#Wise Corona

[mariamegale]

ALRIGTH SO I GOT COVID, APPARENTLY

THAT EXPLAINS MY MENTAL STATE THE LAST FEW DAYS OOOPS WOMP WOMP

[rwpohl]

Πέτρινα Χρόνια, pantelis voulgaris 1979

[strykingback]

@santaverse​ A Present for all the Santas!  From the Muses! _________________________________

“Happy Christmas Santa!” Everyone of the muses said. 

“ So this is Christmas ! And what have you done? Another year over, A new one just begun!”  Blade sung sitting on a stool strumming his guitar, while giving a child a new jacket patting their head gently. 

“  And so this is Christmas! I hope you had fun! The near and the dear ones, The old and the young” Louvel sang his verse, while handing a couple of gifts to a struggling family. 

“A Very Merry Christmas! And a Happy New Year!! Lets hope its a good one! Without any fear!!!” Corona sang, while helping out at the local food centre handing out gifts and food to the homeless. 

“And so this is Christmas (War is Over!) , For weak and for strong (If you Want it), The Rich and Poor the Ones (War is over now!), The Road is so Long!(Nowwwww!!) “ Kazura said as he too was helping at the food centre. 

“ And so happy Christmas (War is over) For black and for white (If you want it) For yellow and red ones (War is over) Let's stop all the fight (Now) “ Seraph sung handing out a gift to one of his students from his class petting their head. 

“ A very merry Christmas And a happy New Year Let's hope it's a good one Without any fear!” Adam sang  as well would look over at the gifts he got for his team, placing them in the common room  underneath the christmas tree

“And so this is Christmas (War is over) And what have we done? (If you want it) Another year over (War is over) And a new one just begun (Now)” Sigrdrifa sung would be sitting next to a child stroking their head gently as they slept singing to them. 

“And so happy Christmas (War is over) We hope you have fun (If you want it) The near and the dear ones (War is over) The old and the young (Now) “ Cronus, would look around at the agent room watching everyone enjoy the merry making and such while he would join in as he remembered 

“ A very merry Christmas And a happy New Year Let's hope it's a good one Without any fear “ Rodrigues ended his verse helping out at a Homeless Shelter in Vale handing over a plate of food to a young child out of the goodness of his heart. 

“War is over, if you want it War is over, now!!!!” Everyone sang together looking at one another before they cheered

“Happy Christmas!! Happy Christmas!!  Happy Christmas!!  Happy Christmas!! “

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM STRYKINGBACK!

[covid-safer-hotties]

Reference archived on our website

Highlights • Long-COVID is heterogeneous in its symptoms, severity, and illness duration. • There was no association between long-COVID and cognitive performance. • Cognitive symptoms may represent functional cognitive disorders. • Long-COVID had lower mean diffusivity on diffusion imaging than normal recovery. • Diffusion imaging differences may suggest gliosis as a mechanism of long-COVID.

To be clear: There was no cognitive difference between people post infection. I can see some people misunderstanding what this says. It says there is some form of brain damage from covid across the board, even if you don't have long covid symptoms or diagnosis.

Abstract

Background

The pathophysiology of protracted symptoms after COVID-19 is unclear. This study aimed to determine if long-COVID is associated with differences in baseline characteristics, markers of white matter diffusivity in the brain, and lower scores on objective cognitive testing.

Methods

Individuals who experienced COVID-19 symptoms for more than 60 days post-infection (long-COVID) (n = 56) were compared to individuals who recovered from COVID-19 within 60 days of infection (normal recovery) (n = 35). Information regarding physical and mental health, and COVID-19 illness was collected. The National Institute of Health Toolbox Cognition Battery was administered. Participants underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Tract-based spatial statistics were used to perform a whole-brain voxel-wise analysis on standard DTI metrics (fractional anisotropy, axial diffusivity, mean diffusivity, radial diffusivity), controlling for age and sex. NIH Toolbox Age-Adjusted Fluid Cognition Scores were used to compare long-COVID and normal recovery groups, covarying for Age-Adjusted Crystallized Cognition Scores and years of education. False discovery rate correction was applied for multiple comparisons.

Results

There were no significant differences in age, sex, or history of neurovascular risk factors between the groups. The long-COVID group had significantly (p < 0.05) lower mean diffusivity than the normal recovery group across multiple white matter regions, including the internal capsule, anterior and superior corona radiata, corpus callosum, superior fronto-occiptal fasciculus, and posterior thalamic radiation. However, the effect sizes of these differences were small (all <|0.3|) and no significant differences were found for the other DTI metrics. Fluid cognition composite scores did not differ significantly between the long-COVID and normal recovery groups (p > 0.05).

Conclusions

Differences in diffusivity between long-COVID and normal recovery groups were found on only one DTI metric. This could represent subtle areas of pathology such as gliosis or edema, but the small effect sizes and non-specific nature of the diffusion indices make pathological inference difficult. Although long-COVID patients reported many neuropsychiatric symptoms, significant differences in objective cognitive performance were not found.

[first-edition]

Firework Confession

Billy Hargrove x reader

Sum-You take billy out to the firework show and he finally opens up to you about everything, his mom, his feelings for you and why it’s only you have cares about. 

CW- trauma, mention of abuse, kissing, cussing, mention of alcohol, use and mention of smoking, confession.

You giggle as you take billy by the hand and lead him over to the edge of the Parking structure. 

“Y/n think we gotta hurry.” He says chuckling at your actions. 

“fire works are starting in a bit we gotta get the best spot.” You say. You lean against the railing looking up at the sky all the stars and city lights beyond. 

“here you’re fucking stupid for not bringing a jacket.” He says taking his off as hes got a flannel under. He wraps it around you ceasing your slight shivering. The smell of his cologne and leather fill your nose such a comforting smell.

“I wish it was like this all the time.” Billy says you look over to him as he take out a pack of cigarettes and pulls one out. 

“like what?” You ask. He sighs placing one between his lips and shakes his head. He walks to his car grabbing a stray match and the two bottles of corona then walks back to you. He waves his finger telling you to come to him and you listen. 

He hands you the bottles before leaning close to your chest stricking the match on the necklace he used to wear but gave to you. He lights his cig putting the match you and blows the smoke out. 

“billy?” You ask. He licks his lips leaning against the edge. 

“like this you know…just me and you, no one to come in a fuck shit up? Im only….” He pauses. 

“im only like this, myself, with you.” He says you put the bottles down moving closer to him. As he drags out another breath of smoke. Blowing it to the side. 

“my uh..my folks they are the best people.” He says 

You already knew about Billy’s mother leaving and how its just him his father and max. His fathers current girlfriend living with them. 

“a couple weeks ago i told you dropped the bar on my side yeah?” He says you nod. 

“i didn’t. I am that stupid to do it but-my dad he like to throw me and max around. I take most of it so she dosnt get hurt but i cant always protect her. That’s why im always at yours.” He says you look up at him. 

“the black eye wasn’t football either?” You ask he shakes his head. You nod. A tear falls down his cheek. You reach your hands you brushing your thumb against his cheek and smiling at him. He sniffs and takes another breath if smoke holding it for a second before breathing it out.

“Billy..w-why didn’t you tell me sooner?” You ask.

“Its not important.” He says.

“Of course it’s Important!? You’re important. You’re important to me.” You say.

He chuckles shaking his head leaning against the railing.

“Damn baby you’re gonna make me blush.” He chuckles reverting back to his Billy mask.

“I mean it Hargrove.” You say lightly punching his chest your fist comes incontact with his pec and he takes a hold of your wrist keeping it there. Your fist open letting your palm rest against him.

