Tumgik
#season 16 is even over yet and it’s already a favourite
abandonastaroth · 7 months
Text
Season five, seven and sixteen of taskmaster may have my heart forever
14 notes · View notes
just-another-siimp · 1 year
Text
Epilogue
Warnings: Brief mention of war, injuries and anxiety, alcohol use, poor fire safety, lots of smooches (16+), lots of fluff, a ton of fluff.
Authors Note: This is is, the Enemy at the Gate series is finally done! All this is is self indulgent fluffy. Pairing below the cut!
Word Count: 2k
Enemy at the Gate || Alone || Prison Break || Epilogue
Kyle 'Gaz' Garrick x Reader
The months following Las Almas blurred into one, with Hassan dead and Makarov crawling out of the rafters like the cockroach that he was, there was so much work to be done. Laswell had other plans for the 141st, forcing a mandatory leave period of 6 weeks. Allowing everyone to heal both mentally and physically. For some of you returning home was a secret blessing, it allowed opportunities for hidden relationships to bloom behind drawn curtains. Not that your relationship was hidden from the 141st, they were the people you trusted with your life so it was only natural that they knew. It was either that or have them find out, and they always find out. 
For you home is a cottage on the outskirts of Metz, allowing the beauty of the French countryside to swallow you whole. At first you’d thought the choice to move to France of all places would be something you’d regret, yet there had been nothing but happy memories made in the cottage you and your beloved called home. While you’d been away the seasons had changed, summer had been in full swing, the Apricot trees in the back garden had been full of the sweet fruit. Now it was covered in snow, the flowers had died long ago, leaves fallen to the ground below long before you’d even thought of home. Yet under a blanket of white, it was still your favourite place to be. 
-
Soft quacks could be heard just outside your kitchen window, peaking out from the frosted glass you caught sight of your two favourite trouble makers. Henry and Gale, a pair of ducks that belonged to your neighbour but always had a habit of venturing over to your cottage. They supplied a pleasant background noise as you kneaded dough, even in the cold weather it was easy to build up a sweat. Your arm still ached, bullet wound leaving a nasty scar despite the neat stitching. After a few more weeks it would be back to normal but for now you dealt with the ache, covering the bowl with a damp towel before leaving the dough to proof. 
The kitchen was an organised mess, Stew bubbling away in it’s pot atop the stove while vegetables soaked in water waiting to be formed into something that resembled a salad. The cupboard was fully stocked with snacks, both sweet and savoury. Outside in the garage there was a fridge filled with beer, amongst other drinks. Next to it a pile of firewood had been stacked sky high, your neighbour (the owner of Henry and Gale) had kept it well stocked in exchange for Apricots from your tree. Staring at the fridge you looked at the list you’d written, there wasn’t a lot left to do before the boys arrived but still you paced the kitchen anxiously. 
Gale’s quacking was interrupted by a car engine as it pulled into the driveway, a flurry of snow and wings indicated that the pair had flown away spooked by the slam of a car door. Suddenly you remembered you were supposed to be resting, you’d promised not to do anything on your own and allow your arm a chance to heal without extra strain. There wasn’t time to hide the evidence, front door creaking open reminding you that it needed to be oiled before Price arrived. He’d go full handyman and try finding other things to fix if you didn’t. 
“Babe, I’m home! You’d never believe what I found at the store today-” Your heart skipped a beat hearing his voice, excitement already welling up in your chest. The kitchen door swung open and you attempted to look as though you’d just been standing in the kitchen for no reason. “Hey- you’re supposed to be resting!”
“Oh hey.. Gaz- you’re back home early!” The way he was staring at you was a clear indication that your goose was indeed cooked, as he placed the bags down. Reaching out to you he pulled you closer, hand reaching up to cup your cheek before brushing flour off of your nose. Ah, so you’d really been caught red handed.
“Is this how you feel when you catch one of us working when we’re supposed to be resting?” He asked softly, lips pressed to your forehead as he pulled you into him. It was hard not to melt into his embrace, breathe in his cologne as his hands trailed down to your waist leaving warmth in his wake. 
“Oh it’s incredibly frustrating to see.” You murmured softly into the crook of his neck, leaning all of your weight into him with a content sigh. It was nice to have him home, even if he was only gone for a couple of hours. “Especially when the Captain falls asleep at his desk in the process.”
You’re both laughing at that, Gaz leaning down a little further lips pressing to yours in a sweet kiss. Fingers pressing flush into the back of your thighs tapping once as if to say ‘up’, the movement was effortless as he lifted you onto the counter. Fingers curled into his hair, still slightly damp from the snow he must’ve been caught in while he was out. His lips tasted faintly of chocolate, your brow furrowed and you pulled away. 
“Did you have hot chocolate without me?” Guilt was written all over his face, his fingers traced gentle circles into your sides trying to soften you up. “I can’t believe you.” 
“They were handing out cups for free! How could I say no?” 
“Easily.” He kissed your nose, you pouted at him trying to hide the smile that threatened to break out on your face. Gaz knew you weren’t really angry at him, how could you be? When you didn’t say anything he trailed kisses across your cheek and down your jaw, coaxing a whine from your lips. “Kyle.. I’m trying to be angry at you.” 
“Guess I’ll just have to take the coco powder they were selling back to the store.” You tried turning to the paper bag that sat forgotten on the kitchen counter next to you, his right hand rested on the side of your neck. Thumb grazing your chin before grasping it gently, keeping your focus on him. “The marshmallows too.” 
“Giant Marshmallows?” 
“Of course, biggest I could find.” 
“Why didn’t you say so sooner?” Before he could respond you’d pulled him closer, eyes fluttering shut as you both lost yourselves in the kiss. It was often like this after deployment, there was no looming threat or unwanted eyes on either of you. In this little bubble of the world you could both cherish the little moments and the silly moments just like this one. 
The rest of the morning was spent in the kitchen, with you sat at a bar stool while Gaz worked on perfecting his stew refusing to let you do anything to help. This time you listened to his ‘orders’ laughing when he mocked you, scolding you just as you did to him and the others when they didn’t rest. Elbows rested on the cool countertop, your chin resting on the palm of your hand was you watched him cook. Hot chocolate with a comically large marshmallow floating within it partially forgotten. 
-
Snow crunched beneath your feet, cool air nipping at exposed skin as you shuffled out to the wood pile. There were some things that Gaz couldn’t stop you from helping with, like a puppy you’d followed him out into the snow not taking no for an answer. He still wouldn’t let you carry the wood, instead allowing you to light the fire and only because you’d hidden the matches from him. 
“You could’ve at least put gloves on.” He said walking towards you, firewood piled in his arms. “Can you grab the axe for me, love?” 
“Why wear gloves when you can hold my hand?” There was a pep in your step as you grabbed the axe off of the wall, true intentions hidden behind a giddy smile as you followed him to the designated wood cutting stump. “One axe, ready and willing to serve. Sir!” 
“Are you having a sugar high?” 
“Hmm maybe.” 
“That hot chocolate is pretty good, I bet even Ghost will like it.” You watched as he removed his jacket, wrapping it over your shoulders before taking the axe from your waiting hands. That reminded you, looking at the time it wouldn’t be long before the others arrived. The dough was only half way through it’s second proof, there were still blankets that needed to be pulled from cupboards for whoever crashed on the couch and neither you or Kyle had made the salad. The first crack of axe meeting wood pulled you from your thoughts, this was the real reason you’d come outside just to watch Gaz at work. 
-
Ghost was the first to arrive, he wore the usual skull balaclava which really made the bright pink box of chocolates in his arms stand out more. You would’ve laughed but he didn’t give you the chance, shoving the box into your arms and walking into the cottage not without ruffling your hair on the way. You could hear Gaz greeting him in the kitchen, their voices muffled by the kitchen door as it closed again. The sun had set roughly an hour ago, leaving the surrounding area covered in darkness. There was no reason for you to be standing at the door still, yet you couldn’t stop looking into the black searching for something that wasn’t there. 
“Chip.” You almost screamed, whirling around to face Ghost with a half hearted glare. He shot you an apologetic look, reaching past you to turn on the front garden lights. Illuminating the darkness, revealing Gale and Henry snuggled together under the bench. “It’s just the ducks, nothings gonna come crawling out of the shadows here.” 
“I know.” You whispered softly, stepping away from the door and closing it. Ignoring how the cold seemed to settle in your bones despite the fireplace being well lit. Ghost had forced you to show him to the livingroom despite him knowing exactly where it was, distracting you from what lurked in the shadows. 
-
Price and Soap had arrived together, the Captain having picked up John in london before driving the rest of the way. They both planned to stay a few days, using it as an excuse to stay at their home away from home. Not that you or Gaz were complaining, it was nice to have the extra company especially because it meant getting to listen to Soap butcher french with his thick Scottish accent. Ghost would most likely be gone by morning, he wasn’t the type to stick around for long but you always made him promise to take some leftovers home. 
The five of you surrounded the fire pit, Soap standing a bit too close to comfort as he tipped his head back downing another Guava Cruiser. Your home was one of the only places where he’d drink something other than beer or a strong spirit, in private where none of you judged further than shitty banter. These types of gatherings didn’t happen often, it was a chance for everyone to relax. As always Gaz’s cooking was the main star of the show, matched with the fresh bread you’d made that afternoon it was a real treat. Even Ghost had taken Gaz up on the offer of a hot coco (mind you it had a shot of peppermint liquour and no marshmallow, sorta disappointing really) from where he stood next to Soap he seemed to be enjoying it. Even if he had to stop the Scot from falling into the fire. 
None of you worried about what battles were next to come.
Tag List: @komorebiiiiiiii @mauveserpent @mydogeatscoffeecups @reiya-djarin @underatreedrinkingtea @blueoorchid @poohkie90 @kult6 @watermaylon-writes @boxofgasoline @cumbersome-robes @frazie99 @bowserowser @urfavsunkissedleo @kyuupidwrites @omgitstatertot @justpeachiixx @trashy-panda777 @msecho19 @spinkeydinkey @whoreforhorror
163 notes · View notes
aniron48 · 4 months
Text
20 questions for fic writers
Thank you for the tag, @anyawen! These were so much fun!
Answers under the cut, and tagging @sweetbabyangels, @mr-iskender, @stinastar, @aprettyspy and @thestalwartheart, in case you haven't done this already and it's of interest!
1. How many works do you have on AO3? 30! That number seems astonishing to me now, considering I started writing fic in earnest like a year-and-a-half ago. 😁
2. What’s your total A03 word count? 138,358
3. What fandoms do you write for? James Bond, Glass Onion/Knives Out, and I just wrote my first fic for The Old Guard fandom, which has pulled me in by the lapels and refused to let me go. And the very first fic I ever wrote was for Stardew Valley.
4. What are your top five fics by kudos? 1. A Good Man (Benoit Blanc/Phillip) 2. rain (00q) 3. open line (00q) 4. The More Loving One (00q) 5. Must Love Cats (00q)
5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not? Ok yes I definitely do and I love to *and also* I'm so sorry, I'm 288 days (yes I just checked) behind in responding to comments, because this year has been...something else. So, taking the opportunity to say that a) all of your comments are incredible bright spots for me, and b) I am working my way steadily through and enjoying your comments all over again as I re-read and respond to them.
6. What’s the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? WELP (eyes my pile o' fics warily). If we go based off the fics with "Major Character Death" as a warning, for a certain value of angst, it's a tie between offering and and the wind at their backs. But both of these fics deal with grief, and the complicated emotions that result from the persistence of love even after the object of that love is gone, and there's some hope in that, too, I think.
7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? lmao most of the rest of them other than the two in number 6? 😂 this is a hard one to answer, so I'll list my RomCom-iest fics for now (Must Love Cats for 00q and in a space that they belong for The Old Guard). Special shout-out to 'tis the damn season, though, because the happiness at the end of this fic feels like some of the hardest fought, to me, and some of the tenderest I've written, I think.
8. Do you get hate on fics? No--I've gotten a few less than diplomatic comments, and a couple people making unflattering notes in bookmarks that I don't think they meant for me to see, but nothing terrible.
9. Do you write smut? ::offers you rain and for the age of the earth, and after as if I am a sommelier presenting you with some very fine wine:: "this one has notes of--" you know what I'm just going to stop there.
10. Do you write crossovers? I haven't yet!
11. Have you ever had a fic stolen? No, thank goodness (knocks on wood).
12. Have you ever had a fic translated? Not yet! #goals
13. Have you ever co-written a fic before? Use. Your. Words., which was a collaborative poem for 007 fest 2023. 😁
14. What’s your all-time favourite ship? I spent about five minutes hemming and hawing about this but you know what, it's impossible to pick. 😂
15. What’s the WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? Like Anyawen, I have aspirations of finishing all the ones hanging out in my Scrivener app...someday. Probably the one I have the most doubts about is a 5 + 1 fic where Bond tries out different activities post retirement. I still love the idea and some of the vision I had for this one, but it lives almost entirely in my head, still.
16. What are your writing strengths? I think maybe I have a good ear for language, both in terms of the rhythm of sentences and paragraphs, and for conveying a character's voice or accent. But it's hard to assess your own strengths, sometimes, so that's just my best guess!
17. What are your writing weaknesses? I'm actively working on trying to be better at descriptions, especially in giving details about setting or background. I realized I give these things short shrift, sometimes, and want to change that!
18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic? I'll do it with languages I'm fluent in (and have done it with Spanish, since I'm a native speaker).
19. First fandom you wrote for? Stardew Valley, in What Dreams May Come.
20. Favourite fic you’ve ever written? Omg, another one that is almost impossible to answer! I think I have to go with all the flags we've hung. This is one of my least popular fics--it's a rarepair, the love depicted in it is complicated (though no less real), and it deals with light topics like, you know, structural racism in the United States. As one does. But it's a fic that's incredible close to my heart, for many reasons, and I remain so proud of this one.
Phew! If you have read all of this you deserve a cupcake. 💜
xoxo, Ani
11 notes · View notes
liminalmemories21 · 6 months
Text
Weekend WIP Game
tagged by @jesuisici33
Rules: List your WIPs below (if you only write one fic at a time, feel free to include future WIPs/ideas!) then answer the following questions. Then, tag as many people as you have WIPs (or more)
1. WIP List:
kid fic
untitled 5+1 thing of conversations TK had with Carlos's sisters (maybe?) - there's like half of one written, so it's sort of an unknown quantity
Knave 4 eventually
Secret is a strange thing for Paul and Nancy
2. Which of your WIPs is currently the longest?
kid fic I think - somewhere around 5,000 words
3. Which WIP do you expect will end up the longest?
Knave 4. I don't even have to have started writing it to know that.
4. Which WIP is your favourite to write/the most enjoyable to write? Why?
I mean, I'm not really writing any of them at the moment because I'm still coming down from Knave 3, and I'm at the stage where everything I write feels like I'm repeating something I've already said somewhere else before.
5. Which WIP do you find the most intimidating to write? Why?
Kid fic, because I have no idea where it's going
6. Which WIP do you experience the most self-doubt about. Why?
At the moment, all of them, because literally everything I have put on paper this week feels like I've written it before in another fic.
7. Which of your WIPs will you seek out a beta/sensitivity reader for? Why?
Maybe the 5+1, just because I don't have siblings and I want to get that dynamic right
8. Have any of your WIPs been struck by the curse of writer's block?
umm, all of them? Okay, maybe not Knave 4, but that's only because it exists basically only as a vague notion at the moment.
