#but consider this an open threading opportunity or chance for plotting!!

[vaultdamned]

"i got your shirt all bloody." + sender stitches up receiver's wound. — pearl/dexter

Blood, blood, gallons of the stuff!!

Precision was key. Every stake-out, every online search, every police record, every bit of evidence needed to be solid, & make no mistake, Mr. Fallon fit the bill. three felonies: managed somehow to pay bail on an accomplice to robbery charge, despite declaring bankruptcy in 1998. Assault against his teenage step-son; a trial never seen by the jury due to testimony conflicts, confessions sealed within the ramblings of deranged man on tv; "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I won't do it again", but they always do, don't they? can't help themselves. an itch they need to scratch until it bleeds -- but it wasn't the lying that threw his fate into black garbage bags. several children went missing in the 90's. children associated with an after school program. their mentor? One Mr. Allen Fallon. Unfortunate name.

But, the smell. Metallic pennies soaked in rotting milk. Having known the stench all his life, it only took a specific tang in the air to make his stomach churn. Dexter closed the door until the lock clicked, syringe at the ready, despite his intuition kicking him. He covers his nose, follows the path of decay into the bathroom. Mr Allen -- or what once was Mr. Allen -- slumped over the toilet seat, his face & body horribly disfigured & green. Behind him a wall painted with brain matter, a pistol in his bloated hand.

Coward's way out. At least the fucker is dead. Didn't even need to roll out the sheets of plastic. What a shame. He would have enjoyed this kill --- which meant he'd have to find another one & fast, lest he keep his Dark Passenger hungry.

He'd heard the slam of a car door, shifting his speed to the bathroom window. He peered from the top floor. A cleanup company. Shit. He couldn't be seen. There would be questions. Not that he couldn't answer them, but it only took one disbeliever, & suddenly he's breaking his code to protect the entity he needs to survive.

He could break the glass --- no, that'd be messy. Could he just open it? He jiggled the latch, to no avail, but he continued, switching fingers & angles, slicing his gloved hand against the sharp metal. He cursed, removed the glove, & watched as blood began to spill along his flesh. The front door creaked open. Okay. Okay.

He stuffed the ripped glove into his pocket, cradled his hand, & approached the woman, frantic as any neighbor would be stumbling upon a dead body. She'd regarded him, even patched him up. Dexter sat in silence, watching her handy-work, just grateful he hadn't left any trace evidence at an apparent suicide. But was it suicide? Or had someone beat Dexter at his own game?

"No worries," he replied, his face flat. Was that the appropriate response? Too casual? Better play it up some more.

"Sorry I'm -- a little in shock."

[julietcpulet]

Jinmao: the star-crossed ending?

If you haven’t read the light novels there will be spoilers here so proceed with caution. So I’ve finished the last one available for now and I have a theory on how it could all end for Jinmao.

Of course just speculation but it revolves around their mutual agreement of not liking the end to Romeo & Juliet when Jinshi’s holding the antler away from MaoMao in LN 6. The way Jinshi says “I think there must have been some other way.” And the quote in the novel that follows it which is, “Impatient youth gave rise to burning passion, and love that ended in grief was counted beautiful because it was so tragic.” My thought here is twofold. 1. That the author doesn’t want Jinshi and MaoMao’s decision to be impatient and 2. That she doesn’t want their love to end tragically because that’s not actually beautiful.

Going off of those two takeaways in a scene where Jinshi is trying to get MaoMao to admit she’s his choice for marriage and everything that has followed after it, including her realization of deeper feelings and the political ramifications of what Jinshi has done, plus his choice to step back to protect MaoMao I think there might be some credence to the “star-crossed lovers having to escape parental bonds” theme here.

My thought is this thread could be the way their story is finally resolved. Not in the traditional way of Romeo and Juliet but in the subversion of it. Considering MaoMao wants the resurrection drug, she could pull a Juliet and fake her death but the catch is, instead of Jinshi finding her dead ala Romeo and actually dying, maybe this is a mutual plot and he fakes his own death as well. The country then gets to mourn the Moon Prince but like with SuiRei it isn’t his body it’s just a proxy and he and MaoMao are awoken, probably by Luomen, on a boat journeying away from the palace.

This way they succeed in escaping the clutches of the empire trying to suck them back into politics. While yes this might separate them some from loved ones and people in the palace they know, I think some of that will happen eventually and in the end I believe MaoMao’s greatest goal is to continue her life quietly as an apothecary. Jinshi just wants a chance to be anyone outside of the Emperor’s heir so for him getting a chance to know that life will be a gift.

If the author wanted to leave it on somewhat of an open end this is a good opportunity as well because it can be left after a small epilogue when they’ve found a place to settle and hopefully decided to get married but beyond that there’s still lots of possibility. We know they’re together but we don’t have every piece of the puzzle completed for them. It’s a future filled with hope like they want but still work which is realistic. I can be totally off track but just thought this was an interesting idea that’s been presented.

[dreamswithghosts]

Star Wars: The Clone Wars Roleplay Discord Server

Are you seeking an active Star Wars: The Clone Wars-era roleplay server? If you want a chill, safe space to discuss Star Wars, your OCs, art, fanfics, and much more, consider checking out our discord server! We are an 18+ Star Wars roleplay server primarily focused on the prequels and the Clone Wars era. We also have an additional post-Order 66/Empire subsection for those who want to roleplay and discuss events later in the Star Wars timeline.

More about the server:

We are an incredibly OC-friendly server that promotes the creation and development of Star Wars OCs. Whether your OC is established or brand new, you can roleplay them here.

You also have the opportunity to roleplay up to three canon characters if they’re free! We don’t allow doubles, but there are many other ways to discuss your favorite character with other fans if they’re already taken

Additional things we offer:

A positive environment to express yourself in a community.

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We offer various modes of roleplay, including 1:1 threads, group roleplays, and “in-character” chat roleplays, known as No-Plot.

We have multiple server sections that separate different topics, including NSFW, CxC (cloneshipping), and Dead Dove: Do Not Eat. You can opt in and out of these sections as you like.

NSFW/ERP (erotic roleplay) is allowed in its designated roleplay section. Same with CxC and Dead Dove topics.

We are incredibly LBGTQ+ and neurodivergent-friendly! However, we welcome everyone on our server, regardless of your identity. If you have made it to the end of this post and our server piques your interest, consider joining and giving us a chance!

[thevalleyisjolly]

*me pacing with a tinfoil hat on* So the buildup to the Ghorman massacre, the massacre itself, and Mon's resignation from the Senate probably take up Acts 2 and 3, since we're doing one year per arc and the Ghorman massacre along with Mon's escape from Coruscant both happen in 2 BBY and we also have it from Tony Gilroy himself that they spend 5 episodes on the Ghorman set. Which divides neatly into Arc 2 involving the establishment of Ghorman and its characters along with Krennic and Dedra's plan to provoke resistance fighters on the planet, and Arc 3 being the events of the massacre (two episodes?) and then Mon's escape (third episode?).

Now.

This hypothetical timeline, if at all accurate, presents a couple potential openings for Melshi to enter the story before Act 4. From one of the trailers, we know that the Ghorman resistance broadcasts a message asking for help. A Pathfinders or proto-Pathfinders team could potentially respond - maybe too late to prevent the massacre, just rescuing survivors, although there's also that trailer shot of Melshi in combat (apparently not in combat uniform, but this is also pre-Alliance, and he's also canonically specialized in infiltration amongst other things). There's also the possibility that Melshi could already be on the ground in Ghorman, perhaps as one of the resistance members or as recon, trying to figure out the Imperial interest in Ghorman.

Alternatively, we also know that there's some kind of significant plot beat or storyline involving Syril's blaster that Cassian gave to Melshi on Niamos. It would be very crowded to squeeze that into Act 3 with the Ghorman massacre and aftermath. Act 4 could work if it's tied into the resolution of Syril's story, but it would also be a little late considering that Act 4 is almost certainly building up to the Death Star. Act 2 (as yet the murkiest for lack of defining canon events) should offer more space to play out that storyline, and I think if that grainy shot from the first teaser of Gorst torturing someone who looks like Melshi is indeed what it looks like, there's an opportunity there to bring together several threads - Bix finding Gorst again and getting some resolution (kill his ass) for what he put her through?

Essentially, while Melshi and Cassian almost certainly reunite by Arc 4, there's a chance that it could be as early as Arc 2 or even in Arc 3.

[rasenkaikyo]

This contains plot threads from up to Patch 7.1.

Hinako opened her eyes, and for a minute she laid still in bed, just taking in the ambience around her. The soothing sound of water lapping the shore just beyond the cabin was within earshot. The scent of salt and spray drifted so subtly. Gently, she pushed away her sheet and sat up, letting out a soft yawn and brushing the wayward hair from her face. Just over her shoulder, she could tell it was still dark out - ever the early bird she was. Her partner remained fast asleep, nestled close by in bed. Hinako couldn't help but gaze upon her countenance with a most enchanted, sweet smile, every time.

