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reasoningdaily · 11 months

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My former U.S. Track and Field teammate Tori Bowie, who was found dead in her home in Florida on May 2, of complications related to childbirth at 8 months pregnant, was a beautiful runner. She was effortless. At the Rio Olympics, I ran the second leg of the 4 x 100 relay. Tori was the anchor. When she got the baton, I remember thinking, “it’s over.” She just accelerated. When she crossed the finish line, I couldn’t wait to run over to her to celebrate. It was her first, and only, Olympic gold medal.

She also picked up a silver (in the 100-m) and bronze (200-m) in Brazil. The next year, at the 2017 World Championships in London, Tori won the 100-m title, earning the title of “world’s fastest woman.” Tori started out as a long jumper. So seeing her thrive as a sprinter was a huge deal. She was just such a bright light, and people were getting to see that.

Tori grew up in Mississippi and had this huge Southern accent. She didn’t take herself too seriously. You felt this sense of ease when you were around her. I last saw her in early 2021, in San Diego, where she was training. She gave me the biggest hug; something about her spirit was just very, very sweet. I felt her sweetness come over me that day.

Tori was 32 when she died. According to the autopsy, possible complications contributing to Bowie’s death included respiratory distress and eclampsia—seizures brought on by preeclampsia, a high blood pressure disorder that can occur during pregnancy. I developed preeclampsia during my pregnancy with my daughter Camryn, who was born in November 2018. The doctors sent me to the hospital, where I would deliver Camryn during an emergency C-section, at 32 weeks. I was unsure if I was going to make it. If I was ever going to hold my precious daughter.

Like so many Black women, I was unaware of the risks I faced while pregnant. According to the CDC, in 2021 the maternal mortality rate for Black women was 2.6 times the rate for white women. About five days before I gave birth to Camryn, I was having Thanksgiving dinner with my family. I mentioned that my feet were swollen. As we went around the table, the women shared their experiences during pregnancy. My cousin said she also had swollen feet. My mom didn’t. Not once did someone say, ‘oh, well, that’s one of the indicators of preeclampsia.’ None of us knew. When I became pregnant, my doctor didn’t sit me down and tell me, ‘these are things that you should look for in your pregnancy, because you are at a greater risk to experience these complications.’

That needs to change, now, especially in light of Tori’s tragic passing. Awareness is huge. Serena Williams had near-death complications during her pregnancy. Beyoncé developed preeclampsia. I hate that it takes Tori’s situation to put this back on the map and to get people to pay attention to it. But oftentimes, we need that wake-up call.

The medical community must do its part. There are so many stories of women dying who haven’t been heard. Doctors really need to hear the pain of Black women.

Luckily, there’s hope on several fronts. Congress has introduced the Momnibus Act, a package of 13 bills crafted to eliminate racial disparities in maternal health and improve outcomes across the board. California passed Momnibus legislation back in 2021. These laws make critical investments in areas like housing, nutrition, and transportation for underserved communities. Further, several pharmaceutical companies are making advances on early detection and treatment of preeclampsia.

Three gold medalists from that 4 x 100 relay team in Rio set out to become mothers. All three of us—all Black women—had serious complications. Tianna Madison has shared that she went into labor at 26 weeks and entered the hospital “with my medical advance directive AND my will.” Tori passed away. We’re dealing with a Black Maternal Health crisis. Here you have three Olympic champions, and we’re still at risk.

I would love to have another child. That’s something that I know for sure. But will I be here to raise that child? That’s a very real concern. And that’s a terrifying thing. This is America, in 2023, and Black women are dying while giving birth. It’s absurd.

I’m hopeful that things can get better. I’m hopeful that Tori, who stood on the podium at Rio, gold around her neck and sweetness in her soul, won’t die in vain.

—as told to Sean Gregory

#Tori Bowie #Black Lives Matter #Black Mothers Health #Black Maternal Health #Allyson Felix: Tori Bowie Can't Die In Vain #Black Lives of Children Matter #Black Health Matters

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knuckleblaster · 5 months

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On some level I understand the rejection or outright denial of V2's death: it was jarring and brutal, especially for a character who, at least in laws of traditional video game rivals and the rule of thirds, seemed like it'd stick around for longer. This said, inferring from in-game lore as well as dev statements, I believe V2's death, tragic that it is, is not unwarranted; and that it is commonly pigeonholed into a characterization it does not fit into due to its assumed role within the game.

This is long, so it's going under the cut.

Considering its name, it's easy to assume V2 is a new and improved version of its predecessor; but it is more heavily implied that it's simply a version of V1 with thicker plating, and nothing more. [1] V2 was an attempt at salvaging V1's design after war became irrelevant, to capitalize on the resources wasted on a highly advanced war machine by rebranding it as an adaptable worker, for security and (theoretically) other peacetime activities (...not an innuendo). This was a failure; there's no reason to invest in something so refined when a handful of lesser machines could do the same job [2].

If V2 is contextualized within its backstory, it makes a lot more sense why it ate shit so quickly. It is, out of any in-game machine so far, one of the least suited for survival in Hell. Sentries and Streetcleaners were created for war. Swordsmachine(s) and Mindflayers are scrapheads, constantly adapting to create (and protect) their perfect, lethal body. [3] If anything, it's on the same level as a Drone, able to defend itself in a limited capacity, but not intentionally programmed or built for combat. Faced with V1, something built for perfect, swift destruction, a machine made for peace would stand even less of a chance than normal, even with an equal level of mobility and build.

V2 is also doomed, in a very literal sense, by the narrative. In a meta sense, it does not matter to the game story whatsoever [4]. V1 is the butterfly whose wing flaps set Gabriel's story in motion, but V2 has no such connection to his story, and is thus irrelevant. Even its lore entry is overshadowed by information about V1/its connection to V1. A third fight, as well, was never in the running, not necessarily due to anything in the game lore, but because its first and second encounters are all it needs: a third rematch would be repetitive and messy [5]. The reason for its extremely violent death sequence is to ensure there was no question as to its fate [6].

In regards to its personality; it is oft-headcanoned as loud, irritable, and competitive, but this characterization is more likely due to its color as well as its assumed role as a "rival" to V1; rather than based upon its in-game actions. Although its initial intentions are up to interpretation [7], comparing its actions and mechanics to other enemies fully rationalizes its anger. Although it's fairly easy to enrage in-fight, the criteria for its enrage state is much more specific than other enemies, and it's quite easy to not trigger it at all. Cerberi will enrage after one of its kind dies, Malicious Faces and Mindflayers after a certain amount of damage has been dealt (on Violent). Most notably, as the only other character with a rematch, Gabriel begins his second fight enraged after his first defeat [3], which can imply by extension that even though V2 is taking its second fight more seriously [8], it is still not outwardly angry. Its enrage state is only triggered when its patience is depleted (the player avoids it for too long), or in its second fight when it has been punched with the Knuckleblaster. These can be interpreted as indicators that V2 likes it when the fight is "fair": when it's not being avoided and picked at from a distance, or being hit with its own arm; which is frankly pretty fucking mean. A side note: Returning to its creation, it can also potentially be inferred that V2 was intentionally programmed with a rational, controlled, and even marketable personality, easily suppressed or overwritten for ease of use.

In another game, or if V1 was the protagonist, perhaps V2 would not be dead. Instead, V2 is doomed by its creators, both in-game and in reality. It mirrors V1 in action and Gabriel in mind, but unlike them, it has no place in this story beyond a truly fantastic duo of fights. Although its story has any number of potential rewritings or epilogues [9], its doom was always intended. It's easy to mourn lost potential, and its end is intensely tragic; but I believe it is a tragedy that meshes nicely with the rest of the game's story. V2 is dead, and not a second too soon.

Footnotes:

Along with the lore entry for V2:

V1’s planned production was cancelled and an updated model, V2, was developed instead, using the standardized plating, since durability was far more important during times of peace when no bloodshed was necessary.

twitter.com/HakitaDev/status/1538313328715513857

3. in-game lore entries, can be read on ultrakill.miraheze.org or here in one document: steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2245904838

twitter.com/HakitaDev/status/1538336055681863680

6. "And then V2 dies as hard as anyone could possibly die to make sure people understand he's fucking dead and is not coming back" - dev commentary, 05:08:09 (youtu.be/kaImho5JioI?si=v4_m90nfLOY-DyEZ&t=18489)

9. Notably, Dream's End Come True / v2isdead.com.

#ULTRAKILL #V2 #meta #id in alt #finally fleshed this out. V2 death manifesto with bonus personality critique!

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they-them-that · 9 months

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Light trigger warning: gender roles, misogyny, transphobia

I love Ouran Highschool Host Club and with the Shoujo classic that it is, I adopted the general consensus that the show was "ahead of its time" with how it portrayed gender. Haruhi will always be a non-binary icon but upon rewatching it, especially after my own trans awakening, I remembered something that never sat right with me and that was how Tamaki treated Haruhi. My two cisgender friends didn't seem to pick up on the same problems even though they also consider Haruhi to be non-binary which made me think I was just projecting onto the anime. But another friend of mine later told me how it was much more "heterosexual" than she remembered that helped validate the feeling I had.

Although Haruhi doesn't like to make a fuss about gender, the anime does and it constantly reminds us that no matter what Haruhi feels, she is still a "girl". Tamaki is the worst offender of this mentality where even his entire perspective on Haruhi changes as soon as he finds out she's afab. A huge part of Tamaki's character is that he dotes on Haruhi "like a father" where his actions are actually founded on the authoritative, patriarchal belief that he needs to "protect" her because she is a woman. Not just protect her from actual harm either but from things like kissing someone and wearing a swimsuit...

