#after a lifetime of suffering in my love for minor/background characters

[cinnamondocool]

I think one of the reasons I latched so hard onto Curtis is because, as the name of this blog suggests, I have a habit of loving minor and even background characters, sometimes for reasons I’m not totally sure of. Which can get frustrating because they never get much screen time, haha.

I first noticed Curtis during my rewatch of the series before Season 8 dropped. I saw him in Season 7 and on the poster for Season 8 and kept wondering “who is this guy?” I started watching for him in scenes and was excited when I noticed him on the main Atlas crew. During Season 8 I started to develop an inexplicable love for him (especially after the dog scene. He just seemed so sweet and friendly and kind of awkward), and hoped he’d get a name drop at some point (at that point I just referred to him as “Bridge Guy”).

Then came Clear Day. When I saw him in the crowd cheering Shiro on, I joked “He’s more supportive than Adam ever was.” (no hate for Adam or Adashi, I know their relationship was aces before their breakup) Then I started shipping him with Shiro, in part as a joke but as time went on I actually really started to like it. I thought it had a lot of cute potential. I knew it would never happen, Bridge Guy’s just one of those minor characters, it’s just a fun and cute crack ship that no one else will ship. I’m used to having those so it’s fine.

But then!!! The epilogue!!! Seeing one of these very minor characters that I attach myself to get MARRIED to one of the MAIN characters on a show, thus basically thrusting him to the forefront, was just so wild. It felt like some strange vindication for all the minor characters I’ve ever inexplicably loved. So basically I’m just endlessly proud of Curtis for rising above my and everyone else’s expectations and actually becoming something bigger than we ever thought. He’s one of those background characters that I love, except he got out of the background.

[thejakeformerlyknownasprince]

Re: Star Wars prequel novelizations - the Revenge of the Sith book is genuinely one of the best things I have ever read and changed my life.

THANK YOU, anon, for reminding me about the Revenge of the Sith novelization.  I just reread it, and my crops are watered, my skin is clear, and — I cannot overstate this — I actually remember why I love Star Wars.  That love has been for too long stolen by The Fandom Menace sucking the life out of those movies to invent a new definition of suffering while digesting them slowly over a thousand years.

Revenge of the Sith by Matthew Stover is one of the greatest works of adventure fiction I have ever read, and it continues to inspire the way I write action sequences and character conflicts.  It does so damn much to transform a movie that is, to be honest, just okay.  There are a couple of big additions from the novel that make the whole Skywalker saga richer, and there are about five hundred little tweaks that deepen the lore in a way that shows that Stover loves Star Wars to the core.

First big addition: having Obi-Wan tell Padmé that he’s in love with Anakin. This is great because yay, queer representation!  But within the specific context of RotS, it also sets up the super-important contrast between Obi-Wan and Anakin.  Obi-Wan, Stover’s novel makes clear, is the quiet and unassuming embodiment of everything a Jedi is supposed to be: he’s selfless, loving, hard-working, and incredibly skilled with the Force.  Obi-Wan falls in love with Anakin, realizes that Anakin doesn’t love him back in that way, and... lives with it.  He spends time with Anakin, supports Anakin, enjoys Anakin’s company, and doesn’t act like the world will end if Anakin isn’t his.

Anakin loves Obi-Wan, in a siblinglike way, and he loves Padmé.  But he’s got a nasty habit of expressing that love through possession and control, through going behind Padmé’s back to “fix” her life without her permission.  Anakin falls in love with Padmé and immediately concludes that he cannot possibly live like this: they must begin a secret relationship, and he must both marry her and remain a Jedi.  Later he destroys the Jedi and eventually Padmé herself because he sees himself as having no way out of that dilemma.

And all the while, Obi-Wan is there in the background.  Also in love with someone with whom he cannot have a relationship, and just… dealing with it like an adult.  Because millions of people are in love with people who don’t love them back, and that’s just how it is sometimes.  It’s selfish to obsess over “having” their love at all costs.  For Anakin, that obsession with saving Obi-Wan and Padmé eventually leads to him killing them both.

When Yoda tells Anakin that he must deal with his fear of losing Padmé through letting go, Anakin takes this to mean “let her die.”  But what Yoda means is not “let her die,” but rather “love her the way Obi-Wan loves you: quietly, selflessly, and with a willingness to do what’s best for her, whether or not that means you get to have her.”  And Anakin never understands that, because Anakin’s view of the world is so intensely egocentric.

Second big addition: updating the Force to explain the Dark Side. Revenge of the Sith, even more so than any other Star Wars, is all about the contrast between the Dark Side and the Light Side.  Here, Stover’s contribution is brilliant; he makes the Dark Side egocentric and the Light allocentric.

Terminology! “Egocentric” in psych refers to the perspective that focuses on how the world affects you and how you affect the world.  At the extreme, egocentric thinking can be believing that a baby is crying in a deliberate effort to annoy you, or that every person in a crowded cafeteria will remember what shirt you wore when you ate there a week ago.  “Allocentric” refers to the perspective that the self is one of several disparate elements buffered around by the world.  At the extreme, allocentric thinking can be failing to realize that others are reacting to your presence, or viewing your own life as one thing you can give to help others.

Stover doesn’t use those terms, but he does describe how Dooku “drew power into his innermost being until the Force itself existed only to serve his will” (p. 64).  Later, Obi-Wan “gave himself to the living Force… the Force moved him, let him collapse as though he’d suddenly fainted, then it brought his lightsaber from his belt to his hand” (p. 285).  Dooku ultimately loses his fight against Anakin because he focuses on how everyone is responding to him, and misses that Anakin and Palpatine are beginning to build an alternate alliance right under his nose.  Obi-Wan ultimately wins his fight against Anakin because he allows the Force to shove him around, and sets aside his concern with both his own life and that of his best friend while fighting for the greater goal of peace.

Not only that, but Obi-Wan’s understanding of the Force moves beyond that of most Jedi.  He compares “the will of the Force” to “the will of gravity,” in essence stating that simply because it is beyond human comprehension doesn’t mean it doesn’t have its own rules.  One can be a Jedi without needing to understand the Force in the same way one can be a pilot without needing to be a physicist.  In RotS, we see that his refrain of “search your feelings” is a way of calling on a Force user to be mindful enough to accept realities that are already evident, if one can only allow oneself to have that knowledge.

Stover also uses these competing perspectives — allocentric and egocentric — to explain why the Jedi Order falls.  The tight control the Order exerts over the Jedi moves them away from the will of the Force and toward the will of the Council.  Its insularity creates a sense of superiority, which is the reason so many Jedi fail to see their clone troopers as threats until it’s too late. Stover tweaks the Jedi Purge scene to emphasize that the only reason Obi-Wan and Yoda survive is because of their selflessness.  Obi-Wan takes the time to befriend his alien mount, repeatedly confirming her well-being, and then she shields him with her body when his troopers open fire.  Yoda respects the Wookie command and puts himself in a position to assist rather than lead the resistance movement on Kashyyyk, meaning that when a fight breaks out between him and his troopers the Wookies don’t hesitate to side with him.  Yoda and Obi-Wan are the only two Jedi who truly give themselves to the service of others, and thus they are the only two to survive the Purge.

