence, to commemorate the year that was, here are my highlights from last year:

Getting a tattoo 🌸

Finally had the courage to get inked! My first one is a red heart outline hand-poked by my best friend's brother. Some of his works can be seen in his IG tattoo account: inksda. My second one is a lilac inked on my back, done by Jean Reynes from Infamous Ink. Getting a tattoo isn't as painful as I thought it would be. To be honest, the pain was even a bit satisfying haha. Maybe I have high pain tolerance? And I guess the inner wrist and back side aren't that sensitive to pain.

Voted for the first time 📩

Voted for the first time during the Philippine Presidential and Vice Presidential Elections + Local Elections last May 9. It was the first time that I seriously deliberated and listed down the people who I wanted to sit in those positions. Of course, I voted those who, I believe, serve the Filipinos' best interests at heart.

Officially ~legal~ 🍹

Turning a year older was quite exciting because I know there's more freedom (alas, responsibilities too 😶) that comes along with being 21 hehe. But tbh it still feels surreal that I'm already this ~old~. I still act like a kid.

I also wrote a birthday blog hehe

Got my braces off 😄

When they say that the end is just the beginning, they were right. Because now I have to wear retainers for the rest of my life.

Blogged more about it here.

Back in school campus 📚

So glad to be back on campus for face-to-face classes! Two years of remote setup gave me Zoom fatigue. Physical presence really feels different. Now that I'm on my third year of uni, college isn't definitely a walk in the park. But on days when I feel tired and dispirited, at least now I'm not walking alone :)

UPSTAGE 🎭

Auditioned in my uni's theater org and I'm now officially a member! Baby steps for my acting dreams? Chz. 

Boys Like Girls Concert 🎵

Grew up listening to Thunder, Two Is Better Than One, Be Your Everything, and I finally heard those songs live! Such an incredible and emotional experience to see Boys Like Girls perform right in front of me.

Shared more of my concert experience on my previous blog.

Hobbies and Firsts 🎨

My close friends who migrated long time ago were able to come home in the Philippines after so many years! It was fun seeing one friend at the start of the year, and then two months after another friend comes to visit, and then months after I'm meeting another friend again. 2022 was a year of reunions because of lockdowns easing and more flights opening. I was also able to spend more time with my family and cousins that year, which I now appreciate more as I grow older. Family time is precious time 💖

As for my hobbies, I started learning to paint, specifically oil painting and a bit of watercolor painting. Sometimes I post them on my ~lowkey~ art account. I also started keeping a journal, which I'm really glad that I did. I also watched lots of films from different directors, genres, and years. I even gave in to creating a Letterboxd account to track and note my watches.

Aside from having my first tattoo and first time voting, that year was also my first time drinking in the pub, solving the Rubik's Cube, and even learned how to play Tongits (finally!) after so many years of people trying to teach me HAHA. For dignity's sake (chz CHEKA LANG), there are several other firsts that I had in 2022 that I like to keep just for myself. And I hope that this year, life will continue to bring me more firsts and experiences that I'd like to see as my highlights for the next.

Thanks for the memories, 2022!

Looking forward to the year that will be.

Love, Andie

#2022 #highlights

[mxchineherald]

RULES OF PLAY

My blogs are selective.

Only mutuals will have access to full paragraph roleplay. However, anyone can send in OoC interactions like asks, memes, or questions. This blog focuses on long form roleplay (1 or more paragraphs).

Reblog etiquette is important.

Personals are allowed to follow my account to enjoy the writing posted, but please do not reblog roleplay posts or drabbles. Those are to stay within the RPC and not end up circulating main blogs. Basically, you can reblog gifsets and fan art I post, but not my text posts.

The mun(i.e. player/writer) must be 18 or older to follow/interact.

Nothing suggestive, NSFW, or explicit involving minors will be accepted or tolerated. Pull anything like that, you get yourself blocked and reported.

Roleplay blogs only.

I do not roleplay with personal accounts. You will need a dedicated roleplay account to interact with me and my characters. I accept multimuses, of course.

IC =/= OOC.

