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bumblequinn · 2 years ago

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Hi! Medium time listener (I followed after slarpg altered my brain chemistry), first timer asker! What is your process when it comes to composing for games? Is it any different when the subject changes (personal, commission, etc)?

hehehe, well i hope that alteration was a positive one! 😋

so i think there's kind of two sides to this: there's the creative process, and the collaborative process.

The Creative Process

my creative process is actually pretty similar whether i'm working on contract or for personal enjoyment.

first, i consider:

the needs of the prompt in front of me (is it a save menu or a boss battle? is it a tense scene is or a tender one?)

how it should fit into the bigger picture of the whole project (mood/tone, genre, leitmotifs, instrumentation, production style, etc)

what tools i will need to use (subtractive synth or sampler or soundfont or live recording?)

then, i typically write what i call a "skeleton:" just the barest bones of a piece of music. i almost always do this on piano, dividing the bass, harmony, and melody into very distinct registers. i do it this way for several reasons learned the hard way:

first, by dividing parts into clearly delineated registers, i'm saving myself a whole lot of trouble down the line. i have long had a bad habit of over-crowded arrangements, which besides being weaker from a composition standpoint, are also notoriously difficult to mix. and mixing is already hard enough as it is! so writing a strong and well balanced composition from the outset is the best way to go.

second: when you jump into arranging or mixing before the whole piece is written, it's much easier to get stuck. where should i take this track next? i dunno, guess i'll fiddle with the mix. suddenly a week's gone by and i'm still working on a half-written track. if i require myself to write the whole piece out first, then this bottleneck is almost always eliminated.

sometimes you can get really excited about an idea, get carried away with arranging and producing a whole track, get to feeling really attached to it—only for your collaborator to say it's just not the right direction. by limiting myself to one instrument, i don't put in a disproportionate amount of work before confirming whether or not the piece is actually a good fit. and bonus, if it's not a good fit then i have a piece of music written that can serve another project later (or another part of the current project, if i'm lucky)!

of course, i'm not always perfect about this. even very recently, i got really stoked about a track i was cooking up for susan taxpayer and went BANANAS with it—only for punkitt to say she loved it but it wasn't at all the right vibe. a hard but necessary reminder of why i try not to get carried away prematurely!

(don't worry, the one i made to replace it fit like a glove, and the first attempt is gonna be used elsewhere. love wins 😌)

once i do have confirmation that i'm headed in the right direction with an idea though, that's where i really get into it with choosing instruments, designing synths, figuring out the production style, etc. and there's where the real back-and-forth with my collaborator begins, to make sure things are staying on track every step of the way. that leads us to:

The Collaborative Process

for starters, and probably most obviously, different people are different to work with. everyone has different strengths and challenges both creatively and interpersonally, so i try to meet my collaborator where they're at and tune in to their specific needs, vision, and communication style. within reason, i try not to look at these things as being "better" or "worse" with one person versus another, just different!

i think the biggest differences for me as far as how much time and energy i invest into a project are A) whether it's paid or pro bono, and B) my own level of personal excitement about the project.

if i'm doing something purely for fun, it's pretty exclusively because i'm really hyped about the project. because, well, it wouldn't be fun if i weren't, right? and in that situation, i enjoy giving it my all! susan taxpayer falls firmly into this category, and i'm having a blast with it.

SLARPG started out pretty similarly, but as the scope of the project grew, it evolved into more of a pro bono arrangement; bobby and i drafted up a contract and negotiated on how we would split earnings from the game once it released, and that's where i've gotten the vast majority of my income this year. it remained a passion project til the end, but i could not in good conscience put that much of my life into a project of that size unpaid, no matter how much i loved it! (maybe one day, if we collectively defeat capitalism and i no longer have to worry about such things... 🥲)

things get a bit different when you get into strictly contract work, though. when it's something i'm doing for a client who's paying from the start and it's not for my own enrichment, i have more hard and fast boundaries on how much of myself i put into the project. i have specific rates, and offer only so many free revisions before charging additional fees. sure, i can be horribly particular and will revise something a bazillion times to get it "just right" if i'm working on a passion project, but i'm not about to do that for like. a corporate commercial or whatever lol

whether it's for fun or all business, though, i always try to make something i'm proud of. because i want whomever i collaborate with to have something they're happy with in the end, of course! plus i'm kind of allergic to phoning it in, i'm too extra for that 😜

________________

i'm sure i could go on, but i think i'll leave it at that! pardon the slow response, it took me some time to formulate my thoughts for this one. thanks for the question, and take care ^^ 🎵

#asks #from #sourpatchsquids #feat #susan taxpayer #&#slarpg

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laurfilijames · 9 months ago

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What’s your favorite chapter of breathe and why?🙂‍↔️ I’ll be very sad if you shy away from hyping yourself up in your response 🥹💗

Aww Ray I really love this ask! I know I've had it sitting in my inbox for a while but it's because I've been thinking really hard about my answer and trying to come up with one while in the midst of still writing chapters that I've been very excited for!

Picking just one chapter from Breathe is honestly so difficult! I love them all for various reasons as they all include so many different things, so bear with me as I ramble on podcast style all my thoughts as to why 🥂

I love parts 1-3 because of the newness of them. The sexual tension and blatant want between them always gets me. It's exciting and exhilarating and writing the beginnings of a relationship is one of my absolute favourite things to do.

Then in chapters 3-5 where it's just sex everywhere all the time and them falling hard and fast for each other while navigating through Will's issues was such a thrilling part in their timeline to explore. Seeing Will finally let his guard down and give in to trying to resist something he knew was there was 🫠🫠 and then the result of that with the hot, raunchy sex? Yeah. Big fan. Glad I did that 🤣

I'll give Part 5 a special shoutout as it was the chapter that brought me back to this world after having put it on the back burner for almost a year 🙈 and is the plot point that breathed (😉) new life and excitement into it for me.

Then comes Parts 6-8 😬. These were heavy hitting chapters. I've never written angst like that before and it really pushed me out of my comfort zone and challenged me as a writer. It hurt to write some of those scenes, but oddly enough some of those were written the fastest and the words were just furiously typed out which surprised me! I felt so emotionally drained writing chapters 6 and 7 and remember feeling like I had just gone through a breakup 😅😭

Now although parts 9-11 never seem like they're very exciting or thick with plot to me, they are equally as meaningful and all hold their weight with building this relationship and fleshing out their life together. The smut scenes, especially in part 9 were a favourite of mine as I added in the layer of possessiveness after Cam made a reappearance and I loved showing that side of Will 🫠🥵

This portion of the story gives me all the warm and fuzzies and makes me kick my feet just thinking about how happy and in love they are and relieved that they made it through all the hurt and turmoil from earlier chapters. Will deserves all the love and calm and understanding life and a partner can offer and I think (and hope 😅) I've been able to portray and give him that here. The scenes with him getting the ring and then proposing live rent-free in my head and I'm just so in love with seeing them, and especially him, experience such happy moments.

Any chapter that included scenes between Will and Benny were also favourites of mine. Miller brother moments hold a special place in my heart and were always so easy and enjoyable to write (even when they were fighting) and it was like I could hear them in my head and their tone and see their expressions clearly.

Now that I've spewed out all of this and had a chance to go back and really reflect on everything, I think I've narrowed down one chapter that I feel as a whole really sums up everything this story is about and that is Part 7. So much happened in it!! They were still in the thick of their "breakup"

and trying to figure everything out.

She found out about his nightmare and finally began to understand what the hell had happened to cause all of this which then resulted in her showing up for him at base when he came home. I always do my best to show enough from both of their points of view and I think this chapter was full of what both of them were going through. We also had the introduction of Cam (heyyyy boyyyyy 😉🥵) just to add a little more drama to the already dramatic situation, but then everything wrapped up how it should by the end with their intimate and emotional reunion and as I just skimmed through it, I wanted to scream with how happy it makes me!

I've realized how many scenes of pure lovemaking are in this series and clearly I'm all about the intense intimate moments and Will Miller being a man head over heels in love 🤣🤷🏻‍♀️ sue me.

So do I have a favourite chapter? Kinda. They're all my favourite and I'm very happy to say that I've written a whole series that I actually enjoy reading for myself and there isn't one part that I am not proud of!

I'm sorry this got so out of hand haha but it's given me something to do on the 3 hour drive home from the cottage (I should be writing and working on the final chapter 🙈😅 but I'm stallllinggg because I don't want it to end 😭) I appreciate you asking this so so much and am forever grateful and in complete shock that you are so invested in this story and continue to give it so much love, attention, time and thought 🫂😘💗💗💗

#asks #podcast addition 🥂 with Ray and Laur #🤣🤣🤣#Breathe series

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qqueenofhades · 1 year ago

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hiii ❣ it's a bit random but do you have any advice for a beginner writer?

i want to write web series and while i'm going to write for my pleasure, i still would love my work to be good enough to have readers.

but while i read stuff and write fics, i don't think it's enough to help me write an original several episode work. + i want to write in english but i'm not a native english speaker.

do you have a textbook or any resource in mind that you'd reccomend to a beginner writer?

Unfortunately, I don't have one single one-size-fits-all resource or silver-bullet magical writing improvement tool that I can recommend, as everyone learns/practices in different ways and some people swear by things that don't work for other people. I can't speak to the value of Grammarly or any other online tool that promises to make you a better writer, as they can often be used to feed your work into AI, make bizarre and/or flatly incorrect suggestions, or otherwise be confusing and unhelpful for a newbie writer, especially someone whose first language isn't English. If you work better within an interactive framework or just want to see if it does seem useful, then by all means do check it out, but don't feel like you HAVE to use it (or anything else) if it doesn't offer much to your process.

As ever, and unhelpfully, my advice for becoming a better writer is to write a lot and read a lot, in all kinds of genres. There's really no get-good-at-writing-quick hack to suddenly get you where you want to be overnight, but you CAN get there by dint of steady and sustained progress. You say that you already read things and write fics -- which is great! You clearly already have some practice with the overall concept, and you are not starting from total scratch. While a lot of writers have a goal of something they really want to do (i.e. in your case, write a web series) and feel like the first one they write has to be The Real and Good One that they only launch into after appropriate years of practice, that's not the case. You can start writing the series now, if you want to. You'll have to also share it with people who you trust to give you helpful and honest feedback (the mortifying ordeal of being known, etc) while also respecting the skill level that you're currently at and not tearing it down for being up to professional standards or something else that doesn't accurately reflect where you are and what you need feedback on. But yes, you will have to write steadily, share your writing with others, and challenge yourself to read and write in different kinds of texts -- i.e. not just fic or amateur fan content, but literature, nonfiction, genre fiction, academia, special interest subjects, and so forth. Writing by professionally published authors is not necessarily always better, but it does give you a sense as to what is deemed marketable, what the general skill level and standard is, and what you might like to emulate or try to do with your own projects.