...and the million little favors this book does for the movie.

During the opening battle, having Obi-Wan tell Anakin to “use the Force” to fly a narrow trench and having Anakin roll his eyes at such an obvious suggestion.  It’s a callback to A New Hope, but one that drives home how much more the Force is integrated in the lives of Old Republic Jedi than it is in the lives of Imperial kids like Luke.

Fixing the minor continuity error from Episode III to Episode IV — why would Admiral Motti dismiss Vader as following outdated superstitions if there were millions of Jedi within his lifetime? — by explicitly stating that the Sith are considered a dead culture.  Ergo, Vader’s “ancient religion” isn’t the Force in general; it’s specifically the Sith creed.

Making Palpatine scarier and more seductive than he is in the movie.  Stover’s rhetoric about killing even the Jedi children is frighteningly rational and coherent, and he uses it to give Palpatine some stomach-churning speeches while corrupting Anakin.

Using the novel format for all it’s worth.  Stover skims over the physical-comedy elevator sequence in favor of having Dooku and Palpatine discussing their plans for the war.  He only tells us about Anakin’s conversation with Yoda after the fact, in scattered flashes as a panicking Anakin runs through the halls of the Jedi temple.  He gives us intense focus on Anakin’s mindset while trying to land the broken halves of Invisible Hand, less on what the ship itself is doing.  He cuts away from Anakin and Obi-Wan’s final battle, toward R2D2 and C3PO as they struggle to drag a dying Padmé into her ship out of a desperation to find some small way to help her.

Revealing that Palpatine spends the entire story trying to kill Obi-Wan.  This gets hinted at in the movie, but Stover includes several moments throughout Palpatine’s “rescue” from Dooku when Palpatine sets Obi-Wan up to die, and mentions like eight other attempts on Obi-Wan’s life as orchestrated by Palpatine.  It’s a great character addition, that Palpatine assumes he cannot get Anakin to fall unless he first eliminates Obi-Wan.

Expanding Padmé’s role in the movie (set dressing, and later refrigerator filling) by having her secretly organize and launch the Rebel Alliance right under Vader and Palpatine’s noses.

Those are just examples of how Stover clearly knows the Force, gets the Force, and strives to make the Force more internally coherent.  How he sometimes translates, sometimes preserves, and always improves the pacing and tone of the film.

I haven’t even touched on the FUCKING AMAZEBALLS imagery or introspection in the book yet, but this post is getting wicked long, so I’ll go ahead and leave it here for now.  Point is, all y’all should go out immediately and get a copy from your library and/or used bookstore, because Nonny is right and it’ll change your life.

[flightykickback]

In celebration of RM’s birthday and in inspiration of him visiting Infinity Mirrors, I decided to finally publish my experience at the exhibits when they came to The Cleveland Museum of Art! It’s been a while, but I’ll do my best!

Enjoy! (⁄ ⁄^⁄ᗨ⁄^⁄ ⁄)

Leaving the house during this time was extremely difficult.  It was August of 2018 and I was still seeing a therapist at that time.  The number of emotions I had was overwhelming: disappointment with my life, lack of love and affection for myself, and an overall stagnant feeling when reflecting on what I considered to be minor accomplishments really weighed me down.  So, I would stay at home.  Work in the morning, return home in the evening, rarely leaving the house on the weekends.  Friends would invite me out and I’d make-up excuses, sometimes I wouldn’t bother responding.

Dragging myself out of the house was an obstacle, so much so, that I would buy concert tickets and not appear.  I remember the feeling I had when I woke up one day, knowing I had tickets for an event and feeling absolute dread, physical weakness-I just wanted to stay home.

This day was different.  Closer to the date, my mind opposed going, but I had a desire to be among the stars! As luck would have it, I made it to The Cleveland Museum of Art (CMA) on time and was early for assigned entry.  I had plenty of energy and I was so excited to be there.  I had no idea what I was in for.

The full Infinity Mirrors exhibit was on the lower level of CMA, but right before the escalators was a special edition mirror as well as other infinity art installations that decorated the atrium.  The first mirror was a good trial to learn the ropes.  Guests could only walk-in when an associate opened the door, and they only had about a minute to experience the mirror until the associate escorted them out.  This mirror, in particular, was mostly dark with faint lights shining through cut-out circles dotted along the walls.  I remember feeling afraid for a brief moment before I realized it not just a dark box, I was seeing glimpses of stars at dusk.  Before I knew it, my fantasy ended as the door opened and I was riding the escalators downward.  It was just a taste of what was to come and I wanted more.

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Right before the main exhibit entrance was a short biography on Yayoi Kusama and an overview of the Infinity Mirrors.  I am by no means a Kusama scholar, but I interpreted her art to emphasis her vision of self-obliteration, a means by which we can celebrate life by accepting that we are all a part of the same infinite space and to become one with it.  It resonated with me, really setting the mood.  Since my personality is more on the emotional side, I remember things by feeling, so that’s how I’ll describe my experience at each exhibit: Peace, curiosity, courage, joy, inspiration.

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I felt at peace in Phalli’s Field with a slight haze around me and each reflection of myself looking forward, unafraid of being alone (I could’ve stayed in there forever (︶ω︶)).  Although I couldn’t see other exhibit goers, I could hear them talking outside the room, but I knew I was fine.  Another part of my character is curiosity.  Noticing that Kusama’s artwork played with themes of life an death really piqued my interest.  As I visited The Souls of Millions of Light Years Away, (especially Aftermath of Obliteration of Eternity), gazed upon Kusama’s paintings and walked around the Obliteration Room, I started to insert myself into a broader picture: one that put me alongside each CMA guest, of each stranger I have passed or have yet to meet, of other people like myself that just needed to know they mattered.  That gave me so much courage.  Love Transformed into Dots gave me joy (it was so whimsical! (๑ˊ͈ ॢꇴ ˋ͈)〜♡॰ॱ), as well as smaller mirrors like Love Forever where you face another person experiencing what may be the same emotions as bright colors cascade across the mini chamber and dance across each other’s faces.  I definitely left the exhibition inspired, and I told as many people as I could to see it before it traveled to the next city.

I’d have to say my favorite Mirrors was Aftermath of Obliteration of Eternity.  It was a very dark room and the lights that descended from the ceiling would flicker like lit candles…until they flickered off.  At this moment, life passed on to death while the traveler is in absolute darkness.  But! The lights would slowly flicker back on which meant to me there is hope as life is created or, perhaps, as there may be life after death.

    Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Mirrors was such an amazing experience for someone suffering from depression to know that I’m not alone in this entire universe.  If you’ve ever gone, let me know your feelings in the comments.  If you ever get the chance to go, please do!  It’s a once in a lifetime experience.

Bonus! (ﾉ^ヮ^)ﾉ*:・ﾟ✧

CMA campus is beautiful and particularly serene that day.  I decided to bask in the exhibit afterglow by the water.  In the background, you can hear church bells and someone playing the saxophone.

  In celebration of RM's birthday, here's my long overdue experience at Infinity Mirrors! #HappyBirthdayRM #HappyBirthdayNamjoon #HappyJoonDay #OurJooniverse #WeLiveSoWeLoveRM In celebration of RM's birthday and in inspiration of him visiting Infinity Mirrors, I decided to finally publish my experience at the exhibits when they came to The Cleveland Museum of Art!

[dio-roga]

‘Let Your Heart Hold Fast (Shadow People)’

Author:               @jjamestiberius (niente) Status:                Complete Word Count:       76,862 Links:                  AO3 Rec No:               #3 (Part One)

The Gist of It (aka. TLDR Sorry, you gotta to read this one. No argument )

‘The best Craig/Clyde story published to date. No, I’m not exaggerating.

Set during their young adult years, Clyde is a hapless romantic, trying to find something in his life to hold onto. Craig is… well– Craig… he’s made some mistakes and faced his share of problems. This beautifully written, fully-fleshed out masterwork tells the story of their reunion and the two of them coming to terms with just how long-overdue it was. The writing is utterly gorgeous and technically-brilliant, and the imagery– honestly dudes –it’ll stick with you long, long after you’re done.

I cannot recommend this one enough. You will not be disappointed.’

Fair Warning: This story was the reason I started writing these things in the first place. I could sing it’s praises from every rooftop until long after my voice gives out. You better believe this is going to run long. Like– we’re talking five thousand words plus… Buckle up buckaroos.

Plot

You know what’s weird? This recommendation turned into the hardest I’ve ever had to write so far, which I find bizarre considering how much I adore this work. I think one of the reasons I’ve been having so much trouble is that I find it very difficult trying to encapsulate the entirety of my feelings towards this story. More than ever before, I’ve been finding it almost impossible to stay objective, to the point of not wanting to give a single thing about the plot away to make certain new readers can experience it as fresh as I did that first time around.

Now wouldn’t that just make for an excellent write up?

But hey dudes, I guess you gotta do what you gotta do… so here we go– in short:

It’s a slow burn read and an especially slow burn for the characters, co-narrated by our two romantic leads (with an introductory chapter provided in Kyle’s point of view), spanning the years of Craig and Clyde’s lives from a failed high school romance to a sudden and quite unwelcome reintroduction after over a decade apart. The main focus from then on out being the gradual reintegration of Clyde back into Craig’s life and Craig back into Clyde’s, along with the fumbling but ultimately endearing mess it all becomes. It’s a slice of life that truly lives up to the name, being effortlessly relatable while also telling a grounded, realistic and very adult-themed story about re-examining old chapters of your life and using them to grow as a person. (Even discovering aspects about people you thought had long since vanished over the years)

I think more than anything, this story reminds me of a sitcom– one of those comforting ones from the 90’s or 00’s, during the peak of its run, were you see it on TV and it’s like spending time with friends you haven’t seen in a while. Everything suddenly clicks and suddenly you’re back in that world, picking up right where you left off. The plot is there, and it’s funny and charming, and inevitably– sometimes a little heart-breaking –but it’s never overwhelming. The story serves the characters, not the other way around. The plot gives way to allow them room to breathe, and it shines all the brighter for it.

Honestly, it’s a brave kind of story to tell, intentionally allowing for a muted delivery and the lack of a primary driving motivator. Under less skilled hands, it’s the kind of plot that could come across as meandering and directionless. But instead, thanks to the utterly captivating writing, it serves its role as a perfect example of understated storytelling– like that perfect splash of color that ties a room together (a simple elegance that Clyde’s attempts at interior decorating during the narrative sadly never match).

Utterly riveting from start to finish, filled with what reads like a lifetime of genuinely magical little moments that’ll make you feel as if you’ve spent as long a time in this world as the characters have.

Speaking of the characters, get ready for some serious gushing dudes…

Characters

This is characterization in fanfiction done to its finest– staying true to canon while understanding the essence of each character to such a high degree that every familiar face from the show remains a familiar face, even as young adults. It blends a wonderful mix of well-known tropes with well-rounded and realistic development; every character fitting both how you remember them, as well as how you’d expect them to grow over the years. To be honest, I was initially worried this wouldn’t be the case when I first came across this story, given the time-frame of the main plot is set long after most of the cast have graduated college– and though yes, they have matured certainly, and understandably changed as a result, the author goes to great lengths to make certain that, first and foremost, you’re reading a South Park story with South Park characters.

Which brings me onto Clyde, who in my mind, is the breakout character of the piece. It’s no big secret that I adore a well done Clyde Donovan– the dude tragically underutilized or flat-out mishandled in many stories, as well as suffering from a severe case of background-character syndrome across the board (including the actual show, so– not all that surprising, I guess). It’s with great pleasure that I can say then, unequivocally, and without a trace of doubt, that this story is like a love-letter to fans of Clyde everywhere. Aside from telling a good chunk of the narrative from his perspective, as well as the in-depth accounts of Clyde’s thoughts and feelings, relationships and personal history that we’re constantly treated to– Clyde is given a proverbial goodie-bag of intensely powerful character moments, fresh and interesting takes on his career, skills and social life, and is such a goddamn sweetheart that he lights up every scene he inevitably steals. It’s hard to not to keep falling in love with the guy at every given opportunity. He’s a fitting emotional core to the story and this version in particular has influenced how I see him as a character more than any other depiction of Clyde I’ve read before or since.

My favoritism notwithstanding, the rest of the cast are equally as charming and well-written when it comes right down to it. Craig is in top form, providing the usual perfect rational personality counterpoint to his emotional dual protagonist, while also meshing seamlessly on a deeply personal level with Clyde that brings out the best in both of them. He’s level-headed and low-key snarky, but cares a lot more than he lets on and has a good heart– even if it’s behind some pretty thick shielding. The pair’s relationship is a sight to behold throughout the entire story, and– without giving anything away –the chemistry is clear for all to see from the very beginning, not requiring any heavy-handedness or contrivance; Craig and Clyde just work together, a matched set that’s frayed around the edges over the years.

