#Lana being an exception as hers is actually more about perception and how Other People view her

[spookberry]

Hi can I ask color guardians a question?

Do they like their uniforms? Or maybe someone expected something different of a magical girl look?

The Color Guardians don't have any preconceived notions of what being a "magical girl" looks like (none of them are genre savvy). The only exception kinda is Benny who's sister was the Red Guardian before him, so he knew exactly what he was getting into.

other than Lana the current guardians all have positive to neutral opinions on their outfits.

[navree]

I love all of your brilliant analyses through the answers!

There’s not much information about the historical Targaryens, so could you please give us a check up for the Conquerors? Can you describe each of them in a few sentences? Especially Rhaenys, because she died young and beautiful per Lana del Rey, and didn’t have much time to show her personality. I would really love that because the book did all of them dirty

You're too kind, thank you so much!!!

How to describe my precious most beloved Conquerors (especially Rhaenys, my fave who, as you said wonderfully put it, did get Lana del Rey'd and did die young and beautiful)? Toughie, because there really isn't a whole lot of information about them that hasn't been warped via mythologization, either in a positive and negative direction, and also because it seems like they were particularly tight lipped about their personal lives in both words and actions. But I will endeavor to do my best because I love them. I also have a lot to say about their interpersonal relationships with each other and with other people, especially once the children start getting thrown into the mix, but for now, simple personality descriptions of Aegon, Visenya, and Rhaenys for me are as follows:

Aegon - Aegon, first and foremost, appeared to be an introverted and deeply private person. Likely not someone who relished solitude, but didn't necessarily have a need or want for a lot of people around him, choosing instead to intensely value the few that he had, like his siblings and his children or, well, at least Aenys. For all the talk of the dragon's temper and all that, Aegon also didn't appear to be someone with that tempestuous a personality, and certainly no fits of fury, as exhibited by the way he waged a very methodical conquest and the way he was willing to deal with the North peaceably, as well as his willingness to sit down and end the conflict with Dornish even after Rhaenys's death (really, the two years of the Dragon's Wroth appears to have been the exception to the rule, motivated by very understandable extenuating circumstances to allow for such a breach in character). And in spite of what appears to have been pretty consistent neglect of Maegor, Aegon also seems to have been a devoted family man, never proving unfaithful to either of his sisters, deeply loving towards his eldest son, and an almost constant babysitter to his grandchildren, all the signs of someone who valued family and, if my own theories about how he got around to conceiving Maegor are to be taken as fact, valued duty even in the face of his own wants. And lastly, between being willing to negotiate with Dorne and accepting peaceable Northern surrender and the fact that the dragondreaming thing was a piece of lore that came from GRRM himself, Aegon seems to be someone who always did what was best for the greater good of the people, things like ending wars he might not have personally wanted to end for the realm

Visenya - Some of the more pervasive perceptions of Visenya are actually right, in my view; she was a stern and unforgiving person who could be as implacable as a wall when she wanted someone to suffer, and never willing to take anyone's shit, whether it was an enemy defying her or a little sibling (most likely Aegon) being irritating when they were children. But Visenya was also a dragon, and she did have that classic dragon temperament, we know that she had a temper given how involved she was in the Dragon's Wroth, and her determination to continue the war even after it was clear it was exacting a heavy cost and the more pragmatic move, the one that Aegon saw, was to try to come to a peace. Visenya was passionate, clearly, not just from those examples but from the way she was willing to keep on keeping on through the force of her feelings alone, like pushing through injuries to keep on fighting, like at the Field of Fire. She also had a bit of a cruel/sadistic streak, though that didn't really come too much into play when things were serious, more like it was an outlet for some of her darker thoughts. Then, there's this part, which is vital to understand: like Aegon, Visenya was family oriented, but not in the way Aegon was. While Aegon was a family man who valued time with them and only showed his true self to those loved ones, Visenya's devotion to family was exhibited in the way that there was nothing she wouldn't do for her family. There was nothing she wouldn't entertain, no line she wouldn't cross; she would usurp rightful leaders, go to war happily, burn a country to the ground in revenge, engage in dark arts in order to keep her family secure, everything she did she would say was in the service of her family, without compunction. Also, Visenya was a lesbian.

Rhaenys - Most important thing to know is that Rhaenys was absolutely perfect, so jot that down quick. I do subscribe to the way that Rhaenys's personality is described in the book, that she was kind and curious and occasionally impulsive and had a wide imagination, the last of which is what helped inform her love of poetry and music. But I also firmly believe that she was quick witted, not just witty but genuinely fiercely intelligent , and because she was so personable and able to make people love her as quickly as she did (because I will always subscribe to the belief that Rhaenys was very well loved by most people), Rhaenys was also incredibly gifted at not just reading situations and finding out the best outcomes, but also at just reading people, at understanding them and their motivations even at just a glance. Rhaenys was also a fascinating political mind, she knew exactly what she was doing with the propaganda she was creating through singers and minstrels, and though I don't think she ever consummated any relationships outside of her marriage, she absolutely flirted in order to get more people fond of her and her family by extension and spread the Targaryen agenda throughout the land, an early precursor to what her grandson Jaehaerys would do with the Doctrine of Exceptionalism. Rhaenys, while kindhearted, was also both capable of holding long grudges, and absolutely not a pushover; she had a spine of steel and sometimes could just continue on a course out of sheer stubbornness, nothing else. But she was kind, and extraordinarily loving, and the most openly affectionate out of all her siblings, capable of bringing a smile to Visenya's face and getting Aegon out of his shell, and she was an attentive and loving mother to Aenys for the three years that he had her. And this emotional openness is what allowed her to also be more "spiritual" than her siblings, but not in a way that we typically see it, as ascribed to religion, but in the way she was able to bond so fiercely with Meraxes, to really love her and spend so much time with her and want to be free with her, to be the only one out of her siblings to really forge that "one heart, one mind" kind of dragon bond that they never did with Balerion or Vhagar.

I'm sticking to just what I extrapolated based on the book that I use to then flesh out some of the stuff that's pure speculation on my part (like Visenya's romantic feelings towards Rhaenys specifically, Rhaenys's dynastic ambitions when it came to her family with Aegon, or what I believe to be passive suicidal ideation from Aegon following Rhaenys's death) but these are basically the core personality traits of the three Conquerors as I've interpreted them.

[anxiety-trademark]

The week in review:

Raw 12/14 NXT 12/16 NXT UK 12/17 Smackdown 12/18 TLC 12/20 + Main Event 12/17

Raw:

“This Sunday at tlc, it’s gonna be you and me against Nia and Shayna,” Lana says to Asuka, as a quiet ‘woo’ can be heard in the distance.

Lana facing her fears and fighting Nia Jax makes her the bravest person Asuka knows. Rolling. Fucking Asuka. ASUKA. wwe, stop.

Why isn’t Asuka accompanying Lana to the ring?

I like Lana’s gear.

Joe just compared Lana to a mosquito, goodbye.

Oh snap look how fast Lana did that headscissors takedown. We’re witnessing her progression, ladies and gents.

You know, I knew Lana would win this match, I knew exactly how she would win this match, but jfc what a treat watching it myself. 

Nia’s face lmfao.

Shayna wrecking Asuka so she can’t save Lana from her inevitable fate. Still curious on whether or not this beatdown injured her, if she was injured going into the match, or if it was all really just a storyline.

Yikes this is sad.

Man that leg drop onto Lana’s ankle actually looked kinda wicked, ngl.

*distant woo intensifies*

Wow we got real tears from Lana. Points.

Becky and Charlotte have been gone, Alexa hasn’t been on tv, the Raw women’s championship has become a meaningless prop... what a dead period for this roster.

Hi why is this match happening?

I will never not be impressed by Dana’s entrance.

Is Mandy actually hurt? Why did they take her off tv for so long? Is Shayna the resident kayfabe shelver? “Hey this girl is actually injured, have her written off by Shayna” ?? Cuz I know they’re not splitting Dana and Mandy up, and Dana has been on tv every week since Mandy left. Must be genuine.

These 2 are running roughshod over the entire division at this point.

OH SHIT MANDY’S BACK WITH A KENDO STICK

Lmfao the babyfaces are fucking done with Nia and Shayna. Honestly that’s great, I love it when babyfaces band together to stand up to dominant duos. This has been going on long enough. They took out Mandy, took out Lana, were about to take out Dana. Totally fair.

Highlight: Lana getting a clean win over Nia & being taken out so my queen can return

---

NXT:

It’s a funny thing with Toni and Rhea. Toni says she’s the reason Rhea came to nxt, but she’s also the reason I became such a huge fan of Rhea’s. Heard they were having some big TakeOver match and everyone was always praising Toni. So I checked into Blackpool solely to see what the Toni Storm fuss was about, and I left that ppv solely impressed by Rhea Ripley. Then I took particular notice of Rhea in the Royal Rumble a few weeks later, and I’ve been watching NXT UK for her ever since (til she moved). To see her growth has been tremendous, and she’s so young. Such a bright future.