Actions my character takes or things my character says do not 100% reflect my own thoughts.

No godmoding/metagaming.

Only work with information your character knows, and never assume any of my character’s actions. You cannot control what my character does, and I can’t control what yours does. Nor can either of us autohit the other.

Crossovers/OCs/Multiverse characters are welcome.

I can’t guarantee I’ll know all the facts about your character or their canon, but I’ll make sure to read your lore or information before interacting IC.

DO NOT INTERACT:

Lolita content

HH/HB

MLP

Harry Potter

I use the new post editor exclusively.

If you refuse to, expect your replies to come at a lower priority to those who do. Sorry, guys, it’s just too much to try and work with, and it requires new posts all the time instead of one thread, which makes it harder for me to track. Posts using the new editor are easier to trim, too.

Needless to say, bigotry will result in a block.

If you’re a terf, nazi, swerf, racist, fascist, antisemite, zionist, or transphobe, I will ignore your existence just like everyone else should. Shame on you.

Give me time to reply, I’m only one human.

Depending on my life outside of this blog, it might take me longer to reply to things. It’s fine to check on things every few days, but constant messages or haranguing will kill my energy to rp with you.

Triggers will be respected on both sides.

I have some odd ones. You probably have some odd ones. I will always tag the obvious warnings (self-harm, graphic violence, emeto, gore, suicide, death or animal death, etc) but if you have a unique need, just let me know!

I only ship with chemistry.

Canon ships are not guaranteed if there isn’t chemistry between our muses. Just because our muses date in most universes, doesn’t mean it’s going to happen.

I don’t do exclusives.

I may develop ‘regulars’, but all blogs are equal to me, and each character duplicate will have their own universe.

#mxchineherald rules

[maneskinconfess-archive]

wow i randomly found your blog from being recommended to me on tumblr, i read through everything and went through comments on insta (horrible for my mental health idk why i would do that really) and here are my thoughts:

who the fuck cares about who these guys are fucking or dating or both. if it was an open relationship then it was never cheating. ofc you can speculate all you want but you don’t know anything the rest of us don’t, so just shut up everyone involved is grown up and can handle the consequences of their actions as they need to. what they do is none of our business and it’s really weird how people are so dedicated to picking sides or defending one person and calling the other a monster or vice versa. i get why people like drama i like drama but at the end of the day there are real people at the other end of this. and while we may not have any influence on them it’s still common courtesy to not invade privacy and not stir up shit that doesn’t need to happen. whatever happened, happened and everyone involved can handle it like mature adults. or not. either way it’s none of our business.

.

#måneskin confessions #sfw #maneskin #måneskin

[clarafell]

( Hi! I wanted to invade your inbox with some positivity! <3

Lia, you have such a sweet and kind presence. My heart, my Tumblr experience, my life has been forever changed because I got to meet you. I'm so grateful Stella got to meet you and Homura too. Thank you for being so special. It always brightens my day to see you on my dash.

Just... aaaaaaah, your writing is beautiful. It draws me in, and I love your portrayal of Homura. The depth you bring to her character is humbling for me whenever I read your writing on my dash! I always get so eager to learn from you when you write so that I too can dedicate more love to Stella in my portrayal of her. It has also been such an honor to see you and Homura grow so much over the years I've known you too. YOU ARE AMAZING!!! )

@shorestar

Leave it to Jubi to send a beautiful wave of radiance in my inbox while my blog looked like an abandoned and forgotten shrine for Homura. This ask has been sitting in my inbox for WEEKS, patiently waiting for my to log back in. I’m speechless—

Sweet Jubi, aren’t you always full of surprises?!  ♥

I may have been rendered inactive on my blog, but I have sprung back up. I didn’t mean to fall off the face of the Earth, but it had happened before I knew it. You can blame my laptop and some hardships in my life. But you know what? I will always come back to Homura even if my dash is dead or if this site keeps making pesky little changes. Some will say that my love for Homura is the biggest reason for the reason why I always manage to rise back up and prepare to clean the cobwebs off my blog. There is no doubt that Homura (along with the rest of the PMMM franchise) is one of my reasons for always coming back. But do you know what else burns brightly in my heart? The rare people that continue to stick by my side. I might be extremely shy towards you and other kind souls... But the fonds that we have still formed through our characters and their interactions is what ultimately keeps me coming back. Homura is not the only one with her endless looping. But my cycle of coming back always has a happy ending because I get to come back to everyone. I was not sure what to expect when I woke up to log into Homura. But coming back to see a sweet message from you again has caused me to shed a couple of tears.

