#// But I absolutely adore Asha so much

[morethanthedarkness]

ASHA & LOLTH-SWORN // @morethandarkness

I haven't said much about Asha's backstory, as I've been fighting with my old laptop and just didn't have the energy for much usually by the time it booted and then I had to wait another hour for the page to load once I clicked 'new post'.

But! New laptop and here we go!

I don't 100% know if all of this 100% fits DnD lore or not—as I am still learning and researching—but Asha isn't Lolth-Sworn and never was, though she did spend some of her earliest years in Menzoberranzan.

She and her family were part of a group of wanderers/nomads who just roamed through the Underdark. [ I have kind of turned over the idea that if they had a little business they ran where they would gather things down in the Underdark, like the couple you help with the Noblestalk. No storefront. More likely just out of a wagon they would bring into town and sell from when they needed to reup on other supplies. ]

Regardless, their group came under attack by a group of Lolth-sworn. Some were slaughtered. Some were taken. Asha and her older brother Szaryn [ who is actually her middle brother but she was so young at the time she didn't remember and Szaryn wasn't going to remind her of someone else lost ] were among those taken and put to work at a noble house, mostly doing chore type work.

Within my own self-contained verse, it was the same house where Halsin was a "guest", and she was, in fact, there at the same time. Though she didn't fully understand because she was so young, she knew something wasn't right and she would sneak him food and water when everyone was busy. She treated him with kindness. Asked him questions about who he was, where he was from. She was a very curious little one and Halsin seemed friend-shaped.

Szaryn realized Asha was sneaking to talk to the other and, worried for his sister, he approached Halsin, too, talking to him to decide whether or not he trusted him... and then asking that if he managed to get out at some point, would he take Asha with him.

[ "We both know it is only a matter of time. She is too kind for too cruel a place, and one way or another, it will kill her." ]

Now, when the attack happens wherein Halsin escapes, what follows is verse and other writer dependent.

He either gets both children out, manages to get just Asha, or he can't find them in the chaos and has to flee [ in the latter scenario, Szaryn grabs Asha and runs, though they are caught not long afterwards and separated ].

If Halsin managed to save one or both children--again, within self-contained lore--he practically raised them. If he had to escape without them, he may or may not remember them to start, but once he does, I can't imagine that there wouldn't at least be a little bit of guilt over what happened.

I say all of that to say this.

In the 'blog-run' of the story where all things are possible:

When they encounter the petrified drow, she plays tank the whole fight from the moment she realizes the Spectator will keep releasing the drow if the fight continues. She makes sure everyone is onboard and knows the plan, draws the attention, takes the damage, and doesn't give word to kill the thing until the very last of the drow are free of stone. This included one loss, Dhourn, who was snapped out of it after taking a hit from one of them , attacked the Spectator, and then was subsequently killed. That was how Asha realized they just had to take the hits and not hit back until everyone was freed... and then attack only the Spectator. Though not possible in game, she will--or more likely get her brother to do so--invite the un-petrified drow to join the camp. As per blog canon, at least two of them do so: Moy and Tecothy. The latter is more than a bit hesitant and wary but agrees at the encouragement of the former who sees it as "Anything is an improvement from returning home, isn't it?"

She will not kill Minthara. First of all, this decision is made because Halsin quite plainly states how the True Souls are basically made puppets to the Absolute, carrying out its will, and she struggles to find a definitive line where a True Soul can be held wholly responsible for their actions while still under the influence of the Absolute. She will not kill someone who she cannot even be certain is guilty in their hearts of the actions taken. Second, she is willing to help Minthara and give her a place in the party later. This is because she understands what Lolth-sworn society is--has seen it and suffered it for herself--and, in her mind, it is equally difficulty to condemn someone when they have never known anything different. She can also see, whether Minthara will openly admit it or not, that the woman has been through something traumatic. To abandon her would be cruel.

She will not kill Nere. She accepts the task from Sovereign Spaw, having seen through their eyes someone who was slaughtering their people without remorse and being worried for the safety of the myconid colony. But when she gets there, she sees someone afraid and a little disoriented after his ordeal. She grieves the loss of the gnome--though in EA, apparently, he didn't kill anyone so I may stick with that?--but, again, she struggles to find a definitive line where a True Soul should be held responsible for their actions while still under the influence of the Absolute. She talks to him. She convinces him to free the gnomes. And the longer they all remain there and she talks to him, the more his demeanor begins to shift. He becomes uncertain, almost addled. He goes from talking about himself in the third person... to talking in the first. He seems... confused. And, while it doesn't completely exonerate him, it does affirm for her that he deserves a chance. Even if it were to break her Oath, she would spare him, because she felt it was right. And, again, though not possible in game, in blog canon, she offers him a place in the camp, safe from the Lolth-sworn that he betrayed--however unknowingly--and safe from the influence or command of the Absolute. As with Tecothy, he is wary of her, but he doesn't see that he has much choice under the circumstances...

Now, if/when Halsin goes off about sparing and bringing in Nere, and later about doing the same with Minthara once he realizes, regardless of which path they walked to this point, Asha will look him dead in the eye and telling him that everyone deserves a chance. They both know what the Lolth-sworn society is like. They have both suffered from it. In different ways, yes, but still suffered even so. How then can they condemn someone who has never known anything else? And with a tadpole on top of that? He said himself that True Souls become little more than puppets for the Absolute! The only thing that protects their little band is this artifact. They HAVE to give them a chance. She will not condemn someone when there is no possibility in the moment to discern what level of accountability they hold for their actions. Which, at least with my Halsin, I feel would likely sway him, even if he still wasn't happy about it. [ Particularly if she also brings up the matter of "If we will not condemn someone even for their worst decision when the consequences were so dire, how can we condemn another for a decision we cannot even know was theirs." which takes a direct jab at Kagha and with him not dealing more harshly with what she did and intended to do. ]