The music to this is great.

Toni says she isn’t scared of Rhea, as if Rhea’s mere theme music didn’t scare the absolute shit out of Toni the week prior lol.

Toni’s not even a terrible promo, but the timing of her blinks could not be worse. Yes, it matters.

I can’t stop laughing at how fucking intensely Shotzi started this interview.

She does pissed off interviews well. I can feel her annoyance.

Really don’t want to see a Candice/Shotzi feud tbh but okay, I’ll try.

aaand there’s the howl. Awful.

Lmfao Rhea called Toni a piece of trash. This is gonna be interesting to see with the alignments reversed.

I don’t remember who won this match, but I’m betting it was Toni. Which is fair tbh. Rhea is probably on the “put some peeps over before moving up to the main roster” path that everyone in the women’s division walks on. They always eat at least one monumental, or a couple meaningful, loss(es).

Oh man that is fucked up. To not only be forced to continue punching/kicking a human (fun fact: the person on the offense takes quite the damage doing so) but to have the defenseless victim bleed out and beg for you to stop. That’s rough.

This was shot really well. That music holy shit, I’m creeped out. It’s like a horror movie.

I see the point. Numbs him to pain and breaks his will, while numbing her to mercy. Ruthless stuff.

Oh are we finally done with Indi’s neck brace? Cool.

I can’t believe wwe invested in this upgraded tank. I still don’t think it’d work on the MR, but points to the boss for shelling out the cash.

Wtf was that stumble and “fall” by Indi lmao.

If Candice was a real bully, she’d distract Shotzi by fucking with her tank at ringside.

Indi does need a mentor, she’s a hell of a lot greener than my mutuals have made it sound. oof.

Shotzi looks like she has no idea how to work with Indi, and Indi looks gassed, confused, and slow as hell.

All Indi knows it going from spot to spot while Shotzi waits around for her to get there.

Lol Indi failed at getting a dirty win. I don’t really care if this is a part of her The Way storyline, what a mess.

The only redeeming part of this piss poor segment was Theory shaking the troll’s head at Shotzi.

I’ll give wwe an extra $9.99 if they let this match have a clean ending.

“[Rhea] was at one point the biggest superstar in the world,” that isn’t even close to being true because Becky Lynch exists, but I’ll let it slide and pretend you said “in nxt”.

Their paths will be so similar to Becky and Charlotte in the future.

Wow what a sequence. That would’ve received an applause on the MR. Traded headlocks for restholds, threw around their strength, then went into a battle of pinfall reversals. Instead of following that with some stalemate, they didn’t take a breath and proceeded to dance with each other and showcase some chemistry before rolling back into a battle of pinfall reversals. The sequence started with a kick by Toni to Rhea’s midsection, and it ends with a kick by Rhea to Toni’s midsection. Peep that match production, good stuff.

My, my, those slaps to Toni’s back. Whew.

Yeah actually it’s really fucking cool that these 2 get to main event nxt together, come to think of it.

They sell well for each other.

Rhea has the best dropkicks, lesbireal.

Holy shit Toni’s headbutts make my own head hurt. God I wish she wouldn’t. Most people put their hands between the heads so no contact can be made, but Toni’s just like “lol fuck it”

This is a great match. This duo works a lot better with these specific alignments. Watching face Toni try to chop down Rhea is not as good as heel Toni being impossibly hard for Rhea to put away.

Women’s matches and never having a clean ending. Name a more iconic duo. Winter of overbooked women’s matches continues.

Like I had guessed Toni was gonna win anyway, but fucking come on.

*Bonus* online exclusive: Toni says playing by the rules got her diddly and squat, but like... she was a champion lol. “It ain’t even Toni time right now, it’s party time.” Alright.

Highlight: Rhea vs Toni minus the ending

---

NXT UK:

I don’t know why we’re getting Isla Dawn vs KLR but anytime I get to see KLR fight, I’m here for it.

Hell even Isla’s song never kicks it out of first gear. Song has so much potential but it never goes to the next level.

Ahhhh my Scottish queen is here.

No, don’t compare Sasha’s basement meteora to the double knees Isla did. That was pitiful.

Anyway, KLR vs any of the 4hw would be fantastic, take my money. Sasha, Bayley, Charlotte, or the woman KLR wanted to face at TO Dublin, Dublin native Becky Lynch.

That back body drop is horrendous as a finisher. It’s like when Becky won her debut match the exploder suplex. Awful lmao. Imagine if KLR lost to a back body drop ffs.

You don’t get to be this frustrated for not being able to beat the champion when you’ve only been fighting for like 3 mins.

Isla’s pisspoor speed going in the corner, and her pisspoor roll off of KLR’s tornado ddt. Shame.

Such a clean transition from a failed pinfall attempt into a submission by KLR, whew.

This whole match was just a flex by KLR lmao.

There was a time where we had Becky Lynch, Bayley, Rhea Ripley and KLR as our champions. Wow, take me back plz.

The background music of this stupid recording is so unnecessarily dramatic, wow.

All for the delivery of a chair. Of a fucking chair. Piper... shut up and handle your shit.

For someone so much larger than the little man, Piper is insanely unintimidating.

Highlight: I got to see KLR wrestle

---

Smackdown:

Bayley does run her mouth a lot. She’s kind of the EST at saying dumb shit that gets her into trouble lmao.

Bianca is so friggin good at interviews and in backstage segments. She hasn’t received much of a chance to do promos in the ring, let alone obviously to a live crowd, but I hope she shines there, too.

Has Liv reverted back to being a dumb blonde, or is it drugs? Stop letting her speak.

Love Riott Squad’s everchanging gear. Wonder who makes it for them.

Billie Kay claims that she’s a ‘seasoned’ ring announcer, and somehow that would not surprise me.

Tamina “get the fuck out of my face until I get a nap and a vat of coffee” Snuka, everyone.

Lmfaooo Tamina fucking chucked Liv across the damn ring. What a good job by Liv.

Ruby is exceptional at running the ropes. She gets a good spring off of it.

Tamina’s hair is always so beautiful, she gets points there.

Dropkick into a faceplant. Billie Kay gets pinned rofl. She’s so bad at wrestling and yet here I am ridiculously entertained.

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with Carmella’s current persona, but man I wish she’d come out in a cut off tank top, camo pants, high tops and a printed hat.

I mean people are at home cuz covid, but go off.

Aye putting over Sasha. Good heel Mella.

Sasha has held the title for like a whopping 2 months and we’re already marking calendars. Sad.

In kf, Sasha is kind of mentally weak, so I’ll give Mella that. I’m not sure what it’s gonna take to shake that perception, either.

“Who is Sasha Banks if she’s not the Boss? Who is Sasha Banks if she’s not the best? It’s sad because that’s a question that not even Sasha Banks knows the answer too.” So I get that wwe are trying to help Sasha develop and fight off her past demons, but man these women are ripping her a new one. Sasha’s only 29 so she can grow and develop however she wants, but jeeze. Salt, meet the dagger Bayley stuck in Sasha’s back.

I like Mella cuz she knows how to hype her opponent’s accolades and strengths while cutting an immaculate heel promo where she hits them RIGHT where it hurts. She’s a pro. Heels should take notes.

This music is like the Jazz Vibes playlist I always listen to.

She just called Sasha cheap and frantic lmaoooo

Oh damn Sasha be out here looking like MONEY. That girl has style, even if it doesn’t always hit with me, she got style.

oof the crack of that slap to Reggie.

OOF the crack of the bottle shattering over Sasha’s poor back. rip.

Match at TLC should’ve been a champagne match. That entails whatever your mind comes up with; pouring alcohol on your opponent, dumping their head in a bucket of ice, breaking bottles over spines. It don’t matter.

“You don’t see me going around here bragging about how damn good I am,” lmao WHAT. Bayley is equal parts delusional and obnoxiously annoying.

One size heel does not fit all, but I think her version suits her beautifully.

If I were her I’d pick your brain too, but I’d also want a match, cuz people leave matches with you looking as good as humanly possible. Equal parts selfless as well.

She didn’t lie, this was absolutely her putting Bianca on the map on the main roster.

wwe: wants to strap a rocket to Bianca and make her a star. Also fucking wwe: “lol no we’re not gonna show you her full entrance, cry more scrub.” 

Bayley still looks weird without a title.

Bayley mocks Bianca’s entrance and then gets swept onto the apron lmao. Idiot.

Bianca is a lot of flash and showboating, which is great from an entertainment standpoint, but she needs to do a little... less.

Fantastic snap of the hand against the led board. Bayley wrecking Bianca’s arm gonna hinder the flips.

“I’m the ER. I’m BET-TER. haha.” lmao Bayley is such a fucking dork. Got sent into the ring steps for her bravado. Love that there’s always immediate repercussions for Bayley’s arrogance.