Jubi, you have no idea how much your kind invasion into my inbox touched my heart. Words cannot describe how much those words have affected me. Honestly, I am struggling to come up with sentences to describe the feelings pulsing in my heart. Both you and Stella mean soooo much to me. The fact that you are still following me after YEARS is enough to leave me feeling warm and happy inside. But then you, being the sweet sunshine that you are, decide to send me this message. I will forever cherish this ask in my heart and on this blog. Can you believe that we have still been in touch for who knows how many years? Seeing you still on my dash helps to warm my heart. Each word wants me to leap into the mind of Stella. Your writing... How do I describe it? You skillfully weave the emotions into the depths of everyone who stumbles upon your blog. I know that your portrayal of Stella and your love for her has already enchanted me. The song that is Stella has enticed me to your blog long, long ago. But your overflowing kindness is what made me stay. Stella might be all the brilliantly shining stars, but you are the gentle light of the sun. I will forever be honored that you have basked me with your shining kindness. I might be super tired right now, but I know I needed to desperately finish this post.

Here is a peek into my heart right now:

Thank you from the bottom of my heart, Jubi.

#❛ ✧ ┊ for lonely and rainy days. saved. #❛ ✧ ┊ ophelia speaks. ooc. #❛ ✧ ┊ the fairy tale gets a little darker after midnight. answered. #shorestar #(I might be sleepy right now) #(But I am so emotional over this) #tw long post

[amagicdoctor]

This week we’re celebrating this blog’s 4th Year Anniversary!

Four years is a long time, and I've seen plenty of changes on Tumblr as a site itself, the Doctor Strange fandom, and in my own blog and art.

As an art focused ask blog, it's generally ideal for me to not only make this a place that my art can be showcased, but a place where I can also make those additional connections with fellow artists/content creators.

First, a tribute to my art: My art has definitely grown, as with all skills that are consistently worked on. I'm so excited to see where this can take me. I'm not exactly pushing myself, but I am exploring forms in my work that really express comic book creation as an art form in itself. I really want to be able to tap into more, and as I study artists and comics I love, I will continue to improve from the place that I am currently at. This growth is not only for the blog, but for myself.

Next, a tribute to the community: Fortunately, I've seen engagement from all sides, and from the last few weeks that level of interaction has greatly increased. I've gotten many more asks and comments than usual and that has made me very happy. I want to say thank you to my regulars, and thank you to those who happened on my blog just once or twice and was able to take something away from it. This blog is not a usual comic blog where it's dedicated to providing comic resources, or analyzing a series, it was made mostly for drawing responses to asks and showcasing other pieces of fan art. But looking at the larger audience in the Marvel fandom, comics are not at the forefront at every fan's mind. But that doesn't stop me from producing the work that I do here. I've gotten plenty of comments from people not even within the Doctor Strange fandom (movies or comics or games) that have stated that my blog was the reason they discovered Doctor Strange (and any sub-series) in the first place. Coming from a comics blog, that means the world. I love being able to expose fans new and old to different versions of this character. It was not an initial motive when making this blog, but as comments like those continue to pop up, I understand the position I'm in and I'm happy to continue to be a part of that desire for some people to learn more.

With that being said, please give me more feedback (this is not an ask for art critiques). I want to know what other types of posts I should be making on here. I already make tons of memes and fan art, but there are other kinds of content out there that I can share as well. Let me know your thoughts, my DMs and asks are always open.

While today may be the day of honor for the anniversary, we will still be celebrating Doctor Strange all week. What does that mean for you? You can participate by sending in any kind of fan content: memes, fanfics, fan art, anything! I'm still collecting these, and I can collect them during the event week too. So don't worry if you still have something in the works!

