#arkons thoughts

[everyfandomever]

Being awake at 1 am never leads to good decisions

[asheepinhellsclothing]

Trading Favors

Continued from here with @singulos

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“I just have too many of these from my digging and expanding my cave. You can have more if you so wish.” Arkon set the gemstones into their makeshift pouch, not really understanding their excitement with the stones. He knew humans were also obsessive about it, but mostly for what they called merchants. Some sort of Mermaid variant?

Soris was quick to close his skirts around the gems, lest his new benefactor decide to rescind his offer. Greed was no his particular circle, but it was a tendency all imps carried. And it would be a shame for such beautiful things to sit under a rock forever.

His eyes light up as Arkon offered even more, ears swiveling forward. "Are you certain?" He asked in disbelief. "It almost doesn't seem fair..."

[hazard-15]

Ria and Leta are just precious whenever I see them. I just needed to tell ya. :)

I have a question for the two.

Do they ever wish they could go back and change their decisions?

@milolov3nutella Aaaaa Ria and Leta are gonna get all flustered with being called precious 🥺🥺🥺💖💖💖💖 But let’s answer that question shall we?

Now, this was a bit of a toughie only cuz I can see both girls having that mindset of it’s in the past and there’s not much they could do to change it. BUT! I do think there would be some choices they would probably do differently if they had the chance.

For Leta, I think one of the biggest decisions she would go back and change would be not trying her hardest to stay in touch with her sister, Mercy, as much. Mercy left her with their abusive father and Leta held a lot of resentment towards her for it. It wasn’t until they had a talk about it when she was older that both sisters shared their regrets and Mercy telling Leta that she was so sorry for not being a better sister to Leta that the latter let go of some of that resentment. Hoping that now they could be better and repair their sisterhood but ofc, we know that Mercy died not too long afterwards. Leaving Leta with so much guilt.

Ria, I think, would want to change her decision of not leaving her abusive father sooner. She'd also regret not having the confidence to confide in her brother as much as she should have.

[ranger-kellyn]

I feel you on the games. I haven't been able to play BOTW since AOC came out. The loneliness and the ruin and desolation just hit so much harder once I saw what Hyrule looked like when it was thriving. And now every time I see the last cutscene with the ghosts looking down on Link and Zelda and just vanishing before the two turned around to see them... I just get this awful ache in my chest.

genuinely, it's kind of incredible that basically just a spin-off/au game can add so much to the original game.

i just finished freeing ruta, and mipha's ghost was enough to make me feel the same way, so i can only imagine how i'm going to feel during that cutscene as well ;~;

i never played the original hyrule warriors but i really do believe age of calamity was a brilliant

[livefromthedas]

Surviving Purely Out Of Spite

By ClickClickBoom

Chapter 5: A Murder of Crows in Minrathos

(Also located here on AAO3)

Summary:

A trip to Minrathos gets weird in a way that only an assassin and his accidental demon could manage.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Rook had been in for one culture shock after the next since Varric had taken her under his wing, although it wasn’t entirely fair to have called her “sheltered.” She’d grown up around plenty of people, after all - from various Dalish clans, to city elves looking for better lives, to the motley array of people that made up the Veil Jumpers. And as someone to whom misadventures seemed to find a natural gravitational pull, she was certainly no stranger to trouble. Her lack of exposure to big, bustling cities and the wide array of denizens they housed came down more to the fact that, born and raised among the autumn-hewn forests of Arlathan, big cities had just never swayed her interest.

She’d been managing to find quite enough trouble sussing out ancient elven artifacts with the Veil Jumpers in recent years; Streets teaming with people were the furthest thing from her mind. Especially big cities that smacked of misery around every corner.

Minrathos, in which case… was an acquired taste. Or at least, that was Rook’s running theory.

Whereas Treviso and its cafes, elegant architecture, enchanting night markets and sweepingly romantic culture stole her heart from the first time she’d step foot in the city, Minrathos carried with it the suffocating and relentless weight of fear. The deep shadows cast by brutalist buildings built on the bones of ancient elven cities were outmatched in their threat of despotism only by the massive halfmoon of stone and steel that was the Arkon’s Palace, hovering menacingly overhead. Watching its population’s every move.

It was just unsettling as hell.

In spite of Neve Gallus’s heartfelt love for Docktown and its people, Rook struggled to see past muddy streets that, to her eye, seemed to bear witness to every manner of human suffering she could think of - and little else, aside from the occasional meager scrap of hope for better days.

