#i love delivering mediocre writing

[earthtooz]

clingy!gojo x gn!reader, fluff, use of pet names, a little bullying from reader but that's okay- it's gojo /j, he's annoying and probs ooc.

gojo satoru is as codependent as he is powerful and you came to realise that the hard way during the timeline of your relationship. what began as a peaceful saturday morning lying together in bed has now become a total wrestling match, one that you were drastically losing in in comparison to gojo's unmatched strength.

"get off me, 'toru, i need to go buy groceries before the shops begin getting busy!" you huff, your hand on his shoulder doing nothing to make him budge no matter how hard you tried.

he whines, loud and pathetic in your ear. "don't leave! i'll be all cold and miserable!"

"oh boohoo. move," as an afterthought, you add: "please?"

he shakes his head, white strands tickling your chin as the sorcerer shoves himself further into your warmth, holding you with a kind of fervour that spiders have to their webs.

you don't know how you can get out of this one.

"please, love?" gojo loves it when you bring out pet names for him; something you monopolise in hopes of lowering his defence. "i'll be quick too. just a trip to the grocery store and then i'll be back, is that such a demanding request?"

"yes. i don't know what could happen to you out there, what if a special grade curse appears? i'd never forgive myself."

"then come with me."

"too cold for that. i'm staying here."

you roll your eyes. chivalry is dead. "glad to know that you've got my back. whatever. i can handle myself, 'toru, you know that."

"okay, but i can't- that's why you need to stay!"

"you have more cursed energy in one finger than i do my whole body."

he hmphs.

"you can destroy buildings for miles."

he hmphs again.

"your birth literally shook the jujutsu world."

the white-haired hmphs one final time, his cutesy act only doing so much when the grip he has around you contradicts it. gojo's strength is not something to be messed with but you just hope that he stops squeezing you soon because it was getting harder and harder to breathe. paired with his weight on top of yours, you don't think you two can get any humanly closer.

"'satoru," you groan, utterly exasperated at his stubbornness. "you're acting very sweet and all but i'm serious. we don't have enough food. we ran out of milk for your daily mocha-"

the sorcerer places delicate kisses along your collarbone, cutting you off as you shiver from the sensation, especially when his lips brushes over a sensitive part of your skin.

"-don't care."

"gojo," you murmur in a warning tone, any hint of affection draining out of your voice.

bad idea. you knew what using his family name would result in and in your sleepy, yet frustrated haze, you hadn't considered the consequences. not until gojo's clinginess intensifies, his head rising from your chest whilst one of his hands pause midway through the heart he was tracing on your skin. he's looking at you with eyes that glisten with love, worry and fear. you now feel guilt washing over you, unable to muster the words to apologise before he speaks up.

"please don't be mad, i mean well," your lover whispers, the sunlight that snuck through your blinds illuminating him beautifully, deliciously sculpting the planes of his back. "i love you so much, don't you know? i thought you loved me too."

you sigh, flopping your head back into your pillow.

gojo continues littering kisses here and there, a new sense of desperation lingering with his actions. "at select times," you quip.

"babe, that's mean!"

"just as mean as you trapping me here. i'm hungry, gojo, and i have things i need to do."

"stop calling me that," he whines, pushing himself up only to crawl up higher, his head now fitting into your neck from where it rested against your sternum earlier.

great. now you can feel even more of his weight as he flops atop you.

tapping his shoulder in surrender, the best you can mutter is a breathy 'you're heavy' before he expertly manoeuvres the two of you, all pressure disappearing immediately as you now lie on your side.

gojo looks down at you with so much love and adoration, that it sends you reeling, regretting looking at him. your resolve cracks even more with the gentle kiss he presses against your forehead, lingering there for a moment before pulling away.

he seems to be even happier in this position, arms wrapping tight around your torso in a bone-crushing embrace, keeping you right against his exposed chest.

right against his heart.

this is a battle you've lost, you decide, surrendering by wrapping your arm around the white-haired's torso.

gojo doesn't miss the action, no, he revels in it and you don't even have to see him to know that he's smirking. smugness dripping in his tone when he asks, "oh? finally gave in to my charms, babe?"

"you're so annoying," you grunt, unwrapping yourself and shuffling around in gojo's hold to face away from your boyfriend.

once again, you don't even need to see him to see the astonished look he gives you, eyebrows furrowed and jaw dropped in disbelief. imagining it provides you with a little feeling of satisfaction.

"unbelievable!" gawks the sorcerer. "i am merely trying to show you my love and you do-"

"-'toru," you declare, the affectionate nickname only you use immediately silencing him. "go to sleep. or i'll leave your ass for everything you've put me through this morning."

detecting the airiness in your tone, he knows your threat cannot be farther from a lie. but still, he complies but not without murmuring a small 'unfair' before tucking himself into you, completely overwhelming you with his limbs.

"i love you," you confess, the words hovering into air, dissipating before long but gojo hears it. he always does. he's engraved the way you say those three words in his mind.

it sounds sweeter every time though, causing butterflies to erupt in his chest as gojo kisses your cheek. "i love you more," parting with a little bite, you swat him away as he sinks back into his position, laughing in amusement.

you end up going to the supermarket together that afternoon.

#i love delivering mediocre writing #gojo x reader #jjk x reader #jujutsu kaisen x reader #gojou satoru x reader #gojo satoru x reader #gojou x reader #gojo x reader fluff #gojo satoru x reader fluff #gojou satoru x reader fluff #jujutsu kaisen fluff

[annahxredaxted]

puhhhleasseeeeee David x Angel pregnancy headcannons 😫

NIYAHHHH HEYYY POOKIEE

of courseeee 🙇‍♀️

DAVID/ANGEL PREGNANCY HEADCANNONS

•afab reader— with gn pronouns

• pregnancy

david knew before they told him, he could smell it on them.

angel thought they were doing a good job hiding it before they told him.

after they did and noticed he was completely unfazed they were very concerned/confused

david was very excited but he was also nervous he’d be a bad dad.

very over-prepared, he started setting the nursery up maybe 3 weeks after they told him.

david will pass by things for babies in the store and discreetly put them in the cart, but when angel realizes he did they get all gushy and emotional.

very upset angel had so much morning sickness in the beginning, he would ache to see how much they were hurting.

HE WILL DELIVER TO EVERY SINGLE CRAVING!!

^ he does not care how stupid it may sound, if angel woke him up at 2am asking for beef fucking jerky you already know he’s up either in the kitchen or grabbing his car keys.

david rubs their belly all the time. sittings down? hand on the belly. in bed? belly rubs. in the car? belly.

david gets VERY upset if someone touches their belly/them at all if they don’t want to be touched.

^ will yell in the middle of a walmart/family gathering/in public etc,

foot massages, back massages, legs, back etc. if he can ease angels pain even a little bit he will not stop at mediocrity.

if angel is feeling insecure about their pregnancy body it actually makes david almost angry. not at them of course, but it’s the mentality of “your growing a kid, and you think i’m gonna be upset about a little more to love?”

david goes to every doctors, very attentive, asking a bunch of questions, writing things down, making sure angel does everything the doctor recommends.

^ he will and has cancelled meetings/ jobs to be at an appointment.

legitimately was panicking when their water broke, angel was just sitting there like: 🧍‍♂️.. while he was: 😱😧😦

he collected himself eventually to drive to the hospital

held their hand the whole time, he was a bit queasy by the end of it.

cried when baby shaw was born, held the baby close and did skin to skin almost immediately (like took his fucking shirt off)

he was scared to have sex for a while, he didn’t want to hurt angel, and they probably waited 4ish months, but even then he was extremely gentle.

in the beginning david refused to let angel get up when the baby cried

david cried when he had to go back to work for the first time since baby shaw.

spent the whole day after work with the baby(made dinner, did dishes etc with those things that wrap the baby to his chest)

•••

that’s all i got rn🤓🤓

#redacted asmr #redacted david #redacted angel #pregnancy #tw: afab reader #tw: pregnancy #gn pronouns #x gender neutral reader #afab reader #Preganant Reader #Pregnant headcannons

[respectthepetty]

10 Anticipated BLs for 2024

Since I'm excited for ALL the GLs (Pluto, 23.5, Sunshine in the Wind, Chaser Game, Be Mine, y todo!), I'm making my list of the 10 BLs I'm excited for this year with brief reasons why I'm looking forward to them. In my normal fashion, I cheat my way into having more. All except one is Thai because Thailand loves to tease series three years in advance, then never make them, but I strongly believe these are coming:

The Next Prince

Zee continues to never play a poor person, and a trailer is supposed to drop in the first quarter of this year. I never knew there was so many fencers on BL Tumblr, so I'm looking forward to everyone's commentary on how well the characters poke with their sticks or whatever fencers do.

Jack & Joker: U Steal My Heart

It's a heist BL. It has YinWar. It has Prom x Mark. It has Bonz. It's Dee Hup House (we got beef). It's Director Tee and probably Cinematographer Jim. It might have color coding. There is not one thing I can find wrong with this series. It's perfect on paper, and I'm praying that translates well to the screen.

Spare Me Your Mercy

Like that lady in Titanic, I've been waiting 80 years for this series (give me a minute to cry about MaxTul), and it's finally near! I'm getting JJ & Tor in a Dr. Sammon piece, who I feel writes "Be Gay, Do Crime" very well, so I'll be forgiving any of these two gays' wrongs including murder, attempted murder, contemplating murder, and murdering each other in the bedroom (ahhhh!).

Wandee Goodday

Golf from The Eclipse is directing. It's about Muay Thai. It has an older doctor and a younger boxer who start off as bed friends (and I think one is actually a virgin). It has color coding. It has me already seated and waiting with popcorn, and I think it might be the first offering that will be delivered from GMMTV's 2024 lineup.

Sequels: Choco Milk Shake 2, Unintentional Love Story 2, My Doctor

Is Choco Milk Shake 2 gonna finally give me poly? Probably not, but I hope My Doctor brings the same heat the side couple did in Be Mine, Superstar, and the side couple getting the spotlight in Unintentional Love Story 2 will also make my side-couple-supremacy heart very happy this year.

Live in Love

It looks color coded. That's it. That's the reason. Keeping my expectations low because it might not get made since this is Thailand's favorite game.

Red Peafowl

The character reveals were absolute chaos, so I'm hoping that chaos transfers over to the actual series because it can either be a mess or a masterpiece, but it cannot be mediocre with Max, Cooheart, Boun, Mek, and Yacht as supports. Plus, it has color coding and a bird that is quickly becoming a Tumblr god.

Love Upon a Time

Even though it is a historical queer series, which means it could be sad, I think Domundi will keep the sass, so James' character won't be crying in the 1600s club but instead eating fruit seductively to encourage Net's character to put his homosexual skills into practice instead of simply theorizing about them, which is something I need more of. Plus, it has color coding.

Love Puzzle

This is one that might not get made because . . . Thailand. It's connected to Chains of Heart, but I don't care because the cast looks good and Poppy is gonna finally get to kiss a homie. If this doesn't get made, I will cry thug tears. It's 2024. Poppy deserves to kiss a man already.

My Stand-In

I don't understand the plot, but it doesn't matter because Pepzi and Khom are directing, and in case that means nothing, those were KinnPorsche's directors! Then, it has Up and Poom as the leads, plus a stacked supporting cast. I'm here. I'm queer. And I'm ready to be served.

Honorable Mention: Peaceful Property

It's about los espookys and features Tay and New. Will it be a QL? The streets are saying no, but all the characters are color coded, and all's I'm saying is what would be the point of color coding them if I ain't getting a BL main couple and a GL side couple? It's already canon to me.

Bonus: MosBank & JoongDunk

MosBank had like eighty projects announced for 2023, and I got NONE! Big Dragon 2, Big Dragon: The Movie, SunsetxVibes, where you at?! Y Journey: Stay Like a Local and Club Friday do not count. I don't want to watch their horror movie, but gosh darnit, if that comes out before everything else, I just might.

And I am a JoongDunk fan first, and a human second. Give my boys a gym BL already, GMMTV!

#10 Anticipated BLs for 2024 #I've made my list #and I'm checking it twice #thai bls #I'm excited for ALL the gls

[cuffmeinblack]

Lost and Found

Garreth Weasley x Ominis Gaunt

Tags: explicit | modern!AU | fluff | angst | loss of virginity | homophobia | heartbreak | happy ending

5.4k words

ao3 link

Summary: A love story told in five scenes.

A/n: Inspired by this art and written for the Weasley Wednesday prompt: AU! It's been a while since I wrote Garrinis and I've missed them a whole lot. It's hard for me to write anything but fluff with these two because Ominis deserves the world and Garreth is perfect to shower him with love and happiness. Still, I managed to make myself sad writing it.

One: You Had Me At Hello

"Garreth…Garreth, you're staring again," Cora's voice came from behind him.

"Wha- oh, shit!" 

Garreth's attention returned to the drink he was making, or rather making a mess of. That was one coffee he'd have to start again, much to the chagrin of both the customer and his supervisor. 

"Garreth," Cora sighed. "You can't spend all day staring at him."

He nodded and muttered an apology,  giving the customer a friendly smile as he picked up a fresh mug, but she was too distracted herself to notice. It had been three times in as many weeks that his eyes had wandered away from his job, and instead of his world-class coffee, he'd produced a syrupy, foamy mess all over his apron. Somewhat a fitting conclusion, considering the source of his disturbance and the absolutely lewd daydreams he'd been having.

