#and it's exciting to think about where her story goes; the mystery of her origins and the adventures yet to come

[moonsdancer]

As a huge Mel fan, I was already suspecting her of having powers from about 1.07/8 and the final shot of the season one finale only affirmed that. So I don't think it's a 180 (?) of her character. Especially because thematically, her powers are canonically an extension of her persona. As Ambessa says in Arcane mages seem to be seen as cunning, morally grey, representative of guile. All attributes that Mel has possessed since inception.

Ultimately, Mel's core conflict is always about her identity, and whether to embody the Wolf or the Fox, both, or some fourth other thing that she will discover. She tried to be the fox in Piltover, and it ultimately failed. Now she's thrust back into Noxus, and may need to take on more wolf attributes to simply survive. But hopefully her journey is about balance. All of which she can explore with an added layer of complexity via her powers as well.

Hot take but I feel like the writers in season two of arcane turning Mel into a super human with powers who can fight is a 360 of her character. Her character in the first season is strong because she’s intelligent, morally gray, and cunning. She is shown not to have any interest in violence nor any combat experience. I just felt it was a big leap from what her original concept was.

[1001galaxygal]

spoilers for link click bridon arc ep 1

ive seen some people criticizing the new link click episode for being confusing or sidetracking the main plot, and i think they are missing a lot of what The Point of this episode is.

so first i wanna talk about WHY i think this episode is structured the way it is and then i wanna talk about the new information we've received in terms of the lore and timeline shenanigans and generally ramble about how great of a set up episode this!

SO first: the structure of the episode. ive seen quite a few people confused or unhappy with the plot lines this episode, and i think first its important to understand that that was two episodes mushed into one.

1st episode - anime con

2nd- scammer girl

soooo lets talk about what these two episodes do for the overall narrative AND our understanding of the characters.

in episode 1, we see cxs die - and there is a LOT of mystery still surrounding this event but i think what we're supposed to gather is that there are two main timelines. timeline a (the original where we see cxs die) and timeline b (the timeline were following for the rest of the season and in s1 and s2). we've been shown no reason to believe lu guang has traveled back more than once. this is the first time that we see lu guang travel - evident by his emotional reaction to seeing cxs die. its not resignation, its shock. he didnt expect him to die at all. and his reaction to seeing cxs again in their first meeting in timeline b.

so what is the anime con sideplot doing there? firstly i think its evident by the way lu guang turns away near the end that he is planning to stay away from cxs. but he chooses not to BECAUSE of the way we get that classic feel good adventure with a problem and resolution- cxs LIKES being helpful and kind, it makes him happy. and seeing cxs happy makes lu guang happy and so he decides to abandon the idea of leaving. in a meta sense the episode returns us to a sense of normalcy not just to the audience but to lu guang too. secondly, this episode shows us how lu guang introduces his powers to cxs and qiao ling. he tells them its divination, and while he eventually tells cxs that thats not true, it does show us how qiao ling would know to get them jobs in s1 while not knowing about their powers.. she thinks lu guang is psychic lol! also in this timeline (timeline b) this is the shiguang meetcute!! this is how they became friends! this is re-contextualizing all of season 1! super cool and exciting!

so for episode 2- what the purpose here? mainly its too show us a rudimentary form of what shiguang's missions are like! think about it! this episode is the first ever time cxs goes on a mission with lu guang in his ear telling him what to do! this is SO IMPORTANT for contextualizing their relationship with each other! also cxs being accidentally put in danger and lu guang being able to save him this time? this is cathartic for lu guang as well, to trust he can keep cxs safe, this is why he asks to live w cxs at the end of the episode!

tldr: this episode's structure might feel kinda all over the place but thats kind of the point! lu guang as well as the audience are having to resettle in a new timeline, and the stories her serve as the avanues to understanding the characters and timeline better!

so what did we learn about the LOREEE?

1st: timeline a shiguang were messing with the past which is why vein comes to kill them - what they were messing with and why is still yet to be revealed, but it wasnt due to lu guang traveling to save cxs cuz cxs hadnt died yet

2nd: the 12 hour limit is there because if you stay for longer than 12 hours in the photograph you stay there forever - you become part of the photograph, which is why lu guang's eyes return to normal from the yellow. we do not yet know if this means that lu guang no longer has cxs's power or if he still has it.

3: there is likely only two timelines - timeline a where cxs dies and timeline b- the current one were in and the one that takes place in s1 and 2.

4: cxs probably gets his powers from someone in london dying in his arms

5: Powers are passed down through death, which means in s3 qiao ling will have li tianxi's powers!!!!

6: lu guang is absolutely weak to cxs puppy eyes! that man folded immediately

thats all ive gotten from just this episode! in conclusion, this episode does a great job of confirming SO MANY theories, giving us an insight into the characters (especially lu guang) and setting up the adventure going forward that leads them to london! really excited to see how the next episodes play out!!!

[thefrogdalorian]

The Best of Both Worlds

Din Djarin x Female Reader Modern!AU

Summary: When a new Star Wars TV show called The Mandalorian premiered, you found yourself completely enamoured with the titular character. Enjoyment of watching the lone bounty hunter travel through the galaxy quickly turned to obsession. There was just something about the show that captured your imagination. Now, you spend much of your free time — when you're not working a fast-paced, minimum wage and incredibly stressful job at a prestigious London Museum— speaking to your online friends about your love for the show. There's just one thing... Despite how much you love The Mandalorian, no one knows the identity of the man behind the helmet... either in the show, or in real life. You only know him as Mando. No one has ever seen his face, no one knows his name.  Even after the countless hours of speculation from fans online, which even you have occasionally participated in, no one is any the wiser to the identity of the mysterious man who wears the shiny armour.  Surely, given the depth of your love for the show, you'd recognise if the man who you spend so much time obsessing over online was to ever cross paths with you. Right?

Content Warnings: Reader is AFAB, uses she/her pronouns and in her mid 20s. Age gap between her and Din is noted but not really central to the story. Grogu is human, hints of past trauma/child abuse before Din adopted him are mentioned but not described in detail. Some mature scenes later on in the fic but not explicit smut... because I just cannot write x reader smut! Author's Note: SO very excited to finally share this fic! Thank you to the lovely @suresnips for being my beta. I really appreciate you ♡ This baby was originally my NaNoWriMo 2023 project and was inspired by this post from @toxic-seduction that I saw one evening and couldn't stop thinking about! POVs will alternate chapter to chapter from Din to reader. It was fun to write that way! Set in London for a few reasons: partly because I love the movie Notting Hill and it has some of those vibes (if you squint), also, the village where Din lives is based on Elstree Studios just outside London, where the OT was filmed and ultimately because NO WAY was I writing a modern!AU set in the states, it would've been painfully obvious a Brit wrote it. While there are lots of references to places in London, I don't live there so it might not be truly accurate (Londoners don't come for me). Also, to be political for a sec, reader works at the British Museum and I hate that institution. This was actually the line of work I was interested in when I was at Uni but for many different reasons I did not pursue it. However, it works for the plot of this story and as you'll see, she doesn't exactly love it either and goes on a few rants. Just wanted to make that clear that her job there is not an endorsement of it or anything. I can't stand them or their historical apologist bs and I wish we would give back all the things we stole (including the Parthenon Marbles)! Finally, it was incredibly important to me that the actor behind Mando in this fic clearly be the fictional character of Din Djarin rather than the real person Pedro Pascal, because rpf is not my jam! I hope I did that pretty well but just wanted to warn that if you're expecting me to use Din as some kind of way to write a Pedro fic, this won't be for you! Okay, I'll shut up now! This fic is fully written, just needs editing so hopefully I'll get a couple of chapters up each week, but life happens. I'm very proud of this one and I really hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it! Also if you would like to be added to my taglist for this fic, please let me know! Happy reading ♡

❁ My Masterlist ❁ Read on AO3 ❁

Why Does It Always Rain On Me? [Reader POV]: After a dreadful day which saw you drenched by a rainstorm after leaving a hectic day at work, you reflect on your love for Mando and upcoming excitement for the sci-fi convention you will soon be attending with your internet best friend.

He Is My Only Priority [Din's Pov]: The character of The Mandalorian is known and loved by millions. But there is another, much softer side to the man who portrays him that Din Djarin is determined to keep hidden from the world, despite the challenges that presents for him and his beloved son, Grogu.

This Is Why (I Don't Leave The House) [Reader's POV]: Your internet bestie arrives in preparation for the Star Wars convention you will attend together. Everything is set for the greatest weekend of your life! Until you arrive at the con and find yourself overwhelmed by all the crowds and noise. At least you have numerous incredibly realistic Mando cosplays to distract you from how stressed you feel, and there's one in particular which is uncannily accurate...

Curiosity Killed The Cat [Din's POV]: Despite his reservations and against his better instincts, Din heads to a Star Wars convention that he was invited to. Although he fears that his cover will be blown, curiosity gets the best of Din and he can't resist attending a panel. But Din doesn't exactly find the answers he was looking for. Instead, he finds something far more precious. Something that he would never have expected...

He's So Tall (And Handsome As Hell) [Reader's POV]: Being back in the real world and returning to work after an incredible weekend at the convention where you had so many fun experiences is taking its toll on you. The thought of collapsing on your couch in front of The Mandalorian is the only thing keeping you going. However, the universe has other plans for you. News of an out-of-hours tour for a private client that you are asked to lead almost sends you over the edge, but when you finally meet the man, he is the opposite of what you were expecting. Weirdly, he seems familiar...

With A Little Help From My Friends [Din's POV]: Din returns to the set of The Mandalorian to begin filming a new season. Despite his experience and capability, he finds that he struggles to focus as his thoughts remain firmly fixed on a certain someone...

You're The Sunflower [Reader's POV]: Despite feeling certain that you'll never see the ridiculously handsome man you gave a tour of the museum to, a special delivery is about to change everything...

Your Face Hung Up High In The Gallery [Din's POV]: After a difficult few days of filming The Mandalorian, Din is excited to spend time with you as he finally takes you on your first proper date...

Have I Known You Twenty Seconds or Twenty Years? - (Reader's POV):  Despite a messy evening which led to you waking up in an opulent hotel which you have no memory of falling asleep in, memories of kind brown eyes and breathless kisses soon come flooding back to soothe your soul. Your relationship deepens as the two of you spending time together whenever your busy schedules allow. But one night, a turn of events causes you - despite Din's reassurances - to wonder if everything you have been working so hard to build together has just come crashing down around you...

There's A War Inside Of Me - [Din's POV]: The realities of the secret he is keeping from you begin to weigh heavily on Din's mind and he seeks advice from a certain curly haired co-star on what his next move should be. Things don't go exactly according to plan, not least because of the typically awful English weather...

It Could Be Love, We Could Be The Way Forward - [Reader's POV]: With your respective busy jobs keeping you and Din apart, a mystery date after a hectic day at work is exactly what you needed.

The Calm - [Din's POV]: When filming overruns and conspires to keep Din from the fun weekend he planned for you, he agonises over his decision. Fortunately, he manages to salvage the weekend, even after a calamity involving a rowboat...

The Storm - [Reader's POV]: The happiness you feel in response to a question Din posed to you is somewhat clouded by lingering doubts. Yet your affection for each other helps you to push those emotions down, until a weekend spent at his cottage changes everything...

P.S. - I tried to be inclusive for all body types and skin tones in this fic, but if I missed something, I do apologise. If you do spot something that takes you out of the fic, I am more than happy for constructive criticism as I wouldn't want anyone to be excluded on those grounds. I am always trying to do better and would love to know where I went wrong so I can improve and be more aware of these things going forward, so I would appreciate it if you could let me know if you do spot anything. Thank you so much! ♡

[nerdy-the-artist]

Nerdy the Artist’s Metroid fanfic Spotlight!

I have read a fair few excellently written Metroid fanfics in my short time in this fandom, a lot of which gave me many ideas, as well as possible biases, that I have taken into my own fanfic. Still, with the obscene amount of nsfw fics related to Samus (no shame), finding those engrossing stories with plenty of character development, intrigue, and action is a bit of an annoying task. People have different standards of tagging things, and less tags does not necessarily mean less quality. Use to this, for your convenience, I’m going to be sharing a list of some of my favorite Metroid fanfiction stories, in no particular order.

1. Whispers from Beyond the Veil

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/56266696/chapters/142947040

Whispers from Beyond the Veil, by AlexRussoStuff, is still in its early stages, and brand new at the time of writing it. Currently, there’s only 1 chapter, but it’s a really promising one. If this fic maintains the tone and quality in this chapter, I’m all for it. It is mainly a retelling of Metroid Prime, interspersed with flashbacks from Samus’s childhood. The tone is far more brutal and gruesome than the original game, with more in the way of gore as Samus steps over the ripped apart remains of Space Pirates aboard the Orpheon. I am excited to watch this fic develop.

2. The Downfall of Ashkar Behek

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/42231552/chapters/106034202

I was pointed in the direction of this fic by @molagboop due to some amazing artwork by the Chozo specialist himself. The Downfall of Ashkar Behek, by Acayl, is quite long, following much of the past of Raven Beak, known in Chozo as the titular Ashkar Behek. The story is long, detailing his past as a soldier of the Mawkin, including his maiming by Ridley, known to the Chozo as Balan dosh Nabular, translated to English: Bring to Dread. The story covers many bases in the tragedy of his downfall, and you never feel he is truly evil until he is utterly consumed by madness, and his belief in the innate responsibility of the Chozo to shepard the Galaxy. He goes from a relatively basic villain in Dread to a well fleshed out antagonist whose world view we can understand, and perhaps sympathize with. While it is very lengthy, it is a wonderful read if you have the time and patience for it.