[pipsbriberymuffins]

AGGGTM TV: Episode 1 Opinions

!!!SPOILERS OF COURSE!!!

oh my god ive just finished episode 1

My opinions: I think Emma's accent could have been a bit better but I absolutely adore her as Pip. I actually am just head over heels for the whole cast, they all play their roles so well and really embody each character (especially Cara omg I love Asha as Cara so so much). I love all of the clues we're getting already like the missing biscuits and mentioning Mr. Ward in Sal's text messages. The added look into Andie and Sal's dynamic/relationship only makes the ending all the more heartbreaking, and the flashback scene of Pip seeing Andie and Sal is honestly genius in my opinion because it gives Pip a clear goal for why wants to investigate the case but will also serve as such a poignant moment when we see Andie and Pip's similarities (a topic I could talk about until I'm blue in the face don't get me started) in the later seasons. It was also so funny?? I was laughing so hard at the image of pip doing all of her serious investigation in a giant star costume for half of the episode, I thought it was the most charming touch and the scene where Daniel de Silva takes her nose and the face she makes actually killed me.

Final thing, I like how Max is already weird and sleazy right off the bat especially with him only answering Pips questions if she takes a shot, I think it really ties in with his characterization to only want to gain from a situation and of course with the added fact of him essentially inebriating Pip. It's a smart touch to showcase just how rancid he is.

okay i think thats everyting if anyone even cares lol. im off to watch epsiode 2 now!!!

[guardian-angle22]

What did you enjoy about the finale?

Oooh, I'm so glad you asked!

in 4x17:

Asha comes to game nights!!

This whole scene in the firehouse kitchen, specifically this:

The entire plot with Judd, Wyatt, & Tommy was so fantastically acted and it really had me interested. This scene with Judd and Tommy? TOP TIER.

THEM:

Owen & Judd. "He's my best friend." 🥺🥰

The entire Reyes-Strand family dinner scene was absolutely wonderful. I specifically highlighted this adorable bit with Owen & TK earlier, which I loved, but Owen's whole speech was fantastic.

in 4x18:

I loved supportive TK throughout the episode. He was just trying so hard to help Carlos in whatever way he could: immediately reassuring him about postponing the wedding, offering back rubs, trying to get him to sleep, trying to talk him down from obsessing over case files, recognizing that Carlos lied about taking the information to a detective and instead was going off to do something stupid and immediately getting help to stop him and save his life, etc.

Speaking of supportive people, Owen was fantastic as well. From the first scene he has with TK taking over the task of calling everyone and cancelling for the boys to the scene he has with Carlos at his house talking to him about how obsession will eat away all the good in life if you let. Owen was really at his best during these two episodes imo.

Stressed out TK just chilling with his lizard child making sure he's getting enough basking light. animal lover TK is my favorite genre.

Pretty much the entire wedding: OFFICIANT. PAUL. STRICKLAND. The vows were absolutely stunning and so perfect for them. Jewish TK with his kippah. Proud parent Owen watching his only son find happiness. Everyone in the 126 looking beautiful. Tommy getting up to sing and teasing TK about forcing her to do it. THIS:

[caitlynskitten]

So, you’re option on the show in general? Like do you like it so far? Acting wise? I feel like you and a lot of the agggtm fandom on here are respectful and kind. Unfortunately I can’t say the same on other platforms such as Tik tok.

This isn’t gonna be an organized review I’m just going to tell it as it’s fresh in my mind. I’m definitely rewatching it again though with friends this week so I’m excited for that!

Personally I very much enjoyed the show! Emma I think kills it as Pip, her performance is so good and emotional some of the heart wrenching moments got me so badly. As someone who’s read the book and knew what was coming, it still hit me hard.

And I loved everybody as well! I really loved Zain Iqbal as Ravi and Asha Banks as Cara and I absolutely loved their interactions with Pip. Pipravi was definitely pipravi-ing and I think Zain and Emma are adorable together they have great chemistry!

Six episodes definitely felt like the right length. It didn’t feel too long or too short. Though I do think the pacing was a little too fast for me. Not that I needed more but I think some scenes are too short like they thought they needed to pace this faster so the audience doesn’t lose interest or something.

Any flaws or criticisms I have is pretty small. Not that this is a groundbreaking show by any means but I think it’s a great show for both readers and casual viewers. If you want a mystery show to binge I highly recommend watching AGGGTM! Please. Hopefully enough people watch it so we get more seasons based off the other books.

Emma proved to be a great leading actress and I hope she gets more leads in the future!

8/10 highly recommended!

[kingsmoot]

How do you feel about POVs with under five chapters? Which is your favorite? (For reference, counting TWOW chapters, that’s Melisandre, Arys Oakheart, Jon Connington, Areo Hotah, Aeron Greyjoy, Quentyn Martell, Asha Greyjoy, and Arianne Martell.) I hope this question isn’t too long!

this is an absolutely lovely question ty!!! and also ty for providing the list so i didn't have to google who has under 5 pov chapters

melisandre - i love mel and i love the incredible perspective her pov chapter gives on her. when i first read it as a kid i remember being really disappointed that she was a total fraud but that was a very childish reaction that i no longer have. i think it's an incredible choice that totally recontextualizes her entire existence in westeros and i really look forward to seeing how her and varys' plotlines develop parallel to one another. i wouldn't say her chapter is one of my favorites in the series, though. i really look forward to her appearances and she is the only way i am able to tolerate the dragonstone polycule plotline which i otherwise find extremely dull. but her chapter itself, while it's very good! it doesn't actually stick out for me

arys oakheart - OH BROTHER THIS GUY S T I N K S. i am so glad he's dead and i don't have to worry about his pov popping back up in twow/ados. having sex with princess arianne martell and complaining about it the whole time? bye.