Although in certain ways, we're supposed to laugh at Tamaki's overbearing nature, he's never actually taught to respect Haruhi's autonomy. In what felt like every episode, Tamaki fixates on Haruhi's assigned sex much to her annoyance. Yet rather than learning to look at Haruhi as a person regardless of gender, we're expected to see his obsession with upholding gender roles as a sign of affection. This felt clearest in episode 8, "The Sun, the Sea, and the Host Club!" where Haruhi confronts two men for harassing her female peers. She gets shoved into the water where Tamaki saves her but the conflict arises when he scolds Haruhi for standing up to men at all. The message emphasizes to us that "Haruhi is a girl" and it's something that she has to accept for her own well being while Tamaki's anger is meant to be perceived as chivalrous rather than patriarchal and heteronormative. The reality is, even if Haruhi was in danger, that isn't actually her fault but the fault of the men who felt entitled to women's bodies (something Tamaki is guilty of, even if not to the same level of aggression).

I still cherish OHSHC but it hasn't fully stood the test of time as I've been led to believe. That's not to rob gender queer people the comfort they feel from the show but that for myself, it's a bit hard to look past the cishet energy that the anime exudes. Although I see Haruhi as non-binary, the show doesn't seem to agree and goes great lengths to invalidate Haruhi's gender indifference. It's tragically common in anime and manga where trans-coded afab characters are reminded that they're still women and it's usually "proven" to them through patriarchal scenarios that put CIS men in a role of dominance. A lot of the time, these women are only gender nonconforming out of happenstance or circumstance rather than by choice, which even includes Haruhi Fujioka (she only cut her hair because there was gum in it). That's not to conflate gender expression with identity but it does feel like we're only being met half way, especially when the anime still romanticizes the gender dichotomy with Haruhi and Tamaki's relationship. I would've loved to see Tamaki be able to toss the notion of gender the same way Haruhi is able to and have that be the groundwork in which their mutual feelings blossom. Instead, it just felt like we got a man who stubbornly wants someone who grew up without gender labels to visualize herself the way he does, as a "woman".

#ouran high school host club #ohshc #haruhi fujioka #tamaki suoh #tw transphobes

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absolutebl · 10 months

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This week in BL - I am all over the place, But Laws of Attraction is Phenomenal af

July 2023 Wk 2

Being a highly subjective assessment of one tiny corner of the interwebs. Organized by which ones (in each category) I’m enjoying most.

Ongoing Series - Thai

Laws of Attraction (Thai Sat iQIYI) 1 of 8 - Icky picked it up but it’s not airing for me until Sundays so I held this post specifically to watch and talk about this show. Stars the pair from To Sir With Love with the same production team. IT’S SO GOOD Y’ALL. A morally corrupted trickster lawyer with a tragic past, sad eyes, and a beautiful smile that he uses like a weapon. Meets paladin martial arts instructor from other side of the tracks (who is out, at least to his baby sister). Corrupt police. Spoiled rich kid evil. Ambitious politician. Tragic death. Terrible subs.* This show is very like Manner of Death but so far it is a much better/tighter story. It’s NOT BL but it is fucking phenomenal. And you shoudl watch it. Not wait to binge it. WATCH IT. On a global scale this might be the best thing currently airing featuring gay romantic leads. Its really fucking good. It’s Lawless Lawyer but more complex character motivation and gay af. Fuck yes please and thank you. FINALLY. Triggers for violence, beatings, death & torture depicted on screen. Like MoD they are not holding back. (* A lot of the familial names they are using are not gendered in Thai but translated as such, like “nephew”. This one is gonna go down a lot easier if you know some Thai.)

Step By Step (Tues WeTV & Gaga) ep 12fin - 2 years pass and no one’s hairstyle changes? Srs. Them meeting again = hella AWKWARD. Both still pining & hurt. NO SINGING. The reconciliation scene was great. I enjoyed that on the “do over relationship” they went with phi/pom (instead of the super formal khuns). So cute and so much more relaxed. Also lots of neck kisses! Charming final ep. It’s only flaw being they dropped the side couple, but I wasn’t really into them anyway. Ultimately? This is what Boss & Babe should have been and could we please have Up lead out another BL? I miss him and he only gets prettier. Full review below.

La Pluie (Sat iQIYI) ep 12fin - I adore the tiny little baby GL thread that we almost got. And I wish we had had more of it throughout the show. The side couple turned out to be good too. Emotional crying kisses are my favorite. Sunshine netted himself an earnest serious romantic boy, we likey. As for the main couple? Well... Tai’s search story arc was dull and dragging in a final ep and it felt bloated and slow as a result. It was a good confession reunion with Tai figuring all of his shit out, not surprising but fine. Kind of a a weak final ep. Full review below.

Hidden Agenda (Thai Sun GMMTV YouTube) ep 1 of 12 - JoonDunk are back and we have all seen this a million times before, but Thailand never executed a successful formula it didn’t want to repeat a million times over, drunk bathroom and everything. Welcome (back) to Thai BL (and back and back and back). Basically they just added glasses, a new 1-shared-brain-cell friendship group, and different uni departments. Ah GMMTV, forever trying to recreate the magic of 2gether. But also I’m enjoying it. I’m a simple person. (Hi Jamie! Still in college since 2018 I see.) Anyone else notice that Chinese phrase that they did not translate for us? Mmm hum. Cute. Still... NO SINGING.

Low Frequency (Sat iQIYI) ep 2 of 8 - Thames is in coma and getting slagged off on the socials. It’s moving a bit slowly but the premise is interesting despite the poor quality of the execution.

Dinosaur Love (Sun iQIYI) ep 3 of 8 eps - Major trigger for self harm depicted on screen in part 2/4. I skipped it. Then there is assault and verbal abuse. I told you Ultimate Troop is NOT to be trusted.

Be Mine Super Star (Mon Viki) ep 2 of 12 - Look, I don’t really mind this show but I also don’t like second hand embarrassment and I sense a metric butt ton incoming.

Be My Favorite (Fri YouTube) ep 8 of 12 - I was not best pleased with this episode. Ya’ll round the tumblr-sphere seem to be enjoying it but I have officially hit the wall on Kawi. There is not enough booze for me to cope with his shizz. I may be alone in this. But gotta say how I feel... Unlike him. Trash watch here.

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

Tokyo in April is... AKA Shigatsu no Tokyo wa (Japan Thurs Gaga) ep 5 of 8 - Poor Ren, he feels compelled to take on the burden of protecting everyone from sexual assault because he blames himself. And he can’t even talk to his boyfriend about it. Oh fuck me the pair of shoes at the door. And neck kisses? TOO MUCH. Argh. Japan. Why must you hurt so good?

Stay By My Side (Taiwan Fri Gaga) 3 of 10 eps - It’s a very cute show. All the tropes and archetypes with no fuss or attempts to be clever, just executing them (sometimes over and over again). Even hiccoughs as a result of flirting! I haven’t seen that one in ages. The show feels old fashioned as a result. Nostalgic. I’m good with that.

Tie The Not (Pinoy YouTube) ep 6 of 8 - Sad boys still sad now drunk. (Noooooo shoes on bed! Argh.) Finally kisses! Also good ones for a large portion of this ep. Plus hair pulling. And verse rep! And after sex convo. Then side dishes have a whole proper gay ax covo about top/bottom. Everyone say thank you Philippines! get down with your queer selves!

Stupid Genius (Vietnam Fri YouTube) ep 6fin - I believe this was the final episode. It was cute. This is a standard sort of semi-crappy VBL high school drama. Enjoyable in its floppy friendliness, weirdly like a queer after school special promoting education. Dead fish kisses but fine for what it is. 7/10

Minato's Laundromat Season 2 AKA Minato Shouji Coin Laundry Season 2 (Japan Thu Gaga) 2 of 12 eps - Activate cohabitation trope. They okay bfs. Minato not as frustrating this week, but still frustrating for me and Shin. Next week = cute outfits and dumb miscommunication yay!

Vian the series (Vietnam YouTube ) ep 11 of 12 - again it didn’t show up on my dash in time for this. I’ll pop it into next week.

It’s airing but ...

House of Stars (Thai Mon iQIYI) 12 eps - I bounced at ep 3. Will binge if told it is worth it at end.

Stay (Pinoy YouTube) 7 eps - It’s mostly English & set in LA (shudder) so I’m not bothering.

Stay With Me ... NO I WILL NOT! And you can’t make me.

Ended This Week

Step By Step Series Review

This was Thailand’s answer to The New Employee, and everything I loved about that show I loved about this one. This was an office romance between stern boss and sweet subordinate that felt more authentic to an office environment than previous Thai BLs of this ilk. And that authenticity added tension to the narrative and character development (how novel). Now that might be because it has western source material, or it might be because it is actually kind of old-fashioned (it’s been years since I worked as an office grunt). I also really enjoyed the brothers’ relationship, and kinda wished they hadn’t attempted (and failed) to give said brother his own side BL. That one flaw made it a 9/10 for me. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

La Pluie Series Review

This BL takes to task the fated mates trope and what it means to have love chained intimately to predestination. It’s about how faith in destiny before choice diminishes the authenticity of emotion, relationships, and connection. This is a high concept to examine through the lens of a BL. By activating + examining the soulmates trope this show is challenging a foundation of romance: the idea that there is one person meant to be your one romantic partner all your life. This means that we, as viewers, spend much of the show worried about it having a happy ending, and that’s the source of both its brilliance and tension: would the narrative have the strength to truly challenge its own romantic core? But, ultimately, all this elevated complexity was executed in a somewhat shaky manner with the narrative derailing into some serious pacing issues and characters manipulated by miscommunication. However, with good chemistry and decent acting all around, plus some excellent high heat and representation of consent and a few other rare tropes, this one has to (like it’s sibling show My Ride) earn a 9/10. I enjoyed it even as it made me think, so despite its flaws: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Next Week Looks Like This:

Starting:

7/19 Wedding Plan (Thai Wed YouTube & iQIYI) - It's Mame and she's coming for our GL. She's such a misogynist IMAGINE what we will get with a GL side dish? It's going to be absolute carnage. To crane your neck as you drive by the car wreck or not? That is the question. Me? I'm wallowing in the guts. Trying to decide to trash watch or not...

7/20 Jun & Jun (Korea Thu Viki) - From 2022 I CAN’T FUCKING WAIT! So excited for this one.

2023 forthcoming BL master post (see comments, some are inaccurate, NOT KEPT UPDATED)

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENTS

FYI roselle juice is made from hibiscus (a flower) so technically neither a tea nor a juice. (Hidden Agenda)

Tie the Not = all the verse rep this ep. I love this for them.