Bayley turned midway going down onto Bianca’s knee for that backbreaker, there. Hope she doesn’t have a massive bruise. Looked like it’d leave a massive bruise.

3 things I’ll apparently never get to see again: Bianca’s hair whip, Bianca’s full entrance, and Bianca’s 450 splash. I’m tired.

These stupid fucking squats while Bianca is dangling off the top rope rofl I swear Bayley is something else. Girl knows how to entertain. “Bayley got a bit cute and Bianca made her pay,” story of Bayley’s life.

Beautiful spinebuster by Bianca. At least SOMEONE in the women’s division will use it.

Bit of a miscommunication there it seems. Bayley goes for a B2B, Bianca tries to block it, Bayley drops down to dodge and go for a cradle. She rolls Bianca all the way back, stands up and hesitates before running at Bianca with an elbow - even though Bianca is not in position to receive it - which Bianca counters by rolling Bayley up, but it was super obvious Bianca was just scouting the next spot. Bianca goes to pick her up for a powerbomb but Bayley has to kick out twice to prevent herself from being pinned while Bianca tries to lift her. That entire sequence was super messy.

Then Bianca nearly drops her lifting her all the way up lol. Yikes. Gotta be pretty fluent to pull that off. Not to plug my fav (but I’m totally gonna plug my fav); it’s a move Charlotte does in almost every match against Asuka or Becky, and you gotta be not only built to pull it off, but you need to have impeccable timing to make the transition look smooth. Extra points if you lift them off the mat RIGHT before a 3 (which Charlotte usually does)

Anyway, good match with a messy last 2 sequences. Bayley did what Bayley does best.

Highlight: Bayley vs Bianca

---

TLC:

They really took Eva Marie and Sasha Banks’ characters and meshed them together while keeping Carmella’s obsession for animal print lol.

Really don’t like that gear. That’s a miss, Mikaze.

Beautiful arm drag. Sasha taking the idea of wrestling like a Lucha more seriously? Cuz she should, ain’t nobody else in the MR doing it.

Commentators say the trash talk is continuing, I say Sasha is quietly leading this match with a grimace. Peeped that “hit me”.

Carmella goes to suicide dive through the ropes just for Reggie to catch her, cept she got caught up and started turning in midair. Would’ve hit her neck and shoulder HARD had he not been there. Great catch indeed.

Sasha “rip my back” Banks.

Not to be douchey, but if you have to adjust your gear in the middle of a match and it’s not just to fill time or be used as character work, then you need to redesign your gear.

Sasha’s a great babyface once that bell rings man. I wish she could carry that energy everywhere.

Holy fuck that facebuster. SPIKED her head, oh my god. I have never seen anyone make a facebuster look so impactful. Points if intentional.

Oh the timing of Sasha blocking that superkick from legit connecting. God she’s good.

You know how I know this is a good match? I’m watching some of these near pinfalls and submissions knowing damn well Sasha’s gonna win, yet my anxiety is still spiking thinking Carmella might walk out with the title. I KNOW she doesn’t though lmao. Good sequences, believable offense, great near pinfalls. They work well together (I’m not surprised, Mella and Sasha both work well with almost anyone)

What a fantastic transition into the bank statement. Points.

That match should’ve ended by dq the second Reggie pulled Mella out. 

Sasha could’ve sold that double superkick pinfall attempt a little bit more.

Carmella having a breakdown. What does that mean? That means she’s about to lose this match lmao. There it is, not even 10 seconds later hahaha.

Sasha sells pain so damn well. Good for her. Good defense of her title. Points to Sasha, she’s phenomenal every time she has an actual match. Post-match and she’s already annoyed me though lol. Ugh. Maybe she’ll get it soon enough.

Nice “replay” wwe. Billion dollar company btw.

Billie, drawing a horizontal line is not how you write ‘clairvoyant’. 

“proficient in Japanese��� aw Asuka was so excited for a split second lmao.

Oh no, she made a mask to match Asuka’s with a paper plate. Oh no no no. Travesty. 

Ugh I’m so excited. I’ve already seen this and yet I’m excited. Here we are, the whole damn reason I started catching up on everything I basically refused to watch since June 22.

SHE LOOKS LIKE MONEY, WHEW. The queen IS back. She’s so fucking beautiful man.

Love how annoyed Nia looks. This is your comeuppance tbh. Could’ve just faced a measly Lana, but no, you had to play too much.

Really Charlotte shouldn’t be in the tag division, and really she shouldn’t give half of a fuck about Asuka, but we’ll get to that more in the future since this is already nearly 2 months old.

Nia’s doing a great job selling Charlotte’s return, and she’s not even active in the match rn. She does good work.

Bad camera angle on Asuka hitting the ring post.

Asuka getting wrecked lol.

I really despise that the Raw women’s championship was tied up in all of these storylines that have nothing to do with the Raw women’s championship. The Lana crap, the Charlotte crap, the tag teaming in general crap.

In hindsight, I now find it curious that Ric Flair was in the back for this match. Very curious. I swear, if the past 2 real time months weren’t a part of some master plan the Flairs came up with together, I will be SHOCKED.

Charlotte’s fucking crazy for doing those moonsaults to the outside though, for real. I know she was a gymnast and an exceptional cheerleader, but MAN you could not pay me to do fucking blind back flips that high up. Crazy.

She should’ve given us a spear in this match. I wanna go rewatch her work just to see some spears.

Good match. They needed to not focus on destroying Asuka for as long as they did, pacing was off for a little bit there.

Love how Charlotte sticks her tongue out when she bridges up into the figure 8. She’s such an asshole lmao.

If I could’ve changed one thing about that finish, I would’ve had Charlotte bounce off the ropes before hitting Natural Selection. Other than that, it was great.

Charlotte looks good with a title, idk *shrug*

The way Charlotte looked over at Asuka though. I really don’t trust her in hindsight lol.

Like how this Firefly Funhouse is setting the spotlight on Alexa before Bray takes his leave of absence, only wish she hadn’t missed 2-3 wks of tv.

What a fun way of running a video package.

Inferno matches are insane and I’m not sure why anyone would participate in such.

Think it’s smart they’re both leaving their jackets on tbh.

Alright that was cool. The way Fiend called up the flames was fucking cool. It looks amazing aesthetically. They could’ve never done the set quite like this if there had been fans.

WE HAVE STRAPS?! IS FIRE NOT ENOUGH?!? Man. Randy is a fucking trooper.

Guys. Guys excuse me, that strap is on fire, can... can we not, please??

Man is swinging a god damn pick axe at Randy Orton, I--

I hope that wasn’t actually flammable liquid cuz otherwise Randy is now soaked in it, and that’s insanely dangerous. Oh that’s great editing. So it was flammable, but Randy was out of the chair before the fire rushed at him. Also covered the chair in blood. That was cool.

Orton just pull the damn string out of the jacket real quick lol.

Caught Orton’s attempt at an rko with a mandable claw. Points.

Can someone... put him out? Editing trick? Were the flames real? Am I real??

Shouldn’t the bell ring? Match is over, right??

The dummy was kind of obvious ngl. Not to sound like an asshole, but they should’ve made it a bit thicker and more solid lol. Doesn’t really take me out of it though, cuz even though I’m sure it was a stunt double that got lit on fire by the ramp, someone was on fucking fire, and that’s intimidating in itself.

Also the dummy is melting. I’d say they should’ve used pig meat, but I’m sure vegans and animal rights activists would’ve had a field day writing to Snickers about that.

Was a good match, for what it was. I was entertained.

---

*BONUS*

Main Event:

“Nasty Nikki” lol okay.

“The only reason people even know you exist is because you were Alexa Bliss’ best friend,” ouch. Truth is pain.

Ahahahah Lacey has hand sanitizer again. 

Love that submission Lacey jumped into through the ropes, plus an eye rake. Fantastic.

That’s curious. Lacey and Peyton are arguing over the hand sanitizer as Lacey wants to squirt it on Nikki, while Peyton is claiming it’ll get her DQd. Now I’m on Peyton’s side in the sense that it should absolutely be illegal, but Lacey’s done it in a match against Nikki before, sooo ???

I like how Nikki fell trying to get back into the ring before the 10 count. Adds credibility.

Haha Nikki gets the pinfall over Lacey because Peyton was being a nuisance on the outside. Lacey big mad. That’s great.

---

*Smackdown easily shined the brightest in what was a great week of wrestling. Utilized 8 women in 3 different storylines, couldn’t possibly complain about that.

[elfrootaddict]

HERALD OF ANDRASTE - Chapter 2/4

DESCRIPTION: El'lana’s entire world is turned upside down when she, a proud Dalish elf, is bestowed the title “Herald of Andraste”.

