#but that does not feel like the best way for the story and upcoming reveals to work. hm. how to do this

[vaguely-concerned]

I don't know what I love more, the fact that as rook you can make a statement in NO uncertain terms that you are NOT responsible one way or the other for the theological implications of the shit you're discovering in the 'regrets of the dread wolf' memories. not my jurisdiction. quite simply none of my business. not my chantry circus not my chantry monkeys. irrelevant to the matter at hand here we'll kill that god if we get to him he can get in line. or if the best thing about it is seeing the lone little 'lucanis approves' that pops up right after choosing it. corvid with a knife about to commit deicide keeping it real and sensibly, pragmatically, wilfully agnostic with me here in this magical lighthouse today

[messedupfan]

The Hope of a Free World: The Tribute

Summary: In this version of the story, you were the one chosen to go into the Hunger Games to help carry out the plan.

A/n: So a little explanation here. You do not have to read both "The Mentor" and "The Tribute" but you do have to read "The Setup." This is sort of my version of a Choose Your Own Adventure because I saw this going both ways when the request was made. You are absolutely welcome to read both versions of the story, but thought I'd let y'all know that you don't have to. I also forgot to warn y'all before but I'm a huge Everlark fan. If you stan Everthorne, not the fic for you.

Warnings: Violence, mentions of suicide, alcoholism, drug abuse, mentions of forced prostitution, rebellion, mentions of torture.

Masterlist | The Prologue | All Stories Taglist

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When the announcement of the Third Quarter Quell declared that the tributes would be pulled from the existing pool of victors, you were itching for a drink. No, you were itching for the drug you take when you have to entertain a client you don’t like. You wanted to feel numb. You didn’t want to think about having to experience the anxiety of a reaping once again. You’ve only been a victor for four years. It wasn’t fair. This wasn’t supposed to happen. 

You had tuned in only to vote on the dress for Katniss Everdeen to wear for her upcoming nuptials. Not to find out that you have a chance at dying in the arena again.

You don’t alter your mind to escape the harsh realities. As much as you want to. You made promises to take better care of yourself. Especially after almost revealing your secrets to the wrong person while in a drunken stupor. As soon as the broadcast is over, Finnick storms into your house and pulls you out. You can hear Annie’s cries from the house they shared. It was the only home in the Victor’s Village that had all of its hidden recording devices removed. He threw you on the couch as he began to pull on his hair and mutter to himself. “Mags,” he left and returned with the older woman a few minutes later. That was everyone he could trust in the district. 

Finnick doesn’t say anything coherent at first, mostly muttering to himself as his girlfriend is hysterical. He gives Annie a heavy dose of sleep syrup and he carries her to bed when it kicks in. “It’s better if she remains in the dark,” he says as he sits in front of you and Mags. She was a sweet woman, she didn’t deserve this unfair ruling for the Games either. She shouldn’t have to go through a reaping. “Mags already knows this but I haven’t been transparent with you about the rebellion. This is happening because we’re trying to free the districts.” 

“How do you plan to do that from inside the arena? Do you realize how unfair this is for those teenagers that won last year? They just got out!” You stand up, upset on their behalf. “Katniss is the only female tribute for that district! Did the rebels think about that when deciding to throw us back in there?” 

“We decided that it was in everyone's best interest that she returned to the Games,” Finnick stated calmly. 

“I find it hard to believe that girl agreed to that,” you scoffed with a scowl. 

“She doesn’t know anything about the rebellion,” he admits. “She doesn't know about any of this and for her safety, it's best that she doesn't.” 

You shake your head. You don't understand how knowing nothing keeps people safe. It looks like it's putting people in dangerously compromising positions. “Like you said I was better off I don't know anything either! Why are you even telling me about this?” 

“Sit down,” Mags demands and even with how fired up you are, you do as she says. She hardly ever demanded anything, so you respect when she does. “Listen,” she points to Finnick and with a huff, you nod. 

“I'm telling you this because I need you to be the one to go into the Games. Mags will go in as well because she is loved by so many.” Finnick maintains eye contact with you as he tells you the plan and the reason. “People in the Capitol don't care about random tributes because they don't know them. They don't see them as people until they win. They think they know us. They claim to love us. Well, we're going to make them question everything.” 

“I still don't think it's fair for Katniss and Peeta. They have worked too hard to just be thrown back in.” You shake your head. 

“You don't get it,” Finnick says as he leans closer. “Katniss is the face of this thing. What she did with those berries was inspiring. The Capitol tried to trick her and she refused to play that game. She has to be put back in there. We're hoping that Peeta doesn't land in there again, but according to Haymitch that boy is going to be determined to go. He says it's up to Effie for that one.” 

“Is Effie a part of it too?” You ask. Finnick shakes his head. “But Haymitch is,” you ask as you try to put the prices together. He nods. “Why do you want me to go into the arena?” 

“We are going to need your help to get them out of the arena. I was going to do it but with Annie… I can't risk her getting caught by Snow. I know how to get us out of there.” Finnick says with pleading eyes. 

You nod in understanding. “I have people I care about too,” you remind him. 

“Don't worry about Wanda. She can handle herself,” he says vaguely. You don't say it, but that confirmed your suspicion that she was part of it. You couldn't believe it. There really was a rebellion. The only question was whether or not you were willing to risk your life for the cause. You look at sweet old Mags, who has already committed to the cause. There was no guarantee she'll survive long enough to see the plan through. She had to have known that. This woman possibly only had a few more good years in her and the fact that was willing to sacrifice that, helped you make your decision. 

“I'm in,” you state. 

At the reaping you stood tall and confident as you think about the last night you spent with Wanda. It wasn’t an easy arrangement, as many of your clients were hoping for a last visit with you, but she was able to get you to the Capitol a few weeks before the reaping. After that night with Finnick, the two of you trained together everyday leading up to the reaping. The pair of you were already in shape but it had been ten years since Finnick was in the Games. Neither of you has had to fight since your respective times in the arena. He might not be going into the Games but he was going to need to be ready to fight when he officially became a soldier for District 13. Your head nearly spun off your neck when he confirmed that the district was alive and well. 

“Y/n Y/l/n,” the escort, Dove, reads solemnly. She had been the district's escort for the past four years, you were her only victor and the two of you had respect for each other. You stood forward, no one was going to volunteer in your place. You knew that.

“Annie Cresta,” despite knowing the plan, it shook you to your core to hear her name being called again. She had already had major setbacks since the announcement. You can't imagine what this is going to do for her. Mags promptly volunteers in her place and the three of you are off to the Capitol to prepare for the Games. 

“3… 2… 1!” As soon as the gun goes off, you jump in the water and swim to the center of the arena. You climb onto the platform and grab a trident as fast as you can. But as you do so, Katniss has an arrow pointed at you. 

You hold up your wrist to show her the bracelet of golden flames. “It's a good thing we're allies, right?” You state with a smirk. You were reluctant when they brought you the bracelet. You didn't want to go in there without your medallion but when Finnick offered to give it to Wanda, you felt more comfortable going in with the bracelet. You did after all have to gain Katniss's trust. 

She scowls at you, not dropping the arrow pointed at your chest. “Where did you get that?”

“Where do you think?” Flash from District 5 comes up behind her. “Duck,” you warn her before throwing your trident at the jerk that used to make crude comments about Wanda. You couldn't do anything about it at the time. But you weren't going to be haunted by this death. You gave Katniss directions to find Peeta and Mags as you pulled your weapon out of the body and tossed him into the water. Looking around the arena, you tried to find the tree that Finnick stressed to you how important it was. It was difficult to know which tree he was talking about because the first part of your task being difficult enough. You swear that Snow might’ve offered extra incentives and put a target on Katniss and Peeta.   

Even with the poison fog that took Mags life and the killer monkey’s that nearly killed you and the assets, you didn't regret agreeing to put yourself in this unpredictable hell hole until the jabberjay hour. You followed Katniss when she heard her sister screaming for her to make sure that she never left your sight. The both of you were relieved for a split second seeing that it was only the bird. But the history of the bird caused your heart to drop as soon as you heard Wanda crying out for you. No. How could he know? 

“Wanda!” You couldn't stop yourself from calling out to her in fear that she was dumped in the arena or worse. 

“Y/n, it's just a jabberjay! It's not real,” Katniss tried to remind you in your panic. 

“Jabberjays copy, Katniss!” You shouted back at her as you kept your eyes in the sky. “Where do you think they got that sound?” More birds appeared. More voices calling out to her than for you. For you it started with Wanda then Annie was added as well as Finnick. For an hour, you and Katniss sat together hearing tortured cries of loved ones trying to convince yourselves it wasn't real. Peeta sat desperately on the other side of the forcefield trying to ground Katniss to reality. 

When it was over, you sat in the water to comfort yourself. It was something you were used to doing back in District 4. You needed to get out of there. You were done playing these games. You needed to be in Wanda's arms, not in here babysitting. 

The plan was difficult to execute when the time came because Katniss and Peeta still didn’t trust you or Johanna. Granted, separating the two so close to the end did seem a little suspicious. But neither of them knew that they needed to have their trackers cut out and there wasn’t a way to tell them. You and Johanna knew what had to be done. You should have been prepared for Peeta to run when heard a cannon go off. Despite trying to convince him that it wasn’t a cannon for Kantinss. Peeta ran away from you before you could cut out his tracker. You looked at Beetee for too long to make the decision to run after the boy because by the time you started chasing him, it was already too late. He was gone. “Shit,” you hissed under your breath. 

You kept on searching for him but it was difficult in the dark. It was too close to midnight and if Beetee was able to fry the system on time, you needed to make sure Peeta was untraceable to the Capitol. When you couldn't find him you started to look for Johanna and Katniss in the hopes that he found them. In the time you’ve gotten to know him, it was abundantly clear to you how much he truly loved Katniss. You thought the puppy love was cute until it disrupted the plan.

“Johanna!” You shouted into the jungle but you were met with silence. So you kept running. But the arena was still active and you didn't want to end up stuck in the wrong hour. You needed to be close to the lightning tree. So you made your way back. Hoping that the rest of them were there as the agreement was to meet back at the tree. 

They needed to be there. 

Instead, you only found Katniss with her bow drawn. This was not going according to plan. Thunder began to warm the arena that the lightning was about to strike the tree they had wrapped with a wire. The fake plan was they were going to use it to electricute the other tributes by putting one end of the wire in the water. So that when the lightning struck the tree, the electricity would run through and kill anyone that was on the beach or hiding in the water. The real plan was that Beetee was supposed to throw a spear into the forcefield that kept everyone trapped in the arena and destroy it. Giving the rebels enough time to rescue the tributes inside. 

“Remember who the real enemy is!” You shout as Katniss still holds her aim at you. Haymitch told you to say that to her just in case she tried to kill you. He claimed it would help. You can't tell from the distance but Katniss develops a plan herself as she quickly wraps the wire around her arrow as lightning starts to shine from the thunder clouds. You're about to warn Katniss to get away from the tree when Peeta tackles you from behind. 

The lightning struck the tree as she let the arrow fly and you wrestled with Peeta. With a knife you tried to take the tracker out of his arm but the blast caused him to fly backwards. He had hit you pretty hard when you were beneath him. It made you dizzy when you tried to walk and find him. Pieces of the arena came crashing down making it impossible to get to him safely. You had to accept your failure in the mission as you cut out your own tracker. You screamed in agony as you dug out the small piece of technology and crushed it between two rocks. You breathed a sigh of relief when you saw the unmarked hovercraft come in to collect everyone. You made your way closer to where Katniss laid to ensure your rescue. 

That’s when a branch broke off and knocked you to the ground. 

The actual revolution was slow moving because the face of the rebellion was indisposed. Being traumatized by arena’s one after the other had a major part in why she would scream in the middle of the night. Finding out about her home district being completely obliterated because of her actions, weighed heavy on her shoulders. It didn’t help that Johanna hit her so hard in the head with the coil of wire befe she removed the girl’s tracker. Knowing Johanna she would probably claim it was the only way but you also knew that she found Katniss irritating. Johanna is not one to give up an opportunity when it presents itself. Unfortunately, that gave Katniss the ability to constantly be heavily medicated in order to heal. The medications had side effects. One of them being hallucinations. You knew because you had to deal with it yourself in the first few months after being rescued. 

The only bright side of it all was that you had been successful in acquiring both assets. So at night when Katniss would scream her head off and disrupt everyone’s sleep, it was Peeta who was the only person that had been able to get her to stop. He would sneak out of his room and slip into hers. After a few minutes, the only sounds that would be heard throughout the infirmary were the steady beats of the heart monitors. He always snuck back into his room before the hospital staff did their morning rounds. 

You were envious of them. Not everyone that needed to make it out did. For the arena, Johanna as well as a few of the other remaining tributes had been taken by the Capitol. You could only imagine what they were doing to her there. Whatever it was, she didn’t deserve it. Outside of the arena, the list of those that couldn’t escape was worse. They captured Wanda. 

The way Finnick explained it, someone must have tipped off the Peacekeepers about their plans to escape. A swarm of white armor came after them and Finnick and Haymitch wouldn’t have made it out were it not for her sacrifice. She held the Peacekeepers off of them long enough for them to get out. Neither of the men could confirm whether or not she was still alive. Last you heard, the Capitol spies they still had didn’t have an answer either. 