jon connington - i absolutely adore jon's chapters. they're an excellent subtle character study and they're very sharply painful for me in a way i didn't expect going into them. the way he speaks about his father's contempt of him, the way he approaches his own fatal illness, the incredible web of relationships we see from his past as he reunites with the golden company. absolutely an adwd highlight for me, i always really looked forward to his povs when reading. i really hope we get him in twow AND ados, it would break my heart if we didn't hear from him again.

areo hotah - areo scored extra points for me because in hbo got he is played by deobia oparei who i am in love with (i haven't seen any of the episodes he is in but i have seen screencaps which is enough for me). i found areo pretty annoying (i don't actually like the kingsguard i find knights sort of uninteresting in general unless it's like... other characters' perspectives on knights! the knights themselves i'm like i don't like it when you guys talk go find a wall to prop up) BUT i really love his perspective on doran martell, who is one of my favorite characters. i loved getting to see doran in his garden through areo's eyes. so areo doesn't interest me at all but i like the dornish perspective we get in his chapters. and yes i do visualize him as deobia while i read which helps immensely.

aeron greyjoy - one of my top povs in the whole series i LOVE his chapters. i love that we see how broken and flawed and lost he is (much like we see in mel's chapter) and i love getting to see his solitary religious practice and i love hearing the dark twisted contradictory bullshit he cooks up in his head to make sure that balon is always centered as like a shining light that can do no wrong in his mind. what i wouldn't give for an aeron pov of theon's arrival on the iron island i TRULY believe this would be the one time grrm started slinging "faggot" around

quentyn martell - i found his povs to be a nearly unbearable slog tbh i listened to them all on 1.5x or 2x speed because i just couldn't wait for them to be over. i'm actually stunned he has under 5 povs because if you had asked me a minute ago "how many pov chapters does quentyn have?" i would have confidently answered twenty. it's like they never fucking ended.

asha greyjoy - ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE SHOW STOPPING NEVER BEEN DONE BEFORE ETC. she's my second favorite pov after theon and it's a CLOSE second. i love her chapters i wish we'd gotten SO MUCH MORE OF HER in affc and adwd. she's perfect and her chapters are perfect when will grrm publish what the people (me) truly want which is just a perfect beat by beat of the entire series but from asha's perspective of like whatever she was doing at the time. not who i ever would have pegged for a noncon fetishist like as the victim in the noncon so wrow the complexity of women.

arianne martell - tbh i found her chapters to be sort of a slog too i'm not big on the dornish plotline. they're way better than quentyn's which i was actively trying to skip but in general this subplot doesn't grab me. i find it to be convoluted in a way that i don't find the rest of the series to be? i like arianne a lot and i enjoy her pov but the actual events of her chapters i find dull. her ploy to kidnap myrcella and instill her as queen of the seven kingdoms was dope and i find her pov of how everything is falling to pieces around her compelling. but she's not one of my favs and i don't find her chapters particularly memorable.

this was so fun to think about thank you for your lovely ask!

[kingmagnificoofrosas]

*stares in horror and amusement at the events taking place in front of me.* I- I don’t know if I call that lucky to be his sister??? That was so sweet but also… oh my god I’m hiding if I ever get sick. Sorry but I am not coming between you and the king dear! You’re on your own! *sweats nervously * -owl

Continuation

*puts the glass bottles into a small bag* Eh, don't worry. Magnifico and I have a big tendency for drama 😏 *chuckles* He would never harm me.

Yes, I absolutely hate that stuff - it's literally the most disgusting stuff one can taste! - *sighs* but .... he's right ... *smile fades* I just try to worm myself out of that kind of medicine you know? My throat hasn't fully healed yet ... it's still sore and from time to time it even hurts ... I haven't told him a word ... but he just ... knows! He senses it. All he does is to protect and keep safe. And if it is forcing me to take my medicine when I make a drama out of it, yes, he will.

So, yep, I consider myself lucky. If you'd ask Magnifico about it, or if you'd come between us, he would have told you the same thing. ... I hate it, but I really am sensitive to sicknesses. I don't talk about it much because I don't want to seem as if I'm throwing a pity party for myself. But it sucks. Oftentimes I cannot do as much as I would like to because my health gets in the way. It's either my migraines, or my heart or I get sick. And almost every single time those three come in a row. That means, whenever I get an episode of cardiac arrhythmias or a migraine, my immune system drops for some reason I don't know - I haven't asked my doctors yet why that is - and I run a high risk of catching a cold or a flu. In my case, I got a cold and five weeks later that and tonsilitis ...

Magnifico wouldn't be so stern about me taking medicine if he didn't know about my health problems .... he's seen me ... at my lowest with my health and ... I understand how scary that was for him ... coming from the background he has ... he had that look on his face ... the same panic I saw in my Mom's face after I got cardiac arrhythmias once when we were on a trip alone and Dad was home ... or Dad after I fell from a bike while we took a tour along the coast and my knee was bleeding ...

Having anyone in your life who cares exceedingly for your wellbeing can be exhausting sometimes, even annoying, but at the end of the day, you can consider yourself lucky, cause it is a display of how much they care for you. More than they do for themselves.

And Magnifico values others more than himself a thousand times. He'd give his life for others in the blink of an eye. His last scrap of clothing for someone in need. He'd give up his palace if that would mean someone would get the help needed. A neighboring farmer needs help on the field? Magnifico comes running to dig into the dirt. Someone new moves to Rosas and needs a new house, Magnifico builds it himself, brick by brick. A cow freaks out and destorys a store? Magnifico is there to help clean the mess. Someone in Rosas is on their deathbed ... Magnifico is there to help comfort the grieving family as best as he can as their king. ... He's incredible ...and I adore him for that.

*shakes head and starts smiling again* Ah, but let's not get gloomy! All is well! It's a nice day! The sky is bright, birds are singing and-

Asha - 🥺

Jonathan - 🥺

Carl - 😧

.... What? Why are you guys looking at me like that?