SERIES: Halla & Wolf

VOLUME: 3

It’s been just over four days since the prisoner’s attempt of closing the Breach, and Solas did not expect her to survive. As she lay unconscious for hours, then a day, and then into several nights, it was only a matter of time before she would be declared dead. 

She may have survived the Conclave by accidentally entering the Fade, Solas thought to himself, but to survive closing the Breach with her magical limitations? Impossible. 

Just as Solas had theorised, the mark had stopped spreading like the Breach, which helped solidify his value to Cassandra. Seems her desire to see him executed will have to wait. 

When nearing the end of the third day, Solas was preparing the little belongings he had in anticipation of the prisoner’s demise, so that he could reconnect with his agents as soon as possible.

However, not too long after making the decision to leave did he notice a lot of stirring and commotion amongst the people of Haven. Suddenly everyone started rushing to witness something. Or someone. 

While keeping his distance, Solas witnessed Lana awkwardly shuffle through the gawking crowd of people. 

This prisoner somehow managed to defy all reasonable odds. Again?

Only when Lana disappeared into the Chantry, did Solas retreat back to his cabin to reconsider his strategy. A few thoughts had come to mind but he quickly settled on one; he was going to leave regardless, and have one of his agents spy on the prisoner for him. His time is too valuable, and he was not going to waste it here, especially when his spies could do the work for him just fine. 

Also, he was not comfortable being the only apostate amongst so many unrestrained Chantry forces. Rumours of the rebel mages causing the Breach was growing, and he wanted no part in it.

Once Solas was packed and ready to leave, he opened his cabin to once again find the people of Haven gathering to witness something else. This time, it was in front of the Chantry. 

With his curiosity peaked, Solas decided to quickly see what the commotion was all about before he left. 

As Solas reached a perfectly concealed spot, he patiently watched and waited as Cassandra, Liliana, Josephine Montyliet and Commander Cullan stood ideally by in a huddle in front of the slowly growing crowd. After a few moments of nothing, Solas decided it was probably no more than a public service announcement of sorts for the people of Haven.

As Solas was about to turn to leave, he suddenly saw the prisoner step out of the Chantry. With genuine shock slapped across his face, Solas witnessed Cassandra gesture for the prisoner to stand with them in formation, as an equal, and announce the rebirth of the Inquisition. 

As momentous as the occasion was to witness, especially considering it was current and not a memory in the Fade, Solas could not help but bewilderedly stare at the prisoner as she stood front-in-center of the ceremony.

She is clearly no longer their prisoner. No, she has become someone important. Someone, I need to keep an eye on myself.  

***

It is now the fourth day, in the late afternoon, and the people of Haven are starting to prepare for the evening meals. Solas is making his way back to his cabin when he passes Varric, who is warming himself by a large fire, and regards him with a friendly nod.

“Hey, Chuckles! Hold on a moment.”

Solas stops to turn around, “Yes, Master Tethras?”

“Please, Varric is fine. I’m not one for fancy titles.”

“My apologies, Varric. What can I do for you?” and with a subtle, polite gesture from Solas, the two men continue walking together. 

“Look, I don’t like telling people what to do just as much as the next guy, but I can tell when someone needs company.”

Solas looks down at the dwarf slightly puzzled, “I hope you don’t mind me saying, but I am in no need of any company?”

“I wasn’t talking about you.”

The two men walk up a small flight of steps which leads to a large, open space with cabins situated on either side, and another directly in front. 

“Who, then?”

Varric folds his arms across his chest, and cocks his head over his left shoulder and whispers, “Lana.”

Solas leans to the side and notices a pair of two bare feet, wrapped in thin, makeshift leather strips, hiding behind the cabin opposite to his.

“What does that have to do with me?”

Varric sighs loudly, “I understand you like being alone, but our little Dalish there? From what I could gather, this is probably the first time in her life that she’s been away from her clan.”

Solas becomes visibly uncomfortable at Varric’s insinuation, “And you think because I’m an elf, that I would be able to console her?”

Throwing his hands up and shaking his head, “Is that so hard to understand? Sure, there is Minaeve but she’s too, you know, Andrastian. Lana would perhaps enjoy talking to someone less, Chantry?” Varric sighs and crosses his arms. “Look, just go talk to her will you? Maker’s breath, she won’t bite!” and walks away, leaving Solas with a decision. 

All Solas wanted to do was to get out of the blasted Fereldan cold. He looks down at his toes, sighs, and realises they are going to have to stay frozen a little while longer. 

As Solas begins his quiet approach, he notice’s Lana sitting on a loose fur rug, knees close to her chest, and with her back against the cabin as she softly hums a melody to herself. Solas also notices an ink pot beside her, and then sees her slowly guiding the quill on some parchment as she draws a pair of eyes.

As Solas’s shadow casts down on Lana, she looks up from her sketch and immediately squeals from fright, causing Solas’s entire body to subtly jolt as he tries not to squeal in return. 

That would be entirely unbecoming. 

Lana brings her hand up to block the sun’s rays, her eyes trying to adjust to the silhouette towering above her. Soon small details begin to reveal themselves, and Lana eventually recognises that it’s Solas. 

Taking in a deep breath of relief, Lana chuckles loudly, “Ir abelas, lethallin! I wasn’t expecting anybody to find me here.”

After quietly composing himself, Solas calmly responds, “Apologies. It seems I have frightened you. I should have announced my presence sooner.” 

Lana removes her gaze and looks back at her sketch, “Oh no, don’t worry. I just startle easily. Not a very good trait for someone to have in my position, I suppose.” and turns to look back up at Solas with a gentle, innocent smile.

“Do not bother yourself with their perceptions of you. For it is your mark they are primarily concerned about, after all.”

Lana sighs, “Yes, I suppose you’re right. Is there something you needed, Solas? Is Cassandra looking for me?”

“No, Cassandra does not need you. If it’s no trouble, would you mind if I joined you?”

Lana’s smile widens, and she happily moves her ink pot out the way as she shuffles herself over to make more room on the rug, “No of course not, you can sit here.” and taps her hand on the empty space. 

Solas places his staff against the cabin and sits down next to her. With his legs crossed, Solas turns to regard Lana, “So, the Chosen of Andraste, a blessed hero sent to save us all.”

Lana’s shoulder length, silver hair swoops in a flick as she looks around to ensure nobody but Solas can hear her, “Banal! These shems are crazy. I’m not,” forming air quotations. “The ‘Herald of Andraste’ and I have no interest in being anyone’s hero,” and she leans back against the cabin to continue drawing. “All I want is to find a way to seal this Breach. Ghilas ma vhenas.”

Solas releases a quiet sigh under his breath, “Pragmatic, but ultimately irrelevant,” and he too, looks down at Lana’s sketch. “Who is that?”

“Keeper Deshanna,” answers Lana proudly and turns to look up at Solas. Based on his subtly confused expression, she realises she needs to explain. “She’s the Keeper of my clan.”

Solas offers a subtle nod in response and quietly critiques her skills, and determines she is quite talented, “Why are you drawing your Keeper?”

Lana rests her quill on the parchment and sighs, “I… well... you might think it strange. But I wanted to draw the faces of my family back home. I don’t-” 

Lana turns away from Solas and clears her throat. “I don’t know when I’ll see them again, and I want something to look back on while I’m here,” and turns back at the parchment. “Something to help me remember their faces,”

Lana quickly wipes away at an escaped tear and releases a soft, embarrassed laugh, “Ir abelas. You don’t have to sit with me. I actually don’t mind my own company.”

“Neither, do I,” murmurs Solas. “The company of others can be quite trying.”

Except for some Spirits.

Lana’s face immediately bursts into a happier demeanour, “Me, too! Ugh, especially with shems! I don’t know how to act around them. I don’t have a lot of experience, obviously.”

Solas is surprised to find Lana using the word ‘shem’ without a hint of disgust as one would expect from a Dalish elf. The only thing Solas finds the Dalish and city elves have in common, are their constant derogatory tones whenever they say “shem”. However, Lana appears to be saying it without contempt and Solas finds himself curious over why that is.

Offering only another subtle nod as a response, Solas decides to keep their conversation going a little while longer, "If you don’t mind me asking, I heard you humming before, and I’ve never heard such a beautiful melody in any of my travels before. Is it of your own making?”

“Oh, you heard that? No, I didn’t create it. It's actually a very old Dalish song parents sing to their little ones before bed. It’s called Mir Da’len Somniar,” and turns warmly to admire her sketch. “The Keeper always sang it to me.”

“Why not your own parents?”

Lana’s face suddenly stiffens as she falls quiet, and Solas immediately regrets having asked the question, “I’m sorry. I seemed to have upset you. Forget I asked.”

Lana continues sketching and eventually answers, “For a time they did, but they died. A long time ago. The Keeper raised me as her own.” and with that, Lana continues shaping the eyes of the Keeper.

With a gentle voice, Solas murmurs, “I’m sorry.”