You hoped that they would show her on a broadcast the way they showed Johanna a couple of times. Wanda was a popular interviewer. Not as popular as Caesar Flickerman, but she was popular enough to make a comfortable living. Popular enough that her disappearance wouldn’t go unnoticed. All you could do was hope that they would broadcast her at some point.

As much as you wanted to hate Finnick for losing her in the midst of the escape, you couldn’t. Annie was amongst those captured by the Capitol. He went a little mad when he got the news. He was also in the infirmary because of a failed suicide attempt. You didn’t think his mental state was that bad until you heard his screams, begging the doctors to let him die.

When you finally got well enough to walk around and move out of the infirmary, you still spent a lot of time there. It started with visiting Finnick, tying knots together. He was only allowed a short rope to prevent him from hanging himself with it. He only spoke once to let you know, “I wish they were dead. Annie and Wanda. And I wish we were too.” You couldn’t disagree. Anything was better than the mental torment of not knowing what is happening to them. Of not being able to protect them from the horrors. 

Instead of allowing the mental images keep you down and eat you alive, you use it as a motivator. The second you were cleared for training, you worked ten times harder than everyone there. It wasn’t a difficult adjustment because your father had you enrolled in the Hunger Games training academy when you were eight years old. It was intensive training. In fact you found the District 13 military training to be light work comparativly. Which allowed you to excel. While your fellow victors wasted away in the infirmary, you got stronger and better. Because if your Wanda is dead, you weren’t going to let her death be in vain. You were going to make certain that it meant something. 

Eventually, you got fed up waiting for Katniss and Peeta to get over themselves and get to work so you started to visit with them when you weren’t training. Which was difficult at first. Every morning there was a strict schedule printed on your forearm. Every minute was accounted for in the day. It wasn’t until you had a chat with Haymitch and Plutarch that you were able to get time allotted for the visitations in exchange for filming propaganda, or propos as Plutarch nicknamed them, and getting the Mockingjay out of the infirmary. 

They wanted you to focus on Peeta first. Haymitch said he was the one out of the two that was easier to work with. That he would be more willing to help with the cause. Outside of his low list of injuries, Peeta had it pretty rough. Unlike Katniss, his parents and his brothers didn’t make it out of District 12 in time. Leaving him orphaned. He was wallowing in his grief for longer than you think he should have. The only time he ever got out of bed was when Katniss needed him at that’s it. You were frustrated as you tried to redirect his sorrow into a fire that will burn down the Capitol and all of its corruption. You understood his pain better than most. But he needed to understand why he needed to get to work so that the person responsible for his losses can be held accountable. But it was clear there was something, or more accurately someone, that could snap him into action. 

Katniss was also a piece of work in your opinion. The first time you tried to talk to her about attending a strategy meeting, she had you removed from her room. You knew that you couldn’t convince her by treating her like a fish when using a spear. You had to be more patient. You had to think of it as waiting for a fish to get caught on your hook. But patience was difficult when is came to Katniss. She didn’t have the same excuses that Peeta used. She had her sister, her mother, and the boy that was publicly known as her cousin. Unless the rumors of District 12 having an incest problem are true, you don’t believe that he is her cousin with the way you’ve seen him moon over her. There are rumors that she is conflicted between the two and you don’t know why she wastes time fooling herself into thinking she can’t choose between him and Peeta. 

You’ve gotten to know Gale a bit in training and because you live in the corridor where unmarried individuals are given living quarters, you have seen him slipping out of girls' rooms most nights. He might have feelings for the girl on fire, but he definitely isn’t waiting around for her to commit to him. You were team Peeta all the way, you liked the baker better than the hunter. He was much kinder. Plus, you and Gale tended to butt heads a lot when you started to visit Katniss because of what you know about him. 

One incident in particular secured your low opinion of him. You were visiting Katniss during the lunch hour. You had her tray of food along with yours because you intercepted it from the nurse that was supposed to bring it to her. 

“You have to make a choice, Katniss. Him or me?” Gale demanded. The poor girl was pulling on her hair when you pressed the button to open the door. “Do you mind? We’re having a-”

“You’re done here,” you said in a firm tone as you stood tall. Gale’s frown deepened as he continued to glare at you. “It’s not a request, it’s an order.” Gale knew that you outranked him and since he had just been demoted – he prevented Commander Boggs from stopping Katniss from storming out of the first meeting she attended – he knew he couldn’t push his boundaries with you. He didn’t even possess a communicuff anymore. 

With a heavy sigh, he glanced at you and then Katniss before he stormed out. You whistled, “That guy is a piece of work.” You set her tray on the table that hovered over her bed when positioned properly. The meals had no flavor but they were nutritious and filling. Designed to keep their citizens, or soldiers as you referred to them, healthy. It wasn’t great but it was still better than what the Capitol ever did for its districts. 

“He saved my family,” she muttered as she sat up to eat her meal. You scoffed. 

“Katniss, I protected your life the entire time we were in the arena,” you started, “Are you in love with me?” She chewed her food slowly before she silently shook her head. You’re surprised that she actually had to think about it. Teenagers, you thought to yourself as you got situated in your seat to start eating with her. “Hell, I gave Peeta mouth to mouth and saved his life. Has he come in here in the middle of the night and told you that he was confused about me?” You asked and didn’t miss when her cheeks flushed. Even through everything, she still had a purity to her. You’re happy that Snow never got the chance to rob her of that. 

“No,” she whispered. 

“There you go,” you stated and sat back and reflected for a moment before continuing. “You don’t owe me or anybody else anything, Katniss. I hope you know that.” She stared directly at you for a bit after you said that. It was the first time you really got to see how young she was. You knew she was young but through all of her brave actions and the makeup they caked onto her for interviews, you couldn’t really see it. No one could. That was part of the problem with the Hunger Games and the Capitol lifestyle. “Eat before your slop gets cold,” you pointed at her tray with your spork. “Trust me, you think it’s bad warm. You don’t want to have it cold.” 

She moves the food around before taking another bite. “I want to hunt,” it was the first time she expressed something you could use. 

“Tell you what,” you said as you finished your food. “You pass your health exams and I will personally arrange a hunting day for you. But I don’t think they will let you keep the game.” 

She shrugged, “I don’t mind that. I think it’ll be good to do something.”

“It’s a deal then,” you said while collecting her empty tray. You held your free hand out to her and she shook it. That began the small tradition of the two of you making small deals with each other each day. The both of you always fulfilled your promises to each other. She moved out of the infirmary at the end of the next week and into the living quarters with her mom and sister. In the middle of the week after, you arranged for her and Peeta to visit District 12. To remind them who the real enemy was. 

You opted to stay in the hovercraft in the air. Gale did the same, unfortunately. He kept trying to join her but she’d put him in his place. You were proud. Katniss came back from her mansion with, amongst other belongings, an ugly cat that she claimed was the apple of her sister's eye. You encouraged her to make her own demands with President Coin when she asked you if it will be a problem to have Buttercup with them in 13. 

Which she did. She included immunity for those captured by the Capitol and you thanked her after the announcement with a visit with Beetee. She had no idea what she did for you with that condition. In the lab, Beetee presented her with a special bow designed for her along with a small selection of special arrows. One type lights with flames and catches its target on fire. Another was explosive. And lastly, there were arrows that were charged with an electric current strong enough to give its victim a heart attack no matter where the arrow pierced them. She only needed the plain ones to hunt. 

Your propos were still the only ones being broadcast but they weren’t nearly as inspiring or as exciting as Katniss could be with the right motivation. However, they seemed to cause enough of a stir that after helping Katniss deliver a couple of heavy elks to the kitchen, you finally see Wanda on the screen for the first time in months. She’s alive, was your first thought. 

Your heart nearly stopped at the sight. She was skinnier than before. She looked as though she hadn’t slept in weeks. She had on her vibrant red wig and heavy makeup as well as a ridiculous outfit. Something she’d never have as part of her wardrobe. You went from sharing a laugh with Katniss to nearly falling to your knees in front of one of the many screens airing the interview with, “Wanda.” You said in a broken whisper.

Katniss’s eyes stopped mid roll as she realized that the woman on the screen wasn’t just Wanda Maximoff, gossip journalist that once asked her if she was popular with the boys back home. But she was the Wanda. Your Wanda. You shook your head. Hoping that it was just a hallucination. It couldn’t be real. If she was dead that meant she wasn’t being tortured. 

“Ms. Maximoff, you had quite the reputation here in the Capitol. Why risk it for something so frivolous?” Caesar asked as the camera cut to him. He looked clean and healthy, with a new dye job. It was infuriating.

“It wasn’t… I wasn’t…” she fiddled with cards in her hands and you braced yourself for the lies she was about to be forced to say. Off camera, Caesar quietly implored Wanda to continue. “I um. My emotions, they were,” tears gathered in her eyes. She was a stubborn and strong willed woman. She hated the person she had to be for entertainment. “Y/n,” she squeaked your name out. “They made me believe that we could be together. If I… If, if we…” 

“They deceived you,” Caesar tried to help her get through the script. 

Wanda shook her head ever so slightly, no one but you would be able to catch it. “Yes,” her voice was so quiet even the microphones couldn’t catch it. Caesar has her repeat herself. “Yes, I was deceived. Y/n made me believe they loved me even though they, they,” she got stuck, she couldn’t continue with the lie but for her safety, you knew she had to. You willed her to continue. “They would have relations with other people in the Capitol.” You shut your eyes tight, knowing how much she hated what Snow forced you to do.

Caesar hummed and you wanted to smash the screen in. He was one of the worst kinds of clients. He was greedy and had the strangest fetishes and kinks. It made you sick to look at him. “I see, and do you think they tried to con their other lovers into starting a revolution with them?” You scoffed, none of it was your idea in the first place. They were painting a picture as if you came up with the whole thing. 

Wanda took a deep breath and sighed through her nose. Then you saw it, she still had your medallion. It was around her neck, slightly hidden by the excessive fabrics on her dress. “I wouldn’t know,” her voice cracked. She cleared her throat and lifted her head. “I don’t think I knew them as well as I thought I did.” 

Caesar nodded, “Yes, I think we all feel that way, Wanda. I am so sorry to see you like this. You are a dear friend of mine.” His fake sincere act had you fuming. But all you could do was stand there and watch. Your worst nightmares had come to life. Seeing Wanda in pain and not being able to do a damn thing about it. “I believe you have a message for those in the districts.” Wanda nodded as she flipped through her cards. “For those who are confused by the lies that the rebels are telling. Please, speak about the generosity of the Capitol.” 

“I would um, I would like to say.” She cleared her throat again and looked into the camera. The life in her green eyes looked as though it had been sucked out. It pained you to see it. “I know that many of you might see me as a joke. That was my job. I have kept you entertained for years. You’ve brought me into your homes every day for an hour. You know my face. You know my voice. And I need you to hear me when I say,” a lost expression crossed her features for a moment. “When I say,” you shook your head as you recognized the defiance entering her eyes. You wanted her to stick to her cards. To read whatever they had written for her. “Keep on fighting until we are free!” 

There was a lot of commotion as they tried to shut the camera’s down and remove Wanda from the room. But she fought against them in an attempt to say more. Unfortunately, before she could, a Peacekeeper hit her with the butt of their rifle and knocked her out cold. 

“I have to get her out of there,” you muttered once the screen went black. You stormed out of the mess hall and Katniss followed you to talk you out of doing something stupid. But she wasn’t sure what she could say. She had her people. She didn’t know what it was like to be in your shoes. What it was like to watch the person you loved be badgered into lying about your character. About the love the two of you shared. Only to watch her possibly lose her life for the benefit of the cause. 

You weren’t the one to convince them to start a rescue mission for Wanda and the other hostages. It was Katniss and Peeta who stepped up to negotiate terms with President Coin and Commander Boggs. It started with making propos with them. Peeta was phenomenal. Katniss however… She needed a lot more help. At a certain point, Plutarch got fed up and settled for having just you and Peeta. Unfortunately, as much as the messages from you and Peeta might’ve gotten people out of bed in the morning, it wasn’t enough to get them to fight. To remind the people of Panem who the real enemy is. Haymitch was the one who pitched for the show ponies to be taken out into the field. President Coin was opposed to it but the former drunk was able to convince everyone else which allowed Commander Boggs to agree to a mission. 

In the outskirts of District 8 where they have an old warehouse is where they brought the three of you. Along with a twom man camera crew and their director, Cressida. Her assistant. Boggs. And much to your dismay, Gale. Katniss was surrounded the entire way inside of the old warehouse. No one saw her until you, Gale, and Boggs moved out of the way. Her and Peeta stood tall together. Gasps filled the building filled with injured unarmed men, women, and children. This was the first official citing of the Mockingjay. Kids ran up to hug her. Severely injured were wheeled up close to get a look at her. You could see that Katniss needed that visit as much as any of the people there. Someone asked about the baby. In the midst of everything, you had forgotten about the claim Peeta made the night before the Quell. 

You looked at him as Katniss said she lost the baby. Her voice cracking was convincing. Peeta cast his eyes down with a deep frown and you began to grow curious. Originally, you thought that it was a lie. In fact, you felt like you had to keep reminding her about her “condition” in the arena. But in that moment you questioned how much of their story was an act. Not much time could be spent there as everyone was alerted of hovercrafts appearing. The focus was to get the victors out of there. But you wanted to stay and fight. Katniss and Peeta did as well. Gale was just as ready as anyone. Commander Boggs had lost authority as soon as the hovercrafts became visible with the Capitol emblems painted on them. Katniss finally got to test out her explosive arrows. You and Peeta were in a separate area together, shooting at the aircrafts to try and redirect their attention from the makeshift hospital. Unfortunately, that appeared to be their goal. Not you. Not Peeta. Not even Katniss. 