9. Which WIP has your favourite OC? Tell us about them?
Knave-verse, hands down. I think the OCs have taken over the show between Massey, and Tulson, and Amy, and the various cousins I've invented for Carlos.
10. Which WIP is the sexiest?
[eyes list] I'm gonna guess Knave 4 will be, just because there's probably not going to be a lot of sex in conversations TK has with Carlos's sisters, or in a 5+1 about being insecure about parenthood (okay, I suppose there could be sex in that one, but there probably won't be)
11. Which WIP is the angstiest?
Not Knave 4. I swear I am sending those boys on a caper. They have had enough angst.
12. Which WIP has the best characterisation (in your humble opinion)?
I mean, none of them really exist yet . . . so?
13. Which WIP has the best scene setting (in your humble opinion)?
this is probably one of my weak spots as a writer. so i'm not sure tbh
14. Which WIP have you worked the hardest on?
I think I've definitely been trying to write kid fic for the longest time
15. Which WIP do you have the highest expectations for? Why?
Probably anything Knave-verse related, because they have become a whole universe now
16. Do you dream about any of your WIPs?
Not really. I do frequently go to bed, and then instantly have like whole paragraphs that unspool in my head and I have to roll over and type messy notes into my phone so I don't forget them.
17. Do any of your WIPs have particular complexities that your other fics don't?
Again, anything knave-verse related because it requires figuring out something semi-plausible for a heist. Although, also - not that I"m writing one right now because we're all on indefinite hiatus - but the seasons interstitials always involve so much trying to figure out time line shenanigans, and looking up things to do in Austin
18. Which WIP is the funniest or has the most humour?
Probably anything knave-verse related, although I try and incorporate humor into everything
19. Do any of your WIPs contain outside POVs or a deep dive on a character other than the main ship? How are you finding that process?
5+1 of TK talking to Carlos's sisters is definitely going to be told either all from Luisa's POV, or alternating Luisa and Ana.
20. Tell us one thing we don't know about one or more of your WIPs
Knave 4 - so okay, there was a news story that went around a while ago (not that long ago?) about a curator who was replacing paintings in museum inventory with forgeries (not even good forgeries! which let's be honest is the part that going to offend TK the most). And, one, I really want Carlos to have to go undercover as a curator to catch this guy. But, also, more importantly, two, when Carlos figures out that to pull it off he basically needs to think WWTKD (What Would TK Do) and loosens up and fakes at being TK, TK has a deep oh shit moment of what have I unleased on the world, and also that is so hot we need to go home right now, no like right right now or I'm going to do unspeakable things to you in public.
tagging @iboatedhere, @freneticfloetry, @ravens-words, and @carlos-in-glasses
10 notes · View notes
innamorament0 · 6 months
Text
20 questions game
Thank you, @luthordamnvers, for the tag <3
1. How many works do you have on AO3?
At this moment 9, though most of them are on hold and 1 is an art
2. What’s your total AO3 words count?
206 916 at the moment
3. What fandoms do you write for?
Exclusively Supercorp with a dash of Dansen, Brainia and Rojarias as side pairings. No other pair had this much grip over me, so I would start writing fics for them. =D
4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?
how to interrupt the spellcasting (Explicit, smut 1 shot) When you move, I'm moved (Explicit, Ice Dance AU, non-trad a/b/o, multichapter, ongoing) Cold never bothered me anyway (Explicit, smut 1 shot) When those walls come tumbling down (Mature (for now) post-season 6 canon compliant, my first work that I intend to rewrite because it's a mess) I hope you're the end of my story (Mature (for now) Cowboy Kara AU, non-trad a/b/o, on hold now, but I will finish it!)
yeah.... people like smut XD
5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?
I always reply! It may take me a day or two especially when I am busy at work but I read them and try to answer something more or less meaningful <3
6. What’s the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?
I am terrible at writing angst and all my fics ends well because I am a fluff-loving bitch =D
7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?
All of them have happy endings, but I think, the most satisfying is in I slithered here from Eden . Or I am just biased. But it's most domestic and hopeful.
8. Do you get hate on fics?
Got some nasty comments, from some famous haters in a SC fandom
9. Do you write smut? If so what kind?
oh yes, that's my speciality XD Most of my fic contains explicit smut.
10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?
Nope, not yet but I never say never!
11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?
I don't think so? I am not so popular too
12. Have you ever had a fic translated?
Not officially, no, but I ran fics through the translator to read it many years ago when my English was worse.
13. Have you ever cowritten a fic before?
Not in the full meaning of this word, but I count my Beta as my co-writer because he does a lot of work to make it readable, because English is not my native language and the raw text is... terrifying not gonna lie.
14. What’s your all-time favourite ship?
Supercorp, I think they overshade all my previous favourite ships. But I can't say I love my other ships less, so <3 you Xena/Gabrielle, Sylvaina and Pharmercy!
15. What’s a WIP you want to finish, but doubt you ever will?
I want to finish all my WIP's, I had a writing draught for a year because of an illness and now coming back to it and focusing on one/two at a time with the occasional 1-shot in the middle
16. What are your writing strengths?
I guess I am good at writing adventures ( thus I focus on action-heavy AU's) and smut. To be honest I needed to write smut first but I try not to seem too thirsty XD
17. What are your writing weaknesses?
Angst. Idk, I just don't have a mental capacity for it I guess
18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?
If we dismiss the fact that English is not my first or even second language, yes, I thought that when I will write Red Daughter I would write her dialogue in Russian ( which is another language I freely speak)
19. First fandom you wrote for?
I never wrote for fandoms before, so my first texts were about my OC's
20. Favourite fic you’ve ever written?
I would say that it is From Eden . First of all it is full of action and I love writing combat scenes and adventures, second of all it was for SCBB and I never participated in anything like that so it added to the fun. And last - it is my only finished long work so I am kinda sorta proud of it =D
I think all writers I know are already tagged so I spread it to anyone who wants to fill it up! <3
10 notes · View notes
icemaninvestments · 4 months
Text
IceMan Investments Update – Mid Season 2023/24
New Year greetings from your favourite anti-fascist betting blog. 
We start 2024 with ongoing crises and misery in Ukraine and Gaza. We also confront the electoral rise of the far right across Europe (with the welcome exception of their setback in Poland). 
We have the almost unbelievable possibility that Trump gets re-elected in the States (more on that later). The only bright spot on the horizon is the almost certain defeat of this mean and corrupt Tory government.
As usual IceMan is always punting for a purpose and will donate some of the inevitable profit to Anti-Fascist organisation Hope not Hate. 
Ok on with the Football before we get too depressed. As usual we have some Teams who already look home and dry, some still very much in the mix, a couple heading to the loss column and an absolute stinker. Here goes....
Premiership, Arsenal without Man City 9/4 now 16/5 (ShitePrice)
If you had suggested to me at the start of the season that Arsenal will end the Christmas break a place behind Man City, I would have been well happy, however I would not have expected City to be third and Arsenal fourth. The improvement of leaders Liverpool is not a complete shock, it is the fact Aston Villa sit third that is really surprising. At this stage, this bet looks like a loser. There is a good chance Villa may fall back in the second half of the season, it is making up a 5-point deficit to Liverpool that is problematic. My only hope is that Arsenal can add some reinforcements including a top striker in January and then massively improve, even at that Liverpool still need to wobble. It ain’t over yet, but not optimistic. 
Championship Leicester City Promotion 13/8 now 1/66 (IcePrice)
Gary Lineker is a prominent supporter of this club; I say that cos just mentioning his name upsets so many Daily Mail/Torygraph Gammons. Given that they were relegated last season and took a gamble on appointing Enzo Maresca, I was not entirely sure that Leicester represented good value at 13/8. That price now looks a steal. Delighted with this position, top of the table and even more importantly 13 points clear of third place, looking set for automatic promotion.  I will be collecting on this. 
 League one – Bolton promotion 11/4 now 8/13 (IcePrice)
This is a very competitive division. Bolton are second with a game in hand and only two points behind Portsmouth. Looking good for automatic promotion. They are, however, only 2 points clear of third placed Peterborough, a team I seriously considered backing. Bolton can hopefully hold on to an automatic promotion spot, failing that, they are nailed on for a play-off slot.  Looks an excellent chance of a pickup. 
League Two Stockport 5/4 now 1/8 (IcePrice) and MK Dons 11/4 now 6/1 (ShitePrice) both for promotion 
Stockport aka ‘The Hatters ‘due to the town’s historical link to the Hat trade, it actually has a Hat Museum. are on top of the league so automatic promotion looks on. They have a six-point margin, however 4th placed Barrow do have a game in hand, so this is closer than the market suggests. Stockport have dropped a few points recently, albeit against some good sides, which has allowed some of the chasing teams to close the gap.  MK Dons were the second choice, and I was backing them as more of a play-off team. They currently sit one place outside a play-off position, though they have games in hand, so very much in the mix. Expect to collect from Stockport. MK Dons should make play offs and we can take it from there.        
National League Chesterfield 6/4 now 1/66 (IcePrice) and Gateshead 25/1 now 5/1 (IcePrice) Promotion 
Chesterfield aka ‘The Spireites ‘(due to a crooked town church spire) was a bit of a shortie , however I would have to been a total contrarian to overlook their chances. Only one automatic promotion place in this league, Chesterfield look good for it as 7 points clear with games in hand. Gateshead were selected as they represented excellent value to be competitive for a play-off place. They have not let us down and currently occupy a play-off slot. Expect to collect on Chesterfield and optimistic Gateshead can make the play offs.
Scottish Premiership - Aberdeen without Celtic/Rangers 9/5 now 10/1 (ShitePrice)
Very disappointed with The Sheep and am moving this into the loss column. They have been shockingly inconsistent and are in 9th place, 13 points adrift of 3rd.  They do however have 3 games in hand, it is difficult to imagine them making up that much ground, main rivals Hearts are having a steady season, so can’t see them imploding. Aberdeen may also lose some of their best talent in the January transfer window. 
In better SPL news, Celtic are top and have beaten Rangers for the second time this season.       
Scottish Championship - Dundee United 11/8 to win the league now 4/7 (IcePrice) 
I wish I could be as confident as the markets on this one, I had expected ‘The Terrors’ to be 5 points clear at this stage, currently they sit in second, 3 points behind the leaders Raith. Importantly they do have a game in hand and a superior goal difference. A downside is that they lost a recent head-to-head match with Raith, on the upside they do have a stronger squad which could be reinforced in January. I would expect this to prove a critical advantage in the second half of the season. Optimistic of collecting on this.    
Scottish League One Hamilton Academicals 5/2 to win the league now 7/2
This league looked like a matchup between perennial under achievers Falkirk and recently relegated Hamilton Academicals, so called as they were established by students from Hamilton Academy. . Having previously had my wallet burned by Falkirk, I considered Hamilton to represent better value. Up until recent weeks this has been the case, as it was hard to separate these sides. However, Hamilton have faltered a bit of Late and have gifted Falkirk what appears an unassailable advantage.  This looks destined for the loss column; however, you can never underestimate the ability of Falkirk to grab defeat from the jaws of victory.   
Scottish League Two - Stenhousemuir to win 6/1 each way now 8/15 (IcePrice)    
In contrast to my other Scottish selections ‘Stenny ‘are bang on the money. They are in tremendous form and find themselves 11 points clear in the top spot. A caveat is that other teams have played less games, but a bird in the hand and all that. Stenny looks a cert for top 3 and I fancy them to push on and win this league.  Going to collect something, for sure.  
Bundesliga - Union Berlin top 4 11/4 now 1500/1 (ShitePrice)
Every season there is a pick that turns out to be an absolute shocker. This year it is Union Berlin, a surprise package last year, I fancied them to kick on this season as many of their potential rivals appeared weakened by selling top players.  This season Union have been rubbish, they are in 15th place, 21 points shy of top 4. Enough. 
Politics Lab/Lib Coalition 7/1
No change in this position, the current cash out exactly matches my stake. I am cashing it out as I now don’t expect a formal coalition even if Lab come up a bit shy of an overall majority.   
***New***
Hungary -Euro2024 150/1 E/W now 100/1 (IcePrice)
I love to through a dart at an underrated long shot in tournament football. Politically Hungary being successful would be a nightmare. Far right leader Orban is a massive football fan and would milk any triumph. On the other hand, 150/1 is a big price as many teams of equivalent capability are trading below 50/1. Hungary won a not overly challenging qualifying group and have a young squad led by Liverpool player Dominik Szoboszlai.   
Democrats to win Presidency
I have taken a safety approach of backing Democrats rather than Biden specifically who is available at 9/4. Biden is almost certain to be the candidate but doubts around his age and his current unpopularity mean he could stand aside.  TBH, I would welcome that happening, and his being replaced by Gavin Newsom or Gretchen Whitmer. The real worry about this bet is that it is an Even money shot, the Democrats should be 1/20 on running against Trump the narcissistic sociopath, Trump is actually a marginal favourite in most books. Trump is campaigning as a full on white Christian nationalist and being upfront about his fascistic tendencies. This is a bet where the financial winnings are irrelevant compared to the real-world geopolitical consequences.  
The MAGA cult and GOP enablers seem all in for syphilitic, Adderall addicted whack job. Things are getting desperate when you start to hope that the recent Trump smells revelations on the internet are true and might dent some of his popularity. The MAGA cult will have no problem voting for an authoritarian bigot, but do they want a President who literally shits his adult nappy and stinks the place out.      
City of Troy - 2000 Guineas 13/5 now Evs (IcePrice)
I can’t help myself; I do love an ante post bet on the Guineas. I got on to City of Troy prior to his impressive Dewhurst win. As I have found to my cost, brilliant two-year-old form does not always translate to winning classics at three. On the plus side his trainer Aidan O’Brien seems genuinely enthused and he knows a good horse when he sees one. 
Late Night Pass -Grand National 35/1 
Still my favourite sporting event. I normally get involved in February when the weights are released, however this year I am getting in early as I was very taken by the prospects of Late Night Pass who has had two good outings this season. This has not gone unnoticed in the market, though he can still be backed at a generous 33/1. 
Matteo Berrettini - Wimbledon 28/1 E/W
This is a very tentative and small stakes dip into the Tennis markets. Berrettini is a great grass court player as evidenced by the fact he was a finalist at Wimbledon in 2021. He has recently been injury plagued which is obviously reflected in this price. So, hoping he can reach Wimbledon fully fit and in the form that enabled him to hit the World no6 ranking.   
That’s it . 
 IceMan Investment Portfolio – Punting for a Purpose 
Smash the Fash  
1 note · View note
suckitsurveys · 11 months
Text
1.) What did you do last Friday night? Do you have any plans for the upcoming Friday night? Last Friday night my friends and I danced on table tops and took too many shots and I think I kissed someone but I forgot. We also maxed out all our cards and got kicked out of the bar so then we hit the boulevard. Then we went streaking in the park followed by skinny dipping in the dark, and then had a ménage à trois. And I think we broke the law. We always say we’re gunna stop, but this Friday night, we’ll do it all again. 😂😂😂
2.) When does spring break start for you? I’m not in school or anything that has spring break.
3.) Do you have anything planned for June so far? June is literally half over. I have a few things planned here and there.
4.) What is the weather like right now? It’s 62F and kinda cloudy and hazy.
5.) What song are you listening to? I’m not listening to music.
6.) Name all the people that you talked to today. Online, through texts and in person. My husband and a handful of coworkers.
7.) Do you know anyone who self-harms? Yes.