“That’s okay, you didn’t know.” and Lana finalises the details on the eyes and then begins with the eyebrows. 

With their conversation having suddenly reached an immediate halt, with neither one knowing what to say next, Solas decides to talk about the one thing he feels the most comfortable with. The Fade.

While focusing his gaze on the Breach in the sky, Solas unpromptly shares one of his many veracious stories with Lana, “I’ve journeyed deep into the Fade to ancient ruins and battlefields to see the dreams of lost civilizations,” Lana stops to regard him and Solas, still focused on the Breach, doesn’t take notice. “I’ve watched as hosts of spirits clash to reenact the bloody past in ancient wars both famous and forgotten,” he turns to face Lana and is startled to find her gaze already upon him. “You say you don’t want to be a hero but every great war has its heroes. I’m just curious what kind you’ll be?”

Lana ignores the question and instead asks one of her own, “Ruins and battlefields? What do you mean?”

Solas is pleasantly surprised at Lana actually having paid attention, as he expected her to answer his question boldly and ignorantly. Instead, he has unintentionally piqued her curiosity, and suddenly feels a rush of excitement over the fact. 

Solas turns his body slightly towards Lana as he gladly educates, “Any building strong enough to withstand the riggers of time has a history. Every battlefield is steeped in death. Both attract spirits. They press against the Veil, weakening the barrier between our worlds,” Solas turns away, losing himself in his mind's eye. “When I dream in such places, I go deep into the Fade. I can find memories no other living being has ever seen.”

Lana places a light hand on Solas’s shoulder as she cries out in horror, “You fall asleep in the middle of ancient ruins? Isn’t that dangerous?”

Solas takes a quick glance at her hand on his shoulder, and releases a cheeky smile, “I do set wards. And if you leave food out for the giant spiders, they are usually content to live and let live.”

Lana drops her hand and looks away as she contemplates on what Solas has shared with her. Her eyes appear wider than usual as they dart from side-to-side. Then, as she looks back up, Solas holds his breath as he braces himself for her to either disregard or openly mock him for his choice of study.

They always do.

“I’ve never heard of anyone going so far into the Fade before, Solas,” her smile widens with pure, innocent excitement. “That’s extraordinary!”

This has yet to be the most positive response he has ever received. The moment Solas would mention his studies and observations of the Fade, people either politely excuse themselves or openly mock him. They would never ask questions and then openly praise him for his accomplishments.

Solas’s emotions begin to turn as he starts to feel guilty for having such animosity towards Lana before. At a minimum, he expected her to be crude and hostile, just like all the other Dalish people he’s come across. The last thing he thought she would be... is agreeable. If it wasn’t for her vallaslin, he would not associate her as Dalish at all. 

Humbled by Lana’s excitement, Solas smiles, “Thank you. It’s not a common field of study, for obvious reasons. Not so flashy as throwing fire or lightning. The thrill of finding remnants of a thousand-year-old dream? I would not trade it for anything,” Solas pauses, losing himself in his thoughts yet again. Unsure of what to say in light of his sudden silence, Lana awkwardly looks away to observe her sketch. 

“I will stay then,” announces Solas as he breaks the silence between them, causing Lana to face him once again. “At least until the Breach has been closed.”

“You weren’t going to stay?”

“I am an apostate mage surrounded by Chantry forces and unlike you, I do not have a divine mark protecting me,” Solas lowers his voice as he murmurs. “Cassandra has been accommodating, but you understand my caution.”

Lana averts her gaze and thinks about her next few words very carefully, “You came here to help, Solas,” and turns back to look deep into his eyes. “For as long as they care for my opinion, I won’t let them use that against you.”

“And how would you stop them?” he asks smugly.

“However I had to. As a Dalish and First, I will not sit by and let any elf be subjected to shemlen arrogance.”

This time, Solas noticed she said ‘shemlen’ with disgust.

Despite Lana meaning what she said, he still admires her courage, however misguided it may be. Solas knows she holds no real power over the humans should they wish to harm him. Nevertheless, Solas doesn’t want to appear ungrateful towards her display of bravery on his behalf, and answers with a simple polite bow. 

Content with their conversation and his toes practically turned to frostbite, he decides this would be a good time as any to head back to his cabin. 

However, just as he is about to stand up, Lana unexpectedly puts her quill and papers down on the ground, perks herself up as her, and with her overall mood clearly improved she looks at him with her wide, lavender eyes.

More questions?

Elvish to English Translation:

“Ir abelas, lethallin” = I’m sorry, lethallin

“Banal” = Never

“Ghilas ma vhenas” = I want to go home

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4

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Halla & Wolf Series

[theonceoverthinker]

OUAT 1X22 - A Land Without Magic

We are finally here!!!!! I can’t believe I’ve written 90 pages for this Season AND managed to stay on schedule AND get a couple of notes, too! Btw, for my loyal readers, I’m going to do a brief overview of Season 1 in an upcoming post before I get started on Season 2, and I hope you’ll all read!

Okay! No more disclaimers! If I may paraphrase Darkwings Duck’s catchphrase, “Let’s get magical!”

General Thoughts Past I feel bad, but I didn’t have a lot to say about the past events that I didn’t discuss in either my “Both,” “Insights,” “Arcs,” or “Flip My Ship” section. This is a really good segment, but there’s not much of a story to discuss. Charming’s mission to get Snow is a good show of his character and he fights his obstacles valiantly, but there’s not much of a story going on apart from that. Charming doesn’t have to learn anything and mostly serves to be a contrast to Emma in the present, and again, that’s really cool, but again, I discuss that in just a bit where it’s more appropriate, and the same can be said for the excellent dialogue between him and Rumple. So yeah, go read those! Present As I type, I’m trying to decide whether or not I like the moment where Emma believes. On one hand, it almost feels like a leap. However, I think I do. Emma takes Henry’s last words to heart and because he believes in her and she knows what she saw, she believes in him, and that makes her believe too. I think it’s adequate and I’m willing to accept it as shorthand.

I do have one problem with this present segment and it’s Jefferson. I really tried to keep him off to the Insights section where stuff that doesn’t affect my scoring of the episode (It’s not going to have a big impact, but I do have a lot to say), but given the amount of screentime he gets and what he interrupts, I found it unavoidable. Fuck, I forgot that Jefferson appears in the hospital scene, and it’s such a shitty moment. Now, as I said earlier, Regina deserves consequences for her actions, but having her time with Henry as he lays unconscious in a hospital bed is not what should happen. Those consequences should be (And thankfully are) given by Henry, Emma, and the Charmings come Season 2. And why would he expect Regina to pay him back now? I wouldn’t have this problem, but Jefferson was characterized as someone who was intelligent in “Hat Trick” (Mad, but intelligent all the same), and given how he knows Regina and her current frame of mind, why would he expect her to say anything but “fuck off” at this moment? And that projection of not having it in you to kill someone - where does that come from? It’s not like we’ve ever seen Jefferson explicitly say that he’s a pacifist, so why is there so much emphasis on it? Finally, how does Jefferson know what to do with Belle? It would’ve been one thing if we saw them interact or saw Jefferson reference that he knew where she was, but as it stands, it’s weird because there’s no way in hell that Regina would’ve told anyone except MAYBE the Magic Mirror that Belle was even down there. I’m glad Belle gets to appear and the payoff to this ridiculous setup does work, but that doesn’t change the fact that the setup still sucks. I was positively gutted by those quiet moments that passed as Emma and Regina heard about Henry’s passing. The way that everything slowed down and the strings played so mournfully just speaks to the love Emma’s grown for Henry over the course of their time together and the grief she feels in that moment is just so sad. It left me speechless. Additionally, when it came to the goodbye kiss, Jennifer Morrison deserves all of the awards for her performance. You see that perfectly imperfect quivering in her chin and the rapid running of her tears. Finally, I want to give Lana and the writers major props for showing Regina’s grief over both losing Henry (almost) in terms of his death AND her emotionally losing him as a result of the curse breaking. Lana’s breakdown as she tearfully cradles Henry’s pillow (One, or rather I can argue that she kisses it, her own version of the Swan Believer kiss) doesn’t erase her villainy (Note how she smiles at the cloud of magic), but still instills Regina’s love for Henry too.

Both Let’s talk about those kickass Maleficent fights. We get a cool contrast between Emma and David as they fight to get the egg out of and into Mal, respectively. David fights like a classic hero, but more than that, he’s able to pick up strategies and form ideas, showing how seasoned of a fighter he’s become. However, Emma, having never faced such a creature before, uses more basic tactics (Averting the dragon by running and shooting it with a gun). And even her last throw is spontaneous and brutal, making her fight so unique, but also allowing for her to accept this fairytale world in her own way.