As I had previously stated last year, I think another good present this year would be to see some more ask blogs from the Marvel fandom! This could be within the comics universe or from any animated series! Personally, I would love to see any Spider-Man, Strange Academy, or other Doctor Strange related character blogs. If you want to be connected to this blog in some way or need help setting up, I'm here as a resource, but I'm no expert. I'd just really love to see more blogs like this one in the tags!

Oh- and for those of you who stayed to the end, look out for another big announcement tomorrow.

Thanks so much for your support! Here’s to another good year!

#doctor strange #strange academy #marvel comics #earth 616

[generalspoker]

GeneralsPoker post #1

Hello everyone. So once again I have decided to start writing a blog and I hope I will keep it doing :)(even though the odds are against me I guess). The main reason I am starting to write a blog is that I hope it will help to improve my lifestyle, and routine and will help me to be more disciplined. It is one thing to promise yourself to do certain things and a totally different thing to tell it to somebody else (of course if anyone will waste their time reading this :)). Also, it helps to write it down somewhere.

For those who have never visited my Twitch channel let me introduce myself. My name is EImantas and this is my short poker-related story:

I have been playing poker probably since 2008 o even earlier but most of it was just for fun. I decided to treat poker more seriously and eventually became a poker pro about four years ago. Four years ago I have played a funny tournament on Pokerstars called Sunday Storm which is a massive field tournament for $11. I think it was around 16k people at that time. I have been lucky enough to finish 2nd and take $10k. After this, I decided to join spin and go stable and played those games for about three years. At the beginning of last year, I was not feeling well, because spin and goes are all about grinding your ass. always the same, 100-200 games every day. So to change something I have decided to start streaming and this helped to regain my love for poker. I did not feel alone anymore because there was somebody with me on another side of a monitor. The best thing happened last August when I got a chance to join ACR Stormers team which is a team of streamers for America's Card Room. That was probably the best thing that happened in the last few years to me. I am so grateful and so happy to be part of this amazing team. So ACR Stormers: Much love to you all !!! A few months ago I have also joined MTT stable in my country so I can improve my game and become a better player. If you want to see my results here are the results for 2022 and here are my total winnings from MTTs. So this is my short resume :)

I also do a little challenge on my Twitch channel . I started with $200 bankroll and my initial goal was to reach $10k. I reached this in May, therefore there is a new goal to reach $100k. At the moment bankroll is around $16k so if you want to follow how this challenge is going follow my Twitch channel :) I also do a bunch of giveaways over here, we play marbles every hour, where the winner gets $1. I also have a weekly home game in Americas Card room every Wednesday.. That was a little shout-out about my Twitch channel :)

So as I have already mentioned I start writing this blog because I want to improve a few things in my life and I hope blog writing will help me to be more accountable if you know what I mean. As a poker player, I have no boss, there is no one who tells me what should I do and there is no one who pushes me. This is two side thing. On one hand, you can decide how to spend your time and what to do. No one is behind you telling you anything. On the other hand, you have to be really disciplined, and hope the blog will help me to be more disciplined :) So there are few main things I want to change:

Exercise

Meditate (Wim Hof in my case). Google it if you have never heard about it

Study poker

When I am off it means I am off :)

So every week I will post a blog and write my goals for next week and then next week will tell you how good I did or how much I sucked. Also if I do not post a blog until the end of Monday I will give $50 to somebody from my Discord channel. If you want to join it you can do it here.

Because it is summer now I will not be harsh on myself and I will not dedicate that much time to poker because I am married and I have 7 years old daughter and she is my priority no.1 :)

So this week's plans:

Monday: Write this blog post and do some studying. Spend time with my wife (if she wants :))

Tuesday: Wake up 8am. Do Wim Hof 30 minutes. Do some running and stretching. Play poker and stream for at least 8 hours.

Wednesday: Wake up 8am. Do Wim Hof 30 minutes. Do some running and stretching. Watch two videos with poker lessons. Play poker and stream as it is Home Game day (1pm EST on Americas Card Room if you want to join). Join my Twitch channel for more information and win some home game tickets.