Mozu slept oh so soundly, these days. The two Au Ra had weathered much. Imperial contingents, secret societies, horrors beyond reckoning... and Mozu's long-standing contention with her brother had come to a decisive end. She had asked for Hinako's hand in marriage not long after that.

For once in a long time, the priestess - the shugenja - had a blank ticket, the chance to work merely in her element. Upon establishing a new shrine in the Twelveswood, she returned to her work of quelling mononoke and other spiritual wonders and dangers, this time with her beloved fiancée by her side. The best days of her life.

They had managed to remain quite busy in their travels - purging the mononoke at Mount Rokkon and even aiding an emissary of the heavenly kami. When the opportunity presented itself, the pair began their visit to the far-flung Tural, where Hinako quickly took interest in local traditions and the mysterious tural vidraal.

They had made multiple excursions in pursuit of these entities and other beasts, often passing back through Tuliyollal... including when the city was attacked. After that crisis was resolved and the dust settled, the girls opted to more or less make the most of their environs and actually take a break, for a while.

And so it goes, but even while at rest, Hinako wasn't one to forgo the morning routine. She leaned over and nuzzled the nape of Mozu's neck, tickling it softly and eliciting a stir in the purple-haired princess, as she continued to sleep. Hinako stifled a giggle and got out of bed.

The patio and the idyllic beach from afar offered a lovely place for the priestess to do her exercise. The only downside was that it faced the west; if she wished to greet the morning sun, then she'd have to step outside to the boardwalk. And so she threw on some clothes and did just that.

It didn't take much self-persuasion on the matter; the pristine sea was enticing and the Tuliyollal skyline was nothing short of awe-inspiring. She took her stride down the boardwalk, and as she reached the end of it... something caught her eye.

"Um..."

A flyer of some sort, fixed onto the nearest wooden post. At a glance it seemed like one of the posters off the hunt board, oddly situated low enough to meet at eye level with a lalafell. Or perhaps someone was supposed to see it, even sitting down...? Considering that was what Hinako was about to do, herself. She reached over and took the flyer in hand, by which she then observed an additional note attached - she took care not to lose it in the water.

The handwriting was a bit too familiar: I've been looking into this. I expect to have more information soon. I'll keep you posted. - AMR.

"...When did...?" Hinako blinked then returned to the greater flyer in her hand.

Travelers beware! An unknown individual has stolen a powerful sample of refined electrope from Yuweyawata Field Station. This individual was last sighted in Shaaloani and is believed to be a young Shetona, but visual descriptions have yet to be confirmed. The stolen electrope has been classified as high risk: records from Yuweyawata indicate that its aetheric conductivity is at least ten times greater than unrefined electrope. If you notice suspicious activity in the region, stay calm, DO NOT ENGAGE, and speak to a member of the Landsguard at once.

Hinako let out a sharp sigh as her eyes finished scanning the text. Her gaze turned pensive back out toward the ocean.

The Riskbreakers had faced something of a crisis of motive.

Since its formation, the task force had operated foremost to combat the threat of the Garlean Empire and the retaliation of primals, their ethos having motivated Hinako to offer her expertise and an easterly view.

The primals are less of a problem, at this point: their corruptive "tempering" can now be cured and countered, meaning less emphasis on bearers of the Echo to fight them, and relations with spoken societies are on the mend. Meanwhile, Garlemald has been dealt a succession of crippling blows - its reach reduced with once-annexed lands reclaimed, culminating in its heart being torn apart from within. While a handful of more self-sufficient legions yet hold ground on their innermost territories, such as Corvos, the Imperial war machine has been effectively neutralized for the foreseeable future.

All of this has granted RISK's individual members the freedom to pursue their own respective, smaller endeavors for some time. Such has been the crux of Hinako's recent movements, leaning well into her nature as a shugenja. However, the ensuing battle of Tuliyollal was perhaps portentous, a sign of inevitable danger to fill the void Garlemald left behind.

It beggared belief. The once-vaunted blood heir of the Dawnservant had merged an advanced society from another world with a region of Xak Tural, in a brazen bid to subjugate the entire realm and beyond. But even the imposing new militia that emerged couldn't measure up to an allied counterattack, with the Resilient Son himself being summarily cut down in the end.

In the wake of these events and more, the star has been exposed to a level of technology not seen since the Allagans, along with the apparent miracle material that made it possible - this so-called "electrope." It is a resource that, by Hinako's understanding, once ignited the fires of conflict from whence it came. It could very well do so again.

If she had to guess, this has all likely not escaped one Ashelia Marco Riot. It may have even reinvigorated her, and RISK's, mission. Especially where it concerns an electrope thief.

"It was only a matter of time, I suppose," Hinako murmured, a somewhat sad smile on her face. She folded the poster with the note and put it away for the moment, before returning to her own personal business.

By the time she returned to the cabin, the golden pall of dawn's light had been cast well over the city. Past the threshold, she could see that Mozu had awoken, sitting upright and running her hand through messy hair.

"Ahh, there's my morning sparrow," Hinako chimed. "I'll ready some tea, okay?"

"Mm…" Mozu smiled and nodded in agreement, a little too groggy yet for words, and Hinako began to sift through a cupboard for the teapot and yunomi.

"I feel like getting tamales from Xbalyav T'ye today. Maybe some tacos from Auntie Tii's. How does that sound?"

"Again?" Mozu chuckled. "Well, you won't see me complaining," She paused, expecting Hina to gush about the food further, only to be met with a disconcerting silence that hung in the air for a moment.

"…Everything all right, flower? You seem as if you have something on your mind."

"Oh, well, we'll get to that."

[findroleplay]

𝑾𝒆𝒍𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝙃𝙖𝙞𝙠𝙮𝙪𝙪!! : 𝘽𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙡𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙃𝙚𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙨!

⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯���

Hello, hello, hello! We are literate, 18+, modern day/university Haikyuu AU server! We offer text/DMs to literate threads for writing; we range from semi-literate to novella. It is a sandbox set up, allowing writers to explore new avenues and freedom to create their own plots. We are looking for new members to join us! Canon and OCs are always welcomed!

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𝑳𝒐𝒓𝒆

There are plenty of colleges that offer the opportunity for players to continue their volleyball career, but nothing more than the four prestigious schools that make up the Heavenly League - Byakkono, Genbuyama, Seiryusora, and Suzakuma.

Being one of the leading leagues to be considered official in Japan, the Heavenly League is the oldest association to exist in the country. Its precedence for challenging and quality sports has attracted skilled volleyball players to apply for the chance to participate in league revered around the world.

Not only have you applied, they invited you to join their program, but the chance to face your rivals once again, or… Play alongside them. Who knows what side of the court you will see familiar faces.

Interested? Like this message and I’ll shoot you a message!

-

[blackdigitalrose]

Mahou Tsukai Pretty Cure! Review

The biggest series to date, which on reflection, very few Precure series actually makes it to 50.

Unfortunately, I don't have a lot to say about this one either, it really didn't feel like it found its footing. You take the Precure side out of this and you practically have the same story of two girls who befriended each other by chance, hoping back and forth between the magical and non-magical worlds in search of our plot McGuffin, with friends and obstacles along the way as they try to balance their dual identity lives.

There were a lot of missed chances to make this into something more, something else and it would have helped by picking one world as their main world and the other the occasional visit, for what ever plot reasons they need. Another could have been the Magic school trio, they had unique designs and such personality, you meet them early in, in the same boat as Mirai and Liko, it just makes it feel like they were going to be more. The five of them as a Precure team could have been good!

That's nothing against Miracle and Magical, they were a strong duo with a good dynamic, which by adding in Felice, it derailed somewhat.

Another could have been abolishing Dokuroskushe altogether (his design was awesome though) or repurpose him as the first agent of Deusmast with minions that could have been passed around to the other agents. After all, we saw four of twelve, which means there was enough there for the whole series easy. It had a heirarchy, the outer four could have spent their time searching and awakening the inner four (the ones we see), all the while, the end goal would remain the same, clearing the path for Deusmast's awakening.

We won't touch on the finale... just one word for it, shambles.

Witchy Precure was simply a series full of missed opportunities, that couldn't decide what it wanted to be.

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨♡୧⋆ ˚｡⋆⋆ ˚｡⋆୨♡୧⋆ ˚｡⋆⋆ ˚｡⋆୨♡୧⋆ ˚｡⋆

˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗Cure Magical / Izayoi Liko

By default for being the only one with a different personality among the three. I like her tsundere/ awkward pride, (if done right, I am a sucka for those kind of characters to). Despite hoping two worlds, Liko never stopped pushing herself and aimed for the top in both but the whole experience did a lot more for her, Liko gained a lot more, opened up a lot more doors for her than Mirai.

Cure Miracle /Asahina Mirai

Nothing against her, the energetic, helpful, enthusiastic, overly optimistic Pink. They try very hard to make her stand out but on her own, that's the problem, she's very cookie cutter, she doesn't really have anything unique. Mirai's character shines through everyone else whose interacted with her. If anything though, she is quite emotional and lacks zero self awareness, especially for her own well being.