And that was before a dragon attack had given the Venatori the foothold in the city that the organization had been looking for for decades.

Now, the stench of refuse and fish mingled with death. Gallows had been erected throughout the city, with dozens of Shadow Dragons and their cohorts left swinging to putrify in the rain.

A miserable place made more miserable.

But it’s at least a misery with a functional army, Rook thought.

As much as its worsening was devastating to witness, Rook did not regret her decision to beeline for Treviso and leave Minrathos to fend for itself when the Evanuris’ vicious pair of dragons had descended upon both cities at once.

Antiva, she knew, had grown a bit too dependent on its Crows - for good reason, perhaps. The organization had hands in every aspect of the country’s well being imaginable. They seemed to control every shadow and whisper in Antiva, with patriotic aplomb. Hell, even the king’s own bastard son was Fifth Talon - The fact that the Crows were looked to by the crown to keep its line of defense in order - it made sense. Usually.

But for all of its competency in killing from the shadows, Rook’s gut had insisted that leaving a league of assassins as a city’s only protection between the blight and the dragon that wielded it was the one call she couldn’t bring herself to make.

Minrathos had its bold faced brutality well in place - the same army that kept its citizens so neatly under their thumb, publicly and proudly, under the eyes of the Maker and all else… surely they could handle a dragon? A league of assassins more prone to the slip of poison into an unsuspecting drink, or a dagger between just the right ribs, not so much.

The decision had rung true enough. Treviso had since proven it still stood strong. The Crows still maintained enough footing to turn their attention back to their ongoing “Qunari Problem.”

And, well. Minrathos was still Minrathos.

Just… corpsier.

The dull clang of a few coppers rattled into a tin plate. Rook always seemed to have a little pouch of coin stashed on her person for exactly this purpose, despite having very little means herself. There was something about the misery of having to beg for one’s next meal that forced every bone in her body to stop and try to help, passing along whatever pittance to the city’s homeless she could manage.

Lucanis stood close by, watching the little elf try and do so much with so little, as seemed to be her way. He sighed then, stepping in beside Rook, and handed the old woman at their feet a handful of sovereigns.

“Go,” he told the beggar quietly, “Get out of the rain.”

The weary-eyed old crone looked startled by the generosity, but was quick to obey. She made her way, sway-backed and knob-kneed, towards shelter.

“Kind of feels like an impossible task, helping around here,” Bellara noted sadly.

“It is,” Lucanis agreed. He reached for Rook’s hand when she seemed to wilt a bit at the truth of it, “But it is still good to try. Come on.”

They rounded the corner to find the Cobbled Swan beset by Crows.

“Ballsy,” Rook noted.

Tevinter guardsmen flanked the pub’s entrance, standing stoically, gold armor glistening - as had been the norm since the Venatori’s siege weeks prior. But they were outnumbered three to one by slim, impeccably dressed Antivans, whose faces were obscured by beaked masks.

“We’re meeting two Talons in the heart of a Venatori occupation,” Lucanis mused, “Not ballsy. Just smart.”

Talons, it seemed, did not make it a habit of traveling outside of Antiva empty-handed.

Assassins, bodyguards, servants - all from houses Cantori and De Riva, mingled amongst the Cobbled Swan’s usual patrons as though they owned the place. They earned more than their fair share of shifty side-eyes and nervous chatter from the working-class Vints around them - and it was little wonder why. Even the Talons’ hired help seemed to carry with them the air of shadows and hidden daggers, able to spill blood at a moment’s behest. The dreary pub regulars did their best to give the lot a wide berth.

“They’re with me,” Lucanis said as a pair of particularly broad masked bodyguards stepped in to block his path toward the far end of the space. There, the largest knot of Crows had gathered, and the patrons knew to steer clear.

“Lose the spare,” One bodyguard replied.

Rook was glancing back over her shoulder within moments, watching two more Crows sweep in to usher Bellara away. Within a breath, a particularly handsome member of House De Riva was offering her a drink, and whispering something that had her blushing to the tips of her ears.

“Don’t worry,” Lucanis teased in a hushed tone, “Crows are nothing if not excellent hosts.” A hand at the small of her back kept Rook protectively close all the while.

As Rook had learned quickly from her time in Treviso, Antivan Crows all seemed to come in various shades of uncomfortably attractive. There were few fairer examples of this than their Fifth and Seventh Talons.

