#but i think he would've made a better advisor

[fideidefenswhore]

Was the young Henry VIII a very friendly and gentle person?

Assuming you mean on a personal level (since, obviously...ordering executions is not especially 'gentle'), that seems to be the general judgement. There's not actually much variation from it from 1509-20s, foreign observers extol his gentleness and generosity and piety throughout the early 1530s, their only specific criticism there is that he's enthralled with a woman of 'bad character' (shorthand for 'low birth').

'the kindest of princes' (Cranmer, 1526) ‘a man of gentle friendliness, and gentle in debate; he acts more like a companion than a king’ (Erasmus, 1529) 'affable and gracious, harmed no one' (Venetian ambassador, 1519) 'He is kind and affable, full of graciousness and courtesy, and liberal; particularly so to men of science (virtuosi) whom he is never weary of obliging.' (Venetian ambassador, 1531)

There's some interesting post-contemporary observations on this matter, too (that have to be considered more doubtful since they're more influenced by hindsight and sometimes, by partisanship); such as:

"her Majesty's father, though otherwise the most gentle and affable prince in the world, could not abide to have any man stare in his face; or to fix his eye too steadily upon him when he talked with them".

And while I won't arm-chair, body-language 'science', pop psych-analyze that one (search results yield that specific source quote to 'narcissism' discussion), since it's neuroableist particularly to suggest an inability to maintain eye contact is indicative of innate deceit/dishonesty ...it is an interesting observation, considering how long he was in the public eye.

'Otherwise' gentle and affable is what's interesting about this remark, really, because are gentleness and friendliness mutually exclusive with a certain self-consciousness? I don't think so, and I wonder if this manifested particularly once he got to the point in a public ceremony/spectacle where he became overwhelmed by the attention and scrutiny, it is not typically how he's thought of but it's such a specific observation connected (but 'contrasting') those specific traits you asked of, I thought it was worth mentioning.

Mantel touched on this,

‘The burden of kingship,’ he says, ‘no man can imagine it. All my life, to be a prince: to be observed to be a prince; all eyes to be set on me; to be an exemplar of virtue, of discretion, of excellence in learning; to have a mind young and vigorous yet as wise as Solomon; to take pleasure in what others have designed for my pleasure, or be thought ungrateful; to discipline all my appetites, to unmake myself as a man in order to make myself as a king; to waste not a minute lest I be seen to waste it; for idleness, no excuses; always alert to prove, always to show, that I am worthy of the place God appointed me … When I was a young man I suppose I showed the calf of my leg to an ambassador and said, “There, has your French king a calf as good as that?” And my words were reported, and all Europe laughed at me, a vain idle boy, and no doubt people laugh still. But being young I asked myself, if God had formed François better than me, which prince did He favour most?’

And I also thought Mantel touched on this (although I can't find it in my highlights atm, so maybe I'm misremembering); I distinctly remember this scene...where somebody is recalling, as Duke of York, Henry was placed on a pony or horse when he's only two or three years old, and this is really his first public appearance, and he's reported to have acquitted himself well, to have been charming and gracious and graceful, even then...but even then, there was always this dark spectre. The timing of his ennoblement as Duke of York was chosen with purpose, it was in the shadow of a pretender. Was there a sense of unease, even then, that he couldn't articulate until later: that behind every smile, could be a knife?

'[Henry VII]'s children grew up in a world of threats, intrigue, and paranoia', '[Prince Henry]'s earliest years were as emotionally insecure as his father's reign was politically uncertain', '"he is so subjugated that he does not speak a word except in response to what the king asks him"'; again, the latter does not match the gregarious (perhaps even, more self-fashioned than natural) personality he's recorded as having as an adult.

The possibility that he oscillated between two opposite settings, and adapted accordingly, back to back (relative isolation and circumspection, to complete immersion in public celebration and celebrity and grandiose openness/friendliness); could account for the contradiction of an "affable" young man that gradually became uncomfortable with the level of scrutiny to which he was held, and maybe even modulated his habit and outward persona to fit what was expected of a king.

[thesummerestsolstice]

I absolutely love the idea that Elrond took one look at Annatar and immediately disliked him. He just instantly failed the vibe check. And the best part is about that is that there are so, so many reasons Elrond might've immediately mistrusted Annatar, ranging from drama to comedy. I've compiled a few of my favorites below:

Vague, Luthien-related "not this motherfucker again" senses (always a classic)

Something about Annatar reminded Elrond of Maedhros's description of Sauron, even if he couldn't quite connect the dots at the time (good if you want to be emotional about Kidnap dads)

Annatar's general attitude really didn't fit with his story that he was an emissary of the Valar (if you want to be pro-Valar)

Alternately, Elrond fully believed that Annatar was from the west, but had serious problems with the Valar and didn't trust anyone they'd sent (if you want to be anti-Valar)

Vague foresight visions (for a metaphysical reason)

Elrond thinks that Annatar's appearance in Lindon is just a little too politically convenient (for a very practical reason)

Galadriel had warned Elrond that something like this might happen (I would also listen to Galadriel)

Annatar was being really, really unsubtle about being evil and Elrond was just the first person to point out that maybe the guy asking around about the best way to poison an elf without being caught shouldn't be allowed to stay in the city (Annatar got better at the whole 'evil in disguise' thing in Eregion)

Elrond has already heard enough traveling salesmen in his life and doesn't have patience for another one (Lindon really needs a 'no soliciting' sign)

Annatar made a vaguely offensive comment about Elrond being a half-elf and Elrond ran out of tolerance for that roughly an Age ago (good for him!)

Annatar said that Lindon needed a Maia, and excuse me, Lindon is already under Elrond's protection, it does not need another Maia wandering around causing problems! (Maiar territoriality my beloved)

Annatar said that Gil-Galad needed a Maiarin advisor, and, excuse me, Gil-Galad is Elrond's king, he does not need another Maia to whisper jokes to him during meetings, or to tenderly braid his hair, or to be his messenger bird. Elrond does all that perfectly fine, thank you! (Maiar territoriality, good for them edition)

Annatar and Elrond would've gotten along fine if Gil-Galad had bothered to introduce them properly, but seriously, you can't just toss them in a room together! Everyone knows that Maiar need time to acclimate to each other's presences first! You have to use a wall to separate them for a couple days! (did Gil-Galad even do his research before allowing a Maia-adjacent being to be his herald?)

Elrond absolutely refused to explain his reasons but everyone still listened because at that point they knew nothing good came from ignoring his warnings (smart choice)

[holdmytesseract]

moodboard by @chennqingg <3 | divider by @jiyaxedits <3

Through The Years

Jotun!King!Loki Laufeyson x fem!Æsir!Queen!Reader

Summary: This story takes you and Loki on a journey through the twins life. From their first steps all the way to their first time falling in love.

Warnings for this Chapter: bit angst? sad/slightly desperate Loki, drama, yelling? fluff

Word Count: 3k

a/n: This chapter is a very important one, I'd say. After all, we are going to find out who is going to be the heir to the throne! 👀

Also, I thought I post this today, because it's Tomathy's birthday! 🥳🥰

Tags: @eleniblue @muddyorbsblr @mochie85 @asgards-princess-of-mischief @jaidenhawke @mishkatelwarriorgoddess @ijuststareatstuffhereok89 @multifandom-worlds @huntedmusicgardenn @lokiforever @captain-camille @lokisgoodgirl @smolvenger @hisredheadedgoddess28 @glitchquake @chennqingg @icytrickster17 @princess-ofthe-pages @crimson25 @buttercupcookies-blog @elegantcheesecakecrown @iamlokisgloriouspurpose @loz-3 @herdetectivetheorist @simping-for-marvel @km-ffluv @stupidthoughtsinwriting @jennyggggrrr @lady-rose-moon @salvinaa @lovingchoices14 @irishhappiness @sheris532 @princessdragon23 @xxannyxx

❄️ Chapter Three ❄️ Chapter Five ❄️

Ice Flower AU Masterlist ❄ Loki Masterlist ❄ Masterlist

Chapter Four - The Crown Prince

"What bothers you, my king?" You asked your husband in a soft, hushed voice - not to startle him. He was standing on the big balcony of your shared chambers, gazing into distance. Loki and the landscape to his feet were bathed in bright, soft blue moonlight; illuminating the dark. Summers on Jotunheim were beautiful, you learned. Some might would not expect this, but it was true. It wasn't super warm though, unlike on Asgard. Warm enough to grow crops and such, but that was it. Certainly not warm enough to run around naked - at least for you. While Loki stood there in nothing but his sleep loincloth, you were tightly wrapped up in your Asgardian dressing gown - plus some warm fur slippers. The nights were colder anyway.

"Is it what I think it is?" You questioned him further; now wrapping your hands around his strong torso; hugging him from behind. "The announcement?" You felt how Loki took a deep breath and sighed, "Yes, my queen." before he put his big hands on your smaller ones. "I... I am afraid I made the wrong decision and..." You ran your thumb in a caressing manner over the bulging muscles of his abs. "And?" He swallowed. "I never wanted to choose. I knew from the moment they were born that I had to one day, but... I never wanted to carry this burden. Why cannot decide someone else? The people? Or our advisors?" You sighed as well, knowing how bad he felt. "I know, my love, I know, but... Unfortunately, it's the king's decision. It always was; always will be." He scoffed, clearly affected by all this. "I remember that day... Clearly. Father chose Thor. Being the first born was to his advantage, but... Nevertheless, Odin would've chosen my brother. He believed he was the better king. Wiser. More mature. I accepted it - and in the end, I'm glad he didn't choose me. Because if he had, who knows if our paths ever crossed? I doubt it." The king squeezed your hands gently; loving - bathing in your embrace. "Well, I am glad, too, love. I am lucky to call you my queen now - and wife. I wouldn't want any other princess. Just you. Always you..." He muttered, pausing. "But this is different... Our boys are twins. No first born. No one of them has an advantage. By the norns, I wouldn't even want that... We always treated them equally - how it should be and now... Now I am forced to favour one of them. As a father, this is cruel."