Garreth couldn't take his eyes off him—goodness knows the blond was way out of his league and would likely turn up his nose so much as utter a single word to him, but that hadn't dissuaded Garreth from indulging in his fantasies. Ones where the boy's delicate, porcelain skin blushed under his own calloused and freckled fingers. He wondered what his voice sounded like, and that thought almost cost him the second macchiato he'd been making. Thankfully, he'd torn his eyes away just in time to deliver a mediocre drink to his loyal customer. He could practically feel Cora's eyes burning into the back of his skull.

"Take your break and go talk to him," she said, nudging him away from the counter.

"I'm not…I can't just go and talk to him…"

"Consider it a condition of your employment."

Garreth sighed, glancing back at her dark stare and crossed arms and deciding against an argument—she was deadly serious. He untied his apron and strung it over a hook in the staff room before steeling himself to do the impossible. What was wrong with him? He'd never felt this nervous around someone he found attractive before. Something about this mystery boy had his stomach in knots before he'd even come close to uttering a greeting, and when the time came that he stood in front of his table, Garreth was quite speechless.

He was even more radiant up close. The hint of blue eyes were cast down at a book as his delicate fingers traced over the…oh. There were no words on the pages, and only then did Garreth notice the white cane leaning next to the table.

Shit.

Well that certainly complicated things. Garreth was a decent looking bloke but now he had to entirely rely on his wit and charm. He was doomed. He must have stood there gaping for minutes before he summoned the courage to clear his throat.

"Er…hello," he said.

The boy continued reading, and Garreth cringed at his attempt at gaining his attention. Stepping closer to the table, he tried again, aware of Cora's scrutinising gaze on him from across the room.

"Hi! Sorry…," he mumbled.

The blond finally tilted his head towards his voice, revealing the most captivating blue eyes Garreth had ever seen. Devoid of pupils, they struck him as two swirling pools of crystal waters, icy hues with flecks of softest grey. 

"Ah, yes, of course," the boy said, pushing his empty mug to the edge of the table.

Garreth had been too busy bumbling and losing himself in his eyes like some lovesick puppy, he'd somehow given the impression of being a member of staff. Well, technically that were true, but that's not why he'd approached. He should have said something, but apparently this boy rendered him completely and utterly useless.

"Thanks!" Garreth squeaked back, taking the mug and retreating behind the counter with a furious blush and a whole heap of embarrassment.

To say he'd never seen Cora more annoyed at him would have been an overstatement, but the way her pale face pinched into a frown only heightened his unease.

"He uh…thought I was staff," he mumbled.

"Yes, I can see that," she said, staring at the mug still clutched in his hand as if it were a priceless artifact.

"I swear to God, Garreth…if you don't talk to him properly I'll fire you."

"You wouldn't. What about my loyal customers? There'd be uproar!" he replied, only half joking.

"You're not irreplaceable, especially if you can't make a simple drink in his vicinity," she said, snatching the mug away.

Her attention diverted to serve a nervous young lady who'd obviously overheard the entirely unprofessional exchange. With a groan, Garreth steeled himself to again approach the source of his distraction. He didn't have a plan, as with most things, but at least he could put right his first mistake.

"Hello again! Sorry to disturb you, I uh…well, I wanted to say hello. I'm Garreth," he said, sticking out his hand which lingered awkwardly in the air.

Of course it was, he couldn't see it. Idiot.

Garreth lowered his hand and helped himself to a spare seat opposite the boy, who's finger paused on the raised bumps of his book. Heavens above, what was it about him that made Garreth so bloody nervous? Was it the way he held himself so elegantly? Those piercing eyes that couldn't see but appeared to stare right into Garreth's soul? The blond gave off an aura of propriety—he practically oozed old money. Not Garreth's usual type, considering his own scruffiness that never seemed able to be tamed. His wild, curly copper locks were in stark contrast to the boy's slicked back mane with not a strand out of place…except that little piece that fell in front of his eyes when he bent his head…oh. Shit, he'd replied. Say something, Garreth!

"Uhhhhh…"

"I said hello, Garreth," the boy repeated with a soft, amused smile. "I'm Ominis. How can I help?"

Ominis. He had a name, which was far more than Garreth deserved so far with his poor attempt at introduction. Of course he had the voice of an angel; how could he not when everything else about him was so utterly perfect?

"I thought I'd say hello. I've noticed you in here quite a lot."

"You have?" Ominis asked, placing his hands in his lap and giving Garreth his full attention.

"Yeah…you're one of the few customers that doesn't drink coffee," Garreth chuckled.

"Ah, is that the reason? I confess I'm more of a tea drinker, but I enjoy the ambience here," he said.

"Maybe you'd enjoy coffee more if I made it for you," Garreth said, his confidence growing.

"You're certainly welcome to try," Ominis chuckled.

His soft, melodic laugh sent a tingle down Garreth's spine.

"I will, next time you're here I'll make you the best coffee you've ever tasted."

"I look forward to being converted. So, Garreth…do you do anything besides make excellent beverages?"

"Oh, yeah. I study here, this is only a part-time job. I'm guessing you're a student, too?"

"I am. English literature," he said, though he didn't seem elated at the idea. "How about you?"

"Chemistry ...oh, and I'm in a band."

He cringed inwardly, and outwardly, too—that line always sounded so cool when he told it to girls, but somehow when presenting this information to Ominis it sounded...ridiculous. Juvenile. If Ominis thought so, he didn't show it, only smiling good-naturedly.

"What music do you play?"

"Nothing you're likely to enjoy…"

"How could you possibly know what music I enjoy?"

"Well…I suppose I don't. Only that you don't exactly dress like someone who listens to punk rock," Garreth replied lamely.

"Perhaps not, but it makes very little difference to me what I look like."

"Right…of course…"

"I enjoy most music, as long as there's feeling."

Garreth almost opened his big mouth to ask if Ominis would consider letting him play for him, but was saved the embarrassment by Cora's stern voice cutting through the dreamlike haze telling him to get back to work.

"I have to get back to work. Can I…?"

Ominis handed Garreth his phone before he could even finish the sentence, and Garreth grinned as he accepted it, typing in his number whilst wondering if he'd hear from him at all. Perhaps he was simply being polite, but the eagerness Ominis had shown was hard to conceal behind good manners.

"Lovely to meet you Garreth…?" 

"Weasley. Garreth Weasley."

"I'm Ominis Gaunt."

Perhaps the name should have meant something to him, the way Ominis hesitated to say it, but all Garreth could think of for the rest of the day was the beautiful boy with the strange name.

-

Two: The Odd Couple

Ominis hadn't expected Garreth. He'd sprung out of nowhere when he least expected it, and made ripples through his otherwise stagnant life. Not just ripples, but a veritable tidal wave that dislodged Ominis from his melancholy and carried him to safer shores. One might be surprised to learn of Ominis and Garreth's relationship, but only when looking skin-deep. Apparently, their appearance was chalk and cheese, and their demeanours just as contrasting—and so, people called them odd.

Ominis disagreed wholeheartedly. 

How could they be odd if their hands fit together so perfectly? How could they be strange when Garreth never failed to bring a smile to Ominis' face? The muscles in his cheeks felt as if they had atrophied from years of non-use, until Garreth came along and provided him with much needed laughter. Ominis hadn't realised just how much he enjoyed the warmth of another body before Garreth had held him. In the space of three months, he'd learned so much about himself, by simply being around Garreth. 

And yes, he liked coffee now. But only when Garreth made it. One of his new favourite smells was the dark roast currently steaming in the mug he was cradling, the other happened to be the smell of cinammon and a hint of sulphur. Garreth's lab coat always gave off the most pungent odours after his classes, but it was still him.

Garreth was sitting on the floor of his bedroom as he often did, strumming his guitar. Today's composition was something pleasantly slow, a little sad, and terribly romantic. He could already feel the buildup of pressure behind his eyes that signalled an embarrassing show of emotion he tried hard to suppress, and the swell in his chest he so often associated with his boyfriend. He sipped his coffee and listened, allowing himself to feel anything and everything that the song's sweet melody elicited. As the last chord vibrated in the air between them, Ominis shifted on the bed and sighed, offering Garreth a soft smile.

"Beautiful," he said. “I could listen to your voice forever.”

“Hardly, but I’m glad you enjoyed it.”

The clunk of a guitar discarded against the wall preceded the warm and heavy weight of Garreth pressing between his legs, still kneeling on the floor. Warm hands encircled Ominis’s back as Garreth’s head was nestled into his thighs. Ominis smiled as he stroked those silken curls; another thing he'd not expected to enjoy quite so much. The rhythmic back and forth of his hand and the happy hums from his boyfriend let his mind wander, back to what he’d been mulling over during that rendition. Something terrifying and exciting that he craved more than anything.

Sex.

Three months was a long time to wait by anyone's standards, especially two men still riddled with teenage hormones. Garreth had been more than patient. It wasn't that Ominis didn't want to—very much the opposite. The days spent in each other's company were hard, but all the nights crammed into a single bed together were nothing short of agony. His heart yearned and his body ached for Garreth, yet so far he'd been a coward. Ominis had never been intimate with a soul; never had he allowed anyone else to touch him at his most vulnerable. It was a matter of trust to give oneself over to another completely, and whilst he trusted Garreth implicitly, Ominis had failed to gather the courage to ask for more.

Until tonight.

"Garreth?"

"Mhmmm?" he hummed happily from Ominis' lap.

"I'd like to sleep with you," Ominis said, trying to ignore his hammering heart.

"Of course. Let me just change the sheets…"

"No, I mean…"

"Oh."

No further explanation was required. Ominis felt the bed dip either side of him and Garreth's soft lips on his before he could draw another breath. His firm body pressed against him, warm and inviting under the numerous layers he wore. He'd have to dispose of those, once his hands stopped shaking. Garreth had all the restraint in the world as he peeled off Ominis' jumper, running slow kisses along his jaw, his neck, tongue finding his thumping pulse. Ominis tilted his head, so lost in his lips' caress that he hardly noticed his hands begin to unbutton Garreth's jeans or the rhythmic rocking of their hips.

Months of teasing and simmering tension had led to this moment; little wonder they were both stiff within seconds. The friction between their bodies set his body on fire, every inch restricted by these damned clothes felt like a prison when his skin burned to be pressed bare against Garreth's. His shirt was gently peeled from his shoulders and the fabric replaced by soft lips that tempted and teased. When Garreth nibbled his collarbone, Ominis lost all sense of self as he fell back on the bed and harshly shoved his own trousers down his hips. Gone was his calm, collected exterior; instead he lay bare, gasping and desperate to be touched.

"Garreth…," he sighed as the warm, gentle kisses trailed down his chest.

His muffled reply came as a hand wrapped around Ominis' cock and the most improper whimper left his lips. His world may have ended the moment he was enveloped by a warm, wet mouth. Garreth pulled salacious moans from him over and over again as his tongue flicked and swirled and whipped Ominis into a frenzy. His hands were in his hair, the sheets, grabbing anything he could as his hips bucked wildly into that amazing mouth, hitting the tight ring of muscle on more than one occasion. Garreth didn't seem to mind as he simply growled his approval whenever Ominis' cock slid down his throat. He needed to stop before he exploded right then and there, but how could he when it felt so good, so right, so utterly perfect?

"Stop, ah-! Stop, or I'll come," he managed to groan.

Garreth stirred in his lap, muffled moans vibrating against his length until his deliciously soft mouth left his cock with a pop. Ominis groaned, regretting his decision already, until Garreth's hoarse whisper filled his ears.

"Do you want to…take me, or…?"

Oh, yes. But more than anything, Ominis wanted to be on the receiving end of Garreth's touches. Underneath him, pressed into the mattress as his mouth and hands explored every inch they could reach whilst his cock buried deep inside him. He'd experimented, certainly, but his albeitly long fingers would be no substitute for what he knew Garreth sported in his trousers.

"I want you inside me."

His boyfriend growled with uncontained lust and Ominis' heart found its way into his mouth, suddenly apprehensive, nervous that Garreth might lose himself too soon. He needn't have worried—his caress was featherlight despite the heaviness of his breath and throbbing of his cock against Ominis' thigh. 

"I'm going to get some lube now, okay?" Garreth said.

Ominis nodded, listening to the rummaging in the nightstand drawer. Those strong, calloused hands spread his legs, exposing him completely, yet he felt safe. Garreth was so gentle, whispering in his ear and exchanging sloppy kisses as his fingers teased and prepared him. Ominis arched his back and wriggled his hips for more, please. Garreth sensed his impatience and gave him a long, searing kiss as his fingers retreated, and replaced them with something far larger.

"Let me know if you want me to stop," Garreth whispered.

"I will. But I won't."

"Are you ready?" 

"Yes…yes, please," Ominis gasped, surprising himself with just how pleading his tone was.

Garreth groaned into his mouth, his fingers in Ominis' hair as he pushed inside him. Fuck, it stung, but heavens above he felt incredible. He'd so far been trying to keep his audible pleasure as muted as possible, but the moan that left his lips vibrated off the walls and filled the room and surely far beyond. The last of his composure broke down as Garreth buried himself to the hilt, his hand cupping Ominis’ face as their foreheads pressed together. This was intimacy as he’d never known it; their noses brushed and soft sighs mingled in the air between them as Garreth let Ominis adjust to his size and relax around him.

“How does that feel?” Garreth murmured against his lips.

“Incredible. You’re incredible.”

Not ‘you feel incredible’, just ‘you are incredible’. Perhaps that was the closest he’d gotten to admitting his true feelings, which were both terrifying and all-consuming. 

Three months, twelve days. 

That’s how long it had taken Ominis to admit to himself that he was in love with Garreth Weasley.