Despite the team's efforts, those lives were lost.  Katniss gave a harrowing speech stating, “If we burn, you burn with us!” Plutarch almost crapped his pants when the footage came together for the propo. People were inspired. But Katniss suffered the losses the hardest. 

The two of you sat together in silence as she hid in your room from all of the commotion. People had been dropping off gifts at her family’s living quarters. Peeta was moved in with them once he had gotten a clean bill of health since they were technically married. Lie or not. President Coin was not going to allow questions of their credibility. “Was there really a baby?” You asked. Katniss shook her head. 

“No,” she stated. “Peeta and I never,” she couldn’t finish the sentence as she blushed redder than Wanda’s wig. 

“What about you and grumpy?” You poked fun, it was just too easy to get her flustered. You were met with a glare so you held your hands up in surrender. There was another long stretch of silence before you got curious. “The secret wedding wasn't real either, right?” 

Katniss nodded, “All Peeta's ideas.” She cracked a smile as she looked at the wall of cement in front of her. “After, when we were back in the penthouse, he asked if he needed to apologize. I told him no.” You could tell she did care about Peeta a lot. When you had to save Peeta's life, you knew you misjudged her. But you can't help but feel a bit jealous that she has him here and you are without your Wanda. You are certain about your Wanda. 

“How's the fake married life treating you?” You asked teasingly to keep a playful energy instead of wallowing in your self pity. 

Katniss rolled her eyes and shook her head. She didn’t answer for a long moment. Then she sighed and said, “Not too bad actually.” She didn’t give any details because what she and Peeta do in private she holds sacred. You could understand because you’ve never shared stories about your time with Wanda. Not that anyone would have asked. 

The day you finally got reunited with Wanda was a bittersweet moment. She jumped into your arms as soon as she saw you running towards her. You kissed her and wanted to hold her tight but you were careful. She was thin, with cuts and bruises all over her face and body. Her right arm was crooked, like it had been broken and it didn’t heal properly. You didn't want to think about what they did to her but the evidence was all over her. You kissed her as you promised that you’d make all of them pay. She asked you to marry her. 

You said yes. 

Annie and Finnick were reunited as well. You hadn’t been able to visit with him much when you centered your focus on Katniss and Peeta but he looked healthy and he was steady enough to hold Annie in his arms. 

Johanna was amongst those that were rescued. There was no one to run to her. So you, Finnick, Katniss, and Peeta all made a point to welcome her. She flipped everyone off then pressed a button that administered morphine. She closed her eyes and fell asleep, everyone had to awkwardly shuffle out of the room. 

Gale was amongst the soldiers that volunteered and were approved to go on the rescue mission. You tried to go but Katniss and Peeta were tasked to keep you busy until the team had already left. You felt betrayed by the both of them but it was nice to have them by your side as you anxiously waited. 

With Wanda in District 13, you wanted to ignore your schedule and spend all of your time with her, but you couldn't. You had to keep your status if you were going to go to the Capitol and kill the Peacekeepers that did this to her. You wanted the pleasure of ending Snow's life yourself but it was obvious that there was a plan for the Mockingjay to have the honors. 

Wanda had to undergo surgeries to correct and help her injuries heal properly.  So it wasn’t like she was waiting for you in her room. While she was in surgery, you were in training. At night, you slept in a cot that Prim snuck into the room for you. She said that she owed you for bringing her sister not only out of the arena but back to herself. You shook her hand and declared that both of you were even. 

You were the first to mention to the people in the command room of your engagement and even offered to have the wedding televised on the condition that Annie and Finnick could have a private wedding. They deserved to continue to live in peace. Finnick hadn't made a public appearance since being in District 13 and Annie didn't need to be used as a pawn in these games anymore. Wanda was the one to suggest the wedding. She wanted to show Snow that nothing was going to get you, her, or this revolution down. 

The news of the wedding spread like a wildfire. The revolution has been so daunting that the citizens welcomed the chance to celebrate something. People would whisper in your presence and you had to awkwardly nod your way through the cafeteria as you picked up your meals before walking it to the infirmary to have the meal with Wanda. 

She blew you away with her strength. 

The first time she walked into the cafeteria, a man that was walking to a table dropped his tray off at the nearest one and ran towards her. You stood in front of her to protect her but she moved you and met him halfway. “Pietro!” She shouted with joy. You felt bad as you had forgotten about her twin brother. She'd tell you stories about him whenever the two of you took a stroll together. She told you once that he'd gotten himself in a lot of trouble with the government and the price to bail him out was too high. 

Luckily, because of her minor celebrity and her family’s status in the Capitol, she was able to barter to save him from becoming an Avox. Instead, he was forced to serve as a Peacekeeper in District 12. He was ranked pretty high in District 13 on arrival, not only for his experience as a Peacekeeper but because he helped Gale get people out of 12. You couldn't believe that you had been training with him for months and neither of you had said a word about Wanda. It was probably for the best at the end of the day. Neither of you needed to distract one another with the fears and grief. 

The three of you found somewhere to sit together and you let the twins get to catch up with each other. They were separated from each other for years. You were planning on spending the rest of your life with her, you were more than happy to third wheel the meal. 

On the day of the wedding, Katniss let it slip that Peeta had a surprise cake he’d been working on for you. She was helping you get ready because you'd asked her to be part of the wedding. You would have asked Finnick if he wasn't getting married as well and if he wasn't in hiding. At that point in the revolution, his disappearance was being used as a motivator since Finnick was a loved victor. He was meant to be hidden because he was believed to be dead. 

Katniss was confused at first when you asked her to officiate. She had assumed it would be led by Coin or an appointed official. You explained that it was a tradition that the bride and groom picked the person to officiate the wedding in District 4 to give it a more personal touch and she accepted. But she wished it was Peeta you had asked. She hated making public speeches and you knew that. You also knew that she would be able to deliver something inspiring and that she knew you better than Peeta did. 

You weren't wrong, she delivered a beautiful speech about the star-crossed lovers of Panem. The victor from District 4 and the woman they loved from the Capitol. She mentioned the bravery the pair of you had exhibited and that others could benefit from following the example. She went on to express the importance of this impossible unity love and encouraged the rest of the country to follow you and Wanda into a brighter future. That although the government had painstakingly painted those in the districts to be nothing more than animalistic slaves and declared that those in the Capitol were more deserving of comfortable or extravagant lives, the two of you saw past that false narrative and fought against the mandated division and saw each other as equals. As partners willing to risk their lives for one another. Something that the people in the districts, in the Capitol, and even those working as government officials or Peacekeepers, can find within themselves to see each other as equals as well and not see each other as an enemy or an abomination. That as a country, the people can come together and stop killing for a man that doesn’t care if his citizens live or die. 

Wanda went first in the exchanging of vows, she made everyone in attendance laugh with a couple of jokes about you and the way you charmed your way into her heart. Then she vowed to love and cherish you forever. She vowed to stay committed to only you as long as the both of you shall live. She vowed that she will stand by your side in sickness and in health. Finally, she said, “We came together in a time when we were constantly being kept apart. I am ready to get to know you not as the person you've had to become for others but as the person you are. Give me your bad hair days, your long rants and conspiracies, your burnt waffles, and lost socks. Give me your every day, and I will give you my love to make it all alright. You are my every dream come true, and I can't wait for the reality we get to build together once we are free. You make me laugh, you make me think of a brighter future, and above all, you make me happy. I love you.” 

“Wow,” you gasped as you wiped tears from your face. “Tough act to follow,” you stated, which caused laughter through the guests' tears. You told the story of how the two of you met. How she was barely making a name for herself as a reporter and that you were so intrigued by her that you agreed to sell out the victors you didn't get along with to help her career grow. You stated that you couldn't even apologize because it led to this moment. Your vows reflected hers when it came to the basics. 

You sighed as you looked down at your shoes for a moment. They were Peeta Mellark's. He insisted on a trip back to District 12 to pick up a suit for you and a dress for Wanda. You tried to talk him out of it, you would have hated for Peeta or Katniss to get caught or killed just so that you looked presentable for the wedding. Katniss convinced you to let them do it. Then she explained that Cinna and her prep team left behind the wedding gown options that they thought might win just in case. Wanda joined them and found one she liked and with Katniss’s help in the woods, they found materials to make enough red paint to splatter across the white fabric. It looked like she'd murdered someone. It made her look deadly. You loved it.

“Wanda,” you looked back up at her. “As someone that did their best to remain alone to protect innocent people, you snuck your way into my heart. I feared for a long time what would come of us if anyone found out that we were more than a prostitute and their buyer. But you weren't afraid. You have taught me that two people joined together with respect, trust, and open communication can be far stronger and happier than each could ever be alone. You are the strength I didn't know I needed and the joy that I didn't know I lacked. Today, I choose to spend the rest of my life with you. I love you more fiercely with every second that slips through our hands.” Even though the two of you had exchanged the term of endearment everyday since her arrival, it was still so refreshing and freeing to finally say the words out loud. “My darling, it's with pride and joy that I take you for my wife. Together, we can weather any storm, no matter the season of our lives. I have found my forever partner. With you in my life, I could never be lonely again. I'm in awe of you, our bond, and our potential. I promise to remain in awe while I cherish you for all the rest of our days.” 

The kiss you shared was one of the most magical you'd ever experienced up until that point. The cameras were shut down as you and Wanda made it look as though the two of you left the area. Once the cameras were off, that's when the Odair wedding began. Finnick and Annie asked you to officiate. So you did. You performed the wedding, not as well as Katniss did but your friends were satisfied with it. 

Afterwards, the two were excused to celebrate on their own accord while you and Wanda were expected to continue to put on a show for the cameras. Not that you minded, you were happy to be dancing with her in front of everyone instead of in the refrigerator light in the middle of the night. It was the perfect way to show the citizens of Panem that change was upon them. 

Within the next week you were being sent to the Capitol because Katniss decided to go a bit rogue and send herself into the battle. Gale was already stationed there along with Commander Boggs after a successful mission with District 2, so she had some allies that weren't quick to turn her in. But someone else was and to save face, Coin organized Squad 451, nicknamed the “Star Squad” as she also sent Peeta and the camera crew with you, even Johanna was being sent in. The squad was meant to be recorded, not meant to get caught in any real battle. You laughed as Johanna flipped off Castor and Pollux every time they pointed the camera at her. If this wasn’t war, you would have gaurenteed that merchandise of Johanna and her middle finger would have been the next big thing in the Capitol. 

Katniss was shocked to see you there because of the new marriage but you assured her that this is what Wanda wanted. “She was tortured and nearly gave her life in order to keep this fight going,” you stated as you spun the trident around in your hand to get used to it. “Can't go back until we're free. Those are her orders,” you grinned and leaned forward. “Besides, I kind of promised her a list of heads as souvenirs from this trip,” you winked.

“Better get to work then,” she nodded once before moving away from you to greet Peeta with a hug. She also hit him upside the head which made you chuckle. He apologized for being there but it wasn't up to him. The cameras were around but they weren't focused on them so when they shared a kiss, you couldn't tell if it was for show or for them. But you looked away and your eyes ended up on a somber Gale Hawthorne. He wasn't all bad, he was starting to grow on you as you could tell that he cared the only way he knew how. But he needed to realize that he needed to move on. Then you watched as his gaze began to follow Johanna and you scrunched your features. He couldn't handle her, you knew from experience. 

The mission ran long as the group of you were faking a lot of action to get footage while being safe until it no longer could be sustained. Peacekeepers found the Star Squad and led the group into a trap that cost half of the team. Biggs lost his legs because he stepped on a landmine. He transferred over the Holo to Katniss, a device only those in charge of a squad were given. Among many other features, it could project a holographic map and pinpoint the dangers around. Pods were what they were called because they could consist of any number of dangers. Unfortunately, it couldn't update as fast as the military could install them. 

The rest of the squad fled into the nearest building but one guy, Second Lieutenant Mitchell, got caught in a deadly net contraption that sliced him into pieces. Twin sisters that went by Leeg 1 and Leeg 2 got left behind because one of them  needed medical assistance and the rest of the unit needed to get out of there. Katniss claimed that she was sent there to kill Snow and although most - if not all - of the squad knew it was a lie, the unit backed her up against Lieutenant Jackson who tried to take over as the commanding officer after Boggs died. A call was made on the Leegs behalf to the rebels base and Homes volunteered to stay with them. 

When the remaining squad members were safe inside of a home that had been cleared out is when you find out that you were dead. That all of you were dead. A mandatory broadcast showed what you knew were the Leeg sisters and Homes firing at Peacekeepers out of the building you guys had to leave them in. The building was blown up by the Peacekeepers and your face was the first one to appear on the screen along with the sound of a cannon and the music that would play for fallen tributes in the Hunger Games. You’d have clapped at their theatrics if it wasn't inappropriate. 

President Snow appeared on the screen as he began to drone on and on about a cease fire. But he is interrupted by President Coin giving an almost convincing eulogy for Katniss. You turned your attention towards her as it went on and she rolled her eyes. The Mockingjay was dead. “Congrats,” you said as you nudged her shoulder. She shook her head which made you laugh as you finished the can of tuna you had raided from the cabinets. It reminded you of home. 

