#about time i add some orginal posts

[justlovehimanyway]

I've been seeing a lot of posts about being blind-sided by BT's break-up. I'd just like to say my piece (throwing my two cents into the void lmao) in that, personally I have read the ending as always being there in the writing.

I have been operating under the theory (headcanon) since 7x04 that Tommy had initially approached Eddie with interest before coming to the conclusion that Eddie was straight and, therefore, only friendship had been on the table. But then along came Buck.

With Tommy's most recent dialogue in Confessions ("Take Eddie... and die." "I'm not your last." "You would have broken my heart."), I feel more confident about my "Tommy knows" speculations.

This was my initial reaction (in discord DMs with my friend) to episode 7x04 Buck, Bothered and Bewildered. (I watched s7 as a whole long after the air date for clarification. As seen in my screenshot- July.)

And then an expansion on it:

And another longer reaction I had after watching the episode 7x05 You Don't Know Me.

These were analyses all made before season 8. That Tommy wasn't "serious" about the relationship. That he had jumped in just as impulsively as Buck. Because Buck is hot, and I imagine it's flattering how into you he acts when he gets fixated.

Then s8 happened, and what was made clear was that while Buck proclaimed to be all in, he hadn't actually made space for Tommy. All those little spaces that Tommy should have slotted into? Eddie was filling them. That's why he was in 90% of all BT scenes. To be compared, to be contrasted, to show that Eddie is already there. And considering Tommy's dialogue in Confessions, I believe Tommy had clocked it as well. Him breaking up with Buck was, in that moment, likely what he thought was best for himself.

The writing has been on the wall. I'm genuinely sorry the pairing hadn't worked out as many had hoped, but to say there were no hints whatsoever just isn't true. When approached from different perspectives, you can and will catch different things.

[autolenaphilia]

The main reason to use Firefox and Linux and other free and open source software is that otherwise the big tech monopolies will fuck you as the customer over in search of profits. They will seek to control how you use their products and sell your data. When a company dominates the market, things can only get worse for ordinary people.

Like take Google Chrome for example, which together with its chromium reskins dominate the web browser market. Google makes a lot of money from ads, and consequently the company hates adblockers. They already are planning to move to manifest V3, which will nerf adblockers significantly. The manifest V3 compatible chrome version of Ublock Orgin is a "Lite" version for a reason. Ublock's Github page has an entire page explaining why the addon works best in Firefox.

And Google as we speak are trying to block adblockers from working on Youtube, If you want to continue blocking Youtube ads, and since Youtube ads make the site unuseable you ought to want that, it makes the most sense to not use a browser controlled by Google.

And there is no reason to think things won't get worse. There is for example nothing stopping Google from kicking adblockers off their add-on stores completely. They do regard it as basically piracy if the youtube pop-ups tell us anything, so updating the Chrome extensions terms of service to ban adblocking is a natural step. And so many people seem to think Chrome is the only browser that exists, so they are not going to switch to alternatives, or if they do, they will switch to another chrominum-based browser.

And again, they are fucking chromium itself for adblockers with Manifest V3, so only Firefox remains as a viable alternative. It's the only alternative to letting Google control the internet.

And Microsoft is the same thing. I posted before about their plans to move Windows increasingly into the cloud. This already exists for corporate customers, as Windows 365. And a version for ordinary users is probably not far off. It might not be the only version of Windows for awhile, the lack of solid internet access for a good part of the Earth's population will prevent it. But you'll probably see cheap very low-spec chromebookesque laptops running Windows for sale soon, that gets around Windows 11's obscene system requirements by their Windows being a cloud-based version.

And more and more of Windows will require Internet access or validation for DRM reasons if nothing else. Subscription fees instead of a one-time license are also likely. It will just be Windows moving in the direction Microsoft Office has already gone.

There is nothing preventing this, because again on the desktop/laptop market Windows is effectively a monopoly, or a duopoly with Apple. So there is no competition preventing Microsoft from exercising control over Windows users in the vein of Apple.

For example, Microsoft making Windows a walled garden by only permitting programs to be installed from the Microsoft Store probably isn't far off. This already exists for Win10 and 11, it's called S-mode. There seem to be more and more laptops being sold with Windows S-mode as the default.

Now it's not the only option, and you can turn it off with some tinkering, but there is really nothing stopping Microsoft from making it the only way of using Windows. And customers will probably accept it, because again the main competition is Apple where the walled garden has been the default for decades.

Customers have already accepted all sorts of bad things from Microsoft, because again Windows is a near-monopoly, and Apple and Google are even worse. That’s why there has been no major negative reaction to how Windows has increasingly spies on its users.

Another thing is how the system requirements for Windows seem to grow almost exponentially with each edition, making still perfectly useable computers unable to run the new edition. And Windows 11 is the worst yet. Like it's hard to get the numbers of how many computers running Win10 can't upgrade to Win11, but it's probably the majority of them, at least 55% or maybe even 75%. This has the effect of Windows users abandoning still perfectly useable hardware and buying new computers, creating more e-waste.

For Windows users, the alternative Windows gives them is to buy a new computer or get another operating system, and inertia pushes them towards buying another computer to keep using Windows. This is good for Windows and the hardware manufacturers selling computers with Windows 11 pre-installed, they get to profit off people buying Windows 11 keys and new computers, while the end-users have to pay, as does the environment. It’s planned obsolescence.

And it doesn’t have to be like that. Linux distros prove that you can have a modern operating system that has far lower hardware requirements. Even the most resource taxing Linux distros, like for example Ubuntu running the Gnome desktop, have far more modest system requirements than modern Windows. And you can always install lightweight Linux Distros that often have very low system requirements. One I have used is Antix. The ballooning Windows system requirements comes across as pure bloat on Microsoft’s part.

Now neither Linux or Firefox are perfect. Free and open source software don’t have a lot of the polish that comes with the proprietary products of major corporations. And being in competition with technology monopolies does have its drawbacks. The lacking website compatibility with Firefox and game compatibility with Linux are two obvious examples.

Yet Firefox and Linux have the capacity to grow, to become better. Being open source helps. Even if Firefox falls, developers can create a fork of it. If a Linux distro is not to your taste, there is usually another one. Whereas Windows and Chrome will only get worse as they will continue to abuse their monopolistic powers over the tech market.

[eyesore-boi]

MY EDGE OF SLEEP THOUGHTS

Usually I don't really do review posts, but I figured I should here since we need to get the word out more and I have things to s a y -

And yeah i know it technically already made it top 10...but it's going down again...sooo.....chop chop we gotta punch judge judy in the face again :]

SPOILER WARNING BELOW, OF COURSE, FOR BOTH THE TEOS SHOW A N D ORGINAL PODCAST, SO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK

Mainly this is gonna be talking about all the changes they made in the story and my thoughts on them, comparing the podcast to the show, but most of them are actually pretty positive! So, with that said, let's start with one of the biggest changes, that being:

The Maniac: So I know some people are kinda on the fence bout this, but me personally I don't mind that they cut out The Maniac! I get some people liked how their was a bit of a threat at the hospital while they were trying to figure things out, and Dave having the big risk of loosing his balls (tho i love the reference they did with the radio that was great XD), but...I kinda think that went against the point of this apocalypse, of it being a literal silent killer and not being like how the end of the world is seen in movies of chaos and violence, so having the Maniac out gave the group more time to process the situation at hand. That and how it allowed them to talk more and really show the character connections, like the talk Katie and Dave had after he recalled when he carved the triangle on his chest (more on that later)! And sides, least to me, I always kinda thought the Maniac was...a liiiitle tacked on? Like, with the story always kinda relating to Dave and his nightmares, having the Maniac just be some, well, crazy fucked up guy kinda felt outta place. Like maaaaybe they could've related him directly to being on the elephant's side (the sticker on his van doesn't count, that was just foreshadowing), like he was an elephant follower and he was following Dave even before shit went down, but with him just being some guy doing fucked up things, felt just like a tacked on extra threat. (Also I always kinda found it a little unlikely Dave was so easily able to go on and do a buncha other stuff after being literally shot, but eeeh is fiiine i guess-) With that said though, with the Maniac's absence, it does lead me tooooo

Ruth: I actually really liked Ruth's addition a lot! Was refreshing to see one other person in the survivor group, even if you know from the get-go she probably wasn't gonna make it, but that's good for the story! To show us another person's perspective whose out of the loop, how everyone else around her is struggling to keep it a secret, and how she took the place of the Maniac's for the MRI scan was much more impactful, having more weight to the situation since she was innocent and just found out when she sleeps, she dies, and seeing how hard of was on Linda to do, just mwuah amazing acting all around, but again more on that later-

The Dream People: Another change that I actually like, and even prefer! Tbh in the podcast I kinda felt like the whale people/dream warriors were...kinda vauge on what exactly they are? I know they were probably gonna explain that more in Season 2, but i feel like they didn't really...explain enough? Like they were just some higher people/power, nearing a deus-ex-machina, the old man and his son (forgot their names sorry) kinda broke up the story for me whenever we cut back to them (tho i do love the cigarette bit between him and Dave, sad that didn't make it into the show), and i was fine with that but eeeh coulda been handled a little better, and it was in the show! I like it a lot better that little Davey was always dreaming about them alongside the nightmares, since to Dave (and to the viewers seeing this story for the first time) he wasn't really sure on who or what to trust, which only adds more to the mystery of it all! I also like how their home base is more clear and giving slight cult vibes, but hopefully with good intentions (again we'll see in Season 2), so looking forward to learning more about them, even if this time I'm a bit more satisfied on how they're presented!