Also, as a side note, I think that plenty of amateur or fan-written content on the internet is not necessarily outstandingly good, technically speaking. This doesn't mean it's bad -- plenty of people read and enjoy it anyway, and aren't coming in expecting it to be an award-winning piece of fine literature. Standards for what is good, enjoyable, or well-written vary dramatically by genre, medium, what your audience is expecting and/or paying for, and so forth. Some people also have high and/or picky standards for what they will read or what they find enjoyable to read, while others will just go along with the story and don't care as much about the format or technical prowess or so forth. So it is very much a subjective measurement, and if you get to a place where you enjoy reading your own stuff and find it engaging -- regardless of what arbitrary skill level you feel yourself to be on -- chances are that other people will too.

#anonymous #ask #writing advice

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kinkystims · 1 month ago

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i want to be a better sub/bottom while playing!!!! i'm very good at being communicative and negotiating beforehand and debriefing after, but i want to learn how to make myself more reactive and communicative during play! i want to practice saying no or giving little adjustments or topping from the bottom so i get more confident in asking for what i want !!!! i don't want to be passive by default (but passive by choice and as i deserve as the pillow princess i am <3). i want to work to be a better, more responsible/verbal play partner

i have been told my body language is really good and clear which is GREAT. i'm just not always great with being verbal especially when i'm being touched and can't focus enough to speak

not quite sure how to go about doing this, i think it'll just take asking my partners to do more frequent check ins with breaks from stimulation so i get into the right pattern of Thinking and Speaking/Reacting in the moment

when i used to top/dom, i would engage with my bottom/sub very attentively. i tried to keep a conversation going with them and check in frequently. people i play with tend to not ask me "what do you want" "do you like this" "how does this feel" "is this working for you?" "do you prefer this or that" and are largely silent/not engaging with me verbally which makes it even harder for me to speak up because it's hard for me to get out of my head and find the "right time" to speak up, unprompted

i definitely appreciate my tops/doms checking in and i respond quickly to that. i have asked my partners to check in more which helps, but i find it hard to get out of my head during play (and during other times in my life too lol). i love nonverbal signals too. i think making tapping a more regular thing for play might be helpful

obviously it shouldn't just be on them to do check ins and i should speak up regardless of what they're doing, but it makes me feel less confident and more disruptive. when, obviously realistically, i'm not disrupting anything by making the play more enjoyable for myself AND them cuz they can trust me more to speak up !

but ! in the face of silence or less direct engagement with me, it feels very hard/difficult/challenging to respond or advocate for myself. and i think it's honestly a need that i might have to ask for directly before playing so i can practice that skill more and have the guidelines to be reminded that i Can speak up and that someone is waiting for me to speak up (like with those example questions that i'm not really asked)

of course, this is still My responsibility in the end as a responsible play partner, regardless of how the lines of communication are established. but i do think i need to practice and exercise this with people who encourage it and practice with me so i'm less in my head about it? also just developing more tools for communication like nonverbal signals, practicing safe words when Not in a scene, etc

self advocacy (and honestly, talking during play in general for me) is really hard but i'm hoping it'll get easier/more natural with time

also, note: these moments for me are not "hard no" moments. i'll be generally enjoying myself but maybe craving a certain sensation, a certain action or maybe not liking one that's happening as much as i'd like something else. but it's not like a need to safeword moment, it's more like, i'm okay but a change would/could make this better, i want to do xyz.

like actively leading how i want to be touched. i am not a "harder" "lighter" "touch my [blank]" person and i need to be 😭😭😭

also most of my sex/kink life has happened with people in other parts of the house/space and i do naturally keep quieter due to that. and i sometimes just don't think to speak up especially when i'm being stimulated cuz it's like an overwhelming thing. and then sometimes people can't hear me clearly and i have to be like wait am i being super quiet while trying to say something?? LMFAO so i need to just.... practice speaking up at a volume that can be heard lmfao

anyway... always ways to learn how to be a better play partner and i am trying my beeeeest okay

#thots #zero things in my brain #subway

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dent-de-leon · 1 month ago

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Based on Taliesin's suggestion to do tarot readings for fictional characters as a fun little exercise (and good inspiration for writing prompts!) I did a reading for widomauk with the 10 year anniversary deck. Just did a celtic cross with a clarifying card. Prefacing this with the fact that I'm a bit of practice, but I did have fun! I did reference a few tarot books and interpretations from other decks I had as well, so hopefully it turned out alright.

I think it was a really neat character analysis exercise for anyone who wants to give it a try. I ended up interpreting this from Kingsley's perspective, because that seemed like the direction the cards went. So, here's what I got:

The Present--Ace of Swords: "(Clarity. Problem solving. Critical reasoning.) The Ace of Swords cuts through the fog and uncertainty, and lets you see clearly. Now is the time to think rationally through your problems, and find a solution."

I see this as Kingsley finally being in a place where he's ready to act, where he's determined and focused and really seeing things in a new light. Ready to act on his feelings as opposed to avoiding them--and the same is very much true of his past. He's not static like Mollymauk, not lost in dreams like Lucien--his eyes are finally open, and he's not afraid.

The Challenge--The Fool: "(Upright: A leap of faith. Being carefree. Freedom. Reversed: Reckless. Resistance to change. Fear.) The Fool begins and ends our journey in much the same way Mollymauk Tealeaf does. It brackets our development, and takes us from testing waters to braving the depths and, potentially, going too deep. Mollymauk is always open to new adventures. He pushes forward through unfamiliar ground, waking up in a grave and body he doesn't recognize. And he takes a leap of faith, leaving the only family he's ever known with the Fletching and Moondrop Traveling Carnival of Curiosities to join the Mighty Nein on a grand adventure."

I think this one is really interesting! From the standpoint of a challenge, an obstacle--it makes me think of the Fool as being too caught up in things. Either too reckless, or too afraid to take that leap. Maybe even petrified, too terrified of change to move forward. I think that very much represents Kingsley's initial reaction to his past. think he really wants that freedom, to indulge that carefree joy and curiosity like Molly. Maybe envies that he was once oblivious to everything he now has constant nightmares about--the black chains, the Eyes, the hungry, twisted city--

Maybe a part of the challenge is also...Kingsley fearing that he'll make the same mistakes, or that the Nein won't accept him because of how much he's changed. And that does really scare him, at first. I think about how he doesn't let himself read Beau's journal until later on--until he's started to heal and come to terms with himself, until he's ready to actually face the past...

The Past--Two of Coins, Reversed: "(Work/life imbalance. Lack of organization.) The Two of Coins is all about balance. It is about juggling multiple opportunities, projects, relationships. When you find a way to live harmoniously with all the different aspects of your life, the more difficult challenges will become easy and enjoyable."

BALANCE!! TRYING TO ALIGN ALL THESE DIFFERENT WARRING ASPECTS OF YOUR LIFE! Just...thinking of Kingsley essentially undergoing his own anamnesis, but with no context or preparation for it. His past is a web of multiple tangled lives, all intertwined, and he has to discover for himself how to come to terms with it. To accept and embrace all these different aspects of himself.

It's why he struggles so much with intimacy I think, with letting others in. How can he feel like anyone could ever truly love him, if he doesn't even know who he is?

The Future--King of Swords, Reversed: "(Poor communication. Secrecy. Abuse of power.) The King of Swords wields a power that is unassuming yet vast; they are both benevolent and effective as a ruler. J'Mon spent centuries in pursuit of creating a home for their subjects built on freedom, comfort, and safety. They have learned from their past and are preparing for the future."

AHH!! Man...just. Kingsley ascending the throne as Plank King--needing to feel like he's in control, like he's worthy of being the captain his crew look to to lead. "I try to be a good person, or whatever I think that is. I take care of the crew, I work hard. As you're working with somebody, for someone, you take care of them." In the Mighty Nein reunion, Fjord's crew looks to Kingsley as another leader, follow his command and trust his instincts. When he mutinies and steals one of Fjord's ships later on, it's very likely the whole crew willingly followed.

We know Molly's masquerade as the Duke is his greatest lie, another con. And yet, ultimately, he looks after his "subjects," ensures he takes care of them; leaves the town "better than he found it." Despite it all being a lie, a performance, his compassion is genuine. The King of Swords reversed as a force of corruption, misuse of power--it calls to mind how Lucien drew The Tyrant in his own reading. When Tealeaf takes up the mantle of Plank King, I think it'll be just like Molly playing the Duke. But Lucien's shadow will always fall over him; he'll always have to live with the knowledge that he became the Nonagon in another life. A glimpse at where his reign could lead, should he ever stray down the same path--

As for aspects of secrecy and deception, miscommunication--I really do believe Kingsley wants to be more open with the Nein when it comes to his feelings and sense of identity. Wants to open up his heart to his Magician. But he's also in this very precarious, dangerous position of power. The previous Plank Kings have all been slain by their successors. I...don't think King is very optimistic about his odds in the long run. Even though he's said he's trying to take less risks. He's still the person who will just throw himself in the fray and bleed his own heart dry to spare his loved ones.

I think, by its very nature, the title of Plank King puts him in a position where he's beholden to a lot of secrets, where it's in the Nein's best interest for King to keep them as far away from his enemies as possible. And honestly, the same could be said for Caleb. He's certainly made some powerful enemies over the years--being hunted down by both Trent and Ludinus, everything with the Ruby Vanguard and the whole aftermath of the solstice--

I think they're both holding each other at a distance. Keeping secrets from one another. Believing its the best way to keep a target off their loved one's backs--

Above [The Conscious]--Nine of Cups, Reversed: "(Overindulgence. Selfishness.) The Nine of Cups brings your heart's desire to you--enjoy it. You are getting what you want, and you should feel proud, satisfied, and content."

Oh, oh...Nine of Cups. Reversed. You got your heart's desire. You have everything you could ever want--but do you really? You're the Plank King, showered in riches and jewels, the most precious treasure in all the sea. You're a captain. You're royalty. You're "free," and yet...

Doesn't it all still feel a bit hollow? Empty?

Kingsley telling himself he has everything he could ever want or need. The world at his feet, yet...it's all so unfulfilling, all still leaves him wanting. The fabled and roguishly charming Plank King--he could have strings of lovers if he wanted, as many torrid romances as he heart desires. And yet...there's still one person he always aches for out at sea. Someone he fell for in every life. Tempting dreams of a last kiss, a warm smile. "Caleb. Softness and light."

And what about Caleb Widogast in turn? Are there nights when he tells himself he's the happiest he's ever been? When the Nein are all gathered together again, and yet...his Circus Man is missing? Are there ever evenings when Caleb stays up in the library waiting for him, hoping he'll show, even though he hasn't heard back from King for weeks? Months?

Are there days when Caleb just aches for his Circus Man to come home?

Below [The Subconscuous]--Page of Swords: "(Optimism. Audacity. Desire to learn.) The Page of Swords are lifelong students, open to learning very intellectual disciplines. Astrid and Wulf wholeheartedly believe they were working towards a better future, but for too long they failed to understand the true consequences of their choices. They did not follow Caleb's example to break free from propaganda."