8.) If you have a science class, who did you last talk to in that class? –
9.) What did you eat for lunch today? I haven’t even had breakfast yet, but I brought a salad.
10.) If you were president, which one would you legalize first: abortion, gay marriage or marijuana? These are all pretty much legal depending on what state you are in, so I would make them all legal throughout the US, with no way for an individual state to ban or deny any of them.
11.) What are your parents’ names and what do they do for a living? My dad, Rick, is retired and my mom, Janet, is no longer with us.
12.) Do you have any siblings? What are their names, age and grade they are in? I have an older sister, Corrina.
13.) Do you know a schizophrenic person? I did.
14.) Do you have a threewords.me account? I don’t even know what that is.
15.) Who were you last in a car with and where did you go? One of my coworkers. We went to a reception for one of the graduations that happened at the college I work with. 
16.) Aren’t you excited for the 4th season of Jersey Shore?! Oh wow.
17.) Did you ever watch Sailor Moon? If so, who is your favourite? I haven’t really watched it.
18.) Have you seen the game show “Baggage”? OMG I forgot about that show. I don’t want to pay for cable but god do I miss The Game Show Network.
19.) Name the last 3 people you kissed and list one nice thing about each one. Mark is the only one who matters. He’s my favorite person on this planet and he’s so funny and sweet and loving.
20.) Have you ever had cranberry vodka? Probably.
21.) When was the last time you felt EXTREMELY depressed? Why is that? Blah.
22.) Don’t you just want to move out of your parents’ home already? I did that.
23.) Are you friends with a Conner? Nope.
24.) Would you ever dye your hair pink? I have and I am going to again soon.
25.) Who was the last person to kiss your forehead? Mark.
0 notes
tharizdun-03 · 1 year
Text
86 Part 2 Review
Tumblr media
I am moving some of my Twitter threads over to Tumblr as well. This is one of them.
Part 2 was a bit better. We didn't focus too much on the world-building issues that Part 1 has, which was immediately an improvement, but the foundation is still wonky with some underdeveloped characters, but it has its moments here and there. It ended well.
Let’s talk about Shin, cause he’s really the main character in this part. I often found him quite bland tbh. I do still think that most of his intrigue was in his backstory with his brother, which wasn’t much of a story, it was just back. It was that underdeveloped.
Tumblr media
I mentioned it in my thread for Part 1, but as that part of his character is finished, he’s just really fucking boring in this part, my God. There’s the nice little, you know, don’t really have a purpose but fighting and am suicidal thing, which, neat, but it was so rarely really touched upon. Most of the time he just didn’t do much, or say much, anything. 
The second to last episode finally got into his head, and, it was mostly just stuff we already knew, so still not the deep dive I was looking for, but the visual presentation was pretty nuts. 
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
It was probably my favourite episode just for that tbh. This is Toshimasa Ishii's TV directorial debut, I just learned. Maybe a guy to keep an eye on in the future, at least from this episode alone. It's a pretty well-directed series, in general, tho, I'd say.
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
Then Lena comes in, and, I've mentioned it before too, but their relationship is just too under-developed, she shouldn’t be as inspiring to him as she is. 
Tumblr media
The first ”hint” throughout the show, of romance, was Lena walking in on some couple flirting and imagined doing that with Shin as she was talking on the phone with him, and that's like, alright, 16-year-old girl, fine, she can think that, but we have barely anything from Shin. 
You have to build up romance. They're really trying to present this as if Lena gave him something that his friends couldn't, that she was of special value to him, but we don't get much of that in the actual show. Well, there’s a bit, of her being able to live on which is new, cause he’s the Reaper, but it doesn’t warrant all this, for me. Her boring, redundant lines shouldn't change Shin's entire worldview like that.
Tumblr media
The payoff doesn't feel earned when the writing that went into their relationship doesn't warrant it. And then they just shove the romance in our face in the finale too, as they all tease about Shin and Lena (their guardian even says ”boy meets girl”), like come on lol.
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
Then it’s also that the characters, having been on the battlefield all this time, have it ingrained in them that they want to go back out there and fight, and it's just, kind of... I dunno. It makes sense? Yeah, yeah it does. It's just a bit annoying cause the audience knows they're completely wrong and their guardian is correct, they deserve a normal life, but it gets the plot going at least? They could've really delved into this with them all in a more tragic kind of way, but well. Oh yeah, there’s Frederica.
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
Yeah…
She’s nine years old. She can drop complex lore on us or tactical strategies, yet can’t pull her hat from covering her eyes.
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
She’s really annoying, and the narrative finds any excuse it can to force her to the battlefield, where she has her little moment with Kariya (who does nothing but yell btw, give the "antagonist" a bit more meat pls 86). I don’t really like her much. Her voice grates me.
I actually missed Lena this season lol. 
The side characters don’t really get much. You know, the Kurena is still crushing on Shin, Anju is still scaring people, and the spiky-haired guy is, mostly the same, tho there was a nice confrontation with Shin. 
And, I’m gonna address a critique people brought up last time. Yes, of course, there are examples in the real world where oppression started suddenly and seemingly out of nowhere, but no, that doesn’t justify the show’s execution of this. You misunderstood my point.
The world-building in part 1 is just that under-explored. Even in real life when there are sudden turns like that, it’s not really that sudden under the surface. There’s a history of propaganda, events; build-up that lead to that sudden switch. We don’t get anything of that in 86. I mean, I don’t even believe that fiction is automatically a-okay in its exploration of events if the same things happen in real life, but it doesn’t even happen here. The anime literally misses all of that. So, that was my point. Comparing it to reality doesn't do much here.
Anyway, the dialogue is really repetitive, they recycle a lot of thematic points and lines all of the time (they all harass the 86 with the exact same retorts each time, the 86's reasons for still fighting that they keep repeating, the side characters shticks being repetitive who besides that mostly just talk about Shin, every time we delve into Shin we get what we already knew in a slightly different but basically the same way, etc.) And it always has to be so on the nose, like the guy who wants to pay for his sister's education, of course, he loves her so much his entire room is filled with pictures of her, like come on, don’t shove it in my face (or Shin and Lena's romance being teased by the other characters as previously mentioned). They also bring Fido back, after that beautiful farewell in Part 1, which kinda pissed me off. Overall tho, it’s just boring, predictable, uninteresting, unoriginal, etc. It's stuff I've seen before, and here explored as little as possible, and when it does so also does it in such a redundant manner that it's difficult to believe it has the impact it has on the characters. But, a lot of the time when it is all these things, it’s fine. Not outright bad, just fine, and occasionally good. If you asked me if I think the show is any good, I’d say it’s just alright. 
Score:
Tumblr media
Original Twitter Thread: https://twitter.com/Tharizdun03/status/1528093097183297536?s=20&t=zrQ61ygZkLcbEWXQzq0K2Q
86 Part 1 Review: https://www.tumblr.com/tharizdun-03/701000254353506304/86-part-1-review?source=share
0 notes
opalescient · 3 years
Text
haikyuu fic recs — the most beautiful, lovely, breathtaking masterlist (vol. I)
so i’ve been binging fics to cure my sadness, and i thought that these select masterpieces were too magnificent to not be plastered on every billboard ever. some tore my soul into shreds, while others melted said shreds back whole, but all of them made me feel some form of sheer, unadulterated love, so. please enjoy! 🥰⛅️✨
note: all of these fics are exquisite and you should read all of them, but if you’re short of time, those with ☆ are my all-time favourites!
daisuga
butterfly in the subway by bigspoonnoya ☆ | T
Sugawara Koushi has no idea he's already in love with the man he's supposed to hate.
i lovelovelove how all the concepts tied in together like a perfectly wrapped gift
also very wholesome, made me feel so inexplicably warm. like, love can exist everywhere!!! despite everything!!! that’s just so inspiring
i revisited this many times, i think it was (one of) my first haikyuu fics and honestly. it set the bar so high and i have no regrets
you’d fit my lonely arms so perfectly by boxofwonder ☆ | G
“Oh. You're. Not Asahi.”
Calmed down enough that he can speak again, Daichi takes a deep breath, his smile settling on his face easily and wide.
“Not as far as I know, no.”
-
Suga accidentally calls a stranger instead of his best friend, tells him all about his burned batch of cookies before realising, and that particular mistake might turn out the best one he ever made.
major, major fluff
the buildup!!!
god this made my yearning for love so much worse
the perfect stranger by downmoon | T
There’s a man standing outside Suga's door.
Scratch that. Start over.
There’s a man he doesn’t know standing outside his door, holding his sleeping nephew in one arm, with another kid clinging tightly to his free hand.
so domestic please read the entire series from start to finish it has my whole heart
shoyou and tobio as their actual kids 🥺
these two parents are so in love it makes me wanna cry
asanoya
silica sand by lilien passe ☆ | G
Overworked, over-stressed programmer Azumane Asahi works on the top floor of a Shinjuku skyscraper. Nervous around his coworkers and terrified of the long drop on the other side of the window, Asahi falls into a miserable routine, only to have it broken one day by a simple message on the outside of the glass.
PLEASE. so well-written it makes my heart glow and ache simultaneously
made me ascend into asanoya heaven
such a brilliantly unique concept i love it A+
qué syrah syrah by loudlucy | M
Asahi wants to be a Master Sommelier. It's the highest honor in wine service, and the certification would allow him to live the life he's always envisioned for himself. Too bad the certification test is notorious for being the world's most difficult.
Most people fail their first time taking the exam, and Asahi is no exception, but he has more difficulty than most dusting himself off and getting back on his feet. Enter Nishinoya, a young man who shares his same dream, and who believes in their goals so fiercely it forces Asahi to embark on a delicious and sensuous journey of viticulture and validation.
AKA The Wine Tasting AU that literally no one even knew to ask for.
NOTE: You Do Not Need to Know About Wine to Understand This Fic!
another super unique concept!!! (´∀`=)
my god their chemistry is amazing
the writing made me feel things ngl
stop my bones from wondering by cerasi ☆ | T
After graduation, Asahi hides from the world and needs help from a few sources to find his way back.
i want to write sonnets and sing ballads for this fic, it’s that beautiful
as always, Top Notch Writing *chef’s kiss*
no but i seriously... can i kiss the author? asking for a friend 😳👉🏼👈🏼
iwaoi
star-crossed by starlitcities | T
“I never thought I’d see the day that I’d envy a human,” Oikawa admits, showering himself in tiny suns, because he can actually feels those, like a fusillade of warm kisses on luminous skin that leave marks. To humans, they’d be freckles. Skin stars, Oikawa calls them. He didn’t make that up, a human did.
“Who created the rule that we can’t touch, I wonder,” Iwaizumi ponders, floating heedlessly through space.
“Maybe it’s because we can fly. Humans dream of flying, right?”
“I don’t think so.”
gsjsgsjshsjshsjsj star!iwaoi
they’re LITERALLY STARS
beautifulbeautifulbeautiful i love how the author conveyed the beauty of touch and humanity 🥺🥺
please bless yourself further with the sequel sun-kissed
conquering the great king by suggestivescribe ☆| E
Iwaizumi blinked his gaze over to Oikawa, "Last time was supposed to be a one time thing," he said, voice low, lacking some conviction.
Oikawa's lips twitched into a smirk and he brought them hovering just over Iwaizumi's, "One time thing, Two time thing, what's it matter as long as it's not a Relationship thing?"
yes.
in fact, this entire series (breaking the rules) features daisuga, kuroken, asanoya and it’s SO GOOD. every single one.
but anyway, character development!!!!! plot!!!!!!!!! writing!!!!!!!! i’m here for it all
tsukkiyama
campfire in your chest by deanpendragon ☆ | M
Kei realizes in their second year of high school that he’s probably been in love with Yamaguchi since they were ten. However hopeless he might be in handling that situation, Kei prays he’s at least not as hopeless as Hinata and Kageyama. But he just might be.
SO BEAUTIFUL
i am also a sucker for anything with stars, moons and all the love in between
no words to describe this work of art please just go read it and be blessed
under the lilac tree by raewrites | G
there’s a lilac tree in Kei’s backyard.
gorgeous in its simplicity
softtsukkisofttsukkisofttsukki
not as grandiose as the rest but the love written into every word, action and character is absolutely show-stopping
kagehina
saffron and cayenne pepper by dontsaycrazy ☆ | T
Cooking is hard. Even if you have your very attractive, very grumpy neighbor there to help you.
-
In which Hinata's lack of cooking skills are a danger to him and others. Luckily (or not), Kageyama is willing to teach him, if only for the sake of avoiding any burned down apartments.
the essence of their characters were captured so well and yet it’s like they’re completely new characters too? author, whoever you are, you totally owned this
this made me ship kagehina so hard
fluff! cuteness! lots and lots of cooing!
kuroken
the galaxy is endless (i thought we were, too) by cosmogony ☆ | T
soulmate
/ˈsəʊlmeɪt/ • noun
A person who was made from the same star as you.
-
// Kuroken AU where the last words your soulmate will say to you appear on your skin when you turn 16, and how Kenma and Kuroo learn what this means over the course of their lives.
ahhh here it is. beautiful, heartbreaking, soul-emptying agony. you want angst? choke on this, and your tears later on.
no but seriously please read this if you haven’t you won’t regret it at all i promise
written from kenma’s perspective so you experience every depth and multitude of emotion he does and it’s so raw and- brb imma go cry for a sec
knot in my heart by hearthope | T
There’s a picture. Kenma blinks, looking at the little calico cat, being held up next to the face of a guy with stupidly messy hair and a crooked grin.
Cute.
The— the cat. The cat is cute.
Just the cat.
-
Kuroo starts spending a lot of time at the flower shop Kenma works at. Kenma definitely isn't into him.
okay so i like it when authors unravel a normally stoic character’s full scope of emotion and give them depth, sue me.
anyway, back on the fluff train!
i absolutely f*ck with flower symbolisms, cats and bitchy best friends who have dirt on each other. the layers of romance, friendship and everything in between is so prettily developed 10/10
bokuaka
the jacket you never returned by daisuga ☆☆ | G
He leaned over, kissed Bokuto on the cheek, and smiled bitterly, eyes watery.
He will never remember. Not now, not ever.
What they were will now forever be forgotten.
-
"You used to call me Keiji, Koutarou."
YOU USED TO CALL ME KEIJI, KOUTAROU!!!!!!!!!!
i beg you to listen to Spiegel im Spiegel when it’s first mentioned in the story please
i read this and screamed through my tears for a solid 1.5 hours. i rarely cry.
no f*ckin regrets though i read this thrice already and it hurts so good every time
rules by conesofdunshire ☆☆ | E
In which Akaashi Keiji is an overworked accountant who stumbles upon Bokuto one night playing the piano in the lobby of his work. Bokuto is different, that much is obvious. But with such supreme musical talent and a smile so dazzling it rivals the sun, there's just something about him that brings Akaashi back every night.
this fic. this fic has my whole, broken, sobbing heart and laughing soul
gorgeous. breathtaking. magnificent.
bokuto is so WARM and akaashi is so STRONG and they both find the solace they need in each other and it’s all i want for me 😭😭😭
in another life by littleluxray | T
Sleeping didn't come as easy as it used to. Bokuto knew this, and now Akaashi did, too.
