#Mae choose murder lol
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When Trevathan threatened to snitch:
#bro should've minded his own business#Mae choose murder lol#kingdom of the planet of the apes#planet of the apes#pota#pota reboot#kotpota#mae#nova#pota mae#pota noa#kotpota meme#pota meme#kingdom of the planet of the apes meme#spoliers#kotpota spoilers#pota spoilers
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I haven't wrote one of these in a while, but I also haven't been extremely captivated by a pair of characters in a while either. Regardless I'm rusty but how about some thoughts on Osha and Qimir ❤️
I've been talking to @a-heart-of-kyber for days now about these two...but something we talked about really has stuck with me and it's the fact that Osha has run essentially from everyone except him.
When she was younger, she wanted to explore, she wasn't sure she wanted to be a witch, but she did want to see the world beyond her coven. So she would run away to her tree until she had a chance to run away with the Jedi.
She ran from the Jedi after her presumed failure in learning to control her emotions.
She didn't even give herself roots in the years after leaving the order and instead bounced from ship to ship working as a mekak.
So when she wakes up to find herself on an island with this Stranger who murdered her friends...but he cooked her dinner, healed her wound, put himself in a vulnerable position to give her at least the illusion of more power, and very pointedly was like you aren't my prisoner. There is the ship you can go. She doesn't, she follows him.
She asks him questions, she engages in conversation, she listens to him..but she doesn't run at any point (well she does walk away but not far and he immediately follows her lol). Not when he is getting close to pulling truths from her, she pushes back and reacts but doesn't run. She looks for him in the after math of Sol. She agrees to train with him. While a part of that is for sure cause of Mae... blocking is also a very important and telling part of visual storytelling and that fact that when Mae asked what Osha wanted and she turned toward Qimir, it means something .
Idk, I think she found someone who has a rather terrifying ability to actually SEE her. For a character like Osha that seems to keep a bit of distance between herself and others...not really because she doesn't want companionship, but cause she's been so often disappointed. Having someone truly know you is terrifying and yet she keeps choosing him.
Her fear has caused her to run every time except when he is involved and I just find that super interesting.
I think part of it is he's essentially her guide...he's not corrupting her, he isn't manipulating her, he's telling her his point of view from his lived experience, but not pushing her in any other way than making her face herself. Her actions are her own and her fall is her choice. I think having the dynamic she has with Qimir goes hand in hand with that. Someone who knows you cause they understand, you crave that understanding while also being terrified of it.
Anyways, hope that made sense lol
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Saw a Reddit comment about Oshamir being creepy because Qimir is canonically old. Yet… we don’t know that for sure, do we? Qimir said was he trained as a Jedi a long time ago, but he could be twisting the truth or flat out lying. He may not have trained as a Jedi at all, even if he learned from someone who was once a Jedi Master.
Even if he is much older than he looks though, Qimir is not aiming to be her boss or her teacher. He is presenting a partnership to her, even if he is likely dressing up some evil plans with a pretty little bow. He didn’t do that with Mae. He approached her like a Master to a pupil and encouraged her to cause harm. Which he said himself was a mistake (a partial lie, probably), but that doesn’t automatically mean he views Osha in the same light. He knows she’s not out for blood, so he has to change tactics, but changing tactics doesn’t have to equal him manipulating her.
As well, Osha is canonically in her mid twenties. She’s not the typical 17-19 year old protagonist being seduced by an older supernatural being. She is also a supernatural being herself, but needs to rediscover her power. Meaning, she will be on equal (enough) footing as him in terms of skill and capability. Especially if at minimum, he trains her to be as good as he trained Mae to be.
Point is, yes, Qimir likely has ulterior motives and he is a murderer, but you know… he’s a villain. It’s expected. However, him being a villain doesn’t instantly make him a creep.
As far as we know, he didn’t kill her family and isn’t brainwashing her into trusting him. He did try to kill her (which is obviously bad), but he also healed her, gave her shelter, and told her she’s allowed to make her own decisions on how she unlocks her control of the Force. All of which is true, even if we know him wanting to unlock her power is likely more for him than it is for her.
Still though… Osha is a grown woman who as far as we can tell, has freedom of choice to do whatever she wants. If she eventually chooses to kiss an older man who murdered a bunch of people? That’s just what she choose to do, lol.
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Ok so I've definitely entered my 'blending headcanon and critique to make The Acolyte make sense to me' era because I loved enough of it to really want to be able to rewatch it, but I'm struggling with a few things, mostly about the ending. The first to tackle: what was up with Sol's sudden pivot into obsession with the vergence in the finale?
That's an easy fix: make Sol obsessed with the vergence from the start.
Ok, maybe not such an easy fix because this requires us living in the alternate universe where there is a secretly good 12 episode cut of the show that understands how to work in flashbacks as a B plot properly and not just dump them in two clumps without any framing device. (I can't believe my framing device theory wasn't real lol that seemed like such an easy setup.) We'd really need more of the flashback way earlier to avoid the mistake of introducing these big concepts in episode 7 of 8. (Bonus, imagine how much more devastating a betrayal Aniseya's death at Sol's hands would have been if we'd gotten more time with all of them on Brendok.)
Anyway yeah, in the secretly good 12 episode season, we're introduced pretty quickly to past!Sol and his main two character motivations: 1) his desire for a student (also sets up a good dark mirror with Qimir) and 2) his conviction that a vergence is what cause the resurgence of life post-hyperspace disaster, and these two motivations interplay with each other throughout the narrative. This would make Sol's relationship with Indara more interesting, if it brings them into conflict. Because Indara doesn't seem to be convinced the phenomenon is caused by a vergence (she says as much in the scene around the fire) and Sol disagrees with how she's handling Torbin's restlessness. (I've defended her in the past, I won't reiterate here, but see this post for my defense of Indara lol.) It makes sense too, given that he's the one that brings up the vergence in the first place, in that scene at the fire. And in the early parts of the present narrative, maybe we get an early throwaway line, in place of one of the 'we were stationed on Brendok', could be something like 'we were searching for something important...but that doesn't matter now' to signify it was something on Sol's mind but not give away the whole truth right away.
While the murder investigation, etc happens in the present, we're cutting back occasionally to the flashbacks, where Sol comes across the girls playing. I think Sol genuinely did feel both a connection to Osha and concern for their safety, so that's where motivation #1 (a padawan) starts to take precedence over motivation #2 (the vergence). But #2 is still there, coming up again in the first confrontation, after Indara asks about the girls' father and Sol starts to suspect they were created by the vergence. This could explain why he insisted on both girls being tested (at least in the episode 3 dialogue, that's cut from 7 for some reason). The interplay between these motivations would also explain why he rushes into the fortress when he senses Osha's distress, but the first words out of his mouth to Aniseya are to ask how the girls were created.
In the aftermath of the ensuing tragedy though, when faced with the guilt of killing Aniseya and choosing to save Osha over Mae, after his confrontation with Indara...he realizes he fucked up big time. He has to let go of his fixation on the vergence in order to make things right with Osha and focus entirely on motivation #1: raising and training her. And besides, there's no proof of the vergence remaining because the main evidence was the blood test proving they were the same consciousness, but without Mae it just looks like they mistakenly ran the sample twice or something. So he lets it go. He just focuses on Osha and buries all that stuff about Mae and the vergence down deep, as the darkness he never faces, and hopes it never comes up again.
And then Sol chills out even more! Ten years pass and he realizes he also made a mistake getting so emotionally attached to Osha and acting out of that possessive attachment. So when she decides to leave the Order, he lets her go with love! He matures and moves into a more stable position as a master, he becomes a teacher, he gets a padawan in the traditional way, everything seems good. I bet he felt a certain amount of relief. Guilt, yes, but after so long I bet it felt like it was all in the past and he's a different person now, what happened was sad and horrible but there's nothing to be done so he just focuses on being the best Jedi he can in the present.
Until of course, everything gets completely upended again by the revelation that Mae is not dead after all. She's alive and coming for revenge. There's definitely some of the 'oh shit I fucked up even more than I originally thought' panic, and freaking out that the Order is about to find out the truth of what Sol did, but also all the vergence stuff gets dragged up again. Because now he might be able to prove it. I think for a while Sol suppresses that thought, and really believes his actions during the investigation are motivated by good. He wants to capture Mae alive, he doesn't want another Jedi who might be willing to eliminate her to stop her because he genuinely wants to save her and find a way to make what happened right -- but he also needs her alive to prove she and Osha are one consciousness. He wants to warn Torbin and Kelnacca that Mae is coming for them -- but he also needs them to testify to the vergence on Brendok 16 years ago. Why else is Sol so insistent on talking to Torbin? If it was just a case of apprehending Mae, they don't need to talk, they just need to stake out the temple and wait to catch her in the act. What other subject would he be so certain Torbin would break the vow of silence for?
But then Khofar happens and goes so horribly wrong and so now Sol's in a full downward spiral, with even more blood on his hands. I don't think he really wants to hurt Mae in that final episode, but he's just cracking under the weight of all the deaths he's directly or indirectly responsible for, and he's left with nothing but the vergence. Everyone is dead and he feels he had a hand in all of it. He’s the last one alive, other than the twins, the last thing he can cling to is going back to the start, proving this vergence exists, because maybe then it will all mean something. And his unhinged behavior in the finale is the culmination of all that guilt and grief and being left with nothing but the obsession with the vergence beyond any rationality. (Until the real final culmination, when he comes back to himself for a moment at the end and tells Osha it's okay while she's killing him.)
I've still got some stuff to wildly invent explanation, like why the vergence was so important in the first place, what it actually was, why Koril was so scared of the Jedi finding out about it, but I think this helps me wrap my head around some stuff so I can rewatch the finale without being like 'huh?' I think this also fits with the duality themes, that Sol's motivations were never in balance, in the end he wasn't able to reconcile his obsession with the vergence and his genuine love for Osha and regret for what happened to Mae. I do suspect it would have (imo) worked better if they'd given some of Torbin's last minute 'we have to prove the vergence' motivation to Sol. Because the series as it stands, doesn't have much setup for that obsession with either of them, but for Torbin it has neither setup nor payoff, at least with Sol then it would connect to why he's scrambling to get them to Brendok in the finale. It also makes sense to me to sort of just re-order than scene in the forest to have Sol be the driving factor to getting them to go back to the fortress, especially because he ALSO thinks something is wrong. It's that double whammy motivation that leads them into the catastrophe. There are definitely still holes and this isn't so much a 'this is what I think the show was trying to do' and more a 'let me rearrange this into a shape that will allow me to watch lightsaber duels without thinking so much.'
ANYWAY tldr: introducing the vergence and making it a more significant part of Sol’s character arc much earlier would have solved a bunch of issues AND be a really compelling narrative where it combined and conflicted with his other main motivation, a genuine love and connection with Osha and deep regret for what he did to Mae and their mother. They just biffed it a bit by only bringing up the vergence in episode 7 of 8.
really tldr: I know I'm doing the 'every day Star Wars fans come on here and say some version of Star Wars would be so good if it was good' but I mean I've been doing that for like 25 years at this point and I find it fun so. Continuing. XD
#i wrote three drafts of this lol#all to be able to watch good lightsaber duels without wondering too much about the plot#it's just not really star wars to me if it didn't kind of need a script doctor and also is actually the secretly good version in my head#star wars#the acolyte#the acolyte spoilers
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So, like- this is the "beginning" of the blog- I put it in quotes because I've had this ask blog for about 2 years now on my DA page, and I'm posting stuff here on Tumblr in hopes that I can get more asks for it- The Maes are characters that have derived from my OC, Miss Mae (aka canon Mae), and come from alternate universes. There are some rules for what Maes are allowed to be a part of this blog- 1, they have to originate from Miss Mae as a character. 2, they have to of been drawn in the past- If I used every Mae, including ones that I have RPd as, there would be too many Maes to handle- 3, The Mae in question has to have a slightly different personality from Miss Mae. It wouldn't be very fun if all the characters in an ask blog had the exact same personality and interests- I will be reuploading all of the previous asks that I've completed on my DA page over the past 2 years (old art warning lol-)
Idk- you can call me "mod asparagus"??- I've seen other people on here go by "mod [word]" on their ask blogs- so I'll do the same thing- 👍
Feel free to submit asks, comments in general, or even dares!!
[WARNING: Some characters in this blog are bound to have rude, or flippant responses to some questions, comments, or dares. the only characters that won't respond like this include crybaby Mae, Mellow Mae, Mouse Mae, and Classic Classic Mae. The characters that will most likely be the rudest include Mafia Mae, Classic Mae, and Western Mae. Some characters also have some questionable beliefs. these characters include Western Mae (republican), Classic Mae (fakes mental illness), and Mafia Mae (justifies murder). If the questionable beliefs characters make you uncomfortable, or if you are sensitive to rude/aggressive responses, please don't submit any asks for those characters. If you choose to submit an ask to a questionable/rude character anyways and end up with a response from the character that is rude or questionable, please don't be mad at me, the artist/runner of the blog. Be mad at the character instead. Thank you for reading and hopefully understanding this warning! ~]
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I posted 3,301 times in 2021
1228 posts created (37%)
2073 posts reblogged (63%)
For every post I created, I reblogged 1.7 posts.