-

Three: The Fall

Ominis couldn't help but smile whenever his phone read the words 'incoming call from- Garreth Weasley'. Perhaps he was a fool for falling so hard, so fast. He ought to rein in his feelings, lest he end up with a broken heart, yet Garreth was so easy to love. When Ominis was with him, he could forget the rest of the world; all of his worries, every crushing pressure that threatened to break his already fragile heart. 

Ominis was no fool—he knew how others must view him. They saw his clothes, heard his name, and immediately thought they'd sussed him out as another spoiled trust fund kid with far too much money and very little else to offer. Some days, Ominis believed them. What would he be without his family, after all? A poor blind boy with a brilliant mind, but born into a cruel world rife with discrimination. Garreth only saw the Ominis he wished that he himself could perceive. 

Ominis answered the phone the way he always did.

"Hello, sunshine."

The nickname seemed so befitting for Garreth that he found it hard to be embarrassed about it.

"Omi! Can you meet me after work? I have a surprise for you," his slightly fuzzy voice came through the speaker, no less beautiful amongst the static.

"Of course—five?"

"Yep, I'll see you then!"

"Was that all?" Ominis asked.

"I have to get back to work. Cora's on my arse to finish my break..."

"You know you could have just texted me?"

"Then I wouldn't have been able to hear your voice."

Ominis' cheeks burned as he exhaled a contained chuckle through his nose. 

"I'm glad you did. See you later."

I love you.

Instead of saying that, he hung up. Perhaps the first time shouldn't be over the phone—it should be somewhere and sometime more befitting the gravity of the words. When Ominis was curled up in Garreth's arms after spending the night together, maybe. He'd had plenty of those, yet the words hadn't materialised. No matter, there was still plenty of time. 

He had a couple of lectures to attend before meeting Garreth, but still time to pop by the library for a few much-needed books. He'd picked a challenging subject considering many of the books he'd study weren't available in braille. Some were available as audio books, and some had been miraculously made available to him by the good graces of the University—or rather, his father's heavy influence and deep pockets.

His phone vibrated in his coat as he walked the steps up to the library, and the robotic voice announced something far less desirable than a call from Garreth.

Speak of the devil…

'Incoming call from- Father.'

His gut twisted as it always did when he was forced to talk to his family. It would be unwise for him to simply ignore the call, as much as he wished to. With a great sigh, he sat down on a low brick wall and readied himself before answering the annoying buzzing with a terse greeting.

"Father. How can I help?"

"Ominis. How are you?"

As if he cared.

"I'm fine. How are you?"

As if he cared.

"Very well. I'm calling in regards to a rumour I've heard regarding your conduct."

"My conduct," Ominis stated bluntly.

"Yes, your conduct. How you conduct yourself about the University. Your company has raised some concerns."

"My my, father, if you have something to say then please be out with it," Ominis said, not sure we're his sudden confidence was coming from.

Perhaps it had bubbled up from the pit of rage in his stomach.

"You've been seen with some scruffy boy. In his dormitory, around the campus. Not only have you been indiscreet, your choice of partner leaves much to be desired."

"To whom?"

"To me, Ominis."

"And what, pray tell, is the purpose of your call?"

"You know very well. I'll not have you galavanting about with some boy like some poof."

"Ah, therein lies the problem. I am a poof."

"Despite your disappointment, you're still my son…but I will not tolerate such disrespect. I got you where you are now, boy, and I can reverse your good fortunes just as quickly. Goodbye, Ominis."

The line went dead before Ominis could spit back a retort; perhaps for the best given how furious he was—he must have been attracting quite a bit of attention. His hands were shaking such that his cane rattled on the stone pavement. Anger quickly became secondary to his fear—his father was many things, but he was not a man who issued idle threats. It didn't surprise him that he'd been keeping an eye on him whilst at University—likely under the guise of concern for his poor, blind son. Ominis knew the real reason, and his father had just made it abundantly clear with that phone call.

He must have sat on that brick wall for hours. He missed his first lecture, and decided to skip the second, retreating to his dormitory with a numb backside and an even more numb emotional state. He barely managed to get out of bed to meet Garreth after his shift. Of course he knew something was wrong with Ominis, his concern showing in the way he touched him more gently, the way his voice was softer and an octave higher. Ominis tried to put the conversation out of his mind, but how could he ignore something so life-altering? For a few hours, he put on a poor façade of contentment, whilst his mind slipped deeper into melancholy. He kissed Garreth that night as if the world was ending, and he was quite sure that it was.

-

Four: Gone

Six months. Six months it had been since his heart was ripped out of his chest and soul torn asunder. Garreth was by nature a happy person, full of optimism, but what Ominis Gaunt's departure left behind was a husk of his former self. His friends tried their best to help, but as soon as he was alone, Garreth let the darkness take him. He'd wallow for hours, days at a time, not quite knowing if he'd feel a desire to leave his bed again.

Ominis had left without a word. His phone number went straight to voicemail. His dormitory lay empty. Garreth had asked around and been told he had deferred a year, and that he would be back in September. Garreth wasn't sure if the thought comforted him or made it worse—he still wasn't sure as the month rolled around.

Things were a little better now, thanks to Cora. His job had been a godsend, truth be told, even if he couldn't help the surreptitious glances to the table that Ominis had once frequented. All Summer break, he'd thrown himself into his part-time job, his music, his art. All the little things that made him happy, despite the gaping chasm left in his chest. True, it sometimes felt hollow when he wrote a new song when Ominis wasn't there to hear it, and the drawings he made were often of him despite his best attempts at anyone, anything else. He was trying, though, and each day got a little easier…until the start of term approached.

"Don't go looking for him, Garreth," Cora said, face set into a hard stare.

"I won't," he promised.

He wouldn't go looking, but he might happen upon him whilst walking to and from lectures. Garreth wasn't sure what he wanted—perhaps just to know that Ominis was alright. He should hate him, but so far he'd not managed to muster the feeling. The first week came and went and Garreth didn't see Ominis. He didn't see him whilst crossing the courtyard outside the English building twice a day, nor in the coffee shop when he worked. He didn't find him lingering in the library or outside on the lawn in the shade of the oak tree he loved so much. If Ominis had returned, he was a ghost.

It wasn't until a week later that Garreth finally found him. He'd not even been looking, but the cane was hard to miss when it smacked into his leg.

"Ominis," he gasped, unbelieving.

The pressure built behind his eyes and his throat constricted; his heart hammered and breath grew shallow; there was no angry outburst nor demanding of an explanation, only relief and overwhelming hurt.

"G-Garreth?"

"Yeah, yeah it's me. Sorry, I'm in your way."

"You're not. Well, you are, but I'm glad you are."

A silence grew that Garreth didn't know how to fill, only able to stare at the boy he still loved and commit every edge, every mark, every pore to memory in case he didn't see him again.

"I'm so sorry," Ominis whispered.

Ah, there were the tears that followed the words he'd wanted to hear for the past six months. Garreth was weeping in the middle of campus, and he didn't care as Ominis' arms wrapped around him, hesitant and unsure. He wanted to ask him to hold him tighter, but this moment was fragile, and Garreth couldn't run the risk of breaking the spell.

"Tell me why you left, then you never have to see me again," he managed to say through the tears.

"I told you everything in my letter, it was the truth, but…things have changed, admittedly."

"What letter?"

"What do you mean? The letter I left for you before I…"

Ominis looked panicked as Garreth looked at him through bleary eyes, rapidly blinking away the tears as he tried not to follow suit.

"I didn't get a letter. Tell me you're joking."

"Why would I joke? I left you a letter explaining why I'd left. It was cowardly of me, I should have told you…you never got it? You never knew?"

"No, I never knew."

"Garreth…"

Ominis held him tighter, then, and Garreth squeezed him back. Garreth was sure his heart would soon burst from his chest or he'd simply throw up on the ground, but he managed to ask Ominis to sit with him. They sat on the grass where they'd shared their first kiss and Ominis told him everything that the letter contained. He'd pinned it to his door, but it had been taken before Garreth had a chance to read it.

"I believed my father when he said I'd amount to nothing without him. He's told me as much since the day I'd learned to talk. So I took a gap year, hoping that…you'd forget about me."

"So we can't be together because of your homophobic arsehole of a father?" Garreth asked furiously.

Ominis winced and shook his head with a sad smile.

"No, he's no longer a problem. I regretted my decision almost immediately but I admit I was too ashamed to return. I've spent the past few months working and saving enough money to cut ties with my family."

Ominis took a shaky breath before continuing, his piercing blue eyes fixed into the distance and pricked with tears of his own.

"I know I don't deserve your forgiveness, but I want you to know that it was you who gave me the strength to finally say no to my father. You…you made me feel more than just a shadow of him."

Garreth sat in stunned silence for minutes just watching the passersby. His brain ached with the deluge of new information. Everything was raw, shocking, unbelievable. 

"Why didn't you find me and tell me?"

"Why would you want anything to do with me after I left?" Ominis asked.

"Because I love you. I love you and if I'd told you that maybe you wouldn't have left in the first place."

There it was; Garreth's heart laid bare. The truth he'd been too scared to tell Ominis before he left and spent half a year trying to deny. 

"I love you too, Garreth. I always will."

He wasn't sure if that changed things, not yet—there was too much to mull over, too much to consider. Garreth stayed silent, simply placing his hand on Ominis' in the long grass.

"Garreth?" Ominis whispered into the breeze.

"Mmm?"

"I'll spend the rest of my life trying to regain your trust, if you'll let me."

-

Five: Forever

Forgiveness and love were said to be fickle things. Ominis hadn't thought he'd deserved the former. The latter was implicitly given; Garreth owned his heart, and had done so since the day they had met. The turbulent and beautiful and incredible years ran through his mind as he stood outside the room that would change the course of his life forever. Perhaps it would have been easier for Garreth to walk down the aisle, but Ominis was loath to rob him of his first look—it was the least he could offer. They had planned every detail for themselves, unshackled from the demands of his family and bolstered by the love and support of Garreth’s.

Ominis chose to hold the arm of a dear friend as he walked, the comforting warmth that stayed the shake in his hand a much better prospect than his cane. Sebastian had been an excellent best man so far, even if his stag ‘do left a lot to be desired. All was forgiven as Ominis wrapped his fingers around his forearm and took a deep breath that didn't fill the depths of his lungs. 

“You’ve got this,” Sebastian muttered as the doors opened.

Why had they chosen such heart-wrenching music for this part? He was already fighting back tears and he’d barely stepped in the room. All Ominis could do was focus on his breathing and the tight grip he had around Sebastian's forearm. The walk was an eternity, made all the more agonising by the sobbing from Mrs Weasley, yet he finally made it to the end and was promptly scooped up into Garreth's arms. They'd not even exchanged vows and their lips were pressed together, holding each other as if the other might choose to bolt at the last second.

After that, it was all a blur. Words were said, tears were shed, and not one minute went by that Ominis' cheeks didn't hurt from smiling. He'd completely forgotten the vows he'd prepared, yet the right sentiments came spilling forth anyway. He'd told Garreth exactly what he meant to him; nothing short of his entire world. It was no secret what had transpired in their University years, yet it would only be mentioned briefly amongst the outpouring of love. The 'blip', as they called it, had shaped their relationship, their entire lives, but inevitably led them here. Ominis wouldn't change a thing, and neither would Garreth.

"You may now kiss," the registrar said to the eruption of cheers and claps.

Oh, thank God. Ominis clasped Garreth's cheeks so tightly he might have torn his head clean off his shoulders. Their first kiss as a wedded couple was quite the display, but Ominis couldn't quite bring himself to be embarrassed. It was hard to keep their mouths together amongst the grins spreading rapidly across their faces, and a clash of teeth later they pulled apart laughing and clasping hands.

Three years, eleven months. 

That's how long it had taken Ominis to make Garreth Weasley his forever.

#weasley wednesday #ominis gaunt #garreth weasley #garrinis #ominis gaunt x garreth weasley #garreth weasley x ominis gaunt #ominis gaunt fanfiction #garreth weasley fanfiction

[esmiephan]

Listing my fave Eriks (Phantomverse Of Madness).

This is a post i was suppose to make a long time ago, but i only got the time to write it now. I will probably make a part 2 with the "Worse/Less Favorite Eriks".

Remember everyone, this is ✨MY OPINION✨. No adaptation is free from flaws, these 6 Eriks are my favorite but they won't escape from my critics. And if you disagree, feel free to comment about.

6. MazM!Erik (2018)

We start with a polemic one. Mazm!Erik has an unique beauty and amazing hairstyle, his PTSD, the pain, the crying little boy inside of the man, the despair to be loved are still ON POINT. But let's not forget they turned him into a generic anime sociopath who does bad things because yes, and abuses Christine, and keeps Melek aprisioned, and other nonsense things of this mediocre script. However, MazM!Erik is still redeamable at some point and he has good stuffs.

5. Chaney's Erik (1925)

Our first adaptation, the 1925s silent movie! In my opinion, NO ONE played Erik better than Lon Chaney. No one. Like, this man, he's just fantastic. Chaney's hands, movements, the PHANTASTIC make-up, the expressions of pain, madness, anger and tenderness, OH MY GOD THIS IS HEAVEN!!!

ok but let's not forget the ending sucks and the movie tried at best to villainize Erik, this is unforgivable.