Hanami Kotoha/ Ha-chan/ Cure Felice

It makes you wonder why they even bothered giving her a name when no one ever used it and still just called her Ha-chan... Hot take here, aside from having an almost identical personality to Mirai, I don't think Ha-chan should have ever become a Precure, her story would play out exactly the same with out it as long as she remained traveling with Mirai and Liko. With out a doubt, seeing her story in full, the self doubt and worry that appeared as she wondered what was next for her, considering her actual role overall in the show, she should have stayed as an active support. It demerits both sides by having her as a Precure.

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨♡୧⋆ ˚｡⋆⋆ ˚｡⋆୨♡୧⋆ ˚｡⋆⋆ ˚｡⋆୨♡୧⋆ ˚｡⋆ Mofurun

Don't think this really counts as she's the only one (yes, they started addressing Mofurun by gender in later eps, huzzah, confusion resolved). However, I do think, from what I've seen so far, she'd easily make the Top 10 of Fairy/partners. Either way, on the whole Mofurun was a good mascot. Mofurun bonded with the whole team and didn't just stick with Mirai and while she helped flesh out Mirai, she helped the others to. Mofurun just became that connecting thread to all sides really.

I suppose, you could include Chikurun on a technicality but its really only the one.

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨♡୧⋆ ˚｡⋆⋆ ˚｡⋆୨♡୧⋆ ˚｡⋆⋆ ˚｡⋆୨♡୧⋆ ˚｡⋆ Best: Batty

The first to appear again but he has a good little character arc, if not a subtle one. He's the first to question Yamoh's genuineness or about Dokurokushe actions, despite actually being willing to go against the Headmaster to protect him and then again, once he's brought back, he doesn't dive right back in there, he's questioning his purpose and in the end saves the others and leaves with them, not to mention he's the only one who goes to seek out more, a new purpose at the end, full redemption.

I'll give an honoury mention to Orba, the only one who make the second half villains, those agents of Deusmast interesting and he unfortunately didn't make it to the end, not entirely any way but his back must have been hurting, carrying the show as he did. (this is starting to feel like a pattern)

Worst: Agents of Deusmast

There's twelve of them altogether and we see a grand total of four. Saying other magic is rubbish and yours is superior, hardly qualifies as a villain. Being minions of the big bad but do nothing in particular to help with its return . They were all talk, no action and ego with nothing to back it up. What was the point of them, they either shouldn't have used them, only had the four or used the full set of twelve to cover the whole series. They clearly had a hierarchy, the four we saw were the strongest, the inner circle, so that's another eight we could have worked our way up through.

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Best attack or in this case finisher is tricky, the Linkle Stones all attack in pretty much the same way just change out the colour. The upgraded finisher is boring and takes so long to activate. Meanwhile the standard form change finishers are all so over the top.

I'd rather give it a pass this round but that beats its purpose, none of them caught my eye but if any, I'll give it to, what looks like, their only physical move. Ruby Passionale

Form change though and I think I may be in the minority here but there's just the right level of eccentric on the Topaz style, it has grown on me, it is a lot more unique than the others, while the abilities in this form are so darn broken for something that initially looked so outlandish.

[theflyindutchwoman]

I honestly hate the Lucy UC storyline now. 1) she’s been in THREE Documentaries, one specifically about her going UC so it makes no sense (also not to mention Isabel outting her as a cop to that guy’s daughter, so maybe that’s were the storyline will go, he’ll try to get revenge on her for being a cop) and 2) she was upset about them not seeing each other much if she moved to a different station yet they wanted us to believe that she would have no problem going on a UC for 6 mths to a year and not seeing Tim (or Tamara)?!?! Like come on 🙄

For what's it worth, you're definitely not the only one feeling this way. I personally don't hate it, but I get it. This has been a bone of contention since s3, even more so lately. My biggest gripe at the moment is that, this storyline has been stagnant for so long, it's time to either commit, or give Lucy other opportunities. I wasn't sure if you were merely venting your frustrations or if you wanted me to answer : in case it's the latter, I'm gonna address your points but by no means am I trying to invalidate your feelings here. I'm just sharing my perspective on the matter.

Let's start with the documentaries. Honestly, at this point, I think we should simply take them for what they are : an opportunity for the writers to develop ridiculous plots and have fun, even though they don't make much sense… The last one was so over the top that I loved it - but I can understand that it's a bit hard to suspend your disbelief here… especially regarding the UC arc. I didn't mind Lucy being in them at first - or Nyla for that matter. Not to stereotype here, but I'm not sure the criminals she goes after watch these type of documentaries. And even if they were, they would still have to remember her specifically and there wasn't any particular reason to do so back then. I mean, so far, only one person in-universe has ever referenced these documentaries… and that lady was a director herself (5.06). That last one, on the other hand… Let's just say that outing Lucy as an undercover cop was definitely a choice… I almost feel bad for the criminals who went out of their way to be creative so they could get their hands on those UC lists, when really, all they needed to do was sit and watch true crime episodes. No respect for the craft! But more seriously : when the promo aired, I thought for sure that this issue was going to be addressed. I even wondered if I had missed a conversation or something after watching the episode. I guess, we're just supposed to pretend that it doesn't matter since not one single person raised the issue of Lucy being in the spotlight when she should be in the shadows. Then again, the LAPD doesn't see a problem with advertising a whole conference about covert operations… We clearly have a very different definition of secrecy. That said, maybe this will come back later and someone will recognise her. That's always a possibility - though it would seriously make the whole department look incompetent for not considering that ahead of time…

Another option would be to reopen the Teska plotline, as you suggested. The writers did leave the door wide open with all the loose threads, starting with how abruptly Lucy ended the op. Or how Isabel outed them as cop to the daughter, that's true. I have to say, I'm not completely convinced he would want to get revenge on Lucy. Sure, she lied to him about who she was. At the same time, she saved his kid's life, pushed him to make amends and get another chance with her and let him go free. She technically could have had him arrested : between the possession of a firearm and the conspiracy to commit murder, she had more than enough. I'm not saying the guy would become bestie with Lucy but out of all the people she's met while undercover, he's not the one with the biggest motive. Actually, I feel like Isabel would be a bigger target : after all, she's the one who infiltrated his gang and sent him to jail in the first place. Not to mention that his daughter knows how to contact her. But yes, he could always come back to wreak havoc. And as I mentioned earlier, he's not the only one. There's the female gang that might hold a grudge against Lucy. There are a couple of cartels that were crippled thanks to her. Any of her missions could come back to haunt her. But, and this is only my opinion, after spending three seasons filled with various vendettas from La Fiera, Elijah, Rosalind and whatnot, another plot like this would get old real fast. I don't think we need any more of these. Especially since Elijah is not fully over yet and we still have the ramifications from the finale to deal with. I'd rather Lucy just gives up on UC because she realises this is not for her. At least, it would be something different, you know what I mean?

And that leads me to your last point… Here's the thing : as upset as Lucy was at the idea of spending less time with Tim, she was still ready to move to another station, she still helped him get a new position that is notorious for their killer hours and she was still studying for the detective's exam. This didn't deter her at all. Obviously, this is different than being away for months on end, but she has been consistent in that regard. I understand the confusion and how illogical it sounds… But just because she was distressed about seeing Tim less, doesn't automatically mean she won't be able to handle being away. And just because she could handle it, doesn't mean she will want to do it. Speaking from personal experience here, it's a bit more nuanced - and complicated - than that I'm afraid. I only wish we would hear her perspective on all of this.

I also don't think that the narrative, or Lucy herself, was implying she would have no problem whatsoever with not seeing Tim (or Tamara) for a long period of time. I'm assuming you're referring to that last scene in 5.20, when she was worried about Tim not handling long term UC. As I see it, it was more about her trying to finally have an honest conversation with him about undercover, so they could hash everything out. This was introduced in 5.16, with Noah opening the can of worms, but they didn't get to the bottom of it since they had another conflict to take care of. Undercover is a bit of a sore point for Tim - for good reasons - and she knows it. She was there for the end of his marriage, she remembers his knee-jerk reaction when he found out she wanted to pursue undercover… He may fully be supportive now but she wants to gauge how he is truly faring with all of this. And after the events of the day (Isabel's return, their mini UC op…), it gave her the perfect opportunity to try to address this. She can guess he has been soldiering on for her and she doesn't want that. A place of honesty, remember. That's why she starts their conversation with : "Can I share something vulnerable with you?". She's putting herself in a vulnerable position by confessing how much she loves doing this job. She's trying to bring up the underlying issue in a way that wouldn't make him defensive. But a part of her has to also be afraid of his reaction. This isn't an easy situation. When she answers him "No. Um… I'm worried that you won't", it's because in that moment, her concerns are about him. Let's be honest, out of the two, he's the one more likely to have issues with this due to his past. She doesn't have the same baggage as him. And she's right to ask the question : how many of us have asked it? Apart from when she was his rookie or when he pushed her to go to the Academy, they've never talked about it. Only it's an important conversation to have if they want to spend their lives together. And they finally had it after her last mission. Another reason is that, in her case, she has something to counterbalance the hardship of not seeing Tim : doing something she loves. He, on the other hand, doesn't really have anything to outweigh this downside when she's away. However, he knew all of this from the start and still decided to start a relationship with her : simply being with her eclipses this drawback. This is what matters to him. But I can see why she would want to check with him if long-term undercover is something he can handle beforehand. It doesn't mean she doesn't have her own fair share of doubts. Now whether she can truly handle it… For the moment she thinks she can - and so far, she has. Maybe she's underestimating how hard it would be… and to be fair, it's not like she really has a frame of reference here. Listening to other people's experiences can only go so far…