Mateo: HE LIVED!!! :DD I was actually really suprised that Mateo survived the plane crash! And I don't think i mind that too much, tho i kinda prefer the podcast ver a liiitle more since it added a bit more to the hopelessness of the situation that literally half of the party was dead, but eh more people living the better! Plus I do think Mateo was pretty fun in the show, I liked him and Dave's friendship a lot, especially with him being with Dave when shit went down at the party rather then going home to play video games pantsless, and i liked how we saw him stand up for Dave for being weird, true bros (i also really like the hug Dave gave him when he agreed to fly for them, that was really nice), so I'm sure there's more of him to explore with his veteran background and stuff, so can't wait to see more of him for Season 2! ....maybe then he won't be so lucky oh god- :'D

The Moobles: So probably, like others, the moment I heard that TEOS was gonna get a TV show, there was one scene on particular that I immediately thought of that I was excited to actually see, and that was the fucking Moobles scene- So was I disappointed that we didn't exactly get that scene? ...Yeah, a little bit, but I do understand why we didn't get it, and what we got instead still served the same purpose well! For one, I'd understand why that scene would be a lot for a +14 rated show, even if there is some pretty good gore throughout the series, bit i get multiple self-stabbings can kinda cross the line, but another reason is...I just don't think they had the budget for it. Like- How would they do the Moobles? CGI? Puppets? Either way I'd love to see it, but I knew it'd be pretty pricey, so I get why the Moobles had to be cut, wish they least had a small reference like the Maniac did (maybe the Moobles playing on TV somewhere or a display case showing the "toy" would be cool), but hey, if we can only experience that horrifying scene in podcast form, well, I wouldn't mind at all! Still fucking horrific in sound form and I love it :'D And sides, I actually prefer the new change for Dave's scar this time around! Tho I like the viciousness of having slash marks all over his chest, i think the single triangle scar fits much more with the stories and is great forshadowing of what's to come, giving a more concrete, direct link between what Dave has gone/going through and the killing sleep going on rather than just the warning the Whale gave him before shit went down! And the scene of him cutting in the injury was still pretty unsettling even if not downright horrific like Moobles-

The Clock: The clock was....n e w - I do like the visual of it tho, since at first it seemed like it stopped and ticked back each time a person fell asleep, but i do wonder...why is that? Is time literally going back each time a person dies? Or is it symbolic of just someone's time being up? If that's the case, then why does sometimes it ticks back a single tick, while others it goes back several? (Think an example of that was when Ruth was bout to die but i think i may be missremembering) I still like the addition tho, just wish it was a l i t t l e more clear, that's all :']

Katie: So even if there are some slight changes to her (like how she doesn't have the cast anymore, which i kinda get, they kinda really brushed over that after Dave talked to her about it once in the podcast, so i get why it was cut), I really liked where they went with her! Course may be a l i t t l e bias since we knew Lio as Lady, and for both roles they absolutely crushed it, but- It was great seeing more details about Katie! Like implying more and more that she had a drug problem in the past and using her rehab advice on Dave was very fitting, and though it was sad knowing she wasn't going to make it in the end, still loved all her scenes! Especially the incredibly tense scene where Dave has to run miles to get to her house to make sure she doesn't sleep, passing by empty streets and sleeping bodies, and Katie (reasonably) hitting Dave on the head when he broke into her house, ooohoho that was good- And i remembered at first i was slightly surprised that Katie died in the plane rather than locking herself in the car, and at first i thought "Oh it's just to make it more impactful, for Dave to fly with his ex's corpse right next to him, so close to safety, yeah that's screwed up :/" ....then the ending cliffhanger shots were shown and ohohOHOHOHO THE SHOT OF KATIE IN THE WATER STARING DOWN THE CAMERA WITH TRAINGLE EYES, IMPLYING SHE'S GONNA BE A H U G E THREAT IN SEASON 2, OHOHO LOVE THAT SHIT-

The Dream Chamber: A new addition/change that I don't mind tooooo much, but i am a little confused on. In the podcast, little Dave's treatment was to be isolated away from society for 18 months with just him and his mom, nothing else as to not be used against him in his nightmares. And while here i can understand a little why they cut that (i mean each ep is only 20 mins so chop chop), the Dream Chamber scene was pretty interesting! The doctor was weird but i think that was the point (never trust a man with a bowl cut wig) since i remember there was one shot where there was an elephant ceremic (i think) in his office, and when talking about the chamber he had these strange flashes, one including a whale dying in a graveyard, so i think that's implying he's on the elephant's side and was only going to harm Dave more, thus why the Dream People made little Davey stab him in the neck (which i was s h o c k e d on when i saw, btw), but my problem is...we kinda never really go back to Dave's past after that? In the podcast, it was proven that the therapy worked for Dave so he could live out his life as a normal person until the Moobles happened, but here...we don't really know what happens after? Did the doctor die when he got stabbed? I don't think so since there'd have to be some legal trouble braught up because of that, and nobody mentions the doctor dying after that, sides it was just like...a kid stabbing him, so yeah it'd be pretty painful but maaaybe not that deadly. Did Dave get better after that? Probably not, probably is just prescribed more pills once he was old enough, but...in both podcast and in show it's braught up the concern that if he doesn't get the nightmare fixed soon when he was young, it'd lead to huge developmental issues, but Dave seems...mostly normal when older, nightmares and triangle carving aside. He still has a social life, albeit a small one, got a girlfriend, and even a job, so...did the treatment work? A little unclear, kinda wished they just just stuck with the cabin therapy, but it's an easy lookover, and maybe they'll elaborate more in season 2, so we'll just hafta see!

The Elephant: For me personally, i think the elephant monster face is kinda hit or miss under the right circumstances, like the first scene with the nightmare about Dave's mom turning into one, that one was real spooky and the flashing lights actually aided to it in my opinion, but...when it's just in broad daylight and on any person....yeaaah i can kiiiinda tell it's just a mask, hell i think it is the same one being re-used, but eh i think it's fine, just kinda wish they got a bit more creative with the elephant imagery to make it more eldritch and stuff like with the Whale, like that one shot of the Elephant being barely seen on the static on the TV at the party, that was cool, but it's fiiiine it served it's purpose well enough-

Baby Dave: Okay not too much of a tangent on the actual show, just something i thought up on, but...fellas. Markiplier community. More specifically, MCU community. We have an irl face for baby Dave. Ergo, we have a face for baby Mark. Ergo....we have a face for baby Actor, Damien, and William...I am expecting fanart soon and quick 🔫👁

Linda: I really loved Linda in the show! Eve did an amazing job getting across how intense and high strung Linda was, probably even better since we can see how stressed she is! Seeing her actual break down over Brit's death was great, to show she still is deeply disturbed and broken about the whole situation, and i think that was especially needed when she did the MRI on Ruth since in that scene she is crying, but with the knowledge she experienced the same thing with Brit, you can tell this isn't easy for her, but she is willing to do anything to figure out what is going on so the small group of people she barely knows can live. Also, MORE LINDA LORE OOOOO- Was not expecting that, for her to work in a secret government project before, but think it fits well! Explains why she's a little intense and weird, plus let's the audience know this truly can't be some government weapon since she knows of all the gov weapons in the works, so that was really cool to learn of her!

OST: MARKUS E. PLIER. AMAZON. QRCODE. S O M E O N E. YOU BETTER DROP THAT OST SOON CAUSE I W A N T - But for real i l o v e d the soundtrack throughout the series, it all fit the vibes perfectly, keeping things tense at tense scenes and heartfelt at heartfelt scenes, and those beats just mhmhmh- Also i adore the intro, soft, old music being used in a creepy morbid context with visual seeming out of place but once you watch the whole series it makes sense ohohoho gimmie that shit anyday- Speaking of...

Visuals: Touched upon this a bit earlier with the Elephant and the gore, but i liked the visuals a lot! Course i knew it wasn't gonna be movie level stuff or anything (some shots of the Whale are a b i t imposed at time but it's fine), but i feel like they knew what they were able to do, and did it to the best of their ability, and they did! I do love the gore, even if a little small, the brain cutting scene was amazing, very spooky, the funeral hallucination at the end was crazy with everyone bleeding out of their eyes and ears looked real good and intense, and the final shots with all the bodies waking up with triangles in their eyes oohohoohohohooo i loved that shit so damn much i am so hype for more p l e a s e -

And, finally, last but certainly not least, Dave: As to a suprise to nobody, least to those already in the Markiplier Fandom, Mark's acting was on fucking point. In every scene he was in, whatever he needed to sell, he sold it perfectly. Whether that be in distressed and concerned, confused and scared, angry and in dispair, he did it all perfectly, I fucking loved it. Like fuck- The scene where Katie dies, the desperation in his voice as he pleads for Linda to give her more adrenline, as if that'd fix it, having to be pulled back in his anguish, f u c k - And the scene before when he carves the triangle into his chest, waking up just in time to give an almost dazed, dead look to Katie as he asks sluggishly "what's wrong?", adding to the horror of his self mutilation. GOOD SHIT GOOD SHIT- My only "complaint" i guess is that i wished he had a few more lines/scenes with dialog, but maybe that's just wishful thinking since i'm so used to him talking on and on and on and on both in the podcast and just in the channel in general, but even then i couldn't be happier with his performance!!

Infact, everyone did fucking incredible! If you're reading this and you still haven't watched TEOS yet...what the hell are you doing go watch we gotta beat the crap outta Judge Judy BUT also go watch for the incredible acting, special effects, soundtrack, story, just EVERYTHING that is Edge of Sleep! It is definitely worth your time, it's only 2 hours so it's super easy to binge, and tho i am a little pissed like everyone else that Amazon/QRCode/Hollywood execs are tryna bury this thing so Mark/other well deserved YouTubers can't have their work be put more out there, well...we're showing them now, aren't we? >:]

TLDR: This is the best sleedge i've had in my life so go watch so you can sleedge yourself. Alright bye. *backflips then dies*

[sea-owl]

Who remembers my Bridgerton dragons? I kinda want to take that but add in dragon riders.

