I haven’t read this essay in… twelve years? I think? But someone (ETA: that someone was @whetherwoman who deserves the credit) linked it today and rereading it was a) a treat and b) honestly really helpful. If you, like me, want to write smut but often find it difficult, this essay may help a LOT.
Reblogging this as I periodically do because it’s still relevant (especially with so many new writers coming into fandom spaces who are SO ENTHUSIASTIC but maybe need some pointers?) and because I myself need the reminder. Wherever you are, Res, I hope you’re doing great.
forgot that being obsessed with fictional characters is not something normal people do. I hear someone say they’re too obsessed with a fictional character and for a moment I’m like “???? and what about it? isn’t that like??? normal???” then I realize that for a lot of people, it’s not.
I genuinely cannot imagine not being obsessed with the characters from the media I hyperfixate on and I genuinely cannot imagine not having a piece of media to hyperfixate on 😭
Charles rescues a little living girl from drowning. It was too close to death, so he couldn't prevent her from seeing the dead after that. He feels bad, and wants to make sure she's okay, so he finds her afterwards just to check in. She adores him immediately, and loves having him visit her.
Her mum is a little freaked out by the sudden addition of an imaginary friend to all of her daughter's drawings, but the doctors assure her that as far as trauma responses go, this one is safe. Besides, she keeps claiming it was her new friend Charles who saved her.
Her dad on the other hand is freaking out. It could be a coincidence. It's probably a coincidence. His daughter's drawings are hardly detailed. But the colours she uses, and the things she says about her new friend paint an uncomfortably familiar picture of the boy he and his friends murdered back in school.
It’s a Frin! Fanart I drew recently (I am not counting ocs I downloaded for artfight bc I am paranoid the total stranger will see it before I finish my attack)
@dellafloosh @rainstormyday @somefuckinrando @your-favourite-nerd @the-mighty-toast-wizard and anyone else!
i THINK this is colt seavers, fall guy, but it is ryan gosling nonetheless (i used him to make that one meme that for some reason blew up, the "i guess ryan gosling's hot now" one)
@swathingpath707 @eschnak1472 @spinozillastudios @stitchpunkdsol @anremithrl @stormyrainyday or anyone else that wants to join in!
@leahthetincan's rendition of Hoid's Booby Pants from the typo by @the-first-gem. Which I re-save way too often. One of my favourite things.
I think? I'm fine? Maybe? Could be really good or really bad. Will be very fun and terrifying. Depends on how Hoid is feeling and what his goals are down there.
Leah, you've already been at-ed.
@inferno-the-skywing @shreekofjoy @zerenta-mrraow @spookthelilguy @mightymo63 @eulers-biggest-fan and anyone else who wants to do this!
But ohhhhh i scared to find out who I'm stuck with....
God i have no idea if I'm surviving this. We're stuck in a bog?? Bro neither of us like getting wet at ALL, but homotron3000 over here at least has someone waiting for him when he gets out...
Final answer: he's making it out, but I'm being sacrificed to the massive reptile tailing us and you know what? Id die happy.
@blondemagnolia do you agree with this assessment?
Other tags, plus anyone who wants to: @maddrumsticks2 @hey-zozo @hiraethfeyesal @anything-thats-rock-and-roll @lunaeclipse1057-ao3
It was a huge milestone of scientific and technological advancement. (Plus, at the time, politically significant). Humanity went to space! We set foot on a celestial body that was not earth for the first time in human history! That’s a big deal! I’ve never thought about it before but now that I have, it’s ridiculous to me that that’s not part of our everyday lives and the public consciousness anymore. Why don’t we have a public holiday and a family barbecue about it. Why have I never seen the original broadcast of the moon landing? It should be all over the news every year!
It’s July 20th. That’s the day of the moon landing. Next year is going to be the 54th anniversary. I’m ordering astronaut shaped cookie cutters on Etsy and I’m going to have a goddamn potluck. You’re all invited.