4. Merik (1986-2004)

Probably the most known version among us. Andrew Loyd Webber delivered us an amazing, outbreathing and beautiful musical that saved Broadway's story in the 1980s and brought Phantom back to popular tastes since then. Musical Erik has its questions, many people fan of the novel think Webber tried somehow to make him more manipulative and less redeeming. After all, even though people he killed weren't innocent at all, Erik isn't a man who runs out judging people and killing the ones he consider to be unworthy. He killed in EXTREMELY ocasional times in the novel. By the way, the way he constantely manipulates Christine and try to keep control as "the Angel" is just... no.

The original Erik wouldn't do this. He hates lying to Christine, he avoids at his best hurting her. Merik has more childish and toxic behaviour, even though he still ends up redeemed and changed out of his own will and kindness. We cannot deny Merik is one of a kind, one of the most iconic versions of the story. There are many actors who played Merik: Gerard Butler, Ramin Karimloo, Hugh Panaro, Norm Lewis, Ben Lewis, Michael Crawford, i could make a whole blog about my favorites and less favorites Meriks. And i'll probably do it.

3. Cherik (1990)

Look what we have here ❤️

"MY GOD, THIS PLACE REALLY IS HAUNTED" -- this and other funny lines are a gift of Charles Dance's version of Erik. The minisseries isn't very loyal to the novel, however, it's not a bad adaptation at all. This Erik is funny, shy, awkard and more healthy than most of the other versions. I disaprove anything about his version? Yep. First, he wears too colored clothes and is less "dark and goth" like other Eriks. Second, his mother actually loved Erik in this version... I think this was an unnecessary changing. Because the horrible abuse committed by Erik's mother is something EXTREMELY important that can't be changed. Mommy issue is an essence of this character. Should I talk about the "Christine looking like his mom" problem?

Well...

2. Kerik (1990)

Our favorite Susan Kay monologue! Yes, here it is. Kerik (or Serik as some people say) is funny, jerky and tragic, it's almost the same as Leroux's version, as it is supposed to be because "Phantom" isn't exactly an adaptation, but an explanation/expansion of what we've seen originally. Phantom is so good that we phans consider it as canon!

I can't help but say his relationship with Christine in this monologue is weird and a bit disappointing, though. Susan Kay actually started this "Christine looked like Erik's mom" shit, and it's not only weird, it literally confirms Erik's love for Christine was not real, that he only wanted to have a normal relantionship with his mother and Christine was a link to escape his pain. Ok, it makes sense Erik having mommy issues, but i disagree with Kay's vision about his love.

1. Lerik, The Original (1910).

Claps to our king, sis and bros. Gaston Leroux wrote this character with passion. This is my favorite deformity and vision about the character, the lines and the emotions are all just perfect for me. No one ever surprassed the original novel. Erik is a symbol, and a figure to many people. A broken, tortured, emotionally unstable man, who wants to fix everything his way, who doesn't have anyone to trust, who searches for love, pity and compassion, who searches for inclusion and tenderness from the society... but had everything despised and wasted. Erik, originally, is not a villain or a romantic hero. He is an anti-hero. He's the representation of frustrated people and abuse survivors who are able to LOVE, even after everything they had to pass throught. People who are able to recognize and fix their mistakes, people who won't sacrifice their beloved ones happiness for their own problems and fears. Erik is all of us.

Thank you.

#the phantom of the opera #erik the phantom #gaston leroux #andrew loyd webber #mazm erik #lon chaney #lerik #merik #phantom musical #cherik #charles dance #susan kay #kerik #phantom #mazm the phantom of the opera #phantom minisseries

[just-prime]

Parachuting into your inbox because I'm ready to throw my phone into the sea, after seeing all of these posts about Ahsoka showing Luke Anakin's training holocrons.

IT WOULD BE CUTE, YES.

That is, if it made ANY sense for Ahsoka to have them at this point in time, let alone for them to still exist.

More terrible writing for fan service and we can't keep letting them get away with it.

Ahsoka left the temple with nothing but the dress on her back.

As far as we know and can easily gather from her living in the lower levels and having presumably sold her akul tooth headdress - the one symbolic tie she had to the only cultural identity she had that wasn't the Jedi, the only one she could still associate positive feelings with, she was not meeting up with any Jedi or Padme, and therefore was not hiding them at the Martez warehouse.

And it isn't likely that Anakin would have tried to find a way to find them to her. It isn't illegal to own a lightsaber, but Anakin kept them hoping that she would one day come back, making it even more likely that he kept her training holocrons.

Why, after all, when Ahsoka said she didn't want to be a Jedi, would she have either found a way to ask for them, or Anakin thought they would be a welcome parting gift, and there was no time.

We can then easily infer that the holocrons could only possibly have been relocated from her quarters to four places:

- Anakin's quarters in the temple

- Anakin's quarters on his Venator

- Ahsoka's quarters on the Tribunal, in the unlikely event that in the flurry of Anakin only being able to give her sabers back and leaving for Coruscant

- The archives in the Jedi temple, possibly to be used for training other Padawans, or for more secure storage

One of those three places (and the most unlikely) were destroyed, the other Vader had direct access to.

Are we really to believe he didn't ensure there wasn't a single trace left of any of the virtual time capsules of Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker?

He minimally took them to Mustafar and hid them in a closet, but it's much more likely that he destroyed them.

I want as much Anakin and Ahsoka content as the next person, but I am beyond tired of heartstrings, including mine, being tugged on through shoddy writing that insists on breaking canon and logic repeatedly in order to evoke said emotional response from the audience, and distract them from the fact that this show is riding on nostalgiabaiting and milking beloved relationships from much better written shows (when this show didn't put in the work to earn it).

The sad reality is that this clusterfuck of a show isn't actually delivering satisfying nor compelling storytelling at all.

Name dropping fan favorites while saying absolutely nothing about them, while depending on Ray Stevenson and Hayden to carry this show on their backs through their excellent performances isn't good enough.

I really think that people either feel afraid of speaking openly about the show, or they are settling for worse than mediocrity, while Filoni is getting away with murder, giving Ahsoka holocrons and psychometry she shouldn't have, because he doesn't know how to tell his story without doing so.

I wanted Ahsoka to have a show worthy of the character she was up until the end of Rebels. Those who haven't watched her in animation aren't going to walk away from this series understanding why Ahsoka is so beloved, and it's a tragedy.

I wanted live-action only audiences to watch this show and be driven to give The Clone Wars and Rebels a chance, instead of doing the opposite.

I wanted to love this show instead of wanting to eat a plank of wood. Your scathing and accurate reviews are a balm for my soul right now. Wednesday can't come soon enough. Then the healing can begin.

Until the next Filoniverse show.

Exactly. All of this is so fucking true.

Filoni's playing around like a child in a sandbox. Except he doesn't care if the sandcastles he's knocking down are his or not.

The one of the earliest examples, but also the deepest cut that I can think of is the needless recon (and weird whitification) of Kanan in the beginning of The Bad Batch.

Now, a lot of people don't know this, but Kanan had his own book, exploring his backstory and how he came to meet Hera. It was also turned into a 12 issue comic run called Star Wars: Kanan: The Last Padawan which was how I knew about it. The story depicts Kanan and Depa Billaba final moments together, including banter with their clone troopers, on a very obviously desert planet, with no Bad Batch people in sight.

And there are numerous other examples of written Star Wars content being thrown in the bin by Filoni, like massive portions of the Ahsoka novel that was needlessly condensed for Tales of the Jedi. It's obvious that he must have nothing but contempt for the canon Thrawn books given how he's made Thrawn into some insane pro-imperial warlord that doesn't even fit with his Rebels characterization in a void, let alone his book characterization on top of it.

AND we all know it doesn't stop at written works either. Midichlorians, while incredibly stupid, are a pivotal part of Star Wars now and don't just get to be thrown away cuz Filoni doesn't like them. Entire character arcs have been utterly scrapped for the sake of the disgusting GirlBossification of Bo Katan, for the sake of making Luke more mystifying while seeking synergy with the sequels, for the sake of having an easy marketing ploy with Ahsoka the Jedi.

For me, this all ties back to the fact that Filoni actively discouraged people from watching the previous shows. It was a warning flag then that has morphed into the massive red flag that it is now. He doesn't want people watching the old shows, because he wants to appeal to a larger audience who is naive and will eat this shit up. The amount of people who I've seen online who are singing the praises of the show, but admit to having never watched Rebels let alone Clone Wars is really concerning. Because it proves exactly who his target audience was with this.

Which is such a shame because even on it's own, Ahsoka is a bad show. As previously discussed here, the choreography is laughable and the acting from everyone is that of a cardboard cutout and how the pacing is absolutely fucked and how the costumes could be outdone by a 5 year old's first cosplay. But that's not even touching the lackluster sets, and the really weird messaging (both @trashquisitor-shirozora and @kanansdume have extensive metas on the show's treatment of Xiono that are definitely worth the read), and so much more.

But to return to your original reason for persecuting in, yes. Those cards should not exist, in any way shape or form, and the fact that they do without explanation is fucking ridiculous.

#rambles #dave filoni critical #ahsoka critical #ahsoka series #ahsoka spoilers #star wars #prime responds #anti filoni

[tairona-is-taken]

A review of Truce at Bakura

(Originally posted to my RL Goodreads account a few years ago.)

Unevenly written, but super fun. This book picks up 24 hours after Return of the Jedi ends, and it’s billed as the book that wraps up the loose threads from ROTJ. I would say it only 50% delivers on that. It does do a good job of portraying Imperial/Rebel relations now that the Emperor is dead and the two sides have to work together to defend Bakura (an Imperial world) from whoever the aliens are who are invading from outside the galaxy (the Ssiruuk?). There’s a great scene in particular where the Imperial governor of Bakura doesn’t believe the Emperor is dead at first, but when Leia tells him Vader killed the Emperor, the governor is like, “Oh never mind, I take it back—that jerk? I TOTALLY believe he killed the Emperor.”

But the book only does a mediocre job of wrapping up the emotional threads after ROTJ, which is what I was really looking forward to. Luke is struggling with the health effects of the Emperor’s Force lightning, which is interesting, but apparently he’s 100% over the emotional trauma of what happened on the 2nd Death Star. Han has zero thoughts on the revelation that Luke and Leia are siblings (one day was apparently all it took for that truth bomb to sink in). I will give Tyers credit that Leia does struggle a lot with the revelation that Darth Vader is her father, and there’s even a scene where she meets Anakin’s Force ghost, BUT unfortunately Tyers just isn’t great at writing emotions/interiority, and so all of Leia’s angsting over this just comes off as predictable and lacking in true depth.

With that said, the story is still a fun romp that feels reminiscent of Star Trek: The Original Series, and I enjoyed it a lot.

Things that I liked, in no particular order:

- Leia is a total boss in this story. It’s clear she’s been coaching Luke and Han on diplomatic protocol now that they’re trying to form an alliance with the Bakuran Imperials—and in one scene it’s even clear that she told the guys to let her do the talking because they don’t know what they’re doing. LOL. This was a relief after The Thrawn Trilogy, where she gets talked over by other characters a lot.

- Luke gets promoted to fleet commander in this book and he kind of sucks at first. He gets better at being a leader as the book goes on, but in the first battle, he ends up leaning heavily on his flagship captain, Tessa Manchisco. Tessa is pretty amused by his inexperience, but is chill enough that she doesn’t rub it in, while Luke recognizes that she’s more competent than him, and is fine with following her lead. I loved their dynamic.

- Han at one point tries to romance Leia aboard the Falcon and asks Chewie to set up a romantic nook on the ship for a date. Chewie instead just puts together a bed where Han and Leia can get it on. Hahaha, at least Leia takes it in stride.

- At the end of the book, Luke pulls rank so that he can fly a TIE fighter, which he’s apparently always wanted to try—it’s one of the most gleefully in-character moments he has in the book.

- The Imperial characters are pretty nuanced. Gaeriel (Luke’s love interest) in particular is super ordinary—which is refreshing in the Star Wars universe. She supports the Empire in the way that most real people support the countries we live in—because we’re stuck here, so even when our home countries do bad things, it’s instinctual to try to move past it and look for the good.

- At one point, Luke Force heals this senile old lady who Gaeriel is taking care of and who Luke suspects got her mind kriffed up by the Empire. At the end of the book, this old lady turns out to be a complete badass who helps save the day with Gaeriel as her side kick. I just loved seeing an old person use their wisdom and experience to kick ass for once, instead of it always being the youngsters!

Things to file under “so bad it’s good”:

- At one point, Luke is despairing over his love life, so he calls to the Force ghosts—all three of them; Obi-Wan, Yoda, and Anakin!—because he basically wants dating advice from them. Man, that’s some Anakin-in-the-prequels level of romance fail right there. I guess it’s genetic?

- To be fair, this scene leads to a genuinely moving one where the Force ghosts don’t show up (wisely), but Leia does, and she and Luke have a touching moment of sibling bonding. What I particularly loved is that Leia doesn’t make fun of Luke’s crush on Gaeriel, but is actually relieved because he’s acting like a human being again instead of being super detached like he was in much of ROTJ. This is really the one nod we get to the emotional trauma Luke went through after Empire Strikes Back, and it’s a good one.

Things that were just plain bad:

- Luke keeps mind tricking people left and right in this book, oftentimes for frivolous reasons, and Tyers seems to have no awareness of the ethical implications of this.

- Han gets weirdly jealous in the middle of the book of both Luke’s (totally innocent) interactions with Leia and also this one random Alderaanian officer who kisses Leia’s hand. It makes no sense and it’s like Tyers is trying to just check off the “romantic tension” box.