I added 4,369 tags in 2021
#others stuff - 2030 posts
#anonymous - 480 posts
#my stuff - 473 posts
#not worksafe - 426 posts
#headcanons - 224 posts
#alder darling - 219 posts
#memes - 156 posts
#julian sallow - 136 posts
#everett byrd - 116 posts
#horror - 109 posts
Longest Tag: 124 characters
#julian hates the idea of having a kid out there and would never acknowledge any potential offspring unless court ordered lol
My Top Posts in 2021
#5
Hi! May I please request Jason, Bo, Brahms, Vincent and Thomas for what made them realize their s/o was THE ONE?
Prepare for some fluff!
Realizing Their S/O is The One
Jason Voorhees-
Jason realizes it very early on, before you even meet actually, when he sees how kindly you treat the animals of the forest and the respect you show for nature. You seem so much like the kind of person his mother would approve of.
He couldn't bring himself to kill you, instead doing his best to show he had fallen for you, and your reciprocation of his affection sealed the deal for him.
He does everything he can to show you how much he loves you, and how happy he is with you. You two may not be able to get married (him being an undead serial murderer and all), but the bond you grow over time and share is unbreakable.
Bo Sinclair-
It takes Bo a very, very long time to realize you're the one. Even after you've been allowed in the house and start sleeping in his bed. He's just not a very trusting person, and it takes you almost dying to realize how he feels.
You jumped in front of the knife swung by a would-be victim, getting a deep gash across your chest and fainting from shock. Bo saw red and jumped them, turning the knife on your attacker and ending their life.
While you're getting stitched up by Vincent, Bo realizes he never felt more scared before in his life than when he thought you died. When you wake up, its the first time he tells you he loves you.
Vincent Sinclair-
Vincent realizes you're the one when he wakes up in the middle of the night. You're snuggled up to him, your face against his own and sleeping happily. The events of the past year with you have been the happiest moments of his life.
He looks over at you, his muse, his companion, his best friend, his confidant, and he can't imagine life without you by his side. You're always there for him, you inspire his art, and you've never once shown even the slightest hint of disgust or fear about his face.
Vincent slides out of bed, careful to not wake you up, and gets to work trying to make a painting to express how deeply he feels about you.
Brahms Heelshire-
When you had to choose between saving yourself or saving the doll from a dangerous intruder, and you chose to risk your life to save his doll, Brahms knew you were a keeper, but it was only after he revealed himself to you, saving your life, and you were so grateful and not terrified of him at all, that he realized he had feelings for you.
As the two of you settle in together, it's still slow for him to break from seeing you as just the one caring for him that he also has dirty thoughts about. But then one night he watches you through the walls as you sleep, and hears you say his name.
It happens suddenly, like a gun shot. Brahms realizes then and there that he doesn't want to ever be without you, even if you make a mistake or slip up he wouldn't want to punish you, he just wants to be with you no matter what. He comes out of the wall and climbs in bed beside you, going to sleep.
Thomas Hewitt-
Takes Thomas a while, but he's had feelings for you for a long time, and even after being together for several months it still doesn't seem real to him. He keeps expecting to wake up and you're gone, never having existed in the first place. But there you are, every morning when he opens his eyes.
It happens one day outside of Luda Mae's store. The two of you were helping her clean up after a storm, when some customers got rowdy, shouting abuse at Thomas. It wasn't anything new or anything he hadn't heard at least a dozen times before in his life, but you didn't stand for it. You marched right up to them and told them off.
Thomas had to step in and save you, but seeing you stand up for him made him realize just how much you loved him and how much he realized you. He might even start thinking about marriage.
210 notes • Posted 2021-01-16 10:30:39 GMT
#4
Which slasher would be surprisingly good at being a dad?
It's hard to determine who would be the best dad, since even if they're well meaning they can still fuck up pretty bad, but I've got a decent idea of rough categories I could fit them into:
Slashers As Dad Types
Fun Dad, Bad At Disciplining- Bubba Sawyer, Freddy Krueger, Josef , Brahms Heelshire
Strict Dad- Asa Emory
Balanced Dad- Jason Voorhees, Leslie Vernon, Thomas Hewitt, Jesse Cromeans, Bo Sinclair
Distant Father- Billy Lenz (2006), Michael Myers, Vincent Sinclair, Patrick Bateman
DO NOT LET HIM HAVE CHILDREN-
Billy Lenz (1974)
217 notes • Posted 2021-03-29 20:23:20 GMT
#3
I've started off the year in a slasher obsession and I'm loving it! Can I please have hcs of Bo, Vincent, and Thomas of their child calling them daddy/dada for the first time?
I'm biased as hell but I think that's the best way to start the year! This was so heartwarming to write.
Their Child Calls Them Daddy For The First Time
Bo Sinclair-
Really stresses to you how much he does not want his kid calling him daddy. Call him Pops, call him Bo, call him old man, call him mud, he just doesn't want his kid to call him daddy.
So the two of you avoid even saying the word around the little tyke for as long as possible. Then Lester slips up and calls Bo the kid's daddy.
The kid looks up at him with those big ol' eyes of theirs, the same color as his own, and calls him “Da...da?” so sweetly, that Bo just can't do anything but get the biggest smile on his face.
Okay so maybe it's not too bad after all, and when the kid is older he can steer them more in a “pops” or even just a “dad” direction.
Vincent Sinclair-
Vincent was worried from the moment the child was born that they wouldn't bond with him. That they'd want to see his face and then be scarred for life and hate him. He's thought about it a LOT and just winds up stressing himself out more.
That all changed one day when he was holding his small offspring while painting, his main way of bonding, and was so in the zone that the tiny hand touching his mask didn't even register until he felt it disconnect and fall off. He tries to turn and hide his face, but it's too late. He prepares himself for the screaming and tears he knows will come.
The baby giggles and reaches up for him “Daddy!”
Vincent freezes, then turns back to look at his child again. There's no crying, no terror, only love in that child's eyes. He cries tears of joy and holds them close, as happy as the day they were born. He'll be maskless around his baby a lot more afterwards.
Thomas Hewitt-
Thomas is almost always with his child, spending every moment of free time he has holding, carrying, feeding, playing with, and cuddling them. He doesn't even care that Monty talks shit about him for being so nurturing (Hoyt, suprisingly, doesn't care just as long as he still does his duties around the house), Thomas just loves his baby with every fiber of his being.
While he's reluctant at first, he does realize his kid is more likely to bond positively with him if they see him without his mask. So, very reluctantly, he lets the baby see his face. The big smile he got back told him all he needed to know.
Not long after that, the baby reaches up to him and calls him “Da!”, its first word. Thomas almost died of happiness right then and there.
Soon the kid is toddling around after him, yelling “Da!” and eventually “Daddy!” all day long. Thomas never gets tired of hearing it.
221 notes • Posted 2021-01-06 11:00:47 GMT
#2
what's your top three slasher three some pairings that will lead to you needing a wheelchair and top three three slasher threesome parings for soft, sweet sex?
Trying to get back into writing, and this was perfectly short, thank you! Not worksafe!
Top 3 Roughest and Softest Threesomes
You’re Gonna Be Sore:
Asa/Reader/Jesse- Two brutal as hell guys shipped because they’re brutal as hell. Might need a wheelchair, might need a body bag. There's just no way in hell you're getting out of this without a lot of bruises and some bloodshed.
Bo/Reader/Vincent- Both of these boys are massive sadists and I think that would extend to their partner. Even if they love you, you’re gonna have a rough time. Also I hope you like being recorded, because these fellas like to immortalize.
RZ!Michael/Reader/78!Michael- Or anyone with them. They could both fuck you up bad, and would have to hold back so they can fuck you up good instead. There's still a good chance they'll break you, and have no remorse.
Kinda Sweet Ships:
Jason/Reader/Thomas- I think they’d be decently kind to a partner, still rough as hell but like, in a kinder way. Lonely mama's boys with a slightly gentle side, and dicks big as your forearm.
Martin/Reader/Brahms- Weird ship, I know, but they’re both kinda trapped in life and lonely boys. Would balance each other out I think. Martin is a bit more subdued than Brahms, and Brahms would make sure Martin doesn't uh... take a sip.
Leslie/Reader/Josef- Another weird ship, but I think they would also balance each other out. Leslie would calm Josef's more feral side, and Josef would add some surprise. Neither would be dull at all. They'd have fun!
251 notes • Posted 2021-09-08 18:01:23 GMT
#1
I Made a Quiz
Find out who your slasher boyfriend is! 15 different results!
https://uquiz.com/UVkGyk
576 notes • Posted 2021-02-24 17:19:34 GMT
Get your Tumblr 2021 Year in Review →
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top 20 favorite quirks
okay, but listen, though! it’s exactly what it says in the title. not best quirks, or most useful quirks, or most creative quirks. not even coolest quirks! I did try to take all of these things into consideration when choosing, but honestly? by far the most important factor was, “I JUST THINK THEY’RE NEAT.”
anyway but let me backtrack and post the actual ask.
you’ll note that at no point was I asked to pick twenty of them. I did that all on my own. so here is my list!
20. Solid Air (Tsuburaba)
Tsubaraba Kousei. all-time undefeated grand champion of The Floor Is Lava. or at least he was until Ochako came along. anyway, so this is an extremely nifty quirk with all sorts of utility ranging from defense to helping him get around. it’s super useful for catching bad guys, and apparently the only real limit is his lung capacity. this quirk has so much potential and I love it.
19. Copy (Monoma)
the fact that he can copy his opponents’ powers and use them against them is badass enough, but add in the fact that he can hold up to 3 (or 4??) of them at once -- for as long as ten minutes -- and this quirk starts getting seriously powerful. anyway so one thing you might note as you read on is that although Copy is on my favorite quirks list, AFO is not! and that’s because Monoma’s limits actually make the quirk much more interesting to me, because they force him (and Horikoshi) to get creative. this is a really fun quirk and I would love to see more of Monoma in action. about time we saw him fight some actual villains and not just class 1-A, honestly.
18. Brainwashing (Shinsou)
as with Monoma’s quirk, what really sets this apart from other mind-control superpowers (to me, anyway) is the fact that it has limitations. he can’t just control anyone at random; in order to take them over he has to get them to respond to him somehow. which leads to innovations like the voice-changer, and which as a result has made his battles so genuinely interesting and fun to watch. anyway so I really want Shinsou to hurry up and join 2-A, and for them to just give him his provisional license all “here you go, son” with no testing whatsoever, because we’re past the point of pretending the HPSC is actually responsible these days, and because I really want to see if he can help turn the tides the next time the heroes battle the League.
17. Zero Gravity (Ochako)
I feel like it’s worth noting that I don’t really have any kind of fear of heights or falling or anything like that. and so I can’t really explain why Toga using this quirk on Ms. Curious and her lackeys was hands down one of the most singularly disturbing scenes in the entire manga for me! but it was!! even now I’m wincing just thinking about it. she just lifted them all up and DROPPED THEM and they just FELL and DIED. just like that. holy fucking shit. anyway, so we should all be very grateful that Ochako is super kind and sweet and more inclined towards helping people rather than murdering them. because holy shit. anyways though this quirk is dope.
16. Erasure (Aizawa)
I once said that this quirk was “not very cinematic”, and I don’t think I’ve ever been so wrong about anything in my life. oh, past me. you truly underestimated the dramatic impact of someone with a terrifyingly powerful quirk going in for the kill, only to be all “NANI?!” as they suddenly realize that their powers are no longer working, and the camera pans over to a man with gorgeous floating hair and intense red anime eyes. I owe you an apology, Erasure. you are cinematic AF.
15. Black Hole (Thirteen)
I really wish we got to see Thirteen fight more often. they suffer from the same “too powerful” curse as so many of the other characters and it’s a shame. anyway so Black Hole is cool af and gives me a ton of Miroku/kazaana vibes, which I freaking love. this quirk is lowkey on a Tomura-level of destructive potential, honestly, and yet no one ever talks about it?? Thirteen could literally destroy anything they touched if they wanted to?? imagine if they ever Awakened, you guys. holy shit.
14. Tape (Sero)
this power is so fucking stupid and ridiculous and completely absurd and I LOVE IT. Horikoshi really drew a skinny guy with tape elbows and was all, “so this kid is basically Spider-Man but with tape. I have not put the least bit of logical thought or creative effort into this power beyond that, and I’m not going to, either.” and somehow we all just accepted it. anyway, dubious origins aside, it’s such a versatile ability and Sero has such amazing control over it. it’s offense; it’s defense; he can use it to set traps; he can use it for maneuverability. TAPE ELBOWS CAN DO IT ALL.
13. Outburst (Ms. Joke)
when will it finally be her time. Outburst is one of those powers that sounds super dumb at first, until you really stop and think what the ability to make someone laugh at will could actually DO to people. true uncontrollable belly laughter is a totally incapacitating thing. she’d have people collapsing to the ground and practically seizing up. and good luck using your own quirk to fight back when you’re doubled over struggling to breathe and can’t even see straight because of the tears in your eyes. that’s assuming any of her opponents are even capable of thinking straight long enough to try it. like, this is such a straight up brutal ability and the fact that we have still NEVER SEEN IT is honestly infuriating.