The giggling was SO DAMN CUTE (Step by Step, na?)

We all guessed it but it was still fun. (Stupid Genius) Also miracles of miracles, two actors who actually look like they could be brothers play brothers.

First time I’ve seen faen translated as significant other. (Laws of Attraction)

THE PAIN! (Tokyo)

(Last week.)

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magnorious · 2 months

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The Reveal that Changed Percy Jackson

*Spoiler Alert*

I’m talking about the Nico vs Cupid scene in book 8, House of Hades. I picked this scene, even though there were a great many in the original series that defined Percy Jackson as a story far more meaningful than just “cool tweenage demigods with magic and superpowers who fight evil”.

When this book came out, Nico vs Cupid was almost all anyone talked about. Why? Because Nico came out. Nico, an explicitly gay character in a book published by Disney, in a rather high profile series. Nico, the little angsty brat displaced from the timeline, comes out of nowhere with a world-shattering reveal.

House of Hades is already the darkest book in the series and, I think, the most polished and successful with this tone and how it feels so complete. While Percy and Annabeth are in Tartarus, the constant clever and horrific callbacks to quests from prior books quite literally come back to haunt them. The others trying to carry on without them, the ridiculously high personal stakes, the drama, the storytelling, it spares no expense in this book.

The Nico vs Cupid scene was something else, though, and all these years later… I’m not so sure it was done for the better.

—

Independent of the Big Reveal, this scene does a lot of things we’d never seen before in this series, namely this: Cupid is scary, and no one expected him to be.

Percy Jackson, though it does have its serious moments, is the series where the god of wine wears leopard print shirts and the god of the seas has a fishing chair for a throne. These characters quip and joke even when they’re trying to be intimidating and Percy’s personality, snarky and sassy and very rarely shooting straight, undercuts a lot of the attempts at looking competent and threatening (and we love him for it).

They’ve fought gods and monsters and demigods and characters have died really tragic deaths, but for the most part, these serious moments all come when we expect them to.

This scene comes out of nowhere and for anyone who hasn’t read the book in a while, here’s the context: Percy and Annabeth are in Tartarus and Nico is kind of the de-facto leader in their absence, knowing the most about Tartarus of the remaining crew. He and Jason are sent on a side quest to go retrieve the Staff of Diocletian from Cupid and Nico is not at all happy about this venture, but we don’t know why beyond that he’s Nico and he’s never happy.

Right out of the gate, Cupid is not at all who we expect him to be and this fight scene, absent of Percy, is suddenly very serious. Cupid doesn’t quip, he doesn’t show himself, and he fights dirty. The god of love, not the god of war or anything we expect to be violent and dangerous.

He’s whispering in characters’ heads, throwing them around like ragdolls, and taunting Nico ceaselessly all in Jason’s POV. Cupid gets some seriously badass lines, too.

“I’ve been to Tartarus and back,” Nico snarled. “You don’t scare me.” I scare you very, very much. Face me. Be honest.

Love is no game! It is no flowery softness! It is hard work—a quest that never ends. It demands everything from you—especially the truth. Only then does it yield rewards.

“Oh, I wouldn’t say Love always makes you happy.” [Cupid's] voice sounded smaller, much more human. “Sometimes it makes you incredibly sad. But at least you’ve faced it now. That’s the only way to conquer me.”

In all this, unfortunately in Jason POV, we’re primed only once by a previous god finally acknowledging that gays exist in this universe. This universe, based on Greek Mythology, famous for its not-straightness. Even then, audiences have spent 7 and a half books accepting that there won’t be any gays. No one is expecting this from Nico.

So when it comes, when Nico reveals he has a crush on Percy… the fandom lost our minds.

—

And I’m not so sure that’s a good thing, looking back. On the one hand, obligatory “we need representation,” but on the other, there was this one reviewer who knew what was up long before anyone else did.

She’d said something along the lines of raising damning concerns that Nico’s entire character arc was now defined by his homosexuality, that this scene frames all his anger, all his hate, all his rage and depression, about this one aspect of his character, and diminishes him because of it.

All these years later, I’m disappointed to say I agree with her.

This book series’ only major canonical gay (so far) is forced out of the closet with a proverbial gun to his head

Now, Nico likely never would have come out without that gun, but the way it happened, especially in front of Jason who he’s not friends with, showing Jason his memories because it’s not Nico’s POV and Jason has to see somehow because Nico sure won’t detail those scenes himself is... not good?

Jason handles it well, as well as he can given that this is Nico, and Cupid is an explicit villain so him forcing Nico out is in-character and not my problem. The narrative forcing Nico out is the problem—that this is a big reveal both to Jason and the audience is the problem.

The book isn’t new and with respect to when it was written and who wrote it, it’s not a terrible scene or terrible representation. But it’s not just forcing Nico out of the closet, either.

All of Nico’s character development is retroactively pinned on his sexuality

I get it. Nico’s… 14? 14 and from an era where being who he is was a death sentence, with zero education on the matter. Internalized homophobia is a thing (though Nico doesn’t actually seem to hate himself for being gay, he hates himself for crushing on Percy. Nor does he hate other gays or the concept).

Nico, though, is the one demigod who can summon any ghost he could dream up to teach him to hate himself a little less. He could have summoned the ghost of Freddie Mercury and what a dazzling mentorship that would have been.

The way the scene is framed makes it look like all of Nico’s rage comes from this one relationship, when it comes from so much more. He’s a son of Hades, a god no one trusts or likes and is synonymous with death, evil, and deceit. His sister, his last living relative, died on a quest as just a teenager. He has no friends at camp, powers that scare people, and is almost a century removed from everything and everyone he knew in his old life.

And he went and left camp *only* because of his crush on Percy? Not for any other reason?

When he does get his crush on Will, that only makes it worse. Nico did have friends, even if he didn’t believe it. He did have Percy and he’d earned the respect of his fellow campers after the Battle of Manhattan. He back-slid in HOH for this reveal, as if a romance is the only thing that could make him happy.

Cupid’s message is the narrative’s message: The only way to conquer love is to face it [in combat]

With a gun to his head, in front of a veritable stranger, instead of in, I don’t know, therapy with Apollo? There couldn’t have been any other way to fit this reveal in? He couldn’t have made his own group therapy session with other ghosts? Persephone or Demeter never sat this boy down for The Talk with a literal captive audience?

And that it’s a “reveal” at all, in incredibly dramatic fashion, a plot twist for shock value. The book couldn’t drop hints in Nico POV? Couldn’t casually state it anywhere at any time in the previous 3 books? Couldn’t treat it at all like this is normal and not a life-or-death situation?

I just feel bad for the kid. Nico can’t be the only demigod who has a guilty, unrequited crush. Cupid is forcing this out of him because that crush happens to be on another boy.

It’s in Jason’s POV

This world shattering, deeply personal reveal, and the character who’s having it isn’t even the narrator. Jason is a fine character and I know why it’s him out of everyone who could have gone with Nico, but this should have been solely Nico’s moment, not Jason’s commentary about Nico’s moment, being a non-consenting voyeur into Nico’s very personal memories about Percy.

Even if it’s not Jason’s POV to retain the surprise, it certainly starts to feel like Jason’s POV to retain the surprise. Jason can still be present, but even then—Cupid needed Nico to face Cupid, not Cupid and Jason.

—

It sucks because the scene as a whole, removed from the context, is incredible. The choreography, the pacing, the intensity of the battle, Cupid as a villain and Nico and Jason’s desperation to just stay alive.

Its impact on the series can’t be ignored. Blood of Olympus is no one’s favorite. It’s a terrible last book and not all that great as a book, period, but the ending?

Among other travesties, Nico confronts Percy, tells him he had a crush on him, and then *immediately* starts pining after Will. Percy doesn’t get the chance to talk to him, stunned at this reveal. They never have a heartfelt conversation about it, what this means for their friendship, how Percy never noticed or how this makes him feel, if he’s at all guilty for potentially leading Nico on and being a bad friend.

We get none of that. Nico just finds a pretty blond boy after, what, four years pining after Percy? One awful confrontation with Cupid and a few lines of dialogue traded with Jason and all his angst and moodiness is cured off-screen.

Can’t Nico go five minutes where he figures out who he is before he’s trading one crush for another? Can he not define himself independently of who he likes for just a couple chapters? He tells Jason after the Cupid fight that he’s over it, but… c’mon, he’s absolutely lying there, or he wouldn’t have been so hurt and upset and hesitant to reveal himself.

I love that he’s popular now, I love that he does have a healthy relationship (one that eclipsed the whole fandom for better or for worse), but the way he went about becoming popular still leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Nico did walk so the rest of the series' extended universe could run. We did get Solangelo, we got Apollo being Apollo, we got a world based off Greek Mythology that stops straight-washing history. It's just a shame that he had to be forced out the way he did, and that his whole character is now defined by his relationship with Will.

#percy jackon and the olympians #percy jackson #pjo #nico di angelo #solangelo #house of hades #blood of olympus #retrospective

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wen-kexing-apologist · 4 months

Note

Late top 5 ask because I just thought of it: 5 shows that you are always down to rewatch

What a great question that is also such a mean and incredibly evil thing to ask me, wen-kexing-apologist, Chronic Rewatcher lmfao

So fun fact I have seen KinnPorsche 14 times, Our Flag Means Death 11 times, The Old Guard 11 times, Heartstopper 11 times, The Eclipse probably 6 times, Bad Buddy and ITSAY 4 times, etc, etc, etc. And those are counting all the times I have watched a show all the way through. This is not counting the number of times I have actively gone back to watch specific episodes or specific scenes.

See the problem is sometimes I hyperfixate and then I just have to watch it until it is out of my system, sometimes an OST pops in to my head and then I get the urge to watch the show again, and sometimes I agree to edit the transcripts for the backlog of @the-conversation-pod and @bengiyo and @shortpplfedup start talking about a show and I'm like "ahhh good times! I should rewatch that!"