“When my mom left she’d gone with no warning just one feat got up and left. She that was the first time my pops really beat the shit outta me. Max was just a baby…I remeber staying up all night in her room making sure he wouldn’t come in and do that same to her.” He says his fingers brushing against your arm. Once again inhaling before throwing the cig off the edge.

“When I saw Nate bothering you at the party I didn’t think much until he put his hands you. I didn’t want anyone, friend of or other wise to fucking touch my girl.” He says as you move closer to him a small smile forming on your lips.

“You’re so important to me. You’re kind to me and tell when what I do wrong without being a bitch, you take care of me and you’re..your so so good to me….I lo-“ you wrap your arms around his neck kissing him deeply he kisses you back just as soon as you do.

His hands grip im your waist. The loud boom of a fire work and a bright colorful light pulls you away as you look up at the show starting. Bill moves your face back to him keeping you looking at him.

He smirks looking down at you.

“I love you y/n…I don’t want anyone else telling you those words I just want you.” He says you smile placing you hand on his cheek brushing your thumb against his skin.

“I love you too billy” you take away your hand balling it into a fist and lightly punch his arm.

“Took you long enough!” You giggle he chuckles and nods.”

“Sorry.” He says gripping your waist pulling you into him pressing his lips against yours once more.

[popcornforone]

Bea-ch Day

A Frankie Morales Fan Fic

Ever the person to get completely side tracked from what I should be writing, when new content drops. We finally got the Corona adverts (other beers are available obviously) but the character has no name. However in this mini advert, he looked so Frankie (the main one is a mix of Javi G & Tim {I’ve almost combusted}) but I automatically had the perfect idea for a short sweet fic. So happy Frankie Friday peoples.

Synopsis:- You & Frnakie has a beach day & a cook out with your friends & family.

Word count:-1860

Warnings:- alcohol, mild swearing & innuendo & things being mentioned not appropriate for kids ears, pregnancy & mentions of sex but none actually happening. See it’s just fluffy & sweet this.

Thanks for the read peoples. I hope you all enjoy this.

“Mama mama” you hear echo down the beach. You had just topped up your sun screen on your arms when you heard the noise.

“What is it bumble bee?” You reply putting on your over the top beach hat which is so big. Your 4 year old comes bouncing up the beach & is pulling at your long floaty sundress that is covered in sunflowers. She’s in a yellow bathing suit. Her hair as thick & brown as her dad’s. She got your eyes though which your husband is very happy about.

“Look what I found” in her clammy little hand is a seashell, so you drop down to her level, your back aches straight away.

“Wow” you say enthusiastically & hold it. “This is a seashell, but it’s a special one”

“Is it?” Your daughter jumps about excitedly. Her hands trying to clap her hands. “Why?”

“Well if you close your eyes & are quiet when you put this next to your ear you can hear the sea & if it whistles you can make a wish.” You say with your eyes beaming back at her.

“A wishing shell, like a wishing well cool” she grabs it back out of your hand & then runs a few yards further along the beach. “Look daddy , look daddy look, it’s a wishing shell” her daddy, your husband, is wearing a dark blue beach shirt with a white kind of floral pattern on, he’s got stone coloured shorts on & his sunnys are in his hair, as he tends to the cooking the barbecue with a friend.

“A wishing shell” strong arms lift your daughter up into the air & spin her around as she giggles. “Ahhh I’ve heard of those, be sure to listen to a whistle” his princess comes first even before any food preparations, & more importantly to you any missions.

“I’m keeping it daddy”

“Yes you are Bea & we can put it on your bedroom shelf until your wish comes true” he puts her down on the ground giving her a big sloppy kiss.

“Will you make sandcastles with me daddy?”

“After lunch bumble bee, go get Marc & Jo, tell them to come out of the sea” your 4 year old is so worldly wise. Beatrice (Bea for short) has been brought up by the two of you to understand the world is a big bright but also bemusing place. She’s 4 going on 24 for sure.

You watch her run off to go get the two boys both older than her & you slowly walk over to your husband & get a nice cold cola out of the ice box. You rest your head on his shoulders.

“Was worried for a millisecond that you weren’t going to play along Frankie” you whisper in his ear & hand him a cold corona that you also got out of the ice box.

“I’d never break her heart, we just need to know what she wishes for”

“True” you softly kiss the side of his face & ruffles that hair. It’s going a bit crazy today. Unkept but you like it like that.

“What if she wishes for a brother or sister & it’s not the right gender?” Frankie questions as he turned to you, his hand glides over your dress. your 7 month baby bump showing. It’s taken a while for you to conceive your second, you’d given up trying after 2 years but then you got lucky. This September Baby will be loved & cherished just like you both will do anything for Bea. You were told you could find out the gender but much like with your daughter you both decided not to.

“Well maybe we could work on getting her another one” you say. A twinkle in your eye matches Frankie’s smirk.

“This squishy was hard enough to get beautiful, but I’d be more than up for trying again”

“Of course he would” Pope shouts as he & his two step boys & your daughter walk up nearer the beach to you. Everyone’s here for the annual group cook out you have every year. Frankie, Bea & you & the dog Mylo moved to the sandy beaches & keys of Florida 2 years ago, & this cook out that you do has finally come to it being your turn so that Frankie can have all his guys back together & they can remember their late captain. You’ve still never asked about that mission, you just are there to rub Frankie’s back at 3am sometimes when he has nightmares from it. It’s not so regular anymore but you can still sense his sorrow every now & then.

“Pope” he shouts back sarcastically & Bea comes & grabs you.

“What just saying, when you guys used to stay at ours we could hear the bed creek from our room”

“Pope there’s kids here” you say. almost all the guys have had their own kids or met women with kids already that there’s now a lot of you at this cook out.

“Thought you said they need to be worldly wise” Pope says.

“He has a point” you playfully hit Frankie & then so does Bea. “Hey” she giggles & then kisses your cheek.

“Bea only mama is allowed to hit daddy okay”

“I’ll bet” says pope. You roll your eyes as Frankie giggles.

“Come on Bea let’s get you some food.” You lift her up & take her to her seat at the table & bring across her favourite Crisps & a hot dog.

The whole afternoon is brilliant. Everyone catches up & has fun & played with everyone’s kids. It’s like you all just saw each other yesterday. You sit on the sand, with Bea building a sandcastle, she starts to rub her eyes feeling a little tired. She’s been running about all day with her friends trying to keep the pace with kids running in & out of the crystal clear sea who are twice her age.

“No don’t rub your eyes bumble bee, you’ll get sand in them” you say as Frankie comes to look at what you’re doing.

“Wow you built that with mama Bea”

“Yea daddy look” she points & Frankie sits next to her.

“Ahh you’ve still got one more bucket to go though” he says seeing one upside down. He picks up the child spade. “Ready for the magic tap?” Bea claps excitedly.

“Okay”

“Good, mama can count as well”

“1, 2, 3” the three of you say in unison as Frankie taps the bucket & then pulls it off the sand to show the completed sand castle.

“Wow” say Bea. Then Frankie grabs her & picks her up.

“Come on bumble bee let’s fly you too the sea to get some water to fill up the moat”

“Weeeeeeee tooo the seaaaaa” she screams with laughter as Frankie makes her fly like a bird under his arm & they both laugh. You sit there on the sand looking at your world, running down the beach having just such a fun & simple time. Not a care in the world. The sun is out but it’s not to hot & you’ve just been you all day. Amongst friends & very happy just chilling watching everyone you love get along. You rub your bump & whisper to it.

