#For a hero's strength is measured by his heart part 9

[childofchrist1983]

We learn a lot about a person by the appearance of their hands. The hands of a hard worker are rough and gritty, while mothers are soft and gentle. The hands of a hero might be full of scars, while the hands of a baby are small and delicate. God has almighty yet gentle hands; He uses them to measure the oceans, move mountains, and part the seas. He is the one who created us by knitting our bodies and by blowing the breath of life into our lungs. He is the ultimate potter, and we have nothing to fear when we walk with Him and He molds our life according to His will. He is faithful and trustworthy and we humbly, faithfully and willingly follow and serve Him forever.

Jesus Christ is the only way to Heaven (John 3:5, 14:6), the only way to salvation (Acts 4:12, Ephesians 2:8-9) and He is resurrection and the life (John 11:25-26). As true and born-again Christians, we believe in Him and His Holy Word. We know though our mortal bodies should die, He will raise us up and into new and glorious bodies (The Rapture). We who are truly His and alive at His second coming will never die, and our bodies will be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, and so shall we ever be with Him in His Kingdom of Heaven forevermore (1 Corinthians 15:51-52, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). This is one of many promises given to us by God Himself. Let this promise of future resurrection give us hope and peace and encourage us always. Thank God for His strength and guidance when we are faced with sin and temptation. Thank Him for His mercy and grace. Through Bible study and prayer, God reveals His wisdom and guides us to see opportunities to grow closer to Him and grow spiritually. He gives us direction to live our lives according to His Holy Word and will. We must make God top priority everyday! May we be motivated to spread God's Holy Word and Gospel Truth to all the Earth, knowing that it is the only hope of all those lost in their sins. Let us not hold out a false hope for men to be saved without the Gospel, but instead, strive to do our part to get the Gospel out to a lost and dying world.

Leaning on Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ through prayer and His Holy Word and Spirit strengthens us and our knowledge and wisdom about God and His Gospel Truth, exposing these imposters. May God help us to seek and lean on Him daily to gain the strength, wisdom and spiritual discernment needed to expose Satan and his imposters who seek to destroy us and God's ultimate Truth. Everyday, we must remember to share Jesus Christ's Gospel Truth with the world and to thank Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ for the grace that He poured out for us on the cross at Calvary. He has freed us from the burdens of sin and from the eternal damnation of Hell. In all we say and do, may all praise, honor and glory always be given to Him and His Kingdom of Heaven.

With renewed minds, hearts and wills, let us serve Him humbly and faithfully out of pure love and grateful rejoicing. May He remind us of His presence and to remain at peace, fully knowing that all will be well because He is always with us. Let us seek Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ today and everyday with all our heart and being, looking for His love, light and will for our lives with each step we take. Let us seek to please Him with our thoughts, words, and deeds and seek to advance His Kingdom of Heaven and His glory with our lives. Let us seek Him from a pure and humble heart, and when we so seek, we believe Him and His promise that we will find. May He help us all to be more sensitive to the teaching ministry of His Holy Word and Spirit, relying on Him and allowing Him to speak to us and guide us every step of our Christian journey.

God gave us the Holy Bible - His living and Holy Word - to let us know of Him and His abiding love and care as well as guide and prepare us for all our lives. May He help us encourage one another as we continue our walk with Him and our duty to Him daily. Thank Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ for being present for all our new beginnings and all our lives. May He redirect any anxiety we feel as He provides countless opportunities for growth and change. May we humble ourselves before God always, asking Him to forgive our sins and make our hearts and lives anew through His Holy Word and Spirit. May He help us make Him and His Holy Word top priority, so we can grow spiritually and grow in our relationship with Him as we apply it to our daily lives. Thank God that we can focus on Him and everything about Him, for that is what keeps us sane and at peace. May our words and actions always be a reflection of Him and His Holy Word and Spirit and will.

May He help us to always walk in His grace and Holy Spirit, not by our own measure. May He give us the humble humility to know that our freedom and eternal salvation is found only in Him, so that His grace may sustain us, and we may never lose sight of His love and light and mercy. Thank Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ for calling us to Him and to serve Him. May He equip us to do all that He has called us to do so that as He works through us, He may use us to produce fruit, to reach others, and to encourage all brothers and sisters in Christ. May He work all of these things in us and through us for His Kingdom and His glory. Thank Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ for all His creation, for His miraculous ways and for everything He does and has done for us! Keep the faith and keep moving forward in your walk with Jesus! He loves us and He knows what is best for us. Seek, follow and trust in Him - Always!

Thank Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ for His Holy Word and for sending His Holy Spirit so that we might have His grace, not only to awaken us and transform our hearts in our spiritual rebirth and guarantee our eternity with Him, but to also call upon Him whenever we are in need. Thank Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ for all the reminders of His love and mercy and faithfulness within His Holy Word. He is bigger than any challenge or circumstance in our lives. Knowing this within our minds and our hearts, nothing can deter our faith in Him and His Truth. May we all accept Him and His eternal gift of salvation and ask that He would transform our hearts and lives according to His will and ways. Thank Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ for His Holy Spirit who saves, seals and leads us. May we always thank Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ for His almighty power and saving grace. For He is our strength, and He alone is able to save us, forgive our sins and gift us eternal salvation and entry into His Kingdom of Heaven.

May we make sure that we give our hearts and lives to God and take time to seek and praise Him and share His Truth with the world daily. May the LORD our God and Father in Heaven help us to stay diligent and obedient and help us to guard our hearts in Him and His Holy Word daily. May He help us to remain faithful and full of excitement to do our duty to Him and for His glorious return and our reunion in Heaven as well as all that awaits us there. May we never forget to thank the LORD our God and our Creator and Father in Heaven for all this and everything He does and has done for us! May we never forget who He is, nor forget who we are in Christ and that God is always with us! What a mighty God we serve! What a Savior this is! What a wonderful LORD, God, Savior and King we have in Jesus Christ! What a loving Father we have found in Almighty God! What a wonderful God we serve! His will be done!

Thanks and glory be to God! Blessed be the name of the LORD! Hallelujah and Amen!

[theincaprincess]

For a hero's strength is measured by his heart *part 16*

Afternoon my darlings!! How are you all on this lovely day? 

Yes here is part 16 for you all, my brain finally decided to play ball with me!! I hope you enjoy this and I hope it won’t be months again till I get the next part! 

Forever taglist @amyf20​ @blankdblank​ @moonfaery​  @meyoko10​ @southsidesarcasticwriter​ @tolkienprincess​ @starlightintherain89​ @fuer-immer-jetzt​ @fizzyxcustard​ @lady-of-lies​

Loki Taglist @full-of-choices​​ @the-human-cloud​​ @ceruleanrainblues​ @markusstraya @johnlockismyonlytruelove​  @kimanne723​​ @killedinamascarade​​ @bilesxbilinskixlahey​ @the-small-loki-wife​ @shanty-lol​ @soradragon​ @redryderdesigns​

Main masterlist here 

As always catch up here 

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part 15

Word count 1,000

Glass after glass Loki and Thor drank waiting and hoping Heimdall would be back with news of the immortal fruit, while the nurses gave them an hourly update on your condition, you were getting better by the second, you just needed rest according to the nurses, but Loki was still worried, worried at the fact you had died too many times on the table all for him, if he had known the risks, he wouldn't have let you do that not for him, he cared about you far too much to lose you and he didn't want to lose you again.

"Brother?" 

Thor's voiced echoed into Loki's ears as he turned to face him still lost in his own thoughts. 

"(Y/n) well be fine, she is getting better and stronger, and there is still hope for her" Thor said slapping his brother on the back. 

Nodding Loki raised his glass to his lips to take another drink but he didn't instead he lowed the glass and wet his lips " did Grandfather keep a record of his search for the fruit?" he asked while still staring into thin air.

"Probably, that is where we all get it fr...." Thor cut himself off and stared at Loki knowing exactly where he was going with this, rising to their feet both off the brothers left the room and headed to the great Asgardian library in hopes to find the records of their grandfather's great deeds and any information on the immortal fruit.

....

Opening the door to the library Loki looked around his once favourtie place, he had read every book on the great shelves more then once, the only place he was never allowed in was the personal collection of Odin, the library was like a sanctuary to Loki, where he could be himself, where he could lose himself in all the magic of the nine realms, the fairy tails, the stories, the history, Loki learned more here then he did from the professional tutor Odin got him and Thor as a child to school them in the way he wanted, but Loki knew more of the world from these books and he knew exactly what way to walk to get to Odin's personal collection. 

"This way brother" Loki said to Thor who looked like he was lost, smirking at his brothers faced Loki stepped forward and made his way through the endless aisles of books, twisting and turning down different parts, while Thor followed trying to remember what way they turned if Loki wanted to get up to mischief and leave him in here. 

"How many books are here?" Thor asked absently minded trying to feel the silence atmosphere 

"Over 120 million books" Loki replied turning to his brother and watched as Thor's mouth fell open, smiling he turned back around and kept walking as Thor looked from the ground to the ceiling shaking his head before turning his eyes back to Loki who turned the corning making Thor jog up the aisle to get back behind his brother. 

Turning the last aisle Loki walked down it while Thor stood at the top and looked around "Brother its a dead end, you must have taken the wrong turning" Thor stated but watched in shock as Loki just smirked at him and lifted his hand to a book. 

"Not everything is as it seems, brother" Loki said as he pulled the book down and the back wall of books opened inward to reveal a hidden chamber, pushing the door Loki stepped in and held the door for Thor as he walked down the aisle looking at the book to opening the door, before nodding at his brother and walked past him as Loki shut the hidden door. 

"Did you get it?" Loki asked moving from the hidden door to the large wooden raven covered door in the hidden chamber. 

"Father won't be happy with this, or us when he finds out what we are doing here" Thor whimpered as he handed over the large bronze key to Loki. 

Taken it Loki placed it into the lock on the door and unlocked it, pushing it open, he took in all the books and papers in Odin's personal collection "he is in his Odin sleep, we should be done by the time he wakes, and no one else will know"  Loki smirked as he stepped inside followed by Thor. 

Turning around Loki and Thor took in the full room, books and papers occupied any free space in the room there was a large windows that you could see the whole of Asgard from and the daylight lit the whole room up, looking at each other the brothers nodded as the went to a different bookcase each and started to search for their grandfather records.

....

Feeling her hand being squeezed Frigga looked at her hand then to the eyes of her beloved husband Odin, blinking a few times a smile graced her lips as she took in the slight of Odin opening his eyes before he pulled himself up into a sitting position. 

"My love, you have finally awoken" she said with a teary smile. 

"How long have a been asleep for?" Odin asked groggily, feeling the dryness in his mouth. 

Handing over a goblet of water Frigga wet her own lips "a few months, much has happened in that time" she said as sat on the bed. 

"My sons.... Where are my sons?" Odin asked as a pair of black ravens flew into the room and sat at the end of the bed. 

"I need to explain something first" Frigga spoke to the messenger birds, knowing exactly where they had come from, the hospital and library.  

"I'm listening" Odin spoke before taking a sip of his water, eyeing the messenger's birds curiosity as their names came back to his memory Hugin and Munin, turning his eyes back to Frigga he waited for her tale of the past months had had not been awake for.

Part 17 

[thedashingcaptainweird]

The "Newlyweds" Game: Max and Orion

I was tagged a while ago by @the-lastcall (thank you!) and had loads of fun doing this, and even drew a silly little thing. You should try it with your special couple!

(Also, Max and Orion aren't married, it's just the name of the game 😆)

1. Who can outdrink the other?

Orion: He's gonna say it's me, so he can maintain the mysterious and sophisticated air of a man who doesn't get wild on vices. But that guy could drink a handle of Glacial Aged and still recite the six pillars of Scientism. Even if he has renounced them.

Max: Me, no question. Orion starts to fall asleep after half a glass of wine. It's rather sweet, honestly.

2. Who says “I love you” more?

Orion: Who tits for tats on something like that? I say it, he says it, and not a minute goes by that I don't know it's true.

Max: I don't think I could possibly repay the 'I love you's" he impresses upon me, though I try. The DeSotos were a much… quieter and emotionally withheld set than my dear Captain, and we didn’t say it very often.

3. Who has trouble sleeping alone?

Orion: Me. Can you blame me? I slept alone for 74 years. And yes. I know I was only in the tube for 70.

Max: Orion.

4. Who swears more?

Orion: I think we'd both earn an R rating if we were in a movie.

Max: Me.

5. Who does more of the housework?

Orion: SAM.

Max: The automechanical. And me.

6. Who forgets their anniversary?

Orion: Max, but I seriously don't mind. It just means I get to look the chivalrous hero when I plan some winning set up, and I get to see that sly smile of his.

Max: Time is an illusion after all. What matters is how we spend each present moment, and I feel we do well by that measure.

7. Who steals the duvet in their sleep?

Orion: Me

Max: I hope you’ll pardon my ignorance, but what does “duvet” mean?

8. Who keeps the other awake at night with their snoring?

Orion: As far as I know, neither of us?

Max: I've never been awakened by it, if it happens. And I do believe Orion would do me the courtesy of letting me know if I snored. I doubt he'd let me live it down.

9. Who finds stray animals and begs the other to let them keep them?

Orion: Hey, Max heavily implied I should bring that weird little mutt onboard. Him and Felix. Little thing gives me the creeps. But what am I gonna do… say no to Felix and Max?

Max: Did he tell you that I begged him to keep Anubis? Because… guilty as charged. The canid is quite a sharp little fellow, and a good companion. I'd do it again.

10. Who usually makes dinner?

Orion: It's one of my favorite things to do.

Max: Orion. It seems to make him very happy, and admittedly he's much better at it than I am. But helping him do it, being a part of the process, I find I enjoy that immensely

11. Who plays their music out loud?

Orion: Me. It isn't like Halcyon...ites? Halcyoners…? It isn't like people in Halcyon actually have real music. I mean it wasn't even all that great in my time. I go back a couple centuries for the good stuff.

Max: He plays these incredibly theatrical, over the top, but admittedly catchy ballads and sings along with them with great enthusiasm. It's quite a spectacle. Old Earth music had a lot of heart.

12. Who hogs the bathroom?

Orion: me

Max: It takes him an obscenely long time to get ready for the day.

13. Who gives the most compliments?

Orion: Max

Max: Orion

14. Who usually starts/causes arguments between you?

Orion: Used to be Max. Now? I honestly couldn't tell ya. We don't tiptoe around our differences anymore. I’ll tell him anything, even if that means telling him he's pissing me off

Max: Likely me. You know how I can be.

15. Who isn’t afraid to embarrass the other in public?

Orion: I guess I'd be worried about embarrassing anyone in public. I want him to feel safe and confident with me. But, I guess I'm a bit much sometimes… over the top? Flamboyant? Anyway not much seems to embarrass him anymore.

Max: Embarrassment is in the mind, and comes from an inability to let go of our own sense of self importance.

16. Who gives the other cringeworthy pet names?

Orion: It's probably weird that I still call him Preacher, isn't it?

Max: Is it strange that I still use Captain from time to time?

17. Who fusses over the other when they get sick?

Orion: He is so gentle and kind when I'm sick. It's almost too much. More than I deserve.

Max: "Fuss" isn't a strong enough word for what Orion does. Every time I get so much as a fucking splinter you'd think the universe was crashing down around us and only he had the power to stop it.

