#but that has the silver lining of giving me some extra time as well

[the-desilittle-bird]

AN- I am back after my long writer block. Here is a little preference for you all...

Requests are Open and Well Appreciated!

Thank you and Enjoy your reading.

HOTD Preferences

You Are a Foreign Deligate

Characters - Daemon Targaryen, Aemond Targaryen, Otto Hightower, Corlys Velaryon, Cregan Stark and Criston Cole

Warnings - Angst for Criston (given that he is a King's Guard)

Daemon 'Rogue Prince' Targaryen

You are a visiting foreign delegate from the Free Cities and went to Westeros in order to establish good relations between the two places.

You and Daemon met far too later after your arrival.

You met the King's brother during the feast held in order to honour the new relations; and you were the guest of honour for the evening.

His long hair of silver catch your eyes and you were enchanted by his looks.

Viserys was the one to introduce you and you two hit it almost instantly.

While you were completely spellbound by his voice, Daemon found your intelligence extremely eye-catching.

At the end of the evening, if the prince feels quite giving, you will be spared a rare dance or two.

Or you would be sharing a cup or two of wine with him, in his room or in some tavern of Flea Bottom.

It is safe to say that he becomes obsessed with you till the end of your trip.

One fine morning, a few days before your departure back to Essos, you are informed that you will return to your place; but with an extra person.

Your marriage to Daemon was shipped on the point of strengthening the alliance, but everyone knew better...

Aemond 'One-Eyed' Targaryen

You were from Qarth and were sent by the Thirteen to secure a safe trade route. It was during the time when the King was disappointingly sick and the Queen and Hand of the King held the throne in his stead.

It was the time of extreme peace, every person in the harbour discussed quietly.

You were quite excited but also extremely nervous. You wondered what would happen if you failed to complete the task given to you.

You met the young prince when he received you at the port of King's Landing.

Despite his quietness, you were completely mesmerized by his commanding aura and killer looks.

It takes long period of time of observing you from a far on Aemond's part before he decides to talk to you.

The talk would start formally before he starts asking you about your country.

The entire conversation would be pleasant and you would be smitten at the end.

Maybe even fantasizing a life with him.

You two would met during the Council meets where Alicent makes him sit with his drunken brother. No wonder that Aegon will flirt and will end up being punched by Aemond.

A few days later, expect the One-Eyed Prince proposing you in the name of 'a way to strengthen the bonds'.

Otto 'Hand of the King' Hightower

This man has lost his wife and has plenty of kids, while you are a young and bright assistant of sorts to the visiting delegate.

You are feisty and know your way around the formalities well.

Otto notices you when you punch one of his family's knight after the knight made some comment on you.

Even though he was clear to show his disappointment to you, he kept the interest brimming in him inside his head.

Suddenly, he asks for your opinion and sometimes, catches you on your walk around the garden.

The Queen also warms up to you, surprisingly, and invites you to tea.

While you like the attention, you are confused.

And hence, you confront him.

Otto is nervous as heck. And starts blabbering along the lines of 'I know that you might not like me...' and 'We are born ages apart...'

And as much as you found him enduring, you wanted for him to shut up.

And so, you slam your lips to his.

Corlys 'Sea Snake' Velaryon

You aren't exactly a delegate but more of his friend who knows the rules of the sea.

You arrive at Westeros with him and are ushered quickly to the Small Council's chamber in order to discuss a safe route for trading.

You were quick to realize that no one in the Council knew about the pirates or literally any other threats of sea.

You were ready to interrupt the Hand of the King but before you could, the Sea Snake does.

You are surprised by his understanding of the sea.

When Corlys is done, he settles back into his seat with a smirk as his eyes find yours.

He approaches you later after the meeting is over and you two end up flirting quite a lot.

Days pass with both of you sharing your experiences.

And you end up kissing him one fine day after having enough of his teasings.

He was smug about it. But at last, ends up proposing you.

And you two end up marrying on the shores of Driftmark with only a few close friends.

Cregan 'Wolf of the North' Stark

The Lord of Winterfell was surprised to receive a raven informing him to prepare for the arrival of the king and a foreign delegate from Meereen.

That was quite unusual, but Cregan could done nothing to object.

When you arrive alongside the King, he was left completely spellbound.

Your wits and broad thoughts intrigue and so does your beauty.

Also, you aren't afraid of drinking with the vassal lords or dancing with the common ladies.

At end of a fortnight, he is completely and utterly in love with you. And you do notice.

But you wait for him to approach you.

But you hadn't expected a marriage proposal at the very beginning.

That is when you decide to approach him for a conversation.

The entire conversation was pleasant.

And at the end you decide to accept the proposal.

Criston 'Kingmaker' Cole

You notice him first when you met the Queen and you were completely infatuated, to be honest.

But your first ever conversation happened days after, on a feast.

You weren't quite accustomed to loud celebrations and quietly slips out of there unnoticed.

You see him there and somehow gather the courage to make small talks to him.

You find him a man of great morals, even if they were twisted in their own way.

That conversation sparked the flames of love in Criston's cold heart.

You try to keep whatever it is between you two a secret, given his position as a member of King's Guard.

And soon, the day for you to leave came.

You had asked him to come with you, only for him to reason with you.

At last, you part ways, grieving whatever you had.

Doubting whether it was even true.

[girl-next-door-writes]

One Day At A Time

Characters: Sam Winchester x reader

Summary: Reader is having a rough patch and Sam makes sure they are extra loved and cared for.