“This is your world my squishy, your mama, daddy & Bea can’t wait to meet you” it then kicks back at you & you beam. If anyone sees your eyes filling up you can say it’s from the lowering sun but it’s actually just your emotions at how perfect your life finally is & how good today has been.

Bea is tucked up in bed as Frankie kisses her head.

“You gonna fall to sleep” he says as he hands her, her favourite cuddly toy to sleep with.

“Yes daddy me & bob are going to dream” Bob is ugly bumblebee toy that one of your work friends got you when you had the baby, but it means the world to your own little Bea. No matter how hideous it is now.

“You’re going to dream” you say as you tuck her hair behind her ear. “Dream of what”

“A castle made of hot dogs” she reply’s which makes Frankie laughs. You softly smile.

“Wow now that would be a dream”

“With a massive boat”

“She means moat” Frankie whispers.

“Wow thats would be amazing.”

“Do you dream mama” Bea asks as you sit in the end of the bed.

“Every night”

“what of”

“Oooh we’d be here far too long Bea & you have had a long tiring day”

“But mama”

“No Bea your mums right” Frankie says as he lays his head next to her. “You need your sleep otherwise there won’t be any dreams.” Frankie is secretly glad Bea didn’t ask him about this own dreams. He never wants her to have nightmares he’s so protective of her.

“Will my wish still come true?” She asks. You & Frankie look at each other. You’d both forgotten about the shell. You see it on her bed side table & pick it up, listening carefully. Bea giggles.

“It’s still whistling” Frankie nods approvingly. “It’s working on that wish what was it Bea” you say. Both you & Frnakie waiting with bated breath.

“For what uncle Pope said to come true”

You & Frankie look bemused at each other.

“Okay so what did uncle Pope say”

“For daddy & mummy to be happy & scream in delight” Bea yawns, grabbing her toy. Both you & Frankie have turned red.

“Oooh I’m sure that will happen Bea” you say & kiss her forehead, her eyes closing as she loses her battle to stay awake. Frankie properly tucks her in & then sits with her for a few more minutes, to make sure she’s completely asleep. You don’t Hoover to far from the door way. You like watching Frnakie be soft. You might have fallen for the hardened army pilot with a drug problem, but what you really got was a soft teddy bear who wanted it be loved, & give all that love back. As you sigh standing in the door frame Frankie turns to face you. He slowly stands up & kisses Bea once more, before he slowly makes his way to you. She’s sound asleep probably already dreaming.

His lips meet yours once he’s there. Your hands delve into that crazy mop of hair, your heart racing, every nerve shreded. This is the man you love, your husband, father to your babies.

“So” Frankie says. “Do I go hit Pope for insinuating stuff to our little girl that she can’t understand, or do I thank him” he says as he moves your own hair off your face.

“Hit him & thank him, but do it tomorrow” you say & you grab Frankie’s hand & lead him to your bedroom.

“Yes mama” he says as he smacks your bum following your lead to make sure that your little Beas wish really did come true, even though she’d never be able to see it.

[eyra]

winning arguments without crying

Three years ago I liked you and now I think you’re hideous That’s really all it is. Crumbling stone above your sink in a houseshare bathroom that feels like an aeroplane toilet. A corona of snakes that couldn’t be saved by a beautiful tragedy. You have to train them, you see To bite beautifully and in a tragic sort of way A literary way You can’t just wash your red hair and let it dry like that. I would know. Mine are revered and I think people are afraid of them but in a beautiful sort of way.

That’s another story that I’m trying to write and I wish I could block you from the pages like I’ll block you on Instagram.

I think you’re hideous A gradual  and then very sudden descent into a cramping hatred like the way you think hot weather is just fantastic and I think the sun is fucking obnoxious Like you A loudly epic microcosm  A study in how to learn to hate a stranger measured by unprecedented times and a handful of afternoons eating  blue cheese and crackers on London grass waiting for the time to pass If nobody likes you and everybody likes me then does that make me awful too? or does it just mean I’m right

You glittered like a mirror for a morning our sisterly reflections in mourning A summer snapshot from the lens I’m still in charge of Now you’re a black hole or something worse probably an empty shell pretending to be a whole person. Boring boring boring Everything about you is boring I’m bored with how boring I find you This poem is boring. It’s boring to talk about you but I can’t stop none of us can stop we’re all awful. You were a mirror and isn’t that funny considering how much you fucking love looking at yourself now Is this fucking play about us? as long as it’s all focused on you Tell us to knock the f-stop back as far as we can until it’s just The You Show again but you’ll say you hate the lens I’m standing behind. Apparently it’s all so condescending of me but I think you just don’t understand what that word means and what you actually mean is I’m older than you and know how to win arguments? What you actually mean is I can fight without shaking and my face doesn’t turn red when I’m angry? and I’ve always thought that a very lucky trait to have I think I probably got that from my dad although he doesn’t really get angry. I think you should write a poem about what you got from your dad But you’ll never do that even if  it’s the easy pick to the door you say someone else bolted you behind screaming. I unpicked mine when I was twenty and I’ll always shoot if someone slags off my closet And you think you’re the gunmaster here

But that’s a totally separate conversation and I can’t be bothered having it with you so can we just move on because you’re too narrow to get that.

The most caring person in the world until empathy starts unearthing your enemies As if you don’t already have a thousand. And none of it feels important anymore so I’m embarrassed that I even care but it’s not a caring sort of caring. If you’re compelled by right and wrong I’m compelled by love and hate I think that’s my coin and one day soon I’ll stop spending it on you But for now I’m solvent Even if I’m letting you steal from me and your steel city state is richer than my ancient woodland but your vaults are beneath iron girders of fantastic and thanks so much and so it becomes a girlish and quietly-biting sort of coin that burns lips and makes everything taste like copper mine is just a mist and then you accuse me of being non-confrontational when actually I’ve always quite liked confrontation.

It’s something I’m good at

and yet you keep trying and honestly I find that mortifying But you’re a child so I don’t even care. Maybe I should swaddle you but you said you're wise beyond your years so I guess let’s go with that? And if everyone hates you and nobody hates me then maybe you should go back to your mirror and look there instead of at your front-facing camera because that’s mortifying too  and you should’ve gone to university because you would’ve met other mirrors there And at least I know I’m a bitch

I met my mirrors ages ago.

But you run from reflection and choose your front-facing camera instead because it does that thing where it flips the image and you get to pretend that you’re the opposite thing to the thing you actually are and you get to tell yourself that you’re so tiny and the world is the Big Bad pecking at your nest. But you’re the awful thing And everything is backwards And everything is mirrored to you And if I saw myself in you then send me the invoice and finish your email with  thanks so much  for teaching me how to be something else because honestly if I became what you already are I think I’d just die  I can see you rolling your eyes on the playground because someone else was enjoying the swings but in a stupid way and the tarmac was hotter in Germany but that doesn’t make you more interesting. God I wish I could tell you that.

I told you once that sometimes I pretend I’m on Graham Norton when I’m in the car I thought everyone did that but apparently they don’t But that’s fine I think and you didn’t need to laugh about it with your fiancée But she's left you too and I found that funny So let’s call it even.

I dive headfirst into the oil when it comes to you because it feels so hotly delicious  To nestle in the anonymous ranks of whatever armies you think you did nothing to provoke You’ve got spears for crutches but your armour is accountancy note paper With lecture notes too boring to comprehend I don’t think you’re actually interested in investment risk and taxation or fraud analytics Is anyone? It’s just something else to put on your brown sash and on your HER profile. Tell them about how you’re on every battlefield and I’m just softly at home writing a stupid poem about you And if you’re reading this now because you keep tabs on everyone and everything and if you were waiting for me Don’t flatter yourself. This isn’t about you. Because I already don’t remember how old you are but I think you get a notification when I post an Instagram story of myself as a child.