If it helps though, I doubt Lucy will do too many long-terms undercover mission - if any - so all of this might end up being moot anyway. But I still believe the whole point of that conversation was to try to address the elephant in the room… They started opening up to each other, after several attempts, so maybe next season they will take a step further in that direction and explore Lucy's side of this, share some light on whether she has any doubts or worries. And hopefully, this storyline won't be in limbo for much longer. But again, this is just my perspective :)

[apothekosm]

🚢 throwing this right back at you with big ole heart eyes

Leitha ( @moonsworn ) & Ana'Hira sitting in a tree???

send 🚢 or ( 'SHIP' ) if you ever considered shipping our characters romantically and want me to fill out the following form for our muses. bold all that definitely applies, italicize what could potentially apply. feel free to add more if you think certain options are missing or you just want to add more.

do i ship our characters together?: yes | no | not yet but maybe soon (in that i almost immediately saw it in my mind's eye. I see two cute people pointing in the same direction, I cannae help but consider.

would i like to ship with you?: yes | maybe, i'm willing to try | no

type of relationship i could see: childhood or high school sweethearts | exes | engaged | married | long-term relationship | crushes | unrequited love | fling | long distance | online relationship | just dating | new relationship | toxic lovers | friends with benefits

tropes i'd enjoy writing for them: friends to lovers | enemies to lovers | exes to lovers | fake relationship / dating | forbidden love | grumpy and sunshine | star-crossed lovers | surprise pregnancy | second chance | soulmates | amnesia / mistaken identity | forced proximity | secret relationship | slow burn relationship

would i rather plot first or jump right in and see where it goes?: develop their relationship first | jump right in | something in between ( a secret third thing that is me coming into your ims high as hell one night begging you for another chance to write you a love song, i mean thread, and you giving me the opportunity and now we have some mystical merger of vibrations, momentum, and a certain... je ne sais quoi. )

what now?: let's plot something (on your own time! ofc) | send me shippy memes (omg hii~) | i'll send you shippy memes (hey~) | write me a random starter | i'll write you a random starter

anything else i want you to know about me / my character / my shipping habits: Less a reveal of my own internal romance politics and more an open question for you: When Ana'Hira is staring into Lei's eyes, absolutely covered in gnoll blood, holding out an absurdly long lock of her hair for them to take, what will be going through their mind? Will there be sweet words shared? Or will there be a quiet understanding that, Xanathar was indeed correct in that, the greatest aphrodisiac, next to destroying one of your enemies completely, is being with someone who just gets it?

[rpc-dash-events]

SONIC EVENT: CRUISE BLUES

NOTE: THIS IS FOR THE SONIC RPC ONLY! Check this post for basic rules.

    The weather is getting warmer (somewhere), don’t you just wish you could get out there and see it all? How about instead of that, you’re stuck on a gigantic cruise ship, no expense spared, full amenities, and your way completely paid! Welcome, one and all to TBM's EXTRAVAGANT CRUISE SHIP! You, YES YOU, are invited to take a load off for a FULL WEEK! Celebrate with friends, participate in all kinds of activities, please enjoy the complimentary HIGH SPEED WIFI in case you get bored of social interaction, as well as really anything you can imagine! We’ve GOT IT! But, you can’t leave until the Cruise is done.

    Huh? You didn’t want to come? That’s too bad, because you’re already here! You’ve woken up in your quarters! The lodgings have been split up so everyone has at least once roommate! Who’s your roommate? No idea! We at TBM like to make sure your vacation is as eventful as it is relaxing!

(examples of what the cabins look like-- Who will you be sharing your cabin with?)

    Any luxury cruise activity you think would be fun, feel free to do! Just don’t try to jump off the ship or fly off of it… It’s a real pain to have to go back for you. And if you just fly off well… you’ll definitely get tired eventually. Why not just stay, relax, and take a load off?

(Want an idea for on-cruise activites? Check here!)

    You can be fine for a full 7 days on a cruise ship with only a limited space to be able to run around in, right?

   MUSES CANNOT:

    -Destroy the property.     -Kill or seriously injure another character     -Have 18+ RP tied to the event. If you really want to write that kind of stuff, please use your own tags for it. DO NOT POST IT IN THE EVENT TAG! I BEG OF YOU FOR ALL OF THE PEOPLE IN THIS RPC PLEASE DO IT FOR THEM GIVE THEM A CHANCE

    Muses of any and all ages are welcome in this event, but there MAY BE ALCOHOL consumption, depending on the thread! Please respect people's rules when you're interacting with their posts.

   FOR THE MUNS:

    Sonic muses only! Sonic fandom OCs are also allowed. Duplicates encouraged! Everyone should have a chance to participate.

  MAKE SURE YOUR RULES PAGE IS EASILY ACCESSIBLE (AND READABLE).

    (Please remember that there are people using the beta editor and people who aren’t. Dash stretch may happen regardless, so as a courtesy to your RP partners, consider putting the bulk of your starter under a read-more, in case the post breaks on trimming!) (If you’ve recently started using the Beta Editor and don’t know how to trim, be sure to get Xkit Rewritten! Trimming comes AFTER the post is posted, not before! You can save your reply to drafts and then trim, AND THEN post. Also you can now respond to Asks and then trim the ask box itself off later.)

    If you want to participate, you may reblog this event post to boost it, but DO NOT START THREADS OFF THIS POST. IC wise, the cruise is for one week, but feel free to continue your threads as long as you want. Despite how ominous this event feels, it’s not a murder mystery nor is Dr Eggman behind it. But feel free to set up your own fun!

    Important to know: Since characters have to have roommates, feel free to plot with each other in private and come up with who is staying with who, you can also make it open ended if you want someone to take up the opportunity! It's up to you! If you don't get any takers, a random NPC will be the roommate, or whatever you choose to do. Have fun! Read and respect each other's rules!

    the tag for the event is:

    #SONIC EVENT: CRUISE BLUES

[cursedbcrn]

All right, I’ve finished going through and basically purging my inbox and my drafts except for a literal handful that I think I want to keep, but please keep in mind  that by no means is a reflection on any of my partners, and more just trying to create a more manageable space for myself.

That said, consider this an official plotting call. Old mutuals, new mutuals, the door is open to start developing new plots and relationships, or expand on existing ones. I have plenty of verses that range from pretty close to canon to completely canon-divergent, and I’m always willing to make more or adapt to the source material of my writing partner. Plots don’t need to be a whole novel either, but just a starting point for us to orient ourselves around.

This is the only way to get a starter from me right now. You can take your chances on sending a meme in, but if we haven’t plotted, I’ll generally ignore it unless it immediately sparks an idea. This also increases the chance of getting multiple threads, meme responses, and plots going with me, and also the opportunity to get crossover appearances from the muses on my multi.

So please hit the heart, send up a smoke signal, hang a white flag above your door, anything to indicate interest and I’ll come to you.

Also, you can fill out my interest tracker here if that’s your kind of thing.

[100hearteyes]

any more thoughts on 'clarke and lexa make a porno'?

🤔😏

Part 1 Part 2

“Last but not least, worry no more, citizens of Capitola: after a grueling week of searching, our very own superhero Jasper Jordan has finally found his cape. He was wearing it all along.”

“It’s so good to know that he will be able to go on keeping Capitola safe.”

“Yes, what would we do without Jasper Jordan here to protect us? And from now on, you’ll be in Lexa Woods’s hands. Also, such good hands those are. She’s got very long fingers.”

“Oh. Well, I never actually noticed, but I guess they are. Thanks, Clarke. And now, perk your ears for the new hit single from our very own global country star, Harper McIntyre. It’s called Call Me Harp-by. She’s a creative genius!”

-

Lexa’s first instinct when she hears the studio door open is to hide. She checks her options: Monty is holed up under his desk playing on his GameBoy Color, Octavia has barricaded herself in a corner with actual hand-carved sticks and is roaring at Bellamy in a strange language, and Murphy is probably peeing into a bin behind the pillar on the far side of the room.

She’s too slow to think of a solution in the end and she can’t do anything but flush when Clarke strolls in and heads over to her, smirk plastered on her face. Lexa only has time to save her miniature Baby Yoda from Clarke’s weapon of ass destruction before her coworker sits on the edge of her desk.

