#I like big rocks and I cannot lie

[dicethrow]

Wait, it's only Monday? Today had felt like a week.

Well, here's a munday photo of me in front of a big rock:

[ldknightshade]

morality: a character creation guide

creating and understanding your oc’s personal moral code! no, i cannot tell you whether they’re gonna come out good or bad or grey; that part is up to you.

anyway, let’s rock.

i. politics

politics are a good way to indicate things your character values, especially when it comes to large-scale concepts such as government, community, and humanity as a whole.

say what you will about either image; i’d argue for the unintiated, the right image is a good introduction to some lesser discussed ideologies… some of which your oc may or may not fall under.

either way, taking a good look at your character’s values on the economic + social side of things is a good place to start, as politics are something that, well… we all have ‘em, you can’t avoid ‘em.

clearly, this will have to be adjusted for settings that utilize other schools of thought (such as fantasy + historical fiction and the divine right of kings), but again, economic/social scale plotting will be a good start for most.

ii. religion + philosophy

is your oc religious? do they believe in a form of higher power? do they follow some sort of philosophy?

are they devout? yes, this applies to non-religious theist and atheist characters as well; in the former’s case… is their belief in a higher power something that guides many of their actions or is their belief in a higher power something that only informs a few of their actions? for the atheists; do they militant anti-theists who believe atheism is the only way and that religion is harmful? or do they not care about religion, so long as it’s thrust upon them?

for the religious: what is your oc’s relationship with the higher power in question? are they very progressive by their religion’s standards or more orthodox? how well informed of their own religion are they?

does your oc follow a particular school of philosophical thought? how does that interact with their religious identification?

iii. values

by taking their political stance and their religious + philosophical stance, you have a fairly good grasp on the things your character values.

is there anything they value - due to backstory, or what they do, or what they love - that isn’t explained by political stance and religious and/or philosophical identification? some big players here will likely be your oc’s culture and past.

of everything you’ve determined they value, what do they value the most?

iv. “the line”

everyone draws it somewhere. we all have a line we won’t cross, no matter the lengths we go for what we believe is a noble cause. where does your character draw it? how far will they go for something they truly believe is a noble cause? as discussed in part iii of my tips for morally grey characters,

would they lie? cheat? steal? manipulate? maim? what about commit acts of vandalism? arson? would they kill?

but even when we have a line, sometimes we make exceptions for a variety of reasons. additionally, there are limits to some of the lengths we’d go to.

find your character’s line, their limits and their exceptions.

v. objectivism/relativism

objectivism, as defined by the merriam-webster dictionary, is “an ethical theory that moral good is objectively real or that moral precepts are objectively valid.”

relativism, as defined by the merriam-webster dictionary, is “a view that ethical truths depend on the individuals and groups holding them.”

what take on morality, as a concept, does your character have? is morality objective? is morality subjective?

we could really delve deep into this one, but this post is long enough that i don’t think we need to get into philosophical rambling… so this is a good starting point.

either way, exploring morality as a concept and how your character views it will allow for better application of their personal moral code.

vi. application

so, now you know what they believe and have a deep understanding of your character’s moral code, all that’s left is to apply it and understand how it informs their actions while taking their personality into account.

and interesting thing to note is that we are all hypocrites; you don’t have to do this, but it might be fun to play around with the concept of their moral code and add a little bit of hypocrisy to their actions as a treat.

either way, how do your character’s various beliefs interact? how does it make them interact with the world? with others? with their friends, family, and community? with their government? with their employment? with their studies? with the earth and environment itself?

in conclusion:

there’s a lot of things that inform one’s moral compass and i will never be able to touch on them all; however, this should hopefully serve as at least a basic guide.

[profundcherrylady]

SINGLE DAD!SAE ITOSHI

A/N: This isn't my usual content, but I was thinking about this scenario and I had huge baby fever so I couldn't NOT write it. I love Sae too much y'all. Also sorry for any spelling mistakes english ain't my first language.

Warnings: Mentions of death and grieving, Sae tries forcing his daughter to either eat her vegetables or go to school hungry (he doesn't go through with it)(this is a very brief scene but it could still be triggering to some people). STILL MOSTLY FLUFF I SWEAR.

Contents: Sae being a girl dad fr, y'all can't change my mind on this one, also Rin being an uncle. That's pretty much it. A little ooc (Rin mostly)

"Papaaaa" Mao complained, her voice echoing across the house and making Sae drop the dishes he was washing and walk across the house into her room to see what was going on... this time. Although he had a pretty good idea given her recent tantrums.

"Can't sleep?" he inquired, but he knew the answer as soon as she saw her curling up in her little bed and pouting, her doe teal eyes looking up to him as if to give him pity. "No, Mao, you cannot come sleep in my room."

"Why not?!"

"You've already been sleeping there all week... come on, you're a big girl, you can sleep on your own room."

"But I wanna be with you..." he sighed. It had seemed she had inherited his stubbornness, because sometimes it felt like there was just no way of making her change her mind when she was set on something. He leaned against the door a little, thinking about what to say that may change her mind.

"I know I was away for a while the last couple of weeks and I understand you missed me, but I can't have this conversation with you every single night."

"Why do you go away in the first place..."

"You know why, I have to for work." he countered, "And do not ask me why I can't bring you along, we've talked about this countless of times before. I don't go away for fun. If I bring you with me, you'll want to go everywhere with me and then you'll get fussy and mad because I'll be working all the time, or worse, you'll get bored to death in the hotel. Believe me, staying here is best for you when I go on business trips."

"But I just wanna be with you!!" his eye almost twitched in annoyance at the sight; he knew that tone of voice all too well. It was another tantrum coming his way, but still, he tried to remain calm for her sake.

"You're with me now."

"So can I sleep in your room?"

"No." then she threatened to start crying. He let out a low, defeated huff, holding back the urge to roll his eyes. She just wasn't giving up, was she? Pushing himself off the doorframe, he looked back at her before speaking. "Fine. Come on."

"This is the last time." he knew damn well that was a fat lie, but he still had to at least pretend to be firm. She would grow up to be a spoiled child otherwise, or at least that's what he was used to tell himself.

The little girl beamed, quickly jumping out of bed and running towards her father. She hopped with her arms up towards him asking to be carried, to which he complied. He wrapped his arms around her small frame and lifted her up, watching as she clung onto him as if he just came back from war or something. Could he really blame her, though? She had lost her mother and he was away all the time; it would be strange if she wasn't feeling lonely.

"Papa, sing me a song." Sae reconsidered his life decisions for a moment there, not gonna lie, but how could he honestly say no to those pleading eyes?

"Fine..." he sighed, his voice soft and low as he began humming whatever song he could think of on the top of his head. Still keeping a secure hold on her, Sae began rocking his daughter to further lure her to sleep. He held her with one arm so that he could close the door of her room, the soft click assuring him that everything was in order, and then started walking a few steps towards his.

By this point, little Mao was sound asleep on his arms, and he almost chuckled at the thought of his daughter refusing to sleep until she was with him. He carefully opened the door a few meters away and walked quitely to the bed, trying his best to not wake up the sleeping child on his arms, and set her down to rest. Once tucked in and comfortable, he let out a sigh of relief. Finally, the brat was asleep and he could be at peace. She could be so clingly and energetic sometimes... not that he cared that much, even though her restlessness was exhausting, it showed that she felt safe and loved enough to be her enthusiastic self around him without any regrets.

It was weird to him, like an unfamiliar sense of pride that surged at the sight of her young daughter bouncing around and playing endlessly. He would often look at her and think about how different her personality was from his, and how much it reminded him of her mother. Sae tried not to though, as he despised comparing his daughter to his late wife over and over again, but sometimes he just couldn't help it. From the way she smiled to the color of her hair... they were just so alike each other. He still kept all the memories from her close to his heart, which in a way made him feel guilty. Sae knew just how much his daughter yearned for a maternal figure; someone to talk to and educate her about girly stuff that he may not understand. He would watch her staring at the other kids with their moms and act like it really wasn't a big deal to avoid making him feel like he wasn't enough, but Sae knew better. It was obvious to him that his daughter absolutely adored him, and he was sure she thought he was enough, but he also knew that she missed having a mom. She missed her mom. He missed her mom too.

Normally he would avoid talking about it. It had been hard enough trying to explain to this small child that her mom wasn't coming home that night, or ever, let alone process his own grief at the loss of the only woman he once loved. If he cried, he had to do it when his daughter wasn't looking, because the last thing he needed to add to his worries was worrying his daughter to the point of avoiding everything that may set off a bad mood on him. It wasn't her fault, he just felt his heart break everytime he took her home and she pointed at a framed picture of her mom exclaiming 'Mama!' Or 'Hey mama', 'I'm back, mama', 'Miss you, mama'. He would hold back his tears and take a deep breath whenever she tried asking if she could visit her mom in the place she was at (as he initially had told her it was a place where she couldn't come back), having to explain carefully that she couldn't. She would get mad and ask why a bunch of times, but he didn't have the heart to tell her 'She's dead' straight up. He really tried to just give her an excuse like that she was sleeping forever or something, as if she was in the sleeping beauty, but then she just began asking if a true love kiss from him would wake her up. She was a child, after all, and she hadn't quite grassped the concept of death yet.

He let himself watch her sleep for a few moments, sinking in the stillness of the night. Taking care of a young child made this moments rare, and he treasured whatever rest he could get. He reached out to the nightstand and picked up the heater remote, pressing a couple of buttons to turn it on a bit; just enough to keep the room warm, as he knew nights at that time of the year could become fairly cold and he didn't want his daughter getting sick. And as expected, she got very evidently more comfortable as the room became warmer, falling into a deeper state of sleep. She had only carried her favorite bunny plushie from her room to hold onto and apparently that was all she needed to fall asleep. He plopped himself onto the bed as well and fell asleep almost instantly from the exhaustion of the day, not even caring about closing the door or the half-washed dishes he left on the sink or even the fact that he hadn't even changed his clothes. He was DONE for the day.

Although, the next day he most definitely regretted it.

He had to wake up early and finish cleaning all the mess his daughter had left throughout the day, plus now he had to make breakfast, wake her up and get her to school. Sae was a rather organized person and he would normally not find himself in this type of situation, but it seemed like ever since he became a father he was running short of time for everything no matter how much he tried to plan in advance.

"Morning." Sae greeted his still somewhat sleepy child as she yawned and climbed the chair infront of her to eat. "Slept well?"

"Mhm..." Mao mumbled, rubbing her eyes with one arm while she still clung to her favorite plushie with the other. He placed a plate on the table for her and then one for him, along with his usual morning coffee and the only damned brand of juice that she liked for some reason and that he had to drive for an hour to buy.

"Come on, eat. You have preschool today."

"Can't I skip? It's snowing so muuuuch." the kid dropped her head onto the table and sighed, clearly displeased about going to school.

"Apparently it's not snowing enough to cancel your classes. Now, please, eat."

He watched intently as his daughter took a close look at the food, pouting and feeling now rather down since she wasn't allowed to skip school. She took a couple of bites of her breakfast and she had a few sips of her juice, then she pushed her plate a little to indicate she was done.

"Thanks for the food." she was about to get off the table when she was interrupted by her father's stern voice.

"Not so fast. There is no way you're full with just that."

"Yeah I am..." such an obvious lie.

"Why aren't you eating? And I want the truth."

She pouted, AGAIN, before reluctantly giving an answer.

"It has green peppers on it..." and there you have it; this was the real challenge of Sae's day.

"I told you, they're good for you."

"But they're gross! Can I eat something else please?" this is Sae's life now. Even winning a soccer match was easier than getting his daughter to eat her vegetables.

"Mao, I spent a lot of time making breakfast for you, can you please finish your food? You still need to get ready to go to school. I don't have any time to make you more breakfeast; I have to go work."

"But... I really don't like them... please?" that was the last straw for him. He didn't mean to sound cruel, but he was tired and didn't know what else to say.

"Mao Itoshi, you're staying on this table until the last bite of food on your plate is GONE. If you don't, you'll go to school hungry and I'm not making you anything else after I pick you up. You are eating this one way or another." he almost instantly regretted the harsh tone of voice he had used, as he saw his kid's eyes begin watering. He passed his hands through his face in exasperation, took a deep breath, and walked around the table to pick her up. He exhaled, trying his best to remain calm before speaking to her again, as he could feel Mao's tears on his clothes and the little shudders she made at the effort to hold back tears. Sae patted and passed his fingers through his daughter's hair in a poor attempt to soothe her, but the damage was already done. She was holding thay bunny plush in her arms like a lifeline. "Sorry, okay? I didn't mean to be so hard on you. I woke up early to make your breakfast and you just took a few bites of it... I got frustrated, but that wasn't a reason to force you to eat something you don't like. I'm just saying, green peppers aren't the end of the world; they can be tasty."

"I guess I can eat them..." he sighed.