18. Who finds it impossible to stay angry at the other for long?

Orion: I can't stay mad at him

Max: I can't stay mad at him

19. Who clings to the other for comfort when they’re sad or scared?

Orion: Look. If you’re scared, there is no person in the star system… probably the universe… who is going to keep you safer than Max.

Max: Orion provides an emotional security and comfort that I am entirely unused to, on a level that I’m not sure can be matched by any other human being. In terms of actual physical protection and safety? His strengths lie elsewhere.

20. Who is more ‘physically passionate’? (hugs, kisses, or maybe more…)

Orion: I think most people would be surprised how physically “passionate” he is. I mean, imagine his enthusiasm out on the tossball pitch or in a fray… and turn that into something intimate. It’s. Uh. Really something.

Max: I’m sure he’s telling you all sorts of sordid details, but that simply isn’t my style. You’ll have to use your imagination.

[primasveraas-writing]

As Family Does - SWR

In snippets, Hera experiences the ups and downs of motherhood, and all the wonderful relationships her son has with family near and so very far away.

WORD COUNT: 2206

XXX

Kanan

A sharp, desperate cry, and Hera’s world changed forever.

Jacen Syndulla was a testament to his parents’ strength long before he came into the world. He emerged bloodied, during battle and war, but the galaxy suddenly recentered itself around this tiny, helpless being.

Hera should have been used to this kind of change by now- in less than a year, her whole life had been broken and reformed in more ways than she could count.

And yet- so much of it was good, Hera thought, as the squirming baby was placed on her chest. This love she felt was so familiar, after carrying her son for 9 months, after loving his father, after being family and foster mother to Ezra and Sabine. She felt it in every cell of her body, so much that it was hard to breathe.

“You did it, Hera,” Zeb said, sounding rather choked up. Hera nodded, numb to the rest of the galaxy, save for her child in her arms, and realized that there were hot tears on her face. She sobbed, her whole body convulsing, and that hurt, but she didn’t care. She’d faced greater pain and been awarded less joy at the end of it all.

The baby wailed again, and Hera gasped- the boy’s eyes had flown open, revealing a clear, vibrant blue. His skin was tinted green and his features were already sharp, sure hallmarks of his mother’s identity but his eyes- they were Kanan’s eyes.

She never thought she’d see them again, and she sobbed harder. Even with the hormone changes that came with pregnancy, it had been a long time since Hera had cried this much. She felt Zeb’s hand on her shoulder and the love in the air. She cried tears of happiness, as new parents do, and tears of sorrow because Kanan wasn’t there to meet his son, nor Ezra to meet his baby brother.

But still- she knew Kanan loved her and he loved their son. She knew Ezra would too, when he came home. Their love was still with her, even if they were not.

That would be enough for now. Hera had her son and her beloved’s eyes, and the love needed to carry her through this and darker days.

Chopper

Hera knew- despite her avoidance of the fact- that Jacen couldn’t stay with her forever. She wasn’t the only one in the Rebellion with a young child, but she was the only general with a newborn. Somewhere in the galaxy, there had to be a safe place for her son, and she would find it. But for now, she kept him the best she could, even if it would only be for the first months of his life.

The fear and the exhaustion of war were heightened by bringing an infant into it. They threatened Hera in her lowest moments, but then there was Zeb, putting Jacen back to sleep in the middle of the night before she could get out of bed, or Kallus quietly filling out her rising piles of paperwork when she was too busy or too tired to do it herself.

It was okay- a new challenge, a new routine, and an ever-constant show of their resilience. She witnessed love and community in all parts of her life, from her kid pilots offering to babysit, to the Organas sharing some old baby toys and clothes. Even the most unlikely of figures rallied around her, and for that, Hera was grateful. Sometimes, she would even have time to herself.

One of these calm afternoons was spent completing mission reports while Jacen slept, which Hera boldly presumed would last long enough for her to catch up on everything she had to do. As soon as she dared to hope this, however, a mechanical whirr indicated the presence of Chopper- and serenity rarely, if ever, followed him.

Where is the new one? He asked, disregarding the fact that Hera was very clearly busy.

“The new one- you mean Jacen?”

He’s new. Her droid was very matter-of-fact about this statement.

“He’s a baby, Chop,” Hera amended, and the astromech beside her warbled in disagreement.

He has not been around very long. He has not done many things either. Therefore, he is new.

“Whatever you say.”

Chopper didn’t humor her further, only groaned in complaint, and waited for a response. Hera rolled her eyes, but obliged. “He’s down for his afternoon nap. Same as yesterday. Why?”

She received no reply, other than a broken lament that the little one took too long to recharge, then her oldest companion rolled off and out of sight. Hera sighed and turned back to her work.

Later, Hera glanced at the chrono and readied herself for her son’s cries, but the Ghost remained silent and lonely. She crept down the room towards the pilot’s quarters, the door still open so that she might reach Jacen faster. Perhaps she would find him still asleep, and she could clean or shower with the extra few minutes to herself.

She instead discovered her baby wriggling happy on his cot, Chopper looming over him. One of his mechanical arms was extended, dangling Jacen’s favorite tooka in front of him. Chopper made gentle sounds, and Jacen grinned up at him.

So Chopper had a heart, beyond the occasional moment of mercy. Hera hid her mouth with her hand, ignoring the wetness in her eyes, and watched the scene from the doorway.

Zeb

It might not have been fair to blame a baby for picking favorites before he could talk, but Hera still shook her head as Zeb passed back Jacen, who wailed the second he left the Lasat’s arms. Zeb chuckled at the reaction, scratching at the back of his neck, but shrunk instantly at Hera’s glare

“Aw, com���on,” Zeb tried while Jacen furiously kicked against Hera. “He doesn’t mean anything by it. Nobody holds a candle to ya, Hera.” He finished the statement rather ungracefully, as Hera relinquished Jacen, plopping him back in Zeb’s arms. As soon as she did, Jacen giggled, clutching at Zeb’s fur and gurgling happily, his woes entirely forgotten.

“You’d think he’d be a little more grateful to the one who feeds him,” Hera said dryly, regarding Jacen with her hands on her hips. Zeb shrugged, looking vaguely sheepish.

“I’m just softer than ya, that’s all,” Zeb assured her, snuggling Jacen against his chest. When Hera raised an eyebrow at him, he laughed in surprise.

“Lasat kits like to sleep on their parents,” he explained, “but some of us like to say that they prefer the Lasat with the longest and softest fur.”

“Well, you certainly have me beat there,” Hera conceded, and Zem hummed in agreement, rocking Jacen in his arms. He babbled cheerfully, and Zeb laughed again. “Maybe nobody holds a candle to Uncle Zeb, either,” she said, her tone hushed, and Zeb froze. “We’re both lucky to have you.”

Zeb didn’t say anything for a long moment, then he shifted Jacen to one side and slung his free arm around Hera’s shoulders. She leaned into the embrace, and Zeb pulled her closer.

“We’re family,” he said gruffly, his voice suspiciously thick. “Of course I’ll take care of you both.”

The admonition sent warmth flooding through Hera’s chest, and she sniffed. That was what she’d count on through it all- her family and their love, unfaltering.

Sabine

Each of Jacen’s milestones- his first smile and wave and babble of a word- came with the reminder that Kanan wasn’t there to witness them too. Her son had just started to lift his own head when the anniversary of his father’s death passed, and Hera realized with grief weighing on her heart that even the idea of Kanan would be unfamiliar to Jacen for the first years of his life.

Her sorrow at the fact that “Dada” wouldn’t be among Jacen’s collection of first words (which included “Mama,” “ship,” “no!” and “Chop”) was expressed to Sabine during an exhausted and teary conversation. Together, they concluded that Kanan would have made a great dad, if he didn’t collapse from the stress while doing it, and the two women held each other until the talk turned back to recollecting fond memories at laughter at what once was.

In one of the biggest shocks of Hera’s life, the grief became lighter and easier to carry. She knew it would never leave her, but at least she didn’t bear it alone.

When Jacen turned one, she declared it a happy occasion and resolved not to spend too long dwelling on those not present to celebrate with them. There were still wistful smiles and comforting hugs, but as luck would have it, she had Zeb, Alexsandr, Rex, and Sabine all with her to mark the occasion, and that was a happy blessing on its own.

Jacen destroyed the small cake Alexsandr had made for him with pudgy fists, smearing it all over his face and onesie. Hera laughed, trying not to think of the possibility of finding uneaten food in Jacen’s diaper again, and their small family celebrated, and it was good.

They exchanged presents before everyone had to return to their respective duties. Mother and son received a collection of toys and bigger clothes, and Hera was even gifted a nice bottle of wine for her to enjoy after surviving a year of motherhood.

At the end, when it was just her and Sabine sweeping crumbs off the floor of the galley, the young Mandalorian presented her a final gift. An intricately bound book, made from sketch flimsi and filled with page after page of illustrations. It told a story, in few words and in brilliant, dynamic colors, of a Jedi, a hero, on quests to make the galaxy a better place. The Jedi wielded a blue lightsaber, and although he could be grumpy, he was deeply loyal to his friends, and he always came in to save the day. His face was unmistakable, his demeanor kind and familiar.

“So Jacen can know his dad,” Sabine said, and her voice was carefully measured. “I never thought I’d illustrate a kid’s book.”

Hera had no words, so she threw her arms around Sabine instead, murmuring her thanks through her tears. Sabine accepted the hug, squeezing Hera just as tight, and they stayed that way for a long while.

Ezra

Jacen grew and grew until he no longer fit in her arms- or rather, he wiggled out of them every time Hera tried to pick him up. He started to beg to learn how to fly as the war drew to a close but it wasn’t until after the Battle of Endor that Hera felt the skies were safe enough for her son.

Sabine teased her that Jacen inherited his recklessness from both sides of the family. Hera couldn’t bring herself to disagree, but she looked around at her friends and family- Mandalorians and Lasats and spies and galactic heroes- and thought that her child’s thrill-seeking tendencies came more from his company rather than his blood.

The conclusion of the war didn’t mean the end of the fighting, but peace was at last on the horizon and her fellow rebels begun planning their lives in this new, free galaxy. Hera could be a mother full-time now, and not have to worry if each goodbye to her son would be her last.

She thought that this would mean fulfillment- and in many ways, it did. The galaxy was entering a new age, but there were too many things left behind for Hera to move on completely. Much of it, she would never get back- but for some, there remained hope of rescue.

She saw so much of Ezra in Jacen. His energy, for one, and his innocence. His optimism, too- Jacen was a happy baby and nothing short of an ebullient child. Hera and Kallus liked to joke that his smile could light up the galaxy. It was impossible, when gazing into Jacen’s blue eyes, not to see the hope and love of another boy who once looked to her as a mother. They had so much in common, these children of war, but their biggest similarity was those who loved them.

Sabine was the first one to teach her the bittersweet pride of a child leaving the nest, and she came to Hera again to tell her that she must go. Hera had fear and love and faith for her, but little surprise when Sabine promised to bring Ezra home. With a blessing and a plea to stay safe, she hugged Sabine tight and watched her set off into the galaxy again.

When evening fell, and Hera was alone again, Jacen approached his mother and snuggled into her arms. As much as she tried to protect her son, he always seemed to know when she was sad.

Hera didn’t think that she’d ever be complete without Kanan, without Ezra, without everyone she’d lost in a lifetime at war. But she was not alone, she knew- she had her son in her embrace and a family in every corner of the galaxy. That, for now, was enough, and she had hope that she would see them all again one day.

[ivi-prism]

I’m stealing Shade’s “Ranking the Hermits based on how much I want to fight them”

Have my list and thoughts under the cut :3

Tfc: -100/ 10. Why would anyone want to fight minecraft grandpa is beyond me. Like... maybe if you are in your hero arc and play spar with him because he is your mentor I can understand. Otherwise? No harm shall be bestowed on Minecraft grandpa

Xb: -50/10. Why would anyone want to fight Xb??? look at him! Hear him laugh!

Jevin 0/10. Not because I would lose but because he is a slime. Like he is a non-euclidian liquid so I’ll probably break my hand in the first punch and then get stuck and slime texture might be uncomfy so no worth it.

Etho 1/10. Etho is so cryptid I don’t think fighting him would be fair. Man probably would drop and anvil on my head and thats it. Or he somehow inflicts long lasting psychic damage on me with a pun. He is a pretty cool guy but the potential damage is not worth it

Joe 1/10. No???? Why hurt southern dad?? He makes poems and he is awesome!

Tango 1/10. Mad Evil genius Mr. Tek? Yeah I don’t think is a good plan. He probably has all the place trap already or he has more than enough rockets to out fly me and escape

Stress 2/10. She is so sweet and positive and nice and she has the wits to trap me and obliterate me, better not mess with her

Iskall: 3/10. Other of the Hermits known for pvp but I wouldn’t want to fight him because his laugh is so contagious and it brings me so much serotonin I would feel guilty . Also he a hitman, probably would lose in like 10 seconds

Keralis 3/10. Man would probably bonk me with a diamond block and there goes my teeth. That or he would use those eyes of his for psychological warfare. If I knew it wasn’t going to be an under water fight and that he isn’t wearing god armour I would be willing to give it a shot

Wels 4/10. Roasted in just two minutes but it would be hella cool. If not Wels still has armour and i doubt I have the strength to swing a sword effectively that and punches not available would probably make it a very short fight

Scar 4/10. He is so wholesome and positive I would feel bad. But what really stops me from fighting him is those vex powers of his. Man made a crystal that send Cub back in time, doubt is a good idea messing with him if he can do that and launch a rocket launcher by accident in self defense

Cleo 5/10. Cleo panics easily so in pvp I think I have a chance but she would probably end me with sarcasm before I can even think on a plan

Beef 5/10 if he is in his llama dad persona I would be done for. Just drop an anvil on my head and thats my end

Hypno 5/10. He is so cool I would like to foght him but also not because he is cool

Cub 6/10. Man has too much power. He would kill me in pvp or with redstone traps or with dad jokes. Still I would try it just to see if I can

Doc 6/10. Man fought a god and only lost an arm. It would be hella cool! I would get decimated in seconds but it would have been the most badass moment in my life

False 7/10. Queen of Hearts, Heads and Body Parts would inmediatly kill me with her martial arts but it would be a honor

Xisuma 7/10. His body armour is bad for attack but if I win, video game logic says I’m the new admin of Hermitcraft so is wort a shot. Even if I lose I could say I did it for the lols

Mumbo 8/10 not because I actually want to snap the lanky spoon. He simply looks like an easy target as long as I don’t give him enough time to make redstone traps

Zedaph 8/10 not because Zed is punchable. I just want the blueprints to his redstone contraptions and he ignored my zoucher so I had to take drastic measures

Rendog |8|/10. Ren is so positive it would probably derail into a practice fight and I would probably end up learning something new. That or the man that has a thing for chains and is horny in main will definitely go full Wrestler outfit for the match and I would probably nope out of there due to second hand embarrassment

Grian 9/10. Gremlin man is so punchable and he will definitely trick me with a fall trap or just go blood thirsty and go Lord Dreamslayer and decimate me in pvp. Either way it would be cool

Bdubs 10/10 I will definitely die stabbed 28 times but boy oh boy do I want to challenge such feral energy. Also knowing Bdubs it would probably be funny

Impulse 10/10. This man has looked god in the eye and defeated them just so he can do ‘a little bit of work off-camera’. i intend to try and bonk him in the head so he takes a nap! Will I be successful? Most likely not. But I’m willing to try

[kitty0boy]

Marichat May Day 9 prompt: Blanket

As per my usual fics, Marinette is 17, Adrien is 18. Nothing smutty, just goofs being goofy.

