#but she does sincerely try to use her magic ethically

[aceofwonders]

thinking about the possibility of the vyrantium crew and the warden crew meeting at some point like 👀

[airyairyaucontraire]

Thoughts about the first episode of Stranger Things 4:

The whole Dr Brenner prologue doesn't seem to make sense taken with what we saw of Eleven's life in season 1. She wanted to please adults. She was sincerely attached to him and distressed when he was displeased with her. She wasn't angry yet, because she didn't understand that she was being abused and exploited, she was just trying to be a good girl within the situation she knew. The first few times she injured people telekinetically it was in a state of panic, and they were adults who were scaring her, certainly not fellow children who were peacefully playing.

So without drastically (and stupidly) retconning Eleven's history, personality and ethics (she is basically a kind little girl who only uses violence in self-defence or to protect others, without overkill - even to please Dr Brenner, she didn't want to do an experiment that would hurt a cat), it seems like the scene only makes sense if:

a) Eleven didn't attack anyone - they were all attacked by someone/something else and she was the only one who successfully defended herself and survived

b) Eleven didn't intentionally attack anyone - she was being controlled by someone/something else

But in either case, an incident like this seems quite inconsistent with the attitude and degree of caution that Dr Brenner showed towards Eleven in season 1, and given that s4e01 Eleven looks not much younger than she was then, how does this match up with the time that they were just discovering she had clairvoyance and telekinesis and thought she could be a useful asset for espionage? Dr Brenner didn't seem to realise that what Eleven made contact with through the Upside Down could be dangerous, which you'd think a man would consider after a mass death incident seemingly involving the same psychic child.

---

Mike's mom continues to do amazing things with her hair - poor Karen, I hope we see her find some kind of freedom and fulfilment, without it being "betrays her family and wrecks her life by having a ridiculous and tawdry affair with a really creepy teenager."

---

So much time has passed that it's hard to understand Jonathan and Nancy still being high school students, though I guess they are in their senior year (and looking more senior by the day)

---

"Lady Applejack" as a reference felt just slightly off to me, because G1 Applejack does not strike me as the sort of character Erica would admire. I mean absolutely no disrespect, but G1 Applejack was kind of a ditz. I held back from saying bimbo. If we're basing Erica's MLP fandom in Rescue at Midnight Castle (which was all there was outside of the toy line at the time of Stranger Things 4 - it begins in March 1986 and My Little Pony: the Movie woudn't be released until June that year, followed by My Little Pony 'n Friends on TV in September), wouldn't an assertive girl like her be more likely to admire Firefly, the daring pegasus who brings Megan to help the ponies, or indeed Megan herself, who, like Erica, is brought in to handle situations the main cast can't deal with on their own?

Of course, Megan has fallen into obscurity and Firefly isn't as recognisable nowadays as a pony name (Hasbro lost its trademark on the name which is why the character was reworked as Rainbow Dash for My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic), so from a strictly Doylist angle Applejack is the most effective choice of name to establish that Erica still loves MLP and is incorporating it into her new interests, but from a Watsonian perspective it doesn't quite work for me.

But I hope she has great seats for My Little Pony: the Movie when it comes out.

[hereyoucantseeme]

The Host, cogitations about ethics and morals.

The Host has always been my favourite book and the truth is that nobody understands why. They always say "How can it be your favourite book? You're 21 years old, study science and that book is a love novel for teenagers" (I think that is not reason enough not to be, but anyway) I have decided to explain here why, in my opinion, people underestimate this book.

When you have this book on your hands for the first time, on the back cover you can read that the book is about a love story. And that is right, but people are closed to the love of a romantic relationship for teenagers (which too) judging by the section of the bookstore from which they have taken this book and they read with that preconceived idea in their heads which, unfortunately, does not let them see the deep interior that this story has.

WARNING, SPOILERS.

I think the part of the book that we can learn the most from is (more or less) when Wanda decides to stop at Picacho Peak, since this point, it is a mere introduction. Melanie gets Wanda to reach a somewhat more objective point of view since she "forces" her to empathize with her situation. During the book cogitations are made on what good and evil implies and on what is good or bad that, although it defies logic, are not always linked.

The author exposes two realities, one is the society of souls, in which everyone is kind, empathetic and helps each other. We could say that they are doing good, right? In the same way, souls speak of an enemy, the Vultures. But would not the role of souls on earth be the same as that of Vultures on the first planets where souls settled after The Orgin? They say that their enemies were really bad with the inhabitants of these planets but they "fixed" it. On the other side are humans, who act violently against souls but, although the latter refuse to realize it, they behaved with humans like Vultures on other planets. I don't mean to say that the end justifies the means, but in this case, don't humans have the right to claim what is theirs? In this case, although violence is associated with evil, these people fight for the only thing left in the world, their lives and the lives of the people they love and that could be understood as something that is right. How do you get away from the reality that you have been taught to see and learn to be objective? It is something really difficult since each point of view supposes a different reality (yes, I think I'm more or less quoting Qui Gon Jinn), but I think that being objective means assuming the point of view that generates more benefits and less damage without take into account our personal situation. This book teaches us this very well.

Another point to discuss about the book is trust, how can we learn to trust the unknown? I don't want to say "trust an enemy" because I just don't see it that way. As Ian says, Wanda would be nothing more than a private under the misdeeds of her commander, she would not be explicitly the enemy, if not an unknown. 

This world has taught us not to trust, (I personally don't usually trust anyone, I only trust three people and two of them are my parents, and if I don't trust them turn off and let's go*) but if someone shows us that their intentions are good in all its fullness, why does it still cost us so much? Doc exposes himself to us as someone with the ability to understand and make people understand and he acts with kindness as one would expect from a doctor [I must say that he is my favorite character in the book (yes, obviously Ian goes  after him, Ian is lovely, let no one suffer) but, seriously, what were they thinking about in the casting of the movie? THAT'S NOT DOC, it should have been Jake Abel. Well, almost no character fits but we better not go there], he does not hesitate to distrust the medicines that Wanda takes to save Jamie. In this case, this lack of confidence may be due to pride, it hurts him as a doctor not to be able to heal someone he loves and that, instead, someone comes with a magic potion and heals him as if it were a miracle. But Doc deep down understands that Jamie's health is above anything else. However, what about the other characters? What about, for example, Sharon? (What was Doc doing with Sharon? Ehh, no, I mean, they don't even glue, sorry, Doc deserves someone better). Sharon, by not trusting Wanda mired in her stubbornness, was capable of letting her little cousin die. And she also left Doc, who was supposedly the love of her life, because he trusted in something that, to human eyes, was strange. It could also be about envy but I don't want to extend this too much since envy is something that we usually perceive easily without anyone having to show it. Finally I would like to highlight the case of Jared, it seems to me that it was the most difficult for him to trust and he was the one who did it with more strength and security. Maybe it was because he had nothing else left to hold on to but, if anything, he had faith in Wanda when it was more difficult for him to trust her (Jeb had a great judgment because of his age and, moreover, it was his niece's body, which did not interfere sentimentally, and Jamie played with the benefit of the innocence of children, for whom it is easier to trust and believe). He had to put his prejudices and feelings behind him to keep a cold head and act objectively and I think that's commendable.

We are also taught to forgive. Not only in the most obvious moment, when Kyle apologizes for trying to kill Wanda (Kyle, I must admit, is a character that seems somewhat comical to me, perhaps because, in a less violent way, he reminds me of close people. We all know a Kyle), I mean more hidden moments in the book. When Jamie approaches Wanda for the first time after she was released from her makeshift prison (the second time he has seen her in history), it is understood that he has forgiven her, he has forgiven her taking away her sister, the closest thing that he had to a mother. Although Wanda apologized later, by that time he had already forgiven her. Melanie, by allying with Wanda, makes it clear that she has been forgiven since her intentions were not really bad. In the same way, all the characters forgive through Wanda all the evils that souls have done to them. It is not easy to know how to forgive and even less in certain circumstances, but this book shows us that it is possible, but we must want to forgive.

Finally, The Host teaches us to love. Not the love that Wanda feels for Jared, in fact that is an example of the only meaning that today they usually give to love someone. Love implies sacrificing for another person, doing everything possible to make the other feel happy. She loves Melanie because she knows that she is a friend whom, after all they have lived together, she can trust. She loves Jamie because she knows that in the child there is only kindness and sincerity. She loves Doc because she knows he is a man of his word and that he would not harm anyone, not like many other people in this world. When Wanda saves Kyle from falling into the water, she does it, mainly because of her affection for Ian, she doesn't want him to suffer for losing his brother. I believe that to know how to love others you have to get rid of any desire for evil towards the other and learn to appreciate their virtues and defects, because each person is unique, otherwise we would be like the souls that, lacking defects, are identical and incapable of loving.

Ultimately, it seems to me that the book shows us Wanda as an allegory of the hidden virtues in each person that, perhaps out of fear, we are unable to show others. I hope you now understand why this is my favorite book. And these are things that are very difficult to find in other stories, so it seems to me that it has a very special value and that almost no one, unfortunately, is able to appreciate.

I'm sorry if there is any mistake or some quote or reference that may be wrong, I'm Spanish and I have read the book in my native language. Thank you for reading!

*Spanish expression that means there is nothing left to do

[in-tua-deep]

For the Harry Potter AU, Is there going to be Five time travelling, be it accidentally?

Five does not decide to time travel on a whim to use his powers in the hogwarts au - this does not mean he doesn’t time travel

(Five is very very concerned with them all sticking together in this timeline/au !! he doesn’t want to run away at all, because their lives are finally good - he has no reason to want to time travel when there’s all this other magic shit he could be learning)

during one of their summers, they end up at the Weasley’s house. It makes sense. Ginny was their youngest child and she’s graduated and moved out. The Weasley’s had a whole seven children, which means they have space slash beds for seven whole children. So they stay with the Weasleys, which is a somewhat awkward fit but I digress

but look the Weasleys still have kids, and those kids do visit

(Which is how Klaus meets Fred Weasley, which is another story)

But Ron comes home to visit and Hermione comes with him and they end up telling stories about their Hogwarts days to the umbrella kids, which is interesting and fun !! they downplay the deadliness of their shenanigans probably but they tell them stories

and Ron mentions Hermione’s insanity their third year when Hermione decided she had to take every single class available to her like an absolute madman. How did she manage that? Oh, she got a time turner with the ministry’s permission or something

and Five, who is always doing Way Too Many Things At Once is immediately enthralled with the idea that you can jump back hours at a time. And they used this just to get to a class at the same time as another class? The possibilities are limitless. 

As soon as Ron and Hermione leave Five is already penning furious letters to his head of house hollering about getting a time turner and that he also wants to do All The Classes

(all his Hufflepuff friends admire his work ethic, yes, very hufflepuff, but come on five put the book down and play exploding snap with us for once in your goddamn life)

And Sprout mails back like “You’re literally 12 you don’t even get electives for your second year?? ask me again next year????” because this is a ravenclaw problem usually - and a Hermione problem - that the Hufflepuff head of house usually doesn’t have to deal with tbh

and Five pouts about it but yeah okay that’s fair, even if having the five hour time turner would be super super useful for things like... sleep or homework slash doing other peoples homework (for a fee of course)

so Five goes through his second year very patiently and then at the end kicks in Sprout’s door and is like “PROFESSOR SPROUT, TIME TURNER ME” giving her an absolute heart attack

(Five is pretty good at zooming through his homework actually, he’s one of the top students in their year actually??? he’s one of those annoying kids who doesn’t even have to put in much effort to get top grades? 

this is because Five is voracious in his pursuit of magical knowledge and is actually like, way beyond his year’s appropriate material tbh - like he’s not quite brewing polyjuice potions in the bathrooms but the librarian knows him by name and he’s started eyeing the restricting section with a little too much interest recently

the age old wisdom learned in Reginald’s household: you only get in trouble if you get caught)

Five is willing to even do the really stupid sounding classing like divination (gag, he’s going to be doing the class with Klaus, Allison, and Diego though so it’s not a total wash he guesses) because if he does the work he gets a fucking time turner are you kidding

(Klaus is way too enthusiastic about divination, when asked why she’s taking Allison arches an eyebrow and says she can absolutely predict the future - for example she heard a rumor you left her alone - wow look at that it came true! Diego is taking it because Klaus begged him but also because he heard it was a really easy class and he would like to focus on quidditch thanks)

they end up staying at the Longbottom Estate the summer between their second and third year (the Weasleys weren’t a great fit and they plan to go to Romania that summer to visit Charlie) since the bigass mansion from an old family has enough room

They’re familiar with Neville, who is apprenticed under Professor Sprout and is probably going to take over herbology classes in the near future. Ben and Neville get along like a house on fire, spending way too much time in the green house

Five, on the other hand, strikes up an intense rivalry with Augusta Longbottom, who is ancient and fierce and strikes terror into the heart of any child she wishes. Five kind of wants to be her but also is at war with her because there are so many good books that Augusta won’t let him read

(anyway, Five learns the hard way that Augusta Longbottom keeps an armed mouse trap in her purse and admires such a simple non-magical solution to keeping intruders away)

Klaus doesn’t like the estate (it’s very old and there are... quite a few ghosts), Diego is constantly badgering the others to practice quidditch with him, Luther carries everything for Augusta and is deemed a ‘nice young man, very Gryffindor’ with approval, Allison models herself the perfect young lady and takes great pleasure in sticking her tongue at the others when they get in trouble (behind the adult’s backs of course), while Vanya takes the opportunity to practice her violin with intensity considering they can’t practice magic anyway (curse underage magic laws)

of course there is a small incident where Ben and Five set up an illicit potions lab in the definitely not a dungeon basement and may or may not experiment which lead to something almost blowing up

“In our defense,” Five says, scrubbing a sleeve over a very sooty face thanks to a small explosion, “we were really bored.”

“Potions.” Neville despairs, like potions personally killed his parents and kicked his dog. And who knows, maybe they did somehow. This is the magical world, nothing ever makes sense honestly. 

“Sorry for nicking some of your boom berries.” Ben offers, managing to actually look sincerely sorry. Five should take pointers, honestly.

“The boom berries aren’t even ripe.” Neville whimpers, face in his hands.

Five exchanges a look of realization with Ben, “Ah, that’s why they - ”

“Went boom.” Ben says with a slightly hysterical giggle on the end.

“No more potions without supervision.” Is the order they get stuck with, which is really unfair considering that there are seven kids and only two adults honestly. 

(“I can’t believe you almost blew up the house.” Luther hisses at them later, to which Ben looks appropriately abashed.

“You’re just jealous we didn’t include you in any plots with explosions.” Five points out crossly. Luther doesn’t say anything to that, which means he’s right.)

Vanya only blows up like, three whole rooms and the bright side is that everyone chalks it up to accidental magic even though Vanya should really have grown out of it by now but... it’s not like they have another explanation!

The kids get very good at distracting the adults and the others trying to train Vanya so that she doesn’t blow things up by accident, which goes better than canon because she wasn’t pent up for literal decades at least but does mean that more accidents happen than the Longbottom house is necessarily used to

“I’d forgotten what it was like to have children underfoot again.” Augusta says when they have to go back, leaning on her cane and looked at them all severely. “Do not return.”

and that’s their stay at the Longbottom estate

so Five enters his third year and gleefully is given a time turner

and he’s informed he can only turn it back five hours, which is the safe time !! and he’s like “haha neat” and immediately turns it five times and - 

he shows up like five years in the past due to funkiness of his powers interacting with the time turner, which lovingly dumps him right into the middle of the war when he’s like, thirteen, in 1997

“what the FUCK” - Five, probably

and this is how five realizes he has time powers

Five is missing for five months when he shows back up, more than a little bit traumatized, clutching his time turner

“what the FUCK” - all of Five’s siblings upon his return, because they have been freaking out for five months

“What do you mean I’ve been missing for five months?” Five asks hysterically, “It’s been like, a month? Tops? I hope you idiots know I had to break into the fucking Ministry of Magic to get back to y’all fuckwads”

“What the fuck, Five” say the siblings, with feeling

“I had to steal and juryrig like, half of the ministry’s supply of time turners. it’s fine. they got ruined during the war anyway, I read about it, so it didn’t upset the timeline or anything to snag a few before it happened and stuff.” Five explains

(He returns the time turner to a very shaken Professor Sprout, but he does not return the pilfered ones he stole five years ago)

after everyone stops freaking out (more or less - the Hufflepuffs refuse to let Five out of their sights for more than five collective minutes which is an absolute pain) Five ends up having to drop some classes (he ends up dropping divination since he likes arithmancy way better - predicting the future with numbers? hell yeah !! and he drops care of magical creatures but insists on keeping up with muggle studies since he feels it’s important to keep up with that world just in case they have to disappear back into it) and life vaguely returns to normal

“Wait.” Klaus says, with a voice that says he’s had a very important revelation. “Does this mean that we’re older than Five?”

“No.” Five says, very firmly, as though that will help what is to come.

“Absolutely.” Diego immediately butts in.

“Absolutely not -” It’s no use. Klaus has wrapped his arms around Five (and curse him, Klaus is a fucking bean pole and taller than Five) and is crooning about how they’re going to take such good care of their babiest brother - 

Klaus deserves result of this interaction. The rest of the room? Well. Needless to say the siblings get detention for destroying an unused classroom

(this does not stop the others from referencing Five’s apparent youth at the most inopportune moments, which never fails to his Five’s berserk button)

everyone keeps a close eye on five. besides more food hoarding and some more general feralness he seems fine for the most part tbh

(he does not talk about his month away, but needless to say he was dumped into the beginning of Harry Potter’s seventh year, which was deeply unfortunate due to the fact that Death Eater’s had taken over Hogwarts and other deeply unfortunate events were taking place)

somehow Five manages to catch up to all his classes despite having been missing for Five months Five what the fuck, and maintains his position as one of the top students in their year

the siblings initiate daily meetings which means all of them pile into the Hufflepuff common room once a week on Five’s night hosting which is basically part sibling study group part “we WILL keep track of everyone on god”

yeah there may or may not be some like. trauma regarding their brother literally vanishing on them tbh

third year is also when Five discovers he can jump into the chamber of secrets and meets the painting of Dolores, and then proceeds to be down there whenever he’s getting sick and tired of everyone’s attention on him like he’s just gonna vanish on them for fucks sake Luther stop breathing in his ear he’s trying to read

he likes talking to Dolores, and she’s full of cool and interesting information and facts, and is very good at charms and hexes, not to even mention her encyclopedic knowledge of various jinxes

but yes five does time travel. it’s sort of to do with his time powers. it’s very accidental, basically his powers going absolutely haywire due to exposure to temporal magic and amplifying their effect to a terrifying degree, but thanks to genuine wizarding knowledge about temporal magic and the existence of time turners Five was able to get home in a timely manner

...sort of, honestly being four months off wasn’t too bad considering his canon difficulties with timing lmao

[words-writ-in-starlight]

I'm thinking of reading Kencyrath, but I'm not sure whether i'll like it. What do you like about the series? Who would you recommend it for?

OKAY SO, first, the people I would recommend it to:

Anyone who read or watched more than half a book/four episodes of Game of Thrones--the Kencyrath has a similar list of trigger warnings, but commits much harder to the fantasy angle, and in my opinion deals more directly with the ethical problems raised by those trigger warnings

People who like those posts picking apart the minutiae of how high fantasy worlds work--the Kencyrath is one of the only series I’m familiar with that answers the question of “okay great you have a warrior race, so how does that actually work” with “it kind of doesn’t, everyone is starving half the time because we’re all warriors and our land can barely grow food, so if our mercenaries don’t get paid, we don’t eat”

People who like a mix of “low fantasy” moral questions (the first book is kind of like...hm, Lies of Locke Lamora?) with classic “high fantasy” political machinations and battles of good vs evil and such--the Kencyrath HAVE a grand sweeping destiny more or less on their doorstep, but they’ve sort of fallen down on the job about it

People who like books that deal with trauma recovery--Jame, the main character, spends most of her time trying to drag herself (and, ideally, her brother, cousin, and entire race) out of the cycle of abuse that they’ve all lived through, and every character has, to some extent, a trauma that shapes their actions one way or another

People who don’t mind a big cast as long as there are a couple main characters to focus on--the Kencyrath ends up being a pretty expansive cast, with a lot of schemes running at any given time, but it always revolves around Jame and her twin brother Tori

People who like complex societal worldbuilding and Loyalty Stuff--the Kendar/Highborn dynamic (warrior class/ruling class) is so wonderfully messed up and I love how seriously the books take both the advantages and massive pitfalls of that kind of society

People who listened to TAZ Balance and thought that the Hunger was really cool and terrifying and wanted a whole book series about the sequence where the world is fighting it

Anyone who ever read a standard high fantasy book with a Rambunctious Young Lady as the lead and went “this is fine, but if you’re going to spend 250 pages telling me that this girl is wild and uncontrollable, I would like to see her go completely feral, please”--Jame’s brain plays Yakety Sax 24/7 and you can TELL, so if you ever wanted a book where the Unladylike Lead Character goes genuinely apeshit, but also learns how to make friends and respect the value of traditionally feminine work even if it’s not for her

People I would recommend NOT read the Kencyrath:

Anyone who knows they are triggered by written discussion of assault, abuse, sexism, coercion, torture, flashbacks, racism, murder, or basically any other major trigger warning--I personally think the books deal with things pretty well, and they’re never grimdark, but they deal with a lot of incredibly heavy material, including child abuse, sexual assault, coercion, and torture.  If you know you have a major trigger that really messes you up when you read about it, please exercise caution and feel free to contact me for more details.  Also, if you have a specific trigger and want a different book recommendation, I have them on tap.  