Your heart broke at his words. You knew very well how he must feel. It wasn't fair - but that was a burden of being alive... Sometimes it was just not fair. "I know, my love, I know," you whispered and pressed a lingering kiss on the soft skin of his bare back. "I find this just as cruel as you do. Parents shouldn't have to ever put one child over the others and it's just not fair, but... Life unfortunately isn't fair..." You spoke the words on your mind, but stopped to press another reassuring kiss on his skin. "You need to remind yourself that this is a decision you make as a king. Not as a father." You could hear your husband swallowing again, before he turned in your embrace and lowered his upper body, in order to press his forehead against yours. "Should I mirror your words in front of them? Tell Áki and Váli that I'd never make this decision as a father, but have to as a king?" You nodded. "Yes. I think it would be important for them to know." Another deep sigh left your husband's lips. "I hope they'll understand... I don't know what to do if they don't."

You loosened your grip around his torso and lifted your hands to cup his cheeks; giving Loki a soft smile. "They'll understand. I know they will." The king nodded, squeezed his eyes shut and held you even closer. You let him, of course, enjoyed the tight embrace you were in.

"Let's go to bed, my king, shall we?" "Yes." You led Loki back to your marital bed then, sunk together with him in the sheets and held him close. It was just what he needed that night. The undying, unshakeable love and support of his wife.

Nevertheless, didn't have Loki a restful night. He tossed and turned from time to time; thoughts running wild inside his head. That was the reason why he was up quite early; watching the sun rise over Jotunheim.

You woke up with the sun as well; sleepy eyes searching for your husband. "Loki?" "Over here, my love." Your eyes followed his voice. He was sitting on the settee in front of the empty fireplace; gaze settled on you. "Good morning, darling." You smiled sleepy; stretching your limbs. "Good morning." You could feel his beautiful ruby eyes on you; watching you with an overwhelming amount of love and gentleness. But when your gaze met his, you could also see how troubled he was. Still. Your expression softened. "C'mere, my love." Reaching out your hand towards him, you waited for him to take it.

It only took him a few seconds to bridge the distance between the settee and bed; eagerly taking your hand into his and intertwining your fingers. You pulled him gently closer, until his legs hit the edge of the bed and he had no other choice but to lean down. With a soft, loving smile, you caught his lips with yours; kissing him lazily. Loki's eyes fluttered shut; heart beating faster. He'd never get tired of kissing you. Never.

"Have you decided yet?" Your sweet voice urged to his ears; pulling the king down on the harsh reality. Perhaps he got lost in your eyes for a few moments... With a deep sigh he nodded, "I have, yes." and told you this important decision.

"What do you think of it? Do I... Do I make the right choice, my queen?" Loki was so uncertain and troubled. You'd even go as far and say that he was afraid. So, you tried your best to comfort him. Just like you did last night. "I'd say you do, yes." You said honestly, giving his hand a reassuring squeeze. "He'll make a great further king. I am convinced by that."

Mere hours later, the king of Jotunheim was in his throne room, sitting upon his throne. His leg bounced nervously up and down; he definitely felt the burden of the upcoming event on his shoulders, weighing him down. Like hypnotized, he stared on the big doors, waiting for them to open - which they did only a few minutes later, revealing two guards and his twin sons. The guards let them in, took a bow and closed the doors again, leaving the three men alone.

"You wanted to see us, dad?" Áki was the first one to talk; being definitely the braver twin. Puberty changed the young men, of course, but not their characters. Áki was brave and talkative, while Váli was shyer and more reserved. Not that Váli didn't have braveness within him, but not as much as his brother.

Loki nodded, took a deep breath. "How to begin with?" He muttered to himself, before standing up and stepped closer to his sons. "I have to talk with you both about something important. But not here. Let's take a walk, shall we?" Said and done. Father and sons left the palace only minutes later. "Do we have to be afraid of what you need to tell us?" Váli asked, eyeing Loki with a slightly worried gaze. "No, it's... It's..." The king took another breath. "You are now 20 years old. You've grown into big, strong and wise men - without a doubt. And I couldn't be prouder of you. I really am - and so is your mother." The twin brothers exchanged a sceptical look. Not that they never heard those words from their father before, no - quite the opposite, but... Something in Loki's voice was different. Áki and Váli could tell. "You learned so much in all those years. About Jotunheim, about your heritage, about how to act as princes - and you're doing it to perfection." Loki paused. "It is time for me to make a decision. I avoided it for a long time; tried to escape it, but... I can't do it much longer. Our people, the advisors - yes, the whole kingdom expects from me to finally decide. And I have. I had to."

Váli frowned at his father, while Áki already had a guess. "What is this all about, dad?" Loki sighed. "The throne. My successor." Váli was definitely more surprised than his brother. "T-The throne? You are telling us who the crown prince is going to be?" "Exactly, my son." Áki just nodded. "We're ready for it. I am ready for it." Loki smiled at his sons. "I know you both are. I just don't know if I am ready. Well, I guess I'll never be - but that doesn't matter." The king swallowed hard. "But before I am going to tell you this, I want you both to know that it wasn't an easy decision for me. I thought long about this. Mostly even at night. I want you to know, that I made this decision as a king - not as a father. I never would. My love for you is equally strong. It always was and it always will be. I love you more than life itself, my sons." Áki smiled, just like his brother. "We love you, too." Váli agreed. "We do - and we know that you'd never favour one of us above the other as a father, but have to as a king."

Those words meant a lot to Loki; helping to ease his fear and worries a bit. He stopped and turned to place a hand on a shoulder of each twin. "This means a lot to me. I'm glad you understand. Now that that's settled..." Loki swallowed hard. "Váli, Áki... Each of you is perfectly qualified for the throne, but... I'd like you to be the future king of Asgard, Váli." The young man's eyes widened. He absolutely hadn't seen that coming. He always had expected his brother to be the future king. Áki was stronger, braver - a warrior and a true Jotun, while Váli was... Just himself. A bit dreamy, quiet and had his nose always buried in a book. Despite that, he looked like his mother - an Æsir. Not Jotun. Was that really what his father wanted? What the people wanted?

"W-What? M-Me?" Loki nodded. "Yes, you, Váli." "B-But... Why?" The king smiled softly. "Because you are smart, wise and kind. You always make the right decisions. You are well-read and know how to rule." Váli was literally speechless. His lips moved, but now words left his mouth. "And I am not?!" The angry, clearly jealous voice of Áki cut through the air. Loki quickly redirected his attention, looked his other son in the eyes. "I never said that, Áki. You are smart and wise. You have a lot of kindness in you as well, but-" "But what?!" The furious prince literally spat. "You're a bit hot-headed. You have so much passion and energy flowing through your veins. You, my son, are the greatest warrior I have ever seen. Even greater than I am - which is why I believe, that it would be better for you to defend our home. Make sure it's safe. I want you to stand at your brother's side as his first advisor and leader of our army."

Unlike his brother, Áki rather had expected to be crowned future king. He always found himself perfect for this. Worthy of becoming a king. He didn't want to be jealous of his brother. He really didn't, because he loved Váli dearly. But the heat of the moment and his slightly hot-headed nature blinded him.

Áki answered nothing to his father's almost desperate try to explanation. He just scoffed and stormed off, leaving a distraught Loki behind. This certainly didn't go as planned. That was exactly what Loki always wanted to prevent... What he was fleeing from...

It was already quite late, when Loki decided to approach his son again, in order to talk to him. The king knew, that he couldn't spend the night in peace without having talked to Áki. You told Loki to give him some space, which he understood - but he couldn't wait any longer. He had to talk to him. So, Loki went to his chambers, but found them empty. Áki wasn't there. It didn't stop the king, though. He had a guess, knew exactly where he would most likely find the prince. While Váli preferred to escape into the secret room in the library, whenever he needs to be alone, his brother fled to the training grounds. That's where Loki went next - and he was successful. Áki was there, letting out all his anger and frustration on a Jotun sized target. His sword beat down on it, over and over again; abusing the wooden surface and causing it to splinter. Loki took a deep breath, feeling his nerves again.

"Son..." Áki immediately stopped at the sound of his father's voice. Breathing heavily, with his chest rising and falling quickly, he turned around to face Loki. "What do you want?" "I want to talk with you." Áki released a breathless, derisive chuckle. "Didn't we already talk enough?" Another deep sigh left Loki's lips; desperation crawling up in him once again. "Please, Áki. I know this frustrates you, but-" "No!" The young prince cuts him off. "I don't understand your motives, father! We both know I'd be the better king!" Áki insisted; fury ruby eyes meeting his father's identical ones. "I never denied that! I know you'd be a great king!" "Then why I won't get to be king?!" Loki inhaled sharply and closed his eyes for a moment. "Because of your temper and hot-headed nature. Those aren't exceptionally bad characteristics - and you know that, but-" "But what?!" The prince spat. "Let me finish my sentence, young man, and you'll hear!" Loki had a short fuse sometimes as well. Like father, like son... Áki clapped his mouth shut at Loki's small outburst and took a submissive step back; turned into a little boy again within seconds. "A-Apologies, father." Loki gave him an intense look and crossed his arms over his chest. "I believe that you can use those... abilities of yours way better in being the leader of our army. You fit perfectly in this role. You were always destined to be a warrior. Just like I am. Just like your mother was." The king's anger deflagrated quickly again, when he saw the hurt and sorrowful look in his son's eyes. A little boy once again, indeed.