PITCH: We call it Moon Day, and then every 7 years when it falls on a Monday, that's an even BIGGER deal and we call that Moon Day Monday and go absolutely apeshit about it (the next Moon Day Monday is in 2026 so we have a couple trial runs first)
currently watching: still the good place.... i'll finish it one day xD
current obsession: keeper of the lost cities!!! my 12 year old self is so happy
currently reading: ... also that xD
currently working on: learning how to draw musical instruments
currently wearing: this really cute sweater with embroidered lemons on it!
last google search: missing for king and country lyrics
fav flower: ugh thats hard... maybe mums?
10 people i would like to know better: @weirdgayweevil @girl-on-the-subway @gayblooper @sesneksheep @mysticaleldritchpunk @i-be-robin-um-the-uh @affectionatealbatross @femmour @just-a-silly-jellyfish @221lesbiandconfused
current obsession: still arcane, also FNAF and my newer DnD ocs as well as the main group
currently reading: I am patiently waiting for a fanfic to update (maybe it’ll update before I start school again?)
currently working on: I’m going to start working on an animatic also finish hello neighbor act 2 the real way
currently wearing: dark green t shirt, orange (short :( ) shorts, mismatched socks
last google search: bathroom vent hello neighbor act 2 location (the ai had previously lied to me and I was fucking confused)
fav flower: I don’t really have one but tulips are cool
ten people I’d like to know better: @jinx-alter @wub-cat @danger-noodle3 @your-pal-nebula @skylaraiden @raventhecrispy-offical @ravenwordsx @loopydrawz @hextechhearted
Currently watching: Uhmm... does Forensic Files count?
Current obsession: Stray Kids/BTS, The Dead Boy Detectives (as always), The Amazing Digital Circus, and EPIC: The Musical
Currently reading: I think this is the first time I've done one of these where I'm not actively reading anything. I'm working on a story of my own, and I know if I stop to read something else, it's gonna be rough trying to get myself back on track.
Currently wearing: A BTS Love Yourself hoodie I found at a thrift store for $5 and Ramen/Sushi pajama pants. Also an obscene amount of cat fur
Last Google search: Would You Fall In Love With Me Again piano chords (I was writing my review of The Odyssey, which I saw last night, and it was relevent)
Favorite flowers: I don't know if I have a favorite flower. I like orchids and dahlias, though
Tags for anyone who wants to participate! @blondemagnolia @hey-zozo @hiraethfeyesal @internetgiraffekid1673 @puermiles03 @lunaeclipse1057-ao3 @artemi5s @newsiesiswhyimhere @ihaveglitterbombs
Besides, if I'm somehow spoiling The Odyssey- one of the oldest surviving works of literature in the world- I don't think the problem lies entirely with me 😂
***
More under the cut :)
Overall, I think I'd give it an 7.8//10!! There are things they left out that I would have loved to see (such as Astyanax, the infant who got yoted from Troy), but given that it's a 3-hour-long movie, I think I can forgive them for the most part🤣
I know some people had issues with the casting, but I thoroughly enjoyed their performances!! If that's the only reason you're not going to see it, I would suggest giving it a shot.
Now, for the CGI. No spoilers, of course... But listen. All I'm saying is that if you have a weak stomach, perhaps don't watch Circe turning Eurylochus and his men to pigs. I don't get sick easily, but that? That got to me. I know I haven't talked about it much lately, but Samantha Morton (who played Mary Lou Barebone in Fantastic Beasts, a character I have long been on record despising) as Circe was so compelling. To go from a character my hatred will never abate towards to one that I genuinely felt sympathy for is a testament to her talent!
In the same vein, if you're sensitive to eye trauma or fucked up eye visuals across the board ( @maddrumsticks2 I'm constantly reminded of you btw🤣), maybe look away for the scenes with Polyphemus. They were awesome, don't get me wrong, but vertical eyelids on a humanoid face made me all kinds of ✨uncomfy✨. The sound design for the cyclops cave, though, was phenomenal.