Also, all the props in the world to Isham for his composing, So much of the tone of the story here was reinforced with his music and whether it gutted me or gave me goosebumps, I was blown away. There were great choices to deliver the optimal feelings from the swells to the choice of what instruments should take over and when. Insights -Ok! I actually like Graham in this scene! His actions make sense and he was pretty intelligent! My one nitpick is that giving up his heart (His words, not mine) is a bit of a stretch. -I know that I’m watching a fight between Rumple and Charming, but all I’m getting are proto Golden Hook feels. Hey, someone had to inspire him to learn how to use a sword! XD -Not gonna lie, that “it’s her son” line does not fit you well, Rumple. Look, I get it. Regina royally screwed up with Henry and I think by now, you all know that I love Emma. But I love Regina too, and while there should definitely be consequences in regards to what she did as far as Henry goes, it shouldn’t erase her role as a parent. -Also, I like the allusion to Belle during Rumple and Charming’s scene in the flashback. We both get to see how Rumple’s perception of Belle and their love (And love in general - compare “a flicker of light in the darkness” with “love has killed more than any disease”) has changed since “Skin Deep” and we get to allude to her return. -I like how Emma doesn’t just kiss Henry here. She seems to mull it over and to me, that seems like if she kisses him, it’s saying goodbye, and since there’s still a chance, she’s not going to say goodbye just yet. -The conversation about breaking the curse between August and Emma was really good because it served more as a general pep talk. -Regina, just tell her, “she’s a dragon!” It’s not hard and it’s probably better that Emma knows ahead of time! -Maleficent, that candle trick was just so freakin’ cool! -Nice foreshadowing, Mary Margaret! -Also, I may have complaints about Jefferson’s appearance in this episode, but I have no complaints with his...appearance. He could be my nurse any day the way he wears those cute scrubs. -If there was ever an episode that positively sold me on the idea that Rumple was always supposed to be caught between being good and evil, it was here. Whether Rumple knew or not that the curse was about to be broken (And given his reaction to the return of Belle’s memory, one can reasonably argue that he didn’t), that act of stealing Henry’s last chance from Emma and Regina was just plain evil! -Props to everyone’s acting. All of the little snippets of people remembering and reflecting that in all of 1-2 seconds of screen time is just fantastic! -The way Rumple looks like he’s going to sprinkle the magic from the bottle only to just drop the whole thing in is funny as hell! Arcs Emma’s journey of belief - What I like about Emma’s journey is that this journey never quite ends, but there are clear milestones that she reaches. In Season 1, it’s an ability to believe two things (1) in magic (2) in Henry. And it was done so well. While I got a little lazy bringing this point up in my Arcs sections in the latter half, there were few episodes that didn’t affect this arc. And I think what made the arc better was that we got to see Emma have moments of failure where she herself lost belief. When moments like that happen, it makes an arc all the more dynamic. Anyway, back to the episode at hand! Emma’s reactions to the curse being real - though they’re smaller in order for the episode to keep its actiony pacing - are all distinct and just great! Snow and Charming and MM and David finding each other - This episode does something so lovely. All season, I’ve been talking about how Snow and Charming and Mary Margaret and David are physically apart/together and emotionally together/apart in comparison to their counterpart, and this time, the story brings both sets of them physically together, both through the story of the past and present. While Snow and Charming coming together was a foregone conclusion, MM and David weren’t as easy to peg down. So, just as Snow and Charming are coming together, David and MM are on the cusp of being torn apart physically after having already been torn apart emotionally. Favorite Dynamic Emma and Regina - They are just explosive here and it is amazing! That first scene together is just brutal with the shoving and screaming and voice breaking, and it comes from this place of gut punching sadness. You see the struggle that these two women have had with each other and while they’ve put it aside at moments, it’s never been after something like that. Remember how a few episodes back, I talked about Rumple and Gold working together, but all the while being snippy towards each other? Well now, we have that but with an added venom twenty-two episodes in the making. There’s this balance of trust, but a lack of trust at the same time, and it gives way to mistakes and weaknesses for both of them. And despite their differences, they still grieve for Henry in the same way and respect how each other does it (With a stunning contrast to the Swan Believer kiss for Regina in Henry’s bedroom), giving us both a sense of where the story might go for Regina as well as reminding the audience that she’s his mother too. Writer I don’t know how people can say A&E are bad writers when episodes like this exist. A&E are overambitious, but when it comes to telling a singular story, they’re quite competent, for the most part! This episode’s writing really builds the sense of urgency that it needs to tell its story. Furthermore, apart from Jefferson, every character was given an amazing moment to capitalize on just what makes them so great, whether it be Charming fighting a dragon, Emma’s kiss on Henry’s head, Mary Margaret’s post-engagement promise, Regina’s scene in Henry’s bedroom and subsequent smile when magic returns, Rumple holding Belle and then bringing magic back, or August’s final speech to Emma. Rating 10/10. You see? Jefferson didn’t hurt my score too much at all! What a wonderful episode! We were provided amazing closure to the season and all major arcs, got to see every major character have a shining moment, and every emotional note hit just where it needed to. I’m so happy and satisfied with what we got and I had so much fun watching everything coming together! Flip My Ship - The Home of All Things “Shippy Goodness” Dragon Queen - “I knew you couldn’t resist bringing her over.” I didn’t realize before now that Rumple was also a Dragon Queen shipper! Congratulations, Rumple! Welcome to the team! All the same, it’s cute to have your basement dragon wife! Rumbelle - Rumple’s also a Rumbelle fan! “You’re real.” I wonder how many hours did Rumple pretend that Belle was there while in his castle or shop or home. It’s clearly been some. I already discussed how in the past, Rumple’s dialogue to Charming reflects how his perception of Belle has drastically changed, so I’m going to fangirl about the present here. Hearing Rumple’s voice crack as he assures Belle that he’ll protect her is so adorably heartwarming and tearjerking. Look, for as much as I love Rumple, I’m no Rumple woobie, but damnit, I can see how people do because his moments of vulnerability are beautiful. All the applause in the world to Rebert Carlyle. Snowing - Rumple’s also a Snowing fan! Look at him getting his OTP ready for their big moment! And what a moment it was! I found the recut awakening to be just as powerful as the original because of all the the character that Snow and Charming now have! Also, their proposal was just beautiful, as was their resolution afterwards. They were delightfully simple and yet majestic as the music swelled around them! Additionally, when the curse broke, there was this wonderful moment where they were just holding each other and trying to figure out what to say before Snow speaks. It’s only 2-3 seconds long, but it just says so much!

()()()()()()()()()()()()

Thank you so much for reading, whether you’ve been with me since episode 1 or just came here for my grand finale! Writing these reviews takes a ton of time and your likes and comments are always appreciated. I’m going to be doing an overview of Season 1 before I start production on Season 2. This will be a moment for me to reflect on how my perception of aspects of the Season changed over this rewatch, who was the best writer of the season, my top five favorite dynamics, and why I think Season 1 was both as successful and as beloved as it was!

Special thanks to the fine folks at @watchingfairytales again. This is some of the most writing I’ve ever done on this website and it’s all thanks to you! Additionally, getting an expanded platform has been really nice. As a small page, it’s very much appreciated.

Writer Tally for Season 1: A&E (60/70)* Liz Tigelaar (17/20)* David Goodman (41/50)* Jane Espenson (54/60)* Andrew Chambliss and Ian Goldberg (38/40)* Daniel Thomsen (8/10)* Vladimir Kvetko (9/10)* (* = Their work for the season is complete)

Operation Rewatch Archives

[oxfordeliterp]

CONGRATULATIONS, PEYTON!

You have been accepted to play the role of LANA CHAMBERS with the faceclaim of IM JINAH. Please create your account and send it to the main in the next 24 hours. I know that there was no other application for this role, but even if it were, I can’t imagine anybody being able to capture who Lana is as a person better than you did. The application is immaculate, beginning to end, and you are clear proof of not only a talented writer, who twists words around with incredible skill, but also an amazing, vivid story-teller. Your paragraph sample caged my heart and it is yours forever, for you developed, with just the right amount of humor and snark, a balanced dynamic that I would sell my soul to read more of. Maybe soon. Anyway, I cannot wait to see the things Lana has to do that keep her too busy for love, for she already is such an asset and I believe you’ve only begun unfolding her.

OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION

Name and pronouns: Peyton, they/them pronouns

Age: 19

Time-zone: EST/-5 GMT

Activity level: It’s actually the end of the semester for me so I have a lot of free time! I’d give myself a 7/10 though because I do have a job, but with summer right around the corner I’d love to get back into roleplaying.

Triggers: None!