3. Metroid S

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4156530/chapters/9378699

This fic is also incomplete (Metroid works slow, I guess), but the story is oozing with mystery and intrigue. Metroid S, written by Suribot, sees Samus Aran arrive on an icy world following a contract for a scientist’s rescue, and a separate, cryptic message telling of a Metroid’s presence in the derelict laboratories within. The plot is hard to sus out, and the mysteries hiding within are captivating. There is also a fair bit of monologues from Samus Aran about her past (did I mention this is in first person?) where we get to here about many past exploits and relationships. I still am itching to get questions answered with the next chapter. I think you’ll find yourself in the same boat.

4. Inheritance

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11560101/chapters/25965126

Remember when I said less tags doesn’t mean less quality? This is what I mean. Inheritance, by Cuofeng, was written before Dread came out, but there are many coincidental story elements that are interesting to compare and contrast between the two. The story itself is absolutely amazing, especially in the first act, but does have some problems in the third. The sense of mistrust and paranoia that the first act gives off is unrivaled, even by S. The story follows a mission set after Fusion where Samus is tasked with helping in the fight against a reinvigorated Space Pirate faction, with eyes on some advanced Chozo technology. This might be my favorite Metroid story, due to its amazing atmosphere, great personality, and shear rule of cool excellence.

I do have one major issue though: Where Morph Ball?

5. This Time

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/34383862/chapters/85563343

For those of you looking for something more lowkey and feels-y, This Time, by CuratorOfFluff, is a wonderful short fic centered around Samus’s relationship with Old Bird, who is now living on Earth by himself with Samus’s pet rabbit-squirrel, Pyonchi. The care the two have for each other is just adorable, and you can tell the author had a lot of fun with this little slice of life.

6: A Swift and Howling Darkness

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/42723552

A Swift and Howling Darkness, by Noxshade, is a very different kind of story to most, feeling right at home with Metroid Prime’s method of storytelling. This fic is in an epistolary format, meaning it is told by logs and reports, rather than outright narration. The story centers around Samus Aran, fresh off of her horrifying adventure aboard BSL, encountering a distress beacon sent from deep into the undocumented regions of space, codified as being pre-Federation in make. Driven by her innate curiosity. She decides to investigate this unusual call for help into the dark, unknown regions of the galaxy.

7: We Will Evolve

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/54081529/chapters/136920130

We Will Evolve, by Thundamoo, comes hot off the heaps of Metroid Dread, using the loose plot thread of the missing Chozo ships during the escape sequence to tell a story of the X outbreak spreading beyond ZDR’s untamed wilds, and into sentient space. The horrifying idea is compounded on by the realization that what we saw of Samus’s Metroid mutations in Dread were the tip of the iceberg. Furthermore, we get to witness the arrival and spread of the X, known by the Chozo and itself as Eres, from the perspective of a civilian, caught up in the galaxy’s nightmares. The secondary protagonist is a joy to follow along, and Samus’s rage is palpable. Once again, this fic is not yet complete, but it is well worth a read thus far.

Honorable Mention: Confronting Adam (animatic)

Link: https://youtu.be/_hrU1tPZ7R8?si=bkvehOrjTVJsfOfr

This is a wonderful project by a YouTuber known as Galactic Gaming, making an animatic out of the fateful interaction between Samus and Adam where Samus brings out the goodness within the AI recreation of her former CO. The voice acting here is great, and the artwork is nice.

Well, these are some of my favs. I might make a new post with some other good ones, but I think these should be at the top of your reading list. If you have any suggestions for me, let me know in reposts or in the comments. Happy reading!

[kanerallels]

Would love an overview of your book (what it's about, the process of writing it, etc.) if you get the chance! Congrats on becoming a published author!!! That's so amazing!

Well it took me long enough but I'm finally getting around to answering this. (Merry Christmas if you celebrate, by the way!)

Okay I can throw a summary under the cut, but here's some essential details:

It's a fairy tale retelling aimed at middle graders. But what it's really about, to me, is a sense of finding where you belong, family, faith, and also overthrowing an evil empress. Minor detail

It has a really cool cover and some AWESOME illustrations

The process of writing it took about five years. Started out in a blue composition notebook and grew from there! It's doubled in length, had chapters added and parts cut, but overall the key story has remained the same

It is part of a series. I have at least four other books planned (three main series, one prequel book that's still pretty important) with ideas for so many others floating around in my head. I'm super excited to see where it goes, and happy to have y'all along for the ride!!

If you want to see some behind the scenes information, scroll my "land of the tales" or "hazel rambles about her original writing" tags! They're full of stuff that will make sense someday

Thank you so much for asking, that's so sweet!! And I really appreciate the encouragement

Rebecca Wood has never known who her real family was. So when a boy named Liam finds her and tells her that he knows where her real family is, it seems like it could be too good to be true.

Oddly enough, that's far from the strangest part. It turns out, Rebecca is from the land of fairy tales, though it's not exactly the same as the stories—Snow White and Cinderella are notorious assassins, and the land is ruled by the Evil Empress Goldilocks, who seems to have a special interest of her own in Rebecca.

None of this makes Rebecca's journey any less fascinating as she travels through a perilous and beautiful land full of magic and mystery, looking for the one thing she's always wanted.

(and yes I did copy and paste this off Amazon but I wrote it and it turned out pretty well, so I think I'm allowed to. As a treat)

[potatoqueensays]

hey u shoudl iek,,,, tootally tlak about that reverve falls au rehash you said you were amking,...... for like.,.,,, totally no reason,,,,,,, yeah,,,,,,,,, dont mind the voice recorder dont mind it im not the fbi wdym we;re in an interrogation room what gaslighting isnt a thing ure tripping anyways

HI!!! HI HI HI!!!! ANON HELLO!!!!

...So yes!!! I am working on a teensy weensy little rehashing of the Reverse Falls au. I'm sure as we all know, the original is a bit....outdated so to say. What with suspicious art and some questionable decisions here and there.

I'm not saying mine is better! No way no how, I'm absolutely sure there's a bunch of people out there with something better. This is just a little thing I'm working on with a friend of mine ( @danklemckspankle ) and how we would imagine a reverse falls au. Rather than it being low-key swapping personalities, it swaps roles as it should. And I'd like to think the premise is exciting as well! It makes me very very happy to talk about it as it's been plaguing my mind for a week or two. Tbh ever since book of bill came out....

So!! Lemme talk about it a little!!! I hope you're ready for a little mystery wink wink

Ahem. So! Our little story starts in a little shack called "The Shack of Telepathy"!! (So original yeah I know)

Bud Gleeful is the shack owner, living as a single father with his son Gideon Gleeful. Bud makes money by being a tourist trap, grabbing people in under the premise of reading their minds! (Gravity falls people are just easy to read but shhh don't tell Toby)

Gideon is a little 9 year old with a heart of gold and full of promise. It's a new summer in Gravity Falls and he has big plans! He wants to have the best adventure he can, and hopefully get a new badge on his vest!!

Yes, this little guy wants to be a boy scout!! Unfortunately, there is no chapter in Gravity Falls, so he's gonna have to make one himself!

Here's my little drawing ref of Gideon. Look at him, he's so squishable

With his dad's pin machine, he makes badges whenever he does something good or a big accomplishment! (His pride and joy badge is the one he made with his dad on Father's Day :] )

He really wants to have a good summer. He hopes, by golly, he hopes.

Now a neighborhood down, is town darling Pacifica Northwest. Her family isn't as rich in this as canon, so her family sits as upper middle class at most. Modern suburbia yk? Her family wants to set an example for the people of Gravity Falls, taming the weirdness out or whatever they say.

Pacifica just wants a summer where she can have a little relief. Away from the eye of her parents and the public. Just one day where she can be herself!

Little drawing ref of Pacifica. She still wears a bunch of makeup. (Just....maybe one less powdering. Maybe.) Also she's 12.

So she goes walking in town while her parents are busy planning their big weekly barbeque or whatever. She comes across this kid named Gideon. He compliments her sense of style and makes an offhanded comment about making a badge or something.

Now Pacifica, despite however much her parents influence her, starts her own trends and styles. (With the permission of her parents) So when this kid compliments her she goes on a (grateful) rant and they hit it off!

Gideon tells her about his dad's shack, and all the business business business Bud does. Pacifica talks about her parents planning events every week and, begrudgingly, church. They scurry off into the woods to just explore, and be kids!

On their way as Gideon is messing around with nature, they come across this metal tree. Weird, huh. They do some digging around and press buttons, when a crater opens in the ground!! Pacifica goes to check it out, pushing Gideon back in case of danger.

What they see is a journal! Very dusty and cobwebbed, but a journal with the number 3 painted on it. They pick it up and peruse through it. Pacifica is skeptical at first, wondering if it's part of any tourist trap Gideon's dad planned. When Gid says no, they realize the journal mayyyy have some merit. With how weird Gravity Falls is all the time and the little things that happen here and there, the author of this journal could be telling the truth.

So when they go back to the shack, the talk about the journal and what it could mean.

Now I haven't planned too far ahead to make a full writing of each episode, barely even the pilot, but! This is the gist of it in my head.

As you know, yes I mentioned Ford was evil! And I'm keeping a little of the previous reverse falls lore for this (surrounding the pines. Other things will be different!)

Maybe I'll make a post talking about the pines, but y'know. I just wanna talk about the general feeling I have for it in my head.

Have a bonus doodle of Gideon reading the journal (for an author who doesn't deserve it)

I'm very excited to work on this. Mayyyybe I'll share a bit of the roles with you that are swapped. Juuuust to keep interest ;)

Bud -> Stan

Stan -> Mixture of Pacifica and Gid's parents

Pacifica & Gideon -> The mystery twins ofc

Wendy -> Robbie

Soos -> Dude he's just himself here. Soos is perfection and cannot be interchanged (he goes undercover for Stan and works at the shack every other day. Undercover name is Deuce because of that one guy that looked like him 👍)

Shitty discord whiteboard sketch of Soos :]

Ford -> Bill tbh. How else is he gonna be so evil?

I'll probs make another post talking about the pines family, but I'd like to make colored refs of them first y'know?

I hope this catches your interest. Other characters are reeeeally integral to the plot and I'd like to keep the mystery just for a little moment 💥💥

Anyway ty for asking I'm so very happy to share this with someone that's not already aware of it 🎉🎉

[nosnet]

A Night Out

by K. D. Lalonde

Time Period: Asheville, NC. 2005

Perspective: Briala Katherine Lanoza

Rating: PG-13

Content Warnings: Alcohol, Cigarettes, Vulgar Language, Adult Language, Stories of Violence, Anti-gay laws mentioned, Infernalism Mention, Tremere Mention, Baali Mention.

Word Count: 5579

Comments: This is an excerpt of an ongoing novel about the blossoming relationship between Briala, a Neonate Tremere, and Naomi, an old school Salubri. Their origins were in a botched campaigned, and their relationship was unplanned, unintentional, but pure and sweet. This led to a story used in NaNoWriMo in 2020. Over time I wanted to do better by these characters, so I started fresh.

Briala, a Tremere fresh out of Los Angeles, headed out for the evening, waving goodbye to roommates Sky and Cass, tonight’s plan was to bar hop. Drink some here, meander to the next, so on and so forth. She was starting to fall in love with her walks through Asheville, North Carolina; the city life, the arts, the stars in the sky. It all had such a unique charm, and she was excited to share these with exes Em and Janey when they did eventually travel this way. She was lost in thought when suddenly an Australian Shepherd walking past brushed against her leg.

“Oh, hey!” She said in a soothing voice. “Where are you going in such a hurry, little guy?” The dog looked up at her, and stopped his stride. She watched in amusement. He cocked his head to the side and let out a gentlemanly and affirmative sounding bark. Bri smiled. “You’re so smart, where’s your owner? Surely you’re not a stray. If anything, I'm the stray around here.” He got up, and moved away slowly, before looking behind him. Follow me, his expression said, so Bri obliged. She followed the Shepherd down the street, until he turned into an outside seating area for Cat and Fiddle, another relatively small bar. Hey, as good as any - Bri thought to herself before following the dog to the outside bar, and taking a seat next to him. The bar had Dreams by The Cranberries playing softly.

Oh, my life is changing everyday,

in every possible way,

and oh, my dreams,

it's never quite as it seems.

Never quite as it seems.

He sat at attention on the ground, looking around until his eyes locked onto a woman walking his way. Bri’s eyes followed, tracing boots, jeans, and a flannel covering a muscular form. Red hair braided to a side, met a freckled face with blue eyes and a concerned brow. “Sam givin’ ya any trouble?”

“T-trouble? No, not at all, he led me here. He yours?” Bri asked, trying to keep the words exiting her mouth as pristine as they had been in her brain, but was running into some trouble.

“Yeah, he’s my pup, and typically a good judge of character.”

Oh my god, what? A dog as a pickup line? Calm. Down. Briala. Hot lady. Best behavior. Talk normal now. “You sure about that? I could be some kind of evil monster.”

The stranger shook her head “Can’t be, he hunts evil monsters, just like his mom does.”

“Hunts them, huh? You mean like, he goes out of his way to track them down?”

“Sometimes.” she said, grinning. “You drinkin?”

“Sure.”

The mystery woman eyed Bri up and down, then looked to the bartender “Rum and Coke, yeah the Kill Devil one, thanks Niamh.” Niamh slid Bri the drink, and she grabbed it in motion. “We drinking to anything?”

“To safe travels and to a sense of completion.”

“Cheers” Bri said, absentmindedly, clinking her glass to the other. Travels sure, but completion? Man I haven’t felt complete with anything in a- “Travel much?” She was asked, interrupting her brain’s wandering.

“Uh, yeah actually, big change of scenery.”

“Well, yeah ~ I think I’d remember if I’d seen you around here.”

“Har har, very funny.”