I have a pitchy black well of everything that you don’t have and I throw myself into it and you screw your face up lime-sour when actually I think you’d love to build one for yourself  but you can’t stop looking at your Instagram followers for long enough to work out  How to cast bricks or divine water or whatever else you need to build a well

You don’t even have the land for it yet.

I’d rather write a stupid poem than be your blank piece of paper I’d rather write myself as a villain than play your antagonist  Write me out of your boring story I’m begging you. It’s been a year and you’re still looking up how to spell my name  Between notes about investment management and derivatives And I don’t even know what that means Thank God. God it’s so boring But I’m laughing at the idea of one day forgetting your name.

I can be rotten but I think the thing that saves you from Hell is the welcoming of the rot and if I can be this but also sleep with my friends and love my American cereal and the little squares of sun my mirrorballs cast to my blue walls Then what does it matter I don’t think it matters. But you can’t be told about any of that Because you’re too busy romancing your front-facing camera and  one-hundred-and-thirty-three people in fluorescent ceiling panels who won’t ever clap at a volume that fills you So I’ll leave you waiting for your lean applause And I’ll just be lighter.

I watched a video today of my niece on a ride-on lawnmower Grinning with my dad in the field behind our house and that was me twenty-two years ago. God I love that I can love.

[m4rs-ex3]

here's what my big ol brain has made of The Story of Captain Skall™

she was katolian ("through forests and flowers, past the uneven towers") and had a smokin hot beau at home (leaving the katolian guy who loved you... "she'd told him she loved him, always"...... where have i seen this before). she traveled north via the river west of the capital ("journey by river and sea"/"sailing north"/"to the east were the fields" [east of the river is duren]). from skall's hook ("skall made her mark on the map // that northernmost hook // is in every book") she went towards the shards ("east she sailed // into waters so deadly and cold // then came the ice") and she fucking died.

character wise i am verryyyyyy curious. i'm gonna go out on a limb here and say she was rather ambitious. "but what were her motives?????" i hear you say well i say this: she would have no reason to go to the shards other than the fact she was trying to get to the starscraper, so she was looking for either the corona or the novablade ("what's one mark on the world? [<-skall's hook] // there was so much more to behold").

sooooo something tells me both her and her lover will be rather important

as for the episode title............... "at journey's end lies the title of six oh three" could either mean the end of skall's journey, so "the shards," "the frozen sea," etc, OR that's a fancy way of saying the end of the poem, so "always" (which would be kinda hot ngl) so yeah. i'm claiming "603: The Frozen Sea"

[antiquepearlss]

Interview With The Preacher’s Son

Since the passing of Reverend Ulla Ritter, Old Corona truly has never recovered. Despite her husband Quirin taking her place in the church, no one can replace the wise and loving woman we loved so dearly. And no one in this town loved her more than her own son, Varian. To commemorate the fifth anniversary of Rev. Ulla’s passing, we sat down with Varian after his shift at Monty’s Diner to talk about family, friends, and faith, and other of life’s mysteries!

Pete Hayes: Hi Varian!

Varian Ritter: hey, nice to meet you

Pete Hayes: nice to meet me? We’ve met before

Varian Ritter: oh yeah, right

Pete Hayes: so how are you doing lately? How’s summer been treating you? 

Varian Ritter: I’ve been fine. I like summer, as much as I love school, it’s nice to have a break from all the stress. Learning on your own terms is more fun, anyway. 

Pete Hayes: and you’ve always been quite the brainiac huh? You definitely took after your mother on that, she was just as much a beloved scientist as she was a beloved preacher.

Varian Ritter: oh yeah, I definitely have her to thank for my love of science. She taught me alot. But I’ve got my dad yaknow, he always read me those Flynn Rider books growing up, and now I love to read.

Pete Hayes: oh for sure, your father is a smart man. And how is he doing?

Varian Ritter: he’s doing fine. Planting crops for the harvest yaknow. He likes to keep busy.

Pete Hayes: and I’m sure you help him out a lot

Varian Ritter: of course!

Pete Hayes: moving on, can you tell us a little bit about growing up here in Old Corona? What was it like for you?

Varian Ritter: well I’d imagine growing up here was the same as everyone else, honestly. I don’t feel very special [varian laughs] a lot of playing outside, especially in the creek. A lot of church. A lot of reading. The tv’s here aren’t great [Varian laughs again.]

Pete Hayes: oh man, and the cook outs! Your mother sure was good at bringing the whole town together. I miss those days.

Varian Ritter: yeah

Pete Hayes: so what’re you up to nowadays?

Varian Ritter: oh you know, work. Or helping at church most of the time. Sometimes I clean, sometimes I’m in the choir, sometimes I help my dad put together a sermon, he struggles sometimes yaknow? That or I’m in the basement studying.

Pete Hayes: oh man, you really don’t have any clubs you’re a part of? Do you visit friends? You seem so busy!

Varian Ritter: [Varian laughs] I mean I’m not the most social guy, I’m pretty introverted. I like it this way.

Pete Hayes: aren’t you friends with Miss Gothel’s daughter, Rapunzel? Do you still keep in contact with her and her husband after they moved away? Wasn’t her husband your cousin?

Varian Ritter: I don’t really want to talk about them.

Pete Hayes: I’m sorry about that. Tell them we say hi next time you see them, we miss her beautiful voice in the church! 

Varian Ritter: yeah okay 

Pete Hayes: What about your love life? Do you have a special someone in your life? Or are you eyeing anyone?

Varian Ritter: not really. I’ve never dated before.

Pete Hayes: That’s a shame! I wanted to touch upon your late mother, if that’s alright with you. We all loved her and knew her well. But of course, you knew her better than we did. And since your father declined the interview, we were hoping you could give us a glimpse of what Miss Ulla was like at home. Was she as wise and loving as she was in the church? Because for us she truly was a gift from God, I can’t imagine how blessed you and your father were at home.

Varian Ritter: oh yeah, she was definitely the same person she was at church at home. She was a very loving mother. She taught me everything I know. She wasn’t the most active, she had a calling, so she spent a lot of time either at church preparing a sermon, in her room reading the Bible, or in her lab working. But even if I didn’t see her a lot, she would always come into my room at night and pray with me. I miss her.

Pete Hayes: we all know your father loved your mother deeply. Do you think her death brought you two closer together?

Varian Ritter: I don’t know if I can say it brought us together but we can relate to eachother a little more. But you know my dad, he’s pretty quiet [varian laughs]

Pete Hayes: oh yeah! Well, I’m sure you’ve got to get back to your father, I bet he’s worried about you being late!

Varian Ritter: [varian laughs] yeah sure

Pete Hayes: before I let you go, do you think you could impart some of your mommas wisdom onto us? Do you have any wise words to share?

Varian Ritter: um well, I guess I should say to remember to tell your loved ones you love them. You never know what’s going to happen next. Tomorrow isn’t promised, yaknow? And uh, just hold your friends and family close, don’t- don’t leave them. 

Pete Hayes: you sure do get your wisdom from your mother, I’m tearing up just listening to you talk!

Varian Ritter: haha yeah. 

Pete Hayes: well Varian, thank you for sitting down and talking to me! It’s been a lovely time. And I look forward to hearing you sing on Sunday!

Varian Ritter: of course, and thank you.

NOTE: since this interview was conducted, we have been informed that Varian Ritter has been reported missing and last seen in Vardaros.