“Hey, Lexa.”

Lexa forces a polite smile, trying to focus on her outline for the day rather than the butt cheeks planted on her desk, the body attached to them, or the face looking down at her with a sly grin. “Hello, Clarke.”

“What do you think of Harper McIntyre’s new song?”

The topic confuses her, but she trudges on with a brave face. After all, she’s got opinions on Capitola’s Taylor Swift rip-off and if Anya is going to make it a point of leaving the room every time Lexa so much as mentions them, then she’s going to take this opportunity with both hands and pull out all the receipts. “Uninspired. Derivative. Oddly reminiscent of Call Me Maybe by Carly Rae Jepsen.”

“Yeah...” Clarke nods pensively, letting the subsequent silence drag on for a few more seconds. “I like your fingers.”

Lexa starts at the sudden topic change and struggles to keep her blush under control under the brazen intensity of Clarke’s stare. “Yes, I- I noticed. You mentioned. On the radio, for all of Capitola to hear. Thank you, I guess?”

Clarke hums, before clicking her tongue and hopping off of Lexa’s desk. She roundabouts it until she’s right next to Lexa, thigh brushing Lexa’s arm.

Lexa tries and fails to swallow down the knot in her throat as Clarke sits on her desk again, this time on her side, crossing her legs so her feet touch Lexa’s leg.

“So a little bird told me we’re starring in a porno together.”

Lexa almost yelps, scrambling out of her chair to fasten both hands over Clarke’s mouth. “The whole world doesn’t need to know, Clarke!”

Clarke rolls her eyes, but Lexa can feel her smile under her hands. Their eyes lock, a tacit understanding passing between them. Clarke's eyes are a vivid blue, like a cloudless sky or the color of Lexa's highlighters before Anya dunked them all in a bag of manure, and it's hard not to drown in the depths of them.

"Glad to see you two getting intimate already."

They spring apart as though they were burned. Lexa sits back down on her chair, while Clarke takes a seat at her desk, which to Lexa's chagrin is right next to her own. Anya chuckles as she sinks into her own chair, propping her feet on Lexa's desk, crossed at the ankles.

"Anyway," she slams a hand over a stack of papers, making Clarke and Lexa jump in their seats, "can you guess what this is?"

Clarke and Lexa look at each other with raised eyebrows, then at Anya. Lexa shrugs.

"This is your fucking Bible," Anya says, not waiting for them to guess. "Your Dianetics.Your Loose Canon. Your gospel." At her companions' still expectant stares, Anya heaves a dramatic sigh, throwing her arms up. "It's the goddamn screenplay."

Oh.

Oh.

It's like the snap of an elastic band. Lexa and Clarke shoot out of their chairs to snatch the script from Anya's desk. Lexa gets there first (going to the gym does pay off after all), dribbling around Clarke, and lets out a triumphant cry before sinking back into her chair, thumbing through the pages of the heavy tome.

She stops on a random page and feels Clarke press closer to read over her shoulder.

-

INT. BLONDIE'S KITCHEN - TWILIGHT

Enter Lulu. Plumber by day, detective by night. She stops by the island and twirls a lead pipe in her right hand before sheathing it like a cowboy's pistol.

LULU

It seems it's time to read your...

Lulu puts on her shades. ZOOM IN.

LULU (CONT'D)

...Anya rights.

-

Lexa balks, peeling her eyes from the page to gape at Anya.

"Anya rights? Anya rights? You can't just... Arbitrarily rename the Miranda rights. They have that name for a reason."

Anya rolls her eyes like Lexa just said something obnoxiously stupid. "I didn't just rename them, you dumbass. I fucking changed them. If you'd read the whole thing, you would know that the suspect has the obligation to remain silent. No more fucking cry babies in cuffs."

"This is..." Lexa opens and closes her mouth like a fish, trying to find a thread of logic in the midst of... Whatever fever dream she's living in right now. "I thought we were filming a porno, not a sexy cop movie. Plumber by day, detective by night? That's- it's not even remotely realistic."

"Lexa... Suspend your disbelief."

"I think it's really good stuff," Clarke chimes in, her breasts still firmly pressed to Lexa's shoulder blade.

"Thank you, Clarke!" Anya exclaims, throwing her hands up and letting them fall on her legs with a loud clap. "At least someone appreciates my genius."

Lexa rolls her eyes, but fine. Fine. She will read more; she will give Anya a chance. She opens the book on a new page, several scenes ahead.

-

INT. BLONDIE'S BEDROOM - NIGHT

Blondie rubs her lover's love button like she's scratching at a turn-table, making Lulu scream louder than Saoirse Ronan in Ammonite when Kate Winslet was eating her out with her neck.

LULU

Oh, fuck! You're so good at this! Almost as good as my awesome best friend and mentor Anya, even though I've never had sex with her because that would be totally gross.

Blondie stops her ministrations to look up at Lulu and smirks.

BLONDIE

I know. After all, they don't call me DJ Diddles for nothin'.

-

Lexa stares incredulously from the two hundred-odd pages to Anya, wondering how grave a sin she must have committed in a past life to deserve this.

"What are you, a sex-deprived straight guy?"

Anya scoffs, yanking the script from Lexa's hands before she can do anything to stop it. "I can assure you there is no deprivation in that department."

"After reading that I am seriously starting to doubt that you've ever even seen a vagina."

"I thought it was good," Clarke pipes in once again. This time, Lexa turns to her with a raised eyebrow.

"Is she paying you to say that?"

Clarke tsks with a smirk. "I'm just smart enough to know better than to get on the lead producer's bad side."

Anya snaps her fingers and points at Clarke approvingly, and Lexa has never regretted a decision so deeply in her life.

"Anyway," Clarke resumes, standing up and grabbing her bag. "This has been fun, but I need to get going. Anya, stay classy. We'll work out the schedule this week. Lexa," she adds, her voice dropping a tone to turn into a seductive purr. She leans down, and it's all Lexa can do not to focus on how her breasts squish together and seem to become fuller and more inviting. She loses the plot when a pair of lips presses to her cheek in a kiss that is chaste, yet way too slow for propriety. "See you tomorrow."

Lexa's throat is dry as a desert as she watches Clarke leave, her hips swaying more than usual. She jumps in place when Anya clears her throat next to her. This time, she can't avoid her friend's shit-eating grin.

"No chemistry, you say?"

"Shut up, Anya," she grumbles, focusing back on her work. She has a full, five-minute newscast to prepare, she can't dawdle and joke around gossiping like some people. But then a thought pops up in her head and she turns to Anya, eyes narrowed. "Is this some elaborate plan to get us together? I refuse to be your little Love, Actually experiment."

Anya's stare is fifty shades of unimpressed. "Lexa. Don't take yourself so seriously. It's a bad look on you."

Lexa buries her face in her hands with a long-suffering sigh. Why is this her life? Why is this her best friend? Why is she hopelessly attracted to the worst, most unprofessional coworker on the planet?

"Why couldn't you find a normal hobby? Something that doesn't include me? Like baking. Baking would have been so much better."

"You know," Anya drawls almost nostalgically, "I actually considered that, but the criminally inclined baker niche was already taken up by Martha Stewart."

"She is surprisingly niche," Lexa says, intrigued.

"Indeed."

"But she's also able to appeal to a larger audience."

"Uh-huh."

"Fascinating."

"I know. It's like Punkya. You'd think a lesbian erotica magazine would only appeal to queer women and depraved straight men, but it's been selling surprisingly well amongst the straight female demographic."

Hm. Are all women secretly queer?

"Interesting," Lexa concedes, before veering the topic back to Anya's passion (and Lexa's torture) project. "So when does principal photography start?"

And there it is again, that nefarious gleam in Anya's eyes. It grows along with her Cheshire cat grin, curling and curling until it's pure, unbridled evil.

"Next week."

[swan2swan]

So, where do we go from here? 

Camp Cretaceous Season 4 Prediction (LONG): 

As much as I’ve argued that we need to stay on Isla Nublar the whole time, turning right back around after that final sendoff would be too much of a forced “Return to Status Quo” for a story that has propelled itself forward so much. The kids did it. They won. They got off the island. I feel like we've explored almost everything we needed to (what's left? The bamboo forests? The gardens?), and though we never saw Triceratops or Stygimolochs or got chased by Gallimimus, we can't just go back after everything's increased. The only Big Challenge remaining on the island is the volcano, and that's six months out.

But the story’s nowhere near done, because we have four major plot threads that need to be addressed before the show ends:

1. Most immediately, we have the dinosaur in the closet. Is it a baby Scorpios? Blue? A Monolophosaurus? A Dilophosaurus? A baby Ouranosaurus? A baby Baryonyx? Jeanie? We don’t know, but odds are that it’s going to throw a wrench into the kids’ plans to return home. 

2. The state of Sammy's family and the ranch are still in flux; what will happen to them? Did they get all the money they needed from lawsuits? Does Mantah Corp have dirt on them? Are they going to try to interfere with Sammy because she Knows Too Much? They were set up as villains for a reason.