“Meant it as a compliment.” “Oh,” she said, putting her face down in her glass. Bri, you’re losing it, this muscular chick is trying to put the moves on you, and you’re whiffing it. Step it up, at least ask her shit too. “You, uh, travel, also? Much?” Bri’s mental self facepalmed. The woman laughed, “Just got back from California, but this is my current haunting grounds.” “Woah, I-” It finally hit her. Briala Lanoza was not dumb, she’d been the subject of many flirt attempts that usually ended with herself having the upper hand, and more recently, full of blood. This time, this stranger was breaking her concentration, disrupting her ability to roll with it, but it was beyond her being attractive. Bri was certain, without a shadow of a doubt, that this was her mystery girl. The one she saw on surveillance back at the NFC. “I also just got in from California, about a week ago.”

“Ya don’t say? What are the chances? Say, you want a second?”

Bri declined, “I was actually thinking of bar hopping tonight, but I don’t know the area particularly well - Sam helped me find you so uh, here I am.”

“I know the area quite well, know all the best spots, could I show you around? Promise, I’m not some sort of creep.”

“That’s what a creep would say, but sure I need a Virgil right now. Briala Lanoza.”

“Naomi Arnott, pleasure.”

Bri blushed at the way she said pleasure. Cute accents do silly things with certain words afterall. She suppressed this but not quickly enough, Naomi had seen her blushing, and took this as encouragement. They finished their drinks, Naomi flagged Niamh, a hand signaled for tab, they nodded, and the three were off, Naomi, Briala, and Samiel the goodest boy, who offered Bri his leash. She accepted after confirming with Naomi, who allowed this. Bri hadn’t walked a dog in a while, but was not too rusty with leashes or tension. It wasn’t since she was living at home with her parents and siblings, and even then it was her little bro’s dog, not necessarily a pup that she was allowed to walk.

“So, you said you’re from around here, what brought you to California?”

“Work. There was a bit of a situation I had to deal with, but it concluded amicably.”

“Okay, sort of a dodge, but that’s fine.”

“And if I were to say I killed some kindred, then what would you say, magic girl?”

Bri’s blood froze, oh shit, is she- Naomi’s expression changed, she was extremely serious suddenly. “Look, you’re not particularly subtle with your witchery tattoos, also your aura is wild with Deep Purples and Reds, but Sparkly and Pale. An excited, desirous, magic-using Kindred. That kind of leaves but one clan unless you were a Koldun or a Magus, but those have their typical tells as well.”

“You caught me, now what?”

“A Tremere from California, let me guess - Los Angeles?”

“What were you doing at the Northridge Fashion Center a few weeks ago?”

“Looking for your kind, meeting with a friend.”

“A friend? At the mall?” Bri thought about it for a moment. “Marco Polo?”

The tension was instantly cut. Sam whimpered, looking up at his master, sensing something had changed in the atmosphere. Naomi’s eyes went wide, and her bangs bristled. “You know the Malkavian?”

“Good friend of mine.”

“Really?” Naomi was in disbelief, “Do you think she’d have any reason to betray your friendship?”

“No, she’s the entire reason I’m here and not back home.”

“I see. Well, I’m a Salubri, my team was involved in the fall of the 777 Tower. I…” She paused, trying to pick her words carefully. “I’m responsible for the death of Atticus Dupont.” Bri could tell she said this nervously, potentially expecting a blow up. This confession caused Bri to tear up, she rushed Naomi who was caught off guard at her speed. Samiel barked. For a moment it seemed all too much. Naomi looked down, realizing that she was being hugged.

“Thank you.” Bri let escape.

“Thank me? I am responsible for the death of your… sire? You realize what I’ve said right?”

“I do, and I’m grateful.”

“You’re a very complicated woman Briala, now will you please let go, we should head in if you still want to bar hop. This one’s an Elysium.”

“Heh, my bad, you just,” Bri sighed and released her, “You did something I was planning on for the long term.”

“Ah yes, you Tremere and your climbing of the corporate ladder…” Naomi rolled her eyes, flagging the door attendant, a muscular man in a trench coat who nodded and let them in, even Samiel.

“You’ve got it all wrong, it wasn’t about that-”

“Let’s grab a seat, some more drinks, and you tell me why you wanted him dead, and I’ll explain why he had to die.”

“Deal.” Bri agreed.

Bri found an open booth, and slid in, Samiel followed her, and curled up under the table at her feet. A few moments later, Naomi arrived carrying dark colored mugs. “Figured Liquor before Beer, you’re in the clear, plus this place does interesting things with fermentation and Vitae.” “I’m fine with whatever.” Bri answered, signing on for whatever the night had in store. Samiel nuzzled against her shoe, and then laid his head down to sleep. “This dog is my new best friend it seems.” “Like I said, good judge of character. So, your sire, why’d you want him dead? I need to know this first before I can just spill about what my job was back there.” “So, Northridge, especially the mall I worked at, was under attack by Sabbat - Lasombra I was told. I had recently been Ghouled by the Ravnos in town, good people. The ghouls I knew - which, Marco Polo had originally claimed to be, suggested talking to the Prince, that he would know what to do as LA was under attack. We drove up to meet him, Montague if I remember, but as we were arriving, his building exploded. Immediately our phones were interrupted with a message about this having happened, and that Dupont was to temporarily take the throne. I don’t think nothing of it, I hadn’t even met the first Prince, so we went to his tower instead.” She paused to sip at her blood beer - pretty good for what it was worth. It was thick in the way that a more European Ale would be, but it was coppery and filling - she could tell it was high in alcohol content, but this wasn’t her first rodeo. “We met, he was a dick, he spoke down to us, I could sense something was up, and my coterie all suspected foul play with Montague. The idea of this guy being in charge of my city made my stomach turn, and something had to be done about it. I figured, hell I’m tired of feeling weak in combat, two birds one stone, I get embraced, I work to be a better spell caster than him, I defeat him in combat. Took a week of training in a weird pocket dimension, and it ended in a duel. We competed for which Magister would embrace us, and I had to kill another Ghoul, it was brutal. But I got his attention, I got embraced by Dupont, but then I wasn’t given time to fight him, I was sent here through a series of portals - Path of Mercury - then I’m getting suspected of killing him myself. Climbing the corporate ladder is a common accusation these days. Anyways, that’s me.”

Bri finished her recount of what had happened, and noticed Naomi wore a more enamored expression, perhaps something had changed in the midst of her explanation.

“I see, that is, complicated. I’m sorry your vengeance was stolen-”

“Seriously don’t be, he’s dead, that’s all I wanted.”

“Well then, apologies your plot didn’t go off as expected, I know that can be frustrating, especially when the buy-in was your own life.” Naomi let out a sigh, she was troubled, and it seemed there was something on the tip of her tongue she was avoiding. “Dupont was a problem. Specifically, an infernalist. He had contacts in the Sabbat, that’s how he quickly stole the Princedom, but worse off, he studied in the ways of the Baali. My arm is still a little fucked up from him hitting me with this pitch black flame. Anyways, my Strike team got a tip from Marco Polo, granted we didn’t know she was undercover in the chantry, so it almost went bad for her. We knew that the duels were happening, we knew embraces were on the line, and we knew it was the right time to strike. She guided us through the labyrinthian path, the elevators-”

“My god, those fucking elevators.” Bri interrupted, half way through her blood beer, losing some inhibitions.

“Right? Exhausting. She apparently found some shortcuts after going under deep cover. Saved us some time. It was me, my sire Az, Rorke, Milo and Addicia. Took a lot of ammunition, carefully trained bladework, and tactical maneuvering, but we took them down. Like I said-” Naomi took off her flannel and rolled up her shirt sleeve underneath revealing a red, wrinkly shoulder scar. Bri blushed at the removal of clothing before realizing what was happening. Damn she’s fit. Oh wait, oof. Her expression shifted, from lustful to sympathetic. “Dupont hit me with conflagrated flames from hell, and although it burned badly, I finished my prayer, and cut him down - reducing him to ashes. Stunk like brimstone too.”

“Well, he was a real bastard, dangerous too, your team make it out okay?”

“I was the only one with serious wounds, and my sire took care of them. Can’t remove Daimonion burns though, not visually, I have to live with this.”

“I think it’s hot at least. A little battle damage from a victory.”

Naomi’s eyes widened again, “-Hot?”

“And why not? Maybe when we’re done here, we can enact some further vengeance.”

“Wait, what?”

“Look, I, how do I say this? I enjoy pain? Uh, you own a sword. I think you’re attractive.”

“Negative.”

Bri, not being used to being rejected so abruptly “What's happening here?”

“A, you’re sweet but you’re moving a little fast for me, B, I’m not using my sword on anyone who I don’t want to ash.”

“Ugh, yeah that makes sense I guess. I’m sorry, I-”

“Don’t stop your advances, it wouldn’t do for you to give up at the slightest road block.”

“Oh?” Oh fuck, oh shit even. She, likes this? Quick, confidence, come back! “Look, I think you’re gorgeous, you seem to not hate me, I caught you staring at least once, why not see where this goes?”

“I’m perfectly fine with seeing where this goes, but I’m not following you home tonight Briala, let us get to know each other first. I’m a bit rough around the edges, you seem to have gone through some major changes lately, why rush anything?”

“Yeah,” Bri agreed begrudgingly. She had a good point, why rush anything? She began to stand, but was still locked in by Samiel. “Here’s my number so we can-”

“No, we’re not done with the evening, unless you had shit to do - you said bar hop, I said I’d show you around. Two bars is hardly bar hopping, I just needed all that clarified, and thought this would be the best place to not be bothered. This has gone well, we got time for at least one more, sit back down, Samiel sure isn’t even ready to leave here - I think I hear him snoring.”

Bri sat back down. It didn’t go amiss that this Dog owner commanded that she sit and she obeyed. Her mind wandered so commanding, so dominant, what if- “Focus, you in or you out?” “Oh I’m in.”

Naomi waved down a waiter who brought them a second blood ale. The Elysium Bar was notably louder than the previous, and right then Dio blasting through the sound system. Naomi nodded along, but kept from mouthing the words.

Between the velvet lies

There's a truth that's hard as steel, yeah

The vision never dies

Life's a never-ending wheel, say

Holy Diver

You're the star of the masquerade

No need to look so afraid

Jump, jump, jump on the tiger

You can feel his heart but you know he's mean

Some light can never be seen, yeah!

“So what do you do for fun?" 

“This?" Bri admitted.

“What, go to Elysium Bars?" 

“No, I just like getting out of the house, I like to date?" 

“Big player are you? Looking for another notch in your bedpost, is that it?" 

“No, I mean yes, but no, not anymore at least. I'm more than willing to play this out, long game, old school, we get to know each other first. It sounds nice, and well, unfortunately out of the ordinary for me."

“So, for fun you go out to a bar, and hook up with someone? Then what?" 

“Then, they ask me to move in, and I ignore all the signs saying it's moving way too fast, then I set them up with my roommate and move across the country?" Bri looked shocked. She was ready to leave that up to the imagination, to obfuscate the truth, to seem cool, but she felt urged to come clean with Naomi. “I uh, I saw your bike in the mall parking lot, I checked security cameras, printed off a photo of you because you were fucking cool, and intended to remember the badass lady person with the cool bike, but I never saw you around after that, and then my life got changed so severely, that through it all I’d been romanticizing the mystery biker chick, just the idea I have of her in my head. But it's all bullshit, that's the type of thing you see work out in bad romance novels.”

"I don't think it's bullshit." Naomi slid a hand over one of Bri’s. Bri's eyes widened, looking down at her hand, covered with Naomi's hand. They were holding hands. “You read a lot of romance novels?" 

“No, couldn't care less about them." 

“What do you like for entertainment? I'm sure I'll regret this question." 

“Slasher Movies, Monster Flicks, unironically Vampire cinema, Like Underworld. How bout you?" 

“Eh, I try to stay caught up, but there's just too many films these days. Say we've both finished these up, wanna try one more bar?”

"Sure, but I gotta know, what days were simpler for you with less movies?” “Wouldn't you like to know.” Naomi said with a chuckle, throwing her flannel back on and getting Samiel’s attention with a key jingle. “A conversation for another time…”

“Well, since you asked about what I like to do for fun, what about you? Just, drive around on a motorcycle with a sidecar? Which, I just now realized, it’s a very cute spot for a dog.” Bri asked, as Sam’s ears perked up. “Maybe you don’t hate the pickup game either? Get Sam to go around dragging pretty girls back to you.”

“Maybe I need to have a little talk with Sam later, because this is certainly a first.” Sam’s ears went back down, and he pretended to sleep to avoid the onslaught of mentions. “But no. Sure, I like to go out, have a good time, hit up a bar, maybe get into a fight, nothing too serious. I do like my job for what it’s worth-”

“And what is that?” Bri asked, her tone between teasing and genuinely interested.

“Well, things like the triple seven tower. My Sire and some old friends will find, through the grapevine, someone who’s a damn infernalist, and we can’t let them do their thing, world could end or something, who knows, but I’m good at taking down stray kindred.” Naomi started, with pride in her tone. “I also like just having downtime at the cabin, taking care of my horses-”

“HORSES?” Bri coughed out, “Like, you own horses? Multiple?”

“Own’s a strong word, they’re my Ghouls, and you shouldn’t own a Ghoul.”

“Okay, fine, but you’re housing Horses? What kind of space you got?”