Thursday and Friday: June 23rd is a day called Jonines in my country (day of John in English I guess :)) We have a tradition with friends to rent a place next to a lake and stay there for couple of days with families so these two days will be for chilling and relaxing. I think I need those as I am a bit tired as I was playing or studying poker 6 days a week since September I think. Still, Wim Hof in the morning is a must.

Saturday: There is a birthday party for my Aunt so I will need to go there :)

Sunday: If I feel ok after three days of "Chilling and relaxing" will try to play some poker in the evening. If I don't feel good enough will take a day off.

I am planning to relocate myself to a seaside home on Monday and probably will stay there most of the summer. So the task for next Monday is to write a blog post and move belongings to the seaside :)

So that is it for the first blog post. I hope it was not too long and not too boring if anyone read it :)

[sealers100]

PART 2: A (brief) review of every Donald Sutherland movie (so far)

Wowee welcome back. Yes I’m still on this shit and I intend to finish it because this is probably the most fun I’ve had in quarantine apart from working night shift at a waffle house. (I wish I was kidding) I will admit this one might not be as long as the last post but I promised to deliver so here we go for part two.

Dr. Terror’s House of Horrors

I had way too much fun with this movie! The story was unique and entertaining with a creepy twist without being so scary I can’t sleep at night. It’s got not only Donald, but also Sir Christopher Lee AND Peter Cushing! Like you can’t get any more badass than that. The acting is pretty great and the music goes hard (there’s a whole segment about a musician and I’m nerding out). Donald is maybe 29 or 30 years old and its one of his earliest (his 4th) film credit and oh goodness his segment is just too much. This is definitely a must see for any Hammer Film fanatics or Sutherland fans, You’ll love it!

The Dirty Dozen

Talk about a throwback to my childhood. Again an old army movie I remember watching with my parents (however watching it again I probably shouldn’t have). The movie itself its great if your into things like Tora Tora Tora! and Kelly’s Heroes. Not a whole lot of Donald in it but what we do get it so worth it. For a “serious and professional” actor, he plays silly and weird soooooo well. I will admit this one isn't nearly as lighthearted as Donald’s scenes might make it seem. It’s an actual war movie with heavy emotions and lots of violence and is quite sad at the end (no spoilers don’t worry). It might not be one to make you cry but you can’t help feeling bad for his character. Personally I loved it but its a classic in my household so I’m a bit biased. 

Start The Revolution Without Me

I quite literally choked on my coffee watching this one. Gene Wilder and Donald made a surprisingly hilarious pair and it worked so well!!! I already can’t get enough of Gene so of course this one is probably one of my all time favorite movies across the board. Basically its a switched at birth situation and takes place during the french revolution. I won’t give away too much but if you liked anything by Mel Brooks you’ll love this one. I really can’t say much without spoiling the funny bits but if you’re having a bad day, do what I did and curl up in your onesie with a bag of popcorn and let the laughter ensue.

Act of the Heart

(tw: self harm/suicide mention) Let me start out by telling you how hard it was fro me to find this damn movie and how ecstatic I was when I finally got to sit down and watch it. For anyone who doesn’t know me, my background is in vocal performance and I did a lot of work with the episcopal church in college as a soloist for churches, weddings, events and stuff so getting to see Donald as a CONCERT DIRECTOR just made my little heart explode. I was constantly geeking out at the musical parts and even got a bit of concert anxiety for the main character, Martha Hayes. She falls in love with him but of course he’s a priest (again) but this time he actually leaves the ministry for her. The movie itself is good (and the music gets my seal of approval as well) but there’s a quite a bit of triggering stuff so this one might be a bit difficult to watch for some. I will say some of these movies are quite hard to find and I had to scour the interwebs for them so if anyone wants a watch for anything on either of these lists, don’t be afraid to message me.