[iamblue15]

Calamity Kids VS Kaiju

*(Pros)

-(Cons)

=(Equal)

*All the Calamity Kids will be at 50% power at the start but will go to 100 if they need to even the playing field.

-They all have a limited amount of time to defeat their opponents, so they must use it wisely.

Dipper & Mabel VS Destoroyah

*Destoroyah can split himself into smaller spider-like creatures.

*His Oxygen Destroyer Ray and Variable Slice can cut through nearly anything.

*Can absorb energy from his jaws or tail, replenishing and empowering himself.

-His stomach is the most vulnerable as a strong enough blow causes him to vomit blood.

-Is weak to extreme temperatures

×

*Mabel can create and command an army of battle plushies.

*She can create giant bubbles to trap and demobilize opponents.

*Dipper can generate different monster body parts like tentacles to aid him in enhancing physical strength.

*He can also create a long flaming sword that can nearly slice anything in two.

*Dipper and Mabel can create long-range attacks (Critical Rolls, Death Muffins, and Super Yarn Bomb) and summon kaiju-sized monsters (Enigmatic Beast and King Waddles).

-They must defeat Destoroyah as a team as just one of them on their own won't be enough.

Raz VS Spacegodzilla

*Can create and summon crystals from the ground and out of thin air.

*Has telekinetic abilities as he can fire his crystals at opponents like missiles and carry large objects with his mind.

*The ability to fly at high speeds.

*Can redirect his Corona Beam to hit his targets with his telekinesis.

*Can create a Photon Shield to defend himself.

*Can absorb different kinds of energy such as the crystals he produces to boost his powers.

-If any of the crystals in his body are damaged, he will weaken significantly.

-Isn't the best physical attacker and therefore relies heavily on his powers.

×

*Raz's psychic powers have drastically increased to the point he can telekinetically lift entire buildings and his psi-blasts can penetrate through nearly anything.

*Can produce about a hundred archetypes to overwhelm opponents and for a little more extra damage.

*Throws bad idea grenades.

*Can slow down time using Time Bubble.

*Raz can collect more psychic energy from psitanium or in this case, Spacegodzilla's crystals.

*With enough psychic energy, Raz can produce a colossal psychic titan like the one in the Meat Circus.

-Spacegodzilla can even absorb Raz's energy if he gets hold of him so he must keep his distance and strike at the right opportunity.

Lili VS Biollante

*Biollante can produce a drastic number of tendrils and vines for offense and defense.

*She can spew a highly corrosive acid that can melt flesh to the bone.

*Has an incredible rapid regeneration ability.

*Despite looking immobile, she is actually able to traverse thanks to the vine "legs" on her lower body.

*She can tunnel into the ground to gain more distance and perform ambush maneuvers.

-If she is damaged internally (especially if it's her glowing "heart"), it could be catastrophic for her.

-She requires water for her body to defend and regenerate itself, otherwise, she will be open to attacks.

×

*Lili's pyrokinesis has been enhanced to the point she can create a flaming storm of destruction.

*She can produce and control plant life to aid her in combat.

*Shoots projectile explosive seeds that detonate upon impact.

*If she builds up enough fury, her fire attacks greatly increase.

-Will have qualms about hurting a plant and since she has telepathy, can hear the thoughts of the human side of Biollante. (She was made from the DNA of the daughter of the scientist who created her.)

-If she releases her blue-flaming fury, she will have to go into cooldown and her firepower will decrease.

-Even though she's resistant to Biollante's acid, she can still feel a painful, burning sensation albeit briefly.

Norman VS Hedorah

*Hedorah can split itself into smaller Hedorahs to avoid certain attacks.

*Its sludge can be used to immobilize or burn victims.

*It's capable of flight.

*It produces toxic gas to suffocate or blind opponents.

*It can fire his Hedirum Ray from his eyes and cause painful burning.

*Its malleable body makes him impervious to physical attacks.

*It consumes pollution to grow and replenish itself.

-It requires moisture to function so anything like the power of electricity would cause it to dry out and be turned into ash.

×

*Norman can generate lightning to attack at a distance.

*He can summon hordes of hungry flying ghouls (big and small) to overwhelm his opponent.

*He can make himself non-corporeal like a ghost to evade attacks, this requires his full concentration.

*He can boost his energy by absorbing electricity from machines or in the sky.

*If he harnesses enough energy, Norman can take on the form of a large wraith, which also increases the power of his lightning.

-Though Hedorah's gas won't kill him as it would an average person, he could still be blinded and have difficulty breathing if he makes contact.

Neil VS Leatherback

*Leatherback has the strength to lift and hurl a whole Jaeger over some yards.

*It has tough plated skin that acts as armor so It can take a good amount of damage and won't falter.

*Fists are primary weapons and can tear through the armor of a Jaeger.

*Will resort to hit-and-run tactics and then perform an ambush attack on the opponent.

-Unfortunately, its EMP-like organ won't be effective against this opponent.

-Its belly is soft compared to the rest of the body and can be considered a weak point.

×

*Neil's durability has increased so much that a falling building would barely leave a scratch.

*With enough harnessed energy, Neil can create an extra pair of large arms that can restrain the kaiju or send it flying with a single punch.

*He can generate a shield made from his energy for extra defense.

*if he punches the ground, spiked rocks would shoot out like the Pokémon move Stone Edge along with causing a small earthquake.

=He is just as agile with his attacks compared to Leatherback.

-Would be at a disadvantage if they take this fight underwater and have to rely on his defenses until he can escape and resurface.

Coraline VS Rodan (Monsterverse)

*Rodan is capable of performing devastating aerial maneuvers such as barrel-rolling or sonic booms by clapping his wings together.

*He is extremely durable and resistant to intense heat thanks to his bio-volcanic nature, he can even shrug off a deep puncture wound caused by Mothra.

*Can ambush his opponents by hiding in the clouds.

*Uses a charging attack by swooping in with his beak or talons which triggers an explosion upon impact.

-Though he is durable, Rodan can still be impaled in the case of Mothra stabbing him with her stinger.

-It is evidently seen that Rodan makes very rash and reckless decisions such as taking on King Ghidorah and not aiming for Mothra's most vulnerable areas to finish her.

×

=Coraline matches Rodan in terms of speed.

*however, she has the edge in agility such as maneuvering from one angle to another in the blink of an eye like a dragonfly.

*She can fire homing shots at her opponent, particularly aiming for vulnerable spots like the eyes or inside the mouth.

*Coraline can generate lightsabers that can slice and pierce through virtually anything if she gathers enough energy.

*By rotating in wagon wheel fashion, her ponytail made of energy can function like a circler saw, carving through whatever's in her path.

*If she can pick up enough speed, Coraline can cause a devastating sonic blow upon impact against her opponent.

-Though durable, Coraline can still get temporarily knocked out if she takes the hit from Rodan's sonic booms and exploding charges.

Wybie VS Mechagodzilla (Monsterverse)

*Mechagodzilla is armed to the teeth with different artillery such as missiles, plasma punches, spinning blades at the tip of its tail and even grinding saws in it's hands and mouth.

*It's also equipped with jet boosters to enhance its agility and the power of its blows.

*Its Proton Scream can cut through buildings and even rival Godzilla's Atomic Breath.

*Its armor is highly durable against most attacks unless that attack is powered with some kind of powerful energy like Kong's axe when it absorbed Godzilla's Atomic Breath.

-If its link with Ghidorah's skull is tampered with, it will glitch out momentarily.

×

*Wybie can create whatever machine, weapon, vehicle, or tool he can think of out of his energy.

*He can arm himself with four or more robotic claws like the ones Dr. Octopus has to restrain or defend against his opponent.