The hospital AU that no body asked for, but that I took upon myself to write.
this is a famous fic that i doubt any seasoned haikyuu reader wouldn’t know, and RIGHTLY SO BECAUSE, the PAIN. the pain. the pain.
i could feel my lungs shrivel up and my chest cave in on itself. fatigue and rest are things i struggle with too so this whole story resonated with me from start to finish, and it broke me. in like, the best, most revitalising way
i would read this again but it still haunts me at night. i need to heal from the first time before i have the guts to try one more time HAHAHA 😆💔😭
tea-stained polaroids by dalyeau | G
“I'm gonna date that,” Bokuto declares solemnly, and Kuroo throws a plastic spoon at his head.
mmmmmmm pretty photographer + personalised coffee cups + cute baristas = diabetic fluff fic
i smiled so much throughout this you have no idea. cheeks achey but so good
i may have squealed a little at the ending
kurotsukki
moonfall by batman | T
There is no unlearning Tetsurou, after all. There is only leaving him.
-
(Five things of Tetsurou's that ended up in Kei's home, and one that never left.)
the writing!!!!!! is pure beauty!!!! sheer grace!!!!!!! the construction of the AU and the romanticism and hsjsgsjshsj
didn’t cry but. heart ache and bittersweet smiles are another level of misery that is just as fulfilling
yea just pleasepleasepleaseplease go read it thank you and have a good day
hidden gem by realmSpinner | E
Things get complicated when everything you thought you knew about a guy changes, and they get even more complicated when you actually start liking those changes.
That guy working with you AND becoming your neighbor? That's just a cherry on top of the cake of confusion.
this AU was refreshingly different, and amazingly so
top!tsukki??? sign me the f*ck up
the whole plot, man. perfection.
pings by barfs ☆☆ | T
[5/02/16, 3:50:17 AM] Tsukishima Kei: Please wake up.
[5/02/16, 3:50:23 AM] Tsukishima Kei: I hate begging. You know I hate it.
[5/02/16, 3:50:34 AM] Tsukishima Kei: I bet you’re snickering at that, wherever you are.
[5/02/16, 3:50:53 AM] Tsukishima Kei: But, it keeps hurting and I don’t know why and it feels like shit and I know you could tell me why, but you’re not here and I would really appreciate it if you’d just wake up.
[5/02/16, 3:51:02 AM] Tsukishima Kei: You’re laughing at that too, aren’t you.
[5/02/16, 3:51:10 AM] Tsukishima Kei: Dying is probably up there in the list of top ten shitty things you’ve ever done, and you’ve done a lot of shitty things.
god.
you already know what’s coming, and yet. when it comes.
how the f*ck did the author make grief beautiful????????? (at the expense of me dying along with kei and everyone else i guess)
this fic will ruin you and bury you under all your pain (i hope you’re ready)
but also put you back together with the “sequel”
kyouhaba
close to the chest by darkmagicalgirl | T
It takes Yahaba thirteen years to realize he's different from the other kids, one to figure out how to hide it, and two more to learn to be happy just the way he is. Yahaba's journey ft. an extremely annoyed Kyoutani, best friend in the world Watari, and loads and loads of good senpai Oikawa.
cause i’m (not) alright with the slow, burn~
no fr, take slow and burn very seriously
overthinking yahaba? i understand. i do.
again, such an amazing fic; 10/10 recommend
safe here by crossbelladonna ☆ | M
“Raids are routine work,” Kyoutani tells to Yahaba before he can air the question. “Sometimes there is no sleep done until we accomplish something, say kill a certain ghoul. I guess they’re still going through the possibility that people in the accident are still alive huh?”
Yahaba quirks a smile, pushing his mask up his head.
“You’re alive.”
Kyoutani looks at him intently and all of the things that they’ve gone through for the past month seems to flash in his mind.
“Yes I am.”
i haven’t watched tokyo ghoul but i understood everything perfectly. such is the power of f*cking kickass writing
*cue ugly crying and a lot of unresolved angst*
like the grief??????? ruin me please thank you 🙏 (i think i’m a little masochistic)
rare pairs
mannequin men by surveycorpsjean ☆ | M
[bokuto/akaashi/kuroo/tuskishima]
The modelling world is full of hungry wolves, constantly clambering over the other, snarling and desperate. They fight, and they kill, trampling over anything in their path.
In this case, Akaashi fell in love with the wolves.
i did not expect this to be good, and it wasn’t. it was SPLENDID.
akaashi is so enamoured with them from the get go i love it
a tiny bit of angst that stabbed me in the heart, but the happy ending soothed it (thankfully, because if there wasn’t one i will sue)
characterisation, writing, plot development; everything is great. can you tell i’m running out of synonyms for ‘beautiful’
feel like gold by heronfem ☆☆ | T
[bokuto/akaashi/kuroo/kenma]
In which Kenma is unapologetic and comfortable with who he is, Akaashi learns a lot about himself in a short period of time, Kuroo is wildly in love and an eternal survivor, and Bokuto remembers that love doesn't cure mental illness, but having a support system sure helps a lot.
Or, the one where 4 young men get together, and are helplessly, hopelessly, utterly in love despite everything.
e.e. cummings?? poetry??? f*ck yes
so beautiful. i’m so star-struck by this fic it’s simply stunning
there are no words to fully capture how worth your time and heart and mind reading this fic is so please. do yourself a favour, and fall in love with this fic with me
the sky and guilt are the only feelings i have left by oopsthisisqueertoo ☆☆ | not rated
[bokuto/akaashi/kuroo]
Akaashi is at his wits end. He feels nothing. He's quickly crumbling as a human being. He wants nothing but sweet release of death. In his fourth year of college he drafts a plan for his suicide. He is to graduate, publish writing for others to be inspired by, and slip quietly away. Shortly after, he meets a dog walker named Bokuto who asks him out and Akaashi reluctantly agrees. Nothing matters anymore and he treats Bokuto like an obligation. Until he's not anymore.
TW: SUICIDE ATTEMPTS & DEPRESSION
this was... this gutted me entirely and filled my body with too many shades of agony
arguably one of the best haikyuu fics i’ve ever read
so beautiful in the most painful way fathomable; strongly recommend
april to may by surveycorpsjean | T
[bokuto/akaashi/kuroo/tsukishima]
They're an odd family.
The four of them? Parents?
But still, they're a family.
So they'll support each other until the end.
aaahhhhh third gym as parents 🥺
so much fluff. i also love april and may
they’re still so in love there’s love in every millimetre of this fic :”)
that’s it for now! i’ll add more if i come across anymore good fics. i hope you enjoyed this list! if you have any requests/fic recs, or if u just wanna chat, feel free to just ask! hehe 🥰 k aight bye~
198 notes · View notes
chicoriii · 3 years
Text
Season 4, Episode 17 - Larme Ultime (Rocketear)
Tumblr media
So this is a DjiWifi episode from which comes a screenshot I've seen over a month ago (I think). It's good they got it, before season 4 started I really wanted it to happen and to see a kiss between Nino and Alya in it (but that didn't happen and I don't get why, only the main pairing is allowed to kiss in this show or what?), but now I could not be excited about it anymore, because I'm sick of Alya and I'm not able to hide it. Yes, I'm biased, but I'm just a normal viewer and I have right to dislike her favouritism.
Tumblr media
My the biggest thought after watching this is that it looks like since Optigami, Alya is not only a deuteragonist, like I said in my post about Sentibubbler, she's actually more like a co-protagonist now. That was an extremely Alya-centric episode (even more than Lie was was about Adrien, as it was mostly Ladybug who saved the world like almost always, also because Chat sacrificed himself again), while in Optigami and this one she has screentime comparable to Marinette. I'm still trying to avoid spoilers (so please, don't tell what's going to happen in the next episodes, I don't want to know), but I'm sure that either 15 or 16 is also highly about her, because we've seen the new Rena's suit in this episode and it looked like it wasn't the first episode with it. But really, I won't be surprised if Alya has lots of screentime in both episodes and all others to the end of the show as well. I don't think Adrien is ever going to get as much special treatment like Alya. :/ The creators have never been as nice to him.
Didn't the writes have enough ideas for another story arcs? And thanks to it they were able to save money, because then creators could just reuse old models of villains more than before. Have anyone noticed that S4 has even fewer number of completely new characters than previous seasons? The scientist seen at the start of the episode has detailed model, so she had to be akumatised in any of the previous unreleased episodes (or one of the next ones). And why she looks a lot like Alya, is she her relative? If yes, you know what that means? Another excuse to make an episode full of the fox wielder, because, you know, it’s not like she already got enough occasions to shine in S4. 
Tumblr media
Speaking of Rena Rouge's new suit. What a waste, it would be great for a potential chameleon Miraculous, so it seems it won't be ever created for canon. So bad, I think it's one of the coolest animal, so a Miraculous based on it would be awesome. It could one from an African Miracle Box which should appear, since they are planning making an African special. The suit is good and all, but I still feel disappointed that it's not the superpower of a chameleon Miraculous. :(
Tumblr media
Why is Nino acting over the top out of nowhere? I like film noir atmosphere, fedoras and especially jazz music full of saxophones (my favourite music genre and instrument), but it looks totally ridiculous when he's like that. I thought it's Marinette's speciality, and he beat her in that category. I'm not trying to say it's a a bad thing, it just feels weird seeing Nino like that. And since I love jazz, I would like to listen to that film noir-esque music more once I got 5.1 audio, since it was hardly heard in the episode. It didn't sound much interesting, but it's too early to judge it seriously.
Too bad they had written the main conflict in the episode using one of the biggest romantic cliche - misunderstanding in which one character see and\or hear something, but not the whole thing, so said character interprets it wrong. Motifs like that are rather annoying, so it's good something similar haven't happened in the Love Square's arc (yet at least). Though I have a big issue with how they write it this season and I'm going to make a post about it (is anyone interested?).
Tumblr media
The akuma is one the ugliest and has one of the most laziest power ever. Really? He shoots using tear bullets and does nothing more? I know many people hate Bubbler's design, but no matter how silly it looks, it was much more creative than this.
And of course the whole thing with Alya remembering the whole conversation with Chat Noir was extremely far-fetched. The could think about something more believable, but I'm not surprised it happened, since I think this season is generally more lazy written than previous ones.
Tumblr media
On the other hand, I'm surprised that Marinette is actually aware that Shadow Moth should not know that Alya is still Rena Rouge. It seems that the whole episode 15 (or 16) is about they trying to figure out what to do with that problem.  I won't be surprised if Alya would do it all by herself like it happened with protecting charms in Mr Pigeon 72, because it's completely normal that a random person who has never met Fu is better at decrypting the grimoire than someone who has been trained to be a guardian to some extend :/ Still I think they should not be sure that camouflage mode would solve the problem completely. From what I understand the new suit doesn’t make her completely invisible to others. Rena could be seen by anyone who takes a photo of her and then post in on the internet (it won't be believable that she's the only one crazy about superheroes in Paris). But at least they tried to do something and Marinette sees the danger to some extend. It’s something new.
It's not like Alya is careful, she's completely reckless (and they think she's a good reporter material? Don't make me laugh) and she still thinks more about her own fun in being the superheroine than safety of herself or the world. But of course, it's not gonna happen, because plot armor is very strong in this show. I really had a feeling that she acted like a little child in the first minutes of the episode. She's unable to see that her situation is not a joke. She should be all happy that Marinette still lets her to keep the fox Miraculous. She really lacks humility and I see it clearly since Optigami at least. Besides, Marinette ignores another red flags, that Alya is taking pictures of herself in the new suit no one is supposed to see and thinking about posting them on Ladyblog (was Bunnix right that Alya is able to reveal Miraculous secrets on her blog because of her overenthusiasm and lack of ability of seeing consequences of her actions?).
By the way, now I think, if Alya can't keep in secret that she's still Rena Rouge from Nino (which happens because it's needed for the plot), so how could she be all fine with keeping in secret other facts like that Ladybug gave her the fox permanently and she knows her identity (which isn't happening because the plot doesn't require it)? She still has to lie on Nino because of these secrets.
Tumblr media
They are making Marinette a big hypocrite this season. Since she revealed herself to Alya, it's been shown that secret identities rule was bullshit from the start, but Marinette is still saying that heroes can't reveal their identities to anyone. What? What has she done before like not revealing herself to someone, so how she dares keep saying about how crucial is keeping secrets from everyone? Sorry writers, I can't take that rule seriously anymore since Alya knows and no one should. Because Marinette told Alya, she could tell it to other persons she trust as well. What's the difference between her best friend and the rest of the people in the world? Is Alya the only person she trusts? In fact, revealing herself to Sabine, for example, would be much better choice. She's actually wise and mature unlike Alya and her secrets would be much more safe with her mother.
I've seen Chat Blanc again on TV recently and I remembered one thing Ladybug told to Bunnix there: "The best-kept secrets are the ones you never share." (Google Translate says that the line is exactly the same in the French original). Some episodes later, she isn't thinking twice if she should tell all the guardian secrets to Alya. Okay, she revealed her identity because of being too emotional in that exact moment, but then when she calmed down, she should be able to think if telling all the Miraculous secrets is a good idea. The other hypocritical thing is telling Chloé "you can't be Queen Bee anymore, because Hawk Moth knows your identity" but still calling the other heroes whose identities have been exposed.
So I can't even blame Alya for telling Nino the truth if the guardian herself is not following her own rules. Not to mention, Marinette doesn't address wrong things Alya is doing at all, so no wonder she feels she could do anything, she won't get punished, no matter what. After all, it's not the first moment in which she does something her best friend forbid her.
And we can say the show has been confirmed that Nino is even worse at keeping secrets, especially in crisis situations, so why people wanted to see Adrien revealing himself to Nino? It's obvious that he would tell Adrien's secret to Alya and maybe some other people as well.
Tumblr media
I thought that since S3 finale Adrien is supposed to know identities of every backup hero from seasons 2 and 3 and I was ready to be salty about that as well. But yes, actually after purification of Miracle Queen's akuma, brainwashed heroes didn't detransform. They were forgotten completely and we don't even know what happened with them exactly. I suppose Ladybug took their Miraculous when Chat Noir wasn't there anymore.
Adrien has every right to be angry at Ladybug, she treats him so badly, since Alya knows her own secrets and she doesn't even have the guts to admit that. But I'm going to say about my the biggest issue in the Chat Noir and Ladybug's situation in another post, I hope I would write before the next episode airs.
63 notes · View notes
mandoalorian · 3 years
Note
hiii could you do a drabble with Din?? I was thinking he doesn’t know you have anxiety yet and you’re having a panic attack and he doesn’t rlly know how to handle them?? I thought #16 would be perfect bc protector Din is like “I will fuck up whatever is making you feel like this” (surprise bucket head, it’s their own brain)
Melting Dew [Din Djarin x GN!Reader]
Prompt no.16 “Who hurt you?” — thank you for the request!
Warnings: mentions of anxiety, panic attack, body dysmorphia, food mention, domestic!Din, Din and reader have pre-established relationship.
Rating: PG-13
Word count: 2000>
Masterlist
Tumblr media
Din wasn't meant to be back for at least two more hours. The farmers market was about a three mile walk away from where he'd parked the Razor Crest, and he'd taken Grogu with him this time, who was sure to preoccupy Din whilst you were unable to accompany him. You'd spent the past week beaming at the thought of returning to Naboo, and craving the delicious, juicy taste of their native sourberries. Last night, before you fell asleep in Din's arms, you excitedly told him how you were going to purchase enough sourberries to last the entirety of the upcoming bounty hunting season. Din jokingly rolled his eyes at your comment and pressed a chaste kiss into your forehead, always finding your love for the simpler things in life extremely endearing.