Loki sighed and stepped closer to his son; placed a hand on his bare shoulder. "Look, I... That is exactly what I always wanted to prevent. What I always was afraid of - since yours and your brother's birth. I knew I had to choose someday - and it scared me to death. Because of that. Because I had to disappoint one of you. I am sorry, son. I truly am. I... I hoped I would be able to compensate your loss of the throne with the position as the leader of our warriors and first advisor, ruling at your brother's side and supporting him like nobody else could..." Loki swallowed, "But I'm afraid, I failed." and shook his head. "But my decision stands. My offer stands." He sighed. "Again, I am truly sorry, Áki. I hope that one day you can wrap your head around this and forgive me - and perhaps accept my gift for you. You can be angry. You have every right to be angry, but please... Don't blame your brother for this. Don't let him feel your wrath." With those words Loki let go of Áki and stepped back in order to leave. "And please... Don't let me lose my son. I couldn't bear it." The king knew when he lost - and that was the case, so he turned around and walked away.

What he didn't expect, though, was Áki's voice, holding him back. "Dad, wait!" He almost yelled, before adding in a quiet voice: "Please..." Loki stopped dead in his tracks. "I... I didn't mean to react the way I did. I shouldn't have reacted that way. It was... inappropriate." Loki swallowed and turned around slowly to face Áki again. "You're right. I have a temper... And I am hot-headed as well. It took over. I got lost in the heat of the moment. I should be grateful for what you're giving me... Not angry." Loki's words hit the young prince; cleared his foggy brain. He could see straight again. "If anyone should be sorry, it's me. Please forgive me, dad." Áki lowered his head in shame and regret.

The king couldn't believe his ears. His son's opinion changed within seconds. His heart skipped undeniably a beat; hoping for an immediate reconciliation with his son.

Loki stepped closer again - and once more found his hand the young warrior's shoulder. This gesture caused him to lift his head again; looking straight in his father's eyes. All Loki could see now in those pools of red was regret and pure honesty. He smiled softly. "Apology accepted." Áki's eyes widened. "W-What? Really?" Loki nodded. "Yes. Like I said... You had every right to be angry. I often acted the same way when I was your age." "Really?" "Really." "S-So... You're forgiving me?" Another smile grazed Loki's cerulean lips. "Of course, son. You're forgiven - but... Apologise to your brother as well. He's blaming himself already the whole day... He even thought about refusing the throne, handing it over to you and learning to fight...." Áki's eyes widened. "By the norns... Of course, I am going to apologise!"

[ravi-is-my-beloved]

My 8x07 Thoughts

911 Spoilers!!

The cop plot was better than I expected it would be. Which is not saying much because I did not have high expectations for it, but I'm glad the show wasn't just going to let Officer Sparks get away with shooting a civilian. Granted, I don't think they would've done that since they clearly had Athena be in the right about him, but I digress.

The Brad-Bobby-Gerrard plot....

I was rolling my eyes during the entire Gerrard was like "I love this job!" I still think he doesn't deserve to have such a nice job after all he's done and I'm still upset with how the writers basically gave him a happy ending. Because I'm assuming he's still on set on Hotshots despite Brad now shadowing Bobby, since the show still needs a technical advisor.

I knew Brad was entitled the moment he yelled at Hailey (I believe it was her) for a sandwich being not up to his tastes in 8x02 (it was either 8x02 or 8x03). Anyways, I really like the fact that Bobby told him off, because Brad deserved it.

Bobby being pulled back into the Hotshots mess was hilarious. He can't seem to escape the show and Brad no matter how hard he tries. And boy, does he try. I can't wait to see how unamused he is with Brad.

I actually really love Buck baking to cope with the breakup, I said it. I really love when he's cooking or baking, because it's just another proof of the arc he's had over the show since he started out not being able to cook much/at all. And now here he is, baking brie and loaves like they're easy things to bake.

Also, I really love the hilarious parts of this episode.

Eddie taking the phone from Buck and Buck chasing after him while Eddie and Hen pass the phone back and forth between them so Buck can't get it. Buck, Hen, and Eddie laughing at Bobby after watching the TMZ video and repeating his exact words to Brad in the video. Eddie pulling out his phone as if to film after Brad comes into the firehouse.

I was laughing this episode just as much as I was on the edge of my seat with the Athena-Officer Sparks drama.

So to end my thoughts, I'll say that I'm still really excited for the rest of the season. I can't wait to see Maddie's pregnancy and Eddie's joy. I can't wait to see Bobby and Athena in a new house.

I just can't wait and this episode made me remember how much I love this show.

[umhuhwellthen]

Uhhhh

Usagi Yojimbo

Fake Marriage AU:

Tomoe Ame x Usagi x Mariko x Kenichi

LISTEN LISTEN HEAR ME OUT OKAY

You know how that one advisor/vassal bastard whatever-his-name-is that convinced Noriyuki to marry off Mariko(lords could pick out spouses for their samurai)

What if...some staff in the court heard this plot and alerted Tomoe Ame before the fucker could bring it up to Noriyuki

And she's like fuck the only way I can think to get out of any arranged marriage is by being married but who can I...

Like always our boy Miya popping up at either the worst or best times possible

Now I don't know what logical loops Tomoe Ame goes through for asking Usagi plus his childhood friends to marry her but even though I don't know the why I know the what and how so let's get this AU rolling

She asks Usagi to take her with to visit his hometown for...reasons, yeah... And when they get there she goes dogeza(because girl is desperate and knows that lil shit gunning for her position will not only do a shit job as Noriyuki's right hand but definitely has the vibes of turncoat for self-preservation and so she needs this marriage) asking them to marry her

And they're like um, who are you asking????

Because the way they're positioned it looks like she's proposing to Kenichi, who is y'know married to Mariko(i wanted this to be pre-marriage but then i remembered Jotaro so sacrifices must be made for best boi)

And she doubles down "the three of you, a polyandrous marriage."

"WHAT!?"-childhood friends gang

Then she explains how it's to prevent a plot to weaken her lords court etc etc maybe some other stuff too to convince Kenichi and Mariko(Usagi is always down to help his friends, he's lied to shogunate spies and cops to protect himself or his buddies, ride or die)

A (reluctant) agreement is made and they do the wedding

Now it's basically

Mariko: Bi-crisis ⁄⁠(⁠⁄⁠ ⁠⁄⁠•⁠⁄×⁄⁠•⁠⁄⁠ ⁠⁄⁠)⁠⁄ women...hot?????(living out her teenage fantasy)

Kenichi: Bi-crisis(Demisexual) (⁠‘///◉⌓⁠◉⁠///’) people outside of Mariko... hot?????USAGI HOT????? [Mariko was the only person he had ever had romantic or sexual attraction too so he assumed she was the only one for him, turns out if she hadn't been his first crush and thus birthing a rivalry with Usagi he would've developed a crush on him too, his type is strong sense of duty and good with a sword]

Usagi: Outwardly= worried about Tomoe's situation and how long this good thing will last before it's snatched away like all the things he's ever loved. (⁠・⁠–⁠・⁠;) Inwardly=YEEEEEEEEAAAAAAHHHH!!! every secret desire and teenage fantasy is coming alive. \(⁠≧⁠▽⁠≦⁠)/ (huh, so I did have a crush on Kenichi back then...)

Tomoe: ya girl is STRESSED. Having to deal with political scheming, making sure her charade isn't found out, making sure that box she locked up her feelings for Usagi with stays buried deep, AND whatever blossoming feelings she has for his childhood friends because Oh No They're Hot (what is in the water for them all to turn out like this)

Jotaro is out here living his best life, finally getting the two dads he wanted PLUS a cool new mom?? SIGN HIM THE FUCK UP!!!

In summation: Tomoe Ame is living in drama/action/romance anime while everyone else is in a romance/comedy/slice of life anime

Endgame is polycule and Tomoe Ame being confused over how things ended up like this

Tomoe Ame tops them

EDIT: Tomoe's type is cringefail losers, the boys are for obvious reasons but you better believe I'm counting Mariko as one, look at the whole Jotaro reveal situation and say she made no cringefail moves

It's fine now tho, Jotaro gets his two cakes in the end with bonus free desert (does this metaphor even work)

Deberían decir gracias a @ranarenee por la inspiración indirecta para esto

Specifically this Art

[synergysilhouette]

I swear, they approached Disney's 100th anniversary film all wrong.

The best part about "Wish" were the easter eggs, and even those were hit-or-miss. The plot didn't scream fairy tale or Disney--and neither did the music; if I never knew this film was a Disney film, I'd say it was a company's first attempt at an animated film. As a first attempt, it's not bad, but as Disney's 62nd film and an ode to 100 years of business....I was heavily disappointed.

I've made posts about how this could've been another epic Disney film, but for this post, I wanna try another angle, with two different ways Disney could've approached this celebratory film.