- In the final battle, Tessa dies—and in fact, Luke’s entire flagship gets vaporized—but neither Luke nor any of the other characters spare a second thought for these deaths. I blame this on bad writing, not on the characters themselves, but it leaves a bad taste in your mouth regardless.

#the truce at bakura #star wars legends #star wars #luke skywalker #leia organa #han solo #gaeriel captison #kathy tyers #star wars eu #book review #my book reviews #tairona talks #tairona reads star wars legends #crossposted to goodreads

[guess-my-next-obsession]

Peña’s Anatomy — Prologue

pairing: doctor au!javier peña x resident!reader

series warnings: reader has a vagina and presents as a woman, no use of Y/N, work relationship dynamic, age gap (10 years), enemies to lovers trope, future explicit content (this chapter is tame but others will not be so 18+ only), hospital stuff (injuries, illnesses, mild gore, trauma)

word count: 1.6k

authors note: after rewatching greys for the sixth time, i found myself imagining my favorite of the pedro boys as a doctor and decided it was too good of a fantasy not to write 🙈

series masterlist

The stupidest mistake you could have ever made for yourself was to switch hospitals in the middle of your surgical residency. Though your last hospital’s rank was quite mediocre and the town you’d been living in was far too small for an ambitious woman like you, it was familiar.

It was the same hospital you were born in, the same hospital you were stuck in when your tonsils were taken out as a kid, the same hospital you found yourself praying in when your grandmother passed away, and it was even the same hospital you did your clinicals at in med school. Hate it or love it, it was your second home—especially for the last three years of your residency.

But all good things had to come to an end at some point.

You needed to get out of your small midwestern town. Needed to explore and grow. So, when the opportunity came around for you to take a spot at a nicely ranked hospital in San Antonio, Texas, you (very) nervously accepted.

One month later, you found yourself sitting on a city bus, rain pouring down around you as if you were in the middle of a hurricane. You clutched your lunch box tightly to your stomach as you bounced your knee, the nerves of your first day on the job settling in with each passing mile.

You thanked the heavens that the public transport delivered you right at the doorstep of the hospital, only forcing you to have to jog the short distance from the bus to the sliding doors of the surgical department in the pouring rain. Somehow, even though you were only in the rain for less than five seconds, you were absolutely drenched when you stepped inside the building.

The air conditioning immediately hit you, your body shivering as you made your way to the nurses station. The young woman sitting on the other side of the counter typing away on her computer paid you little mind as you stood in front of her with a nervous smile. After a few beats of her actively ignoring you, you cleared your throat and gave her a friendlier smile as her eyes met yours.

“Can I help you?” Her tone was laced with irritation, quickly reminding you of all of your old high school mean girls.

“Sorry, uh, I’m here for my first day. I’m a surgical resident, I just had no idea—“

“Dr. Peña,” she perked up as her eyes locked with someone over your shoulder. You turned your head around to take in a very handsome man in a white coat walking over to the counter, his eyes crinkling as he smiled at the nurse.

“Jessica, how are you doing this morning? I hope you got some much needed rest over the weekend.” He winked at the young woman, the two of them ogling each other in a way that made you feel like an involuntary voyeur. You lowered your eyes to the lunchbox in your hands and waited for your turn to speak, not wanting to start your residency off by pissing off a nurse and a doctor.

“You know I didn’t.” She winked back at him, the two smiling at one another knowingly. You cleared your throat again, this time drawing the doctors eyes to yours. “Oh, yeah. She’s the new resident. Could you show her to the locker rooms and get her set up for the day?”

“Not like I have life-saving surgeries to prep for or anything.” He chided while giving your entire form a once over.

“I’m sure I can find my own way if it’s an inconvenience—“

“No, come on. I’m already walking that way anyways.” He both looked and sounded physically pained by your presence as he started off down a long hall, your footsteps speeding up as you tried to keep up with his long strides.

“What, uh, what’s your specialty?” You knew he didn’t want to talk—you knew that—but for some inexplicable reason, you couldn’t stop yourself from trying to ease the awkward silence.

He shot you a pointed look from over his shoulder and scoffed at your question with a chuckle, quickly turning a corner and weaving through the hallway traffic like an expert. You whispered apologies to the nurses you ran into while trying to follow the doctor, suddenly finding yourself regretting the decision to leave your old hospital.

“Peña, you look like a sack of shit today. Spend all weekend juggling nurses again?” A fellow white coat teased your guide as the two of you passed her in the hall. He chuckled and held up his middle finger without turning around.

“Alright,” he sighed as he gestured to a locker room at the end of the hall, hardly making eye contact with you as he stood by the door. “This is the resident’s locker room. Scrubs and stuff are in there. What’s your name again?”

He reached for a clipboard that sat in the basket hung on the door, plucking it out and scanning his eyes over the paper. You stumbled over your words as you studied his stern face, his jaw clenching as he read.

“I hope you’re not always so hard of hearing.”

“S-sorry, sorry. Just a little overwhelmed.” You watched as his eyes lifted from the paper to yours, softening just the slightest bit as he took in your anxious state. You told him your name and he nodded, dropping his eyes back to the sheet he was holding.

“Well, lucky for me, you’re on Dr. Neil’s service for the week. Have you been on an OB service before?” His eyes found yours again and demanded an answer, but you couldn’t get over the fact that he’d just insulted you to your face. After a moment of you not responding to his question, he sighed and hung up the clipboard. “I’ll take that as a no.”

“N-no, I have plenty of experience on OB. I have plenty of experience on every service.” You had to dig deep, but you managed to find your confidence—the same confidence that earned you the top spot in your class in medical school and the same confidence that got you the job at this very hospital. “Perhaps it’s lucky for both of us that I’m not on your service, Dr. Peña.”

You didn’t stick around to take in his reaction, mostly out of sheer fear than anything, instead choosing to walk right into the locker room.

“Oh, hello. You’re new.” A man your age passed right by you as you stood in front of the door, studying the layout of the locker room. He smirked at you cockily and leaned against the lockers, his eyes combing over your form. “Need help finding your way around?”

“I’d rather remain lost.” You gave him a condescending smile and walked past him, a girl sitting down on the bench behind him now snickering as you neared her.

“I think you and I are going to get along well.” She stood up and held her hand out, offering you a friendly smile. “I’m Mickey, you must be the transfer.”

“I am,” you smiled back at her and shook her hand. “Are, uh, are all the lockers open or do I get assigned one, or…”

“No, they’re a free for all. You can take this one by me if you want.” She pointed at a grey locker besides the one with her name on it. “Hope you brought a lock. We’ve got a real thievery problem around here.”

“Oh, yeah?” You chuckled and opened up the locker, stuffing your bag and lunch box inside of it before walking over to the shelves where fresh scrubs sat. After changing, you locked up your locker and slid on your work shoes, Mickey filling you in on the residents to avoid—like Michael, the man who so kindly eyed you up when you walked in—and the ones who were safe.

“Who’s service are you on this week?” She asked you as she walked you out of the locker room and into the hall.

“Dr. Neil? I think that’s what that asshole doctor said.”

“Who’s the asshole doctor?” She asked, turning her head to look at you as she walked with the same pace as Dr. Peña from earlier.

“Dr. Peña. He’s the one who brought me to the locker room.” She chuckled and raised her eyebrows, giving you an amused look. “What?”

“Dr. Peña is the Chief’s golden boy. I hope you didn’t get off on a bad foot with him. He’ll make your life a living hell.” You winced at her words, turning your eyes forward as you cursed yourself internally for giving him a taste of his own medicine earlier.

You knew it was a dumb idea to get off in the wrong foot on your very first day, and yet the man had drove you to the point of stupidity with his blatant rudeness. Now you had to walk on eggshells around the Chief’s right hand man for the next four years of your residency.

Great. Really worth it.

taglist: @joelmillerscoffee @ajeff855 @wildemaven @axshadows @sherala007 @browneyes-issac @tooflef @mariasabana @tae27 @kimm4710 @stxrrylunatic @sara-alonso @paulalikestuff @jbh-castaway @oceandolores @mandomover @chxpsi @auberosier @mashomasho @vanemando15 @wickedmunson @marvel-sw-lover @jediknight122 @harriedandharassed @star-wars-fan-2005 @alwaysdjarin @jalobro @trickstersp8 @mccn-bcys @manuymesut @tanzthompson @jlmaddinson (sorry if your tag isn’t working!)

#javier pena #javier peña x you #javier peña angst #javier peña fluff #javier peña x y/n #javier peña x reader #javier peña smut #javier pena fic #javier peña #javier pena x reader #pedro pascal fic #pedro pascal #pedro pascal fanfiction #javier peña au #javier peña series

[nikethestatue]

Did you see Bloomsbury post a HOFAS reel on Instagram and the comments are all just brutal toward the book. Out of 60 comments, maybe 4 are saying they liked it. The rest seem to be casual readers saying that they were very disappointed and it wasn’t a very good book. I’m actually surprised bc I thought maybe only the “fandom” would dislike it but casual readers would enjoy, but it seems like no. I also saw someone say apparently HOFAS didn’t even last a week on the NYT best seller’s list, which is unheard of for SJM as usually she’s able to hold the spot for awhile. At the same time, tho, i saw an article where Bloomsbury said this is the highest selling SJM novel and brought them a lot of financial success. So I’m not really sure how to reconcile those two things.

I will say I think I’m beginning to see signs of the SJM craze wearing off at least a bit? HOFAS didn’t make real noise online, which I’m sure has shocked BB. And I know “online” may not mean much, but i do think tik tok and online spaces are a huge part of what has blown SJM up in recent years. Everyone is sick and tired and fighting each other still. I think the ship war has fueled a ton of interest and so has the crossover and the anticipation her silence creates has just sky rotted her popularity…. But I’m suspecting BB is going to see that popularity plateau. Frankly I worry about sales for the next ACOTAR book especially when the couple is confirmed. SJM needs to start being vocal about her writing, not even spoilery things, but just so people get a sense of how she writes and thinks. BB needs to promote her more. REAL promo, not dumb reels and a handful of social media posts. I’m so tired

I agree, I think it will plateau--i dont think that she is delivering stellar books, i think there is a LOT of competition out there, i think even to casual readers, inconsistencies are noticeable and the characters just arent very good. I dont know what to say, but putting out one mediocre book every two years isn't gonna cut it.

I know she sells, but I feel like so do the others?

I guess personally, I can overlook a lot, but the writing has to have soul. I have to care. I have to care and worry about the characters, and I need to not spend most of the book being annoyed at the FMC. I want to feel something for the love stories. Both Quinlar and Nessian were disappointing.

Will anyone ever sit there and honestly say, oh wow, HOSAB or HOFAS were my favourite books! Never.

I think they might push her into being more engaged with the fandom, but I doubt it will happen.

I just want consistency and her not drop plot points every time she doesnt feel like writing something. If you put it in the book, follow though.

[jsab-crisis]

Time to finally rip the bandy-aid off...

Hi, I'm the creator of JSaB Crisis AU, the owner of this blog, the artist of this comic, and so on and so on. I haven't updated this comic in- I forgot when I stopped, to be honest, I haven't touched this comic in a long time or anything relating to this AU in particular.

I've had people ask and are rightfully concerned regarding when I'll post the next pages and if I'm actually still doing this fan comic series. So, here's my answer;

I don't plan on touching this comic anymore or even the AU itself, for multiple reasons;

Technical difficulties in production is one thing, I use mobile Medibang paint to draw this comic and at one point there was an update that became a massive roadblock to it. You see, I've put the entirety of Crisis AU in one cloud file, even the WIPs, and depended on that due to not wanting to fill my storage with junk.

Crisis AU started when I was using an old phone with limited storage hence why I used Cloud-- it also helped me transfer all the art since I use the same medibang account. (Got a new phone afterwards)

Now, the medibang update that messed me over was when they added a premium membership in which you can access other assets such as brushes, certain controls, and cloud storage. They put a cloud storage limit which messed up all my cloud files (mind you, I've been using Cloud files for nor just the comic but for everything, even on my laptop for personal art/other projects).

Because of that, this made the cloud file almost inaccessible unless I manually save each page to my storage which... was infuriating and a huge demotivator. Had to delete other cloud files to at least make space but because of how many pages there are, well, I just left it there.

Loss of interest is also a common thing when it comes to fan series. My JSaB hyperfixiation died down at one point as I leaned to other medias, making me focus more on other media with LOTS of interest AND motivation to work on something relating to that instead of the comic itself.

This is very common with other fan series to my knowledge, having seen lots of discontinued fan works when I was merely a DA user.

Of course, my interest towards JSaB had kicked in again. I still love that game and the community i was a part of for awhile, having met wonderful and talented people throughout the year(s) and still do.

However, this also comes to my third reason.

Doubt. I have started to grow a distaste towards Crisis AU due to the writing itself and how my art is constantly changing. As time goes on, so does one's creative ability and taste and let me tell you how many times I've grimaced as I looked upon my own script. My writing style and comic making has changed over the past year and comparing it to this, I'd say I prefer now than whatever this was.

The concept of JSaB in a slice of life and modernized world that attempts to tackle personal turmoil? It's nice but it's not something I'd make in a heartbeat. I knew my goal with this and what I wanted to do but now it doesn't spark that flame of interest anymore.

Crisis AU is, well, a Crisis. The irony in that, am I right?

Not saying it's entirely hopeless, no, feel like if anyone would take this concept and do it their own then I'm sure they'll be able to execute it well with their own passion. It's just not me, if that makes sense.

Crisis AU is somewhat decent, mediocre, messy, and abandoned. It's a genuine shame to see how things have changed as it isn't the only art project I've abandoned due to the lack of creative flame. I can sympathize to those who actually looked forward to this as I've been met with support by those who read the comic and yet I am unable to continue delivering the series to its fruition.