12. Glamour (Camie)
it’s an illusion quirk. of course I have to put it on my list. illusion powers make every battle approximately 100x more entertaining. and what makes this particular power even better is that in any other series, this quirk would have been given to some Tokoyami-esque super serious emo kid. but BnHA went and gave it to Karen from Mean Girls instead. what a fucking power move. goddamn.
11. Black (Kuroiro)
according to BnHA Ultra Analysis, Kuroiro’s Appearing Out of Nowhere skills are rated a 4 out of 6. I still haven’t figured out if this is meant to be a burn on him or not. this kid can ninja in and out of literally any dark object in existence. if it’s nighttime, that means he can basically move wherever he wants to at will. of course he’s skilled at Appearing Out of Nowhere. so tell me then, why is it ONLY a four out of six?? how could he possibly fuck this up?? who was grading him?? DOES HE JUST SUCK. I don’t know, but anyway it’s really funny to me and also I really love this quirk.
10. Transform (Toga)
Toga went and Awakened herself right into the top ten with the reveal that not only can she mimic other people’s appearances, but that while she is transformed, she can actually use their quirks. like excuse me, what?? holy shit??? it is honestly driving me crazy that we’ve only seen this in action once. Transform is basically Plot Twist: The Quirk. I really want to see Toga use it to its full potential and infiltrate U.A. and/or spy on the HPSC and/or murder someone with their loved one’s own quirk. I WANT HER TO GIVE SOMEONE THE MAES HUGHES TREATMENT. I want her to do something so shocking that people ragequit the fucking manga lol. I know I’m always saying the manga isn’t that dark, but this is honestly the one exception where I would freaking love for it to get dark as shit. anyway so yeah. if you want to fuck with people you really couldn’t ask for a better quirk.
9. Creation (Momo)
MACGUYVER: THE QUIRK. an unlimited inventory in the hands of someone brilliant enough to actually utilize it to its full extent. what’s not to love? honestly if it were me with this quirk it would be completely useless. not only would I get hopelessly bored two seconds into trying to memorize an object’s molecular structure or whatever, but even if I DID manage to figure out how to make stuff, I would never know what to do with the stuff, or when to use it. every time a new situation cropped up I would just create a bunch of random objects in a panic. but Momo is so elegant in her problem-solving that she often needs to create only one or two things to come up with the perfect solution for something. basically this is a good quirk that becomes a truly great quirk when placed in the hands of the best possible person in the world to wield it. the quirk is awesome because Momo is awesome, and I fucking adore quirks like that (see: next entry).
8. Permeation (Mirio)
ah, Mirio. the original victim of the “too powerful to be allowed” curse. remember that time he BEAT HALF OF CLASS 1-A IN UNDER SIX SECONDS, you guys. small wonder Horikoshi couldn’t even make it through one complete villain fight with him before he had to de-quirk the poor kid. anyway, so Mirio makes this quirk look so mind-blowingly awesome that it’s easy to forget what a terrifying and fucked-up power it is in reality. “yeah it makes me blind and deaf and if I’m not careful I’ll fall into the center of the earth or splice myself in two or some shit.” what the actual fuck Mirio. but because he’s worked so hard and because Nighteye trained him so well, he’s mastered the timing to such an insane degree that he could kick Overhaul in the face without harming a single hair on Eri’s body. and honestly, there’s no way I could not love a quirk that gave us a moment like that.
7. Warp Gate (Kurogiri)
unlike SOME OTHER PEOPLE whose names start with Kuro, I would bet you that Kurogiri’s Appearing Out of Nowhere skills are a full six out of six! alas, the top ten of this list is chock full of people whose quirks are so badass that they had to be written out of the story one way or another. with Kuro at large there was technically nothing stopping the villains from just dropping in on U.A. one night to kill All Might, or rekidnap Bakugou, or whatever else they might want to do. and that’s actually a really scary thought though lol so it’s no wonder that Horikoshi was all, “yeah I’ll just have them capture him now.” anyways do you guys remember that one time in chapter 18 when Kuro used Warp Gate to create an endless loop of All Might suplexing Noumu suplexing All Might?? fucking quirks, though. wild.
6. Fiber Master (Best Jeanist)
another badass quirk, another badass quirk-user incapacitated and taken out of the story before their time. Best Jeanist is honestly terrifying. if he wanted to he could immobilize and even strangle and kill pretty much anyone in the world, whenever he fucking felt like it. that alone would be crazy enough, but then add to that that this quirk for all intents and purposes is basically telekinesis. as long as someone is wearing clothing he can move them around however he wants, as we saw in Kamino. basically, everything Hawks can do with Fierce Wings, Jeanist can probably do with his own quirk. AND THAT INCLUDES FLYING, YOU GUYS. the more I think about it the more I think we truly were robbed. I need Jeanist to come back already and fly everyone at Jakku to safety and tie Tomura to a chair with his own cape before proceeding to style his hair.
5. Rewind (Eri)
IT’S MY LIST!! I CAN PUT WHATEVER I WANT, AND IF YOU SAY I CAN’T, I’M TELLING MOM. okay but listen. everyone always rags on this quirk and how stupidly powerful it is, and look, I get it. but isn’t it kind of interesting that everyone is also always speculating over who Eri is eventually going to heal with her quirk? like, fandom is always complaining about how broken it is but at the same time they’re out here hatching all of these wild theories that center around it. and to me that indicates that in truth, this is actually an awesome quirk -- just so long as it’s used right. obviously there have to be some major limitations or else this is just “Fix Everything: The Quirk.” thankfully, Horikoshi did limit it! it’s super dangerous, she has trouble controlling it, and most importantly, it’s ridiculously slow to recharge and so she can only use it once every few months. it’s basically Recovery Girl’s quirk with a bonus slow-replenishing stamina bar that, once charged, allows her to release one ultra-powerful SUPER HEAL special move. and that’s pretty awesome. basically I think this quirk gets too much hate and not enough credit for the additional menu options it adds to the story. it’s interesting and compelling and I can’t wait to see what Horikoshi does with it.
4. Dark Shadow (Tokoyami)
TOKOYAMI WHY IS YOUR QUIRK SENTIENT. Existential Crisis: The Quirk. do quirks have souls?? if you shot Tokoyami with a quirk-be-gone bullet would Dark Shadow fucking die??? if Tomura absorbed Tokoyami’s quirk would Dark Shadow grow out of his back and be all “hey um, who the fuck are you”?? and would Toko’s head turn back into a normal human boy head?? would Dark Shadow look like Tomura instead of a bird shadow?? what even IS Dark Shadow, actually?? obviously it is not just a shadow because shadows can’t punch people or shield people from attacks or pick people up and fly them around. but yet he’s afraid of fire and grows weaker in daylight?? is Tokoyami secretly the strongest character in the entire series?? is there any way I can possibly justify putting this quirk all the way down at #4 instead of #1 where it clearly belongs?? let me answer that question by not answering it and moving on.
3. Explosion (Bakugou)
is the fix in?? is “exploding hands” really a better quirk than a fucking sentient monster man who lives in your belly button and reads your mind and is made of ~darkness energy~ and is your best friend? apparently the answer is yes! to both of those questions. yes the fix is in. I love Kacchan and his quirk is fucking awesome okay. it just never ceases to amaze me how this one single quirk, which really only does one thing, is nonetheless so spectacularly powerful that it allows Bakugou to compete on the same level as the fucking protagonist with all of his godlike super-strength and Main Character Powers and wacky SIXQUIRKS!! shenanigans. in my opinion the coolest thing about Explosion isn’t even its firepower; it’s the way Bakugou’s adapted it to fly around and to boost his speed. I think he legit may be the fastest character in the series right now, or close to it. he’s faster than Iida and Gran Torino and Endeavor. he can keep up with Deku without breaking a sweat. and he knows how to use that speed, thanks to his insane reflexes. add in the fact that this is also without a doubt the most cinematic quirk in the entire series, and I think I’m justified in putting it this high up. and anyway I still put two others up above it so shh.
2. Search (Ragdoll/Tomura)
Hey, What’s That Guy’s Deal: The Quirk. I just really love this one you guys. it’s so fucking useful. Video Game HUD: The Quirk. one hundred people at a time?? locations and weak points?? works even when you’re not looking at the person anymore and have blinked your eyes, unlike CERTAIN OTHER PEOPLE’S weak-ass quirks?? check, check, and check. is it any wonder AFO wanted this? plus it just looks so damn cool. the visual representation of everyone as little stars on a map. Turn On Location: The Quirk. okay look I feel like I’m doing a bad job of explaining why I have this quirk all the way up at number two. it just has this subtle badassness to it, and its introduction after almost two hundred chapters of buildup was just so fucking cool. maybe it’s recency bias?? I don’t even know; all I know is that I love this quirk and want to see more of it in action.
1. Blackwhip (Lariat/Deku)
listen, I was obsessed with this quirk back when it was called ���Venom” and was by far the absolute coolest part of the 1990s Spider-Man cartoon series. I’m not just going to suddenly not be obsessed with it just because fandom is mad that Horikoshi gave Deku an additional power beyond just Smashing Stuff. Blackwhip is hands down the coolest quirk, guys. I’m sorry, it just is. it has the coolest name. it had the coolest entrance. it does basically anything you could ever want a quirk to do in battle. it grabs stuff. it Bloops. what more do you want. you’re all just jealous because you wish that you could Bloop too. I know I am. I wish I had a Bloop. anyway so yeah, Blackwhip is the upgrade to Deku’s fighting style that we desperately needed after 200+ chapters of Delaware Smashes and Broken Bones. all his fights are cooler now. he can save more people! he can fight without instantly dying! plus you just gotta love powers that occasionally explode out of control if their user gets all emotional and pissed off about the fact that you insulted his boyfriend. so yeah. Blackwhip at number one! on this list of favorite quirks. not best quirks!! jesus christ. please don’t kill me I have a family.
so that’s my list! all 3000 words of it. how does this keep happening.
#bnha#boku no hero academia#bnha meta#bnha ranking#bnha top ten#bnha spoilers#mha spoilers#makeste reads bnha#asks#anon asks
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Worldbuilding Exchange Letter 2021
Hello lovely creator, thanks for creating for me in the Worldbuilding Exchange! I’m very excited and grateful for whatever you create for me <3
This letter will restate my DNWs, list my likes, give you a brief rundown of my canon preferences, and then dive into specific prompts for each of my requests.
I’ll warn you upfront that I tend to ramble, so feel free to skip prompts that don’t interest you and/or use ctrl+F to search for whatever it is you want to write for.
My requests are divided by fandom, and in the case of the Silm + Middle-earth Legendarium, by topic too, so hopefully that will be helpful for you! Also, my TAZ request is waaay down at the bottom, so if that’s what you’re here for, just go to the bottom of the page.
Housekeeping:
DNWs:
Non-con
Unrequested dub-con
Abusive/Neglectful parenting (especially wrt Fëanor)
Sibling incest, parent-child incest (cousin pairings are fine)
Unhappy/Unhopeful endings (unless otherwise specified)
Jealousy/Possessiveness
Cheating
Character or ship bashing
Hanahaki/any scenario where unrequited love is physically damaging
Soulmates, especially soulmate AUs (soul bonds are OK, if there is choice involved)
Porn without plot (Porn with plot is fine!)
Food involved in sex
Unrequested Modern AU
Non-trans mpreg
If you’re writing a slash ship where the characters are/were married to/involved with someone outside the ship, please don’t have the character(s) hate their spouse or not have been actually in love with them (the one exception is Finrod; I’m fine with him and Amarië not having been actually in love, but please don’t do this for anyone else, especially not Fëanor)
Hobbit/LOTR-specific DNWs:
The concept of a dwarven “One”
Any Fíli pairing
Alfrid
Legolas or Gimli paired with anyone other than each other
no smut for these fandoms, please
Silm-specific DNWs:
Evil/irredeemable/incel Maeglin
Elwing bashing
Fëanorian bashing
Over the top Fëanorian apologism (they did bad stuff; it was at least partially their fault. you don’t have to address that, necessarily, but don’t rewrite the story to claim they were blameless)
Fingon with a wife
Fingon or Maedhros ships that don’t take Russingon into account (polyamory, an open relationship, Mae with someone after Finno dies or vice versa for an AU, them with other people while they’re separated on the Ice/in Angband - all of these scenarios are fine, but in the end I need them to be with each other first and foremost)
Dark!Maedhros
Elvish re-embodiment after death being an actual, literal rebirth that requires the characters to have a second childhood; I much prefer them being granted a new hröa in their prime (feel free to explore what “in their prime” means, though, especially wrt scarred and disabled elves)
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Likes:
(these might not all apply to worldbuilding, but they might give you a place to start from!)