[secondgenerationnerd]

The way you talked about mar’i, can you talk about the twins from omega squad?

Absolutely I can!

First, foremost, and most importantly—They might be twins, but they ain’t the same person. That’s the number one lesson their parents taught them and people around them

They are rainbow babies, Linda had two miscarriages before them. She and Wally always say “You each came down alone, then went back for the other.”

Irey was always the bigger twin….until puberty made her brother 6’2 and kept her at 5’4

Milagro was doing a fashion shoot for a styling class and needed some models for her “Noir” shoot. Jai and Irey were more than happy to help.

Not show are Lian and Damian choking on their lunch when the twins walked in after the shoot

I fully believe that Omega has needed a distraction or diversion for a mission, and the twins just started FIGHTING. In that way only siblings can, y’know?

Both deal with eating disorders—Irey from an abusive ex, Jai from his depression—but that’s what Lian and Mar’i are there for. Lian will refuse to eat until Jai does, and Mar’i offers some of her favorite snacks to Irey.

On really bad days of his depression, ireys made him look at her and said “You’re not leaving me here alone.”

Are they both the “sunshine’s” in their relationships? Absolutely. But make no mistake. They are the scary ones of the relationships.

90% of the time, they are definitely their father’s children, goofy, a love of learning, clumsy. But make no mistake, that other 10%, they are their mother’s son and daughter. They have torn egotistical heroes and Villians down with words alone. Their dad might be the Flash, but their mother is THE Linda Park and you will put respect in the name

Essentially, they are truly—Fuck around, find out.

They’re also super fucking loyal. Like someone called Mar’i “r*tared” once. When they could hear. Irey had them against the wall, her forearm against their throat, while Jai threatened them

On the flip side, they are super proud of their Korean Heritage. They both chose to learn the language as part of the “multilingual” aspect of their hero training (and even before). They blast K-pop and k-rock. They have recreated K-Drama scenes for fun, to the amusement of their teammates. They both get Hanboks to wear when they decide to go to Korea for a weekend trip. They cook as many meals as their mom remembers growing up with. They always keep Kimchi and gochujang in the Omega fridge, as well as all the things to make Kimbap, a comfort snack for bad days

Jai loves the hat, thank you very much

They look up to Donny and Dawn more than can be put into words. Like they’re second cousins once removed, but if you ask them, that’s their big brother and sister. They love how happy Mel makes Donny and just want the best for both them

Irey points out she’s only kissed one person on the team, which Jai says “It was a mission, but colin is a great kisser!”

Irey’s straight, but Jai is like….on super thin ice sometimes

The lab at the tower might be a public space, but that’s their lab. They know the policy. But that’s just the facts

They both learned how to use their partners weapons. Irey actually managed to use a fight against one of the Alpha guys during a sparring match. Jai was laughing so hard he was on the ground

Asha, Irey and Damian’s daughter, adores her “Unca Jai-Jai”

They like to go to science expos and comic cons together

Irey is a biter when it comes to fist fights and Jai swears he has scars.

They both cried for days when Jay and Joan Garret died

Linda died two weeks after Luke, Jai and Lian’s son, was born. She’d been diagnosed with late stage lung cancer after Lian found out she was pregnant. She decided against treatment and spent that last year making as many memories with her children and grandchildren as she could.

Jai and Irey were with Omega when they got the news. They both fell to their knees and were sobbing and screaming for her.

They do think they would have made it through that time without their friends, especially Mar’i and Lian.

[hellcatinnc]

~ Wish ~ Movie Review

I been wanting to watch this for awhile since it first advertised it last year however with life being hectic I just got a chance to see it last night. Oh wow it was worth the wait but this would have been pretty epic to see in the theater for sure. So I wanted to share my thoughts because on sites I have seen this has gone either people absolutely love it or they hate it and think Disney failed with it.

This is set in the Mediterranean area which from what I got was closer to Spain like based on some of the dances etc. Anyways this girl is by far one of the prettiest Disney has drew in a long time. I normally like the fair skinned girls but this girls beauty and the freckles are absolutely breath taking in the art. The songs are super catchy and no way you would want to pass them up one of my favorites is this one.

The song is so inspirational and even if you get to the end you realize this is that song that brings people to their feet when the world has you stomped down. Like how can you take a movie with this kind of heart and even remotely put it on a not good enough list. It isn't however something I think young children would understand and the darkness in the bad things that happen like wishes being destroyed and breaking peoples hearts tells me children teens up would get this way more than young ones. If younger kids watch it would be for the factor of the songs and cute stuff like the animals talking and stuff. To me this makes this movie even better because all age groups will find something beautiful in it.

The love with Asha (voiced by Ariana DeBose) and her family and friends guides this movie more than anything from the love of her dead father to her grandfather, mother and best friends they all are such a huge part of her story and journey. You can tell she loves her town and all the people in it, she has so much heart she is easily one of my favorite disney characters. Yes she isn't a princess but who knows maybe thats what makes her better she is like the rest of us and yet dreams big but its not about what she wants its about what she can wish for others.

She wants to work with King Magnifico (voiced by Chris Pine) who is a magic wieldier and supposedly protects the village by saving peoples wishes protecting them and sometimes granting them to the townspeople. Until Asha gets the chance to see he picks and chooses who he wants and its not random, he won't even grant her 100 year old grandfather his simple wish because he feels he will lose control with some peoples wishes and its about control for him. I swear he reminds me of my ex-husband sometimes lol.

You even see he has a beautiful wife Queen Amaya (voiced by Angelique Cabral) you find she loves him and always tries to ground him until one day its just not enough and she has to choose sides. When her husband turns truly evil which honestly I didn't see coming for 2 reasons. One Chris Pine usually plays loveable characters not hateful controlling villains' and 2nd because it was lighter and fluffy at first about why he became a protector of that town and why he did what he did to save people. Then when he gets a taste of dark magic it can never be the same, he can never be the same again either.