Stan and Kyle play important roles, both as Clyde’s best-friends/pseudo-family/protectors (something rarely explored in other stories, and just as endearing as it sounds) as well as the other major romantic pairing (perhaps unsurprisingly to most veteran South Park readers). As it happens, this story was originally penned as a look at Stan and Kyle’s relationship through Clyde’s eyes, and that uniquely original element still remains– mirrored by Craig and Clyde’s relationship being initially explored through Kyle’s perspective in the first chapter. Stan and Kyle’s romance, as well as the characters themselves, are handled with the utmost care and love –no half-measures accepted, with as much of an engaging story arc as our leads (making certain to earn it by constantly engaging with the narrative; never feeling like a distraction or B-plot)

This is par for the course with most key players in the story– no one feels unnecessary and everyone adds something meaningful to the overall narrative; Kenny and Tweek being notable standouts, but even more minor roles such as Wendy, Bebe, Cartman and the Tucker and Donovan families provide some important plot contributions in both passive and active ways. Just like real life, it’s a number of small things coming together that eventually shapes how the story is told. I’m particularly amazed that an entirely original character is introduced at one point, something that usually makes me wary, but thanks to the dialogue, set-up and eventual pay-off, he and his time in the story tends to stand out just as memorably as the interactions between the canon cast (an extremely difficult trick to pull off).

Now I’m rambling a bit, but it really merits repeating that the author’s style just fits these characterizations brilliantly. As mentioned, they’re given room to naturally grow and develop outside of a strong-armed plot structure, and the world they inhabit gives them (as Stan and Kyle’s apartment is once described) a really ‘lived-in’ feel. It’s easy to imagine each of them simply living their lives off-screen, events unfolding independently regardless if we’re there to read about them or not. You can tell a lot of effort went into fully fleshing out these dudes and that comes in no small part– sneaky segue incoming –to the exceptional amount of research, planning and detail that makes up the author’s legitimately masterful style of writing…

Style

To preface this– and really, as a fairly obvious sign of gold-standard quality –I would be shocked, like, completely and totally shocked to find out that Niente (our wonderful author) doesn’t have some kind of classical training; undergraduate level, at the very least– their writing is simply too polished and too well put together for me to feasibly believe otherwise. It feels almost redundant to point out that this story is written to a publishable standard, all the hallmarks of grade-A storytelling on full display from beginning to end. What always makes me smile however is the unique qualities to the writing that push it beyond simple technical brilliance; a certain stripped-back and raw quality is lent to a lot of scenes, letting the work speak for itself and managing to capture these enchanting moments that linger in your head long after you’ve finished reading.

It’s abundantly clear that the author is well versed in the source material, including many clever references that highlight some of the quirkier elements from the show (without feeling fan-servicey or redundant, naturally) while also– perhaps unsurprisingly at this point –somehow often managing to help advance the plot (Remember how the Pope’s a rabbit in South Park? Because you sure will come the end of chapter two). More remarkable still, over and above the clear love of the show on which the story’s based on, is the author’s dedication to fleshing out the lore of this timeline we’re presented. The sheer amount of work in keeping continuity and detailing how things changed and how those changes came about is a real delight to read; like rediscovering South Park again after a long time apart. There’s an author’s note explaining that every off-shoot comment, backstory, or event that we only see glimpses of (Stan and the gangs usual hi-jinks, for instance) have been legitimately thought out and accounted for– even if they’re not included in the narrative –and god damn if that isn’t some admirable dedication right there. Really helps explain how vibrant and alive the setting always feels.

There’s a lot of planning on display throughout the whole story, keeping the writing tight yet eloquent. There’s a real sense of purpose in what’s presented, and it feels as you come to the end of the work, that everything meant something; you leave feeling invested and that your investment was rewarded with substantial pay-offs and true-to-life emotional closure. There is something mentioned in the first chapter, offhandedly, that returns later down the line as a god damn touchstone to the themes presented up until that point, conversations between characters that reference seemingly inconsequential events that are seen in a whole new light from that moment after; It’s moments like these that remind you that you’ve been reading something that’s been lovingly crafted, purposeful in its direction and confident in its ability to deliver on past promises.

One last thing, because otherwise I’m just never going to stop talking and you’ll all be skeletons by the time we’re done (and that’ll make me feel bad– probably). I greatly appreciated the quiet moments in this story. As I mentioned above in the plot, much of the writing can come across as understated– there’s no big, wacky theatrics or ticking clocks; everyone simply inhabits the world rather than chews its scenery. This really does do wonders by tying in with a later theme of the importance of personal feelings over grand displays; there’s something so heart-warming and intimate about so many moments of dialogue, little acts of kindness, or simple stray observations that add this rich texture to every scene. It ultimately makes everything feel more special and important than it might have otherwise been if the need to fit in big ‘emotional/dynamic set-pieces’ prevailed. More than anything, it’s a mature style of writing; true to real-life in that most things aren’t really some grand adventure– but they certainly feel like it when they’re happening to you and the people you care about. The technical bones of this story are rock solid, make no mistake, but– as cliché as it might sound –it’s the soul of the work that carries it above and beyond into something truly special.

Favorite Things

A carefully crafted plot-line that knows when to focus and when to back-off, allowing for some intensely satisfying character drama, legitimately earned emotional pay-offs, and a perfect conclusion that both neatly ties everything together as well as providing enough good vibes to leave you a more hopeful and enriched person by stories end. I legit cried– not going to lie.

Possibly the best Clyde Donovan put to words– a weighty statement to be sure, but there’s something so infinitely refreshing about Clyde’s struggles as a writer, emotional vulnerability, unwavering optimism and kindness that makes this adaption so wonderful. I love ‘Bro Clyde’, don’t get me wrong, but this portrayal will always hold a special place in my heart.

The setting, world-building and lore are a sight to behold– very few fanfictions can boast such a detailed and lovingly well-thought out framework. With so much rich history in both the lives of the characters and the town itself, there simply not enough time to explore it all, creating the feeling of a large and vibrant world, truly lived in by its cast of characters.

A myriad of beautifully quiet moments, tender romantic gestures, and small victories that pepper the narrative– be it Clyde’s conflicted inner monologue as he cleans his apartment, Kyle’s and Stan’s silent conversations told entirely through eye-contact, or Craig taking a moment to wipe clean the corners of Clyde’s mouth with his napkin during a snack; it’s the kind of imagery that really sticks with you.

The themes of gradual re-connection, feeling adrift in adulthood, trying to discover what makes you happy and pursuing it, engaging with your past in order to build your future– I would wager there’s at least one, if not many ideas that will feel profoundly relatable to a lot of readers, and this story does an excellent job of engaging and exploring them with a mix of sincere insight and often times genuine catharsis.

Remember at the start, where I said this was difficult to write? Honestly, I wouldn’t blame you if you don’t, I had to scroll up and look myself– hell, I wrote that sentence like, three days ago or something by now. I said up there that one of the reasons I found this a challenge was that it’s tough to try and list everything you love about something special to you; which I suppose is pretty common knowledge, right? It’s hard to be put on the spot to explain yourself when you feel deeply about something– you always think you’re not going to do the subject justice, or that by condensing your feelings for it, you’re not going to give the full picture, regardless of how much detail you go into.