From there, more people were lost as the squad tried to move through the Capitol underground in order to get to Snow's mansion. The streets were flooded with pods, it was impossible to move through them and the rooftops were too risky. Underground tunnels were the only solution. Pollux was the one to lead the unit through because he used to work there when he was an Avox. Katniss stood close to him, scanning the area with the Holo for extra precaution. 

No one was prepared for the rush of events that took place all at once. Blood thirsty mutts flooded the tunnel system. It cost the life of Homes, Jackson, and Gale. He was the last one to go. Katniss had to drop the Holo on top of him as he was being eaten alive. “Nightlock, nightlock, nightlock,” she said to activate the self-destructive feature of the device. It blew up and the unit still had to run. You were cut up all over because those mutts had sharp nails. 

As soon as you guys were out of the tunnels Peacekeepers were waiting and ready. Firing at the squad on sight. Katniss used her explosive arrows while you used the handgun you were given in case you lost your trident, which you did during the mutt fight, while the rest of the squad used their machine guns. 

As the unit ran for their lives, deadly light beams shot out at random taking Messalla, Cressida’s assistant. It turned him into dust. At the example of the danger, everyone avoided the light. Once the team crossed over a short barrier, the floor began to disappear as it was being eaten away by spikes. Everyone made it past that into the safer area of what looked like a parking garage. 

“I know where we can hide,” Cressida announced as soon as she recognized her surroundings. Everyone followed her to a store and inside a woman that resembled an exotic animal let the team hide in her basement. 

Castor and Pollux patched you up to keep you from bleeding out. You had a lot of wounds that required both of them. Katniss sat in a corner with a lost look in her eyes. She'd lost Gale and so many other people because of a lie. So many lives have been lost because of her lies. Peeta sat beside her to try and comfort her. She allowed it until you started to scream because of the crappy job that Castor and Pollux were doing at fixing you up. They were much better filmmakers and soldiers than they were medics. 

Katniss got up and came over to help them. “This is all my fault,” she whispered with tears in her eyes as she looked over your irritated wounds. “I'm so sorry,” she looked around the room. Cressida was gathering supplies from Tigris for everyone. Johanna was undressing to assess the damages done to her body. Castor and Pollux were exhausted. Peeta was also injured but he hid his injuries to protect Katniss. 

“I lied,” she said. “Coin, she didn't send me I,” she looked down at you, covered in mostly your own blood. “I came on my own. I thought I could… Gale,” she stared at you, she was lost in grief and guilt. Peeta limped over to her. 

“Katniss,” he sighed before he gave a speech about the lives in the arena that had been taken because no one had ownership of their lives. That the lives taken in this war were given by choice. Then he helped her patch you up. You were grateful to be alive after all of that. But this war still needed to end. Snow still had to die. 

And he did. 

What was left of the Star Squad stormed Snow’s mansion and killed anyone that got in their way. Snow was sitting smugly in his office chair when the unit burst through the doors. Katniss shot an electric arrow through his eye and Johanna chopped his head off for good measure. Castor and Pollux live streamed the entire ordeal. 

“People of Panem,” Katniss said to the cameras. “We are free!” 

The entire country celebrated as those left in power surrendered. 

When things settled down, Coin asked the remaining victors to vote on the possibility of hosting a symbolic Hunger Games after she appointed herself as interim president. No one knew who slipped a nightlock pill in her tea. But no one accused or questioned anyone. Most people assumed it was Katniss and those present for the meeting assumed it was you. Neither of you confirmed nor denied the rumors. 

Katniss and Peeta returned to District 12 while her mom and sister stayed in the Capitol to get better acquainted with the vast medical knowledge in order to help train others to make healthcare affordable and accessible across the nation. 

After a lot of debate, you and Wanda moved into your house in District 4. Your argument was that you had an entire mansion that you didn’t have to pay anything on and she rented a townhome. She liked her house and her life in the Capitol but none of it mattered at the end of the day. Life there was never going to be the same. So she agreed. District 4 was her home. After the hidden survaliance devices were removed from the mansion, of course. 

The two of you got to know each other in ways you never could before. You found out what a slob she could be. Wanda would forget to throw dirty clothing into the hamper. Then she'd wear all of her clothes until she ran out. You would point to the overflowing hamper when When she was done using a dish, it would sit in the sink instead of rinsing it off and putting it in the dishwasher. She was used to having a servant to take care of little things like that. Wanda found out that you were a terrible cook and that you have terrible self care habits. The two of you figured out ways to balance each other out. 

At the beginning, you and Wanda spent a lot of time together. Basking in the honeymoon phase as long as possible. But eventually, reality caught up and the both of you realized that there was still so much work to be done in terms of rebuilding the country. As much as you felt that you shouldn’t have to do more, you were still in a better position than most. So, you and Wanda figured out a way to be involved in the process of helping those who needed it most in the New Panem and opened a rehabilitation center in District 4. 

It started with a way to employ those who needed work. If you couldn’t find them a job in District 4, you or Wanda would reach out to other districts and help them and their family relocate. After several years, it grew to so much more. Now, it’s became a center that helps those with addictions, therapy to process trauma, a safe haven for those sold into marriages that they didn’t want to be in anymore, a space for those who struggled with life before and after the war. Even though you could have easily decided to coast by in life with the money you still receive and will continue to receive from winning the Hunger Games, it didn’t feel right when so many people that barely had anything to begin with, were left with absolutely nothing. 

Her brother, Pietro, decided to stay in District 12. In his time before the war, Pietro met a woman that he fell deeply in love with. Much like you and Wanda, they couldn’t be together in the way that they wanted because it could have gotten them killed. She had broken things off with Pietro just before the bombing to protect him because one of the other Peacekeepers had threatened to expose them if she hadn’t. It wasn’t until well after the war was over that she was able to find and recconnect with Pietro. 

“You Maximoffs are suckers for us simple district folk,” you joked quietly to Wanda while the two of you sat in the audience of his wedding. It was held in District 12 with the local traditions of the district. 

“Shut up,” she said as she hid her amusement and carefully dabbed her tears away with your handkerchief. She was so touched by the ceremony. She still couldn’t believe that any of it was possible. She looked at you as she reminisced about the day the two of you made history by getting married. You put your arm around her shoulder and she snuggled against you as the ceremony continued.  

While the two of you danced at the reception a little girl crashed into your legs. “Uh oh,” you said softly as you helped her up. She was afraid at first but then she smiled as she apologized. “I’m Y/n, and your name is?” You asked politely. 

“Willow,” she responded quietly and you grinned as you recognized her from the photos you have of her. Katniss sent them to you because up until now, you hadn’t been able to make a trip out to District 12. Not since a couple weeks after she was born.  

“Well, Willow, I happen to be a good friend of your Mommy and Daddy. I haven’t seen you since you were a baby,” you said as you offered her your hand. “Let’s go find them, shall we?” Willow nodded as she took your hand. Wanda watched with a deep sadness as you interacted so happily with the little girl. It was hard enough to see you around Finnick and Annie’s children. When you returned to her, she knew what you were going to ask of her and she couldn’t give that to you. She knows that she should have told you years ago, but she hoped that there would be an advanced treatment that could reverse the damage. She developed a relationship with Primrose Everdeen because she was the one who had to give Wanda the news in District 13. 

Fortunately for Wanda, you didn’t bring up the subject until the two of you were alone in the hotel room. “Willow is a cute kid, isn’t she?” You asked as you climbed into bed next to Wanda. Your wife hummed as she went over the files she brought with her. “River and Marina are pretty cool too,” you put your hand on her abdomen and she took a deep breath as she braced herself. 

“I think we should have kids.”

“I can’t have kids.” The two of you talk at the same time. 

“What?” You remove your hand as you sit up. Shocked by the reveal. 

Wanda swallowed the lump forming in her throat and she set the file on the bedside table. “I was pregnant when the Peacekeepers took me. I uh… They um,” she couldn’t stop the tears from falling as her heart broke again from reliving the horrible memories. You didn’t let her finish, you just held her tightly as your heart broke from the news as well. You had no idea that this was something she went through. Amongst the list of horrible things that happened to her when she was captured, this wasn’t something you anticipated. “I’m sorry,” she eventually said. 

“It’s not your fault,” you kissed her on the forehead and decided then that you didn’t need kids. Wanda was all you would ever need. 

That rang true. As the years went on, you and Wanda were there for nephews and nieces. The work the two of you built together was very time consuming, it left room for very little and the two of you were more than willing to make that sacrifice. Together, you might not have been able to bring a life into the world but you managed to change so many lives that it didn’t matter. The two of you lived happily together until the day you died of old age in each others arms. A gift that was once a rarity in the country of Panem. The life that you and Wanda led together wouldn’t have happened had there not been the hope of a free world. Though significant sacrifices were made, you wouldn’t have changed a single thing. 

Or would you have?

The Mentor

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[gavillain]

Episode 7 of Agatha All Along might have been the best episode yet??? Spoilers under the cut

So, when Joe Locke said in an interview that episode 7 was the one he was most excited for us to see because of Patti LuPone, I had a sneaking feeling it would be her death and focal episode, but OH MAN I was not expecting it to HIT like it did.

This episode was so fun because it had so many moments snapping into place like puzzle pieces, and I'm going to have to rewatch it to catch every single one of them. But I also loved how we see all of Lilia's moments of time being out of order and get the full context on what they all mean. I also love how I didn't get a single one right when I was guessing all along, but they all make such perfect sense that I'm like "OHHHHHHH" to everything.

We get the reveal in story that Rio is Death, and I'm excited to see where that reveal goes and how this changes things.

Lilia sacrifices herself this episode to apparently destroy the Salem Seven, and good GODS do I have the feels for it. She genuinely ended up as such a maternal figure to the rest of the coven by the end of things, and her reversing the tower was such a powerful moment. Death so far has claimed Sharon and Alice, but Lilia is the only one who took her inevitable death and used it to mean something, and that hits me right in the feels. She went out on her own terms accepting the inevitable reality, and seeing her fall on the swords was legitimately beautiful. I'm gonna miss her SO bad in the upcoming episodes, but I genuinely hope she stays dead and Marvel lets her story end because I can't think of any way it can be topped.

Also, are the Salem's Seven gone for good? I mean, after Lilia sacrificed herself, I HOPE they are, but we also never really got anything from them as characters and the only "villains" we have for the finale now are Rio (who is more an inevitable reality) and Agatha herself. I dunno, it miiiiight be too late for another villain to enter the scene, but in prior predictions, I guessed that Nicholas Scratch would be the final big bad of the show and the one behind the Salem Seven. So maybe he'll show up next time to make their storyline continue on. Or, heck, Mephisto and Blackheart are still potentially on the table too. We'll seeeeee....

The High Priestess, Jen, is the coven's future per the tarot spread, and in the trailers, we see a clip of Jen crawling out of the ground outside of Westview. Does this mean that Jen is the ONLY member of the coven to make it out of the Witches' Road? At the beginning, I figured Teenager ("damn, using his full name") would be the only one to make it out, but if it's only Jen who gets out, how is that going to work? Because Billy's story sure as Hell isn't going to end here. Maybe there's some nuance we haven't quite seen yet.

Random note:

I loved the classic witch costumes that the coven all got, and seeing Billy get Maleficent and Jen get Grimhilde both REALLY tickled my fancy. Interesting that Lilia got Glinda, the only good witch of the lot. And she proved that she was indeed a very good witch in this episode.. I wonder if this means Agatha, Billy, and Jen will showcase more "Wicked," "Mistress of All Evil," and "Evil Queen" tendencies going forward. Probably not, but that IS a thought...

[that-ari-blogger]

Connection (Reaching Out)

In the wind up into a series’ final arc, episodes tend to feel janky. As if they are trying to pad out the series or are unsure whether the arc has started or not. As a rule, these tend to be below average in so far as quality goes.

The Owl House, however, exists by subverting expectations, so these episodes are some of its best. Reaching Out, for example, uses the plot limbo to tell a focused story that is by far my favourite episode of the series, as well as being one of my favourite stories ever put to screen.

This episode deals with family first and foremost, specifically through the lenses of grief and legacy. It’s about memory and tradition, as well as connection and love.

Let me explain.

SPOILERS AHEAD (The Owl House)

The Owl House has a very specific style of story that it likes to tell.

This is different from genre, and part of why I dislike that concept. It’s simultaneously more broad and more specific. The series plays around in fantasy and horror, it takes inspiration from classical epic fantasy as well as shonen anime, it’s a satire of itself.

But that’s just the breakdown of genre, The Owl House’s style of story is centred around quests and humour. Episodes give you a problem that can be tangibly fixed, and either find a solution or work towards it, Understanding Willow gives you a magical accident and a spell to fix said magical accident. It’s self-contained and questy. "Go do x." "Find y." "Bring back the golden hoop of hoopiness." Etc.

This episode does things differently, in the sense that I challenge you to find a tangible solution to the problem of grief and physical distance. Even in The Owl House, dead people stay dead, and there is no foreseeable way to get home within the next day. You can’t fix that; you just have to find a new way of doing things.

It will not have escaped your notice that the episode’s opening scene is the shortest in the series, and that is because it doesn’t need to be longer.

A cold open needs to do one thing and one thing only. It needs to establish the plot of the upcoming episode. It’s a tidy way of getting across the core conflict to come, and let the audience know what they are in for.