So you can imagine the stress I am under. I'll have to do this by category

Show I Am Constantly Rewatching: Bed Friend

gif by @perths

I know what you may be thinking, and yes you are correct I am in this rewatch for Uea's emotional journey. Uea is my sweet summer child, I love him, I have adopted him in to my family, his happiness is my happiness and I love love love watching him go from a quiet, reserved, unhappy character who keeps getting put in unfair situations through no fault of his own in to this confident, vibrant, happy person who is on his way towards healing. Often times it can be hard for me to pick A Favorite thing; a favorite character, a favorite scene because there are so. many. good. ones. But I am constantly, and I mean constantly rewatching the scene in Episode 8 where Uea tells King about his past. I have lost count of how many times I've seen it, no even kidding I watched that scene before I went to bed just last week. I will always always be down to watch that show because I love seeing how far my boy is able to grow with just a little bit of love, care, and therapy.

Show I Would Rewatch for an Instant Mood Boost: If It's With You

gif by @jimmysea

I have a difficult time understanding/feeling emotion in my body unless I abstract it in to fiction. So when I experience strong emotions it is typically when something super happy or super tragic happens on screen, in a book, during my D&D game, etc. One of my absolute favorite things is when something makes me so happy that my body is no longer able to contain it and I have to do the Neurodivergent Hand Flappies(TM). I think I spent 80% of this show grinning so hard it hurt my face and doing the Neurodivergent Hand Flappies because it just...they made me so happy. Amane is so sweet, and he deserves happiness, and he is getting his happiness and he's just full of sunshine and I already rewatched this show like immediately after it finished. This show joins my This Could Fix Me list.

Show I Would Be Down to Rewatch for Emotional Catharsis: Eternal Yesterday

gif by @duckflyfly

I have not rewatched this show...yet. But I want to, and I know that I will eventually. I can only imagine that it is sadder and more evil the second time around. I cried soooo hard over this show. But it is beautiful, and it is healing, and the pain is a good type of aching pain that comes with coming to terms with grief. With acknowledging grief. With finding where the beauty and peace lie within death and memory, and the way its claws dig in to you and leave you changed forever. Ghosts can be warm, and this show makes me warm despite it all.

Show I Would Be Down to Rewatch for Content: I Told Sunset About You/I Promised You the Moon

gif by @thii-nii

I think I am in @shortpplfedup's camp about how you find new things to think about every time you watch this show. I actually desperately, desperately own I Promised You the Moon several rewatches because I have seen ITSAY four times at this point and IPYTM once. I am currently rewatching IPYTM with a friend who is seeing it for the first time, so that should help. But the first time I watched this show I was unable to function to notice anything, and it wasn't until the third time I'd watched ITSAY when I was rewatching it to prepare for the podcast panel, that I finally was able to form any level of coherent analytical thought to it. So I would rewatch this at any point just to see what more I could pull out of it.

Show I Would Be Down to Rewatch But Haven't Yet: 180 Degree Longitude Passes Through Us

gif by @dingyuxi

Bold, based on how intense of a reaction I had to this show, I know. But this was one of my favorites, I never wrote anything about it because I was too busy having a literal mental breakdown over it, one that was so bad I almost had to bail on the entire show with like...20 minutes left of it, and I originally nixed my plan to show it to a friend. BUT I have watched the specific scene that did me in (and only that scene) and it went over fine once I knew to expect it so I do want to watch the whole thing again. I have a friend who I have been forcing to watch BL shows I liked and I watch them with her, and this is on the list. However, I am currently running her through I Promised You The Moon and What Did You Eat Yesterday? Season 2 so this show is still quite a ways out from a rewatch because I am not a total monster and want to give her some modicum of emotional break between those two shows and 180 Degree.

Bonus:

Show I Would Never Rewatch: Enchante

I hate this show truly an unreasonable amount. I hate Theo so much oh my fucking god. I refuse to watch this again and I'm mad that I finished it.

ASK ME MY TOP 5 OF ANYTHING BL

#best of bl #ask game #bed friend #bed friend the series #if it's with you #kimi to nara koi wo shite mite mo #eternal yesterday #eien no kinou #i told sunset about you #itsay #i promised you the moon #ipytm #180 degree longitude passes through us #180 degree #180d #the true answer to this is: my list of shows i'm always down to rewatch is long #my list of shows i will never rewatch is very very *very* short

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chaifootsteps · 7 months

Note

Incoming supposition on what I think is going on in terms of Hazbin, and why Helluva has shifted focus in Season 2: Viv overpromised and underdelivered, forcing Helluva to cannibalize Hazbin's leftover ideas.

Let's for the moment discard rumors about Viv being difficult to work with and that Hazbin was cut from 10 to 8 episodes to get it out of the way—I wouldn't doubt that, and we know that 8 episodes are indeed happening. but since the former parts are technically rumors at this point I don't want to base this analysis on rumors wrapped in NDAs. Let's just look at what we know for absolute certain, which is the following:

-Viv wanted Hazbin to be at least 3 seasons, per her past streams (might have been a Hunicast one but I don't recall)

-A24 announced they picked up HH in 2020. Said pickup announcement is the only thing they've said about Hazbin Hotel in 3 years.

-what little marketing exists has been sparse, and solely limited to already existing fans. None of the stuff on Hazbin's Twitter has been retweeted or acknowledged in any way by A24 proper.

-the show has passed its intended release date, with no cast, platform, or staff revealed at all, when the cast is generally revealed for a show a year prior to release

-early on Hazbin was said to be the serialized storyline, while Helluva was said to be more episodic. Now, we have no Hazbin, and Helluva has gotten more serialized in Season 2

-several comics were planned for Hazbin, one of which being about Charlie meeting an old boyfriend in what looked liek Greed callerd Exes and Ohs. Said comic appears to have been cannibalized into Helluva Boss's S2E3, complete with Charlie's old Von Eldritch boyfriend looking quite similar to Chaz, just not a shark

Given all that, I think during production of Hazbin, something went wrong. Maybe it turned out Viv didn't plan as much as claimed, frustrating the crew. Maybe A24 had too much executive meddling, frustrating Viv. Maybe there was too little meddling and A24 started realizing the show was going to fail so they decided not to advertise it.

]It's anyone's guess at the moment what went wrong, but it seems behind the scenes something went wrong. And whatever the reason, the Hazbin Viv initially set up, the Hazbin Viv promised with the pilot, is not the Hazbin that ended up being produced by A24.(edited)

So Hazbin's serialized ideas were squeezed into Helluva, and Helluva scrambled in Season 2 to create a story because the story Viv intended for Hazbin fell through, so she haphazardly decided to utilize it into this other story because Helluva is all she has now.

Yes this is all speculation, but given A24's utter silence, delays, and Helluva becoming more serialized and provably taking on at least one story intended for Hazbin, I think it's at least somewhat likely.

At this point I wouldn't be surprised if Hazbin turns out to just be episodic like Helluva was originally intended to, turned away from the "Disney meets The Good Place but R-rated" story it was originally going to be and now turning into an episodic "Family Guy in Hell". Which as someone who fell in lover with the pilot for its "Disney meets The Good Place" vibes, is incredibly heartbreaking to think about

This is pretty much shot for shot what I think too. When you lay it all out like that, I'd actually be more surprised if it wasn't what's going on.

(That "R-rated Disney meets The Good Place" description especially hurt, because my pitch to friends I wanted to hook into Hazbin was always "Superjail meets The Good Place." Knowing how close we came to having that story is more tragic than if we'd never gotten it at all.)

#Anonymous #Helluva Boss critical #vivziepop critical #actual blog post #vivziepop

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nightcourtseer · 9 months

Text

Prologue - One Year Ago

Summary: It’s been a year since Elain ended her seemingly-perfect engagement, deviating from the seemingly-perfect life she had been expected to lead. As she struggles to regain her sense of self among the growing pains of her 20s, a tragic accident reunites her group of friends from university - some she thought she may never see again. Amid the pain of loss, and a celebration of life, Elain lets go - and finds again.

AN: This is my first human AU. I anticipate it being around 8 parts. It's all been outlined, and I hope to update weekly. Thank you for reading!

Read on A03

The day that Elain Archeron ended her engagement was also the day that her worst fear was realized.

She became the villain in someone else’s story.

_______________________

She was 28, when it ended. Three months after the proposal, and one year, two months, and 28 days before the wedding was scheduled. They had picked a date quickly, thanks to pressure from her soon to be father-in-law, who was also paying for most of the wedding on the account that both of Elain’s parents had already passed away. Plus, she was just settling into her career, and Lucien was fresh out of a Master’s Program.

As if she could ever forget the wedding date, the countdown on her phone lockscreen reminded her every time she received a call, text, or email.

With each notification, the ticking clock stared back at her like a bomb timer.

Maybe that should have been the first indication that she should have called things off. Thinking of her wedding like an impending explosive instead of the best day of her life.

But aside from the wedding, no matter her thoughts about it, there was Lucien to consider. The years that he had given her, that they had given each other. From the day they had started dating her sophomore year of college, he had checked all of the boxes. Their tight-knit group of friends, especially her sister Feyre and Lucien’s good friend, supported the relationship. Lucien’s parents, especially his mother, embraced Elain and welcomed her into the family. Lucien had a career ahead of him in business, wanted to support her, wanted to start a family of their own one day.

The part of Elain that desperately wanted to please people… it thrived in their relationship. It was all so right.

But why, then, did it all start to feel so wrong after they got engaged.

Maybe it was a jean jacket that smelled faintly of Marlboro’s. Maybe it was a single kiss close to 10 years prior shared in the dark corner of a house, hidden away in the shadows of the staircase. Maybe it was the memory of a flame blown out before it had a chance to ignite, curling smoke lingering for the past decade in its wake, occupying the dark spaces of Elain’s mind where she didn’t do everything good, where she didn’t do everything right.

Whatever it was, Elain made up her mind. She was going to spare them both a lifetime of wondering, a lifetime of pain and questions and what-if’s. It would kill her, hurting Lucien. But it would be a quick pain - not a slow drag of a knife down his spine as she let a third occupy their bed, even if only in Elain’s head. Lucien was sleeping soundly next to her.