Honestly, I think I’ve been feeling this way about ‘Let Your Heart Hold Fast’ (brilliant song to name it after, by the way) for some time now– probably since I first read it like, half a year ago. It’s still a story I think about on a regular basis, and really, when something affects you to the point where you’re still thinking about it months and months down the line, it almost feels like your duty to recommend it to everyone you can, if only for the chance that it might give them the same amazing experience you were rewarded with. I’ve been worried writing this that I wouldn’t be able to translate just how much I cherish this story into words, but– you know, I hope I got close enough, and even if no one ever reads a word I have to say on the matter, I sincerely hope that everyone at least reads the story instead.

Because it’s worth it. I really do believe that you’ll be better off having read it– I know that’s subjective, and that ‘it meant something to me’ means nothing to most, but seriously dudes, trust me here, alright?

This story deserves having people read it, and you all deserve to have more extraordinary things to read in your life.

If it isn’t massively obvious, to the author, Neinte, I can’t thank you enough dude. I can’t imagine the time and dedication– and seriously, the obvious talent and creativity on your part –that must have gone in to writing this. All I can say is that I’m thrilled that you did, and that it’s time well spent, because honestly? The results speak for themselves. You should be so proud of yourself, to have made something so meaningful and well-crafted– you’re a master dude, I’d love one day to be half the writer you clearly are. You deserve the biggest pat on the back imaginable, and you deserve to feel amazing– because really, this is more than just a job well done, this is inspirational work.

Spoilers and art coming up in the next post, I’ll try not to write too much (no promises) –but there’s some more stuff I’m dying to cover (my favorite scene specifically) so hope to see you there when you’re done reading the story!

[lionesskate]

Nocturnal Exalted Quick Character

I promised I was going to do this last year. Not sure if the splat still has fans but hopefully someone will enjoy this.  Background: Somewhere among the countless possibilities is Nox, the brother of the Five Maidens. Of course the Five Maidens would deny the existence of such a brother and they would be correct. However, the possibility exists and given Nox’s unique nature his non-existence could be only a minor setback. The Nocturnal Exalted are chosen among those who have been held back by circumstance, they are individuals of great unfulfilled potential because fate didn’t see fit to smile on them in this lifetime. Exaltation is a moment of profound self-realisation that brings immediate awareness of how things could have been different in their lives and some are driven mad as their minds drown among the seas of myriad potential. Even those who survive such an experience invariably find themselves opposed to the established order particularly the Sidereal Exalted who fear that the actions of the Nocturnal Exalted are part of Nox’s plan to force his way into existence. Castes: There are five Nocturnal Castes draw their names from omens in the night sky Nova, Comet, Aurora, Empyrean and Nebula Essence Personal Essence (Essence) +15 Peripheral Essence (Essence x4) +34 Excellencies The Nocturnal Exalted tap into the innate aptitudes provided by their Attributes and can bolster it with raw willpower. A Nocturnal can add up to (Attribute) dice to any action. However, if her action aligns with a Major or Defining Intimacy she may add (Temporary Willpower) dice if that would be higher. Fluctuations Nocturnals may create illusions showing alternative possibilities from paths which were never taken. For Quick Characters they use the system for Sorcerous Workings though without a roll interval allowing a Nocturnal to perform relatively uncomplicated Fluctuations as quickly as she would a spell. However they normally fade from existence at the end of the scene. As a final complication, once the Fluctuation has lapsed the Nocturnal gains points of Paradox equal to the xp she would have committed to the Sorcerous Working. Paradox Weapons Nocturnals possess an affinity for Adamant and Starmetal but its very rare that they find Magic Materials at all some of them have learnt to make permanent weapons from their Fluctuations. These “Paradox Weapons” have similar traits to Starmetal. Ozera, Aurora Caste Rebel Leader Ozera was married at a young age, a devoted wife and mother whose world was turned upside down when her nation was conquered by the Realm. Her husband was the first one she lost, executed for his rebellion against the Satrap. Some months after that her oldest daughter disappeared after catching the eye of a Realm officer, Ozera clings to the hope that she’s enjoying some life of affluence on the Blessed Isle but that’s not enough to make the nightmares go away, nightmares that brought her to the attention of Nox. Now Ozera has used her family’s amassed wealth to start a tea shop that’s a focal point for resistance activity as Ozera plays the innocent owner. Recently activity has been stepped up due to the activities of an individual called “The Tiger General” that the Realm assumes is a Lunar Exalt. Ozera has never met the Tiger General only their agents because though she’s yet to realise that she is the Tiger General. At least in a manner of speaking, the persona is who she could have been without family to soften her. Unknown to either of them, two sides of her are destined for collision course because her daughter has fallen in love with that Realm officer and lives not very far away, were the Tiger General to learn of this first she may try to spare Ozera the pain of learning of her betrayal. Defining Intimacy: “I need closure for my daughter” (Principle) Major Intimacies: Her Children (Tie), Her Homeland (Tie), Her Husbands Memory (Principle) Minor: “I am sympathetic to the Rebellion” (Principle) Essence: 1; Willpower: 7; Join Battle: 5 dice (+2 for 2m, +6 for 6m) Personal Motes: 16; Peripheral Motes: 38 Health Levels: -0/-1x2/-2x2/-4/Incap. Actions: Create Fluctuations 8 dice (+3 for 3m, +7 for 7m); Read Intentions: 7 dice (+4 for 4m, +7 for 7m); Senses: 6 dice (+2 for 2m, +7 for 7m); Social Influence; 9 dice (+4 for 4m, +7 for 7m); Stealth: 5 dice (+2 for 2m, +7 for 7m) Appearance 4, Resolve 3 (+1 for 2m, +3 for 6m), Guile 4 (+2 for 4m, +3 for 6m) Combat Attack (Paradox Wrackstaff): 11 dice (+4 for 4m, +7 for 7m; damage 14, minimum 4) Combat Movement: 5 dice (+2 for 2m, +7 for 7m) Evasion 4 (+2 for 4m, +3 for 6m), Parry 3 (+1 for 2m, +3 for 6m) Soak/Hardness: 2/0 Charms: Social: Scapegoat and Glory Hound (5m, Reflexive, Social) The Nocturnal treats her temporary willpower as 10 on a persuade attempt where she seeks to shifts blame to for an action from one party to another. Absurd Satirists Mask (6m, Reflexive, Instant, Social): Instead of applying her Resolve against an opposing argument the Nocturnal instead creates a social Clash with her Inflame Passions pool. If she is successful then her target must spend a point of willpower or consider their own argument foolish, weakening their intimacy towards a related tie or principle or creating a negative intimacy if they already lacked conviction. Offensive: Remembered Mortality (5m; Reflexive; Instant; Decisive-Only): An Exalt or other supernatural opponent will bleed from the Nocturnal’s attack as though they were mortal (pg 174 core). Position of Uncertainty Offensive (4m; Reflexive; Instant; Withering-Only): When the Nocturnal makes a Withering Attack roll 1d10. Or spend 1 willpower to choose from the list below. 1: Balanced 2-3: Flexible 4-5: Smashing 6-7: Chopping 8-9: Piercing 10: If the attack is successful the opponent suffers a 2L/round difficulty 4 Environmental Hazard. She may choose to spend the necessary Initiative to gain the benefits of a particular weapon tag and forgoes this cost if her weapon already had it. Defensive: Improbable Response (2m; Reflexive; Instant; Uniform): When the Nocturnal wishes to Dodge or Parry an attack roll d10. Or spend 1 willpower to choose from the list below. 1: Steals 1 initiative from an unsuccessful attack. 2-3: Counts temporary willpower as 10 for dice-adding purposes. 4-5: Ignores all penalties to chosen defence. 6-7: Gains Soak and Hardness equal to temporary Willpower. 8-9: Benefits from Defend Other action with a parry equal to half her temporary Willpower. 10: The attack is automatically considered to have missed. Unhesitating Duelist Parturition (1wp; Reflexive; Instant; Decisive-Only): The Nocturnal may reflexively clash against a single opponent. Miscellaneous: A Cut in Time (1m; Simple; Indefinite; None): May throw a weapon forward into the future spending 1m to summon them back. Alliance of the Alter-Ego (Permanent, Indefinite, None): The Nocturnal has an alter-ego she may adopt for 10m and a point of Paradox her traits are changed as follows. “The Tiger General” Defining Intimacy: The Rebellion (Tie) Major Intimacies: Her Homeland (Tie), No Mercy for Traitors (Principle) Minor: The Soldiers Under His Command (Tie) Commanding Soldiers: 9 dice (+4 for 4m, +7 for 7m); Create Fluctuations 5 dice (+3 for 3m, +7 for 7m) Feats of Strength: 7 dice (+4 for 4m,+7 for 7m may attempt Strength 3 feats); Read Intentions: 6 dice (+2 for 2m, +7 for 7m); Senses: 5 dice (+2 for 2m, +7 for 7m); Social Influence: 7 dice (+4 for 4m, +7 for 7m)