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It had been a long ass day.

5 am photo shoot, 6 am akuma attack, 6:30 am back to the photo shoot because they “couldn’t seem to capture his likeness today”, 7 am they gave up, 8:45 am rushed off to school, 12 pm another attack, 3 pm photo shoot.

Now finally, at 5 pm, he was back home and able to take a break. Much to Plagg’s disappointment however, Adrien didn’t feel like sitting around at home.

“How is it that you have so much energy? I’m exhausted and I’ve been sitting in your bag all day.”

Adrien laughed at this remark, “I’ve had to sit at home and do nothing for 14 years of my life, I’ve got time to make up haven’t I?”

Plagg rolled his eyes. “Time that can be made up after I eat my well deserved camembert, go and shower or something. Listen to the, what was it you said? ‘The model in you’.” With that he flew into the smelly cupboard by his desk.

He did have a point. The hairspray from this afternoon made his hair stick up in odd angles. Today’s theme had been, ‘Punk Rock’ for the Agreste, Jagged Stone collaboration. His father and Jagged teamed up for his new album debut to create a new clothing line of merchandise and stuff like that. Adrien hadn’t really been paying much attention to that bit.

His attention was drawn towards his cute little classmate who, by personal invitation of Jagged Stone himself, had helped his father design Jagged’s on stage looks.

Marinette was involved for the sole purpose of “a youth opinion” which meant that she did most of the designing herself while Gabriel’s company did all the handy work by making all the garments. Of course she was supervised by Gabriel when it came to the concepts, but as his father had admitted over dinner, “She didn’t need much of my help. Audrey was right in saying that she has potential. Possibly, more potential than myself.” To which Adrien had beamed, proud of his princess.

By the time Adrien had finished in the shower, Plagg had completely emptied the stock of camembert for the next month. “We need to start limiting you camembert intake. I can hear my bank account screaming.” Plagg burped “You’re famous and rich, as long as you keep that up you’ll be fine.” Adrien crossed his arms, “I might not be rich and famous forever you know. How old is Master Fu now, 190? You might not have unlimited camembert when I get into the 70s.” Plagg smirked. “You will when you defeat Hawkmoth and people find out who you and Ladybug are. The pair of you will be rolling in riches for life.” Adrien shrugged. “Maybe I’ll refuse to take them, being the humble hero that I am.” Plagg frowned.

He laughed, “Well Plagg, how about we go check in on your favourite mouse hmm?” Plagg bolted out of the cupboard and shrieked “Hurry up and transform Adrien.” He blinked. “Wow Plagg, I didn’t know you could actually like a person more than cheese.” Plagg crossed his little arms. “Well the sooner you and Marinette get together, the sooner I’ll have pastries with my cheese. Besides, you already know you’re my favourite stinky sock.” Adrien’s face contorted in gratitude at hearing his approval of Marinette, and slight disgust at being called a stinky sock. “Thanks Plagg, Claws Out!”

The journey wasn’t far. A hop, skip, and a jump later he landed on Marinette’s balcony. He stomped on the floor to get her attention but he didn’t need to. The second his hands touched the balcony railing, something heavy came crashing down, pinning him to the floor. He thought it might have been Marinette at first, but she wasn’t wide enough to cover his entire outstretched form. He looked around and saw her peep out from behind her lounge chair with a great “Surprise!” He smiled

“Hello there purrincess, fancy seeing you here.” She strode over to him and kneeled down behind his head. “I had a feeling that you might pawsibly show up.”

“So, this is a nice blanket you’ve chucked on me, did you make it?” She shook her head, “I bought it. It’s a weighted blanket.” He laughed, “Yes I could tell, I’ve never had one before but it feels heavy.” She stood and pulled the blanket off of him. “Imagine if the news saw this. Paris’ superhero, defeated by a weighted blanket.” He propped himself on his elbows. “And Paris’ prettiest girl. Here we quote him.” And he stood to continue, despite her pink face. “I simply couldn’t resist her charms.” He dramatically draped the back of his hand over his forehead. “I fell under her spell and she trapped me, I’m sorry that I’ve let Paris down but I would do it again.”

Marinette seemed to have taken his word to heart, she threw the blanket back towards him with strength he never knew she was capable and he got hit square in the chest. He fell to the floor again. “Even see how, how her grace wounds me, a fatal blow to the chest.” She huffed and, it seemed despite herself, she smiled. “Oh come on Marinette, just teasing. No need to get huffy with me.” She crossed her arms and turned.

He pulled the blanket off and snuck towards her while her back was turned. In one swift motion, he wrapped the blanket around her front and behind his back so the were both wrapped up. She gave a startled “What?” Before he fell backwards making her fall with him. She squeaked as they hit the floor, making sure she didn’t get hurt of course.

His arms had remainder outside of the ‘purrito’ so he placed them on her stomach. “Chat Noir!” She huffed and squirmed under the blanket. He laughed. “Heavy, isn’t it little lady.” She turned over inside so she could look at him, which made him also squirm because it was kinda ticklish. “Foul play kitty.” He ruffled her hair.

“So, how’s the collaboration going? Gabriel Agreste’s little assistant, big big oppurtunity.” She beamed at him and went into full detail. How Jagged Stone had come to her house to ask, how Gabriel had an interview with her and how pleased he was to work with her, how she and Adrien worked on concepts after she took his measurements, how they played UMS after, how she and Gabriel went over the concepts and gave her tips. He of course knew all of this but she was so excited about it. “I’m proud of you little mouse, this is a really big achievement. Next thing you know, you’ll be strolling down red carpets to your own fashion shows.” She flushed and thanked him.

“Anyways, how do you purrpose you’ll get out of this one?” She smirked, “You gave that away while I was turning,” he felt her fingers on either side of his ribs. “I didn’t know cats were ticklish.” He tried his hardest not to laugh as she teasingly poked him. Then she went for it, he squirmed and giggled until he snapped back to his senses and rolled them over.

He grabbed both of Marinette’s wrists and held them above her head with one hand. “Payback time princess.” And he started tickling her. She shrieked, squirmed, and kicked under him. “C-cat!” She tried to protest and bargain with him but to no avail. It wasn’t until he heard a gaps from the trap door, that he stopped.

Who should intrude but the entire gang of secrets. Rose, Juleka, Mylène, Alix, and Alya all stared at their very suggestive position.

Chat Noir had her hands pinned above her head and was straddling her. Her hair was messy and her shirt slightly crumbled and exposing part of her stomach. His face went pink as he looked from a laughing Marinette, to her friends who were taking pictures and cooing at the pair of them.

Unbothered, Marinette turned to her friends and said “Help me out girls! He’s ticklish!” To which he was tackled by all five of them, he howled with laughter. “S-six against one! That’s unfair.” Then they scattered as Marinette flopped on him, blanket in hand, and wrapped him up. She sat on his back and held the opening of the blanket closed. “Good work girls. Cat’s in the bag.” He turned his head to look at them, his cheek against the floor of the balcony. The six of them were high giving and shooting Marinette suspicious looks.

“So Marinette, care to explain this?” Alix crossed her arms. Marinette gave her a quizzical look. “Explain what? Why me and Chat Noir are having a tickle fight on my balcony?”

Alya approached her. “Well to start, your lip gloss is smudged, your hair is a mess, your shirt is crumbled and we found you and Chat Noir in a very suggestive position when we came up.”

Marinette went slightly pink before recalling what had happened. Rose chirped “Oh, that’s so romantic.” And Juleka, who had become more outspoken with the help of her girlfriend, crossed her arms and smirked. “Maybe we should give them their alone time.” Mylène piped up. “We do have to proceed with celebratory girls night though. After all, Jagged Stone and Gabriel Agreste, that’s a crazy good achievement.” Chat Noir smiled, “That’s what I was saying!” He panted slightly, recovering from the laughter.

“Do you want to stay cat?” Marinette asked. He looked up at her. “Well I’d love to but I don’t want to intrude on your celebration.” All at once the girls protested and encouraged him to stay, declaring that he wouldn’t get in the way and that they’d love to have him join in the celebration. He wouldn’t fall for this though. He had the nagging feeling that the girls would turn Marinette’s celebration party into a Chat Noir interview night, he didn’t want the attention pulled away from his princess.

Marinette hopped off him and helped him go his feet again. He brushed dust off of his suit while Marinette held his hand. “No seriously girls it’s alright. My Kwami is bound to be starving by now.” Marinette shot him a sharp look. “How long have you been transformed?” He raised his hands in surrender. “Not long, not long. I transformed and came straight here. Besides he was really eager to see you Mari.” She gapped. “He was? But he’s only worked with me once.” Chat chuckled. “Not sure, you must have left a good impression on him. Besides,” he leaned down to whisper in her ear, “he says that the sooner we get together, the longer he gets to enjoy pastries with his cheese.”

He stood straight up and stared at her. To his surprise she wasn’t flustered in the slightest, in fact she started to laugh. “Well then kitty,” and before he had time to think she pulled him back towards her so their noses brushed, “we shouldn’t keep him waiting.” His face went scarlet. He never thought a whisper could make his face burn. He considered teasing her back, but before he could straighten his expression, there was a cough beside them.

“So should we leave and come back later or..” Alix stated. She already knew Adrien’s identity and was sure she would tease him about this later. He grinned seeing Marinette’s face who was an identical shade of scarlet that his had been seconds before. “Well I’d better be of then.” He wrapped an arm around Marinette’s shoulder and bent over so his face was sideways in front of hers. He dropped his voice to a whisper, “We can celebrate alone later.” Her face flooded with more colour than he thought possible and she buried her face in her hands.

He smiled and gave her a peck on the forehead before addressing her friends. “It was lovely to see you all again, I’ll be taking my leave now. Enjoy your little party.” The he leapt onto the railing, gave a salute, and jumped way.

-

“Kid, if you want to visit your princess undisturbed, then do it on a day where her friends won’t show up.” Adrien crossed his arms and smiled. “Well we’ve agreed on your pastries at least.” Before the two could settle in, Adrien’s phone chimed. “Oh Plagg, looks like we can’t relax at home just yet.” Plagg groaned. “Not another akuma, I’ll go kill Hawkmoth myself if he doesn’t stop taking away my free time.”

“Nope, not Hawkmoth this time. Girls night has turned into a party and Adrien just got an invitation.” Plagg groaned again. “Can’t we just skip this time?” Adrien shook his head and transformed for the fourth time that day and made his way back to the bakery, where he detransformed and saw his princess again.

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That’s all for day 9. I think you’ll notice that the prompts aren’t the entire focus of my stories but they are a part of them. I like them better this way.

Thanks for reading!

[ts-unpopular-opinions]

Side Track Opinions part 5: Roman

(I’ve been saving Roman for a while now and I am PUMPED! So here’s a late birthday present to our royal lad ❤️ It’s also super nice to save the creativitwins for last because both of their playlists reference each other quite a bit 👌)

1) A Gay Disney Prince: I mean... are any of us surprised? This song is basically Roman’s anthem, so it was bound to be on his playlist. I do find it interesting that both Roman and Remus are the only sides with songs made by Thomas on their playlists. I guess it goes to show that having a big ego runs in the creative family 😂

2) Wonderboy: Only two songs in and we already have a song about Remus, or “young Nastyman, archrival and nemesis of Wonderboy” in this case. You’ll start to get the idea from Roman’s playlist that he really misses being with his bro. This song portrays Roman as almost a perfect and untouchable force. He is seperated from all of his nasty thoughts and is the perfect embodiment of what Thomas sees creativity as (“High above the mucky-muck, castle made of clouds, There sits Wonderboy, sitting oh so proudly. Not much to say when you're high above the mucky-muck.”). I like to imagine that the singer of the song is Thomas, looking to Roman for comfort. Creativity most likely split as a way for Thomas to, not very healthily, cope with his intrusive thoughts (“Wonderboy, what is the secret of your power? Wonderboy, won't you take me far away from the mucky-muck man?”). It’s also interesting to note that at the end of the song, Roman and Remus seemingly join forces very successfully (“Well, Wonderboy and Young Nastyman joined forces; they formed a band the likes of which have never been seen”). Perhaps this is hinting at either Romans want to have his bother back, or possibly foreshadowing to their relationship dynamic in the future. I know I’d love to see Roman and Remus team up together in future episodes, maybe even against Patton and Janus in the next episode?

3) Disney Princess: This song is all about Roman dreaming about being in the lives of different disney princesses. Honestly it’s not super deep, but it does show just how much Roman loves to fantasize about escaping reality and living in his ideal dream world. He wishes his life were more interesting and exciting like what you would see in a movie. Also, Roman is SO desperate for someone to love him... poor guy (“I'd be a handsome man's wife And we'd kiss and we'd kiss And we'd kiss”).

4) Broadway, Here I Come!: (tw suicide) So this song is... interesting. It can be interpreted in two different ways: one being a song about how making it on broadway is a huge leap and very difficult, and another about a person literally jumping off of a building and commiting suicide. I always think of Logic vs Passion during this song because while Roman believes he is acchieving his dreams and is willing to take risks, Logan just believes he’s setting himself up for failure. I think Logan’s view on Thomas’ life and career choice is very hard on Roman and, by the topic of the song, affects him greatly (“The people all are pointing. I bet they'd never guess, That the saint that they're anointing Is frightened of the mess”). He doesn’t know if Thomas will succeed and that makes him doubt himself and causes his work to suffer (“The pressure it increases, The closer that I get” “And the last thing I hear. As the impact grows near, Is it a scream or a cheer?”).

5) Hallelujah: This song, like the one before it, shows a lot of Roman’s insecurities. Roman has a set plan for Thomas in life, but he constantly doubts it and himself due to the comments he gets from other sides (“Somedays I don't think my mama Thinks I'm good enough to be a superstar” “Somedays I don't think my daddy Thinks I'm good enough to be a superstar”). I don’t know specifically which sides he could be talking about in these two lines, but Logan is definately one of them. I like to think he could also be talking about Patton. I mean Roman probably worries constantly about being too much like Remus and disappointing Patton. Roman probably literally thinks that Patton doesnt think hes GOOD enough. Despite all of this self doubt, Roman still seems determined to reach his dreams and prove the others wrong (“But one day I will show him I'm a diamond in the rough, I'll be a superstar” “Yeah, there's a crown covered in glitter and gold I'm gonna wear it, whether you like it or not”).

6) Holding Out for a Hero: This song is from Thomas’ perspective! Thomas DOES see Roman as his hero despite what Janus’ not at the end of the most recent episode may have you believe. Roman acts as Thomas’ protection from all of his darker and more disturbing thoughts. Thomas uses Roman, a picture perfect image of creativity to help him escape from all the bad things in life and in his head (“Where have all the good men gone And where are all the gods? Where's the streetwise Hercules to fight the rising odds? Isn't there a white knight upon a fiery steed? Late at night I toss and I turn And I dream of what I need”). Thomas literally created Roman to be a perfect knight in shining armor. The singer in the song shows this by listing off everything that they believe a hero needs to be/have, Similar to what Thomas would have done in the creation of Roman.

7) If I Dare: I’m conflicted about what this song could mean. At first glance it seems to be about Roman willing to do anything in order to get more creative control over Thomas (“If I dare to risk it, then I know that I'm willing to. If I dare to want this, to want more than I have” “I am holding out for more than what I have now”). Roman really wants to be trusted more and would seemingly take huge risks in order to get that. The part that throws me off is this line: “When the room gets dark, and I am quiet. There's a voice that's soft, like someone's silhouette Saying, "Don't let me go yet"”. To me, this sounds like its about Remus. Possibly Remus begging Roman to not get rid of him and to remain as one. What confuses me is that the line felt so out of place with the rest of the songs meaning. I’m not sure what to do with that information, but if anyone has ideas, let me know.