“You want to meet em? Let’s say date number two.” “No, wait, time out, you can’t just coordinate date number two. Since when was Bar Crawl co-opted into Date Number one? I need to know it’s a date ahead of time, it’s only fair I actually put effort into the look.” Naomi looked away briefly and Bri wondered what was going through her mind, she couldn’t see the blush of this isn’t you putting effort into the look? “Okay, yeah, that’s fair. That’s on me.” Naomi’s voice sounded slightly lighter than before. “Look, if you’re saying you want to date out of all of this, you’re going to have to ask me out, I’m not going to fall into stereotypes, hang out with someone enough until it’s implied we’re an item. I don’t really date men, but with women it’s hard to tell sometimes, it’s like the third time we hang out and I’m certain it is a date, or certain it isn’t, and it’s the opposite.” “Listen to you, going all full one-eighty from I like to go out and hook up. Fine then. When I feel like it’s the right time, maybe I will ask you. As for now, let’s head to our next stop.” Samiel got up first, leading Bri expectantly. She slid out and was followed closely by Naomi. Naomi took Bri’s hand and led her to their third bar for the evening. This is insane. She tells me I move too fast, then goes and does this. What. The Fuck. Holding my hand, in public? I’ve done some absolutely vile shit with people, shit they wouldn’t tell their therapists about, and they wouldn’t ever be seen doing this with me in public. Holding my fucking hand. So that like, others can see. What is this? “Alright, our next stop is a bit of a busier scene, purely an outside bar sort of deal, can’t really smoke indoors these days, new laws and such.” “And what makes you think I’d care about that?” Bri asked coyly. Naomi simply moved her finger up and down the side of Bri’s index and middle, this made the poor girl shiver. Aaaaaaaah “Hey, maybe uh, just use your words here, that was, a bit much.” “Oh, uh, I was going to say, I could tell, there’s nearly an indent there, and your clothes smell of cloves. Sorry bout that.” “Uh huh, alright well, when in Rome.” “Don’t get ahead of yourself, young Tremere.” “Oh, I’m dying from laughter.” Bri said, bitchily, while producing a spare American Spirit Cigarette she’d bought from a corner store this week. The speakers hummed softly with Tracy Chapman’s Give Me One Reason.

This youthful heart can love you,

oh and give you what you need.

But I'm too old to go chasin' you around,

wastin' my precious energy.

Give me one reason to stay here,

yes and I'll turn right back around.

She still hadn’t found a place to be a regular at yet, and that was fucking with her. Why couldn’t Asheville have its own Glenmore? The dude’s a saint. She patted looking for a lighter until an old zippo was extended from Naomi’s grasp. “Here, I got ya.” Bri blushed a little, and leaned forward, putting her tip in the line of butane flame. “There’s some things I can do myself you know.” There was a hmph to her tone, a brattiness seeping through to the surface. “I see.” Naomi’s tone was unconvinced. She took out a pre-rolled cigarette from an old cigarette case. Bri looked at her confused, but accepting, then stepped up closely. “Hey, you have your own, even lit it for you.” “Yeah but you lit mine, maybe I can light yours?” She said, leaning in to touch the tips together. The end caught, and Naomi drew in the pull. “That work with your other dates?” Naomi asked, a little annoyed but ultimately happy to have gotten so close. “Maybe so,” Bri answered, putting a hand on Naomi’s shoulder. “Why? Is it working with you?” “Heh,” Naomi was caught off guard by the advancement, but she remained cool. Wasn’t about to be bested by a Tremere, combat or no. “Not even close.” She whispered in Bri's ear before moving away to go grab them some further drinks.

Bri stood there staring, declined again. She simply didn't understand, Naomi was saying she was interested, but then not falling for every line. She was in a combat of words. Fine then.

When Naomi returned, Bri was scratching Sam behind the ear and making his leg do the little twitchy thing. 

“Hey now, you really are trying take him away from me - rude.”

"Maybe ol Sammy just likes me more." Bri said smugly.

“Hold your tongue, Sorcerer." 

“Maybe you should hold it for me." 

Naomi made a somewhat grumpy face over it. She was playing along but huffy over the implication all the same. They drank their drinks, and drank in the environment, absorbing each others’ presence in the night. Their smoke mixed in the air and created some new combination of breath and particles. They ashed their cigarettes simultaneously.

“Briala." 

“Yes?" 

“What's your current motivation? You said you came here at what you first believed to be a punishment, only to later find out it was orchestrated by Marco Polo. Now that you're here, you find there's no Chantry in Asheville, that the Chantry in Winston is already under strict watch for bullshittery, and that if you publicly announce your status as a neonate Tremere, you'll be forced to serve fucking Bernard Winston, local tit.”

"My motivation… is, I don't know, I guess to lay low then, be happy? I have friends inbound from California, maybe form a small coterie, and do like, odd jobs?”

"So yer down to do odd jobs for the rest of your days then?  And for who?" 

“Well no, because fuck that, I found that the Tremere have leadership in Vienna, I intend to join the Council of Seven so I can leash this fucking stupid pyramid." 

“Yer insane if you think they're gonna just let you waltz on in there.”

“Hey, I didn't shit all over your motivations, which I assume is Kill Bad Guys, Listen to your Alive Sire, Flirt with Hot Bitches, Take Care of your Dog and Horses in your Cabin?"

“Fair, except you left out the part about Protectin’ my Town from would-be Usurpers." 

“And you suspected me?" 

"No, not really, I was just giving you a hard time to see how you'd respond under pressure, and that Bri, that was the type of shit that impressed me. The real you," 

Bri reached for her pack of American Spirits, recently acquired but only a substitute for absent Lucky Strikes, but was interrupted by the tin. "Real shit, that's what I'm into,”

"Real shit huh?” Bri said, accepting the rolled cigarette from the tin before Naomi snapped it closed. "Well I'm sorry to disappoint you, I don't know what's real that's left of me." 

“You've been honest with me quite a few times this evening, I can tell.”

“How?" 

Naomi gestured to her forehead with her thumb.

“Because you just know?" 

“No, dummy, we Salubri have heightened senses, it manifests through an eye on our foreheads.”

"Okay, now you're just fucking with me”

"You mean they didn't teach you about the Salubri in your history lessons at the Chantry? Makes sense considering the American Education System and the way they consider themselves the good guys and gloss over all the genocides and shit." 

“Wait, so you have a literal third eye? Not just some metaphysical, spiritual, chakra thing, but like a real additional eye?" 

“Yes." 

“Can I see it?" 

"Maybe, but not right now.”

Bri lifted her hands up, "Fair.” Damn that's fucking cool though. But shit, I have to actually be honest around her to get anywhere. After how fast the Jane situation went down, I just don't know if anything about me isn't just concocted from ego. Fuck.

“Maybe on our First date." 

“Yeah, cause this isn't one." 

“Right, fair, hey, we've been here for a while, I've showed you some personal favorites, it's coming up on closing time for the bars, otherwise I'd do this till sun up."

“You really love this city huh?" Bri asked innocently. She loved Northridge, at least while she was there. But now in its absence, it was less about the city proper, and more its inhabitants. "Why?”

"Briala, look up” - She did, "The stars, you can actually see them here, clear of your Los Angeles smog.” Bri shrugged, Naomi had a point. "Now look to your left, to your right” - Bri continued obeying, "The folks here aren't shit heads. Sure you get a few rough ones here and there, but they get sorted out in the long run. You can safely do shit here. Not that the way we swing is illegal anymore, but it's hard to deny the fact that the country at large still hates people like us." 

“Kindred?” Bri joked. She knew what Naomi meant.

“Dykes, Briala." Naomi said in a more serious tone. Immediately Bri felt bad for joking. Admittedly it was a bad point in time for Queer People in American History, Don't Ask, Don't Tell still in effect from the nineties, Vermont and Connecticut were the only states Gay People could have Civil Unions, which was not technically a marriage, and it was only seven years after the brutal murder of Matthew Shepard. 

"Look, I know the Prince is a hard ass, but she loves this city too. She sees the beauty in it. A Toreador trait for sure. It's mostly a Gangrel City, such is the way with most mountainous or heavily forested cities, but even they don't hate the Cammy leadership here. Only other region in the states that's close to the vibe in Asheville, North Carolina is Southern West Virginia, but that’s a story for later too." Naomi downed her drink and stood up, Sam followed suit wagging his tail in excitement, he knew what was to follow. Bri simply stared at her in wonder. She only just met her, but Bri was in love with how Naomi cared about this city. She was falling, and hard.

"You sure you don't want to go back to one of our places?” Her tone wasn’t even serious at this point, and Naomi could tell.

"I'm sure, thank you, I can give you a ride home. You technically met my bike first anyways." 

“Y-yes! Absolutely."

"Come on then, before they get mad at us crowding the place as they try to close.”

"Uh, thank you, for tonight.”

"Save it for when we part.”

Bri was cut off at every pass. Try to be a sleeze, shut down, try to make a cheap goodbye, denied. It was driving her mad, but the frustration only made her more into Naomi. It's not that she hadn't been turned down before, but being turned down by someone who was into her - she couldn't wrap her mind around it, but she was addicted to the feeling. Maybe when we do go back to grace a mattress with our cold bodies, she'll just edge me.

“Come, my pensive witch girl.”

Yes ma'am. "Right, my bad.”

The three walked back to where they'd met, hand in hand, and hand in leash, appropriately. The Cat and Fiddle was closed by the time they arrived, but the motorcycle was no longer obfuscated by the cars in the back lot.

"You ever ridden a motorcycle?”

"Can't say that I have.”

"Right, well, Sammy's gonna get the connected seat to himself, it was made for him. You're holding onto me, but I need you to treat this seriously. I'm keeping ye safe here, so if I start feeling groping or some other shyte, I'm pulling over, you're walking and you don't get my number after all of this. Deal?”

“Deal." Bri had no choice butt to accept.

“Alright then," Naomi swung her leg over the seat and locked in.  “Hop on." she commanded, patting the rest of the seat behind her. Bri did as asked. She sat farther back until Naomi shook her head “No, scoot." Bri scooted, and their bodies touched. "Now, give me your hands" - Naomi placed them on her waist.

Once she was situated, Naomi nodded at Samiel, who borked in excitement, then started er up. The Zündaap’s engine purred beautifully, Bri was stunned speechless, “Okay now, keep your feet up, and hold on tight." Naomi shouted, kicking the stand up, and blasting out of there.

“Alright, we're reaching the main stretch, just point and I'll follow!”

Bri gave more than enough warning before a turn, she had directed Emily and other drivers plenty of times without having a MapQuest Printout. They zipped through town, and before arriving at the apartment, Bri's hands slipped down just slightly, and although she was serious before, Naomi guided them to her hips. Bri felt muscle beneath the denim, and her mind ran wild.

When they finally arrived at the apartment complex, Bri was dizzied. The motorcycle came to a stop as Bri was stopping herself from moving for the button. “Yep, this is me."

“Alright, you held up your end of the bargain. Here," she took Bri’s arm and took out a pen, writing her number down on flesh, narrowly dodging tattoos. “Tomorrow night, say, eleven? I'll be here to pick you up." "Just hanging out?" Bri teased. Naomi sighed, "Briala, will you go out with me." Bri faked a shocked. "Yeah, I think I will." She chuckled, clearly amused with herself. Naomi crossed her arms for a second, letting a Mmhmm escape.

“It's a date then." 

“Aye." 

“I'll see you then, thank you for the-" 

“Not so fast." Naomi said, and pulled Bri in. Kissing her forehead. “There, a starting point. See you tomorrow Briala." 

“B-bye, Naomi, good night." 

“Indeed it has been." She said confidently, before driving off. Sam’s tongue flapped in the breeze. Bri sprinted up the stairs, unlocked her door, and zipped inside. Inside, she quickly leaned against it, and slumped down. Holy shit, what a night. I’m shaking.

[yolowritter]

In Offense to Lila Rossi

O...kay! Am I the only one who sometimes takes offense to Lila's entire existence? Even if she just stands there, looking at her on screen makes me want to grab the nearest pitchfork! So please, allow me to explain why I despise Lila Rossi in Miraculous Canon, and what my delusions say should happen for Season 6 regarding her character! Call it a stich, I'm still doing it because I can!

To kick things off, it's worth establishing what kind of antagonist Lila is supposed to be in the show. She's introduced in the finale of Season 1, Volpina (yes I know some lists have Origins last, but Collector picks up directly after so it's the finale), and from the moment anybody even mentions her, we get the hint that something is fishy. I'm quite sure it's Alya who first approaches Marinette and tells her about this "new girl" who's showed up at school. Apparently, "she" knows famous musicians, is very talented, etcetera. Marinette raises an eyebrow at this, but there's no real reason to question it yet since the audience has already seen that some of those things are true for her as well (see Jagged Stone). All in all, good little bit of foreshadowing and getting people intersted without going overboard.

Then we actually meet Lila in the library with Adrien. She seems pleasant enough, if a little infatuated, but this is Adrien. He has more fangirls that there are ticks on a goat, so he takes it in stride. All in all, Lila is cheery and excitable, happy to spend time with him. Not the most likable character in history, but also not malicious in any way. This is the expected behavior for some random teenager learning she's classmates with a supermodel. And since we get this whole thing from Marinette's point of view, the audience is encouraged to share her suspicions about Lila. We all know how the rest of the episode goes, and I'll get back to this in a sec.

Point is, when Lila first shows up, she seems interesting. Her lies aren't immediately obvious (or at least like 20% plausible given past events), and she appears to be infatuated with Adrien, just like Marinette. Sure, it looks a bit superficial, but who can blame her? We don't know anything about her yet, and it isn't completely outrageous to think that she might be giving out small lies to make herself more popular since she's the "new kid" and all that.

But after Volpina...we don't see her again until Season 3! Excepting Heroes Day Part 2, where she gets re-akumatized into Volpina for the whole illusion thing, I mean. Lila remains a mystery, and so far has been a nuanced character who we have questions about and know to be a cunning liar. Especially since in Volpina, Lila actually is being smart with her lies to Adrien! She plays up her persona of infatuated fangirl and extracts general information about the book he has, and plays off it by giving minimal details and still attracting his interest. It's only once Adrien has shown her the page about the fox heroine that Lila makes up a story about having the Miraculous in her family, and then she immediately goes off to cover her back by buying a fake Fox Miraculous from a "Gabriel" store.

Side note: This is the one and only time we see this happen, and I still have questions as to why Gabriel Agreste is selling jewerly that only someone with the Guardian's Grimoire would know how to design. Dead giveaway, but that's a general plothole in the show, and irrelevant to Lila.