Under the watchful eye of yet more bodyguards, Andarateia Cantori and Viago De Riva caught sight of their guests' arrival no sooner had Rook managed to spot them in the crowd.

Both painfully fit and equally gorgeous, their contentious, on-again off-again romance also always assured that the energy crackling around the two Talons remained so charged and unsubtle in its sexual tension that it seemed to fill the room wherever they shared a space. The Cobbled Swan’s swarthy, dimly lit innards proved no more immune to this effect.

“You had word on Illario?” Rook asked as said Talons stood to greet them.

“Possibly,” Viago replied.

Rook cringed. She could feel Lucanis immediately tense at her side.

“What do you mean ‘Possibly’? You either have something, or you don’t,” He bit.

“It’s Catarina,” Teia was quick to supply.

Viago sighed, “We don’t know that for certain.”

“Tell me,” Lucanis pushed.

“I’ve got eyes on Villa Dellamorte,” Viago said, “One of them brought back one of Caterina’s rings.”

Rook and Lucanis shared baffled glances.

“It had been thrown out with the trash. Illario would never do that,” explained Teia, “He would at least pawn it somewhere.”

“She’s…” Rook was quick to put pieces together, “You think she’s alive. That she parted with that ring as a clue.”

Teia had placed a beautifully intricate ring into Dellamorte’s gloved palm - Opal, with patina’d bronze and gold.

Lucanis had gone shades paler. His dark eyes raced with thoughts, “She gave that ring to my mother.” At Rook’s questioning glance, he added, temple twitching, “It was a mark of her favor. House Valardo killed my parents and sent it back to Caterina to demand she surrender the seat of First Talon.”

“Shit,” Rook cringed, the layers of pain the man seemed to have experienced growing more complicated by the moment. The coil of unease in her chest was quickly set aside, however, as a new truth seemed to spread across Lucanis’s features.

“She’s alive,” he managed, “Illario, you idiot.”

“We need more eyes on the villa to say for certain,” Viago said.

“Illario would tear the city apart searching, if he’d lost this,” Lucanis insisted. He stowed the ring protectively into one of countless pockets in his coat, before the knot in his brow gave way to his own deep seated anxiety. “How could she be alive? What is he thinking? How am I supposed to deal with this?”

“We need to plan a rescue!” Teia said. The urgency in her voice was unsurprising - she seemed to have a degree of softness for the First Talon that even her own grandsons lacked, “The sooner we get Caterina out of there, the better.”

Viago quickly cautioned, “It could be a trap. We have to deal with Illario first.”

“He could still kill her if we move against him,” Lucanis fret, “Maker knows what’s in his head.”

“Vi,” Teia scoffed at her sometimes-lover, “You’re too pessimistic for your own good. Reason with him, Lucanis!”

Lucanis, however, was spiraling.

“I thought I had a clear shot at my target. What if I go after him and get Caterina killed?”

Rook reached to offer a steadying touch - a hand to grace his forearm, but immediately froze.

Everything froze. The bustling pub patrons. Teia and Viago and their intensely furrowed brows. Even the flicker of candle flames nearby - All frozen as though caught up in one of Neve’s time-slowing spells.

All save for the searing flash of violet light that overtook Lucanis’s eyes.

“Help. Us.”

… What in the fresh hell?

Rook swallowed hard, choking back a knot of panic. How had Spite managed this? It was an unsettling new trick.

Though, to be fair, Rook reasoned, a deep breath forcing nerves into a something a hair closer to calm - She was a Veil Jumper. She’d seen weirder. Or at least comparable shades of weird.

And she had made a promise. To Spite. To them both.

“We need to work on your timing, vehnan,” She said.

“I can’t get him out!” Spite insisted, as though their conversation the night previous had never skipped a beat, “We’re trapped.”

Rook could seldom recall feeling more unsure of a situation. Still, as was so often the case, stubbornness won out, “All right, Spite. What can I do?”

“Come,” he said simply, and stepped towards Rook in a flash of light.