You go on to see Asha come into her own and turns being his apprentice down. She makes a wish and this cute little star comes down from the sky to help her get everyone's wishes back.

She has her pet goat Valentino (voiced by Alan Tudyk) who is the most adorable little animal ever. Not going to lie it was what attracted me about the movie. Then after he gets from the little star he can talk holy hell his cuteness is in overload then.

He is her companion through everything but it doesn't stop there the little star makes all these animals and plants all come to life and sing and dance. This is the happy parts of the film that make it a fun Disney movie with lots of catchy songs to it.

She has to go up against the king and with the help of the animals, star, Valentino, her family and even the queen they bring the peoples wishes back to them.

Honestly some parts with her interacting with her grandfather and even in the end when she was being beaten down by the king she continued to push through singing trying to bring people up and inspire them to fight back. It had some unexpected twists and turns but to me this is one of Disney's best animated movie in years. I recommend watching it and expect to be engaged in such a beautiful world.

[mayxthexforce]

rajeev and anakin LOVE. rajeev is so sweet to anakin and it's so!!!! and anakin is smitten so quickly. i love the dynamic between these two. i love rajeev being a big sap just like anakin. from their iconic bathroom piercing first interaction to rajeev storming the temple to find anakin from rajeev swearing that he'll always tell anakin the truth, that he'll stick by him even when things are difficult,,, they're just so cute together.

a'sharad and anakin childhood friends to lovers!! a classic!! i enjoy the way they interact together when they're babies. anakin yapping while asha listens intently, chiming in when he wants to. and then i love how the friendship forces anakin to face what he did to the tuskens. and how asha wants to understand anakin, takes the time to (even if the questioning annoys anakin aka boy is defensive when being faced with his own prejudice).

ferus and anakin childhood one-sided rivals to lovers!! my favourite classic!! i love their entirely different recounts of what happened when they were younger. they misunderstandings. love the way they argue. and ferus showing up to help on mustafar?? delicious. amazing. still makes my brain go absolutely crazy. ferus being angry at anakin for what he's done, but still offering him a place to work?? a place that is so directly close to him?? your brain is so massive for that one.

roan and anakin rivals (??) to lovers!! anakin's life is a cycle. love roan's gentleness (topped with teasing) with anakin. he's honest and real without being harsh. he helps anakin out of a mindset he's been in for so many years.

talon and dryden he trusts her with his life which isn't something he does lightly. and he does it so quickly,, partly bc of the situation of which they meet. he sees her for everything that she is and all the experiences she's been forced through. he hopes she sees him for all that he is, too. he admires her for how she is after enduring it all. and he knows she can handle herself, but he has made it his personal job to ensure she never has to suffer how she once did again.

han and dryden it really starts as something fun and entertaining for dryden, but dissolves into something scarily real for him. he adores han. so much so that he just accepts it when he thinks he leaves him.

tayala and bode that's his wife!! we see from the game how losing her ruined him as a person. she was his everything. we haven't done a crazy amount with them yet, but i love their first meeting. it's both hilarious and adorable.

(i didn't reread so if they don't make sense then,, pretend the do, for me.)

Who do you ship with my muse?

Bonus: Include why you like the ship!

AND HERE COMES THE REST OF THE CAST! 🎉👏 I love them. Love them, love how almost every ship on this ask goes through an "I can barely tolerate you" stage (except for Raj and Anakin and Talon and Dryden, surprisingly). Annoying bitches to bitches who are still annoying but tolerable to lovers 🙌

[masschase]

shaunviola for the ask meme :]

Question ask meme (feel free to send more, I like this format)

YAY SHAUNVI!

When I started shipping it if I did:

Directly from tumblr! I think the first time would have been in a piece by iilovebeam though I think I saw other people's art of them too. I was just like OOH! Like I'd not really thought about it but the moment I did, I saw an interesting dynamic there.

My thoughts:

I mean I adore them. I make no secret of the fact I can sometimes end up a little bored once couples are together and there's no friction and so on. With Shaunvi there's a lot to play with. I think it was the first kind of secondary ship I decided to add to my fanfic, though I believe it wasn't the first to appear as I wrote everything so out of order.

What makes me happy about them:

They start from this place of a lot of tension established in canon, and I just love the idea of Viola having this attraction to Shaundi right off the bat but her being like... untouchable? Unavailable? Like she almost starts off a goal; a grown-up version of the more unusual girl trying to win the popular girl over as a friend, but it becomes more than that as she falls hard for her. From Shaundi's perspective there is this huge barrier though, she can't even allow herself to think about it because Viola is involved in Johnny's death. That barrier breaks in my hc when Shaundi finds out Johnny is actually alive, because that really was her sticking point above all else. From then on they start a rather intense relationship. I was going to say short but it's about a year long so short is pretty subjective. They're a bit on again off again after that; they fizzle out romantically but they remain friends and they also maintain this spark sexually.

What makes me sad about them:

Because my universe is canon obviously it's never going to work out because Viola dies 🥲 I obviously had that in mind when I decided not to have their relationship cover the whole 2016-2020 period because I think Shaundi would very much struggle to recover from that in a way my other characters who lose people have strong defences against. It also just didn't fit what I wanted for them, I wanted them intense and passionate and I think that either settles into something else or it ends.