Little Murders

Okay so this one will be quite short because Donald is in it for a whole 10 minutes but he should have gotten a fucking oscar for it because I have never been so amazed and shocked by one of his roles as I was with this one. The movie is great if you’re into Elliot Gould (and his hair omg). But jesus Donald stole the ENTIRE MOVIE for that one brief scene. You can find clips of it on youtube just go watch it. Hell I’ll probably post it on my blog later. It’s honestly the best thing ever, and I want it played at my wedding. 

Steelyard Blues

What is it with directors and casting Jane Fonda as a prostitute? I’ll never know but Donald probably had a hand in that decision because he’s the executive producer. The movie is not great by any means but its definitely not boring. Again something about him being silly and dumb he just does so well and its so jarring in this one how silly he can get. I quite enjoyed it actually and its a real change of pace for him because while I like his character, I don’t have a whole lot of sympathy for him like I did for character’s like Casanova. I mean really he doesn’t hold back in portraying Jesse Veldini as an absolute fucking moron but I think we’re supposed to laugh at his misfortunes because they genuinely are funny (I think I just like watching him suffer) And it’s really entertaining. Again, I think Donald could have easily had a career as comedic actor but it’s nice to see how easily he can switch moods.

S*P*Y*S*

Another Donald and Elliot movie and this one is pretty hilarious too. (I’m loving these funny feel good movies) The two of them are CIA spies who aren’t stupid but definitely got the short stick in their agreement with the Russians. The plot makes sense but the way it’s gone about doesn’t really click. The Dynamic between him and Elliot is always fantastic and fun to watch so it makes up for the lack of sense this movie makes. Sorry this one couldn’t be longer but there would be much to say without writing a synopsis and I’m too tired to do that for any of these.

Day of the Locust

WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT! I mean jesus christ this movie was a horror show. The film itself is fine, its a great movie, but oH mY GoD!!!! Let me start by saying I didn’t watch the final scene with him in this movie because its fucking brutal and I just knew it wasn’t gonna be the kind of thing I’d needed to see. (Or anyone) Yeah I’d issue a few trigger warnings for this movie. OKAY so Donald’s character is named Homer Simpson (I’m not kidding) and my god I thought I had low self esteem, he’s literally the saddest most miserable and lonely character I think I’ve ever seen him play and he gets used by Faye Greener (Karen Black) who can go sit on a cactus for all I care, I hate that she’s the main character and the way she treats Donald is HORRIBLE AND I HATE IT. God this movie messed me up for a straight week afterward and I’m still not over it. He cries a lot in this one and just stooooooop please I can’t take it I know his character isn't accurate to the book its based on but it just makes me feel bad for him seeing Donald’s character slowly being destroyed by the toxic people around him icanttakeitanymoremovingon.

The Eagle Has Landed

I don’t know the first thing about the animosity between the Irish and the English all I know is that they don’t get along sometimes and Donald’s character this time is I think a NAzi SymPathizer?? I could be wrong but he does help them try to kidnap Winston Churchill (weird). There’s a strangely deep romance between him an a 19 year old girl (uh?) but it doesn’t really come to fruition. Overall it’s a hell of a spy movie and with fantastic performances from Robert Duvall (no I wasn’t able to recognize him) and Michael Caine. It’s a fun movie and Donald’s accent is of course, awful (just the way I like it) and steals the show yet again. 

The Disappearance 

Interesting fact, Celandine (the main character’s wife) is actually played by Donald’s real life wife, Francine Racette. So it makes for quite an interesting dynamic between the two characters that feels very realistic. This is a hitman movie that takes place in I think Montreal (hard to imagine a lot of Canadian hitmen) And has a surreal feeling about it through the whole movie. Again this was a difficult one to find at first and there is actually two version. One being 80 minutes and the other being 100min. I’m not sure why it was split like this but I’ve seen both versions and they aren’t missing anything they’re just structured differently. It does feel a bit weird watching love scenes knowing that she is is actual wife but it does feel very realistic. Overall the movie is pretty good if you want to see lots of him and his wife. Don’t worry I’m sure their relationship is a lot better than what’s portrayed in the film! 