Hell, I couldn't even pass the introduction arc!

...so yeah, that's why. I haven't touched this comic in a while because I've lost interest and I think I'll be able to rewrite it as the concept is lost to me now.

Now, it might be time to ask the Golden question when it comes to change!

What now?

For start, I might just let this blog become an archive because deleting in entirely would be an insult. I don't downright hate it! Slap a "Discontinued" onto it along with context in the blogs description.

Next? Well, I have multiple plans but I'm also worried they'll meet the same fate as Crisis AU so I'll start with small things.

Rebrand on the Crisis JSaB Discord Server.

All invite links have been revoked to stop new members for entering as we're entering changes. It'll be rebranded as a small JSaB server, dedicated to all JSaB fans. Channels, categories, even rules will be changed for simplicity sake and to fit the new name. This will then be followed with reopened Mod applications.

Ask Box will still be answered !! That means:

Crisis AU characters will still answer Asks regarding the discontinued comic series.

...which would make it more of an ask blog, yes? Huh. Whatever works. Take it as compensation due to the discontinued comic series. Ask box will still be open and I'll be answering old asks that are still there. So, yeah, you can still interact with the characters and even ask regarding what the lore was all about. I (or, well, specifically the characters) won't be keeping secrets anymore, nope.

New... projects?

I have another JSaB AU I've been rewriting for a while now, more interested in that since it at least LEANS to the Canon story... kind of. I won't be jumping to making a new blog and starting a new comic ONLY to be discontinued after an unannounced hiatus followed by a similar long text post/apology. No, I don't wanna set myself up again.

So, I'm staring off with small snippets of comics that piece together in my art blog and maybe make a blog that acts as an ARCHIVE. Keep things organized and pretty. This will inly happen if I reach a certain amount of comics, yes.

It's something, makes me less overwhelmed with trying new things. I've been getting better at comic making and writing! This might be a new start.

And, of course, I wanted to say this to everyone;

Thank you for everything and I'm sorry for not delivering.

The amount of support I've received during the active production of this series was genuinely heart warming and boosted my confidence in comic making. I wouldn't want it any other way.

And I'm sorry for things having to come to a disappointing end, but I'll make up to that. I promise.

If I was given the ability to wish that I never started Crisis AU then I would refuse.

Because then I wouldn't have met such wonderful community. I wouldn't want to change anything about it.

Don't fret, friends! I'm still here! It's not over, buds.

We just keep moving forward.

#crisis au #just shapes and beats #zcart #Important #Announcement

[neverevan]

dear newbie,

today i got upset because i remember a fictional character…a WOMAN who breathed in the direction of our very own babygirl EVAN buck buckley...EXISTS!!!!!!

and may come back in s7? please, newbie, i can't handle it. i wept for 7 hours last night into the wee hours because i REMEMBERED how buck hurt our blorbo eddie diaz by telling eddie natalia sees him????? after one boring mediocre "date"?????????????

but what about the couch?!?!?! why would they QUEER BAIT us like that and turn around and slap us in our faces? don't they know the FANS, the real ones are so numerous and vast and 99.999999% of the fandom are UPSET?! we are the mAJORITy of the viewers of this show and they DARE to dangle this in front of us and not deliver!!!!

i'm not watching season 7 until someone tells me they make buddie CANON. in the mean time i will go into EVERY inbox and annoy the ever-loving CRAP out of the fans who are just trying to enjoy the ensemble show because because because BECAUSEEEEE

IF I CAN'T BE HAPPY NO ONE ELSE CAN

xoxo

your very concerned most favorite anon

oh the way I'm laughing when I should be crying smh

idk maybe women are their own characters too, did you consider that? like, maybe they are just trying to date a single guy who asked them out... idk wild thought, but maybe there's nothing malicious about that?

but I agree there should not be any conflict on the show ever, they shouldn't just let Buck hurt Eddie's feelings, it's just bad writing at this point.

yeah the show goes a bit far with the subtext, but if the one million other shows are anything to go by that never ha— oh wait a minute, it's actually pretty common for big shows to do this to horrific degrees, actually. does it suck sometimes? sure, but it doesn't actually matter in real life so. 🤷

it's your right to not watch it, but we both know you will either way so.

#love you so much 🤭💛💛 #teenie tag #buddie #911 #ask

[wonderfulworldofmichaelford]

Is It Really That Bad?

Come. Gather round and listen to the legend of the Funny Vampire Director, AKA the Funny Nazi Director, AKA Taika Waititi.

Raised in the way of the director, Waititi was taught to make good movies, delivering the sort of funny and heartfelt films most can only dream of making. He directed, and he wrote, and he acted. He was sensitive, like a smile. And his love of filmmaking did not discriminate in what he could make. He once made a hilarious vampire mockumenatry that got a spin-off TV series. Another time, he proved that you could make Blazing Saddles in the modern day, except with Nazis!

But Waititi's greatest achievement was cameoing in The Suicide Sqaud. Oh, wait. No. It was making a good Thor movie, of all things. But sadly, in making a good Thor movie, he set himself up for failure with the sequel. In fact, he set himself up for spectacular failure. Mediocre reviews. Audience backlash. Criticism from the actors and directors. And bad reviews from all sorts of internet guys, again and again and again. And again.

Poor Waititi had to watch the internet’s respect for him explode. And then he said, 'What have I done?' It seemed that everything he’d worked for with Thor, he lost. And so he maybe got fired by Marvel and went back to making real movies for a change. But just because he was done with Marvel, didn't mean he was done with superheroes. He teamed up with James Gunn and set off to deliver the most powerful and thematic line in The Suicide Squad. He got in shape, putting in the hard yards to become a respected filmmaker again. Taking pains into gains and never skipping the chance to direct a movie based on Tower of Terror. He put in the work to go from the butt of jokes to a guy who would hopefully deserve an Oscar win.

But with all that being said, there was still a confused reviewer just trying to figure out if maybe the backlash to Thor: Love and Thunder was a bit overblown. Because really, this movie couldn’t possibly be as shitty as The Dark World, which committed the sin of wasting Christopher Eccleston. So he sat down and gave the movie a rewatch, accepting he was only good for one thing... Determining that age old question, 'Is Thor: Love and Thunder really that bad?'

THE GOOD

So maybe this is a hot take, but I really did enjoy Jane’s return and her romance with Thor and find it to be one of the film’s best aspects.

Now, don’t get me wrong, a lot of the writing here is clunky and poor Natalie Portman is saddled with a lot of really stupid dialogue now that she’s the Mighty Thor. But seeing her and Chris Hemsworth act off each other again in a less dull and restrictive fashion is so nice, and seeing Portman kick ass is a lot of fun too. She even wields Mjolnir in some pretty creative ways here! And her death is actually a genuinely powerful and touching scene that they don’t immediately fuck up with a lame joke.

The soundtrack, while not even close to touching the Guardians of the Galaxy soundtracks, is filled with Guns N’ Roses banger after banger. I grew up listening to these guys, so honestly I’m predisposed to like any scene where they play one of my favorite tracks by them.”Sweet Child O’ Mine,” “November Rain,” “Paradise City,” and “Welcome to the Jungle” are all whipped out at just the right time to keep my attention from flagging completely, so I’ll give them props for that. They aren’t the most inspired choices, but I’m a sucker for classic Axl.

The Axl above? Decidedly less so. Still, despite this film’s reputation for really bad effects and really bad costumes and just in general looking embarrassingly cheap because Disney abuses the animators, there are some extremely cool visuals here and there. The shot of Falligar the Behemoth in particular is so good they slapped it into every trailer, and a climactic battle on a monochrome planet looks way too good to be in this movie. But by far the most fantastic thing is the comic-accurate depiction of Eternity.

And of course, I would be remiss to not praise Christian Bale’s performance as Gorr the God Butcher. The man immediately has you hooked with the opening scene, which details his backstory and shows how he began his vendetta against all the deities of the Marvel universe. Then we have his fantastic climactic confrontation with Thor on the black-and-white planet, and then there is his final scene before Eternity. Each and every time he shows up, it’s completely clear that Bale is giving it his all and acting his pussy off, giving a performance that is honestly kind of astounding considering what’s going on around him.

THE BAD

Unfortunately, while Gorr is a fantastic performance, he suffers from the fact his character has absolutely no cohesion and is barely in the film. He shows up for maybe one big fight in the first hour, then completely disappears from the film until the third act, during which time he just sits around with a bunch of children and terrifies them. And despite being “The God Butcher,” we see him butcher precisely one single god in the whole film, and that’s in the film’s opening. Groot has as many onscreen god kills as Gorr. That’s fucking pathetic. Bale’s magnificent performance is strong when it counts, but so much of the dramatic moments feel unearned because he hardly does anything outside those moments. The fact they cut out so much material including him meeting with Peter Dinklage’s King Eitri and Jeff Goldblum’s Grandmaster, really stings. Would it have been a crime to cut out those annoying fucking goats and instead give Gorr more to do like, oh, butchering gods?

It doesn’t help that the story never actually refutes any of Gorr’s points. Every other god we see in the film is egotistical, hedonistic, a coward, or all three at once, with even Thor reverting into a corny blowhard for much of the movie. Zeus is pretty much emblematic of this problem; while I actually did enjoy Russell Crowe’s performance (even if it is, ultimately, a half-baked attempt at recapturing the magic of Grandmaster from Ragnarok), the fact that Zeus is nothing more than a blowhard more concerned with orgies and showing off to all the other gathered deities just kind of proves Gorr right. The gods don’t care, they are refusing to help their followers, and frankly the universe would probably be a lot better if it was littered with Knowheres instead of having these horny clowns prancing about.

Then we have the Guardians. The glorified cameo from the Guardians of the Galaxy that was hyped up in all the marketing. Despite being in the movie for maybe ten minutes and despite Star-Lord having 95% of all the lines between them, nearly every single one of them feels completely out of character. Star-Lord, on the other hand, actually feels like he was rerailed in time for Gunn to take the reigns back, but it doesn’t make up for how awkward and pointless it all feels. Although it is incredibly hilarious that after all of them spent Infinity War fawning over him they all now seem to barely tolerate him, with it being confirmed none of them kept in contact with him after the events of this film. I honestly don’t blame them.

A lot of returning characters really suffer. King Valkyrie gets it pretty bad since her subplot where she searches for love was dropped, leading to her feeling really superfluous in the plot. Lady Sif gets it even worse, with her barely even being in this movie; one has to wonder why they even bothered keeping her alive. Thor gets hit especially bad here, because he seems to have reverted from his post-Ragnarok characterization all the way to pre-Thor characterization, with all his hedonism, goofing, gallavanting, insecurity, and egotistical traits ramped up to maximum levels.

But the most divisive returning character of all is Korg. Korg became a fan-favorite due to his appearances in Ragnarok and Endgame, where he was genuinely a funny comic relief character who juxtaposed his intimidating rock golem design with a friendly demeanor and the chipper voice of director Taika Waititi. The thing is, both of those films used him sparingly, so that when he got a lame joke it wasn’t so bad because it’s one up against dozens of good ones. Here though he gets to be a main character and even the narrator, and boy does he get old pretty quickly. The thing is, though, that even if he’s not particularly funny here… I still like Korg. He’s just too damn charming, As lame as his jokes are, as lame as his fake out death is, as pointless as he ends up feeling to the plot, I just can’t hate the guy. I guess it helps that he gets to be Disney’s 52nd First Gay Character, but actually for real this time because in the end he gets to make a baby with a rock guy named Dwayne. I also really like the theory that the reason the whole film is corny is because Korg is narrating it, and he’s an unreliable narrator peppering the story with lame jokes and underplaying elements that should matter. Does it save the whole movie? No. Does it make Korg any funnier? Also no. Does it add an interesting layer that at least keeps me from wanting Korg dead? Yes, yes it does.

And really, every single problem here is something that was there in Thor: Ragnarok. Zany comedy? A terrifying, threatening villain with a murderous vendetta who gets weirdly underplayed and barely interacts with the heroes? A villainous character played entirely for jokes? Jokes that completely and utterly destroy the tension of any given scene? The big difference is that in Ragnarok, at least some of the jokes were funny, and Thor had more interesting characters to bounce off of. And maybe most importantly, that film knew when to dial back the comedy to let cool or emotional moments breathe. And maybe even more importantly than that, it knew to keep Korg to a minimum. This film doesn’t do that at all, with nonstop gags undercutting nearly every dramatic moment. It’s ultimately hard to give a shit about anything going on when the characters give so little of a shit about it that they’re cracking jokes.

And let me tell you, if you couldn’t already tell, the jokes are fucking bad. This is basically what would happen if you asked Seltzer & Friedberg to make Marvel Movie. This is the epitome of all those jokes about Marvel dialogue having the characters go “Well that just happened!” to the point where I’m shocked it’s not actual dialogue. The horrendously unfunny screaming goat meme is a pivotal plot point in this movie; that’s the quality of jokes we’re dealing with here. And while there are a few decent jokes here and there, there’s just too many fucking jokes to pay them any mind.

IS IT REALLY THAT BAD?

Somehow this is one of the most overhated and yet rightfully disliked films ever made.

Like, Schafrillas was right to call this the Shrek the Third of Thor films. It’s not funny, it derails beloved characters, it’s incredibly annoying, it wastes a good villain, and the writing is just so hackneyed and ridiculous. This is absolutely not a good film at all. But the way you hear some people talk about it you’d think this film killed their grandma.