Word Count: 1122 words

A/N: @unleashthebees I know you made this request an age ago, but I believe these things happen at the right time, and over the last few weeks I’ve really needed a Sam to help me through. I hope you like it.

There are some days in your life where the whole practicality of existence seems so much harder than it should. After all, you are simply taking up space in the universe, breathing in and out, plodding along on that mundane treadmill of life alongside the rest of humanity, that should not be difficult. There are definitely days where it is hard to see the good in what you are going through, no matter how rigorously you search for that silver lining. Sometimes positive thoughts and affirmations just aren’t going to cut it. Those are the moments where you need someone to lean on, someone to help carry you through until you regain your strength to deal with the ongoing catastrophe that is life.

Sam knocked on your bedroom door and waited until he heard movement before he carefully turned the handle, popping his head into your room and giving you a goofy grin. A grin which faltered a little when he saw you sat wrapped in your blanket. The smile you flashed him was somehow floating in front of your face, and he could tell there was something off.

“Hey there. Just wanted to see if you fancied breakfast in bed?”

“Sounds good. Thanks.” You nodded and he immediately disappeared to fix breakfast for the both of you.

As he waited for the toast to pop up, Sam thought about what he could do to make things a little easier for you. There had been this cloud of melancholy around you for a few days now, and even though he knew these moods didn’t last forever, he was genuinely concerned. The darkness has a way of seeping into the heart of you, dragging you down into its depths until it can be difficult to see a way out. He wanted you to remember that this pain will pass and that you will be standing there, ready to face whatever came next, but a lecture seemed condescending… and actions always spoke much louder than words.

Upon returning to your room, Sam carefully carried in a tray laden with all your favourite breakfast food. He sat beside you, trying not to notice how you picked at it rather than consumed it, but he did not want to add to your troubles by nagging about you needing to eat. Instead, he simply sat beside you, chewing his own piece of toast and being present in the silence that rested over the two of you.

At one point, Sam worried that perhaps he was chewing too loud, that the toast was crunching with each bite, and he snuck a glance at you. He could see those wheels turning in your mind, as if you were trying to solve a problem. Sam knew full well that problems never break themselves into easy little pieces, that they have sharp, jagged edges that tore at you. Whatever it was you were struggling with, he knew you would share in time, he just had to be patient, and be there for you. His heart fluttered when you absentmindedly leaned against him, as if your body was seeking his comfort, even if your mind was in turmoil.

“I’ve got to head into town in a bit, got some books to check out. You want to join me?” He asked softly, knowing the quaint secondhand bookstore was one of your favourite places.

“Thanks.” You whispered, slightly nodding your head, and Sam allowed himself a mental victory dance because not only had he got you to eat something, but you would also be getting washed, dressed and getting some fresh air. That felt like a win to him.

The ride over to town was quiet. Sam filled the silence where he could, but felt you wanted to sit with your thoughts and didn’t want to intrude. Now, as you both made your way through the stacks, he could see the hint of a smile on your lips, your shoulders relaxing just a little. The uneven floors, the mismatched bookshelves, the elaborate and elusive system for which the books were placed, felt reassuring. This place was a chaotic mess, and yet it worked somehow.

Sam watched you trace your fingertips over the spines of books, your eyes flitting from one title to the next, taking them in without really reading them. He wished that he could tell you that you were like this place. Both you and this shop were filled with a warmth and a wealth of knowledge. Both you and this shop were haphazard on the inside in a way that he did not understand, but he knew made perfect sense. Both you and this shop were where he felt most himself.

There was a large part within him that wanted to wrap you up in his arms and hold all the pieces of you together until you’d figured out a way to glue them. You were the strongest person he knew, definitely strong enough to live this insane life, you just had to face it one day at a time and not let it overwhelm you. If you could only see yourself the way he did, you would know that you had got this, whatever this was.

He watched you silently meander around the store, lost in thought, and lost in the magic of a bookstore, a place which seemed to exist completely outside time. Any book you seemed to linger on, he made a mental note, and when you moved onto the next stack, he picked it out, ready to purchase the whole damned store if it would make you smile, even for a moment.

Upon returning home, he followed you to your room, placing your new stack of books by the side of your bed and switching on the bedside lamp. He watched you settle on the bed and pull the first book from the top of the stack. The melancholy was still there, but it seemed lighter than it had that morning.

Sam disappeared for a while, and when he returned, he had a soft blanket and some candles. Placing the candles around the various pieces of furniture, he lit each one carefully, making the room feel even cozier. Once more, Sam left, and when he reappeared, he had a warm drink and a tray of finger food, knowing you would snack as you read if he left it within reach. Without saying a word, he joined you on the bed and pulled out his own book.

The two of you sat in companionable silence, simply existing together. He felt your head rest against his shoulder, and he smiled to himself. You would make it through this, you just needed to take it one day at a time.

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

Mise en Place 7

Warnings: noncon, coercion, manipulation. Proceed with caution.

Note:I’ll be honest that these parts are a little more hands on because I’m full on learning cocktail recipes here lol.

Thanks all for reading and I hope you’re excited for this one. All feedback is more than welcome and loved and appreciated. Reblogs are most helpful.

Part of The Club AU

You leave your apartment, the window boarded up with your landlords half-assed at replacement. You almost prefer the wood; more resilient and you can’t see through it. Still, the place feels eerie. Your little fortress has been breached and the mystery of the attacker has you addled.