National Lampoon’s Animal House

If you don’t know the story of Donald and this film, here it is. He was originally offered 2% of the films earnings to be in it. Thinking it would be a flop, he refused and asked for his usual flat rate of 45,000. The film was a his and his 2% could have easily been upward of 1.2 million, and this was back in 1978. He later quoted this as one of his biggest regrets of his career. Overall his scenes are quite short but oh so funny. (This list is either very serious or very funny) I like to imagine he put a lot of himself into this role. I definitely had some professors like him in college.

Threshold

Come to think of it, I watched this one so long ago I think I forgot to put it on the last list I did. I was really surprised by how genuine this movie felt. Like everyone really put a lot into this movie but it didn’t get nearly the recognition it deserved. Its a medical drama so that probably why, but it’s got an adorably young Jeff Goldblum and I can’t help but love him and Donald in every scene they’re in together. They play off each other pretty well most of the time and I didn’t really see anything wrong with this film other than it might have been on the lower end of filming budgets but it wasn’t a bad movie. It deserved better.

Ordeal by Innocence

I wish I could say the same for this movie. On it’s own its an alright film. On it’s own the soundtrack is fine too. But when the put the two together It was jarring as hell. The acting and story were okay and could have been fine alone but the soundtrack really broke any chance this film had of being taken seriously. I would have loved to seen it just on it’s own. Donald’s character is for once a genuine kind of ass that I really don’t like but it’s Agatha Christie, all her characters are assholes. This film really had potential but it shot itself point blank in the foot with the music.

A Time to Kill

Jumping forward to the 90′s, this movie is a classic based on a John Grisham novel and wow did I get invested! Donald isn’t in the film a whole lot but he does feel like an integral part of the plot and I really enjoyed him and Matthew Mcconaughey on screen together. Along with Samuel L. Jackson and Sandra Bullock. This movie is just fantastic and I normally don't like court dramas. Now what’s also interesting that not only is Donald in this one but so is Keifer. Sadly these two don’t share any scenes together and I don’t think they really got to work on set together except maybe once. Also Keifer’s character is a horrible racist. If anyone gets in your face about confederate flags being “heritage, not hate” show them this movie, Kiefer will take care of that one..

Space Cowboys

And last but not least, possibly my favorite one on this list. Everyone in this movie has the best film dynamic!! It’s funny, it’s endearing, and even kinda sad at times. The whole film feels genuine between all the lead characters, especially with them al being easily over the age of 65. As for Donald, He’s a smooth talking, dirty old man who hits on anything that moves but I’m sorry it just cracks me up. I don’t think this one should be taken too seriously but I just can’t help but fall in love with this movie. Cowboys, Space, Clint Eastwood and Tommy Lee Jones mean-mugging while Donald laughs and chases after women just makes my day. 

Okay this one might have been a good bit longer than the last one so the reviews had to be a bit shorter this time. I would do some research for a lot fo the more serious film on these two lists just because I don’t have the time to issue trigger warnings for every film. I may put out a part three, at least I’m going to try to but I’m working 12 hour days lately so I don’t have as much time to watch stuff as I used to but I’m sure some of your guys do. If you’re having trouble finding a film don’t be afraid to let me know and I’ll do my best to hook you up with some *quality* content. I know I’m having a hell of a hard time finding his older credits and the movie Blood Relatives (at least a version in english) Let me know what you guys think, if you agree or disagree with my opinions. Have fun watching!

#Donald Sutherland #still not tagging every movie #I may end up with a dedicated side blog one day who knows #movies #film

[tzipporahssong]

So you’re interested in Judaism

That’s great! I’m glad you’re on this journey. But before you start making side blogs and before you contact a rabbi, here’s some books which I think should really be the bare minimum to get you started researching. Yes I recommend them in this order.

What I Wish My Christian Friends Knew About Judaism  by Robert Schoen: This is a super great resource for learning the early stuff about Judaism. Basic overview of customs and holidays, etc. I highly recommend it if you have any background in xianity whatsoever.

Settings of Silver by Stephen Wylen: This is a bit more of an academic text, but is super easy to understand and is incredibly thorough. It’s broken up into sections on Basic Beliefs, Practices and Customs, Jewish History, and Modern Judaism/Israel. I’ve included a link but it should be commonplace in most academic libraries.