Like I know bad comedies are some of the worst kinds of films out there, and this film is definitely horrendously unfunny at every opportunity, but it has just enough good ideas and just enough strategic deployment of Guns N’ Roses songs that it just barely manages to be passable in my eyes. I definitely think this is a mediocre movie, and it is emblematic of everything a bad Marvel movie can be. But at the same time, it manages to be unfunny in ways I didn’t think were possible from a director and cast this talented. I’ll be honest, on my second watch through of the movie I was more bored than infuriated with this film. It has its moments, but it’s absolutely one of the weakest efforts Marvel has ever put out.

This film is pretty much what critics once accused Batman & Robin of being: An overindulgent, campy, unfunny smear on a cool hero. As you well know by now, I don’t agree with them on that, but it’s a somewhat fitting descriptor for Love & Thunder. I don’t think it’s a smear on Thor, who has been way too inconsistent for me to get mad about him being taken in some wild direction, but overindulgent, campy, and unfunny are pretty apt. Still, I don’t think this is nearly as bad as a lot of people say. It’s not bad in a “crime against humanity” way, at worst it’s bad in a “I know the people making this are capable of better and I kinda feel like this is the fault of studio executives at Disney” kind of way. If you like it, sure, that’s valid! I don’t think there is no value in this film at all, especially compared to some stuff I’ve reviewed for Is It Really That Bad. But if I never have to see this movie again, I won’t exactly lose sleep over it, and I’m sure many people feel the same.

Still, I’d have to have a heart of stone to not find the ending, which features Thor and his adopted daughter (played by Hemsworth’s own daughter) becoming a cute little superhero team and getting a corny title drop right before the credits, really sweet. Yeah, it’s not a good movie, but at least it’s better than the first two Thor movies or the unseasoned oatmeal that is Eternals.

#Is it really that bad #IIRTB #Thor #Thor: Love and Thunder #Taika Waititi #Chris Hemsworth #Natalie Portman #Christian Bale #Marvel #Disney #MCU

[moonydustx]

The Girl At The Bar

Pairing: Diego Hargreeves x f!Reader

Summary: You need to put on the self-defense classes that Diego gave you one day. It turns out that not everything goes as expected.

Warnings: fights, violence (nothing much described), two idiots in love, mention of knives and guns, fluff, a lot of fluff. Sorry if i forget some warning.

Word Count: 3.752

A/N: This is part of another bigger story with Diego that I'm writing, but it didn't fit anywhere. I decided to leave it here.

requests | masterlist

The same country melody was already playing for the tenth time in the bar, even though you had heard the song for the first time not long ago, you already knew it completely from so many times you heard it. But it was part of the job, right?

One of the perks of working there was that you were normally a night person, so it hardly got in the way of your day to day life. In fact, it should be the only advantage, because the salary was mediocre, but enough for you to survive and still save a little money to be able to invest in something better than that.

“Hi sweetie” a male voice interrupted you as you finished organizing some drinks “One more shot”.

“One moment please” you asked as you ran in your heels until you reached the other side of the bar to deliver the drinks. When he returned, he saw that the man was still waiting for the dose, with a not very good expression “Sorry for the delay”.

"Just because I'm an old man doesn't earn your attention?" he growled, making you roll your eyes.

"Today the bar is full of customers, again I apologize for the delay" you just said, filling his glass.

“How long have you been working here?” he tried to bring up the subject and even against your will, he stayed there out of politeness.

“A few months ago”

“Well, your face is not familiar to me at all. Do you have a house to support?”

"Bills to pay, food to buy..." you listed, ready to turn your back on him.

"I don't know if the old attendant told you, but if you want, some guys can help you get paid a little more" the man said with a mischievous smile between his lips, which were wrapped in a whitish beard "I mean, you're not the kind of woman who goes unnoticed.”

You stared at him in bewilderment for a few seconds, knowing exactly what he was suggesting. It was a common thing in that bar, if you wanted to earn a tip on the outside, you could do some kind of service on the outside too, which was totally against what you thought.

“Do you need any more drinks?” you asked in a harsh tone, making your displeasure clear.

“Not yet, honey,” he muttered something in a tone you can't hear and backed away from the counter.

To the side, you could see Timmy laughing at the situation. He was a great companion at the bar, considering that his parents, who owned the place, didn't make a point of helping or even giving him a dollar to stay there. Even God would doubt all the bizarre things the two of you have seen during the long nights.

The day went by faster than you expected, closing your time as usual at 2 A.M. You were exhausted, you had no idea how people were in the mood to go out and drink so much on a Wednesday.

“Did you notice the way that guy looked at you?” Timmy said as he helped you carry some bags to the dump.

“He was a pervert, he was waiting for me to offer an extra service”

“How disgusting” the brunette stated, shaking his hands to get rid of the rest of the dirt “I really don't know how you have the courage to stay in this place. Strange men, going out at dawn... Aren't you afraid?”

"Sometimes yes, but I'm always protected" You bent down just enough to show the shiny hilt of the knife you carried in your boot.

"I don't know if I'm more relaxed or nervous knowing this" he laughed, taking a few steps in the opposite direction of yours "See you tomorrow?"

"Certainly. See you later Timmy!”

You turned your back and then hurried your steps to your apartment. The way wasn't very long, but the city streets looked sinister at that time of night and as much as your best friend insisted that you use his car, you didn't think it was fair, after all he also worked at that time.

After a few minutes walking, you heard a strange noise coming from one of the alleys you had just passed, it sounded like something heavy falling to the ground. Between seeing what it was and getting out of there as quickly as possible, you opted for the second option.

As soon as you arrived at the building, climbed the stairs and quickly entered your apartment. You got rid of the overcoat you were wearing, keeping the dress, the thick pantyhose and the boots, turned on the TV and left it on the first movie that came on, while you hunted for something to eat. Without many options, you took some cereal and mixed it with milk and some chocolate chips. It should be enough to keep you going until dawn or until you have the courage to make real food.

Before you could plop down on the couch in the living room and watch Bad Boys, you could hear a discreet knock on the door. You left the cereal on the small coffee table and before you could open the door, you looked through the peephole who the illustrious visitor was at that hour.

“Maybe you're a little late for dinner” you joked as soon as you ran into Diego Hargreeves.

“I can keep the leftovers” without much ceremony, he entered the apartment.

The friendship of years you had worked that way.

They both had extreme freedom with each other, which included visits at inopportune hours and a constant intrusion into each other's lives. It all started when they had neighboring windows, even when they were children. Years passed, the two grew up and even though life insisted that you lived in different worlds, fate seemed to insist on putting you together.

“I need your help” he handed a small box in your hand, which you identified as a first aid box “I ended up cutting myself, the place is kind of bad for me to do the stitches”.

"Or you're just scared" you punctuated, guiding him to the couch "Let's take a look at this"

Diego removed his hand from his left arm, where the cut was. It wasn't that deep, but it would need some stitches. In addition to really being a difficult place to do a bandage yourself.

“May I know how you did it?”

"A silly fight, I ended up getting distracted" he just said, not looking too happy about it "But the other guy got a lot worse".

“Diego Hargreeves getting distracted? Wow!" you teased him and you can see a corner smile from him “You have to be more careful, it's not like you're Batman”.

“I'm the improved version” as much as he tried to hide it, you saw him tense a little as he felt the cotton against the wound.

“Does that make me your Robin?”

“My Alfred at most, back in the days when he still didn't have ten percent of the intelligence he actually has” Diego grumbled as he felt you pinch him. The brunette stretched to check what was left on the table "Don't tell me that's your dinner".

“That or ice cubes. It was what I had available.”

“Corazón, and I thought I was in a bad way,” he laughed, turning away as you started to stitch the first stitch.

"I have no idea what you called me, but I agree with everything else."

“How was the bar today?” he asked and you knew that Diego genuinely cared about—and hated—his job.

"The same. Same boring music, same old bastards who don't even lend themselves to leaving a tip" he listed patiently "The funniest part is I'm sure the worst guys are the same guys I'd meet at a Sunday church with their family ”.

“You need to find a new job, really. Why not try to answer it here at your apartment? Or I don't know, become a nurse. You were always good at patching people up.”

“You know why” you just replied.

You had lived through a whole drama of father, mother and all possible family problems. Your mother was a nurse and your father a constant troublemaker, the main reason you know how to do the basics of caring for someone. And it certainly wasn't something you wanted to do for the rest of your life.

“Sorry, I didn't mean to sound rude” Diego turned to you as soon as he felt you place the bandage over the stitches “Although you're a little troublemaker, I know you're better than that, I'm sure”.

“It's okay Dee” you smiled at him and stretched just enough to put the first aid kit on the table and grab your cereal bowl “Want to share dinner?”

“Sounds delicious” he said in a cynical tone, receiving a slight push from you “No thanks. Mind if I stay here a little longer? I like this movie, it's been a while since I've seen it again."

“And since when do you ask to stay?”

"You're right, you still need to give me the keys to this little joint."

After you finished your dinner, the last thing you remembered was snuggling under Diego until sleep was stronger than you.

You woke up with the sun's rays bothering your eyes, as well as the heat in your body. Did you remember sleeping on the couch, but you were waking up in your bed, without your boots and covers. You got up and walked to the kitchen, seeing on the sink a small brown package and your knife, wrapped in a piece of leather. On each of them, there was a small note.

Decent food

I sharpened your knife. Don't forget to store it with this protection so you don't hurt yourself.

You used to call Diego a heartless shrew or even a manwhore, but you knew that there, behind so much sharp stuff capable of killing half the world, he had a good heart, which sometimes left you shaken.

The day passed calmly, with plenty of time for you to rest and prepare for the next shift. Despite that, it was like a different day from the others. A strange atmosphere, something that made you shiver.

“Timmy!” You called your barmate, taking advantage of the fact that the most intense movement had not yet started “Are you feeling anything a little off today?”

“For me, everything is calm. I heard a conversation or two of some fight that happened, but nothing big” he filled two shots of tequila and handed one to you “Here, it will put those paranoia out of your mind”.

"I hope it really works" you tried to convince yourself and downed your drink, ready to return to your services.

After washing a huge pile of glasses, you can see that the bar had filled up a little more. What caught your attention right away was a guy, different from the one who used to frequent the place. He was much younger and seemed out of step with the environment, in addition to having his eyes fixed on the counter where you were.

You tried to ignore the negative thoughts it made you have and go about your routine. The rest of the night remained as normal as possible, the same music, familiar faces, same shots of whiskey served in questionable amounts.

You felt some relief when you threw the last garbage bag at the end of the day. The next day was Friday and it was your day off, a rare moment that would be put to good use marathoning anything on Netflix.

As usual, you followed at a hurried pace on your way home. About halfway through, you can hear a truck pull up a little behind you and decide to ignore it, like any other noise you hear at 2.AM.

“Hey sweetie!” a male voice called. When squinting, you saw a tall man with a serious expression walk towards you. The same weird guy from the bar “You! I just want to ask a question.”

Just a question. You thought. It seemed like a lame excuse. Of the few options you had, you decided to go with the most unlikely to work. You pretended to drop something and bent down to pick it up, reaching into your boots and pulling out the knife, hiding it in your jacket sleeve.

"How can I help you?" You used your most cynical tone, turning to him.

“I see you work at Thunders, did you hear about something that happened around the bar yesterday?” he asked, approaching. You stood firm, even though you felt it wasn't going to end well.

"I haven't heard of anything, maybe when I get back to the bar I can find out" you suggested, adjusting the knife hidden under your coat sleeve "If that's all, I wish you a good night."

“Not really” a shiver ran through your body as you felt something sharp touch your belly “My old man left the hospital this afternoon. They say he got beaten up by a bitch at the bar.”

“The place isn't usually frequented by women, but like I said, I can try to find something out” you said again, adjusting the knife in your hand.

“Let's settle it calmly, okay? Just get in the truck and we'll be on our way.” He pressed the knife to the point where you felt your skin burn under it.

Before you could lose what little courage you had, you tried to remember the pseudo-self-defense classes you'd taken. Over the years Diego had tried to teach you, but you weren't exactly a good student. They always ended up either dropping out of class or going to the first bar they came across.

Quickly, you took his hand away from your belly and used all the strength of your knee to hit him in the private parts. As soon as he doubled over in pain, you used the knife to try to hit the man, but the only thing you managed to do was get a full punch in the middle of your face.

Despite staggering back a few steps, you quickly recovered and tried to dodge him. Even without knowing how, you managed to land another blow on him, who didn't wait long to try to fight back. You waited for the contact ready to try to swerve and run as far away as possible, but he didn't come. The only thing you heard was a scream of horror shrilling from the man's throat and a knife stabbed through his hand. Shit

You watched Diego walk towards the man and hit him several times. Whoever it was didn't seem to want to fight anymore, yet Hargreeves insisted. You felt something hot on your face and it didn't take much to know that your nose was gushing blood, you took off your jacket anyway and put it on your nose, seeing that Diego also seemed to have given up fighting with the man and listened to what he had to say. to say. He dropped it on the floor and said nothing. Diego took your waist and your elbow and guided you to the car.

“Did you know it was me there? How did you get there so fast?” you asked as he started the engine and in response, there was only silence.

The way to your apartment was quick and he remained quiet the entire way, just like when he entered your house and accompanied you until you were sitting on the living room sofa.

"Are you really not going to talk to me?" you asked as you saw him head towards the kitchen “I mean, I hit that guy before he hit me, that's what you taught me, isn't it?”

“Why didn't you run?” his voice was frighteningly low.