*For a boost of speed, he can generate a powerful rocket-booster pack.

*Wybie has the power to manipulate and control electronics or machinery in the area.

-He can only take minimal control of Mechagodzllla such as holding it in place or using its limbs or tail against it.

-He, unfortunately, has lower defense so a Proton Scream could cost him a great deal of damage if he's not careful.

[microchive]

either cam or gideon for the character thing!!!

GAH!!!! picking gideon because you already did cam also i want to talk about gideon nav my best friend gideon nav

favorite thing about them: how do i even begin.... i love that she isn't a hero and doesn't become one through the narrative, i love that she is so blatantly posturing all of the time and she builds herself up to be this big confident sexy funnyman because she needs that to keep herself afloat but what she is in reality isn't any lesser! she is funny and she's shy and nervous and she's so powerfully butch to the bone in a way that avoids all negative stereotypes but still manages to highlight the pitfalls butches find themselves in. she has so many layers and people reduce her to some kind of himbo when in reality she's objectively both too mean and too intelligent to be a himbo. i love that you can sense from the very beginning that she is sitting on a massive broiling lake of sadness and for all of her posturing she is both incredibly delicate and one of the strongest characters in the story. i love that she sucks so bad and died a virgin like christ jesus and even missing half her soul she remains consistent not in her outward personality but in her ability to shield her soft underbelly through some sort of performative attitude but EVERYONE can see right through her except gideon herself because everything she does is loud and annoying. she's impulsive and passionate and. incredibly annoying. i hate her and she's my favorite person ever

least favorite thing about them: probably the war crimes but it's not like she's passionate about war crimes she just doesn't gaf. this is just what a lesbian situationship will do to a guy

favorite line: literally all of them man everything she says makes me laugh.... here are some standouts though: - "If my heart had a dick you would kick it" - "I have lots of fealty in me. I fealt the Emperor with every bone in my body. I fealt hard" - "You've got two short minutes left before I punch you right in the butthole" - everything she says when talking to ianthe

brOTP: her and camilla ooooohhhh..... also her and pal. gideon works so well with the sixth house because they're just as annoying and generally peculiar as her they're just more lowkey about it

OTP: i'd have to say griddlehark because i have never stopped thinking about them ever but i do enjoy gideon x camilla (i forgot their ship name) because the cav4cav shit is so good godddd they're just two sides of the same coin, the same story with different upbringings they would help each other out

nOTP: not a huge fan of gideon and corona just because i think corona needs to chase someone who doesn't like her for enrichment purposes and gideon's schoolgirl crush on corona probably doesn't translate well into an actual relationship (let's be real though none of these relationships are going "well") but it is an interesting dynamic

random headcanon: i think she is really gross. genuinely. she picks her nose and doesn't wash her face and harrow gets on her ass about it which i guess is reasonable. also more intense but i definitely think both gideon and harrow have food issues but while harrow copes by being intensely picky gideon has some textual evidence of binge eating which makes sense to me character wise and also would explain why she developed muscle on planet malnutrition

unpopular opinion: i don't really have any once again?? i guess i like to imagine she isn't as attractive as she thinks she is but a lot of people write and draw her as a lesbian adonis which i understand because thats how she describes herself lmao. i think she's kind of cute in a weird way and tamsyn describes her as boyishly pretty so in my mind she's the kind of hot a straight man would never agree with. she is still the hottest person in the world to me

song i associate with them: I HAVE SO MANY. main ones are: father by the front bottoms, dance in room song by sipper, bodysnatchers by radiohead, suffering jukebox by silver jews, knife in the coffee by car seat headrest

favorite picture of them: this fanart: (this artist does such a delicious gideon ohhh i need her.) https://www.tumblr.com/bastardnoodle/741903153830723584/im-in-the-middle-of-reading-harrow-and-i-miss-her?source=share

[luckystar1327]

For the character impressions ask, could you do Hector, Adira, Quirin, and Edmund for me?

ooo yes!!! okay.

HECTOR

First impression: Oh cool, another dark kingdom person. He's weird.

Impression now: FERAL TREE MAN <3

Favorite moment: The bit with Cass where she's acting all tough and goes 'you'll have to go through me' and he just goes 'kay' I WAS LITERALLY DYING. I HAD TO REWIND THE SHOW TO SEE WHAT I MISSED I WAS LAUGHING SO HARD

Idea for a story: Hmmmmm. I think some fluff with him and his animals would be adorable, but im also a primarily angst writer sooo i am partial to the idea of some post-great tree angst

Unpopular opinion: I'm terrible at these oh god. I truthfully haven't seen enough content about hector to gather what is an unpopular opinion ;-;

Favorite relationship: Hmm romantic? Cause i dont really have one for that, but platonic relationship i absolutely adore the dynamic of him and adira. It's so amazing

Favorite headcanon: That he's not originally from the dark kingdom! He doesn't really look like any of the DK residents tbh, and i love the idea of him just being a feral little child that somehow got adopted by a prestigious order of knights LMAO

ADIRA

First impression: OH GOD I LOVE HER.

Impression now: Shes much more casual than I thought and I respect that. she is so badass.

Favorite moment: Her first appearance actually, when she's fighting Cass and Raps and she goes 'oh no, they are trying' it just. i dont even know its just hilarious to me.

Idea for a story: Hmmmmmmmmm I am partial to the idea of her thought process regarding the events at Old Corona. Like, did she help Quirin??? Did she check on Varian?????

Unpopular opinion: I do not know. I have not been searching for adira content tbh

Favorite relationship: Got none for romantic, but platonic-wise, also probably her relationship with hector. They are chaos siblings and i love it

Favorite headcanon: That the facepaint is some sort of cultural thing!

QUIRIN

First impression: oh i dont like him. he hurt my precious little bean varian.

Impression now: He's not my favorite, but I feel like I like him a little more now because of fandom content LMAO

Favorite moment: The hug between him and Varian before they go fight Zhan Tiri and Cass :(

Idea for a story: Hm. Perhaps a talk between him and Var about what happened while he was in the amber?

Unpopular opinion: Im not sure if this is unpopular, but i do think his and varian's relationship would have improved in s3. Like yes it's off-screen but i refuse to believe they could just go back to how they were after...that

Favorite relationship: Romantic? Ulla! Platonic? I'm gonna say him, hector, adira, and edmund, because brotherhood <3

Favorite headcanon: That Adira and Hector gave him grey hairs FAR before he was supposed to have grey hairs/he is the Responsible One

EDMUND

First impression: Um. Okay he's...interesting.

Impression now: He's definitely interesting! I do like him more now though :)

Favorite moment: That moment in Destinies Collide where he goes 'our family is just terrible' i was wheezing

Idea for a story: Him and Eugene bonding!! I need it in my life!!!!

Unpopular opinion: I dunno :<

Favorite relationship: Romantic? Him and unnamed wife! Platonic? Hmm, him and Eugene?

Favorite headcanon: This one is from @nerdasaurus1200 but i love the idea that he bugged the brotherhood about the flynn rider books. perfection.

[gryffindorkxdraws]

Rise of the Brave Tangled Dragon

also known as The Big Four

Jackson Overland Frost: Gryffindor

"You might belong in Gryffindor, Where dwell the brave at heart, Their daring, nerve, and chivalry Set Gryffindors apart"

Merida DunBroch: Slytherin

"Or perhaps in Slytherin, You'll make your real friends, Those cunning folk use any means, To achieve their ends."

Rapunzel Corona: Ravenclaw

"Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw, If you've a ready mind, Where those of wit and learning, Will always find their kind."