[soyoudontcareaboutblackwome-blog]

Misogynoir

How Stereotypes Last Forever: Misogynoir

When I think of Black Women I think of my mother and strong black females leader such as Angela Davis and Assata Shakur. As I come into Adulthood I recognize that society doesn’t appreciate Black women. Some people see Black women as undesirable,uneducated, and revolting. This perception of Black women dates back to the dehumanization of a thousand years dating back to slavery. Black women are discriminated against, victimized, always made to be the underdog and not recognized for their value. This is commonly perpetrated by the media.

You may say not everything has to do with slavery but this particular issue does. Black women being mistreated is not anything new we have been victimized by society. In the days of slavery black women were used as chattel to cook,clean, and birth children to make more slaves to be bought and sold. The job that was forced upon them came with physical,verbal,mental, and sexual abuse, In 2015 Macias stated “And while Black Women were also producing children who would inevitably be stolen and forced to enter the the labor market via chattel slavery, they were also simultaneously forced to work plantations and be sexually available to both black and white men.” Kelly Macias comments on the invisibility of Black women. I witnessed that disgusting situation in the Academy Award Winning film “12 Years a Slave” based on a the memoir  of the same name by Solomon Northup. Northup was a black man from New York who was tricked into slavery. While working on a plantation he befriends a young slave girl named Patsey played by actress Lupita Nyongo. In the film she is repeatedly sexually assaulted by her white male slave owner Edwin Epps portrayed by Michael Fassbender. The very graphic depictions of the abuse Patsey suffered stuck with me. One particular scene was the beating she endured for asking another slave owner for soap. Edwin Epps savagely beats Patsey to please his jealous wife. Mrs. Epps is well aware of the sexual assaults but is still very jealous of the fact that her husband would rather leave from their bed in the middle of the night to rape an underage Black girl than have sex with her. Patsey is tied to a wooden stake and is humiliated and beaten. Her back is whipped continuously in front of an audience.

That image stuck in my mind. I did some research on Patsey. I discovered that at the time of her suffering that abuse she was only 12 or 13 years old. I felt ill while reading it I kept thinking about humiliating that and degraded she felt. Patsey wasn't the only slave girl exploited by a white man. America’s third president Thomas Jefferson had a 37 year relationship with a slave girl named Sarah “Sally” Hemmings and had 6 children with her. She was underage when the relationship started.

After Slavery three stereotypes of Black women were created from tv and false perceptions. On a popular TV show Amos n’ Andy from the 1950s actress Ernestine Wade played Sapphire Stevens. Wade’s character was emasculating, loud, aggressive, angry, stubborn, and unfeminine. What people of that time did not grasp was that Sapphire was european males perceptions of black women. Even though she was not a real person due to lack of race representation Sapphire became a toxic blue print of black women. 

Those negative stereotypes were portrayed again in the 1985 film “The Color Purple” based on the novel of the same name.  It was a box office success and was nominated for 11 Academy Awards and 5 Golden Globes.  It was both Oprah Winfrey and Whoopi Goldberg’s film debut. The film showcased examples of domestic violence, incest, pedophilia, poverty, racism, and sexism.  Winfrey’s character in the film Sofia Johnson has the same traits as Sapphire.  Sofia is married to Harpo played my actor Willard Pugh. Harpo is very submissive of his wife and makes several unsuccessful tries to dominate her. Equipped with poor advice from Celie played by Whoopi Goldberg  Harpo attempts to physically abuse her.  Sofia confronts Celie giving birth to the famous line “All my life I had to fight” Sofia continues her statement with brief recap of abuse she endured by her family during her upbringing. Although one of my favorite movies it pushes a faulty generalization that strong black women have been abused. 

The Jezebel stereotype was used to sexualize black women. When European explorers came to Africa they were fascinated by the nudity of black women due to their hot climate and cultural wear. They sexualized the nudity of African women and equated it to promiscuity. If you’ve ever read the bible you know the biblical character Jezebel was the Queen of Israel she was hypersexual, seductive, manipulative, and an exploiter of Men’s weaknesses. This stereotype was used to victim blame black women when they were sexually abused or assaulted by white men. This particular stereotype holds a strong hand to the control and constant judgement of black women expressing their sexuality. 

The third stereotype is Mammy. Mammy is self-sacrificing, nurturing, loving, and assexual. This stereotype was first introduced in 1852 in the anti-slavery novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin with a character named Aunt Chloe. In the 1939 film Gone with the Wind Mammy is played by Hattie McDaniel. “The basic description of Mammy is generally a very fat black woman with huge breasts capable of breastfeeding all the white children of the world. She is a domestic, and was born to it. She cooks like no one else, and has the best recipes. She is loyal and kind, superstitious, religious, gives cleaning tips, is always at the ready to advise housewives and their daughters — a great friend!, but what’s essential is using her image to emphasize a supposedly good relationship between masters and slaves that attempts to mask the glaring power relationship actually going on.” Suzanne Jardim explained in 2016. Although Jardim is afro-brazilian she details how these stereotypes have traveled to her native country .