Orginal post found here

So in this world, there are several different ways one can learn magic so long as they have the talent for it. One of those ways is bonding with a dragon and becoming a dragon rider. The dragons get little diplomats out of their humans since while dragons are are capable of human level thoughts and emotions, some could even take a human form if they wish, they are also often too prideful to do so and too prideful to communicate with others they do not have a bond with. Instead, they let their riders be their translators, an easy thing since part of the bond allows dragon and rider into eqch othe's minds. This has led to more peaceful times between dragons as treaties and trade agreements were made up between humans and dragons.

Dragons choose who they wish to bond with, and due to how dangerous and fickle they can be, potential riders have to wait until their of age to even attempt it. The dragons don't care about human legacies, humans are all the same to them until they find one they like enough to bond.

Lady Agatha Danbury knew this well enough, she remembers how the dragons rejected her foolish husband and scorched him from this earth. Yet she became one of the few female riders when she unintentionally bonded with a dragon that lived near the border of her lands, the alpha of the Ledger Nest.

Agatha

Lady Danbury paused. Her dear dragon sounded very amused and very close. Which was odd since he was supposed to be at the Bridgerton nest visiting his grandchildren and daughter.

Keir? What has you so amused, and why am I missing it?

Lady Danbury could hear her dragon laugh.

Come to the roof, my dear. It appears one of my grandchildren has decided to bond.

No other words were needed as Lady Danbury picked up her skirts and made her way to the roof. The Bridgerton Nest has yet to bond any rider since it formed. While the alpha was not against it in general, riders just weren't something the family oriented nest was interested in. After the death of the previous alpha, they became even more closed off. In fact the only two humans they were ever really around was Lady Danbury herself who has known the nest's queen since she was still under her father's protection and Lady Danbury's godson Simon who struck a friendship with the oldest hatchling.

Lady Danbury made it to the roof, where Keir waited for her on the thick perch. The golden brown dragon moved his front leg to allow Lady Danbury to walk up it like a ramp and seat herself on his back. Adjusting her skits and securing her cane across her lap.

Are you secured, my dear?

"Yes," Lady Danbury nodded.

With Lady Danbury's answer, the dragon took flight.

So which of Violet's brood decided to bond? And who is the unlucky soul to be bonded to them?

Colin bonded one of Baron Featherington's daughters. Kier answered.

Lady Danbury's mind raced through Violet's eight different hatchlings. All of them were of some shade of blue. If she's remembering correctly, Colin was the ocean blue one, making him the third oldest. Her mind also sorted through the Featherington girls. Only two were currently out in society, the others too young. She wonders how one of those two managed it neither were the brightest. Though the second born girl was more agreeable if you got her around the right people.

According to Violet, Baron Featherington's lands bordered on the lands of the Bridgerton Nest, and the girl had become some sort of a family friend.

Lady Danbury hummed. A familiar tale

Keir chuckled. Indeed

So, how does that end with her bonded to one of them?

Colin has not given out his reasons, but the girl is witty, and not afraid to sass a dragon even if she doesn't understand them.

Lady Danbury raised an eyebrow. Witty is not something she would describe either of the older two Featherington girls. From the little she's seen of them, she would save that description for the younger two.

Keir paused. There is a slight problem. The girl has not yet reached her 18th year.

KEIR! Lady Danbury grabbed her cane and smacked the side of her dragon with it. SHE'S NOT OLD ENOUGH TO BOND! DID YOU NOT WARN YOUR GRANDCHILDREN?!

Keir flew downwards, jostling Lady Danbury slightly. She could see the nest closing in.

That's why I came to get you Agatha. You know the human laws. Perhaps you can come up with a solution.

Lady Danbury could see the other dragons now. They were all smaller than their grandfather, and all of them took on a different shade of blue. Two of them were staring each other down. One was a dark royal blue, he was Violet's oldest hatchling, and the current alpha of the nest, Anthony. The other was an ocean blue, Colin, and in between his legs was a sixteen year old girl with red curls. She has to be the Featherington girl, all of them inherited their mother's hair.

Keir let out a roar, signaling their arrival. The rest of them bowed their heads towards the older alpha and opened up a space that led to the new bonded pair.

Lady Danbury climbed off. "Well, let's get a look at you, girl. What's your name?"

The girl squeaked, hurrying herself into a curtsy. "Penelope Featherington."

Lady Danbury walked around the girl. She was rather short and had more curves than the average debutant. Not that the dragons really care. They can carry any human they deem worthy. The girl squeaked again when Lady Danbury pulled at her neckline. Ah, there it is. Over the girls heart is a mark made out of the same blue scales as her dragon. It will take time for it to take its shape, but as the bond develops, so will the mark. Though it is strange that the colors are so vibrant already. Perhaps this bond isn't as new as the others thought.

[idrellegames]

Apologies if this (or anything similar) has been asked before, but how long did Wayfarer take to plan/write/etc before you started posting about it on tumblr or actually.. writing the game?

I'm currently in the very early planning stages of my own IF and I don't want to rush on making the worldbuilding. I imagine lots of planning went into Wayfarer (?) before you started to actually write the game or promote it on tumblr, and I suppose I'm just curious to know? Again, my apologies if this is a weird question or one you don't want to answer.

Oh that's a good question!

To be honest, I wouldn't use what I did as a good example of what to do. 😅 As some of you know, Wayfarer has its roots as a Dragon Age fan game. That game went nowhere (and has no similarities to Wayfarer other than Alexia, Ren, Calla and Aeran were all originally OCs for it), but it did mean that I had an audience from the DA fandom when I made the switch to original writing. I made this blog and did announcement posts and OC questions before I had anything substantially written. I released one demo in May 2019 and didn't get much further than that.

2020 was when I made changes and abandoned the fan game to work on what is now Wayfarer. I did about 5 months of plotting and planning before I made the announcement; I actually did most of the initial worldbuilding and outlines for a video game scriptwriting course I was taking at the time. I had to develop a game bible for a hypothetical game, so I used Wayfarer for that coursework, although that game bible is not very representative of what the game is now since I had to do specific things in specific ways to appease my professor.

The first thing I did after announcing the switch to orginal fiction was commission a portrait of Mel. 😂 I already had portraits of Aeran, Alexia, Ren and Calla and though those ones were commissioned while the game was still Dragon Age, their character designs are still the same. Though I don't think artwork is necessary to have a successful IF, it can be very helpful in terms of gaining an audience. Visuals are eye-catching!

I tried a lot of different things in 2020. Some things worked, some didn't. The first half of the year I was worldbuilding, outlining, and reworking the game bible. I wrote and coded a Prologue that eventually got scrapped, and the beginning of Episode 1 up to the fight with Kane, which didn't. I livestreamed it on my Twitch channel with my partner reading and doing voices (shout out to anyone who remembers Southern Sero because that was... a thing that happened).

I rewrote the Prologue with the one we have now in September 2020 and worked to add more material to Episode 1 before making an official game announcement in November 2020. I can't quite remember how far that first demo went, but I think it was the Prologue and Episode 1's fight with Kane if the player went to Rat Alley and up to the end of the meeting with Zenaida if the player went to the docks. All of that would have been around 51k words of playable content in the game when the demo released.

Looking back, I probably would have done things differently. I also think that there's no one way to make an IF. What works for one person is not necessarily going to work for another, it's okay to find your own path. 💗

But I can give a little bit of advice:

You need to know what you are writing before you go ahead and write it. IF is not a medium that can be pantsed (unless you're creating a short or micro game). Get comfortable plotting and outlining in well in advance. You should have an idea of how your game is going to shape up and the main thrust of the plot before you start, otherwise you're going to get overwhelmed with too many ideas and risk fizzling out.

To promote a game, you need to have a game. Before you launch an announcement post and officially start marketing your game, you need to have a playable demo with substantial content. Think of it this way: you only have one shot to make a first impression and it has to be a good one. The demo needs to introduce the player to their character, the world, the game's main mechanics, and a plot hook. The amount of work this is going to take is going to differ depending on the scope of your game and your writing style, but a character creator and 1000-3000 words is not going to cut it.

Don't use your blog as a way to worldbuild. Keep that offline and between you and your beta group or writing circle. If there's one repeat tendency I've seen a lot over the past few years of IF development on tumblr, it's that there is sometimes more interest in answering OC asks and writing flash fiction and answering prompts then there is in writing the game. These asks can be a lot of fun and can absolutely drive engagement for your blog, but at the end of the day they can either take away from the time and energy you should put towards your game or they will spoil the development of your characters for the players. The line between player engagement and player participation in a game's development is a very fine one that can get tricky to walk.

Worldbuilding isn't something that you do at the start and never again. It's something that grows with you as your write your project; sometimes you'll have to shift things and change them, fill in holes you didn't see coming, scrap ideas entirely. Allow yourself breathing room. I think you're off to a good start by knowing that you don't want to rush the worldbuilding. It's something that takes a lot of time to grow organically, and it's going to change and grow with you.