Notes:

I was going to try and power through the whole Inner Demons stint at once, but not only would that make for a super long chapter, I think cutting it here will assure we’re getting original story content in each chapter (because let’s be real, there’s only so much interest in rehashing what already exists in the game) Thanks for rolling with it, and for reading, lovelies! You comments have been bringing me so much joy ♥️

[kimberlyannharts]

Still believe in the best (imo)ending for Kiya: Blue leader of the Omegas, Journey lives and is Gold, Kevor is red (it literally matches his personality WHY did they make Trini Red) and Yale is Yellow I guess? It kinda makes sense

It is kinda funny how Trini getting Red really wasn't....celebrated the way they clearly thought it would be. Trini becoming leader was very heavily foreshadowed through the Omega storylines, so I don't think THAT was a surprise to anybody, but I guess not actually seeing the power transition made that aspect of her promotion feel arbitrary rather than simply giving Harturian Kid the morpher that was suddenly free to use and Trini becoming a Yellow leader. It would be like if Ari had Red powers next time we saw the Solars because she needs Red to be considered leader of their team.

But I think this is what I'd do if I had complete freedom, starting with the Charge to 100 era -

= Journey does the whole thing with Gold and lives, while Spa'ark passes on.

= Jason, Zack, and Trini ALL retire. Arkon gets Yellow and Harturian Kid gets Black. No one gets Red because with the connection to Spa'ark via Jason's possession, no one knows if those powers are safe to use.

= Through a narrative in Darkest Hour that discusses her trauma and redeems her Kiya goes from Drakkon Ranger Blue to Omega Red.

= at the end of Darkest Hour Arkon either retires or dies (leaning toward dies since he feels like a character that would get the chopping block if the narrative needed a death that would feel sad, but not like a huge loss) and the Yellow morpher goes to Raegyn, to pay off how she got her own hardcover exclusive story for some reason.

So at the end of the series the New Omegas are Red Kiya, Yellow Raegyn, Black Kevor, Blue Yale, and Gold Journey. I would love for Kiya to get Blue back but I really can't think of a way for that to happen without feeling clunky (and just realistically, BOOM loves Yale and would never take their powers away, even for other powers lol)

[sentient-marshmallow-woman]

I've been hearing stuff about personal Gods. it made me remember mine.

he's just a guy I guess. has the power to shape universes into being, but mostly just follows their stories. like me. a God of imagination. a God of the incredible, of the unproven, of the unknown that drives the desire to achieve progress.

and I realise, Arkon would have fucking killed himself seeing the state of the USA. he would be appalled at the blatant disregard for their own constitution (they elected an Insurrectionist, which is against their constitutional laws). he would fume at the sight of Nazi scum acting like Nazism is okay just because Trump won. he would see red from the denial of obvious truth that occurs when people deny Elon Musk having done the Seig Heil.

but he would be happy for the people who manage to help others. the story writers, the dreamers, the vengeful saviours. the ones who weaponize the hate they are targeted with and reverse that unto those who would ruin the progress humanity has made.

i think he would turn his back, but keep a single shred of thought for us. because even a God of imagination isn't incapable of being logical. Arkon is hoping. hoping and praying to his Gods that we return to the path of progress. please, everyone, don't let this orange fuck take the world with him. fight against the Nazis rising from the slime of the internet. mass report them. call them out for everything they do that deserves it. never let them know piece. it's what I ask of you.

[x-ref]

Uncanny X-Men Giant-Size Annual #9 by Chris Claremont and Art Adams.

Off to Asgard to save the New Mutants. I think these annuals were my first introduction to the New Mutants? My friend had a trade that collected all of the X-Men in Asgard stuff -- Alpha Flight, New Mutants, annuals, maybe something else. Proper summer reading.

Anyway, I've always found the secret identity stories to be frustrating -- and Rachel really suffers from keeping her past a secret from Cyclops. She doesn't want to hurt the guy but she also needs to let herself heal. At the same time -- c'mon, Scott. Figure it out. You've been wondering why Rachel is so interested in you -- and you know she's from a super-shitty future. Now she's dressed like Phoenix and told you to mind your own business? Aren't you the guy with the magic space pirate for a dad? Weird shit happens. C'mon.

And Kitty, "Oh Ray, why are you making Scott feel bad about his dead girlfriend in front of his pregnant wife?" One thing I always liked about Kitty, though, is she's allowed to have bad/naive takes because she often learns from them and changes her opinion -- like with accepting Storm's changes. Punk rock storm was a protective shell Ororo created when she lost her powers to help feel safe, which Kitty eventually understood. Is Rachel trying to hurt Scott? It's not about Scott!

But also, poor Maddie. "Why all of a sudden am I so afraid I'll never see him... we'll never be happy together ever again?!" Because, yeah.