You walk into work as you always do. Head down, bag hooked over one shoulder, fingers twiddling as you go through your task list in your mind. You put your things in the coatroom and go to the kitchen.

You grab the broom and mop, eager to go over anything you didn't get to before. Behind the bar, upstairs and downstairs and the private rooms that were always in use even after closing. You methodically work your way from the bottom floor up.

As you return the bucket and pan, Thor is behind the bar. You give a small hi as he booms his usual hello. You tuck away the broom and mop and wipe your hands on your apron, grabbing a cloth to tuck into it from the tidy stack leftover from the day before. You have a whole load of napkins to deliver to the servers' station.

Thor enters as you begin sorting through the cutlery into the slotted tray. You peek up at him briefly, shying back to your task.

"How are you? Good night?"

"Mhmm," you hum, "you?"

"Good," he answers, letting silence dangle as he gives a thoughtful hum, "you made it home okay?"

"Safe and sound," you reply as you examine a spoon and put it by the sink to be rewashed.

"And a nice sleep?"

You pause as his line of questioning irks you. He's nice enough but sometimes his conversation feels intrusive. You told him already, you're fine.

"Yep," you shrug, "how about your night?"

"Ah, I did some reading, and a bit of drinking," he winks as you glance at him once more, "they've still not rehired. Just me again."

"That's too bad."

"Lonesome," he chuckles lightly, "but I can always count on you, can't I, fawn?"

You nod, elusive at giving an answer. You don't like being behind the bar and to be fair, it's frustrating doing extra work without the pay to match.

"Have I done something? Said something?" He prods as he comes closer, standing at the other side of the counter.

"No."

"Hmm," he hums as his large hands rest on the silver edge, "you certain?"

You nod again. You hate to even think it, it feels mean, but you just want to be left alone. You miss those days when no one noticed you.

"Well… my hand feels much better," he waves his bandaged fingers.

"That's good," your lips twitch with a momentary smile, "I should take this to the hub."

"Nah, I got it," he volunteers as he grabs the tray of silverware, "little thing like you carrying all this around, that's no good."

"I do it all the time–"

"Yes, well, perhaps it is time you let others help, fawn," he insists, keeping the tray out of your reach, "you might actually enjoy it."

He spins and struts out before you can respond. You don't even know how you would. It confounds you how he can be so friendly yet so pushy. It puts you off yet makes you feel so ungrateful. You can't assume the worst of him because he reminds you of someone else.

🍸

You finish your shift without much disturbance. A few times you bring out clean glasses to the bar and incap a few bottles but nothing exhaustive. Sonny keeps you entertained as he tells you about his time in the corps. He also makes sure Thor can't steal you away again as he keeps you busy with the pans.

The chef leaves first. He works short shifts, leaving the kitchen tidy as he puts on his leather vest and gives a wave. You enter the bar as last call sounds and gather up any empties you can find, you'll do another sweep once it's empty.

You wait out the last of the clubgoers and return to the dance floor, oddly quiet and vacant. The servers count their tips at the station and you hear the subtle clink of glasses from behind the bar. You have your earbuds in still, the low buzz of your favourite playlist easing the tension.

You don't notice when the servers leave, silence is only ever comforting so you rarely make note of it. As you bend to grab a crushed can from beneath a table, a foot appears around the other side. You stand and face Thor as he smiles at you.

"Need help?" He offers.

"All good," you assure him as you dump the can in the plastic bag.

He stares and you back away, looking around for more garbage.

"What're you listening to?" He frightens you again as the blur of his finger fills your peripheral as he points to your ear.

"Oh nothing," you say, "just music."

"What kind of music?"

You blanch. It feels too rude to ignore him or ask him to leave you be. You're working but there's not much left to do. You stand up and face him. Again, you're reminded of his height.

"Florence and the Machine."

"Ah, I love her, er, them?" He questions, "it is a band, yes?"

"I think," you push your lip out indecisively.

"Do you listen to music often?"

"I guess," you squint. His questions are stiff and awkward. Almost like an interrogation.

"You have a record player," he says and you wince, thinking of the green suitcase player in the corner of your apartment, "asking. Sorry, that came out weird."

You clutch the bag and utter an answer, "yeah…" you look around, "I should finish…"

"Of course," he gulps audibly, "let me know if you need me to walk you home… I heard about another girl, eh? At the club down the block, you know the one, right?"

You don't know. You shake your head, "I had no idea, thanks."

"Wanna make sure you're safe," he backs away slowly, "so I'll wait by the door?"

You hesitate and grab a napkin, shoving it in the bag.

"You should just go home, I hate to keep you late."

"I don't mind–"

"I do," you interrupt without meaning to. You sniff and look at him, "really, I'll be okay."

He stares at you, the humour draining from his face as his cheek tics. He looks very unlike himself. It takes your breath away.

Just as quickly as he darkened, he brightens up again and turns his palms out, "stay safe."

He turns and strides away. You watch his back and tension corded in his forearms as he closes and opens his fists. The tenor of his last words hang in the air, more ominous than hopeful.

Maybe it's all in your head. It's the broken window and the unattached footsteps and the memories. You're fucked up and that's why you're better off alone.

[deityoftherain]

Traffic Life Superpowers AU - Etho/Joel/Lizzie

I have a superpowers au (look at the link above for the full au) and jizztho is a ship within it! They are heroes and they are in a polyam marriage. The fic they are featured in is called honeybees, I'm home, but here's the summary on Tumblr if you don't want to jump to AO3 quite yet. Look under the cut for their powers!