Gen fic
Found family
Family dynamics
Loving families, even when things get complicated
Friendship, intense/important platonic relationships
Relationships that defy categorization
Queerplatonic relationships
Polyamory
Queer headcanons (especially aromantic-spectrum headcanons)
Trans/nonbinary headcanons (genderbending is also fine, but I prefer trans/nb hcs)
Angst with a happy ending
Gray morality
Explorations of magic
Most tropes
Fanon and fandom tropes
Deconstruction/Inversion of fanon and fandom tropes
Interspecies relationships
Peredhil
Secret relationships
Secret relationships coming to light
Secret kids (especially secret peredhil!)
Giving ships OC kids
OCs interacting with canon characters
Confessions of love
First times
Hurt/comfort
Redemption, forgiveness, mercy
Ironic foreshadowing
Canon divergence AUs/X Lives AUs
Politics and scheming
Resolving conflicting canonical details
Historical/Narrative bias affecting what is and isn’t “canon” (to an extent; changing motivations, consequences, etc is great, but please don’t ignore canon entirely)
Elrond & Elros having complicated relationships with both their bio and adoptive parents
Names fitting the time period (Quenya names in Valinor, please; if this is difficult for you, that’s okay, no pressure, but I do strongly prefer it)
Names having a lot of thought put behind them (does the character go back to their original Quenya name upon rebirth? or do they keep their Sindarin name? or come up with something else entirely? do they hate their new Sindarin name and resent having to use it, or do they embrace it? As long as you put some thought into it, I’m sure I’ll like whatever you decide!)
Author’s notes where you explain your thought process, if you want; I love hearing how the story took shape!
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Preferences re: Canon:
LaCE compliance is always completely optional (except if you’re choosing a prompt that is specifically about LaCE, lol). If you do want to include it, that’s great, but if you just want the characters to fuck without having that be an issue, go for it. I love explorations of LaCE that take into account the exceptions, boundaries, definitions, etc; I also love takes that emphasize that they are Laws and Customs, not biological imperatives.
I’m not picky about my Amrod deaths. He can die at either Losgar or Sirion (or, hell, some other time/place if you make it interesting enough!), whatever works best for the story. I do like Lightly Toasted Amrod, aka he almost burns to death at Losgar but survives/gets rescued at the last minute.
Gil-galad theories are all very fun. Please don’t make him the son of Fingon and a wife; if he’s Fingon’s son, I want Maedhros to be involved at least a little bit (adoption or trans mpreg are both fine in this scenario). Otherwise, I don’t have a particular preference, though if it’s not really relevant I usually default to the son of Orodreth (who is in turn the son of Angrod). Also, I’ve requested “Origins of Gil-galad”; there’s more information on him in that section.
Honestly, when it comes to theories and headcanons, my rule of thumb is “convince me”! I’m down for whatever, for the most part, as long as you can justify it :)
~~~
For all of these, “suggested characters” pulls from the list of characters I requested with that signup, but if you’ve got an idea involving other characters then go for it! And in the end, all characters are just suggestions, this exchange is more about the worldbuilding :)
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The Hobbit (Book)
Adventuring Hobbits Before Bilbo: Who were they? Did they ever come back, or was Bilbo assumed dead because of precedent? Were they all Tooks, or did some other hobbits tag along on adventures, too? Suggested Character(s): Belladonna Took
Dragon Magic & Dragon-hunting: Talk to me about dragons! I’m interested in dragons & dwarves, especially in relation to the first time dwarves were driven from Erebor and into the North and the War of the Dwarves and Dragons. What kinds of dragons set their sights on the mountain? How old was Smaug when all that was happening; did he learn anything from the failures of his kin? Who were the dragon-hunting dwarves who fought in that war? Suggested Character(s): Smaug, Original Dwarf Character
Dwarven Craft and Magic: Enchanted weapons, enchanted armor, runes and spells...all so interesting! Borrowing from the movies a bit, did Kíli’s runestone from Dís have any magic power? What’s the deal with the Arkenstone’s thrall? How do elf and dwarf magics intersect when it comes to objects like Bilbo’s mithril coat? Suggested Character(s): Dís, Frerin, Thorin, Original Dwarf Character (perhaps a craftsdwarf?)
Dwarves and Gender: We need more dwarf women! And I’d love any takes on nonbinary dwarves and/or dwarf-specific genders. Were there female dwarves in the Company that Bilbo mistook for male dwarves? Are dwarven women really only a third of the population? If dwarf men and women are very similar in appearance, how do they differentiate between them, or do they differentiate at all? If you included something about dwarvish braiding styles indicating gender, class, marital status, I would be delighted. Suggested Character(s): Dís, Frerin, Thorin, Original Dwarf Character; in this case I’d prefer a focus on canon characters, but OCs interacting with them would be marvelous, especially people like Dís’ spouse.
The Black Arrow: Bard’s little pep talk to his arrow has always intrigued me. I’d love to see your take on the origins of the Black Arrow. Does it really come from Erebor, and if so, who made it? How did Bard and his forefathers come to acquire it? (I like the movie version that ties it into Girion’s attempt to kill Smaug, so feel free to incorporate that if you feel like it.) Is the arrow enchanted? (Perhaps that could be tied to the Dwarven Craft and Magic tag!) Suggested Character(s): Bard, Original Character from Dale, Original Dwarf Character
The Stone Giants & Were-worms: I don’t have many thoughts on these guys except “neat! tell me more!” I’m fascinated by the creatures Tolkien only gives us a passing mention of; if you feel like it, maybe you could combine these tags with some of the creatures in the LOTR tagset (crebain, cold drakes, Watcher in the Water, Mearas, Kine of Araw, etc...I didn’t sign up with all those tags, but it would be neat to hear about them anyway!)
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The Lord of the Rings (Books)
Cold-drakes and Fire-drakes & Crebain & The Watcher in the Water: Like with the Stone Giants and the Were-worms, I just think they’re neat and I’d love to hear your take on their origins and how they affect the history of Middle-earth. Feel free to combine this with other creature-related requests. Suggested Character(s): Scatha
Ghosts and Hauntings: Barrow-wights? Nazgûl victims? Just your crotchety old hobbit neighbor who still holds a grudge about losing the biggest pumpkin contest despite having been dead for 20 years? There’s a lot of potential for stories here; maybe you could combine a ghost story with some other prompt to add a murder mystery or haunting plot to a relationship you’re exploring!
Dwarf-Elf Relations: I don’t believe All Dwarves and All Elves hated each other! We have famous elf-dwarf friendships across the ages, and really it was just the Sindar vs. the Broadbeams/Firebeards that had the feud. Still, Legolas (a Sinda) and Gimli (raised among Broadbeams and Firebeards in the Blue Mountains) are caught up in that, so their friendship is quite remarkable! I’d love interrogations of how that feud continued across centuries and discussions of what really went down in Menegroth, perhaps with one of the Durins having an elf friend at some point in the past that sheds light on how Legolas and Gimli can get along. (I am here for any and all Gimli and Legolas combinations; I love them as friends, I love them as boyfriends or husbands, I love them as queerplatonic partners, I love them as anything in between! Do whatever you’d like with them!) Suggested Character(s): Gimli, Legolas, Original Elf Character, Any of Durins 1-7
Elvish and Mannish settlements in post-Ring War Ithilien: How do Legolas and Faramir get along, both living in Ithilien after the war? What do Legolas’ people think about being neighbors with a bunch of Men? Faramir and Imrahil were Aragorn’s chief commanders after the war, and Legolas expressed admiration for Imrahil; I imagine Imrahil visited his nephew in Ithilien, so what are the interactions of those three like? I’d love to see an exploration of Silvan elves and their culture here, with Legolas leaning into his Silvan heritage and maybe some Silvan OCs who have spent their whole lives in Mirkwood up until now and have never met Men before now! Suggested Character(s): Faramir, Legolas, Imrahil, Original Elf Character
Relations between the Dúnedain and Rivendell: Talk to me about the Grey Company, or Elladan and Elrohir fighting alongside their distant kin, or Rangers taking breaks in Imladris, how the Rangers think of Aragorn who was raised among elves, etc. I’d love an outsider POV here, such as an OC observing the oddities of a canon character. Suggested Character(s): Original Elf Character, Original Ranger of the North
The Glittering Caves of Aglarond: More Gimli and Legolas stuff - but with a focus on Gimli this time :) Gimli as a lord in his own right, Gimli who takes elves on tours of his dwarf-kingdom and weirds out his people (is it just Legolas, or does he take any Silvan elves with him, or like...his elvish in-laws??), Gimli as a craftsman... Or, alternatively, you could explore the caves before Gimli gets to work on them, what the Rohirrim thought of them and how they were created - by natural processes, or by magic, or a mixture of both? Did Aulë make them for the dwarves to find, perhaps? Suggested Character(s): Gimli, Legolas
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The Hobbit (Movies)
Dragonsickness/Goldsickness: The parallel to mental illness in the movies was really interesting. I’d love to see lingering effects of the goldsickness on Thorin after the Battle (Everyone Lives AU, probably), or an AU where Fíli or Kíli inherit the throne of Erebor and are afflicted by it as well. Or, sticking to canon, how did Fíli and Kíli and the rest of the Company deal with Thorin falling into madness? Were the other dwarves affected by the thrall of the gold? Bard and Thranduil were observers of Thorin’s madness; what did they think of him? Did Thranduil remember Thrór under dragonsickness? Or, since movie!Thranduil is a far cry from book!Thranduil when it comes to going to war over jewels, was he affected by the dragonsickness even from a distance? Was Bard? Suggested Character(s): Thorin, Fíli, Kíli, Bard the Bowman, Thranduil
Dwarves who "choose craft"/Aromantic-Spectrum and Asexual-Spectrum Dwarves: This is pulling more from the books than the movies, but I didn’t have enough nomination slots to include any book nominations, so it went here, lol. Anyway: as I’m sure you can tell from my tumblr url, I headcanon Fíli as aromantic, and I love seeing that in fanworks! It’s really wonderful that Tolkien mentioned that many dwarves choose their craft over marriage, and I’d love to see an exploration of that aspect of dwarvish culture, and how Fíli fits into it. It seems to be fairly common/accepted, but are there different cultural pressures around marriage for the crown prince? How does Fíli figure out he’s aromantic? If aro and ace dwarves are expected to be choosing a craft over romance and sex, what’s Fíli’s craft? Or does he not have one, and people judge him for that? The “choose craft” language I use is very much inspired by this post and the Neo-Khuzdul word “bijebtorva” :) Suggested Character(s): Fíli, Original Character(s)
Governance and Politics in Mirkwood: How did Thranduil and Oropher come to power in the Greenwood? I hate the “lowly Silvan elf” line from the movie; can you somehow justify that with worldbuilding, or show how it’s not accurate? Is Legolas half-Silvan like is implied in the LOTR books? Who are Thranduil’s advisors? Is Tauriel really the only one who dislikes and defies Thranduil’s isolationist policies? Is Mirkwood very patriarchal, and is Tauriel’s appointment to Captain of the Guard something she faced opposition or competition for? Are the Sindar elite colonizers, or did they integrate into Silvan society? How does the average Silvan elf feel about their king, or do they not even think about him? Suggested Character(s): Thranduil, Tauriel, Original Character(s)
Poetry and prophecy: Bard uncovers that tapestry that turns a song from the book into a somewhat ominous prophecy; there’s a lot of discussion of fate and signs from the thrush at the door to the last light of Durin’s Day; Thranduil has seen enough in his thousands of years to have had time to brush up against a prophecy or two. What do these three believe about fate and prophecy? Are any of them prophets in their own right? How does poetry/music lend power to prophecy? (Bonus points if you tie it back into the Ainulindalë...) Suggested Character(s): Bard the Bowman, Thorin, Thranduil