I feel like this was when Claremont was trying to show that Cyclops could retire and return when needed -- but the strain of it on his family would be an interesting dynamic and not a precursor to Scott becoming an asshole. There's not much he's doing right at the moment, and it was a difficult era to like the guy.

I love how on this page almost everyone gets either a thought bubble or a speech bubble to mutter aloud about how everybody is bringing in too much drama. Meanwhile, the current team leader Nightcrawler is making himself almost invisible in contrast to Scott who just assumes leadership. I love the shifting leadership during this era where everybody gets a shot and kinda fucks it up.

The callback to Arkon's arrows is a deep cut from annual #3. I guess at some point Arkon (I've read that annual and I also don't know who Arkon is) instructed Scott how to use the arrows to visit Asgard. Reasonable.

[bookishtheaterlover7]

Random Realization and thought...

So, I've been rewatching the X-Men 97 series(felt like it😆), and I realized a few things now that I'm older...

Wolverine is awesome! - he's got lots of issues to work through but he cares for the X-Men, and not just himself. (Several episodes can attest to that. And here's to hoping they won't change that when the series revival comes🥂)

Cyclops and Jean are goals - come on! Are y'all gonna dispute that? And I honestly cannot imagine Emma being the side-chic, to that power couple (y'all can explain to me how that happened 😅)

By Season 2, there is a slight change in art style, but the stories are just as awesome

Jubilee is definitely a kid with a big heart - girl wants to be included, do some action, fix broken relationships... I can go on🥹

Gambit and Rogue are also one of the best pairings - she loves him but hates him, he loves her, and that's why he riles her up on purpose, and enjoys it like the little shit he is. Why didn't I notice that when I was younger?!😅 (And she takes his name in an episode in Season 5 when undercover to protect a young mutant in a small town🫶)

Beast deserves to be with his family, and Carly😭😭😭😭😭 'nough said...

And other Marvel characters really do make cameos in this series

X-Women are badass😍 - some of my fave superheroines growing up

But what is with them somehow getting manipulated by red flags🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩 - I ain't kidding! Let me list:

Jean = Jason Wyngarde (I get that he manipulated Jean's mind to get to Phoenix, point is dude "married" Jean and used basically mind control on her)

Rogue = Cody (he was shit, and the definition of young love)

Storm = Arkon (right now, he's definitely a red flag when he first meets Storm. And his overly dramatic way of speaking makes me go🤢)

I need to see Storm meet T'Challa and rule Wakanda, even for a few episodes 🥺- I've wanted to know since I found out she married and divorced our King, plus being queen suits Storm

Well, I've nerdily ranted, and I feel much better 😁 and as usual happy to discuss more and basically nerd/geek hangout with y'all. I may have more, when I do, I might make another post. Let me know if I should make this a recurring thing😊

I honestly can't be the only one who adores X-Men 97 OG, right?😃

[positivelybeastly]

I understand if you don’t want to answer this question but I feel like you should just be truthful. Do you actually like Simon’s movies and shows?

Silence.

"Well, I - can't say that I thought the most highly of Beach Volleyball Bros Part II. If I'm being honest. And truthful. The, ahm, action scenes, were quite, quite good. Quite good. But the plot was. Lacking. And the characterisation was . . . thin."

Hank tugs nervously at his chin fur, looking towards the doors to the bedroom, bedroom and office, just waiting for them to lurch open.

"He was very good in Arkon IV: The Goblin Pit! The way the VFX artists touched up the ionic effect around his eyes to make him look like he had flames billowing out of his eye sockets was amazing, and his performance was good! It was genuinely good!"

Think, Hank, think - !

"Return of the Living Colossus! That was a great flick! Simon's always been great at the action hero with pathos, he's got that 90s Brendan Fraser sort of thing going for him - when he can shake the accent, of course, the whole Transatlantic thing, that holds him back something fierce."

"Tombstone Terminator! That one's a real - !" He stops. Actually. Uhh. "Corker."

Maybe not that one.

". . . Look. I'm . . . going to level with you. Simon's - not the greatest actor in the world. All right? And he picks . . . strange projects. Bad projects a lot of the time. But he . . . he likes it. He enjoys it. It's something that has nothing to do with anything else in his life. It's something normal, and . . . speaking as someone who's struggled with normal in the past, it almost doesn't matter if you're good at being normal, sometimes all that matters is that you try. So, it doesn't really matter if the projects are good. He likes doing them, so I like them."

Hank leans back and thinks for a moment.