"No, you'll just be eating them out of guilt. You shouldn't do things you don't want to just because you're afraid of someone's bad mood." he thought for a moment. Mao eating the green peppers wasn't the ideal result now, she was hurt and vulnerable and that would only teach her that she should fear and comply which wouldn't end well on the long run... still, he did spend his time making her breakfast and didn't want it to go to waste. "Tell you what. I'll eat the green peppers for today, if you promise you'll at least try them next time, and I'll find another recipe to try to make them taste better. Sound good?" she nodded, still hiding her face from him by pressing it against his clothes. "Good. Now, I really don't have more time to make you more breakfast, so let's pick out the stuff you don't like just this once, and only this one time. I seriously need you to try to learn to eat your vegetables."

"...'kay."

"Let's hurry then; you still need to get ready for school."

Sae for sure was missing having some help on the raising of his daughter. He would never admit it though, he would try and pretend parenting was the easiest thing in the world when in reality he was fighting for his life everyday trying to shape this little human into a good person, and refraining from helping her while she failed at tying her shoe countless of times before admiting she didn't know how to do it (this is why he only buys her velcro).

He left the tiny sparkling pink shoes on the ground as he heard the doorbell, then looked at the clock hanging from the wall nearby. 8:14am, who in the world was it this early? Sae indicated his daughter to stay still on the couch before walking towards the door, and right after seeing the face on the other side he furrowed his eyebrows in surprise.

"Rin? What are you doing here?" his little brother then proceeded to push him aside and step inside as if it were his own house.

"Move, I didn't come here for you." his eyes traveled the room and eventually fell on the little girl sitting on the couch, and in a blink of an eye he had lifted the little girl up and hugged her tightly. Despite her surprise, she could obviously recognize her only favorite uncle.

To everyone's surprise, Rin absolutely adored his niece. Sure he had problems with his older brother but he didn't have to take it out on an innocent child that had done nothing to him. Besides, she was so adorable and bubbly and so NOT like Sae. Rin sometimes would stare at her in amazement, wondering how it was possible that this was truly Sae's spawn; yet the teal eyes and lower lashes were unmistakable. She was an Itoshi alright.

"Umclw Rwin!" her voice came out muffled, as she was currently being burried on his chest, but the sentiment was there.

"What are you doing here?" Sae was straight to the point, not caring about his cold tone of voice this time. And he says he doesn't have favorites.

"I just came back from my morning run." the younger Itoshi explained, still not looking at him in the eye. "Thought I'd stop by to say hello."

"To her."

"Yes, I didn't want to talk to your pathetic-"

"Language."

"Shut up."

"Don't hug her when you're still sweaty and gross, she just took a bath." he continued scolding Rin, earning a groan of frustration from him.

"Your dad is so annoying." his niece giggled at the obvious beef between his dad and uncle. She didn't really understand it but it was funny from her point of view. "Such lukewarm rules he has."

"Lukewarm!" she repeated.

"Rin, stop teaching her those words. Mao, say bye to your uncle; we have to get you to school."

"Awwwwww, can he come with?"

"Fine, whatever will get you to actually go to school. Rin, let's go."

"Don't boss me around." he complained, walking with his niece on his arms towards the door and setting her down. "Let's put on our shoes, shall we?" he took the shoes Sae had set down earlier and helped the kid put them on with ease. Of course, he had dealt with this countless of times before. Sae had the bad habit of using him as a free nanny for whenever he had to travel, which was often.

"Uncle Rin, how do you go running with all this snow? It's so cold!"

"When you run, you sweat and then it doesn't feel so cold." he finished tying the kid's shoelaces and took her by the hand, then Sae picked up a scarf wrapped it carefully around her neck.

"Don't take it off." he warned, watching as she began squirming to get away from the scratchy scarf. "It's cold out, I don't want you getting sick."

"Okay, papa." he gave her a quick kiss on the forehead before taking her free hand and not so subtly making Rin let go of her as he finally opened the front door. They were quickly hit by the cold winter air, and Mao shuddered a little at the sudden change in temperature.

Stil, Sae made sure his hand was holding hers tight and that she kept herself on his field of vision. There would be someday in the future where she wouldn't need him to hold her hand; he had to treasure these moments and not let her go while he still could.

[squeakyleftsneaker]

Some Style, Shit Substance: A Very Voltron Postmortem

A tale of squandered potential, and the necessity of multiple drafts.

For the past 3 weeks and change, I have been consumed by watching and taking copious notes on the 2016-18 reboot of Voltron, Voltron: Legendary Defender. This has been a truly baffling journey for me, I won't lie. Having some familiarity with older incarnations of Voltron I went in with a few expectations. That said, fairly immediately upon seeing the first episode, I realized it wouldn't be appropriate to view this show through that lens. Instead, I decided to take it for what it is.

In retrospect I kind of wish I hadn't. Because maybe I would have some residual fondness still for the original shenanigans. But still.

In the spirit of fairness, of experiencing a reboot through new eyes, and because I do not have the time to do an exhaustive and detailed rewatch of all other incarnations of Voltron for this purpose, I will, however, still be taking this show in isolation. I think that's only fair, and I won't be summarizing the show in any detail here either because, well, I'm worried about the length of this as is already. I will be going into this show from the granular to the very broadest of strokes, so obviously spoiler warning for all of this goes without saying.

The myriad issues with this reboot have somewhat ruined my life. I have been consumed by What If thanks to this show. I am haunted by this show. I wish I could tell you it was bad in a boring way. And it is at times. But it is also bad in several very interesting ways to me and so I cannot let this go. I am a dog with a bone. Or just boo boo the fool. I took all those notes and I want to do something with them. Dear reader, I have written so many words about this show without any order and the lack of order and cohesion rocks me to my core. So enough preamble, let's get into it.

It is very important to me to note that some of these characters lack last names.

Something like this seems a rather small quibble to open on. After all, the fandom assigned them some last names anyway, why should we be bothered by Hunk, Lance, and Keith never getting last names? And I think you'd be right to question the methods to my madness, this is a very small place to start, but I think it's a very illustrative place to open this show up.

Three out of the five characters from Earth that are at least nominally the protagonists of this show lack something so biographically simple as a last name. To me, in another context, an oversight I could forgive, I suppose. But you have to wonder, when Hunk and Lance's families are shown, when Lance's sister becomes a named and somewhat central character later in the show, why wouldn't you slip it in?

This is such a no brainer. When you're giving side characters who will only briefly appear, such as the MFE pilots Ryan Kinkade, Ina Leifsdottir, Nadia Rizavi, and James Griffin, full names, to not do so for your protagonists is just an odd oversight.

There's character details that simply don't make sense from moment to moment to moment. But the main thing that bugs me is that the characters, simply put, don't speak to each other. Whenever we see them during downtime, they're apart from each other. We're not watching a plucky group of upstart humans whisked into space with an alien princess to become friends and save the universe. We're watching a main cast with a level of civility comparable to coworkers in different divisions of a big corporation. These guys do not know each other.

Think I'm joking? Try to think of them hanging out. Just hanging out in the background of a shot, spending time together, chatting, anything, really. Or even better, when one character is missing, what happens?

Well you get your first real taste of the utter lack of bonding just two seasons and a bit of change in. Shiro dies, and not one character has a real moment that we saw on-screen to reminisce about with him. Not one. Keith goes away to the Blade of Marmalade and no one really says they miss him, nothing really changes in the team dynamic. Allura dies at the end of the show and we see the characters reminiscing and, well, you guessed it! It's not personal!

These people are not even friends, let alone a found family.

These people are strangers to each other, and to us! We don't know what they like to do, beyond Hunk being of course made to Love Food to the point where the show almost forgets that he's supposed to be a mechanic until they need someone to argue with Pidge.

I couldn't tell you what Shiro likes to do. I couldn't tell you much about Lance's background beyond "He has a big family. He's future-Cuban." I can't tell you anything about Hunk beyond "He's scared, he likes food, and he's a cheap tool for mean-spirited physical comedy for the writers." Pidge is Smart and Always Right. We know about Keith's backstory because he and Shiro share that much as a central focal point for the show until the show forgets about it (and put a pin in that, dear reader, we'll get there).

And lest I be accused of being a relentless hater, I'm being hard on it here because the show itself has a really great example of an interpersonal relationship done right. At least for most of it. From the outset of the first episode we know Keith and Shiro are friends from before all of this. We see them interacting in the background, we see how they interact with each other is different to how they interact with the other characters!

Moreover, the way their relationship evolves throughout the show has bearing on the actual story being told! Shiro's willingness to blow through an alliance with the Blade of Marmora for Keith, Keith's no-holds-barred determination to save Shiro, the way the story has them evolve from a more imbalanced relationship to ultimately becoming equals when they fall together at the cloning facility. It matters for the story that these two are the way they are, and the plot changes their relationship to each other.

And then the show threw all the goodwill from that away in the final two seasons where they effectively do not speak. So we don't even get to see any ultimate culmination of what that all meant for six seasons. And even worse, there's no other paladins that interact with each other. So here we are, by the time we reach season seven, none of the paladins talk to each other anymore.

It's why the romances in the show feel so cheap. There's no consistent characterization, there's just a bullet point or two for what each character Does. In terms of character, we have no character.

This makes a plausible romance for any of these characters really fucking difficult to write. They just don't talk to each other! We see them in meetings, I guess, where we as viewers are getting valuable exposition about the plot that has happened offscreen (and I will get to that, but we're starting on a foundational level), but nothing really outside of it.

The romances in this show are, frankly, messy. Lance will do a total 180 in scenes whenever they need him to, going from a bit goofy to wildly insecure to someone speaking like he's been pulled out of a fourth-rate self published poetry collection, just so they can have Allura seem attracted to him.

Unfortunately it also just makes him deeply, deeply boring.

Allura is flattened down for the plot. She simply must fall for Lotor, and instead of doing so in a believable fashion, her rougher edges are softened away off-screen. Her trust is not earned, it is instead simply placed in Lotor by the writers. Lotor, a character who we simply never have reason to trust because there is no effort to make him trustworthy. They'll show us his childhood, and yes, this could make him sympathetic, but at no point could a viewer truly believe he wouldn't betray the paladins.

As much as he used Allura in the narrative, the writers used her more. Flattened out, shrunk down, and ultimately, I think the worst part is that she wasn't the only one.

A collection of odd and counterproductive choices are made here.

There's any number of decisions made in this plot that are, overall, baffling. For me the most obvious choice would be having Allura pilot the red one once Shiro dies. They establish Allura to being a more instinctive pilot than the others, they establish that she and Keith have a lot in common– and they're both emotionally driven. They establish that it was her father's lion.

And then they have her pilot the blue lion. The blue lion which was kept on earth and is being piloted by the everyman character. The blue lion which is supposed to be an emotional foundation. But Allura doesn't necessarily fill that role in the team! She pushes back against Keith's leadership, rightfully, she fulfills a narrative role that is to push the team, she's impulsive, she's taking actions that are more aligned with how the show itself describes the red lion and Lance is, within the limited degree to which they remember to keep him consistent, in a much more supportive role to the team still.

We're splitting the most human (to us) character from the most human lion! The one with the connection to Earth! Our point of entry into space in the exact same way Lance is our point of entry into this world! We're putting Allura in a role that's not aligned with what she actually does! Why?

It could be an interesting subversion of the trope if they did something with it but they just don't. At no point is that interrogated. You'll see this keep coming up over and over again. And I remain firmly convinced that had this show had more time in development, someone would've come up with this very solution. Time and time again, you see moments that could've been more impactful had she been in the red lion due to her personal connection to it.

There's other odd instances where characters are put at odds with what we know of them. One interesting one for me was making Keith a massive hypocrite and doing nothing with it. Keith who screws everything over to go get Shiro tells Pidge off for going scorched earth for her loved ones. Why? Will they address this tension? Nope!

At the same time they position him as the one who needs to open up and stop fighting with Lance in spite of the fact that to him, Lance is effectively a stranger and Lance is the one who instigates every time. The show also seemingly forgets about this antagonism when convenient but will bring it back every now and then for cheap comedy.

It's fine to have shifting dynamics! But we don't see them shift at all! One moment it's one thing the next it's the other and we still don't feel like these characters are anything other than strangers to each other.

Shiro tells the paladins to spend time with their loved ones before the Atlas launches in season 8. Keith is completely alone. Shiro is completely alone. Lance and Allura go on a date to meet his family where Lance speaks to her in a way that is entirely unlike anything you could reasonably believe. Allura is softened down to an insecure and uncomfortable girl in need of comfort. They took the dynamic between them of Allura being confident and Lance being flirtatious but ultimately insecure and made it so that Lance is a generic romance man and Allura is just so unsure and meek that she needs him.

With all due disrespect, I'm rolling my eyes.