Things done in fanfic that annoys me:

I mean I haven't actually read any fanfic that features them I don't think, I included them briefly in mine but didn't tag them as a pairing bc that would annoy me if they were tagged but not a main pairing and only in it for five seconds. Actually I wish I'd woven them into my own story in a more interesting way, but I was so far in when I came across the pairing. It kind of works though because we see Shaundi's disdain adapt quite suddenly after finding out about Johnny. I guess I wouldn't like to see anything too cheesy or boring for them? Nothing that's like love at first sight, instantly getting along when Viola joins because while canon devation is fine it would also remove a lot of what I like about them. I would accept a well written happy ever after for them! But they need some tension in the lead up. Obviously hc them however you want, this is just about what I'd personally enjoy reading! 😊

Things I look for in fanfic:

Honestly any interesting portrayal of the relationship would draw me in. I'm not super picky. I've not read fic of them but every angle I've seen for them on tumblr I've absolutely loved. Pining, angst, awkwardness, well written smut; a lot of standard things I like would work.

Who I’d be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other: 

So for main universe, Shasha (Shaundi x Asha) is something many of you know I have an interest in. I think they would have an interesting dynamic but plotting out an actual storyline for them is quite different. These things come with time for me though they just pop into my head at random times. If I don't find a route for them romantically I'd love to see them living together in a QPR type situation! I'm also a little... just a little curious about Shaundi x Kinzie. That would be more AU though, as would Shaundi x Casey. There are quite a few I can see for Shaundi.

As for Viola, main universe she's dead so I'm going to just go cracky and say Violin? Yeah I feel like some people are going to think "oh, well, you're the self-appointed ship name guy so you would", and... they have a point. 😆 It's really quite hypothetical as I don't really make anything with the afterlife, but if I did, there would have to be a heaven x hell ship. I think they'd kind of click. AU where she lives though? I'd say most likely an OC tbh. If Casey's the Boss it doesn't really fit for more than a fling type thing, but the idea of Viola x Boss really appeals to me for a more fitting Boss, because they gave her a pretty big chance in SR3 and I'd like to know what would come from that. Imagine the early days and them just being the one who's on her side, y'know? 🥲

My happily ever after for them:

So I guess in terms of what fits my mostly canon+ universe, I did have a possibility of Viola being in the pods after all due to a mix-up, very much a "here's how Shaunviola can still win" thing tbh. They could potentially be together on Ragnarok. But I guess I don't really see that theory as an actual part of my canon nowadays, and again, idk if I have a story for them there yet. If I do I'll likely share it 😊

Who is the big spoon/little spoon:

I guess I see Shaundi as the big spoon most of the time. She's the more physical of the two but it's more than that. I just think Viola has this insecurity about whether Shaundi really cares for her and always will. When Shaundi holds her it just reinforces that this is all willing and that she loves her.

What is their favorite non-sexual activity:

So in my hc they both like to dance, that's a pretty straightforward one. I can see them going out while in the "off" phase of on/off and winding up slow dancing 🥲 I think they prefer nights out over nights in but maybe they would enjoy cooking together with a bottle of wine or two. I also have an image of them cycling out of town and looking down at everything from high places. I feel like it's easier for these two to find what they really cherish about each other when there's no distractions, just peace and quiet.

[ash-and-books]

Rating: 5/5

Book Blurb: Branwen is about to become her coven’s youngest ever High Priestess. At the ripe age of twenty-seven, she is the only one with a full range of power. And everyone is looking to her to set things right. Yet on the night of the ritual, everything goes wrong. Branwen is betrayed, cast out, and stripped of her powers. Left to wander in the human world alone, she loses herself and her faith in the Gods. Until one night when the depression turns to rage. Using only the bare bones of the earth as a source of power, she calls upon Hecate to help her. But what – or who – is listening, turns out to be something she may be unable to control. Setting out to enact revenge on those who hurt her, Branwen finds she is much stronger than she realized, and that the truth will always come out. Karma’s a witch.

Review:

A witch falsely accused of dark magic and outcast by her coven has her entire life go up in flames and finds that the only comfort for her comes in the form of a sleep paralysis demon... who turns out to be a very real one interested in her... and getting revenge against the coven who betrayed her. Branwen was meant to become her coven’s youngest High Priestess, at the age of 27, she is the only one with a full range of power and she was ready to give it all for her coven... except on the night of the ritual it all goes horrible wrong. Branwen is betrayed, accused of black magic, outcast, and stripped of her powers. She finds herself completely alone, spiraling into vices trying to feel anything... and her only comfort comes in the form of her sleep paralysis demon she talked to ever since she was 14. He is the only person she’s every told everything to and the only person still with her after everything, except he’s not just her imagination and in fact a very real demon named Roth who wants her. Roth has wanted Branwen ever since they first met, he wants nothing more than to help her get her revenge and to love her. Now Branwen has something to light the fire in her again.... her revenge against all those who betrayed her and left her. She wants revenge, and as the saying goes, hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, especially a woman with a demon on her side. This was such a fantastic read, I adored it. I am a huge sucker for revenge stories and I had so much fun with this one. Roth and Branwen were so cute together and the way Roth supports Branwen’s revenge was *chef’s kiss*. I absolutely need a second book featuring Asha and Cain!!

[tinseltine]

THE MARVELS | Marvel Studio Writer/Director Nia DaCosta  

4.5 outta 5 – I’m so glad I’ve been re-watching the MCU in Timeline Order (MCU University), next up for me is Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2, so I re-watched Captain Marvel just a couple months ago, and it still felt fresh in my mind. I’ve also seen Ms Marvel and Secret Invasion on Disney+ so in combination I felt more centered and involved while watching The Marvels. I liked that there's a lot of levity throughout, less zany than a Taika Waititi helmed Marvel movie, but still good unexpected fun! The Flerkins are hilarious, yet I can’t figure out why Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) still finds them so adorable knowing one cost him his eye !?! The 3 leads (Brie Larson) (Tenoyah Parris ) (Iman Vellani)  have absolutely genuine chemistry and they manage to form an equal team, not Captain Marvel and her two sidekicks.