8) Go the Distance: Roman is so patient... and so unrealistically hopeful... He continues to lay down and let the other sides get their ways because he believes that the wait will be worth it when he finally gets his say (“I'll be there someday, I can go the distance” “I know every mile would be worth my while” “And a thousand years would be worth the wait. It might take a lifetime but somehow I'll see it through”). Despite how many times hes been ignored and let down, he continues to hope that his chance may come one day. Theres also this line: “But to look beyond the glory is the hardest part. For a hero's strength is measured by his heart, oh” which makes me think big time of SvS. He gave up his glory in favor of what Patton wanted because he thinks that it was the more heroic thing to do.

9) Flamboyant: The title really says it all. Roman is extra™️ and he knows that all of the other sides think so too (“I'm a very flaming flammable guy. Some say my fire burns way too high. Some say they find me too hot to touch. But I, I think it's not enough”). I also think its important to note that this song feels a bit out if place with the canon Roman that we know. From what we’ve seen of Roman, he holds back a lot. He denies a great deal of his greed and wants in order to make the others happy and fill in his “hero” persona. This song portrays Roman as having no restraint and not wanting the others to boss him around (“Don't tell me what to do, Don't tell me what to say” “Turn down? I never do” “And no time for restraint”). I’d love to see more of this assertive side of Roman in canon, but right now you can tell that he is holding back. He wishes he didn’t have to, but he feels as though it is necessary to distance himself from Remus.

10) Jumpstarted: Let me set the scene. Thomas is just out an about enjoying his day, he holds open the starbucks door for the guy behind him and... omg... he’s hot... he’s the love of your life Thomas! Roman the proceeds to fanticize about marrying and starting a family with this one random guy that they’ve never talked to nor seen before (“The only one I want is you. I hear the bells and the ring and already, Four kids and the big ol' wedding Singing, You” “And how was I to make a long walk home. You got me feeling like I'm overdosed”). This whole song is just Roman singing about his head-over heals love for a guy in Thomas’ head while Thomas has to act normal and even warns the dude to run away while he has the chance (“Take my advice and run while you still can”). Roman’s quite a hopeless romantic.

11) Brave New Girl: Remember how I said Roman has been holding back and trying to be more polite in order to make himself less like Remus? Well this song is the opposite of that. This is what Roman wants. Roman wants to let lose and be his wildest self again (“She wants a good time” “She needs to really really find what she wants” “There's a brave new girl And she's comin' out tonight” “Who knew she could feel so alive” “Won't take a back seat”). I like to imagine this song taking place after the events of POF. I mean if the others are just going to accept that Janus is good now, then does that mean Remus is good too? If that the case, then what was the point of him and Remus splitting in the first place? This song makes me think that Roman and Remus could team up together in either the next episode, or future episodes to come. Roman is lost and doesn’t really know why he is who he is anymore, so he seeks out Remus, the only one who really understands what he’s going through (“So she met this man, He was kinda rough. He said, girl, what you lookin' for? She said, I don't know I go with the flow. He said, let's get on the floor”). The man in this song could also be Janus I suppose. He does compliment the singer and flatter her, but after the events of the last episode, I find it hard to believe that Roman would be willing to fall for Janus’ flattery again.

12) Every Boy: Roman wants to kiss every boy in the world... and it’s never enough. That is all.

13) Primadonna: What a bop! This song is honestly so good! Again with Roman’s songs making him out to be a lot greedier and wild than he actually has acted in canon (“You can count on me to misbehave”). This song is what I imagine Roman would act like if he had nothing to worry about other than being himself. Roman wants a lot of things and he wants everyone to adore him for the beautiful prince he is (“All I ever wanted was the world” “I can't help that I need it all” “When you give, I want more, more, more” “I wanna be adored” “I know I've got a big ego”).

14) King: You can already tell by the name what this song is about. I’m honestly shocked how obvious it is. At this point we don’t know who made the decision for creativity to split, but this song and a couple of others in the playlist seem to suggest that it was the Roman part of original creativity who decided to push Remus out. He felt as though it was the only way to successfully move forward (“I had to break myself to carry on”). The others sides (I’d like to imagine Patton) tried to convince Creativity to split and despite his not wanting to. His decision to split seemed like it was a very hard one to make and left a lot of pain in its wake (“They say it's easy to leave you behind. I don't want to try” “Is it worth the price?”). Original creativity felt powerful and strong when he was whole, so of course he didn’t want to split (“I was a king under your control”). The song seems to suggest that he tried to repress his ‘Remus’ thoughts in order to remain whole and not lose a part of himself, but this could only work for so long (“Don't wanna have to lose All that I've compromised to feel another high. I've got to keep it down tonight”). In the end, the Roman side of creativity finally won out and both Roman and Remus decided to let each other go (“I wanna feel like you've let me go, So let me go”).

15) Cheap Queen: This song really shows Roman’s struggle with his identity. He’s so quick to change for others in order to be accepted by them (“I can be good sometimes. I'm a cheap queen. I can be a what you like. And I can be bad sometimes. I'm a real queen. I can make grown men cry” “I'm gettin' too cocky since everyone wants me, It's harder to be myself”). This convices me that the way that he’s been acting in the last few episodes (not insulting anyone, very opposed to Janus) is soley him trying to prove that he is good and nothing like Remus. He’s been hiding his true self which we see a lot of in episodes before Remus was introduced. Roman doesn’t want to disappoint Patton in fear of Patton wanting him to split again.

16) Humility: ANOTHER song about Remus. This song is really interesting. It shows us that Roman is VERY confused about his opinion on Remus. He’s lonely and feels incomplete without Remus, He NEEDS Remus back (“I need you in the picture That's why I'm calling you” “I'm the lonely twin, the left hand” “I don't want this isolation” “See the state I'm in now?”). Right after Roman has these thoughts and feelings though, he instantly tries to block them out and retrain the idea that Remus is bad (“Reset myself and get back on track”). He wants Remus back so badly and feels some sort of remorse for kicking him out, but then he ignores those emotions and acts like he hates Remus another moment (“If I pick it up when I know that it's broken Do I put it back? Or do I head out onto the lonesome trail And let you down?”).

17) Aint Got it Like That: Roman is greedy and wants a lot of things, we’ve established this. Most of this song is about how Roman wants more than what he has now, but he still believes it will come if he just waits long enough (“'Cause I ain't really got it like that And one day Imma have it like that And I know that it can't stay this way And one day Imma finally get paid”).

18) Dreamer: I’m not sure whose perspective this song is from, but this feels like a comfort song to Roman. We know that he has a lot of insecurities and struggles to create things because he worries that his ideas won’t be good enough or will be too much like Remus’ ideas. But this song goes completely against that mindset. It’s what Roman wants to hear: “Dream little dreamer, Don't care what they say” “You can do anything” “Dream like you won't fail. Sing like no one's there. Dance like you don't care. Dream.” “Don't fear little dreamer, You'll get there one day” “And I know that it's scary, But you'll succeed” “You're exeptional, You're original” “You're magnificent, You're sensational”.

19) Paving the Runway: This feels like a song from Roman to Thomas and gosh it just feels so loving and sweet... Roman has such big dreams for Thomas and he has so much faith in him (“Cause I know that one day you're gonna fly”). He encourages Thomas to go for his dreams and excel, something that he is hardly told himself (“Go after your dreams, Crazy as they may seem. Go chase all the stars in the sky” “You will reach higher than I ever could”). Roman does everythig he can to set Thomas up for success and to help him reach his dreams (“Darling, stand on my shoulders” “Baby, I'll be paving the runway”).

20) Go.: Again, I’m not sure who the singer of this song is, but I can tell its exactly what Roman wants/needs to hear. Roman is very clearly holding back due to his fear of becoming too much like Remus and that is making it very hard to do his job (“The fear within Has held you hostage. Break free and live. GO.”). This is a good song to be Roman’s last song because I think it helps to show us where Roman’s character is going in the future. He is going to let lose and relax eventually. Perhaps this will lead to him creating the better relationship with Remus that he’s been hoping for throughout this whole playlist. I predict that next episode, well start to see some of this newer, less refrained creativity from Roman.

(And that’s that! If you can tell that theres some tension between Roman and Remus from this playlist, just you wait for Remus’! As usual, let me know what you thought of this ❤️ Love you guys!)

[class1akids]

It’s Pro-Hero Arc day...

and here is a post that nobody asked for, telling you, why it’s one of my all time favorites. 

1. Endeavor

This is one of the best fights in the manga. Full stop. I went into this arc not liking Endeavor whatsoever (I still don’t like him) and yet his fight with the Nomu pulled me in. I started to see things I liked about him, like his dry sense of humor, or his inability to give up. From the awkward moments of Endeavor standing uncomfortably in the spotlight he so craved all his life and now full of insecurities if he’s up to the job, to the self-assured way he thinks this is his moment to shine, to him falling, and getting up and fighting to the background noise of the naysayers who only care about winners, as his family, the ones he hurt so bad are the only ones that truly care about him despite themselves. And all the way to the end, when he realizes that the strength-crazed monster his fighting is himself.

 I love that in order to win he has to take the fall, not knowing if there’d be anyone to catch him. 

2. Hawks

I love Hawks. He’s cheeky, he’s cool, we have no idea what game he’s playing, he runs circles around a totally befuddled Endeavor. He’s stirring up trouble, but he also sticks around to see it through. He’s really a No. 2. like Endeavor totally doesn’t deserve, like the one he never was to All Might. The one who’ll push the No. 1. forward.  Like look at this image! he’s literally giving Endeavor wings.

I love how from the initial unease, Endeavor comes to genuinely care about Hawks by the end of their fight and the guy who was always about himself becomes a true believer of team-ups.  Also look at this fucking foreshadowing here.

3. The Todoroki-family

The true stars of this arc! I mean it. It’s their reactions that makes me emotionally invested in the fight.

We get to see Natsuo! He’s such a great character - he feels so real, being torn between his resentment and trying to be a decent person to the rest of his family.  And more Fuyumi!!! She has such a good heart and a deep understanding of Endeavor’s character.

And we see Rei smile because Shouto writes her letters and it’s like the best little detail ever. 

4. Shouto

Gosh, he’s breakdown in the common room is so heartbreaking. After everything Endeavor put him through, he still cares about him - it just bursts out of him. 

And I love that his friends are there for him, showing that whatever he’s going through, he has so much support compared to the lonely, cold boy who joined the class all those months ago. 

5. The media circus and Can’t-ya-see-kun

The reporting throughout and after the fight gives such a taste of the role of the media in lifting up and pushing down heroes. The media that wants easy wins and flashy smiles and doesn’t care about the heroes that struggle. 

And ironically, for Endeavor who never appreciated his fans, it’s one of his true fans who turns the public opinion and becomes an in-universe meme. 

6. The first iconic Todoroki-family dinner

I was worried that now that Endeavor won, suddenly all is forgiven. But Hori said “SLUUUUURP!” and as Endeavor’s family were the ones truly rooting for the man even when the fight didn’t look good, they are the ones that continue to hold him responsible. 

And their different reactions, from Fuyumi’s eagerness to forgive, to Shouto’s measured response, to Natsuo’s outburst - they are the best part of this redemption arc.

7. Dabi showing up for a chilling moment 

I can’t believe we are still blue-balled on this reveal. 

8. The first taste of Queen Mirko

And how cool that just as we get this in the anime, Hori is doing the reverse in the manga, Endeavor dropping in to save Mirko

9. First glimpses into Hawks backstory, and the spy drama that is playing out

Like, I always had a bad feeling about hero society, but it’s through Hawks’ backstory that we slowly get the reveal of the Hero Commission as the rotten heart of it all. 

10. Aizawa and Shouto 

The little details of how Aizawa wears mismatched slippers in his hurry to get to Shouto or how he personally drives him home for the family meal (and is playing with a cat outside)! I love Dadzawa this arc.

[myhahnestopinion]

THE AARONS 2020 - Best TV Episode

I had to cancel a lot of streaming services this year. They know what they did wrong. Here are the Aarons for Best TV Episode: 

#10. “Take Your Choice” (Batwoman, Season 1, Episode 12)

Coming out of the Infinite Earths crossover, Batwoman is left with a personal Crisis of conscience: Kate Kane’s efforts to redeem the villainous Alice, her presumed-dead sister, are derailed by the arrival of an alternate-universe version of her, one who didn’t suffer the same traumatic events. Multiverse collapse means only one can live, compelling Kate to choose between fighting a righteous lost cause or taking the easier path back to normalcy, the kind of complex moral dilemma that heroes are forged in. The original Alice is seen as both abuser and victim within, torturing Kate over her own lingering trauma, while fearing a second, far-worse abandonment. This enhanced sibling conflict reinvigorated the season’s second half. It’s unfortunate that dynamic is now lost with the decision to replace, not recast, Batwoman going forward, but, well, a choice had to be made.

#9. “The One Where We’re Trapped on TV” (Legends of Tomorrow, Season 5, Episode 14)

With back-to-back shows on this list, it’s clear The CW’s sweeping interconnected universe is still going strong, but they’re not done conquering the airwaves yet. In their latest bit of meta-mischief, the crew behind the show Legends of Tomorrow flexed their creative freedom and trapped the on-screen crew of Legends of Tomorrow within various television parodies, including Friends, Downton Abbey, and Star Trek. Each is brought to life with expert lived-in details by long-term producer and first-time director Marc Guggenheim. The cast gamely tunes in to the needs of each as well, hamming it up with Shatner-impressions and droll sitcom style. It’s all held together by the show’s lovable mush; if you’re looking for unique, heartfelt television, the Legends are on it. 

#8. “Zoey’s Extraordinary Glitch” (Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, Season 1, Episode 8)

Despite her being the star of the show, Playlist kept skipping over Jane Levy for its big musical numbers, a consequence of its concept that Zoey is the one hearing other people’s thoughts expressed in song. That oversight was paused in the show’s eighth production, which gave her a show-stopping spotlight all her own. It wasn’t just Levy’s rendition of pop songs that were a hit, but how reality hit for the character after signing her heart out. The playful subversion of Playlist’s formula dialed cringe-comedy to the max, while shattering the limitations of its unusual premise. If the show keeps shuffling itself around like it did here, it won’t be played out anytime soon.

#7. “Sundown” (Lovecraft Country, Season 1, Episode 1)

The unknown is an alluring yet dangerous place. That’s the concept at the heart of infamous horror author H.P. Lovecraft’s work, and the principle carries over to J.J. Abrams and Jordan Peele’s inspired TV show. Atticus Freeman can’t resist that unknown when he receives a mysterious letter from his missing father, and sets off on a road trip beset by monsters to find him. The episode is a wicked homage to the petrifying creatures of Lovecraft lore, but its true horror lies in its subversion of those stories. Lovecraft, an unapologetic racist, founded his fears in that bigotry; Lovecraft Country centers people of color in its narrative, contending with those racist fears within monsters that walk among us. This balance of reverence and rejection is never better than in this first episode; “Sundown” is the highest point in the unearthly Lovecraft Country.