Din Djarin spent the majority of his life a lone warrior. But upon meeting you and rescuing Grogu, it seemed like that all changed— and quickly, too. Now he was providing for the little green bean he called 'son', and you, the most beautiful, interesting and equally important person he'd ever laid his eyes on. Your appearance was soft, delicate, and your features were doe-like. In a galaxy filled with hatred and war, you were the epitome of hope and innocence. How could he not love you? He admired your attitude and excitement for life, and he adored the way you cared for Grogu unconditionally, like he was your own child. You were unlike any other person he'd ever met before. You were as pure as melting dew.
So of course he was protective over you. You, Din and Grogu had scowered the most dangerous depths of the galaxy and you all had your fair share of abuse from Imps, crime syndicates and immoral scoundrels. But there were people out there who tried to hurt you. However, they could never even get close to drawing a knife to your neck. Din was always one step ahead. Messing with you was no game. He hadn't let a single one of them live.
You'd awoken early this morning, quietly slipping out of bed and padding over to your closet in search for an appropriate outfit for the day ahead. You picked out a white tunic and embroided belt, along with some brown boots; but strangely enough, none of it seemed to fit. This was your favourite outfit and you wore it on practically all your days off. You loved the flow of it, and the way it hugged all the curves and accents of your body. But today... something wasn't right. The stitched tunic was tight around your arms and boxy on your shoulders, and as you looked in the full length mirror, your heart sank in your chest. The boots made everything worse. The belt didn't hang on your body correctly. And hell, it wasn't even just the clothes. There was something wrong with your hair today too— and your skin had broken out— and the dark circles that graced your under eyes had become significantly more prominent. You felt completely and utterly disgusting. There was no other word to describe it.
You heard Grogu stir from the quarters and you knew it wouldn't be long until he and Din woke up. You felt so embarrassed. So ashamed. The Mandalorian was an esteemed bounty hunter, best in the Guild, and also your husband— but Kriff, if he seen you like this... he'd shove you off his ship and make the jump to hyperspace within seconds! Panic filled you and the palms of your hands became clammy. He couldn't see you like this. He couldn't.
Just as you anticipated, you heard Grogu's garbles, signifying that the child was now awake and ready for breakfast. Din groaned something incoherent and you glanced over to him as he shuffled amongst the blankets. Your mind was still racing. If he saw you like this, he would for sure leave you. You had to hide. But where?
You bolted to the other side of Din's quarters and into the Refresher, turning on the shower and discarding the clothes that had made you feel so monstrous on the floor. Din heard the screeching noise of the Refresher and thought it was strange you were showering so early. The water was always particularly cold on a morning, and you knew this. Nevertheless, he shrugged it off and headed over to grab some pots and pans. He was preparing bone broth for breakfast.
When you didn't join the duo, Din left a bowl of broth for you in the cockpit of his ship. After he finished washing the dishes, he knocked on the Refresher door. "Cyare, are you alright?" he called, his voice rife with concern.
"Y-yes, I'm okay." you lied through gritted teeth. You were sat on the cold tiled floor, a towel hugging your body as you shivered uncontrollably.
"I was going to leave now... for the farmer's market. The walk is quite far so I wanted to set off early. Are you still coming?" Din asked curiously, his gloved hand nervously tracing the details of the steel door.
"I think I'll skip today, but have fun with Grogu, and stay safe." You tried to sound as optimistic and normal as usual, but behind the closed door, a silent tear slipped down your cheek. There was a brief silence and you had considered maybe Din had already left. But then you heard his modulated voice again.
"Are you sure everything is okay?" He knew how much you'd looked forward to going to the farmers market. It was all you had been talking about for the past week. Sourberries.
"I'm fine!" you forced a smile, even though he couldn't see.
Din wasn't convinced, but he knew better than to push you. If you said you were fine, so be it. He believed you. He had no reason not to trust you when you'd been nothing but honest to him since the very day you met him, all those moons ago.
Once you were sure he was gone, you pulled your pajamas back over your head, and climbed into bed. You felt safe, and free from any judgement. You were all alone. And that meant you could cry. So, you did. You sobbed for what felt like hours. You laid on your side and clutched the thin blanket tight to your chest, almost like you were hugging it for comfort. Your whimpers echoed against the interior of the Crest and this was the only time you had been thankful for Din and Grogu not being around.
Until you heard the entrance to the Crest shoot open, with that all too familiar whizzing noise. Dank Farrik— they were back early. They were back and you weren't even dressed. Your eyes were red and puffy, your hair was sticking up in places. You were, to put simply, a mess. But you felt like you were no less of a mess than what you were when you had worn the white tunic and embroided belt this morning whilst they were still asleep. You sunk under the covers of the bed and tried to hide from them. You prayed to the Maker that perhaps Grogu would help you out and use one of his magical force abilities to make you invisible. Then you'd never have to face the oncoming conversation with Din. The conversation that was inevitable.
"Cyar'ika?" Din asked, putting Grogu down on the floor and approaching you hesitantly. Thankfully, Grogu was more preoccupied with the little silver beskar ball he'd always play with. It came from one of the many levers on the Razor Crest. Din gently pulled away the blankets, revealing your tired glazed eyes and your tear stained cheeks. "Oh, my love. What... what happened?"
You didn't answer, feeling a swell of guilt erupt in your stomach. Din removed his helmet and placed it on the nightstand, and your heart jumped at the mere sight of your husband. His dark eyebrows were furrowed together in bewilderment and his honey colour eyes raked your body. "Who hurt you?" he asked, his voice dropping an octave. It was low and gravely; and you knew he was very serious. "Cyare... did something happen? Did someone-"
"No." you cut him off quickly.
No? Din's mind couldn't compute that answer. There was clearly something very wrong, and Din had to find out what exactly it was. Someone must've done something. You were fine yesterday. Had someone been on the ship while he and Grogu were out?
"Whoever or whatever it is— I can fix it. I will hunt them down cyare, you hear me? They won't know what hit them. I can-"
"Din stop," you pleaded with weak gasp, bringing your hands up to hide your face. You felt nothing but shame. "It's not... it's not like that. It's me."
Din's expression changed almost immediately. His face softened, his perfect plush lips parted slightly at your confession. He sat on the edge of the bed and took your hand. "What do you mean?" he quizzed quietly, although he had an inkling he already knew what you meant.
"I got up early this morning, excited to venture out to the farmers market with you and Grogu. Excited to go sourberry picking. But when I got dressed, it was like... something just hit me. I can't put it into words but I just felt so... so... ugly."
Once again, Din's brain simply could not compute your revelation. Ugly? You? How could you possibly feel that way. You shared the likeness of an angel. How could it be?
You swallowed and continued. "And then I got afraid. I got so scared that you'd see me the way I see me, and you wouldn't want to be with me anymore. That you'd run away from me and leave me behind." you shrugged helplessly. Now the tears were beginning to free fall.
"I could never, ever, think that of you, riduur. I love you so much. How could I possibly leave you? Without you, my life would end. It would be meaningless." Din revealed, his chocolate eyes glossy as he cupped your face with his large hand. His thumb traced the height of your cheekbone and you found yourself subconsciously leaning into his touch.
"Don't say things like that," you whispered, shaking your head. "You don't need me around... you already had everything under control before me."
"But nobody to make me smile. Nobody to make me laugh. Nobody to bring me joy... or show me the pleasure of how to love, and be loved in return." Din huffed, pressing his forehead against yours. "Next time you feel this way, please don't hide it from me. Whatever you're going through, we go through it together. Okay?"
You sniffed before finally nodding your head in affirmation. "Okay Din."
Din leaned in and pressed his lips against yours, the curve of his nose bumping into your cheek as he manouvered his body carefully over you. "So beautiful, and all mine." He purred lovingly before licking a stripe over your lower lip. You moaned wantonly and interwined your fingers in his curly brown locks of hair.
It was moments like this that you cherished forever. The sweet touches and soft murmers that made you void of all worry and insecurity; because in that moment, all that mattered was you and your riduur.
Permanent taglist: @paintballkid711 @supernaturalgirl @phoenixhalliwell @ah-callie @luvzoria @stardust-galaxies @wickedfrsgrl @goth-topic @nerdypinupcrystal @wonderfulfluffer @kiwi-the-first @pedroepascal @castiel-barnes @honeymandos @rocketqueen @ladycumberbatchofcamelot @dybalalover10 @girl-obsessed-with-things @elena-myth @moth-guillotine @pedro-pascal-love @hayley-the-comet @pinkninja190 @maxiarapamaya @autumnleaves1991-blog @artsymaddie @harrys-stan @kennedywxlsh @cripplingmoon @cheekygeek05 @mrschiltoncat @rye-flower @theamuz
216 notes · View notes
ifeelallwrite · 3 years
Text
Let’s talk about Hospital Playlist. (KDRAMA REVIEW)
Tumblr media
note: does contain spoilers
When people ask me what is my favorite Korean drama of all time, with no doubt, IT’S HOSPITAL PLAYLIST. This drama has the comic relief, the emotional scenes, realistic characters-just to name a few. No toxic relationships and petty revenge fights. Nothing else will stop me for saying that this is the ultimate feel good drama.
SYNOPSIS: The drama shows insights into the daily lives of doctors and nurses working at Yulje Medical Hospital. It focuses on 5 doctors who have been friends since medical school, who also play together as a band.
This drama encompasses so many elements and characters so bear with me yo this might be real long 
Hospital Playlist is produced/written by the Shin-Lee PD and writer pairing, whose previous works were the renowned Reply trilogy and Prison Playbook (which are *chef’s kiss*) I really like that all their dramas really highlight humanism, and puts emphasis on creating a heartwarming and realistic series. There isn’t always a major conflict to be resolved, but instead it showcases how different people-in this case mostly those in the medical field-go on about their daily lives.  I also liked their reasoning to produce a medical drama which was that hospitals were where the most dramatic moments occurred, for example during births, deaths or sickness. And since we are still in the Covid-19 pandemic, it ties in greatly to be paying homage to all the medical personnel saving lives. Hence, props to those who were involved in this meaningful masterpiece <3
The drama is not the usual 16 episodes, but has 12 episodes for each season (SEASON 2 IS COMING SOON YAAS) Good thing is I felt that they were still able to weave a dynamic storyline in the first season even with lesser episodes. The writing was just top-notch with the witty humor bits. Additionally, the music is AMAZING. I love the concept of the main characters being a band and playing different songs every episode too.
Tumblr media
Okay, now onto the characters. I thought that every character in this drama was well rounded. Starting of with the main five characters, also known as The 99ers, whose distinctive personalities and natural chemistry make all of them extremely likeable. All main characters are professors of different specialties, and I find the male OB-GYN (Seokhyeong) and female neurosurgeon (Songhwa) very refreshing. Also, I like Shin-Lee dramas always have characters that might be realistic yet hardly seen in other dramas or films. For example, Professor Ahn Jeongwon. Despite being a chaebol (inheritor/heir), he isn’t depicted as a spoilt brat or a cold character, instead as a warm Pediatric doctor who uses his wealth to secretly support patients in need. However it makes him stingy to his friends LOL
To be honest, I really thought I was gonna dislike Junwan due to his cold and tsundere nature. I pretty much believed that he was going to be the party pooper type of the bunch, but with the writer being a master of character development, he turned out to be really sincere and hilarious at times. Same for Ikjun, who apart from his enthusiastic and happy go lucky exterior, cares the most about the people around him. Although Seokhyeong seemed detached and introverted, he shows a emotional side to his friends as well as his mother. Songhwa is literally a girlboss though haha she’s smart, capable and gets along with everyone well. And she’s the most sane out of the bunch. 
Tumblr media
With all the main characters, we have the relationships. Junwan is the first to date seriously with Iksun (the dog or Micky? jkjk) who is Ikjun’s sister. When it first happened I was like not again Jung Kyung Ho (bc he dated his best friend’s sis in prison playbook too LMAO) I think their relationship was realistic and open. It also showed a more sensitive side to Junwan who would do anything for her. I especially liked how he said he didn’t need access to her phone because he trusted her. Yet as all couples do, they have their fair share of ups and downs. Like conflicts on getting married and a long distance relationship as Iksun moves overseas for graduate studies. I don’t really know how to take the ambiguous ending for these two, as Junwan receives the returned box (that has the ring he sent) I really hope nothing bad happens to these two though.
Tumblr media
I’m sure we all love Wintergarden couple though, tbh they’re kinda my OTP at the moment 🤣 It was pretty much a ‘will they won’t they’ relationship with a relatively slow build. I think Gyeoul turned out to be one of my favourite characters. Shin Hyun Been did a good job at portraying her as a straightforward but innocent Resident, who is pretty much openly crushing on Jeongwon. The scenes they had together were adorably awkward (and the scene where he gives her chocopies omg) And when Jeongwon battles his inner conflict to become a priest, the final decision where they kiss was beautifully shot, with the actors both showcasing their emotions extremely well. 
Tumblr media
Then we have Chihong who pursues Songhwa, his professor. Midway through the drama, it is also shown that Ikjun and Songhwa might have had romantic feelings for each other. Songhwa ends up rejecting Chihong’s confession. In my opinion, Chihong was quite a interesting character but I didn’t really like him at the end. (I like the actor though) He did a real jerk move during drinking games, insisting on Ikjun to confess his feelings towards her even though he is already trying not to put Songhwa in an awkward spot. Although his character did end up making a cool exit and when I thought about his incredible story of soldier to doctor, I kinda regret disliking him that much. As for IkSong, In the final episode Ikjun confesses to her one last time, and we are left waiting for Songhwa’s reply. As much as I love this pairing, I don’t think that the ship will sail or maybe not as quickly as we think. I believe Songhwa would meticulously consider the sacrifices to their friendship or other aspects and might not be able to bring herself to it, but I hope it’s otherwise. 
Tumblr media
Lastly not forgetting Seokhyeong and Minha, another Professor+resident pairing. This one’s a bit ambiguous though, mainly because there hasn’t been much romantic development. To me, the most impactful scene came from Minha who had been irritated by continuous night shifts and was on the verge of a breakdown. She ended up remarkably saving a patient, starting off surgery on her own for the first time. Oh man Minha was such a lovable character, I remember feeling so bad for her but extremely proud of her for her accomplishment. Although Seokhyeong seemed a bit aloof and distant (which was intentional bc he’s an introvert) I think the backstory and all the hardships he faced with his family really made me feel for him. I hate to break it to you, but I’m not so sure if the ship will sail because of the phone call from his ex-wife and Minha’s somewhat rejected confession. But who knows, they might pull off a twist 👀
Tumblr media
Apart from all these characters, there are more characters HHAHAH However, I think this is the killing point of ShinLee dramas. Unlike typical dramas which usually focuses on a main character and 2-3 side characters, they like to cast a diverse range of actors (especially those from theatre/musicals and lesser known drama/movie actors) while actually give their characters personality or a reason to be there. I’ve seen many dramas where extras or side characters were kind of irrelevant thus making me feel that they weren’t needed to build the storyline, yet ShinLee dramas hit different y’all. Every role, no matter how small, holds significance to the drama. It really seemed like a collaborative work that shows off every actors skills (and not forgetting staffs) and teamwork.