Speaking of eyerolls we simply need to address the Curtis in the room. Who is he? I don't know! You don't either! We know nothing about this cardboard cutout Shiro marries. I wonder what the divorce rates are in this universe.

I'm sorry, I know this is mean, but I feel rather insulted by the show. They spend a rather considerable amount of time getting Shiro to a point where he seems to be an equal to the paladins rather than forced to be their leader, and then he just doesn't speak to them for the final two seasons.

We spend all this time altering the power dynamic for nothing. We introduce the idea that Shiro had difficulties with a relationship, he felt grounded, he felt the need to push past his limits because others were imposing them on him. I'm not asking for Adam to get back together with him in the end, I think that sort of thing would've been unrealistic– it ended messily and before extremely traumatic events for both of them. That's a soup of bad idea right there. But closure for the two of them wouldn't have been a bad idea.

Well. It wouldn't have been a bad idea for Adam to live full stop. If only they hadn't killed him then maybe they wouldn't feel the need to rush a Happy Gay Wedding for the end credits. Shiro's character arc isn't fulfilled by romance! The show tells us he wanted to be free of expectations placed on him, the show strips him of all meaningful connections he might have, and as he finally gets to a place where both of those things can be fulfilled they shunt him off to the side.

But I guess we get two men kissing on screen? I really don't think I have anything kind to say about the show thinking that that's a substitute for a meaningful queer relationship. But with how they wrote seasons 7 and 8, there was simply nothing else they could have done without major changes.

I really think this show could've used several major changes.

It's just not shaped right, I'm afraid.

In the very first season of the show we get multiple multi-episode story arcs. This is a lot. They're very plot heavy episodes. This means the bulk of the first season is not spent establishing the characters, making them interact and setting the tone and overarching themes of the story through episodic plots.

I cannot overstate how difficult this makes setting up the remainder of the show. We enter season two with fuzzily defined characters, with a plot that is already in motion but not well established, and an utter lack of conventions set by the world.

No wonder there's a slew of exposition in the show. There's so much exposition I complained about it nearly every episode. This is bad for our immersion a lot of the time! Very early in the show we're told about the Balmeras and every detail about them. I cannot even begin to express how impactful that information would've been had it come from interaction.

The show spends a lot of time telling. Which, I thought the point of a show is, well, to show.

This bleeds over from the characters, where we're told they're friends but I struggle to see how they could possibly be when we never see them together. We spend so much time in the Castle of Lions, and I frankly couldn't tell you a personal thing about it! They have to give up the damn castle and we as viewers feel almost nothing because it's just not something we interact with beyond being on the bridge for an exposition dump briefing before an episode. It just robs us of the opportunity to connect.

We spend so much time with side characters in the final seasons of the show the main characters get lost. Because they have the exact same degree of development and depth as the side characters. We fundamentally do not know anything here.

There is a world where this show is shaped right– the first season is getting to know characters. Spend that time on episodic and self-contained adventures! Then give us the big tonal swing for the season 1 finale. Season 2 can stay somewhat similar, I think it really hit a good note there, just cut down on the exposition and definitely let us come to the realization of how Zarkon is tracking them rather than just telling us. Build it up like a horror movie. Give us the big sense of loss when they lose Shiro because we've spent time seeing him interact with other paladins! Then they can relate to Keith.

GIVE ALLURA THE RED LION for fucks sake it's an easy fix! Have Lance work through his feelings of insecurity with reference to Keith without having to step into his shoes! Have Keith come to the realization on his own that once they find Shiro, he'd need to step down.

For fucks sake the clone needs to feel insidious. Don't TELL us he's a clone from the start! Have him interact in ways that are slightly off. Have the characters actually notice, have them miss Keith or even just think about him every now and then when he runs off. Start building trust between Allura and Lance, make us trust Lotor before showing us what he's up to (and maybe explore the idea that Voltron is allying with the heir to the Galra throne). Address the character moments.

Seasons 7 and 8 are beyond rushed. I am fully on board for them doing a hero's cycle return to Earth, but my god they lack structure in both of these seasons. Focus. Focus on your main characters, focus on both the ways in which the Earth has changed but they have too. Let us see more of Lance's family and the ways they relate to him have changed! Let Hunk not be a cheap joke please! Maybe let Keith NoLastName and James Griffin work it out on the remix.

Give Shiro something to do please. Shiro and Keith in the final two seasons are friendless and Shiro gets to do fuckall. Keith is pretty damn useless in the show's finale too. Give them something to do! And please, please, please, remember your ensemble cast needs to interact.

What are we doing here, Bob?

The overarching plot of this show is a bit muddled. Ultimately you can, if you try your best, piece together the semblance of a plot as needed– there is a universal threat from the corruption brought in by the cosmic rift, and it must be fixed.

But that's kind of weird, isn't it? It negates the damages done by Zarkon's empire. It even negates Lotor's colonial impulses. It takes away from the Earth, it takes away from Sendak.

And it takes away from all of that not because it exists, but because it removes the source of their wrongs from their own choices. It removes agency. It cuts down our antagonists! Our antagonists are no longer persons, instead our principal antagonist is. A magical blob of evil from the space between dimensions. A primordial evil. One that robs everything that's come before it of intention.

The pacing is all over the place, not aided by the extensive amounts of exposition in every episode. It's not an unfixable show, but in the ways that the season structures are all off, so too is the thematic undertone of the show.

The show's ultimate conclusion brings us to leave one of the main characters behind, because what does Shiro even do right now. Keith is ultimately pretty useless, and really all of the paladins lack agency, even Allura, because they're following the whims of a magical evil space blob. Great. That's a great way to conclude.

And the show looks at Allura, at the first incarnation where she's not represented as white, at this woman who has lost everything and come out fighting on the other end, at this woman who they made fall for a colonizer, and decides that the best thing she could possibly do for the universe is die.

This Black woman must die to fix the sins of her people, that corrupted the villains. You see, it's really the woman's fault. It was Eve that brought Adam the apple. The show at no point questions that. The show concludes, ultimately, that it is a good thing for a woman to die for this. That's a great note to end your story on, I guess.

The assortment of errors tells a story I cannot endorse

To do something worthy, in Voltron, is to sacrifice yourself. Lance does it. Keith does it. Shiro succeeds at it. The show's conclusion is that Allura can only save the universe through her death. Fatalistic, and I can only hope that theming was unintentional.

But there's another undercurrent that unsettles me in the show, with the status quo of the universe. It's the unquestioning belief that Lotor was doing something right at all. It's the unquestioned reality of hereditary monarchy. It's the unquestioning position of superweapons as a moral necessity.

Voltron is a weapon, made of smaller weapons. Voltron used to be the collection of the powerful. Though the show gestures at Zarkon considering there to be inferiors and superiors, it sure as hell does a fantastic job at reinforcing the notion. The Earth is governed by military authority. The Altean castle is weaponized. There is no Eden for Voltron, there is no peaceful before time. We learn the Alteans are supposedly diplomats and not warriors and yet there is a need for diplomacy as organized by a hereditary monarchy, and a desire to make a superweapon from an unknown material.

I keep emphasizing that Voltron is a superweapon because when Lotor ascends the throne and uses Voltron to his political aims, that should matter! There is an inherent tension with a superweapon being considered a symbol of peace. A tension exacerbated when it aligns itself with the heir to a colonial empire.

A colonial history that the show itself never questions. When the paladins help to fix a shield on a "labor planet" at no point do we think about what the phrase labor planet implies. In episodes where they're trying to rescue the aliens, very little time is spent actually getting to know the aliens. We have little time for sympathy for the colonized.

We see the Voltron show, pure pageantry at the service of ego, juxtaposed with real loss of life, from the Blades, from the rebels memorialized with the phrase "The path to freedom is won through sacrifice." And then there is nothing to indicate those two things are in tension.

We see Honerva corrupt her husband in something that could almost be a parody of Adam and Eve. He is, of course, narratively redeemed in the end in spite of killing countless people, in spite of effectively committing a genocide of the Alteans. Honerva must be fixed by another woman, a woman who can only do the greatest good for the universe by dying.

I am not inclined to be charitable about these decisions.

Does the show realize it's in tension? Does the show realize it is telling us as viewers that the powerful are sympathetic, that we normal people are to be sacrificed, that the military and weapons are an ultimate good, that good and bad are intrinsic to a person and not

I'm not going to shy away from the fact that it leaves a foul taste in my mouth.

Ultimately I don't think any of the more insidious parts were deliberate. We fall back on tropes, on the stereotype, on the language of a genre that has been largely determined by the society that formed it (psst just a hint for this kind of science fiction, that's a lot of white dudes), when we don't watch ourselves. And how can you keep a wary eye on plot, on structure, on the nuances of the politics of the world you're writing, when you're taking three years to put out eight seasons of this show. That's not enough time for a PhD in my field of study! Let alone a long-term science fiction show with a writing team, animation team, etc.

When you rush, you say things you don't intend to. We all are guilty of this. If you think you're not you're probably lying to yourself. This show was so rushed I'm not at all surprised it turned out the way it did.

I'm just disappointed.

For all its flaws this show displays technical proficiency in a lot of areas. The animation is beautiful, they consistently write and animate great fight scenes that make wonderful use of vivid and unique environments. I think that Keith and Shiro as an interpersonal dynamic for the first six seasons of the show is terrifically done in places. I think the fight between them at the cloning facility is probably the peak of the show in writing and animation. Spectacular, heart-wrenching, and serves to bring them to an equal playing field.

Some moments of the show are genuinely funny. The writers have a good grasp on humor when they're not doing mean-spirited physical comedy with Hunk. There's a lot to like about the potential of Voltron. The voice acting and performances are great! I think they got a really lovely cast together and they play off of each other well!

It's just impossible to write something of this scale in three years and have it work out. It's impossible because we need time and space away from our writing to think about what it needs changed. We need to take the time to explore other ideas.

I love science fiction. I will always love science fiction. And this show was made by people who are good at what they do. They just didn't have time.

El flojo trabaja doble. By not drafting over and over again, they made it almost impossible to salvage this show. Take more time, the work in the later seasons to bring about a fulfilling ending would've been achievable.

As it stands the show is a colossal wreck. A tale of a lot potential, a sea of good ideas, and a road to hell paved with good intentions.

[diminuel]

I can see Rocks still vying for emperor but also like he’s where Luffy got his ideas of sportsmanship and fairness (Garp is not sportsmanlike do not lie to me)

Yes yes the new Rocks Pirates and Big Mom Pirates can compete for territory, but its Saturdayyyyy LinLin I brought Party Island Tequila lets go burn down a Marine ship for funnnnnn

New problem: Dragon ADORES stepdad Newgate. But is increasingly insecure/paranoid about Rocks’ relationship to the Big Mom pirates (and the amount of “eligible bachelors and bachelorettes”. Cringes every time he hears Rocks comment on how *strong* and *beautiful* so-and-so grew up to be)

I think eventually Rocks will shake up the world, he's just plotting things because I feel he knows that he can't do it all alone. He needs a crew, allies. He cannot rely on his old notoriety, especially if the WG resolutely refuses to report on his feats, issue a bounty or do anything but send Cipher Pol after him.

But Emperor isn't enough for him at the end of the day. He wants a throne higher up. All the way up.

Sportsmanship though, yeah, sure! Rocks' pirate code is quite different than what Luffy might encounter, maybe also quite different to what Crocodile himself would have told Luffy about piracy.

Dragon might even have reasons to be paranoid (not really, Crocodile is happy with him) when Rocks drops some Croco lore like "oh yes, Linlin and I shook hands on it decades ago! Crocodile's married to [insert handsome Charlotte offspring]" Dragon has no idea if Rocks is just causing problems for fun or if it's actually true. Croc might just shrug it off when it's mentioned to him because it doesn't matter.

(But now I'm imagining Rocks just casually calling Dragon to chat about beautiful men and women he's met. Like. Why. Why does Dragon need to know that?? He'll have to call Whitebeard and ask what Rocks means by that. Is he just chatting? Is he threatening him that there are other people out there that Croc could marry? And then Whitebeard has to call Rocks to please stop stressing out their son-in-law.)

[nyaskitten]

EDIT: THIS POST IS INACCURATE !!!

I made the assumption Olive was editing the wiki articles, and while that's a very logical conclusion to reach, it was actually someone who shares the same viewpoints as them!!! Anything including the wiki articles and Olive's involvement is wrong and that's my bad!!!

Alright fellas, I guess we did it. We have reached the tipping point. I'm going to dedicate this post to calling out one specific person, @olivescales3, and their very toxic behavior. This post will be a bit messy, and I do apologize in advance, I'm writing this from the perspective of a Ninjago fan who also thinks beyond just the petty fandom stuff, what they're doing is just not cool.

I will clarify, I do not make this post for petty fandom drama, I make this to better spread awareness on some of the bullshit they're doing, so you can look out for and understand that they're bullshitting. Without further ado, I think we should just get into it.