When she ended it, when she sat him down on their comfortable couch in their comfortable loft apartment, and she handed him back his grandmother’s ring from his mother’s side, she could barely see him through the tears.

Lucien stared at her in shock, one russet eye wide, the other glassy blue and forever unseeing. His hair was tied back, he had just gotten back from the gym.

Elain still had his protein drink ready for him on the island counter, waiting for him. Her hands had shaken violently while she scooped the powder, and she had to quickly clean up the mess she had left on the granite countertop so he wouldn’t see it, wouldn’t know something was violently breaking inside of her.

“Get out.”

“I’m so, I’m so sorry -” Elain sobbed, clenching and unclenching her fists as she stood, back hunched in shame before him.

He didn’t move from the couch. Didn’t wrap his arms around her and squeeze her closer, like he normally would have.

“Elain, I just can’t look at you right now.” His face contorted in flickering bouts of anger and pain and confusion. His voice remained even, if a bit shaken.

Lucien never yelled, or screamed. Not like his father.

“I’m so sorry, Lucien, I’m so sorry.”

All other words had left Elain’s mind, as she rocked back and forth, backing away slowly towards their - his - front door.

She tripped over his shoes while she struggled to find the doorknob through her tears, struggling for breath through wracking, all-consuming cries.

Still, Lucien didn’t move.

There was no going back.

So Elain somehow fought her way out of their apartment, struggling to contain her cries so her neighbors wouldn’t hear, wouldn’t open their doors to see what was going on.

She didn’t want to embarrass Lucien like that.

Elain hadn’t really thought of what would happen afterward. Didn’t think of where she would go, when her life had been built with Lucien. They had moved in together right after graduating from University, not far from their college campus. The only life she knew was with him.

All she knew was that he had asked her to go, and she owed him that much.

She calmed herself down enough to reach in her purse, which she had managed to remember to grab on her way out the door. Thankfully, her keys and phone were tucked neatly inside.

Voices were rounding the pillar of the parking garage as Elain made her way to her car, and she ducked her head, praying that it wasn’t a neighbor she knew.

Thankfully they said nothing, and Elain held her breath as she walked to her parking spot, where her clean, practical sedan waited for her.

She only let out a shaky breath of relief when she was inside.

A weight had been lifted from her shoulders, both metaphorically and physically, as she looked down at her bare ring finger.

But in its place was a seemingly unending pit of raw, nauseating guilt.

It was the same feeling that had kept her near silent as a child - docile to the point of muteness. Always afraid of saying the wrong thing, or hurting someone’s feelings.

Her father had been so patient with her, before their mother had passed away. Had actively sought her out, among the loudness of her eldest and younger sister. He had waited for her with a warm smile and a brightness in his deep brown eyes, the same shade as hers. Her father had understood her small voice among the chaos - he had been the lighthouse waiting in the harbor while Elain fought the terrifying, opaque waters of girlhood and adolescence.

But her father was dead. And Lucien didn’t want to see her.

So she called one of the two people who tried their best to understand her, once she had made her way onto the highway out of downtown.

Elain called her sister.

“Dial Nesta.”

Her eldest sister answered on the second ring.

“Elain?”

And whatever composure Elain had regained since speaking with Lucien… it evaporated, hearing her sister say her name. Because it was then that Elain realized that it wasn’t over. She had ruined Lucien’s dream of their family, she had broken her promise to him.

But now she had to tell their friends, her family, who all loved Lucien. Who had been friends with him since Feyre brought him into their fold, their freshman year.

White dots started to speckle Elain’s vision, as she fought to maintain her vision as cars sped past her. Midday traffic of ordinary people going about their ordinary days - unknowing that Elain had just ended her life as she knew it.

Elain answered Nesta was a shuttering sob.

“Elain?”

Her sister’s voice sharpened. She could almost picture Nesta sitting up straighter at her desk in the high school where she taught freshman and sophomore English.

“Nesta, I’m so sorry -” she managed to choke out as her chest heaved, a renewed set of tears spilling down her cheeks.

A car laid on their horn at her as she unwittingly slowed.

“Elain, are you driving right now?”

“Y-yes.”

“Pull over, Elain. Find a side road if you can to pull over and I’ll come find you.”

Nesta had insisted she have both her and Feyre’s locations after their father had passed away. Taking on her role as the family matriarch, even long before their mother had passed when they were barely teenagers.

Elain found the nearest exit and took it, pulling off on a gravel road still in view of the highway.

As the dust settled around her car, she let those white spots fully overtake her vision as she cried. Letting herself fully feel the world-sending sense of panic that threatened her nervous system.

Suddenly her seatbelt felt too restricting, pressing against her rolling stomach. She quickly released it, and it snapped against the plastic next to her. But even its release didn’t quell the growing sense of nausea filling her, and she hastily threw open her car door, stumbling out into the tall brush next to the road.

As she hunched over, sweating palms braced on her jean-clad thighs, she realized something.

White house slippers embroidered with “Mrs.” stared back up at her.

Elain vomited into the grass.

________________________________

A new pickup truck kicked up dust as it sped down the gravel road. Elain watched as the door flung open before the truck had fully come to a stop, her sister rushing toward her, school keys bouncing on a lanyard against her chest as she knelt down. Nesta began searching for the hidden hurt as Elain sat with her back against the driver’s side wheel of her car, struggling to breathe.

Her sister’s husband, Cassian, wasn’t far behind.

“Do I need to call 911?”

He already had his phone in hand, ready to dial while awaiting Nesta’s response. His other hand anxiously pushed his hair back from his face as it whipped around him, the wind stronger on that open expanse of country road.

“Elain, are you having an asthma attack? Cass, look for her inhaler.”

Cassian went to the passenger side door, all but pulling it off the hinges before digging through Elain’s purse for the red and white plastic inhaler.

As if she were watching the scene from above, Elain wondered if Nesta’s knees must have dug painfully into the gravel, but Nesta seemingly paid no mind as she wiped the tears from Elain’s face, her eyes searching Elain’s red-rimmed ones. They were all but closed shut, they were so badly puffed and swollen as she fought for breath. Her lungs too tight, too small, to take in enough air.

Through the tremors, Elain felt Cassian’s broad hand on her shoulder as he held the inhaler up to her face. His warm palm felt as much a grounding force as the earth beneath her.

One merciful puff of air.

Elain tried to breathe as instructed. As she had been trained to do, since her first asthma attack at five years old. Too young to understand that death had been silently waiting for her in the dark, holding her hand before the illuminated red lights of the local hospital had come into view.

A second puff of air.

“Nes, I think it’s a panic attack.”

Cassian taught with Nesta at the school - history, besides also acting as the varsity football coach. He had experience with all sorts of medical emergencies.

Her brother in law’s kind face entered Elain’s pinpointed view.

“Elain, I’m going to give you some instructions, okay?”

She didn’t even attempt to answer him, but forced a quick nod.

He gently, so gently for how large of a man he had grown to be, took one of Elain’s slight hands in his, placing it below her ribs.

“Close your eyes, Elain.”

She did as she was told, Cassian’s concentrated hazel eyes and Nesta’s panicked pale blue ones fluttering out of sight.

Before she could panic on another inhale, Cassian’s voice held out a hand in the dark.

“Breathe in for 5 seconds.”

Elain counted to herself. One, two, three, four, five…

The world quieted around her as her struggling lungs filled with as much air as she could desperately manage. But before her mind could start to spiral once more, Cassian’s voice was there, reaching for her again with another instruction.

“Now out, Elain. One, two, three, four, five…”

And again, and again he led her through that, until the medicinal effect of the albuterol and Cassian’s steady voice helped to at least steady her breathing.

When the world had stopped spinning from lack of oxygen, Elain opened her eyes.

Cassian and Nesta crouched on either side of her, Nesta’s hand drifting to her shoulder.

“Oh, Elain…”

“I left him,” Elain’s voice was barely more than a hoarse whisper. She barely recognized it. “I’m so sorry, I left him…”

Before she could apologize again, Nesta pulled her in close, wrapping her lithe but strong arms around her younger sister. An embrace that sometimes felt far too motherly for the two year age gap between them.

“We’ll figure this out, don’t worry. We’ll figure this all out.”

Elain sobbed into the warmth of Nesta’s neck, and she felt Cassian’s hand press into her back, his other holding her sister.

“Cass, can you drive her home?” Elain didn’t question what she meant by “home”.

“I’ll be right behind you in her car.”

She also didn’t question Nesta’s reasoning for wanting Cassian to drive her back to their place. No doubt a hasty call would be made to Feyre, to let her know what had happened.

Cassian must have nodded, as Nesta carefully disentangled herself from Elain.

“We’ll figure this all out,” she repeated assuredly, as Cassian helped her stand, looping a supportive but careful arm around Elain’s shoulders.

Nesta pressed a kiss to Elain’s forehead, wiping away a fresh but silent tear slipping down her cheek.

When she was growing up, Elain had once heard her parents describe her to a family friend as “having big emotions.” If she was happy, she cried, if she was embarrassed or frustrated or mad, she cried. When the family dog had died, she hadn’t left her room for three days.

Nesta was used to comforting her sister. And Elain was used to being a problem that everyone else wanted to solve.

“I’ll see you back at the house.” With that, she slipped into Elain’s driver’s seat while Cassian walked them back to the truck, helping her step on shaky legs into the passenger seat.

He held her hand on the center console the whole way home, but Elain never looked down. Couldn’t bear the sight of her hand in his, with an empty ring finger where Lucien’s grandmother’s ring had been only hours before.

She knew she had done the right thing for him, in the end. But she also knew that in the process, she had become something she no longer recognized.

Tag List:

@123moiaussi

@impossiblescissorspeachpaper

@reverie-tales

@ultadverb

@illyrian-dreamer

@demarogue

@gracie-rosee

@dailyelriel

#elriel #elain archeron #azriel #acotar fanfiction #elain x azriel #elriel fanfiction #acotar au

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dramasauce · 4 months

Text

Cdramas I watched in 2023 List

(dramas with gifs are excellent/great and actually worth watching in my opinion. The others are not, watch at your own risk)

You are so sweet-A time passer if not anything else.