3. Darius and Kenji's strained relationship is a setup for future conflict.

4. We need to see Bumpy again. This isn't something that “needs” to come up, but the fact is that she's one of the main characters—bringing her back is essential to the story's quality, and we're not missing that thread. She either needs to get off the island, or we need to see that she lives afterwards.

Considering all of these things, I can rule out a lot of options: we're not getting chased right back by the Mosasaurus, and the creature in the ship isn't just going to wreck the engines and send them back. They're less than a hundred miles off of Costa Rica, so even if they're cruising at a cautious ten miles an hour, they should be able to see the shore within twenty-four hours, which means we're not going on an island-hopping adventure, either. You need dinosaurs, too, so nothing generic will happen.

Thus we can consider:

1: The kids are on the mainland of Costa Rica, and lost in the jungle or mountains. Just because they found their way back to mainland doesn't mean that they're going to find a port, and if their stowaway or the Mosasaurus causes problems, they can crash easily. If it's a Scorpios Rex baby, they'll have to hunt it and capture/kill it to finish their mission from this season. The problem with this option is that it just retreads the threat from the last season, which is boring; if it's a Monolophosaurus (or two), then it might not even impact things...so, I don't think the “kids in the jungle” plot is going to stick. I give this one a “D”.

2:  The kids run into a patrol vessel before landing. Isla Nublar is under quarantine. While they're on the boat, their rescuers/captors unleash the creature (which could be Scorpios!), and now there's a tight opening adventure on the boat. Thrilling, but not much of a big season if it's just a navy vessel...which leads me to:

3:  This is the only way I think we go back to Nublar, and that is if they meet up with a patrol boat, and then the creature in the hold (a small Scorpios???) rampages through the ship. They put it down, but the noise attracts the Mosasaurus, which wrecks the boat and puts them right back on Nublar—separated and with a bunch of adults alongside them. With a cast of much-more-plot-vulnerable adults to care about now (perhaps including Roxie, who joined the crew?), the stakes are higher and the kids are guides—maybe even separated at different points on the island. Not a big fan of this idea, though—again, it's retreading, and the number of excuses for “military-trained adults can't radio for help” is slim. So, I give it an “F”. But let's refine it a little further:

4: The kids get picked up by a patrol boat that is actually working for Mantah Corp—and they discover the dinosaur that has snuck aboard. Seeing an opportunity, Mantah Corp excitedly takes the kids to their secret base...on Isla Sorna. Though the dinosaurs on the island are mostly extinct and sick from disease, the abandoned island was perfect for a field laboratory. Specimens to study, buildings that already existed, a quarantine keeping prying eyes away...there's a whole organization here now. The kids escape from captivity (as they do) and find themselves wandering around a new island with new dangers: all around them are long-decayed skeletons of dinosaurs from the past, and hunting them are bizarre creations from Mantah Corp's labs. It's an island of ghosts now, and the kids need to escape...and perhaps, when they do, they find that they only have enough fuel to make it to one place: and it's the place they never thought they'd return to.

This plot covers pretty much every base—the stowaway, Mantah Corp, the relationships, and a chance to return to Bumpy—and gives them a proper, probable reason to go to Isla Sorna that isn't “Fate decided that it would be fun if they went to a different island”. I give this one “B-to-A” probability.

However...

There is one other major option:

Three. Year. Timeskip.

There are only two things holding me back from leaning into this: one is that it would deny us the sight of the kids reuniting with their families. We need that. We need some sort of triumphant return home. The other, simpler, more obvious problem is the monster in the hold; that kind of cliffhanger seems like it should come up. Obviously both of these problems can be solved via flashbacks, or a prologue, but...the need for new models and such would be an issue, because “budget” has always been a thing.

The other major problem, obviously, is the fact that the kids would need a reason to come back together. Maybe they all gather together for an anniversary and a dinosaur attacks them; maybe they're all being interviewed; but a far more interesting, compelling, and obvious motivation would be this:

Bumpy is alive and in danger.

Thus, all six kids (well...at least two would be adults now...) go running off to find and rescue Bumpy. They're bold and independent, rebellious and reckless: they each go to save their dinosaur friend, and they end up running into each other and ultimately facing Mantah Corp, who is one of the major power players in the prelude to Dominion.

This one has the ultimate story potential, in my opinon. You have Kenji and Darius meeting again with death glares because they left on poor terms. Ben has adjusted. Yaz and Sammy have had three years of yearning, notes, and problems (or maybe Sammy vanished...). And Brooklynn has had to forge a completely new life for herself, because she can't deal with internet fame anymore—everyone asking her about the island wherever she goes was just too much.

It directly sets the stage for Dominion, allowing glimpses of the world as it will be in the movie. Maybe the kids set more dinosaurs loose from Mantah Corp's (land-based in this one) laboratories as they free Bumpy. Maybe they become renegades and outlaws—forced to live in the wilds of California, Nevada, or Mexico. They're no longer looking for rescue, but for refuge. Maybe Claire has a sanctuary, a real one, that they have to get to. This would make it a full-scale adventure in a world filled with dinosaurs. Whatever they brought back with them is out there, too...and perhaps an old, scarred nemesis they never thought they would see again.

The biggest drawback to this is that the show hasn’t been running long enough for kids who started it to connect with the grown-up forms of the characters, but also...at the same time...it could work? I dunno, I give it “B” probability, A+ potential. 

Other thoughts that could work in any of these:

Roxie is working for Mantah Corp. She's unemployed, combat ready, and bitter at InGen...also, she'd look great in a uniform.

Brand is involved in any mainland shenanigans.

Dodgson. Dodgson. Can we get Dodgson here?

[anothersievefistedfind]

Fugazi, Mass Art Gymnasium, Boston, MA USA 4/19/2002 - photo © by Edwina Hay

Fugazi, Mass Art Gymnasium, Boston, MA USA 4/19/2002 (FLS #1029) & 4/20/2002 (FLS #1030)

Not having played in Boston proper for 11 years (i.e. since their one-off show at the Channel on March 17, 1991) due to the lack of promoters willing to do shows in larger venues for low ticket prices and the city suddenly ruling all ages shows illegal, Fugazi would finally return to play two consecutive nights at the Mass Art Gymnasium (MassArt), “[f]ounded in 1873, [...] one of the nation’s oldest art schools, the only publicly funded free-standing art school in the United States, and [...] the first art college in the United States to grant an artistic degree” (via). 

Moreover, and according to the MassArt website, it is “a place with wide reach, where the hardest, most important, and most rewarding work of [their] students, staff, and affiliates, is to keep [their] eyes open [!] and continue expanding [their] vision.” In other words, a place most suitable to host a couple of Fugazi shows and have some 1500 enthusiasts share in the experience each night. 

Interestingly, these shows in Boston played out while Washington D.C. was preparing for another round of large-scale protests on April 20th. According to an April 14, 2002 article “D.C. Protest Organizers Take On New Cause” by Manny Fern and ez published in the Washington Post, 

“Those opposed to global capitalism and the U.S. policies that support it, others who have decried the war in Afghanistan and activists who objected to widespread arrests of Muslims in the United States have joined pro-Palestinian groups to march for a common cause.”

In their lengthy follow-up article, “Demonstrators Rally to Palestinian Cause”, published on April 21, 2002 in the Washington Post, the authors provide some more details as to how these events unfolded,

“Tens of thousands converged on downtown Washington yesterday to demonstrate for a variety of causes, but it was the numbers and passion of busloads of Arab Americans and their supporters that dominated the streets.

Eager to make their presence felt and their voices heard in the nation's capital as never before, Arab and Muslim families marched and chanted for an end to U.S. military aid to Israel, overwhelming the messages of those with other causes in a peaceful day of downtown rallies and marches.”

Considering the nature and backdrop of these events, it only makes sense that the demonstrations run like a thread through both Fugazi shows in Boston. Leading into the song Argument on the first night, Ian gives a lengthy address touching on the causes of the demonstrations, his concerns and doubts in relation to the media coverage and on the band playing shows in Boston instead of standing with the demonstrators in Washington D.C., concluding that “[t]he fact of the matter is that, wherever you are, in the world, if you disagree with war, then you should be protesting every day, no matter where you are, so right now, this is the beginning of the protest.”

The recording of the first night documents a collection of songs that are performed very well for the most part and blend nicely together, with some cool extras, cf. the vocals catching some nice reverb on Oh, a memorable version of Ex-Spectator, Guy’s “public housing” rap into Dear Justice Letter, a cool double shot of Joe with The Kill / By You combo, or a rare 2002 live appearance of Bad Mouth.

However, there are a couple of reasons that will probably keep me from revisiting this one anytime soon. My main gripe is that the recording is incomplete. The introduction is missing as well as the actual last three songs of the set, i.e. Arpeggiator, Sweet and Low and Repeater. Guy’s vocals are low in the mix on Sieve-Fisted Find and kind of get stuck in the left channel for most of the recording. Also, the recording skips a couple of times during Cashout.