This is the issue I have with Batman Beyond, but it’s a minour issue and not the point, so I’ll leave that for a future post.

Reaching Out opens with an event reminder. The scene has no words in it, but it is sold entirely by the acting. The animation conveys the emotions going through Luz’s mind perfectly, and it’s unclear. Guilt, fear, sadness, its ambiguous to allow for a sense of mystery, but you do know that she doesn't feel good about whatever this may be.

Then she presses “Ignore”, and the scene ends.

That’s the entirety of the cold open, any more would feel cluttered, and yet you know exactly what kind of story you are in for. This will be an episode about Luz’s relationship with her mother and will provide detail into how Luz handles her own issues.

That jacket is a gift in this context from Eda. It may be Luz's technically, but this scene sets up Eda giving it to her to help her. Now Luz has a gift from a maternal figure, its a proxy that she will cling to over the course of the episode.

When the episode actually begins, Luz procrastinates on doing the thing she probably needs to do by making a list of everything else in the world that she would rather be doing. So, we get the defining conflict of the episode spelled out more specifically. She’s avoiding something. You could have got that from the opening, but now we get a little insight into why.

“Every year, me and Mom have this little ritual we do. It's nothing big. I just miss her. That's all.”

This episode has a slow burn to it, revealing more and more of the details of this ritual over time. It’s framed as a discovery, which works with the idea of the audience slowly discovering things about Luz.

I want to dwell a little more on the animation of this episode for a moment. I promise I’ll try to talk about other stuff as well, but this episode is just gorgeous to look at.

Luz doesn’t stop moving until the confession. She’s frantic, but in a really smooth way that I find rather interesting. In just the above shot, she flows from one thought to the next, from one action to another.

This creates a feeling of momentum that diminishes over the course of the scene. It’s dynamic, like the series as a whole, but it's slowing down to something slower paced signifies the episode’s decision to focus in on something small.

“What you need is a healthy distraction from your problems.” “I have a problem, and it could distract us all day!”

That’s a very specific word choice to happen twice in twenty seconds, it's almost as if the there’s a theme going on here, and there is. Luz is seeking that distraction from her issue.

Which brings me to the subject of said issue, the grief ritual.

According to a Psychology Today article titled “The Power of Rituals to Heal Grief”:

“Rituals are an important way for people to find meaning when they lose a loved one. Everyone is familiar with rituals. Perhaps you’ve performed them during holidays, in church, or even before ballgames. You may have performed rituals to acknowledge important life changes—graduations, retirements, and even funerals... The power of rituals lies in their symbolism. Consider the ritual of graduation. Walking across a stage and shaking someone’s hand is no big deal as an act in itself. We walk all over the place and shake people’s hands all the time. But this act takes on special meaning when it’s performed at graduation, symbolizing an important transition.”

A grief ritual is crystalised emotion, allowing you to act upon it and let the pain out in a healthy way. In Luz’s case, the picking of flowers brought about a connection between her and her mother. The two grieved together, and now their physical difference means that Luz doesn’t have anyone who understands her pain exactly to share the moment with.

Enter Amity, and I want to cover that scene last, because I believe it to be the series’ magnum opus, and it needs some more build up.

Please remember that this guy helped with the experimentation on the Basilisks. He wasn't just complicit; he was an active participant. Remember that when talking about Warden Wrath.

Amity is going through what I hesitate to call a generic The Owl House plot, but it's definitely something more in the series’ general wheelhouse. She has identified two problems, those being a rift between her and her father, and the decision that was made for her about joining the emperor’s coven; and she has decided upon a solution, win the Bonesborough Brawl.

This is achievable and presents room for hijinks. Its self-contained. But it’s also an example of how well The Owl House handles theme exploration.

Each episode of the of this series has an idea that it wants to explore, and every plot point within it delves into something about that theme. In this case, it’s connection and drifting apart. Amity is drifting away from her father, Luz can’t get to her mother, and the two of them are being driven away from each other by Luz’s increasingly desperate attempts to distract herself.

You would think that grief is a secondary theme here, but it’s not. Connection is a facet of grief as an overarching idea. That’s why this is about grief rituals rather than just the feeling of loss.

The article I mentioned earlier has a passage that goes into this concept in more detail, but from a slightly different perspective.

“For Donald, this ritual was meaningful because it shared his great love of nature with his dad. For his father, it was meaningful, because it kept a piece of his son alive and well. Eventually, Donald passed away. To this day, however, his father visits the preserve four times a year, once for every season. There, he speaks to his son, takes a few pictures, and doesn’t show them to anyone.”

It's about connection to the deceased, with the person gone by. It’s a way of communing with the only thing left of that person, their legacy.

Which reframes Alador a bit here doesn’t it. He’s set up as a mirror to Manny, and yet he’s still alive. Except, is he?

In a physical sense, yes. But the person whom Amity wants to connect with is long gone at this point. Young Alador and Old Alador are very different people, specifically in terms of agency. Young Alador acted, Old Alador reacts.

So, Amity tries her own ritual to connect with the Alador that once was. Alador gets to see this and is forced to think for a moment. Suddenly, his world has been rocked just far enough for him to start listening.

The conversation is all well and good. But for my money, the look of abject pride on Alador's face here sells the connection more than anything. This is someone who, for the first time, has looked at what his daughter is rather than what he wants her to be, and he is proud of what he sees.

“What? You don’t want to join the Emperor’s Coven anymore? But that’s always been your dream.” “No, that’s always been Mom’s dream. And you went along with it. I bet you didn’t even know I was dating Luz!” “Edalyn’s kid?” “See, you don’t talk to us anymore! You’re too busy making these monsters for the Emperor, and Mom’s been too busy trying to dye my hair green.”

Turns out, when you stop listening to your kids for a while, you miss things. Your assumptions might be wrong. Your understanding of who they are might be way off the mark.

That’s what Alador realises here, that the thing he’s been trying to connect with his daughter over was never truly there. So, he takes a different approach.

“I like your new hair colour. Its abomination coloured.” “Finaly someone gets it. Can you tell Mom that?” “I’ll talk to her.”

The hair dying has been a symbol of agency for Amity over the course of the series. It was green as she sought her mother’s approval, then that faded and she was given the choice of what to do, and she chose the pink. It’s an expression of her own wants and desires, and she wants to be like her father.

Alador’s new approach isn’t to bond with his daughter over expectations, its to take an interest in something she does, and find common ground there.

I like the act of reaching for a hug and getting subverted. The relationship has mostly collapsed, and they’re now rebuilding it almost from scratch.

“It’s a start.”

Connection, relationships, love, loss. We have some key themes, let’s get into that tree scene.

I’m not going to give you the entire scene here, watch the episode. Writing out the words doesn’t have nearly the same impact as the stellar voice acting.

Instead, I want to highlight how this episode achieves its nuance, and that is through the grief rituals that I have kept mentioning. Any story can talk about how loss makes someone feel, but this doesn’t mention that at all. Instead, it highlights how the physical separation interrupts with the process.

Luz’s grief centres around sharing that emotion with her mother, she expresses it through the practiced motion of picking flowers with someone else who can share her pain.

“I don’t know what rituals you have in the Human Realm, but, I’ll help you pick some flowers, and we can do something here!”

Amity doesn’t know what Luz is going through, but she can empathise. She can see her girlfriend is going through something and help her out. She can take the place in the ritual and allow Luz to grieve.

Love isn’t about the good times, it’s about everything. Love is about joy and heartbreak and triumph and loss. Its about sharing emotions together, lifting each other to new heights, and supporting each other in the lowest moments.

The episode doesn’t give us a fix to its issue. Luz is still separated from her mother, but it gives us a substitute, and that leans in to a theme I haven’t really mentioned yet at all in my coverage of the series, distance.

Yes, the obvious of Luz being away from home and wanting to get back has been a core part of the plot, but the series hasn’t really engaged with what that means up until now.

Sometimes distance separates people, whether it be through forced movement, or just the twists and turns of life. And sometimes that comes in the way of rituals like this. Do you bottle up the emotions until you get back? No. You find a new way of doing thing, you adapt, you change. You find the light.

Light, do not faulter.

Final Thoughts

This episode also establishes lore for how the Wild Witches work, specifically through that idea of connection again. The Wild Witches are a group of people who accept and protect each other, you don’t have to be skilled at anything to be a Wild Witch, you don’t have to meet any criteria. Which is good, because Edric is awful at potion magic. But that’s not the point, the point is that he has an interest in going outside the box, the point is the effort not the execution.

Considering how the Emperor made wild magic illegal, the Bad Girl Coven takes on a ton of queer/pride coding. They support each other because nobody else will. Anyone who slips through the cracks has a home in the Bad Girl Coven. Just like pride, where there isn't a bar at a parade that says: "you must be this gay to enter", it's about accepting everyone for who they are.

Next up is Them's The Breaks, Kid, so stick around if that interests you.

Previous - Next

[ecargmura]

A Terrified Teacher At Ghoul School Episode 6 Review - Craziest Sports Day

Hands down, the craziest sports day I’ve seen in an anime so far. Maybe it’s because these guys are youkai that makes it so crazy because they’re all using their abilities which wouldn’t be allowed in a normal setting. Also, this is the first two-parter for the show.

As someone who read the manga, there are a few changes this episode made. First off, the sports day had a chapter called Prep Time where the class was preparing for the event. This is the part that had Maizuka rolling on a stone with Haruaki, Sano and Kurahashi chasing after him. This is also the episode where Kurahashi was formally introduced. However, I do get why it was cut out as the Sports Day is the main highlight and that the prep time chapter ends with four characters getting stuck in the mountains and how they got back was never explained. It would be weird to just transition from there to the Sports Festival without explanation.

Another change is Kurahashi predicting Haruaki would be wearing a red fundoshi as punishment. In the manga, he predicts Haruaki would be wearing a blazer uniform, which he hates. However, the anime made it so that Haruaki likes all sorts of female uniforms when he’s just a sailor uniform fanatic in the manga. The principal just suggested the red underwear just for shit and giggles. Speaking of Kurahashi, his hair is colored as orange in the anime but he’s blond in the manga.

The last of the major changes in the anime is Hatanaka yelling at the principal about potentially cutting his salary. He yelled that he has three kids. In the manga, he actually yells that he has a fourth on the way, but that was revealed in some chapters before the event. It is still canon that he has three kids. If you’re an anime-only, I hope you anticipate Hatanaka and his family because they’re absolutely hilarious but also adorable.

Anyways, other than that, the rest of the episode is about the Sports Festival and it’s the same as the manga! However, without worrying too much about manga and anime comparisons, I can safely say that the anime amps up the manga content due to motion and voice acting.

My favorite parts were buff Maizuka and Hijita’s misfortunes. I feel like Hijita gets the short end of the stick at times when it comes to the gags. The author loves making him as miserable as Haruaki at times. During the scavenger hunt, he got a prompt saying “A classmate you secretly hate”. I like the detail that Hijita likes all of his classmates and that he couldn’t bear to be hated by any of them. However, he took the crumpled paper Maizuka had and also took Sano, thinking it was Maizuka’s best friend paper. Little did he know, he was able to get out of being hated by his classmates…by accidentally revealing he has a ‘secret crush’ on Sano to which he rejects. Haha! At least you won, Hijita…but at what cost? Also, shoutout to Taito Ban because he makes Hijita even more hilarious!

The horse racing part was hilarious too because that’s when everyone uses their abilities to go wild. Apparently, Haruaki was the one who came up with the strategies, so even if he can be a dunce and a wimp, Haruaki is smarter than you expect.

There were some youkai students that were prominently featured in this episode. The first is the bespectacled Kurahashi, who is a Kudan youkai who can predict upcoming misfortunes upon someone. However, when he does make his predictions, he makes a hilarious face and horns also sprout out. Next is merman Maeda. I like that instead of a female, the merfolk in this story is male. From other classes, we have Kashima who is not a deer youkai but an oni. He’s more prominently featured in the spinoff prequel manga that takes place a year before the story. Long story short, he’s a childhood friend of Hijita and Zashiki’s.

I think having Marshmallow being a commentator was genius. He is adorable as heck, so the commentary becomes cute. Even Mouse-sensei notices an innate talent in commentary. I can’t wait to see how this arc will conclude next week. Who do you think will win or lose?

[vampstel]

Out of your favorite designs you’ve redrawn or has drawn who do you enjoyed working on the most?

As a character designer myself, I can’t help but love all my ocs equally, and learning from you actually helps me expand upon my stories. You’ve helped me so much writing a story for Victoria (She’s a princess vampire who is generations after Dracula (Temporary name because some details are being worked on) in my universe I don’t think this made sense but hopefully it does?) and I actually took some inspiration from your video in order to fully develop her.

I also love it when you diversity your work. It makes me really happy seeing all sorts of characters with real life details? If that made any sense. I like learning from you and I wanna try to understand more about details. Mainly because I suck at drawing details and idk how you do most of your stuff by hand. (I usually try to find brushes on IbisPaint on Pinterest for my work)

What kind of advice do you have for any upcoming artists who’s struggling with character designing?

Do you start with the character and then work on the story or is it the other way around?

This is going to be a VERY long response so it’s all gonna be under the cut…

I don’t really have a favorite design honestly... It’s hard to pick favorites when your characters have different aesthetics to them. It feels unfair to me to compare them because of that LOL so I try my best to avoid that.