#6. “The Curse” (What We Do in the Shadows, Season 2, Episode 4)

STOP! If you are reading this, you have been cursed! You will be visited by Bloody Mary tonight if you do not forward The Aarons to ten other people.

 ...It was a familiar hoax to earlier adopters of the internet, a bit of viral villany that used the anonymous and unfathomable nature of the world wide web to spook even the most shrewd of children. To a clan of vampires though, incredulity is already out the window. That’s the clever catch of this episode, in which the long-undead crew scramble to get a crash-course in the technological age to avoid such a prophesied ghostly encounter.  It’s a devilishly funny dance of dramatic irony… or is it? I can say with certainty that “The Curse” is a real one, so best get forwarding, readers.

#5. “Ego Death” (I May Destroy You, Season 1, Episode 12)

There was always an inevitability to I May Destroy You: a miniseries needs a denouement. That’s a greater dilemma when your subject is recovering in the wake of sexual assault, a situation that’s rarely cleanly resolved. “Ego Death,” the final installment in the resolutely honest show, doesn’t shy away from that difficulty. Creator and star Michaela Cola’s Arabella has a chance recognition of her assailant, and the episode runs through several possible reactions for her to that encounter. It’s as furious and yet funny as the show consistently was, while always holding firm to the promise of its title: assault need not define you, destruction is not inevitable.

#4. “Bagman” (Better Call Saul, Season 5, Episode 8)

Vince Gilligan built his empire on exploring what will make a person reach their breaking point; after five seasons of build up, he burdened Saul Goodman with as much as the man can bear. Taking cues from a classic episode of the original series, “4 Days Out,” Saul Goodman is stranded in the desert, forced to degradingly drink his own urine while lugging around duffle bags of cash, after a trepidatious handoff is ambushed by a rival drug cartel. Worse, he’s being chased by a surviving shooter. Gilligan loads the episode up with the distinctive visual flourish, attention to detail, and gripping tension that are the hallmarks of his work; when it comes to making standout television, Gilligan’s got it in the bag, man. 

#3. “The Phantom Apprentice” (Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Season 7, Episode 10)

There was a clear force pushing Disney to revive The Clone Wars after seven years off the air: bringing balance to the franchise. The last third of the season finally fulfilled the show’s destiny, running parallel to the events of Revenge of the Sith from the perspective of its original creation, Ahsoka Tano. The entire operatic arc rivaled the power of its cinematic counterparts, but my chosen one is its second part, in which Ahsoka and a revived Darth Maul duel above an under-siege Mandalore. The dazzling lightsaber fight was rendered using motion capture technology, providing viewers with another dizzying high ground from which to watch the fall of the Republic. 

#2. “The View from Halfway Down” (BoJack Horseman, Season 6, Episode 15)

The long-standing question of viewers of BoJack was whether it would result in tragedy or recovery; in the end, the show had its horse and ate it too. The series finale, in which BoJack makes peace in his ruined friendships, could have easily grazed this list, but I gave the edge to the penultimate episode in the horse race. “The View from Halfway Down” is a fake out, a fever dream of finality as BoJack lays drowning in his pool, but it’s no half-measure. It’s a merciless manifestation of fears and regrets, forcing BoJack to confront all the darkness he’s been running from, with the haunting sensation that, this time, he might be in too deep. It’s a brutal piece of TV viewing, but the glass is halfway full: BoJack’s at his lowest point, but the episode is Bojack at its highest. 

AND THE BEST TV EPISODE OF 2020 IS...

#1. “A Dark, Quiet Death” (Mythic Quest: Raven’s Banquet, Season 1, Episode 5)

Mythic Quest took an unexpected detour early on in its debut season, chronicling the personal and professional growth and decay of couple Doc and Bean, video game designers who originally occupied the current headquarters of the show’s regular cast. Guest stars Jake Johnson and Cristin Milioti give life to “Death,” charming viewers and each other from their meet-cute to their late-in-life reunion. It’s a surprisingly surefooted key stroke for a first season sitcom, developing the entire show’s central thesis on the strength of this standalone episode. Bean and Doc act as a cautionary tale for both the destructive power of ego and the corrosive nature of capitalism; a carved heart from the two adorns the office as an omen while the modern day characters lock horns with the same beasts. Now that’s a scrumptious bit of mythmaking. 

NEXT UP: THE 2020 AARON FOR BEST TV PERFORMANCE!

[suitofvibraniumarmor]

** Writing Challenge **

I know, I know, my next one isn’t quite wrapped up yet, buttttt this idea came to me when my cousin and I were taking a walk down a ridiculous part of Memory Lane and I got excited. I’m guessing this has been done before at some point -- that’s not stopping me from presenting to you: 

I love fluff. And I wanna see more of it! 

Below the cut you will find some prompts that, in the context of Twilight, are absolutely cringe-worthy. My challenge to you is to take that prompt and make it something we can love. 

Disclaimer: I’m not Twilight-shaming ANYONE. I literally sat and watched all of Eclipse and now want to watch both Breaking Dawns. It’s more about sentiment, and the occasional girly giggle for me, but ... yeah. No judgement here, friends. 

Guidelines, prompts, and tags are below the cut! (Yes, I copied and tweaked from my last writing challenge. I’m being efficient, thank you! :P )

Please read all of the information carefully!

Rules, Guidelines, Important Dates:

Sign-Ups start when this post is live and will go through to December 30, 2020. I will accept two people for each prompt, one prompt per author.

Please send your sign-ups to my ask box so they’re easier to keep track of. I will answer them privately so I’m not flooding anyone’s dash!

In your ask, please include your preferred prompt and a backup option, as well as your pairing (so I don’t take the same pairing for the same prompt). Also, please let me know if you’ll be posting from a URL other than one you’re asking from.

To be included in the challenge masterlist, please post your fic (or the first part, if it’s a series) by Decemeber 31, 2020.

Please include an author’s note tagging me and mentioning the challenge in your fic post; include #BetterThanTwilightWC in the first five tags. If the tag doesn’t work, you may DM the link to me, also. If you decide to write a series, please tag me in the masterlist.

Please give me up to 48 hours to read your fic before checking if I have seen it. If I have not liked it after 48 hours, please DO check. (You know, since we’re all aware of how unreliable tumblr is. And how unreliable my mind can be. Yikes.)

The challenge masterlist will be posted between January 1 and January 4, 2020.

There are no word count limits, but please use the Keep Reading feature if your story goes beyond 500 words. Additionally, if your fic goes beyond 5000 words, please consider splitting it into multiple parts. This is not a requirement, only something to think about.

Yes, this is a FLUFF challenge, so you MUST have fluff as your main genre. You’re more than welcome to include other genres, but you MUST have a happy and/or hopeful ending.

You’re welcome to think outside of the box! Just because I’m talking Twilight and love stories, doesn’t mean there has to be romance! Give me  amazing friendships or strong family bonds or self-love. Or romance! Whatever you’d like. 

You're welcome to change pronouns in the prompt as necessary! Heck, I tweaked a few of ‘em so they’re not Twilight-specific.

For personal reasons, I do not read and will not accept into the challenge (which means I will not reblog or add to the masterlist) stories that include: non-con/dub-con, underage sex, adult-child romantic/sexual relationships, spouse-bashing, child abuse – I could go on, but I think you get the idea. If you’re not sure about something, I’m always happy to answer questions!

Bring on the ships, OC’s, reader pairings – I’m trying to be more open-minded as of late, but I can’t promise that I will read everything. Again, for personal reasons. But I will reblog everything! 

Characters and RPFs from Marvel/MCU are both welcome. 

If you need an extension or need to drop out, please know that I am extremely flexible when it comes to that deadline/due date. In the words of Captain Barbosa, “It’s really more of a guideline.” Just shoot me an ask or a message and we’ll work something out, no worries! 

Prompts: 

1. “I have always loved you, and I will always love you.”  2. “The clouds I can handle. But I can’t fight with an eclipse.”  3. “I know what you are.”  4. “You held out your hand and I took it without stopping to make sense of what I was doing.” 5. “You have a connection with her that I’ll never understand.” 6. “I’m glad she has you.” 7. “It will be like I never existed. I promise.” 8. “I knew who I wanted to be. I wanted to help people. Brings me happiness.” 9. “That will take a while to get used to.” “We have a while.” 10. “What if I’m not the hero? What if I’m the bad guy?” 11. “I’d rather hear your theories.” 12. (sarcastically) “Super. That makes me really happy.” 13. “You’re like my own personal brand of heroin.” 14. “Maybe I shouldn’t be dating such an old man. It’s gross. I should be thoroughly repulsed.” 15. “It’s an extraordinary thing to meet someone who you can bare your soul to and they’ll accept you for what you are.” 16. “I’ve been waiting for what seems like a very long time to get beyond what I am.” 17. “I feel like I can finally begin.” 18. “He’s totally gorgeous, obviously. But apparently nobody here is good enough for him.” 19. “He did say I couldn’t step inside the door. I came in through the window.” 20. “I know things. Like how to hunt somebody to the ends of the earth. And I know how to use a gun.” 21. “Now I’m afraid.” “Good.” 22. “I’m not afraid of you. I’m only afraid of losing you.” 23.  “About three things I was absolutely positive ...” 24. “You’re so stubborn.” 25. “Do you know how worried I’ve been?” 26. “I can’t even think about someone hurting you.” 27. “The only thing that can hurt me is you, and I don’t have anything else to be afraid of.” 28. “Don’t antagonize her. She’s the strongest one in the house.” 29. “All right. That’s enough experimenting for one day.” 30. “It never made sense for you to love me.” 31. “I wish there had been someone to vote no for me.” 32. “It’s just a little baby.” 33. “How strongly are you opposed to grand theft auto?” 34. “I’m not missing another fight!” 35. “No one can hide like me.” 36. “If I asked you to stay in the car, would you?” 37. “I have one condition, if you want me to do it myself.” 38. “I had an adrenaline rush. It’s very common. You can Google it.” 39. “How did you get in here?” “The window.” 40. “I love a happy ending. They are so rare.” 41. “You should put your seatbelt on.” 42. “Can you talk about something else? Distract me so I won’t turn around.” 43. “I can’t live in a world where you don’t exist.” 44. “After all the thousand times I’ve told you I love you, how could you let one word break your faith in me?” 45. “Maybe that’s why they kicked me out.” 46. “All of my best nights have happened since I met you.” 47. “You know everybody’s staring?” “Not that guy ... no, he just looked.” 48. “She wishes she was that awesome.” 49. “Does he visit often?” “Yeah, all the time.” 50. “Lie ... Lie better.” 51. “I’m Switzerland.” 52. “That should have been our first kiss.” 53. “Would you like to hear my story? It doesn’t have a happy ending -- but which of ours does?” 54. “Another party?” “It’ll be fun.” “Yeah. That’s what you said last time.” 55. “You are the only one who has ever touched my heart. I will always be yours.” 56. “The way he watches you. It’s like he’s willing to leap in front of you and take a bullet or something.” 57. “Kill me! Not him!” 58. “Stay.” “Give me one good reason.” 59. “Yeah, it’s and off day when I don’t get somebody telling me how edible I smell.” 60. “Damn it! You’ll be the death of me, I swear you will.” 61. “If I could dream at all, it would be about you. And I’m not afraid of it.” 62. “Do I dazzle you?” 63. “I’m tired of trying to stay away from you.” 64. “Bring on the shackles, I’m your prisoner.” 65. “You are my life now.” 66. “And then we continued blissfully into this small, perfect piece of our forever.” 67. “Nobody’s ever loved someone as much as I love you.” 68. “I don’t know what happened.” “You love him.” 69. “All of sudden it’s not gravity holding you to the planet, it’s her. Nothing else matters. You would do anything, be anything for her.” 70. “You really love her?” 71. “I don’t see the whole point of the rest of the world without her.” 72. “Then I found a promising site ... I waited impatiently for it to load, quickly clicked closed each ad that flashed across the screen. Finally, the screen finished -- simple, white background with black text; academic-looking. Two quotes greeted me on the homepage:” 73. “I was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him.” 74. “I’ll be fighting for her, too, and I’ll be fighting twice as hard as you will.” 75. “It’s always been him.” 76. “You don’t know how long I’ve waited for you.” 77. “They’re coming for her.” “They’re not gonna touch her.” 78. “Doesn’t he own a shirt?” 79. “You know, if it weren’t for the fact that we’re enemies and that you’re also trying to steal away the reason for my existence, I might actually like you.” 80. “You have disappeared. Like everything else.” 81. “The absence of him is everywhere I look.” 82. “I don’t have the strength to stay away from you anymore.” 83. “Your number was up the first time I met you.” 84. “We all like to drive fast.” 85. “It’s too easy to be myself with you.” 86. “I’ve never given much thought to how I’d die, but dying in the place of someone I love seems like a good way to go.” 87. “Don’t tempt me too far. My patience isn’t that perfect.” 88. “His tone questions my sanity, but it only made me more suspicious. It was like a perfect delivered line by a skilled actor.” 89. “What’s he mad about?” 90. “No measure of time with you will ever be enough.” 91. “I promise to love you forever, every single day of forever.” 92. “We’re gonna be great friends!” 93. “If I had my way, I would spend the majority of my time kissing him.” 94. “Until your heart stops beating.” 95. “I touched the cool miracle of his ski, and I was home.” 96. “Forbidden to remember, terrified to forget; it was a hard line to walk.” 97. “This isn’t the time to make hard and fast decisions. This is the time to make mistakes.” 98. “Leave it to you ... you have to start hanging out with the first weirdos you can find.” 99. “I love him much more than I should, and yet still nowhere near enough.” 100. “I refuse to be affected by territorial disputes.”

Tags for possible interest/signal boosting (if you’re so inclined): 

 @captain-s-rogers​​​​​​​​​​​​​ @star-spangled-man-with-a-plan​​​​​​​​​​​​​ @letsgetfuckingsuperwholocked​​​​​​​​​ @hurricanerin​​​​​​​​​​​​​ @horsesandbandsforlife​​​​​​​​​​​​​ @im-not-an-armrest-im-short​​​​​​​​​​​​​ @captain-rogers-beard​​​​​​​​​​​​​ @shynara51​​​​​​​​​​​​​ @sea040561​​​​​​​​​​​​​  @pinknerdpanda​​​​​​​​​​​​​ @xtina2191​​​​​​​​​​​​​ @jackryanplz​​​​​​​​​​​​​ @beakami​​​​​​​​​​​​​ @heartsaved​​​​​​​​​​​​​ @fullprunerebelstatesman​​​​​​​​​​​​​ @blackwidowismyhomegirl​​​​​​​​​​​​​ @the-murder-strut-murdered-me​​​​​​​​​​​​​  @shield-agent78​​​​​​​​​​​​​  @jennmurawski13​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ @okay-maybe-i-like-marvel-too​​​​​​​​​​​​​

[underthedekutree]

Young Link might have PTSD - Part 2: Termina is NOT a Parallel World, Technically

This is a continuation of my last post so if you’re seeing this and haven’t read it, go here.

This is the part where I somewhat smoothly segue into Majora’s Mask. Link, lonely and filled with unprocessed trauma, leaves Hyrule in search of Navi. According to most sources (which take from Hyrule Historia probably? don’t quote me on it), Link falls down a hole into Termina, a parallel world to Hyrule, that contains many familiar looking denizens of Hyrule, but playing different roles. And well, if you probably guessed by the title, I have a rather different interpretation.

Okay, so in a nutshell my theory is that Termina is in fact all a dream, kind of like Koholint Island. Except the one dreaming up this world isn’t some deity like the Giants or Skull Kid or the Moon. It’s Link.