Anyone who struggles to read or connect with “problematic” characters--pretty much every character in this series will EVENTUALLY do something you don’t like, including Jame.  The books go very hard on “who you are is defined by how you handle making an irreparable mistake,” so be prepared for that.  If this is your hard stop but everything else is fine, I would recommend the Imperial Radch series by Ann Leckie (spaceships and war crimes and found family), or something by Robin McKinley (mostly fantasy), especially the Damar books or Sunshine!

Anyone for whom incest between twins is a hard stop--the primary romantic relationship is Jame/Tori, and while I would consider it easily the healthiest relationship in the series, that’s the ship and you should be aware of it.  If this is your hard stop but everything else is fine, I would recommend the Captive Prince series by CS Pacat (political scheming and romance) or the Winternight trilogy by Katherine Arden (fairy tale fantasy)!

The stuff I like about the series:

Jame.  I love that she’s allowed to be completely unhinged.  I love that she faces consequences for her actions.  I love her determination to slit reality open and lay it all out like a scientist in her search for the truth.  I love her willingness to face unpleasant realities, and I love the times when she can’t bear them and has to figure out how to deal.  I love every second she spends trying to figure out how honor works, and whether it’s even possible for a Highborn to be honorable, and how she can save her people without sacrificing who she is.  I love to watch people pick a fight with her and immediately learn the error of her ways.

Tori.  I know I pick on him a lot, and he deserves to be picked on, but Tori is really one of my favorite characters.  He struggles a lot more than Jame to move past their father’s abuse, and he makes a lot of genuinely harmful choices in the depths of that struggle, but I love watching the times where he wins.  It makes me frustrated beyond words when he caves to what he was taught, but I’m always elated when he can push past that and reveal the deeply loyal, sincerely honorable, incredibly good person that he became in spite of their father.  He’s a good leader, despite everyone’s best efforts, and I love to see him fight for his people.  Love to see him consider HIMSELF one of “his people” someday.

Kindrie.  I won’t say too much about him, except that I didn’t actually like him that much when I first read the books, for basically the exact reasons Jame didn’t like him much at first--he’s someone doing trauma recovery in the exact opposite way that I was comfortable with.  But god I love him so much, he is doing his best and his best is so much better than anyone would expect, from his past.  Truly the best boy in the Kencyrath, wise beyond his years and just insane enough to get into the disasters where he’s most needed.

The Kendar.  Instead of making this post 4k with individual bullet points about every Kendar I love, here is a brief litany.  I love Marc because he’s the only stable person in the Kencyrath.  I love Brier because she’s doing her best and it would be okay if everyone (including her) admitted that she doesn’t always know what that actually means.  I love Burr and Rue because their rabid determination to turn Tori and Jame (Confirmed Feral Cats) into real nobility will never NOT be funny to me.  I love Sheth Sharp-tongue because he’s the only person with his shit so together that not even Jame can ruffle him.  I love the Randir Kendar who didn’t move, at the start of Bound in Blood.  The Kendar are the most nuanced take on the concept of an eternally loyal warrior caste I’ve ever seen and I love them.

The Villains.  I believe I have established that I love a nuanced villain.  The Master is a pretty straight up and down villain figure, the voice of the darkness, John Hunger or Saruman or whatever else you might like to compare him to, but no one else is that simple.  I love the Dreamweaver, who didn’t know what she was doing and paid for it anyway.  I love Tyrandis, who knew what he was doing and did it and spent his eternity trying to fix it without breaking a single rule.  I do NOT love Caldane, but he’s a kind of viscerally real, slimy evil that is exceptionally well executed.  Likewise, I would like Rawneth to die, painfully, in short order, but godDAMN watching her chessboard unfold over the course of the books is hypnotic. The villains in this are GOOD, folks, and I like them.

I really need to wrap this up, so my last pick for what I like is Overpowered Characters.  I complain a lot about media that panics over powerful characters, and responds by taking that power away, or having unstable worldbuilding that means the character is weak when the narrative demands it.  The Kencyrath doesn’t do that.  Jame is bonkers powerful from day one, and pretty much maintains that level through the series.  Instead of focusing on characters building their power, like leveling in DnD, the Kencyrath focuses on the question of using power.  Jame’s power in the first book is terrifying not just because she’s insanely strong, but because she has no idea how to use it.  Likewise, Tori is determined pretty quickly to be at the same level that she is, but he’s in such deep denial that he’s as likely to kill himself as do anything useful.  It’s just very SATISFYING, okay, to have a series actually do interesting things with OP characters.  Sure, in a weird way Jame seems less like a magical nuke in book 8 than in book 1, but it’s because she’s not just throwing power around like someone playing darts blindfolded.  And watching her figure out how to harness her power into something useful is so gratifying.

[domme-by-starlight]

University of Mind Control

Part 1.2

a continuation of x

Jenna stared. She’d been prepared for a lot of things, but she had to admit a roommate who looked like a literal succubus hadn’t been on the list. 

Also, she was hot. 

The possibly-a-succubus girl purred, “Hello, roommate.”

“Um,” Jenna responded eloquently, staring at the girl. Her irises were completely black, more like two voids than just dark eyes. Fuck. Fuck this is bad. 

After a moment, the succubus stepped forward. “My name is Morgana Heartbinder. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“I’m - I’m Jenna.” She couldn’t stop staring. I need to break out of this, fast. Must be some kind of magic - it’s way too fast to be natural. 

“Lovely to meet you, Jenna,” Morgana murmured, coming closer and reaching out a hand. Jenna watched, frozen, as it came closer, trying and failing to move away. Her breath was coming faster now, despite her best efforts not to panic. 

Then Morgana’s hand touched her cheek, and burned. Jenna instinctively jerked away, startled, and tried to use the moment to gather some resistance. 

“Shit,” Morgana said. “Are you okay?”

Jenna blinked. In an instant, the girl had transformed from an enthralling demon to a normal-looking, anxious girl. “Um, I’m okay, I was just startled.”

“Are you sure? I forgot how cold most mortals are, I didn’t think, I’m so sorry. Did I burn you at all? I’m sure there’s a healer on staff, we could go find them-”

“No, I’m okay,” Jenna replied hastily. Morgana looked on the verge of panic. “It was just hot, not hurting - at least not for the fraction of a second that you touched me, at least.” She tried to smile reassuringly. “I’m alright, I promise.”

“Oh, thank goodness,” Morgana said with obvious relief, but then her face crumpled again. “But- but I’ve fucked it all up now! Father will be so angry, he trained me so long, if I can’t even take my roommate what hope do I have for anyone else? And I was so close, too! No offense,” she added quickly. 

“Uh, none taken. I’m… sure it’ll be okay? Are we expected to take control of other students here?” 

“Well, yeah,” the other girl said as if it were obvious. “It’s mostly temporary, but it gives you important practise. If you’re lucky, you might even get to keep them.”

“Mostly temporary? What does that mean? Uh, also, if it’s okay to ask, what… are you?”

Morgana was still wringing her hands, but she looked calmer, at least. “I’m, I think humans would call me a succubus? And every week one person gets to keep a thrall, based on good classwork and such. Didn’t you learn anything about UMC before you got here?”

“I tried, but it’s not the kind of thing you can just Google. Wait, do you have Google? Are - you’re not from Earth, right? I didn’t miss literal demons hanging around?”

Morgana laughed. “No, all the students are from different universes, I think. If you didn’t know anything about this place, why’d you come?”

“Well, my world doesn’t have any magic, as far as I know. And I just couldn’t turn down that kind of opportunity, honestly.” Jenna didn’t want to mention hypnosis, not yet. Morgana seemed genuine, but there was no harm in being careful. “What about you?”

She grimaced. “My father, mostly. He’s… well, he’s really powerful, and I’m not very good at being a succubus. I think he’s hoping that I’ll somehow become seductive and confident and a proper Heartbinder heir. Who knows, maybe he’s even right.”

“That’s awful,” Jenna said sincerely. “You seem like a lovely person, and I’m sure if you tried you could do really well! But I know what parental pressure can be like.” Jenna didn’t want to dwell on that topic, though. “I should unpack,” she said instead. “We don’t have long till classes start, right? Day after tomorrow?”

“Yeah. First assembly tonight, and tomorrow to explore and make friends. Or slaves. That’s probably why the assembly isn’t for several hours, too - it gives roommates time to figure out their, uh, arrangements.”

Jenna started unlocking her suitcases as they talked. “Will there really already be students under control by the end of the first day? I knew this institution might not exactly be ethical, but still.”

“Oh, yes. I’m sure many of the students are already accomplished mind controllers in their chosen field. It doesn’t last forever, but it’s still a pretty significant advantage to have a thrall this early on.”

“Mm.” Jenna looked up. “Are you planning on trying to control me again?”

Morgana looked torn. “If I don’t enslave my roommate my father will kill me. Sorry, I don’t want to, you seem really nice, I just…”

Welp. “Hm. Could I just pretend to be your slave? Or, like, you technically take control of me but you don’t do anything with it? I just think we could really be friends, and if you control me we’ll never get to find out the proper way.”

“That… might work? And honestly, I’m not very good. I caught you off guard and even then it didn’t work. I just get so nervous that I forget what to say and start shaking and it just never works.” Morgana signed heavily and turned away to start dealing with her own belongings. 

Not good enough. Maybe she’s right, but she nearly had me. Jenna shivered. She really didn’t want to be enslaved, even if Morgana seemed nice. 

She narrowed her eyes in thought. “What if we made some sort of agreement? You can practise on me as much as you like and I’ll help you try to improve, but you only control me during those practise sessions. And maybe vice versa, too? I’d far rather have an ally than spend all year fighting with my own roommate for control.”

She hesitated for a moment, then threw in, “There are plenty of other students, after all, and I’d be happy to help you capture other people if you want.” I can deal with her trying to hold me to that when we get there. Free will first, consequences later. 

“I… you would do that? Honestly?”

“Promise.”

Morgana’s smile was so hopeful that it hurt Jenna’s heart a little. She wanted words with that girl’s father. 

“That sounds wonderful,” Morgana said. “I would love to have someone here I can trust not to be constantly trying to enslave me. To have a… a friend.”

“Then we’re agreed,” Jenna declared, trying not to show her relief. “Friends it is.”

[mimiplaysgames]

Beloved Memories, in Notes (Vol. IX)

Pairing: Terra/Aqua Rating: T (for sexual references) Word Count: 5,377

Summary: Aqua was drunk when she kissed him and doesn’t remember. Terra is too much of a disaster to talk to her about it. Terra is 20, Aqua is 18.

Read on AO3

A/N: Based off of a prompt @holyteapotofrussell​ gave me: “It’s three in the morning,” which they gave me... two years ago. *HIDES* Considering how old this outline is, it’s interesting to see how my writing has changed since the first chapter of this installment, and how much it hasn’t. There was so much that I learned from writing this specific story, and going through so many mistakes. But I have to stick by it anyway. I hope you enjoy it anyway!

~*~*~*~*~

A Tale of Landslides, Pt. 3

The following days had been sunny with the inevitable chance of random storms. A typical summer in the mountains meant for ghost stories by a fire, long hours stargazing, and indulging in lazy naps on hammocks by the creek. 

As if they had time for any of that. The Mark of Mastery was now three days away (as if they spent these final moments as students productively). Inside the castle walls, every hour was tense and thick and weird. 

Talking with Aqua was bust. Their conversations ended with Okay, Sure, and the worst of all: Oh. It was as though Terra had forgotten how to exist around her. Every time he remembered what happened between them, a pit in his stomach filled with acid and sunk, leaving his blood cold. 

He had a semblance of a plan. For now, he was equipped with a stack of three books. Soon, he’d find an answer to one question.

He heard:

“I said, you need to wax your Keyblade with bird grease if you want to improve your air magic. You know, from their beaks.”

Terra snapped his gaze up at Ven, who sat across from him in the library. Ven was supposed to be working on an essay about Keyblade ethics in the context of drawing energy from bonds shared between people - the same one he’d been procrastinating (ignoring, in Ven’s words) for days. As expected, the only book he had open was Terra’s childhood copy of The Adventures of Robin Hood, a fox and a bear gracing the cover.

“Why are you talking about severed beaks?”

Ven scoffed. “I wasn’t. You act like I’m not here, so I made it up.”

Terra pinched the bridge of his nose. “Sorry.”

“Sure. And I know how to fly.”

“You’re supposed to be working.” Terra marked the last word he read with his finger. “Why don’t you tell me what you need help with?”

“Why don’t you tell me what’s up?” Ven leaned over to read Terra’s book upside down. 

Terra shut it on his finger.

“It’s not like I don’t know what you’re researching.” Ven rolled his eyes and tapped a spine. “Book of Fairies? Spirits and Other Idyllic Superstitions? What do they have to do with your exam?”

“What does Robin Hood have to do with your essay? You have a deadline.”

“I bet I could convince the Master to extend it.”

“I bet you couldn’t.”

“Five munny.”

“Fifteen.”

“Ten munny.” 

“Did you forget who the Master is?”

“All I gotta do is tell him how desperately I want to be there for your Mark of Mastery.” He flapped his eyelashes. “I’ll even cry a little. When I get him to say yes, you’ll be so impressed with me.” Ven shot a dubious smirk, confident and willing to hand over his allowance. 

Terra clicked his tongue. “It’s your investment.”

“Do the butterflies have anything to do with Aqua?” 

“Someone has to mind his own business.”

“Someone needs to stop avoiding her.”

Terra stammered. That was nowhere close to what he wanted. “I’m not avoiding her.”

“I’ll add twenty munny to the bet if you don’t leave.”

“If I don’t leave what?”

“Aqua!” Ven called, his voice a collision onto Terra’s senses, who scrambled to turn the spines of his books away from the entrance so she wouldn’t see.

It took a moment but there she appeared, her breath heavy as though she’d been dancing. “What is it?”

“Terra’s being obnoxious.”

If Terra kicked him under the table, she’d hear it. So, he held onto his pride. 

Aqua glanced over, the quiver on her lips something she tried to hide. “What did he do?”

“He won’t let me read.”

She approached the table, a knowing smirk twisting across her face when she saw Robin Hood. By instinct, she met Terra’s eyes for recognition, only to let that smile fall.

Still, she took a seat beside Terra, who adopted the sudden habit of staring hard into the wood.

“We used to pretend we were the characters,” Aqua said. “Terra never let me be Robin Hood.”

Terra winced, but the memory was warm all the same. You couldn’t pull him off, was the argument he used against her, a red feather in his hair and the same wooden sword used for practice in his hand.

“You would have made a good Robin,” he murmured. 

Aqua, tensing over the fact that he spoke to her, shrugged. “It wouldn’t have made sense. He was your favorite.” 

The conversation choked. 

Ven rolled his lips. “Did you play Maid Marian?”

Aqua tossed him a look as though she swallowed bitter tea, and said, “Of course not. I was Little John.”

“The bear?”

“Little John was the smarter one,” Aqua said, dignified as she crossed her arms. But she lost all composure as she remembered something, her proud expression collapsing into a string of chuckles. “There was this one time-”

“Not that story,” Terra moaned, digging his face into his book. 

“Terra the Hood was fighting tax collectors up by the lake. I sat on a tree branch. My job was to warn him of enemies.” She sniffed. “But he tripped and fell into a goose nest, and...” She giggled. “The mother chased him all the way back to the castle.”

Ven snorted. “Brave Sir Robin.”

“Great job watching my back,” Terra said.

“I yelled out wolf hole before you blundered into it,” Aqua said, biting her grin. “It’s not my fault Robin Hood didn’t listen.”

“You pointed and laughed at me.” 

“It was a good show.” She flicked his bicep.

It almost felt like they never shared a kiss. 

A heaviness dropped as soon as Terra thought of the taste of her lips, sinking his gaze back down to the book cover. Brave Sir Robin, always looking like an idiot in front of her. 

“I’m going to get a snack,” Ven announced too loudly, stealing the same opportunity Terra would have tried for. He didn’t offer to grab anything for anyone, and he eyed Terra ceremoniously. 

“Now it’s a thirty munny deal,” he reminded Terra. As if that's any consolation. 

“Is that for a bet?” Aqua asked when they were alone. 

Terra straightened. “Yeah. It’s dumb.”

Her lips pulled a small, polite smile. A peace deal, pink and supple and pillowy. 

“What are you reading?”

He cleared his throat, shifting in his seat as he stopped an urge to push his books further away. He could have told her something near the truth. That being near her brought a rush of thoughts he couldn’t define. That he wanted to bring her something special, something distracting to make his apology more sincere, less surgical. 

That he was about to burst if he didn’t say something about it. 

He should ask her (he should’ve asked her that same night) to follow him into the wilderness and track an answer to the butterflies together. Instead, he looked stupid at the worst time, with a blank mind and a dry throat.

It was only a kiss. Aqua was the same person. 

“Nothing special. Just killing time,” he said, shrugging.

“Don’t be like that,” she asked softly, crossing her hands. She blinked too much, and her head hung. 

Terra knew he was an idiot.

“Be like what?” He gathered the books into his arms. Denying it wouldn’t discredit it - she’s too smart for that - but he flashed a smile anyway, hoping it would console her. 

Aqua nodded, not allowing herself to look at him. 

“I have a lot on my mind. The exam’s coming up in a couple of days, you know?” 

This time she did, grimacing. 

Terra cursed himself.

~*~*~*~*~

Stars clustered in the sky that night like galaxies. Meteorites cut across the window. Terra, shirtless, stood in the kitchen, and sipped his tasteless tea.

Aqua was mad now. 

Their spar session had ended with a spat. After hours of failed attempts to break through her ice barriers, she knocked him down to his knees.

Stupid, stupid ice barriers. He proudly performed the dumb mistake of insulting her when it was really his own technique that needed the pounding. 

He’d been failing bad lately, and getting worse. Worse when the Mark of Mastery was unforgiving already. How was he going to pass now?

Aqua entered the kitchen, scoffing when she saw the mug in his hand. She waved her arm in annoyance. “You didn’t leave any for me.”

Terra leaned against the marble island where she’d knead dough, and smirked. 

“Maybe if you tried getting a hit on me,” she said, stepping close enough to kiss, her nose pointed, uptight, high. “Then you wouldn’t have to act like everything is my fault.”

“Everything is your fault.”

“Not your bad cup of tea.”

“You must have cursed it. Where were you during the fifteen seconds I looked away from the kettle?”

“Tell me one thing.”

He waited for her question, but the chill of vapor floated from the floor. Another damn ice barrier erected between the two of them, thick and blurring her image. 

“Tell you what?” He punched the ice with flames in his fists, but it wouldn’t crack.

She didn’t reply. Blue eyes wide. Pink lips puckered to the ice. She melted a layer.

Terra pressed his forehead onto the barrier to make sure he saw correctly.

“Try again,” she scolded. 

He railed the ice, a swirl of flames combusting onto the surface. Nothing. He growled. 

“Do you really want me to be the one to break through?” she asked, her lips blowing smoke on the ice, inching closer. 

No. Yes. He didn’t know what to expect when it happened, but she was coming, her face the only thing he could see and the only thing he wanted.

They finally touched, lips to lips. She said nothing. He only had his hands exploring her bare back, pulling her hips to dig into his. 

The way her body folded into his was an unbearable pressure. Nothing satiated the hunger for more. He grabbed her chest. It wasn’t soft.

In place was something leathery, long, strong, wrapped around his hands. The tip of it suckled his thumb. An elephant trunk.

She gasped at the lewdness.

The trunk lurched from his grip and slapped him so hard he woke up. 

Warmth churned in his chest. Where was he? In his room, not the kitchen. His arms wiggled as he failed to lean on them, his torso the weight of a ton. He felt good, like a relaxed breeze, but exhausted as though he’d taken a punch to the gut. 

Wetness and stickiness pooled in his pants.

“Not again,” he groaned into his pillow. 

His body protested as he stood up. Dragging himself to the bathroom, he threw off his clothes and scrubbed the crotch of his pants, cursing every single stitched fiber. 