The thing is, I love Lila in Volpina! She actually does manipulate Adrien pretty well, makes sure to subtly get all the information she needs, and then plays her part perfectly, to the point where he's on her side when Ladybug swings by to berate her for lying about having a Miraculous. Granted, Marinette's intense reaction doesn't do her any favors, but nonetheless Lila is actually good at lying in this episode! Now prepare to throw this out the window with Chameleon! Oh, Chameleon! What is even left to say about this episode that the fandom didn't tear to shreds back when it first aired? Welp, doesn't matter! I'm grabbing Hawkmoth's cane and beating the dead horse one last time, just because Lila pissed me off this badly when I re-watched it recently!

I have genuinely researched the lies that Lila spouts out in this episode, and I'm honestly baffled as to why the writing team even put them there? I'd think it takes more effort to think of something this ridiculous rather than a semi-believable lie? Let's break the two most ridiculous ones down real quick. Getting tinitus from being behind a plane engine while it was taking off. Now, I'm assuming Lila also lost a few braincells in this episode, because while while yes, if that were to happen one would have severe hearing damage...we're talking about going completely deaf. Not to mention that you'd have to ignore countless airport security measures to even get there, and that in some countries, it's very much illegal to be on the runway when a plane is taking off. So Lila would have gone completely deaf, forever, not to mention sustained actual injury from being right behind a plane as it's taking off. Do you see why this is so ridiculously unbelievable? And okay, for the sake of argument let's say that people do believe her. Miss Bustier has zero reaction to this information, which would have presumably caused a responsible adult to panic at the idea of a child sustaining such an injury. Clearly, this episode is designed to devour braincells from everyone present.

Then we move onto the moment that still infuriates me, the Napkin Incident™. I'm not going to go into too much detail because we all know the gist. Lila catches a napkin thrown by Marinette with her supposedly "sprained" wrist, and explains the reason she "hurt herself" was to protect Max's eyes from being gouged out! By a napkin, while he's wearing glasses! In addition, Lila blatantly lies about being best friends with Ladybug and having sustained other minor injuries, and all of this makes me honestly upset because I see what they were going for! I can see the vision here!

Lila lying about being best friends with Ladybug to gain Alya's interest! Lila making herself the victim and exploiting Marinette's eagerness to expose her to gather support from her classmates and take away her friends! She even says that's what she plans to do at the end of the episode! But...this never goes anywhere. Lila is almost entirely absent from the remainder of the season, and just...doesn't follow up on this? Instead all we get is Lila getting outrageous lies that require every other character in the room to lose the entirety of their IQ to even be plausible in the slightest. And the plot wants to pretend as if she's a master manipulator when all she does is tell extremely obvious lies that can be very easily disproven!

Even when she pretends Marinette pushed her down the stairs, nobody reacts in the way they should! Bustier and Damocles should have called in the school nurse, or a doctor to check her over, especially since Lila claimed to be in severe pain. It's completely unreasonable for adults to behave they way these two do whenever Lila is involved in anything. My point is that for Lila to be what the show says she is, she needs plot armor. People believe her just because they have to. It's demanded by the script. And it's infuriating!

It would be another thing entirely if Lila slowly approached each and every classmate and systematically inserted herself in situations as the "friend", or used small lies to slowly degrade Marinette's connections with others. She could ensnare Alya with little lies about Ladybug, and then act concerned and worried when Marinette denied everything without any proof (like we already see her do multiple times). And yes, obviously they can't devote another dozen episodes to focus solely on this, but the fact that we never see Lila even try to do it very much undermines her character. The narrative presents her as a master manipulator who pulls the strings from the shadows, and addmittedly she has some good moments like when she frames Marinette for stealing her necklace...but that can easily be disproven by checking security cameras, or by Adrien speaking up. Remember, he was there in Volpina when the necklace was proved a fake, and Lila is using the same lie here.

Not to mention that in each and every case where Lila lies, even in Season 5, the believability of that lie is solely dependant on the sheer incompetence of every (allegedly) responsible adult around her, and the fact that Marinette's classmates are contractually obligated by the script to believe her without a second thought. The problem here is that Lila isn't good at lying. What she says is either outrageous enough to warrant genuine concern if believed (ex: Marinette pushing her down the stairs. No adult would have made this girl walk back up that staircase without first asking if she was hurt and calling in a medical professional) or so plain stupid that it has everyone wondering where their lost braincells may have slipped off to. To give credit where it's due, Lila's manipulation of Chloe in Season 5 is actually pretty great and consistent with what we've been told she's supposed to be.

But...considering that by this point, (regarding Marinette's friends now) Alya knows her best friend is Ladybug, hates Lila, and was clearly right about the girl being a walking red flag...why does it take a DIY bathroom and a literal 300 IQ scheme to prove that Lila has been lying about things? Like, Alya, Adrien and presumably Nino (if anybody bothered to clue him in) should know that she's full of crap, and suspect her. Don't get me wrong, I love Marinette's whole fake bathroom plan. Genuinely made me marvel at how smart she is. But it also shows that the script still treats Lila as an Avengers-level threat...even if at this point in the story, her lies are just bad. We know from Chameleon she can't even keep her own stories straight (see Lila forgetting which ear her tinnitus was on), and this could have been an amazing detail the gang utilized to start convincing the others that she is lying.

The general problem with Lila's canon character is that she's underutilized, barely appears outside of when she absolutely needs to, and fundementally fails to be what she's been writen as, requiring her Villain Plot Armor™ to kick in and steal everyone's braincells away. I absolutely love the whole "Lila is a fox" characterization, because Volpina was literal genius! The metaphors and symbolism of Lila being cunning and always scheming? Amazing! But...what we actually get to see of her in action? Really, really bad. Also, I am not touching her three mothers with a ten foot pole, not until we get a canon explanation. Personally I ascribe to the Scarlet Lady AU version, but we'll see. Even the more obviously ridiculous things, like Lila having a whole secret lair in the Parisian Catacombs...I'd buy it. If there's IRL raves happening down there, then she could totally have a secret villain lair tucked away behind a few crypts or something.

What I wish we had gotten from Lila is honestly not a lot. Instead of just walking up to people and lying her ass off, I'd prefer to see her be more subtle about it. For Nooroo's sake, just get this girl to actually be cunning like all the fox metaphors want you to think! It isn't that hard to write a scene where she plays the "concerned friend" as Cerise to plant seeds of discord. Buggachat did it very well in "Open my Eyes", and it made me absolutely hate Cerise! And that's a good thing! Lila/Cerise/Iris/Whatever-other-identity-she-has-in-her-closet is meant to be hated by the audience! She literally is a "love to hate" character! And in Open My Eyes, Cerise actually did act as the concerned friend, she was subtle, she didn't always lie but sometimes twisted the truth just a little bit, enough to get the doubts to creep inside someone's head. I got so frustrated because I wanted Adrien to figure her out, but couldn't find a logical way for him to do so in the first place! Do you guys get what I'm talking about yet?

Subtle but convincing. Small and unnoticable until it's too late. That's how Lila should be, because it utilizes the most plot threads made by her lies. I can go on and on with specific examples, but I want to actually post this someday so I shall refrain. In conclusion, there are only two types of Lila. "I'm going to burn your house down and smile while doing it, then find a puppy and kick it into a sewer before emotionally scarring someone to the point of needing life-long therapy" Lila.

And the "cunning, sneaky and subtly manipulative fox who drives people insane slowly but surely as she makes them have an existential crisis" Lila.

I vehemently refuse to accept her canon version, and fear for Season 6 if she doesn't change into one of the above, or at the very least stops being so incredibly in-your-face about it. It's infuriating (in a good way) when the characters don't know, but if the lie is as obvious as "How was my weekend? Oh, nothing much! I just went skydiving on Venus, that's all really!" ...do I even need to elaborate? Because that's what Lila sounds like 96% of the time!

Alas, I digress. Feel free to give your opinion about our resident lying wretch, I need to go take a break before her incompetence drives me insane. I'll see you all soon...but until then, Stay Miraculous everyone!

[ash-and-books]

Rating: 4/5

Book Blurb:

Seven years ago, I lost him for good. Now he's back, but is he still the Jay Gatsby I used to know…or is he something more? Something…darker.

Daisy Finnegan is looking forward to the endless golden freedom of summer. She doesn't want to think about life after college, or the newly awakened power of her voice, which has a way of making people do frightening things. But when her cousin goes missing at an exclusive house party, Daisy confronts the mysterious host…only to discover the wealthy recluse is Jay Gatsby, her childhood sweetheart—now sinfully hot and impossible to deny.

It isn't long before Daisy becomes entangled in a web of dizzying wealth and lies and obsession darker than she could have dreamed—culminating in a shocking act of violence that shatters the summer haze and threatens to drown them all.

But it isn't until Gatsby is shot through the heart—and survives—that Daisy discovers the truth of how Gatsby clawed his way up in the world by selling the secret of immortality to the highest bidder. Now with her friends' lives at stake, her own untested power still volatile, and an unimaginable threat closing in, Daisy will have to face an impossible choice: side with the man who claimed her body and soul…or with the monsters who would see him lost to her forever.

An addictive and truly original spicy New Adult retelling of The Great Gatsby with a magical twist.

Review:

A modern magical day retelling of the Great Gatsby except with Vampires and Daisy falls for the Villain (Jay)? SAY LESS I WANT IT. Daisy Finnegan is a college student who is looking forward to a summer of freedom and fun, especially after getting out of a terrible relationship with her ex boyfriend Tom, whom she found cheated on her. On top of that Daisy has just awakened a new ability, her voice can persuade people to do whatever she wants... and she has to keep that in check. When she is invited by her friend Jordan to a mysterious house party where her cousin goes missing at and comes back with mysterious marks on his body... Daisy is determined to find out what happened to him and who the host of the real party is. Only she discovers that the mysterious host, the extremely wealthy recluse... is none other than Jay Gatsby, her childhood sweetheart who disappeared and ghosted her.... and now he's back and determined to prove to her that he is going to be part of her life. Yet the closer Daisy gets to Jay the more secrets she is beginning to realize he has and that seven years apart has changed him in more ways than one. The closer she gets to Jay's world the more Tom's obsession with getting her back grows... and the darker both paths become as one of them is a monster and Daisy will have to figure out which villain she'll let into her heart and which one she'll destroy. This was a really fun take on the classic story and oh boy was it much spicier. I did enjoy the whole vampire twist of it all and I'll always be a Jay Gatsby girl so I love that he is a bit of a villain but he is also the love interest and they do get a happy ending. I am so excited for this series of villainous dark romance retellings of the characters and I can't wait to read the next on which just happens to be Dorian Gray!!! Absolutely pick up this book if you love a fun take on a classic!!

Release Date: July 16, 2024

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca | Sourcebooks Casablanca for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

[multimilfs]

ok but in this pov

when agatha says manipulation... I feel sometimes she means the mystery evil witch manipulation of r's rage against a former/current enemy aaand

sometimes she means how r's fury has been managed by guilt tripping and emotional manipulation to mold her into morality and forge a compass that agatha sees as a smth of a cage for an animal that couldve been (????? am i tripping? 👀)

like explain this line like im five

how is the witch altering what was already perfect?

was readers anger and desire for personal revenge perfect and the witch is fommenting that she alget rid of agatha in a more practical immediate way which ruins what??

I AM OBSSESSED MY DUDE

I need to take literacy classes for this fic I need to inhale the meaning and divine the plans

Okay SO (putting this beneath a cut because it's going to get long)

To start: Agatha's references to manipulation are in reference to the Witch in the barrier playing with Reader's head.

I think near the end of CH4 when Reader reveals that the Witch has been playing in her dreams, Agatha says something along the lines of "someone was playing in your mind and you didn't tell me?" So Agatha is suspicious that Reader is compromised mentally in some way leading right up to this interaction. And when this moment comes and Reader starts acting as she does, Agatha more or less gets confirmation that Reader's mind is compromised.

Because Agatha knows Reader.

Agatha and Reader fight, often. They bicker, they snarl and attack one another and so on. But more than that, Agatha and Reader have met on the battlefield several times. No one is more familiar with how Reader approaches conflict than Agatha.

In the OG scene it is heavily alluded to that Reader's actions are not entirely her own. And well, this is true, to a point. Reader's rage is entirely her own, but the way she goes about it is the Witch working through her. The Witch's hold may be flimsy, but Reader is shocked enough that it works.

There is a comment made about how Agatha knows it isn't all Reader because she's 'too still' and I later pair that with a description of Reader's approach to Agatha in their final battle. Reader is heat and movement and rage as her true self, and the Reader standing over Agatha in this scene is stillness and chill and bitterness. It sets off Agatha's mental alarms.

Agatha also comments on how uncharacteristic it is for Reader to be happy someone has done the job [of killing Agatha] for her. She knows this is personal for Reader and Reader suddenly letting someone else take what should be her victory is wrong.

"How dare that Witch alter what is already perfect?"

This line is basically Agatha being pissed that the Witch has taken Reader's rage and twisted it into a perversion of itself. Agatha wants the fight. She wants the heat. If she's going to die, she wants it to be at the hands of the woman who fascinates her, not the cold puppet the Witch is playing Reader as.

tl;dr: Agatha is pissed that the Witch is manipulating Reader into acting unlike herself because if she's going to die, she wants it to be at Reader's hands in her full, furious glory.

You make a lot of other REALLY interesting comments that I can't/hesitate to talk about both for plot reasons and for my own reasons as a writer. All I can say is: I try to write as openly as I can and I LOVE a double-meaning, so there are a lot of things in this story that mean one thing now, but will mean so much more later. But I adore where your head is at!!!

This and the original POV post were SO much fun to respond to (and also helped me work out something for ch7!), thank you for sending them in!!! I get so excited seeing you in my notifs! I hope this answered all of your questions and if not, you know where the askbox is! Thank you so much lovely :)<3

[matt-lifesage]

Books I finished in January 2025!