"I told you, I hit him first, I had the upper hand"

“He had a knife and told me he had another gun in the car. Why didn't you run?” this time his voice came out louder and more furious than you were used to hearing "You don't get in a fight with someone bigger than you."

“I don't remember you teaching that. Just 'hit the lower parts, the eyes, try to be faster' there was nothing to run in your teachings" you imitated his tone of voice, taking the cloth off your face and seeing his reaction, covered your bloody face again “Since when is running self-defense?”

“Don't be stupid”

“I'm just repeating what you taught me. If I am stupid, you are even more”

“I taught it, but you were never supposed to use it. I should be there!” His scream made you cringe on the couch a little in fright.

"I'm going to take a shower, try to soften this and then we'll talk more calmly" you said already leaving towards the bathroom, without even giving him a chance to apologize.

A good part of the bath was for you to remove any traces of blood from your body, you hadn't been hurt too much, just the nose that was bleeding, but it didn't look broken and a small cut on the belly, nothing too deep. You got the first T-shirt and pajama shorts. When returning to the room, you can see Diego walking from one side to the other. His knives and daggers were no longer attached to his body and when he noticed your presence, he seemed to come out of a distant reverie.

“Can I see if it hurt?” he asked in a much calmer tone, approaching you.

“No big deal, just a little cut there” you lifted your shirt and showed the small wound “And a punch to the face, no big deal”

"Let me see" he pleaded and placed both hands on your face, lifting and turning to see possible other injuries. Only then did you notice how icy and shaky his hands were.

“Dee, is everything okay?” you asked and for a few seconds saw him open and close his mouth, trying to say something that seemed too difficult at that moment “It's okay. Remember how your mother taught? Just imagine the words.”

“I-Im.. So-” he took a deep breath again “I'm sorry”

"Why? I should thank you, you showed up at the right time”

"Can we talk?" you nodded to his question and he gently took your hand and guided you to the couch. Diego sat in front of you and seemed to analyze your every expression.

"What's up?"

“Promise not to hate me?” he asked and you agreed. After so long, it was impossible to walk away or hate him. "You know how much I hate that you work in that bar, right?"

"Okay, you've said that many times."

“Since you got in there, I always make sure you're okay, since you're stubborn enough not to use my car” he explained and noticed that you didn't seem to understand “Every day at 2 A.M., I stay close to the bar, I wait for you to go out and I accompany you home. When I see you come in and go upstairs, I know you're safe so I can get back to work.”

“Why did you never tell me that?” you asked, noticing some shame in him in telling such a story “I mean, if you did this every day, you could have told me, I could try not to bother you in any way”.

“You don't bother me,” he replied immediately. “Yesterday, an old guy, strange looking, left the bar early and waited until closing time. I kept an eye on him, and then you left to leave and he started following you and I lost my mind.”

“Grey beards, dark cap and short?” you listed and Diego nodded “He talked to me yesterday, he wanted to…”

“I know, I made him talk and then I came here”

"He did that?" you gently touched where you had bandaged him.

"It doesn't matter. That boy today was his son, he wanted some kind of revenge for his father” Diego said dejectedly, taking your hand and placing a chaste kiss “I'm sorry for putting you in the middle of this”.

You didn't answer, you just wrapped your arms around the back of his neck and hugged him with all the strength you had. He pulled you up and put you practically sitting on his lap, with your back resting on the arm of the couch.

"I promise not to let that happen again" he murmured against your neck.

“Don't be dramatic” you said against his shoulder “You saved me Dee, that's what matters. I love you"

“I love you too my sunshine” hearing that nickname after so long made butterflies fly in your stomach. You pulled back far enough to see his face, but you didn't get off Diego's legs.

“You saved me, but I have my merits. I wanted to meet Klaus to say that I can finally be called number two and a half because I know how to fight” you laughed to yourself at your own realization, but Diego seemed inert in his own thoughts “Two and seventy-five maybe?”

“Is that promise not to hate me still standing?”

“Depends, what do you mean?”

Diego chose not to respond. The only thing you felt was one of his hands pulling your face closer and his lips capturing yours, in a kiss that didn't last long, interrupted by your grunt of pain.

“Okay, that's definitely broken.” You brought your hands to your nose, where you'd felt a sharp stab of pain.

"Come on, I'll take you to the hospital"

“Who said the promise to hate you included kissing me?” you said just to upset him, while mentally you cursed your own nose for messing up the moment “I'm kidding, I would never get mad about it, the opposite actually”.

"And that's why I'm taking you to the hospital right now" he saw you get to your feet and then followed you. Before you take a step towards your room to get your things, you can feel the floor almost crumble under your feet as you feel him kiss the curve of your neck. "It took me years to have the courage to do this, I need you to improve so I can make up for lost time".

“Promise revoked Diego. I hate you"

#the umbrella academy s3 #reader insert #diego hargreeves #diego hargreeves x reader #diego hargreeves x you #the umbrella academy #fiction #fluff

[grntaire]

do you have a favorite michael sheen movie or just one or two that you'd recommend? i really want to delve more into his other stuff !!

my very real response is i have barely scratched the surface of his filmography bc my i have to microdose it as my body would cave in on itself from unadulterated lust. also i’m generally not a huge movie person and tend to go for shows over movies

i will say far from the madding crowd is a transcendent experience for michael sheen enjoyers everywhere. its his best look imo plus he sings and his whole bit is being a hot wealthy middle aged man like what’s not to love. and his performance is even objectively the stand out in the film tbh ! i did also see the midas box and that movie sucks so much but yet again he delivers. also unironically he is so fucking cunty in twilight and i could rant ad nauseum about how his choices as aro are what make the twilight films genuinely excellent if viewed through the lens of a satire

as for shows his and bellamy young’s performances save the otherwise mediocre copaganda vibes in prodigal son and martin whitley will make you feel feral.

i’m midway through the third season of masters of sex and front to back i think it’s excellent. the writing and the acting from the entire cast BODIES and i can’t recommend it enough but i would definitely recommend keeping a defibrillator nearby as your heart may give out.

#asks

[mirageofadesert]

C-Drama Review: My Journey to You

Broadcast: iQIYI, 2023, 24 Episodes Genre: Romance, Wuxia

My Rating 7/10

A beautiful show with a promising premise, ultimately disappointing with a poorly realized asynchronous story-telling and unsatisfactory ending.

Acting: 6/10 World-building: 7/10 Production: 9/10 Storytelling: 4/10 Pacing: 7/10 Re-watch Value: 6/10  Bonus: for Jolin Jin's and Tian Jiarui's characters. One of my favorite big sister and little brother!

Summary with minor spoilers: My Journey to You tells the story of two assassins, Yun Weishan (played by Yu Shuxin) and Shangguan Qian (played by Lu Yuxiao), who are sent to infiltrate an enemy sect territory, the Gong residence, disguised as potential brides. However, their respective objectives are in conflict with each other, and so are their targets. They encounter two very different young masters and their respective families. Young Master Gong Ziyu (played by Zhang Linghe) surprisingly attains the title of Sword Wielder of the Gong family, but faces accusations about the legitimacy of this status and title. Only by completing three challenges can he prove himself and take up his family's legacy. He falls in love with Yun Weishan early on, meanwhile Shangguan Qian future husband Gong Shang Jue (played by Cheng Lei) distrusts his new bride. In a balancing act, she must win his trust without revealing her true intentions. Thus begins a dangerous game, wherein the lines between friend and foe are blurred. The price? Freedom from the oppressing employers - and their own survival.

My review - spoilers ahead!

The show started out incredible promising: A captivating premise, a darker tone in both cinematography and theme, beautiful sets and costumes, decent special effects and a different voice for Esther Yu. And while the show had great moments, it overall failed to deliver what it promised. So what went wrong?

The short version is that the show suffered from the typical shortcoming: mediocre acting, misguided directing and bad writing.

Esther Yu and Zhang Ling He never stood out to me as particularly great actors, and this holds true in this show as well. However, I don't think the problem with My Journey to You can be blamed on their unconvincing acting, but is rather a product of the direction the writing took them.

The tension arcs get boring really fast: Again and again the female leads are in danger of being exposed (or better: exposing themselves), but by the third time it doesn't feel exciting anymore. The other major plot line is the conflict surrounding the succession of the sword wielder title, which I was never able to care about. I think a different story-line for the ML would have greatly benefited the drama. Trying to make the audience care about him by putting a lot of emphasis on his hard childhood early on in the show, didn't work, because it felt so irrelevant compared to the backstories of the other characters. It didn't give him depth, it actually took it away.  Therefore, the dynamic between the main couple wasn't working either - she was too cold, he was too immature for them to create any interesting chemistry.

The second couple not only had the better written characters, their storyline had more suspense. I have seen mainly Esther Yu being criticized for this drama, so my potentially controversial opinion is, that it's actually the fault of the dull main storyline and the bland ML.

The other big problem are the poorly build-up plot twists. Some of these plot twists themselves were great, like the switch of the medical document and the death of the little sister. While these were great plot points, the narrative build-up wasn't. In retrospect, it made sense we got so much information about the MLs unhappy childhood and complex relationship with his parents, because that build-up both to the medical record swap and the betrayal of the older brother, however... it was just done in such an annoying way, that it made the ML look unnecessary whiny and the storyline boring.

As the show progressed, they increasingly used the element of time-jumps and flashbacks to tell the story. There should have been a better way to deliver tension and twists, than constantly making jumps in order to catch the audience off guard. Part of the fun in mysteries like this is to make guesses while watching, but that only goes so far, when it is all in the editing and crucial information is simply being withheld. And what made this even worse, it that the final plot twist (e.g. the brother coming back) was so predictable, all the asynchronous story-telling wasn't even necessary!

Worst of all was the ending: A twin sister out of nowhere? A villain that was poorly build up? No resolution for the second couple? A cliffhanger for a next season that does not fit the tone of the first 23 episodes and is unlikely to ever happen? Frustrating.

It wasn't all bad: The supporting cast was great. Ryan Cheng, Jolin Jin and Tian Jiarui were amazing! The dynamics between all the other couples were engaging as well. Gong Zishang was my favorite comic relief in any cdrama, and she gave the whole show such a unique vibe! Tian Jiarui's character was right done my alley - I just love my twisted little psychopath in emotional turmoil!

Just one last thought ... please no more Chen Duling? She has been in most shows I have watched this summer and has failed to charm me every time. She is a decent actress, but the type casting of "sad, whiny girl" isn't doing her any favors.

Overall, I think this was a decent drama. I still would recommend you to watch this show, especially if you value intriguing characters over plot!

#my journey to you #cdrama #cdrama review

[bubbles-for-all-of-us]

So...

We hit 1k bubbles! I think we can officially have a bubble bath now. 🥺🫧✨🫧✨🫧✨🫧✨🫧

Honestly this whole experience sometimes feels like a fever dream to me. I posted my first fic ever on here a week before my grandpa died and this blog and the people I've met here have been my lifeline ever since. Now four months later we are here and it feels surreal. Surreal that I've got to meet some of the most amazing people here. Surreal that people read my scribbles and not only read but also enjoy them. Surreal that I just get to have fun and share my silly little thoughts with you all.

I know I say this on repeat, I really do need to go find an alternative phrasing for this, but this means so much to me. I see and appreciate every single one of you. Believe me not a single interaction goes unnoticed by me. I'm extremely grateful for all the support and love. I wouldn't be here without all of you. So you are more than welcome to pat yourself on the back for it lol. I never cared for numbers but it's really lovely seeing our bubble bath grow. 🫧

As for the people.

@swansworth My first friend here and my absolute favorite human being and the source of happiness. She has been by my side almost from day one and had more than once lifted me up from absolute shit holes and stopped me from deleting this blog endless of times. She knows that my heart belongs to her we signed documents for that. People like her are angels with disguise sent to earth. 🤍✨

@brekkershadowsinger We all mutually agree that we most definitely need to build a monument for her because the amount of love she gives to everyone is insane. And I just feel blessed on the daily that we can talk for hours about the most silly things, share different ideas, laugh and bond over almost everything. I mean, this girl is responsible for keeping my imagination gears turning so as much as this is my writing it's her enthusiasm and thoughts that she share with me that keep me going. 🤍✨

@moonlightazriel my sister from across the world. Meeting this feisty lady literally was like that barbie movie where they sing I'm just like you! You're just like me! If I could teleport I would teleport to her so I could personally deliver all the love I have for her. Another absolutely amazing soul. 🤍✨

@fieldofdaisiies our gentle care bear flower pot. In my eyes the heart of acotar fandom. An absolute sweetheart that actually sparkles while sharing the love. Seen it with my own eyes. Once again feel extremely lucky to have found her here. 🤍✨

And smothering all of these amazing souls as well with endless buckets of love @illyrian-dreamer @cosmic-whispers @marvelouslyem @ladespedidas @aroseinvelaris @luv-xoxo thank you for being here and a part of my journey! 🤍✨🤍✨🤍

As for the future of this blog.

Welp, you probably noticed that I've been writing mostly for Joel now and it's going to stay like that for the time being. Writing for acotar has become kind of forceful and I don't want to just post mediocre work for the sake of posting it. It's all or nothing for me. But it's definitely not me completely stepping away from that community. I'm more than sure that in the future I'll come back to writing for our beloved batboys. 🤍✨

Once again bowing to all of you and saying a huge thank you for being a part of this blog. I promise to try my best and make you all happy with my writing. As I said before if I can at least make one soul happy that already means the world to me. Hugging you all tightly! 🤍✨🤍✨🤍

Bubble 🫧