". . . I really wanted to see him do Macbeth. You know? He was so excited. I saw him film some of it, and it was. It was going to be really good. He would have killed that role."

"Hopefully he gets another chance."

[tyanis]

Shared voice actors between Resident Evil and X-Men: The Animated Series.

So, something I used to do ages ago was look up voice actors for my favorite games or animated shows to see who else they voiced. Mostly just out of curiosity and also to look smart in front of my friends.

Anyway, something I noticed back then was some of the OG Resident Evil voice actors also were a part of the X-Men: The Animated Series cast.

Having recently remembered this, I thought I'd share. So let's get started! Also, these are in no particular order.

---

Catherine Disher

That's right! The voice actress for OG re3's Jill freakin' Valentine also played Jean freakin' Grey!

...also Dazzler lol.

---

2. Alyson Court

We all know and love Alyson. Hell, she's played most versions of Claire Redfield. And yeah, she was Jubilee (depicted here in a very blurry screen shot).

---

3. Paul Haddad

Leon Kennedy and Quicksilver (also played by Adrian Egan) looking disapprovingly at Arkon. He knows what he did.

Not gonna lie guys... I still get teary-eyed whenever I see a picture of Paul. He seemed like such a sweetheart and he left us way too soon. In fact, while doing research for this I found out that he and I share a birthday. And uh yeah... I fucking cried.

Rest in peace man.

---

4. Rod Wilson

The voice of Ben Bertolucci also voiced Gorgeous George and Longshot (who looks like he's about to have a very bad time in front of a brick wall. Pretty on brand for Bertolucci lol).

---

5. Jennifer Dale

Annette Birkin and Mystique ready to shoot a bitch. Also this is Mystique from season three and on as she was played by Randall Carpenter for the first two seasons.

---

Welp, that's all the ones I know of. If I missed any or got anything wrong please let me know in the comments.

Thanks for reading!

Also, I'm expecting a lot of crossover fan fics and fan art from you guys now so... get to it. <3

[everyfandomever]

am not having a good day

[becrystalamazed]

Incoherent Cybele Thoughts

Thinking about Mission: 2110 again. Mainly about the multi-identitied entity that is Laura Gant/Cybele/Neuros. Cybele in particular, because I can never figure her out.

Is she a good mum? A bad one? Is she a wise mentor or the secret villian of the piece? Is she complex or is she inconsistantly written?

It's hard to tell. All the promotional material, press releases etc, make it seem like she should be sympathetic, a victim and a definite Good Guy. Yet her actions in the show just make her seem manipulative nearly to the point of villainy.

She withholds crutial information from Caleb, claiming she doesn't have all the answers, when she clearly does, as she has them later on. She lies to Caleb, such as when she told him his mother was killed by the Roboidz, which is only really partially true. Yes, the body died when the Roboidz took her brain, but her brain survived. I also think the virus did most of the leg work, and even then she, Cybele, still exists. So can you say Laura Gant is dead? What's more, when he finds out information by himself, she sounds borderline angry, my main case being 'How do you know about Neuros' (especially when she earlier claimed not to know what Neuros was) .

And when she does tell the truth and reveal she's his mother, it's only to distract him when he starts to question the extend to what she'd sacrifice to save humanity (Yes, as many recruits as it takes, but also him? The last (known) human? I'm chalking that down to a plot hole) .

But, she is helpful. Her advice is sound, even when her decisions are not (e.g. not telling Caleb about Neuros, not telling Caleb about Arkon until he's a threat, and specifically not telling him Neuros is his mother, leaving him to find out from Neuros herself at the critical point in the fight, shortly before he has to kill her. Because that was always going to go well(!)). And while her methods of keeping him focused aren't always the most ethical (see telling-him-his-mother-was-killed-by-the-roboidz above) they are effective and they are needed. The wording Angel's transmissions indicate they were obviously broadcasted at the beginning of the Roboidz rebellion, and therefore was definitely a trap from Nueros, and Cybele was right to disuade to him from chasing them. And I do think that she must genuinely love Caleb.

All together, it's hard to balance. A character that is both helpful and illogically withholds helpful information. A character that loves her son, yet is harsh on him, manipulates him and uses his amnesia to save herself from the emotional consequences of her actions. A character who wants the desruction of the roboidz, and takes steps that both aid the cause, as well as hindering it. Maybe she's just human with all the contradictions that come with it.