Good luck! 💖

[theanxiousghostartist]

TMAGP (Re) Designs - 1

Gwendolyn Bouchard

TMAGP SPOILERS BELOW

I kept Gwen similar to my initial design for her:

1. Redraw of one of her voice actor's (Anusia Battersby's) Instagram posts.

2. Gwen sketch on black background (alt of 3)

3. Gwen sketch on white background

I changed her hair slightly to add a little nod to Jonathan Sims for TMA, since she feels like who he would be if he went on a different path (Idk if that makes sense, I hope it does). I also got rid of her belt to make way for a badge reel. I changed her white button down to a polo to add some more color to her design, but I toned the rest down to match her more. I also gave her more formal pants and shoes, as she feels like the type of gal to overdress for work. I also moved her mole to be closer to the eye as a little reference to the Eye. Lastly, I gave her a gold ring, which has a B on the top - for Bouchard. My theory is that it's a family ring. I gave one to my Elias design as well (:

Character Analysis:

Right off from episode 1, we see that Gwen has a superiority complex - she thinks she is better than the other OIAR workers (especially Lena). Although, this mask does slip a few times - she helps Sam get the correct labels for one of his first cases (this continues throughout the series), she goes into Sam's past and tries to connect with him on how he got to the OIAR, ect. It seems that this "tough skin" mask slips around Sam on occasion, when she is yelled at by Lena, that broken mug scene with Alice, and when she is scared (the Ink5oul interaction, Mr. Bonzo, ect). Usually, the idea of "being superior" comes with an idea of "being inferior." We know Gwen got her job from family involvement and has been at it for a while now. She demands to be taken seriously, to be given respect, to be the best - which ends up being directed towards Lena, as she is the authority Gwen must "prove herself" to. However, if Gwen is the authority, she won't have to worry about proving herself as she is now the "superior authority." This is why Gwen wants Lena's job and why she got it. Furthermore, if she climbs up the ranks of her job, she can prove to her family that she's "good enough." However, this feeling that she's  "inferior" will most likely affect her in thw future; she won't be satisfied with Lena'a job, she'll want the Minister's job, then the next, and the next, and the next, to prove she's "good enough," to prove that she's "getting better," to prove that she's "superior."

Now, let's discuss when her mask slips. When she's with Sam, it slips a few times. This makes sense - he, as the "new guy," looks up to her and asks her for advice, he is, to her, clearly "inferior," as she has been at the OIAR much longer than he has. She drops her mask with him the most on his first couple days, when she's training him. However, after he responds negativity to perhaps the most important time she drops this mask - when she tells the group about Mr. Bonzo, she stops as soon as her laughs her off. She simply doesn't drop this mask near him anymore, he wouldn't believe her anyway.

When Lena yells at her, mainly after the Lady Mowbray incident, we see Gwen drop her mask. She doubts herself - maybe Lena knows more than her?  She starts complying with Lena more after thsi incident, slowly gaining confidence until she is able to put it back up - this occurs, of course, under another mask - one where she kisses up to Lena, and gets on her good side - until she is able to get the minister those files - then her orginal mask is shown again. Now, the reason that her original mask could have been put up once again is because of those files - she knew more than Lena, she had power over Lena - she was superior to Lena. It is quite possible, that whoever gave Gwen these files is manipulating her. My theory is Augustus, but that's in a few of my other posts, and we're not talking about him right now.

Her mask also slips with Alice, especially during the coffee mug scene. Here, she is scared about what she has learned about the Externals /Fears, which Alice knew about (to some extent). Alice is also the one that Gwen has known the longest (and doesn't hate), so it makes sense that her mask would slip. She explains her fears for the future and what the OIAR is actually doing, which Alice relates to. They comfort one another and seem to develop a truce to get through whatever is going on, together (this is probably broken when Gwen goes and gets Lena's job). Her maks also slipped with Alice before this, when she thinks Alice got her coffee - when she thinks someone is thinking of her and value her (I'll touch on this a little later).

Gwen drops her mask the most when she's scared. She fights dropping it and then it eventually drops alltogether - when she gets chased by Mr. Bonzo, when she's talking with Ink5oul, when she see [Error] - every time she tries her best to leave her mask up and be "professional," with this having to be dropped as she's hunted, must to her dismay.

Gwen values when someone "sees" her - when even when she's an ass (Fr3D1 says lol), they still care for her; she doesn't have to do anything to be "worthy" of their love or affection (of any kind). This alludes to her family life, I'm assuming the Bouchards in this universe are still not great and need their family members to prove their "worth" to the family (as we saw in Elias's statement at the end of TMA) - which probably helped along Gwen's issues.

TL;DR - Gwen is trying to covering up her own insecurities and perception of worthlessness with the idea of her being superior and power.

Gwen is such a complex character already, and I love how much insight we get into her motives in just the first season.

[shotgunmaniac]

intro :3

names caleb or cal

male (he/him)

white 😱💥 shocker i know

been interested in true crime for quite some time but never really interacted in the tcc fandom

my favs r eric and dylan and vladislav roslyakov

deleted my orginal account because i got paranoid (not like anyone acknowledged it anyway)

barely post on here because social interactions make me wanna barf and also i barely know how to use this app

i enjoy other things other than tcc like jackass and also i am a die hard elder scrolls fan

i draw and shit but i hate posting it online and will talk your ear off about anything i enjoy. I have no filter i am incredibly annoying.

you can dm me if you want even though i probably wont answer

spent 5 months in the clink so i am not up to date on anything!!!

dont know what else to add so you can literally ask me anything but i dont know how much recognition this is gonna get so cya

[nalyra-dreaming]

yeah, when i said 'written into a corner' i just meant they've made choices that will almost inevitably shape future events on the show! probably bad wording there on my part lol. not actually a diss to the show tho, i don't think their choices were bad, as long as they have a clear vision in mind & execute it well. & the relationships were interesting in themselves, they just weren't structured in a way that makes me think "polyamory" (as in…polyamory as the general audience would define it) is part of their long-term plan for loustat. it's more an observation than a complaint on my part! i fully agree that the book characters' relationships defy human definitions. the show seems to be framing them in slightly more explicit & recognizably 'human' terms. i get why tho - some of the vc relationships were p vague & tv audiences tend to expect more clarity & structure (i think rolin said this at some point). i know the orginal context but i still haven't given up hope of the cuck chair! a girl can dream lol. i just meant that the relationship is a bit more 'up for grabs' right now as we know so little about it on the show, but don't worry i'm fully managing my expectations. tbh i will just be happy to see dm portrayed in p much any form! it will be interesting to see what loustat's dynamic is like in the present. it's bound to be a bit different if only bc they've both been through a lot & learned some lessons, tho i don't expect the mutual jealousy & possessiveness to be gone w/out a trace either, more that it'll be less of an issue moving forward. time will tell!

Three very different opinions, and I hope you don't mind me putting them together, but this reflects the different expectations angles a bit, I think. :)

I think a key point is in the first ask: "polyamory as the general audience would define it".

What... is the general audience and what is the definition?^^ On the previous post @actual-changeling commented "as an aromantic polyam person, it's not about romantic relationships it's about relationships period, whatever that might mean for the people involved. having sex with someone who isn't the person you have a committed relationship with very much falls under polyamory."[...] And that I kinda disagree with (no offense!!!), but, since polyamory is an umbrella term with definition very much in flux and prone to personal interpretation.

However, Season 1 of the show put a heavy emphasis on jealousy and cheating. I doubt Louis or even Lestat would have defined the affair with Antoinette as polyamory though, even if it came down to being non-monogamic (on Lestat's part, on Louis' depending if you want to count Jonah or not). [Not counting feeding flings here.] But for me (myself and I) the cue aspect here is that this was not done on level agreement - if anything the "of course" scene made clear that this was not something they both truly agreed on. And if we trust Antoinette's comments at the ball... then she was not 100% behind this either.

Of course this is very much focused on Loustat here, but I think it is exemplary for the books. Not excluding polyamory in total! I think if I remember Sevraine's home with Gabrielle, and Allessandra there... then there might be something there, indeed :) For example.

But Armand and Louis and Lestat do not hook up that way. Not like that. And neither do Armand, Louis and Daniel - that we know of, so far. There might have been something in the past there, I could see that, easily. We'll see.

I think the fanon idea of them is very cool, and I hope everyone has fun with them^^. I doubt the show will add David into it (like Anne tried to), at least I hope Rolin will not^^.

As per Loumandstat? I had really, really hoped for a DreamStat-Loumand-triple 😅. I wanted that *exaggerated sniff* But I... don't think we'll get it on the show now. I think the way they spun Loumand... that Louis will be very pissed with Armand for the foreseeable future. To put it mildly.

The cuck chair may still happen - or has happened, in the past, maybe^^.

So yeah, I don't know. I think there are expectations, and the books, and while a lot of vampires do live together in a big castle at the end... it's not one big polyamory relationship. It's a net of history and previous and current relationships. I just don't necessarily see that as the same.

And the modern day show elements will likely put a different light on the tale we got wrt this as well.

[hey-cringelord]

this trend ruins me

(soifdesu on tik tok)

i saw this video the day it was posted, so a little over a week ago, and every day i find myself rewatching it over and over whenever i open tik tok. i am half the views on it at this point.

when i first picked bleach back up january of last year, i didn’t remember much of soul society arc. i didn’t bother refreshing my memory on anything except the captains names bcus at that time i wasn’t super into bleach. all i knew was that ichigo isn’t as human as he seems, rukia was saved from soul society, and orihime got scooped up by some random people (or however the bount arc starts). all this to say, i had no idea what the end of arrancar arc had in store for me.

when gin died i was 3-4 hours into that days binge, it was late night, i was tired and a little discombobulated, and ended up quietly sobbing over it (emphasis on quietly bcus i didn’t want my mom overhearing me and thinking i’m crazy). i could go on and on here, but i’ll get back to talking about the pics and save myself from all of that typing.

the orginal post was made march 12 of this year. i’m posting this an hour into the 22 of march. it’s been nearly ten days and all i can think about is rangiku’s edited lipstick marks on gin’s face.

all things considered, i think gin is very boyish and young. rangiku too, obviously, as they were both young (by soul society’s terms) in the flashbacks we get of them. 100 years old and then some compared to yamamoto’s 1000+ years would mean they’re basically teenagers, right?

with this in mind, every time i come back and loop the video for a good five minutes, the image that comes to mind physically hurts me every time. no sad, angsty things here, just mourning what could’ve been.

rangiku loved him, i think, and still had a lot of love to give him after his betrayal and his death.

i see these screenshots and i think about silly moments between them (bcus this has totally happened more than once) where rangiku is maybe a little drunk and a little giggly and a little flirty and gin is there, smiling the way he is and loving every sticky lipstick print rangiku leaves on his face.

it’s cute, and it breaks my heart. as i said i believe gin is boyish and young (in the right company, i should add, and the company in question being rangiku) so he accepts all the sticky marks she leaves on his nose, his cheeks, the corner of his lip.

as much as all this hurts me, though, nothing will compare to the way i sat up, paralysed with shock, as tears streamed down my face after hearing the words: If you were to turn into a snake tomorrow and began devouring humans, and from the same mouth you devoured humans, you cried out to me “I love you!”, would I still be able to say “I love you” the same way I do today?

there is no other quote from media that exists in this world that has made me break down in mere milliseconds the way that one did. i still cry if i hear it, and by now i have it fully memorised.