Poisons and antidotes: I love Kíli/Tauriel and the scene where she heals his wound...but the worldbuilding around morgul poison and athelas is a little murky. It’s a decent parallel to Frodo’s condition in the LOTR movies, but it’s confusing lore-wise. Can you make sense of it? If Tauriel is a warrior, where did she learn healing? (In my own headcanons, her foster family are healers, which is how she learned those skills even though she’s primarily a warrior - but feel free to take it in whatever direction you’d like!) Suggested Character(s): Tauriel, Kíli, Original Character(s)
Rebuilding Erebor & Relations between Dwarves + Elves + Men: (I’d prefer an Everyone Lives AU for this situation.) How do Thorin and his Company put Erebor back together again? What are the renovation projects like? How long does it take Dís and the rest of the Longbeards to arrive in Erebor and help out? How long does Dáin stay to help his cousin? I would love to see some politics both internally within the Longbeard dwarves and externally as they relate to Mirkwood and Dale. Smaug’s corpse is just lying in the Long Lake...how do the dwarves feel about their old enemy’s body so close by? Do some Men want to re-establish Lake-town, and demand help from the dwarves who flushed the dragon out of the mountain? Do the dwarves want to harvest Smaug’s corpse for resources? (He’s probably got gold and jewels stuck in his scales, and dragon-skin/scales is probably a good raw material for crafting things.) What’s the process of Bard becoming King of Dale? Does he face any opposition? I love the idea of Hilda Bianca challenging him for leadership, or maybe insisting on some kind of democracy/representation in Dale! And if she doesn’t get her way, maybe it’s her leading some people back to Esgaroth and founding a democracy there that would make the old Master roll in his watery grave... How do Bard and Thranduil and Thorin reconcile after the battle? Does Thorin pay up like he said he would? Does Tauriel hang around, or does she go somewhere else? Are any elves inspired by her, or is she a total outcast? If you choose to explore the Kíli/Tauriel relationship, how does that affect politics between Erebor and Mirkwood? Suggested Character(s): Thorin, Fíli, Kíli, Bard the Bowman, Hilda Bianca, Thranduil, Tauriel, Original Character(s)
Tauriel's fate after the Battle of the Five Armies: This is for exploring what happened to Tauriel in canon. Does she wander the world and explore new places? How long does she mourn Kíli? What does she do with the runestone? Does she return to Mirkwood, and if so, how does she manage to get back into Thranduil’s good graces? There are a million different ways to take this, I’d love to see your take on her! Suggested Character(s): Tauriel, Thranduil, Original Character(s)
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The Silmarillion: Magic & Spirits
Houseless Elves: Why did they refuse the call of Mandos? Do Avari even go to Mandos? Can Melkor and Sauron ensnare these spirits for their necromantic purposes? If the call of Mandos is refused once, does that bar them from listening in the future? What kinds of ghosts are haunting Middle-earth in the First Age? What kinds of ghosts haunt Aman? Suggested Character(s): Original Character(s), Melkor
Magic as a connection to the Music/the Song: Magic isn’t always the best-explained in Tolkien’s universe, but what we do know is the incredible power of the Music. How do the Maiar and Valar, who are not technically beings of Arda, interact with the world? How do elves and men (and dwarves! and orcs!) tap into the Song and manipulate it to their benefit (or detriment)? I have the headcanon that Elemmírë, the elf who sung the Aldudénië, is a priestess of Varda; what was the power of that mourning song, and how was it received by her patron Vala? Suggested Character(s): Elemmírë, Varda, Melian, Melkor, Original Character(s)
Nature Spirits: These holes in Tolkien’s worldbuilding are fascinating to me. What role do nature spirits play? How many are there? I’m thinking particularly of river spirits, like the River-woman and Goldberry, but there are probably also mountain spirits and water spirits and-and-and... Are they Maiar? Lesser beings? What do the Maiar we know of think about them? Gandalf seems the kind to listen to them and learn their stories, but perhaps Melian sees them more as servants in protecting her realm... Suggested Character(s): Melian, Original Character(s)
The Shadow-shapes in the hills above Cuiviénen: What were these shapes? Melkor’s prototypical monsters, Maiar who didn’t know how to interact with the Children, something else entirely? What did the original elves believe about them? Did they fear them, did they try to appease them, did they try to confront them? I headcanon that Elemmírë is an Unbegotten elf, so perhaps she lost friends to the Shadows, or thought she did. If the Shadows did take elves, was it out of malice or curiosity or a desire to protect them from whatever Melkor was planning? Suggested Character(s): Melkor, Elemmírë, Original Character(s)
The Void: Melkor spends a whole lot of time here. Does he have any company? Something or someone he makes to pass the time with? Do the Valar (like Manwë or Námo or Varda or Nienna) visit him there? What is the nature of the Void, is it pure emptiness or chaotic magic or a nightmare machine? Is Melkor being punished or is he being contained? And where are the boundaries of the Void? Varda rules the heavens; does her realm bleed into Melkor’s prison? Suggested Character(s): Melkor, Varda, Original Character(s)
~~~
The Silmarillion: Elven Relationships
Note: This request deals with relationships, and while I’m open to pretty much anything, please keep in mind my DNWs. Exploring these topics using canon relationships is a safe bet; I adore Maedhros/Fingon so having a look at them through this lens would be amazing; I have Aredhel as a character request here, and I see her as aromantic (“to none was her heart’s love given”) so while showing her in a relationship is fine, I’d love it if you could take her lack of romantic feelings into account; if you have a question about another ship, you can check to see what I’ve written and/or send me anon message! Additionally, a lot of these talk about soul bonds, which I’m very interested in, but one of my DNWs is soulmates. To me the concepts are very different things; it’s the destiny and inevitability and universal assumption of romance that really squick me out about soulmates. Soul bonds, on the other hand, have an aspect of choice to them that I really dig. So, please don’t make characters Fated For One Another, but please do explore what joining souls is like!
Laws & Customs of the Eldar: Boy do I have a lot of feelings about LaCE—and I’m always intrigued by other people’s feelings, too! I’d love to see an exploration of how these laws and customs came to be, which parts of the rules around marriage and children and re-embodiment are social constructs and which are innate to the fëa and hröa, and/or relationships that defy the norms. If your take on the laws is hetero/cisnormative, how does that affect queer elves? If your take is free of bigotry, what are the flexibilities around queerness, including asexuality and aromanticism? Laws and customs and rules always have loopholes and exceptions, so what do elves who don’t fit into the expected relationship mold do about these norms? Suggested Character(s): Aredhel, Maedhros, Fingon, Elrond, Any Unbegotten Elf Character(s)
Arranged Marriages among the Eldar: Russingon arranged marriage AU?? Orrrr....Maedhros or Fingon are politically engaged to someone else, and they have to deal with the ramifications of that? (Please don’t have them actually go through with the marriage if you go that route; I’m not interested in a story with Fingon having a wife, even if she’s a beard.) If elves (usually) only love once, and by declaration of the Valar can only marry once (Finwë being the somewhat disastrous exception), how is an arranged marriage justified within the cultural emphasis on these bonds? Are they more like arranged romances, people pushing their children together in hopes that they’ll fall in love? Or is it a stricter rule about “you do what’s best for this family”? (Note: Bad/cruel parenting is one of my major DNWs, so if you’re going that route, please don’t make the parent uncaring or malicious. Stubborn and narrow-minded is fine, as is the genuine belief that this is what’s best for the child, but ideally they’ll learn from their mistakes or perhaps everything will be interrupted and derailed by Canon Events. This is especially important wrt to Fëanor.) Suggested Character(s): Maedhros, Fingon
Creation/Discovery of soul bonds: How do soul bonds work on a metaphysical level? Can they be broken? Do they have to be nurtured and maintained? What’s long-distance communication like? Heck, what’s short-distance communication like, is it like talking in your mind or sharing your feelings or more abstract than that? Can elves form soul bonds with mortals? And most importantly—how did elves figure out they could soul bond with one another?? I can imagine that would be quite a shock when they’re discovering sex and then suddenly they’re inside each other’s minds! Suggested Character(s): Any Unbegotten Elf Character(s)
Non-romantic/sexual soul bonds: I’m good with practically any relationship here. Explore sibling bonds, twin bonds, parent-child bonds, queerplatonic bonds, found family bonds, adoption bonds, the bond between a Vala and their Maia...any kind of soul bond that is familial or platonic or chosen without regard to romance! (Feel free to take a canon romantic relationship and turn it queerplatonic, I live for that shit!) How are these bonds formed outside of sex? What are the rituals and ceremonies around forming them? Is it a public or private thing? Are non-romantic soul bonds taken seriously, or are they seen as less important than marriage bonds? Since elven parents literally give part of their soul in the creation of the child, is that parent-child bond innate? Suggested Character(s): Aredhel, Any Unbegotten Elf Character(s)
Elven adoption: I nominated this with Kidnap Dads in mind (if you go that route I love fluff for them as well as more nuanced/complicated takes on the situation, but whatever you do don’t make M&M cruel, and please include Maedhros as a parental figure alongside Maglor)...but hey, it could work for Fingon (and Maedhros) adopting Gil-galad! What are traditions around elven adoption? Are there soul bonds created between the adoptive parents and children? Was adoption even a thing in Aman, or is it only practiced in Middle-earth? Did elves adopt mortals and vice versa? Is adoption extended to found family other than a parent-child situation? How is adoption viewed by elvish society, especially if inheritance/succession is a concern? Suggested Character(s): Maedhros, Fingon, Elros Tar-Minyatur, Elrond
~~~
The Silmarillion: Noldorin Politics
Original Fëanorian follower(s) who turned on their lords at Sirion: Okay, this is a character tag, but I’m absolutely obsessed with this line: “For the sons of Fëanor that yet lived came down suddenly upon the exiles of Gondolin and the remnant of Doriath, and destroyed them. In that battle some of their people stood aside, and some few rebelled and were slain upon the other part aiding Elwing against their own lords (for such was the sorrow and confusion in the hearts of the Eldar in those days).” Who were these people who followed the Fëanorians into exile, into a Kinslaying, through the burning of the ships, through 30 years of Maglor as a king-regent incapable of treating with the Nolofinwëans, through the scattering of their lords and the harsh conditions of the North, through the Bragollach and the Nírnaeth and a “wild and woodland life” and the Second Kinslaying (where some of them went as far as to abandon children in the winter woods to die because they thought it was what their lord/s would want), through isolation and hatred from every other elven group, through the plan to attack a refugee camp—through ALL OF THAT, and THEN they turn on their lords at Sirion??? Why betray your lords NOW? And the people who DID keep following them after that (after kidnapping children!!!), what were they thinking?? — I firmly believe that Maedhros has many escapees from Angband in his service who are ride or die for him and whose morality was somewhat warped by Angband, but what about Maglor’s followers? Caranthir’s? Ambarussa’s? Even Celegorm and Curufin’s?? There’s just SO MUCH potential for story here, I’m dying to read about them!