Oh, this is such a lovely and interesting one to me! Page of Swords as a subconscious desire...Kingsley maybe not even realizing it at first, but he does really want to know his past, to explore and come to terms with it. Thinking of how King said "Eventually, he reads that book. And goes to visit. and learn--"

And I think, whenever he is ready for that journey--I can see Caleb helping him, walking him through it. Caleb revisiting the past with him. Reshaping the tower as Kingsley starts to reconnect with those other aspects of his knotted lives. Caleb who himself is so beholden to the past. Enshrines it. Keeps Tealeaf's memory immortalized in stained glass. I think he would want to be there for him--to offer comfort, to take his hand. Soft words, a tender forehead kiss.

Thinking of how Caleb was actually the one to do this for Kingsley from the very beginning--performing the resurrection ritual to bring him home, begging the rest of the Nein to save him. Reaching out to King first, gently asking about the lovely dreams he was lost in. Asking him his name. Using magic to recreate this stunning image of Tealeaf at the center of a fantastical circus, surrounded by loving family and friends. The little crown on his head that makes King smile--start to fall for him--

I wonder if he still uses spells like Prismatic Image to help Kingsley come to terms with the past. To illustrate these lovely stories of the person he fell in love with in another life. Or to help King stay grounded in the present when the dreams become too much--

Advice--The Tower: "(Catastrophe. A radical paradigm shift. Revelation.) The Tower represents catastrophic change, a destruction of self and the structures surrounding us, sudden enlightenment or awareness, and the dismantling of constructs that are built precariously. Caleb experiences a life event so traumatic that his sense of self is completely shattered and rebuilt from nothing. The destruction of his childhood home and loss of his family is a liberating revelation as much as it is a devastating tragedy. It frees Caleb from the shackles that were holding him and allows him to be free. He goes on to find a new family and learns to grow from his trauma."

Ohh I do so love that I managed to get both Molly and Caleb's cards for this reading!! I think that's very fun. And the fact that it's for advice, and it's The Tower of all things...! I feel like for a lot of people, this is the most terrifying card they can get. There's really no "bad" card in tarot, but I think the sight of the one where a building's on fire and collapsing, how it's typically associated with utter catastrophe--I think it's still a card that will make some people anxious, and understandably so.

I'm personally someone who finds change absolutely terrifying, and here is an omen that heralds catastrophic, cataclysmic change. It's sudden. Devastating. It's the complete destruction of everything you knew before. And yet, for me, it's also very much cathartic. I always associated The Tower with...something you have to tear down. Something that's harming you--a shaky foundation that will no longer hold. The only way forward is to build something new and solid from the ground up, something that can actually sustain you, support you.

The Tower's on fire--but it was always going to fall, it was simply inevitable. And I believe, deep down, the person knows it, too. There was a moment in the stream that I loved, where someone said, "Baby, you know that a Tower's coming." And that's exactly how I feel! That it represents all this fear and anxiety that's just been hanging over you, something that's been haunting you for awhile now--even if you still cling to it.

Maybe just because it's familiar, comforting--reflects an impulse toward self-destructive tendencies (which I think Tealeaf and Caleb both have in spades.) Maybe because just the thought of losing it and having to start all over again is terrifying. But The Tower represents something you have to tear down, even if it means razing it all to the ground.

To me it is very much a card of transformation--not so different from Death, which also embodies Molly/King very well. Tealeaf is constantly rebuilding and reinventing himself--leaving behind everything he once knew and forging his own path. I feel like The Tower isn't just the destruction and ruin--it's how you rebuild from the ashes.

Tealeaf starting over, always trying to do better--Kingsley wanting to honor the versions of himself that came before, but also striving to learn and grow, to ensure he isn't caught up in the same snares that doomed Molly and Lucien. "I'm trying to make new mistakes." "I try to be a good person, or whatever I think that is."

Caleb needed his whole world to come crashing down--The Tower heralds an earth-shattering revelation--and it's what finally set him free. When Caleb sets that fire, when he hears his parents scream...that's the thing that shakes him to his core, finally breaks that thread of Trent's control, revels his true self. Bren is gone, burned away--he can never return to the life he knew before, will never be the same. Trent tried to mold Caleb in his image for so long, but when everything he's ever loved goes up in flames, when nothing else in his world remains--he still has the same heart. Just like Tealeaf.

And with this card also being intended for advice, well...I can't help thinking that. It does say something that this is Caleb's card. That his Magician, of all people, might be able to offer the kind of consul and comfort he really needs.

External Influences--Six of Cups, Reversed: "(Unrealistic views or desires, oversimplification.) The Six of Cups envisions an idealistic childhood. A time of peace, excitement, and also ignorance. It may be time to be playful, generous, and willing to learn."

Oh...this very much reminds me of Molly's comment on his early days with the circus, after waking up Empty--"I was a bit out of it, it was hard to remember. I wasn't speaking, really. Do you have memories from childhood?...It felt like that. It's all bright and more meaningful than it should be." And "unrealistic desires"...thinking of how Tealeaf is a romantic in every life, how he very much does fall passionately in love, how he feels for someone with his whole heart. Would give up all of himself for them--

Kingsley can't change his past--what he lost as Molly and Lucien. Or that hollow, aching Emptiness that haunted him, shaped his "childhood"--but. He can choose to move forward, to keep going. To explore both the world and his own identity all over again.

Hopes and Fears--Knight of Wands, Reversed: "(Resistance to teamwork. Shortsightedness.) The Knight of Wands is adventurous and emotionally driven. Kima does not lack confidence in herself or her strength. She can be strong-willed, sometimes to her own detriment, and must learn over time how to work well with others."

While I believe Kingsley very much wants to be with the Nein, he also keeps consciously pushing them away. Because sometimes it's hard. Painful. It's too much too soon. I think a part of him always has that impulse to run.

But he always finds his way back, in the end. And Caleb is always ready to welcome him home, a lovingly crafted room always ready for him in the tower. "This might be your first time, but it's our second--third time...Stick with us." "We have a habit of taking in strays."

The Outcome--The Devil, Reversed: "(Overcoming fear. Resisting temptation.) The Devil represents temptation, the desire for material or harmful things, addiction and compulsion, overindulgence. Percival makes two deals with the devil (Orthax and Ipkesh), and frequently gives in to negative impulses to the detriment of himself and others. He prioritizes his desire for vengeance, allowing it to fuel his development of increasingly dangerous and harmful weapons. He is calculated and dispassionate while still being driven by anger and doubt. On more than one occasion, Percy finds himself chained to his desires and obsessions, and only finds freedom through turning his hands of woe to hands of art."

I feel like I've always associated the Devil with being chained to something you can't escape--impulses and desires that are very much harmful and self-sabotaging. To me, the Devil reversed is freedom--finally breaking those chains, taking care of yourself and your loved ones, being freed of your worst fears and nightmares.

It feels very fitting to me then, that Kingsley runs off to sea, throws himself into this new life in the desperate hope that, "Maybe those chains will find some quiet in piracy."

In every life, Tealeaf spends so much of his brief time running. And it isn't until Kingsley has had a few more months to gain some perspective that he realizes this isn't what he wants anymore. That just closing his eyes and losing himself in one indulgence or another...it never worked before, and it will never truly set him free. "I realized, at the beginning, that I was running from everything that had happened before. And that's something that the other two had done. So it was probably something I didn't want to do again..."

I think always of Caleb's desperate promise to Mollymauk, how fervently he believes in it. "Please don't give up. You can still find your own life again--there will be time for that later." Caleb, who vowed to Molly, "Empty no longer, Mr. Tealeaf." Who ached to see him again for so long--to save him. "This can be a conversation, or it can be a reunion."

He's the one who always saw through to Molly's heart, who tried to stop him from feeding the same self-destructive impulses that haunted Caleb himself for so long--tried to keep Mollymauk from losing himself to Lucien's worst impulses. "Mollymauk, I am begging you. Hunger for control is insatiable, it will never be enough...let it go."

No matter what, I think Caleb will always be there to welcome his Circus Man home with open arms. And I think, with how much he cares for him, loves him...he'd do everything in his power to break King's chains--

I also drew a clarifying card, cause I think it's Fun! I especially wanted to use one for this reading cause it ended up just apart from the rest of the pile I shuffled, and I just like when a card kinda just pops out from the rest, or literally falls out of your hands when you're looking to pick one. So:

The Lovers: "(Partnership. Passion. Self-expression.) The Lovers may represent physical or romantic love, but they also represent platonic and altruistic love. They stand for desire, passion, physical attraction, connection, pleasure, and sexuality. They are a partnership built on freedom of the self. Fearne and Ashton's absorption of the Titan shards place them in an eternal bond in which they are two halves of a whole being. Rau'shan and Ka'Mort were partners and lovers, and even in death, they long to be together. Fearne and Ashton flirt with physical attraction, connection, and pleasure; both of them embody freedom and honesty in their expression of self."

Partnership, attraction, intimacy--a bond in which you find harmony, comfort, freedom.

In Molly's oracle deck, the closest equivalent to this card is "Love," which--in Molly's words--means, "Love. It binds us, it frees us. What else needs be said?" And if you think of Tealeaf and Caleb in that light--Caleb, who went all the way to Cognouza just to bring his Circus Man home, who dreamed so long of reunion and dug up that grave with his bare hands, broke through Lucien's control again and again, being the one to perform the resurrection ritual...how so much of Caleb's fierce loyalty and love for Molly is wrought by all the compassion and warmth Mollymauk showed him in turn...yeah. I think that suits them perfectly--

And given that Tealeaf sees Love as the key to both your bonds and freedom, well...I think it really speaks to the previous card being The Devil reversed--

Tiny side note: the two recurring suits here are Swords and Cups, which I feel like maybe speaks to Kingsley and Caleb as both being people always caught between acting on their head and heart. All the Cups are also reversed, which I feel like also says something about them both suppressing their emotions, especially Kingsley in this case. Cups are also associated with the element wanter, and swords with air.

#silly tarot card reading for the circus man and magic man cause i think its fun :'))#im sorry this got so long but it was a nice little exercise for character interpretation :)

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south-of-heaven · 2 years ago

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Sonya deville x reader

Reader is sonyas makeup artist and Sonya keeps flirting with reader to distract her and despite the fact it’s obviously working on reader she asked something like “what am I distracting you or something” to reader and it makes reader nervous

Distracted || Sonya Deville x Reader

Summary: Sonya loves to distract you while you do her makeup.

As Sonya Deville's makeup artist, you always enjoyed working with her. She was not only incredibly talented and beautiful but also had a playful and flirtatious nature that never failed to make you blush. Today was no different as you sat in front of her, carefully applying makeup for her upcoming event.

Sonya flashed you a mischievous grin as she noticed the slight flustered expression on your face. "What's got you blushing, huh?" she teased, her voice low and playful.

You tried to focus on your task, but Sonya's teasing made it challenging to concentrate. Her captivating blue eyes locked with yours in the mirror, making your heart race. "You know I'm easily flustered when you flirt like that," you mumbled, trying to keep a steady hand despite the distraction.