Anyways because there are way too many characters and too many scenes for me to mention them all, I’ll just talk about some honourable mentions heheh
1. Sunbin and Seokmin confession scene (ahh so cute)
I kinda sensed that they liked each other at the start but I didn’t know Seokmin would ask her out on a date at the end. Even though it’s kinda awkward that they are dating and working with each other though (both are in the same department) but hey the confession was cute and awkward and just warm and fuzzy 🥰
2. MAMA ROSA IS THE QUEENN
I think we all (would) love Mama Rosa because she’s a real one ☝️ (probably the coolest mother ever) She’s feisty, hilarious and kind to others. Plus her friendship with Ju Jong Su was just adorable and super wholesome. The scenes where they were supporting one another through tough times and hanging out with each other when they felt lonely always put a smile on my face. Oh and how Mama Rosa treated Gyeoul was extremely sweet. (as well as Seokhyeong’s mother) Despite her tough exterior, she’s a likeable character for being a strong but caring woman.
3. Just Do Jae Hak
I seriously love this guy so muchhh omg he’s so funny
Do Jae Hak has a funny amd clumsy personality, though it’s clear he’s been through a lot and is strong willed person. From admitting his indecisiveness to counselling Jun Wan on his love issues, there’s literally nothing to hate about him.
4. Uju and his dadd
The father and son chemistry between these two is so good omg. The scenes with these two are so adorable and heartwarming (not to mention hilarious) It’s amazing to see how Ikjun cares so much for Uju despite his hectic workdays while going through infidelity issues with his ex-wife. Uju is matured for his age and shows his love and appreciation for his dad too, making their interaction a great portrayal of a healthy family relationship💞
5. the food stealing the show🥘
Who doesn’t love food and when a show has great food scenes? Some of the best scenes are definitely when the 99s gather to eat. It really showcases each character’s personality with the tiniest details as well as highlight warm delicious meals. Just don’t watch this when you’re hungry at 2am in the morning guys you’ll be drooling all over your screens HAHAHA
Tumblr media
Of course there are way more aspects, like Hongdo and Yoonbok, Ikjun and Iksun’s pigeon jokes and raps, or Jeongwon drunk crying in the chicken shop with his brother (who was his coach in Reply 1994 when he played Chilbong LOL)
Most importantly, I think it is the themes and messages that you get from the drama that really create such a lasting impression. Not only does it hit you in the feels with the hardships of hospital patients, or the hardworking doctors+nurses who are working long shifts saving lives, it also tackles topics of friendships through the possibilities of platonic and friends-to-lovers relationships. However I think the biggest lesson for me came from Seokhyeong, who learns to live his life doing what he want, with the people he treasures. Although the drama might seem slow at times (mainly because there isn’t really a main plot line/conflict occurring), but this drama would still bring you on a journey where you would laugh, cry and finish the series, begging for season 2 ✌🏻
Tumblr media
76 notes · View notes
chilling-seavey · 3 years
Note
oh ok what about a blurb for sc where Daniel and Marigold go on their first date?
↳  A/N Such an iconic moment and such a simple yet special night🥺
↳ Word Count: 3793
↳ Seasons Change Taglist: @stuffofseaveyy @randomlimelightxxx @jonahlovescoffee @hiya-its-amber @hopinglimelight @onlyangelavery @sbrewer21 @bessonsbxtch @viamiasoncrack @the-girl-who-cried-wolf @21burritoseavey @queenseavey23​ @xkelsev - Please click the link in my bio to be added to the taglist!
Tumblr media
May 16, 2008
Daniel was sure that if he bit his lip any harder, he would draw blood. The high school hallways were bustling with students who all spoke and shouted over each other as they gathered their things after final bell before the weekend. The slamming of lockers and bumping of bodies didn’t even seem to phase Daniel as he stared right down the hallway to where Marigold was standing.
She had her hair in braids that day and she smiled so widely when Daniel gave her a weak compliment in first period. Even just thinking about it now had his stomach in knots. He had never been smooth and never been flirty and even that simple statement in passing made him nervous.
They had talked almost every day since they officially met in first period English. There was nothing Daniel looked forward to more than her sweet ‘Good morning, Daniel’ every day as she walked into the classroom and took her seat behind him. Talking with his friends at lunch led him to accept that he had a wholehearted crush on her and if he didn’t ask her out he would be royally doomed.
Thing is, Daniel made that realization only two weeks after they met and planned to ask her out on Valentine’s day but totally chickened out. Three months later, he was driving himself insane for putting it off so long. His friends said if he didn’t ask her out that week then they would do it for him and wouldn’t that be embarrassing.
It was Friday. After the last bell. He couldn’t put it off any longer.
With one more nervous pet to his hair and a straightening of his back, he made his way over. Marigold glanced up at him as he approached.
“Hey.” she grinned, “You never come visit me. What do I owe the pleasure?”
Daniel licked his lips nervously as he watched her tuck her binders into her rose patterned backpack.
When he didn’t answer, she looked back at him with a chuckle, “Hello?”
Daniel rose his eyes to hers and took a deep breath, “Do you wanna go out with me this weekend?”
A sweet smile played at the corner of Marigold’s mouth as she slung her zipped up bag over her shoulder and closed her locker, “I’m at my grandparents’ this weekend but I’m free tonight.”
Daniel’s eyes went wide, his breath stuttering in his chest for a moment, “Tonight? Tonight…y-yeah, okay, yeah, I can do tonight.”
“Okay.” Marigold nodded in agreement. “I gotta go…mom’s waiting…but message me on AIM with a time and place.”
“Yeah.” Daniel breathed out, watching her rush off past him with a hurried ‘bye!’ and into the hallway crowded with teenagers. He couldn’t hold back the little air punch in celebration for that and he hurried off into the crowd in the opposite direction before anyone could see his bit of a happy dance.
The moment Daniel got home, he was rushing towards the basement, “I need the computer! I need the computer!”
He nearly threw himself into the computer room, only to find his older brother already there.
“I’m mid-game.” Christian said without looking up. “You can have it after dinner.”
“No. No, no, I need it now. Please.” Daniel stood over him impatiently.
“For what?”
“None of your business.”
“I need to know to decide if it’s worth stopping my game.”
“It is! I need to get on AIM, like, now.”
Christian paused his playing and looked up at his brother, “Is it a girl?”
With the distraction that obviously worked, Daniel threw himself on his brother’s lap and unplugged the game controller and closed the window himself. Christian shouted at him in protest and Daniel did his best to hold his older brother back as he opened up AIM and found Marigold’s contact – labeled as ‘online’ - and drafted a super rushed message.
C u at 6 for dinner?
“Mom! Daniel is hogging the computer!” Christian shouted towards the stairs. “And rubbing his nasty butt on me!”
Daniel ignored him, muttering under his breath as he saw the typing icon pop up, “Come on, come on.”
Yes. Where?
I’ll pick u up
A smiley thumbs up emoticon came through as is reply just as Christian shoved him off his lap and onto the carpeted floor. Daniel only picked himself up with ease and tossed the controller at his older brother’s head.
“Go play your stupid game while I have a date with a real girl.”
He rushed for the stairs before Christian could smack him for the diss.
By 5:30, Daniel had showered and dressed in pants and a button-up and fixed his hair three times in the mirror in his room. He grabbed his jacket and keys and hurried for the door. He made it right out to the driveway before realizing he was forgetting something.
Marigold thought farther ahead than Daniel did – that wasn’t odd – and her address was waiting for him in their AIM messages when he returned to the computer. He scribbled it down on a scrap piece of paper and nearly tripped up the stairs on his way back upstairs to type it into the old GPS in his hand-me-down truck. Daniel wasn’t necessarily a clumsy guy but the nervousness that was pumping through him certainly made that his momentary unfortunate reality. He even forgot to take the car out of park before trying to back out of the driveway. A marigold flower that he had picked from his mother’s garden rested in the cupholder.
The robotic voice of the GPS led him through the suburban streets of West Hartford to a red brick Tudor house with lush gardens and a perfectly trimmed lawn. Daniel lingered in the driveway for a moment, staring up at the front door that was framed by two small lights, waiting for him. He took a deep breath, stepped out of his old truck, and walked cautiously up the few stone steps to the hedge trimmed front porch. He barely knocked on the wood door before it was pulled open, revealing Marigold on the other side.
His heart did a little skip.
“Hi.” she said sweetly.
Daniel tried to word his response as he stared at her with her long blonde hair left in their natural waves and her face dusted in light makeup. He finally got out a soft, “Hi. You…look so good.”
Marigold tucked her hair behind her ear, “Thank you. You look good too.”
Daniel shifted and held out the marigold flower to her, “I…would have brought more but this was kinda last minute.”
“Well aren’t you as sweet as sugar?” Marigold giggled as she took it from him and twirled it between her fingers, “But my favourite flowers are hydrangeas.”
“Shit.” Daniel muttered.
“Just remember for next time.” she said as she closed the front door behind her.
Daniel nodded lightly, “Next time.”
They headed to his truck and he opened the door for her and held out a hand to help her up the slightly large step into the passenger seat. Marigold thanked him with a smile and took his hand although the way she easily hopped in meant she really didn’t need any sort of help.
“Where are we going?” Marigold asked once Daniel turned the key in the rumbling ignition.
“It’s a surprise.” Daniel said, switching the truck into reverse and tucked his hand behind her chair to back out of the driveway.
Marigold smiled over at him, “I like surprises.”
“Don’t get your hopes up.” Daniel added quickly.
“Don’t second guess yourself.” she retorted, although her tone was gentle.
Their eyes met briefly from across the front seat of the truck and Daniel looked back quickly to the road, stuttering to a stop at a crosswalk. Marigold reached out a hand to the dashboard.
“Sorry.” Daniel said, “Not quite used to driving this thing yet.”
“That’s okay.” Marigold said easily. “I can’t drive at all so you’re already impressing me.”
Daniel smiled to himself as he continued driving more towards the centre of town. Marigold hummed softly and tucked the flower behind her ear, pulling down the sun visor to look in the small mirror to make sure it was sitting nicely.
“It’s a gorgeous shade of yellow. Did you grow it yourself?” she asked, tapping the petals gently before shutting the visor again.
“No.” Daniel chuckled. “My mom did. I don’t…know a lot about gardening.”
“What a shame.” Marigold tisked. “I love it.”
Her eyes went wide as they turned into a parking lot and she gasped as she threw out her hand to touch his arm. Daniel was sure shivers tore down his spine at her simple touch and he glanced over at her in surprise.
“Are we going to Wendy’s?” she asked.
“Is that okay?” Daniel retorted quickly.
“Yes!” Marigold grinned, clapping her hands together a little in excitement. “Wendy’s is my favourite!”
Daniel let the truck drift to a stop in the drive-thru lineup and he looked over at her, “Really? It’s mine too.”
“Wow. We sit next to each other for three entire months and yet we are still learning about each other.”
“I mean we talk more about Shakespeare than fast food and flowers in class but…yeah.” Daniel chuckled.
Marigold smiled at him, the sweetest giggle falling from her lips, and the dim lights from the restaurant sign and almost setting sun outside the windows cast a pretty yellow glow across her face. Daniel was sure he had never seen anything or anyone as beautiful.
She told him her order and he paid at the window and passed her the takeout bag to hold as he pulled out of the drive-thru. Marigold peeked open the bag and snuck a fry for herself before taking a second and holding it out in front of Daniel’s nose. He smiled shyly and leaned in to let her feed it to him as he drove. She folded up the top of the takeout bag and let her gaze drift out the window as they headed towards the outskirts of town.
“Where are you taking me?” she asked.
“You’ll see.” Daniel answered casually.
Marigold glanced over at him as he was focused on the road and she let a small smile come to her lips. He had this seriousness about him when he drove, or maybe that was just his first date jitters taking over, as his bottom lip stayed wedged between his teeth and his hands stayed wrapped around the steering wheel. He took them out of the suburbs and into the outskirts of town where the buildings moulded into farmland and the street lamps turned into rickety telephone wires. Daniel - who only had his license for a few months - drove extra cautiously as pavement turned into dirt roads. The sun was still just over the horizon but was dropping quickly and the hues of sunset were fluttering through the truck and across their faces.
Daniel finally pulled into an alcove at the side of the road, down a slightly narrow dirt path that somewhat resembled someone’s driveway. Marigold simply held their takeout bag on her lap and trusted his process. He did a slightly rusty three-point-turn to reverse at the end of the path and then parked.
“Where are we?” Marigold asked with a slightly nervous giggle.
“Come.” Daniel opened the door and hopped out onto the dirt below. Marigold followed him around the truck with the takeout bag and he opened the back to reveal the bed of the truck made up with blankets and pillows.
Marigold bit back her smile and turned over her shoulder to the vast expanse of farmland beyond and a perfect view of the sunset and the outskirts of the city in the distance.
“Is it stupid? You can tell me.” Daniel said quickly.
“No.” she answered right away. “I really love this.”
“Good because my other option was bowling and I really suck at bowling.” Daniel sighed.
Marigold laughed sweetly and climbed up into the back of the truck. He followed quickly and they got the pillows arranged to rest back on with the blankets under them to prevent the hard plastic of the truck bed from becoming too uncomfortable. They split their food and ate on their laps while watching the sunset. Daniel was almost too nervous to eat - he felt like he might be sick any moment - but he ate anyway and focused on the soft humming coming from the pretty blonde girl beside him.
“How’d you find this spot?” Marigold finally asked.
“By chance, honestly.” Daniel shrugged. “I was practicing my driving before I got my full license and I was up around here and pulled over to answer a call from my mom and...I dunno...it looked kinda nice.”
Marigold nodded in agreement through a bite of her burger before answering, “It is kinda nice.”
“You’re the first person I’ve taken here.”
“Oh really?” Marigold smiled over at him, “I’m glad. Maybe this can be our spot.”
Daniel bit his lip to prevent himself from smiling as wide as he possibly could back at her and he nodded, “Okay.”
They finished their meals in near silence and by the time the sun finally dipped below the horizon and sent the land into near darkness, they rested back against the pillows comfortably. Daniel pulled up one of the blankets over their laps to keep warm as night fell and the temperature started to drop. Marigold was entranced by the views, her gaze unwavering as she stared up at the stars starting to appear across the inky sky.
“You can never see the stars from town.” she whispered.
Daniel looked from her up to the sky himself and smiled lightly at the blinking stars staring back at them.
“They’re so pretty.” Marigold said.
He looked back over at her, certainly finding her much prettier than the stars. He couldn’t believe she was really truly there with him - after months of psyching himself out and putting it off. She was the prettiest girl in the whole school, Daniel was sure of it, not to mention the sweetest and thinking about the fact that she so easily agreed to go out with him made his heart jump in his chest.
As if reading his thoughts, she asked, “Why’d you want to ask me out?”
Daniel was startled by her question and when he didn’t answer right away she looked back at him expectantly.
“I...You...were the prettiest girl I’d ever seen when you walked into the classroom at the start of term and...so nice to me and so...sweet and...I’ve had a serious crush on you for weeks now but I was too scared to ever do anything about it.”
Marigold lolled her head back against the rear window of the truck and listened so intently to him that you’d think he was preaching the gospel.
“So why now?” she challenged.
“Truth?” Daniel asked.
She nodded.
“My friends said if I didn’t ask you out by the end of the week, they’d do it for me and I don’t think I could ever recover from that embarrassment if they did.”
“Ah, so you waited for the eleventh hour?” Marigold giggled.
“Yeah.” Daniel laughed lightly, looking back down to his lap where he was picking nervously at the loose threads on the blanket draped over them.
Marigold spoke quietly to him, her eyes focused on his face even when he wasn’t looking back at her, “Well you know I’m not shy by any means but...I kinda always got a little nervous around you.”