From Repair to Pair-Idk what the hell they wanted me to get from this.

My Fated Boy-he wins for best male lead I've watched this year. He was perfect.

The Trick of Life and Love-i tried.

Hi venus-I love this.

Romance with Blind Master-LOL i should've never watched this especially when I know the movie was no good. LOL

The Starry Love-ending was... but it was nice till then.

Warm on a Cold Night-I need them in another drama together. Hopefully Modern.

Taste of Love-this was so bad

My Little Happiness-rewatch

Definitely Not Today-so underrated. It's only 8 episodes but it's a very important story.

The Lady in the Butchers House- she was abusive

Delicious Romance-absolutely hated this

Royal Rumors-pretty but very boring

Nothing But You

Back From the Brink-hated that end

The Love You Give Me-meh

Rewriting Destiny- this deserves so much. I know it's low budget but I actually really enjoyed this drama so much. He needs bigger roles.

Destined

Here We Meet Again- boring most of the time and long winded but very pretty because that's the only roles this man does

Romance on the Farm-as yall know I have a love hate. I LOVE them so much. But that ending SUCKED. The romance was sprinkled so don't expect so much. It was a family drama with lots of redemption that wasn't deserved. I watched for these two.

Wrong Carriage Right Groom-kind of boring but at the same time I enjoyed them? Just wish they went a more mature route.

Forever Love- OKAY HEAR ME OUT. It's a mini drama. It's bad but it's good and I know yall know wtf I mean.

Hello I'm At Your Service-He picks "mature" romances and I appreciate that.

Promise in the Summer-HEAR ME OUT AGAIN, ya'll cannot expect perfection out of mini dramas. This was just fun and I admit that. Their height difference>>> the comfort scene>>> Just a good time.

Parallel Worlds-chem was there. A bit rushed in some aspects, but if they would have cut this drama DOWN some episodes it would have benefited the other points of the story. Good fantasy though like very interesting world.

You Are Desire-he is soooo good looking and she fits him well. But the career choice for him and the storyline following was such a snooooze.

Hidden Love-controversial drama but I SWEAR you watch episode 1 and then skip like 4 episodes and its smooth sailing. It's not creepy but they have a girl playing her younger self that looks way too young and she's not THAT much younger so it made it seem weird. This was a VERY well done drama.

A Date With the Future-Long and boring.

The Furthest Distance-very beautiful and I love Leo but the pacing is weird to me and the ex is annoying.

Dine with Love-a horrible Male lead. Like he's the worst. But you root for them. idk. Makes you hungry

My Everlasting Bride-mini drama with a mini budget as ya'll know. I had a good time for the two hours. Yes it was absolutely ridiculous. He was so fine.

My Decoy Bride-I mean. They were pretty. Another mini.

The Snow Moon-another mini. It's tragic. And I actually enjoyed for the most part and thought because it's mini that it would end differently. NOPE.

The inextricable Destiny- they do everything in THEIR POWER to make you hate this drama. There were so many points where they could've done better and didnt. I hate that. Don't waste your time.

Fireworks of my Heart-Unpop opinion but he makes incredibly boring dramas. Female lead has NO backbone. And he promises he wont go back but does.

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theseveredspirit · 4 months

Text

Possible Sneak Peak By the Illustration of Dave Filoni? 🤔

So... I think this needs to be cleared up...

I don't THINK we're gonna see the rest of the Ghost Crew and their scenarios because there would be too much jumping between them and would lose focus on these characters. (I mean, It's because of the 8 episode limit. How else would they do it? Unless they decide to include more featured episodes, but its unlikely.

That would MOSTLY leave up to The Mandalorian Movie as they would be dealing with Thrawn's Imperial Army.

It's clear that Ahsoka and Sabine are discovering the Lost Lands of Peridea.

I don't think they are following or picking up Baylan's tracks?

Unless a Story Character has told them so of what he is upto, but it's a far distance as to where he would be at.

I would assume Shin Hati, in a fortunate of events, joins them as they are unfolding thr stories of Peridea and The Mortis.

Now we know that the Mortis Gods consist of The Father, The Son, and The Daughter that celestial beings of the Greater Force.

They are gone and have died during The Events of The Clone Wars...And their presence have long been forgotten before then to even realize they had existed by any other living thing.

Baylan mentions that there is something CALLING him...

Which brings out to the final cue.

In Star Wars LEGENDS, right before it was decanonized (a Decade before Disney bought them), there was a MOTHER.

Abeloth, The Mother Of Stars...

Abeloth in LEGENDS, had a very strong connection with the Mortis Gods, as she was a Mortal and had belonged as a family to them before she had turned into a Monstrosity.

In an unfortunate turn for Abeloth, she wanted to be immortal so she can live with her family, but that tragically failed as she became someone entirely...

She was banished from her own Family and no matter how she tried, she still wanted to be with them...

Abeloth is sealed behind a barrier. And she is EAGERLY trying to get out and will do whatever it takes to be with her Family.

That's where Baylan comes in...

Though, it is all Theory.

A Likely one that is.

Dave does happen to include his Legends Canon.

I just worry for Ahsoka, Sabine, and Shin's fate 🥺

#Star wars #ahsoka series #Ahsoka #huyang #sabine wren #shin hati #wolfwren #baylan skoll #Abeloth

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queenlua · 2 months

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What's ur fave Final Fantasy

oooh hard choice

games i've played at least a little bit of: 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 15

games i've played to completion: 9, 10, 12, 13, 15

games i loved in a wild manic-episode kind of way where i couldn't not fucking talk about the minutia of the dynamics between the main cast for more than 1hr at a time and also i'm absolutely crazyinsane for my specific interpretation of noct's relationship with the gods, and leviathan, and also what the game has to say about anger/loss, but also it was Not A Good Game objectively so what do you do: 15

games i loved in a more grounded way where i can give an actual sober evaluation: 9, 10, 12, 13

so, of the sober games, which reigns?

....probably 9, tbh.

i love 13 for being utterly fearless (and tragically misunderstood!) in its redesign of the combat system, a system i haven't seen done as well before or sense. and i love the idea of a lot of its plot threads, but the execution isn't quite there.

i liked 12 a lot but it suffers from its main plots beats feeling somewhat staccato in nature; in a lot of ways, having first played it in late 2010, it felt like it suffered for, technologically, resting solidly between the "mass effect / dragon age full party banter" era versus the "older-style squenix game era" i guess? i wanted so so much more of the dynamics between the Judges and such fleshed out on the actual screen; it was clear the game wanted you to care more than i actually did, even while the main cast was in fact rock-solid

10 is the biggest competition here. that game meant a lot to me particularly playing it as a vaguely-fundie-religious kid. i probably picked up Nietzsche partially because of that game. i do think it's the most narratively coherent of all the FF games; it had a Thing It Wanted To Say and had its eye on the prize the whole time and fucking executed.

but 9 has that unfair "played it at a formative age" advantage, and also is nearly as coherent, and i was surprised, when i came back to play it as an adult, how interrelated all its seemingly-at-odds themes were. also just has a brighter and spritelier universe overall. which, i don't even really *write* those sort of shenanigans that much in my fiction but i love reading them when they're done well, and truthfully. ff9 is cheerier and more fantastical but i think it gave me heavier blows than a lot of the more "mature" games in the series i guess. damn i love 9 a lot

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napneeders · 4 months

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//unorganized rambling about both stuff I loved and hated in s2

ANYWAY!!! Ed and Frenchie so tragic and all the more so because there's never any kind of closure. their dynamic in 1-2 is so masterful because they have a pre-existing personal relationship and that never goes away no matter how much they're both wearing their masks. they could have had a friendship, but after his heartbreak, Ed needs to destroy that chance along with everything else. it's tragic!! he picked probably the two Revenge crew members he could most easily identify with, only to turn them against him.

but imo Frenchie feels for Ed to the end. he's sad for him in the impossible birds scene. he feels good when Ed expresses confidence in him - even in the fraught circumstances of hiding Izzy and not being sure he's fooled Ed - it's better to let himself feel good, live the reality that Ed is setting - because Frenchie knows about making reality himself, but he also knows when to concede that power (that's his defining strength if you ask me, not his ability to scam or please but the ability to assess the situation and choose from his strategies) - the cheerful little musical interval that starts as Ed's talking to Frenchie, continues as Frenchie walks through the ship, and ends abruptly with the overpowering reality of the hidden room is so good to me, a little creepy, a little sad.

and to go from that to the disappointment and hurt of Frenchie escorting Ed off the ship - still the messenger - and Ed lashing at him in such an impersonal way. to Frenchie's unimpressed expression and unenthusiastic clapping (but he still starts clapping when he sees everyone around him but the trauma crew do it - ugh my baby boy) after Ed's apology. it's only a glimpse but it's so raw. but for that to be it? it's not even an unreasonable reading that after a) Ed's horrors (which arguably Frenchie might be happy to put in the box if Ed offered him anything real) & b) Ed's inability to address them in any meaningful way, Frenchie's just done with him - like the crew are as a whole - rebuilding with each other instead - that's a good storyline! but there's also the missed opportunity of revisiting that relationship. not just for its own sake (or to satisfy my particular taste) but because it would be a SORELY needed opportunity for Ed to interact with the crew, and to face some of the themes of the early season - like that paternal role Ed takes on as part of his suicide mission. sure, partly that's addressed in the gravy basket, but the trouble is, no one else was there.

for the midseason in general, I love that they spend so much time on the crew negotiating how to be with each other in the post-horrors era. it's just that any progress in Ed's relationship with the crew is massively glossed over. to the point that I'm not even sure how we're meant to read that relationship in 6-8; cursory suggestions that all is fine now aren't exactly contradicted, iirc, but they're not backed up by anything either. I assume the core problem is trying to do too much in too little time, but it feels like some massive miscalculations were made in regards to what can be left to implication. and then possibly the implications were left to implication.

anyway. I'm well aware not everyone might read as much into Ed and Frenchie's relationship as I do, but that's kind of the point - season 1 managed a balance of text and subtext, including avenues for interpretation, really well, and that continued in the early second season, but then it just kind of fizzles out. even new threads I thought were picked up in the later season - Stede's real pirate arc - are just dropped. it's frustrating.