WISH | Disney  Directors Chris Buck & Fawn Veerasunthorn

4 outta 5  - I liked the storyline.  I hear a lot of critics saying feels like Disney propaganda and too many 100th Anniversary Easter Eggs. I didn’t feel that at all.  The little homages to Disney’s beloved past blended in nicely and didn’t distract from the current movie for me.  The villain, Magnifico (Chris Pine) has an interesting arc. In his quest to protect people from the heartbreak of not being able to manifest their dreams, he takes away their desire and gives them a good, safe, happy life on a multi-cultural island. It seemed like a good deal to me, so at first I too felt Asha (Ariana Debose) is just stirring up unnecessary trouble asking about the ungranted wishes. But of course, as they say, absolute power, corrupts absolutely – Manifico’s ego completely wipes out his original good intentions.

RUSTIN| Netflix /The Obama’s Higher Ground Director George C. Wolfe

3.5 outta 5 - I think it’s incredibly insidious the way this important figure in Civil Rights History was nearly erased because of his sexual orientation.  I’ll never understand why that has mattered so much throughout history. In terms of the movie, completely agree, this is a tour-de-force role for Philly’s own Colman Domingo. But I’ll admit I wasn’t fully engaged in the scenes the first 15-20 minutes, then as momentum picked up, I found myself swept up into the politics and renewed remembrance of the importance of the movement, similar to how I felt watching SELMA.

MAY DECEMBER| Netflix | Director Todd Haynes

3.5 outta 5  - I was particularly impressed with Natalie Portman’s character who manages to seem like a humble actress, just so grateful for being invited into this family’s home and confidence. Until you realize she’s a real shit stirrer and narcissist.

Julianne Moore’s Gracie is an even bigger narcissist, so the two women have met their match. It’s Gracie’s kids, both from her first marriage and current that you feel for, as they had no choice in being collateral damage to their mother’s bad judgement; not to mention, Gracie’s very manipulative in the way she speaks to them.  

SHARE?| XYZ Films Writer/Director Ira Rosensweig

4 outta 5 - I will admit, I was thinking of giving up after the first 10 minutes, because for us as the viewer, the perspective of the text is backwards on the screen, which is mildly frustrating, as you have to train your eyes to read what the computer screen is telling the prisoner in reverse. But eventually you get past this or get better at it and start to appreciate the scifi concept of the film.  An unnamed young man (Melvin Gregg) wakes up on the floor in his underwear in a dimly lighted, sterile room, pretty much a prison cell without bars, just blank walls, evoking a tech feel. The back wall provides a urinal and a small shower. The front wall, which we see from behind, contains a computer screen and there’s a keyboard.

PRISCILLA| A24 | Writer/Director Sofia Coppola

3.5 outta 5 - I feel my main complaint of the movie is that I didn’t learn anything new about the wife of Elvis, other than that they slept in the same bed for years and he never touched her until she turned 21 and they married. But since she had no one to confide in and we don’t experience her writing in a journal, we pretty much just witness everything we already knew about the pair, which left me a bit dissatisfied.

READ FULL POST ON ALL 6 MOVIES (MiniMovieExtravaganza18)

[guardian-angle22]

Since you are the number one Paul Stan, I would like to present you with this very soft Paul/Asha head Canon.

I head Canon that Paul was Asha's first crush. And now he gets to be her last crush and soul mate. They just make such a beautiful couple and I will be actually really annoyed if we don't get more of them next season.

omg I love this! Asha remembering his smile because she crushed hard on that smile. 🥰 I absolutely need more of them next season. They were so cute and we didn't get nearly enough of them.

I mean let's have a little reminder of them being adorably flirty in front of his coworkers. look at Asha's faaace:

I will share a head canon of my own!

Since we didn't see much of their development after she was being kind of ghosted by him in 4x7, my fill-in-the-blank of it all is that Paul eventually went to Asha and explained to her the feelings he was having around seeing her again and being reminded of how much basketball meant to what he considered the old version of himself. just fully honest with her. tells her about shooting hoops with the 126 and how good it felt. She follows this up with an invite to watch March Madness at her house (this episode was airing around that time if I remember)... after watching a marathon of wild games, they play pickup one-on-one in the local park like a couple of sports nerds. cue flirty basketball banter.

[the-sleepydragon]

[Along with the gifts Ethan had gotten him, Cormack opened his presents in bed.]

[Asha got him a pair of ice skates]

"So that we can go ice skating together!"

[Olivia had drawn a picture for Cormack. He absolutely adores it, which made Olivia very happy.]

"I'm so happy you like it big brother..."

[Imora got him a camera and a scrapbook. Cormack looked surprised. It was a very nice camera.]

[Imora smiled again.]

"I noticed how much you liked looking at things.. I thought a camera would be nice so you could take a picture of it. The scrapbook is for you to put your pictures in. We can make it as beautiful as you want!"

"And, I have one more present, but it's a surprise for after breakfast."

[Cormack can't help himself. He pulls everyone into a hug.]

"Thank you.. Oh my gosh thank you.. I love them all!"

"Good Morning sleepyhead..."

[Cormack opens his eyes. His mother, and his two sisters, are standing next to his bed. Olivia is holding a piece of papers in her hands, Asha is holding a present, and Imora is holding two presents that are neatly wrapped up.]

[Cormack groggily sits up in bed.]

"Mama..?"

[Imora giggles.]

"Oh come on big brother!" [Asha huffs.] "Didn't you remember what day it is today?"

[Cormack is silent for a moment... And then it clicks.]

[He gasps, his ears start to wiggle with excitement.]

"It's my birthday!!"

[adrianasunderworld]

Hiya! So first of all I absolutely adore all of your twst stuff it is my current hyperfixation. Second, combining twst and Pokemon? Genius, amazing wonderful, favorite thing ever. So my question is, have you thought about what Pokemon your OC's would have?

Maybe not like a full team but maybe like a Pokemon that's just there all the time with them (let's assume that NRC, WAI, and RSA let's you have one (1) Pokemon that you can keep with you at all times) Like a Pokemon Lilith Crewel carries for either ✨fashion✨ or as protection y'know?