Sonya chuckled softly, tilting her head to give you a better view. "Is that so?" she said, her voice dripping with amusement. "Well, maybe I should stop then. Don't want you messing up my makeup."

But it was too late; you had already smudged her eye makeup slightly. You groaned inwardly, feeling embarrassed that you let her playful banter get the best of you.

Sonya laughed, not bothered at all by the minor makeup mishap. "No worries," she said, reaching out to gently touch your hand. "It's not a big deal. Besides, it just means I get to spend more time with you."

You blushed even more at her comment, but you couldn't help but smile at her charm. "You're terrible," you teased back, trying to regain your focus on her makeup.

"Guilty as charged," she replied with a wink.

As you continued to work on her makeup, Sonya kept up her playful banter, making you laugh and shake your head. Despite the distractions, you managed to complete her makeup flawlessly.

Once you finished, Sonya admired herself in the mirror, clearly pleased with the result. "You're amazing," she complimented, turning her chair to face you directly. "I always feel like a million bucks after you work your magic."

You couldn't help but blush at her words. "Thank you," you replied, feeling a mix of pride and flattery.

Sonya leaned closer, her lips dangerously close to your ear. "You know," she whispered, her voice sending shivers down your spine, "I may be the one getting the makeup, but you're the one who leaves me breathless."

Your heart skipped a beat as you felt her warm breath against your skin. Sonya's flirting was relentless, but it also made your heart race with excitement.

Before you could respond, she pulled back, giving you a playful wink. "Alright, I should go get ready for the event," she said, getting up from the chair. "But I'll see you later, right?"

You nodded, still feeling a bit flustered by her words. "Yes, I'll be there," you replied, trying to compose yourself.

Sonya smiled, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Great. I'll make sure to flirt with you some more," she said with a wink before leaving the room.

As you watched her go, you couldn't help but smile. Working with Sonya was always an adventure, and her playful flirting made the job even more enjoyable. You knew that no matter how much she teased you, you wouldn't have it any other way.

#wwe fanfiction #wwe x reader #pro wrestling #wrestling #wwe #sonya deville x reader #sonya deville

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blackbird-brewster · 1 year ago

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How about Alex/Emily and Summer Treats combined with Sensation Play???

I had already done Sensation Play, so this went into a different prompt. Thanks for the request!

Make You Melt

Emily/Alex || Rated: T || WC: 730

Fills: Teasing (for @cmkinkbingo2024) and Summer Treats (for @storiesofsvu bday bingo)

[Read on AO3] || || [Kink Bingo Masterlist]

Emily frantically licked the side of her ice cream cone to prevent it from getting all over her hand, but it was clearly a losing battle.

Alex watched her with an affectionate smile. "How's that working out for you?"

Emily realised how ridiculous she must look, practically making out with her double scoop. She wiped her mouth with a napkin. "Not great, if I'm being honest."

"I told you to get it in a cup," Alex replied, lifting her own in the air.

"The cone is the best part."

Alex raised an eyebrow as another perfectly timed drip of Emily's melting scoops ran down her hand before falling onto her shirt.

"Shit!" Emily licked around the cone to try and stave off anymore accidents as she tried to clean her shirt. She awkwardly juggled her cone and a napkin while Alex sat across from her laughing. "Stop laughing. This is brand new!"

Alex licked the corner of a clean napkin and reached over the blot the stain in the middle of her shirt, her fingers lingered a moment, softly rubbing Emily's breast through the fabric. Her eyes flicked up to meet Emily's again, "Good to see all these years later, you're still such a dirty girl."

Just like that, Emily was melting quicker than the ice cream in her hand. "Alex."

"Yes, Emily?" Alex asked innocently.

"That was a one time thing."

Alex took another bite, making a show of tonguing ever bit of ice cream from her spoon. "If you say so."

Emily lowered her voice. "We can't."

"Who says?"

"Me! I say!" Emily argued. "It's not the same now, back then I was just visiting. It was a one night stand. Now, I'm the Unit Chief, I can't go around sleeping with BAU team members anymore."

The corners of Alex's lips turned upwards ever-so-slightly. "I'm not even with the bureau anymore, Chief."

Emily rolled her eyes. "You know what I meant."

"How long has it been since you got laid?" Alex replied without missing a beat.

"I-- I, well --"

"That's what I thought," Alex chuckled.

"That's not the point!"

"Isn't it?"

"No!" Emily snapped. "This," she gestured back and forth between them, "isn't going to happen."

Alex leaned back in her chair casually, basically undressing Emily with her eyes as the slowly moved up her body until they met her gaze again. "Whatever you say."

They stared at each other intently as a silent challenge of power simmered between them. Emily refused to even blink, she was not going to yield to this argument, not this time. Sure, the one night stand they had years ago was enjoyable, or rather it was amazing, but it couldn't happen again. Emily had only moved back and taken up UC a month ago, last thing she needed was to create a scandal.

In her determination to win their little staring contest, Emily had completely forgotten about the ice cream in her hand. Alex, however, had not. She'd been watching the entire time as it melted down Emily's hand and arm.

"Well, alright, since you're so sure." Alex shrugged and stood up, seemingly giving up on her invitation. She tossed her trash in the bin behind Emily and used the proximity to lean into her ear, "But, five-bucks says your cunt is dripping just as much your arm right now."

The timbre of her voice made the hairs on the back of Emily's neck bristle as an undeniable wave of arousal settled between her legs. The reminder also finally brought her attention to the disaster in her hand. She threw the cone and remaining ice cream in the trash. She tried to use her already dirty napkin in an attempt to clean herself up, to little success.

She groaned and looked back up to Alex, who was still waiting expectantly. "Dammit, at this point I just need a shower."

"You already know from experience that mine is big enough for two," Alex grinned.

Emily shook her head with an affection sigh. She fished out $5 from her wallet and handed it over to Alex. "It's not fair how hot you are when you're so fucking smug."

"It's my special talent," Alex said, tucking the money into her bra. She offered her arm for Emily to take with her clean side. As soon as she'd accepted the gesture, Alex pressed a kiss to her temple. "Good girl."

#criminal minds #emily prentiss #alex blake #Emily x Alex #cm fanfiction #criminal minds fanfiction #cmkinkbingo2024 #kbdaybingo2024 #my writing #prompt fulfilled #alexblakeisgay #Emilex

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malka-lisitsa · 2 years ago

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Well look at that it's 2024, and my new years resolution is to stay an unbothered icon queen, and hope the hater's die mad. But I also thought I'd take a second to shout out to the people who make the shit show of a year 2023 bearable, and even enjoyable in some cases.

As trash as the rpc has a tendency to be there are still a lot of you that make this place more than worth it. I clearly cant shout out to all 900 something followers but I can highlight some of you. If you're not listed don't worry I still appreciate you immensely for being here, these are just the people that have really impacted my time here so far.

@hybrid-royalty-main Damon you piece of shit, I hate you the absolute most, and I'm so glad youre here with all the boys tbh. You bring such a unique quality to each one of them. Especially were-jer, it has been an absolute HOOT watching you take on the challenges of a teenaged were pup.

@baby-royalty My sired child with loyalty so unwavering you make the sire bond in the show look tame lmfao. The universe pulled us together the second I stepped foot into this hellsite again and I have enjoyed watching you grow into the person and writer that you are now. I'm proud of you.

@klaeus Kiki I adore you sm, you and your knock off brand doppelganger and scruffy mutt hybrid (affectionate) I love talking about the show and dynamics and honestly just about everything with you. You try, and thats more than most people do for me. Plus your grafics are just chefs kiss.

@multi-royalty Maddie this is like 3 years we've been besties, the caroline to my Elena. I've loved watching you branch out into new circles of friends and grow as a writer. You're absolutely killing it.

@ofcrossrcads Cribby, my darling I adore you. You are simply the sweetest, and keeping you here aggressively as my friend was one of the best things ive done in my life. I am always right here if you need me for anything <3

@petrovawitch Kenz, Katherine says fuck you for bringing her pain in the ass sister back- but im really glad you did. We adore you both even if we're spicy at times bc you know were brats hehe

@havvkinsqueen / @stanfordprepped My fellow digidestins, I am so happy to have met you. Both of you are just pure goodness spun into a little ball of sunshine. Honestly the most supportive people ever, the RPC needs you desperately. Just please remember that I have your back just as much as you have mine. We digidestin gotta stick together. <3

Ok ok ok I cant shout out to literally everyone individually so these people also are super important to me and have made my experience here this year amazing, thank you for all you do-

@langdhon@ravenskeeper@salvatoraes@sarcasticsnackpack@sithdestined@nexusvcrti@ofvalor@imundus@brokenbrxther@loyaltylanced@spellsigns@ruinedmyself@ravmalakh@touchedbydestiny

#the one and only... sort of: ooc #2024 follow forever #im sure i forgot ppl but its 1am and im exhausted #alexa play take it easy on me

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hurlumerlu · 1 year ago

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Extending the same level of courtesy: 9, 12 and 22 for dragon age

Sorry about the delay, I started to think about my answers and promptly went insane. Then the trailers for DA4 droped and despite having 150 grievances and 236 fears - or maybe because -I went insane some more. I did get a few somewhat coherent thoughts out, though !

9. worst part of canon

So I typed like half a LibreOffice page on why the way Inquisition deals with the mage/templar conflict was an incredible example of setting things up for almost no payoff, and then I went on a tangent about my frustrations with how Orlais in general is written, and then half another LibreOffice page on the fact that so much of canon is in supplementary material and how that does negatively impact my enjoyement of the games, with a long parenthesis on how Alistair being a half-elf makes the lore actively worse, all the while taking numerous breaks because I was not being normal about all of this and I wanted to be normal about all this, but clearly I cannot be normal, about any of this. Anyway, worst part of canon is still the use of the term Tranquil Solution in DA2. Pretty sure we already talked about that but it's just. It's so bad. Why.

12. the unpopular character that you actually like and why more people should like them

Well, as you pointed out this fandom is big enough and discoursey enough for pretty much all characters to have their ardant defensers - which is actually a good thing I think. I also think that the nature of the games necessarily means that a playthrough can never cover every aspect of a character and that you might easily miss an interaction that could nuance or improve your opinion of them. Vivienne is kind, warm and extremely straightforward with her goals if you take the time to befriend her. I didn't like Blackwall in my first playthrough, and never brought him anywhere, but his romance turned out to be my favourite of all Inquisition. It's pretty obvious Fenris and Sebastian don't fear all mages if you have Bethany in your party. If you don't blame Aveline for your mother's death, she gives you a speech on grief that I personaly find deeply touching. Sten often approves having his views challenged. Oghren is not just a walking crude joke, if you try to view his character with just a bit more grace, etc. So rather than pick one character people should like more I'll just say that if someone ever replays the games, they should try to put aside everything that annoyed them about whichever character they dislike the most and spend some time interracting with them with fresh eyes. It's often worth it. (I did write a love letter to Aveline, though)

22. your favorite par of canon that everyone else ignores

DWARVEN SOCIETIES. okay, i'm exagerating a bit. Idk that it's my absolute favrite part, and I know the dwarven lore is enjoyed by at least 20 people worldwide. But the fandom as a whole does not seem to care about the dwarves, except to ask if Varric is fuckable (no judgement, I get it). But there is so much there! Their rigid cast system and conservatism that are fucking everyone up, their disconect from the fade/lack of dream (and yet they can be made to dream, as shown by a dwarven warden or inquisitor), how that helps them handling lyrium but only to a point, their especially high resistance to the taint because of their proximity with the Darkspawn, their proximity with the Darkspawn, THE LEGION OF THE DEAD, the paragons and the Stone, the Titans, Sandal? And surface dwarves are also deeply compelling. Cut from their roots, otherized by what everyone else around them insist on calling "their people". When Varric tells a story of his brother blowing up at him for breaking a plate and ends with something like "that plate was the whole city of Orzammar to him", does that get to no one else? just me?