He thought of her, and his stomach jumped with the urgency of a child awaiting punishment. This was why they stopped wrestling, why they didn’t share a bed anymore: do the right thing and avoid the possibility that he’d hump her in his sleep. It wasn’t like he didn’t enjoy these dreams - well, with exceptions - but they made it difficult to face her in the morning.

After a cold shower, he slipped into clean, dry pajamas. 

In a couple of hours, the sun would rise. One of the books laid open on his desk. He found them: small, white butterflies that were transparent upon closer inspection, their glow so bright it only gave an impression of a shape. 

Terra should go back to sleep but didn’t know if he was capable now. He shook away every flash of an image of her undressed. He wanted her. But he wanted his best friend back. He wanted lots of conflicting things and right now he had neither.

Damn it, it was getting worse.

If they weren’t on odd terms, he’d march to her room and ask her to sneak into the forest with him, no matter the time. Usually, the worst he’d catch from her was a sour mood, but he found them. Small, white butterflies. No better timing. No better way to face her wrath than suffering it half-asleep.

Aqua’s door silently peeked open, like she made the effort to oil it. Her bedroom was prim as usual. Her comforter tucked tightly around her body, slick and even everywhere else. Through the darkness, Terra noticed shaved shards of colored glass on her workbench, orange, blue and green, and narrowly avoided bumping into them.

He gently rolled her shoulder. “Aqua?” he whispered.

She didn’t respond. He sat at the edge of the mattress, and shook her harder. “Aqua.”

When she woke, she threw him a squint before turning the lamp on her nightstand. She mumbled, “What’s wrong?”

“There’s something I want to show you.”

She blinked slowly. “What?”

“In the forest.” He snorted.

Aqua snatched her clock, a frustrated smile spreading on her face. “It’s three in the morning.” Her voice was hoarse.

“It’s noon somewhere else.”

Blinking a few more times, Aqua had the sudden awareness of who was sitting on her bed. Terra knew what to expect. She scrambled for her pillow and beat him on the head with it. “Now you’re talking to me? After days of acting like I was a plague?”

Terra caught the pillow before it could hit him a sixth time, his heart choking itself.

“Couldn’t afford to get infected,” he said with care, cocking a smirk. “Girl cooties, doctor’s orders. I’m sorry.” He watched her use all the weight in her body to wrestle the pillow out of his hands, her head thrown all the way back. “Cute,” he said of her failed efforts.

Aqua glared at him and twisted the pillow for a better grip. She hated the term when it applied to her, but Terra had always thought of her this way. Seeing how hard she was trying, like a kitten bunny-kicking a tired dog, how could he think otherwise?

A twang of guilt stabbed his heart.

He let go and she toppled backwards. She cursed under her mutters. Too tired for this nonsense. 

She studied him before she scoffed. “What’s in the forest?”

“Magic.”

“Take yourself, then.”

“It’s something you’ve never seen before.”

She paused, stopping herself from throwing him out of her room. 

“If you promise to give my best friend back,” she said softly.

Hearing that stung exactly as he deserved. “Of course. I’m sorry.”

“You said that already.” She smiled anyway, refusing his help in getting out of bed. 

Her hands reached for the ceiling as she stretched. This lifted her shirt and exposed her stomach. Her pants were low enough to show how her pelvis dipped inward near the hip, shaping a subtle pouch just below her belly button amid strong muscle underneath.

Heart now hyper, Terra forced himself to look away. 

“I’ll get Ven,” he said, his voice trembling. He begged the stars that she didn’t notice. 

Ven only agreed to get up if he was carried. He snored on Terra’s shoulder, piggybacked out of the castle through the front entrance, past the waterfalls, and downhill into the furthest clearing where the castle lanterns met the border of dark woods. 

Close to the ground danced what looked like stars, bobbing up and down as they fluttered in mismatched patterns. 

“Are we here?” Aqua asked, hushed as if to avoid disturbing the lights. 

Ven let out a noise of awe, very much awake. Terra straightened to shake him off his shoulders. Not that Ven minded - he was the first to approach the lights, an apprehensive hand reaching out as one zigzagged around his fingers.

“Wish fairies,” Terra said, which encouraged Aqua to step forward. “Some worlds call them prayer sprites, or ghouls.”

Ven laughed, herding a group as he chased them by the creek.  

Terra planned to feel proud of this moment, but Aqua shot him a cynical look. “Is this what you were researching?”

“Yeah.” He cleared his throat. “Took me a while to find the right books. They travel in between worlds, appearing once every fifty years for a couple of days before moving on.”

“Does that mean they’re good luck?” Ven asked.

“They’re like shooting stars, they grant your wishes. They have a reputation for being a sign of significant change...” Terra was rambling and he lost sight of why he was there. None of the information moved Aqua, who crossed her arms. “It can’t be a coincidence they appeared just before our exam,” he finished with mediocre finesse. 

She stepped closer to him. “Did you think bringing me out here would make everything between us okay?”

If Ven heard what she said, he did an excellent job not showing it. He flopped onto the ground, his legs spread wide. Some of the wish fairies gathered closely to him, rolling in his palms. 

Terra brushed one hand through the hair on his neck. “I hoped so,” he murmured. 

She sighed, the smallest smile coming up as she watched Ven play. 

“Are you ready to talk?”

It was Terra’s turn to sigh. He was desperate, but now that the moment was here, he found he wasn’t ready to jump this chasm. The kiss seemed like a swamp, set up to drown them both. The feelings he had for her were disorganized at best, one voice begging to touch her and the other wanting to escape somewhere where she couldn’t find him for a decade. They were mean and juvenile. Hopeful and hopeless. If he was a worthy person, that kiss wouldn’t be destroying him now.

“I don’t compare to you,” he said, his voice low and shaky, regretful of every syllable that passed through his teeth.

“That’s what’s bothering you?” She leaned forward, forcing Terra to look at her. 

She didn’t allow him to reply, her body trembling with earnestness and confusion all the same. “You nearly pulverized me the other day. You… You’re wonderful- A wonderful Keybearer.” She shook her head, suddenly gawking at the horizon. “I’m not above you or better or… How could you think that? We’re equals. We’ll always be,” she said with fragile confidence, as though she was responding to doubt.

When she finished, she deflated. It gave Terra the impression that there was something else on her mind as well. 

Strangely, her words didn’t do much to help him feel better. She was always one to lift him up, and he did the same for her for so many years. Now they just seemed rehearsed, the reality of an exam that would test how far they’ve come looming over their shoulders. 

He wanted to believe they were equals. 

“You’re not afraid of the exam?” he asked.

She inhaled, eyes hard on the grass. Ven stopped playing, idle on his hands as the wish fairies danced on his legs.

“I’m afraid of change,” she said, bracing her fingers on her lips as though the words slipped. 

“What does that mean?”

Aqua hugged herself, her voice distant. “We’ve known nothing except training. I knew this day was coming, but it seemed like a dream. Now it’s here.”

“It is a dream. We’ve shared it.”

“Yeah.” She breathed. “But what about the after? We’ll have different responsibilities. Separate missions. I know that’s the point, but what if we don’t see each other anymore?”

“That won’t happen.” Terra swallowed. The Master did all of his duties alone, no friends to speak of. 

She pursed her lips. Terra wanted to kick himself. She needed her best friend. Now. Tomorrow. Yesterday. What in the world was he doing instead? 

“I’m an idiot,” he said.

“Should I even reply?”

“I shouldn’t have... There was just... One other thing that was on my mind.” She listened. He wished she would prod him. “The night of the feast, you…” He scoffed. “You got drunk.”

Her eyes widened. 

“It’s kind of crazier than that.” He gave her a lopsided smile. “You kissed me.”

Aqua caught her mouth open. 

But the gasp Terra heard wasn’t hers - it was Ven’s, who dropped his jaw and took in air as though he had witnessed his lifetime’s greatest scandal. 

“Do you mind?” Terra spat. 

Ven snapped his mouth shut and turned away.

“I’m so sorry, Terra,” Aqua said, horrified. Her cheeks turned rosy. “I’m sorry. Were you upset with me?”

Terra expected her to be penitent, but this - did she regret it? His heart sunk. “It’s fine,” he said, stopping himself from embracing her. “It wasn’t a big deal. The dumbest thing ever.” 

Aqua held her breath. She looked hurt. Did he say something wrong? Was he supposed to make it out to be important?

“I mean,” he forced a laugh. “It felt nice.”

She brought her hand to her chest and gaped. Oh no.

“But it was nothing. I’m being very stupid.”

She pouted.

What was he supposed to say?

“You didn’t answer my question,” Aqua breathed. “Did it upset you?”

“No.” He didn’t sound convincing. The kiss was awesome. Stop the dreams, I beg you. “I mean it. I didn’t know if it meant anything, or how to act afterward, and I think I made it worse than it was. There’s nothing else.” 

Nothing else. How it hurt to say.

She didn’t nod. “Promise me we’re okay?”

“Better than that. I promised to bring me back.”

Aqua seemed relieved. Much more relaxed in her shoulders. But something was still off. Her eyes went somewhere else, somewhere that made her sad. Terra only saw a flash of it before she picked herself up and smiled. It wasn’t natural. 

Ven was still listening - he didn’t say anything, but he shook his head in disapproval.

Things were supposed to be fixed by now. Wish fairies fluttered near. Terra felt an unfamiliar warmth radiating from it, a magic he didn’t recognize. Holding out a hand, he let it sit. An outline of wings glowed and dimmed, swirling patterns knitting across.

“What did you wish for?” Aqua asked. One sat in both of her hands.

Her. He let himself take one very selfish moment in the vicinity of a power far greater than him despite that he could crush it with his fingers. He prayed it knew that he didn’t have bad intentions. He wished for her. 

“That I pass the Mark of Mastery,” he said.

For someone who believed you had to work to make your dreams come true, that was the one time he actually sounded believable.

“What about you?”

She passed him a glance before shifting her gaze back to her visitor. “Oh. The same.”

He lobbed his hand and the wish fairy panicked, hovering close to his face. It was like it wanted him to take a message. He nearly leaned forward to hear, as silly as it made him feel, when he felt Aqua’s head on his bicep, testing it for the best spot. 

“You owe me the very least of being my pillow,” she giggled.

He could put his arm around her. He weighed the possibility, but opted to watch the way her eyelids resisted and lost the fight to stay open. 

“Can you guys get a room?” Ven called.

Aqua snapped, a deep crimson staining her cheeks. “Ven!”

It was enough to make Ven nervous, shakily getting on his feet. The wish fairies scattered. “Wh- What are you going to do?”

She summoned Rainfell, a chill building in the air. “I need target practice.”

“You can’t do that to me.”

“I suggest you survive what I plan to do.”

Whatever Ven felt transformed into an impish grin. “Catch me first.”

He ran laps as Aqua swung her Keyblade and made ice chunks implode. She missed. “Stand still.”

“I’ll tell the Master!”

Aqua was slow to respond. 

Ven launched himself up behind her. “Death to taxes!”

He knocked her to the ground, holding a firm grip around her shoulders. She was no Terra, not that much taller than Ven and surely not bigger. She attempted once to stand up, but she collapsed, crushed by his weight on her back. Her laughter lacked strength, a small bird’s song.

The sound of it hit Terra hard. He couldn’t shake off the gnawing fear that he let something precious slip through his fingers. That she was lost forever or that she was never his to begin with.

“Ven, I’m tired,” she begged.

“How about you promise me something?” 

She responded with a slap that landed nowhere, a giggling Ven shuffling away. Aqua nestled in the grass, sighing, as though all she needed were sheets and a pillow.

The least he could do was carry her. Taking her head on one arm and roping her knees with the other, Terra picked her up. She didn’t protest - she had to be dead tired not to - and instead clung onto his shoulders. She nuzzled her face into his neck, hiding her face away from the glare of the lanterns. Terra couldn’t help but notice her smell, a flowery sweat with a dash of perfumed soap. Vanilla? She was soft; his dream didn’t do her justice. He preferred it this way, though, over her being so far away, even at arm’s reach. 

Ven did him the favor of not saying anything stupid as they walked back to the castle. He chatted instead about his wish to see the worlds - something Terra was sure would happen one day, as soon as the Master deemed him old enough to. Aqua may have listened. Her breath slowed but she kept a strong grip on Terra.

“We still share the same dream, right?” she murmured when they got to her room. Ven waited outside - there was an implication there, but Terra chose to ignore it.

“Yeah.” Terra inhaled, her warmth the only thing in his mind. 

Her face left his neck, something he sorely missed. Standing up, Aqua held his elbow, glancing at his lips before looking back up at him. She nervously pushed a lock of hair behind her ear.

“You said it felt nice.”

He froze, his tongue thick. “It- It was,” he stammered. 

Her eyes darted around the room, locking over her colorful glass work in progress. “There’s something we should talk about.”

“Okay. Whatever you want.”

“After the exam, I mean.” She fumbled with her fingers. It was strange to see her so unsure. Unbreakable Aqua. “We have too much going on right now.”

“Of course.”

She wrapped her arms around his waist, hugging him tightly. 

“You okay?” he asked, brushing her hair with his fingers.

“If you are, I am.”

That again. “I told you, I’m fine.”

She squeezed him before letting go. Her hand smoothed the wrinkles of his shirt, splaying on his pecs. Her smile was tense. Brave.  

“Thanks,” she said. “They were lovely.”

Terra gently closed the door behind him as she retired to bed. Ven frowned. Like steam about to wheeze out of metal, he flipped a look at Terra on the verge of sputtering a lecture.

“You guys are ridic-”

Terra clamped a sharp hand on Ven’s mouth, picking his body up at his hip like carrying a log. Protests, insults, and sneers were muffled. Flailing kicks bumped the backs of Terra’s knees.  They didn’t have much of a punch, though.

When Terra entered Ven’s room, he had to stop. A warm, slimy brush grazed his palm.

“Ven! Gross.”

“You deserve it.”

Terra wiped his palm on his pants - he wasn’t going to let Ven go that easy. 

It wasn’t the same as throwing boulders for exercise, what with Ven being heavier than some and less cooperative, but Terra kept a firm hold on Ven’s thrashing body, lifting him high in the air. Ven still tried to wiggle free. Bless his heart.

Terra threw Ven onto the bed, who bounced before he settled.

“You need to be told a thousand times over: You’re an idiot,” Ven said, fixing his hair. 

“Go to sleep.”

“Did you expect things were going to go differently?”

Terra stopped at the door. “What do you mean?”

Ven grasped his forehead in disbelief. “You didn’t notice? You rejected her.”

“I did not.” Hope tasted sour in his mouth. 

“Seriously, you flat out made her think that nothing was going to happen between the two of you at all.”

“What do you want me to say?” Terra whipped over his shoulder.  

Ven wasn’t offended. If anything, he was amused, pleased with himself that he had Terra’s attention. His bedsheets were messy, and he kicked his legs under. “Anything. Something that sounds like the truth.”

Terra sighed with exasperation. Something like the truth meant the thought of her traveling to other worlds without him pricked the tiniest bit. It was the thought of her meeting new people. The thought of her sleeping in someone else’s bed made him nauseous. And he had to let her just to see her smile.

“We’re both very stressed.” Terra shrugged, pushing statues and books from other worlds off the top of Ven’s dresser, leaning his elbow on the surface. “It’s complicated.”

Ven rolled his eyes. “Come on. Give me something real.”

Something like the truth. Terra smirked. “She’s hot.”

Shock first. Disgust melted Ven’s outgoing expression into the horror of witnessing a scene he didn’t want to see. 

“Ugh, why would you tell me that?” He covered his ears before realizing it was too late already. “I thought you cared about me, man, I’m never gonna heal from this.”

Watching Ven squirm and mutter indecencies was a welcome amusement, but it didn’t last long. Terra took a seat at the foot of the bed, tucking one leg in and crossing his arms. Something like the truth gave him very little about this to find funny. 

For years he kept it to himself, and he was plenty fine with that. Never did he expect a day would come where he would hate that fact.

“I love her.”

The agony washed away from Ven’s face in a blur, his head raising from his hands. He nodded. Terra let himself wallow, appreciative that Ven understood how serious he meant it. That he did not have to explain himself. That there was some quiet.

“Thanks for not treating me like a little kid,” Ven said softly.

Tears tickled the back of Terra’s eyes and he quickly braced them with his arm before they fell. “No problem.”

“Will you tell her?”

Silence. “I don’t know.”

“You have to.”

“It’s the worst timing.” He couldn’t take her best friend away from her. “The Mark of Mastery is so close. We should be studying.”

“Then tell her after. At least it’d be off your chest.” That same, twisted grin that made Ven look like a sock puppet crept back up. “I think you’d like the answer she’d give you.”

Blush cooked under Terra’s cheeks. He jabbed a finger at Ven’s face. “You’re not going to say a thing.”

“I won’t… if you promise you will.”

He didn’t want to take the bait. But it was tempting. A surge of foolish bravery birthed from nowhere heated his body. “Okay,” he whispered.

Ven was pleased with himself. That happened too much. “You owe me thirty munny, by the way.”

“Shut up and sleep.” Terra stood up. 

“You’re still paying me tomorrow.”

“Make me.”

“Where’s your honor?”

“Up my ass.”

Ven waved his hand, as though he was commemorating art. “The tragic life of a best friend gone bad. Starring Terra Butt-Picker.”

“And Ven, the Destitute Boob.”

The hallway outside was still, but alight from the moon that glowed through Terra’s bedroom door. Telling Ven released a pressure akin to a valve loosening. At least someone validated Terra. At least he wasn’t crazy. Half of him considered knocking on Aqua’s door one more time. Get it out of the way. See if what Ven said was true. The other half knew better.

The clock was ticking and he had already wasted a day. Aqua’s door would still be there after the exam. 

Terra planned to pay most of the munny. Terra planned to take her to a world with lots of fireworks, where the colors could make her smile and he could finally say it. It’d be perfect. 

It was a comforting thought.

A/N: This chapter makes references to Disney’s Robin Hood (1973).

[ziracona]

Benedict head canons? How does he mingle with the rest of the gang

Benedict is an incredibly odd mix of “Polite and socially adept by nature” and “the world’s most awkward man due to the fact he’s stuck almost 200 years after he lived.” He’s fairly adaptable, and learned a lot from other survivors as the cycled in and out of the realm, and worked hard to be able to keep up to date, but he’s also been punched on many occasions in the realm for saying or doing something he had no idea was going to get that kind of reaction. This is left him uhhhhhhhh extremely cautious saying things, and it’s not unusual for him to pause mid sentence and check facial expressions with sudden concern, afraid he’s fucked up again, but it’s super funny the kinds of things that lead him to do this. For example: was afraid that he might be suckerpunched for saying “Things really have changed a lot. I would have thought four unwed adults of different sexes sharing an apartment to attend college together would be looked on as a little scandalous, since no one could know the situation.” (About Claudette, Quentin, Nancy, and Philip all sharing an apartment to go to college) and was also deeply afraid after he said it that saying “Wow! The idea of standard middle class transportation has changed so drastically. To think an automobile like this is considered average,” might be some kind of class-offensive statement, and stopped right after both with a horrified look on his face waiting to see what the damage was. Which, in both cases, was none, but a lot of amusement from the person he was talking to. He does have a tendency in past of accidentally putting his foot in his mouth, but honestly, he’s gotten pretty good at adapting to the times and was never that bad. Alex Lin really just liked putting him in a world of hurt for everything he ever did because she thought it was hilarious, and Benedict could never tell which things were partially jokes and which were sincere, coming from her. Got beat up the first time he met her, because he told her to stay behind a rock and let him run a distraction for her since she was a lady and it was his duty to protect her if he could. She broke his nose with one hit and told him she’d break his fingers with her platform boots if he ever called her a “lady” again, and to stick the sanctimonious crap up his ass, she could take care of herself better than he could, and he instantly fell in love. Has Alex to thank for his paranoia, but probably also for how little he actually does put his foot in his mouth anymore.

Benedict is very proper, and still kind of dresses like he’s from the wrong century. He thinks tech is fascinating, but he’s also kind of a grandpa at learning it. Kate and Jane both give him lessons on tech and just society and things that have changed, and it helps a lot. He is super intimidated by the American highway system and taking a tin can hurdling around at 80 miles an hour while other drivers shoot past you, and afraid of driving, but Kate gives him slow lessons until while still afraid to drive on highways, he’s okay with taking residential roads and driving a bit, despite the way American drivers can get in big cities even just on their way to the drugstore. Kate knew him a little in-realm, so she’s one of the ones closest to him, and enjoys him a lot. She thinks it’s kind of sweet how gentlemanly and polite he is, and how he’s so fascinated by like, cigarette lighters in cars and automatic supermarket doors, and her ancient handheld tennis ball sized electronic 20 questions game. Jane likes him too, and they’re research buddies a lot. He can focus for hours and hours over the dustiest old times, and actually, he can read a lot of the ancient handwriting on old historical documents before common spellings developed, and it’s kind of a godsend. She also greatly enjoys how casually (and often) he drifts into ethical discussions while he does even the most mundane shit like washing dishes.