Not to inject my own stuff in with the au's but I thought of my Yuu/MC having just the littlest baby Larvitar that always wants cuddles from its trainer. (Plz ignore that Larvitar weighs like 160 lbs he's just a baby 🥺)

I'm interested to see if maybe you've thought about it

Love you ❤️

- a shy fan

Aw no need to be shy! and thank you for all the kind words, it's nice to hear when people enjoy my stuff. ^^

As for my ocs pokemon hmm...here are the ones off the top of my head:

My Yuu, Isabelle: She would have a Mimikyu. She's twisted from Belle, and I personally like to headcanon Belle would like ghost types. And Mimikyus whole thing of wanting to be loved and having the disguise would earn Isabelle's sympathy. I like to think she found it in Ramshackle the first night and kept. Because she's from the Obey Me world, spooky stuff doesn't phase her as much, so she wasn't scared and Mimikyu and thought it was cute. Also Umbreon. For similar reasons.

Lily: Lily brought with her a female Pyroar from the Savanna. Because Lily was raised in the wild by animals, or in this au by pokemon, she's very new to the concept of catching. So before she left for White Ash one of her Pyroar siblings went, "I'm going with you, get the ball, don't argue." and that's that. She's very protective of Lily and is one of those pokemon that will jump out the ball whenever they please. Also, Lily has a Applin that she keeps soley for companionship. It was given to her by a girl she knew in the human village back home to remember her.

Phillipa: a Rapidash she had since childhood when it was Ponyta. She also has an Aegislash that likes to spar with her.

Clara: She, unsurprisingly, specializes in fairy types. So her main is a gardevoir that megaevolves, a hatterene, and a togekiss. Along with a little snubull that hangs around her office. 

Lilith: Lilith would have a houndoom, and she treats it like its still a lap dog. Along with an arcanine and both versions of ninetales. Maybe a flareon...she likes them fluffy

Asha: Her companion that she’s had most of her life is a Liepard. It’s been her hunting partner most of her life and it exceptionally trained. She also has a female shiny Luxray. It was gifted to her by Falena as a wedding gift. I like to think in this au, it's tradition for members of the royal family to have a lion pokemon. So when Falena went to the breeder to select a shinx cub for her, one was a shiny and he knew that was the one. 

[melrosing]

Part 1) With taking a great interest in mothers, seeing the dead ladies club, and noticing posts and takes on father and their kids relationships. I’ve grown to become interested with mothers and type of mothers in asoiaf specifically. Thus, what it shows about westrosi society and how they and their parenting effected their sons and daughters as that’s been done a few times for fathers. I was wondering for opinions on these six mothers and then the seventh being the mother in the seven:

Cateyln Stark-her five children, Cersei-three kids, Mellario norvos with being physically distant but prior she was desperate for the physical connection- how do you think that effected her kids both prior and after she left, lysa and Robert Arryn, Olenna Tyrell w/ Mace and any headcannons with her daughters, Alannys Harlaw with Asha and Theon. Then of course, the seventh being the mother of the seven. The influences the god mother has on westrosi mothers. Human/Narcissism/martyr nuance.

Catelyn: idk, Cat's kids have quite disparate personalities but they're close - I know Sansa and Arya don't always get along, but they're not incapable of it, and I think that's because Cat (and Ned) have raised them with a focus on familial cohesion. lmao what a way to put it but yeah. I don't think Cat's an especially strict mother either, she obviously scolds her kids from time to time but she is very aware that her children are their own people and that there's no uniform approach she can take to parenting each of them. and they all adore her.

Cersei: again quite disparate personalities amongst her kids. I think she's over-focused on Joffrey, with whom the impact of her parenting is... pretty tangible. Myrcella and Tommen seem to have been left with their septa for the most part, or have just generally enjoyed being spoilt by the rest of court whilst Cersei stayed at Joffrey's side, so her younger kids seem kind of shaped by her absence for the most part lol. Tommen is getting a crash course in Cersei's parenting in AFFC, he's obviously always known not to talk back to her etc but you can see he's not especially practised at engaging with her.

Mellario: I guess Arianne and Quentyn both crave approval, and are driven to relative extremes to garner it, so maybe the absence of a parent can be felt in that.... they absolutely feel like the children of divorced parents tbh :( difficult to guess at much more than that though, their relationship with Doran definitely overshadows the memory of Mellario

Lysa: idk her relationship w her son makes me sad, it clearly comes from a place of deep love for him but the result is its own kind of abuse, she just doesn't let him grow as his own person and treats him like a possession. lukewarm take that I know

Olenna: you'd think Mace would seem more beaten down than he comes across in the books given how Olenna speaks to him/about him lol. but Mace is confident of his own importance, so... a little incongruous, but I think that even though she has a barbed tongue Olenna prizes House Tyrell as a functional unit above all else so she must've been offering him some level of reinforcement in the background idk.

Alannys: again hard to say. Theon seems to have been shaped primarily by his experiences as a hostage of Winterfell - he doesn't look for Alannys when he returns to Pyke. I guess maybe it's hard to confront her as someone who knows the softer side of him and wants that over the front he's presenting to his father? idk. Asha on the other hand... I mean she clearly cares for her mother - we have no real idea what Alannys was like besides 'doting' so hard to say what Asha might've inherited from her or learned from her. who knows really, I think we can just infer that Alannys was a loving mother.

THEE Mother: I think similar to the impact of the OG Mary on the Christian world lol. That women's role is motherhood above all else, that they must perform in perfectly. their youth is swallowed by motherhood and once their children are grown they're become crones. interesting that the 'female' side of the Seven follow the life stages of women whilst the 'male' side doesn't really do the same for men. anyway. the Seven are all round George showing his catholic ass. I see you grrm