IN CHARACTER INFORMATION

Desired character: Lana Theodora Chambers

I love Lana because she is more than the stereotypical mean girl trope, having many hidden layers that make her only more complex. She’s unassuming with her background and scholarship, yet a shark in the water that no one at Oxford could have ever prepared for. She’s smart, witty, and acts like the ground is blessed the moment she walks on it. I admired the fact that Lana is so great and unapologetic about it because I believe there needs to be more female characters like that. A character like her is so important as she stays true to herself (even if she isn’t the most moral human being) and breaks the stereotypes that come with her kind of character. Gender and pronouns of the character: Cis female. She/her/hers.  A crystal clear idea of what is meant to be masculine and what is meant to be feminine was ingrained in her from a young age. With her parents holding their more traditional beliefs, sons were celebrated, considered to be a great honor and cherished by their families, while daughters were but a small happiness. As the only child of the Chambers family, there was extra pressure for Lana to prove that she is a child to be proud of and oh how she has rubbed it in their faces.  

Changes: I was just wondering if I could change her faceclaim to Im Jinah? 

Traits: a m b i t c h i o u s → To say Lana aspires to be at the top would be a severe understatement. If she wants something, she fights tooth and nail and takes it. One thing people can say about Lana is that she has the uncanny ability to never give up. She’s worked too hard, put in too much effort to allow herself to slip now. In her hungry, unyielding eyes, she has yet to take everything the world owes her. When she’s surrounded by those who get whatever they want served to them on a silver platter, her perseverance and her determination will bring her on top of all of them. i n t e l l i g e n t → She learned four languages by the time she was seventeen. Auditoriums full of people would applaud after she played during her piano recital. Her poetry left those in awe as the words flourished, dripping down her chin like honey. She’d leave teachers singing her praise as she excelled academically, top of her class in every class, and captain of as many clubs she could be in. It’s impossible to deny that Lana has an impressive mind and may be one of the brightest girls of her age. Although she does not stand out quite as much in Oxford as she did back home, she isn’t going to let that inhibit her showing off her intellect in any way. She’s worked three times as hard as the rest of them and she’s going to prove her worth. r a t i o n a l → Lana is a fairly realistic thinking person. She’s goal orientated while keeping the important things the same. When she’s angry there are no fires burning down forests, and when she’s upset there are no oceans flooding cities. She watches Gwendolyn and her other peers and sees them for what they are– entitled dreamers without a care in the world. She’s the first to come up with a solution under pressure, the one to go to for guidance if she is willing to give you it, the one who keeps going despite any hardships. Lana is the type who appears to never lose her cool or allow herself to get carried away, if her head is in the clouds then she will lose sight of the path she’s been taking, both feet on the ground. i n s e n s i t i v e  → To put it plainly, Lana cares for few people, and none of her peers at Oxford have proved show they are worth caring about. She’s got a tongue sharp as a whip and has no problem cutting even those she is friendly with down to size. She didn’t get into Oxford University on scholarship to make friends or to try and turn herself around. Her whole life has been taking what is rightfully hers, leaving bodies in her self righteous wake as she adamantly bulldozes her way forward. From what she knows, and she knows a lot, the world is a cruel place. Call her a cynic, call her immoral, call her a heartless bitch, she’ll just examine her nails and ask if you said anything important. i c y  → If Gwendolyn is fire then Lana is ice, cold and calculating just like the slow touch of winter. She is fresh fallen snow, beautiful but it’s best if you do not touch. She’s the type of person to stare at you blankly when you approach her, not so patiently waiting until you walk away if you take too long to get to the point. Lana can ignore someone or rip their head off if they made the wrong move and honestly it’s impossible to tell which reaction she will go for. She is cold and harsh and comes off as someone who cares for so little it’s actually fairly alarming. c o n t r o l l i n g → It is no mystery that Lana loathes being held back and makes her own rules as if it is her own divine right. The moment she walks into the room she radiates power, and like so many others, said power goes right to her head leading her to be controlling and manipulative. She’s extremely perceptive and will store up gossip while oozing charisma that leaves people in awe the moment she opens her mouth. Lana is self serving and power hungry and will not allow anyone to stand in her way or let them inhibit her with their own issues. No exceptions.

Extras:

headcanons.

She’s actually changed her major quite a few times upon getting accepted into Oxford. From political science major to mathematics major to classical studies to biomedical engineering, Lana was actually unsure what she wanted to do. With such a brilliant mind she knew she was perfectly capable of doing just about anything. Finally, she has settled on pursuing a law degree and got into Oxford’s graduate program with flying colors.

Lana is an excellent dancer. While she enjoys many of her extra curricular activities, she’s been attending classes since she was little and it has a special place in her heart. With a ponytail tied tightly on top of her head, she would walk in with the same air of authority she has to this day. Unlike what her personality and appearance may give off, she loves ballet with a passion (although she occasionally she does contemporary dance as well), she can practice it for hours and relieve her stress that way. Her routines are impressive, like everything else she does, and when she was small her dream was to be a dancer.

Her father had left the family when she was too young to remember, not that she cares if he ever comes across her mind. It isn’t something she’s supposed to feel guilty over all and she barely remembers him. Her entire life has been her, her mother, and grandmother all under one roof. Her halmeoni was born and raised in South Korea, and is a big inspiration for Lana as she is a proud woman who takes no shit and goes right for the jugular. Lana loves her and hates her at the same time, mostly because their temperaments are so similar. Her mother is not negligent, albeit distant from her one and only daughter. She’s worked everyday during Lana’s childhood in order to make ends meet. The dynamic between the three of them is not very close, but still they’re family and one thing she took away from her upbringing was how your own blood trumps everything else.

Lana is bisexual, with no particular preference for one or the other. She does get around, however, as human contact is important for the mind and she knows that. She doesn’t have the time or optimism for anything long term though.

here’s some incorrect quotes for lana because they made me laugh.

lana: gwendolyn and i have the kind of easy chemistry where we finish each other’s- gwendolyn: sentences lana: please don’t interrupt me

nicohlas: you read my diary? lana: at first, i didn’t realize it was your diary. i thought it was a very sad, handwritten book

jacob: you’re probably one of those beautiful women that don’t even know it lana: no, i know it

lana: sophia, thanks for agreeing to see me sophia: i didn’t, you just walked in and started talking lana: i don’t have time for a history lesson

jacob: can we talk, one ten to another? lana: i’m an eleven, but continue

also here is a pinterest board for lana!

PARA SAMPLE

Lana pools her hands into her bag for the pack of Marlboro reds, her mother’s words echoing in her head as she does so. That stuff’s poison, the more you smoke the more you’re killing yourself and me. She knows it’s a bad habit and she tells herself she’ll break it by the she graduates. Realistically, cigarettes don’t have an adverse affect on your health if you only smoke them for a few years. Besides, with Sophia failing to get back to her, she needed something to take the edge off. There was always some sort of edge to Lana, in her voice, her body language, her opinions, she supposed was always sort of high strung (or as she preferred to think, high maintenance).

She didn’t think there was anything wrong with it, she wasn’t out at parties snorting angel dust in the bathroom, craving a constant high she couldn’t handle the harshness of reality. She wasn’t like that. She wasn’t like them. Life is tough but so is she, tougher than anyone else she knew. A little self medication here and there so she could stay focused and grounded was not something to feel ashamed about. Lana was more concerned with the consequences if people found out, if the perfect ice queen turned out to not be so perfect. She couldn’t allow the scholarship she fought so viciously for to slip through her fingers like sand.

“Thank god.” She mutters under her breath, pulling the carton out, finding a lighter already nestled in between the cancer sticks. The flame erupts and she watches it briefly, before bringing a cigarette to her lips and lighting it. Lana feels the smoke enter her body, swirling around her lungs, before exhaling out the open window. Oxford University on a Friday night meant parties and the rich’s definition of mischief, something she wanted no part of. She leans on the window sill, eyes ice skating around her view of the campus. Drunk students stumbling around, party music blasting in the distance, and lights flickering all around, she couldn’t believe this was an esteemed private school sometimes.

Lana looks at the cigarette for a moment, letting it burn. She could think of something poetic here, something deeper and better than the thousands of bland male writers that describe how a woman is like a cigarette. It’s familiar and she can’t quite put her finger on it until her mind goes back to her tan, witty but not as witty as her, Romeo.

Perhaps not Romeo. Things did not end well for him and he was too much of a cliché for Lana’s liking. Anyone could be a romantic these days.

The homecoming ball was an event she reveled in, enjoying dressing herself up and enhancing the beauty she already possessed. Although there was only so much of Gwendolyn’s rambling that Lana could listen to before needing a break, causing the girl to escape and find solace on the marble steps of the building and curbing her nicotine craving. The architecture taking her breath away as she sat in blissful silence– until she was rudely interrupted by a handsome stranger. Not that handsome was that much of a compliment, he was conventionally attractive after all.

“Mind if I sit with you?”

“Depends. What’s in it for me?”

“A stimulating conversation.”

“Stimulating? I’m already starting to fall asleep, pretty boy.”

“You think I’m pretty?”

She was amused, something that was near impossible for anyone to do. Yet, as he sat down next to her she found herself to be more welcoming than usual. After much contemplation, Lana figures it was the champagne that had caused her to be friendly to the boy. There wasn’t anyone worthwhile at Oxford, no one that would come across her mind once or twice. None of the boys there were King Midas, she was golden without their touch. The girls were more tolerable, though ultimately just as entitled.