Chose violence ask game (I did not particularly chose violence)

#I also think people who dislike sera are often just plain wrong but like. they do they or whatever #dragon age

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anemia-rp · 9 months ago

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"What?" she puffed out her cheek with a playful pout. "It's better than making you keep your tail hidden away the whole time." her cheeks flushed a soft pink once more as she gave a small nod. "Well shouldn't it be special? Isn't it more enjoyable to see someone naked when it's special? Really?" she looked at him curiously.

"Really? I bet that's a really nice ability to have." She looked at him with a smile. "There are some fairies that have that ability, not me though. It could be really useful for those people that don't like to share what's bothering them." She knew a few people that she would like to have that ability for, then she would be able to help them when they weren't feeling okay. "I think hamsters are cute! I had one before and he was so sweet. A bunny? You think so?" she thought about it for a moment before giving a small nod. "Hmm maybe. They can be sassy too when they don't get their way too. Have you seen them stomp their little feet when they're upset?"

"I know..." she mumbled quietly, her face heating up more. Talking about her self pleasure was hardly something she talked about on a regular basis, which naturally was something that made her more shy. "Yeah, I suppose that is true." she nodded in agreement. "Yeah, your clothes would probably still be big on me if I wore it. Sometimes S sizes are still big on me. I usually wear XS sizes, but if I want something that fits more looser then I will wear a S size." she said with a small shrug and smiled cutely at him when he changed his voice.

"Okay but you will have to take care of me in the morning when I'm all whiny and hung over." she challenged him playfully. "Also if my wings come out. Sometimes I forget to keep them hidden."

"I feel like problems don't become so big if you try to see it from both sides." she said casually. "Sometimes it's good to be vulnerable."

She bit her lip as looked up at him with her big brown eyes as a small shiver ran down her spine. Maybe he was right, maybe she was a little bunny. She was vulnerable and small in his embrace right now, his hand around her neck.

"That's the best even", he approved. "If you show your naked body to everyone it becomes meaningless. Just like telling everyone everything about yourself. So be picky with the things you give to others. I'll for sure don't show my dick to just anyone. Or wanna share with just anyone the intimacy that sex is."

He didn't know a lot about hamsters or bunnies, but he was quite fond of the way Reno described them. Somehow everything got a cute touch when she spoke about it, he couldn't tell why this was the case, but it was undeniable. "True. Will you stomp your foot too when you're upset? I can imagine this actually." He smirked. "And I can imagine it's not really intimidating actually, sorry. Bunny rage." It amused him truly.

Fuji usually didn't talk about how he masturbated and to what imaginations either so he could understand that it made her bashful; it was funny to tease her with it though. "As long as you've got fun and it satisfies you…", he hummed and smiled. "What's for sure is that my clothes would fit really long on you since I'm lanky. You're just like a tiny doll with tiny clothes, I find this fucking adorable. It actually lifts my mood like crazy."

An amused snort erupted him. "Okay, I'll try my best to take care of you then, but I can't promise I'm a care taking expert. I gotta practice, but guess you'll give me several opportunities, huh? If you can tell me clearly what you need we'll both benefit from it."

"True. To avoid misunderstandings and endless unnecessary worries", he admitted. "But being vulnerable can be so fucking scary. Or better said: Appearing vulnerable. It a form of being naked as well I guess."

Fuji was so touched by her reaction to his caressings. For some while he let his hand where it was, around her neck, enjoying the moment, the connection and the emotions and the look in her face, but then he pulled his hand away. For now this was enough affection because he wanted her to desire him and his touches, and he was sure that you only could desire something very much if you didn't get it too easily. There wasn't a space for yearning something if it was too accessible.

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fictionz · 1 year ago

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New Fiction 2024 - January

"Osee" ed. Richard Challoner (1752)

I can't go back to check what Osee was on about. All you need to know about this phase of the bible is guys were prophesying, and pretty much every prophecy is about how the Hebrew people were fuckin' it up. This all feels like items in what should have been the appendix, but since I'm reading a Catholic bible it's all just filler until JC shows up. (And we're just under 70% after two solid years of gettin' through it.)

"Joel" ed. Richard Challoner (1752)

Another dull prophet.

This Gray Spirit by Heather Jarman (2002)

I want to love every DS9 book. It's a struggle to not enjoy them. But there's a trend here in the Mission Gamma series of trying to do Too Much. The last book was very long, but also very focused, and the premise of taking the Defiant out into the Gamma quadrant sounds fine until they do it again... and again... and again. And it gets to the point where I just don't care what they're doing. I want DS9--the setting--and its beloved cast of characters to do their thing there. I'll read on but this one really should have been two books instead of this A plot-B plot structure.

Divided We Fall by John J. Ordover, David Mack, Andrew Currie, Michael Collins, Richard Bennett, David Roach, John Nyberg, Jenna Garcia, WildStorm FX, Alex Sinclair, Jeff Mariotte (2001)

This one contrasted nicely against Revenant by Alex White. Both stories focus on Dax and how the Trill symbiont managers are real bad at transparency. The more I learn about this world, the more it sounds like a pretty clear caste system that should get them booted from the Federation. But then, I suffer the flaw of binary judgement, and there's probably some nuance there to consider.

Gargoyles the Movie Game dev. Buena Vista Home Video (1995)

Wow, this was the most broken version of Chutes and Ladders I've ever played. I recommend a house rule of doubling each number on the spinner if you want any chance at winning. The event cards are just so punishing and the strict time limit makes it a steep uphill battle.

Gargoyles Remastered dev. Walt Disney Computer Software & Empty Clip Studios (1995, 2023)

I had a problem with input lag in the original version that ruined my initial impression, but that was on me. Playing the remaster with no input lag and the extra features like updated art, music, and the rewind all added up to a more enjoyable, if short, experience. It's otherwise an interesting artifact from that transition out of 2D platformers and into chunky polygons and pre-rendered 3D visuals.

Gargoyles: Night Flight dev. Tiger Electronics (1995)

I've played a few of these mid-90s Tiger handhelds and it's fine for a car ride, which is where I always imagine these things were played at the time. It's so overly simple that I can't say it's worth playing, unlike the classic Game & Watch titles that had real challenge and replayability to them.

The Color Purple dir. Bazawule (2023)

I never caught the original movie or book, but this musical was great. And those events are some real fucked up trauma.

The Iron Claw dir. Sean Durkin (2023)

As period biopics go, this one's fine. Not too wild or revelatory, other than its highlighting a segment of the wrestling scene which I had no idea about. The performances were all solid and Ephron clearly committed to the role. The story is from that period of simpler costumes and narratives before my friends and I came aboard in the later 80s and 90s, so it was neat to understand a fictionalized buildup to the more familiar stories.

Poor Things dir. Yorgos Lanthimos (2023)

It was great, stylized, and I suppose does have an act structure but it feels a little loose with it, which I'm all for. It just doesn't match up to the amazing work in The Favorite.

Night Swim dir. Bryce McGuire (2024)

A snoozer, I'm afraid. The seed of it is interesting but it doesn't quite grow enough to make it compelling.

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom dir. James Wan (2023)

Another snoozer. It's not as fun as the first one, and if these superhero things aren't fun then what're we doing here?

The Beekeeper dir. David Ayer (2024)

Yeah this was a rough stretch. Another action snoozer that maybe could have highlighted something interesting about exploitation of elders but just uses that as an excuse for Statham to go around punching dudes in a boring way.

I.S.S. dir. Gabriela Cowperthwaite (2023)

There's this particular subgenre of space movie where people are just out there in their tin cans, then they're stuck or screwed, and the drama plays out amid a desperate race to get out of that sitch. Hell, I will myself to sleep by conjuring a little scene I've developed where I'm out in my little space tug boat and need to shut down systems and go to sleep for the cycle. Gravity, Interstellar, and Life are all recent examples of this kind of movie that come to mind, and now we can add I.S.S. to that list. And I love these. I love space trouble. I ran into a bunch of these stories in my recent watch of The Outer Limits (1995), and I really can't get enough. I.S.S. has this uncomfortable angle on what if Earth annihilates itself, huh, smart guy? (Art reflecting reality, etc.) And that's a bummer to consider. But the story that plays out onboard the station is still neat and I would definitely watch this again.

Mean Girls dir. Samantha Jayne & Arturo Perez Jr. (2024)

Dug it! Maybe more than I did the original. Mostly because the musical sequences are great.

American Fiction dir. Cord Jefferson (2024)

Stories about writers can be a little too navel-gazey for me to handle, but I'm glad I caught this.

The Book of Clarence dir. Jeymes Samuel (2024)

It comes from the angle of true belief, so you have to buy into that going in, but the questions it raises and the general production all make it worth the watch. Plus, they tackle the question of why even is Jesus a white guy (well, we know why), so that makes it extra fun.

Battlestar Galactica - "Saga of a Star World" (1978)

Doofy? That's the word. Definitely of its time, but I'm gonna get through it all later this year.

The Twilight Zone - "Shatterday" (1985)

Ey Bruce Willis being moody before that was his brand. I watched the 60s version and now I feel obligated to see what issues of the day were popping up for 80s TV people.

Stargate SG-1 - "Children of the Gods" (1997)

Oh, okay, I didn't realize they were angling for the Showtime adult crowd with this. I was so used to the sanitized Saturday afternoon syndication version of the episodes. In any case, still a good start. Another show to watch in full later on.

Farscape - "Premiere" (1999)

Hm, more white guys as leads/captains isn't as appealing, but the puppety goodness of Henson aliens compels me to continue.

Fringe - "Pilot" (2008)

Holy shit, those first five minutes! I knew immediately I'd enjoy this show, whatever it's going to be. I heard enough good things that I figured I gotta.

Yellowstone - "Daybreak" (2018)

My mom wouldn't stop talking about this show so now I'll have to see what's what. So far it's Kevin Costner as an old asshole who raised his kids to also be assholes?

#new fiction #new fiction 2024 #january

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cybertronian-cupid · 5 years ago

Note

I'm feeling really uneasy having to spend the holiday season with my family, so, if that's not a problem, could I request some fluff with TFP decepticons? Like,, comforting their s/o, making sure they feel safe and happy?