Daniel finally looked back at her, “What? Really?”
She bit her smiling lip and nodded, “I kinda had a serious crush on you too. I’d get all nervous before first period because I knew I’d be seeing you.”
“Shut up. You did not.” Daniel blushed, looking away from her shyly.
“I did. I did, I swear.” Marigold giggled. “You were just so cute and quiet and made me feel like a little kid all shy.”
“You shoulda told me.” Daniel mumbled, his cheeks flushed pink.
Marigold nudged him, “You shoulda told me.”
They looked back out to the stars, smiling to themselves quietly at the confessions of the other. By the light of the stars, Marigold slid her hand out and brushed over his wrist ever so gently. His eyebrows furrowed a moment in confusion and turned his left hand out palm up as if expecting her to pass him something but all she did was slide her fingers into his and held his hand. Daniel kept his eyes on the sky but gladly kept a snug grip on her hand, ignoring the sickening sweet butterflies that flew around in his stomach.
“My mom says I can get too friendly sometimes so if I cross a line just tell me.” Marigold said.
“You’re fine.” Daniel assured her with a whisper.
She shuffled closer and leaned her head on his shoulder and he swore the feeling of her so close had the most blissful warmth radiating throughout his whole body. He gently rubbed his thumb over hers and she gave his hand a squeeze. Is this what heaven felt like? Daniel never wanted to leave. Just to sit forever just them and the stars.
They sat just like that for a while, sharing whispered conversations about home and their families and their favourite movies. Even when their palms got a little clammy as the minutes moulded into hours, they didn’t move from their spot.
Their spot.
Curfew approached faster than they would have liked to admit and Daniel turned to look at her in their close proximity. Their noses touched as she was still leaned up into his side but she just brushed hers over his and they shared little shy giggles. He could have kissed her right then and there. The stars sparkled in her light blue eyes and he could feel the warmth of her body against his and she was staring at him like she wanted him to.
Daniel shifted slowly and dusted a kiss over her cheek instead before slipping his hand out of hers, “We should head back.”
His shyness made her smile and she let her gaze linger on him a moment longer as he gathered their empty takeout bag and shifted the blanket off of their laps. Daniel never often noticed the way she stared at him when he wasn’t paying attention, always with that same soft smile and adoring light eyes, ever since that very night of their very first date.
Daniel mentally beat himself up the entire drive back into town for not kissing her. The opportunity was right there and he chickened out. As they pulled into Marigold’s driveway, he told himself he was going to kiss her and end the date as it should end. He parked and took a deep breath before looking over at her.
“Thank you for tonight.” Marigold smiled. “I had fun.”
“You’re welcome.” Daniel replied quickly.
“Dinner was great...the stars...everything...it was incredible.”
Daniel only nodded, trying to find that perfect beat of silence so he could go for it but Marigold wasn’t really one to ever stop talking.
“I haven’t really been on dates before...but this one was certainly my favourite. Even the flower. Especially the flower.” she touched the yellow marigold that was still tucked behind her ear before grabbing her small purse and opened the door.
“I’ll walk you up.” Daniel said hurriedly and jumped out of the truck with her.
He stuffed his hands in the pockets of his pants as they headed up the front steps and she smiled widely at him.
“What a gentleman.” she complimented, a hint of teasing in her tone just to make him blush.
She reached for the door handle but turned back to him almost expectantly. Daniel almost went for it but she spoke again.
“So...are we dating then?”
Her question took Daniel by surprise but she smiled sweetly at him as she waited for his answer.
He licked his lips nervously but nodded, “Yeah. I’d...I’d like that.”
“Daniel, will you be my boyfriend?”
“I’m supposed to ask you!”
“You asked me on the date so it’s only fair I can ask you to date me.”
“That’s...that’s not...Marigold, will you be my girlfriend?”
“Only if you agree to be my boyfriend.”
“You’re so stubborn, oh my gosh.” Daniel laughed nervously.
“Is that a yes?”
“Yeah, obviously.”
“Yeah, obviously.” Marigold giggled, using his words as her reply too, their momentary banter falling into silence.
This was the moment.
Daniel stepped closer to her and leaned down slightly, sliding his hand to the side of her neck and gently tilted her head up towards him. They were only a mere inch apart before the front door was tugged open and Marigold, who still had her hand on the handle, went stumbling backwards with a gasp.
“Mari!”
Marigold turned to her younger sister with a huff, “What, Iris? What is it?”
The blonde girl in the doorway - who looked a heck of a lot like Marigold apart from her slightly darker blonde hair and much greener eyes - continued loudly, “Do you know where my purple skirt is? I need it for this weekend!”
“You couldn’t have waited two more minutes for me to come inside?” Marigold scolded lightly.
Daniel shifted shyly on his feet and kept his hands in his pockets as she reprimanded her little sister.
“Hey,” the younger teenager looked past her to Daniel, “Aren’t you Anna Seavey’s brother?”
Daniel nodded stiffly, “Yeah.”
“Jesus! She’s like the coolest freshman in the entire school. Mari, are you dating Anna’s brother?!”
“Iris! You’re being rude. And don’t say Jesus.”
“Okay, but have you seen my skirt? Can you help me find it?”
Daniel chuckled at Marigold’s obviously unimpressed expression but she sighed in defeat, always too nice for her own good.
“Fine. I’m coming.” Marigold looked back to Daniel, “Sorry.”
He waved his hand between them casually, “Nah, it’s fine.”
“I’ll see you on Monday.” she smiled. “Thanks again for tonight.”
Daniel nodded and watched her be pulled inside by her fourteen-year-old sister. He lingered on her front porch for a moment before exhaling deeply and running his hands through his hair. Merely a few hours before he was pathetically pining over this girl from his english class and suddenly, by nightfall, he was her boyfriend.
Daniel drove home in his hand-me-down pickup truck that lingered with the scent of her floral drugstore perfume. No junior would ever say this, but he couldn’t wait until Monday.
20 notes · View notes
jazy3 · 3 years
Text
Thoughts on Grey’s Anatomy: 17X8
SPOILERS AHEAD!!!
I freakin’ loved this episode! It was so so good! Which surprised me considering what they focused on. Based on the promo I knew that this would be DeLuca’s goodbye episode and so I expected to like the other parts of the episode we were shown in the promo such as Hayes talking to Meredith at her bedside, Richard’s storyline, and Derek’s return. However, I was not expecting to enjoy any part of DeLuca’s farewell storyline and I was pleasantly surprised. I think that’s because they focused on the effects of grief and guilt and how everyone processes those emotions differently.
It was a really interesting character study on how each person feels a loss in their own way. Despite not liking the character I actually found DeLuca’s memorial service quite moving. I think it was because they found a creative way to do it and because funerals in the real world like we normally do aren't possible right now. My grandfather died last summer and while he didn’t want a funeral my family and I weren’t able to get together to mourn his loss as we usually would and that’s been hard.
I wasn’t particularly close with my grandfather, but the loss of traditional grieving rituals in this time of COVID-19 has been frustrating. I liked that they found a creative way to have the characters mourn the loss of a fellow staff member. I expected to see Carina more, but as I understand it her storyline played out more on Station 19 which makes sense. I felt like they did a good job of showing the five stages of grief (denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance) and how everyone experiences them differently.
Teddy and Owen displayed survivors' guilt and frustration that they did everything right and he still died. At the end we see Teddy in a catatonic state and it made me think that she might be sick with COVID herself or that there was something else wrong. While I've never been a Teddy and Owen shipper I did like the moment at the end where Owen noticed something was wrong and came over to her and told her that he would take her home and when she didn't respond he picked her up and carried her.
It reminded me of the Season 2 episode where Denny dies and Izzie refuses to leave his side so Alex picks her up and carries her over to a chair in her prom dress. Very different relationships, but a nice parallel in my opinion. This episode had a lot of those. Teddy seeing DeLuca in other people’s faces was freaky! I have to say that guy is way more interesting as a ghost then he ever was alive.  
I totally got Helm's reaction. I understand why she said and thought those horrible things about DeLuca. He was an ass for a really long time. I probably would have done the same thing myself, but that doesn't mean she wanted him dead. I thought what Maggie did for her was wonderful. My heart broke for Schmitt when he described his emotions. Richard was angry and Bailey went overboard trying to figure out what happened. Everyone's experience of a loss is different and I like that they showed that.
I’m glad that Richard told Bailey what she needed to hear. It was painful, but in trying to find an answer or a reason for what happened she was unintentionally hurting the people around her who were suffering too. The strength of Richard and Bailey's relationship is that they can tell each other the truth when no one else can or will. I loved his monologue to Catherine about trying to find a meaning in the puzzle of life and questioning his faith which is such a big part of his sobriety. James Pickens Jr. did a beautiful job in that scene.
Say what you want about Catherine, but I loved her response. Richard was trying to find meaning in the meaningless and in response she shared with him that her latest scans showed that the cancer hadn’t grown. Logically it should have, but it didn’t. Sometimes there are miracles and sometimes there are senseless deaths. Life is a puzzle. We don’t always understand it. That was exactly what Richard needed to hear in that moment.
On a more upbeat note, I loved the beach scenes this week! They were perfect! They were everything I dreamed of for my favourite characters and more! We got to see Derek and Meredith get closer and talk about the kids. When Meredith is heartbroken that Derek never got to meet Ellis or to know her he tells her all of these wonderful things about her. How she’s just like Meredith and makes it clear that he’s watching over them always.
He talks about Zola and how she writes to him in her journal and how Meredith taught her to ride a bike. I teared up! I've been waiting for them to discuss the kids and here it is! Hearing Derek talk about Ellis and knowing that he watches over Meredith and the kids was so emotional for me. I loved hearing him describe who she is and getting to learn more about her. I'm glad he encouraged her to go back. As much as Derek and Meredith miss each other she's needed back in the land of the living.
Her kids need her and so does everyone else. I loved Derek's gentle teasing. His facial expressions. And then there are her scenes with Hayes! God they were perfect! I've been waiting for this! I loved how Meredith kept joyfully asking him what he did to make Ellis smile so wide and laugh so loudly. She knows he can't hear her yet there she is dying to know what he said or did. The sound of her voice when she said that was everything for me. They already feel like a couple. So much in sync.
I love that Derek, who was shown to be extremely jealous in life, encouraged her to hear Hayes out. I really felt like he was giving her his blessing and the fact that they established that Hayes has met the kids virtually and they know who he is sealed the deal for me. Hayes has now received Cristina’s approval, Derek’s blessing, and is shown to have positive relationships with Meredith’s friends and family in Seattle. I loved that Hayes told Meredith to fight and talked about how her kids were doing and how everyone needs her.
I loved that he came and sat at her bedside and begged her to fight and not give up and that he talked to her even though he wasn’t sure if she could hear him. I love that he sat with her through the virtual memorial even though he wasn’t close to DeLuca and didn’t like him. The cheerful greeting and familiarity with which he greets Amelia and Zola and the stories he tells Meredith indicates that he’s been having regular video chats with Amelia, Maggie, Link, and the kids and that he’s chosen to stay by Meredith’s side when he just as easily could have left while she was on a call with her kids.  
It will also make the transition easier when do start dating because the kids will already know him. The music in this episode was really beautiful. Especially the songs that played during the beach scenes. I really enjoyed the drunken Link, Jo, and Jackson scene. I felt it brought much needed levity and humour to the episode the same way the beer scene with Jackson, Link, and Winston did in the previous episode. Their scenes were funny and raw and provided a good balance for the episode.
I also loved seeing more of Jo and Jackson's friends with benefits relationship and more of Jo and Link and Jackson and Link's friendship. I'd actually forgotten that Jackson and Link were friends so it was cool to see that dynamic again and that Link is supportive of their situation. The drinking game to me felt like a throwback to the Season 2 episode where Meredith and Cristina are at Joe’s Bar playing a game of whose life sucks the most and she tells them that Derek is married and Cristina tells her she’s pregnant. These revelations eventual lead to Cristina scheduling an abortion and declaring Meredith her person.
It was cool to see Maggie and Winston working together at Grey Sloan Memorial. Winston living in Boston was only going to go on for so long because as we've all found out this past year there's only so much you can do virtually. I knew he'd be moving to Seattle at some point and I'm glad to see him working at the hospital and hanging with Maggie's family. The scene where he danced it out with the kids was too cute! I'll be interested to see more of their dynamic moving forward as Maggie used to be his teacher and is now his boss. I'm also glad that both Winston and Hayes are finally getting the proper screen time they deserve.
Their storyline with the naked guy cracked me up! My two favourite lines of the episode were when the guy freaked out because he realized he wasn’t wearing his mask and Maggie said, “You’re not wearing much of anything.” And when Maggie and Winston went looking for him and Zander Perez, the resident from Pac North, told them, “If you’re looking for a naked guy he went that way.” I laughed so hard!
The scenes with Zola got me. She is a real trouper. She definitely is Meredith Grey's daughter through and through. I'm a big believer in found family and one of the things Grey's does really is show that there are many different ways to be a family and that family is what you make of it. True family is made up of the people who love and support you unconditionally not genetics. I really love that they've shown the strength of that bond between Zola and her family.
My favourite hidden moment of the episode was Tom! He appears in the background at DeLuca's memorial which means he's getting better. If he's well enough to be outside at the memorial then his condition has greatly improved since last we saw and that's great! Tom's a wonderfully complex character and I'm glad he's doing better. He appears in a bunch of deleted scenes that were released through the Grey’s Anatomy Twitter account which I highly recommend. The writing in this episode was excellent!
This episode was written by Adrian Wenner whose previous credits include the Season 16 episode ‘A Hard Pill to Swallow’ in which Meredith and Hayes work that vaping case together and get to know each for the first time. Honestly, my only complaint about this episode is that I wish they’d done it sooner! I wish they had bumped this and the previous episode up. The Mid-Season Finale felt very anti-climatic to me and was poorly received by a lot of fans. I wish they had just scrapped that episode or combined it with what we saw in the Mid-Season Premiere and then jumped into this episode after the break. But we’re here now and that’s the important thing.
Onto next week’s promo. Damn does it look interesting! We see that Owen has brought Teddy home and she’s not eating or speaking and he’s worried if her condition does not improve he’ll have to admit her. I’m sure he’s having flashbacks to when Cristina did the same thing after the plane crash. She appears to be experiencing some kind of nightmare sequence where she sees DeLuca as a ghost and Meredith speaks to her. Looks intense!
Until next time!
40 notes · View notes
mithrilwren · 3 years
Text
Fanfic ask game for procrastinating on writing, which as of this week is actually accurate, since I’m finally writing again! (or, more specifically, editing what I wrote two months ago so I can get back to writing.)
Tagged by @essektheylyss! Thank you, this is exactly the kind of activity my brain needed tonight.
1) How many works do you have on AO3?
72! I was hovering at 69 for quite a while, sad to break the streak haha
2) What’s your total AO3 word count?
~550K, which is somehow both more and less than what I expected
3) How many fandoms have you written for and what are they?
Many, lmao. According to my Ao3 (omitting any blanket tags) I’ve got 22 there, plus at least two more over on ff.net from back in the day, and probably a couple more just on Tumblr. Most of them I’ve only written one fic for, though. I think the only fandoms where I’ve written more than one are Critical Role (35), Supernatural (15), Haikyuu!! (3), The Exorcist (2), Dimension 20 (2), and Yu-Gi-Oh! (2)
4) What are your top five fics by kudos?