Option 1: A parody. Looking at "Enchanted", AKA one of Disney's best live-action films, the movie makes fun of classic Disney tropes as well as paying homage to renaissance-era films, which at the time this movie came out, was Walt Disney Animation Studio's biggest successful period. A film about a naive animated soon-to-be princess who is banished to the real world discovers what she wants out of life, all while charming those around her. I'm not saying "Wish" needed to include the real world aspect, but having a parody about a princess (or prince) who comes off very early-Disney while still feeling modern and giving us Disney-esque tropes and a fun story would've been a great vibe. Imagine if Asha is naive and easily taken advantage of by King Magnifico, who teaches her magic and manipulates her into harming others, seeing her youth as a weakness ("Well, you're young. You don't know anything, really."). Imagine the story actually having her BE a fairy godmother, albeit in training, and she has to learn the price and limitations of wishes (very "Cinderella"-esque) and learning when to help and when not to help others. It'd be mature and magical at the same time! Plus I imagine Magnifico being a cross between Narissa and Gaston. Amaya would probably be non-existant or an admirer Magnifico uses.

Option 2: A cutting, modern take on a classic. While I'd rather have "Kingdom of the Sun," "The Emperor's New Groove" is a funny and irreverent story about a selfish Inca Emperor who's turned into a llama by his power-hungry advisor and must return to the palace while learning to care about others along the way. Kuzco, in contrast to most Disney protagonists (or most protagonists in kids/family films in general) starts off petty, untrustworthy, and self-centered, but these qualities also give way to cleverness and humor, something that most Disney heroes lack due to either their innocence, kindess, or seriousness. Kuzco continually comments on things around him with quips and remarks that go unnoticed by the general populace (thanks to breaking the 4th wall), and it got me thinking, what if Asha was like this--or better yet, Magnifico? What if Magnifico wasn't a villain per se, but a selfish and mean king who continually had pessimistic comments to make about this fantasy-esque kingdom he created and his airheaded inhabitants. Their growing dependence on him--as well as their happy-go-lucky attitudes make him constantly patronize and devalue them, and his attitude accidentally causes destruction for the kingdom. When Asha challenges his perspective and goes on an adventure to bring back his love for others (trauma does run deep for him), he learns that everyone has a wish worth granting, and that he shouldn't be so quick to look down on others because they still have the joy and innocence he lost. Plus the people of Rosas learn not to take advantage of others and appreciate the things they have. Magnifico being like a cross between Yzma and Kuzco would be a sight to behold, while Asha takes on more of a wise Pocahontas-type role.

I can't be the only one who thinks this was a better approach to "Wish" if they didn't want to do a typical epic film.

[sketchedboba]

"A Green Queen" AU Short

"Assembling"

In a news station along the coast of Rainbow Road. An interview is conducted in the studio of

"So your highness, what's it like having the King and Queen of the Koopas over?", A Koopa with a microphone and headset asks.

"They're such a lovely couple! I'd expect nothing less from such mighty powers, but I would've thought the King would marry someone less... Fragile?", he sighed, feigning distress. "To think they'd leave magnificent and strong troops under the leadership of.. this poor individual. I pity the King, truly.."

"Uh huh... Well your highness, putting the Darkland information aside, intel from your troops in the Mudai Kingdom have speculation to believe that the Princess is staging an attack for the throne! Do you feel threatened by such bold statements?"

He glared at the Koopa, unimpressed. "Heh.. my father easily thwarted her and her silly little castle. As a young cub, seeing her plead for mercy from my father should be a warning to her. The throne is nothing but secure, if anything were to occur, so to answer your question: No."

"Nothing but confidence! G-Good to hear.", The newscaster glanced over at the lakitu ushering him to hurry it along. "N-Now for our last question... Your pendant. At your coming of age ceremony, you were given it by your advisor. Most of the public knows of its power, but wonder what spells were strong enough to wipe out armies, destroy a castle, and cause such a strong leader to grovel at the fee-er- paws of a King."

Khufo gave a cheeky grin, playfully swinging his tail, "I think leaving that to the imagination would be best, hm? I know my enemies are watching closely, so to disclose such information-"

The screen turned black as the stand vendor leaned over his stall, "Are you gonna trade it for something or what?"

"O-Oh, right! Sorry, uh... Do you like mushrooms?", Mario laughed nervously.

The stone creature grunted, "not much use for it here. What else ya' got?"

"A few power ups... Water, maybe some apples?"

"Hm, if you get at least five, I'll give you the shell."

"Got it!".

Mario tried to whistle the yoshi over but it simply stared at him as it ate an apple. "Hey don't eat that!"

It rolled its eyes and strolled over. Mario reached into his stash, "First the shell, then I'll give you the bag. Deal?"

"Fine fine.", The vendor grumbled. They placed the hollowed Koopa shell onto the stone board. "Apples, pipsqueak."

Mario reached out to pick up the shell, "let me try it on first-"

"A-UH, nope! You trade it or no deal!"

"Ugh.. ok..", Mario pulled out the sack and handed it over the counter. The vendor smiled and handed over the shell before gazing at the sack happily.

The small plumber started to put his feet through the holes near the bottom and squeezed his guy into the narrow opening. "Is there no easier way to get this on?!"

The vendor glanced over and pointed to a small hinge on the side of the shell.

"There's a latch separating the lower and upper halves, genius."

Mario began taking it off midway just to check and as he unhooked it the shell opened. "Huh.. do they all have this? Why would they.."

"Nope, I made it myself for customers, an easier way to sell em."

"Oh ok, that makes sense. Wait.. where'd you get this from? Aren't they attached to-"

"Have a nice day kid.", The vendor munched. They chewed messily, leaving Mario to stare in disgust.

"Uh-huh... Thanks, I think?.."

He grabbed the yoshi's reins and started off to the next vendor, he finally had confirmation on where his brother was with the beast. He wasn't sure how long they'd stay until setting off again. He'd hope he could at least check if his brother was ok before they departed to who knows where.

'He better not have laid a claw on him. I can't have him hurting anymore.'

Canonicity is up for interpretation.

Author's note:

It's meee!! I just wanted to clarify a bit that there will be some ocs included into the fanfic and that once the school year begins, chapters will slow down a bit. I will try to finish as many as possible before then, so you're all not waiting months for a new chapter.

On a brighter note, new art pieces will be made for this au and posted onto here and exclusives along with ref sheets will be up on Ko-Fi by the second week of August for simple donations! They'll also be up in September if you don't want to pay for early access! I'll be happy just sharing these tbh you'll also probably see landscape art for some scenes in chapters as well, so stay tuned.

Last, but not least. Don't forget to drink water n take care of yourselves. Peace out ✌️

[rainbowdelicsunshine]

Whatever aU first comes to mind upon reading this for the 5 hcs game! :DD

As you probably predicted, I'm choosing to talk about my OceanBerry AU (aka my Chucky AU/Retelling of the Chucky TL)!

1. You remember the three human friends that Chucky is buddies with that I've talked about in this post long ago?

Well I FINALLY have found some live action faceclaims for them!! (Please don't take the IRL ages of these actors into account since I only need them to demonstrate appearance)

Here they are!

(Left to Right)

Don Rivers: Bruce Willis (as David Dunn in Glass)

Zach Galifianakis: Jerry Hickens (as Ethan Chase in Due Date) (and w only a bushy mustache)

Blake Anderson: Bob Berkeley (as Blake in Workaholics)

2. I have also found live action faceclaims for Glen's boyfriend Kahuna and Glenda's girlfriend Natalie (OCs of mine) as well!

And same as the first time, real ages of the actors does not factor in choosing them as a faceclaim, only appearance is!

(Left to Right)

Kahuna Mahelona: Jason Scott Lee (as Mowgli in Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book (1994) (add on hair/bangs that covers his eyes + slightly more muscular)

Natalie Winchester: Kim Director (as Kim Diamond in Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2) (have hair dye at the ends of her hair instead of being streaks in her hair)

3. Chucky and Eddie are in the midst of attempting to reconcile and reestablish their adoptive brotherhood (since before the Big Incident in 1988, Chucky and Eddie regarded each other as brothers)

They still have a LOT of sour feelings on each other's ends for their own respective reasons (Chucky for being abandoned when he needed his little brother the most and Eddie for literally being blown tf up)

Eddie is still much more resentful than Chucky since Chucky started to feel more thankful towards Eddie as time went on with having his family, Eddie tends to be a lot more snappier and grumpier around Chucky but is still able to tolerate him and even sometimes have a good bonding moment like they used to

Chucky on the other hand just acts like how an asshole big brother would to their little brother, just messing with them in stupid ways like how they used to do as kids/young adults

4. If anyone ever wanted to know what John/Dr. Death does in his free time/where he lives in the Ray house, he basically just keeps to himself in the attic of the house studying and practicing his magic and spirituality

He does come down to other parts of the house on occasion and regularly interacts with the Rays (but talks to and hangs out with Eddie the most), since he acts as the family's advisor/guide the kids and Chucky tend to go to him in the attic a lot since he tends to have knowledge they need

The state of Chucky and John's friendship is still... Icy but is much better than it was before!

I also HC that they were childhood friends as well, thus that being how Chucky found him to teach him Magic and Soul Bending/Shifting (what I'm calling the spell/s where Chucky would transfer souls and such) and Soulmancy (what I'm replacing the Voodoo with cuz yall know why)

If you are unfamiliar with John Bishop and his role in OceanBerry, here is this post!