You didn't specify which ones you'd like best, so *rubs back of neck* what happened was a bit of a fluff surprise story. Hopefully it makes you smile Anon, and makes the holidays atleast a little more bearable.

*squints* though I think we should have the comfort styles of the Cons written somewhere... Keep an eye out, they'll be posted as soon as they get pieced together in some semblance of sense. ~Gregoria🏩

We hope you like it, Anon, and we hope this holiday season treats you well. You deserve nothing but happiness~Mila 💟

Holiday Surprise Fluff: Poly!Reader x TFP Decepticons (sfw)

(Yes. All of them. That includes the troops.)

............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............

Being partners with Steve had its perks. Sure, there were some drawbacks as well, but considering how close all Vehicons were, that just meant the human suddenly had a whole lot of love and support, when one of these aliens decided to zoom into their life.

And well, when Breakdown met them and saw just how close the other guys are with them, and how nice they are treated by this fleshie, who's to blame the poor mech for falling for them too?

Knockout flirted with them once, and caught feelings when they laughed and flirted right back at him.

The rest of the ship caught feelings for the little organic faster than the cosmic rust, with the High Command being the most confused and vary over trying to express their feelings about it.

After all, their human isn't just a partner of one Steve.

They are a partner of all Steves, and soon of the Insecticon troops as well, with officers falling prey to their charms one after the other. In a sense, they have the whole ship wrapped around their tiny fingers, and soon they earn the affection of the Communications officer, Second in command and the Lord of Decepticons as well.

With ALOT of compromising and weekly reminders amongst the top three, that their human loves everyone aboard the Nemesis. The whole Nemesis.

How they manage that, remains a mystery to everyone aboard and yet, the morale has never been higher, so who is going to look a gift horse in the mouth? Noone, that's who.

🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸

Steve drives them through the groundbridge straight into the command center.

Sondwave greets them with a merry tune, Lazerbeak chirping happily as they are swooped up into familiar well maintained servos.

"Here you are, " Knockout kisses their face all over, before glaring at Steve. "If I remember correctly, today was MY turn to pick OUR lovely fleshie up"

"But you just did sir," Steve answers prompting a groan out of Knockout, before rushing off towards the barracks laughing.

"So, what ARE you guys planning?"

"We can't tell you just yet," Dreadwing smiles at them. Skyquake is leaning against his twin, nodding.

"It would ruin the surprise."

They pout and look at the ceiling.

"Not even an itsy-bitsy clue? Come onnnn, you guys have been driving me crazy for long enough."

Airachnid giggles, skittering off her perch and extending a welcoming servo for them to step on. She holds them close to her spark, heels clicking as she walks.

"Not even that. Orders from the Second in Command."

"I thought you were ALSO Second in command."

"Who isn't at this point," Shockwave points out when the femme places them in his servo, pressing a quick kiss before dragging the two warriors with her, off to who-knows-where. Being carried and placed from servo to servo was a thing that took some time to get used to, and yet, they are always handled with such care and love they can't really stay mad at their partners for too long.

They gaze up into the red optic staring at them.

"Shockyyyyy,"

"No,"

"Shockerrrrs,"

"The answer is still no," his voice is firm and unyielding, but his finials are wiggling in amusement.

Whatever the others are preparing is clearly going to be good.

"Come on, can't you just tell me? " they try again, genuine laughter from the Warlord snapping their attention to the entrance. Disappointment setting in when he is not actually standing there.

>>Patience, little one,<< the recording echoes from Soundwave, who steps through the groundbridge a moment later, with parting words of

"And enjoy the show."

🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸

And what a show it was. Almost an hour of all fliers, spinning and looping around each other, acrobatics of transforming mid-flight to blow them a kiss, before transforming again and resuming what has clearly been practiced time and time again with how perfect their forms were.

They couldn't look away even if they tried, each segment of them all dancing in the air grander than the last, topped off by Predaking creating rings of fire for them all to fly through.

It was a spectacle of the kind they have never seen.

Their excitement has them almost jumping in place when all commanders return to the bridge, optics twinkling with glee at their s/o and their clear enjoyment and pride.

"That was just the start," Starscream smirks knowingly, with Breakdown presenting them with a thick coat.

"Just wait till you see what our Liege has in store for you,".

🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸

They honestly expected a gladiator match. Hardshell, Dreadwing and Skyquake against Megatron and Soundwave. Or perhaps some sort of a firing range, or anything that would indicate a show of strength, or precision and cunning. They wouldn't be surprised if the Warlord somehow decided to do it all inside of an ice cave just for the extra challenge.

They didn't expect to be taken to one of the empty mines.

They did not expect there to be decorations put up, a mix of what they know to be Cybertronian designs with different Earth influences mixing into them all and still looking stunning in their own way.

And they did not expect every grounder of the Nemesis to be present.

"What is all this?" they ask, their eyes roaming over everyone. Their frames polished, their engines humming in sync, as they all break into a song.

A song about them.

They caught a glimpse of the title one night, when Megatron forgot to put that particular datapad away.

"Oh it's nothing," he waved their question off, settling them down in their bed above his berth.

"Megs, what are you planning?"

His grin and a tilt of his helm had them laughing, the expression on their face earning them a chuckle of his own, and yet no answer beyond the teasing "You'll see".

Any questions directed at others about what they think could be in the works, were met with the same grin and chuckles of "You'll see, it's a surprise."

Arms wrap around them from behind.

"Happy holidays," Steve says, nuzzling his helm against their head.

"Care for a dance?"

Dating Steve had many perks. Dating the whole Nemesis, has around a million more. And they have all night to count them all, as they dance and laugh with their wretched, evil, horrible, no good Decepticons.

At a house somewhere on the planet, there stands a very, very irked Makeshift, currently tangled in strings of lights, reminding himself that he is a vital part of the operation "Our Human Will Have The Best Holiday Celebration". He's been bossed around this way and that, without much rhyme or reason for a week now, and at this point, he would much prefer to listen to a certain Seeker screaming his voicebox raw, than to be listening to yet another round of 'All I want for Christmas'.

He will have someones spark if he isn't the one that gets to cuddle with The Spark of Nemesis for at least a week after his mission is complete. He knows those will be well deserved after the madness he's being put through.

#Tfp decepticons x s/o #tfp decepticons x reader #Poly!reader #poly!reader x decepticons #Tfp decepticons #Anon

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omegas-spaghettios · 4 years ago

Text

Ranking MCU Captain America figures

Before I begin, I want to clarify this is about my enjoyment of these characters and NOT who i think are the best morality or power wise. I specify because I think my first two entries will upset some people and I want to say, this list is NOT in order of how much I agree with these characters' values. I have a heavy favoritism towards theme and character interaction and that is where a lot of my enjoyment from media comes from. So, let's begin.

6. Captain America: CW, IW, and Endgame

I'm separating Steve into two because around CW he starts making decisions that really frustrate me.

Now I do think there is a lot to like still! His conviction to his morals during the Accords and continuing arc about government distrust is great, his stand against Thanos in IW is amazing, he is a lot of fun to watch during the New York part of the time heist, and lifting Mjolnir was legit my best theater moment ever and i will NEVER forget it.

However, in CW he starts making some awful decisions. In CW, he kisses Sharon like, days after Peggy's funeral. While on it's own it's already kinda creepy, Endgame retroactively makes this even worse. It goes on to also have grave consequence because he and Sam asked Sharon to break the law for them and never followed through to help her, which was pretty awful of them. At least Sam tries to make it right in TFATWS, but since Steve left that wrong on Sharon never gets reconciled from him.

I also think that his decision to keep Bucky and Howard's history a secret from Tony was really, really stupid. While I side with him during the fight, the fact that Steve "doesn't like when his teammates withhold information" Rogers didn't tell Tony this then walked into a Winter Soldier facility with Bucky and Tony during the most strained time of their relationship was just begging for that conflict.

He is barely in IW and while his stand against Thanos is a great moment, his decision to not let Vision kill himself is very frustrating. "We don't trade lives" then he goes to Wakanda to let thousands of soldiers die while they try and get the stone out, really dude?

I don't think going back in time in Endgame was inherently a bad ending but things he does to make it happen really frustrates me. He shows no signs of mourning Bucky or Sam at all. And then for the sake of surprise for the audience, he never tells Sam what he's doing and that is so awful. Sam dedicates 4 years of his life helping Steve with a good portion of it being on the run. Sam was with Steve more during the present than ANYONE else. Then Steve just leaves without telling him and shows back up to drop a ton of responsibility on Sam that he didn't ask for. Now Sam is an amazing Cap but it's frustrating to see that a lot of TFATWS is fallout of Steve's bad decisions in these three movies.

5. Captain America: John Walker

Now hold on, I hate this man. I think he does some awful things, so why is he above anyone else? Just because he isn't frustrating to me, he fits thematically and has good interactions with others in TFATWS.

His character really adds to the themes and discussions of white privilege, Supremacy, as well as how the US military treats their soldiers like shit, and I think he is an interesting character to watch as he starts out edging the line of evil and by the end of episode 4 crosses it. While I think Bucky was overall a bit too chummy with him in 6, I think it was all mostly in character for them. Sam and Bucky were up against 6 super soldiers and Batroc in a highly crowded city with lots of important people, it makes sense to me that they take his help in this scenario. They also never leave him alone which indicates distrust.

I also really like the moment where he drops the shield to help the truck. He is a shitty person but he is shown as a person who at least wants to do good, even though any challenge to that he goes off the rails. It is such a black and white scenario, help the truck of innocents, and I like that he does it. It also adds to the hatred of him as a person because it shows he clearly knows better but chooses to ignore it, which makes him even more despicable.

I think it is very important that a man like him bore the title of Captain America because it reminds us all that yes, it is very easy that a man like him represents America as it is and that we need to do better than him.

I like watching him and that's why he's above CW on Steve because he isn't making aggravatingly out of character decisions all of the time and he works very well within the themes of the show.

With me loving him in the context of TFATWS, in later appearances he does have a lot of potential to drop to last pretty easily, but as of now when he just is in that show, I appreciate his character a lot.

4. Red Guardian

I kinda like this character and idk how to feel about it

He doesn't fit Black Widow very much so he is kinda low but I mean, he's just kinda fun. His story about Captain America and the USSR is pretty non-related to the others and rather undeveloped which is frustrating, and he does very little plot significant things. He leads Nat and Yelena to Melina and that's about it. He distracts Taskmaster for a while but he kinda is just getting tossed around until Melina shows up. He isn't very important.

But I do like what I see and do hope we see more of him. They never pretend he's a great person and I do appreciate that he gets called on it constantly. His knuckles having Karl Marx on them kills me and overall he's pretty humorous and fun to watch. He also has a few great moments thematically that I love. When he comforts Yelena after the dinner scene and sings her favorite song as a kid? So heartwarming. When he took Taskmaster's shield when fleeing the Red Room I laughed at his ridiculousness but it lead to a pretty great moment, when he throws the shield through the windshield without hesitation to save Melina. It's a great moment to show how he's letting go of his past and obsessions to be there for his family.