(big explainey hoo hah below)

Evidence 1: Link begins the game sleeping. Yes, I know literally every Zelda game begins this way and it’s a whole tradition thing. I am beginning with the weakest points first and working my way up to the strong ones. We’ll get there.

Evidence 2: The reuse of character and environment models from Ocarina of Time. The literal IRL reason for this is of course the game famously being given only one year of production time, which meant that the most practical method was to reuse as much material from MM’s predecessor as possible (eg. Romani Ranch sign is the Kakariko Village sign, and still says Kakariko Village on it). It seems like a rather offhand afterthought for Nintendo to chalk it all up to “oh its just a parallel world like Link to the Past or something. But think of it like this; when we dream, we often see familiar people from throughout our lives put in strange and unexpected situations, like that irritable old farmhand you hated so much is now a depressed circus master for some reason. Dreams don’t make sense. Things you know will mix with other strange inexplicable things, fleeting thoughts in your mind, all roughly tied together by whatever emotions you had been feeling when you went to bed. Malon is split into two people, Romani and Cremia, her older and younger self. This might reflect how Link feels about Malon, that she changed so much in those 7 years that she’s like a different person entirely, that it’s hard for him to process that they are the same, because the change was so shockingly sudden for him.

Evidence 3: Gorons in the snow, Gerudo by the sea. Yes, I know that sounds a lot like good evidence for a parallel world (that’s why the idea is widely accepted in the first place, it has merit), but it also works in as dream world evidence too. As a child, my family was obsessed with skiing. We would go to the same mountain every winter, and we would stay at the same lodge. It almost became like a second home for me. So much so, that one night I dreamed that my house had been replaced by the lodge, so it wasn’t on a snow-capped mountain, but in a bushy Australian suburb. Okay that kinda got off subject but I’m bad at conclusions so in summary Dreams Just Be Like That (tm). You get what I’m saying right? No? Sorry, let’s just move on.

Evidence 4: The Milk Bar. AKA my favourite location in the game! It’s often overlooked as the “haha funny they couldn’t put alcohol in kids game so its kiddy milk hee hee”, but it is actually a strong thematic pillar of Majora’s Mask. As I mentioned in Part 1, if you put a 9 year old in a 16 year old’s body and call him an adult before ripping that all away is probably going to leave the kid with an identity crisis. What is a mature place open at late hours when children are sleeping? A bar. What is a drink associated with the young, being produced for the purpose of helping children grow? Milk. No please don’t go I swear there’s more to this, stay with me. In order to gain access to the bar, Link must prove he is mature enough by wearing a mask, a disguise, like Adult Link is to Young Link. Being adult isn’t earned through years of natural living experience and mental development, it’s a thing you are given by adults to just BE when they deem you worthy, at least from how Link sees it. So that is the amalgamation of dream thoughts that is the Milk Bar. Is it mature? Is it childish? What is the line between the two? Is there one? It’s the culmination of his anxieties and confusions that he doesn’t know how to express. Another, smaller expression of this anxiety is the Clock Town Guards. When Link is a Deku, the guards say they don’t allow children outside the gates. When Link turns back however, the guard goes to stop him because he looks too young, but sees that he has a sword, and lets him pass. Why the sword? Well, in one way this is a callback to Kokiri Forest, where Mido doesn’t let Link see the Deku Tree until he has a sword. But also, what is the item that lets Link travel through time and become an adult in OOT? The Master Sword. Link seems to believe that adulthood is measured by the things you have, physical markers of maturity, which is how lots of children see adulthood. You’re an adult if you can drink, if you’re tall, if you’re married, if you have a house, a car etc. But in reality this isn’t how it works. Heck, I’m technically an adult but I sure as hell don’t feel like one, because I know I still have things to learn about responsibility, patience and all the other things, that can only come with time, which is the moral conclusion of OOT, but clearly Link missed the memo. Don’t get me wrong, there are some indicators to show he’s grown a bit. He can ride Epona, use the bow, do flips like some kind of acrobat etc. But those strange and confused feelings linger, and manifest in the young boy’s dreams.

Evidence 5: The four transformation masks. The four masks represent different aspects of Link’s self, and the way he grew and changed in OOT. Deku Scrub the Innocent, Goron the Confident, Zora the Mature and Fierce Deity the Hero. Link began only knowing the Kokiri Forest, and nothing of the world outside. As he set out on his journey, he grew more confident in his skills and defeated greater foes. When evil took over, he learned from his fatal mistake and worked to right it. And when it was finally time to face the greatest threat, he was ready, with all the heart pieces, bottles full of fairies, Biggoron Sword in hand. At that moment he struck the final blow he probably felt like the strong and unstoppable hero everyone in Hyrule told him he needed to be. And that feeling of pure uncompromising strength, with the whole world behind him, manifested in the Fierce Deity. Fierce Deity is much taller than Adult Link, and packs so much of a punch that he can beat Majora without batting an eye, like some overpowered Super Saiyan. It reminds me a lot of Undertale, with young Asriel becoming what he imagines to be an all-powerful godlike being, like something you’d see as a children’s drawing. Fierce Deity gives off those vibes, like “he has a HUGE SWORD that SHOOTS BEAMS OF LIGHT and he’s 8 FOOT TALL and CAN KILL ENEMIES IN A SINGLE BLOW!!” Before the final battle on the moon, when Majora gives you the mask, he childishly asks if you want to play a game of good guys and bad guys. And the good guy always wins, no matter what. Fierce Deity makes the final boss a cakewalk, but its supposed to.

Evidence 6: Anju and Kafei. Short one, because it falls a lot into everything else I’ve said regarding childhood vs adulthood. Kafei is effectively a switcheroo of what happened to Link in OOT. An adult shrunk back to childhood, uncomfortable in his new body and looking for a way to fix everything. He’s a reflection of how Link now kinda feels like an adult in a child’s body, because he had started to be used to being called an adult.

Evidence 7: The Moon. I haven’t super touched on the main meat of the game yet, so here it is. The moon and the 3 day mechanic is an allegory for constant mounting pressure, that builds and builds, never ceasing, because the world is in danger, and there’s only one person who has been chosen to save it. I’ve always been interested in the Chosen One narrative, and how different media explore the idea of the world’s very existence being pushed onto one person. How at the end of it all, they can never be the same again after all they’ve gone through. When you’re somehow expected to hold up the Moon itself single-handed, and your life and everything you care about suffers because you’re putting everyone else before yourself. That feeling of complete loneliness under a crushing weight, and although other characters may come to help you, in the end its still all down to you, and you never had a choice in any of it, as all the decisions were made by someone else. You must do what they tell you. Believe in yourself, believe...

Evidence 8: Skull Kid. The story goes that long ago in Termina, the Skull Kid and the Giants played together, until one day, the Giants left, leaving the Skull Kid alone and heartbroken, with nobody to turn to. As life moves on, things may change, and people always come and go from your life. Your friend might move overseas, or stop texting you, or you might fall out of friendship after an awkward event from which you could never recover (no, these have totally not all happened to me, shut up i’m fine), or your fairy companion might just disappear without so much as a goodbye after their task is complete. And it feels like you didn’t matter at all. That they never really cared about you, and you’re as easy to drop and move on from as a child’s toy. You might get angry, and want to shut them out, and give them a taste of their own medicine. Majora’s Mask teaches you that this isn’t the case. Life is ever changing, but you will always have the memories of times with your friends, and a chance to make more with new friends, like a sassy talkative fairy sprite and her shy brother or a child made of wood who wants to destroy the world. Friends come from unlikely places, so accept that change will happen and hope that wherever the people you knew are, they’re okay. You’re thinking about them, so they might be thinking about you too. And who knows? Life is unpredictable. They might just come back one day, and it’ll be like they were never gone.

Evidence 9 (the final one, I promise): The Song of Healing. At the end of all things, after losing ones you love, connections to family and friends, memories of things long past... you need time to heal. Link’s journey through Termina is a constant gauntlet of running into his own past traumas, forced to relive them again, and again, and again. But sometimes you should take a deep breath, gather your thoughts, and take time to heal. Although it can be important to confront your fears and learn to surpass them, it is exhausting, and you can end up more emotionally broken than when you started. The three masks all had regrets of powerlessness; unable to protect your community, your loved ones, or even yourself. Troubles you’ve gone through that keep plaguing your mind, and you’re wondering if you’ve done enough, seeking answers where none can be found. And the best thing you can do... is accept and move on. Be kind to yourself, and give yourself time to heal. Link’s way of processing his grief and trauma is to create an entire hellscape world in his own head, but not everyone processes it the same way. Sometimes you feel like you need to busy yourself, or listen to soothing music, or talk to people you trust, or spend copious amounts of money, or make some angst art, or cuddle your plush toys until their stuffing squeezes out. Sometimes life hits you in the face and you want to blame yourself for standing in the firing line, but it’s not your fault. It’s okay to feel however you feel, whether you’re drenched in a pool of tears or you just feel numb, it’s okay and natural. You’re okay. You’re here.

Okay so it got kinda personal at the end there but I hope it was informative, and made you think a little bit differently about Majora’s Mask and Ocarina of Time. You probably want to go back and play them now. Me too.

So was this all just an excuse for me to gush about how cool Majora’s Mask is? Hell fucking yes it was. Congratulations for making it through my monstrous ramblings, you get the secret prize of looking at my weird art on my DA. Here you go. Have a nice day, Zelda Nerds.

[theincaprincess]

For a hero’s strength is measured by his heart *part 15*

My darlings I finally got the idea for the next part of Loki!! I hope you enjoy this part and I am so gald that yous have sticking by me, while I have been like a ship out in the middle of the sea whtout a sail.

@amyf20 @blankdblank @moonfaery @full-of-choices @the-human-cloud @ceruleanrainblues @markusstraya @johnlockismyonlytruelove  @kimanne723 @killedinamascarade @bilesxbilinskixlahey @meyoko10 @southsidesarcasticwriter @tolkienprincess @starlightintherain89 @fuer-immer-jetzt

Catch up here 

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14

Word count 1,197

Walking the halls of the palace Loki looked for Heimdall, checking each and every room for him but not finding him anywhere, huffing to himself Loki walked to the gardens where he started to pace back and forth trying to think about what was wrong with you, and why everyone was walking on eggshells around him, smirking to himself when he worked out the perfect idea.

Opening your eyes you took in the sight of a person you thought you would never see in Asgard or on another planet for that matter, sitting yourself up in the bed you reached for the glass of water and took a sip, turning your eyes back to the person you spoke "Steve, how did you get here?" 

"Thor came down and got me, he thought you would like to see the friendly face" he said with a soft smile. 

"It's nice to see someone else and not the same painful eyes of Thor" you spoke letting out a little cough. 

"Painful? Why what happened? Thor said you and Loki are fine now?" Steve spoke as he came closer and rubbed your back. 

"Oh we are, but... wait he didn't tell you anything?" You asked a little confused. 

"Thor said you just wanted to see a friendly face, and you were getting there" Steve said as he sat back in he chair looking over you trying to see anything that could be wrong. 

Leaning back on the bed you moved your hair out of your face and let out a small sigh "Steve you have to promise not to overreact" you said turning your eyes to him and getting a nod from him, taking a deep breath you started speaking "Thor said I died on the table four times and they nearly couldn't bring me back" finishing your sentence you looked at Steve and saw his eyes filling with tears before you could say anything more you felt his strong arms around you, hugging him back you two sat there for a while not speaking just hugging each other. 

After a while Steve pulled back from you and wiped his eyes and face, looking his watch beeping his face twisted with a sad smile "I have to go (y/n), when do you think you can return to the team?" 

"I hope soon Steve, as soon as these doctors give me and Loki the all clear, we will return" you said with a small smile as one of the nurses came in "time to sleep again" you said as you both watched the nurse inject you with the sleeping drug, feeling your eyelids getting heavy you reached out for Steves' hand, and felt him take it. 

Hearing the heavy breaths Steve turned to the nurse "is she fully asleep?" He asked getting a nod he placed your hand back next to your body and tapped it gently, leaning over you he left a soft kiss on your forehead and left the room, walking down the hall he entered a room and felt his emotions about to tip of the edge, his breathing got fast, balling his fists up he tried to control himself, but before he could he let out a loud scream, making everyone in earshot turn out of confusion the only thing that could be seen was the faint glow of green coming from under the door in which Steve Rogers entered but it wasn't Steve in the room it was Loki, and he was fuming that you had almost died to protect him, he should have protected you, and why did Thor not tell him, shaking from the anger building Loki left the room and headed to the palace to have a chit with his brother. 

....

Sitting in the throne room Thor was trying to make a plan on how to tell Loki what had happened to you, he could see his brother trying to put the pieces together and if he didn't find out soon he knew Loki's anger would get the better of him, and no one could talk to him in that state he always let his emotions get the better of him. 

Standing Thor made his way over to the table refilling his glass of mead, and taking one of the chicken legs bring it to his mouth Thor turned as the doors flew open and a very angry Loki stood there staring at him with the fury of a thousands suns, opening his mouth the chicken leg fall to the floor as Thor raised his hand in defensive.

"Brother, if I am correct, I know this is about (y/n), I was just trying to find the perfect time to tell you" Thor spoke as he slowly walked backward towards Mjolnir.

"And when would that have been brother? A year from now? Two? Or how about when she is no longer alive because of her mortal state?" Loki hissed full of anger, the thought of losing you to old age was killing him, but knowing he could have lost you sooner without knowing was the knife in his heart that did the most damage, looking from Thor to the floor for a split second gave Thor his chance.

"I'm sorry brother" Thor said as he threw Mjolnir at Loki hitting square in the chest sending him to the floor. 

"Get you stupid hammer off me" Loki coughed out trying to remove it himself, to no success.

"This is the only way I can have a conversation with you, without you trying to kill me brother" Thor said as he sat a few feet away from his struggling sibling.

Loki's anger started to subside, turning he looked to Thor who was watching him with the look of expecting anything, after he stopped struggling and let his arms and head fall to the floor "will you please remove this" Loki asked again.

"Remember when Father use to tell us about our three times great grandfather and his......"

"What does that have to do with this Thor?" Loki asked impatiently. 

"If you let me finish brother" Thor said before speaking again, "as I was saying our three times great grandfather wife, she was midgardian."

"Yes I know the story, he loved her more than life itself and he found the fruit that turned her immortal by her choice and they...." Loki stopped talking and looked at his brother in shock.

"Heimdall is searching all the nine realms for the fruit Loki, but it has to be her choice" standing Thor lifted his hammer off Loki, holding a hand out to his brother "I was going to tell you after and if he found it."

Taking Thor's hand Loki stood and brushed himself down, nodding his head he walked to the table and filled another glass of mead up, picking it up he picked up Thor's glasses and handed it to his brother "here's hoping he finds it" Loki said as he downed the drink, watching Thor down his own "now all I have to do is talk to (y/n) about it" Loki muttered, as Thor nodded picking up the jug and refilling their glasses.

Part 16 

[unabashedrebel]

Top 10 Characters

In no particular order

1) Lara Croft (Tomb Raider) Can I just say that I love how the reboots, both the movie and the new trilogy of games were phenomenal as a long time fan of this character? They did her right. They focused on her origins, how she came to be this mythic Tomb Raider who delves into the greatest mysteries of the world while fighting against an evil Illuminati type organization.