Hiccup Horrendous Haddock iii: Hufflepuff

"You might belong in Hufflepuff, Where they are just and loyal, Those patient Hufflepuffs are true, And unafraid of toil."

[arcadekitten]

What's coronas planet like?

It's a utopia, with plenty of food, water, and friendly faces. :)

Appearance-wise, I'd say it looks very much like a heavenly kingdom. Lots of gold, whites, and cyans/blues, old but beautiful stones, vines and flowers growing through the cracks, many little water-details in the architecture, etc. Large castles with plenty of banners, statues, and other art made in her likeness.

[chrysanthemumteapot11]

Taylor Swift songs + TTS and Vat7K (part 5)

Rapunzel: “I Can Do It With A Broken Heart” from The Tortured Poets Department

To be completely honest, I was super hesitant to give Rapunzel such a…depressing song. But it also kind of fits??? In this case, I took the original lyrics of the songwriter coping with a breakup while in the spotlight as a spin on Rapunzel coping with Cassandra’s betrayal while dealing with her royal duties (and with the crazy magic stuff). I mean, Rapunzel didn't really have time to truly process what happened between her and Cass before she was hit with another massive issue in the form of the Saporians. And after that? She had to figure out how to bring back her parents’ memories and had to handle werewolves, kidnappings, and more Sundrop/Moonstone magic crap. Yet despite all of that, she had to keep up the welcoming, cheery personality that Corona’s Crown Princess was known for - a personality that her people expected and needed from her with morale at an all-time low. 

There has to be some sort of trauma that’s sticking out like a sore thumb from all of this, but Rapunzel has to hide it. She’s always able to pull through in the end, but was she ever able to sift through her own struggles? While Rapunzel has always seemed like the literal drop of sunshine she is, it would definitely be a wise idea for her to go to therapy. 

Some lines in “I Can Do It With A Broken Heart” that I connect to Rapunzel are: 

“I was grinnin’ like I'm winnin’ / I was hittin’ my marks”: As described in the above two paragraphs, Rapunzel has always maintained a cheery, bright demeanor in front of her kingdom and in front of her family while keeping Corona intact and safe from various threats. In this case, she was hitting every target perfectly as the princess of Corona. In Season 3, aside from the whole Moonstone stuff, she had everything going for her in terms of Corona not going to war with any magical nonsense. However, deep inside, she still missed Cass and no amount of victories was going to really fix that unless she actually processed what happened. 

“There in her glittering prime / The lights refract sequin stars off her silhouette every night”: Rapunzel has a whole bunch of super elaborate outfits that she absolutely slays in, just like how Taylor Swift has an incredibly elaborate wardrobe during her Eras Tour. Additionally, Rapunzel is (arguably) in her prime as a ruler in Season 3 - she tackles every challenge that comes her way gracefully and reaffirms old alliances and friendships, leading to the people of Corona seeing mainly this perfect facade of a shining sun as their princess.

Part 6 will be Eugene!

[twotangledsisters]

Can you tell us about your thought processes and the evolution of your Two Tangled Sisters series? How have the characters' roles changed initially, and has anything happened in the series that continually surprises you? Would you change anything about what you have already written plot-wise, and, if so, why?

Definitely! I’ll try my best to keep this answer interesting, but I can’t imagine I stand a chance at keeping it brief.

Can you tell us about your thought processes and the evolution of your Two Tangled Sisters series?

Two Tangled Sisters started the same way every AU does, ‘what if?’, specifically it was ‘what if Gothel didn’t leave Cassandra behind?’ And at the very start, I knew only two things I wanted from the fic: 1.- Cute children in a tower! 2.- For Cass to take the moonstone out of fear it would kill Rapunzel.

I think around the time of the Second fic I started to see this as the bigger story I wanted to tell… and if I’m being completely honest, I cannot remember coming up with the story. I have notes from almost two years ago that have been the roadmap since the start. I knew Cass was an experiment; I knew Arianna and Frederic were going to get a divorce due to politics, I knew there’d be a prophecy; I knew Zhan Tiri would use Gothel’s image to manipulate Cassandra; and much more. Where did this road map come from? Probably a sleepless night where inspiration ran wild.

So in terms of evolution, there’s not been that much… that isn’t to say there hasn’t been any! In lots of my snippets of later scenes from that original roadmap, Frederic feels as much like Cassandra’s father as he does Eugene’s for example. Sure, they share some connections, but they aren’t bonded. But then Frederic saw a glimpse of Cassandra’s childhood, saw himself in her fear and started to work really, really hard to protect and care for her, surprising me and changing the tone of the fic as a whole. Taking it from a fic about sisterly love to more of a fic about familiar love.

Another relationship to change the tone of the fic as a whole, I think everybody already knows, Lady Caine! I always planned to dive deeper into her character, but the way she soaked in Cassandra’s words, letting go of an anger she’d been holding for decades, the way she fell fast and hard for Cassandra. She had singled handedly put a stop to so many of my plans by just being really damn good at keeping Cass safe, and I have zero complaints. I cannot imagine the fic without her anymore. I think she does a great job at balancing the tension. Cassandra goes through some stuff in this fic, and having someone who is not just willing but capable to fight by her side, to go through the fire with her… I don’t understand how my original plan expected Cass to do this alone.

And perhaps the final big change is that Cass was going to be a more obvious villain. Though born out of a wish to protect her sister, my original road-map had Cassandra turning her back on her family, her friends and her kingdom. Remember the chapter where Arianna takes an army to drag Cassandra home? Originally, this was the ending of that chapter:

Cassandra hesitated. A voice by her side, Gothel’s voice, told her it was all a lie, but Cassandra knew Arianna loved her. “I want to come home.” Arianna smiled. “Then come,” she held out a hand. “I’ll hold your hand and I will protect you from everything, my darling. You know you’ll be safe with me.” Cassandra looked into Arianna’s green eyes. They had tears in them but she smiled, hopeful. Cassandra slowly began to reach out a hand, needing her family. “That’s it, we’ll be home soon, my daughter,” Arianna promised. But then Cassandra stopped. Arianna didn't know why. Gothel’s voice was screaming in Cassandra’s. “She took you to get back at me! I took her daughter and now she’s using you! She doesn’t care about you, Cassandra, all she cares about is spiting me. They tell you I don’t love you, but I did everything to keep you alive when Corona would have happily buried you in the ground.” Cassandra looked down, then up again, her expression of determination as she pulled her hand back. “No.” “Cassandra.” Arianna felt the hope slip away. “I’m not your daughter!” Cassandra shouted. “I was never your daughter and you know that!” Arianna felts tears flow down her face. “I love you Cassandra.” “I am not the princess of Corona. I am the daughter of Gothel! The daughter of a witch and everybody knows that!” she stepped away, the blue glow intensified, and Arianna stepped back, unsure if she was in danger or not. “And soon… everybody in the seven kingdoms will know.” And Cassandra threw her hand up, creating a wall of black rocks which would not allow anybody to follow her as she fled Corona. Arianna fell to her knees in tears, feeling like she’s once again lost a daughter.

On the one hand, Cass seems to have lost a lot of her control in the way the fic ended up. She didn’t really choose to go to Equis or commit regicide and take over the kingdom. She was literally defending herself. But it also kinda adds to the tragedy that is Cassandra’s life and it plays into some of the themes of the original show. Cassandra and Rapunzel escaped from the tower. They finally should be able to choose their destiny, but they can’t. Whether it’s a prophecy, demonic beings or corrupts kings, they are being thrown around and into situations they don’t want to be in, forced to acts in ways that don’t match up with their values.

Okay, enough of that, second part of the question:

How have the characters' roles changed initially?