His Appearance/Info

5. The Rays do, in fact, have a dog that acts as a family companion and guard dog that keeps the house and the kids safe (in Chucky's words) that they all got as a puppy when the youngest (my Chiffany fankid Buddy) was around 9 years old

The dog is a 4 year old medium sized but very muscular German Shepherd/Pitbull Mix that's dubly named King Ghidorah, very vicious, strong and protective of his property and family when need be, but is most of the time a giant sweetheart that likes to think he's a lapdog

Fun fact: King Ghidorah was given to The Rays by Chucky's friend Jerry when he had found the pup in a box of "free puppies" that was stationed in front of the Walmart that's in Hackensack and decided that a puppy from that box would've made a GREAT birthday gift for Buddy

Ofc, since Buddy was a 9 year old, he LOVED it! King Ghidorah is now closest/bonds the most with Buddy, Chucky, and June/Junior all in that order (though Ghidorah loves EVERYONE)!

-----------------------------------------------------

HOLY SHIT THIS TOOK FOREVER MY GOD!!!!!!

I am soso sorry that this took SO LONG for me to post this, it took a lotta time to come up with all this info for you, let alone type it all out lol!

I hope that the wait was well worth it and that you let me in on your feedback on this my dear lovely friend!

I hope that you enjoy reading all this and have a fantastic evening!!

[turtlemagnum]

ok so, yugioh is essentially a fantasy story, right? perhaps an urban fantasy of sorts, but given how the final parts take place in a magical recreation of ancient egypt where the pharoah is transported back into it forced to relive those events, with said events including having a team of literal mages who use actual magic, all without even having to use trading cards!! like yeah that's fantasy, just one that centers ancient egypt as opposed to an ancient europe/vaguely europe knockoff setting. what i'm getting at here is, you know how in fantasy stories that involve a king in some form in a positive manner, you've just gotta sorta suspend your disbelief that monarchy is on some level legitimate and that the monarch isn't inherently a massive piece of shit just for being in an innately authoritarian position. and that's fine, you can do that, and you just gotta hope that your audience can discern for themselves that while monarchy sucks irl, you don't gotta worry about that here because it's, y'know, fiction. imo it's just something best left unaddressed if that's the kinda story you're going for, though personally that's not the kind of story i intend on telling, but that's besides the point. what really sucks, and often does the opposite of the intended effect for me, is when the story tries to justify the monarchy, or at least the specific monarch. like no no no you dont understand bro, the pharoah's actually a really cool guy, it's just his scheming advisor that did all that evil stuff that made the bad guy, he didn't even know that he did that dude. if you've read yugioh, you know what i'm alluding here assuming you have a decent recollection of the ending arc. the pharoah (and his father before him) were honest to god genuinely good guys, and the reason the thief king's village got murdelized was because of a scheming advisor, and of course this happened before the pharoah even came to the throne, and of course his father didn't even know that this happened, much less giving the kill order himself. and we're expected to just accept this, when the series starts up with the pharoah finding basically any excuse to do some fucked up shit to someone. and like, within the narrative they deserve it, and it's satisfying, but to be blunt i dont think setting two hoodlums on fire was a proportionate response to them beating up a kid and taking his money. like yeah, that's a fucked up thing to do to a kid, but it's a relatively normal teenage boy kinda fucked up, setting them on fire is serial killer fucked up. like, i've been on fire. that shit hurts. so while i don't think it's necessarily a bad thing that a monarch in fiction is a decent guy, i feel like it doesn't mesh well with how yami comes out of the box a fucked up gremlin freak, and even setting aside that, i think it would've been more interesting if, in life, the pharoah was kind of a piece of shit. hear me out here: as the series goes on, the pharoah definitely mellows out and slowly becomes a better, kinder person. i'm not sure it would've even been intended as a redemption arc, but i like the idea that being around yugi just slowly made him into a decent goddamn human being. if memory serves, it felt like a very natural transition. i think i'm comfortable saying that yami was a good person by the time we get to the last arc. so, imagine if it really did turn out that in life, he was a piece of shit, and now he has to reconcile his fucked up past with how he's grown and changed in the intervening millenia. you could even take it from the perspective that for the most part, it wasn't even a matter of active cartoonish villainy, just how he ruled his kingdom, enforced its law and order, and he's bad just due to the inherent violence in such an act. personally i think it'd make the most sense as a bit of a column a column b thing, but both result in what i'd consider to be a much more compelling character arc; one that we wouldn't even be fully aware of until the very end

[judydbones]

“The tournament will be a breeze.” Shang Tsung smirked, as his hands worked intently and quickly on his latest knitting projects. His eyes still intently locked in with Tanya's, not even looking down for a moment.

Tanya sat back in the crimson carriage seat, the leather squeaking so ever slightly. She still carried a look of doubt on her as she held the Spectral Amethyst in the palm of her gloved hand. The Sorcerer's smirk disappeared as he noticed Tanya's silent response. His restless hands finally stopped moving.

“Tanya,-” Shang made his sickly soothing and sweet but his face was cold as stone “-,are you seriously doubting me now?”

“Of course not, M'lord.” She responded after an awkward moment of silence. “I'm just thinking about how your plan could easily be derailed, that's all.”

“Now what makes you say that?” Shang leaned in closer, his dark beady piercing through Tanya and straight at her soul.

“Well, I highly doubt that the Thunder God will throw us babes from the nursery at us to fight, especially with what he thinks is at stake.” Tanya's expression remained unchanged, her tone was blunt.

Shang Tsung glared at her through the illusion, before responding with laughter.

“Oh Tanya! Please be serious! You really think those pathetic worms will actually stand a chance against us?”

“Well what about Kung-”

Shang Tsung immediately cut Tanya off, uncharacteristically raising his voice. “DON'T YOU DARE FINISH THAT NAME!”

The sorcerer raised up his fist in a moment, taking a deep breath before speaking. Tanya's heart almost leaped out from her chest, Shang Tsung had never yelled at her like since… her last failure.

“That monk was a VERY, VERY rare exception when it comes to those puny Earthrealmers. But I also want to remind you what happened to “Great” Kung Lao when fought Prince Goro.”

Tanya sighed. “Yes, Lord Shang, I do remember.”

“Wonderful! And please, next time think before you ask riding questions like that. Besides, there is no need to worry, because I have a backup plan that will work flawlessly if needed. I will tell you more about its progress when you come to my Palace next week, but for now, just keep serving Shao Kahn and keep an eye on Princess Mileena.”

“Of course, M'lord, was there anything else?”

“No, goodbye.”

Before Tanya could say her farewells, Shang Tsung ended the transmission, the amethyst turning back to its blackish-green color. She tossed it on the ground, nearly breaking it.

“Cunt.” Tanya uttered under her breath. She reached for the carriage's cupboard, opening one of its doors. She grabbed a bottle of pearlberry wine and a glass. With her golden claw rings, she popped it open and began pouring her cup to near brim, setting down the bottle on the small surface in front of her.

She took a long sip, relishing the smooth and light taste. Shao Kahn and his little lap dog had been cracking down on bootlegging within Outworld, meanwhile letting that flying leech and her followers wreak havoc with little to no pushback. If Tanya knew for a moment that Shao Kahn would ban alcohol, she probably would have reconsidered joining up with him. But then again,it was clear that Edenia would eventually fall to him. It was better to be an ally to him than to become a slave, or rot in a prison cell if she had stayed in Edenia.

On the bright side, her position in Outworld was yards better than the one she had back in Edenia. Though it was the same title, Advisor, her words held more sway with Shao Kahn than they ever did with King Jerrod. Tanya was lucky that the position of Advisor was hereditary because if Jerrod had his way, he would've replaced her with one of his many yes-men. The only voice or opinion that mattered to the King was his own. Tanya smiled, sipping her wine, as her thoughts shifted to the day she murdered that fool. Honestly, when thinking back about it, she wished be slower when killing him. Slowly cutting through his muscles and bones. But she was younger then, too kind, too quick, too sloppy. There were a lot of things that Tanya wished she had done differently, she was glad to be the one that gave idiotic excuse for a king what he deserved.

The carriage continued on route, they had finally made it out of the countryside and into the Market District. Even through glass and thick black velvet curtains, the smell of the salty sea air and fish managed to slip in. Tanya pulled back the curtains, the blazing sun momentarily blinding her, and peered out into the streets. Merchants haggled their prices with customers, the vibrant colors of fabrics, spices and other various items blended together into an oversaturated colored sea. Children played games with one another as their parents were off to who knows where. And of course, Tanya couldn't miss to hear the incessant chattering of everything. Hundreds of voices, thousands of discussions, millions of noises all just layered on top of one another. Tanya chugged down the rest of her wine, hoping that it would muffle out the sounds, but even then, that wasn't enough.

She closed the curtain and sighed heavily to herself. Of course Mileena had to go make things difficult for everyone else. Why could she be content for once? Tanya, or anyone else, couldn't understand Mileena's choices, all besides for Kitana that is. Princeas Mileena had access to a harem of the most beautiful men and women of Outworld, yet she chose a disgusting Shokan for a lover, and not even one from the Draco lineage! Alas, that one thing that Tanya must unfortunately bite her tongue on.