Etho Honeybee (They/Them) Alter Ego: Slab Status: Human Hero Power(s): Etho has tough, jagged teeth despite being otherwise human (assumed to be a gene passed down that was finally showing itself), a freakishly long tongue (think Hero Killer from MHA or Valentino from Hazbin Hotel), and intoxicating spit. The intoxication’s effects differ greatly but they range from making the victim unreasonably happy to drunk to poisoned. The longer the victim is exposed to the intoxication, the greater the effect and duration it has. Safe to say, Etho doesn’t use it often and they wear a mask to avoid spitting while they speak, which was a thing they did as a small child before they started wearing a mask and grew out of it. When they do use it, it is usually in vials they have spit in previously. Etho tends to fight with various martial arts and fighting moves they have picked up over the years.

Fun Fact: The reasoning behind their powers is that I like giving things in canon a reason behind them! Since they always wear a mask, I wanted to give them funky mouth stuff so they ended up with jagged teeth, a long tongue, and spit that drugs people. I imagine they would want to stay somewhat discreet so they have a simple alter ego name.

Joel Honeybee (He/Him) Alter Ego: Helter Skelter (Hel Skel) Status: Bug Hybrid Hero Power(s): Joel is a bug hybrid and no one knows which one. His whole family line has had bug traits in it and they’ve given up on trying to figure out which bug it is. They’re too similar and they joke that they’ve probably created their own bug at this point. Anyway, his manifests in green antennas. The antennas can detect odors in the air, making him fairly good at pinpointing smells and tracking things though it can take some time. A fault is he often focuses on one specific smell or is so used to tuning it out that he becomes oblivious to things he should have picked up. Joel’s skin also has an alternate version of an exoskeleton. It is essentially hardened skin that is resistant to damage. When it experiences a lot of damage, it starts to molt off and he has to wait for the ‘exoskeleton’ to fully harden back up. This process takes four to seven days, depending on the damage, Joel’s diet, Joel’s energy levels, and etc. (It is jokingly referred to as Joel’s period by me and others, specifically his spouses, in the story.)

Fun Fact: Helter Skelter is an overly extra name, but I think it fits Joel well (plus it is a reference to SL) because look at this man! I love him so much. Anyway, I pulled his abilities from the antennas he's often drawn with because of Shrek past. He deserves to be a little bug boy!

Lizzie Honeybee (She/Her) Alter Ego: Shadowlady Status: Fairy Hero Power(s): Lizzie has beautiful, pink and silver wings and she can shrink to be about six inches tall (~15.24 cm). She can not morph herself into any other size though; it’s either her usual height or her little fairy height. She can also hide and swim in shadows, making her a great “fly (fairy) on the wall”. Might add more shadowy powers in the future, but I'm not sure which ones soooo :D

Fun Fact: I love it when people draw Lizzie with fairy wings because of the Fairy Fort in LL so, of course, I made her a fairy! Shadowlady is an obvious reference to her username. I try to not make their last names (Honeybee is a reference to Lizzie's SL; Joel and Etho took Lizzie's last name) an indication of their powers because that's boring. She's also an example of someone whose abilities aren't necessarily tied to her hybrid status. Hybrids are simply humans who have traits associated with other creatures, but they are technically abilities in a way? People can have multiple or similar but still distinct abilities at one time. Some people have really straightforward ones and others have more complex ones. It depends on how their genes mutated and decided to present in the specific person.

[keicordelle]

Fluffvember Day 24 : Outfit Swap - Estinien

"How in the Fury's name can you stand to wear this every day?" Aymeric twisted at the waist, flinching when he nearly impaled himself on the sharp point of a tasset. "This must weigh a half dozen tonze! And you jump in this?"

I shrugged, chest tight with suppressed mirth. "Aye. 'Twas a struggle to get used to at first, but it provides better protection than my old suit - and better than yours by far," I noted, plucking at the loose tabard. "Does this robe not tangle about your legs as you fight?"

"The weights along the bottom keep it from becoming overly cumbersome," he said, gesturing to the silver metal lining the bottom of the cloth. I'd always thought it was ornamental, and a touch excessive at that. "And I don't spend quite as much time throwing myself hither and thither across the battlefield as you do."

"I do not throw myself across the field," I protested, and he arched a brow pointedly. "Fine, perhaps I do. But you have to admit it's effective."

"I never said it wasn't," he agreed easily, flexing his hands in my gauntlets. "How can you grip anything with this much metal between you and your haft? Don't you catch these claws on everything?"

"I don't know how you can bare to leave your fingers exposed like this. How you have never lost one is beyond me. And why are these pauldrons so large? I feel liable to tip over backwards."

He snorted. "They're hardly any more unwieldly than these," he countered, pricking his finger on one of the spikes currently adorning his shoulders. "How do you lift your arms without killing yourself?"

"Carefully." Metal jingled as I demonstrated, the chainmail beneath the Lord Commander's ornate tabard chiming. "At least my armor offers full protection. No wonder you were stabbed straight through your chest piece - you ought to invest in a breastplate, or at least some extra padding beneath your robes." I plucked at the fabric, feeling halfway exposed with so little to protect my chest. Even our old Temple Knight mail was more padded than this.

He winced. "Blame the church for that. 'Tis their design, not mine. But as it has aided me in countless battles and only failed me when I knew not to defend myself, I believe it serves its purpose well enough." He tilted his head, growing serious as he regarded me. "It looks good on you. Seeing you in that, 'tis easy to imagine you as Lord Commander in my stead."