TL;DR: ginran causes emotional pain

[raremikey]

Pinned #3

Hello, my name is Mandy (she/they) and this is my Mikey Way blog. I am here to spread the love <3!

Basic info about my blog:

I like to have fun and laugh. Take everything with a grain of salt i am usually being lighthearted.

Some of my old posts are nsfw. If you are not an adult, please do not interact with any posts of mine that are tagged tw nsfw. I have privated many of my old posts that were extremely nsfw.

But that being said, if you are here to just look at the photos of Mikey I've posted, anyone can interact with them.

Also im shy and i have a lot of anxiety and trouble socializing so if i am weird with interactions just know that's why :(

I try to mainly post mikey here and keep the blog focused on mikey but i do try to post other mcr members and some other bandom stuff. But mostly mikey

My patrick stump blog is @icecream-headaches and my blog where i post cool things i like is @water-forever .

I love you!

Warning: this is me⬆️ i rb my old posts often:)

Okay so those out of the way, extra info down here:

I source current content, but I usually don't source older content. I understand why some people are against that. The reason I usually don't is because I have no source to link to, because most photos I post are from blogs or websites reposting them without a source.

But if your photo is posted on my blog, please message me if you want me to add the source or take it down. If you have a source or orgin for any photos I post, I'm more than happy to include it :)

My blog is ""organized"" using tags. Pics of Mikey are tagged based on the time period it was taken in. #bullets era , #revenge era , #bp era , #dd era , #ec era , and I still do not have a proper tag for current mikey so.. idk. I also tag specific clothing/accessories he's wearing (ex. #white glasses).

My askbox is open but please try to keep asks related to Mikey/mcr. If I don't answer your ask, I either forgot about it, didn't know how to respond, or didn't want to respond. Be respectful!

Other info about me:

Dm me if you want my instagram (if we are mutuals) :3

This is technically a side blog so if a blog that has an ashlee icon interacts with you, it's me probably.

Seriously I can't stress it enough I am not being serious most of the time. Please don't take this blog seriously. I want my blog to be fun to scroll through and be a silly and lighthearted place!

Its mikeylicious.

He is the love! ❤️

[jackitk]

Random thoughts because it feels like it's been too long since I've had an orginal post on here.

I wonder if the release of Golden Sun on NSO is going to increase activity in the Golden Sun community at all. I mean, it's always been the least active of the tags I follow here. Though it does feel like Pikmin activity died down quite a bit since the launch of 4 lately as well.

I mean, I could do it myself, but I've been pretty busy with trying to finish up Sweet Expedition (the Paper Mario project I've been working on) lately to try and make any meaningful progress with the Golden Sun projects. I really want to, at the very least, release Sweet Expedition before the end of the year, even if I have to do an update or two after the fact. And I feel so close.

Granted, I always felt so close for the past half year. But I have reasons to suspect that getting it done this year is actually possible as I finish up playtesting for the last major feature I want to add and started working on editing the release trailer. It feels a bit low effort. But that didn't stop Golden Sun QOL from getting popular, despite my best efforts otherwise. xD

Speaking of Golden Sun QOL. Still thinking about how well revieved that was and how to properly address the critiques it did get. I'm not sure if I can change enough of it on my own to justify a new version. But it is on my mind.

I should save the specifics of Sweet Expeditions progress for the next time I update my blog or Discord. I just wanted to ramble to add some extra activity to the Golden Sun hashtag TBH.

[lovee-infected]

Hello Geo-san, just read your post on Malleus's birthday. It says that his only relative is his grandmother and she still rules the Valley of Thorns. There are theories that his grandmother is none other than Maleficent herself. If that's the case, there are two options here, either she survived her encounter with Prince Phillip or the TW timeline is following the 2014 film. Where she's still alive and ruling the Moors, maybe renamed as the Valley, alongside with Aurora. We'll just wait and see.

I've actually been thinking about this myself, that was much of a shoking reveal!

Aside from revealing the fact that Malleus's parents are dead, this somehow dropped a bomb on "Maleficent being Malleus's grandmother theory"

The main discussion going over the fandom regarding the topic is whether his grandmother is Maleficent or not, which is a really important question!

As someone who strongly supported this theory before this reveal, I can't say I wouldn't be disappointed if Maleficent isn't actually his grandmother, but on the other hand, the possibility of her being Maleficent and still alive would face some strong contradictions in the story:

First off, let's flash back to where this theory begun in the first place:

In Malleus's personal chats, we can find Sebek complimenting Malleus's performance after the classes, telling him that he'd even surpass the witch of thorns herself one day!

Malleus immediately objects to it, saying his powers barely come close to his grandmother's.

Well, to think that they were actually talking about Maleficent but all of a sudden Malleus mentioned his grandmother instead, left us qith a great possibility of him being Maleficent's grandson, to the point that many, including me, considered this theory as canon! But now I highly doubt this theory, even though I wanted it to be confirmed true so much. But since we have more information to seriously discuss the matter right now, here are my thoughts whether this theory is still acceptable or not, which is mainly explaining what would happen if they're actually using the 2014 and 2019 live action movies as a reference:

1) Maleficent being alive would totally WRECK Silver's character development and design!

Come to think of it, there would be no Silver if Maleficent is still alive! Silver's twisted logo is the sword, and the one and only famous sword in the sleeping beauty classic AND the live action movie is the one which slayed Maleficent.

So... If Maleficent's still alive -> There hasn't ever been a sword which slayed her -> Silver doesn't have any special or specific symbol/ character which he is twisted from!

While his name might have something to do with the live action version, where they strongly used Silver to defeat Maleficent, it can also be referring to the fact that dark fairies would immediately be wounded if touched with Silver, which is most likely because of Yana's studies in the fae mythology field (Like how she chose ice cream as Malleus's favorite food since fairies love cream) which isn't necessarily bound to the live action version. But since the sword is Silver's most important role in the game, we can't really stick with the live action version because not only didn't we have any special swords in the live action version, but there also would be a big confusion if there hasn't ever been a sword which slayed Maleficent and Silver is twisted from!

In summary, I'd be honest and say this out loud: Maleficent HAS TO be dead because we need the Silver sword to exist somewhere in the story!!!

2) History of 'Classic Maleficent' vs 'Live action Maleficent'

one of the main points which needs to be considered in this matter, is how different Classic Maleficent and Live action Maleficent are. Maleficent is the very first Disney live action to present a totally different face of a well-known Disney villain such as Maleficent, which also led to a considerable growth in both "Maleficent" and the classic version of "sleeping beauty"'s popularity at the same time! But while 2014's Maleficent was an absolutely amazing movie (to at least) and nearly turned Maleficent into the most beloved villain of Disney's history, the live action (especially the 2019 version) received some strict critiques regarding how they pictured Maleficent: Many of the fans were familiar and attached to the original Maleficent, the mistress of all evil who had control over the powers of hell itself. A REAL villain and an absolutely perfect one. But the live action Maleficent wasn't meant to be a villain, the live action narrated a totally different story from what the classic was.

Though it didn't really lessen the movie's popularity, there were fans who begun to dislike this version of Maleficent after the 2019 version and their reason for disliking the movie actually made sense, the live action went TOO FAR with creating a second Maleficent, almost to the point of not being anything similar to the original, that strong villainous sense they were expecting to see in Maleficent had disappeared.

Now let's talk about twst, what is twst about? Villains. It's basically the world of villains. We need that evil, menacing and demonic sense of villains to be brought back to life through this twisted vessels, as it's confirmed that this school's students have villainous souls. From the Heartslabyul chapter till now, the Pomefiore chapter, his is all we've dealt with: Absolute villains. Each chapter is about a dorm leader (expect for Kalim) discovering and revealing their villainous spirits, which leads to an overblot. They want them to see just as evil and reckless as the original villains, which is why they put them into a mode such as overblot, where they're controlled by a puppet in the shape of one of the great seven.

Is such a story, where they need to make each of the main characters be as evil as possible, choosing live action Maleficent (who is a half villain, half hero character) not only is debatable but ia also a big contract to the previous chapters as they all followed the original villains' stories!

I guess we can all agree that Diasomnia's quite special compared to the rest of the dorms, but going as far as using a different source in character development and plot design compared to the rest of the characters and dorms seems to be a bit too much- I don't think Diasomnia's design and development is planned to be THAT different.

3) Key points about fhat has been officially mentioned in twst

Personal chats are VERY important to go through while doing a character analysis, they're such a wealthy and perfect source of information regarding each and every of the characters!

As for Diasomnia, each and every of the members mentioned something about the witch of thorns and her background, which directly leads us to how and who is the twst's Maleficent:

Lilia: Explains how Maleficent's Chronicles spent 16 years looking for a baby in a cradle -> This only happened in the classic! Live action Maleficent never sent any of her minions to look after aurora as she never had any!

Silver: Explains how the King of a well-known kingdom forgot to invite Maleficent and offended her with this, he wonders what kind of King would ever do such a disrespectful thing? -> Original Maleficent was offended and mad just because she wasn't invited, while the Live action Maleficent was betrayed by the King Stephan, Aurora's father who intentionally refused to invite Maleficent. Keep this in mind that Silver said forgetting to invite her, which is exactly what happened in the classic and King and Queen seriously forgot to invite Maleficent, not to intentionally avoid and decide to keep her away from baby Aurora like what happened in the live action.