So, what have they done?

Now, I should say while there is no 100000% concrete link between hyenabro and olivescales, I think based on their talking points (as well and the information I've recieved from friends in the Chima fandom, who have a bunch of prior experience with them,) it's safe to make this assumption!

So, what has olivescales DONE in this case? Simple, they've vandalized the Chima wiki on NUMEROUS occasions, even after several different people have revised their revisions, so as to discredit any conenctions between Dragons Rising and Chima.

(Green is their edits, red is the ones prior to theirs, I found this while going through their contributions section on their Fandom account, HyenaBro119)

As seen here, they have (under the username HyenaBro119) edited the pages for Chima AND the Forever Rock (I have two similar screenshots of essentially the same thing, one was from the Forever Rock article, the other was from Chima) and claimed Ninjago's lore to be some alternate universe. To further validate it, they write "Ras' visit to," but Ras NEVER claimed to have VISITED these locations, just that he knows them. They also claim the Forever Rock was destroyed, a blatant lie. Only a small section of rock on the Forever Rock was actually destroyed, not the whole thing.

Now, you're gonna ask "but Raine, how can you 100000% say it's them?" and I will cite common sense. While I cannot directly tie Olive to hyena, I CAN say their wording is SO very similar.

Both Hyena and Olive call DR "a parallel/alternate universe," and again, claim Forever Rock was destroyed, WHICH IS A FULL ON LIE. They're so adamant to protect "the sanctity of Chima's pre-established, set-in-stone lore" that they can't stop to think maybe, JUST MAYBE, sometimes a story can get new lore which can ALSO be canon!

I'd also love to share this HILARIOUS screenshot of one of their many posts, which not only backs up what I'm saying, but it's like damn they really set themself up huh!

Gee I wonder why you feel alone! Maybe it's because you are! Maybe it's because you're lying and making shit up to prove yourself right! No one is as big of a hater as you!

The also LOVE saying Ninjago cannot do anything with Chima unless they get express permission from the creator of Chima, some guy named John Derevlany, but oh man what's this I see before me?

CO-CREATOR? Oh but Olive, I thought he was the CREATOR of Chima, not CO-creator... ALSO Lego owns the rights to Chima, and Ninjago, and every other theme, as said by Doc himself! If anything he wasn't really dodging the question, just giving a vague answer, because he doesn't know much about the old contracts!

From what he said, it's clear that if they wanted to use anything from the other themes, they'd have to consult folks over at LEGO, not John Derevlany or Tommy A.!

Now here's the THING, I GET where they're coming from, it CAN be annoying to have people only care about a thing you like in relation to something else, but when you're going out of your way to argue that none of it can be canon and it's all an alternate universe it's like... god it's so sad and pathetic really.

Their lies and BS don't even end there with the wiki shit, because I have THIS glorious gem.

A) They bring up that the Ninjago folk do not know who the Phoenixes are which is like, okay??? Why the fuck are they gonna know about how another universe was created??? That's like if someone told me I don't exist in the same universe as my glasses because I have no clue who made them, that is to say, that's stupid as FUCK to say!

B) OH they say something REAAALLL funny ohohohho I am actually dying. Olive says the Phoenix icon "appeared in a Ninjago episode" and "Ninjago tends to reuse assets." Yep, NINJAGO is the one who reused the phoenix symbol, mhm. The symbol that was made in 2011 for NINJAGO, which cameoed in CHIMA in 2014, was actually just an asset reuse by Ninjago. I feel like this actually goes to show how desparate they are to feel right and validated, because this? This a lie! Ninjago made the symbol, and because Tommy A. is co-creator to both, he wanted to slip in a neat Ninjago reference, so he slipped in the Phoenix symbol Nya uses for the Phoenix tribe, not the other way around!

Another REALLY funny thing they did, aside from the wiki and Phoenix symbol shit, was this hilarious attempt at being right!

Yes, the compared the WOLF Masks to BATman's cowl, and did a horribly rough comparison illustration that very much does not make sense. If you actually compared them side by side, the only similarities would be they're both angry animal themed mask with pointy ears, which does NOT go very far in the long run. The foreheads they drew aren't even the same fucking shape lol.

OH ANS WE CANNOT FORGET THIS ONE! Their using a post about the Palestinian genocide and boycotting Lego in order to complain about Ninjago.

They claim Ninjago is produced by Lego, unlike other Lego shows, which is an EXTREMELY bullshit fucking claim. Just like Chima and Nexo Knights, Ninjago is produced by Lego, it's not JUST Ninjago produced by Lego, they are all Canadian-Danish CGI action shows, and they're all known to have Tommy Andreasen involved in the creation of them.

They're using a post about boycotting for the sake of innocent people DYING to complain about a lego ninja show for... killing evil people? It doesn't glorify war, the worst it does in regards to war is like not address how fucked up it can be in regards to the Serpentine War, but that's like it. I think it's so funny they want to single out Ninjago as if it's the only TV series where villains die for trying to conquer/destroy the world.

So, what do I want the takeaway from this post to be? What do I want you to get from it? I don't really know anymore, I just don't want Olive's horrendously toxic behaviors, and straight up lies to stop. If anything I think it's beautiful that Ninjago is making others interested in revisiting Chima again, stop being such a fucking hater dude. They act like Chima is some holy grail of Lego, the greatest thing since bread, but it, just like Ninjago, Dreamzzz, Hidden Side, and Nexo Knights, have Tommy in creative roles.

To act like Chima is somehow greater than is to place it on an unrealistic pedestal as if it's a godsend, when in reality it was co-created by Tommy Fucking Andreasen.

If you read through all of this, I do THOROUGHLY appreciate it, I didn't mean for this post to descend into an angry ramble but ehhh yk how it is. And Olive, if you see this, please, just stop with the bullshit.

[immarble]

If the 141 aren’t in the military, shooting people to death for the greater good, what would their other jobs be?

Hi again! Back at it again at Krispy Kreme with me rambling about more head canons! This time it’s what their other jobs may be if the 141 aren’t shooting people and y’know, all that military jazz. Not gonna lie, this may be somewhat important for my fic that I’m creating, so I thought why not kill two birds with one stone? Not only for me to give these characters an actual life along with their personalities (especially Soap and Gaz, as they’re the main characters of my WIP which I won’t disclose, it’s a spoiler lol), but also for you to enjoy and maybe, just maybe might be similar with my own interpretation (however if you have any different kinds of head canons of the characters mentioned then by all means, please comment on what their jobs would be! It’ll be interesting to know everyone’s ideas, and I love to hear from you gremlins!)

Anyways, let’s get started! Once again, from my previous head canon ramble I’ll be using the five (Price, Ghost, Gaz, Soap and Roach), but like my previous post you can ask me on different characters that I can do and I'd be happy to yap, (same goes with the previous post!)

Price: Captain… Of the football team!

(Fooled ya.)

So when I was making this I was like, “Y'know, I could make Peepaw Price become a captain again," So why not make him a star football player? I saw a fanart of Price competing in football (I wish I tell y'all who the artist was so I can praise their work and give ‘em all the kudos LMAO), but I thought it was fitting for him y'know? Like just imagine him grabbing wins and trophies because his team (can be any, whether it'd be the 141 or different characters) are the best of the best.

Ghost: Detective..?

Honestly? He gives either L.A. Noire or Sherlock Holmes vibes, take your pick. Anyways, I think Simon would be a pretty well known detective, who leaves no stone unturned and his methods are… Mysterious, to say the least. Rumors say that he may be a serial killer, like the infamous Dexter, but nobody could know if he's part of it or not. (And besides, you shouldn't question The Ghost… Lest you don't want to be the headline of a news article.)

Gaz: Model

Gucci, Prada, YSL, Abercrombie and Fitch. Whatever the brand is, if there's a new clothing article coming out then Kyle's your model. He makes rather mundane pieces and jewelry work like a charm, as people flock to the socials for that new accessory or shirt (hell, even a fucking DRESS), as YouTube videos and Tiktoks always chant his name like he's Jesus Christ of the modelling industry. He knows it, and he fucking loves it. Ooh and don't remind me about the red carpets and the award shows, if you see him then you just know he's rocking out in brands that could pay off your mortgage, in beautiful dresses or crisp suits. Hell, you may even spot him mingling with the stars, (have you seen him chatting it up with Price during the Oscars? Vogue did a news article just last week.)

Soap: Bartender

Now before you ask, I don't think he'd work in some dive pub in some bumfuck, no where. No, I'd think he would work in a pretty well-known spot in England (forgot to mention, but all of them work in the UK), whether it'd be Piccadilly Circus or Manchester, he's there workin’ his charm and giving great service. Now he probably wouldn't in a busy nightclub, just somewhere nice enough where there's enough customers to keep it buzzing as his Scottish brogue works on the regulars and the newcomers who's here for good times and great drinks. (And hell, maybe one day he can make it big, either in comedy or an actor… But for now, there's patrons to serve and tips to be earned.)

(artist by the amazing arizona.mint.tea, SEND THEM LOVE RAHHH!!!) ((sorry if y'all are expecting a roach gif, with the rainbows and shit. i couldn't stand it 💀))

Roach: Sign Language Interpreter

Hah, you'd think Gary, someone who cannot speak, would NOT work in BSL? Think again. A simple job really, all he has to do is sign either a news segment, a show or heck, if he's lucky, at the Superbowl. And besides, if he's lucky he could be the next Justina Miles. (If you don't know her, she was the sign language interpreter from the Rihanna Superbowl concert.) Oh, and if he's really lucky, he's been looking for dance groups and he may or may not have a spot for a pretty well-known play happening next month...

And that's pretty much it! It's a bit quicker than my previous post, but honestly I think I want something short and sweet, so I hope you like it in this way. Once again I hope you enjoy my interpretations, and please comment on whatever you like or if you have any headcanons of these boys and I'll catch y'all later! (Gonna go rot in my bedroom rn, squealing at new edits, fanart and fanfiction…)

[acidgreendog]

A Kaz Playlist

Exploring that untouched ground between when Kaz discovers he's been used and left out of BB's plans and when he finally settles as Master Miller, I've been thinking a lot about that anger and betrayal he must have felt to get him to walk away from everything he had been building. The personal anger he felt against BB himself was my main focus for a lot of these songs, as well as the feelings of turning his back on him in retaliation. I'm also enjoying thinking about how that bitterness and anger would spiral into a cycle of abuse that may have got taken out on his students, especially david snake, later down the line. This is basically like the world's edgiest break up playlist.

Genres: industrial metal, nu-metal, hard rock, grunge, alt rock.

Run time: 1hr 41 mins

Thumbnail art (by me)

Tracklist

(to be played in no particular order) and lyrics excerpts to show a little bit of why I picked each song:

The Big Come Down -Nine Inch Nails

"the big come down, isn't that what you wanted? // find a place with the failed and forgotten"

Twenty Four Hours -The Twilight Sad (cover)

"just for one moment, thought I'd found my way // destiny unfolded, watched it slip away"

Last Time -Fuel

"this is the last time now // I'll bleed for you"

Change My Mind -Puddle Of Mud

"how could I ever believe anything you've ever said? // I'm on the bottom of your shoes, a little piece, a piece of shit"

A New Way To Bleed -Evanescence

"but it's my // my heart // my life // that you're calling a lie // I've played this game before // and I can't take anymore"

The Line Begins To Blur -Nine Inch Nails

"there are things that I said I would never do // there are fears that I cannot believe have come true"

Hangnail -Nickleback

"my hopes just fell // and I can't see // the reason why // why there is blood on my sleeve // and all this time, I thought it mine // but it's not, it's yours"

Mudshovel -Staind

"all the promises you made to me you made in vain"

Made Of Stone -Evanescence

"I'll numb the pain 'till I am made to // tear out my heart for the way it makes me feel // I will still remember when you've long forgotten me"

September Rain -Cassyette

"my pain clouding my brain // I pray I will find me again"

Somewhat Damaged -Nine Inch Nails

"how could I ever think, it's funny how // everything you swore would never change is different now"

Somebody Someone -Korn

"I can't stand to let you win // I'm just watching you // and I don't know what to do // feeling like a fool inside"

Point #1 -Chevelle

"rebuke, don't choke on this twisted dream"

Home -Staind

"I can't accept this all // because of you I've had to walk away from everything"

Massive -Linkin Park

"I heard the screaming in my dreaming every night // I awake and I'm still mistaking you for right"

You Walk Away -Filter

"I can't live hate // I just won't hate // I just want a life of my own"

Thoughtless -Korn

"all my hate cannot be found // I will not be drowned // by your thoughtless scheming"

Wish -Nine Inch Nails

"I built it up, now I take it apart // climbed up real high, now fall down real far// no need for me to stay"

Alone I Break -Korn

"Now I see the times they change // leaving doesn't seem so strange // I am hoping I can find // where to leave my hurt behind"

Head Like A Hole -Nine Inch Nails

"head like a hole // black as your soul // I'd rather die than give you control"

And One (Hybrid Theory EP) -Linkin Park

"angers a gift, then I guess I've been blessed"

Prison Sex -Tool

"do unto you now, what has been done to me // do unto you now, what has been done" -not necessarily to be taken at the face value the song communicates, more so about a cycle of abuse among male power dynamics

Blue Monday - Orgy (cover)

"how does it feel, to treat me like you do? // When you've laid your hands upon me // and told me who you are"

Hating -Korn

"been hating all this time, before I crawled inside // been hating all the faces of everything I could find"

Doomed User - Deftones

"they're delusions, don't deny it // don't make this out to be a thing about you // I've been scarred, fucking repulsed by this // my only tale is one I can't stand"

[hyperfixations-everywhere]

My thoughts on the Skyrim Civil War

It took me a while to frame this right. It's still going to be mostly rambling and History Lessons, but bear with me.