Obviously Frederic, Cass and Caine have changed a lot, in the ways stated above.

Some other interesting changes:

Stalyan, while I knew she was a potential candidate for redemption, I did not expect her to work as well as she does. In her first introduction, she starts as this very dramatic villain before dropping the act to be excited at the sight of her old friend. I knew she’d probably have a redemption where she worked as part of Eugene’s spy-network, but I didn’t expect her to be as endearing! Stalyan wants a challenge, and she wants to be well payed for said challenge, which makes her current position perfect. She’s still pretty sassy, but drops her chaotic tendencies whenever something serious is afoot, making sure Corona is always informed of potential dangers while looking out for her friends (come on Caine, salary negotiations, now!)

Rapunzel, as a MC I feel I need to mention her but she’s done a pretty good job at keeping to the script. Some small surprises is she started getting angry a fair bit sooner than I had planned, especially with Caine… those two were not happy to be in the same fic. When Rapunzel, RAPUNZEL, threw the first punch at Caine after the Great Tree… I was shocked. But honestly, with everything the world put her through, good on her… sorta… it kinda got out of hand and she’s dealing with her anger now.

Eugene, I think I’m surprised with how well he fit into the role of ‘guardian’. He is, according to the prophecy, the guardian of the sundrop and moonstone, his supposed to protect Cassandra and Rapunzel, make sure they live and are ready to fight the ‘looming shadows’ when the time comes, and he take that responsibility very seriously. He will drag them to safety if he deems necessary, he will kill people he deems too dangerous to remain alive and he’ll even throw Cassandra over his shoulder and take her back to her room when she tries to spend an all-nighter on law! He founds these girls, he brought them out into the world and he is not about to let anything happen to them. He still bickers and has fun and is head-over-heel in love with Rapunzel, but he’s also a lot more serious than I expected him to be… Honestly, things are very serious right now in the fic and I really, really, look forward to the next time we get to see him and Cass just throw some light-hearted banter at each other. We definitely need it.

Arianna, I knew she was gonna be a great mum, role-model and eventually warrior. I didn’t realise how traumatised this poor woman was going to get over the course of this series. She does not stop to catch her breath but the fact when the red rocks hit she sees Gothel returning and taking her daughters from her; she tells Frederic later on in the fic about how she’s been having nightmares about that… and then Gothel does just that. Originally, Arianna was very composed during the ‘asking for a divorce’ sequence, she was thinking clearly and it was her who came up with that idea… But instead she’s an emotional wreck who’s terrified of her family falling apart, who’s probably lost years of her life in stress this past year, who is in constant doubt about the whereabouts and well-being of those she loves most… It’s difficult to explain what’s changed about her because she’s certainly still that badass mum, but I think whereas before she would stand still and seem composed because she absolute was composed, this Arianna is holding her composure together through an absolute whirlwind of determination, she refuses to break down in front of her daughters but I am at that point where I am no longer convinced she’s going to be able to do that till the end of the series.

Honorable mentions: Xavier and Quirin play bigger roles than I expected and are cooler. Catalina brings a child-like innocence and optimism that the group often needs, and I didn’t expect. She takes on Rapunzel’s role in some of my originally planned scenes. Amaris… she’s an oc and ancestor of Eugene, I thought she would only make the one appearance in a dream… she makes more appearances and though rare, she’s a lot of fun when she is around! Nigel, originally a character I never gave much thought, but he ended up having a backstory in the prequel which makes his motivations a fair bit more interesting, plus, he has a soft spot for the royal family specifically. Captain, I imagined he’d play the role of mentor for Cassandra throughout the series; I didn’t realise how close he’d be to Arianna and Frederic, or how close he’d get to other characters like Quaid or Calliope.

Has anything happened in the series that continually surprises you?

Remember, part one of this question, thought processes behind Two Tangled Sisters? Well, one of the most important parts about writing this series is I cannot afford to get bored with it. So I always aim to be surprised. I aim to stray from the plan in a way that’ll allow me to stay on the larger road-map.

Let’s explain via example! The just finished fic Family and Duty, Cassandra’s role was very much set-in-stone, she had to go to Koto, she had to get captured, the seven kingdom meeting had to happen and she was going to end up in Equis with all which that entailed. But you know what the plan was for Caine, that other subplot? ‘Caine has mini adventure to keep her from Cass’. Cool. So, I write this:

In a dark, damp cellar some place beyond Corona, a tall woman sat on the floor, her legs held to her chest, trying to keep her long skirt dry. The sound of locks clicking echoed through the room, followed by the creaking of a door opening. Large, heavy footsteps came towards her. The woman looked up, her green eyes meeting dark grey. The man towered over her, his long blonde hair was kept neat, unlike her brown locks that hadn’t seen a brush in weeks. He placed the tray on the floor, more cold oats with only a spoon to eat with. “I’m not an adventurer. There’s no need to keep knives and forks out of my reach. You could give me a proper meal for a change.” The man chuckled. “From my experience, the apple rarely falls far from the tree. Oh, it attempts to roll off sometimes…” His fists were clenched by his side. “Tries to change sides… But she always comes back.” The woman frowned. “Well, my daughters don’t come back. If you’re expecting them to come save me, you’ll be sourly disappointed.” “I don’t even need them to know you’re here.” “If not to demand ransom, why do you have me here?” The man smiled. “Don’t worry about that. That’s for me to know.” He turned and left. The oats were as tasteless as always.

After which I ask myself ‘why?’ This is Arianna’s mum, this is the Baron. What are we doing here? I go to my notes. Caine needs a mini adventure… could this be it? And I dig further into my notes and I have ‘Stalyan faces father, chooses to remain on the right side’ as a sometime in S3 subplot. Perfect! So I then work around that. But that initial paragraph was what I call the writing equivalent of doodling, where I just type whatever comes out and then choose whether it makes sense or not to keep it. And I have A LOT of scenes like this! They intertwine with the big plot points I’ve known were coming for over a year to keep things interesting, not just for readers, but for me too! Over-planning is a good way to get bored with a story before you start, so I am very cautious to keep the surprises around! And also… sometimes character just do what they want. The amount of times my plan said ‘they argue’ and instead one character just fricking stabs the other… is one time, but I’m still not over it. There are also smaller surprises! I didn’t plan for Captain to head over to Equis for example. And sometimes I actually make the conscious decisions to make a change, like, I enjoyed Captain in Equis and there for Cassandra so much I actually re-wrote a good few chapters so that Captain could just stay in Equis, originally he returned to Corona after finding out Cassandra was okay. But I wanted more Captain so there he is!

Would you change anything about what you have already written plot-wise, and, if so, why?

It’s complicated… I’m struggling to keep everything in order despite my notes! I keep forgetting Willow, like, Willow specifically, I have forgotten and left behind too many times. It’s embarrassing. I don’t know if it’s embarrassing for me or her or both at this point, though. And sometimes I do wish I’d just not done a subplot because now I’ve gotta keep track of another group of characters! (this is the real reason Quaid died, so I didn’t have to keep track of him… jk, he died to raise the stakes and remind people their fave background character might be at risk :) Maybe I’d change the pacing because sometimes a subplot starts and then is absent for long enough for people to forget and then it just pops back in… But the thing is, the subplots are often where I allow myself to plan less and mess around more, which makes them messier and makes the story messier as a whole, but it’s what keep me, the author, coming back, so they’re kinda vitally important in their own silly little way.

And ANSWERED! Wow… I apologise for the length but I do hope if you read all over 2k words it’s because you found this interesting in some way! I really enjoyed this question. I love thinking and talking about the process and mindset behind my stories, so thank you sooo so much for the ask!