To Life! by Harold Kushner. I’ve talked on this blog a few times before about how essential I see this book to be for new converts, Patrilineals, parents of Jews by Choice, and anyone who’s lost touch with their Jewish heritage and wants to discover more. It’s broken up into super easy to read sections, with introductions on every topic and a Q&A section at the end for any potential questions you may have.

Essential Judaism by George Robinson: This is a resource text with incredibly in depth answers to any Judaic question you can think of, with answers in line with that of every denomination. It’s quite weighty, clocking in at 704 pages, but I see it as a must-have in any Jewish home. (Plus you can totally find pdfs online if that’s your thing)

By this point, it should be pretty clear to you whether or not you want to convert. Your next step is not to make a blog (I don’t see why so many people make side blogs so early in their process, it’s okay to reblog pomegranates and yidquotes to your main lmao) but to start reaching out to local Jewish congregations in your area. If you don’t have a local congregation, then I suggest either finding one relatively close by that you can commute to or work with remotely, or waiting until you’re at a place in your life where you do have one. 

I highly suggest A) attending services for a while (a month minimum) before talking to your local clergy about conversion and B) emailing the shul ahead of your attending so that they know you are a safe person to let in.

In the meantime, the books I suggest are:

The Jewish Home by Rabbi Daniel Syme: This book is a guide for creating–you guessed it–a Jewish home. It has super simple and in-depth explanations of rituals, holidays, how to celebrate said holidays, life events, and appropriate prayers (transliterated!) for each.

Choosing a Jewish Life by Anita Diamant: This one is quite popular with converts. It is a guide for navigating the conversion process, with suggestions for readings, prayers, your familial connections, and what the actual conversion moment looks like.

Your People, My People by Lena Romanoff: very similar to Diamant’s book, this is a resource for conversion by someone who has been there, done that, got the t-shirt, and worked with converts for decades. It does take a lot of the view of people converting for marriage, unfortunately, but it is not solely dedicated to that POV. It’s incredibly helpful on the front of navigating the issue with your family: both your own and that of your future partner’s. I found it incredibly lovely this year as I spent Chanukah with my partner and a good chunk of it was celebrated on FT with their parents.

The Way of Man by Martin Buber: My partner would roll their eyes at my including this book, but despite the fact that it’s a pretty sexist Hasidic text, I think it’s an important message for converts: there is no one right or wrong way to find Hashem. The important thing is that you try your best every day to do good and be in His image. It’s a very short book, but take your time with it. Don’t read it all in one sitting.

You may be sitting there looking at this list going “whoa whoa whoa wait! That’s a lot of books! How much will that cost me??” And you’re right to. It’s not a pretty list to look at. Converting costs money, there’s just no way around it. You may or may not have to pay for whatever classes you take, and you may or may not have to become a member of your shul. But the price of these books is just encouragement to find them at a library, order them from used book websites, and most importantly: to space them out.

Becoming a Jew isn’t a race. It’s not about “saving your soul as quick as you can” because that’s ridiculous. It’s a lifelong commitment with no un-do button, so you better make damn sure this is what you want. Take your time with it. Study, interact with your community, study more, and did I mention study? You’ll never be finished learning what there is to know about Judaism, but this is a great place to start. The actual conversion process will take anywhere from 6 months to 2 years depending on what you and your rabbi think is best for you (also, life hack: the more studying you do on your own ahead of time, the shorter your process may end up being). And they’ll have their own book recommendations! In fact, three books on this list were ones my rabbi required of me!

You’ll notice I didn’t include any siddurim or even scripture on this list. Your siddur is a very important and special text, and I don’t think it should be purchased without rabbinic oversight. Likewise, I don’t suggest attempting to study Torah until you have someone knowledgeable in it who can help you study and interpret it.

Don’t rush this. It’s a beautiful thing that will take time, effort, prayer, sweat, and tears. But it’s something that will also rush past, and before you know it you’ll be a bona fide Jew. So enjoy the process of getting there, and know that your commitment to studying doesn’t stop at the mikveh.

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