The carriage makes a sudden stop, violently jerking Tanya forward, the wine from her glass spilling out onto the rug. The bottle on the table begins to shake and almost falls over, but Tanya quickly grabs it with her free hand. She huffs, cursing under her breath, as she pounds down her now empty glass onto the table next to the bottle. Tanya basically threw open the carriage's door and stepped outside. She stomped towards the Koachman, her heels crushing the small pebbles that laid on the path.

“What in Argus's name is wrong with you?!” Tanya yanked Naknadan off from the driver seat with one of his left arms. He tried to get on his knees, but Tanya painfully placed her sharp golden heel on the back of his knee, knocking him back on to the ground.

“I'm sorry!-” Without missing a beat, Tanya grabbed the Koachman by the collar of his shirt, lifting him up, mere inches away from her face.

“I spilled my pearlberry onto the rug because you're incompetent!” She yelled as began to brutally smack the Koachman's head repeatedly. Few paid attention to the beating as their eyes fixated ahead of them

“Please! I had to stop Mistress! There's a blockade ahead!”

Tanya stopped hitting the poor Naknadan, but her grip on his collar remained tight, and looked around. She saw Outworld commoners whisper to one another as they watched what seemed to soldiers raid an entire street. But they weren't Outworld soldiers. Their armor resembled an insectoid's exoskeleton with layers outlined in the purest silver. The metal of the armor was almost mirage, but with hues of gray, and their onyx helmets carved to resemble onis from the Netherrealm. Seidans, specifically the Guardsmen.

Tanya glared at the sight of them. “Clean the wine up from the rug before I come back after I settle this nonsense with our Seidan “friends”, and I MIGHT show some leniency for you later.”

She tossed him onto the ground, quickly scurrying away. Tanya marched towards the blockade, focusing on one soldier in particular. He lacked a helmet and his back was facing Tanya, he pointed to different places and places, barking orders in a language that Tanya could barely comprehend. He was nearly hidden by the crowd of onlookers but his long, ashy white hair made him stick out like a sore thumb. Tanya pushed through the crowd, but they quickly dispersed as they realized that it was her.

“What is the meaning of this?!” Tanya demanded from the soldier, grabbing his shoulder but barely budging when she tried to force him to face her. He quickly turned around, with a look of shock and irritation.

The hair was mostly down but had bun in the back. His features were chiseled and, to be frank, quite handsome. But he was so awfully pale, his hair only slightly darker than his skin. His armor was more of a muted greenish gray compared to the others, the layers outlined in a pure black metal instead of the sliver. In the middle of his chest plate had a diamond shaped emblem of a striking garnet. There was also a matching garnet around the groin area, holding up a silk burgundy loincloth. His shoulder pieces were also exaggerated, being more jagged and sharper than the other armors. He looked Tanya up and down for a quick second before opening his mouth.

“I'm sorry, Outworlder, but who in your RIGHT mind do you think you are that you can touch me, let alone raise your voice at me like that?”

“What gives you any right to block traffic in a foreign realm? Or obstruct official orders of the Emperor?!”

The Guardsmen laughed in Tanya's face “Please! Is that really how they describe concubines now? Just go back to your carriage and wait with the commoners for once, okay?”

The Guardsman turned back away from Tanya, whose face was slightly cracked and gagged at the gull. She pushed her long brown hair away from her face before composing herself.

“Actually, no, it's how they describe the Emperor and Grand Sorcerer's Advisor, Seidan.” Tanya said, venom in her tone.

He stayed still and quiet for a moment, but slowly turned to look back at Tanya, a smile forming on his face.

“So we finally meet, Lady Tanya.” He bowed perfunctory, quickly standing back up straight. “Pardon my manners! I didn't realize it was you.”

“Have we met before?” Tanya asked, her eyebrow raised and hand on her hip.

“No, unfortunately, we haven't met” He signed sarcastically. “But it isn't my lack of trying, that is.”

“Wha- what do you mean?”

“M'lady! For the past 4 or so months I've been trying to get a hold of you! Does the name Hotaru ring a bell?” He asked, his smile turning into a sly smirk

“Not in the least.” Tanya answered bluntly. “And I'm very certain that you don't any right to be here, holding up traffic, which I-”

Hotaru interrupted her, maintaining his “kindly” tone of voice. “Oh, but I don't need yours, or even your Emperor's, permission to be here. See around last week or so, when I still couldn't get a hold of you about the dangerous fugitive that has been hiding in your realm for months now, I decided to look up your laws and customs regarding these types of things. You do know your own Realm's laws correct?

Before Tanya could answer, Hotaru continued.

“Anyways, it seems like you have no laws saying that a foreign power needs permission to retrieve their OWN fugitive if they choose to flee here. So, it wasn't that hard to get the other Senatrixes’ permission to take my men out here and find that horrible murderer!” Hotaru gently placed his hand on Tanya's shoulder, still having that smile on his face. “ I don't hold it against you for not remembering your own laws or not even responding to my multiple letters, your probably so stressed with those foolish Rebels making everything so difficult to run smoothly. I couldn't even imagine Seido having revolutionaries pop up left and right-”

Tanya pulled away from Hotaru. “- ENOUGH! Just because you are in Outworld, and away from The Senatrixes’ eyes, does mean you are free from the consequences of disrespecting a Higher Rank.”

Hotaru’s smile quickly faded as she brought that up. His pale eyes glared at her.

“Hmph, I guess that you're not that ignorant.”

Tanya snorted, giving him her own sly smile. “I'm not dumb, and not in the mood to entertain this further. So if you-”

One of the buildings behind Hotaru exploded seemingly out of nowhere mid sentence. The blast sent debris flying in all directions, causing panic and chaos among the crowd. Tanya instinctively ducked, shielding her head from the onslaught of rubble. Meanwhile Hotaru and his remaining men went running towards the fire. They surrounded the front in a half circle formation, some coughing from dust. Tanya got up from her defensive state, standing up and slowly approaching the men from the behind, people still running in all directions. The dust began to settle, Hotaru ordered his men to be on the defensive. For a moment, the only thing that was heard was the crackling fire and people still screaming.

Coming running out, unscathed, of the flame was a dark-skinned bald man who immediately began attacking the soldiers. The man targeted the closest two soldiers, dashing forward towards them a series of spinning kicks, which knocked down the first soldier. The second soldier tried to slash the man with his katana but the man dodged the swing and immediately laid the soldier down with a single punch. The rest of the Soldiers descended onto Darrius, the man. With a swift, fluid motion, Darrius ducked under a swinging blade, then lifting the soldier off his feet and hurling him into his fellow comrade, knocking both of them down. In the same beat, Darrius spun around with a powerful uppercut to the soldier's jaw, knocking the mask off and sending the Soldier crashing into the ground.

Hotaru ambushed Darrius as stood around his defeated men, sliding forward with a straight punch to the back of the head, leaving a streak of magma that trailed from his feet. Darrius tripped forward, but quickly turned around. He tried to release a fury of punches onto Hotaru’s chest, but each blow was blocked. Hotaru tried to throw a lava ball onto the ground to send Darrius falling back but was too slow, allowing Darrius to punch him in the face, causing Hotaru to stumble back.

“You're getting rusty!” Darrius laughed, maintaining distance while walking around Hotaru. “You must be getting too pampered up in those Towers.”

Hotaru huffed as unsheathed his katana, the blade turning a smoldering red.

“Oh! I'm so scared! Are you gonna stab me with that knife? Ha! Ple-”

Before he could get the rest of the sentence out, A large tonfa blade soared through the air and stabbed Darrius in the side.

"No, I will," Tanya said as she stepped into the fight. The tonfa blade reappeared in her hand, burning away from Darrius's fresh wound and melting his black and orange latex top.

Before more could be spoken, Hotaru ran towards with his blade, now a steaming bright orange, ready to swing. Still grasping his wound, Darrius dodged each of Hotaru’s swings but Tanya quickly lunged herself forward at Darrius, spinning in a corkscrew manner, her flaming feet landing on his side, knocking him many feet backwards near the burning building. He struggled to get up, groaning in pain. Tanya and Hotaru stood side by side, looking at the now defeated fugitive.

“He gave you trouble? Really?” Tanya said, looking over to Hotaru.

He only gave her glare and a scowl, sheathing his cooling sword while he walked over to Darrius.

“You know you should say thank you. I could have heeded your advice and went back to my carriage.” Tanya cheekly chatized as she began to follow Hotaru towards Darrius

Hotaru still didn't respond, still maintaining a pace to keep him ahead of Tanya. Then, a loud, horrible screech could be heard from above. Tanya quickly looked to see feminine shadow with large, weathered bat-like wings coming crashing down towards them. Tanya tried to react with a fireball, but the next thing she knew was that she was sent flying back when Hotaru was thrown into her.

Tanya hit the ground hard, skidding across the pavement. Hotaru laid on top of her, quietly murmuring in pain. She promptly pushed him off her and onto the side, and sat up. Shaking off the dizziness, her eyes immediately went over to the winged figure. It had landed and had lifted Darrius up in her arms. She looked back at Tanya, her face obscured by a dark veil. Tanya tried to throw a fireball at them but they quickly took off, the fireball hitting a piece of the burning building. Tanya watched as the winged figure disappeared into the sky with Darrius in tow.

“What… was that?” Hotaru asked, still laying on the ground and trying to catch his breath. Tanya got back on her feet, her chest still having a stinging sensation and still looking up at the sky.

Through gritted teeth, she replied. “That flying leech, Nitara.”