That being said though, I can definitely say I had so much fun redesigning Elliot and making her her own person rather than a character who’s meant to represent me. She doesn’t have a full body render yet but… I think she’s neat :3

She’s just got all the things I love in one design and since she’s so personal to me, I guess you could technically say she’s my current favorite design out of all my OCs so far. Minus Rei, of course…

But yeah I can definitely relate to loving all your characters equally!! Victoria sounds cool and I’m glad my content helps you out ^_^

As for the last few questions… Details are really hard to draw especially if your art style is more on the cartoony side. There’s nothing wrong with using brushes or patterns online to help out the process but if you want to practice without them, it’s good to try out how to simplify details!!

Not everything has to be crazy complicated. So long as you get the general idea or silhouette of something in your art, it translates pretty well in the end results. Lots of artists simplify things to make it easier for the eye and it’s a hard skill to master but as you get used to it, you’ll become way better at it. Try and be fluid with your line work. That’ll help a ton!!

For advice on character design: I’d say the most important part to designing a character is making them feel alive by having meaning to their physical appearance and attire. A lot of beginner artists tend to forget that which results in a boring or un-relatable character.

We all have some sort of history with our appearances and it’s good to try and figure that out with your OCs. I usually do that during the design process but it’s fine if you do it after or before it. Before it is more ideal in a professional setting though!!

Go insane with designs. Mix and match aesthetics if you want and use LOTS of references and inspiration. That’s the second most important part. It’s why I have tons of pins saved on Pinterest and tons of reels saved on Instagram. But remember to always ask yourself questions like:

Would this character dress like this? What do they think about their clothes? Do they dress traditional, medieval, or modern?

Would they like this sort of thing? What sorts of fabrics and textures do they prefer to feel on their skin? Are they comfortable with revealing attire or do they prefer something more formal?

What sort of history does their clothes have? Was it a gift from someone, did they buy it from a thrift store or did they make it themself?

Do their accessories have sentimentality or are they completely irrelevant and something they use just for aesthetics?

Is there a way to incorporate things from their backstory or their current story to their appearance? Like scars/marks on their body? Maybe even accessories from a loved one or no?

Can you explain why they have specific physical features? Why are they skinny? Or muscular? Do they work out and eat healthy or do they barely take care of themselves?

It’s a lot to consider but when you can answer these questions, your character becomes much more lively and unique.

I personally tend to start the design of the character first but as I go through the drawing process, that’s when I flesh things out like their story and such. I don’t recommend this process to beginners since it’s SUPER messy but do what makes you feel comfortable! Hope this was helpful and thank you once again for the sweet compliments <33

[ncisladaily]

Okay, we’ll admit we were among those hoping for an appearance from Special Agent Kensi Blye tonight, considering the episode was directed by Daniela Ruah, who played the badass agent on NCIS: LA from 2009 to 2023.

But we’re happy to have Ruah (who previously directed episodes of NCIS: LA) bring her knowing eye to helming NCIS. “It was the first time I was directing on ‘the mothership’ as we lovingly call it,” Ruah tells us in Case Closed, our NCIS aftershow. “It almost didn’t matter what came my way in terms of storyline, I just wanted to be part of it and work with the crew and cast of NCIS. I was received with open arms – like a wonderful, warm hug.”

Her passion for directing showed in this classic case-of-the-week storyline where the team chased down a petty officer’s murderer, who turned out to be someone a little too close to home. It also included a comedic through line about Torres (Wilmer Valderrama) trying to hide the fact that he sometimes cheated on his strict fitness regimen from his new temporary roommate, boss Alden Parker (Gary Cole). “Wilmer’s a funny guy,” Ruah says. “He brings a comedic timing. My job is just to capture it. Maybe I throw in a possible improv.”

Sonja Flemming/CBS

Considering we last saw Kensi in the NCIS: LA series finale, discovering that her dream had come true, and she was finally pregnant with hubs/fellow agent Deeks (Eric Christian Olsen), we had to know if Ruah wonders as much as we do what her alter ego is doing now. As Ruah was sharing with us that she calculated Kensi’s due date and would always love the character she’d played for so long, she realized she was wearing an outfit she’d taken home from set that had been part of Kensi’s onscreen wardrobe – sweater, jeans, and signature boots. She cracks about how the writers might have worked Kensi’s motherhood into a script: “Do we now have an episode with Kensi fighting with a baby in her arms? I wouldn’t put it past her. Or is she out of the game for a couple months?”

Ruah also told us how she feels about the upcoming Paramount+ series (nicknamed) NCIS: Europe which reunites beloved NCIS couple Tony (Michael Weatherly) and Ziva (Cote de Pablo). “I think it’s the best thing ever,” Ruah says. “They had time to go off and do other things. These roles are so establishing for us who have been cast members on the show. For them to pick up these two characters that people fell so madly in love with — even I was shipping ‘Tiva’ —  it’s a wonderful idea, and I’m so excited to watch it.”

As for a Kensi and Deeks spinoff? “I don’t know that I could see one in the near future,” Ruah says. “Eric’s really busy doing what he’s doing and loving that. I’m loving this. I would never say never, but in the near future, that’s probably not on the table. It’s important for us to go and find ourselves in other things. The show was important and special to us, but it’s like leaving the nest.”

You’ll get to see Ruah’s behind-the-camera talents again in an episode of NCIS: Hawai’i coming up in April. Ruah, who does not appear in the hour, reveals that the plot takes deep dives into the characters and, “I think it’s the darkest episode they’ve ever had. The crime that’s committed and what we find out over the course of the episode…it’s not a pleasant story.”

Check out the video for more from Ruah about working with Sean Murray and LL Cool J; what Agents Kensi, Knight (Katrina Law), and Ziva have in common; and more of her thoughts on what it takes to direct a top-notch hour of TV. Hey, we may even see her pulling double duty at some point. Ruah tells us, “I am not opposed at all to showing up as Kensi in one of the NCIS shows.”

[trainsinanime]

WIP reblog game

I got tagged by @chaos-has-theories and @into-september. Sorry for the delay in doing this, I just forgot about it.

If you're like me and you have a million WIPs and are anxious about updating them, play this game!

List the titles your top five priorities for WIP updates (link your fics for new readers!)

An upcoming scene, event, or detail in each fic that you're looking forward to writing

Bonus: make a poll for your followers to vote on which top 5 WIP they are most excited to see an update on!

Then tag 10 writer friends!

Let's start with the stories. So, I don't trust myself with multi-chapter stories, it takes me forever to write one-shots already, so (almost) none of these are out yet. You can read the ones that are out over here.

Operation Multifail. Three-chapter story where Marinette tries to convince Chat Noir to stop thinking about Multimouse by fighting as Multimouse, badly, on purpose, so he'll think she's incompetent. It doesn't quite work out.

Kwamidaddy Adrien. Assumes Marinette is the guardian. For reasons, Chat Noir has to take the Kwamis for a while. They all promised not to tell him anything about her private life. Shouldn't be a problem, right? This one may also end up being like three chapters

Chlogami Sabrina's Wedding. I think I posted a rough outline for chapter one here: It's Sabrina's wedding, and drunk Chloé confides in also-drunk Kagami about her complicated relationship to Sabrina, how she's happy for her but also jealous but also knows that because of their baggage, it could never work, while Kagami also has feelings about Adrien's and Marinette's upcoming wedding. I have like half a first draft of a first chapter here and absolutely no clue where this might go next.

Wings AU - Learning to Land. So there's a wings AU concept for Miraculous that keeps coming up every now and then. A bit too angsty for me, but when I first heard it, I thought it was a fun idea to talk about aerodynamics and world building in that context, specifically where Marinette teaches sheltered Adrien how to fly.

Plagg Interview. Now we're deep in the dregs, I picked a folder at random. Alya publishes interviews with someone close to Chat Noir's thinking. That someone: Plagg, who has been bribed with cheese. Marinette is not happy, but she can't say anything because Alya can't learn she's Ladybug. Yeah, this one's been sitting in my folder for a while. As have the others. Probably a one-shot.

Stuff I'm looking forward to in each fic:

The whole thing is based around big action set pieces. Three big Akuma fights, one in each chapter, which Marinette tries to fail at in different ways, and fails to fail, so to speak. I have no idea how to write these well, but I think that can be fun. Super-unpopular opinion: Fanfiction has way too much angst and romance and not enough action, and I'm definitely part of the problem myself.

Adrien interacting with the Kwamis who imprint on him as their father should be really adorable. As should the Kwamis trying their best to get Adrien and Marinette to marry (without revealing too much (they will reveal too much)).

Writing the banter between Chloé and Kagami is fun. I want to write more of it. I can definitely see someone taking that concept and turning it into, for lack of a better word, "normal long fic"; you know, thirty chapters, misunderstanding, they take a trip for a few chapters and return, so on and so forth. I'm not doing that, I don't have the work ethic and it's not actually my favourite genre of fanfic anyway. But what else could this story be? Figuring that out is an interesting challenge.

Aerodynamics! Learning to land! How do you learn to fly in a Wings AU? What does "rich kids aren't allowed to fly" mean for the world building? I don't have a story here at all but I do like the setting.

Plagg and Alya scheming together should be gold. Plagg trying to barter with a Marinette who can't reveal she's the Guardian has also a lot of comedic potential. Plagg trying to teach both of them how much Adrien needs them could be very emotional. Just Plagg.

Also, do you have any title ideas for any of these? I think Operation Multifail is good, the rest are just literally the file names I chose when I started with these projects.

I am tagging, very much at random, @sizzleissues, @pauliestorylover, @oblivionhold, @wrw47, @precious-notes, @kyuunonana, @aidanchaser, @aanabear2803, @valtionrautatiet-official and @cosmiccarrotcake. The requirement for inclusion was "I found you in my activity view in the past three months", so if you don't know what fanfic is, or don't feel like doing this, do feel free to ignore this.

[gctchell]

name. Charlotte "Charlie" Morningstar. alias. Pomme. age. 200+. gender. Female. sexuality. Bisexual, strongly female-leaning. species. Demonic Nephililm (Human/Angel). occupation. Princess of Hell, Owner of the Hazbin Hotel.

Charlie Morningstar based on Pilot while the rest of the story more or less follows the series.

Plucky, musical, magical, and armed with incredible ambition and a heart of gold, Charlie is an individual of the highest royal standing with a goal to redeem the damned and send them up right up to Heaven! Wild, right? How can someone who has been cast down to Hell be sent to Heaven? They're a Sinner, marked by their crime for all eternity! There's no switching their fate around and earning them a seat in eternal paradise.. To which Charlie would say, "Ohhh, I don't think so. Anyone can a u-turn if you give them the right space."

Owner of the Hazbin Hotel, the Princess of Hell has dedicated her time and efforts to shining up the dirty souls that dwell in the fiery underground and helping them see the light.. It's just.. going to take a little while, and that's completely fine! The backbone of Hell wasn't made in a day. She is patient and faithful to her cause, hellbent on seeing it through even if she has to bleed to prove it - which she has, and will more than happily do again.

Did I mention that Charlie is the Princess of Hell? I did? Did I also mention that she is the daughter of Lilith, the First Woman to walk in all of creation, and Lucifer, God's once-favored son and the very Devil the world has come to know? No? Well, now you know!

gentle notes & divergences:

More magical & witchy than you might expect! This is due to her being written with my Lilith in mind who is VERY witchy.

Even though Charlie is bisexual, she is purely sticking to the ladies!

Regarding the fight between Vaggie & Charlie in episode 7:

Charlie knew that Vaggie was an angel, point blank. She knew it when they first met. Being in Vaggie's proximity was in the same vein of being in the presence of other angels that reside in Hell like Lucifer, she knows how to sense her own kind (and also, golden blush? there was no way she would not have noticed that). She was waiting for her lover to admit her nature herself and did not want to rush her along. Charlie also had a strong suspicion that Vaggie might have been an Exorcist, but had nothing to prove it. The reveal drove the hunch home and set in that shock factor, but it did not drive the wedge between them that it did in canon.

Charlie is all about redemption - it's her goal, everything she believes in. Living with the possibility that her girlfriend is an ex-exorcist busting her ass and trying to get both of their dreams off the ground to help redeem the souls of the damned has long since been a heartening motivator for quite some time now, and regardless, the fact that Vaggie is an angel trying to help with redemption the Sinners at all is more than enough. It's not the secret that hurt, it was the fact that Vaggie never felt comfortable enough to tell her despite what they are doing. Having it dragged out by Adam & Lute was an unfortunately embarrassing affair that made Charlie question just how comfortable Vaggie really felt with her even with all the years under their belt.

Charlie needed some time to cope with her hurt feelings, but this sort of ordeal was not a cold war argument - they talked it out when they got home, as calmly as they could while the stress of the situation from the upcoming Extermination was weighing heavy on the both of them. Charlie does not like to give way to thoughtless arguments driven purely by emotion and no critical thought - she is running a Hotel that needs to prioritize the growth of a stable mental state, after all. So, they talked the best they could and eventually shifted gears to put their issues to the side for the time being - they have other issues at hand to deal with.

In the end, like the episode, they of course came back together and talked more in-depth about how they felt now that they had a defense plan for the Hotel cooking, taking a massive weight off of both their shoulders.

I will not write with the headcanon that Charlie is Eve/Roo's biological daughter.