You know what would make this easier? If I could remember anything important from the Cycon Archives. Curse child me for being a child and having a child’s memory, and also being bad at video games and therefore unable to progress past the first few levels and gain access to any important lore!

I think, if I had to make a judgement, I would say her crimes outweigh her virtues. But I don't have to, and I'm trying to avoid my patterns of black-and-white thinking, so let's leave it here.

There were rumours that a series 3 was planned at some point. Part of me doubts it, due to the fact that recruits would no longer be from 100 years in the past. Unless they planned to rename it Mission: 2111. And nobody ever confirmed those rumours. But another part of me feels like there had to have been a third series planned, both because the ending was left open to the potential of another series, and because I didn't like the ending we got. It wasn't narratively satisfying as Caleb is still the last human, as far as we know, meaning humanity waasn't really saved. And it wasn't emotionally satisfying, as Caleb never gets the oppertunity to process and come to terms with killing his mother, his mother trying to kill him and the fact the other half of his mother lied to him about everything.

I think if I could have told the story of Mission: 2110, I would have told it in three parts. And I would have made Cybele a villain. A twist villain. Series one would have been the recruits verses Arkon, with the ending revealing to the Caleb the existance of Neuros (although the mysteries of N lab could still be mentioned, and the end credits would still have her, as a form of clumsy foreshadowing). Then series two would be against Neuros as normal, with the ending being the same as the one we had, but with on extra scene: Caleb confronting Cybele about her lies. And this would go one of two ways: Firstly, she reveals that she only wanted Neuros out the way so she could take control of the Roboidz all along. This would require some character tweaking, and is kinda cliché.

Alternatively, Caleb would say that he’s had enough, and he’s going to leave Futuregate, and her, to search for the rest of humanity. Maybe he’ll return maybe he won’t. The idea of Caleb leaving her causes Cybele to snap, and she seizes control of the Roboidz, this time to force Caleb to stay with her on Futuregate to fight them. This feels a lot more in character. After all, she’s gone to desperate measures to keep her child with her before, and certainly in unhealthy ways. I really want to play into her manipulative side. Maybe she reveals this in the series 2 finale, maybe the audience knows but Caleb doesn’t find out until halfway through series 3. That could be fun.

But regardless, the series ends with Cybele being shut down, at which point Caleb is bombarded with broadcasts from members of the resistance. It’s revealed that they have been trying to contact him the whole time but Cybele was blocking them, at first to keep him focused, but over the course of series two, it changed to stop him leaving and keep him dependent on her. Anyway, my point is actually there is humanity out there, all over the world. They’ve been listening and cheering him on the whole time. And he’s saved them! Happy(er), and complete ending.

I don’t know, I still don’t really know what to think, I just really struggle to see Cybele as a Good Guy, I guess. If you have any ideas share them, and do you like my version of the story?

[augment-techs]

Canvas Dyed in Colour for the Title.

Title: Canvas Dyed in Colour Rating: M Relationships: Billy Cranston/Eugene Skullovitch; Jason Lee Scott/Farkas Bulkmeier/Tommy Oliver/Kimberly Hart; Characters: Billy Cranston; Eugene Skullovitch; Jason Scott; Farkas Bulkmeier; Tommy Oliver; Kimberly Hart; Kevor Vrin; Arkon; Kiya; Zhane; Andros; etc. Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Soulmate AU; Future Fic; Intergalactic Travel; Once Bitten, Twice Shy; Hurt/Comfort; Billy Cranston Needs a Hug; Eugene Skullovitch Needs a Hug. Summary: Here's the thing that most people don't ever think could happen among Power Rangers: maintaining the Power for longer than five years, and finding love with "civilians".