While no one but Kate met Benedict in-realm, and he spends the most time with her, and with Jane, who he lives and works with, all of them feel like they know him or like he’s a living legend or both, since they’ve been reading and hanging on his writing for years in-realm. He’s accepted immediately, and has so many common experiences—even if not of the exact same trials—that he kinda just fits like a glove, and is extremely welcomed and a natural addition to the group. Philip and Sally are especially close to him, and it kind of helps bridge the intial, slightly awkward gap. After icebreakers, he drifts from house to house like everyone else, and is like, the weird great uncle to most of the younger survivors. Min loves absolutely bombarding him with tech stuff to watch his eyes glaze over while he drowns trying to keep up with her discussions of bitrate and solid state drives, becuase she’s a little cruel, but she does also help him figure out his first decent phone, so she can be your devil or your only slightly sadistic angel. Claudette loves discussing realm stuff with him, and helping each other on research. Also the only one with any experience with falconing, so he kind of helped Jake get some of his initial setup and gear for Alex the crow figured out.

Benedict collects things from the 21st century, especially simple electronics, and everyone thinks that’s kind of endearing, and start picking out simple gifts to get him when they know they’re gonna see him soon. Singing birthday cards, an old gameboy SP, boom boxes, a record player, laser pointers, magic 8 ball (this actually freaked him out, but he didn’t tell anyone because he was afraid of being made fun of), a Bop It, and all kinds of little lights and decorations that make sound or light or move. He has an ever expanding self of these gifts he calls his “Little Marvels” stand, and he really enjoys it. Has tried taking them apart to understand them better, but is usually overwhelmed. Jake took pity on him and helped him get the extreme basic gist of a circuit board once though, and since then, he has been fascinated. Jane soemtimes comes to the table for breakfast to find Benedict with one of those Kid Science kits on the table and potatoes hooked into wires powering a mini fan going, “Jane! Would you look at this. Isn’t that fascinating? Who knew the PH could have this kind of ability?” She finds this endearing and also weirdly relaxing to wake up to.

Benedict takes notes all the time. On literally everything. Is extremely poetic and writes poetry occasionally when he is overcome by the beauty of something like his first time seeing a park lit up with Christmas lights in fancy sculpture arrays on a crisp December night. Gets book recommendations from Adam and Jane and loves talking shop with them. Is constantly horrified by the news. He’s not used to global news being so all at once or so much. He has a really really hard time adjusting and not being thrown into wild bouts of depression. Jane talks him into giving himself more healthy doses of time away from news so he doesn’t kill his 1860s adjusted brain, and he finally takes the advice and is very grateful for the improved quality of his life.

Loves dogs so much. Not a fan of small dogs though. Not like he hates them, just thinks they’re kind of depressing and bug-eyed usually and feels bad for them. Wants a hound. Ends up getting a Yorkshire Terrier mutt instead because it’s the whimpering thing that follows him down a New Jersey street in a rainstorm after a long day of research with Jane. Doesn’t mean to get a pet period but it’s so pathetic and its foot has been injured by something, maybe a car, so he picks it up and takes it home to warm up and give food to before dropping off at a shelter or vet. It’s so wildly affectionate and has so much love in its disproportionately big eyes he keeps being like “...It can stay a little longer,” until he was wrong and it just lives there now. Names it Missy and gave her a little hairbow. Calls her his research assistant. Jane loves this dog. Benedict was already well accepted and friends with the other survivors, but bringing a pet to a party makes people like you more in this family.

Mostly, Benedict is kind of an old man of a professor. He enjoys chatting, but is hard to drag into the more physical activities, except hikes, which he quite enjoys. He mingled quite a bit more than he expected though, and is deeply happy about how accepted he’s become, and how much he cares about these people and they seem to truly care about him.

[reconditarmonia]

Dear Chocolate Box 2021 Author

Hi! Thank you for writing for me! I’m reconditarmonia here and on AO3. I have anon messaging off, but mods can contact me with any questions.

Elsinore | Fullmetal Alchemist | The Locked Tomb | Motherland: Fort Salem | Simoun

General likes:

– Relationships that aren’t built on romance or attraction. They can be romantic or sexual as well, but my favorite ships are all ones where it would still be interesting or compelling if the romantic component never materialized.

– Loyalty kink! Trust, affectionate or loving use of titles, gestures of loyalty, replacing one’s situational or ethical judgment with someone else’s, risking oneself (physically or otherwise) for someone else, not doing so on their orders. Can be commander-subordinate or comrades-in-arms.

– Heists, or other stories where there’s a lot of planning and then we see how the plan goes.

– Femslash, complicated or intense relationships between women, and female-centric gen. Women doing “male” stuff (possibly while crossdressing).

– Stories whose emotional climax or resolution isn’t the sex scene, if there is one.

– Uniforms/costumes/clothing.

– Stories, history, and performance. What gets told and how, what doesn’t get told or written down, behavior in a society where everyone’s consuming media and aware of its tropes, how people create their personas and script their own lines.

General DNW: rape/dubcon, torture, other creative gore; unrequested AUs, including “same setting, different rules” AUs such as soulmates/soulbonds; PWP; food sex; embarrassment; focus on pregnancy; Christmas/Christian themes; focus on unrequested canon or non-canon ships; unrequested trans versions of characters.

Smut Likes: clothing, uniforms, sexual tension, breasts, manual sex, cunnilingus, grinding, informal d/s elements, intensity.

Requesting fic; open to art treats!

—

Fandom: Elsinore

Relationship(s): Hamlet & Ophelia; Hamlet & Horatio & Ophelia; Bernardo & Hamlet & Laertes & Ophelia

I found the friendships in this game, and the different ways that characters can reconcile or try to find a way forward together, to be really sweet and moving, and I'd love to read something that focused on those relationships of trust and support. I like how important Ophelia and Horatio's counsel and friendship is in timelines where Hamlet becomes king; I like Hamlet regretting how he behaved towards Ophelia and striving to live through his depression and find out what it is that he wants, not what everyone else wants of him; I like seeing childhood friends Bernardo and Laertes and Ophelia and Hamlet, whose growing-up has stretched them so far apart, taking time to catch up and enjoy each other's company a little.

So, futurefic in one of the timelines where everything doesn't go to shit? A timeline that we don't see? (There is something narratively interesting to me in Permanence/Passion in that the entire plot of Hamlet ends up as a distant backstory to someone's full life; I don't know how compatible that idea is with these requests, but if you want to write any of these groups fucking off to Italy or Constantinople or London and living until the Elsinore pressure-cooker is a distant memory, I'd be just as happy with that as with fic about them building some kind of future together still in Denmark, trying to make it better for its people and to hold on to who they are as individuals, and friends, beyond their roles.) If you want to write Hamlet/Ophelia, Hamlet/Horatio, or for that matter Horatio/Bernardo as shippy, I'm fine with that, but I don't want a focus on the romantic aspects of their relationship.

Fandom-Specific DNW: death of requested characters within the timeline being explored, or focus on death of requested characters. These characters die in this game a lot and I don't need you to pretend entirely that it's not a time loop game, but I would like them to be happy. If you write the Bernardo & Hamlet & Laertes & Ophelia request, I'm fine with either or both names/pronouns for Bernardo|Katherine, but I don't want to read a story focused on their gender or coming-out. Please don't include Peter Quince as a character (you do not need to retcon, you know, the existence of the time loop).

—

Fandom: Fullmetal Alchemist

Relationship(s): Maria Ross/Olivier Mira Armstrong

I'll admit: I am a shallow, shallow person who loves the heartwarming and id-satisfying Briggs loyalty-kink complex (The watch! Buccaneer handing Olivier a clean pair of gloves after she kills Raven! Constant and deeply sincere saluting! Olivier’s explanation of why she wants Miles around and her lack of patience for anyone’s shit) but would like an f/f manifestation of it for actual shipping. Post-canon or AU where Maria is assigned to Briggs, or works for Olivier in Central? Does Maria foil a plot against Olivier, or Olivier save Maria's life in battle? Does Olivier order Maria into a firefight? Hit me.

Fandom-Specific DNW: Olivier/men, even mentioned.

—

Fandom: The Locked Tomb

Relationship(s): Abigail Pent & Dulcinea Septimus; Gideon the First & Matthias Nonius

Dulcie and Nonius were two of my favorite additions to the cast in Harrow the Ninth (and Dulcie in "Doctor Sex" via letter). I loved everything we learned about Dulcie - her wit, her quick thinking in a pinch when confronted by Cytherea and her secret to Harrow. I found her "The only thing preventing me from being exactly who I wanted..." speech both genuinely moving and very funny, and I love her thirst for revenge. What else might she and Abigail Pent, "independent research? it isn't even my birthday!" daredevil spirit-talker par excellence who has just conjured up a ghost out of an epic poem, get up to after Harrow's bubble collapses? Or what were they up to when they weren't on screen in Harrow's dream, putting together this whole, well, play?

Nonius's arrival, entire scene, and departure to fight the Beast made me very, very happy on levels I have trouble explaining. It was so heartwarming?! Because it was impossible, and because poetry won, and because they went off to do the best they could...I don't know, exactly. I'd love to read either more about his mysterious past with Gideon the First, or about their second encounter as allies (throw in Marta, Ortus and Pro if you like as well!)

Fandom-Specific Exception: to my unrequested ships DNW, Dulcie/Cam & Dulcie/Pal. I love their three strand thing.

—

Fandom: Motherland: Fort Salem

Relationship(s): Abigail Bellweather/Raelle Collar

I fell hard for this show and Abigail/Raelle is the ship I’m most excited about - they get off to a bad start for all kinds of personal history reasons and have problems with each other, but when it gets down to the wire Abigail would do anything for Raelle and is very gung-ho about having Raelle’s unconventional but extremely powerful magic under her leadership, regardless of Raelle being a loose cannon. She told her she loved her!! <3 And by the end, Raelle also clearly knows what Abigail's going through (like when she talks her down in "Citydrop"), respects her leadership, and cares deeply about her and wants to protect her in return. I love that loyalty dynamic, and their competence as fighters/witches.

Physical combat, strength in general, magical strength, ability to work magic together, knowledge of the magical canon vs. out-of-the-box techniques...what parts of their skills and their bond could be challenged in the weird dimension that the end of season 1 leaves them in? Or when they get back home and new challenges await? (In my head, the decision not to send them to War College is not revoked; the unit becomes some kind of special-forces secret strike team rather than cannon fodder.) Maybe something where Raelle goes/has gone into a fight as a berserker-type for Abigail and then comes back to her, or where Abigail protects/has protected her soldier (her girl!! I love her protectiveness of Raelle towards the other cadets, imagine it in a battle!)? Or an arranged marriage AU where it's usual for witch soldiers to marry to combine their magic power or something...

I would also be up for smut for them, especially something d/s-y where the loyalty-kinky dynamic of Raelle being Abigail's weapon, at her command, is echoed in sex!

Fandom-Specific DNW: sex solely for magical purposes without an emotional connection (sex for magical purposes is fine), focus on Raylla (I don't need you to retcon it, but please don't dwell either on Raelle still having feelings for Scylla or on her getting over Scylla for Abigail), Scylla bashing, Abigail/Adil (I would prefer to imagine, if he is mentioned in the fic, that they’re just friends).

—

Fandom: Simoun

Relationship(s): Aer/Neviril; Aer/Neviril & Neviril/Paraietta; Aer/Neviril/Paraietta; Aer & Floef & Neviril & Paraietta & Rodoreamon & Vyuraf

Aer, and Aer/Neviril, really grew on me on my recent rewatch. I appreciated her more as the determined bit-of-a-loose-cannon, who grows into a respected role in the choir, than the manic pixie this time, and noted Neviril's comments about how she was drawn to Aer's determination. (I've written a lot more about what I love and am interested in about Neviril and the show in general, her journey of figuring out what it means to her exactly to lead an air force, here.) I'd love to know what happens to them post-canon - what is the "new world" and their travel in it like? It's an escape for them, sure, but what are they escaping to, not just from? Are there problems there, too?

I'd also be up for a poly situation where Neviril is involved with both Aer and Paraietta, her long-loyal second-in-command whom she's blessed and forgiven, as a V where they're friends or as a triangle where Aer and Paraietta are also involved (I don't quite know what that leg of the triangle would look like but I do like how they work together in battle even when they're shown as having personal issues.)

If Neviril and Aer make it back to the main world when war is brewing again, as at the end of the series, but their old cohort can't fly anymore, what do they see their role as being? Does Neviril see herself as a leader for peace, for war, for something else? How do they interact with their former squadmates, whether as part of a more plotty piece or not?

I could be interested in explicit fic for this canon, as an option - the series is, on some level, about the contrast between the reality and physicality of their bodies and the general perception of what they do (which even in its non-spiritual military capacity is removed from a connection to their bodies via the Simoun aircraft), about becoming an adult, and of course about gender.

Fandom-Specific DNW: I'm not really interested in Kaim and Alty and would prefer for them not to appear or for their backstory to come up. I would also not like to see pre-timeskip Dominuura/Limone.

[hellzyeahwebwielingessays]

The Not-So-Amazing Mary Jane Part 32: AMJ #5.1

Previous Part

Next Part

Master Post

Well here we are at the final issue of this arc, of what was originally supposed to be the end of this series. I think it’s safe to say that it’s too far gone to be salvaged now. But let’s wrap this up and see if any further damage is done.

As always we have the recap.

Once more, the full title of the movie is here in the recap and yet to be in the story itself, although we got half of it last time.

The recap reaffirms this story’s misguided idea that Beck was trying to be a better man, with his desire to make a film as the only proof. Something just occurred to me about that actually. This story spins out from ASM but in those issue the idea of Beck becoming a better man was never even hinted at. So did Williams just ignore that stuff and impose whatever story she wanted to tell? If so that’s pretty lame writing. At least organically pivot to that. Try to make the transition from Mysterio in ASM to the redemption mode Mysterio not feel as abrupt and part of the same story.

It also doubles down on this horseshit that MJ would honestly let Mysterio walk around free because she connects with him on art. See part 12 for why exactly this is horseshit.

The recap also mentions the Savage Six’s attacks. Nothing wrong with that although it just drives home how (like with beck and the other criminal crewmembers) MJ knows bad people are doing something bad but is doing nothing to stop them doing those bad things. Does that remind you of another story? Like say one from 1962?

Finally I just despise the final line of the recap. It frames MJ and Beck as buddies which is just gross.

As we open up the story proper, we see beck and MJ shooting a scene from the movie. It entails the pair surrounded by robot soldiers and MJ fighting them off. She leaps from a cliff making Mysterio scream ‘Noooo!’. It’s over heard by nearby civilians in the park. Back at the set MJ exits the bouncy castle she landed on and ‘McKnight’ asks Master Matrix if they got the footage; they did.

Not much happens in these pages but there is still a fair bit to unpack.

First of all the fact they are still filming this stuff tells me (maybe I’m wrong) they were more than a few days away from finishing filming last issue. So that’d be even more time that the crew and innocent people have been in danger from the Savage Six.

Also, like last issue MJ can suddenly pull off these very gymnastic moves out of nowhere.

Furthermore let’s consider that the scene is in the middle of being  filmed right? But there are these robotic soldiers with pencil thin waists. They can’t be people in suits. The sheer number of them and the size of them mean they can’t be models either and the way in which they move means they would either have to be

CGI. Except CGI is inserted after a scene is shot, you can’t capture it on camera whilst the actors are filming it in real time

Real robots. Except Mysterio’s budget for practical effetcs was cut way back in issue #2 and creating or hiring out at least 12 (I counted) actual robots would surely be beyond their budget

They are illusions created by Beck. Except last issue he said he’d only use illusions to make MJ look convincingly like Spider-Man. If he’s changed his mind and is more willing to be less authentic why bother having a real actor complete the scene with Spidey at all?

Finally civilians can overhear Beck’s scream. But wouldn’t park goers also have heard the megaphones or other loud noises from the set? Remember in issue #3 how the whole reason they relocated to an abandoned zoo in the first place (and thereby scared Charlie away) was to maintain secrecy? If they are within earshot of a friggin park how has no one overheard the megaphones or other loud noises that the film set is bound to make? Are you telling me that they really never needed to film outside of the caves before this day? That’s rather contrived isn’t it?

On the next page we learn that it’s the last day of filming and MJ just wrapped up her scenes.

However, the investor from issue #2 is open to the possibility of funding another leg of secondary photography. This means that the movie might continue to film and they could reinstate stuff they cut, including scenes with MJ; presumably this would include the romance cut in issue #3.

There are two major points to bring up here.

The first is that I personally suspect that the movie possibly being extended was not Williams’ original plan for this issue. It strikes me as something written once she knew that this series would continue beyond issue #5. As in since the series is continuing the film they are making continues too in order to possibly provide more plot for consequent issues. It might also be Williams being meta.

The more significant point though is that by extending the shooting it means that the crew and all those people from issue #4 would still be in harm’s way due to the Six and the paparazzi they employed.

Notice how no one bothers to think of them with MJ simply delighted and commenting upon how her  character’s scenes could be restored. Once more Williams writes MJ as totally selfish here.

We then get a splash page of Mallorie using a megaphone. She instructs the crew that they only have an hour (magic hour specifically) to film the last scene. One hour and one last chance to finish the movie.

Nothing much to say on this beyond repeating that the park goers should be over hearing Mallorie.

I also find the editorial box a little pretentious but that’s just me, it’s not something to fairly hold against the story.

MJ and Beck talk about the fulfilment of the latter’s dream. Beck explains he feels strange. MJ is surprised at this because he’s getting more money for his own work. Beck clarifies that he feels strange to have made it to this stage. Because they’d faced so much adversity he had expected nothing else. He’d been emotionally preparing for failure. Now he feels strange because he has to face the possibility of success.

He continues that in this final scene he shall envision himself fighting his own demons. He credits his success to MJ personally. She in turn affirms how proud she is of him and that she never disbelieves in them. She heads off to relax and Mallorie assures her that she’ll be called when they wrap up. After all, they need to break up the set pieces.

There are three things notably wrong with this page.

The smallest of these is the dialogue. ‘We faced so much adversity that I’d begun to anticipate nothing but. Deep down, I’d been emotionally preparing…’

It just doesn’t read well and at first glance seems like it’s a grammatical error. As in the intent was meant to be ‘anticipate nothing. But, deep down…’ It’s not technically wrong, but the word choice makes the intent less clear. Using ‘nothing else’ or something other than ‘but’ at the end of the sentence would’ve made the dialogue flow much better.

The more significant problem is MJ talking about Beck getting more money for his ‘own work’. The way the emphasis is placed is clearly intended to mean that prior to this moment Beck wasn’t getting money for his own work but someone else’s. 

This is likely a reference to the first two issues wherein Beck got funding by selling the investors on a different movie than the one he was delivering. The problem is the money they have been using up until now and the additional funds they might get haven’t been off the back of Beck’s own work. The fact that he’s gained trust and money whilst pretending to be Cage McKnight, failing to inform the investor he’s a criminal and has hired criminals mitigates ‘his own work’.

MJ and Beck have no idea if the investor knew of McKnight’s reputation or past work. They don’t know if on some level that influenced his decision to finance them. Even if he didn’t the mere fact he didn’t know he was indirectly giving money over to criminals on the run (some of whom are murderers) makes MJ’s point moot. 

Most people wouldn’t have done that for ethical reasons or just out of concern for themselves. It’s not as bad  but it definitely shares similarities to Otto as Peter Parker dating Anna-Maria Marconi. At best that’s unethical and deceitful and so is failing to inform the investor that he’s financing a criminal.

The biggest problem though is the continued sympathetic framing of Mysterio. Oh how lovely for his character to have had a change of heart and now believes in himself. Good for him. 

How wonderful MJ helped him reach a more positive place in his life and fulfil his lifelong dream. Sure hope none of elderly people who’s life savings he took had dreams of helping their families after they died. Sure hope Gwyneth didn’t have any dreams or ambitions for her life beyond high school.

Fuck this misinterpretation of Mysterio seriously. And no, I have zero faith at this point that Williams is setting up a big rug pull down the line. Everything up until this issue has convinced me this is just how she sees Mysterio. 

And even if she is planning a bait and switch, the fact that she’s had MJ and Beck become sincere friends is aggressively problematic. For God’s sake MJ is so sad Beck has demons. She’s so proud of him. So happy her belief paid off and he fulfilled his dream.

She’s saying all this about a man who abducted her, faked the death of someone she loves, tried to frame, psychologically attack and murder the love of her life. He’s not even expressed any remorse for any of that!