And so my preference lies with the recording of the second night, which fortunately is complete and better sounding overall, even though Brendan’s snare drum comes off a bit harsh the first couple of songs. This one too has a nice flow to it and documents a really good performance (never mind the guitar soloing towards the end of Strangelight is a bit off). 

My highlights here include a nice little midsection with 4 early songs which provide Guy with ample opportunity to lay down his guitar and go off, rare 2002 live versions of Song #1 and Last Chance for a Slow Dance (this one’s a beauty), another nice double dose of Joe by way of Recap Modotti / By You played back-to-back, and last but definitely not least, more remarks by Ian about protests “to celebrate the idea that not the entire country is insane, there are some people who are sane” as an introduction to an outstanding rendering of KYEO which has Ian catering some more to the issues of the day:

“Important bulletin, we have from unconfirmed sources, an alleged plot to possibly blow up five streets in an unnamed city, somewhere in this country, we can’t say it’s gonna happen, but we can’t say it’s not gonna happen, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t walk on the street, we actually don’t know what it means, we just want you to be scared...”

The troops are quiet tonight, But it's not alright, Because we know they're planning something. Don't you know things have settled down, 

Down, down but silence is a dangerous sound, 

”Because when you’re scared, you’re off-balance, and when you’re off-balance, you can’t reason, when you can’t reason it’s very hard to recognize that something is being done in your name that you would not like to have been done, or you would not like people to do, so get on-balance, don’t be scared...”

The troops are quiet tonight, But it's not alright, Because we know they're planning something. Don't you know things have settled down,

Down, down but SILENCE is a dangerous sound,

We must, we must, We must keep our eyes open, See what we see, What once was promised now will be. Still uncertain? Get off that hang, Don't wait for the bang, The tools, They will be swinging, But we will not be beaten down.

Note that videos of both performances circulate on YouTube (see below). These have been synched-up with the recordings presented here, with permission of the band. On an interesting side note, and according to Ian, “ryanne hodson, who is credited with the video editing was responsible for uploading hundreds of the FLS shows on the site. she’s been a real friend and booster to the project.”

Ironically, the footage of the first show is pretty much complete (contrary to the incomplete audio recording) while the footage of the second show is missing about 30 minutes of the performance (contrary to the complete audio recording).

The set lists:

April 19, 2002 (incomplete):

1. Break 2. Sieve-Fisted Find 3. Reclamation 4. Oh 5. Ex-Spectator 6. Interlude 1 7. Dear Justice Letter 8. Interlude 2 9. Stacks 10. The Kill 11. By You 12. Interlude 3 13. Forensic Scene 14. Cashout 15. Nightshop 16. Bad Mouth 17. Break-In 18. Interlude 4 19. Furniture 20. Blueprint 21. Encore 22. Argument 23. Full Disclosure 24. Long Division 25. No Surprise

April 20, 2002 (complete):

1. Intro 2. Number 5 3. Facet Squared 4. Rend It 5. Interlude 1 6. Birthday Pony 7. Oh 8. Styrofoam 9. Life and Limb 10. Closed Captioned 11. Public Witness Program 12. Five Corporations 13. Strangelight 14. Break 15. Burning 16. Song #1 17. Interlude 2 18. Give Me The Cure 19. Waiting Room 20. Recap Modotti 21. By You 22. Last Chance for a Slow Dance 23. Epic Problem 24. Encore 1 25. Cashout 26. Interlude 3 27. Full Disclosure 28. Interlude 4 29. KYEO 30. Outro

[moribundanchor]

The Pelle/Dani Receipts, Post Ten: Plots

After the Ättestupa, stuff moves very, very quickly. Team Hårga ASSEMBLE. Dani has been broken down both by witnessing a gruesome senicide and being forced to look into Pelle’s earnest blue eyes and confront that not only does Christian not love her, but maybe, just maaaaaaybe, she might could love somebody else. Christian is being broken down both by contending with Josh for his mcguffin thesis and being seduced by a cute underage redhead (SO GROSS CHRISTIAN YOU HAVEN’T EVEN TALKED). Plus Simon and Connie, by virtue of completely flipping out and demanding to leave after the Ättestupa, have unwittingly nominated themselves to be off(er)ed first. Once newbloods start disappearing, they disappear at a pretty rapid clip.

Simon and Connie’s disappearances, and Christian’s shrugging indifference to both, trigger Dani big time, as she confronts both how self-absorbed Christian is and how little credit he gives Dani's thoughts. At lunch, after an upset Connie vanishes, Dani is, as usual, seated between Christian and Pelle. As the scene opens, Dani’s back is to Christian and we can’t even see her face because she is looking into Pelle’s smiling eyes. For several seconds. They’re not talking. Just...looking. Like you do. With your buddy what was holding you on your bed and telling you how you deserved better than Christian. And this is the first time we see them since Ari’s impish smash cut from Dani hesitating on the verge of something to Dan’s crushed head.

Dani does eventually ask after Connie, prompting Jarl to give her the super believable official story that she was driven to the train station. Sure, Jarl. And Dani is still having a hard time buying that Simon would just leave without Connie. Especially in the Director’s Cut, we see how Dani notices how devoted they are to each other. But Christian is dismissive, and Dani goes cold. “I could see you possibly doing that,” she says. YASSSS QUEEN. She’s looking straight ahead, jaw set and eyes flinty, as Christian asks her, “What that’s supposed to mean?” She doesn’t answer and Christian should be grateful because the energy is very FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT. As it is, we just see Pelle notice and quickly look away, hiding a spreading smile that is practically another hit of the sunshine motif. Meanwhile, Mark is lured away by Inga, a different kind of fool for love.

Simon, Connie, and Mark down; who’s next? Josh! Thesis Goggles strapped on tight, Josh sneaks into the temple to take pictures of the Rubi Radr and is summarily dispatched by an unknown Hårgan male. (2000 quatloos on Ingemar.) We do get a little gratuitous Pelle shirt changing the next morning (which Dani notices and quickly looks away from), and that’s important, but not as a hint that Pelle killed Josh. To begin with, there’s a bunch of reasons Pelle is unlikely to have killed Josh, not least of which our theory about why he isn’t sacrificed at the end: a) We see Pelle in bed when Josh sneaks out, b) even assuming there’s a secret door, Pelle really would have had to book it to get in there behind Josh and we see Josh make it to the temple without any indication of being followed, and c) assuming Pelle was involved in murdering or butchering Josh, we think he probably would have brought a spare shirt. Come on. He did the cake thing.

Pelle changing his shirt is not just eye candy/misdirection though. It’s actually a clever direction from Ari. If you notice, from this point until the Fire Temple ceremony, Pelle is wearing a different shirt with a different rune, Wunjo in black thread, NOT Fehu in blue. We will get more into this in Post Twelve, but Wunjo (”joy”) is an incredibly positive rune that represents everything we know Dani craves: joy, perfection, harmony, overcoming alienation, kinship and family. It literally describes positive, healthy wishes coming true. Pelle wearing this rune on the day Dani wins the dance competition and he kisses her is incredibly significant and indicates not just his intentions, but it shades the meanings of Dani’s runes as well. He is practically wearing a nametag that says, Hi, my name is Dani’s True Love.

At breakfast, Christian is icy about Josh, butthurt that Josh isn’t letting him steal his thesis with good humor, and Elder Sten announces the Rubi Radr is missing. Pelle, as usual, sneaks a look at Dani, presumably to see whether she’s buying it. The real Pelle/Dani content comes afterward, when Sten and Arne question them about Josh and Mark’s whereabouts and make insinuations about the missing Rubi Radr. (Everyone just step back and consider for a second this is all really for Dani’s benefit. While Christian's [sort of] consent clearly is important, they could have drugged him and gotten what they wanted from him at any point here. Dani is the one they want for keeps, and all these elaborate ruses only further isolate Dani from Christian and cushion her absorption into the family.) Everybody just...sort of assumes Mark is snuggling Inga still, I guess, but Christian cannot sell out Josh fast enough, and Dani and Pelle both look at him with undisguised revulsion. Meanwhile, Pelle does take responsibility for his missing friends and the missing holy text, and thus Odd magically appears (Pelle might be fidgeting his fingers or he might be affekting a secret message to Arne during this scene, too) and he’s given leave to go...look for them. [shifty eyes] 

It’s much like the birthday plot. Pelle gives Christian an opportunity to basically be himself, which makes Pelle doing the right thing, even something as simple and baseline human as not immediately forsaking your friend, a total repudiation.

Speaking of Christian being himself, while we don't believe Pelle killed anyone, he's laser focused on helping Christian get himself sacrificed. He takes every chance to stoke Christian’s most selfish impulses from his very first line, and more than that, he really seems to enjoy Christian’s fall. Again, Ari Aster doesn’t make many things in this film simple and plain, but Pelle’s delight in Christian’s corruption is one of those things. We already talked about the smirking in the Director’s Cut version of the car scene and the birthday setup, but once the plots start spinning, we get so much more. 