I snorted. "Me, as Lord Commander? I'd run the city into the ground in a matter of moons. And you, Azure Dragoon at my side?"

"You manage the Order of the Knights Dragoon well enough. And some have called me the new Azure Dragoon since your informal resignation," he joked with a wink. "I think you'd be better at it than you give yourself credit for."

"I think we should both be grateful we'll never have to find out. Now come, take up my lance and let's spar. It's been some time since I wielded a proper blade, and I'd like to test my skills - and if you make one joke about us training to swap jobs, I'll undo the latch that holds your codpiece on."

"Alright, alright," he laughed. "You win. Let's see how well you can handle my blade, while I try not to make a fool of myself."

[Masterlist] | [Ao3]

[oatmealdaydreams]

Rest

Mm, the blue and red gays are at it again! This time, with a little purple as well. May make a general taglist for my fics, so let me know if ya want that and wanna be on it.

Pairing: Logince, background Analogince, gen

Trigger/Content Warning: injury, mild blood

Description: Logan gets injured on a group adventure, and Roman takes care of him.

Extra: written for Day 3: Adventure of @loginceweek2024! Has the slightest hint of Analogince, but it mainly focuses on Logince. Is this queer-platonic or romantic? No one knows! I certainly don’t. Posted a few hours early for scheduling reasons.

[Masterlist] | ao3 link

[read under the cut]

Logan, a lot like Virgil, is an independent Side. He knows how to care for himself, he is self-sufficient as Logic, and he can do plenty of things without needing any help. His partners know this.

So why, please do tell, is Roman insisting he must be spoiled and taken care of?

It’d been an average adventure, or as ‘average’ as it can be with Roman. The Prince took his partners along with him into the Imagination. Virgil needed a break from the Mindscape before his head flew off from all the helpless spiralling, and Logan hadn’t been out of his room much for the entire week. What better way to give them a break than a nice trip to the Imagination? An adventure not too stressful for Virgil, but one to keep Logan’s interest so he didn’t try and go back to his Dungeon-Doom of Work. 

They went on a stroll in the kingdom’s gardens, walking on a stony path. There were trimmed bushes that lined the path, wooden benches around here and there in case anyone needed to rest. This garden was filled with red tulips, violets, and blue balloon flowers. Bees buzzed around the buds and blossoms, some gathering pollen from the middle while others flew back to their hive. Beautiful willow trees swayed gently with breezes that rolled through, rustling the trio’s hair. In the middle of the garden was a fountain, seemingly encased with benches. The water was cold, sparkly in the midday sunshine. 

It was wonderful. Virgil was at ease with the calm atmosphere, and Logan gazed curiously at the different flowers and the bees’ natural behaviours. The resident emo took a spot on a bench as they walked around the loop, right where the fountain. He leaned his head back slightly, taking a breath in. The aroma of the flowers wasn’t overwhelming, sweet and pleasant. Logan stood by a section of flowers, silently watching the bees that hovered and buzzed. He took mental notes on the way the bees would interact with each other, a small smile on his face as he did so. Roman checked in with his Dark Knight, kissing his forehead before heading over to the astrophile. He stepped right beside him, lightly tapping his hip to announce his presence. Logan looked to his side, fondness painted his face when he saw Roman. He turned back to the bees as the world felt slow and calm and peaceful. 

“What’s on your mind, darling nerd?” Roman kept his voice soft and quiet. 

“The bees,” Logan spoke, equally quiet. 

“What about the bees? Tell me what you’re thinking.”

“Well, I find it interesting that these bees seem to be quite sociable, while a few others aren’t. They’re different, given their varying patterns. I recognize the bumblebees, the honeybees, but those two right there,” he pointed to a duo of odd-looking bees. “I don’t know their breed. Are they perhaps a creation of yours?”

Roman glanced over to the pair of bees his genius pointed to, and sure enough, they aren’t any sort of breed from the real world. Not that the Prince knew, anyway. While all the others were variations of black and yellow and brown, these two are weirdly bluish and silver. They almost looked like they were made of gemstone, glistening dark eyes the only similarity between them and the other bees. They had double the amount of clearish wings, their stringers the slightest bit longer. Instead of being fuzzy, their ‘fur’ was noticeably spiky and somewhat sharp. They looked pretty, yes, but Roman couldn’t remember ever creating these specific ones. He’s messed around with creating creatures of his own before, but never any sort of insect or bug. Usually it’s his brother… who does… that…

Oh, shit.

“Logan, step back with me,” the urgency in his partner’s voice caught his attention. 

He did as bid, eyebrows furrowed. They slowly stepped back until they were near Virgil, who looked concerned from his seat on the bench. He tensed a bit as Roman stared rather protectively at the bees. Logan exchanged a look with his worried partner as their prince thought of what to do to avoid aggravating unpredictable Remus Bees. 

“Virgil, I need you to sink out into my room,” the Prince’s voice shifted into one alike a knight’s.

“But, what about-” 

“I’ve got him, Stormy. We’ll be there in a few, okay?”

Virgil nodded, fidgeting with his hoodie sleeves as he sank out. 

“Roman, what is it? What’s going on?” Logan glanced sideways to his royal protector as he moved to be in front of the nerd. 

“Those aren’t mine, ny dearest,” he answered, keeping his voice. 

Logan hummed in understanding, watching the oblivious bees himself. Roman put a hand on his sword, which sat in its sheath. He slowly pulled it out an inch, preparing to use it as a moment’s notice. 