I see my own country when I look at the Civil War situation. As someone from India, a country which was colonised to Hell and back by Evil Tea Drinkers Pvt. Ltd. I think I have very strong opinions about this war.

Many people defend the Empire by saying they want a unified front against the Dominion, and that if Ulfric and the rebels won, Skyrim would be in shambles, making it an easy target for the Dominion. And yes I've read the Dossier. Althought it never states that Ulfric was ever working for the Dominion, it's common knowledge that he was an asset and his rebellion is exactly what the Thalmor want, knowing that the country will be left weakened. And I'm sure the empire also wants to be rid of the Thalmor. I acknowledge that, but I also acknowledge the fact that Ulfric Stormcloak is the only one DIRECTLY fighting for the freedom of Skyrim. (ignore the unhinged forsworn here)

And as someone coming from a country where "Peace Treaties", peaceful protests, sacrifices and Non-Violent means of "rebellion" were met with horrible consequences (Jallianwalah Bagh, look it up), and (though some might disagree) DELAYED the freedom of my country, I am of the firm belief that direct action is the only way to gain true independence.

Still, due to...unfortunate circumstances, Freedom was never TAKEN by India, it was GRANTED to us because we were basically no longer useful for Evil Tea Drinkers Pvt. Ltd. and they were already suffering heavy losses from WWII. There was a treaty called the Mountbatten Plan, which split our fucking country in two, in exchange for Self Governance, and we are still suffering the consequences of that. The power dynamics are still unstable, social issues are still prevalant and the influence of our colonisers still haunts us. On top of that, there's religious warfare because of the Partition of our country, and a fuckton of internal skirmishes still regularly going on.

This is what happens when Freedom is GRANTED through treaties, peace and ass-licking. Sorry not sorry, I said what I said.

Still, I won't say I always side with the Stormcloaks because they are right, they are better, etc etc. I don't think they're much better than the Empire. However, there is one big difference that makes me reluctant to support the Empire. I find that I simply can't trust them. I cannot trust an Empire which would so thoughtlessly sacrifice the religious freedom of a HUGE sect of its population. Religious freedom, freedom of expression, freedom of speech must NOT be sacrificed, not for anything. That's why the Empire pisses me off so much. What more are they willing to sacrifice, just to maintain a fleeting sense of peace with the Dominion? If religious freedom isn't secure, where do they draw the line? I don't find them TRUSTWORTHY, and I think as a nation it is crucial that you have trust in the people governing you.

I don't think Ulfric Stormcloak is the best leader Skyrim could ever have. I would even argue that General Tullius, on his own, is a better leader. At the same time, I trust Ulfric, because I know where his interests lie. I know what his ideologies are.

And besides, another counterpoint to those saying Skyrim will be fractured and weak if the empire isn't by their side, I think Hammerfell is doing just fine. Besides, Ulfric does state that he will form an alliance with High Rock. I think Nords and Bretons together can kick the dominion's ass pretty hard.

Anywhoo, I'd like to know y'alls thoughts whether you agree or disagree!! I think this is the longest and most serious post I've ever put out lol.

[cosmerelists]

Cosmere Characters' Favorite Fast Food Restaurants

As requested by @sharks-musket :)

I've done food-related Cosmere posts in the past, such as "Rock reviews food from across the Cosmere" or "Cosmere characters review food not native to their planet" or "What Cosmere characters would order at Subway".

But for today, let's consider what characters' favorite fast food restaurants would be, if such things existed in their universe.

1. Shallan: Five Guys

I cannot possibly improve on the joke that @epicmilly has already made: https://www.tumblr.com/epicmilly/762060066847424512/could-you-do-cosmere-characters-try-fast-food?source=share

2. Marasi: Dairy Queen

Steris: I cannot believe you still eat here. Steris: Multiple people have gotten food poisoning from the food! Marasi (looking up from the Blizzard she is going to town on): They have food here?

3. Kelsier: In-N-Out

Kelsier: I'm not gonna lie. I'm a sucker for any restaurant with a secret menu. Dockson: It's straight-up published these days, though. Kelsier: Well sure. There's no point to a secret that never gets out!

4. Hrathen: In-N-Out

Hrathen: I don't know how effective it is, but I appreciate that this restaurant prints verses from its holy text onto its packaging. Hrathen: I mean, it's the wrong holy text, but... Hrathen: [looks over to where Dilaf is standing on a table, ranting loudly] Hrathen: Some people take that more personally than others.

5. Lift: Sonic

Lift: They got tons of milkshakes, which is fun. Lift: But mostly I like all the carhops who glide around all graceful like! Lift: I haven't seen even ONE scooting around on their butt! Lift: That's how you KNOW it's a stormin' quality place.

6. Adolin: Wendy's

Adolin: I support redheaded women in business! Shallan: ... Shallan: That should sound so cheesy, but somehow it works when you say it.

7. Steris: Arby's

Steris: I think more restaurants should have slogans that simply state what food they have. Steris: "I'm loving it"? Presumptuous. "Have it your way"? Yes, that is how restaurants work. "Quality is our recipe"? That is not how recipes work. Steris: But "We have the meats"? Now THAT'S a slogan that tells you something about a place! Steris: ... Steris: What do you think? That's my Arby's routine. Wax: I think it's going to be a hit at the party!

8. Lopen: Taco Bell

Lopen: Not as good as chouta, but they have their own type of wrapped meats that are pretty good! Lopen: Best eaten drunk, if we're being honest.

9. Vin: KFC

Vin: You can get a BUCKET of chicken. Vin: It's a great food to chow down on while you're sitting perched on a roof in the darkness. Elend: I love you so much.

10. Wayne: Subway

Wayne: I order my accountants to eat there at least once a week to learn their business practices. Wayne: They made their $5 sandwich $14 for no reason! Wayne: That's the kinda business sense I wanna see in my guys. Daring: Great news! Your "This Sandwich Is Overprice Don't Buy It" campaign was a huge success! Call: People thought it was hilarious. They're selling like, well, like your overpriced sandwiches (since nothing is selling better). Wayne: Harmony DAMN IT!

11. Nightblood: McDonald's

Nightblood: I like how focused this restaurant is on slaying evil! Nightblood: There's the evil clown, the evil burglar guy, the evil purple guy, the evil guy with a burger for a head... Nightblood: They really promote lots of characters that need to be slain! Szeth: ...I sometimes doubt your ability to detect evil, Sword-nimi, but in this case, I know you are correct. Nightblood: Thanks! Nightblood: Wait, what was that first part?

12. Kaladin: Burger King

Kaladin: A lot of these restaurants have weird stuff, like a "Big Mac" or a "Prezel Baconator" or a "Doritos Locos Tacos." Kaladin: I like this place because it has "fiery chicken fries." Kaladin: Spicy. Made of a recognizable animal like a chicken. Fried. Kaladin: It all makes sense. It's all clear. Syl: [making her face look like the chicken on the box] Syl: This chicken sure is angry! Kaladin: It probably didn't want to be fried.

13. Dalinar: Burger King

Dalinar: The Way of Kings changed my life, and I feel that this restaurant, The Burger of Kings, will surely do the same. Adolin (in the tones of someone saying this for the umpteenth time): It's called Burger King. Dalinar (ignoring him): Already I ponder the deep philosophical implications of "Have It Your Way," which forces one to consider how every individual person has their own "way," their own journey, and must accept it. Adolin: Yes...I'm sure that's exactly what they were going for. Dalinar (peacefully munching fries): You doubted my visions at first, too.

[thelilylav]

Y'know what? Fuck it (gives u guys a list of poc artists to listen to cause the white ppl on the music side of tumblr have been embarassing me)

List is under the cut, and warning bc I made it very long

Rock:

Los Abuelos De La Nada

Gesu No Kiwami Otobe

Chuck Berry

Ben E. King

Los Prisoneros

Ahmed Fakroun (ok this one's french art rock but in my book it still counts)

Burnout Syndromes (been fucking w them since I got into Haikyuu lmao)

Infinity Song (their hater song genuinely gets me every time LMAO)

People in the Box

N.E.R.D (my god if u don't know them.. idk dude my brother has been obsessed w them for forever so i just was not getting away regardless lol)

Punk/Punk Rock (& other punk subgenres):

Nova Twins (u must listen to them it's just the way it's gotta be guys)

Rina Sawayama (her hatred of Matty Healy is so attractive. i cannot believe i found her two years ago cause i still remember i would not shut up when i first heard her music it was so good)

BABYMETAL (the way their band name just straight up screams at people gets me every time lmaooo)

Indie:

The Younger Lovers

Mashrou Leila

Stella Jang

Shak SYrn (Jenni is on repeat in my room at any given moment)

Steve Lacy (if u listen to more than just Bad Habit u will find an actuall amazing discography)

Jenny Nuo (i have been OBSESSED w her music since like 2021 ish and it is a crime she hasn't blown up more imo)

Nujabes

Hemlocke Springs (oooo i hate that she does not get more love!!! synth pop and alt indie is such a fun niche like!!!)

Lyn Lapid (in my head she's huge but i have recently learned that artists i think r super popular may be unknown to an entire genre of ppl soo)

Megagonefree (found them on ig and omg!! PLS go check them out genuinely)

boa (i am once again shaming u if u don't know them)

Wallice

JAZZ (in all caps bc I fucking LOVE jazz no it's not dead go listen to jazz rn motherfuckers):

Idris Muhammad

Esperanza Spalding

Joanna Wang (ok she does pop and folk music too but idk she felt most appropriate here)

SAMARA JOY (put. some. respect. on. her. name. i would actually go to war for her i am not kidding. also this is in all caps bc MY MOM GOT TO SEE HER LIVE??? AND SHE DIDN'T EVEN KNOW WHO SHE WAS PLS I WAS SO MAD OMGGG but i've been promised tickets next time so we're good)

Sade (my og one and only)

Funk:

Fadoul

George Clinton (i mean he's just a classic yknow)

Parliament (Give Up the Funk can make me dance like no other i swear)

Stevie Wonder (i mean.. like if we're on the topic of classics anyway then...)

Michael Jackson/The Jackson 5 (moreso his earlier stuff if my memory isn't lying to me.. look it's been a second since i listened to mj IM SORRY i am a busy person ok TT)

R&B:

Valerie June

Maxine Nightingale (if u don't listen to her... how do u have fun? actual question i put her on every time i need to feel happy atp)

Boney. M (technically they're reggae but they also count as R&B so idk.. i'm just putting them here if anyone wants me to move them later i will)

Amahla (Ca Suffit was so good and got me to check out the rest of her music, YOU SHOULD TOO!!)

Mary J Blige (not to judge but like... if u don't know THE queen then idk how to help you tbh)

SZA (wouldn't be a list without her in it tbh. i'm in love w her not even joking abt that)

Kali Uchis (to this day i cannot believe i saw her live i'm truly never getting a better moment than that omggg i have such a big crush on her anyway)

Aupinard (if ever u need to just vibe, this is the man u go to.)

Wejdene (TU PARLES AVEC UNE ANISSA MA MOI J'APPELLE WEJDENE- she's been my day 1 since i was like thirteen i can't even lie)

Annisse (just found out she only has like ~500 listeners on spotify??? apparently i'm one of them tho lmao so yeah go get that number up guys i love her too much for this disrespect)

Sister Sledge

Cheryl Lynn

Reggae:

Daddy Yankee (he's an honourable mention cause i couldn't not lmao)

Skindred (they're a reggae/metal fusion band and i will shut up abt them when i'm dead bc Nobody rewired my brain chemistry!!)