Charlie did damage during the battle. Confrontation, violence, and self-defense in a visceral degree is something that Lilith prepared her for, made her more familiar with her bestial wild woman roots and demonic nature. Two centuries of preparation made her hideously formidable on the battlefield and led to Adam sustaining some pretty grievous wounds before he managed to get the upper hand. Like her mother, she bit into Adam and drank deep of his blood before torn off.

[ncisfranchise-source]

“Maybe he didn’t have a good time, but I had a good time,” NCIS: Hawai’i star Alex Tarrant says of his character, Kai, in the next episode.

“Operation Red Rabbit,” airing on April 1, sees Sam (LL Cool J) recruit Kai to be his wingman—in training. As you can see in TV Insider’s exclusive sneak peek above, Sam’s taking it seriously. Kai’s … trying to recover. Also in the episode, when the fiancée of a vanished naval officer seeks the help of NCIS, the team reveals his secrets go much deeper than she suspected.

Below, Tarrant previews Kai and Sam’s dynamic and teases what’s ahead.

Talk about the training that Sam’s putting in Kai through and their dynamic, because I really do like it.

Alex Tarrant: The Devil Dash is coming up, and I believe that Kai mentions something about missing the days of the intense grueling training that they went through while they were in the Marines. And because of that, they took a little trip down memory lane. Todd’s character, Sam Hanna, can definitely keep up, but Kai’s definitely struggling this episode.

Talk about work with LL COOL J on that.

It was our first time really getting to properly work together. He’s an amazing guy, extremely professional. There’s a big reason why he’s lasted inside this industry for so long. He’s a legend in all senses, and I just feel so grateful to be working with him. I’m learning a lot from him as I go, especially about how to better hold myself as a person within this industry.

Why does Kai put himself through all this training and go along with everything Sam says—even the food?

Sam, it’s interesting. His life is in parallel with his character. A lot of us on set look up to him as an actor. And I guess Kai definitely looks up to Sam Hanna in terms of what he’s gone through with NCIS and his awesome stories that he tells, and he’s become a legend within that NCIS department. And so I think Kai’s just really wanting to impress him—and I think he’s really paying for it.

CBS

Kai is in a relationship now with Camille (Peyton List). Is that something that’s going to last? How is Kai feeling about that?

We’ll see. It’s a really interesting relationship, something that I feel like was only able to develop within the really odd circumstances of being in a war zone and being trapped together. And I guess through that—I always think about this. We meet a lot of people at our best, but sometimes the journey with someone lasts longer when we meet each other at the worst of times, and so I think that’s a really interesting thing that’s going on between those two.

How much more are we going to see of that?

I hope more.

Are we going to see her again?

So far she hasn’t been back for Season 3, but there’s always potential in later seasons, if we’re lucky enough.

I have to say something I enjoyed is the Kai and Kate (Tori Anderson) friendship we got in the premiere and Lucy’s (Yasmine Al-Bustami) reaction to that. Are we going to see more of that friendship this season?

Yeah, I hope so. There’s definitely more potential for that, for those relationships to grow. But so far, they’ve definitely kept it about business and they’re definitely sharing the relationships between how Sam Hanna relates to each and every character, and I think that’s really, really important. But hopefully along the way we get to strengthen and expand on that relationship between Kai and Whistler.

NCIS: LA‘s Daniela Ruah came in to direct an upcoming episode. Talk about working with her as a director?

Daniela’s fantastic. She’s an actor’s director. She’s been through it. It’s really amazing watching her do the action because she knows it herself. We’ve done three seasons trying to figure out what it is to arrest someone and keep an eye out on everything else that’s going on. But when I see Daniela do it and talk us through it and walk us through it, it just comes so naturally to her, and I can’t wait for that day where it becomes natural for me.

What can you preview about that episode?

We go into the forest and search for a killer who is slowly picking off members of this elite Marine team.

[summerstrash]

Options for how Alex is the secret traitor in the upcoming X-Factor #2, given the solicit that dropped yesterday:

Option #1: Genuinely Scheming

Option #2: The Other Alex

Option #3: Down Bad Again

Option #4: Possession/Brainwashing

See below the readmore for my more lengthy thoughts about each, but right now, my money's on option #4.

Option #1: Genuinely Scheming

This is the option for Alex genuinely agreeing with Lorna's goals and feeding her info. This is technically possible given the way the solicit is worded, but it feels unlikely because Alex never chooses the non-institutional side of a conflict of his own free will. He will always choose a comfortable bed and incrementalist change within the system over liberationary terrorism when given the choice; it's just who he is. So I can't imagine him playing spy on purpose in a way that would risk his creature comforts.

Option #2: The Other Alex

This option is for Alex's dissociative disorder from Hellions coming back with a vengeance after the fall of Krakoa and whatever events put him in the gutter in Malibu, and while vanilla Alex has no idea he's dissociating, his violent, ruthless counterpart is feeding Lorna and her group info and possibly working more directly with them. This is possible, but I doubt it because Alex's disorder didn't really manifest in a way conducive to this kind of plotting before, because alter!Alex is kind of an immediate action violence kind of guy, not a schemer.

Option #3: Down Bad Again

In this option, Alex has reunited with Lorna in some fashion and is giving her information about what X-Factor is doing, not knowing she's using that info to further her group's goals, and thus the reveal in #2 is that Lorna has been leading this group and using him. This is entirely possible, considering Alex's down-badness is chronic and terminal, and all Lorna would have to do is act like she needs him, and he'd roll right over. I don't like it, though, because Alex/Lorna is my least favorite Alex relationship, and rehashing it again is not something Lorna deserves to have to endure. She's a fucking PhD now, she shouldn't have to have her role in the story be about how she and Alex are fucking again and it's causing him problems.

Option #4: Possession/Brainwashing

In this option, someone in Lorna's camp, with or without her knowledge and blessing, has possessed or brainwashed Alex in order to infiltrate X-Factor. I think this is the most likely option, because it keeps Alex from doing anything ethically dubious while still allowing for the betrayal plotline, and keeping it from Alex's knowledge that he's doing this. Alex also has a long and storied history of being brainwashed and used against his teammates, so like, it's kind of a classic trope for him now. My specific sub-theories here are:

A) Malice has joined up with Lorna and is doing what she does best, possibly without Lorna's knowledge. I like this theory because Alex being possessed by Malice would mirror the nostalgic 80s & 90s Malice possessions, and it would inevitably give me more lesbian Alex subtext to work with.

B) Alternatively, The Exes Have Unionized, and Maddie is manipulating Alex psychically because she and Lorna are working together to further Lorna's liberatory goals. If this is what happened, it's entirely possible that Maddie dumping Alex, which i think is what lead to his Malibu gutter era, was part of the plot, and I think that's a strong possibility, given the way Maddie treats Alex in Dark X-Men as a sort of pet or object, and how we don't really have an in-built reason for her to decide to dump him.

Either way, I'm curious as to which option Russell's chosen here, and nervous about what Alex is about to be compelled to do, but I'm feeling a little more positively than you might expect, given my typical opinions and thoughts.

I'm just hoping that, whatever happens, Alex gets some, like, genuine characterization and development out of it, rather than just reiterating everything the Krakoan Era did with him, which was to use him as a plot device and crutch for other characters' development rather than his own.

But, well, we'll see, won't we.

[lolablackwrites]

MC Mixer #3--Alice x Bastien

Here is my submission for week 3 of @choicesmcmadness​ ‘s MC Mixer!

Hello, Trend readers! Check out this online exclusive sneak peek from our intrepid arts and lifestyle reporter, Aisha Levins, and her interview with Lord Maxwell Beaumont about his upcoming book, The Royal Romance.

—Ana de Luca

***

Aisha: Lord Beaumont, thank you for taking the time to sit down with me to talk about your upcoming book.

Maxwell: Please, call me Maxwell, and thank you for having me.

Aisha: Your book, The Royal Romance, is one of the most hotly anticipated books in the last few years and from what I understand, preorders are through the roof. What inspired you to write this book?

Maxwell: In a word—Alice. She’s one of my favorite people and she’s really become a sister to me. And her story is a literal fairytale, starting as an American bartender only to rise to become the Champion of the Realm and a duchess, married to the love of her life.

Aisha: The Cordonian public has been fascinated by her from the beginning, and then the tumultuous stories in the press…can we expect to hear the truth behind the tabloids?

Maxwell: Absolutely. And trust me, the real story is even more exciting than what the public knows.

Aisha: How does Duchess Alice feel about you writing this book?

Maxwell: I think she was a little surprised at first because no one knew I was working on a book. (laughs) But she’s been incredibly supportive and at her request, a portion of the proceeds are going to Voices Unsilenced.

Aisha: That’s Duchess Rashida Masih’s organization for victims of sexual violence, correct?

Maxwell: Yes, and if you remember the tabloids, you’ll know why it’s so important to Alice, too. She, Rashida, and Olivia have been doing a lot for that foundation and I’m glad to help in my own way.

Aisha: That’s wonderful to hear. If I can, I’d like to switch gears a bit. Now I know you can’t reveal too much about the book—

Maxwell: Hey, I’ve gotta have a few surprises for you!

Aisha: Of course, of course. But despite being in the tabloids so often, Duchess Alice and Duke Bastien remain a bit of a mystery to the general public as they don’t often give a lot of personal interviews outside of the standard press conferences.

[Editor’s Note: Check back in next month’s issue when Ana de Luca sits down for a rare, exclusive interview with the Duke and Duchess of Valtoria!]

Maxwell: It’s true, I’m really the party face of the family. And I have the best dance moves!

Aisha: That’s certainly uncontested. Speaking of parties, I was hoping to ask a few questions about the duke and duchess and their party habits since the press is not often invited into many of the court events.

Maxwell: Sure, fire away!

Aisha: Tell me—do the duke and duchess arrive on time or fashionably late?

Maxwell: Bastien’s as punctual as all get out, probably from his time as the head of the Royal Guard. Alice is…well, not, but Bertrand would kill all of us if we weren’t on time so between Bertrand and Bastien, they’re usually on time.

Aisha: And what are their drinks of choice?

Maxwell: Bastien…well, he doesn’t usually drink much at court functions. Sometimes a glass of champagne or wine with dinner, but otherwise not much. Now, at private parties…oh, the stories I could tell about Bertrand’s bachelor party…

Aisha: I know our readers would love to hear them!

Maxwell: (awkwardly clearing his throat) I’d better not, I don’t know how happy Bertrand would be with me sharing those. Let’s just say there was beer and a bear and we all survived.

Aisha: As always, no one parties like the Beaumonts. Maybe in the sequel?

Maxwell: Most definitely.

Aisha: And what about Alice’s drink of choice?

Maxwell: Well since she’s pregnant, these days she just sticks to water. But as everyone knows, she was a bartender before we all came crashing into her life, so she has a refined whiskey palate. Red Spot was always one of her favorites.

Aisha: I imagine her bartending skills aren’t often needed at parties anymore.

Maxwell: Not at court functions, but I love having dinner at her and Bastien’s place because he’s an amazing cook and Alice always whips up the most incredible cocktails.

Aisha: Any chance for a recipe or two to end up in the book?

Maxwell: I could probably convince her to let me add a couple to the appendix. The one she made for my last birthday was amazing. I have no idea what was in it, but it was delicious. I had four.

Aisha: What are they like at court functions—are they wallflowers or social butterflies?

Maxwell: Bastien is definitely the more reserved of the two—he’s the strong, silent type, you know—but Alice is definitely the one befriending everyone. I mean, she managed to befriend most of her competitors during the social season, she won over Cordonia after she was unfairly maligned by the press after the social season, she’s raising a ton of funds and positive press for Voices Unsilenced, and she inspired the book I wrote that you’re interviewing me about today. Like I said before, she’s the best.

***

The full interview with Lord Maxwell Beaumont will be available in our next print issue.

[rebelsofshield]

Bad Batch Season Two Finale Predictions

The Squad is Reshuffled with Deadly Consequences

Crosshair will rejoin the Batch but one of the other members of the team dies while saving him. Crosshair is the show’s most interesting character and it would be a shame to kill him off at this point when there’s so much you could still do with his story. The most intriguing move right now would be to reintegrate him into the squad, but I think the show would be best served by having this be as rough a transition as possible. Having the Batch lose a member to gain one back feels like the most powerful storytelling move the series could make. And right now, the character that would make the most sense to fit that role is Tech. Out of all of the squad, Tech has arguably received the most attention this season in not only having this character expand his worldview but also in how Omega and the audience have come to view him as a mentor and older brother. Tech making the decision to sacrifice himself to save Crosshair and the rest of his squad would be an emotional season closer and the most dramatic way to send these clones into the third season.

Omega’s Purpose is Revealed

I think we will finally understand Omega’s purpose in this episode. While I’m not quite as sold on it as I was last season, I still have a suspicion that Omega was the first attempt at creating a Force sensitive clone. There has to be a reason why she is of such interest to Nala Se, and I’m not quite sold on the idea that her interest in the young clone is purely maternal. Regardless, I would be shocked if we don’t get at least serious clues as to why the Kaminoans find her so special in this finale.

We Will See the Creepy Clone Assassins Again

Speaking of special clones, I would be genuinely shocked if we didn’t get at least a bit of a tease regarding the mysterious assassin clone that appeared during “The Clone Conspiracy” earlier this season. There have been all manner of interesting theories about what exactly going on with this creepy character, some of the most interesting of which have been that they are early versions of Death Troopers or Dark Troopers. Regardless, I feel like the clones sent to Mount Tantiss are likely mentally reconditioned to serve as repurposed killers for the Empire and it seems inevitable that we will at least get some hints as to their origins/purpose.