“The exit to the gardens is behind the fiends, so we need to sneak past. Stay behind me, okay?”

“Okay, dear.”

As they slowly sneaked past the devilish gemstone bees, Logan grabbed Roman’s free hand from behind. The knight slightly squeezed it as he held his partner’s hand, a silent we’ll be okay. Everything had been going smoothly, they were so close to the exit of the middle, they’d be one their way out of there soon. But, of course, the bees were Remus’ and nothing about Remus nor his creation will ever be easy and simple. 

Logan accidentally bumped a bush, rustling it. The bees noticed- because f*cking course they did, stupid bees- and immediately flew towards him. Their buzzing was slightly off-tune, unsettling and loud, as they sped towards the detective. Roman unsheathed his sword, pulling his genius along as he rushed towards the exit. He slashed at the bees as he stood in front of Logan, trying to fend them off the best he could before escaping. One of the bees buzzed past his sword, ramming its spiky body against his partner’s face. Logan gasped as it scraped and bled, ducking away. Roman realized how poor of an idea this was when they should’ve just sunk out with Virgil, and he sank them both out as the other bee charged towards the detective. 

Which brings them to now, as Logan is sat on the edge of Roman’s lush bed, all because of stupid spiky Remus Bees. 

Logan rolls his eyes as his prince frets over his scrape. It’s even that bad of a wound, if you can even call it that. It stopped bleeding a few minutes ago, and he finds no reason to worry about it. It’ll heal and scab. However, Roman wipes gently at it, cleaning it with a damp soft rag. It still stings a little, but Logan just softly grunts as it does. The knight focuses on making sure the blood is all cleaned up and gone, and Virgil sits anxiously next to his injured partner. He holds his hand as Logan cringes at the pain from his scrape. As soon as Roman deems it clean enough, he sets down the bloodied rag and turns to Virgil. His eyes soften at how worried his anxious ball of angst is. 

“Love, can you get the first aid kit from my bathroom, please? It should be in the medicine cabinet.”

Virgil nods, “Yeah, I can- I can do that.”

He gives Logan a small squeeze of his hand before standing and heading to the bathroom. Logan watches as his worried partner leaves, turning to his other. 

“Roman, I don’t see the need to fuss,” he says. 

“How not? You’re hurt, and as your prince, it is my duty to take care of you. I want to spoil you, my dearest genius.”

“Roman,” Logan starts, blushing lightly at the pet name. “I am alright. I doubt I need a first aid kit. You’ve done more than enough by cleaning it for me, dear.”

“Oh specs, but I must spoil you. It may not be severe, but it still hurts, doesn’t it?”

“...well, yes, but that doesn’t-”

“Logan.”

Logan silences himself, faltering. Roman’s face softens.

“Let me take care of you. I want to spoil you. I’m sure Virgil feels the same.”

“But why a first aid?” Logan’s voice is quiet. 

“Because it has bandages and neosporin in it, specs.”

“Oh.”

“Hm. Let us spoil you, please?”

The detective sighs, slumping against Roman’s hand as he cups his injury-free cheek. 

“I suppose, if it’ll help you two stop worrying.”

Roman smiles, “Thank you, love.”

The detective smiles back as his prince lightly rubs his thumb along his jaw. 

Soon, Virgil appears back with the first aid in hand. He plops himself next to his stubborn partner, the injured one, taking hold of his hand again. Logan hums as Roman bandages him, presses soft kisses on his nose. Virgil smirks, joining in the affection train and leans against his astrophile. He presses equally soft kisses to Logan’s shoulder. Logan closes his eyes as his partners spoil him, feeling the care and adoration seep into his skin and into his heart.

[eolewyn1010]

Downton Abbey Fashion 26 - 1920s indoors fashion

Third season is when several of Edith’s looks start to have more glamor than Mary’s. Not consistently, but Mary is more prone to a little conservative clothing.

This looks a lot like the most boring black dress in the world that Mary wore a season ago, but the comparison is unkind to this one. First of all because burgundy is a much more interesting color standing on its own, secondly because the upper sleeves have a certain volume to them that gives them some material to swoosh around, and thirdly because this skirt does what I wish the skirt insertions on my self-made dress would have done – a nice, clean point of gathering down the front from a drop-waist sash that is similarly pleated. Good choice going with the simple overlong necklace, too.

Grey dress with no contrast color, but at least the skirt has pockets. The top has some white beading on it, leaning into a geometrical pattern here because it’s 1920, you guys, and art deco rules the world.

An example of Mary’s more conservative clothes, this blouse is kept pretty simple. Cream chiffon, a little pleating on the front, the well-known squiggly lines embroidered all over the yoke. The shape of the yoke and neckline makes this look a little dowdy imo, but whatever; I guess she has to give off some domesticity vibes here.

A black house dress; despite the color and the rather covering design, she does not wear this in mourning. Long straight sleeves and a small point collar, but we do have some embroidery in an almost electric green to loosen up the black blob effect: Meanders around the cuffs, collar and down the front, and then these little clover-like ornaments out of heart shapes.

Poor lighting, but I think this one is pale blue. I like that the fabric has a subtle stripey look to it, giving this very plain blouse a little extra. What else is there to say? Gathered sleeves, cuffs… And look at the shoulder seams: There is no such ruffling to the front as was quite popular during the last few years; this is cut to be smooth and streamlined.