Pick a Number, Any Number
Surprisingly, my number one is NOT a Critical Role fic, nor is it even one of my longer multi-chapters! It’s actually a one-shot I wrote for Haikyuu!! back in the day that took off far beyond what I expected. I wrote it for DaiSuga week, which was a ship I (to be completely honest) wasn’t even terribly invested in, but I had a fun idea and people seemed to like it! (It’s also much fluffier than what I usually write, which might be part of its broader appeal ;))
A Winter’s Ball
Unsurprisingly, the next four are all CR ;). This one was a M9 x VM crossover that I primarily wrote between the hours of 3-8am over the course of two insomnia-wracked nights and honestly, I think it shows in its uncharacteristically unstructured format (compared to my typical style, which tends to favour shorter scenes with very intentionally-placed breaks between, as opposed to scenes that flow into each other without pause). That’s not to say I think it’s a bad thing! The story, which follows Beau as she drifts through a party in Whitestone and observes the interactions between the various guests, actually flows better without that kind of interruption. This was also my first Beaujester piece. I started writing it right before Beau’s confession aired, and published it the week after, which definitely pushed me to make what had been only subtextual in the first half of my draft into the emotional lynchpin of the story.
Only the Nightingale Sings
I’m really glad this one still ranks as high as it does, because this story is absolutely my pride and joy. At one time (though I’m not sure that’s true anymore) it was the longest gen fic in the fandom, which is pretty cool! Plot-heavy, twist-heavy, angst-heavy, with seven points of view to follow and multiple interwoven storylines, it was a beast of a thing to write, and took almost exactly a year to finish, but the long process was oh-so worth it. Literally nothing makes me happier today than seeing a new comment or kudos on this story.
Closer Still
One of my earliest shadowgast fics, this one asks the question “how can you make the ‘stuck in an elevator trope’ fantasy?” The answer is, as always, demiplanes. This fic, perhaps more than any of my other shadowgast fics, is interesting to revisit, because it was written before the ep 97 reveal, but literally everything Essek does in it would suggest otherwise. It reads like I already knew he was a spy working with Trent, and yet I was firmly in the “Essek is NOT the spy” camp at the time. Gotta chalk that up to Matt telegraphing his growing guilt into the preceding episodes - even if I couldn’t see it, it was clearly there.
your dust from mine
My other novel-length CR multichapter, this fic brought me so much joy in the otherwise bleak summer of 2020. Most of my best memories of those four months come from working on this story. A Fjorclay adaption of The Goose Girl (my favourite fairytale) this story is about healing, growth, and figuring out what happiness means to you. While I know most people don’t read stories for this pairing anymore, for obvious reasons, I still cherish your dust from mine for how much of my heart I poured into it, and I look back on it with a huge amount of fondness.
5) Do you respond to comments, why or why not?
I do my absolute best to respond to every comment someone leaves on a story of mine, even if it occasionally takes a month or two. Replying to comments is one of my favourite parts of the fic-writing process - it gives me a chance to revisit peoples’ kind words and (often, incredibly insightful) observations, and I hope it also shows how appreciative I am of each and every one. 
6) What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?
Though I write a lot of angst, I honestly tend more towards bittersweet endings than straight-up sadness. The only one I can really think of is What You Own - mind the tags if you follow the link, this is definitely one of the gnarlier things I’ve written for CR - whose ending is, admittedly, bleak. But this story so far removed from canon that I don’t think it’s the kind of angsty ending that lingers with you, as much as it packs a punch and then lets you go on your way.
7) Do you write crossovers? If so what is the craziest one you’ve written?
I tend to enjoy thinking about crossovers moreso than actually writing them. I’ve brainstormed a few, but none have ever made it much farther than the first page.
8) Have you ever received hate on a fic?
A few times! Not often, thankfully. Only one time in particular really sticks out to me, mostly for how it rocked my confidence in a way that I don’t think any comment could now, since I’ve had a few more years to build up faith in my own writing.
9) Do you write smut? If so what kind?
Very, very occasionally.
10) Have you ever had a fic stolen?
I hope not! 
11) Have you ever had a fic translated?
Nope!
12) Have you ever co-written a fic before?
Oh man, back in the Glee days... yeah. Yeah, I have. Nothing that ever got published, though ;)
13) What’s your all time favourite ship?
Not sure I have one! Ships come and go with the seasons, and sometimes they’re best left in the era you found them.
14) What’s a WIP you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?
The Shadowgast figure skating AU. It’s never going to happen, but I wish it had.
15) What are your writing strengths?
I would say probably structure, in terms of constructing narrative arcs and through-lines. I’m organized with my writing in a way that I am in few other areas of my life, haha. I’d also say my sense of place - I think I’m pretty good at constructing living, breathing settings and exploring how my characters interact affect/are affected by them.
16) What are your writing weaknesses?
I have a tendency to be wordy (which you might surmise from the length of this post, lol) and repeat myself, usually by going over emotional beats that don’t need the extra reinforcement. On the other hand, I tend to underexplain certain elements (particularly, important plot details in fic, and character motivation in original writing), which can lead to confusion.
A couple years ago I would have said dialogue, but I’ve put a lot of practice into it and I honestly think I’ve improved a lot, which is pretty cool!
17) What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?
I’ve never done it myself, and it’s not generally my favourite thing to read (like @essektheylyss said, it makes me hyper-aware that I’m reading words on a page, especially if I have to follow a footnote somewhere). That said, I’ve definitely also seen it used effectively, so I think it’s more down to whether it suits the particular story!
18) What was the first fandom you wrote for?
Yu-Gi-Oh!
19) What’s your favourite fic you’ve written?
As mentioned above, Only the Nightingale Sings.
12 notes · View notes
jaimehwatson · 3 years
Text
I made another Snowpiercer playlist!
After posting my Wilford/Audrey playlist a while ago, I added some songs that didn’t quite make the cut to a different playlist, intending to put together another similar one. But rather than focusing on just one ship this time, I also ended up getting really interested in theorizing about what Wilford’s relationship with Melanie might have been like before the Freeze, and exploring the idea that maybe there was something going on there and some kind of love triangle with Audrey.
So here’s my new playlist, full of absolute jams that could apply to any combination of relationships involving Wilford, Audrey, and Melanie, and/or just general Snowpiercer vibes! Read on for more detail about the songs I selected, and as before, content warning for references to canon abuse & self-harm/suicide.
1. “The Tradition” by Halsey
Oh, the loneliеst girl in town Was bought for plenty a price Well, they dress her up in golden crowns His smile hides a lie
She smiles back, but it's a fact That her fear will eat her alive Well, she got the life that she wanted But now all she does is cry
Thanks @onetrainsnowpiercer​ for getting me into this excellent album! I thought it would be fitting to kick off the playlist with one that could suit the earlier days of Wilford’s relationship with Audrey, like my previous playlist was more focused on.
2. “cardigan” by Taylor Swift
'Cause I knew you Steppin' on the last train Marked me like a bloodstain, I
I knew you Tried to change the ending Peter losing Wendy, I
I knew you Leavin' like a father Running like water, I And when you are young, they assume you know nothing
Did you think I would make a Snowpiercer playlist without Taylor Swift on it? Not a chance. I picture this one being more from Melanie’s perspective, reflecting on possibly having had some kind of ill-fated romance with Wilford when she was young and naive.
3. “No Children” by The Mountain Goats
I hope I cut myself shaving tomorrow I hope it bleeds all day long Our friends say it's darkest before the sun rises We're pretty sure they're all wrong
I hope it stays dark forever I hope the worst isn't over And I hope you blink before I do And I hope I never get sober
The only reason this perennial favourite of mine wasn’t on the first playlist was that I had too many Mountain Goats songs already and wanted to keep things balanced. But this one got all the ones that didn’t make it to the first playlist plus some more I thought about later, so I’m kind of giving up on that balance by now. They just have a lot of great songs about terrible relationships, and I love them all so much.
4. “Gold Guns Girls” by Metric
I remember when we were gambling to win Everybody else said, "Better luck next time." I don't wanna bend like the bad girls bend I just wanna be your friend Is it ever gonna be enough?
This is another one that I can picture being about young Melanie, gradually growing more aware of everything that’s terribly wrong with Wilford and his approach to life, and of how little he cares to try to fix it.
5. “You’ve Haunted Me All My Life” by Death Cab for Cutie
And there's a flaw in my heart's design For I keep trying to make you mine
You've haunted me all my life You've haunted me all my life You are the mistress I can't make a wife And you've haunted me all my life
And this one I can see being Wilford thinking about either one of the women, and his unhealthy attachment to them and inability to keep them around for very long—maybe once he’s finally reunited with them both on some level in season 2, but still can’t fully persuade them both over to his side.
6. “Old College Try” by The Mountain Goats
From the cities to the swamplands From the highways to the hills Our love has never had a leg to stand on From the aspirins to the cross-tops to the Elavils
But I will walk down to the end with you If you will come all the way down with me
Another Mountain Goats classic. If you divorce it from its context of being from a concept album about a horrible marriage, I actually think this song is kind of sweet in the way it describes a couple still committing to try to make things work despite a whole host of problems. But never mind that now, because I’m putting it back in the new context of a whole collection of horrible romantic relationships!
7. “Risk” by Metric
So you're beaten up but you bounce back It’s all part of the pull And the story runs like a soundtrack We repeat 'til we're full Started slow, started late Started strong, then we lost faith Started slow, started to lose control The more we accelerate, the more we accelerate
Half of arranging any playlist I make is just trying to split up the Mountain Goats and Metric songs so that they aren’t always clumped together. Anyway, this one seems especially fitting to me in its imagery of a speeding vehicle of some kind (it’s a train, I’m always picturing a train) alongside its description of a relationship going badly.
8. “Big God” by Florence + The Machine
You know I still like you the most The best of the best and the worst of the worst Well, you can never know The places that I go I still like you the most You'll always be my favourite ghost
I think this one could be any one of the three of them contemplating their complex feelings about the past at some point around season 2.
9. “I Still Do” by The Cranberries
I don't want to leave you Even though I have to I don't want to love you Oh, I still do
There aren’t as many specifics that match the characters going on in the lyrics here, since it’s more of just a general break-up song, but I also really like the creepy way it sounds.
10. “Fault Lines” by The Mountain Goats
But none of the money we spend Seems to do us much good in the end I got a cracked engine block, both of us do
Yeah, the house and the jewels, the Italian racecar They don't make us feel better about who we are I got termites in the framework, so do you
This one feels really fitting for pre-Freeze Wilford, especially the engine imagery!
11. “I Don’t Care” by Fall Out Boy
Say my name and his in the same breath I dare you to say they taste the same Let the leaves fall off in the summer And let December glow in flames
Erase myself and let go Start it over again in Mexico These friends, they don't love you They just love the hotel suites
Another song that is simply a) an absolute jam, and b) generally fitting for my favourite obscenely rich asshole and his terrible relationships
12. “You asked for this” by Halsey
I want my cake on a silver platter I want a fistful in my hands I want a beautiful boy's despondent laughter I wanna ruin all my plans I want a fist around my throat I wanna cry so hard, I choke I want everything I asked for
This one I can picture as Audrey—or maybe Melanie too, but especially Audrey—beginning to regret getting involved with Wilford, but only once she’s in way too deep for leaving to be a safe or easy decision.
13. “my tears ricochet” by Taylor Swift
And if I'm dead to you, why are you at the wake? Cursing my name, wishing I stayed Look at how my tears ricochet
Much like several other Taylor Swift songs, I just know in my heart that it’s the type of music Wilford listens to in secret, while possibly drunk and definitely singing along very dramatically. This one he dedicates to Melanie once they’ve met up again in season 2.
14. “Speed the Collapse” by Metric
All the way from where we came Built a mansion in a day Distant lightning, thunder claps Watched our neighbor's house collapse Looked the other way
This one has a lot of good apocalyptic imagery that I can imagine scoring Wilford’s life in the last few years before the Freeze, as he makes his plans to save himself and let so many others die.
15. “Ox Baker Triumphant” by The Mountain Goats
I will thank my ride and crawl my way back inside To the guts of the building where my enemies Hide in the dark like roaches And I will signal the camera crew and everyone will do What he's been trained how to do Sweat dripping from my face as my moment approaches
Click your heels, count to three I bet you never expected me A little worse for wear Practically walking on air
I love this song a lot, and listening to it lately makes me imagine Wilford plotting his revenge while on his way to catch up with Snowpiercer before the end of season 1.
16. “Firewood” by Regina Spektor
The piano is not firewood yet But the cold does get cold So it soon might be that I'll take it apart, call up my friends And we'll warm up our hands by the fire
Don't look so shocked Don't judge so harsh You don't know You’re only spying Everyone knows it's going to hurt But at least we'll get hurt trying
This has to be one of my favourite songs of all time. It’s very beautiful, and I love the piano in it. I’ve always personally interpreted it to be at least partially about someone surviving a suicide attempt, and the overall imagery about burning a piano for warmth—and this bit about not judging someone for doing that—reads to me as more of a general statement about the difficult choices people struggling with mental illness and other similar issues have to make to survive. I listened to it recently and I could picture Audrey singing it in the nightcar. I think it suits her well.
17. “Cry for Judas” by The Mountain Goats
But I am just a broken machine And I do things that I don't really mean Long, black night Morning frost I'm still here But all is lost
I think the imagery of this song suits the show a lot in general, but I can also particularly imagine it being Wilford in a rare moment of self-awareness about how much damage he’s caused to the world and the people around him.
18. “Rock ‘n’ Roll Suicide” by David Bowie
Time takes a cigarette, puts it in your mouth You pull on your finger, then another finger, then your cigarette The wall-to-wall is calling, it lingers, then you forget Oh oh, oh, oh, you're a rock 'n' roll suicide
I love Wilford a lot. I don’t want anything bad to happen to him ever. I hope he kills more people, and I hope he gets his train back, and I hope he wins. But if he does eventually die in the show, I hope he’s found in the bathtub with there being some ambiguity about whether he really killed himself or whether one of his victims turned the tables on him, and I hope the climax of this song swells as the camera pans over his dead body. That’s the only Wilford death I will accept, thanks for coming to my TED talk.
19. “Source Decay” by The Mountain Goats
I park in an alley And I read through the postcards you continue to send Where as indirectly as you can, you ask what I remember I like these torture devices from my old best friend Well, I'll tell you what I know, like I swore I always would I don't think it's gonna do you any good I remember the train headed south out of Bangkok Down toward the water
Okay, I promise this is the last Mountain Goats song on the playlist. It’s just—it’s perfect. It has a train in it. And on the podcast “I Only Listen To The Mountain Goats,” John Darnielle commented that there’s barely anywhere you can go south of Bangkok before you hit the water, it’s a train going nowhere, it’s so good. It’s also one of the songs I’ve previously ripped a line off for my fanfiction titles!
20. “Sellers of Flowers” by Regina Spektor
The sellers of flowers Buy up old roses They pull off dead petals Like old heads of lettuce And sell ’em as new ones For cheaper and fairer But they die by the morning So who is the winner? Not the roses Not the buyers Not the sellers Maybe winter
And Regina Spektor closes out the playlist again! This song is another one I picked more on imagery and vibes than anything else. But since it’s about a young child in a world that seems to be moving inexorably toward an all-consuming winter, if it suits any of the characters, maybe it’s an appearance of Alex here at the end!
Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy the playlist!
5 notes · View notes