I hope we see more of him, his overall lack of importance and stereotypical behavior kinda holds him back but I see so much potential in him.

3. Agent Carter

As of today she has been in exactly one 30 minute episode, but what I see I really like. Her laughter of surprise when she takes the tesseract is really endearing, her sword and muscles and height make my wlw heart patter, and I do like the difference in her relationship with Steve in this universe, where they both are of incredible capabilities but neither are given any respect for how they were born. We get that in TFA too but I really like that it is a constant theme in this iteration while in TFA it gets dropped a bit after Steve receives the serum.

There is very little of her so I can't really put her higher yet, but given more time she very well may rise up on this list but she had an excellent first showing.

2. Pre-CW Captain America: Steve Rogers

This man is a joy.

He is such an endearing scrappy little guy in the beginning of TFA and I love his commitment to doing the right thing. He still very much acts like a guy who just gained 120 pounds of muscle during that movie and it's endearing. The way he grows into his own skin in TWS is amazing as we see him really step in to what he can accomplish physically as well as his authority and leadership.

His Whedonisms in the first two Avengers films kinda bug me, they treat him like an old man when he isn't. Biologically he's like, early 30's at most here. He grew up as a fighter in Brooklyn then served in the military, he wouldn't care if his teammates swear, but overall it's tolerable.

I LOVE this man's commitment to transparency. He struggles when allies are not transparent and he shows nothing but transparency and I love that that is a constant for him (which is why I separate him from CW on)

Everyone loves this guy and over 90% of criticisms I see for him come after AoU, and that's for good reason, this guy is so loveable.

1. Captain America: Sam Wilson

He's so good, guys

I want to talk about Sam before the suit because he is amazing before it. He runs counseling for veterans, a profession very becoming of a superhero and it speaks to his incredible empathy and compassion that is on full display. I also think the fact that he dedicated 2 years to finding Bucky is not appreciated enough. Sure he was following Steve but he still spent 2 years trying to find Bucky, a person who tried to murder him. Yet he understands it isn't Bucky's fault and tries to help him anyway. I also really like that he is the first to speak out against the Accords. He doesn't wait for Steve or anyone else, he sees red flags and he is out and I really, really love that about him.

Then I love how long it takes for him to choose to become Cap and how much he contemplates it. He has to contemplate the legacy of Steve, if he wants to wear the symbol of this country, the pressures of being a black man as Cap, the legacy that John added to it, the pressures from Bucky and the pressures from Isaiah, and also his own legacy he carved for himself as the Falcon. It's a huge decision with a lot of weight and so many people pressuring him but he takes his time and chooses what is right for him, and I really love that about him. These other characters are all Caps from near the start but he transitions into one after years of knowing him as the Falcon and I love that he doesn't take this decision lightly.

Also as Cap he's just really cool. His decisions to not take the serum as well as try like hell to get Karli to step down speak to his humility and compassion. And while many describe his speech as bland it's still uniquely him. Yes the speech doesn't solve any problems but that isn't what he's doing, he's asking America and the world to get to actually solving them and that is an aspect of him we don't see much since Steve's propaganda days, his direct relation to the public.

Also his suit and wings are just awesome, I argue his action is the most fun to watch out of any of these characters.

Anyway yeah that's the list, I know people won't agree with me so let's try and keep discussion civil, alright?

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the-lightning-strikes-again · 5 years ago

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I was curious if I was the only one who kinda enjoyed the battle between the paladins and Lotor in s6? Well at least at first I did until it was never further explored in later seasons. I honestly thought for sure Lotor would come back after s6 and there'd be more to the colony. But it's all kind of just forgotten about so they can move on to the next thing. Anyway hope I'm not bothering you. Sorry for my rambling. haha

Hi, anon! Thanks for the note! And no, you’re not bothering me at all; I appreciate the chance to chat! For the record, I know you’re not the only one who genuinely enjoyed s6. I even know people who enjoyed s1-s8 entirely, lol. As for myself, the animation and acting involved in the s6 battle was really great, and I loved the Sincline mecha. It is honestly one of my favorite designed mechas out of all the mecha shows I’ve seen. So s6 wasn’t a total loss for me. And I actually would not at all have minded a genuine villain!Lotor if they’d properly set up for that. As it is, though, the reason for the battle in s6 is what bothers me and sours my enjoyment. Ultimately, I think the show had to compromise very important story components to result in this battle, and that kills my enjoyment.

I can try to explain what story components I felt got compromised in s6, if you’re interested. But this could get a lil salty, haha. I’ll put it under a Keep Reading line:

The show had a subtle through-line of showing a duplicitous, distrustful Lotor go from hunting down the paladins and throwing several people under the bus for a personal gain (s3-s4), to being actually scared in s5 when he thought Zarkon was going to kill the paladins, to being willing to share his entire intelligence network and information of unfathomable power with his new allies (s5), to allowing the paladins to actually order him around and actively change his moral priorities (s6, ep1)—which is very, very different than the relationship he had with his own generals. So the show had Lotor on a development arc regarding his distrust—and even a redemption arc regarding a fault in his morals, even though the show very plainly stated (multiple times throughout s3-s5) that he longed to get to the quintessence field to stop the Galran empire’s feasting on planets.

That’s part of what bothers me with s6—it reverses this subtle through-line of development and then punishes Lotor for an understandably disturbing de-valuing of life that…1) likely wasn’t even his worst or most extensive crime, 2) was something he was actively learning to overcome and get away from in the present time, and 3) was based on a moral problem paladins had seen within him and previously still accepted their alliance.

Lotor wasn’t a saint to start in this show, and he had a perspective where it didn’t bother him for some people to die if it meant his larger goal of peace was obtained. The weird thing about s6 is we saw the paladins experience that with him already, well before the s6 colony twist. In S6, Lotor places the value of obtaining unlimited quintessence over the safety of an entire Galran planet, and Allura admonishes him and reminds him of his innocent subjects. In s6 ep1, Lotor is very directly challenged by the morality of Allura, who despite being a victim of Galrans, desires that no one should die. That these innocent subjects and Galran soldiers are still just as valuable as everyone else.

So by this moment in s6, Lotor has identified the paladins as valuable enough to risk his life for them…but he hasn’t assigned that same value to the average Galran soldier or citizen he’s still deemed expendable/not worthy of saving compared to his grand agenda of peace. If he had assigned them such value, he would not have initially tried to argue with Allura on going to save them. It’s the one time that Allura gets huffy with him post-alliance and directly contradicts him. And Lotor looks…almost mournful or ashamed? He submits to her, regardless, allowing for his personal missions to go on hold for the first time in interest of other people.

His submission here shows another switch had been flipped in his character, for the better. Prior to Allura and the paladins, he had no difficulty assassinating Narti or leaving his generals for dead after they realized they were in fact expendable. S6 ep1 shows Lotor submitting to save even Galran soldiers that he likely knew were not Emperor Lotor fans.

So going back to the big colony twist, the paladins actively should have known that Lotor had a slightly bent perspective about the expendability of people, because they’d seen it before in season 6 episode 1 and even back in season 3. Clearly, he’s done not good things in the past at the expense of others “for a greater good,” so I don’t know why it’s such a shocker that he would apply the same perspective to Alteans. They literally saw him de-value his own people before, in real-time.

It gets weird too because we see that Lotor had very quickly changed his tactics for obtaining pure quintessence after he realizes Allura and team Voltron are the path of least resistance and least collateral damage. We see him relenting to protect all of his innocent subjects. So ultimately, he ends up being punished for having a problematic perspective that he was slowly beginning to decouple from at the time of his accusation, which the paladins were also witnessing. As it is, the show punishes Lotor for his past crimes precisely after the paladins had already seen this behavior in him, and also after his perspective had started to change for the better. The narrative then pushes him back down into a behavior where he instead expands the list of people and things he accepts as expendable.

I feel that the subliminal messaging behind this particular construction is a little screwy and disheartening. The colony twist would have been better if the show had presented Lotor in s5 and s6 episode 1 as not being ashamed—not submitting—and even getting irritated that Voltron cared about one labor planet in the face of what Lotor felt was a higher calling for peace. It would have been interesting to show Lotor as inherently unconcerned or even approving that the paladins almost died while he and Allura were out in Oriande. There needed to be a more solid through-line of a very troubling, uncontrollable fault that would undermine the alliance and peace itself.

Next, to even get Lotor to go insane or to have him reliant on harvesting Altean quintessence, the show had to contradict its own worldbuilding in early seasons. Lotor was fully infused with massive amounts of quintessence prior to birth that EPs once stated put him on pretty much the same level as Allura, and that he was immune to quintessence. So…s6 heavily contradicts Lotor’s incredibly dynamic behavior and even his moral interest in not killing planets by making him go insane to nearly kill the entire universe. And canon accomplishes this in a way that canonically shouldn’t have been possible, per his in-utero quintessence exposure.

And then I’m bothered that if all he wanted was pure quintessence, there were canonically several other ways to obtain it, including for example that Balmera planets were known for harboring pure quintessence, even pure quintessence offered by living beings like Alteans, and that Balmeras were capable of offering up such power willingly in exchange for a slight token from the asker—or that Weblums happened to be concentrated quintessence manufacturers just floating around…

And I’m bothered that in various places, the show uplifts Alteans as inherently different in their life force/quintessence from all other living things. It contradicts the basic worldbuilding around what quintessence even is according to earlier seasons and creates some…idk, really squicky master race vibes, in ways that other fantasy space shows like Star Wars desperately have tried to avoid by showing diversity among the Jedi and Sith ranks. In VLD, it’s as if to say that Lotor couldn’t have possibly accomplished his goal without specifically sacrificing the life force of one particular race.

And while what Lotor did doesn’t by definition count as genocide (he still preserved the race and its culture), this messaging in later seasons about inherent racial reasons to sacrifice people is the same problematic thinking people use to perpetuate genocides in real life. And I just…I have a real problem with that. According to the later seasons, the colony Alteans are victims of Lotor’s experiments for specifically being born Altean. It’s even more squicky that the show could have rejected the bad message of “we must sacrifice a race because of their inherent properties” and fleshed out the minimal cues that other races could be just as powerful and helpful—but didn’t.

(For example, the show presents Keith with Princess Leia-like quintessence sensitivity, Coran and Balmera people with the ability to interface with and accept quintessence storages, the Balmera people themselves infusing the Balmera with their quintessence, the Weblums harboring mass stores of concentrated quintessence in their bellies, the very non-Altean Druids like Macidus manipulating mass quintessence into magic, and even a sea serpent/The Baku in season 2 using quintessence to mind-control an entire species. This show could have very easily pulled a Star Wars and at least fleshed out that hey, Midi-chlorians don’t discriminate and that any species can harbor a great Jedi…or Sith.)