So is this one, and it looks even more so because Mary isn’t wearing the hem gathered into the skirt. The sleeves are only half-length this time, but like the previous shirt, this burgundy silk one doesn’t really have a collar, just a neckline, buttoned and framed with a couple of pin tucks to both sides.

This is one of the dresses that I find a little fascinating, despite it being grey trimmed in grey. First of all, the sleeves with these long, buttoned cuffs that go up most of the lower arm. Then, the buttons on the front which I’m not sure if they are just decoration or if the front actually is buttoned up. And there is the hip region, under a baggy shirt separated with a drop waist as 1920s do, but the structuring still offsets the hips from the waist in a way that isn’t necessarily typical for the time’s fashion.

I first thought this was pajamas; the look is so casual and loose. But no, Mary is socially acceptable in this because she’s pregnant and pregnancy stays aren’t really a thing anymore. Like most of Mary’s red looks, this did stick in my mind; at least the darling neckline did. That’s some not overly complicated yet effective use of a little ribbon!

At first sight, I thought this was Mary’s honeymoon suit. But why would she wear an expensive get-up twice? Anyway, this has a similar color to said suit, a lovely forget-me-not blue plus a silk collar with a white or silver floral print on it. The drop waist looks like it has some gathering done to it.

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

Over to Edith and art deco shirts! Heh, I love this first shot. Because we know shirts like this; Edith, Sybil, and Lavinia have worn them throughout the previous two seasons. This isn’t a lot different – the principle is the same, wild art deco fabric, framed on the neckline, the half-long sleeves and the hem with a wide ribbon. The difference is the shape: This doesn’t end in the waistline, but drops all the way down to the hip bones, and instead of puffed à la pigeon chest, the front is smoothed out.

A knit cardigan, not much to look at. I liked the blue one last season better. This is very grey, and very shapeless. I suppose it’s quite cozy though, which might be needed if Edith has a meltdown at her father. Can we stop acting as if the family had been opposed to her relationship with Anthony Strallan because he was older than her? He was considered a perfectly acceptable match before his arm got rendered useless in the war. This storyline wasn’t about the age difference; it was about Fellowes’ latent ableism.

This orange is a tad redder than what Edith usually goes with, but I won’t complain; I like this blouse shape with the voluminous sleeves and the square neckline. Edith tends to wear cute colorful bead necklaces to these simple shirts, plus this one has a tone-in-tone embroidered drop waistband to brag with.

So we’ll get another one right away. And this one has the lovely tone-in-tone embroidery around the neck. Plus an adorable hat that I’m sure I’ve seen before, but have I commented on it before? Embroidered hatbands for the win.

Also a blouse Edith wears a lot, usually peeking out from beneath her pretty coats. This one has a round neckline, and I love the fabric; a striped silk damask, I would guess. And there’s this adorable little bit of beading on her shoulders!

I am, however, out of things to say about white and ivory shirts. It’s trying to put in a little interest with that punch-hole square and satin underlay. Eh. Doesn’t do much for me. Next!

One dress I inexplicably like despite not enjoying orange as much as Edith does. Well, it might be an ensemble rather that a dress; I’m never quite sure if the dress and shirt are separate or one piece, especially with the layering going on there. It’s a typical 1920s dress, an adventurous fabric print and a simple, streamlined cut, but the skirt has some volume in it that makes it fall nicely.

Edith wears this salmon-peach shirt with the tie collar several times over this season and the next. The pattern print is quite cute, but admittedly, I like this better as the background of a walking suit or other ensemble. But this gets my love for Edith’s knotted headscarfs!

[minetteskvareninova]

Ranking Magnificent Century (Kösem) Wedding Dress

Welcome to Another Frivolous Post About Magnificent Century, from yours truly Minette! This time about... Well, you've read the title. Really, if you accept the show's highly anachronistic aesthetic, there aren't that many outright bad dresses in either show; most of them range from decent to absolutely stunning. The functionality isn't always so great, for example the show always goes so hard for bling in every situation it's not always easy for it to convey unusual splendor in terms of, like, dresses for special occasions and so on. With that said, most wedding dresses do a good job of standing out from the rest of the woman's wardrobe. Either way, I am going to exclude people who just put on their regular dress, like Fatma sultan, as well as Armin and Huricihan, for whom I couldn't find any good pictures (and in any case, Armin would be excused on account of just being poorer than the rest of the brides, or placed near the bottom for the awful dress that also has the audacity to be white).

RANKING PROPER

18. Hürrem

Yeah, sorry to all of the fans out there, this one is actually kinda awful. The show absolutely loves its wacky headdresses, and this is one of the undoubtedly worst ones. It has been dubbed "Micky Mouse ears" by my sister, and you can absolutely see why. The dress at least is merely boring instead of actively offensive to one's sight. Like, seriously, is there literally any difference between what the great Hürrem sultan put on for her wedding night and just... What she always wears?! Disgrace, I tell ya.

17. Akile (wedding night)

I might be more generous towards these if we saw them for more than five seconds and had any idea what they were going for. Like, from afar they almost look like a wedding nightgown similar to the one Mihrimah wears, except Mihrimah wears it in her own bedroom and doesn't have to move trough any corridors in it (as far as we can), and also the golden belt, styled hair and headdress make it seem like these are actual, proper dress??? Either way, decent nightgown, shitty regular dress that also just happens to be white. For shame.