 Last but not least is the Welfare Queen. This Welfare Queen Stereotype comes from former US President Ronald Reagan. The welfare queen is irresponsible, unwed, and single. She has several children with different fathers who don’t help raise the children. This stereotype opened up the door to the common myth that Black men don’t take care of their children.  “At a campaign rally in 1976, Ronald Reagan introduced the welfare queen into the public conversation about poverty: “She used 80 names, 30 addresses, 15 telephone numbers to collect food stamps, Social Security, veterans’ benefits for four nonexistent deceased veteran husbands, as well as welfare. Her tax-free cash income alone has been running $150,000 a year.” Said by Rachel Black and Aleta Sprauge when addressing the ridicule of Black women receiving government assistance. This false narrative has been branded on the backs of Black women. Shaming and accusing them of being lazy and not being able to take care of themselves.

These stereotypes are ugly and untrue they became a hasty generalization making it very difficult for black women to respected in society. Due to the these things black women are discriminated against disrespected and misrepresented starting at a very young age                                                                                                         

In 2017 Georgetown Law published a study titled Girlhood Interrupted: The Erasure of Black Girls’ Childhood.  Georgetown Law used the word adultification to define the discrimination of black girls. The study applied statistics from 325 adults of various racial and ethnic backgrounds and educational levels. A questionnaire was conducted and revealed that from ages 4-19 black girls are seen as more mature to adults. The data from the study recovered that adults perceive black girls as more educated on sex and less needing of protection than white girls. The study presented statistics stating that black girls are more 2 times more likely to be suspended for minor infractions than white girls and our 2.7 times more likely to be referred to the juvenile justice system.  “These findings show that pervasive stereotypes of black women as hypersexualized and combative are reaching into our schools and playgrounds and helping rob black girls of the protections other children enjoy,” said report coauthor Jamilia Blake, an associate professor at Texas A&M University.  “We urge legislators, advocates and policymakers to examine the disparities that exist for black girls in the education and juvenile justice systems and to pursue reforms that preserve childhood for all.”  The use of the Zero Tolerance policy in the school system only intensifies the bias and violence against black girls.  This policy was created during the Gun Free School of 1994. ZTP is a strict enforcement of regulations and bans against undesirable behaviors or possessions of items.  1 in 3 Black Females are suspected to be incarcerated in their lifetime. The focus of the pipeline to prison have shifted from the focus of Black and Latino males to Black females. The use of excessive force in school is commonly pressed on black females students. “The 2012 arrest of 6-year-old Salecia Johnson, a Black female student in Georgia who was handcuffed at school and removed in a police car, raises questions about how disciplinary policies are enacted at the micro level in classrooms.” Dorothy Hines- Datiri and Dorinda J. Carter Andrews examined how the Zero Tolerance Policy criminalizes Black girls and affects their education.

Here we have a video of a school resource officer using excessive force on a black female student

These injustices that I have just explained is called Misogynoir. Misogynoir is misogyny directed towards black women where race and gender both play roles in bias. It was coined by queer black feminist Moya Bailey, who created the term to address misogyny directed toward black women in American visual and popular culture. Bailey used the term in 2010 on an essay titled “They aren’t talking about me…” posted on The Crunk Feminist Collective blog .” I was looking for precise language to describe why Renisha McBride would be shot in the face, or why The Onion would think it’s okay to talk about Quvenzhané the way they did, or the hypervisibility of Black women on reality TV, ”  Bailey stated in an interview. 

Misogynoir can easily be prevented by educating yourself and others about the dangers of sexism and racism. I suggest reading books about intersectional feminism and race relations in America. These books are titled “Women, Race, and Class” written by Angela Davis former Professor and the first Female Black Panther member “Between the World and Me” Written by Ta-nehisi Coates an American author and correspondent for the Atlantic. As a victim and former perpetrator of Misogynoir I recommend expanding your horizons and open your eyes to the versatility of Black women. Watch Tv shows with Black female leads or all Black female cast that aren't reality shows such as Insecure which was created and produced by a Black woman. Let’s remove the label of Black women having to be modest to respected and stop shaming them for the way they dress,speak, or wear their hair. Remove the label of Black women only being singers or actresses we are more than entertainers we are entrepreneurs,educators, writer, lawyers, athletes,business owners, and activist. In 2014 the Black Lives Matter Movement was created by three black women Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, and Opal Tometi. Their movement has been called racist,unorganized, and anti-police. These Black women stayed strong and refused to be discouraged by criticism. 

  What I’m saying is Black women deserve respect,recognition and protection. They are more than stereotypes and statistics they are human beings. Living in a post-racial society where color does matter and we have to take consideration the disadvantages that black women face in America.  

[brightbeautifulthings]

Shadow & Bone by Leigh Bardugo

"'Just... be careful.' I stared at her, baffled. 'Of what?' 'Of powerful men.'"

Year Read: 2017

Rating: 5/5

Context: I love the Six of Crows duology in that incredible way that makes me want to read everything Sankta Bardugo ever wrote (and get everyone else to read her too). I did everything out of order: Six of Crows first, The Language of Thorns second, and the Grisha trilogy third, which is a somewhat weird experience in the way I'm encountering characters from the same universe, but whatever. The books are great and I'm having fun, and I don't ask for a lot more than that from my reading.

About: Alina Starkov is a mapmaker in the First Army in Ravka. An orphan raised by a wealthy benefactor, she has no real friends or family except for Mal, a tracker she grew up with. When an attempt to cross the Unsea, a dangerous swath of darkness and monsters that separates Ravka from its coastline, turns deadly, Alina discovers something about herself that catapults her into an entirely different world.

Thoughts: I've heard mixed reviews about the Grisha trilogy. The people who read it before Six of Crows ever existed mostly love it, and the people who love Six of Crows seem not to like it. In a way, I can see what happened here. If you go into Shadow & Bone expecting Six of Crows, you're going to be disappointed. Even though they exist in the same universe, the books are entirely different in tone, character, and agenda. Six of Crows is completely its own thing; it's the kind of book that comes along once in a lifetime, and I can't even adequately compare it to anything else, even Bardugo's other books.

Shadow & Bone is more familiar. It's more or less a classic Chosen One story where the heroine, who is something of an outsider, discovers power she never knew she had, and that power is greater than almost any other; it could save the world as she knows it. I like that story though, and as Chosen One stories go, this one is extremely well-done. So no, this is not Six of Crows (nothing else is, and that’s okay), but it's very good at what it does. It seems like Bardugo is still finding her voice in these novels, and it makes sense to rely on more established archetypes while she's learning how to be a novelist (Maggie Stiefvater does the same between The Wolves of Mercy Falls and The Raven Cycle.).