1. One Corpse Too Many (by Ellis Peters)

The second Brother Cadfael book where the 12th-century monk solves a mysterious murder during a brutal civil war.

The first of these books was solid, but the resolution of its mystery left me lukewarm. But this one was great across the board. The cast was great, the mystery was compelling, the resolution was exciting and tense, and I have a crush on Hugh Beringar now! It’s everything I could have wanted from a medieval monk murder mystery story. I’m totally sold on checking out the rest of the series now.

2. On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft (by Stephen King)

One part Stephen King memoir, one part writing advice based on his success and artistic approach.

For a book that King says wasn’t supposed to be autobiographical, those were the best parts. King’s life makes for a good story and he tells it well. The actual writing advice, the meat of the book, is where I’m a bit mixed on. It’s mostly solid, with some that’s valuable as long as you remember it’s coming from this specific author with a specific approach, but occasionally he said stuff that made me think King was a total hack no one should ever listen to. But my own source of inspiration is notably the complete opposite of King’s, so that’s not a surprise lol.

3. Fate/Prototype: Fragments of Sky Silver--Volume 2 (by Hikaru Sakurai)

The second volume of the light novel supplemental spinoff to a fake trailer for a Fate spinoff that doesn’t exist.

It was much better than Volume 1, but I still didn’t care about any of the characters, and even as a super fan of this franchise's brand of bullshit, I can’t get past the premise of it being a spinoff to a hallucinated and less interesting alternative to a story I already like.

4. Absolution (by Jeff VanderMeer)

The fourth Southern Reach Trilogy book.

It’s a neat supplement to some of my all-time favorite books. The characters here were good, but I didn’t vibe with them as much as the OG cast, even if Lowry is *delightfully*’ horrible--one of the most reader-hostile narrators I’ve ever seen, and I kinda adore it. It was a good read, but I don’t expect it to stick with me like the original three books did and still have. It has reminded me to put VanderMeer’s other books on my TBR, though, so I’ll try to get to those sooner rather than later.

5. Wishful Drinking (by Carrie Fisher)

A comedic Carrie Fisher memoir about growing up in and among the acting business.

Short but sweet. You can feel the one-woman stage show origins, and because of that, it didn't go into as much detail as I would like--though that sounds voyeuristic now that I type it out--so it was a bit disposable. It is also painfully a product of the mid-2000s, often making it dated and annoying rather than actually funny.

6. Emma (by Jane Austen)

Emma Woodhouse’s hobby is matchmaking, and surely nothing could possibly go wrong with that.

It was fine. There was stuff I enjoyed, especially the first quarter or so, but the rest of the book tended to drag. I don’t like Emma enough as a character to carry a book this long, plus I didn’t vibe with the resolution. I’m sure someone’s made a decent two-hour film adaptation that cuts all the downtime without losing much.

7. The Faithless (by C.L. Clark)

After liberating her homeland, former soldier Touraine returns to the empire as an ambassador to preserve her country’s newfound freedom.

The award for the first book of 2025 that I've angrily ranted to friends about on Discord goes to...! This one was a slog. I've lost any scrap of goodwill I had for this series after the first book's disappointing ending. I can't even praise the continuation of the leads' relationship because this sequel neglected anything still compelling about them and furthered the insult by replacing once compelling characters with dull incompetence that rendered the story more laughable than dramatic. I am so happy to DNF this series.

8. Murder in the Mews (by Agatha Christie)

A solid Poirot short story anthology. The first story was great. Second boring. Third good. And fourth okay.

9. The Pairing (by Casey McQuiston)

Theo Flowerday’s vacation gets off to a drastic start when they find out the ex-boyfriend they’re not quite over accidentally booked a seat on the same tour.

A cute and sexy romance. The initial hook really gripped me. Then the rest of the first half almost lost me. But the back half got me back and stuck the landing pretty well. The characters and conflicts are a couple tax brackets too high for my taste, so while I’ve enjoyed the two McQuiston books I’ve read, I’m tentatively going to avoid Red, White & Royal Blue for now ‘cause I KNOW that will ramp that issue up by a thousand lol.

10. Someone You Can Build a Nest In (by John Wiswell)

A classic shapeshifting pseudo-cannibalistic puddle of tentacles and gore meets girl story.

Super fun, delightfully gnarly, but also way more wholesome than I expected. The tongue-in-cheek political commentary from Shesheshen could be a bit too blunt, and for an inhuman puddle who doesn’t understand humans she has shockingly potent emotional intelligence. But those are minor nitpicks for an otherwise good read that I recommend.

11. The Daughter of Doctor Moreau (by Silvia Moreno-Garcia)

A retelling of the HG Wells classic.

Peak. Fire. Raw. Brilliant historical science fiction drama. I have nothing but praise. Compelling cast. Great tension. That ending? OOOOOOOOOH *chef kiss* *chef kiss* and another *chef kiss*! If The Seventh Veil of Salome (also great, go read it) didn’t put everything Silvia Moreno-Garcia has written on my TBR, this has cemented it.

12. Bury Your Gays (by Chuck Tingle)

A gay Hollywood writer is being hunted by his own fictional creations.

Really solid queer horror. It was a bit too “say the theme out loud” for my taste, but that’s not much of a criticism since the fighting against being condemned to subtext is kinda essential to the theme, so that gets a pass even if it isn’t my preferred approach.

13. Monk’s-Hood (by Ellis Peters)

Brother Cadfael’s back, and this time he’s solving a poisoning case!

Another banger. The cast was excellent, the pacing and escalating tension made it a breeze to binge through, and the worldbuilding was incredibly immersive. Without spoilers, the absolution scene at the end got me misty-eyed. There’s an excellent sense of compassion in these books often lacking in other mystery series. I’m really excited to keep reading this series.

14. The Colour of Magic (by Terry Pratchett)

The world’s worst wizard must watch over a tourist.

Oh no… the Discworld fans were right… this one’s mid as hell. Kinda contextualizes why they’re all so weird about reading orders, huh? (don’t worry, I read Guards! Guards! years ago, so I know what to expect from later books in the series--part of why even the stuff I liked about this book didn’t do much for me since I knew how much better it will be once I get a couple more books in). There is some good stuff here, but I never cared about the core story, so all I was left with felt like a bunch of hit-or-miss fantasy parody vignettes.

[ragana62]

what has you most excited? and, flip side, what are you writing but you're not too enthused or motivated?

Most excited, tbh kind of Ophiuchus at the moment. It’s a HOTD fic in my Evil Author Day collection this year I fully intend to follow up on even if I’m the only one who likes it, but it’s an idea I’ve loosely had for a while. I’ve posted about it before so I won’t bore with the details unless specifically prompted to do so again, but it’s everything I like in fics I write, all the messy politics and developing relationships and lore building and the like.

It might actually be a tie between that and another of my EAD fics for this year that I’m almost certain I’ll be the only one to read (and have also previously posted about). It’s HP, Amelia Bones centered, and each chapter is tied to a different song from a Paloma Faith album because I think her music sounds like Bond themes, and I wanted to write a spy/mystery type fic. The whole thing is a bit weird, but I fuck with it hard, and I write well to music I think, so it’s got my interest for sure, enough that I’ve actually already loosely plotted out a potential follow up for it after the original 11 chapters are done lol.

Something I’m writing but less enthusiastically? Honestly, I don’t write a lot of things I’m not excited by. Not because people don’t ask me for new chapters or one shots that don’t excite me, but because my one area where I’m actually good at boundaries is just not writing things I’m not excited about. Mostly because I just wind up staring at a blank screen for two hours and hating myself for not being more productive.

I suppose the one fic right now that I’ve been doing that for is probably Honor Amongst Beasts. Not because I’m no longer excited by it (because I am) or because I don’t want to continue (because I do), but because I have a really good idea of what happens in another chapter or two, and it’s already mostly written, and I know where it goes after that. I just need to write the chapter that gets me from where I am now in terms of published story and where I am trying to get to, and that’s proving a bit slower going. It will be done though, because the chapter after is Playing Gods, which I’ve been excited about since I started the fic because it’s been written since I started Turning Points tbh.

[eldritch-elrics]

today (in sh2r) i was just running around between the park & the hospital, because... wow! there is so much to see! most of all, i really loved hearing the idle banter between james and maria. not to mention all the new cutscenes, oh man???

as far as the larger story goes, i think it's really really good to put all this development of james and maria's relationship in here. not just because i love them. also because... she's gonna stop being a companion after the next dungeon, so they've gotta frontload this shit to make sure her (first) death hurts as much as possible!

pacing-wise... very odd that there's still no mention of the hotel. not a fan of that. as i detailed in my last liveblogging post, i really think we should know by now that the hotel is the final destination!

anyway... plenty of good stuff here. some fun references, like maria not-quite-remembering baldwin mansion, or james assuming (seemingly for no reason) that maria doesn't want to go into the bowling alley. i also enjoy james shutting down maria's attempts to ask about mary - "i don't think you're that much alike"... ouch. it's not anything new, but this bit just kind of underscores the fact that his dream babe (sorry) is Not Mary and he probably subconsciously hates himself for this.

i like how the pipe is now required. i missed it in the og so i'm excited about this!

also! oh my god! heaven's night!!!!! i loved everything about this part, holy shit. the way maria turns on the lights & music for him and pretends to give him a little performance?? her mini breakdown about how scared she is? the two of them just sitting and chatting, her telling him that he sounds hopeful rather than crazy? james being obviously uncomfortable with being offered alcohol? (i wonder if they'll make his alcoholism problems as explicit in this version as they are in the og... i hope so.) and then so many other details, like: the posters! ("is that.. you?" "would you like it to be?" - foreshadowing!) the photo implying that the "mysterious photographs" are taken by maria! the ring in the lost and found! the sexy nurse outfit?? what the fuck is this implying????

also, maria's flirtations just keep getting better. like james, she's definitely a different character than she was in the original game, but i'm loving her characterization regardless. even if she is ultimately manipulating james to some extent, i love how genuine and approachable she feels. she's relatably scared and tired! she wants the two of them to have a good relationship! i feel like... even though i love the evil seductress vibe of og maria, and i think it's fascinating in its own right, it was probably a good decision for the remake to lean a little less into that trope? yes, the original game is aware of & playing with the misogyny of the "evil seductress" thing, but it's also cool to see an alternate take building an equally interesting character out from a slightly different angle you know?

anyway. i already knew about this line but it still killed me:

i don't have a strong opinion on the new garden area (moonlight grove), but it does set up a few cool things, such as affirming that maria is In The Know about the general culture of silent hill, plus giving us context about the island where the rebirth ending takes place. so that's neat!

also, uh... foreshadowing. haha.

this is a tiny and petty complaint, but the reason maria gives for staying outside the theater while james goes to meet eddie and laura is way too natural imo. this is not an actual problem, it just (unlike the weird awkward "i hate bowling" line from the og) doesn't add any fuel to my "maria avoids running into other npcs because she doesn't want james to know he's the only one who can see her" headcanon...

i continue to have no strong opinions about eddie or laura either. kinda sad to see eddie's still a bit of a fatphobic stereotype...? we'll see how his later cutscenes go. anyway, movie theater setting was great!

i forget if i mentioned this in the last post but i love how maria reacts to you smashing windows. sorry maria, i love items.

finally: love how sh2r has its own wacky advertisements

[starsscarmyceiling]

Gimme some of that Clone Wars AU pls! Stirring the Sky

Hoooo ohhh man, Abby! The origin story to this one is actually pretty funny…and I know I’ve blathered on to you about my fics…BUT for everyone else…so a few months ago, an anon asked me if I had any sort of fic prompt ideas floating around in my head, which you can find here. And what do I do ofc??? Why, write out 5k worth of prompt ideas because a bitch over here can never stfu. And ONE of those ideas…I honestly got really attached to it and I was like…well oh NO I am going to have to write this, aren’t I?? It’s from the “Canonverse Divergent” section, I thought of this Clone Wars AU, and this is the original prompt I wrote:

“Clone Wars AU where Cal and Jaro are assigned to try and recruit the Nightsisters to try and get the upper hand in the war with Dooku (lol I wouldn’t say exactly a Dark Disciple route but that’s up to you). Merrin is voluntold (the opposite of volunteered) by Mother Talzin to try and become allies with the Jedi (they could have their own shady Nightsister ulterior motive going on as well), and Merrin reluctantly goes with the Jedi. And oooooooOoOooo wow the shenanigans that can ensue from that. (Merrin also has to try really hard not to lose her shit over leaving Dathomir for the first time in her life). I’d imagine a lot of frustrations from both parties. The clones mercilessly make fun of Cal and his Nightsister gf (but they also have to tell him what’s up). He thinks she’s unreasonably obtuse and rude, and she thinks he’s frustratingly smug/arrogant. Merrin could prove to be a definite asset in battle. Cal probably thinks it’s hawt 😳 OH NO SHE’S HOT SEE LOOK HOW WE GOT HERE WE LIKE TO HAVE FUN HERE.

Now suddenly she’s mysterious and complex, and he’s frustrated that he wants to know more. He’s actually the sweetest person she’s ever seen and she’s angry about it. She constantly has to check in with her sisters and it’s getting harder and harder to go behind his back or deny that she maybe might not hate him anymore she maybe even may want to smooch him WOAH who knows. They bond over feeling used in this war. Come on. You got it from here right?”

Soooo, YEAH…I gots a little too overindulgent in my thoughts and started writing THIS…but I am so very excited because it’s just the two of them being endlessly frustrated yet hotted up for each other at all times. All the clones ship it HARD. Merrin starts to grow attached to some of the clones that are very welcoming to her…actually fun fact…if you’ve read my fic “what’s grown between (surgery scars)” when Cal told Merrin about his clone trauma…I literally pulled what he was saying from this WIP…HEH…

ALSO, I honestly just want to live my best life and push forward my personal HC that I have of if Cal were older during order 66 or it never happened, him and Jaro would 100% have Jake and Holt energy from Brooklyn 99 agenda.