Noldorin lines of succession: Was It Sexist Or Was It Not: The Eternal Question aka Why Didn’t Idril Become High Queen After Turgon? Also, what does “eldest of the house of Finwë, and not the least wise” even MEAN, Maedhros?? How did Gil-galad come to power? I find it hard to believe he became king immediately after Gondolin fell; was it a wartime power grab? A battlefield promotion? How did the kingship get established in the first place? Why was Finwë chosen to go with Oromë to Aman? Was Maglor ever really king, or did he only rule as a regent for the missing Maedhros? Suggested Character(s): Finwë, Gil-galad, Maglor
Origins of Gil-galad: I am always so interested in takes on Gil-galad’s parentage. My favorites are Russingon baby Gil (through trans mpreg or adoption, both are good) and secret peredhel Gil (probably an Aegnor/Andreth baby adopted by Orodreth), but I also love Finduilas Is Gil-galad and honestly, any situation is fascinating here—just convince me! A possible way to explore this is through Outsider POV; some noble or historian trying to figure out just what the heck is up with Gil-galad. His parentage being confusing in-canon is so fun!! Suggested Character(s): Gil-galad, Original Nobility of the Noldor
Maglor's Kingship between Maedhros' capture and rescue: Was Maglor ever really king? Did he give up on Maedhros early on, or did he cling to the hope that he still lived? Did his brothers turn to him for support, or did they connive to take responsibility from him? The rift between the Noldor wasn’t healed until Maedhros’ rescue; did Maglor try to cooperate with Fingolfin, or did he keep his people isolated? Was he relieved when Maedhros came back and took responsibility, or was he resentful to lose his power? How does this situation (and Maglor not going to rescue Maedhros) affect M&M’s relationship later on? Suggested Character(s): Maglor, Original Fëanorian follower(s)..., Curufin, Caranthir
Dwarf-Elf relations in the First Age & Dwarf-kingdoms: Dwarf-friends!!! Yes!!! I love elves and dwarves being buds (or partners if you’d like to go that route!) <3 IIRC, Curufin learned Khuzdul, and I’m sure Celebrimbor did too; Caranthir was supposedly rude to the dwarves, but what if that’s just his (and their!) love language? How did relations between the Sindar and the dwarves sour over time? Maedhros was friends with Azaghâl; how did that relationship begin? How did Finrod’s contract with the dwarves blossom into a real friendship? Eöl was also buddies with the dwarves; did he ever bump into Curufin or Caranthir while at a trade festival or something? And the dwarf kingdoms of the First Age are fascinating on their own, too; what was the political structure like? Did the dwarves bring items from the other side of the mountains into Beleriand? How did the petty-dwarves get exiled? What happened to Nogrod and Belegost in the War of Wrath, and were they ever re-established after the sinking of Beleriand? Suggested Character(s): Curufin, Caranthir
Guilds and Noble Houses of Tirion: Give me a Tirion political drama! Finwë trying to appease his lords and craftseldar? Indis integrating into Noldorin society and making connections with the noble houses? Arranged marriage situation between Nolofinwë and Anairë? The younger princes running amok and causing chaos in their elders’ carefully-laid plans and delicately balanced alliances? Suggested Character(s): Finwë, Indis, Original Nobility of the Noldor, Curufin, Caranthir, Maglor
Roles and Responsibilities in the Noldorin Royal Family: There were oodles of princes in Valinor. What did they all do? How did they get the followers who came with them to Middle-earth? Were they free to pursue their own crafts, or did they have responsibilities to the common people? How did this change in Middle-earth when suddenly everyone was in danger and had more pressing needs? What is it like being a re-embodied royal in a society that’s adapted to life without you? Suggested Character(s): Finwë, Indis, Maglor, Curufin, Caranthir, Gil-galad
Fashion as Political Statement: This is an excuse to request Color Coding Politics. Fëanorian red! Nolofinwëan blue! Findis wearing Aggressively Neutral White! Lalwen in orange? Arafinwë in yellow? Finwë in an amazing technicolor dream-coat...or more likely just red, showing his bias once more? Art of this would be absolutely fantastic. I have lots of headcanons about color politics; feel free to ask me about them if you choose this option. Suggested Character(s): Curufin, Caranthir, Gil-galad, Finwë
~~~
The Silmarillion: Trauma & Religion
War of Wrath: For a war that took so long and had such wide-reaching repercussions, we really don’t have very many details about this. It’s free real estate, basically! I have my favorite characters (Maedhros, Maglor, Elrond, Elros, Gil-galad...) that you could use to explore this time period, but literally anyone who’s alive at this point is fair game. And OCs! What do the Noldor and Vanyar (and Telerin sailors) feel about the War and interacting with the war-weary exiles and Sindar and Men of late-stage Beleriand? What kind of culture shock/culture clash is there? Were re-embodied exiles permitted to return to Middle-earth, or were they barred from going to war again? Suggested Character(s): Original Noldorin Character, Original Vanyarin Character
Trauma after the War of Wrath for elves and humans & Exiles adjusting to life in the Undying Lands post War of Wrath & Dealing with psychological trauma in Valinor: Trauma was commonplace in Beleriand, but not so much in Valinor. What’s it like for exiles who sail West to be in a society that doesn’t know how to support them? Are the Valar having to learn how to deal with the trauma of living elves super quickly, or are they reticent to change? How do the exiles interact with their re-embodied kin? What do the Vanyar and other Amanyar think of these elves who have been so deeply hurt? What kinds of treatises on psychology are penned by scholars with little to no previous experience? What is therapy like in Valinor? Do the exiles get together for support groups since no one else understands them? Or did the trauma of the Darkening and the First Kinslaying wake up the Amanyar and get their act together before then; are the exiles surprised by the structures already in place to support them? And what about Avari who have been dying steadily all this time from accidents and incidents in Middle-earth? If they’ve been re-embodied, how do they engage with the Eldar who have similar traumas? Suggested Character(s): Estë, Finrod, Maeglin, Original Noldorin Character, Original Vanyarin Character, Rúmil, Any Avarin Elf Character(s)
Worship of the Valar and Religion & Avarin religious culture: Do the Vanyar really worship the Valar, or do they seem them as hyper-powerful neighbors? What are priests and priestesses like in a world where the gods walk among you? How does each kindred of the elves interact with the Valar? Are Maiar viewed as equal worshippers/servants or as deities in their own right? Do the Avari even know about or acknowledge the Valar? Do they worship the stars, or simply Eru? Suggested Character(s): Pengolodh, Rúmil, Any Avarin Elf Character(s)
~~~
Middle-earth Legendarium: Magic & Spirits
Afterlives: This is pretty vague, but I think it’s referring to the various kinds of afterlife. What are the Halls of Mandos like? What happens to spirits who don’t go to Mandos? Do Men pass through Mandos on the way to Beyond? What happens to Men? Are they reincarnated in the more traditional understanding of the word, do they go to some other realm similar to Arda, are they just endlessly partying it up with Eru? Do dwarves really go to the Halls, or is that just a superstition? And of course, what about orcs? Suggested Character(s): Námo
Fate of orc souls after death: Yeah, really, what about orcs? If the orcs were originally elves twisted into Morgoth’s servants, are their spirits still elven? Are they reborn as they once were, elven despite their life as an orc? What about orcs who are many generations removed from their elvish ancestors? Do they have fëar? Can orcs be rehabilitated? I refuse to accept that all orcs are inherently evil; but what does everyone believe in-universe? Suggested Character(s): Námo, Original Orc Character(s)
Foresight and Prophecy and Doom: I’m honestly not sure if this fanon or canon, but Finarfin and his line having foresight through Indis is a wonderful concept and I’d love an exploration of that. How accurate is foresight? Can fate be circumvented? Are prophecies like the Doom of the Noldor self-fulfilling, or are they warnings about possible futures, or are they curses upon people? If you have a high Doom upon you, does that end with your death, or does it follow you to Mandos and beyond? Suggested Character(s): Námo, Finarfin
Songs and Words of Power: Rap battles with Sauron! ...joking aside, song as magic is just fascinating to me. How does this connect to the Ainulindalë and the Song of the World? The elves named themselves Quendi, the Speakers; how do they view the power of words and their ability to change the world around them? Can music be used as a force of destruction or a weapon (battle bard Maglor)? Can it be used to manipulate someone’s mind (Sauron)? Suggested Character(s): Maglor, Sauron
Stars and Starlight: “All light is sacred to the Eldar...but wood-elves love best the light of the stars.” Okay, sorry for being a Hobbit movie apologist on main, but I do love Tauriel! How do elves view starlight? Is it holy, or are the stars more like their friends and guides? Did the Avari choose to remain in Middle-earth partially because of their love for the stars, which were drowned out by the light of the Trees? How does Eärendil feel about being a star; does he feel blasphemous or holy? What legends and superstitions are there among Avari and Men and others who don’t know the origins of Gil-Estel about the new star in the sky? Suggested Character(s): Morwë, Eärendil
The Unseen Realm: This is the in-between world where Frodo goes when he wears the ring, the world that the Nazgûl in their half-life inhabit. Are Ainur able to slip into this realm at will? Did Gandalf walk invisible in Gondolin? How does Sauron manipulate this realm to his purposes? Is this where elves go if they fade? (I don’t usually like Maglor fading, but it could be an interesting way to explore this...) Suggested Character(s): Námo, Sauron, Nazgûl, Maglor
Magical Artefacts & Magical Communications: Palantíri! Galadriel’s mirror! Ósanwë! All sorts of cool ways to talk with magic. Do the Rings of Power enable long-distance ósanwë? Did the Silmarils contain pieces of Fëanor’s soul? What other marvelous magical creations were there that didn’t make it into the Legendarium we know? Suggested Character(s): Sauron, Maglor, Eärendil
~~~
Middle-earth Legendarium: Politics & Lore
Feudalism between Eldar and Edain: We have Edain entering into the service of Noldorin lords (Bëor and Finrod, Hador and Fingolfin, Amlach and Maedhros) and land being given to Men by elves (or not, in Haleth’s case)...how far did this feudal relationship extend? Were the Edain mostly autonomous or were they very much bound to their elven lords? Were there common elves who paid tribute to Edain lords? Can any relationship between elves and Men truly be equal if this is the way they originated? Fealty kink? Suggested Character(s): Curufin, Original Elf Character
Fourth Age Tirion: What’s Tirion like with a bunch of dead people walking around living again, and a bunch of weird legends now imposing in daily life? What’s the first meeting of Rúmil and Pengolodh like—who geeks out over whom? Are the Fëanorians back yet? Is the average elf even really aware of all the nonsense that happened in Middle-earth, or are they extremely unimpressed with King So-and-So of a square of land that’s now underwater trying to cut them in line at the coffee shop? Suggested Character(s): Original Elf Character, Pengolodh, Rúmil of Tirion, Celebrimbor, Elrond, Galadriel
Relationship between Noldor and Dwarves: See “Dwarf-Elf relations in the First Age & Dwarf-kingdoms” in my Silm request for a starting point...but also, was Elrond’s Last Homely House open to dwarves? How did Galadriel come to respect the dwarves, especially after her Sindar kin grew to hate them? Suggested Character(s): Curufin, Celebrimbor, Elrond, Galadriel
Timekeeping between the Death of the Two Trees and the Rise of the Sun and Moon: Tolkien’s math drives me ABSOLUTELY INSANE. His timelines are contradictory, I get headaches just thinking about the length of elf pregnancy, what does aging mean for an immortal species, WHY ARE TREE YEARS LIKE THAT and WHAT IS A YÉN? Please try and make sense of this for me, I beg of thee. I’m especially interested in the time period between the Death of the Trees and the Rise of the Sun and Moon. Did the Noldor wander the Helcaraxë for 3 years or 30? How long was Maitimo in Angband? Did the Sindar even realize something was different? How did people start calculating Sun years? When was the calendar of the First Age adopted? Who did all this math? Is there an in-universe explanation for these contradictions? Do people fight over math? Do the Ainur experience time the same way the Children do? Did some Noldo genius come up with a timekeeping system that worked with the Moon, only for the Sun to come along and muck it up? Suggested Character(s): Pengolodh, Rúmil of Tirion, Original Elf Character, Fëanor - really any scholarly character, tbh!
Treatment of Angband's Escaped Thralls: Which kinds of escapees choose to go to Himring with Maedhros the Tall, and which choose to go to Gondolin and the House of the Hammer of Wrath? Was Rôg an escapee too? Can Maedhros really tell who’s been turned by the Enemy? Does Thingol have the right of it in turning away thralls from Doriath? (If he even does that, I’m now researching this and I’m not sure it’s actually canon...) What was it like for Maedhros and Gwindor to readjust to elven society? Did Elrond grow up surrounded by Fëanorian followers who escaped Angband, and is that where he learned healing? Suggested Character(s): Original Elf Character, Elrond
In-universe authorial bias in historical texts: All of the Legendarium is a history, which means there’s bound to be unreliable narrators. Was Maeglin really as evil as the story says? What gets left out of the narrative? What gets lost in translation? Who lives, who dies, who tells your story? Suggested Character(s): Pengolodh, Rúmil of Tirion
Trade in Middle-earth: What was trade like in First Age Beleriand? What about Second Age trade between Númenor and the mainland? Was Ost-in-Edhil a trade hub? After Sauron returned and traveling became dangerous, what intrepid traders braved the wilds for the sake of goods and money? How was currency developed around the world? Suggested Character(s): Curufin, Celebrimbor, Elrond, Galadriel
Orcs Surviving the Wars: Again, I don’t believe that all orcs are irredeemably, inherently evil. Were they persecuted and stamped out after the Ring War, or did some escape and adapt to a life without a harsh overlord? What’s orc agriculture like? Would Elrond take a chance on rehabilitating an orc in Rivendell? What if orcs were more complicated all along, and it’s the histories that simplified them to cardboard-cutout villains? Suggested Character(s): Original Elf Character, Pengolodh, Celebrimbor, Elrond, Galadriel
~~~
The Adventure Zone: Balance
My only non-Tolkien request, oops. Don’t think I’m not as interested in this request, though; I’m the only one who nominated for it, so I picked my very favorite concepts and I’d love to see what you do with them!
Angus McDonald’s Grandfather: This guy’s name was lost to time, and he loves silverware, and he has a grandson, and that’s pretty much all we know about him. Was he involved in the Relic Wars somehow? Did his name get eaten by the Voidfish? I imagine he’s a rather eccentric fellow; how much of that did he pass on to Angus? Is he even real, or was Angus lying to Tres Horny Boys about his destination?
Any Wonderland Adventurer(s): I’d love to see what happens to the other people who go to Wonderland before our boys. Do they all die? How many get what they want and get out? Do any of them have weaker moral compasses than THB and agree to advertise for Edward and Lydia? What if Edward or Lydia fell in love with an adventurer and trapped them there? What kinds of things do people sacrifice to the Wheel? We know about the Escape Game and the Healing Game; what about the Recovery Game? How long has Wonderland been around? How has it evolved over time? What was it like before Edward and Lydia got ahold of the Animus Bell? How did they get ahold of it? (Personally I think Barry just gave it to them...but did he have to go through the trials first?)