[bonesandthebees]

What would the crime boys childhood been like in The Stars and Their Children if their Mom and Tommy’s dad didn’t die early. I can’t imagine Mr. Let Me Name This Literal Child Dirt, would have been The Best Role Model, but their mom seemed alright at least.

I think while the roles would've been the same (wilbur would've been trained to become an advisor while tommy was the crown prince) wilbur wouldn't have been NEARLY as fucked up as he was. while tommy's dad sucked, wilbur's mum was a very loving mother to her two boys for the brief time she had them.

she was also a bitch. like, I mean this in a very /aff way to this unnamed character who mostly just lives in my head, but she was bratty and impulsive and and very stuck up because she was still a siren from the Themisian royal family. she didn't care much for eldingvegrian culture while she was there, although she didn't outright disrespect it like we see Hannah do in the actual fic when she disregards wilbur and tommy's eldingvegrian rankings. but she didn't care much about eldingvegrian cultural ideas, so she would've made sure her boys received a full education on Themisian culture as well as Eldingvegrian culture. she wasn't super strictly tied to Themisian ideas of propriety though, with her secretly teaching wilbur how to use his Voice despite the fact that he's a boy and not supposed to learn. basically, she had a lot of conflicting opinions on things lol

anyway my point is that she wouldn't have stood for any slander against wilbur in the palace, so no one would've given him shit or else the Queen (who was also a siren) would've torn them a new one.

if anything, the biggest downside of wilbur and tommy's mum not dying would probably be that the brothers would not have been nearly as close. of course this is partly bc without their parents around, wilbur was essentially left to raise tommy with only a bit of help from the adults around him. but along with wilbur not having to practically raise tommy himself, tommy's father would've likely tried to keep them separated. tommy would've spent most of his time with his father, being mentored for the throne as soon as he was old enough to walk and talk. while they would've continued to be raised mostly together as children, once tommy hit 10 years old he would've been pulled away more and more to 'focus on his studies' (ie: make sure the future ruler of Eldingvegr isn't too close to the sirens in his family). their mum would've protested this, but it would've been a constant argument between the king and the queen.

so yeah. wilbur would've been much better mentally if his mum had lived, but also he and tommy would not have been nearly as close as they ended up becoming. wilbur would probably be a much more selfish individual in a scenario like this, and also a lot more cutthroat about how he obtained power.

[aspiringsophrosyne]

Episode 6: Spark of Rebellion

This episode gets a much shorter review. While I'm a little conflicted about this one, it manages to get its feet under itself much better than the preceding episode.

Curtain's rising; let's get in our seats.

For those of you who didn't watch Campaign one of Critical Role, they made some interesting choices in this episode. Arguably the biggest one is in the reimagining of Keeper Yennen and Archibald Desnay. Originally, both were older men. Yennen was still a spiritual leader, but Desnay was an older advisor to the de Rolos.

Personally, I don't have a problem with how the show portrayed these characters. Except....I have a little bit of a critique of how one of them was used.

But that's for later.

It's not just Yennen and Desnay, though. This part of the Briarwood arc is arguably the most altered from its original counterpart. On the one hand, it's overall a solid episode. The callback to the stream's old maps made me smile. The prison break has some great action (Keyleth going Minxie!!) and the implementation of the door (the "I fell out of the window" bit is easily one of the funniest of the season). Gina Torres and Dominic Monaghan are delights, and Rory Mccan does an incredible job of giving Vedmire a very brutal, intimidating presence. Darin De Paul, as always, is a treasure. On top of that, Percy's first rampage is chill inducing, and the introduction of Bad News was excellent.

That said, on the other hand, this is another episode where I feel ambivalent about the plot deviations. In the stream there was a lot of the team debating about what to do amongst themselves, and that was not a bad thing to cut. However, I'm honestly not sure what would've been cooler: the prison break, or a variation on the stream's banshee encounter.

In that encounter, Scanlan, Percy and Vax investigated a church of the Dawn Father, looking for a potential ally in Father Reynal, who Percy had previously been familiar with. Upon entering, they found Reynal's body. The Dawn Father's iconography was defaced. And poking around led them to find notes whose author was unclear at the time, but in hindsight, was clearly Anna Ripley.

Cue the banshee fight.

There would've been a lot of potential for scares in this encounter; it could've been on par with the wraith fights in episode 4. (And I, personally, would've loved to see more horror.) To say nothing of the lead up: finding a dead former ally in a church where all the religious symbols are defiled. Now that's a setting for a horror fight.

Even Ripley's notes add another layer to the spookiness. They make it clear that she'd been spying on Percy since he originally escaped Whitestone. And when Sylas told her about Percy after their encounter in Emon, she was eager to meet with "the subject" again. Very creepy. A whole different kind of creepy than what you get from vampires and banshees.

There was also a plot reason to keep Anna's notes, but we'll get more into that once she shows up.

All in all I won't say I didn't like the episode. Or the changes. It's more that I'm not sure what we got from said changes that warranted them.

One thing I'm sure about is, like with the Sun Tree, the revelation that Cassandra was alive deserved more time and weight. Not a huge amount of time, but definitely more than it got. Like with the Sun Tree, a big part of its power was that you start to get what the reveal is going to be before it's said. So when it is, it's both satisfying and gives a sense of catharsis. It's like when that one person in your friend group says the thing out loud that everybody else is just quietly thinking. It's just a relief.

I'll also be super nitpicky and say that Percy's shift upon discovering Stonefell happens so fast it's almost funny. A little more subtlety there would've been welcome. Maybe show Percy following after, and we don't see he's got the mask on until he's facing Stonefell? Just a thought.

That said, Episode 6 is a good one, and it's the start of the roller coaster climb that eventually leads to the screaming, joyful, anxious plummet following the set up of the climax. Not bad at all.

Curtain falls; onto the next episode.

[francisofgotham1]

While I do agree that the show could've shown Zuko as a leader more (like in Book 4, as you mentioned), I don't think making Iroh Fire Lord would've been a good choice, either (and I know you aren't saying this, but regardless)

That is because we, as an audience, become familiar with THIS Iroh: a kind-hearted old man that is strong, but tempered by wisdom and patience. Thus, we often forget that Iroh used be just as evil as Ozai, if not more so. He wrote a letter to his family detailing the atrocities he wished to bring to Ba Sing Se, for example. The only reason he became the man we know by Book 1 is due to losing his son due to the atrocities he committed, which pushed him to rethink his life.

However, many in the ATLA don't see his growth and redemption, and instead still remember when he was still the brutal heir to Fire Lord Azulon. Thus, making him the new Fire Lord would've brought the other nations down on them, which would've only made things worse.

Zuko, on the other hand, is the future: a firebending master that learned by observing the other elements and the origins of Fire, combined it all with what he already knew, and introduced the ancient practices back into the fold. He also had extreme levels of dedication, humility, passion, and decision-making (once he clears his mind), all of which are the marks of a leader. Safe to say, he shows tremendous potential in all that he wishes to accomplish.

While leading a kingdom is nothing like firebending, the traits the make them both great are one in the same: creativity, dedication, innovation, ability to clear one's mind, inquisitive, humility, and more. All of which he showed by Book 3.

Also, while many of us do not appreciate the Yang's comics, I did like how they approached the Colonies issue. It highlighted how Zuko was actually right in his decision, and that the whole situation was out of hand due to the Earth King and Aang refusing to truly listen to him. Which shows that, even when surrounded by dark forces, Zuko still made the led his people and others down the right path. Imagine what he could've done in a positive environment?

Though, I also agree that keeping Iroh in Ba Sing Se during this time was very stupid. For as much potential Zuko had, he was still isolated from many of his allies, which left him on edge and prone to mistakes (seeking out Ozai, yelling at allies, asking others to kill him). The only consistent ally he had was Suki and Ty Lee, but they were never shown to actively help him.

A better alternative could've been to make Iroh an advisor, so as to keep him close to Zuko during his darkest hours.

What, you never saw season 4? Where the gaang goes on a hunt for Zuko’s mum, they learn about his scar, he doesn’t immediately take the throne BECAUSE HES SIXTEEN, GIVE THE KID A BREAK OMG, aang has character development and reaches the avatar state through personal sacrifice, and the adults don’t leave rebuilding a post-war economy to literal children? What a shame.

anyways, give me mama-bear Ursa, who was in hiding and reluctantly takes the throne to make a better world for her son now that Ozai mysteriously died. (She has ten plus years experience of living at fire nation court, she’s got this)

[impulsea]

What would your ideal TLM continuation be like?

That's a great question! I have so many ideas, plot-wise, but overall these are the things I wish we got more of after the first film/general content that would've been incredible and that I want and think about every day:

Vanessa. Her emergence into this universe, seemingly ushered in by the nighttime tide, with the wind caressing her hair and Ariel's voice shining on her chest is one of the most potent moments of iconography in film. I want more of her, more of Jodi's powerful singing as her, more of Andreas Deja's animation of her having a private show for herself in her bridal chamber while she's preparing for the wedding, more of how deceptively sweet she is, more of her range, more of her expressions, more moments where the Ursula in her is threatening to reveal itself before being enclosed beneath layers of angelic acting. I think any of her spin-off films or episodes or whatever the case would be would have to be adult audiences so that we can get more evergreen content, as opposed to so many people who primarily discuss children when talking about The Little Mermaid.