First, Pelle encourages Christian to think of Maja sexually by teasing him about her “taking a liking” to him and informing him she is of the age of consent. His affect is so permissive and tempting, as though Dani doesn't exist and Pelle is only being his wingman, and when Christian replies "Good for her" a little too grumpily, we know Pelle's aim was true. Pelle visibly savors Christian’s predicament. And he's aware of every bit of the spellcasting on Maja's end. When Christian eats and drinks the pie and beverage with (ahem) a little love story added by Maja, Pelle restrains a smile and a laugh. (This is the same lunch scene where Dani snipes at Christian, so he must have been high-fiving Ingemar behind the chicken coop afterward.) Later, Pelle smirks and watches from the corner of his eye as Ulla tempts Christian with special tea during the dance competition. This scene is particularly loaded in the Director's Cut, where Siv has made it explicit to Christian that Pelle showed Maja his picture prior to their arrival in Hårga. Yet when Christian takes a seat next to Pelle, he says nothing, knowing everything, and neither does Pelle. The masks are all but off. Christian knows what he’s going to do, and he’s ashamed; Pelle knows what Christian is going to do, and he’s triumphant.

And most sexily damningly, when Christian succumbs to a nice puff of paralysis powder courtesy of Father Odd, we see (and Christian sees) Pelle peep in through the chicken coop door. In the script, Pelle is described as looking away in shame, but that’s definitely not the Pelle we have on film. Film Pelle is HERE FOR IT. Film Pelle is gloating. And we think he really wants Christian to know it was him in the end, not out in front, but behind the scenes. While one could look at all of this as a refutation of Vilhelm Blomgren’s emphasis in interviews that Pelle is full of love or proof positive that Pelle is actually a (gasp) villain, consider that, flashes of annoyance at Mark aside, he doesn’t show that kind of animosity toward the others. Mark is willfully ignorant and gross; Josh is disrespectful in the sense that he wants to mine Hårga for his own gratification and ambition. But Christian is the only one he clearly delights in destroying, and that destruction is consonant with his love. Because of Dani. Soft, love-filled Hårgan boy loves Dani enough to hate someone for her sake, and that is a fucked-up wish fulfillment fantasy, make no mistake, but...it is still a very valid and common and powerful wish-fulfillment fantasy. That chicken coop smirk is, at its core, just as much an act of love as the birthday sketch. Dani is one of his family. He will lure his friends to their deaths for all of them, but he will scheme Christian to death just for her.

What? Just because it’s unhealthy doesn’t make it less true.

For more, click on The Pelle/Dani Receipts Masterpost

[a-bit-too-much-of-a-zelda-fan]

@noblelightfighter asked: "How did you come up with the town scenarios? Like Wild trying to bargain and Sky being one of the links who was eager to try bomb-chu bowling?"

I’m really glad you asked this! I love talking about my thought process and inspirations when it comes to my writing, especially with Oops! All Links. There are a lot of sequences in the Selggog arc, so I may as well go through them chapter by chapter. More below the cut!

I'll start off by saying that around the time I wrote “Musings and Memories,” I read James Baldwin's short story “Sonny’s Blue’s.” Baldwin does a really good job keeping dialogue-heavy scenes interesting by describing the characters' poses and mundane actions. I thought, "damn, I want to do that too." So if you noticed another layer of detail in my writing at that point, that was why.

Chapter 15: Inn or Out... Maybe Just Inn.

Hyrule is by far the hardest Link to write for. He has hardly any source material, so all I really have to go off of is Jojo’s comic and other fan content. That's why I accidentally ignored him for the first 14 chapters. So I decided to give him much more of a spotlight in this arc, and one of the few concrete things that we know about him is that he has had to deal with vendors with wildly different prices. I figure, yeah, he probably got good at haggling.

I put Sky, Wild, and Hyrule together because they all have different experiences with vendors in their own games. I decided that I could add Baldwin-esque detail by describing the minutia of them undressing and eating supper. Damn, did I consult the original LU character concepts a ton for this segment. I also used this scene to add my headcanon/self-projection of Sky being vegetarian.

The Links also went through what could be a traumatic experience in the burning town. I had already written some fallout of Time using Darmani's Mask, where the others are mad at him, Wild flips shit, and Time describes how painful it is to use the masks. But Time only wore the mask to save Hyrule. Wouldn't Hyrule feel guilty about that? And who better to soothe that guilt than Wild, who must have felt incredible survivor guilt after the Calamity?

Chapter 16: Panacea

Scene 1: I wasn't sure why I made Twilight wake in a cold sweat, but it could be because of recalling his past experience in "Stars and Stories." Aside from giving Twi and Wars some 1-on-1 dialogue, this scene lets Twi have some pleasant memories of home after the awful ones in "Fire." It also shows his soft side when he lets Time oversleep.

Scene 2: This is mostly just setup for the rest of the arc, but eating breakfast and getting dressed is another Baldwin opportunity. The group also gets some downtime to decompress and act off of each other.

The title and Hyrule's line "And enjoying breakfast together in a warm and cozy inn is probably the panacea for that poison” is a reference to the Flobots song "Panacea for the Poison."

Chapters 17 & 18: To Sell a Butterfly (Necklace); A Sailor and a Ranch Hand Walk into a Store.

Bro, I love writing Twi and Wind together. All the Links consider each other sort of brothers, Twi acts like a big brother to his friends in Ordon, and Wind is the youngest Link. Perfect. These chapters let their relationship shine and give Wind a chance to use his own experience with treasure tellers for what I think were great character moments. Madame Viliafore wasn't really inspired by anything, she just kinda came into existence.

Twilight's line “Uh, I’m pretty sure most shops won’t buy off strangers. They’re trying to sell their junk, not buy yours. Think how fast they’d go bankrupt.” is a reference to the Snowdin shopkeeper in Undertale.

This is probably pretty obvious but the titles are references to To Kill a Mockingbird and that one joke (you know the one).

Chapter 19: Swords, Shields, Arrows

Wild is a knight and knows exactly what he is doing when it comes to weapons. The pose he ends his sword test with is a reference to the BotW Memory "Shelter from the Storm." He tries to haggle with the shop owner precisely because he just saw Hyrule do it, and they talked about it the previous night. He fails miserably because he has absolutely no idea how to do it. I also give Four and Wild some character interaction that stresses how much Wild's past messed with his head.

There's no particular reason the shopkeeper said they were scaring his customers when there weren't any customers in the shop, I just thought it would be funny.

Chapter 20: Mind the Tea

Hyrule got some comfort from Wild and Sky, but I felt he really needed to hear it from Time. Besides wrapping up all the plot threads from the previous chapters, I got to sprinkle in a bit more Time angst and humorously conclude the wallet side plot. I just thought it would be funny to make the events of two whole chapters entirely unnecessary.

This chapter and the opening to the next are inspired by the time I went to a British tearoom in New York City called Tea and Sympathy. It's a bit pricy but if you're ever in New York, you should check it out.

Rolling with the British theme, the title is a reference to the warning all over the London Underground saying "Mind the Gap."

Chapter 21: Me and the Boys

The Links needed some fun after everything, so I figured, what minigame from one of the Zelda games could all of them enjoy? Time said it himself, they all like explosions. Sky is the most enthusiastic to play (besides Wind) because he's generally one of the more positive Links, and one of his own minigames was that circus-themed diving game. I figured that this would remind him of that.

The girl at the counter is indeed the younger sister of the Bombchu girl in Ocarina of Time. The "heroic sideburns" line is a reference to Tri Force Heroes, which otherwise doesn't really come up in LU.

In my opinion, this is my funniest chapter by far. I really laid into the comedy here, because I knew that after this chapter, I was going into an arc centered around intense combat. I absolutely love Twilight's increasing concern over the Cucco, and Sky's line about animal welfare laws is a reference to the "Wait. That's illegal" meme from Red vs Blue.

My favorite jokes I've ever written are in this chapter:

“Games?” Hyrule replied. “You mean like chess?” Wind gaped at his friend in disbelief. “No, games are fun.”

And this entire bit here

The girl giggled from behind the counter. Legend shot daggers at her. She sobered up. Warriors snatched up a bombchu in one hand and patted Legend on the shoulder with the other. “Please, I’ll show you how it’s done,” he said with a wink to the shopkeeper. Warriors’ bombchu was as good as dead on arrival; it was blocked by the very first barrier. His shoulders slumped. “I don’t remember him asking for the quickest way to lose,” Wild teased. “Shut it, you don’t remember a lot of things,” Warriors shot back. “I—… okay, that’s fair.”

To finish up, I'll explain where this town's came from. Back in middle school, I ran a Minecraft server for my friends and me. We built a town and my friend decided to name it Selggog. Where did he get the name? We had just watched the "Lab Safety Song" in our science class, and it mentioned safety goggles. He wrote down "goggles" backward and, what do you know, he got "Selggog."