#ed and frenchie #frenchie #ofmd s2 #ofmd critical #I guESS #s2 #edward teach #rambling #ofmdm

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brasideios · 6 months

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10 Characters/10 Fandoms/10 Tags

Thank you for thinking of me my dears @krankittoeleven & @ainulindaelynn

Lemme see. This is long, sorry about that. I’m in a rambling mood. These are just the characters that came wandering into my noodle in no order - at least, that was intended.

1. Dorothea from Middlemarch (by George Eliot). She’s probably my fave character ever. I think in a mostly abstract way, she’s come nearest to mapping out how I perceive the feminine part of myself. She starts out so so idealistic - wanting to do something to change the world, to matter, but society has its own rules that eventually beats her down, but she’s so stoic, enduring, and self-denying, that her happy ending is earned… but then the epilogue is so melancholy so was it happy? and… I don’t know. There’s something in it all that I’ve never found a better version of.

2. My brain is on D names now lol so Daphnae from AC Odyssey. The more I think about her story, as little as we’re given of it, the more I find something tragic and fated in it, and then there’s the possibility of changing that fate, or embracing it. Something, something doomed by the narrative, unless…?

3. Demosthenes from my pdfs lol listen - ancient history RPF is a fandom (apparently) so this is valid. I have been down some serious rabbit holes with this man of late - I won’t even start on why or this will be an essay. I could also have put Thucydides in this position - but I’m on D names.

4. Daria. No seriously. I loved this show when I was a teen, and she’s honestly my spirit animal. It was my nickname because I was unfortunately very much like that. I adore her deadpan, acerbic remarks and many of them will live on in my brain forevermore. I wasn’t as witty btw - but the vibes were the same.

5. Hedwyn from the vg Pyre (woot! My brain releases me from the letter D!). I’ve played it several times now, and he’s my fave. Just a sweet guy - so sweet, you always want to free him first, but then you also very much wanna keep him with you - and sometimes I’ve been selfish enough to send everyone else instead. I also like Volfred a lot but that has everything up do with the VA 🙈

6. Alfie from Peaky Blinders. I have no excuses - the character is an unhinged maniac but Tom Hardy just brought something (a twinkling eye) to the role that makes him a very likeable, back-stabbing psychopath.

7. Caesar from HBO Rome. Ciaran Hinds has been a fave of mine since Persuasion - and I liked how he acted this part / how he was written. That’s all I’ll ever say about Caesar - character or historical figure. There are at least another half a dozen characters in this series I might’ve mentioned too. I must rewatch it one of these days.

8. Gannicus from Starz Spartacus. Dustin Clare is an old time favourite from waaaay back when I was persuaded to watch McLeod’s Daughters - really bingeable but quite trashy Aussie TV - sorry to any fans - but it really is. I so enjoyed his vibes and he brings all of that to Gannicus and it just works so well for the character. Pure cheekiness, and when he does this face 🥺 chefs kiss. Side note - I will pretty regularly say some variation of ‘my cock rages on’ about the most random stuff so - thanks to this character for that gem lol.

9. Johnny Spit from the movie Gettin Square. Yeah this is left field and I seriously doubt there’s a fandom for it - but what a character - quintessentially Australian deadbeat, (played by David Wenham). There’s a courtroom scene that kills me every time. I hope he got square, for good this time.

10. Kenny from Mad Men. I don’t even know how to explain it, I just want to protect him and he doesn’t even deserve it, and he wouldn’t have thanked me for it - maybe it was just the way everyone else was just an asshole about his writing. I want to know more about the short story about the egg. I could’ve picked almost any other character from this show though. They’re all so good/bad for their own reasons.

I made it! Haha! I have no idea who to tag - I think the only people who usually join in have already been tagged - so I’ll just add a few and call it ten. Sorry for any double ups.

No pressure at all - @nemo-of-house-frye @theinkandthesea @liminalspacecowboah @cyrus-the-younger @myriath

#tag game #ten characters

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absolutebl · 6 months

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Hey Abl, trust you are well. So I took a month off bl to deal with life stuff and upon my return there's a lot of new shows and I'm feeling overwhelmed and need to prioritize. What should I start with that started airing in late October/November? Spanx!

BL Quick Picks - End of 2023 Releases

That finished its run? Sorry I don't keep that close track of things ending but stuff I loved that ended relatively recently as follows. (I'm giving you a range of styles to suit your mood.)

Felling light and fluffy?

Jun & Jun

(Korea Viki)

A delightful office romance about an ex-idol who joins cubical life only to find his new boss is his first love. Others boys are sniffing around too. Operative word being "sniffing" as much of this romance involves smell. With a snappy (sometimes even raunchy) script, enjoyable sides, a pretty as peaches cast, and descent chemistry this show made up for in style what it lacked in substance. I like fluff. I loved this. I smiled every moment I was watching. With tons of rewatch potential (especially the last few eps), my only caution is this is for fans of the BL genre only, I don’t think it’ll work for anyone else. 9/10

Feeling complex and drama llama?

I Feel You Linger in the Air

(Thailand grey, YT for some)

I truly loved this time travel romance. IFYLITA is an exquisite BL, from filming techniques to narrative framework (much like Until We Meet Again). Steeped in history and family drama it edges into lakorn (but no as much as To Sir With Love and with way less scenery chewing). This is an elegant and classy BL… from Thailand which normally doesn't even try for classy. The main couple (both as a pair and individuals) were excellent, particularly Bright (Yai) whose eye-work acting style is a personal favorite of mine. Pity about the ending. Oh it wasn’t that sad but it wasn’t good either. This show should easily have earned a 10 from me except that it fumbled the… erm… balls. Argh. Whatever. 9/10

Feeling odd and chaotic?

Why R U?

(Korea iQIYI)

Korea decided to remake, of all possible Thai BLs, Why RU? And that is exactly what we got: a short form, clean & pretty, slightly confusing, uneven chemistry, all the same tropes KBL that kind of cliff-noted the original but with none of the heat or complex relationship dynamics. I just … what world is this? Because it is BOTH bizarro land, and EXACTLY what I expected. How do I rate it? In the end I have to go back to simple questions: did I like it, would I rewatch it, and would I recommend it? Yes. Probably. And probably not. What the actual hell? 8/10

Feeling dark and complex?

Tokyo in April is AKA Shigatsu no Tokyo wa

(Japan Viki)

Two young men with a shared tragic past reunite and fall in love all over again, but the past will not stop hunting them. Based on a manga, this office set reunion romance is GREAT… damn it. It’s Japan in full on soft focus which means it gets emo, abusive, and chewy. These two characters are giving parts of their souls away in a desperate attempt to shape themselves to the expectations they have of each other. Japan gave us the Bed Friends that Thailand could never even imagine. But here’s the thing: I don’t enjoy my BL this heavy and cutting. I know that for The 8th Sense crowd this is peak BL and I can’t argue with the fact that the romantic devotion, domesticity, script, and acting IS all on point. It’s just not my personal preference for that point to be so damn sharp. I appreciate that this being 2023 I have the luxury of consistent quality (especially from Japan) and thus the ability to say… I acknowledge that this SHOULD get a 9/10 but I can’t emotionally go higher than 8/10

Feeling sappy and in need of comfort?

Stay By My Side

(Taiwan Viki)

This show was an interesting take on the "ghost boyfriend" trope. About a boy who is tormented by hearing the dead, except when he is around one other boy - desperation+proximity = love. Unfortunately, the story was erratic and waffled about. While the leads turned in solid performances and the sappy domesticity was off the charts, it never really had the strength of the narrative convictions such a strong concept should have supplied. Highly rewatchable and enjoyable for that sappy domesticity but not a whole lot more. Still I always give extra credit for the diabetes-inducing sugar content and rewatch capacity. 8/10

Feeling sexy?

My Personal Weatherman AKA Taikan Yoho

(Japan Gaga)

I liked it a lot and it's classic yaoi of the kind that really only works from Japan. Basically: boys who fell in love in college end up living together but both are so repressed they actually don't realize they're in love. It's higher heat from Japan and well done, but it leaned into the "why don't they just talk for fuck's sake?" trope which is only exacerbated into undiluted frustration by the fact that they're already fucking. It's good, but watching requires more patience than usual, even from Japan. 8/10

Feeling sweet and earnest?

Sing My Crush

(Korea iQIYI)

This a cute coming of age drama around music and 2 kinds of self acceptance and actualization journeys. This was basically Korea’s version of About Youth, and was perhaps a bit too soft and ungrounded by comparison, like a marshmallow sculpture. Sweet but somewhat lacking in discernible flavor. 8/10

If you want to know what I'm enjoying that's airing right now, I'm mot yet caught up this week but I have time today so the weekly ranking will drop in a few hours. But I can tell you with confidence that very little is likely to unseat...

My Dear Gangster Oppa (Thailand iQiyi)

from my affections right now. I love it unconditionally and it's airing on iQIYI.

#asked and answered #2023 BL recomendations #end of year only #ouch burn on GMMTV none of theirs made the cute #stop fuckign up GMMTV #thai bl #japanese bl #korean bl #taiwanese bl #my dear gangster oppa #Sing My Crush #my personal weatherman #Stay By My Side #Tokyo in April is #Why R U? Korea #i feel you linger in the air #Jun and Jun #viki #gaga

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randomfoggytiger · 10 months

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X-Files Collector's Edition: Crazy X-Cops (and Watching the Tragic Ep. Later)

Inspired by @scullys-scalpel 's post (found here.)

Loose chronological order below~

@scullywolf's (Ao3, Masterlist)

X-COPS

""That’s correct, yes. And Agent Mulder… well, his working hypothesis for the case is, as you might guess, paranormal in nature, and–”

“Yes, Scully, I’ve met him.""

When Scully calls him up, Skinner debates the wisdom of-- oh, hang it all, put 'em on tv.

First Person Shooter

""They’re at LAX waiting for their flight home when his phone rings.

"Mulder.”