Differences within species between the Two-Sunned World and Faerun: I love the fanon that Two-Sun elves are juuust a little different from Faerun elves...like Taako’s echolocation, for example. But what if this applies to the other species like gnomes and dwarves and even humans? How are the Seven Birds just a liiiitle off from everyone else around them? Also, Cat Elves. This is an excuse for Two-Sun Cat Elves. GIVE TAAKO A TAIL. (I mean, or not, do what you want, but I’d love to see that, lol.) Suggested Character(s): Any Member(s) of the IPRE, Original Character(s)
Reclaimers before Tres Horny Boys: Who were the other Reclaimers? Who did Lucretia trust to carry out this dangerous mission? How did they all each, inevitably fail? What if Magic Brian was a Reclaimer gone wrong? What was the last straw for Lucretia, the last failure that made her scheme to get her boys back? And the other Reclaimers weren’t officially disbanded right away; how did they feel about the new guys in town, and losing their jobs to these doofuses? Suggested Character(s): Lucretia, Original Character(s)
The Relic Wars: There were wars about the Relics!!! Wars!! That everyone forgot!! Wars where people that THB knew died!! And then we never get into this in canon! It drives me nuts! I would love to see an exploration of this chaotic time period, what the IPRE did to mitigate the damage, which relics were obvious and terrifying and which were secret and terrifying, etc... I’ve written a bit about Relic War-era Hurloane, but what were the other NPCs doing? (Or Hurley and Sloane too, I’d love to see your take on them too!) When Lucretia wiped everyone’s memories, what was lost? (I suspect Angus’ Grandfather got caught up in that...) How did those missing memories lead people to the Bureau of Balance? Suggested Character(s): Lucretia, Any Member(s) of the IPRE, Angus McDonald’s Grandfather
The Robot World's crystal post-Story and Song: The IPRE promised to return the Robot World’s crystal if they ever managed to defeat the Hunger...and we know they can plane hop from the casino liveshow...so, did they ever return the crystal? How did that go down? How does the Robot World rebuild itself? And if we’re going into it being the (K)nights Arc’s setting, are there other characters than Troth that we might recognize? Suggested Character(s): Magnus Burnsides, Lucretia, Any Member(s) of the IPRE
Worlds that survived the Hunger: In the worlds where the IPRE found the Light of Creation before the Hunger arrived, what was it like for the people there who had to endure the Hunger’s attack? What was the scope of the destruction? How did they rebuild afterward? Does uniting against a common enemy bring the people of the world together and create more Tesseralia-like societies? How many people knew about the IPRE, and what did they think about them? When they hear the Story and Song, what’s the reaction? If they didn’t know about the IPRE what myths do they create to explain the Hunger? Suggested Character(s): Lucretia, Original Character(s)
~~~
Alright, that’s the end of my prompts/requests! Thanks for reading this far, and whatever you end up writing for me I am super excited to read it!! And if you have questions or ideas or something, my askbox is open and I have anon messages on, I’d love to talk! Thank you again for creating for me, you are the best! <3
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Zuko and (teacher) Iroh high school au
(It’s been a hot minute but we back baby 🤗🤩)
Zuko
Senior
Fave subjects: Buisness and English Lit (surprisingly)
He used to only care about his buisness and economics classes because his father gave him a lot of pressure to have good grades and go to a good college/university.
He also knew it was the only way for his father to stop comparing him to his sister.
Eventually after a while he stopped putting so much pressure on himself and letting his dad get to him.
After that he found himself enjoying his uncles class more and more (YES IROH IS AN ENG TEACHER MORE ON THAT LATER)
Rich international student/e-boy aeshetic: black supreme, champion and antisocial social club baggy shirts and hoodies, gucci belt, black jeans and sweatpants.
Sports/Extracurriculars: Basketball and student council
He and Katara have a fierce rivalry in the student council as they both applied to be president.
After an exact tie in the votes from the student body, eventually Zuko got president and Katara was given vice-president since they knew she had one more year of high school left (and the council was too scared too choose between the two)
Zuko was always an angsty moody boi (whats dif from canon lol) cuz he had a lot of his pressure from his dad to be on top of his studies to get to university and take over the family buisness.
On Mondays he just running on caffeine and like 2 hours of sleep so he is cranky(-er than usual)
He also used to only hang out with his sisters and her friends or just spend time on his own being the brooding bAd BoY™
Eventually Aang annoyed him into being friends and hanging out with his friend group.
Katara was skeptical at first but eventually warmed up to him and they became the most powerful, hardworking duo that made real great changes with the student council.
Aang taught Zukko to relax more, have fun at high school while still balancing academics and just manage the emotional pressure from his dad.
Toph just likes to provoke Zuko by pranking him and jokingly (cough not jokingly) flirting with him.
Sokka also just loves to prank and tease Zuko everyday.
"sOKKA. STOP WRITING LOVE LETTERS ON MY BEHALF. I. DON'T. NEED. A. GIRLFRIEND.
"Aaaw c'mon buddy when's the last time you got some since that Mae girl?
"...I will murder you."
"AGSHJKV AANG HE L P"
Uncle Iroh
Teaches English literature at the high school
He often supervises most of the after school charity/volunteering clubs run by students.
He also runs an after-school self-care/mental health clubs for kids who need that kind of space to express their emotions.
So many students thank him for starting this club and tell him how much he's helped them towards the end of their high school career.
He's one of those veteran teachers who had been at the school for a long time and is beloved by every group of students.
Kind, patient and passionate about teaching and making sure his students are happy, excited to learn and fully understand all the concepts he teaches.
Every student is so hype when they see him on their schedule for the year
"Who do you have for english?"
"OMG YESS I GOT IROH. ENGLISH IS GONNA BE LIT THIS YEAR"
"dUDE what LUCKYYY. I got Bumi 😞 I mean he's nice enough but he's lowkey weird AF and I really can't understand what he's trying to teach"
His lessons are always super engaging and even though he isn't one of those super hyper, loud teachers, all students no matter how sleepy or awake will always pay attention.
His classroom always smells like tea because he's drinking a fresh cup of tea every. single. lesson.
A group of students once gave him a custom mug that says "World's best tea-cher" (with the word 'tea' printed on a picture of a teabag)
Iroh hasn't stopped using that mug ever since.
He's often seen walking around the school balancing that mug on his laptop and teaching materials
Iroh was also good at recognising when students had crushes on each other and would arrange his seating plan according to his OTP's.
Sometimes he would tease the students about their crushes in class
He would also sometimes ask students to stay behind and give them advice on their crushes and how to ask them to prom/festivals etc.
Zuko visits Iroh everyday during his Lunch period since Iroh always wants to chat with him and check on him.
At first Zuko was constantly brooding and stressed everytime he went to chat
After becoming friends with the gaang his mood and mental health improved greatly and Iroh was incredibly happy to recognise that change in him.
Zuko also used to always fall asleep or just act unbothered during Iroh's class since he never saw the point of learning about English Literature.
Iroh didn't mind but still occasionally tried to encourage Zuko to participate by asking him questions or just acknowledging in class.
"What did you think of the symbolism behind the streetcar, Zuko?"
"Eh I dunno? Desirable?"
"Wordsworth sure loved nature, his description of it is almost...romantic! Do you understand the pun there, Zuko?
"No, uncle."
Eventually he found himself appreciating his uncle's lessons, enjoying English literature and could sometimes make some terrible jokes.
"Now class, as we know Wordsworths daffodils is a prime example of his message for us to appreciate nature."
"Uncle if I may it seems like Wordsworth appreciated a different kind of flower, if you know what I mean...I mean opium just to be clear."
Iroh always laughed at every single joke no matter how terrible just because he was overjoyed that his nephew was finally paying attention and engaging in class.
Zuko also started carpooling to and from school with Iroh.
He was sick of taking the private car with his sister and hier friends anyway (rich boy problems™)
In these rides to school they would either chat about general school gossip, have deep conversations about Zuko's future and what it means to learn or just sit in silence and listen to soothing music.
And now these car rides were the best part of both of their days and memorise Zuko treasured when he went to college/university.
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Outlander Rewatch 4x03
I just watched season 1, episode 7 of Castle Rock (the Queen) which I would say is up there with the finale of Chernobyl as the best TV I’ve watched this year and so I thought I would channel some of the TV-related love into Outlander. Why? I don’t know. I’m still hungover from a Halloween party I went to last night.
- Oh no, Roger’s in this episode. I’ll try not to go on about it too much but I really do not like this man. I didn’t like him in the books and I don’t like him on the show.
- Having said that, I enjoy Rick Rankin’s acting. Roger feels like a real person.
- I’ll give this show minimal points for carrying over some of the horror of the Rufus Incident into this episode, but I feel like they are very good at forgetting genuinely traumatic incidents, especially when they happen to Claire. This woman has been nearly raped about eleventy billion times, had a heartbreaking stillbirth, been almost burned at the stake, whipped, committed murder, almost BEEN murdered, had Stephen Bonnet stick his disgusting fingers down her throat, and will never see her daughter again, as far as she knows. I am begging for some small acknowledgement that even one of these things would have a huge negative impact on her mental health.
- I’m not even asking for a huge long production, just a little more of what we saw in je suis prest, when she had flashbacks. Maybe the show is afraid that digging into the real negative repercussions of choosing to live in such a dangerous time will detract from the Claire/Jamie love, or maybe they just didn’t have time for some character work, but either way they’re wrong.
- I love what they’re doing with Jocasta. She’s so pissed that they’re leaving and genuinely heartbroken but also so matter-of-fact? MDK gets so much across in really straightforward sentences.
- Also Jocasta’s furniture is so fucking amazing. I want that couch she has so bad.
-Jamie having to leave the lady who probably looks just like his mother is 😭. There’s a part of him that really doesn’t want to leave, which is interesting.
- I love Young Ian so much guys. “BUT UNCCCAA JAMMIIEE! IMA BIG LAD! YE CANNAE TELL MAE WHAT TAE DOOO!”
- I like scenes where Jocasta and Claire have scenes together because it’s one Irish woman speaking in an English accent acting with another Irish woman using a Scots accent. I wonder what they sounded like in between takes.
- Ooooo Jocasta’s a slippery one. She plants seeds of doubt, not about whether Jamie loves Claire, but about whether she’s making his life harder by being with him. It’s a kind-of legitimate point in that the two of them can’t seem to stay out of trouble when they’re together, and Caitriona plays defiance and doubt and insecurity so well.
- Clarence is here guys! CLARENCE IS HERE!
- Annnnd we’re in Boston!
- Look, Roger and Brianna start out pretty cute. Sophie’s accent is much better and they seem really young and twitterpated, to borrow from Bambi. It’s not Claire/Jamie love but the first time I watched this it was nice to see a more realistic-looking romance. At first.
- The minister’s cat game is just Diana showing off her vocabulary lol.
- I have absolutely no idea what kind of timeline we’re on here (how long has Claire been in the past? I feel like it’s one year but I think anything from 6 months to 2 years is feasible) but that shot showing that Brianna/Roger/Claire/Jamie are in the same place, if not the same time, was a nice idea.
- I tried to play a drinking game called “take a shot every time Outlander shows a bald eagle” and my liver fell out halfway through the episode. It’s almost like they’re trying to tell us something about the location the show is set in. Not sure I’ve understood their extremely subtle message yet.
- Claire and Jamie love Ian! (as do I). When he says he’s going with Myers both of their faces say “not our babie boye!”
- Just noticed that Caitriona has dropped her Claire voice down a few tones. I love the little things they do to age their characters a little. Like Sam does the Scottish HHMMPH man noise a lot more in season 4.
- Riding a horse looks so tiring.
- THESE TWO HAVE SUCH GOOD CHEMISTRY. This is literally all I want from this show, the two leads interacting.
- Jamie speaking Gaelic to the horses is 💖
- As adversarial as the conversation with Jocasta was, Claire does think about it, which leads her to initiating a conversation with Jamie about what would really make him happy. I think one of my favourite things about this couple is that they don’t have any of that TV drama that’s caused by not having simple conversations. That’s one of my least favourite tropes and the series avoids that 99% of the time with them.
- I cannot BELIEVE I forgot that Jamie’s speech was in this episode! Gonna transcribe it real quick:
“I was an outlaw when first we met. And an outlaw when you returned. If it was only me, I would live as one again. And when I was old, I would lie under a tree and let the wolves gnaw at my bones but it’s not just me. It’s you. And Ian. Fergus, Marsali. You understand? I would lay the world at your feet, Claire, but I have nothing to give you.”
Stellar writing, and Sam knocks it all the way out of the park. I believe him completely. And the combination of the writing and performance really underscores how Jamie still has that young man’s wildness, but he’s old enough to balance that with responsibilities that he’s willingly taken on. It’s really beautiful and I love it.
- Claire tearing after the mule on her own and getting into trouble is very on-brand.
- I find it really odd that Claire and Bree never set up a system so she could let Bree know she made it. Maybe this is just me exposing myself as a mama’s girl but I would be so worried for her.
- The Brianna/Roger date is cute! Well, up to a point. He has a very nice voice.
- Then it all goes to shit. I will provide a quick and factual summary so I don’t devolve into a ball of frothing rage: Brianna takes her shirt off, and she and Roger kiss. He stops, covers her with her shirt, and proposes. She says no. He is upset. She still wants to have sex, which upsets him further. He says that if all he wanted was to have his way with her he could have had her on her back a dozen times last summer. She slaps him. He explains that while he has had sex with women in the past, he assumed she was a nice catholic girl. He does not consider this hypocritical. In his opinion her hesitance to get engaged means that she does not love him.
- If I was dating a woman who wanted to have sex when I wasn’t ready, I would simply communicate this to her like a mature adult. rip to Rogers everywhere but I’m different.
- Look, they’re in one more scene but I’m tired of them. That scene was a hot mess.
- Back to the 18th century we go! It seems that our heroine has been unconscious for at least a couple of hours. In real life she would most likely have severe brain damage, but in the world of outlander she is just a bit achy.
- Claire and Jamie are experts at bellowing the other person’s name into the ether.
- The scene with the ghost is so creepy and awesome!!! Outlander is so good when they put their minds to it.
- Claire just takes that skull and crams it into her purse like that’s a normal thing to do. Keep being you, you wonderful weirdo.
- Jamie just unquestioningly accepts that a ghost brought them back together? I suppose once you’ve bought into time travel nothing shocks you anymore.
- Oh no, the green screen’s back. And someone accidentally layered on the matte filter.