Later MJ records a video message to Peter.

The PeterxMJ shipper in me loves this scene when it’s removed from all context (like how MJ has continuously lied to Spider-Man). I think Williams and Gomez love these scenes too. All three scenes focussing upon MJ and Peter’s relationship have made good use of their chemistry as characters and successfully delivered romantic moments. The art in particular is worthy of praise. The body language Gomez gives MJ converys her flirtatiousness and fun and her facial expressions (within the context of his style) sells you on the idea that she’s talking to someone she is in love with.

It’s nicely followed up on with the first line of the next page where MJ admits being in love makes her dorky.

MJ goes to hang out by the fence (for some reason) where she spots a van pull up. The Savage Six exit from it along with Charlie, who hands over some contact details to Vulture. I’m not sure if MJ is overhearing this herself or if it’s just for the reader’s benefit, but someone from the set emphasises the crew have but one shot to finish the movie. MJ sighs and removes her earrings as the Six make their way up the hill towards the set. Clearly she is ready to fight.

Way to make Charlie comically irredeemable Williams. He’s not been a nice guy up until this point but we might forgive a normal man for being intimidated by these ix violent crooks. But she just has to have him actively try to maybe get some employment out of the situation. On top of everything else it’s just a step too far and it makes him cartoonish. That’s not too much of a problem if he was an actual super villain but he’s just a normal person who’s being written as going the extra mile to be an asshole. He’s not even slightly upset he’s probably helped get many innocent people killed right now.

I also do not buy for a second that van could possibly fit all those people. Yeah, six normal humans sure. But look at the sheer size of Rhino, Scorpion and Stegron. It’d be doubtful it could fit or take the weight of any one of them. But ALL of them and four other people too? Bullshit.

As for MJ in this scene, isn’t it convenient she decided to chill-out by that fence and it happened to be the exact spot the Six were going to pull up in front of. And she happened to do it at the exact time too. What an insane coincidence.

I have mixed feelings about her framing in this scene. Because it’s bad ass and cool and normally I like seeing her like that. But at the same time why is MJ so utterly casual about this situation. She’s not even slightly worried. She doesn’t even look determined. She looks totally non-plussed. Friggin Spider-Man himself wouldn’t be non-plussed by this situation and his odds of survival are vastly better than MJ’s.

MJ is framed and acting like she’s Batman facing some B or C listers. But the ‘power scale’ is simply not like that in this context. The reality of the situation is far more serious than that. She cannot reliably be sure she’s win this fight at all.

I get Williams wants MJ to come off as awesome in this series. I get that she wants to celebrate her character. But this is not the way. Show the characters with flaws, concerns, with weaknesses. But that’s indicative of MJ throughout this story. MJ has been framed as awesome, cool and totally capable throughout this story. That’s great for maybe an issue, maybe even two. But five in a row?

For five issues in a row, MJ always has an answer to every problem. For five issues in a row she’s unflinchingly pragmatic. She never makes a mistake beyond not doing fight choreography fast enough? The closest the story comes to depicting her as imperfect is her discussion with master Matrix last issue and that was framing her as possibly  wrong. Then everything since that moment has shown her to have been justified in her convictions. The only thing she’s truly failed at is keeping Charlie on set but she came up with a solution to that immediately that in turn made her look awesome again.

It’s like this series has taken the idealized view of MJ Peter would have of her and then treated that as her actual character even when the story isn’t from his point of view. Her failings and set backs are minimal whilst her successes are huge. She’s redeemed Mysterio, made his dream come true, made a whole movie click, patched every hole, literally saved the live of the crew.

And now she’s nonchalantly going to kick the asses of six guys who Spider-Man himself has rarely found to be pushovers. Okay maybe nowadays Spider-Man might find beating them easy due to his experience. But in his earliest encounters that wasn’t the case. MJ has never one-on-one battled any of these guys before to my knowledge. But now on her first try, with no powers, no weapons or equipment, no real training, she’s nonplussed about fighting all Six of them at once.

Jesus Christ.

Remember how Spencer within his first 12 issues had MJ confront some concerns she had over dating Peter again with the Lookups?

Remember how Spencer in his first issue had Spider-Man save the day but not be non-plussed or supremely confident about it? Remember how it wasn’t framed as easy?

Shit, MJ’s most iconically bad ass moment wasn’t framed this way. She was scared of Chameleon.

The story framed her as determined in spite of her vulnerability.

She wasn’t going in sure she could win, but she was going to damn well try. Her victory was even a surprise to her

That is absolutely not the case here. Sure, we as readers know MJ is going to win because she wouldn’t be killed off in her own ongoing series. But that certainty comes from outside the context of the story, whilst the framing here is outright telling you MJ is going to be a bad ass and will  win. 

Maybe we don’t know the specifics of how, but there isn’t the slightest ambiguity conveyed. The framing has neutralized the danger and suspense. You aren’t reading the next few pages so see if or even how MJ is going to get out of this one. You are reading to simply see how the Six are gonna get their asses kicked.

What’s so frustrating is that this is not how Williams framed MJ in issue #3 when the Six initially attacked. There she played things correctly, MJ was framed as in peril and had to psych herself up to get the job done.

That was great.

But that’s not here. Here Mary Jane is framed as casually confident in spite of the exact same situation. Only worse because she’s not got Beck there to actually do the fighting for her.

It’s deplorable writing. It’s deplorable framing. And Williams doubles down on it immediately with the next panel when MJ insults the Six. Then tells them they’ll have to get through her first. They laugh of course (which is a prelude to her obviously winning).

Vulture demeans MJ by calling her an attractive accessory. She then hits him with her palm, which seemingly injures his face.

How wonderfully original.

I’ve never in my life  seen a story where seemingly threatening people (usually men) dismiss and demean a female character as a non-threat and just a pretty face, only to be proven totally wrong. That’s oh so original in fiction, in comic books and in Spider-Man comic books too.

Also, I question if MJ could really hurt Vulture that way.

This guy has been punched in the face by Spider-Man himself and that was without his helmet. The guy has super strength so is Mary Jane basically shoving him really going to hurt him? If so then that’s a huge design flaw for a genius inventor to make isn’t it?

Everything else I could say about this page I already mentioned about the last page and in the description for this one.

The art and facial expressions are very good though, kudos to Gomez.

Oh wait, there was one teeny, tiny little thing I forgot to mention. So the Six’s goal is to get to the set right?

And there are six of them right?

And one of them can fly, some of them can leap large distances and others can just break through walls right?

And there is a huge fence right?

Why don’t they just go around Mary Jane?

They are treating this like MJ is the one and only entry point to the set when she isn’t.

They have numerous options for at least one of them getting to their target.

But stupidity is par for the course with this series isn’t it.

The next page is a beautifully drawn splash of MJ hitting Tarantula with some of the set.

I respect Williams knows enough about MJ to understand she uses her limited resources to her full advantage. The dialogue makes that clear. She clearly understand how MJ fights. But again the framing is jacked. Out of context it might seem cool but in context it’s asinine, especially when you consider she could’ve ended this threat altogether with a phone call to some super heroes. Cloak and Dagger are delivering food to this set but she can’t ask them to fight the Six for her?

More problematically where the fuck did that set piece even come from? I checked the art and couldn’t find any yellow thing in sight. We don’t even see how MJ got a hold of it between panels. She palmed Vulture then off-panel grabbed a set piece from thin air, jumped up and smacked it on Tarantula.

That is shitty fight choreography. Fight scenes in comic books are supposed to have a sense of flow, to clearly convey how we got from A to B. Here is a much better example of how you do it featuring Spider-Man fighting (a different) Tarantula.

In contrast to that AMJ #5 is just reaction A jumping immediately to reaction B.

I’m leaving it there for now. We’ll wrap up the issue and initial arc next time.

Previous Part

Next Part

Master Post

[homenum-revelio-hq]

Welcome (again) to the Order of the Phoenix, Beth!

You have been accepted for the role of EMMELINE VANCE with the requested age change! We really loved reading your portrayal for Emmeline! We especially enjoyed the details you brought in about her family and upbringing, along with the fact that healing doesn’t always equal warm, gentle, and empathetic. We love having you on the dash already and are excited to see you bring this introspective healer to life!

Please take a look at the new member checklist and send in your account within 24 hours! Thank you for joining the fight against Voldemort!

OUT OF CHARACTER:

NAME: Beth

AGE: 24

TIMEZONE: CST

ACTIVITY LEVEL: I feel like I’m literally always around on Discord right now, even if I’m not on the dash. I’ve been trying to do replies at least every other day currently. Given the current COVID situation and summer upcoming, my activity probably won’t change until mid-August.

ANYTHING ELSE: N/A

CHARACTER DETAILS:

NAME: Emmeline Vance

AGE: 25

GENDER, PRONOUNS, and SEXUALITY: Emmeline is a ciswoman who uses She/Her pronouns. If she were bold enough to use a label, bisexual would probably fit best, but Emmeline isn’t particularly open about her sexuality and desires. She’s always had more important things to focus on and didn’t really find dating worth the fuss. She’s had a few partners here and there, usually men, but Emmeline has never been in what she considers a serious relationship.

BLOOD STATUS: Halfblood

HOUSE ALUMNI: Ravenclaw

ANY CHANGES: I wrote her age up there as 25 instead of 27 because with all the characters right at the same age, I kind of like the idea of her being just under that, of being familiar with them from school but not actually in that group. This isn’t a sticking point or anything, and I don’t have a problem with her still being 27.

CHARACTER BACKGROUND:

PERSONALITY:

Emmeline, a mind so fine, never really expected to shine. Cheesy rhyme? Perhaps. One that would annoy her? Oh, definitely. Emmeline is a person of practicality as often as is possible. Learning new things brings her great joy, but it’s as much about how that information can be used as anything else. Most of the time, Emmeline keeps information to herself. She’d rather be sure than spread false information, and when rumors at the subject of conversation, she’d rather leave things to be spread for themselves.

She has always had a deep fascination with understanding how things work, and sometimes that has meant taking them apart to put them back together. That problem-solving occasionally takes on a singular focus, which didn’t always make Emmeline popular among her peers going up. Given the right situation, she can be a bit intense. A lifetime of trying to monitor that intensity often has Emmeline defaulting to her second instinct: silence. It’s easier to wait and see what others bring to a situation. It’s easier to understand their perspectives, information, and biases when she doesn’t cloud it with her own first. Sometimes Emmeline will then engage in conversation, but if she senses a potential argument that she can’t win anyway, Emmeline often won’t try. She’ll leave it at that, whatever it is.

Still, as much as she pretends to be able to understand the situation as a whole, Emmeline knows she has shortcomings. She often fails to realize how infrequently the whole picture is considered. That’s not to say she’s more objective than most people. She isn’t. She’s just more likely to dig until she thinks she has the most complete story possible. Then she’ll dig a little more just to be sure. It means she has a lot of useless information, but it also means she’s not likely to argue back when someone is wrong when Emmeline doesn’t for sure know if her conclusions are correct. Instead she sits there quietly and just knows the other person is wrong.

Most people seem to expect healers to be especially empathetic. Emmeline is not. She does try. She tries to put herself in other people’s perspectives, but she’s much better doing that from a knowledge perspective than from an emotional one. “If I didn’t know why my skin was blue and steaming, I would also react negatively to someone else not knowing the cause,” instead of a more empathetic viewpoint like, “They are afraid because they don’t understand what’s going on.” She needs a bit of the concrete and the observable. Although Emmeline doesn’t externalize many of her thoughts, she struggles when other people do the same because she isn’t good at reading the emotion within the silence. At work, that’s easy enough to handle because she can ask patients how they’re feeling and coworkers for more information. With the Order, that’s a little more challenging, especially if it’s a conversation Emmeline isn’t technically in, just present for. They seem to happen often. After all, Emmeline is so easy to overlook.

BRIEF OVERVIEW OF FAMILY:

Life isn’t easy in the magical world with a surname that hasn’t been around for the last hundred years or so. Margaret Baxter knew that better than anyone as the child of two muggleborns, but she certainly didn’t do any climbing by marrying a muggle named Allan Vance. She practically lived like a muggle too. It wasn’t until her daughter Emmeline was seven that she fully understood that some of her horticulturist mother’s prettiest and most exciting plants weren’t ones her classmates knew. Nor could any of their mother’s produce a couple drops of dittany to heal scrapes and bruises before giving the ever important kiss to finish making it better. Emmeline grew up in an almost entirely muggle household with little bits of magic that Maggie couldn’t live without. Emmeline had to learn early on which were which, and she needed to know which things couldn’t be mentioned to her friends. Her own magic was most likely to appear when she was trying to make things work. Allan walked into the room one day to find his favorite working model train floating through the air in pieces as Emmeline skipped between them, pausing every once in a while to inspect one. Maggie was able to put it back together, but under his breath, Allan would still occasionally complain that the steam puffed too realistically now.

Allan was a postal worker who believed quite firmly in the importance of hard work and dedication. Had he been a magical man, he likely would have been in Hufflepuff. While that work ethic was something Emmeline did inherit, she was always more like her mother, interested in understanding above all else. Maggie’s interests ended up in herbology. She had a gift for determining how to help plants flourish and cross-develop to create viable hybrids with helpful gifts. While Emmeline never shared her mother’s interest in plants, she embraced Maggie’s methodology toward problem-solving. It became an important step forward for Emmeline.

OCCUPATION: 

Emmeline knew from fourth year on that she wanted to be a Healer.

She’d always been good at charms and transfiguration, and in her pursuit of theoretical knowledge about human transfiguration longer before she was old enough to actually do it, Emmeline stumbled upon healing textbooks in the Hogwarts library. They were all well and good, but they couldn’t tell her as much as a real teacher. She went to Madame Pomphrey initially just to have a few questions answered, but the woman knew so much about a subject Emmeline hadn’t realized went so many layers deep. Madame Pomphrey saw her spark and encouraged it, suggesting to Emmeline’s other professors side projects which might be of interest to the young Vance girl. By her seventh year, Emmeline was helping Slughorn brew a few healing potions and fetching herbs from the greenhouses whenever Madame Pomphrey asked. That gave her a head start on some of her peers when she applied for St. Mungo’s Healer Program and, when coupled with her impressive NEWT results, looked quite remarkable to her mentors. Emmeline completed the program as fast as possible, happy to be able to lend a hand and make a difference.

ROLE WITHIN THE ORDER/THOUGHTS ABOUT THE ORDER:

Emmeline learned early on that a person’s value is on what they can achieve, but the magical world is full of people who look at pedigree instead. She’s not even first generation. Not second either. She’s got two generations of magic flowing through her veins, but it’s not about the magic itself; it’s about the heritage that can be used as a weapon. Emmeline is not stranger to this weapon, and she watched it slowly grow stronger around her during her time in training as a Healer. From the first whispers of a group defying Lord Voldemort and his followers, Emmeline knew that was a group she needed to find. At first she didn’t know how, and Emmeline continued on as normal. She couldn’t sit idle forever, though, and it took a few months of listening around corners and staying quiet in the backs of rooms before she’d connected the group to Hogwarts. She didn’t know what it was called or who was involved, but if it happened at Hogwarts, Emmeline knew Albus Dumbledore had to know.

After graduation, Emmeline had continued to meet Poppy Pomphrey for tea at least once a month as they transitioned from a true student mentorship to friends. It was at one such tea that Emmeline revealed what she had learned and insisted that she needed an audience with Dumbledore about it. Poppy agreed to set it up, and less than a week later, Emmeline was a member of the Order of the Phoenix and already working to create a hospital space at the recently acquired Potter Estate. She found it a bit unsettling that such a young wix could have this kind of shelter to casually provide, but Emmeline wasn’t about to question it. James seemed sincere and wasn’t pandering to other purebloods, so Emmeline took it for what it was.

While she could do some to fight, Emmeline very rarely saw battle directly. Most of the time she paced around the Potter Estate until people started arriving back. She’d been pushed to her limits helping the Order. Emmeline was good at her job, but she hated that she had to strain so often. It wasn’t on her own account either. People shouldn’t be put at risk as often as they were. Still, they weren’t doing enough. Too many people got hurt for too little and sometimes no reward. Emmeline couldn’t stand it, especially when she suspected egos and misinformation contributed so frequently. No one ever seemed to be thorough enough when they clarified the facts, and even if they were, they shared half-truths. Emmeline has grown tired of people trying to hold things back. This is a war, and people are dying. Now is not the time to try and seem smart by keeping things to oneself.

SURVIVAL:

Emmeline’s life looks pretty standard from the outside. She lives in a small two bedroom flat and uses the second as an office and storeroom for healing supplies. She remembers to eat regularly and works her shifts at St. Mungo’s with no complaint. She checks in at the Potter Estate about every other day, even if it just means reorganizing her supply of pain potions. She hears things and she absorbs the information, and that cycle had become a bit of a sticking point in her life. Emmeline is so afraid of not being there when someone needs her that she’s allowed basically everything else in her life to slip into the background.

It was easy for her friends and family members to believe that Emmeline was just throwing herself into her work, perhaps too easy. There’s no turning back now, though. Emmeline made a choice, and it’s one she intends to see through. Some days that just means getting through to the next one. She has no idea what the future holds, and at this point, Emmeline is almost afraid of what comes after because it’s easier unimaginable horror or unknowable potential.

RELATIONSHIPS:

Emmeline is perhaps one of the people devoting the most time to the Order, and much of that is in direct service to her fellow members. One might expect that to translate to having more close confidantes in the group, but Emmeline doesn’t take it personally. She’s never been the most popular person in a room. Plus, not being the center of attention has its advantages.

One of those advantages is that she isn’t expected to respond positively if pureblood Order members mention their supremacist families. She hates hearing about it, and that’s just one more reminder that some people in the Order have more to lose than others if Lord Voldemort wins. People like Alice Longbottom have a safety net, family who would assumedly welcome them back, if there’s anything to forgive at all.

She knows that distrust doesn’t breed strong teamwork, but even the people she has no reason to mistrust don’t always leave Emmeline particularly inspired. So many of the members rush to conclusions without the proper facts to back them up, and Marlene McKinnon seems to be one of the worst. That’s not fair, Emmeline knows. She doesn’t know the witch’s full situation, but when every incorrect thing out of her mouth is said with such confidence, it’s hard not to take it personally. Marlene isn’t alone in this unfortunate attitude, but she is perhaps the one Emmeline is stuck dealing with most often. Emmeline tends to stay curt and to the point before quickly slipping away to find someone else for better assistance.

When group meetings so often don’t actually say what they’re meant to say, Emmeline grows frustrated and bored in them. Lately she’s taken to watching others in the circle at such things, and of late, she’s found a kindred soul in Peter Pettigrew. She wishes more people were like them, watching and learning instead of just assuming. She thinks meetings could run more efficiently then. The whole Order could really.

OOC EXPLORATION:

SHIPS/ANTI-SHIPS: I have no specific hopes or desires for Emmeline. Romance is far from a primary motivator for her, so it would take good chemistry to start anything.

WHAT PRIVILEGES AND BIASES DOES YOUR CHARACTER HAVE?

Emmeline would consider herself fairly open-minded, if only because she likes to take all the information available, find more, and then use it to come to a conclusion. She isn’t going to hop on any fearmongering broomstick over werewolves being isolated when all the research and Madame Pomphrey can tell her they’re incapable of causing any more damage than the average wix during most phases of the moon. That’s the logic that Emmeline applies to a lot of people problems.

That said, she really doesn’t have time for people who refuse to learn. The world is full of information, and one of the most important things about learning is the ability to acknowledge when your previous understanding was incorrect and move on. Emmeline’s not sure she’s ever met a pureblood who could truly do that. They loved to pretend they understand what the world is like, even when they’re talking about things they don’t understand. Most don’t know anything about the muggles they claim to be so much better than. It absolutely frustrates her because the knowledge is right there. Unlike wizards, muggles don’t try to hide what they have and pretend it’s much better. They don’t even have television for Morgana’s sake! Muggle technology and medicine could be readily available if wix just got over themselves long enough to see it.

WHAT ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO? I told myself I wasn’t going to apply for a fourth. That said, I have the time, am enjoying the writing, and felt the call for someone to round out my little collection. I don’t have anyone as level-headed as Emmeline or who manages to carry their confidence without arrogance like she does. I’m excited for the possibilities she creates.

PLOT DROP IDEAS: I do think it would be interesting down the line for someone to challenge Emmeline on something she feels passionately about. Maybe the Order could get ahold of something cursed/semi-cursed that Emmeline strongly disagrees with keeping around because the risks to themselves are higher than the potential rewards as a weapon? Perhaps there’s a building rumor or huge miscommunication that she’s heard enough (indirectly) from everyone involved, but she can’t get people to just talk to each other because they just keep assuming they know the truth when they’re missing major pieces.