But no—instead of presenting a diverse front of magical capabilities coming together to save the universe, the show champions in s8 its own horrific implications in s6, by having two Alteans sacrifice their lives in the end…because of course no other race could learn or manipulate the deep secrets of the universe? No one else could help share the load so that no one would have to actually die? I get that war means sacrifice, but like...why are we always sacrificing specifically along racial lines? So actually, after that s6 morality tantrum, the show approves of Lotor’s tactics by sacrificing the few Alteans to save the many because those few are somehow inherently different? And isn’t it wild that ultimately the federal figurehead of Alteans, Princess Allura, exonerates Lotor for sacrificing Alteans for their power in the name of larger peace…shortly before pulling a Lotor and sacrificing herself in the name of peace? So even in the final moments, the show is trying to argue with me that sometimes it’s necessary to sacrifice a specific race by virtue of their inherent nature.

So…I guess I’ve rambled. I really wouldn’t have minded a villainous Lotor or a big Voltron vs. Sincline battle. There were things I genuinely did like about s6, and I applaud the animators and VAs for their performance in that season. But I think there were a million and one ways to produce that plot, and the way s6 gets to these points makes me feel disquieted. It feels contradictory to previous worldbuilding and to character arcs, it undermines the morality being argued throughout the show, and it just feels like a cheap bait-and-switch if I think about it too long. Instead of relying on an old crime and a known character fault as a justification for battle, it would have been far better if Lotor had done something to specifically betray Voltron and the newly minted alliance or proved himself incapable of submitting to moral choices. And that’s only if they wanted a truly villainous Lotor. There were ways he could betray Voltron without actually turning into a comic book villain...even ways that he could outwardly play a betrayal while still functioning as an agent for Voltron’s aims to stop a loose Haggar/Honerva...

I guess, in retrospect, s6 is a really good example of a plot-driven season. It presented some really fantastic animation and battles and angst…but what did it cost the show to get there?

I think VLD itself should have taken its own advice—that one cannot place a lesser value on one component in the name of achieving a desired end goal. The season ultimately sacrificed world building and character development to achieve a stunning, angsty, heart-stopping robot fight. And that sacrifice undermined so many other things about the show and tainted my enjoyment. Sort of like mixing poop into a cake, I guess, lol.

#Voltron #VLD #Lotor #Allura #Quintessence #VLD s6 #Altean colony #thanks for the note anon!#Idk how to not ramble?#catch lightning on da soap box again #lol #but oh man yeah #so much to love about s6 but also so much that frustrates me too

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milkygcf · 5 years ago

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Hiii I c ur doing reqs. U don't have to do this one though. I'm sure you'll be getting many so only if it inspires you 💖 buuttt here goesss. Vkook x reader. Jealousy. Angst. plshappyending. kluvvyouuu.

//credits to @jjks for the gif!//

Pairing | jjk x reader (ft. kth)

Genre | angst, s2l

Warnings | none

Summary | ❝ Hiii I c ur doing reqs. U don't have to do this one though. I'm sure you'll be getting many so only if it inspires you 💖 buuttt here goesss. Vkook x reader. Jealousy. Angst. plshappyending. kluvvyouuu. ❞

Word Count | 1.6k

Author’s Note | hi anon!! your request is finished! i tried to make it as angsty as i could, although it does stray a bit from the jealousy you asked for 😅😅 yet if you squint, it’s hinted! alongside this, i hope the somewhat happy ending satisfies your wishes! i also hope this is to your liking ❤ thank you for requesting ✨ ________________________________________________________________

Taehyung has to moderately be the most romantic fellow you’ve ever met. You’ve known the dork for a good four years, befriending him at a summer camp your parents practically forced you to attend.

During the span of time, you earned the pleasure to watch him evolve into one fine man. From wearing those ugly pink shorts he was quite fond of, to having half of his wardrobe being nothing but pairs amongst pairs of slacks. You have to admit - despite your imposing disdain towards that garment, you kind of miss it.

You also miss the countless nights awake tallying the stars that scattered across the sky with him. Or perhaps all the times he’d invite himself over and insist you watch Avatar: The Last Airbender with him.

Anyway, back to Taehyung being the hopeless romantic he is - lately, he’s been hell-bent on trying to find someone he can share his life with.

And by time, he did.

However, you are not that someone.

In fact, you are the side character that doesn’t obtain as much luck as the main character does. You sit and stare in the sidelines, watching as Taehyung relished in the confines of euphoria with someone he now calls his soulmate.

That soulmate is not you.

“If love was a thing, what would you associate it with?” He queried silently one night, fumbling with his phone. Your fingers coursed through his soft locks that splattered across your chest and you frowned.

If love was a thing, to you, it would’ve been Kim Taehyung. It would’ve been his deep, rich voice, the way it soothes your very soul and leaves you wanting to hear more. Or the constellations in his eyes - those who suppress every memory he has ever endured. Eyes who spill tears and crinkle when his lips curve into a jovial beam.

There are a mass of qualities you consider to be a concept of love.

He took your lack of response as cluelessness, locking his phone shut and letting a sigh flutter out of his lips. “Don’t you think it’s something akin to a warm summer? Or like a walk by the sea, with the fresh, chilly breeze making your hair flow.”

“That’s a way to put it,” you shifted under him, “Although everyone has different perspectives of the very subject.” “And I hope one day I’ll be able to meet someone with that same perspective.”

Taehyung’s wishes eventually come true. After a span of perhaps a month, he comes running to you with tears of joy sprouting down his cheeks, the most merry smile spread across his lips. He engulfed you in a jostling hug and pecked your cheek, his sentences nothing but a jumble of words that you couldn’t seem to comprehend.

If you had known back then, you would’ve told him that to you, love was like a rose trapped in an eternal winter. To you, it was lifeless - non-existent. How could you know of such a thing when you skipped the basics and immediately jumped onto heartbreak?

You are in love with Kim Taehyung - that much was clear.

Nothing could possibly define the state of your heart as you listened intently to the way his voice spoke ecstatically about someone he was going to share the world with.

“She’s like a rainbow after a murky storm, Y/N, I don’t think I’ve ever met someone so exquisite. Her eyes shine brighter than the crown jewels of England!” The way he interprets her makes you giggle - Taehyung always had a peculiar way of saying things.

Although, the way your name rolls carelessly down his tongue makes you choke - no longer do you find it soothing, no longer do you find that same old caring tone laced into it. Like you were the only person he ever needed. You and him against the world.

Heartbreak is a menace - god forbid someone ever experiences the turmoil it brings along with it. It is a plight that once you bump paths with, it encases itself around you and never fades.

Unlike heartbreak, Taehyung becomes a distant memory. He does fade away - lets himself disintegrate in the nooks of your mind. You can do nothing but watch as he scatters any remaining thought of you and leaves it to his youthful moments in life.

“Ah - sorry Y/N, we’re going out today! Our anniversary is soon, and we were hoping we could plan a small party.”

“Right, yeah, that’s okay.” You lie right through your teeth, “Can we meet anytime soon? I miss you, you dork.”

Taehyung’s light laughter reverberates through your phone. Another fragment of your heart cracks and crumbles. “I miss you too silly! I’ve been a bit busy lately… What a bummer! I promise I’ll text you as soon as I’m free! Love ya!”

You’re left with the eerie sound of your phone beeping.

There’s a reason why you were never really fond of promises. They were meant to be broken - made to be hopes and dreams only to be twisted in the end. Unfortunately for you, the reason for your heartbreak never texted you back after that.

It’s your fault, really, you were the one who couldn’t come clean to your best friend. If you had told him just a sliver of your feelings, maybe things would have been different. Maybe you wouldn’t be watching raindrops trickle down your bedroom window alone. Maybe, just maybe, your sleepless nights would’ve been replaced with warmth spreading through your skin at Taehyung’s tender touch.

You can do nothing but sulk now.

Except, you sulk until you stumble upon a stranger whom, just like you, battles the scarecrow lurking around them. It tore them down, made sure they praised regret for as long as they reminisce about each memory conceived with their last love.

His name is Jeon Jungkook, and just like you, he lives with remnants of heartbreak staining his very soul.

“She was the light of my life,” he announces grudgingly, eyes gleaming under the dimly lit night sky. “It’s like you finally start seeing colour. Like, actual colour, you get me?”

Of course you do - you’ve been seeing that colour since you laid eyes on Taehyung at summer camp.

“What about you?” Jungkook queries then, turning towards your slumped figure. Your fingers anxiously pick at the grass beneath you, a frown curving onto your lips. “Me?” Your voice comes out rather silent, a bit distressed.

“What’s your story?”

“Well, Jeon, I thought I had everything until I carelessly let it slip away. A dumb move, really, it’s all my fault.” But in reality, how could you tell him? Was the result of rejection better than the state you’re left in now? You would’ve easily earned yourself an answer if you’d confessed.

Jungkook looks at you with pity circling in the pits of his eyes. He makes it his mission to understand your anguish, what causes such disappointment in your features.

And then? He interlocks his fingers with yours and offers you a mellow smile. You turn to him with wide eyes, mouth agape as to what he was insisting.

“In that case, I hope we can mend each other.”

---

Taehyung has been out of it since the moment he cut the last call you’ve had together. Your very last interaction. Since then, he’s been throwing himself into his significant other’s arms, hoping that eventually, he’ll rid the guilt etching into him.

Perhaps if he weren’t so foolish, things would have been different. How else was he supposed to spend his free-time now? He was used to your constant presence - your pearly whites out on show whenever he makes the dumbest of jokes.

He craves the enjoyment he used to earn himself with you - the euphoric feeling bursting through him as he continues to relish on the beauties life offered with you.

It’s different now.

The person he wakes up beside isn’t you - the same warmth he’d find himself aching for every time isn’t there. He finally found someone he could course life with, but it wasn’t you.

There’s a feeling nagging at him, yet despite how much he tries, he just can’t seem to fathom it.

Taehyung is suddenly aware of his current standing. He’s aware of how you’ve become a distant memory - a fragment of his older life, a life he’s abandoned because he seeked out what he’d wished.

But was it really what he’s always wanted?

His queries are answered when he spots you by someone else’s side. You’re smiling so brightly it’s almost humanly impossible. Something bubbles within the confines of his mind. It’s clear you’re with someone who’s clearly making you happy, although that someone’s not him.

The very fact makes him feel somewhat conflicted, however he has no clue as to why he feels so distraught.

You don’t notice his presence whatsoever, focus put directly on Jungkook and the little ministrations he was making with his hands. He was telling you about this one time he watched an animated movie and how he’d further on adapt to the idea of hearing bells when meeting his soulmate. It’s endearing - it makes you want to tune in to more.

Both you and Jungkook found solace in each other, trying to mend your broken hearts despite how challenging it is. You found comfort and happiness, and by time, you both let go of the burdensome heartbreak sitting on your shoulders.

That, however, didn’t count on Taehyung’s side.

And as he watches you be whisked away by a stranger he has no knowledge of, it finally dawns on him how he’d lost you due to his foolishness.

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