But she always has tenacity. She always has grit. She’s not always sure of herself, or her abilities, but still continues to do it anyways because it’s the right thing to do. Not to mention I love the whole cultured rich girl who gets her hands dirty literally all the time. I’ve loved everything about her characterization in the last few years.

2) Really the entire FF7 cast but; Tifa Lockhart (FF7) Is anyone actually surprised by this one? Look at my blog. It’s pretty Tifa-rific lately. Honestly I have no good excuse for this, I can’t actually trace back what the reason was that started me on really liking her character. Basically because she’s been my video game wife since I was about 10 years old.

I guess, if I really thought about it, I enjoy her realness. She’s an optimist but not fully in your face about it, she promotes kindness, she’s the mom friend. Always looking out for everyone else at the expense of herself. They’re traits that I really admire in people, and you know what? It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that maybe those feelings were in part brought on by a video game character from my childhood. Not only that but I’ve always loved the story thread with her about the conflict she faces in doing what she believes is the right thing, and the fallout that ensues.

Not only that but she’s a fucking badass.

3) Spider-Man (Peter Parker, Marvel) Shout to to the most relatable super-hero ever created. I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that Spider-man is a staple of New York, even if he’s fictional. He’s just... boiled down to that essence of a Queens kid. It’s amazing as someone from around this area.

But seriously, I think I like Peter the most because he really is relatable. He really does worry about the same things I find myself worrying about. He really does shoot out quips like that’s his super power. He really does try and do whats right regardless of what others think. He’s conflicted, he’s unsure of himself, he’s been granted this great power and feels the need to go out and help people with it, and again at great personal expense. He’s, to me? What a hero should be.

I guess I like him so much because I see a lot of myself in him. I can relate and put myself in those shoes. I can relate my experiences to his, and i’m not talking about getting bit by a radioactive spider. I’m talking about the human side to Peter Parker. His stresses when he’s out of the tights.

4) Geralt of Rivia (The Witcher, and again I love all the characters Geralts just tops. Ciri was a close second.) Yeah, yeah call me out and say ‘someone just binged’. YOU KNOW WHAT MAYBE I DID FOR THE SECOND TIME YOU CANT STOP ME.

Seriously though. For a character who does not like being social? Geralt is so beautifully written for. Fun fact, I haven’t actually played the games save for the half way through 2 and the intro to 3. But I read the first novel and I’m working my way through the second, and Geralt? He’s a man of few words. But when he does speak? Everybody fucking listens.

5) Kassandra (AC: Odyssey) Uhhhh, first women to win the wrestling Olympics? How could I not.

As a long time fan of Assassins Creed and the wonderfully written characters that I have been lucky enough to get to know as protagonists? Kassandra takes the cake. She was blunt, sassy, smart, and took nobodies shit. Forever has she branded the word Misthios in my head with that Greek twang. To the point where I get excited when I hear it.

Maybe it was a mix of being in the Ancient Greek world with her, another one of my favorites. But there was just something about her character that stuck out to me. Something I haven’t seen in their writing since Ezio.

6) Joel (The Last of Us) How the fuck could I not love the gruff and sad dad?

Dude the characters in this game were so insanely well done. Like you could literally tell that, besides the fact that it was an amazingly fun game? The dev team TRULY cared about the story, the reception, and the buildup.

Lets be real. That first scene with him when everything starts is about as heartbreaking as it comes. It sets you up to really accept that this man has lost everything, that he no longer cares about anything but survival, because he’s already learned that when you care? Those things can be easily taken away.

He’s cold. He’s quick. He’s capable. He’s ignorant to everyone else. Right up until he meets Ellie and that little girl begins to peel back the layers and show that Joel, under it all, is actually a pretty good guy who has been dealing with his trauma by building up walls.

All and all? I would recommend anyone playing this game just to see the transition of Joel. Ellie, as well, by no small measure. But Joel’s growth was one of my favorite things to ever watch unfold in a game.

7) Revan (Star Wars) Okay so I know this ones a bit obscure. He was actually featured as a protagonist of one of Star War, in my opinion, best roleplaying games. 

Basically I love this character because I think he actually GETS the whole thing. The cults. He doesn’t really subscribe to either of them, rather he’s used them to further his own goals. Which you know, as an RPG you get to chose, usually I like to chose he did what he did for the right reasons. Because the Jedi were failing the people they had to protect. Because he couldn’t stand by and watch a war be fought while they deliberated what to do. He never fully reasoned with the Sith, and as far as I knew didn’t quite care to share their extremist values. Frankly, he’s by far been the best representation to what I feel is a very opinionated debate in Star Wars: Why chose either side? They both suck in their own ways.

He saw passed all that, started a movement, started a war of ideologies when the universe was still young enough to hear those kinds of debates play out.

His story will forever be one of my absolute favorites in Star Wars.

8) Ahsoka Tano (Star Wars) If you haven’t watched the Clone Wars animated series and you’re a fan of Star Wars? What the fuck are you doing. This character alone is enough to justify the 7 season watch.

The Padawan of Anakin Skywalker. How can that go wrong, right? Actually, Ahsoka is one of the reasons I began to like Anakin in the first place. The whole series shows a different side to characters we love, honestly, you got to see Anakin be the best Jedi general anyone had ever seen. You got to see him train this young woman into an incredible Jedi, and honestly? The younger sister relationship that Ahsoka has with Anakin is just so well done.

But beyond that there’s so much to love about Ahsoka. If you haven’t caught the theme, I really do love strong characters who still have flaws. Who still have a lot to learn. Who make mistakes. But even after she had, never once did Ahsoka give up on what she believed in. Her values, in the end, proving to be stronger to her then the values instilled by the Jedi, even if they aligned.

My favorite thing is that you got to see her journey, literally from a learning padawan to a fully fledged Jedi badass. 

If we don’t get an Ahsoka series on Disney+ I’m gonna be pissed.

9) Nathan Drake (Uncharted) Cheeky rogue with a heart of gold that often gets by on sheer luck alone.

Need I say more?

10) Tanjiro Kamado (Demon Slayer) Okay, so don’t really expect many people to know this one.This character is the main protagonist in an anime that has literally taken all my attention. From the animation, to the story, to the undeniable ways in inspires me to write Sori.

Tanjiro, perhaps, is the driving force behind this. I just love this kid okay? He started out as NOTHING. Literally, nothing. He fought against overwhelming odds, knowing full well he would die, to save his sister. And in that moment? The person he was fighting let him go. He then sent him down the path of becoming a demon slayer.

This kid, who as far as I know was part of a large family of commoners gave everything he had to training his body to fight demons. Every time he stumbled, he found the strength to continue. He never gives up. He learns, he thinks, he’s a smart kid with this absolute bottomless well of determination.

I don’t want to ruin the plot of the anime too much because honestly this has been my favorite thing since Dragonball Super. You should go watch it. I promise you will understand right off the bat why I love this character so much.

I was tagged by: @serelia-evensong​ @safrona-shadowsun

Gonna tag: @draenei-tales​ @wildname​ @zeehva​ @ravensteel​ @fair-fae​ @monster-of-master​ @palaceofthedeadmemes​ @zariasilverleaf​ @starforger​ @asharinhun​ 

I’m also not sorry this is a long post. How dare you ask me to talk about shit I love.

[perditaalottachocolate-blog]

Spring Fever (15)

@adrinetteapril 2019 story

Chapter: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | art | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | art | 18 | 19 | 20 |

AO3 / fanfiction.net

A huge thank you to @goblin-alchemist for betareading this story!

*****

Chapter 15. Bridal Style

In which Adrien learns a new fact

For the first time in two days, Adrien appreciated the curse, even if he had to run to keep up with Nemesis. She circled the area with Marinette still tucked under her arm. Adrien was sure the sight of his friend dangling under a black wing on the second floor level would feature prominently in his future nightmares. He tried his best not to think what would happen if the akuma dropped the girl. And he still couldn’t transform. Too many eyes could see him right now and running into hiding was out of the question. Not when the invisible tether pulled him this way and that, as Nemesis flew over Paris.

But that wasn’t the most disturbing part of this particular event. As he was dragged through the streets he could hear Nemesis’s rant, as well as Marinette’s barked replies.

'How dare you kiss a boy like that. How dare you use him!’ The akuma hissed. ‘He should have been mine and I’ll make sure he will be!’

'It’s none of your business,’ Marinette hissed through clenched teeth. Adrien wondered how didn’t she suffer from vertigo yet. 'But I don’t make a habit of kissing boys I do not love.’

Huh? Adrien’s heart stopped for a second. His skin covered in cold sweat. Did he really hear that right?

'Yeah, like I believe you're in love with him,’ Nemesis snorted. 'You just want the same everyone wants - fame and money. What was it that Gabriel said? “A young budding designer”. Hah! You think I don’t know what that means? I’m surprised he even lets you close to Adrien considering how you’re clearly planning to make a career in fashion on his back.’

This time Marinette growled. 'I couldn’t care less for his fame, his connections or anything like that,’ she spat. 'I'd still want him. I’m not in love with his money, nor his name.’ Her voice got softer, more tender, when she spoke about him. 'He’s the sweetest, kindest person I’ve met. And when he doesn’t need to be an Agreste he’s funny and grumpy, caring and shy. I’d do anything for him,’ the girl assured hotly. 

No strings attached. Her words from earlier came back to him. If he needed this, she’d do it. Suddenly he felt sick as if he was the one flying above the ground at a villain’s mercy. The love of his life… loved him back. Not only that but she loved him for who he really was, she saw him, not the picture perfect model boy. He wouldn’t believe for even one second that she was trying to use him. She had plenty of occasions already. She loved him enough to kiss him and make him un-love her. 

'Hah. Adrien is nothing like that,’ Nemesis rebuked, although there was a hesitant lilt to her voice. She quickly shook herself. 'Well, since you’re so selfless you might as well help me lure Ladybug and Chat Noir here to get those miraculouses for my current boss,’ she drawled acidly. 'And then I’ll make sure you’ll never get close to Adrien again. He’s mine. My father promised me that.’

Finally she landed in the square, near its center. A location that would give her vantage when the heroes would come. As soon as Marinette’s feet touched the ground she started struggling against her ties. With an angry tug of her hand Nemesis retrieved her weapon. Marinette collapsed, clutching at her left ankle. 

'I suppose I don’t have to keep you tied,’ the akuma chuckled. 'You won’t get too far anyway.’

Adrien hid behind some ornamental bushes and watched Marinette as she sent the villain a hard look, before turning her eyes to the rooftops. By now surely Ladybug should have been alerted and on her way. He checked the Ladyblog, but he found no indication as to the heroine’s whereabouts.

'Hurry up, Ladybug,’ he murmured.

‘Couldn’t put it better myself,’ came a reply from nearby. 

Adrien swallowed a shriek of surprise. He whipped his head to the side. Alya was crouching maybe a meter away, phone at the ready. Her gaze shifted from Marinette’s form to the rooftops, then to Adrien.

‘They’re taking awfully long to get here, aren’t they?’ she asked, frowning in worry. ‘I’ve managed to get here on foot when I heard what happened. They should be here already.’

Well, one half of the super duo was here, Adrien thought bitterly, but he had no chance to transform with all the people watching him. And he couldn’t exactly run away either. The only direction for him was towards Marinette. Hmmm. Maybe that wasn’t a bad idea?

‘Hey, Alya,’ he nudged his classmate with an elbow. ‘Care for a little diversion?’

The girl sent him a confused look.

‘Marinette needs help,’ he explained. ‘I don’t want to wait for the heroes. I need you to divert the akuma’s attention for as long as you can. Unless…’ he faltered seeing her raised brows, ‘unless you don’t want to.’ Not everyone was a hero material after all. 

Alya cast one last uncertain look to the rooftops. She clenched her fists. ‘I’ll do what I can,’ she promised. She looked around. There was a metro station entrance nearby, with another exit on the other side of the square. Alya ran down the stairs and in a moment she emerged on the opposite side from Adrien. 

‘Yo!’ She yelled to the akuma. ‘A few words for the Ladyblog?’

Nemesis turned her way. Her lips curved in disdain. ‘Why would I talk to you?’

‘Ladybug and Chat Noir rely on my blog for information,’ Alya offered. ‘Maybe you have a message for them?’

The akuma considered this, tapping her fingers against her lip. She thoughtfully tugged at her whip from time to time. Alya gulped, but kept her phone set on the villain, her eyes not even once wandering to Adrien’s hideout. The girl must have nerves of steel, Adrien decided. He made a mental note to propose Alya as the candidate to take up Queen Bee’s mantle, now that Chloe had been relieved from her duty. Chat and Ladybug could use a teammate as bold and cheeky as the Ladyblogger.

‘Okay,’ Nemesis decided. ‘But I expect a professional interview, worthy of a goddess.’

‘Of course,’ Alya nodded. ‘So I suggest you move a little bit to the left, the shot would look much better, and you’d be out of the statue’s shadow. The lighting is perfect,’ the girl babbled, ‘the sun is not too high, the angle is awesome.’

That was a brilliant plan, but would Nemesis be vain enough to fall for it?

The villain hesitated. She cast a look towards her hostage, but Marinette smartly hunched over her hurt ankle. Her face twisted in pain, but the gleam in her eye told Adrien there was more acting than actual pain involved. Nemesis seemed to make up her mind.

‘Very well,’ she agreed, taking the spot Alya had suggested. ‘Does this look good?’

The Ladyblogger pursed her lips. ‘Can you, like, let your hair down your right shoulder? And turn your torso a bit like this,’ she instructed.

A string of suggestions flowed steadily from Alya’s lips, while Nemesis complied, caring for the best shot. Finally the girl nodded in satisfaction and signaled the villain to start her announcement.

Adrien didn’t waste a second. As soon as the akuma’s attention was on Alya, her head conveniently turned the other way, and her view obscured by the long wavy hair for better measure, he started sneaking soundlessly in Marinette’s direction. She caught his eye, and pointed to her ankle making a thumb down gesture. He nodded, never ceasing his prowl towards her. When she was within his reach he slipped one hand under her knees, wrapping the other around her back. In the next moment he was already sprinting towards the stairs to the metro station, with Marinette in his arms. He figured there’d be enough secluded places there for him to leave Marinette and finally transform.

His skin burned at her touch but he kept going, fuelled by fear for the person he loved. His heart sang at her proximity and happily provided the strength his muscles needed. Adrien had a brief flashback to all the times he held her so close, carrying her to safety. His cheeks stung with the fierceness of the blush that crawled onto his face. 

The shriek behind him brought him back to reality.

‘You tricked me, you little-’ a whip crack rolled over the square. ‘Hey! Stop!’ Nemesis cried after them.

Adrien heard another crack and felt the rush of air on his legs, but the villain missed him.

‘What do you mean “let them go”, Hawkmoth?’ she growled. ‘You promised I would get my revenge!’

He looked around. There was a statue in Alya’s place. Nemesis stood next to it and clutched at her head, a purple outline covering her eyes. 

‘I want them now, not later!’ she argued with the voice inside her head.

She hunched her shoulders, her face contorted in a grimace of pain. She could no longer see where he was going, so he sped up, reaching the metro stairs in record time. 

Once inside Adrien leaned against a wall to catch his breath. He squeezed his eyes shut to ignore the purple spots in his vision. His whole body was on fire. Pulling a stunt like that outside of his suit still took a lot of energy.

‘Um, Adrien?’ 

His heart beat faster at the sound of Marinette’s voice.

‘Yes, my l- Marinette?’ he breathed.