Eumaeus absolutely blew it out of the park!!! I enjoyed that sassy old man immensely. John Leguizamo was incredible! And for the brief moments we saw Eurycleia, I was impressed by her too!! Elliot Page as Sinon made for a very complex character who truly embodied the hopelessness of the men under Ody's command.
I really liked the way they portrayed Agamemnon. For the entirety of the movie, he is shielded in his insane war general armor. The most we see of him bare is the back of his head before Clytemnestra stabs him (Which. Valid crash-out, imho). It really drives home how inhuman and removed from his men he was.
When Telemachus and Mentor are in the temple of Athena, the background music does something strange... Three piano notes play: A5, D5, and Db. For those of you who are musically inclined and obsessed with EPIC: The Musical, you may recognize those notes, as they are the melody of Odysseus singing "Would you fall-" during WYFILWMA. I have no idea if that was intentional or not, but if it wasn't, I think it's hilarious. It had me losing my mind in the theater! (Also, thanks @blondemagnolia for helping me with the music lol I'm hopeless with that stuff)
Robert Pattinson as Antinous was such a scumbag, guys. God, he's such a terrific actor. I cheered for his and Eurymachus' deaths. Melantho was a little shit too, and I did not feel bad when Penelope told her where her place was (ifykyk).
Penelope! Oh, muse, sing me a song of that loyal woman! Anne Hathaway did a splendid job with her character!! You could really feel the conflict in her, and her refusal to give up was just as inspiring as it is in the OG source material. I also liked that she called Telemachus on his shit 😂 You ain't hiding nothin' from that woman
Now to some of my critiques... How are you going to tell the story of the Odyssey and NOT MENTION THE NOBODY JOKE??? The fact that that joke has held up linguistically for centuries is a miracle, and any chance to appreciate it should never go to waste.
Anticleia was also conspicuously absent in the Underworld, which I found a little disappointing. Matt Damon did an incredible job with Odysseus, and I was looking forward to seeing the grief he would have felt at discovering that his mother had died while he was gone.
I also understand why they couldn't have Athena and Telemachus in scenes together, given that the chemistry between Tom Holland and Zendaya is very... charged, shall we say? But I would have loved to see a bit more of my boy's growth- he was still being ragdolled by the suitors at the end 😂
This isn't so much a critique as it is an interesting take. Calypso using what she did (ehem, no spoilers) to keep Odysseus compliant isn't something I've seen done before. I liked the switch-up, but I'm not sure how I feel about it as an element of the storytelling.
The ending was also interesting, and I'm not going to spoil it. I will say that it's definitely something I didn't expect. Again, I'm not sure how I feel about it, but I mean- he got his girl at the end, and that's what matters, right?
Lastly, Argos... I have nothing against dogs. I have nothing against the story! BUT GODDAMN, COULD THEY NOT HAVE FOUND A LESS TALENTED FURRY ACTOR??? That interview with Tom Holland was RIGHT; whatever they're paying him, that little fucker isn't getting enough treats cuz what the hell was that
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
writing by @artemisadore | art by @tragedy-machine | part of @deadbangdetectives' Reverse Bang 2026 🤍
Left for dead on the steps of the cathedral's pulpit, newly-fallen-archangel Charles is found by recently-escaped-human-sacrifice Edwin, who risks capture just by stopping to help.
What else can Charles do but marry him?
#i appreciate how genuine and non-judgemental this comic feels
#like left one is not upset at right one for caring while being powerless
#and right one seems genuinely distraught and not performative
I'm glad the facial expressions are coming across accurately!
It can feel so absurd to say gosh I hope the torment maze removes some fire and rusty nails soon, but alas, sometimes that's all one can do.
Alternatively: opening a fic you saved for bedtime and only making it halfway through the first chapter before you realize that you are far past the level of alertness you need to be at to truly appreciate the masterpiece unfolding before you
it is funny when I get asks like “haven’t seen grim in a while. is she okay?? is she dead? do you love her?” and then while I’m typing an answer, Grim is sprawled across my arm like this