ANYTHING ELSE? I love you all! You keep me inspired, clearly.

[parts-of-spop]

AU in which after the battle of Bright Moon, Adora takes a badly injured Catra to Madame Razz and regularly, she visits...

Adora looks unhappy.

She looks unhappy a lot recently and Catra doesn’t take as much joy from that as she probably should.

Perhaps it’s the tired air around her, the dark bags beneath her eyes, the almost permanent frown that mars Adora’s face with a dark cloud of exhaustion.

She looks so tired.

Catra watches her bang the snow off her boots and hang her coat up. She watches her pause, take a deep breath and exhale like there’s a weight crushing her ribs, making it hard just to breathe.

Her head hangs for a moment, fingers fisted in her coat.

Then her hands drop and she straightens just like a soldier should, pushing aside everything that’s fighting to push her to her knees.

And she sits in the chair across from Catra, seemingly unaware that the feline has been watching her since the moment her blonde head poked through the door.

She’s looking into flames now and with them dancing over her face, it seems to make the tiredness only more apparent.

She manages a small smile when she looks at Catra though before it morphs into a slightly puzzled look.

Probably because Catra’s staring.

“You okay?” Adora asks, as she always has and always will.

“Are you?” Catra shoots back and Adora blinks then breathes a laugh.

“I’m fine. I’m not the one who tripped onto a magical sword,” She returns but Catra doesn’t rise to the bait and does not let herself be distracted.

“You look like shit, Adora,” She states.

And that’s not strictly true, Adora never looks shit per say, but she does look exceptionally worse than Catra had grown used to seeing her when amongst her Princess posse.

Maybe it’s Catra.

Maybe being around her has done that.

Her stomach twists.

“Oh gee thanks, Catra,” Adora says dryly, an unimpressed look on her face and ordinarily Catra would be laughing at her but she can’t.

Is it me? Did I do this?

Adora’s face softens in the ensuing silence.

“… Catra, what’s wrong?” She questions.

“Is it me?” Catra blurts before she can catch it and Adora frowns.

That damn frown. She hates seeing her frowning.

“Is what you?” Adora questions, confused.

“That’s made you look like this!” Catra hisses, frustration rising and she tosses the book out her lap onto the table next to her, head turning away. “You look like you haven’t slept in days! Is it me?” She demands before looking back and Adora, previously leant forward in the chair, sinks back and all pretence of everything being fine slips away.

She looks small.

“No...” She sighs, staring at the floor, “It’s not… you. Not directly anyway. I’m just...” She falters, pinching the spot between her eyes but Catra sees the gleam of tears she knows Adora won’t shed so easily. But it’s enough to prove how fragile she is, how much this has torn at her.

“Just…?” Catra coaxes and Adora lets her hand drop, her weary gaze finding Catra again.

“Did you really think that anybody would be happy with the fact that I’m technically harbouring the Rebellion’s most wanted?” She says, voice too soft and Catra fights the urge to squirm.

“I… kind of wondered why nobody had come knocking...” She concedes and Adora looks back to the fireplace before leaning over to toss another log on.

“It’s because they don’t know where you are,” She states, “The only people that know you’re here are myself, Madame Razz and Swift Wind of course and he won’t tell if I don’t want him to so… yeah, I… I’m in trouble, Catra… a lot of it.”

She looks a tinge afraid. That alone is enough of an indicator.

“How bad?” Catra asks anyway and Adora takes a deep breath.

“If I wasn’t a princess by technicality, I’d be rotting in jail… forever...” She explains before swallowing hard and Catra feels something tighten in her gut, uncomfortable and nauseating.

“After everything you’ve done for them?” She presses and Adora smiles without joy, meeting her gaze steadily.

“In their eyes, I aided a Horde captain, Hordak’s second in command… it’s treason, Catra, by all rights they could have had me executed.”

Catra winces visibly.

Adora doesn’t point it out.

“But… your Princess Alliance... I thought you were all friends or whatever?” She questions and somehow, Adora’s eyes manage to dim despite the fire dancing in them.

“They are… were… but they’re angry at me right now. I stopped what could have been the end of the war and they’re furious…” She says, gaze turned to picking dirt from beneath her fingernails. “Glimmer, Bow and Angella managed to keep me out a cell but… they won’t speak to me. Well… Bow does but… he’s disappointed and confused so it’s weird.”

“… But you’re She-ra, they couldn’t lock you up if they tried,” Catra points out and Adora offers her another weak smile.

“I’m just Adora without the sword, Catra… and Adora isn’t like She-ra. Adora is...” She trails off, looking down at her hands again as her brow knits. “… scared… and weak… and hurt and mad and completely useless!”

She shouts the last word only to instantly deflate.

Catra stares at her and feels strangely like she’s looking at her for the first time.

Is this tiredness new? Or is it just deeper right now? Has she always been clinging to threads that just now are threatening to snap?

Because how else could Adora think such terrible things about herself if she hasn’t always?

Useless? Weak?… How could Adora think that when she was always the best of them?

Her head is hanging again.

She doesn’t look like a soldier.

She looks like she wants to quit, to pack up, to give up and Adora’s never given up on anything.

“How could you think that?” Catra asks, voice barely above a whisper and Adora tenses like she’d forgotten Catra was there. “Useless? Where the hell does that even come from? You’re like… the best at everything-”

“Then why isn’t it enough?!” Adora cries, head snapping up and she’s shaking, eyes gleaming with unshed tears.

Don’t start crying. I can’t stand to see you cry.

“If I’m the best… why do I always have to do better?! Why does everybody always expect better from me?! I don’t want to be better!” And she’s crumbling but she does not cry. “I want to be happy!”

Catra swallows back a lump in her throat as Adora visibly struggles to reign herself in.

But Catra doesn’t want that. She wants to understand… needs to.

“And you’re not happy?” She coaxes and Adora’s eyes blaze, hot and angry at her.

“I haven’t been happy since I left you, you dumb jerk!” She growls.

And there it is.

Adora slackens, hands curling out of fists and sitting limp in her lap as Catra gapes at her.

“I kept telling you… didn’t I? Did I not… keep saying it?” Adora asks, voice unsteady and watery and so sad.

Suddenly, Catra understands.

You could come with me.

I miss you too.

Please, Catra, I know you’re not a bad person.

“I just… wanted you with me...” Adora adds in a murmur. She curls up in the chair, legs tucking in, hugging herself as she stares at the fire.

She looks so small.

“… If you were unhappy… why did you leave?” Catra asks quietly because she must and Adora meets her eyes, steady and sincere.

“Because it didn’t matter… I just… I had to do the right thing… even if I… even if I didn’t really want to,” She returns and she’s so honest, so open. “… Catra, if I hadn’t gone to that village, met all those innocent people, I’d have taken that sword back to the Horde… but I couldn’t. I couldn’t do that. I just...”

She sighs again.

They’re too young to be this tired.

“I’m the first She-ra in over a millenium, Catra… and that’s so much bigger than Adora,” She says and Catra pauses for a moment, chewing it over.

“Yeah… bigger than us too,” She replies and a bit of her delights in how Adora’s nose wrinkles in clear distaste of the notion even if it’s true.

“Not to me… which is why everything’s...” She hesitates then looks up and Catra expects some PG insult and so is totally unprepared when, “… well, completely fucked.”

She blinks in bewilderment, a small amused smile forming.

“Wow, Adora, didn’t know you had that in you,” She teases and some of the darkness in Adora’s eyes softens as she rolls them.

“It’s been a very trying few weeks, Catra. I think I deserve a pass,” She says and Catra hums, conceding. She watches Adora for a moment and comes to a very important realisation.

Adora was the favourite… but she didn’t want to be.

It didn’t mean she had it easy, it meant that she was pushed harder and further than any of them. Catra had thought it was just her mad work ethic but how often did Adora look like she was genuinely enjoying herself.

When we sparred, her mind supplies.

Adora didn’t smile when sparring with the others, not even when kicking Kyle’s ass.

But she did with Catra. Not all the time but she did when she managed to make her trip or blocked a blow, if Catra did the same like she was proud of her sneakiness, maybe even admired how Catra was the only person who could match her.

Damn it, no wonder Adora has a martyr complex, she’s been pushed so hard she’s forgotten what limits look like.

Fucking Shadow Weaver screwed them both but in entirely different ways.

And yet they both feel like they’re not good enough.

Adora’s giving her a look; soft and kind of adorably curious.

“What are you thinking about?” She asks and Catra isn’t sure how to properly explain her epiphany and she figures she doesn’t really need to.

Instead, she stands, drags her chair over to Adora’s side and after some wordless shuffling between them, she finds a comfy spot with Adora’s arm draped along the back of her chair, her head tucked into her neck.

Then Adora, tentatively at first, starts stroking the base of her ear.

Catra purrs softly and she can envision Adora’s cocky smirk.

Maybe this is all they can have. Maybe this is as good as it’ll ever be.

But she’ll take it. She’ll take it in both hands, dig her claws in deep enough to scar herself and Hordak himself will have tear it from her.

“Us...” Catra whispers.

“Hm?” Adora replies, the sound gentle and sleepy.

“That’s what I’m thinking about...” She breathes, eyes drifting shut. “Us.”

“Me too,” Adora says just as quietly and together, side by side, as they always should be, they drift off into the first peaceful sleep either of them have known in months.

[joshbentley-blog1]

2018, A Year in Film

Much like my love for music, I use the end of the year to compile a list of my favorite films, films that affected my life and altered my perspective and appreciation for the arts. Here are a list of motion pictures that I consider impactful in some shape or form, transformative to a degree, and worthy contributions to the medium. Enjoy.

Honorable mentions:

Roma

Alfonso Cuarón’s return to Earth since 2013′s Gravity finds itself in 1970s Mexico, backdropped by the political turmoil of the time and laced with the mundane yet subtly beautiful comings and goings of every day life. It is an intimate and sincere look into the struggles of surviving day by day, but also a gorgeously emotional ode to the resilience of those entrapped by the life’s unprejudiced judgement.

Director:  Alfonso Cuarón

Distributor:  Netflix

Genre:  Historical drama

Isle of Dogs

Wes Anderson returned to the beloved medium of stop motion animation this year with Isle of Dogs. His previous work, Fantastic Mr. Fox, was a charming and quirky story of a fox father trying to provide for his den in the midst of a heated human versus animal dispute. But where Fantastic Mr. Fox lacked substantial depth (not a bad quality by any means), Isle of Dogs builds a narrative of love and hope, eloquently animating the unimpeachable love humans and dogs so equally share. The set design, animation quality and Wes Anderson quirks are all at their very best. A must-see for any Anderson fan, or appreciator of stop motion animation.

Director:  Wes Anderon

Distributor:  Fox Searchlight

Genre:  Stop motion animation / sci-fi / dystopian

Sorry to Bother You

Directorial debuts were bountiful this year, and one such standout is Boots Riley’s Sorry to Bother You. An apt and absurd social commentary, with enough laughs to punch through the somewhat dark depths it veils. The film starts off vanilla enough, but you soon find yourself in the midst of a dark, fever dream that won’t end. The phenomenal writing and cast make this original an extremely hard film to forget.

Director:  Boots Riley

Distributor:  Annapurna Pictures

Genre:  Absurdist / dark comedy

Top 10:

10. Disobedience

When New York-based photographer, Ronit (Weisz), learns of her father’s unexpected passing, her past life and all its troubles are brought to the forefront. Returning back to the Orthodox Jewish community in London in which she grew up, Ronit is faced with various extremes. From the turmoils of having to explain herself to the Jewish community, to the re-kindling of her relationship with Esti (McAdams), to facing her own faults and desires, Ronit’s life is crumpled and staggered. Disobedience is a heartfelt and organic story of love finding a way through all the dark and uncertainty.

Director:  Sebastián Lelio

Distributor:  Bleecker Street

Romance:  Romantic drama

9. You Were Never Really Here

A heroic yet traumatizing narrative finds Joaquin Phoenix’s Joe in the midst of unfolding the inner workings of a crime ring that stretches further than anyone could have comprehended. Joe is a former military and FBI operative, now a hired gun whose job it is to rescue trafficked girls. Director Lynne Ramsay expertly maneuvers the chaos and violence of the film, often subverted our expectations in various means. Phoenix gives one of his best performances to date, and Jonny Greenwood’s original soundtrack is the icing atop the cacophonic cake.

Director:  Lynne Ramsay

Distributor:  Amazon Studios

Genre:  Psychological thriller / crime drama

8. The Old Man & the Gun

If (500) Days of Summer were all grown up is how I would begin to describe this story. But The Old Man & the Gun is much, much more than a simple romantic comedy. Much like the director’s project from last year, one A Ghost Story, David Lowery once again explores the fabrics of time and how they shapes us as a species. The story is a contemplation on time’s inevitability and its relationship with our feelings of love and yearning. Beautifully backdropped by an America long passed, Lowery’s film finds two characters especially intertwined, strung together by the fickle hands of time itself. Robert Redford and Sissy Spacek have undeniable chemistry, and it is this chemistry that acts as the driving force of the film. Redford’s swan song is one to be seen and remembered dearly.

Director:  David Lowery

Distributor:  Fox Searchlight

Genre:  Biography / romantic comedy

7. First Reformed

A deep meditation on faith and all the uncertainties it brings with, First Reformed is an imaginative and exhausting look into the vitriol we have brought upon ourselves, and how God and Man meet at such an abyss. Reverend Toller, once a chaplain in the Armed Forces, now resides and serves in an old Dutch Reformed church, serving a diminishing congregation and existing in the shadow of the neighboring megachurch, Abundant Life. Toller is forced to deal his own morals and understandings, while also supporting those in his congregation. As his service becomes increasingly darker and more difficult, Toller looks deep within himself and looks to God for an answer, any answer.

Director:  Paul Schrader

Distributor:  A24

Genre:  Drama

6. Eighth Grade

Bo Burnham uses his directorial debut to discuss the Internet in its current context. From his discussions on the A24 podcast, Burnham wanted to find a proper medium for such a discussion, because many who try to judge the Internet and its culture do so miserably. It is understandably difficult to critique such culture without sounding tone deaf, but Burnham executes it to perfection. What better way to critique the Internet than by doing so from the perspective of an eighth grader, a person who has grown up in the shadow of the digital age? Elsie Fisher is a breakout star, nailing the timid courage of her character. Through excellent and organic performances and modern comedic writing, Eighth Grade is a coming-of-age story unlike any other.

Director:  Bo Burnhma

Distributor:  A24

Genre:  Comedy-drama / coming-of-age

5. Annihilation

2018 was admittedly a weaker year for science fiction, but one project that rose above the rest was Alex Garland’s Annihilation. Garland’s no stranger to science fiction or horror, having tackled the genres in 28 Days Later, 28 Weeks Later, and Ex Machina. But with Annihilation Garland is able to capture horror rooted in science, incomparable to any other film. Based on the novel by the same name from author Jeff VanderMeer, the story follows a group of scientists venturing into a quarantined zone known as “The Shimmer.” Once inside, the scientists are faced with the supernatural horrors they studied from afar. Garland’s work is immense and vivid, deserving of so much more praise than it has received.

Director:  Alex Garland

Distributor:  Paramount Pictures & Netflix

Genre:  Science fiction horror

4. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs

The Coen Brothers are no strangers to the subversions of classic film. Their tangled narratives, inconclusive conclusions and ponderings on the workings of humankind have made them standout directors, enemies of conventional filmmaking and pioneers of darkly comedic explorations of humanity.

"A song never ceases to ease my mind out here in the West. Where the distances are great, and the scenery monotonous."

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, the Coen Brothers' first true western since 2010's True Grit, is anything but monotonous and certainly a welcome addition to the genre. Additionally, it is a triumphant return to form for the Coen Bros. Buster Scruggs is unlike most films, and again finds the Coen Brothers subverting the western genre, in its anthological form. Six vignettes tell the tales of settlers, outlaws, cowboys, and every sort of man and woman in between in the days of old, when the West was formed, and includes every bit of gruesome and grim detail.

It is not secret the Coen Brothers are adept at macabre storytelling, and are avid explorers of what makes man tick and humanity tremble. Their iconic dark, dry humor, their gritty and off-center storytelling, and their classic subversions of film are all present in Buster Scruggs. But while Coen films of past contained these elements (e.g. Hail, Caesar!), I have felt that their recent works have lacked that classic Coen charm. That snappy dialogue, the witty banter between characters, the intricate storytelling, all have been present in their works, but not since A Serious Man have I felt the Coen's magic this potently. That is now, not since Buster Scruggs.

The film's characters and stories do not overlap. But the themes and lessons certainly do. The opening ballad of one gun-slinging, guitar-strumming cowboy, Buster Scruggs (aka 'The San Saba Songbird'), is a gruesome musical. Full of shootouts and gore, it perfectly sets the tone for how the remainder of the film will play out. Tim Blake Nelson is charismatic, ruthless, and quick as a whip in this vignette. And I would have adored an entire film devoted solely to his character. But the Coen's first subversion comes when our hero is gunned down in the street by a faster gun.

Near Algodones, New Mexico, we find James Franco's outlaw. Robbing a bank, he is retaliated against by a surly old man covered in pans. This vignette feels shorter than its predecessor but is equally humorous and grim. The third story, Meal Ticket, gives us a glimpse into the harsh realities that faced early western settlers. And how making a living does not always coincide with morality and ethics. Liam Neeson and Harry Melling gel so well together but share few pieces of back-and-forth dialogue. I've seen some criticize this vignette for straying from the classic "western format," but to me it perfectly captures what it meant to live such a life.

All Gold Canyon is among my favorite of the stories. Its beautiful shots, wide takes of a beautiful canyon, and the juxtaposition of a man searching for riches in the mud while the true riches of nature are set behind him. It's a simple story, but it leaves the viewer wanting more from Tom Waits' prospector character. One of the view stories to end happily (in a sense), I found All Gold Canyon to be a masterful work of minimalist storytelling.

The Gal Who Got Rattled is my favorite of the six stories. Zoe Kazan, Bill Heck and Grainger Hines have excellent chemistry and play off each other so well. Straying from the deep west, we are drawn northwards, on the Oregon Trail. The simple yet dangerous treck is beautifully captured by the Coens here, and the story envelops you in its charm. And finally, The Mortal Remains ends our journey. A story laced with symbolism and metaphors, it's the Coen Brothers at their peak. The skeletal format of this vignette is much like the morals explored in No Country and A Serious Man, and I found myself wondering how the story could possibly end. And then it does. The final subversion of the film is this vignette's untimely end.

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs may lack continuity in terms of character arcs and storytelling. But what it certainly does not lack is character, masterful writing, expert characterization, and a deep understanding of what captivates us as viewers. The Coen Brothers understand that sometimes, simplicity is best. There is beauty in minimalism, and I believe Buster Scruggs is a excellent envisioning of such a statement.

Directors:  Joel & Ethan Coen

Distributor:  Netflix

Genre:  Western / anthological film / dark comedy

3. Hereditary

They say the devil is in the details, and so such phrase would better describe Ari Aster’s debut, Hereditary. Perhaps the phrase shouldn’t be taken metaphorically though, instead literally; the film finds a family thrown into tragedy after a Satanic occult ritual, long in the works, begins to root itself in the foundations of the family.

Aster uses the story to burrow into our pysches, to strike fear and discomfort into the viewers. He does so not only expertly, but in such original fashion as well. Sure, Aster’s influences can be indentified and picked apart by an experienced viewer, but his crafting of a narrative and his fleshing out of the characters is so unique and a welcome take to the horror genre, Hereditary feels like an entirely new breed of horror.

The film begins with the funeral of the mother to Annie Graham (Toni Collette). As guests pour in to the congregation, it is clear that Annie is shocked with the occupancy. She states in her eulogy that her mother was a very private and secretive women, and that she is shocked to see so many unfamiliar faces here to pay respects to her estranged mother. Once home, Annie and the rest of the family unwind to a disturbing degree of comfort. Annie does not seem shaken by her mother’s passing, as she begins clearing out boxes that belonged to her mother. As she is exiting her studio however, a vision of her mother briefly appears in the dim and dark corner of the unlit room. Annie steps back, wondering if what she saw was real or a fabrication of her mind. Thus, begins the Grahams’ descent into darkness.

Following the funeral, Annie’s only daughter Charlie expresses her worry over the loss of her grandma. Stating, “Who’s going to take care of me?” Charlie is at a loss. Annie comforts her saying of course she will take care of her, but Charlie responds by asking what will happen when Annie is gone.

Later, Peter (Annie’s son) asks if he can go out and visit friends at a party. Annie lets him go but on one condition, that he takes Charlie with him. Charlie begins having visions of her own, and begins tinkering and creating absurd and deformed sculptures. An obvious introvert, she is reluctant to agree to go to the party with Peter, much to the chagrin of Annie. At the party, Peter finds a group of friends to smoke marijuana with, leaving Charlie by herself. Alone, Charlie gets into trouble and her and Peter rush home. An unfortunate incident occurs en route, which only propels the darkness further.