- Cheesy ending but I forgive them!
That wasn’t bad! I would even go as far to say it was good!
Overall rating: a fine wee episode.
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So the new FMA is...not good. Unsurprising, considering how most Japanese live-action movie adaptations go. The Attack on Titan movie was literally not worth finishing, and the same goes for this new movie too.
They basically do what you’d expect and try to cram an entire manga and anime series into two hours, and do so poorly. The entire first scene, with Cornello and the town of Reole, is literally a mess. You have Ed and Cornello fighting, in a very empty large stretch of space despite how populated the town appears to be, and we...don’t really know why. They just start with a fight scene, because fight scenes are cool. But the loss of the why is what’s really frustrating to me. The whole point of them being in Reole is to track down a priest with a possible Philosopher’s Stone, an important object the brothers are desperate to get their hands on, and also expose him as a fraud to the believers who think he’s literally god. Ed’s character is supposed to be shown as an atheist, scientific mind who cleverly sets up a trap for Cornello to expose himself as a fake who is using alchemy to perform ‘miracles’. Instead, they miss the opportunity to tell this story, and instead we just have fight scene because fight cool. And they wanted to show off their slightly better than usual CGI for alchemy. Sigh.
They also show the beginning, when Ed and Al are children, their mother Trisha and her death, as well as their eventual attempt at human transmutation. So the child actors are put in wigs that really don’t suit them. And to be honest, they seemed too young to really count as ‘acting’ more than reciting lines without any real facial expressions. That’s off-putting, but not unexpected. They have the peaceful outdoors scene, and then suddenly mom collapses and she’s dead. Nothing else, really, to show that the kids have been practicing alchemy and taking after their father, like she would have praised them. It’s all done in short, quick scenes with painful acting, and then they immediately cut to them about to do the transmutation. Bad acting aside, they switch out the kids with Ed’s current self in a dream sequence some time later. Not as much blood as I would’ve liked to see, and at one point there’s literally just a hole in Ed’s shirt and it looks silly (because there’s no blood lol). The Door of Truth scene was pretty spot-on, but the CGI hands were not good, and I really just didn’t like how they portrayed Al’s body being taken. They lost a lot by choosing to show older Ed binding Al’s soul to the suit or armor, but I assume they did that because of some child actor law in Japan. I could be wrong, and if they could’ve actually shown younger Ed who self-bandaged his amputated leg by the way writing in his own blood...it’s another opportunity missed.
Al was written out of a lot of scenes, so we mostly follow the story through Ed. The reason is obvious, considering Al’s armor is most likely CGI. Pretty good CGI for Japan, really, so I can see why they’d cut Al out of most scenes. What I don’t like is how they traded all of that with an existential crisis he isn’t supposed to have until much later. In the Shou Tucker arc, Tucker basically puts the thought in Al’s mind that he’s not really who Ed says he is, and that his memories might be created. But canonically, it’s another suit of armor, a prisoner at that, who deviously plants those ideas in Al’s head because...well, there are more people like Al than previously thought, and it caught him off-guard. And Ed was keeping things to himself at the time, which incurred suspicion. The choice to put that arc in the middle of the Shou Tucker arc is...really weird, and it causes a really unnecessary fight scene between Ed and Al (with Winry crying in the background). All this really just gives them a reason to make Tucker one of the main villains, which destroys the whole point of his character.
The Shou Tucker Arc is pretty lackluster, despite the huge emotional effect it’s supposed to have on Ed and Al and...well, anyone who sees and realizes what happened. Ed and Al are less involved with the Tucker’s, the original point of them meeting to use Shou’s library and research to see if they could find anything useful. Instead, they just use the government library, and spend a short period of time with Nina and Alexander. Al is rendered unconscious during the majority of this arc, when Shou gives him the wrong idea about his existence, and Ed ends up going, with Winry, to find Doctor Marcoh. After Marcoh gets killed by Lust and they figure out they’re supposed to find Lab 5, Ed returns to find the house mostly empty, and no sign of Nina or Alexander. Al is also...somewhere, asleep according to Tucker. Ed finds Tucker and his chimera alone, before coming to the conclusion that Tucker has transmutated his daughter and dog into one entity. Al shows up after Ed starts beating the crap out of Tucker, and eventually the government agents come to take him away, while he shouts at Ed and Al crazily about how he won’t be stopped. Well. Instead of Tucker and the chimera being killed by Scar -- who isn’t even in the movie, by the way, what the fuck -- he is released by a character who has been portrayed as a friendly official that gave the Elric brothers the idea to visit Tucker in the first place. Also, he’s actually evil.
It’s just--it’s a mess.
I could go on about all the different scenes that were included, but altered to lose their meaning. The characters who lost character due to lack of exposition...Even Maes Hughes, a character well-loved by anyone who’s ever seen or read FMA, was given the short end of the stick by having few scenes beyond the ones that led to his eventual murder. And, yes, Envy showed up as Gracia to confuse Hughes, but he ends up turning into Mustang and shooting him in plain sight of two random citizens that run off screaming. Seriously, his death was supposed to be mysterious, but they decided to pin it on Mustang....why? Who knows. They built up tension between them to make it believable, but it...wasn’t.
Riza Hawkeye is mostly just there to exist. Winry is there to be cutesy and cry and be a hinted at love interest for Ed. Ross was there without any prior scenes to be a villain, and...the Homunculi are just. Weird. Gluttony is probably the worst-off, with awful CGI to show his monstrous mouth-belly-thing. Envy is just Lust’s sidekick rather than an antagonist in his own right. King Bradley doesn’t even matter in this movie, despite being Father and being absolutely important to all the Lab 5 and Homunulus bullshit. Bad wigs, bad acting. Al was literally the best character in the movie simply for the fact that he was voice-acting and not an actual actor making bad expressions. It tried to be faithful, but skewed too many different plot points and made them literally make no sense. The movie is not good.
Overall, the movie fails as a good adaptation. I feel like it would do better as an episodic series, with multiple seasons if need be. It would honestly do better with the ‘Netflix treatment’, in my opinion. Include all the bloody, gory bits. The exposition, the philosophy, the good, tragic story elements. Actual character development. And the characters could actually be casted to actors that are white/brown/asian because it makes sense canonically. I’d like to see something faithful to the manga and Brotherhood anime, accurate and well-made, with changes as needed...but nothing to the degree of the Death Note movie, which I couldn’t even stand 20 minutes of. With Netflix shows like Altered Carbon out there, I think they could make a great FMA series. But I can dream.
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As much as I’m enjoying some people’s reactions to The Acolyte, I feel like there are a good dozen or so who are enjoying the show, but are also actively looking for things to counterpoint their enjoyment.
Because I know some things take a second or even third watch to grasp all the scenes and arcs of each character as we go, but the number of people I’m seeing call nearly everything Osha or Mae do “wishy washy” or “random” is ridiculous.
Again, I get it at certain points, because like I said for myself, I did have to rewatch Mae’s decision between the middle of 4 to the beginning of 6. But once I did get it, it made sense. She wanted to surrender, but shit hit the fan and she couldn’t. She then aimed to try and convince Osha to hear her out, but Osha refused and yet again chose the Jedi. As a result, Mae decided Sol still needed to die, because Osha would never choose her if she still has someone on the Jedi side to turn to.
What’s NOT confusing, is Osha putting on Qimir’s helmet! He’s literally seducing her to the dark side, and told her the helmet helps its wearer hone in on the Force. In what world was Osha ever not going to try it on? Especially since she was given permission, and because she’s been dying to fully connect to not only the Force since she was a child.
Her putting it on is basic storytelling, but also pure curiosity. She just watched Qimir murder multiple people in close combat, and walk away with next to no scars or bruises. And now he’s telling her he did it in a helmet that obstructs his vision and hearing, which should put him at a disadvantage so high he should have died within minutes of fighting multiple Jedi at once. Yet he didn’t. His connection to the Force is so strong with that helmet on, he is almost completely fighting blind and deaf, and people are confused as to why a woman who wants freedom and power, would be curious about it?
Miss me with it, lol. Again, some of the people who have raised this “question” are saying they enjoy the show, but I still can’t take them seriously on this specifically. Because that scene was not Osha suddenly or randomly falling for Qimir’s bit. He quite honestly is doing bare minimum manipulating, because Osha has always wanted freedom and a sense of individuality, and has always wanted to explore her power. Unfortunately for everyone around her though, Qimir, a man who is unabashedly skilled in the art of death, is the one person willing to teach her how to obtain what she wants.
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The Acolyte ep7: The Good!
I posted my negative thoughts first, to get them out of the way since they were my initial reaction. However, I didn’t end the episode upset or even frustrated. If you want to read them though, click here.
Going to the good…
This episode, while flawed in my opinion, did a good job following through on what it seemingly set the tone and theme of the show as. As far as I know since getting into the series, it’s meant to be a villain origin story, but no one really knows who the villain is supposed to be.
We know Mae was the assassin, but we never knew if she’d remain our dark side pov. Then we met Qimir, the by-the-book villain who is looking to recruit people to the dark side, and Osha, his likely pupil given her call to freedom and power since youth. We also had an inkling it could be a Jedi who turns, because it’s possible, as we’ve seen it with Anakin (if he was a Jedi, I don’t actually know, lol).
Point is, we knew the show would be about someone choosing the dark side, but not who. This episode followed through on why it’d be possible and even justified, because the Jedi have an inflated sense of ego no matter who it harms, and while I don’t know everything about Star Wars, I do know that has been a long lasting conversation. The Jedi Order wants ultimate control without coming across as being oppressive, and that is simply not a feasible want in life. As a result, they must cover up their crimes, no matter how well intended.
As such, we saw in this episode that while Indara attempted to do the right thing the whole time, she still chose to protect the aggressors. Which was her team, thus claiming the lives of an entire coven. We saw Torbin, a young man being taught he was an authority figure even though he clearly wasn’t ready to be on the field, act on his own impulse just because he wanted to go back to a place of comfort and privilege that benefited him. And lastly we saw Sol, a man clearly in search of his Purpose, choose to act on his emotions instead of trying to understand a different culture’s way of life.
What stood out to me the most, as well, is that Sol didn’t even know the girls apart from each other as he attempted to stake his claim. I know he meant well to an extent, but he called out for Osha despite knowing Mae is the one with the symbol on her head. It can be argued he didn’t see it, but that also proves my point. He didn’t feel a connection to Osha specifically. Like Indara said, he put his own deep seated wants above what was actually happening.
Sol decided Osha passed the Jedi test. Sol assumed the worst of Aniseya to justify killing her. Sol decided Mae was too attached to the coven to give her any benefit of the doubt. Sol chose to kill Mae to save Osha. Sol chose to protect himself by agreeing to lie to Osha and make her sister out to be a murder. Sol, Indara, and Torbin all acted out of selfishness, and while Kelnacca could have chosen not to jump into battle, he really is the only one who did not cause harm. His body was taken over and used without his permission, and as a result, his life was chosen to mean more than tens of others.
As much as I spoke on why the episode didn’t hit the mark for me, I do still think it is a really solid foundation for why Osha eventually going dark makes sense. It also redeems Mae, because she could have chosen to kill all Jedi everywhere, yet she didn’t. It also helps make better sense of why she decided to turn herself in once learning Osha was alive. I already figured it was because she had her sister back, but that was when I thought there was true mind games going on with the Jedi and she wanted to tell Osha she didn’t start the fire.
She did start the fire, but it’s still a solid reasoning, because had the Jedi not been there, none of it would have happened regardless. At the same time, Mae’s want for revenge stemmed from believing the Jedi killed Osha, and because she saw Sol kill her mother. So it makes even more sense that she hates him the most, and decided to kill him once again after Osha refuses to forgive her. Sol ruined her life, and unbeknownst to her at the time, chose to kill her too.
I kind of lost my train of thought… sorry.. but basically, I think for all its worth, the episode did stick to its guns. We know why Mae wants revenge, we know why Osha never felt truly connected to being a Jedi in the end (because Sol forced it more so than he let it happen naturally), and we know why Sol has been so guilt ridden and also confused as to why and how Mae turned out. He asserted she was dead, because he let her fall. He didn’t think she was a killer, because she never was before his actions turned her into one.
Okay, so I’m tired of typing now and gotta get some sleep for work, but that’s pretty much all my thoughts. I think. If not, you’ll certain see more of them over the next week. I also think I’m going to make a predictions post tomorrow, so I’ll link that here if I do. Bye.
Wait, quick thoughts after reading it back.
Who saved Mae? I’m confused as to that part, and am partially hoping it’s not Qimir, because it would make me side eye their lack of a dynamic. Unless they have him save her and send her on her way, only for them to meet up a decade later, and he realizes she needs guidance right as we is seeking a pupil, so he decides to train her.
And the last last thing… people who hate the idea of the Jedi being corrupt, are probably not going to like this episode even though the Jedi overall are not the ones who covered anything up. It was that single crew, but we all know how Those Folks can get. They’re already too deep into their “The Acolyte is the worst show ever!” high horses, and they aren’t coming down anytime soon, lol.
Okay, now goodbye!
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