Manu Chao

Toquinho (i was so convinced this man was bossa nova but apparently he is reggae and i need to do some music theory review)

Folk:

Sushi Soucy (oh the things I Deserve to Bleed had me going thru in 2020/2021)

Miriam Makeba (Pata Pata should be enough to get anyone listening to her, just saying)

Lead Belly (do urself a favour and do some research on this man, i'm not kidding even if u don't like folk music u should know abt him- ESPECIALLY if u like Nirvana that'll make sense later trust)

Pop:

Corinne Bailey Rae (she has so much good music that gets ignored bc of Put Your Records On so.. yeah go listen to Black Rainbows she's only gotten better as time goes on lol)

Dru (he is for any person who likes ke$ha. i'm so serious he is early 2000s in a bottle and i love his music ur rlly missing out if u ignore him)

Monique Hasbun (found her recently! she's a Palestinian, Mexican and Salvadorian artist who plays around with Latin pop and does a lot of fusion music. she's dope go listen to her fr)

Mohammad Assaf (he made the Palestine song that's been going around ig a lot, but his other stuff is great as well. he's another Palestinian artist, so once again, go check him out!!)

Pinkpanthress (i LOVE her she's so much fun to just vibe to and idk how anyone couldn't have heard of her atp but then again this is the sight that didn't know who drake was so... sigh. go listen to her if u don't already!!)

Aliyah's Interlude (BROOO if u haven't heard of her actually go listen rn i'm so serious she is so good i can'ttttt ok bye)

Veondre (had a collab w Aliyah on It Girl and is gonna be releasing her own music very soon! she's trans too so go give her some love)

Shalco (wasn't sure whether to put him here or in hip hop, but his stuff is very very good either way)

Ado (she's j-pop but it's a form of pop so into the pop category she goes)

Moon (she's got two songs out rn, Moonlight and Seoul City Drift, and both r going on loop in my head at all times)

Jay Chou (call me a basic bitch idc he's good ok)

Atarashii Gakko! (i wouldn't say they're j-pop, but google did, so i'm just going w it lol)

flowerovlove (just trust me on this one)

El Tio Gamboin (Los Gatitos is such a cute song)

Grace Chang (see note for Jay Chou)

King Gnu (for all my j-pop lovers... come get ur man)

Salsa:

Lalo Rodriguez (included this genre specifically so i could mention him)

Adalberto Santiago

Roberto Roena (he's a classic i can't lie)

Hector Lavoe (i think he might be the most popular one in this genre lol)

City Pop (this is its own genre bc i literally did a presentation in high school abt it and i'll be damned if i don't flex my knowledge now):

Mariya Takeuchi

Miki Matsubara (my QUEEN my everything my-)

Anri

Taeko Onuki (one of my most listened to artists last yr for a Reason)

Kaoru Akimoto

Kingo Hamada

Jun Togawa

Bossa Nova:

Joao Gilberto (ooo he gets me every time i fucking love this man)

Elizeth Cardoso

Johnny Alf (forgot this man the first time around my bad BUT he's called the father of bossa nova for a reason so)

Hip Hop:

Flyana Boss (they're sooooo good i actually can't gush enough i have never felt so girlypop listening to music before go listen to them!! found the duo through ig so yeah if u want go follow them on there too to show support)

Lil Uzi Vert (for any emo lovers, go check out his song Werewolf with Bring Me the Horizon it is SO GOOD)

Samyra (she's slowly curing my body dysmorphia lol)

Yame (there's an accent on the e but idk how to do that on tumblr. anyway my ass loves french rap and before him i was stuck with klub des loosers so he saved my faith in the genre i can't even lie)

Lay Bankz (u cannot be chronically online and not have heard Ick yet, but i'm repping her regardless bc SHE'S SO GOOD)

A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie (HEAR ME OUT-)

Kaliii (Area Codes was one of my most listened to songs last year... as it should be tbh)

Miguel (he does R&B too i just first listened to him bc of his collab w J.Cole sooo)

Tyler the Creator (putting him on here just to brag abt getting to see him in concert lmao)

XXXTentacion (he has been mourned and talked abt an insane amount, but he deserves it i'm not even gonna joke on this one. his artistry is insane and he deserves some love if u haven't listened to him yet)

Kendrick Lamar (i mean i've been reblogging stuff abt him enough. Mr. Morale was actually the album that made me start Listening listening to him and i'm honestly glad it was bc that album is still my favourite to this day if i'm being totally honest)

Renaissauce (criminally and i do mean CRIMINALLY underrated)

[the-universal-sun]

How do you think the Stan twins act when unwell/hurt, do they hide it or are they more likely to seek someone for comfort or help when regressed?

Thanks in advanced!

Thank you for the ask! Small content warning for brief mentions of the act of throwing up, nothing too much!

I think to an extent, both Stan and Ford, no matter their headspace, would attempt to hide any sicknesses or injuries. To the point a rule needs to be put place for both of them to tell when they not feeling okay, physically or mentally

For Ford, he’s just so used to having to take care of himself whenever he gets hurt that he doesn’t really think to tell Stan that he’s hurt. He’s had to take care of himself, his injuries, by himself since Bill came into his life, and even more when he was traveling the different dimensions. Besides, he may be little but he can take care of himself, right? Wrong. He may be able to put a bandaid on, but he doesn’t think to clean it disinfect it, and he doesn’t play any gentler, meaning he keeps running around, falling and hitting corners, making his scrapes and bruises worse, which means he starts to cry. Stan panics for several minutes, wondering when his Poindexter got hurt so badly, was Stan playing too rough? But no, once he got Ford’s tears calmed down, he asked what happened and Stan’s even more upset when he found out Ford was already hurt but just didn’t tell him. Didn’t he trust him? Did Stan do something to lose his brothers trust? Stan knows his questions have to wait until his Poindexter was big again, these questions would only upset him even more, and the point of regressing is not not stress. What Stan does do is clean and bandage any scrapes or cuts, kisses any bruises, and decides it’s snack time and then nap time. Big talks can come later.

It is different for if he’s sick or mentally unwell. He can’t really hide his sniffles and coughing (Ford would so have the ipad kid cough), but Stan thinks it’s cute that he tries. But he quickly gets Ford some cough syrup, a decongestant, and some warm honeyed milk, and lays him down in bed with a nature documentary, baby reading him some books at request. If Ford’s not feeling to well mentally, he still tries to hide it, and he does really well. Really only Stan can tell, but that’s because they know everything about each other. Stan can tell when Ford isn’t doing to well by how his eyes will shift aground rather than focus on one point. How his smile seems to turn up evenly at mouth corners, instead of tilting up to the right, his real smile. How he hides his hands more when he usually talks with them, throwing them around to explain his point. But since Stan can tell, he knows to be gentle and soft with Ford, wrapping him up in a blanket burrito, Dr. Mittens tucked closely to him, and softly rocks him. Or, after the twins find out and spend time with their small Grunkles, goes up to Stan, loosest sweater in hand, bundles into the sweater with Stan’s help and curls up into his lap. Stan only wants to take the best care of his Little Poindexter, so he’ll do or be whatever Ford needs in that moment.

Now Stan is different, not only because he’s a younger little, but because of how his trauma affects him. He’s so scared of being a burden, of being abandoned, that he will actively hide any injury, illness, or bad days he’s having because he’s just so terrified that Ford will get tired or annoyed with him. If he sneaks too much pudding and gets a stomach ache, he’ll keep it to himself, just sitting solemnly on the floor until he either throws up or whines too loudly and Ford asks him what’s wrong. Which is his weakness, if asked by Ford if he’s feeling bad or ill, Stan cannot lie to him because that will make him feel even worse than he’s feeling now. If he gets a scrape or a cut, he’ll panic and won’t have the mind to bandage anything, so he just winces everytime his clothes move against his injury. Ford watches his with a hawks eye when he’s little, so he can only hide his injury for so long until Ford’d on him, kissing his boo boos and cleaning and bandaging them. Stan always braces himself for lectures or for stern words, which never come. Ford soothes him with soft touches and gentle coos, telling Stan he’s not mad, that he can never be mad at him (true) but to “please please please say something the next time you’re injured, Lee. I care so much if you’re hurt, I want you to enjoy being little without worries of this, sweet boy. Please let me take care of you.”

I mentioned in my Halloween drabble that Ford has a rule for Stan to tell him if he’s feeling overstimulated or anxious, or just feeling bad emotionally in general. That rule pertains to both Stan when he’s big and when he’s feeling smaller, when he’s Lee. The rule was first for Stan when he’s Big Stan. He got overwhelmed in a busy crowd in Gravity Falls, and left Ford’s side to hide out in an alley way. Ford was so scared to see him missing and ran around searching for him. Stan felt so bad that they both agreed to Stan saying something if he was getting too in his head and anxious. That way, Ford could take him to some place quiet, to help him calm down and settle him. The rule extended to when Stan was Little after his first meltdown. He had a nightmare, never told Ford, and was anxious and on edge all day. And sometimes, when people have bad anxiety days with no way to cope, the smallest things all joined together can cause a meltdown, which is what happened to Lee. Again, Ford wasn’t mad whatsoever, he just felt upset that Stan didn’t feel like he could come to him when he was feeling upset and unwell. Now whether he’s feeling Big or Little, Stan will tell Ford when he gets to feel to much and Ford will take care of him, whether that means taking him to a secluded and quiet spot and just softly talking about inane things to calm him down or wrapping him up in a weighted blanket, his stuffies, and maybe a pacifier if he’s feeling little enough.

These two love each other so much :,,,))))

(Sorry if Stan’s seems much longer than Ford’s, for some reason, though I relate to both of them, Stan just inspired me so much)

[muppet-elvis]

Woah mercy, how're we doin' Tumblr? I wanna properly introduce myself before we get a rockin' and a rollin':

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1) Who are you?

I am Muppet Elvis, the king of rock and roll. Some weirdos might argue "That is not Elvis! That is just... an oddly-dressed elf livehand recovered from storage", but I cannot tell a lie, I'm as true as they come.

2) Where'd you come from?

My start started on the "Muppets Classic Theater", with me and the fellas makin' some blue suedes for a swell lil' froggy shoemaker. And we've had ourselves a pretty good run in the 90's!

Though sadly, we haven't been around since that Christmas movie in 2002; we've been off hangin' in Graceland since then, I think. So this is gonna be my first time with this newfangled technology, but my dear mod is a helping me out with that.

3) How many of you are there?

It's me and two other fellas; we're like three blue swede peas in a pod. They'll talk in green (I am that there second muppet king, otherwise a known as Dell, uh-huh.) and orange (I'm the third Elvis, and ya can call me Ciel, humina humina!) whenever they are a chattin' on this blog!

(And by the way, as for me myself, I suppose ya can call me by the name "Mel" if ya want to.)

4) If you're the leader of the three, are you the king of kings?

You're dang right I am!

5) I thought all Elvises said some variation of "woah mama". Why do you say "woah mercy"?

Well, I've been saying that since the "Muppets Classic Theater". I just don't wanna fix what ain't broke. Besides, it sets me apart from other Elvii, humina humina. I even have my own e-mote! 2:]

6) Just what are these tags you're using?

I'm glad you asked! Lemme explain 'em real quickly:

#woah mercy - These are reblogs for just about anythin', includin' talks with other blogs! You'll find a lot of different posts featurin' things I rock with, includin' good food, beautiful art, and overall lots of love and positivity.

#muppet elvis speaks - Posts that come from the king himself (a.k.a. me) are tagged under this here label!

#muppet elvis answers - Anytime one of ya lovely people sends me an ask, I'll put it under this tag!

#muppets: into the elvisverse - This here tag's for anytime I interact with another Elvis blog. There's just so many of us out there and I'd like to befriend as many as I can! I'll even put mentions under this one.

(mod note: not all posts have been tagged, especially some of the older posts, so i apologize if there's a post you're looking for and it isn't under these tags - we will fix that.)

7) Can I be hateful on this blog? I have such a nasty take on-

Oh now just hold on a Memphis minute; that sort of hatefulness isn't welcome here! No transphobia, no racism, no ableism, no sexism, no homophobia, none of any of that! The kings will not kneel to no hatred, our hearts are deep in the freedom of rock and roll.

So get outta here and don't make me use my karate on ya; I give a mean Round-the-Jailhouse kick!

8) Can I give you my devotion?

Mercy, a dove ocean sounds like too many feathers for me! I couldn't handle all that. However, I would be happy to have people come and rock along with us.

Me and the fellas are also a big fan of fan art or any other fan things ya make! It's a definitely not required; we've just had people askin' before, so I figure it'd be good to mention you have our approval, uh-huh. I personally do love artists and their work overall, so I'm here to express my gratitude to 'em whenever I can!

Just know this is a side blog, so any of that kind of feedback from me will be comin' from the mod's blog.

(mod note: i write in small purple when i write as the mod. if you know who this is, then you know. i should also mention that i am an adult, so we might make more "mature" jokes every now and then. however, in typical classic Muppets fashion, this blog is intended to be for everyone.)