And I am so very excited to explore a lot of these themes that I’ve brought into my Merrical writing in a setting like this. Cal contemplating his feelings, his so naturally compassionate and empathetic spirit that wants to take care of everyone else before himself, and then someone like MERRIN steps into his life??? OOF I am gonna have some fun with this and the psychometric Jedi and space witch of it all. GOODNESS I am so excited for it.

AND SO…here is a long ass preview because I honestly didn’t know where to cut it off…Cal is answering a comm from their commander, Zand, on his and Jaro’s ship and well he may have sensed a presence while doing so…😏😏😏

When there was nothing there still, he turned once again to his original direction, but as soon as he did, there was a flash of green light and smoke, and suddenly, there was a figure there before him.

“There is no need to brandish weapons or administer threats Jedi,” she stated with her voice laced in malice, which ironically enough did feel like a bit of a threat.

Cal severely balked at this sudden interaction, “Who are you?”

The woman crossed her arms with still a severe expression on her face, “Does it matter? We are all just—unsettling to you anyway.”

His eyes narrowed as he put the pieces together in his head, “Were you—spying on me?”

Her expression changed to that of incredulity as she raised an eyebrow, “You left the door to your ship open.”

It was a bit shocking, her audacity as he bristled all over again, “Are you seriously blaming me for you trespassing onto my ship and listening in on my private conversation?”

This woman, who Cal only now after processing the last several moments did he start to take in her appearance, did give off such an intense energy in the force. Cal felt her ire, her disdain so much so that it almost made him feel dizzy.

A short breath escaped him as he shut off his lightsaber, and all she did was continue to glare at him. She was short statured with light gray skin and intense brown eyes. Her soft features on her face were adorned with tattoos that lined her forehead, her cheeks. And it was all coming to a head, feeling her emotions, his emotions of frustration, accost, but now he was also flustered, bewildered, and definitely anxious.

He hated to think, though it was sad, but true, that he thought she was astoundingly beautiful.

His mind tried to do a complete turnaround because that was very much besides the point, and he did his best to keep his mental shields up, having no idea what she was capable of as she finally continued to speak.

“Though Mother Talzin invited you here Jedi,” she said again with such derision to her words, “do not hold the false notion that you are in any way welcome.”

Cal almost wanted to laugh at her statement, his own ire stacking up again in his mind, and he actually welcomed it as it was much easier to process in the moment than anything else he was currently grappling with.

An exhale escaped his nostrils harshly as he kept up his glare, “Believe me,” he stated with his own contempt, clipping his lightsaber to his belt again, “I would like to get off this force forsaken planet as soon as possible.”

She tilted her head at him, seeming to descry in her own way, which caused the fringe of her silver blonde hair to slightly cascade into her eyes as they scanned over him. It made him—exceedingly uncomfortable for a multitude of reasons he really couldn’t dwell on at the moment.

“That is at least something we can agree on Jedi,” she uttered in a flatter tone than she had before, but still possessed an air of intolerance.

“I have a name you know. Don’t know how I’d get around the confusion of actually just going by the moniker of Jedi,” he stated in what was a mockery of her sardonic tone of voice.

She stood there still for several moments as she raised an eyebrow at him, which to him translated into some form of her being through with his banthashit.

“Jedi…the Jedi?” The Nightsister questioned with a genuine air of perplexment to her voice.

Honestly, once she said it out loud, Cal really wasn’t sure what he was even trying to accomplish. Was he trying to make a joke? Was he trying to be a smartass? Was he trying to break the tension? If Jaro was asked, he’d probably claim that Cal would try and accomplish all of the above.

“What, are you attempting to be clever or snide?” She asked as she began to take careful steps circumventing him, “Or just insulting? You think you can come to my home and disrespect me in such a way?”

Cal crossed his arms as he scoffed, “You’re the one who snuck onto my ship first, Nightsister.”

If she was going to address him in such a way he’d do it right back. He was feeling that petty.

Though, he very much resented himself when his mind flashed with the title ‘Nightsister, the Nightsister,’ and he had to hold back a stupid smirk.

She was temporarily out of his view, though he still felt her, always felt her as she too laughed humorlessly, “You are extremely full of yourself, aren’t you Jedi?”

The way she said it this time seemed to give off the same amount of snark he was emanating.

Cal waited until she was there in his vision again as he slightly upturned his chin to her.

“I bet you’d like to think so, wouldn’t you? Profile me, put me in a box of whatever your false perceptions of Jedi are,” Cal almost barked at her. Force, he didn’t even remember the last time he’d been so irritated with a person.

“And you are not doing the same to me? Making your own assumptions and insulting something you don’t even understand.”

Another scoff was in his throat, “Yeah, and let’s still not forget how you acquired such information from me.”

Her glare was fierce again as the disparagement was almost palpable on her face now, “I only was scoping out the situation because I have my people’s interest in mind.”

Cal realized he was flexing his arms now as they were still crossed over his chest out of sheer frustration, “You could have just asked me you know; I would have been more than willing to speak with you about any such matters that occur with my order.”

“And how was I to know this? All I have heard about Jedi is that they are liars and selfish thieves!” She exclaimed.

Again. He was taken such aback again at the gull.

“And where in the hell did you hear that? A Separatist the people The Republic is trying to stand against?” He said, but then he already had another retort on his tongue, “And for that matter, we were the ones that were invited here and ever since we arrived, all we have gotten from you is blatant disdain when we hadn’t even done anything!”

“None of us wanted you here!”

“That’s not my problem! Don’t take your misplaced frustration out on me!”

His statement seemed to give her pause, and Cal hadn’t even realized that they’d somehow managed to step closer and closer to one another in this skirmish and were definitely in one another’s personal space.

Kriff, how did I end up here?

Her eyes were narrowed up at him as he still found that anger, but he also cornered something else in them that was not easy to place.

“You should have never come to Dathomir Jedi,” she admonished in a strained tone.

A short sigh fell out of his mouth.

“Cal.”

For the first time, he found actual confusion on her countenance, “What?”

“Cal, my name is Cal Kestis, not Jedi. Again, I don’t go by Jedi the Jedi.”

Honestly, he wasn’t exactly sure why he said it. At this point he recognized they were both being assholes to each other.

Her eyes were all over him again though as she leaned back to cross her arms, “Do you think you are exceedingly hilarious, Cal?”

He didn’t know what it was. The concept of his nomenclature was always simple, straightforward concept in his mind, but there was something in the way that she said it, the timbre of her voice, that drove him insane.

And that sort of insanity seemed to have many faces right now, many of which were irritation.

Still, he crossed his arms all the same, “I am starting up my own comedy tour, actually.”

And never in his life, as he was already trying to convince himself that it wasn’t true, had he ever been so…aroused by the utterance of his own name.

This…he needed to get himself out of this situation now.

Her eyes scanned him again, “I do not find your antics the least bit entertaining.”

“Well, I guess I won’t be reserving the cranky Nightsister a seat, now will I?”

A narrowed gaze in his direction now. And he wasn’t sure how he felt—about being under her scrutiny.

“You are extremely arrogant and insolent,” she declared, her eyes still fierce, “but it is not as if that really matters, Cal.”

He was very much resenting the shiver that was sent down his spine.

SOOO YEH, hope you guys are as excited for this one as I am!!! I literally think these two don't even have the ability to be around one another and NOT be super horni right off the bat for each other haha.

SHENANIGANSSSS

[scaredgirlsilly]

Show us the Homestuck! 👀

ok so i just wrote everything under the cut and its. Alot Of Words HDKAJFKSVJFKD its literally an entire story outline of the entire fan session. i would feel bad but 1. you asked for it 2. you are on anon so no ones even gonna get a notification for this and 3. its my blog and i get to be autistic about my own stories ::P

merp (and anyone else currently reading homestuck really) stop reading here until youve finished homestuck. i dont even know if it spoils anything for you merp but just in case

first things first there are some foundational beliefs and opinions that make my fan session what it is and i feel like i need to say them

the game is an analogy (or allegory or metaphor i never know what is the correct one) for real life. everyone tells you that there is a correct way to go through life but then everything goes to shit and youre off that path before you even had a chance to start. this works with homestuck insanely well and one of the main reasons i connect with it

there is no ideal sburb session. not only have we not seen one and i dont even know if there are any sburb games besides the ones we see and the dancester trolls, but if there actually is an ideal sburb session, it kinda goes in the face of it being an alagory for life and how it never goes how you expect it to go

i will add a bunch of stuff outside of what we see in homestuck and some of it may contradict what is stated in homestuck, especially when it comes to the rules of sburb. i dont think the exact rules of sburb matter as much as what sburb as a concept really is, which is a nigh-omnipotent and omnipresent force that makes kids go through trauma to give them a "character" arc. it is a story generator so that the next universe can have heroes, while weeding out those too weak to even get to the part where they make a new universe. this is fucked up and bad and kinda evil and i really wish homestuck focused more on how fucking crazy evil sburb was but it got caught up in a bunch of other shit so thats why i made this

also this is gonna be so fuckin long even if i try to summarize it as much as possible cause its pretty much the entire story of the fan session, but you are on anon so i dont care that im infodumping right now cause no ones gonna read this far

anyways. ONTO THE ACTUAL FANSESSION

it starts put in 2015, after a mysterious delay of the sburb launch back in 2009. after so long, it is finally coming out!!

we follow 6 kids, all around the age of 19 (they would have been 13 if sburb came out when it was originally supposed to back in 2009)

Anna (she/her), a no nonsense, kinda autistic tabletop wargamer. Think the vibes of kanaya but the convictions of vriska. if she believes she knows whats best, only god can stop her from doing it. very egalitarian, very "ends justify the means" but she isnt like. also kinda intense but she knows that so she knows to tone it down when the moment calls for it

Noah (he/they), an excitable and cripplingly bisexual graffiti artist, his friends mean the world to him and he would do anything for them. a bit of anarchist leanings, but he hasnt really delved into theory much cause hes got other stuff to worry about. extremely outgoing and could probably talk to anyone. Anna and Noah have been kinda flirty/close for a while now and it kinda makes the others sick

Drew (he/him), an adorable farm hand who looks up to those western lone wolf hero types in movies and tries to emulate that, but is too much of a pure soul to ever be mean, so he just kinda acts weird sometimes. Wears a lil cowboy hat and vest and talks and types in a weird southern accent. no one knows if its fake or not

Kate (she/they), a bubbly gymnist who loves talking a bit too much. shes really only doing all this cause her friends are begging her to (and something about the end of the world?? she doesnt really know milo can say some wild stuff sometimes :P )

speaking of, Milo (they/them), an audiophile who has stopped talking as much, kinda ever since the original beta got delayed. everyone else worries about them but they insist they are fine whenever pressed. has been begging everyone to get the game since it was announced, which has been the most hes talked in the group in a long while

and finally, Skye (she/her), a quiet girl who likes nature. usually lurks, but will join the group calls just to be quiet during them. also not as enthused about the game as the others but hey, its better than anything shes got goin on.

gonna try to speed up with the rest of this but you need to know about them cause its like mainly character driven

first act is them getting all the stuff ready, connecting to each other, normal act 1 highjinks. the main thing is when it gets to milo (who actually is last in the order to get revealed idk why i didnt right it like that. the order is anna, noah, kate, drew, skye, milo) where it shows milo in his house, before it fades away and reveals they are in a dream bubble wearing an heir of doom godhood. they are also 13, where everyone else is 19.

the first act culminates in a flash (no clue if i could actually do it but in my head its a dope ass flash set to Planet Telex by Radiohead) where everyone enteres the game at the same time. Milo, being in a dreambubble, asks kate to set up a second computer for them so they can actually play. She does, and milo jumps on the meteor heading for Kates house before it hits the portal, and when it ends up above kates house, they fly down, watch kate enter the game, and really quickly set up their connections, finish the loop, and enter the game just in time. the flash ends with shots of their lands which i have not figured out jdkskfhahf

act 2 is just sburb hijinks. they hang out, grow closer, talk alot cause yk its homestuck jfkshdk. the main developments are noah and anna growing even closer with a cute lil sparring match before ending by planning a date, skye and kate growing closer and skye getting a bit of a crush, and drew and milo grow closer (but not romantically cause milos 13) because milo is a fuckin ghost and has been isolating themself from the group and drew has taken note and pretty much been like "whatever your goin through, ill be there for you"

there are other scenes i just havent written them/thought them out yet

this all takes place over like a few weeks btw

then its one of the kids' birthdays!! they are all together for the first time in a little bit, and one of them (probably anna) asks what the deal with milo is. after some hesitation he tells them this

milo is from an alternate timeline where they all entered the game in 2009 and everyone died. turns out it was a doomed session. before milo dies, being the last kid alive, they go to talk to their denizen. the denizen tells them that they were not supposed to play the game. the main heroes of earth (i forgot what they were called i know they were called something like the alpha kids were the nobles but i forgot what the beta kids were called anyways its the beta kids) were supposed to be the only ones to play, and because so many people are playing the game, its messing with skaia and causing a ton of glitches to happen in the beta kids' game. but, like everyone else, milo has a choice. let this timeline fade, allowing skaia to focus solely on just the beta kids, but they will not be able to live in the dream bubbles. Or, create an offshoot timeline, leave the beta kids to die in their horribly glitched session, and have another chance as the main heroes of that timelines earth, knowing that success is still not a certainty. Milo, being a 13 y/o who misses their friends and doesnt give a fuck about a bunch of "heroes" chooses the second option. this causes the offshoot timeline where sburb is delayed, and milo has to sit in the dream bubbles until the game eventually releases. oh uh that also killed milo like to get them in a dream bubble their denizen just fuckin killed them like falling fuckin rock just instant death.