Malleus: In his chats with Lilia, he mentions how The witch of thorns once invited the prince of as enemy Kingdom into her own castle -> This is again, something which only happened in the classic, referring to the scene where Maleficent captured prince Philip and imprisoned him inside her castle. Live action Maleficent didn't even have a castle to begin with, note that all she did was to take Phillip to Stephan's castle to give Aurora a chance to live.

Malleus: He explains how The Witch of thorns could turn into a dragon -> Live action Maleficent never turned into a dragon, she just once turned her crow, diaval, into a dragon (2014 ver.) and turned into a phoenix (2019 ver.). The only Maleficent which could and did transform into a dragon is the one we know from the sleeping beauty classic.

Hitting with the lighting: This is something Malleus is capable of doing, he both did this to Sebek back in the manga anthology and threatened Rook with it -> Again, this is something which the original Maleficent and herself only could do.

There are quite a few of other orginal Maleficent references you can find if you carefully go through the story and voice lines, but I'm not going to mention each and every of them because I believe I've already discussed this enough. Note that while there are tens of original Maleficent references in the story, there hasn't been anything mentioned about the live action Malleus so far expect for fan content and stuff.

Obviously, they're using Original Maleficent as the main reference. The question is whether they're using the live action too as a reference or not.

4) A summary + Existing debates

Aside from all of the current theories and headcanons, I guess this is all we can tell about the canon information revealed so far. But before we end, I'd like to add a few of small notes:

Lilia has never referred to the Witch of thorns as Queen of thorns, it's not quite specific to tell but it seems like Queen of thorns and Witch of thorns are indeed to different people.

But then again, why does Malleus bring his grandmother up in the middle of a discussion about Witch of thorns? Could it be that he just used her mother as an example since her too, is a very powerful magician but not exactly the witch of thorns herself, or...??

There hasn't been any information revealed regarding the great seven's current position in twisted wonderland's history, how long ago has their stories taken place? Could it be that some of them are still alive? Did their stories end just the same as orginal stories or did they decide to twist the endings as well?

The main reason why I think Maleficent cannot be alive now is not becuase she died in the original story, it's becuase of Silver, which has already been explained in part (1)!

At last, I'd like to add a final note to this piece: Even if the "Grandmother Maleficent" theory turns out to be wrong, many of the fans are already enjoying the eixisting fanon twst content which are using the live action as a reference! The most popular reference is probably with Malleus's back, where many artists decide to add two wounds on as a reference to what happened to Maleficent's wings in the live action. This is personally one of my FAVORITES and I just love it when artists draw the wounds, though the possibility of Malleus actually having wings is pretty low! We can almost call it impossible lol. The thing is, from how the story has gone so far we can assume that they aren't going to use the live action at all, but if they do, that'll be quite amazing and interesting to discuss!!

[thealbionroyals]

Chapter 2: Episode 3: Little you know.

TW: This story will focus on issues around infertility and pregnancies. Chapter 2 will also continue to explore infidelity and cheating. I have researched and continue to research my posts before posting anything.

Victoria has some news to share with her sisters, leaving Mary slightly upset about herself.

Previous/Next

Chapter One | Chapter 2

Transcript Below

Chapter 2

Hendford Trinity Church

Victoria: I'm glad father invited us all today. You know it's really hard to get both of you free at the same time.

Mary: I'm sorry, my schedule is hectic at the moment. Father and I agreed to try and share the engagements and visits evenly between us both. Gives him a lighter load in his older age. I'm sure I will get some time to spend with you both soon.

Madeline: Yeah.. Once the wedding is over, I'm more or less free from all the royal engagements, so I can definitely make more time for you Victoria. How are you anyways? Why did you want us both together?

Victoria: Well, Tyson and I have more good news to share. We've known for around three weeks now, but I wanted you two to be the first know.

Mary: *looks confused and says slowly* Know what?

Victoria: Well... *she squeals in excitement* We're pregnant again!

Madeline: Oh! That's amazing news! I thought you were done after Tiffany?

Victoria: We orginally didn't want anymore. But now Tiffany is growing up, I miss having a baby in the house. So we thought we'd start trying. I miss having a house full of children, with Thalia spending time with the Carrington's and Timothy hanging around with his friends a lot more.. it's empty.

Mary: I'm happy for you. You're a great mother.

Victoria: You don't look that happy..

Mary: No! I am, It's just a lot to process. I'm glad your wish for a baby has come.

Victoria: Me too. It's been a long time coming.

Mary: Have you told father yet? I'm sure he would love the good news, might allow him to take a break from micromanaging Madeline's wedding.

Victoria: Not yet, we're still in early stages. I don't want to make a big deal out of everything until we're further along. I hope my little one will be able to make friends with their future cousins. Are you ever having children Mary? It's been a few years since the wedding.

Mary: We wanted our first few years to be mostly us two. I would like to add to our family in the future, but I don't know when that will be.

Victoria: Well it better not be too long. I want my baby bean to have some cousins their own age. I think Thalia, Tiffany and Timothy found it difficult that they had no family members their age.

Madeline: Louis and I said we'd wait about a year before we start trying. Get used to married life and normality before having a baby. I want you to be there to help me though, Victoria. You've done is nearly four times.. like a pro.

Victoria: Of course. I'll help out where I can. Oooh, I can't wait for our babies to have cute little play dates together. It's going to be so much fun! Little Victoria, Little Madeline and Little Mary!

Mary: *less enthusiastically* I can't wait either.. I think the sermon is going to start, we should take our seats..

Madeline: Oh yeah, we don't want to be late.

Mary: *to herself* Little you know...

[morannon]

Immortality of Orcs

This is a topic that comes up time and again because the material that deals with the subjects in question is extremely fragmented and has thus remained somewhat unclear. It’s something that has always been of interest to me so I’ve tried to get as close as I can to some kind of clarity on the matter and this here is my attempt to lay out everything that is known from published materials. I will also offer my view of how it all fits together and what the implications are for questions that aren’t directly answered in the texts. 

Before I go into the topic, I have to first explain one of the main sources that I’m drawing from in this post, because it’s likely the least known to a lot of people. It’s the series of books that are collectively known as The History of Middle-Earth, and contain the writings by Tolkien relating to his legendarium, which have then been collected and organized by his son Christopher Tolkien. These texts include Tolkien’s own commentary, notes and at times elaborations which were not included in the published versions of his works. But most crucially for the subjects at hand — various versions of published texts and revisions with added commentary in which Tolkien often explains his intent and reasoning for one or another thing. 

There is one specific text titled Orcs in Morgoth’s Ring, which is central here. There are three alternate versions of it that have significant differences between them. The conclusion I come to, specifically with regard to the matter of the possiblity for the immortality of Orcs, rests on the final version of this text and the implications of Tolkien’s commentary on it. 

I will come back to the contents of it later on, but I wanted to first give you a contextual understanding of the legitimacy of the source material that I will be referencing here. In the process I will probably also bring up other topics which deserve to be looked at separately, but the focus of this post remains on the question of immortality.

In short, I find that there is enough to support the understanding that Orcs are or at least can be immortal. Okay, it’s a bit more complicated than that, because we also have to make several distinctions in this regard. Anyway, let’s start from the beginning.

A key aspect in all this is the origin of the Orcs. After toying around with a couple of different ideas Tolkien settled on the version of their origin story in which Orcs come into being as corrupted Elves. So this is kind of what they inherited ‘genetically’ speaking. 

This is the first place the aforementioned text Orcs (Text X, Morgoth’s Ring, pg. 415-423) comes in. If anyone suggests with any sort of confidence that Orcs are not immortal, it is because they are relying on the second version of the three renditions of the same text, which is the longest and most detailed, but also the only place Tolkien ever explicitly suggests that Orcs are not immortal. There is a very simple reason for this - that is the only version of the text in which Tolkien suggests that Orcs are not Elvish in origin, but that they were originally Men instead. This is a view he ultimately discards, and insists that they are Elvish in their origin. Which is why this is also the version that has been burned into our consciousness by the scene in The Fellowship of the Ring where Saruman tells Lurtz about the orgins of the first Orcs. 

But for the sake of both comparison and the argument I’m trying to make I will add below the quote from the second version of Text X:

“They could be slain, and they were subject to disease; but apart from these ills they died and were not immortal, even according to the manner of the Quendi.” (Orcs, Myths Transformed, Morgoth’s Ring, pg.418)

This is important for at least two reasons. First of all I think you can agree that it sounds a little strange, because the use of ‘apart from’ generally implies some exclusion that is being made. But here in this example it reads as a repetition of the same thing. Secondly, this is the only mention of their mortality, which is important because elsewhere, where the fact of their Elvish origin is acknowledged within the text, the part about their mortality is simply omitted, even if the possiblity of Orcs being killed is mentioned:

“they could be slain or destroyed by the valiant with weapons of war” (The Annals of Aman, Morgoth’s Ring pg.109)

And in this text, after the quote above, Tolkien goes on to suggest that they are of Elvish origin. To summarize, the mention of the mortality of Orcs exists in the context of suggesting that they descend from the race of Men. There is no mention of their mortality in any source that establishes that Orcs are descended from Elves. And to my awareness, there is only one other mention Tolkien made of Orcs not being Elvish, and it’s a scribbled comment on an incomplete and abandoned version of The Annals of Aman (The Annals of Aman, notes beginning on pg.79).

From this I conclude that there is sufficient contextual evidence to believe that the omission of the mention of Orcs’ mortality in all sources but the one that he discarded, meant he saw it likely that Orcs may possess some degree of immortality. Even if he did not say so explicitly. Which could have been for the simple reason of avoiding any further complications this would bring along. In short, I think he believed them to be immortal with certain limitations (some of which I will bring up below), but didn’t want to deal with the baggage of stating so.