When Billy was given the opportunity to still work for Promethea while traveling as an envoy to other planets and maintain his status as a Blue Ranger, he jumped at the chance and barely took more than a moment to set up a line of communication so he could still speak with his parents. And then he left Earth and didn't step foot on it again, only really speaking with his Ranger friends and his parents through video chat, for more than eight years. By the time he even thought about the kind of damage that could do to other people in his life, he was visiting Safehaven as a layover before heading to Earth for a sabbatical and found himself amongst Tommy, Jason, and Kim, having set up house at Eternity Point...with a pair of unexpected faces. Apparently the Power had introduced them to the fact that Soulmates were more than just a fantasy amongst other worlds. Once touched by the Power, even for just a moment, it does not forget and does its very best to get its people to where they need to be. Which seemed to mean that when Bulk left for Mirinoi, the Power was EXTREMELY irritated and started bugging his three soulmates with his Color. Splashing their world in flashes and brushes of Purple where it wasn't meant to be; and helping Bulk get into construction on the new planet, which got him in contact with the Astro Rangers, which got him pinging around the galaxy until he ended up on Safehaven at the same time the Red, White, and Pink Rangers were. Just in time for all of them to see Bulk without a shirt on his break after bricklaying for a large chunk of the day. This little stroll down memory lane for the Rangers actually nagged at the back of Billy's mind, reminding him of times he was on another planet and his vision was suddenly struck with every shade of Orange imaginable, or he was hearing music in his head that was nowhere to be found in his waking life. So, imagine his great surprise when Arkon took him to speak with the younger inhabitants of the planet, once refugees now on their way to becoming Rangers in their own right once they were a little more up-to-date on other cultures and manners and honing their abilities: he should be introduced by the Kestrel to their Professor of Humanities. And there was Skull, looking much more adult than Billy ever thought he could, while also looking like a washed out husk at half the weight Billy remembered him with and grey in his hair. AND THEY WEREN'T EVEN THIRTY YET. The Power was apparently pissed at one of them, there was just no way of telling whom...unless Billy stuck around.

[chloristoflora]

The process of bidding farewell to the Narcheska's father proceeded grudgingly after that. The formal farewells involved the Hetgurd men, Chade, the Prince, Peottre, and the Narcheska. The rest of us were left standing as informal witnesses. Thick was wandering idly about on the beach, overturning rocks and poking at the tiny crabs he disturbed there. I pretended to be maneuvering to keep an eye on him as I edged closer and closer to the Fool. He appeared to be aware of my efforts, for he walked a little apart from Swift and Cockle. When I stood within hearing distance of a soft word, I said quietly, "So. Despite all my efforts, you contrived to get here. How did you do it?"

Although we are of a height, he still somehow managed to look down coolly on me. There was stillness in his face that bespoke a great anger. I thought he was not going to speak to me. Then, "I flew," he said coldly. He stood, not looking at me, breathing quietly. I felt somewhat encouraged that he had not stalked away but wondered if that was merely because he did not wish to call attention to our speaking. I ignored his mockery of my question.

"How can you be angry at me? You know why I did it. You said that if you came here you would die here. So I arranged that you would not come here."

For a time, he was silent. We both watched Arkon Bloodblade pushed off in a small boat. Two of his Boar warriors took the oars and leaned into them heartily. Their expressions proclaimed that they were happy to be leaving this island. The Fool gave me a sideways glance. His eyes had darkened to the color of strong tea in a glass. Clean of powder and paint, his face was a smooth golden brown. "You should have respected that I knew what I had to do," he rebuked me.

"If you knew that I was going to my death, would not you try to stop me?"

It was the wrong question to ask him, and I knew that almost as soon as I had asked it. He stared out at the ship in the harbor where sailors labored with the anchor chain and the sails and spoke in a low voice, his lips scarcely moving. "On the contrary. Many times I have known that faith or your own stubbornness would endanger your life, but I have always respected your decisions to do so."

Then he turned and walked slowly away from me. Swift sent me an odd glance, then hurried off to follow him. I noticed Civil looking after them with an expression of distaste. I heard the crunch of footsteps on beach gravel, and turned to find Web approaching me. It was hard for me to meet his eyes. I still felt oddly guilty, as if I had insulted him by refusing his offer of lessons. If he felt anything of the kind, he concealed it well. He gestured after the Fool and Swift with his chin. "You know him, don't you?"

"Of course." The question surprised me. "He's Lord Golden, from Buckkeep. Didn't you recognize him?"

"No, I didn't. Not at first. It wasn't until Lord Chade called him ‘Lord Golden' that I perceived any similarity. But even when I was told his name, I felt that I did not truly know him at all. Yet I think that you do. He is an odd creature. Can you sense him?"

I knew what he meant. The Fool had never left any impression on my Wit-sense. "No. And he has no scent."

"Ah." That was all he said, but I suspected that I had given him much to ponder.

Fool's Fate, by Robin Hobb (Tawny Man Trilogy #3)

[bells-of-black-sunday]

🗯️ for Danny from Arkon

Dirty Thoughts | Accepting

Danny tilts his head, "It's so pale I bet blood shows up real nice against those scales."