Annie becomes desperate for answers and substance to her mother’s reclusive and secretive life. She finds hints of the truth through old belongings and an old friend of her mother. Visions keep recurring and stranger forces begin to act on not only Annie but Peter as well.

Soon, the family is tumbling down a slope of despair. Séances, rituals, occult castings begin to mount and the demons and darkness begin to unleash. The film is a gripping and horrifying look at what is perhaps most universally frightening, family.

Director Ari Aster is unafraid to explore and highlight the grotesque and grim. He utilizes shocking imagery and beautiful lighting to display these horrors front and center, while still relying on subtle scares to keep the audience in suspense. Not only is the film adeptly disturbing, its characters are compelling and interesting. None are thrown by the wayside, and the spiraling story’s success is hinged on the characters we come to love. Toni Collette gives her greatest performance to date, and Alex Wolff proves he can handle a broad array of material. Milly Shapiro is excellent as Charlie, rivaling Elsie Fisher for young breakout star this year.

The magnificent blend of cinematography, acting, writing, and horror imagery Hereditary the best horror film I’ve seen all year, and certainly one of the most gripping stories I have ever experienced.

Director:  Ari Aster

Distributor:  A24

Genre:  Supernatural horror / disturbing horror

2. The Favourite

It is often the case that period pieces take on a serious tone, dramatic takes on the facts and legends of old. Think Phantom Thread or Lincoln. Not too common are period pieces that extrapolate on the well-known, but also leave plenty of room for creative freedom from the production team. Even more rare are such projects that include elements of absurdity and dark comedy.

But it would not come to anyone’s surprise to find out that such a project exists at the hands of director Yorgos Lanthimos. Best known for his previous works, The Lobster and The Killing of a Sacred Deer, Lanthimos is almost Wes Anderson-esque or Tarantino-esque, in the marks he leaves in his films. His style is so distinct and his directions very much his own.

The Favourite follows suit, and Lanthimos’ quirks and trademarks are found throughout. From the monochromatic color palette to the dry, darkly comedic dialogue, the film is familiar in a way. But also true is that the film is nothing like Lanthimos has ever done before. It is grander, more gruesome, diabolical in a way, biblical in scope. His first film for a major production studio perhaps led to a grander scope, but I believe that this was a logical next step for the director. From The Lobster it was apparent that Lanthimos was willing and more than capable of tackling a monolithic project such as The Favourite, if given the right assets. It is inspiring to see such a film come to fruition.

The film finds three women in the royal court of Queen Anne:  Abigail Hill, Sarah Churchill, and Queen Anne herself. Churchill (known in the film commonly as Lady Marlborough) has serviced the Queen for quite some time, prior to Ms. Abigail Hill‘s arrival. Both as a political aid and as a lover, Churchill finds comfort and immense power in her role beside Queen Anne. Everything seems to be going well for the court; the Queen, while certainly inept, has the confidence of her subjects and the war with France is going better than expected.

But then Abigail Hill arrives. A cousin of Sarah Churchill’s, Abigail travels to the court in hopes of working under both the Queen and her senior, Lady Marlborough. Hill begins as a lowly servant, making meals and cleaning sections of the palace. But not soon after, she advances the ranks, eventually rivaling Churchill in terms of power and influence on the Queen and all of Britain. The two cousins turn on each other, a once subtle love quickly turns to angst and hate.

The relationship of the three women dips and ascends throughout the film; there are periods of immense joy and respect, but also grim and violent progressions of guilt, lust and jealousy.

All of these emotions are so vividly captured thanks to the unique cinematography and direction. Camera angles are unconventional, using low-lying cameras to peer upward towards the characters, or highly placed lenses creeping above the Queen and her court. All of these placements give the sense that the viewer is spying on the characters, that we are sneaking into their lives unbeknownst to them.

It is the performances of the three leads and the unique cinematography that gripped me so powerfully upon my initial viewing. Olivia Colman (Queen Anne), Rachel Weisz (Sarah Churchill) and Emma Stone (Abigail Hill) are all superb talents, free the stretch their acting chops and creative imaginations to bring such life to their characters. But the supporting cast is equally brilliant. In fact, no elements of the film come off as ill-planned or weak. The film is like a well-oiled machine, perfectly in sync and precise to a scary degree.

Director:  Yorgos Lanthimos

Distributor:  Fox Searchlight

Genre:  Historical comedy-drama / period piece / romance

1. Burning (버닝)

It has been quite some time since I have felt this looming questioning of morality, this cutting sense of dread from a motion picture. Burning is a Korean psychological thriller by Lee Chang-dong, and tells the story of three individuals caught in the unforgiving hands of lust. An ineffable sense of desire lurks throughout the film, as the three characters find themselves and their relationships with each other engulfed in tragedy. Love and desire quickly transforms into decay and wrath.

Lee Jong-su (Yoo Ah-in) is a part-time delivery man, who one day finds an old schoolmate working outside a department store. Shin Hae-mi (Jun Jong-seo) asks Jong-su out to drinks and the two quickly become entranced by one another. Hae-mi asks Jong-su if he remembers her from their shared past. He does not. She informs him that they attended middle school together, lived in the same village, and that Jong-su once called her ugly leading to her receiving plastic surgery. Still, deeply infatuated and perhaps a tad remorseful, Jong-su helps Hae-mi by looking over her reclusive cat while she travels to Africa in the hopes of some soul searching.

Hae-mi eventually returns to Seoul, this time bringing back a friend she met while in the airport, Ben. Ben and Hae-mi bonded over their shared heritage and nationality, being the only two Koreans in the airport at the time. The trio goes out for hot pot and drinks, where Hae-mi states in a drunken stupor that she felt incredibly lonesome while in the Kalahari desert. She describes a bittersweet lonesomeness that only such a vast expanse of desolation could bring. Jong-su seems unphased, almost detached from such a stark statement from a normally bubbly individual. Ben, looks noticeably concerned but then says he has never understood why people cry, he has never shed a tear himself. The three leave shortly after.

Time moves on, and Jong-su eventually moves back to his hometown to take over his father’s farm, as his father has come into legal trouble. Hae-mi and Ben become ever closer and Jong-su appears to remain detached from Hae-mi from the exterior. Deep down, Jong-su feels heavily for Hae-mi, eventually expressing his love for her to Ben at his farm.

Darkness sets in when one day Hae-mi does not respond to Jong-su’s calls. From there on out the story becomes a mysterious and incredibly riveting tale of love and the dangers of desire and inaction.

Yoo Ah-in is incredible as Jong-su, and nails the detached and perplexed characterization. Steven Yeun steals every scene he is a part of, reminding me of Heath Ledger’s Joker or Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem) in terms of menacing presence and subtle malice. But for me, the standout actor is Jun Jong-seo and her portrayal of Hae-mi. She embodies the character perfectly, and I felt for her character throughout the film. Hae-mi is clearly struggling to find her own way and desperately wants to find courage and power in some shape or form. I can relate to that struggle. Truly, this film is carried by its characters and the beautiful performances by their respective actors.

So many other elements come together to make this film a success though. The cinematography is masterclass. Using wide lenses to capture the claustrophobic chaos of downtown Seoul and the vast and desolate disconnect of the Korean countryside, cinematographer Hong Kyung-pyo is able to capture the diverse beauty of Korea. He uses intimate close ups and handheld camerawork to create cutting scenes of tension and discomfort, drawing the viewer into the experience, emboldening the story of Jung-su and Hae-mi. A wide variety of long takes and tracking shots are utilized as well, forcing the viewer to pay attention and highlighting the characters in an organic moment.

Perhaps my favorite scene of the year, and certainly my favorite scene of the movie comes about half way through the runtime. It involves Miles Davis’ song, “Générique,” and a particular character’s tribal, rhythmic dancing. It’s a beautiful moment of reflection in the film and still runs through my head.

I will refrain from discussing the film anymore, as I strongly believe this work is best experienced with as little knowledge as possible. Lee Chang-dong, Yoo Ah-in, Jun Jong-seo and Steven Yeun, and the rest of the production team have created something incredibly raw and thoughtful here. It is more than apparent that an immense amount of care went into making this story and adaptation of Haruki Murakami’s Barn Burning a triumphant success. What I love about this film is, in a way, it made me feel a connection to my home country in such a profound and unexplainable way. I haven’t seen many Korean films, but Burning was able to kindle a connection in me that I haven’t experienced with other Korean films before. For these reasons, I can decidedly say that Burning is my favorite film of 2018.

Director:  Lee Chang-dong

Distributor:  CGV Arthouse (Korea) & Well Go Entertainment (USA)

Genre:  Psychological thriller / romantic drama

[bluboothalassophile]

I honestly don't understand DC always trying to undermine Raven's powers. I read the current comics that she's in and it is so poorly written and boring. They suck at character development and its so fucked up that she's always brushed aside. And also I'll never forgive them for killing Roy and they keep fucking up Jason. These guys went through a lot and I just wanna see them be happy and I want to see more batfamily moments and team ups like in Batman and Robin Eternal.

Hello,

Reasons I am mad about Canon Raven:

She’s ALWAYS depowered; always, and she is literally the very definition of an over powered character. 

When they attempt to over power her again they fuck it up; like in Titans with Raven’s ‘telepathy’; she’s a fucking empath! NEVER has she been a telepath!

She has never been utilized outside of the Titans; which is infuriating on many levels. Because she needs to go solo; with a big comic or go to JL Dark or hell, team her up with Lucifer! I don’t know, but something outside of the fucking Titans!

Her solo series, while hold much promise are always cut short, or tie into nothing about her canon life.

They just severed her connection with her aunt and cousins, further isolating her again.

I am royally pissed that her connection with Victor Stone, a.k.a. Cyborg, (which I think is canonly her BEST familiar relationship EVER, their dynamic is amazing; it’s also an amazing dynamic for Victor too! So why was it cut!?) has been severed, was briefly rekindled only to be discarded again.

She’s always de-aged; sorry @chromium7sky, but I really hate that because I really think she should be about Jason and Tim’s age, hell, I’d even settle her being Dick’s age, just enough de-aging her! At this rate; and I’m sorry @impulse-goblin, she’ll be a RobRae with Carrie Kelley or Matt McGinnis! Which is so not okay because DC is screwing her over royally.

Marv, her creator, can no longer write her well to be engaging; which is sad.

She’s been royally dumbed down; which really fucking pisses me off, because even though N52 SUCKED BALLS, Raven, while bitchy, was always eager to learn; it’s one of her defining traits! She’s super smart, she’s engaging, she’s empathetic and kind, and rebirth has made it so she struggles with school. -.- Explain that to me, please, she’s never been stupid or struggled learning before. And I get trying to connect with modern readers, and making characters relateable, but that was just plain fucking stupid. There are other characters you can do that with, using Raven does not help in anyway.

I will not get into my issues with N52, there’s many, but mainly: WTF is up with Raven’s Entire Personality!? I mean don’t get me wrong, I loved the design she had, and I loved her on Tim’s team, also their entire friendship was amazing, but WTF, what a Bitch. I wanted to smack her.

They either forget she is a magic user, or they forget she’s a demon with demon abilities or something, but it always seems like one or the other is missing with her.

Off side key irritation too: How come her father doesn’t play a larger part of the DC universe and getting heroes to fear him? I mean come on! Titans plays him up to be like Darksied or Lucifer level of terrifying, and the DC universe: Who’s Trigon? WTF is that about!? You want the Only Daughter Of Trigon to have meaning, to show her power, then why the fuck isn’t Trigon more widely known and feared!? Come On People! We have Darksied’s ENTIRE Family feared, but you want to play Trigon off as eviler than Darksied but the entire DC universe outside Titans is like: Who the Fuck is Trigon!?

Kay, Metal hinted at her connection and importance to the Multiverse, but the DC, I don’t know… Forgot? And somehow the entire reason for her being captured, isolated and singled out by the Batman Who Laughed was forgotten. Granted my favorite panel of her and Victor happened because of that, but seriously; MAJOR PLOT HOLE DC! Come on, we aren’t Marvel, cease these plot holes in your big labels! Be grown ups!

Mainstream Raven hurts my Raven loving heart. But her counterparts are pretty cool, like on Earth 1 or Bombshells or the recent Titans movies, definitely liked her in the Titans live action show, and obviously I loved her in the cartoon; not Titan’s Go as that has helped in destroy her and the Titans. 

Now, my issues with Heroes Crisis:

King. Fucking cock teasing bastard tormented us with BatCat for over a year, getting them to the fucking alter then he did that fucking stunt; hell yes I am pissed still, and I am no less angry going into Heroes Crisis.

Kay, now for real.

I have major issues with the plot, thus far, because there doesn’t seem to be one.

Killing Roy and Wally did nothing to further a plot, or even engage in the plot and has just furthered to hurting surrounding characters.

Killing Roy was fucked up and senseless; as a writer I find that appalling.

Killing Wally was unnecessary; especially after all the fucking trouble we had gone through to get that speedster back! I mean COME ON! It’s like you brought him back solely to kill him off, and if that’s the case, someone smack a brain into King’s fucking head.

While the premise of Heroes Crisis was engaging and interesting to read the idea for it, it has been a dismal affair.

Why the fuck are your only suspects Harley Quinn and Micheal Carter, a.k.a. Booster Gold? No seriously want to explain that!? 

There is NO WAY Harley would ever hurt or kill Ivy, just no, and DC I don’t care about trying to cater to people and convincing all of Harley and Ivy are straight, it just wouldn’t happen. Ivy and Harley are in love, and I sincerely doubt, that despite EVERYTHING Harley has done in her life, that she would ever kill the woman she loved.

Also, Micheal Carter has selflessly saved the timeline multiple times, and done so without recognition. Yes, he can be full of himself, but where the hell did King come to the conclusion that Carter was a sociopathic narcissist? Someone please explain the basics of human nature to King; PLEASE! For the love of God, someone! I expect this crap from Lobell!

Now to my fury with the Batfamily in it’s current state:

Rebirth presented us with fairly healthy dynamics between the Batfamily members; which was refreshing as all get out, but now… I’d like to rip DC’s heart out and shove it up their ass for what they’ve done.

First, they allowed King to be the ultimate cock tease! Bastard built up the fucking BatCat wedding to be the wedding of the goddamn century; going to make comic history! And he fucks us over like we’re a two cent whore whilst simultaneously destroying the Batfamily.

Second: who the fuck even ALLOWED Lobdell into DC again to write!? I mean really!? Did you asshole not learn your lesson the first time!?

Third, wtf is up with Ric Grayson; I get it, we’re all exceedingly immature for taking an actually socially acceptable nickname from the 1930′s and perverting it into penis jokes. But news flash, Dick’s character has evolved with taking that in stride and laughing it off. Changing his name only pisses us off and furthers our desires to make dick jokes. 

Fourth: What the fuck are you guys even doing allowing Lobdell near Jason? I get it Lobdell is some ‘big shot’ good ‘big name to have on a comic’ but his writing is shit, I’ve read better stories from Kindergartners. Lobdell is like the Russo brothers of DC, please remove him from our premise, and I petition for us, the fans, to take custody of Jason from Lobdell for the sake of global comic peace. The Dude Can Not For The Love Of God Write. I’m surprised he even knows how to arrange letters on a piece of paper to form words honestly.

Why aren’t Duke and Cass B’s kids? No seriously? Why!? We all know those are his favorite two kids, so wtf are they doing… anywhere else but with the Bats?

Why is Babs Batgirl? Don’t go with that female empowering crap answer, just don’t, she was a better icon as Oracle than as Batgirl. She’s long since outgrown the role, and she had grown beautifully into the role of Oracle, so run this by me again: Why did we take a beautiful survivor, who created empowerment for people with disabilities while remaining a strong female lead and turn her back into Batgirl? Seriously? Someone explain that to me!?

Thank God DC hasn’t fucked up Tim yet, but Can We Please Stop With Evil Batman Tim!? Tim doesn’t even want to be Batman! He Never Has Wanted To Be Batman!

WTF did you do with Damian’s character development? He is not this baby raging Bat anymore who seeks to kill everyone who crosses him. Also what the hell was up with the whole Dami’s got a secret prison thing? That lead to nothing and has since been dropped, but seriously people, who is the lead brain in DC right now allowing this shit!?

Again, I must ask, what’s up with evil Bat futures; have we NO HOPE that these boys can grow up and actually be decent people!? Really. I want to know. I don’t get the options you’ve given these heroes.

Why does B have a double standard when it comes to Kate and Jason; and don’t say it’s because Jason’s killed, Damian’s killed and B is trying to be a good dad to him, so what’s up with this shit!? Is it really so much easier to have the rift between B and Jay than attempt to amend it!? If B has a problem with Jason using guns then the same problem should be applied to Kate; I don’t care about her likability, she’s a bitch and the double standard should cease.

And why is Jason trying to connect with Willis Todd? Willis was an abuse fucker or did Lobdell for get his own canon material again? Someone please remove Lobdell from DC premises! PLEASE! Send him to Marvel or something, I don’t care, but stop allowing him to fuck over Jason because he wants to!

Now, again, I’m brought to the double standards B has and his own reckless behavior. DC please, either find a ethics and morals person to join your writing team, or grow a fucking brain because you are precariously close to having Batman become the killer and the villain.

Why are we isolating the Bats again, when they were so connected at the start of Rebirth? I want to read about the Batfamily BEING A Family! Not this divide and pit against each other crap. 

The worst part of all this is, Rebirth actually started off great! Now it’s a flaming pile of wreckage and I almost wish we’d go back to N52 if only to stop watching the same trainwreck over and over happen.

[freedom-shamrock]

It Sounds Familiar - Chapter 15

This takes place during chapter 13 of Something Familiar.

Also on AO3 Chp 1   Chp 2   Chp 3   Chp 4   Chp 5   Chp 6    Chp 7   Chp 8 Chp 9   Chp 10   Chp 11   Chp 12   Chp 13   Chp 14   Chp 15   Chp 16   Chp 17   Chp 18   Chp 19

This is also day 14 of my ML WIP-Completion Challenge.

Chat fidgeted in his chair beside Marinette. At his suggestion, the meeting was being held at the lawyer's office, because he didn't trust any location chosen by his father. He wiggled his toes, focusing on how odd it felt to wear socks and shoes again, much less a pair that fit properly.

The clock had just clicked to three when Gabriel Agreste breezed into the room. Chat expected to feel the magical tug, the compulsion to do his father's bidding, but he just felt uncomfortable as his father scrutinized the others in the room, and clearly found them lacking.

"Come Adrien," he called with a familiar flick of his wrist to beckon him. "It's time to go home." There was no warmth in his voice, no relief at the sight of his son healthy and well, but Chat hadn't expected there to be either.

"No," Chat said calmly. "I'm not going with you."

It wasn't often he saw his father surprised, and this was one of the few times. "Come, Adrien," he repeated.

Chat felt a familiar yet oddly foreign magic reaching into the room, though it didn't seem capable of touching him. Marinette's spells and Mama's potions had done their job, and he suddenly felt more at ease. While he'd understood that he couldn't be taken, that his new family had enough magic to force the issue if needed, it was different to truly feel it.

"I'm sorry sir. Your bindings aren't on him anymore," Marinette said. "Your magic won't be able to stick."

His father looked at her in a combination of surprise and disgust, and Chat could feel her rejecting everything about her former idol.

"I'm sure you're aware that it's unethical to tamper with another witch's spells," he said tightly. He looked to her parents as if expecting them to chastise her.

Marinette nodded. She looked calm, but he could feel her rage beneath the surface. "As I'm sure you're aware of the modern ethical concerns with binding sentient beings contrary to their nature." Although she'd practiced various arguments last night and this morning, she hadn't expected to be the one doing the talking. When his father's eyes narrowed, she spoke again before he could. "Either way, I didn't touch your spells. None of us did. They were in tatters when I found Chat Noir."

"Chat…" His gaze bore into Chat then, and it was just as uncomfortable as ever, despite the fact that it didn't have the support of magical power. "You let her find you in cat form? Are you a complete idiot? What did you think I was trying to protect you from?"

He felt Marinette starting to bristle at the implied accusation, and wrapped his hand around hers under the table. "I picked her," he said. "Not the other way around." He knew now that decision was going to go down as one of the best he'd ever made in his life.

"And you've let her make a pet of you, by the look of it," his father snapped gesturing toward Chat Noir's neck.

"Have you got a familiar, Mr. Agreste?" Marinette asked. "Chat is no mere pet, and he's not a passing fancy. He chose to become my familiar, free of bindings or drugs or lies."

Chat was proud to wear her magic on his neck. It wasn't a binding or a confinement. She'd made it clear that she bent to his needs as much as he bent to hers.