The Zillo Beasts Return and Chow Down on Seasonal Baddies

How could we not see a Zillo Beast come Wednesday? The fan favorite kaiju from the Star Wars galaxy made a ground shaking Bad Batch debut in “Metamorphosis” and I can’t imagine that the team will pass up the chance to play with these monstrous toys once again. Not only that, but it seems perfect that Dr. Hemlock and/or his science team will fall prey to this hungry and pissed off giant space monster. How much more a poetic end can you imagine for a mad scientist villain?

Rex, Cody, and Ahsoka Appear

Rex appearing feels like an inevitability with Echo and the rest of the clone allies he has collected playing a role in the mission the Batch seems poised to undertake in this season’s two part conclusion. And frankly, after marketing Cody’s role in this season so heavily, I would be shocked if he didn’t reappear for at least a cameo. And speaking of cameos, it does feel like enough time has passed for at least a tease of Ahsoka Tano. The fact that the show has gone two whole seasons without a guest appearance by Star Wars animation’s most famous character is frankly an impressive move in self restraint, but her absence can only be for so long. There are stories to tell here and what better way for Disney+ to hype up her upcoming live action solo series debuting later this year.

[rebeccalouisaferguson]

Hi! I watched Dune: Part Two with my mom today, we both really liked it. It took us a while to even discuss this movie because there were so many events in my head - wow!

Rebecca Ferguson is, in a word, gorgeous… and at the same time very frightening. I've been meaning to watch Doctor Sleep for a long time. What do you think of him and the role of Rebecca? And I would also like Greta Gerwig to invite Rebecca to star as White Witch, in the upcoming film adaptation of the Chronicles of Narnia. I think Rebecca has such potential for dangerous and independent heroines.

By the way, my mom is also a fan of Rebecca now :) Of course, she had known her since the release of Rogue Nation, but she became interested in her only now when she watched Dead Reckoning and rewatched Dune. To her question: "What other films with her participation?" I showed her Silo, and before I could blink, she watched the first season in less than a week. Now we're both waiting for the second one!

As you know, in Dune: Part Two there is a powerful phrase by the emperor about the fate of Leto Atreides and why his fate turned out this way. And although at first I was sorry that we would not see Oscar Isaac and his character anymore, after this phrase, his death now feels… logical and correct in the context of the plot.

If something like this happens in the context of Rebecca's character in Mission: Impossible 8, then I would be happy about it.

Hi! Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us! Happy to hear you and your mom loved Dune: Part Two and want to watch other Rebecca's work! I'd definitely recommend to watch Doctor Sleep. Mike Flanagan's horror films and tv series are not classic horros with jump scares, they are more stories about loss, grief and humans dealing with life (even if this life is undead:). Rebecca is brilliant as Rose the Hat, it's one of her best roles and nuanced performance. I would say one scene is definitely particularly disturbing (the basketball boy scene) but it's worth watching for the acting.

As to Leto and Ilsa, Leto's death is canon and drives the plot forward. Ilsa's death is/was avoidable and I wouldn't say Ethan needed extra motivation to deal with Gabriel (and it does serve as a manpain, unfortunatley they way it was explained to us by McQ) but who knows what Mi8 brings. To be honest I made my peace with that outcome and whatever purpose/motivations will be revealed in MI8 it probably wont affect my feelings.

[toschestationserver]

FAQ

This FAQ is designed to answer some burning questions about the upcoming fic exchange.

What is the Tosche Station server?

It's a discord server created by the admin @mythicluke. It was created because he wanted to bring his friends together to have fun Star Wars conversations. Originally, it was made to champion Luke Skywalker analysis in a casual and fun environment, but it has since expanded to become a fully-fledged community in its own right.

Can I join the server?

The server works on an invite-only basis, and the admin only tends to invite those whom he knows well. However, this could change in the future, so keep your eyes peeled!

What is the Fic Exchange?

It's sort of like a Secret Santa. It's a way for Star Wars writers and artists to challenge themselves and allow for a casual but fun way to improve their craft.

How does it work?

On August 1st at 10:30am BST, prompting will begin and people can submit prompts in a Google Form and up to 2 prompts can be submitted.

On August 21st, claiming will open, where prospective writers and artists can claim a prompt. There will be one slot for writers and one for artists.

Writers and Artists will have 5 months to complete their work and regular check-ins will be carried out by the fic exchange team to make sure that people are on track for the deadline.

What is the theme?

The theme is New Beginnings.

Why have a theme?

Having a theme means that we can create a uniform collection of work all around a similar topic, and although the theme can be widely interpreted, it will allow the project to feel more coherent.

Where do I post my work?

Work should be posted on the New Beginnings Collection on AO3 after the Admin has given you a date to post them. Please don’t post them until you’ve been given a date to do so. There will be a 'big reveal' at a later point. Please do not self-promote until it is time to reveal your story. All works will be anonymous to start with. Thank you!

What happens if I'm not able to meet the deadline?

Please email toschestationexchange@gmail.com with your AO3 username, any other usernames we can use to get in touch with you, and the prompt you are working on. We will be able to work something out on a case-by-case basis.

Does it have to be my best work?

It doesn't! See the fic exchange as a way to grow and develop your skills, rather than a way to prove yourself to the community. You're more than welcome to submit your best work, but you're also welcome to push yourself or submit a first draft so long as the story is completed and doesn't already exist, or is not part of a work in progress (WIP).

All work should be a minimum of 3,000 words unless you are a pinch-hitter (this is where you pick up a prompt that was claimed by someone who dropped out). Pinch-hitter work should be at least 1,500 words. There is no maximum. Pinch-hitters can also claim the prompts that were left unclaimed after we have given them time to claim prompts.

How many prompts can I have?

You can submit a maximum of 2 prompts per person.

Can I do multiple prompts?

You must have finished your first piece of art or story. You can claim another prompt if you have done so.

What if I change my mind about my prompt?

You have until August 9th to submit a prompt. Please try not to have cold feet about the prompts you have chosen.

Do I need an AO3 account?

You do need an AO3 account to both post and receive work.

I'm currently on the waiting list for an AO3 account. What do I do?

Please fill out the below form and send it to toschestationexchange@gmail.com:

Username + associated social media platform(s):

Prompt you have submitted or claimed:

Estimated date for your AO3 invite:

Username (if not known, please email us as soon as you have your username):

Link to your AO3 profile (once created):

Does it have to be about Star Wars?

It does have to be about Star Wars. However, crossovers and AUs are perfectly fine.

What if I write or draw NSFW work?

You are welcome to participate! But please note that no person under the age of 18 can either request NSFW work or create NSFW work for this fic exchange. All NSFW work must be appropriately categorised and tagged on AO3.

All people on the fic exchange team are over the age of 18.

How long will we have to write?

You will have from August 2023 to the start of January 2024 to write. All work should be completed and posted anonymously on AO3 by January 3rd 2024. Please wait for your date before revealing your work. We aim to spotlight one work per day.

What are the general guidelines for someone who hasn’t done a fic exchange before?

Guidelines and rules will be available in the Google form that will be circulated for prompting on August 1st at 10:30am BST. They will also be laid out on a separate Tumblr post.

What if I decide I don't want to participate anymore?

Please email toschestationexchange@gmail.com or get in touch with the team member that is doing check-ins for you. You do not have to give a reason, just let us know that you no longer want to join in.

We will try and get someone to complete the prompt in your place, but we are not liable for those who decided to abandon their work.

Do you have any tips on coming up with prompts?

Try to think of a story you would love to read about the theme.

Could it be the first few weeks of marriage for your favourite ship? Or your favourite character becoming a parent for the first time. What about the first few days after Din Djarin became Grogu's father figure or Han Solo's first few days at the rebellion?

Don't worry about covering any of those prompts or interpreting the theme in a different way. I just made them up now so they're all up for grabs. The idea is that someone writes a story for you so try and pick something you're interested in and would love to read.

Try and keep the prompt small and around similar ideas rather than something huge, elaborate, and specific. You can have a look at how prompts have worked on Tumblr for fic writers over the years. Have a think about ideas you like, enjoy, or want to see put together.

In the prompting form, what are 'deal-breakers' and what do you mean by 'things I particularly enjoy'?

'Deal-breakers' are things that you cannot stand in fanfiction. For instance, if you can't stand angst, if you hate it when people characterise a character in a certain way, or if there are tropes that automatically turn you off fan art or fanfiction. For instance, first-person work, or Y/N stories.

'Things I particularly enjoy' is the opposite of a 'deal-breaker' and things that you would really like the writer or artist to work into their piece if possible.

Please note that there is already a designated question to understand if you are comfortable with NSFW themes.

I want to include something but I'm not sure if the prompter will like it. What do I do?

Please get in touch with the toschestationexchange@gmail.com and we can message the prompter on your behalf.

Do I need to submit a prompt to participate?

You don't have to submit a prompt. You can simply select another person's prompt and create art or a story for that prompt. You can also choose to only submit a prompt.

How do I claim a prompt?

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Please note you must be a mutual follower to message the admin on their personal Twitter. Feel free to follow the admin, @ and say you'd like to request a prompt and they will follow you back and sort it out for you.

Prompts are claimed on a first-come, first-serve basis and there will be a tumblr post laying out the prompts available with a note as to whether or not they have been claimed.

There is one artist slot and one writer slot per prompt. The tumblr post will be updated to reflect this.

How can I get in touch?

Tumblr | Twitter | Email: toschestationexchange@gmail.com

[tobiasdrake]

Okay, now it's time to rank fourth chapters. A lot of emotional high points in this set.

Agnea is Truly Her Mother's Daughter This was a deeply personal and emotional step for Agnea. We knew who the villain was since Chapter 2 but Agnea doesn't; Here, Dolcinaea lays the conflict bare and sets the stage for the grand conclusion. Agnea discovers her mother's legacy and steps into Cuani's shoes to face off against a rival she never knew she had.

With an added emotional hook created by Laila and her parallel yet contrast with the young Dolcinaea. This was gold and I'm looking forward to the finale.

Hikari Faces an Old Friend The rich history and complex character relationships between Hikari and Rai Mei culminating in a moment of unthinking and unyielding mercy was incredibly powerful. This is easily Hikari at his best yet, putting him in a context in which his profound mercy resonates in a meaningful way.

We got so much information on Hikari and the complex relationship between Clan Ku and Clan Mei, adding another critical layer to the upcoming battle for the fate of both clans. Meanwhile, Rai is an interesting and complex adversary who feels like she was handled exactly right.

Throné Slays Mother This didn't carry quite as much personal weight for Throné but what it did have was still powerful and affecting. Where Father was despicable for what he did to Throné and her mother, Mother was despicable for what she does to children as a whole - with effort made to parallel what Throné went through with these kids.

So the personal stakes aren't as high but the investment in seeing her cut down is even higher. Add in a gut punch of an appeal from Mira that we all knew Throné could not and should not accept, and we get a chapter that doesn't quite measure up to Father's more personal connection but comes pretty damn close.

Temenos Bids Farewell to Crick The tearful culmination of where Temenos's friendship with Crick has been heading. The true villain behind the somewhat confusing mystery is unveiled and it's Kaldena but not for the reasons you might think?

The reveal is important but it's Temenos and Crick's bond that is the focal point here. After building their relationship up for two chapters, it meets an excruciatingly painful severance - And at the point where it would be most painful, when Crick was finally beginning to see the world through Temenos's eyes. My heart.

(But how did Crick trick Kaldena into murdering Crick? That's the real question here.)

Partitio's Department Store Investment Not super fond of the Benevolent Billionaire character type but fortunately Alrond isn't a huge part of this story. He's basically a means to an end, justifying how Partitio can collect such a huge sum in a short span of time. The formation of Partitio's department store is the meat of this chapter.

That and a chance to throw hands with Thurston, who's been needing hands thrown with him since Chapter 2. His appearance almost feels like an afterthought. "Oh shit, we had you fight a dog instead of Thurston; Let me correct that." But it provides good opportunities for Partitio to demonstrate his strength of character.

Castti Uncovers the Truth of Her Past This one doesn't quite hit the same highs as the others only because we already knew most of what we would discover here; The events in Healeaks only serve to cement them for Castti herself.

But even though we know from the start what's to come, it's nonetheless emotionally powerful when we see it happen. Meanwhile the villain, Trousseau, seems to just be crazy and evil for no reason?

Osvald Confronts Harvey and Learns the Truth A lot of lore-dumping about the seventh source, which clearly plays into the main overarching plot. As well as the grand reveal that Osvald's fridged women aren't actually fridged. Instead, one of them is in a different fridge and the other gets to be the Damsel in Distress for the final throwdown.

Meanwhile the villain, Harvey, seems to just be crazy and evil for no reason? Hopefully the main plot has an explanation for why these guys are just empty shells of sinisterness with no personality or character to them.

Ochette Retrieves Glacis This was a step up from the other two creature collections, as we actually got to see and participate in the Hunters vs. Beast conflict for ourselves. And a step down because it inexplicably tries to create sympathy for the hunters who keep attacking the sacred beasts for misguided glory.

Way too much time is spent on Heig, a character who is impossible to sympathize with despite the game's best efforts to explain how sad he is. This is a character who frankly should be crazy and evil so that we can kick his teeth in, but they went for "saddest blorbo" instead. IDK.