Ariel's sisters! People say we got them in the third movie but, first off, they didn't even get the birth orders right, they messed with their personalities, and the target audience for that was Pre K-12. We need actual substance and there's so much to work with here! How does Aquata feel about humans, after everything their father has told her and what family secrets does she know that the younger ones aren't privy to? Could she potentially become more of an advisor to Triton than Sebastian? Andrina's athleticism would be wonderful for more scenic shots of life in Atlantica, Arista's personality is so engaging and it'd be interesting to see Disney pull off a character that's so simultaneously bitchy but likable, Attina's love of books and how that connects her to the world around her, Adella's vanity and all of her beauty secrets, and Alana's gardens and mer-pals would be so informative to general marine life!

More feature film animation work! As I mentioned in my previous tags, The Little Mermaid was extremely, extremely, extremely low budget and, while they were still able to pull it off and it holds its own alongside other movies like Beauty and the Beast that were made on a much grander scale, I wish we could see more of Ariel and the world of Atlantica on a higher production value. Ariel is probably one of the princesses that is the most off-model, there's at least four versions of her in the film, and I'd love to see more of her and better consistency. The animation is so poor in the following film and she just doesn't feel like herself in the third film. The series is hit-or-miss but general offers more of a wooden performance, because of the budgetary restrictions.

More Ursula! Ursula's a theatrical character, so I can only imagine all the more life she has to give. I want prequels about her life and time in the palace, about her relationship with King Triton and their affair, about her origins with her family, about her banishment, just- everything. The TEA would be piping!

I want them to offer more original characters, namely Crystalla, that actually fit within the universe as opposed to the ones the series and sequel gave us (looking at you, Lobster Mobster, Marina, and Morgana).

So, Ariel and Eric are one of the best canonical ships in all of Disneydom and I love them...but I want more! I want to see them leading up to the wedding, I want to flesh out their shared interests and what they talk about and what their relationship is like once they do get to know each other and begin to establish communicational patterns. I want to see Ariel with Grimsby and how she flourishes under a loving male authoritative figure (and I really want as much Grimsby as I can get btw). I want to see Eric tell her it's okay and comfort her when he sees her visually get triggered in fights or moments of tension, or when her past trauma acts up. I want to see how his kingdom accepts her, who was formerly a mermaid. Now that she's made it to be part of that world, I want to see what her part in that world is.

More family backstory with Ariel, as I mentioned above, but also I want canonical material about the mother! Athena isn't it.

How Ariel navigates her mermaid roots. The name of this franchise is "The Little Mermaid" and she'll never be able to escape it, it's a part of her. Because she was born this way, does she feel sometimes out of place in the human world since she's not a part of either and is in this weird middle ground? Is it jarring to drown, or look at the water and know she couldn't swim beneath its surface the way she once did? Does she not miss it at all? Likewise, I think it'd be a cute plot idea if she continues to embrace her mermaid roots, if only to continue her expeditions with Flounder at sunken ships. While Eric is sailing overhead, she continues learning and studying his world and brings him back historical things that were rotting at the bottom of the sea that could be used in museum exhibits for his country, helping preserve the history. Maybe she could even find some artifacts from members in his family that were lost at sea.

[crossdressingdeath]

There’s an argument to be made that the Revered Mother at Ostagar—and by extension the chantry—were responsible for the death of King Cailan.

During the strategy meeting, Uldred offers that the mages could signal Loghain’s forces, only for the Revered Mother to shoot down the idea due to an innate distrust of mages. This meant that the two wardens, Alistair and the PC, had to fight their way up the Tower of Ishal to light the beacon, delaying Loghain’s pincer movement and giving him the opportunity to betray the PC.

Well, I don't think a different signal would've changed anything; Loghain, at least according to him and his people, didn't engage because Cailan's army was already so overwhelmed that sending his forces in would only end in all of them getting slaughtered too. An earlier signal might have helped, but from what Duncan, Loghain, and various soldiers say... Cailan's plan was doomed from the start, and everyone present with any grasp of tactics or strategy knew it (why the fuck did you order your soldiers to abandon an easily-defended bottleneck for an all-out charge into the middle of a much larger force, my dude). If Cailan had listened to his advisors and tacticians the whole thing wouldn't have happened, especially if we assume that Loghain is telling the truth and he only left Cailan to die because there was nothing he could do to save him. But what might have changed things is if the mages were allowed to throw everything they had at the darkspawn. You'll note that there are no mages present in the cutscene at the start of the battle. Cailan didn't put the mages out in the battle where their spells might have made all the difference (the Warden is a newly-Harrowed mage and they absolutely slaughter the darkspawn, while they are admittedly extremely talented they're still very young and the mages sent to Ostagar probably would've been the most skilled in combat magic the Circle had to offer; they absolutely could've fucked the darkspawn up given the chance). I don't doubt for a second that it was the Chantry presence at Ostagar that blocked Cailan's tacticians from using the mages they had access to to full effect, and if those mages had been allowed to fire off a few fireballs and such... who knows? Maybe things would've gone better.

[lieutenant-amuel]

Hey, if you don't mind, who are your Top 5 Royal Guards of Avalor? (of course, it's obvious who's no. 1, but what about the rest?)

Hi! Thanks for the ask! Honestly, your remark in the parenthesis made me giggle a bit ×)

Anyway, your ask was a bit tricky to me as, to be fair, we don't have lots of the guard characters in the show. They're mostly the background ones, so there'll be one character whom you, more likely, didn't expect to see.

Let's get started!

5. Antonio Sandoval.

There's not a lot to say about him, but I think captain Sandoval is a character who might've been super interesting, if he had been more important. I had a thought that captain Sandoval used to serve Raul and Lucia, but retired as soon as Shuriki took over and was a part of an opposition (seriously, Avalor just had to have the opposition groups). He returned as a captain when Elena became a crown princess, but, considering his age, he retired for good after one year.

Plus, I like to think that Gabe might've had a close relationship with him. Not sure why, I just like this idea.

Anyway, his character wasn't explored like at all, so I don't know what else to say about him.

4. Rico Villalobos.

Rico is such a jerk, but I love him. Even though he was originally introduced as Gabe's rival (a very hard rival, honestly), he's actually very enjoyable as a comical character, like in "Crash Course." Besides, I think he actually got a good character development.

Plus, I'm really interested in meeting his family as Rico said he got his sword from his father, which means, he's either dead or it's not that deep, and he just gifted it to him. Anyway, I also love the idea that Rico didn't want to be a guard, but since he comes from a military family, couldn't choose any other way for himself. So, he just was jealous to Gabe since he was able to become someone whom he wanted to be.

I don't know how much sense it makes, but I want to believe there something more of him than just being a person who treats others by their origins.

And Rocco? 👀 They're brothers, yes?

3. Antonia Bello.

I love Antonia so much! She's truly awesome both as a character and a person. She's persistent, hard-working, and honestly so charismatic and enjoyable. I also really appreciate her for being both brave and smart. As a guard she shows both her strength and mind, and it's probably the main thing I love about her. Seriously, if Gabe was a girl, they would totally be alike.

And since I share some of my headcanons and thoughts in this top, I have some more to say about Antonia. When we got the episode titles and summaries of season 3, my sister and I were speculating about the possible plots of those episodes.

My sister thought it would've been cool, if Antonia had been Gabe's childhood friend. They both dreamt of becoming the guards, but couldn't, since Gabe is from a non-military family and Antonia is a girl. Anyway, for some reason, they stopped interacting and met each other again only on a recruitment competition.

And as you may see, it remained a speculation ×) Anyway, I loved the way this episode turned out. The fact Antonia and Gabe never knew each other before and she achieved everything herself makes her much better.

2. Mateo de Alva.

And it's the unexpected character ×) Sure, I know Mateo is not a guard, but he still contributed to the development of the Royal Guard system as he was the first person who used magic in the military and taught the guards how to use it against the enemies. Plus, he's an advisor to the Royal Guard since "Captain Mateo", so we actually can call him a part of it.

Aside the Royal Guard side of his character, Mateo is truly amazing. He's one of my favourite characters in the show, and he actually has a huge fanbase in the fandom, so I think it's even not necessary to talk about him too much. Without any words, he's a super complex character with a great personality.

1. Gabriel Nuñez.

Yes, I didn't surprise anyone ×) Gabe is my favourite character in the entire show, so, of course, he has the first place in this little top.

I have lots of thoughts about Gabe, but I'll try to talk only about the guard side of his character as this top is supposed to be the "my favourite royal guards" one. Otherwise, I'll just start rambling too much about him again ×)

Gabe comes from a humble family, but achieves everything he wants only thanks to his hard work and devotion. He used to be one of the best lieutenants, but was teased by the other guards, because his parents were bakers. Despite that, he became a captain, because, first of all, he just was a human. Selfless and kind.

He learnt how to be a captain, led the guards in the military missions. He doubted his worthy as a leader, but accepted magic and began to appreciate its value, even though it was difficult for him, and became a general. He truly achieved a lot on his way, and this is honestly very impressive to me.

Gabe is physically strong, but the thing I appreciate about him - he's got a brain and has strategic skills. He's smart, analytical, reasonable, and with his bravery, confidence, and strength, it makes him a very well-balanced character, imo.

The main thing I love about Gabe as a leader is how professional and tough he is to his guards (as he's supposed to), while being supportive, encouraging, and caring to them. He's not just an officer who gives the orders, but also a human who inspires people who follow him, and it's very valuable.

He deserves his promotion more than anyone else, and as I was saying, I'm really proud of him!

Thank you again for the ask!!