"As you know, Mr. Agreste," the lawyer, Mrs Le Chien finally broke in, "a familiar contract is unbreakable, there is no recourse at this point. By arcane canon law, which has been consistently upheld by civil law, Adrien Agreste now belongs to Marinette Dupain-Cheng."

"I insist that both children be relocated to my family home, so Adrien can continue being raised according to his social class," Gabriel said firmly. "This does not interfere with their… partnership." He sneered, making the word something disgusting. "And it takes into consideration that he has not been reared to the simple lifestyle of a baker's family." His eyes darted around the room, but he didn't quite look at Marinette's parents as he slighted them.

This could not stand. Mama and Papa were not somehow lesser because they walked in different social circles. "I was a stray cat for five months," he pointed out. "I assure you, the simple life of fresh bread and a warm bed is superior to hunting vermin and sleeping in cramped spaces behind heating ducts." He shrugged. "Though to be fair, rat isn't half bad." As he'd hoped, his statement silenced the room, and he suspected Papa was working extra hard to hold in a laugh while his father looked positively revolted.

"We will continue to live with my parents." Marinette's voice was firm. "I appreciate your concern for my familiar's comfort, and while it's true he will not have some of the material benefits he had under your roof, he has been thriving without them. He will enroll in school when I return to classes, so we are seeing to his education as well."

"He is a supermodel and the heir of a wealthy family," his father snapped. "Has it ever occurred to you that he has been the target of abductions for ransom in the past?"

This was one of the arguments Chat had warned her about, and she had a ready answer.

Marinette smiled. "I'm capable of containing and banishing seventh circle demons with about thirty seconds warning and no backup. Chat and I have acquired full telepathic abilities with each other. And a witch can always find her familiar."

"The reverse is also true," Chat said quietly. He wasn't sure if his father would try to do something to her, and he wanted it clear from the start that he would always find her.

"He is safer now than he has ever been," Marinette said. Her hand moved to lightly brush Chat's wrist.

"Have we heard all of your concerns regarding this issue?" Mrs Le Chien asked.

His father collected himself and addressed her parents. "Are you prepared to care for my son, should your little business fail?" Everything in his posture and tone set off Chat's warning bells.

"Is that a threat?" Mama asked, her quiet voice somehow far deadlier and intimidating than his father's boldest blustering.

"Of course not," his father said, not even trying to sound sincere. "I just want to be sure you are prepared for all contingencies."

Chat would have liked to roll his eyes at the lies and the dramatics.

"Our profits may not compare to yours, but our business is very successful," Papa said.

As it dragged on, Chat worried that the issue was less cut and dried than he'd been told. He fought against the desire to turn cat and climb into the ductwork.

"If I may?" Marinette interjected.

"The adults are talking now, child," his father snapped. "Kindly hold your tongue."

Before Chat could let out the entirely feline hiss blocking his throat, Mrs Le Chien held up a hand. "Mr. Agreste, I will remind you that by arcane canon law, Marinette has reached the age of majority. And as all of this discussion concerns her familiar, her voice is relevant." She sighed, setting her hand down. "If we can't come to an agreement here, we will have to involve a judge and mediation. France has never had a legal case of this nature, and I expect it would be seen as extremely newsworthy." She gave his father a long stare. "Are you willing to endure the media circus?"

"Chat wants to keep this civil, and I'm happy to go along with that," Marinette said, and he could feel her trying to defuse the situation. "If we work together, and do it now, we can develop a cover story that works for all of us."

His father continued to scowl at Marinette, but it felt less hostile somehow.

"You haven't enjoyed having him at home with you," she said gently. "This fixes that completely."

"His condition will get out," his father said flatly.

Chat glared at him. It wasn't a condition. It was his nature. It couldn't be treated or changed, and he wouldn't have wanted to even if it were possible.

Marinette nodded. "At this point, it's going to get out anyway. Why not do it on your terms instead of as some reporter's scoop?"

"And I suppose you have a suggestion, Miss Dupain-Cheng," his father said snidely.

"I know something of the fashion industry, and a little about the news," she said.

He would have liked to point out that she was also brilliant, but held his tongue.

"I think it would be in your best interest to appear supportive of shapeshifters. You married one, and your son is another, after all. You could say you kept it quiet because of the bias against their people."

"You want me to use my business as a platform for shapeshifter support?" his father demanded, sounding more irritated than disgusted.

"It would be more bold than Vianne's floral and striped collection from this past spring," she assured him.

"That was a travesty," his father muttered.

"It was quite hideous," Marinette agreed. "But it was bold. And it launched her small label into the ring with the big houses." It had taken some work to get her to agree to his suggestions on their cover story. "Chat is okay having an identity crisis, if that explains why he vanished and how he ended up with me. With no shifters to get guidance from, he went to explore is cat side."

His father sighed, looking sullen. "You've stolen my best model," he said, most of the fight gone from his voice. "Do you have a solution for that?"

Chat suddenly realized how he could give back to her for all she'd done, and would continue to do, for him. He wasn't trying to level the playing field, really. It just seemed fair for him to do something for her, for a change. "I would be willing to continue modeling for you," he said quietly.

"You would?" his father asked, suspicious.

"But no more than one shoot per week," he added. He wanted it to be a very part time thing. "I'm going to be going to school, so I'll need to be able to study."

"What about runway?" his father asked, in full negotiation mode. "Fashion week is critical to the business, and it's not a one day affair."

Chat nodded. "I'll walk runway for you under one condition."

"If it's about your salary, I'd expect to keep it the same for another year, then it should take a steep jump up, if you keep in shape."

Chat shook his head. "For every design of yours I show, I get to wear one of my Marinette's." He'd seen her work, and while he was no designer, he'd spent his entire life around fashion. She was already as good as, if not better than his father. She just lacked experience, exposure, and access to the business side.

"What?" Marinette demanded looking at him. "What are you doing?"

"Will I have any choice in the designs?" his father asked, ignoring her entirely.

Chat nodded. "She'll show you what she's working on, and you'll pick from those."

"Done." His father got to his feet. "Please send me the final draft of our agreement by tomorrow afternoon. I would like to make a statement to the public in the next few days, and that should be signed first." He nodded to Mama and Papa. "Mr. and Mrs. Dupain-Cheng, my assistant will contact you with Adrien's medical records and information should you need to contact me." With that, he left, and Chat relaxed in his chair.

Marinette turned to him, her face worried. "Why would you do that?"

He changed back to a cat and hopped into her lap. You help me. This way I could help you too.

Days 15, 17, 18, and 20 are all chapters for this story, and since I'm pretty behind on my plan, I'm just going to go ahead and focus on getting these done first and catch up on the others after. :)

[a-pandoras-box-of-characters-a]

Redone info. on my Lady Loki {Still a WIP..}

(I made this using a template made by VisionaryDame, which my sister showed me. What I own is the info and the changes I made to it.}

Introductory information -

Name: Loki Laufeydottir.

Faceclaim: Darya Goncharova. 

Other titles/nicknames: Silvertongue, goddess of mischief, Lady Loki.

Age: Unknown. Gender: Female. Relationship status: Single - has loved once and lost twice. . Species: Aesir/Jotun hybrid (of sorts.) Affiliations/Organizations: The people of Asgard (in her own dimension), her past lovers, and lost children. Occupation: Former princess. Now, single and overprotective mother. 

Her Appearance

Long dark hair, pale skin, and bright green eyes. She is thin, and prefers to wear black more than any other color, but will wear either green or gold if wearing something more formal.

Height: Five foot seven and a half - usually. Otherwise depends on what form she takes. Weight: Largely depends on what form she takes. Right or Left handed?: Ambidextrous, but predominately right handed. Tattoos/Birthmarks/Scars: Many scars gotten over the years, and a small snowflake shaped birthmark beneath her chest. She has other marks on her body in true form, though they have been slightly altered due to her many attempts to change how she looks. Jewelry/Accessories: Two piercings, which she gave herself. Out of a final acceptance of what she was being called, and as a way to remember her fallen children; both lip rings she has are engraved with their names. 

Other basic things to know

Personality: She can be cold, and distant, especially if she doesn’t know someone. It takes her a long time to become alright with anyone, as she has a lot of trust issues. She is uncertain of children and finds they make her uncomfortable, while animals make her feel more at ease. At times, she is known to be sarcastic and even snide or vindictive - however, most of the time she prefers her own company to that of others and despite feeling lonely, will still isolate herself willingly to avoid being hurt again. Aside from all of this, she can and will kill someone for coming too close to her son. Favorite things: Books in which she can learn something she didn’t now before or she can expand her knowledge on things she has found interest in, spending time in forests or gardens, cats, Nutella, and macaroni and cheese on hamburgers.

Least Favorites: Excessively crowded places, being distracted when she is trying to read, and being reminded how much she misses her children. She also hates to eat spinach or beans, if they are alone and not in with something else. Hobbies/Interests: Sitting in her pajamas barefoot, and reading books. Sometimes, she likes to watch baking shows simply because they interest her; most of the time they are the ones where people aren’t very good at it. Most of her free time is used on practicing magic, or learning new things. She likes to keep her mind busy, so she doesn’t have time for her mind to wander - a majority of her nights are spent sleepless. Which..sometimes works in her favor if Sleipnir needs her.  Phobias/Fears: Her biggest fear is letting herself open up and be close to someone again. She doesn’t want to fall in love, and she doesn’t want to have another child for fear of being a bad mother or not being able to protect it. Another fear she has, is being touched. She hates being touched suddenly, or without her permission. As well as being found out by anyone from her dimension - or having her only child left killed by Odin.  Habits: Cleaning her apartment when she is upset about something. Running her fingers through her hair while reading, or chewing at her lips and inner part of her cheeks when thinking. Obsessively checking on her son. Mannerisms: A lot of the time, she speaks with little emotion. The times when she shows the most emotion, is when she is asked about something in which she is very interested, or knowledgeable about. Or is talking to her child. 

Skills/Talents: Lying, though she usually does it only when she has to. Mind games, puzzles, and tricking others are sometimes pastimes. She is good at writing, reading other languages, and creating art; although she believes she is not any better at it than she thinks she is at singing. In spite of what she thinks, she actually has a wonderful singing voice. Best Qualities: Attentive to detail, observant of people’s moods and how they behave. Able to remember most things she sees or hears, even if she doesn’t necessarily want to. If and when she allows herself to be close to someone, she is usually fiercely loyal to them.  Worst Qualities: She can be hard to get to know, and hard to get along with if in a bad mood. Sometimes it is hard to tell if she is telling the truth and being sincere, or if she actually hates someone. Her habit of trying to get back at someone, who has hurt her or who she sees as having wronged her, has also gotten her into or caused her trouble on more than one occasion. Morality/Ethics: Her morality is sometimes questionable. It depends highly on the given time and situation as to what she will do. Goals/Motivations/Dreams: Her main goal is to find a place where she can stay and not have to worry about anything; where she will remember/be reminded of her past. Or where she will have to fear her son being taken from her.

Relationship With Others

Reputation: She keeps to herself as much as possible, so she is not known to many. The people that know her will give various descriptions or have different opinions on her based upon how they have interacted.

Friend(s)/Ally(ies): She has very few friends; though the ones she does have, she is protective of, and will share her knowledge of magic with  - Britney (who is a witch), and Amora the Enchantress. Enemy(ies): She counts her ‘father’ and ‘brother’ from her own dimension as her primary enemies. As well as anyone who may be a threat to her son’s safety.

Her Abilities

Powers: x Manipulation/creation of ice and snow/fire, though it can only be used so long as she cannot be around it long without feeling ill.

x Telepathy and memory projection.

x Superhuman durability.

x Creation of illusions.

x Shapeshifting.

x Materialization of objects.

x Others (related to magic) which she is working on still. Strengths: She is most powerful with her telepathy, shapeshifting and illusion skills. Weaknesses: Dealing with fire long-term. Being around excessive heat makes her feel sick. Prolonged exposure to it ends up with her unable to do much of anything until cooled off; the string of “side effects” of being around, in, or just near too much heat begins with feeling lightheaded, then goes to a nosebleed, and continues on from there. Alternate Form(s): Her main alternate form is her Jotun form - which has been altered over time, due to her desire to make it look ‘normal,’ so she won’t have to hide it anymore. The blue of her skin has lightened; the markings she was born with have turned golden, and her hair has turned white save for the ends, which are still black. Instead of simply red, her irises are golden at the edges. The last to change - and to get her to stop trying to ‘fix’ her appearance - was the change causing her nails, lips, and eyelashes to turn a pale golden color.

This would be why she is now not only frustrated with herself, but refuses to let anyone see what she truly looks like due to being even more ashamed of it. Fighting Style: She uses magic most of the time, but has been known to resort to using either daggers or her hands if she has to. Equipment/Inventory: Most of the time, she carries a book on her, but will carry a few pocket knives if she is going out. Preferred Weapon(s): Magic or daggers. Knowledge: 10/10 Motivation: Depends on the situation. Will to act: Depends on the situation. Agility: 9/10 Power Control: 8 /10 Swordsmanship: 7/10 Hand-to-Hand Combat: 8/10 Long Range Accuracy: 9/10 Offense: 8 /10 Defense: 7/10 Social Skills: 5/10 (Depends on who she is around.)

Familial/Biographical Information

Birthplace: Jotunheim. Family -

Birth parents: Laufey (father), and Fárbauti (mother.) - Both likely deceased.

Biological siblings: Helblindi and Býleistr (brothers.) - Both likely deceased.

Adopted parents: Odin (“father”), and Frigga (mother.)

Adopted siblings: Thor, Baldr, Víðarr and Váli (adopted brothers; Thor is alive, Baldr is dead..while the others are unknown.)

Children: Sleipnir (son), Hela (daughter), Fenrir (son), and Jörmungandr (son.) - Only Sleipnir is living, her other children are all dead in her dimension.

Familial Background: While she was born in Jotunheim, she was raised in Asgard. As her dimension is vastly different from all the others, she did not have the best of relationships with her adopted family. Her relationships with her brothers and her father were arguably the worst; she knew from the beginning that she was only there to serve a purpose at some point, and to be used for other things until she reached an age of which that purpose could be met. The one person in her dimension who treated her well, was her mother. Though she did little to stop the abusive behavior of the others, she did try to keep her from it by teaching her magic. When being taught by her mother, she was kept safe from harm - any harm attempted to be brought during lessons resulted in harsh punishment and in anger from Frigga, which no one wanted.

Over the years, her time learning with her mother became shorter and shorter. Eventually, she had to resort to teaching herself, and to trying whatever she could to survive. There was, at one point, a moment when she gained favor with one of her brothers; that moment passed and in the end meant little, because he was dead soon thereafter.

Background story : Up until she escaped.

She was born in the coldest, darkest reaches of Jotunheim. Although born to the king, she was too small to be considered a viable heir. Even if she were to find someone who would marry her. Instead of keeping her in secret and raising her anyway, in hopes she may grow bigger; they had planned to kill her, to avoid the shame of having such a small child.Something, for which, her birth mother took her own life over. Had it not been for the war they were fighting with the Asgardians,her life would have been cut short at only a few days...by way of a rather cruel looking blade. After all..they could not take the chance that she would survive somehow and seek revenge upon them. That mistake had been made before in their past, so this was what they took to doing..to ensure it never happened again.

Before the blade could fall, the frozen realm was invaded by their enemies. For her, ‘saved by the bell’ became ‘saved by the enemy.’ An enemy not only to her birth father and his kingdom, but subsequently herself as well..

She was left out on a rock, when the fighting began. Through the whole thing, she was alone. The only reason she was even found, was in the aftermath - when the land was being looted for its riches. Such as it was, there were few things to be found. The most valuable, being the child left alone to die on a rock. Though she was taken not for the reason of sympathy, but for the reason of her possible usefulness later in life. After all, the throne of Jotunheim had to be sat upon by someone within its royal bloodline. That didn’t mean, however, that she couldn’t be married off to someone from Asgard, though. Giving them a double advantage - having raised her, she would owe them. And having married her off to someone - of Odin’s choosing - there would be no reason not to have the frozen wasteland and all its inhabitants in their pocket, right?

This may have been true, had she not began to piece things together for herself. No matter what she did, she was not seen as equal. Her skills in magic were called upon many times, though were never appreciated in the end once a task was completed.

As she got older, the many years of being treated differently had her believing that in some way; she was different. How she was being raised had little to do with love or affection, and had much to do with making her feel like she was simply something there for their amusement - until the time which she would be useful.

It took her a long time to figure out just what she was, and by that time, confronting Odin about it did little. She was told she should appreciate that she was alive, and that she had a home. That no matter how she was treated, he had saved her life and so therefore it no longer mattered; so long as she was living, she should be grateful. It was not until she grew old enough to truly resent Odin and his plans for her, that she began to rebel. She was testing things, in some instances. In others, she was blatantly defying everything Odin had in mind for her. Often, this led to troubles which she then had to get herself out of, and gained her more enemies than it did people who liked her.

Her most notable times of defying his wishes, came in the form of when she gave birth to two different children. One by a fleeting affection, the other by someone she had actually come to love. Both times, she thought she had gotten away with it. And both times, her children were taken and her lovers were slain. Her last child, she had by her first true love; the second to die because he had gotten her with child, and because she had been told she was to court no one. And to especially, give herself to no one. At the time, it made no sense to her. The loss of her two children sent her into a darkness, one which forgot to allow enough care in to even try preserving herself. Until she had youngest child; whom she kept in utter secrecy. No one knew of him, save for herself. It was for him, that the darkness began to break at last..giving her a reason to try.

During the first few years of her young son’s life, Loki continued to dwell on the loss of his siblings. Something for which, she never forgot..nor she ever forgave. Multiple plots and schemes entered her mind. Many ways of returning the pain he had inflicted upon her crossed her thoughts, and even more of them went array. It was not until her actions caused the death of one of her elder ‘brothers,’ and put the warrior woman Sif near death, in retaliation for her years of mistreatment; that her purpose was finally revealed to her. Odin had tired of her actions, and had decided it was time she knew for what true purpose he had brought her to Asgard. Something she had already been suspecting, though had not wanted to consider. The revelation of her true parentage came as little surprise. She had figured that out long ago, and had been trying to ‘fix’ her true appearance, so she would no longer have to hide it. Her hope had been that if she could change that part of herself - which she was sure others must have already known about, hence their treatment of her - then they would see her as equal, and begin to treat her better.

In the end, all her efforts backfired. She ended up changing her true form in ways she never wanted: ways which made her more noticable, not less. Out of her shame for it, she resigned to keeping it well hidden away - and to the fact that she would never be seen as anything more than a pawn to be used in Odin’s games.

His reasoning for taking her, proved it even further to her. No matter how she wanted to rebel, or how she wanted to object, there was a fate in mind for her that she could not escape.. Though she did delay, by causing the mysterious ‘disappearances’ of many of Odin’s choices. He wanted for her to wed someone of his choosing, and return to Jotunheim. To be queen as more of a ‘figurehead’ sense; to rule how he saw fit, and to do as she was told.

This was something that she wanted no part of. When causing the disappearances of Odin’s choices no longer worked, she began to study again. Something that many there thought impossible; something that she had but one, incomplete, and damaged old book as a source to learn from.

She was hurried, though. There was no other escape she could think of, and she was determined to leave before Odin would have his way.

In the nights before the wedding was set to happen, her plan was born. She would fake her own murder, and take her son with her when she left. How she would leave, was to be a portal to another dimension. One she’d learned to create, through reading the book she had found. It would not stay open long, and she was not sure where it would take her, but it was a risk she thought worth taking.

This is how she and her son, Sleipnir, ended up where they are now.

Background story : Life now.

It took a long time to adjust to where she ended up. Earth, in another dimension.

Life here has been different for her. The address of which she lives technically doesn’t exist, as it was created by her. Out of a desire to keep Sleipnir safe and from being found, she has changed how he looks to match that of a human child. She has also changed his name, at least while they are out. Unlike how she was raised, she has made sure to tell him as much as he can understand; she does not want to repeat how she was treated, and believes he should be aware of who and what he truly is.

As much as possible, she tries to let him live life as a normal child. For herself, she has attempted to live as she sees ‘normal’ human adults live. In memory of her lost children, she has a set of snakebite piercings engraved with their names; that also are a hint at some of the things she has been called before, and are sort of her way of finally accepting them.

One major difference between herself and ‘normal’ human adults, is that she avoids other people as much as possible. She prefers not to involve herself with anyone, so she does not have to socialize or interact with them. This being said, she has had no lovers of any sort since the death of Sleipnir’s father, and currently desires to maintain things that way. The only exceptions so far to her desire to remain absent from society, are two women with whom she has shared her secrets of magic with. One, a witch. The other, an enchantress. 

{ This is a redo of her story, so it’s safe to say she and my baby Sleipnir are still a work in progress. <3 }