This brings us to Elven immortality, which is bound to the concepts of fëa (soul) and hröa (earthboud vessel aka body). This conceptual nature is not unique to Elves, but means different things for them from other races. The Elven fëa does not automatically leave the world after death, and their fate is to live as long as Arda exists. Unlike Men, Elves do not die of disease or of old age. Their fëar are in much greater control of their bodies. This means that they can heal from wounds that would be fatal to mortals.

“Since fëar are indestructible within the world, while hröar can be broken by the disorders of Arda Marred, "death", which is their separation, is an ever present risk of existence in Middle-earth, even for the Elves. They may be slain or lose the will to live, for instance because of grief. When an Elf dies, the fëa leaves the hröa, which then "dies" and is reabsorbed into Arda. The fëa is called to the Halls of Mandos, where it is judged. After a time of Waiting, the fëa may be reincarnated into a new-born body that is identical to the previous hröa if allowed by Mandos. It is only by coming to Mandos that an Elvish fëa can hope to be reincarnated, as the Elves do not possess this ability in themselves. Alternatively, a fëa might decide to stay in Mandos until the end of Arda, or it may be denied reincarnation, if it had done much evil in life.” [ source ]

Those Elves that became the first Orcs evidently endured the transformation. But it was not simply a transformation of their body, but of that enduring soul. And this change transcended any one individual and became permanent in all who descended from them. But again, their essential being is still tied to that origin, so therefore because of this corruption of their original being they have lost their connection to the divine, but still benefit from what makes Elves different from humans in their spiritual and physical endurance. 

Apparently that original corruption also transforms them into a kind of being that is different from all other beings. They retain certain attributes, and to some degree even the characteristics of Elves. They may be immortal, but it is somewhat unclear what happens to them after they die as they have no connection or access to anything that is available to the Elves. 

I think there are two main things Tolkien himself said that are of particular relevance here:

1. Orcs are not like demons, even if they can look as fearsome. Implying that they do, very much, have souls. (The Annals of Aman, Morgoth’s Ring, pg.109)

2. That Orcs are not irredeemably evil. 

This opens up a number of possibilities and Tolkien does have sympathy for them, but he still needed an avatar for all the dark things that happened to Arda and so for the sake of what he’s trying to say with his whole story he can’t spend half of it making them so sympathetic that most people will automatically see an issue with how they’re being used by the story. That would defeat the point.

(In a way I appreciate the chance to speculate on what happens to them. I myself would like to think that there will come a Time of Healing in which a new path will be forged, for all who would take it. But that’s not what we’re discussing right now.)

It wouldn’t be difficult to explain why we see so few Orcs who reach an age comparable to the lifespans of the Elves, given how violent it is. Aside from the lack of known independent record-keeping. This also brings me to what could be viewed as the evolution, change or diversification of Orcs. The matter needs its own independent post, but I think some distinction needs to be made for the sake of discussing their immortality. The following is obviously my conjecture, but I hope to have been clear on what basis I have reached this understanding.

The way Tolkien describes the lessening of all the races living in Middle-Earth logically also has to appliy to Orcs in some way. Plus in their case, there is also the ‘corruption factor’. So the way I imagine it, the further away Orcs move from their original Elven stock, they too lessen in their strength and size, even if retaining abilities that are beyond those of Men.

Azog really struck me in this regard. The Azog we see doesn’t actually depart from the description that Tolkien gave us, aside from lack of helmet or an “iron-clad head”. He is 'great’, agile and strong. And he isn’t the only one of his kind. 

Although canonically he was never elaborated to such a degree, in my opinion the intent in Azog’s character design makes him perfect for illustrating the distinction between different kinds of Orcs and how they have evloved. The way I see it, Azog is not an anomaly but the embodiment of his origin:

“for in days of old they were strong and fell as demons” (The Annals of Aman, Morgoth’s Ring, pg.109)

His appearance serves as a reference not so much to any particular clan of Orc, but to his age and lineage. He is un-Elven, but not so much that you can’t see the references. It could be then possible that Orcs, like both the races of Men and Elves, has lessened since the time the first of them came into being. In any case, all signs seem to point to the fact that Orcs such as Azog still reflect that origin. But there are several ways in which things have changed since.

I think there’s a good chance Azog would be immortal in a similar manner to Elves. The same would apply to some of the Orcs of Gundabad and Uruks of Mordor who bear a close semblance. I feel like there is reason for all the implications of them being like “in ye olden days”.

One other thing that I’ve seen mentioned in support of the immortality of Orcs is an interesting piece of dialogue between Shagrat and Gorbag in the last chapter of The Two Towers, The Choices of Master Samwise:

Gorbag: “What d’you say? - if we get  chance, you and me’ll slip off and set up somewhere on out on our own with a few trusty lads, somewhere where there’s good loot nice and handy, and no big bosses.” Shagrat: “Ah! Like old times.” (The Lord of the Rings, pg.738)

I very much appreciate the information the whole conversation between them gives us, but personally I don’t think that’s enough to draw any conclusions from. The conversation takes place in TA 3019. Chronologically this is 68 years after Sauron declared himself openly and 77 years after Sauron returned to Mordor. It’s very hard to place these “old times” because they could have been talking about the time before Sauron returned. But it’s not possible to claim immortality based on a span of 60-80 years, because the average lifespan of Men was still longer than a hundred years. But they could easily be referencing also times in the previous ages. We just can’t say for sure.

Shagrat in turn brings me back the the Uruks. The Uruks definitely deserve their own posts, but I think there are things that also have to be mentioned here. First the considerable difference difference between Uruks of Mordor (Black Uruks) and Uruk-hai of Isengard. Because the former are one of those patricular early groups that are implied to be different from regular Orcs. The elite troops of Sauron’s vasty army. Somehow different from the rest, but still fully Orcs.

The Uruk-hai or Isengard are in no uncertain terms a result of both Orcish and Mannish ancestry. If the implication is left a bit vague in The Lord of the Rings, The History of Middle-Earth reiterates this intention more explicitly. And while Tolkien describes them being imposing and clever then what they’ve lost as a result of their Mannish ancestry is any chance of immortality. It’s safe to say that if Orc blood becomes mixed with that of Men, any immortality or long-livedness beyond that of Men is lost. 

It makes sense for this to correspond the same way it works in the case of Half-Elves. In the case of Half-Elves, those who have one immortal and one mortal parent, and are in connection with the Valar may be given a choice whether they want to live an immortal or mortal life. We see that in the case of the descendants of Tuor (literally named Half-Elven), who were given a choice between mortality and immortality. But all Orcs have lost that divine connection and so there is no choice here. Following the same logic present in how immortality is (not) inherited by Elves without a connection to the Valar, any such offspring are invariably mortal.

In conclusion, I hope to have shown that while we don’t have an explicit “yes, they’re immortal” what we have is significant enough implications for it. But this is also a reminder that we must put that in context, as Orcs are not a monolith.

[grittyreadsfic]

do u have fic recs that are relatively long? i’m going on a trip and need to kill a loooot of time. preferably no tknp if possible.

*cracks knuckles*

oh hell yeah i do-some of which are actually queued up to post soon, so normally i wouldn't include them since i try not to double rec but honestly they're all too good not to mention so!

i also recently did a long fic rec list but honestly i love to share my opinion (i'm also gonna spare you me rereccing my entire mcstrome rec list since i've been on a big kick for them lately, but the next next one, burn the straw house down, i've never been a natural (all i do is try try try) are all 35K-80k and incredible)

i think the shortest fic i specifically rec on here is maybe 32k, and the longest is 130k, and i tried to give you some variety of pairings, teams, and overall vibes, but i promise they're all great!

i'll know it at the hook by lotts is the ever iconic zach hyman/willy nylander enemies to benefits to boyfriends fic that i reread with an embarrassing frequency. there's also a very lovely podfic by annapods if you like audio formats (i'll also add that filtering their fics by word count gives you SO many phenomenal options, they're one of my favorite writers of all times and they have a handful of different pairings in fics that have at least 15-20k)

there was an old lady who lived in a shoe (series) by shoshanah-ben-hohim is a series, but you can honestly skip the shorter fics and just read the two bigs ones (like 70k and 130k each) if you're not vibing with them while traveling. it's sid/geno and alex galchenyuk/olli maatta, but it's about a handful of the russian players smuggling children out of the country for safety. it's some pretty heavy stuff, but honestly the best fics i've read, well, ever. if they're not your usual thing i really recommend you give them a try

slip under the tongue into translation by lighthousetowers is one of the all time best leon draisaitl/matthew tkachuk fics-the pacing and the evolution of their relationship is so perfectly executed and feels so organic, and it's as much of a love letter to language as it is a love story in general, and it's just so wonderful

here there be dragons by theundiagnosable is actually...not fic? it's orginally hockey fiction, so it's a calgary flames team made up of entirely ocs, but theundiagnosable is THE hrpf writer as far as i'm concerned, and the story is so so so wonderful, just a great look at found family and mental health and finding where you belong, and i really think it's worth the read

yours through endless time by symphony7inamajor ( @symphony7inamajor ) is a kyle connor/mark scheifele regency au that is just. so delightful and full of emotion and twists and everything that i, an avid fan of jane austen and historical romance, absolutely adore about the genre

sure thing by bitter_leaf ( @dylancozns ) is an absolute gem of a nate bastian/mikey mcleod fake dating au. the trope is a bit of a twist in it's execution, and it's just. everything good about fake dating, about friends to lovers, about miscommunication, it does perfectly and wonderfully, and i cannot stress enough how much i love it

the not so thrilling life of succulents by sheesusnat is the brock boeser/morgan reilly fwb fic you didn't know you needed. it's charming and fun and the author makes the pairing work in a way i never knew they could

[theotherace]

Fic Recs: Taang

I’ve made two or three rec lists over the past few months, but I thought I’d make a proper, comprehensive one that’s easy to add to in the future. Not all of these are exclusively Taang, but they all feature the ship to some degree. I will only recommend one or two stories per author, but some profiles are definitely worth checking out further. So! Here goes.