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That's everythin' important. Any other questions, ya can always lay it on me in the inbox. And a please, check out mod's Kandi store, if y'd like a lil' personal keepsake from this here blog. Thank ya, thank ya very much for readin', thank ya. 👉👉

[navree]

How do you feel about the Nettles situation? 👀

As mentioned, haven't been watching season 2 and only been "keeping up" with it in that I see what the beloved mutuals are posting about it on Tumblr (and the occasional errant tweet from the fucking bad take brigade that is fandom twitter), so from what I know the Nettles situation appears to be that they're cutting her completely and just giving her storyline to Rhaena? Well the way I feel about that is that I think it fucking sucks.

The big thing for me is that the entire rationale for cutting Nettles and just substituting in Rhaena really smacks of racism. They couldn't be assed to do anything for Rhaena, so they just took the only notable Black character they could find and just went "well Nettles is a Black girl, and now we've made Rhaena Black, so it's the same thing" without thinking about the fact that Nettles and Rhaena are two very different characters with very different places in the narrative and aren't just interchangeable, and that it's fucking weird that you immediately got rid of a woman of color because you already had what you deemed to be a sufficient amount. The lack of care shown to Rhaena, specifically the version of Rhaena that the show created, is astounding, and it feels really weird that it's existing for one of the already few Black women in the show (it's something I've already talked about, that the show made changes without then thinking about how things come across in the real world to the viewing public, like Ryan Condal saying that women lie about being victims of gendered violence or making the Velaryons Black but then putting significantly less effort into them than their white counterparts, or not even thinking about how Targaryen-Velaryon intermarriage would make the current Targs visibly mixed).

Giving Rhaena the Nettles plot doesn't make sense for two main reasons, even beyond the BTS decisions that I outlined above: 1) you can give Rhaena an entirely original and interesting plot if you bothered to actually care about her or in giving Black women something to do in your show 2) Nettles has a very specific impact on the story that cannot be removed without drastically changing the history that's been set in stone.

So, point one: an original Rhaena plot. I've said this before, but it's a very critique that book!Rhaena doesn't actually do anything. She just kinda sits around in the Vale having her hair brushed for a year until the war's over. That's a bit boring, I don't mind the show deciding to change up what she does so she actually has shit to, like, do. But let's look at what the show crafted with the Vale plot before they just punted Nettles to Rhaena. On the Vale's side, the show has created a situation where their loyalty to Rhaenyra is extremely flimsy and quite likely to vanish at a moment's notice. Rhaenyra's husband, her major partisan, was infamously shitty to the Vale, he constantly degraded the region in open court, and then murdered one of Jeyne Arryn's vassals in cold blood, his own wife, for no reason. And not only that, he wasn't even remotely punished for it. Daemon's bad reputation in the Vale for what he did to Rhea Royce, and his treatment of her throughout their marriage, and the lack of accountability in that, should absolutely make it so that anyone in the Vale would be leery about allying themselves with him. Then, Jeyne gives Rhaenyra the Vale's allegiance so long as Rhaenyra sends a battle-ready dragon and dragon-rider to protect them in case the Greens decide to invade and force their submission. But after Rhaenyra's envoy promises her that, Rhaenyra backtracks, and instead sends her a teenager and three little kids and a baby dragon and some dragon eggs. That is insulting, that is a violation of the promised agreement that came at the cost of the Vale's allegiance to Rhaenyra, that alliance should absolutely be on the rocks. It makes sense for Jeyne to be as annoyed with the Blacks as she is in the show. And on Rhaena's side, she doesn't have a dragon at all, and she is undervalued in her family as a result. Her father straight up doesn't care about her and neglects her because she doesn't have that symbol of Targaryen supremacy within her, her sister may love her but doesn't value her much as a person (considering Baela is absolutely fine with Rhaena getting sent away to play nursemaid and doesn't even bring up Rhaena being the Lady of Driftmark even tho she has a claim through Laena and Hell, even being Luke's intended), Rhaenyra literally doesn't see her as worthy of keeping around since she just shunts her off not even for her own safety, but so that she can ensure the safety of Rhaenyra's sons. And that's weighing on Rhaena, it's been weighing on her since she was a child, she's only ten when she talks to Laena about how Daemon doesn't love her because she doesn't have a dragon, and those feelings have only grown as she has, and as more indignities have been heaped on her.

So you have Rhaena, who isn't really valued by the people around her or considered necessary for the war effort, in an area where the emotions are ripe for turning against Rhaenyra and maybe even siding with the Greens. So why not have Rhaena change it? Instead of having the Vale stay loyal for no reason in spite of their very legitimate issues, have Rhaena forge a relationship with Jeyne. Have them get a personal connection to get Jeyne more invested in the Blacks' victory. Have Rhaena work essentially in administration, use her connection to the parties on Dragonstone to enact more firm promises for the Vale, in writing. Have Rhaena become essential to Rhaenyra getting to keep a foothold in Westeros, since most of the South (should be) allied to the Greens, the Riverlands are under Daemon's purview yes but he's not trustworthy enough for that to be an assurance, and the North is loyal to Rhaenyra but still taking its sweetass time doing anything. Have Rhaena find her own worth within in her in the way she helps the war effort not with a dragon, not with the way others have told her she could be useful and necessary, but with a way she's found for herself. Have her grow internally in the process, and become more confident and self-assured. There's a plot to give Rhaena in the Vale, but it's not Nettles's, it should be her own, crafted out of a care for her as a character and to give her a story of her own rather than slap someone else's to her because you were being lazy.

And speaking of Nettles, cutting her is ridiculous because she is absolutely essential. It's because of Nettles that, ultimately, things end the way that they do for a lot of characters. And that is because of her very specific connection to Daemon. Nettles joins up with Daemon after the Blacks take King's Landing, and it's soon very clear that these two have a very, very strong connection ('oh because she's his daughter' considering that Daemon seems incapable of loving any of his children, nah, I've always been in the romance camp for these two), especially on Daemon's part. And that strong connection, combined with Rhaenyra's distrust of dragonseeds, leads Rhaenyra to demand that Lord Mooton break guest right and kill Nettles, to stop her from "stealing" Daemon and then betraying Rhaenyra the way Hugh and Ulf did. Daemon finds out about this and, to save Nettles's life, helps her escape, in a goodbye that left Nettles upset and Daemon evidently heartbroken, considering that Caraxes starts screeching like a banshee as they leave. And that is what then spurs Daemon not to return to Rhaenyra's side, but to instead strike out and try to kill Aemond, and thus leads him to his own death in turn. Which leads to a loss of power for Rhaenyra which culminates in her fleeing King's Landing for Dragonstone where she's killed which then leads to Aegon returning to King's Landing only for the Northerners to attack which leads to him dying (I'm a proponent of suicide theory) which leads to Aegon III becoming King and etc etc.

You see how Nettles's existence starts the ball rolling for what becomes the next two hundred years of Targaryen, and by extension Westerosi, history? She's a very specific person, and you can't replace her with anyone else. Daemon has shown absolutely no care or consideration at all for his children by Laena, so there's no reason for him to be anywhere near as invested in Rhaena as he was with Nettles ('oh but Rhaena would have a dragon' well Baela already has a dragon and that didn't stop him from punting her to Driftmark so he could devote his attention only to his pureblood Valyrian sons and still not giving any kind of a shit about her at all, he's a bad father even if his kids have dragons). Rhaenyra's mistrust of Nettles is fueled by her mistrust of dragonseeds, but Rhaena wouldn't be a dragonseed, she's Daemon's trueborn daughter, so that's not an issue. Nor is Rhaenyra necessarily gonna be worried that Daemon is falling in love with his own daughter and thus falling out of love with her, or then try to go "well then the only option is for me to murder Daemon's daughter" as a result. So there'd be no strong connection motivating Daemon to value Rhaena so highly, there'd be no betrayal from Rhaenyra that gets Rhaena sent away and motivates Daemon to pull away from Rhaenyra and instead keep on fighting even if it means his death, and with that, there's no way any of the historical facts can proceed the way that they do. Nettles can't be Rhaena, she needs to be Nettles. She is her own person, with her own specific impact on the narrative and the characters within. And yes, F&B is a narrative, it's formatted like a history book which makes for good thought experiments and injects ambiguity within certain elements, but it's still a fictional story dreamed up by George, who then put characters in that story for a reason.

Not to mention, Nettles and Rhaena are very different characters? Like, they have incredibly different personalities. Rhaena's we haven't seen much of, because the show has suffered in characterizing the younger TB characters as a whole and is also just really bad in characterizing the Velaryons specifically (hm suspicious). But based on what we have, Rhaena seems a bit quiet, a bit subdued, prone to shyness, and generally favoring a more traditional femininity than we see from even Baela. Nettles meanwhile is coarse and rough and loud and unapologetic in that, she's not timid but in fact fearless and bold. Rhaena is a highborn daughter of a prince, stepdaughter to a queen. Nettles is a homeless whore's daughter who grew up poor and on thin means struggling to survive. Which is why Nettles is able to claim Sheepstealer, having to grow up the way she did with the experiences she had gave her an industriousness and a way of problem-solving that allowed her to figure out how to win over Sheepstealer, a wild unclaimed dragon. She used her wits, as she likely so often had to, growing up the way she did, to figure out that Sheepstealer might not like people but he likes a certain kind of food, and thus create an association in his head of Nettles=that food he likes by bringing him sheep until she gained enough of his trust to claim him as a dragon to ride. Rhaena doesn't have that industriousness because Rhaena, like 90% of highborn nobles, has never had to actually fight for anything ever. She's never had to really problem solve in a blunt way for anything, let alone her own survival, that might then inform how she might try to do something as daring as claiming a wild dragon. I mean, Hell, Rhaena gets told out loud "hey if you want a dragon you need to claim a dragon, earn that right" by her own mother who did the exact same thing, and then spent ten years on Dragonstone twiddling her thumbs, I guess, since she never thought "hm let me try that".

Like, these are different people, with different personalities and different upbringings that shaped them in different ways, and thus have different relationships and impact the story in different ways. You can't just smush them together, it doesn't work. It's bad writing that is going to really wreck a lot of the future storytelling in some key ways. It shows a stunning lack of care towards not just a pre-existing Black character, but a Black character the writers themselves created as well, along with a lack of creativity and imagination on their part, and overall laziness that was already a bit present in season 1 but got kicked into overdrive in season 2 and has become endemic to this show overall. It's bad, it's dumb, it's lazy, it's borderline racist, and I don't like it.

(also there's a potent symbolism in rhaena's dragon hatching on its own and that she's called morning, after the dance killed so many dragons and created so much death and doom for house targaryen and the survivors that remain, but fuck the symbolism too i guess)

[lgcwooju]

hi i'm ree (21+ they/them) and this is wooju. as the only measly widdle first year trainee in lgc right now please go ahead and push him around or make him fetch u coffee and the jumbo sized deluxe dosirak from the convenience store (jk) (unless u want to idk)

summary + plots under the cut! like this post if you want me to dm you to plot (or feel free to dm me first). i also just made a twitter .2 seconds ago bc idk how the cool kids plot these days i shant lie,.., cansomeone help me

wealthy upbringing but pretty (arguably) down to earth despite it all... he's like a tree hugger who unironically wants world peace and probably gets really emotional about bizarre shit like bbc planet earth and the minecraft movie bc he's a sentimental guy...

really friendly though! very easygoing, not shy at all and could probably have a really great chill time w/ a rock if it was necessary

wooju joining legacy was solely bc his younger sister is a huge (INSERT LGC IDOL GROUP I HAVENT DECIDED YET IDK) fan and kids these days scheme so hard it's scaryyy so while he loves music and whatnot, he isn't 100% sold on whether he should be here

loves rock music, fiddling around with all sorts of instruments, and tempeh as a concept. he's a vegetarian and his preferred mode of transportation is walking unreal distances or skateboarding.

as a free-spirited rich kid who grew up kind of sort of doing whatever he wanted with little consequence, being in korea and specifically being in legacy is a whole new authoritarian mountain for him and man... (miley cyrus vc) it is the fucking climb

tl;dr nice guy who's a little out of touch with reality but it's like totally ok, ok? his korean is only half-decent and he has definitely responded to complex questions by inappropriately nodding and smiling and going "no exactly i'm literally always saying that." but he has a kind heart.

potential plots

platonic: friends...? obviously? he's very easy to get along with and as cool as a cucumber so please hang with him 👍 he's also kind of pathetic when you lreally think about it and probably has negative survival instinct so please also he needs people to be like "hey man we literally cannot have you eating uncooked cold tofu out of the container for the fourth night in a row" etc

antagonistic: not that he doesn't take his training seriously bc he does work hard, but it's pretty clear how aimless he reeealllyyy is when it comes down to the future. all of u big dreamers and fighters can think of him as a pos for taking this all ~for granted~

romantic: to make his whole manic pixie dream boy bit (JKKK) really extra over the top, he is unfortunately a LOVER with a HUGE HEART and is probably not used to suddenly not being (technically) allowed to date so anyone (w/i reasonable age) who wants to be casually flirted with, he is ur guy!

specific wanted connections

(debuted idol) lgc idol group member who his sister is obsessed with. he has a very paltry grasp of kpop to be quite honest but seems to have an encyclopedic knowledge of you against his will. xtra funny if you think he's like a super fan who's in love with you bc he unwittingly knows what your favorite ambient nature sounds spotify playlist is even though you mentioned it in passing 6 months ago under fansigning duress

(early 20s) similar age plz but he's been in seoul since 15 so if anyone wants to be his one (1) bestie he's had since then... pwease

(non-first yr trainee) so like. literally anyone. HATE HIS ASS FOR BEING A NEPO HIRE (not fr but figuratively and spiritually yk) but also feel obliged to help him figure out wtf he's doing he. you're kind of like his scary life coach and he cannot figure out if you like him or hate him

(early 20s) similar age plz pt 2 but wooju is not shy when it comes to his crushes and i think it would be funny for him to tell someone he likes them but that someone to think he's just joking so it's like this negative feedback loop of "what are we." nebulous onesided situationship.