“Mulder! It’s Langly. How soon can you get to L.A.?”

“Uhh…” He looks around the bustling airport terminal, half-wondering if the guys are here somewhere and this is some sort of joke. “Why do you ask?""

Post X-Cops Mulder and Scully are still in the Cali area when he receives a call from The Lone Gunmen.

@seek-its-opposite (Ao3) nothing to hide (Ao3)

""Sergeant,” the man offers gently. “I think you have us all wrong.” He has all the ease of a hostage negotiator but none of the slickness. Despite how much he looks the part of a detective, he cuts an almost iconoclastic figure when he speaks.

“Your irresponsible theories nearly got my officer killed, Agent Mulder.” The sergeant gestures at the crack house, the door splintered on the floor. “To say nothing of how my department looks on camera for taking you seriously.”

“But you did take him seriously.” Agent Scully’s voice sharpens to a stiletto point. Her partner absorbs chaos; she refracts it.""

Post X-Cops Scully is infuriated the local cops blame Mulder for the night's failure, and reams them out in the honor of the man she loves.

@cecilysass/cecily_sass/Cecily Sasserbaum's

We’re Not Here To Get Involved in Personal Problems

""Scully,” Mulder interrupts himself suddenly. “Mangoes.”

She tracks the direction of his eyes, seeking the source of this nonsequitur. A half block ahead of where they are walking, a man and his teenage son work together to lift wooden flats of pale green mangoes from the back of a pick-up truck to a sales cart in their front yard.

Mulder turns to her, his eyes now taking on a manic, child-glimpses-ice-cream-truck gleam.""

Post X-Cops Mulder is in an unflappably good mood despite their empty gas tank; and Scully is-- reluctantly-- swept up in it. A leisurely walk, a mango barter, and a back-and-forth conversation ensues.

@agirlcallednarelle/TabithaJean's Good Morning, Sweet Dreams

""Mmmh,’ she mumbles, straightening up. ‘I’m awake, I’m awake.’

‘Looks like it,’ he smiles. ‘Didn’t you want to shower? Get those sheets all good and fake slept in?’

‘Yep,’ she murmurs, her eyes closed still. ‘I’m gonna do that. I’m getting up. Right now.’

‘You don’t have to, Scully,’ he tells her softly. ‘You don’t have to move.""

Post X-Cops Scully is too bushed to even shower.

@i-gaze-at-scully/ i_gaze_at_scully's Bad boys, bad boys

""Humor me, G-woman.” His voice is as sleepy as he is, with the same bite of electricity that’s keeping him awake. She sighs into the receiver and somehow hears the smug grin that spreads across his face as he resettles himself on his couch. That, she can actually hear: the rustle of fabric, the little crunch as the worn leather gives and the springs complain. She smiles in spite of herself, and decides, in fact, to humor him.

“The very beginning?”

"Spare no detail,” he implores, and she remembers the panic of their briefing with Skinner after Chaney, years ago.""

Post X-Cops Scully recaps their night over the phone to Mulder, who drops off (or at least snores) when she winds up to her list of grievances. (Her "unbelievable" floats around my head continually.)

@minuete-blog/Minuete's Out-Of-Scope Assignment - Chapter 8

""The two sat in their usual seats across from a scowling Skinner as they recount the COPS filming the elusive X-File and the somewhat successful bodyguard-turned-sting-operation. He flipped through the report and underlined a few things for himself.""

Post X-Cops Mulder wants to investigate another file but is squashed flat by Scully's "no." Instead, She invites him over for another work-night-turned-movie-night.

Girlie_girl7’s Bill Scully meets the X Cops

""Just then someone on the screen says they have a disturbance down the street. Mulder and Scully climb into their car. Scully stops the camera crew from going with them. "No, you go with someone else."

"About time Dana, you take charge.""

Post X-Cops Bill Scully, Jr., is shocked with his nightly COPS viewing; but gets swept up in the melodrama, cheering his sister on.

Sheryl Martin’s Feedback

""Thunk.

"Scully..."

Thunk.

"Scully... stop it."

Thunk.

"You're going to hurt yourself."

Thunk.

"Don't hurt the desk, then - put something under your head."

Thuddle.

"I didn't mean the case file. Besides, we did okay.""

Post X-Cops Scully is AGHAST that her family saw the episode.

ColebaltBlue/colebaltblue's Nothing to Hide

""Agent, you seriously believe we're looking for some kind of-"

"We'll, I'll show ya."

"Oh Mulder, you didn't."

"Didn't what?"

"Show that drawing on national television." Scully watched as Mulder unfoled the picture of wolf-man on screen. "Oh, yes, you did."

"Scully?" Mulder sounded amused, but with just a hint of hurt under it all. She bumped his shoulder with hers by way of apology. He bumped back and all was forgiven.

Post X-Cops Mulder and Scully watch the episode; and she grapples with the heartwarming (but oft frustrating) realization that Mulder cares only for her good opinion.

Erin Blair/Erin M. Blair's Halloween Evening

""Mulder nodded. "Twenty people wanted candy from the 'cool FBI agents' - that's what one of the kids said to me." He saw her give him one of her patented looks. "I don't know where he recognized us from. For all we know, he probably watched the 'Cops' episode with fifty repeated viewings.""

Post X-Cops Mulder and Scully were kept hoppin' on Halloween.

IngridGradient's Filmed on Location

""Mulder can’t help but feel smug about the fact that Scully has been reasonably attentive for the whole thing, barring a few scoffs and mutterings about how they shouldn't have let themselves be filmed. She even appeared amused a few times, basking in the (relative) innocence of their (relative) youth. And she ate the popcorn.

“Well. That was…something,” she says. “I’m still not clear on the M.O. of the creature you were proposing — precisely how it would pass the…the ‘fear’ along its chain of victims. You know what I mean, Mulder? The mechanism, the vector for transmission.”

“Always with the ‘how’ and never with the ‘wow’,” Mulder says.""

Post Revival Mulder finds the episode and convinces Scully to watch it. Their moods sink the longer it goes on; but they're jolted out of the doldrums by their shock at a "lost scene." (As someone not into smut reading, I just skip that section~.)

AUs and Extras

@wtfmulder/@momdadimpoppunk (Ao3) TXF Fic Snippets

""Mulder pops in through the connecting door while she’s undressing, and she shakes her head before he gets any words out. “Absolutely not,” she says sternly.

“What do you think I’m here for?” He laughs, leaning up against the doorframe.""

In a collection of fic snippets, post X-Cops Scully sinks to the floor of her motel room, batting off Mulder's intentions.

stellar_dust's (Ao3) Cause and Effect (Ao3)

""He laughed. "Come on, Scully, it's a classic. How often do we get to see ourselves together, huh?"

She groaned. "Who says I want to, Mulder? That's what cameras are for. *Personal* cameras."

"... You know, Scully, you're really short," Mulder mused, like he hadn't made a point of noticing that fact at least a thousand times since they'd met.""

In a fic that spans S7's events post The Goldberg Variation, Mulder contemplates magic and trickery and chicanery.

FootlessData507′s Do You Want to Believe? - Chapter 12

""You look around to figure out what’s happened. You can’t move very far, obviously, because of that oxygen mask you are currently dependent on, but it soon becomes clear to you that something is going on in the economy section. You can hear screaming in addition to that strange sucking noise, and a whole lotta beeping and wailing, like there’s an episode of Cops playing in there.

You were in an episode of Cops once. Remember that? How did that not get brought up more?""

In a Pick-Your-Own-Adventure series of events, Scully is determined to have a beautiful flight... aliens interfere, of course; and Mulder gets right in the middle of it.

Do You Want to Believer? - Chapter 28

""Momma Mulder didn’t raise no chump! You put on your mask first, breathing in that sweet, sweet Element Eight.

O-utstanding.

Get it?

Anyway, eventually you get around to helping that kid. Once you’ve done so, you look around to figure out what’s happened....

You were in an episode of Cops once. Remember that? How did that not get brought up more?""

In that same series of events, Mulder gets a shot at a Cops shoutout.

Defnotmeyo’s (WBM, Alt. WBM) FTF- AKA The Tentative Trio (Alt.)

""The last torn up picture, the one left on top, is her first ultrasound. One of the ones Mulder wasn’t there for. The first one. The first time he felt her hold his hand, kinda quite ‘that way.’

He’s not immune, to Mulder, either. In that heap of a trash pile is a torn up L.A. newspaper, asking why the FBI was in town, and was partnering with COPS.""

S11 Skinner-- having received CSM's "biological" revelation-- tears his place apart and reflects on Mulder, the man he thinks of as his son.

@onpaperfirst's (Ao3, LJ) Snakebitten

""She went into the bathroom and he heard quiet movement, a zipper, fabric, then the squeak of pipes and water running in the tub. He wished he could fall asleep, nap in front of the TV, so he wouldn’t be waiting there expectantly when she came out, like some creep who’d just been sitting there the whole time, listening to her in there, thinking about her naked, which, well, he sometimes did, but he wasn’t now.

He watched most of an episode of COPS before deciding she’d been in there too long. You could drown in an inch of water. Not to mention the things they’d seen come up a drainpipe.""

AU-- S5 Mulder and Scully secretly push apart as she investigates her cancer and abduction and he is forced into the long-con of recruitment leading up to The Pine Bluff Variant-- though, as per their bond, they are ultimately pulled back together.

@ghostbustermelanieking/skuls's encephalon - Chapter 1

""She wrinkles her nose up at him from where she's collapsed in the desk chair. “I liked Los Angeles,” she says seriously. “I don't like ridiculous movies that over-exaggerate and misconceptualize our jobs. At least that COPS episode showed what we really do.”

Mulder taps his chin dramatically, pretending to be in deep thought. “I seem to remember a certain Jose Chung and his horribly inaccurate portrayal of a certain case,” he says coyly.

She makes a face at him. “At least the names were changed,” she retorts.""

AU-- Mulder and Scully work through his brain disease in S7, with Scully's science ultimately saving his life. X-Cops is mentioned briefly after the disaster of The Lazarus Bowl.

Thank you for reading~

Enjoy!

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