Multi-Chapter, Complete

Whisper Into the Sky by damagectrl – Toph has two choices: Go home and get married or have the family fortune and her inheritance given to a stranger. Her problem: She wants to keep her ties to her family, but is quite content traveling with Aang. Her solution: Fight her way through suitors for her freedom. Literally. | General 

The Slow Path by Tazmainian Devil – Eight years after the fall of Ozai, Aang returns to the friends he left behind. | T

A Matter of Honor by Adridere – Almost 4 years after the war. Aang is engaged to Katara and is up to Zuko to teach him the facts of life. Yep, the bees and the birds. Crazy kings, bananas and the ultimate contest for the hand of a reluctant maiden. | M

Roommates by breeeliss – An unlikely tale of two unlikely people being forced to live together under unlikely circumstances.| Modern AU | T

Fall of the White Lotus by Boo-82 – Three years after the war Zuko is living a life of duty while Katara reluctantly travels the world with Aang. So, when General Iroh orders them to find Zuko’s mother and save his Order they seize the opportunity with both hands. It’s the beginning of an adventurous journey of discovery, but as time runs out a rising threat puts their bond to the test. | T

Half Asleep by The Crushinator – Five years after the Hundred-Year War, Fire Lord Zuko is hit with an assassin’s dart, and falls into a coma from which he cannot wake. A week passes, and his prognosis is grim. But Katara could swear she hears him in her dreams… | T

Yaaburnee by aviatordame – Avatars aren't meant to belong – that's as much as Aang can fathom. | M

Getting Lucky by roca-dos – Crazy things happen in college every day. | Modern AU | T 

All Fall Down by DJNS  – Aang copes with a tragic loss and finds renewed hope in an unexpected place. | M | Warning for Major Character Death

The Princess & the Badger-Cat by panaili – In a land never torn apart by the Hundred Year War, the sixteen-year-old Avatar Aang is trying his best to keep the balance between the four nations, including the increasingly antagonistic Fire Nation, which, despite his friendship with the Crown Prince Zuko, refuses to acknowledge him. Elsewhere, Sokka and Katara have been separated on their quest to find their missing father, and Sokka, pursued by the same bandits who kidnapped his sister, finds himself on the balcony of some rich girl’s house in Gaoling. Oh, and a sorcerer has turned him into a badger-cat. It’s just one of those days. | Teen and Up

Reborn by Jakia – Life. Death. Rebirth. This is the cycle that all spirits must abide to, even the Avatar. Aang and Toph face death and the reincarnation cycle. | T

New Girl by tiffaniesblews – After coming home early from a business trip, all Katara wanted to do was surprise her boyfriend, Jet. Imagine her surprise when she got home and Jet was in bed with another woman. Not wanting to live with her ex, and unable to live with her best friend, Suki, Katara takes her brother Sokka's offer to move into his loft with his two roommates. Aang is perky and sweet, the owner of a st. Bernard and a cat, who's often confused about his direction in life. Zuko, on the other hand, is a closed-off bartender, who takes some time opening up to others.The four could not be more different, and yet? They work out perfectly. Even if Katara's feelings for Zuko get a bit more complicated as time goes on. | Modern AU | Mature 

The Ties That Bind series by LdyKirin – An exploration of the ties that bind for good and ill. Toph and Zuko are both shaped by the family they were born to and the family they choose. Lots of found family feels. | T

What Happens In Kyoshi by BlackVelvetBand – Prince Zuko, and the GAang take a vacation on Kyoshi Island. Flirting, fighting, and embarrasment ensue as Sokka takes it upon himself to defend Katara's virtue...in a dress? A short,chaptered fic featuring Zutara, Sokki, and Taang. | T

Under the Night Sky by mycomfortblanket – Aang hears the chattering of teeth during a cold night. Was an AU that I found on tumblr that I made fit into this story. Orginal prompt: "We have to go camping together and share a sleeping bag even though we are complete strangers | General

On The Precipice by JoyDragon – They’re just best friends. Or maybe they’re teetering on the edge of being something more. | General

Oneshots, Complete

Air and Stone by Wolvenfire86 – A few Taang stories munched together. My first submissions. I hope everyone likes them. Please review, it makes me feel special. | K+

Taang Week 2020 series by teabagginses | Teen and Up & Mature

Our Little Secret by IrisPlumeria – Toph and Aang, sat next to one another dressed in their finest under paper lanterns and surrounded by copious amounts of food and friends, cringed at the disgusting noises coming out of Sokka’s nostrils as he blew his nose into Suki’s handkerchief. “I can’t believe two of my best friends are finally married!” Sokka sobbed, earning a supportive pat on the back from Suki, who didn’t flinch at the snot coming out of his nose. “I’m so happy for you guys!” Toph and Aang's family are happy for their nuptials, but will they be able to survive their wedding party without letting slip a big secret?Written for Taang Week 2020 - Tradition. | General 

All Roads Lead To Ba Sing Se by irisbleufic – "I was thinking," [Mai] said, tucking her last remaining dagger into her belt as she strode to meet him, "that it's about time I let Fire Lord Zuko know that I quit." When Kuei smiled at her, she could see the sunshine at which she once cringed."Notice that's six years overdue is better than none at all." "Indeed," said the Earth Queen, and grinned at him. | Teen And Up

Lady Fu’s Fortune Telling by Lady Cleo – Katara and Toph visit the local fortuneteller to get their fortunes told. Added a part two with Zuko and Aang. | T

The Perfect Companion by Morna – Aang seeks comfort outside of the arms of his wife, Katara. Taang, slightly lemony. | T

Box by JoeMerl – Written for Taang Week, one-shot. Toph ticks off Bumi, but Aang is willing to fight his old friend tooth and nail to get her out of trouble. Humor, light romance. | K+

2 am by shmulia – Whoever set off the fire alarm at 2 in the morning is on Katara's shit list. Even if he is hot and shirtless. | Modern AU | K

And its sequel, 11:45 – House parties aren't Katara's thing. Sokka's drunk, Suki's on a mission to set her up, and Toph is... well, Toph. But for every cloud there's a silver lining, and for Katara it comes in the form of a second chance with her neighbour... | Modern AU | T 

Treat by PsychEmpress – She felt the corners of her own lips quirk as he sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. “Consider this my treat,” he said and Toph allowed a smile to break out. OR In which Toph is a stressed architecture student who gets a free cup of coffee from the handsome waiter after she helps his friend. Taang. Mentions of Sukka. | Modern AU | T

Sawaru by metacognitive – This love is simple. Non-Korra compliant. | K+

Newlyweds (and basically everything else) by PandaCookie – Everyone’s a bit hopeless right after they’ve been married. | K+

Rhythms by xcgirl08– For now, though, her child’s heartbeat was hers to contemplate. | K 

Tenderness by Adridere – He wanted to keep her, even though he was not supposed to. He promised her freedom, and she promised him sanity in his own household. She kept her part of the bargain, but he found a way not to keep his. | M

Holy Matrimony by Loopy – After their marriage, Zuko and Katara deal with conflicting religious beliefs, and look to the friends for advice. Between the Zutara and the religious satire, every single person who reads this should feel offended. | General

Blind Maiden’s Grace by Adara_Rose – You can learn a lot of things from a flower… | Not Rated (I’d say General) 

Etched in the Earth by Dance_Elle_Dance – She knows the feel of Aang’s footprints better than her own, and that reality scares her. | Teen and Up

No One Asks About The Scars by voleuse – Write about how you learned to curse in order not to be cursed. | General

When in Rome by dtmars – She wasn’t stupid. She knew what she was doing and what she was getting herself into. They both did. | Modern AU. | Explicit

Like Real People Do by DerAndere – The moon is full and bright when he falls out of bed, awake, asleep, inside a dream, and starts walking, driven by the feeling he does not understand, tugging on him relentlessly, and he is Aang, and he is not, and the world is cold. | General | Full Disclosure: This is my story.

Meet Me Under The Table by avatarfan16 – A story of how Toph and Aang find love, in the most unusual of places. TAANG | K+

Aftermath by Zaram'delar – In any celebration, there's always one or two people with a habit of disappearing. Taang drabbleish series. | T

I Choose Dare by for_darkness_shows_the_stars – An ode to how Aang, under the power of a mighty temptress, was forced to grow a beard. Oh, and the birth of his first child, too, he supposes. | General Audiences

Multi-Chapter, In Progress

Heartbeat by AngelicBee – Avatar Aang's soulmate probably died 100 years before, but he can't help but feel she's closer than he thinks. | Teen and Up

a mighty ocean (or a gentle kiss) by poweradequeen – no, the title doesn’t make sense but i don’t care. i couldn’t think of one so now you’re stuck with a cheesy line from two by sleeping at last.it’s a taang fine arts university au. because i said so. | Teen and Up

Neither is Love a Cage by cali-chan – Love is the freedom of flying accompanied. It is letting be without possessing. PG-13 (possibly M later on), drama/romance/angst, Zuko/Katara + Aang/Toph, post-finale but diverges before LoK canon.

Operation: Zutara (REVAMPED) by dtmars – Everyone could see that those two were in love with each other. Everyone except for them. So Toph takes the initiative and fills in for Cupid to give them a little push, while Aang just tags along for the ride. | Teen and Up

Taang One Shots by stitch1830 – A collection of short stories about Toph and Aang that I've had saved in my notes for a few months. Stories are in the ATLA/LOK universe (not canon compliant), and typically revolve around their relationship and family. | Teen and Up