“These things are such bullshit.”

I rather like them.

“They’re just another way for the entitled elitists around here to prance around like everyone cares about their Dior suits and Versace bags. The champagne’s good, though.”

“I thought all girls liked Versace.”

“I thought boys thought of girls to be something more than their clothes.”

“Of course. We care about what’s underneath.”

“You’re a neanderthal.”

Despite herself, he had made Lana laugh. She allowed herself to get lost in the moment for once. He had this charisma to him and she found herself being pulled deeper into the water until she was drowning in the conversation. They talked about school and philosophy and this and that. Not that it got personal– Lana had the ability to make people feel as if they knew a lot about her without giving away any secrets. A lost and nosy Gwendolyn had found the two and she had to deal with the same warning the leader had told them since she was recruited into the Quarrel Club, stay away from the Riot Club.

She remembers leaving her half lit cigarette by his side as she was ushered back inside. Not that it mattered now. They didn’t even exchange names and perfect strangers came and went. Her grandmother always told her to stay away from things like love, and to focus on her future because she was going to be something great and couldn’t afford any distractions. Lana was convinced she’d never allow anyone to get close to her. She had things to do.

[remedialmassage]

Q&A: How Deafhood Yoga Founder Rajarajeshwari Teaches in Sign Language

We talked to Deafhood Yoga founder Rajarajeshwari about the challenges of teaching yoga without the spoken word and what she's doing to solve them.

Last month, Deafhood Yoga® re-launched its online studio, introducing new services and courses and allowing more students to practice yoga from anywhere with American Sign Language (ASL). To learn more about this fascinating topic, we interviewed Deafhood Yoga founder and its sole teacher, Rajarajeshwari, who recently relocated her studio from Walnut Creek, California, to Kailua, Oahu, where she now teaches at the Hawaii School for the Deaf and the Blind in addition to offering private classes and customized events.

Yoga Journal: Tell us more about your personal story. When and how did you discover yoga? Rajarajeshwari: To be honest, yoga kept discovering me over the years. The personal practice for me [began on the day I] was born on earth. The Universe and God/dess entrusted me with the noble gift of American Sign Language (ASL) as a Deaf person. I always felt I was being nourished by the Breath of Life through the light of sign language. Sign language is a multidimensional language that connects to humans beyond national borders through spatial, tactile, visual, and kinetic [means]. As an empath, I felt strong connections with all paths of spirituality as a young child, especially with Buddhism, Deafhood, Hinduism (Yoga), and Native Americans. My first yoga class focusing on asanas was in 1991 in Washington, D.C. I drew stick figures to help [myself] remember the asanas. In the year 2000, I encountered several traumas and decided to seek out various holistic approaches; I always evoked strong, positive responses in healing whenever I incorporated the five points of yoga: pranayama, relaxation, asanas, diet, and meditation. From there, I fully understood that the yogic path shows the way to health, which is our wealth. 

Over the years, I explored the different styles of yoga, classes, and teachers. I attended [many] yoga classes without interpreters, and was often the only Deaf yogini at many yoga events. After many Savasanas, I often visualized what the hearing yoga teachers were saying, and I would imagine how to inspire students with my articulated hands. People started to encourage me to teach yoga. I never thought of teaching yoga or establishing a yoga business/services until I took Deafhood courses in 2007, which paralleled with my yoga journey. At the same time, a dear hearing yoga teacher in San Francisco actually pushed me to test the waters by scheduling a yoga room, and encouraged me to invite members of the Deaf communities. I was not a certified yoga teacher yet. The yoga teacher convinced me that he would teach and I would assist. Once the yoga class began, he was not able to communicate in ASL because he did not fully know the language at the time. Naturally, I could not let the yoga class stop, thus I took over. At the time in 2007, to my knowledge, there were no yoga teacher trainings provided in ASL, nor did I know any other yoga teachers who were Deaf. VHS/DVD back then [were not] subtitled or captioned except for the Hawaiian yogini, Wai Lana, who had subtitles on her VHS tapes. My best option at the time was to find training online where I could study directly. I discovered Joseph and Lilian LePage’s (Kripalu/Integrative Yoga Therapy) Yoga Teachers' Toolbox home training materials, which gave me a warm up, however I did not pursue certification. In 2009, my beloved dad died, unexpectedly. That experience turned my life upside down. My solar plexus chakra (fire) was fueled into becoming a certified meditation/yoga teacher to share the classical Hatha yoga from the Sivananda lineage, to reduce human suffering in humanity, worldwide. 

YJ: Explain the concept of "Deafhood" and how it applies to Deafhood Yoga.Rajarajeshwari: It’s important that we stress the label “Deaf” comes from hearing white males in the medical field. The term reflects the pathological perspective of deafness. The word comes with battered baggage dragging the heavy burden imposed by the historically wrong perception that deaf people are “deficient" and they need to be fixed. And still today, heartbreaking eugenics of drilling holes in the skulls of our precious Deaf babies are being enforced by instilling scare tactics in parents and feeding them notions of false promises to normalize and perfect their child. This is a distribution of ignorance, privilege, and wealth that’s bound by ego, greed, and fear, and a violation of the first three Yamas of the Eight Limbs of Yoga: ahimsa (non-harming), satya (non-lying), and asteya (non-stealing). 

The vision, passion, and business concept [for Deafhood Yoga] started in 2008 after I experienced the depth of Dr. Paddy Ladd’s book, Understanding Deaf Culture: In Search of Deafhood as a part of a semester course at California School for the Deaf. In that class, our teacher presented a quote by Dr. Ladd, who stated, “Deafhood is a process to decolonize our mind, body, and spirit from colonization." Suddenly, I received a powerful vision to marry the concepts of Deafhood and Yoga. Both embody self-acceptance, self-care, and self-love of the whole person. Both raise consciousness and shine the light of truth on injustice. To me, the word "Deafhood" means the consciousness of sharing a similar experience growing up as a Deaf person like childhood, sisterhood, motherhood, etc. It's also a journey that each Deaf person undertakes to discover their true identity and purposes here on the Earth as a Deaf person. This identity journey is a prominent one, especially [because] when a cultural linguistics community is oppressed, the survival instinct becomes the greatest source of inspiration. 

YJ: What's the difference between teaching yoga in ASL versus English or other spoken languages?Rajarajeshwari: Since spoken English is a linear language and eye contact is optional, most of the information is delivered auditorily. ASL users need to have constant eye contact with their teacher to receive instructions clearly. This requires a unique space arrangement for all the students to utilize equal line of sight as much as possible. In Deaf-centered yoga classes, it is usually in a circular arrangement, versus a grid pattern for English or other spoken languages. The energy of our language is always moving, multidimensional, and best flows in open space.

See also The Future of Yoga Is In Spanish

YJ: Why have you launched a new online studio? Rajarajeshwari: This launch is for a new set of series, 5 Petals of Life™, and other online courses (Deafhood Yoga has been operating the overall online studio since 2013). It's a constant challenge for Deaf yogi/nis to have equal access at yoga classes led in spoken [languages]. First of all, yoga requires the student to move constantly, which means little eye contact and lip-reading the teachers. Most Deaf students have had to “mimic” the moves by other students, and they often miss the safety of techniques. Detailed explanations, breathing, or any other audio information was not received. Therefore, Deafhood Yoga emerged out of the necessity for Deaf-centric space. This yoga and Deaf space embrace the communication of yogic teachings through ASL from a Deaf teacher to other Deaf people without compromising our language and culture. The online studio is a positive solution due to geography challenges, as our Deaf people are located worldwide with almost no yoga teachers who are Deaf like themselves in their home areas. 

YJ: You recently integrated yoga classes into the education curriculum at the Hawaii School for the Deaf and the Blind.Rajarajeshwari: Last month, the Hawaii School for the Deaf and the Blind hired me as a teacher and is ecstatic to bring yoga to the K–12 school curriculum. They are the first Deaf school, globally, to do this for our Deaf students. This gives us the opportunity to share and embrace the benefits of yoga for harmonious minds, bodies, and spirit throughout their self-care, academic performance, and positive contribution to humanity. We look forward to seeing this blossom in other Deaf schools. Within a month, our Deaf students already showed the positive impact of yoga in their other classes. They are fabulous!

YJ: Are there any plans for a Deafhood Yoga Teacher Training?Rajarajeshwari: It is a long-term goal to establish a Deafhood Yoga Teachers Training Course (TTC). We have received numerous requests for this type of training. I am also a Yoga Alliance Continuing Educator Provider (YACEP), offering support to yoga teachers who want to continue their training in ASL. You can learn more about this course and our other services.

See also Meet Lila Lolling, a Teacher Bringing Yoga to the Hearing Impaired

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