(any) he's kind of floating by rn because he can afford to but a part of him is still on the fence about whether he wants to pursue a university degree... unfortunately (1) he's stupid and (2) bad at korean and (3) did i mention stupid. he definitely would have been nepo'd into yale on the crew team or something ok. someone tutor him please

[zaceouiswriting]

Fairy Prince - Hearts of Leviathans - Ch.35

Character: Sky x male reader, Riven x male reader, Brandon x male reader

Universe: Somewhere in Winx Club/Saga

Warnings: A pushing building

From now on, I will only include GIFs of the boys who appear in the chapter. However, if none of them appear in a chapter, I randomly choose one of the boys and insert his GIF. But don't worry, I will add a warning that the character does not appear in this chapter.

(Brandon)

(Sky)

(Riven)

Tears fill my eyes as disbelief overshadows most of my thoughts. How can this be? Is fate truly this cruel?

"I didn't mean to upset you!" the guy I now know as Brandon interjects. He's holding his hands up defensively, and his eyes are still cloudy, so I'm guessing he's still not in his right mind after all this.

The reminder that it's not him but only Brandon brings me back to my senses. "Stone armor!" I mutter through gritted teeth. In an instant, my entire right arm is covered in thick stone, almost looking like plate armor. Without hesitation, I pull my arm back and hit Brandon before he can realize what I'm doing.

With a loud bang followed by a thud, he lands on the floor, unconscious, or so I hope. I really don't need a murder investigation right now. So I conjure the armor away and crouch down to his side to feel for a pulse. To my relief, there is one; it's faint, but it is there. To make sure that nothing too serious had happened to him, I also examined his head for injuries, and to my delight, I found none.

“Man, your head is harder than rock,” I mutter, chuckling, “What a waste!”

As I stand back up, the situation really dawns on me. How, in the name of the old ones, do I get him out of this small room without attracting too much attention? Dragging him across the floor like a sack doesn't feel right, but the thought alone still brings a brief grin to my lips. But the further image of someone running into me from behind and undoubtedly making a problem out of the situation immediately makes my smile disappear.

What would I say if that happened? 'Yeah, man, I was just taking him for a walk,' like an animal, or 'He just drank too much,' which wouldn't be a complete lie, but I can't even say what he drank. But I already know that I'm going to make sure he never gets his greedy, big, strong, imposing... Where was I? Oh yes, I have to prevent him from getting his greedy little grabbles on the alcohol that he had undoubtedly consumed in abundance.

I sigh and curse myself for getting into all sorts of strange situations. Why is it always me? Do the Leviathans despise me this much? And yet, with another heavy sigh, I surrender to the situation and accept it.

"You're lucky I'm not as bad a person as your entire group of friends seems to be," I mutter in exasperation, fully aware that he cannot hear me in the deep worlds of his surely despicable dreams, and I can only hope that I would not be in them. 

I quickly crouch down and try to pull on his arms and legs, but immediately have trouble moving him.

"Shit, you're heavy!" Grumbling, I couldn't believe this. "What are you eating, man? If your body didn't look like a fucking statue, I'd put you on a damn diet! Where the fuck are you hiding all that weight?" I curse under my breath like a battle-hardened soldier.

I try to lift him from different directions, but it takes a bit until I finally get a better grip. After this, it becomes much easier. Even though it's heavy, I somehow manage to pick him up and throw him over my shoulders. A shiver runs down my spine as I feel his well-developed abdominal muscles, which, under other circumstances, I would gladly make my personal pillow on my back. Getting up after that is no problem. After all, I am used to carrying boulders on my back, so this is almost too easy.

But with Brandon over my shoulder, I'm faced with another problem. How the fuck am I going to get him out of this tiny room? The first problem is simply opening the door because I have to hold Brandon with both hands. However, with a little quick thinking, I push the handle down with my elbow, which resolves the first problem. What I didn't realize, however, is that the door is quite narrow. It must have been a miracle that Brandon even got through it unless the house had something to do with it.

I could only stare fiercely at the wall. However, I now know that I will have to exchange a few harsh words with the building the next morning. It feels like a trick on its part to set me up with someone it wants to see me with. It might have worked if Brandon had a real brain instead of hot air in his head, which is harder than metal.

I try to force us through, but the only thing I hear is me hitting him against the wooden frame. Even though his head is as hard as metal, I still don't want to hurt him any further. So I try to bend him, but even that doesn't work; seeing him in strange positions will amusingly haunt my daydreams for a while, though. When that doesn't work either, I feel something boiling up inside me, and before I know it, the frame has already broken into several pieces. A contented grin forms on my lips as I leave the room with a skip in my steps, only to nearly trip over my own little feet. When I look back, though, I see that the floor has moved up slightly, but before I tear the whole house apart, I close my eyes and count to ten. When I open my eyes again, the elevated ground has disappeared. I can only guess in the hope I didn't see it, but the building will know in the morning!

Anger wells up inside me again, but this time, I swallow it because I know nothing good will come of starting a fight with the building right now. It would only force me into another uncomfortable situation.

Still, I'll have to make it clear to the building that if it continues annoying me, I'll explode in anger. The more I think about it, the angrier I get, with righteous anger. After all that, I let out some of my magic. Shortly afterward, the ground shakes as I use my released magic to pull out the magic I gave to the building. Before I know it, one of the maids comes running up, apologizes on behalf of the building, bows, and asks me to stop what I'm doing. To say I'm stunned would be an underestimation.

It's the first time I've seen any of them since we got there, and once again, I'm overcome by a strange feeling of familiarity. Even with Brandon on my shoulder, I walk around her, looking her up and down, trying to figure out why I feel so strange around her. She doesn't seem uncomfortable or even freaked out (like I would feel), almost as if she doesn't feel anything. Her entire demeanor is strange and monotone, like there are no emotions in her body.

As I come back around her, I stare into her eyes, studying her again, only to suddenly see something. Quickly, I grab Brandon's shirt to hopefully keep him on my shoulder so I can use my other hand to take her forearm and twist it. The woman tries desperately to pull her arm from my grasp, but I only grip it tighter. Suddenly, her forearm crumbles like an old stone; although everything around that part is flesh and blood, the crumbling part is clearly stone. She tries to cover it up and lets out a small cry. 

Although my heart bleeds for her, I push her hand away and pull the partially crumbling stones from her wound, only for normal, red blood to ooze out. As I move her arm closer to my face, I see nothing but the blood of others, hear their screams, and beg me to end it for them. Shaking my head, I force myself out of those memories. Back in the moment, I reach into her open flesh that has not yet turned to stone, large, silent tears forming in the woman's eyes. But even the flesh feels normal.

I already have an idea of what this woman really is, but I can't believe it. How could I? Until now, it was just a legend, but now that I see it with my own eyes, how could I keep believing it to be a simple myth?

Now that I know the legend is true, I must do something before she dies. I hold her wound in my hand and imagine the deepest darkness of my homeworld, a place so deep inside that instead of scorching heat, one would suffer an icy cold that would chill one to the bone. I've never done this before, but I've heard of it once—just another legend, really, but knowing that many legends may be true.

Luckily, I feel a strangely strong connection to the frozen depths. Out of nowhere, a thunderous voice warns me not to disturb the sleeping. Annoyed, I let the invisible being from whom the booming voice originates know who I am. My words are met with an uncomfortable silence, so I channel most of my regained magic into the connection. The voice suddenly becomes quieter, the hostility disappearing almost instantly.

I have no way of knowing any secrets of my fairy magic, as I cannot ask anyone. But at this moment, I feel like I have found someone. I ask the voice for help and let it know what happened. But it remains silent; it only sends something through the connection, and out of nowhere, I feel something ice-cold at my fingers. Even though it feels uncomfortable, I do not take my hand off the woman's forearm.

At the same time, a happy sigh escapes from the woman's throat; relief is clearly visible on her former tense face. Only when the connection breaks do I raise my hand again; my hand is colored a dark blue color. However, the black-blue, soft, almost liquid stone in the woman's deep wound is more fascinating. Out of pure curiosity, I touch it, even scooping a little onto one of my fingers, and watch it expand. I quickly realize what it is for.

Before I know it, I'm ordering the woman to go to the others, scrape out everyone's wounds, apply a thin layer of this substance, and warm them in any way they like. She nods understandingly and is clearly grateful for my help. She bows to me again, calling me 'Prince,' before running away, holding her arm so nothing falls out.

Left behind, I can only shake my head; none of this is as expected. I just want to learn about my magic and become the best guardian fairy I can. But here I am, carrying a specialist on my shoulder, fighting everyone, and having hardly made any friends except the musclemen, but honestly, they are the best; at least they don't play any mind games.

When I reach our dorm room a few minutes later, I try to walk in, but something blocks me. Irate, I try again and am stopped again. I almost lose my shit, ready to murder someone. I turn my head slightly, and all the color drains from my face: Brandon's head is thrown clean against the wall. I curse myself inwardly, step sideways, and finally make it inside. With a flurry of magic, I close the door behind us.

The room is dark; the other two have apparently already gone to bed. I open the door to Brandon and Sky's bedroom and turn on the light, which causes the blonde to let out some annoyed noises, pissing me off even more. He tries to block me out and the light by putting his pillow over his head, but it doesn't work, which I can only guess because he groans even more annoyed.

"Why did you have to turn on the light?" He whines like a child. I abruptly turn my head and glare at him angrily, my sheer fury quickly silencing the blonde.

"Not only are you irresponsible, but you're also an immense bad influence," I shout at him, not caring who might hear. "Aren't you supposed to be his squire? Then how did he get out of the room, completely drunk, and force himself on me?" While I wait for an answer, he stares at me. Groaning, I let Brandon fall from my back onto his bed, taking off his shoes and socks while I tell Sky what happened, occasionally glaring disappointingly at him. After pulling his shirt over his juicy muscular torso, I pull his blanket over Brandon's body and finally turn back to Sky.

"If you ever allow him to drink what he had yesterday, I promise you"—I clench my fists and point at him with furious eyes—"I swear that Eraklyon will not have a crown prince anymore. Do you understand me?" Sky only stares at me with big, shiny, incomprehensible eyes. I don't even know if he's all there, so I walk over to him, grab his wide chin, and force him to look at me. "I will ensure that Eraklyon will suffer, fall apart, and be forgotten!"

Without waiting for an answer, I turn away from him, leave their room, and stroll into my own, where I fall into bed, annoyed.

***

Early the next morning, I find myself sitting in the cafeteria long before my roommates or anyone else is there; only a few other specialists training at such untimely hours accompany me there. Although Neil's group tries to get me to sit with them, I want to be alone for a little while.

As I dig into my third meal, the other seats at my table are suddenly occupied. I can only roll my eyes when I look up from my plate, but to my further confusion, only Riven acknowledges me with a glance, smiling briefly but quickly getting up to grab his own food. But Brandon and Sky, whatever they want to call themselves since they evidently have something to hide, are acting completely normal, cracking jokes, laughing, and doing what they normally would.

Their behavior makes me almost go crazy; why are they behaving like that? Can't they remember? I mean, they must have been pissed drunk, but still. Even staring at Sky doesn't do anything. The next moment, I stop digging through my food, realizing I'm either forgetful or stupid. Why do I still call him Sky when I know his real name?

"We're going to train!" I tell them without hesitation as I slam my cutlery onto the table. I finally get the attention I want. All three of them look at me with innocent, tilted eyes. "Put your stuff away; we're going to train now!"

I get up from the table, pick up my things, and put them away, only to return to the others, where all three are still staring at me uncomprehendingly. Anger boils inside me again, but I smile at them anyway and use just a little of my magic to fling their plates and cutlery into the air. With a speed that could have seriously injured someone, I hurl everything where it belongs.

“Let’s go now!”

[Masterlist]