The writing is excellent, but even the style is different in Bardugo's earlier novels. While the writing in Six of Crows is constantly making clever observations, turning phrases, and cracking jokes, Shadow & Bone's writing is an excellent that doesn't make a big deal about itself. Except for the occasional phrase or description, it's almost invisible, and in its own way, that's as difficult as the more distinct style I associate with Bardugo. It's so seamless that I was never once distracted by it, and I was able to exist completely in her world.

The world-building is the most consistent match to the Six of Crows duology, which makes sense because they're both in the Grishaverse, and it's one of my favorite things about her books. Her magical world feels so real. It doesn't just have its own magical system; it has its own languages, cultures, and politics, and those things aren't background noise. They have very real effects on the characters and their actions. Alina's Ravka is grimmer than the one I imagined from Nina's descriptions, and after seeing life in the Little Palace, it's obvious why. It was also very fun to see minor characters from the other books take center stage here.

The characters are good but not overwhelming. I like Alina, and while she's prone to doing the right thing, she's appropriately uncertain and insecure at times. One of the major themes of the novel is belonging and what we're willing to sacrifice about ourselves in order to have that, and it's extremely well-done with Alina. I could feel her longing and understand her motivations; she has been so alone for so long. I like her relationship with Mal because it's complicated, but I would have liked it more if they had more page time together. I think my impressions of The Darkling suffered from being over-hyped, because he just wasn't as complex as I expected; I'm hoping to see that change in further novels. I'm in love with Genya, my redheaded queen, and I can't wait to see more of her as well.

The novel isn't fast-paced by any means, as there's some downtime while Alina adjusts to her new circumstances, but I like the attention to detail and character development there. The storytelling in general is very good and well-plotted. It picks up toward the end and gets quite tense; I was getting kind of angry at one point about how things were going down, but while it's relatively open-ended, it resolves well enough for me to sleep at night and read a few more books before I get to Siege & Storm.

[hetbigbang]

ART CLAIMS

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Schedule: Arist Preview - August 20th to 22nd Artist Claiming of Big Bang Stories Begins - August 22nd Art and Fics Due - September 26th, 11:59 PM (Midnight) EST (here is a timezone converter) Debut Date (DD) - October 1st SUMMARIES FOR THE CLAIMING ARE UNDER THE CUT!! The following are all listed alphabetically by first fandom (i.e. in an Supernatural/Avengers crossover, it will only be listed under Supernatural). #1 Fandom: Baseball RPF Pairing: fem!José Iglesias/James McCann Story Name: Undecided Summary: James McCann has everything-- a beautiful fiance and a starting catching job on a major league ball club; but old feelings and flames come to light when he meets the new defensive coach of the Detroit Tigers. Josefina Iglesias is a former Olympic softball gold medalist and an old flame of James's, where the past meets the present. #2 Fandom: Buffy the Vampire Slayer Pairing: Angelus/Buffy Summers Story Name: In This Lifetime Summary: Over a thousand years ago Angelus was cursed to a hell dimension. Once every hundred years he comes to find a mate, he always chooses the slayer. In Buffy he finds his soulmate. She’s the one who can save them both from hell. But that's only part of the story. #3 Fandom: Call the Midwife Pairing: Sister Bernadette (Shelagh)/Patrick Turner Story Name: For Your Precious Love (this is tentative!!!) Summary: Suffering a crisis of faith and confidence, Sister Bernadette makes a decision that has permanent consequences for not just her, but Patrick. #4 Fandom: Eureka Pairing: Jo Lupo/Zane Donovan Story Name: How Time Has Changed the Cracks in Our Skin Summary: Zane finds himself wondering what Jo's relationship with him had been like in an alternate timeline. They decide to use a memory device to share memories from their respective timelines. #5 Fandom: Fire Emblem Fates Pairing: Charlotte/Saizo. Background Kagero/Orochi Story Name: Apply Some Pressure (tentative) Summary: A superhero AU/My Hero Academia fusion (no knowledge of MHA required, no characters from MHA appear). Charlotte is a professional Hero who runs an agency with her best friend Benny. When he's seriously injured in an explosion during a joint investigation with another agency, Charlotte teams up with the annoying Saizo to go undercover into the group behind the attack, trying to discover who is selling this powerful new explosive on the back market. Along the way, Charlotte and Saizo discover more about each other and develop feelings for each other. Then they have to stop one final attack on the royal family itself. #6 Fandom: Harry Potter Pairing: Luna Lovegood/George Weasley, most canon ships Story Name: (Tentative) in the dirt designing stars Summary: When a pack of magical creatures takes residence in Diagon Alley, it throws the street into chaos. When the shopkeepers learn this sudden migration might have something to do with Magical Dead Zones that are popping up all over the world, they decide to take matters into their own hands. #7 Fandom: NCIS Pairing: Ellie Bishop/Nick Torres Story Name: undecided Summary: For the last seven years, Ellie's been raising her daughter alone and getting by just fine. For the last seven years, Nick's been raising his daughter alone and getting by just fine. When the two girls become best friends, just fine suddenly threatens to get even better. #8 Fandom: Original Fic Pairing: OFC/OMC (Mackenzie/Nick) Story Name: Savin' Me Summary: A newly sired vampire barely escapes death when an elder vampire vouches for her. She never wanted to be a vampire. It's not fair to kill her. He is given one month to make her a useful part of the coven. If he fails, Mackenzie will be killed as planned. #9 Fandom: Star Wars Pairing: Padme Amidala/In-Suit Darth Vader Story Name: Leave My Body Summary: Set between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope. Sometimes, when things seem the darkest, when all hope seems lost, the Force intervenes. Such is the case with the death and “rebirth” of Padme Amidala. #10 Fandom: Supergirl(CW)/Arrow(CW) Pairing: Oliver Queen/Kara Danvers Story Name: undecided Summary: AU. When Kara Danvers rescues her sister’s plane, her actions cause a rift to open between two worlds. Lost and alone, she tries to understand the new, different Earth in which she now finds herself. By random chance, she finds herself working for one Oliver Queen, CEO of Queen Industries. As a relationship develops, they find themselves fighting an unknown and technologically superior foe. #11 Fandom: Torchwood/MCU Pairing: Toshiko Sato/James 'Rhodey' Rhodes, with minor Donna Noble/Nick Fury, Steve Rogers/Tony Stark, Ianto Jones/Bucky Barnes Story Name: My Sakura Summary: Torchwood falls; Ianto and Tosh finds a new life working for Tony Stark. Tosh never meant to fall in love with James Rhodes and Rhodey will do everything to prove himself worthy of her even deal with an overprotective brother figure. from Het Big Bang https://ift.tt/2OVS2Wm via IFTTT