‘N-not that I’m complaining but can you put me down?’

***

Author’s Note: If you like this story, please let me know!

[salvatoreschool]

‘Legacies’ 2×06 Review: “That’s Nothing I Had to Remember”

Legacies Season 2 Episode 6 “That’s Nothing I Had to Remember” is yet another amazing episode for the show’s sophomore season. It has all of the things that drew fans to the TVD Universe in the first place, while also making sure Legacies stands on its own feet.

“That’s Nothing I Had to Remember” has so many great callbacks, character team-ups, and monster hi-jinx that it’s difficult to pick a favorite part. Whether it’s Lizzie and Landon’s brilliantly-paired comedic timing or Josie visiting a very familiar face for The Originals fans, this episode has it all.

A Pretty Little Liar

“That’s Nothing I Had to Remember” let viewers in on a bit of the very attractive and mysterious vampire Sebastian’s backstory. However, MG is a little too quick to understanding, especially since that leads him to reuniting Lizzie and Sebastian.

It is understandable that MG would want to give Sebastian the benefit of the doubt and believe the best, rather than the worst, but there should have been more resistance. Sebastian initially tells members of the Super Squad that he has killed multiple people, and it is known that he used Wade to revive his desiccated body, but none of those things set off alarm bells after Sebastian tells the story about him and Cassandra.

Yes, the story of Sebastian reeking bloody havoc on a town could be a reconstruction of his memories to account for missing Malivore monsters, but it seems suspicious that his memory would construct Sebastian as the monster of the tale. This posits that some part of Sebastian is capable of doing such a thing, if Sebastian is able to present that story to others with such conviction.

In that sense, Sebastian makes for a perfect foil for a character like MG. They live completely different lives and are products of completely different social standards and cultures. As interesting as it will be to see Lizzie interact with what she believed to be her literal dream guy, it will also be quite compelling to see the Sebastian and MG’s respective ideologies go head to head.

Always & Forever

This episode reunites Hope Mikaelson with her incredibly beautiful, powerful, and smart Aunt Freya (Riley Voelkel). There really aren’t enough compliments for Freya Mikaelson. She is truly a force to be reckoned with, and her few scenes in “That’s Nothing I Had to Remember” solidify that.

Fans of The Originals probably feel right at home at Rousseau’s, which is where Josie finds the infamous witch. Josie even sees the wall of Freya’s loved ones, some who have sadly passed away due to the events of The Originals. The recognition of those characters is the perfect reminder to fans that Legacies exists inside of such a rich universe with even richer stories.

This sentiment becomes even more obvious when Freya tells Josie that her wife, Keelin, is watching their son Nik that night. That’s right! Freya’s son is named after the legendary Klaus Mikaelson himself. Here’s to hoping that he doesn’t take after his mischievous uncle too much.

Though, the most emotional of Freya’s scenes comes near the episode’s end. Hope is all alone at the Commonwealth Day celebration, watching families and loved ones spend quality time with each other. Even after everyone’s memories are restored, Hope is still alone. At least, that’s what she thinks.

Freya appears just in time to give her niece the hug she so desperately needs. It gives Hope the chance to break and feel relief for once. Hope could crumble a bit in Freya’s arms and know everything would be okay.

The way Legacies seamlessly weaves Freya into this episode proves the strength of the TVD Universe. The Legacies characters have such strong bonds with so many different characters from The Vampire Diaries and The Originals that it is easy to let them interact. One can only imagine what will take place when Kai Parker pays Mystic Falls a visit in some way, shape, or form. Similar to Matt Donovan and Freya Mikaelson, these cameos only enriches the stories of everyone involved. They don’t feel self-serving; they’re organic, and that’s beautiful.

Self Love Isn’t Selfish

Josie goes through quite the journey in this episode, and a conclusion can be drawn from it. It’s not a new or remarkable one, as it has been relevant since Legacies’s series premiere. Josie needs to love herself before she can love anyone else. This is the same for a lot of the characters on the show, but for the purpose of this review, it is prevalent with Josie and Rafael in “That’s Nothing I Had to Remember.”

Josie doesn’t believe that Landon would ever choose her over Hope. This signifies that Josie doesn’t think she could be worth loving over Hope, that she wouldn’t measure up. While Hope and Landon have a sweeping romantic past, that does not erase what her and Landon had or even have.

Josie never gives herself the benefit of the doubt, and for her to truly be with someone, she needs to realize that she is a catch. Josie and Lizzie have been the most independent than they’ve ever been this season, and that has only influenced their individuality in good ways. Josie is clearly a girl with a giant heart who is too afraid of getting hurt to let herself fall too fast. This is only going to continue now that everyone’s Malivore’s memories are back.

If Landon does make the decision to break things off with Josie, it would only be beneficial for Josie to take the time that follows to get to know herself, to truly love herself.

Josie may even find some comfort in talking with Rafael, who once again subordinates his own feelings to benefit that of his best friend. Rafael always steps back when the situation can benefit Landon, and as admirable and lovely as that is, Rafael needs to put himself first every once in a while.

Rafael cannot continue acting as if his feelings don’t matter. It can’t be healthy for him to internalize all of that, especially as he grapples with being in his body again.

Let these two kids love themselves so they can love others, please and thank you.

Hypocritical Hero

Ric hasn’t been up to all that much this season, but what he does in “That’s Nothing I Had to Remember” doesn’t bode well for his character. Ric asks Kaleb to compel Sheriff Mac to forget that Ric told her about the supernatural world.

Ric has done this before to other characters over the course of the series, but it seems especially wrong now. This is not to say that Ric victimizing humans to compulsion without their consent at any point is a good thing. It just to say this the newest and most relevant case of this.

Ric was voted out of the position of Headmaster because the kids believed there needed to be change. That’s fine and fair. However, Ric has always stood by his beliefs and his rules. He is someone who has always believed in truth, knowledge, and justice. Those beliefs become flimsy when he manipulates them to benefit his situation.

Ric knows to keep his distance from Sheriff Mac even though he likes her and believes she would make a great partner in all of the supernatural-crime fighting, but he is honest with her. Then Ric compels that moment of honesty away in a deceitful action. He takes her agency from making a decision on the facts she knows and what he shared with her, because it is what Ric believes to be the best.

In a show that looks to tell supernatural stories with nuance and care, Ric’s journey this season looks to be telling quite an interesting story. Ric is someone audiences are meant to side with and root for as a hero. He is a renowned vampire hunter, historian, and general badass, but he also makes mistakes. He doesn’t always follow what he believes, and that is hypocritical.

This makes him an exciting character to watch this season. He’s blurring a lot of lines, which only proves there is still so much to learn about a character that has been on some fans’ TVs for a decade.

Other Spelltacular Moments

All of Lizzie’s nerdy references are perfectly delivered.

Hope saying, “Democracy isn’t what it used to be,” is a great moment of not-so-subtle shade.

How long had Lizzie been hiding under that table?

Sebastian better call everyone turnips forever.

Kym is an official member of the Super Squad now, right?

“I had a crush on Josie for a week when we were 14.” – Hope Mikaelson making the internet explode

MAYOR DONOVAN. It’s what Matt deserves. Although, it can’t be easy being Ric’s lawyer.

Legacies is new Thursdays at 9/8c on The CW.

[incorrecteragonquotes]

Eragon Movie Recap Part 7: Raiding Party

Prepare yourself for something shaped vaguely like a daring tale of adventure, rescue, and camaraderie.

We pick up where Part 6 left off. Eragon knows a nonzero number of things about magic. The Ra’zac are dead. Brom was a Dragon Rider back in the day. It seems that our team is finally making some good progress.

We begin back at Durza’s fort. He’s sitting at his desk, casually reading a nice, big book. We aren’t told what it is, but we do get to see a couple of pages, and there’s definitely at least one pentagram in there.

A party of Urgals enters the room, lead by that one guy whose foot Durza stabbed before putting him in charge of the operation. Presumably, they’re here to report on the failed ambush at Daret, but Durza speaks first - he already knows what happened. He is just that spooky. And he is not pleased.

Durza expresses his displeasure by poking the lead Urgal with a fingernail and waiting for him to drop dead. I would like to take a moment to observe that Durza’s fingernails bear a very strong resemblance to Galbatorix’s. Maybe they share a manicurist, or they taught each other their favourite nail care techniques over a long weekend? It seems that Durza likes to use his fingernails as an offensive magical weapon, though whether he does this to use magical fingernail properties or simply for the aesthetic is unclear.

After a few moments, the lead Urgal does indeed drop dead from the fingernail poke. Not one to waste time, Durza promotes another Urgal to team lead. The Urgal accepts this change, but is clearly nervous about being addressed directly by the spooky man. Ultimately, the Urgal just stands there looking tired.

Durza is also tired. He is tired of waiting for Eragon to die. He is tired of other people’s failure to force this event. So Durza takes matters into his own hands. Or rather, his own fingernails. He visits Arya on her table and gives her a Magic Poke Of Doom.

Meanwhile, far away, Eragon is sleeping. Suddenly, he experiences a vision of Arya unlike any he’s seen before. She’s meandering oddly around a misty, green-tinged, dream-like forest. Then, cementing this vision as different from all that came before it, Arya addresses Eragon directly. She asks him for his name and he answers, entranced. She takes a moment to inform Eragon of her plight and adds some additional infodump details for good measure. But wait! Unbeknownst to Eragon, Arya’s entire appearance was staged by Durza. With his intel planted and trap set, Durza ends the transmission.

Eragon wakes up from his info session and immediately begins preparing to leave on his new quest to rescue Arya. Brom, holding his trusty sleep knife, wakes up at the commotion. Eragon knows more now than what Brom has told him, and Brom recognizes this straight away. He questions Eragon, and tries to hold Eragon accountable for his dodging of the question, but is met with predictably poor results.

Brom tries to explain the gravity of the situation and the magnitude of the decision Eragon is making. They’ve nearly reached the Varden, but Arya is being held in Durza’s fort in Gil’ead, which is in the opposite direction. Eragon is worried that Arya will be killed if he doesn’t rescue her, but Brom reminds him that as a military operative she is prepared to die for her cause. He makes a compelling argument - all of the Varden’s sacrifices up to this point have been for Eragon’s sake, so Eragon’s plan to walk into Durza’s fort jeopardizes everything the Varden has worked for.

Eragon, naturally, fails to listen to Brom’s concerns in any meaningful capacity. Saphira tries to vouch for Brom, but is met with no more success. Eragon throws a few scathing remarks at Brom, including a claim that Brom has forgotten what it means to be Dragon Rider, before departing with Saphira, leaving Brom behind as they fly towards Gil’ead.

After soaring speedily over the countryside, our dynamic duo touch down on a rocky hill with a good view of Gil’ead. It’s unclear how long the flight took, but from the editing I’m willing to guess it was one long day of flying, which isn’t actually all too bad. What is bad is the fact that Eragon and Saphira are still disagreeing. Eragon has done some scheming, and he figures that he has to do the infiltration at night, alone. Saphira protests - after all, they can’t be much of a team if they aren’t both there - but Eragon spouts some nonsense about strength and ends the discussion.

Under the cover of night, Eragon disguises himself in a very loosely-fitting cloak and tries to blend in. Perhaps one does indeed simply walk into the enemy base. Things are going pretty smoothly, but Eragon is semi-subtly being stalked by another dude in a loosely-fitting cloak. But wait! We’ve seen him before. This is the mysterious stranger from Daret! What’s he doing? His presence here can’t be a coincidence, but does it really matter what Cloak Man is doing if Eragon consistently fails to notice him?

Before we move on, I would just like to take a moment to appreciate that Eragon’s walk into the fortress is one of the best atmospheric moments in this movie. The fort is this looming, menacing entity filled with mystery and danger. As our hero passes the point of no return, he comes to understand the meaning of this place - the lines of chained prisoners drudging their way through the corridors, the cloaked figures staring and whispering behind their masks, the torchlit hallways filled with the echoing commands of the prison wardens. It’s a very intriguing setup, and it would be amazing if only it had a little payoff.

Walking through the fortress, Eragon finds a big, circular hallway-room. He’s alone in here, so he decides that disguises are for chumps and takes off his hood. He wanders around for a bit before activating dragon-o-vision to locate Arya. What a pleasant surprise! They actually did use it more than once! Eragon draws his sword, uses magic to open to open the cell door, and is immediately greeted by Arya telling him that he really messed up.

Durza walks in and confirms Arya’s warning. He insults Eragon for a bit, talking about how underwhelming the new Dragon Rider is, and then he and Eragon begin to fight. It is immediately clear that Eragon is thoroughly outmatched.

Eragon fights with both sword and magic, but Durza fights with smoky Shade teleportation, magically flying weapons, and magically flying weapon racks. Understandably, Eragon can’t keep up. When Eragon begins to show signs of magic fatigue, Durza mocks him before dramatically launching a spear at the now-defenseless adversary.

Before the spear makes contact, however, Brom dives out of a hallway and into the spear’s path, saving Eragon by taking the blow himself. This raises a few questions. If Gil’ead was so problematically far out of the way, how did Brom get here on horseback nearly as quickly as Eragon and Saphira? They had a ludicrous speed advantage because of their flight. And surely a resourceful, experienced fighter like Brom would have a better method than this for deflecting a single spear. Why was this his first choice? This action made sense in the book because the lack of alternate options was justifiable, but this isn’t the case here. As such, Brom’s injury here strikes me as very contrived.

Eragon tries to salvage the situation by throwing Brom’s sword, Zar’roc, at Durza. Durza deflects the projectile easily and quips about Eragon’s incompetence, but wouldn’t you know it! Eragon did something smart! Eragon uses the quip time as a distraction, readying his bow and shooting Durza in the face. Defeated for now, Durza dissipates, smiling. This impressive maneuver wasn’t performed by Eragon in the book, but I guess the guy has to look useful somehow.

With Durza no longer a threat, Arya is free to move from her rock. She and Eragon support Brom as they struggle towards an exit. Soldiers are coming from every direction now, and there’s no use in attacking them. But just when things are starting to look dire, Saphira saves the day by weaponizing the ceiling. Most of the soldiers are taken out by the falling rubble, and Saphira deals with the remaining few herself.

As Arya and Brom get ready for flight, Eragon looks up to see Cloak Man on a balcony, aiming an arrow in his direction. But don’t worry! He was only aiming for a stray soldier immediately behind Eragon, not Eragon himself.

At Cloak Man’s suggestion, Saphira leaves with Eragon, Brom, and Arya. Cloak Man stays behind, but he seems to have the situation under control. Guards fire arrows at Saphira & friends as they leave. Eragon makes a big deal out of how they need to climb higher, Saphira makes a big deal out of how she can’t carry this much weight, and none of the arrows hit anyway. And so, our heroes fly out into the night, hearts heavy with their bittersweet victory.

That’s it for Part 7! This part covered about 9 minutes of screentime. So much happened this time! We got to see our first Shade Showdown, Arya got to do something new, and more exciting changes are on the horizon. As always, thank you for reading, and in particular I would like to thank you for your patience - it’s been a while, but I’m thrilled to finally be able to share this latest part with you all. And in case the sparse update schedule has you worried, I want to make it clear that the Recap will eventually be completed - I have no intention of abandoning the project early, life just gets in the way of things sometimes.

Remember to tune in next week when we visit such questions as “are evil fingernails part of the standard villain kit?”, “does Cloak Man know the secret to teleportation?”, and “who’s responsible for replacing the weapon racks in Gil’ead?”. See you then!