the others are horrified to hear that they all died and milo is the only one who survived (but didnt actually survive, they just can do alot more as a ghost cause they are an heir of doom) and it starts to set in the actual stakes of the game

anna pulls milo aside after the party (which has supremely fucked vibes after milos revelation) to ask them more about the game. after hearing milos story, it only invigorated her more to figure out exactly how to get them through the game. noah tags along cause hes bored and anna and noah havent left each others side in weeks.

milo is answering annas questions about the game to the best of their ability, but the topic of the alpha timeline pops up. noah asks further and milo obliges (same stuff we know, but they word it slightly wrong cause they dont know the full picture). milo days that the alpha timeline is, to their limited knowledge, the correct timeline that leads to a successful end of the game, and every other timeline is a dead timeline that skaia prunes to keep focused on the correct timeline. noah asks what they mean by "prunes" the other timelines, and milo says that everyone is killed in them. noah then asks why everyone died in milos session and if they are from one of those dead timelines, and if so, what happened to the correct timeline. milo says that the way anna explained it before she died in milos session (who was a time player in milos session but aspect is based on personality so she might not be anymore), was that some sessions dont have a correct timeline, so every timeline eventually gets pruned, and there isnt any way to fix it. noah gets frustrated, before getting up to leave, anna asking if they are ok, and noah saying hes fine he just needs some air. anna is worried, but continues to ask milo about the game

noah then sulks off and talks to himself about how fucked up that is, and kinda has a panic attack about what if they are in a doomed timeline now without even knowing. he then sets off to find out if they can escape a doomed timeline, and if not, if they can escape the game entirely.

also uhhhh i forgot to say this before but the prospit dreamers are noah, drew, and kate. and the derse dreamers are anna, milo, and skye

we then get a batch of a few standalone relationship moments, just some moments of them hanging out like before the party but this time their is a notable air of urgency to what they are doing. i havent really written them yet but noah and anna have a bit of an argument, because anna, while still agreeing that sburb is super fucked up, sees the fucked up stuff sburb does as motivation to get through the game as fast as possible, while noah sees it as reason to try and escape before they get killed for no reason with no way to stop it. this rift starts to spread to the others before it culminates in one last conversation between noah and anna

noah says that he is gonna leave. hes figured out a way that might work. turns out the universe is just a huge bubble that you can leave. anna laughs at that, asking if he really thinks that is gonna work. noah gets exasperated, saying he doesnt really know but he has to try. its better than sitting around and waiting to die. anna snaps back saying that that isnt what they are doing. they dont have any evidence to believe they are in a doomed timeline, and in fact noah leaving might be the action that dooms everyone. noah says that he has to leave, he says sorry, walks closer for one last embrace from anna, but she denies it and and says "if you are really going to do this, then im going to stop you. i hope you see the error of your ways before it comes to that" and she walks off

as this is happening, milo and drew find drews quest bed. drew says that noah has already talked to him about leaving and is telling milo. drew says he may leave, because all this pressure to do what sburb wants is kinda getting to him. milo goes quiet, before saying "i get it, but. please dont. i dont want what i did to be in vain". drew says that milo can join them!! but milo shakes his head, saying they have sacrificed too much already, before saying "well... heres your quest bed" and turning around before drew could see the tears in their eyes.

"h- how am i s'posed ro use this dang thing?" says drew

milo turns to drew with tears in his eyes, but a small playful smile creeps onto his face, before saying "you kill yourself on it. duh" and flying off

from another spot on the planet, various bugs are flying around, and in the distance a huge yellow beam erupts into the sky, showing a winged symbol in the air

The Knight of Hope has ascended

(they didnt have yellow text thats the best i got)

Noah to kate and skye, who are having a little picnic, but arent talking much as they were distracted by the beam in the sky (drew god tiering)

Noah breaks it down for them and asks them to go, and kate says that she will, but skye says she wont. she says that that is a huge decision to make without much proof, and she cant with good conscience leave anna behind. shes the space player, and she is needed to make the genesis frog. if she leaves, it really will be a dead timeline no matter what. noah says he understands, gives her a big hug, and starts to leave. Kate is crying as skye turns to her and apologizes. kate grabs her and kisses her, tears welling in both of their eyes, before saying that she wishs she could stay, and shes sorry for leaving, and if they find each other again, she will never leave her side. noah calls after kate, but she asks for just one more moment, and noah says of course before leaving to talk with drew and get his answer and milos answer

the people who are ready to leave are noah, drew, and kate

the people staying behind are anna, milo, and skye

i am not entirely happy with kate and drews motovations i feel its a little weak but also i havent even started writing it so fuck you

noah, now dead set on leaving, goes to meet with anna one final time. he tells her whos going with him, and that she can come with him too, because if she decides to leave, the others will probably join her. she says that that is exactly why she has to stay. someone has to do the work, and after half of the group leaves, shes the only one that can get any results. noah remarks on how distant shes acting, and she says that he can fix that by not leaving. he says he cant do that, and anna says "i knew you would say that" before pulling out her rapier and attacking

(sorry i forgot to do their weapons uhhhh the ones i know so far are drew who has a revolver, anna who has a rapier, and noah who has a firemans axe)

act 2 concludes with another flash, this time set to Mood Swings by Human People. They have a hard fight, mirroring their sparring match from early act 2, but this time anna isnt holding back. she slices noah up and gets him to a pretty bad spot before it cuts to drew. drew sees himself and a beat to shit noah pop out of nowhere with the tume turn tables, drew from the future gives current drew a copy of the turntables (specifically not to make a loop with them) and tells him to go save noah. drew shows up just in time to see anna about to make the killing blow on noah, and drew, tears welling in his eyes, says sorry and pulls out his revolver and shoots anna in the head. he then grabs noah, uses the turn tables to go back, and the flash fades as we see anna bleeding out on the floor, as milo and skye get to her right at the end of the flash

act 3 starts with drew taking noah to his quest bed, and lying him on there. noah then ascends

The Prince of Blood has ascended.

simultaneously, skye and milo brought anna to her quest bed, where she ascends as well.

The Thief of Mind has ascended.

Noah and drew go to meet up with kate at her quest bed, as she goes to god tier. she is the last of the people who are going to leave, and they need every advantage they can get

(something) of Breath has ascended.

(idk what class shed be hfkshdjd sorry)

They then get to the edge of the session, giving it one last look, before leaving.

ok so uhhhh the rest i have no clue jfkshdjs except for literally the last flash. like everything between now and the end (pretty much the entirety of act 3) i have no clue. but on annas side, she gets alot more controlling and aggressive, eventually stooping to using her thief of mind powers to mind control them (taking their mind) into doing what she wants. shit gets mad fucked up in there

i literally hsve no clue what noah and the gang do. there is a bit of a romance between drew and noah just cause i really want them to fuck nasty, but nothing serious comes of it and they are both chill with it. its kinda like a summer fling but they are traveling through the very edges of paradox space. probably like hiding from the horror terrors?? idk i have a theory that the horror terrors are all like players that have gonethrough the ultimate self shit, so maybe they go to talk to the horrorterrors and its like a physical manifestation of like a forum board?? idk that could be neat

noahs team and annas team still keep in contact somewhat, but not much. noah keeps trying to contact anna, but after she doesnt respond for a bit and noah keeps trying, she blocks him.

eventually noah and the gang figure out a way to be safe outside of the control of skaia and sburb, and he says that if the others want, noah and them can pretty much head back to get them. milo and skye agree because...

eventually, anna finds out that the session was doomed from the start and she is obviously devastated by the knews, cause that means that all of the bad shit she did, all of the friends shes lost, were all for nothing. act 3 ends on that and act 4 is just one last flash

the flash is set to Souk Eye by Gorillaz, and it starts with skye and milo grabbing a destraught anna who is just lying on the ground crying. they drag her to where noah said to meet up with them, and anna locks eyes with noah. at first she averts her gaze, but all she sees is the session, now in ruin as the war on skaia is raging on with the prospitans losing badly, and several of the planets overrun with various monsters. the session is in ruin. she looks back to meet noahs gaze, assuming she will see nothing but malice, but he just smiles and floats towards her.

drew flies into milo, giving them a huge bear hug and saying that he really missed them. kate tackles skye with kisses, joking about how he had to hear drew and noah fuck way more than she would have wanted for one life, and noah puts hid hand on annas cheek, before she kisses him like super hard like one of those kisses where they grab the others face and kiss them like its the last thing they will ever do, and they just sit like that. finally reunited, the session in ruins behind them, but they have each other, so its ok. anna breaks free of the kiss, and they all leave the session, and set off for a life beyond sburb.

the end.

uhhhh yeah idk if thats what you expected like a whole fuckin story HDKAKFLHA but. yeah thats what i had written for my fan session. im not gonna get into the themes and stuff cause ive already written so fucking much 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 but yeah. thats ir ^u^

[totallyhussein-blog]

Exploring the global landscape and the different ways to be American

In 2003, when Kathy Saade Kenny, the granddaughter of Palestinian immigrants, stumbled upon a mysterious cache of letters stored in an old See’s candy box tucked away in the back of a closet in her mother’s Los Angeles home, she was intrigued.

As Susan Bell explains, inside the box were more than 130 letters written by her grandmother, Katrina Sa’ade. A successful businesswoman, Sa’ade had migrated to California from Palestine, via Mexico.

Suspecting the letters could provide a treasure trove of information about her family history, Kenny was excited to read them. However, as a third-generation immigrant, she didn’t possess the necessary key to unlock their secrets: The letters were written in Arabic.

Sarah Gualtieri describes this scene in her book Arab Routes: Pathways to Syrian California (Stanford University Press, 2019), which explores how an Arab American community came into being in Southern California. In doing so, Gualtieri, associate professor of American studies and ethnicity, history and Middle East studies at USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, re-inscribes Arabs into California history.

“Traditionally, California history hasn’t done a very good job of recognizing the deep roots of the Arab community here in the state,” Gualtieri says. “My book also pushes against this idea that circulates very widely in the media that Arabs are new immigrants, and that they are always somehow more Middle Eastern than they are American.”

Enlisting the help of a Palestinian historian and translator, Kenny embarked on a journey to unlock the secrets of her grandmother’s past. The translated letters revealed a complicated divorce case between her grandmother and her then-husband — a case that took her grandmother back and forth to Palestine.

“Kathy comes to understand her grandmother’s journey as a migrant, as a woman who came from Palestine to California through this unfolding mystery that’s revealed through her letters,” Gualtieri says. “Not only does Kathy discover an untold family drama, she starts to understand this whole dimension of her life in a new way. This helps her connect to her sense of Arabness and refine her identity as an Arab American.”

Gualtieri says the Arab American community often works to reconstruct their connection to their Middle Eastern roots. Many of those she interviewed during her research tended to mute their identity as Arab Americans — often, she says, because they came of age in the 1950s and ’60s, when, just as now, there was considerable hostility toward Arab countries.

The Latin American connection

The realization that people’s origins are frequently much more complex than they may appear on the surface is a key theme that runs through Gualtieri’s research. We tend to think of immigration as a unilinear journey, she argues, and don’t pay enough attention to the important role that’s played in shaping immigrants’ identities by the places where they live and spend time along the way.

Since the late 19th century, Syrian and Lebanese migration, in particular, to Southern California has been intimately connected to and through Latin America, and especially Mexico.

“This Latin American dimension of the Arab history in Southern California is not well known, and I wanted to tell that story,” Gualtieri said. “My book looks at what I call ‘other pathways’ to the U.S., and specifically to California, in particular at this southern route that so many Arabic-speaking migrants took to come to L.A.”

Gualtieri’s research goes beyond the Ellis Island stereotypes to uncover the stories of this Syrian American community, one both Arabized and Latinized, revealing important cross-border and multiethnic solidarities in Syrian California.

Sleepy Lagoon murder

Among them, she reveals the Syrian interests in the defense of the Mexican American teens charged in the 1942 Sleepy Lagoon murder.

Twenty-two alleged members of L.A.’s 38th Street Gang were accused of the murder of another Mexican American youth, José Díaz, who had been found unconscious and dying near a Commerce, California, reservoir.

Nicknamed “Sleepy Lagoon,” the reservoir was a popular swimming spot for Mexican Americans denied entrance to segregated pools. Seventeen defendants eventually went to court as the largest mass trial in California history took place in an atmosphere of intense prejudice and racial discrimination.

This scene on the cover of Sarah Gualtieri’s latest book showing acrobats performing at Muscle Beach near Santa Monica, California, is set against the backdrop of a Syrian American cafe.

Gualtieri tells the story of what became an infamous miscarriage of justice through the lens of one of the lead defense lawyers in the case, a Syrian American named George Shibley.

“When we understand this celebrated but difficult trial in California history through the eyes of a Syrian American lawyer, we can see the kinds of solidarities that emerged between Arab Americans and Mexican Americans in Los Angeles at that time,” Gualtieri says. “Rather than telling this story through the lens of conflict, we can shift to understanding it as a fascinating story about solidarity and the potential for interethnic coalition building.”

Different ways to be American

At a period in history when we are facing increased Islamophobia, and increased hostility to immigrants, Gualtieri says she would like people to take away the idea that there are different ways to be American.

“Something that’s always troubled me as a scholar in this field is the way in which Arabs are often seen as being unAmerican. Too often we think of Arabic-speaking migrants and their children as being somehow more connected to the region of origin than they are to the region of settlement,” Gualtieri says.

“This book offers a rich history of how integrated Arabs are into the Southern California fabric.”

The striking cover of Gualtieri’s book is a perfect illustration of this. It shows acrobats performing at the celebrated Muscle Beach in Santa Monica, California, in the 1940s. It’s an iconic Southern California scene and the backdrop is Khoury’s — a Syrian American café.

“I like that idea of thinking about the presence of an Arab cafe owner in such an iconic story of California leisure,” Gualtieri says. “I want readers to obviously be struck by the tumblers, but also to look beyond them and to see another layer — this Syrian American café where people probably went to buy a soda while they watched the acrobatics.”