16. Dilruba (secret wedding)

This one almost seems like a regular dress, except there was some attempt to make a proper wedding gown out of it (that goes beyond a single red shawl thrown over her head - hi, Nigar). Really, it seems Dilruba here just put on the nicest red dress and tiara she owned, added a wedding veil, and that was about all she could do in this situation. Which in context seems actually plausible. Either way, this one is decent, but it sadly suffers from its provisory nature, so it goes here.

15. Akile (arrival in the palace)

This one just looks too normal for me to put it very high. Yes, even bellow most white wedding dresses. I mean, at least as far as the normal dress go, it's very pretty? It just doesn't stand out, is all.

14. Telli Hümaşah

I really, really dislike all the white sparkly dresses of MCK season 2. The red wedding dress aesthetic of MC/MCK is more unique than the stereotypical white, plus the white dresses tend to be extremely tacky. This one actually isn't that bad, I love the the silhouette and the fact that it doesn't use TOO much silver embroidery. However, the hair tinsel brings it all the way down. One of the ugliest headdresses in the show hands down, only to be beaten by Hürrem's micky mouse ears.

13. Atike

Tacky. As. Fuck. It looks like something a modern very nouveau riche bride would pick. The headdress leaves me especially cold. That said, it's not downright ugly, so I'll give it a pass. And, hey, Atike is just a one tacky bitch, so what gives.

12. Gevherhan

This one isn't really that pretty, but it has earned my forgiveness over Atike's by virtue of being marginally less tacky, and also recognizably a Gevherhan dress. Falling in line with its wearer's personal style, while also going the extra mile as the wedding dress should is always the gold standard in my eyes. Also, the headdress is decent (and something Gevherhan wears just this once, which is nice). Still, nothing to write home about. It's not even bad enough for tasteless jokes about Gevherhan killing herself because she has to wear it and junk.

11. Fahriye

I am mostly just puzzled by the choice of colour here. I mean, I wouldn't like white, but at least I'd understand it. Is it just because it's the last of her God knows how many weddings? Well, no, since there's clearly no consistent custom on these things. Nigar and Fatma wear their normal dress (and I'd like to just comment here on just how fucking unfair it is to Nigar; like, if you're going to lowkey ruin her life, you might as well put her in some nice dress), Gevherhan has proper wedding dress, and I guess what they put Hatice into is also normal dress but also looks like a wedding dress, because that's Magnificent Century for ya, things don't always make sense here. Anyway, Fahriye's dress is confusing colour-wise, but at least it has the decency to be very, very pretty. I dig the more traditional silhouette, reminescent of an Aslanger painting, and the embroidery is decent in patter, the overabundance of sparkliness notwithstanding. Also, I absolute adore the headdress.

10. Mihrunissa

In isolation, this is pretty underwhelming. I strongly suspect this is just a regular dress Mihrunissa found at the bottom of her wardrobe. BUT. You absolutely cannot accuse it of not being in her her very distinct style! Now, Mihrunissa's very distinct style with her dubshit stiff bodices is ugly and I hate it, but this dress fits into it pretty neatly! Also, Mihrunissa's kickass turbans kinda balance the bodice out. Not to mention, the necklace contrasts with the simplicity of the rest of the outfit very well. One of the most effective accessories in the show hands down.

9. Farya Bethlen

Oh, look, a white wedding dress with silver embroidery that ISN'T tacky as fuck! And it fits into the rest of Farya's wardrobe (even if it does remind me of the pain that Farya's tricorn look caused me)! And it has a very pretty headdress! My only complaint is that it's white, but I guess you can't get everything you want.

8. Mihrimah (wedding dress)

This one is... Fine. Decent. Standard. Just about what one imagines when it comes to Magnificent Century wedding dresses. We're definitely in the "good" part of this ranking. Also, I like this one's headdress too. I have absolutely nothing else to say about it.

7. Dilruba (public wedding)

This one is just, like, step above Mihrimah's, mostly because the buttons absolutely SLAP. This despite the fact the tiara is... Kinda not good? Like, it looks fine from the profile and with a veil, but on its own is definitely one of the worse tiaras in the show. Other than that, it's just as standard as Mihrimah's.

6. Hatice (wedding to Hüsrev)

I wish this one wasn't reused into oblivion, except maybe during that one conversation with Süleyman, so that people can appreciate just how much it slaps. Like, I don't know if that was the intention, but the shadow of Hatice's first wedding dress looms large over this one, and I for one am here for it! The tiara looks like if someone took out most elements from the first one, embroidery is silver instead of gold, and much less splendid, the colour is a much darker shade of red... Just. One of the standout costuming moments in this show, hands down.

5. Mihrimah (wedding night)

I wish wearing a super sparkly nightgown was a thing for more brides on the show! Or, at least I assume it's a nightgown. Like, Nurbanu later wears it as regular dress... Whatever. The important thing is that it's kinda hard to compare it to the rest of the wedding dresses, but it's undoubtedly the best nightgown, so...

4. Mihrimah (wedding procession)

"This dress is my funeral shroud" - Is that a complaint, because gurl, I would indeed die for that dress. I don't even care about its strange colour, or that Mihrimah, the spoiled princess that she is, gets a special dress for her wedding procession AND a special nightgown. This one is just too damn iconic, to the point that it even stands out in the sea of iconic looks Mihrimah's wedding contains in spades. Everything about it falls into place so well - the stunning embroidery, elegant jewelry, even the strange headdress has its own charm. We are entering the iconic looks territory here, folks. Things will only get better.

3. Nigar

Aside from Armin's, this one is the only wedding that doesn't concern top 1% percent of society (although it probably does about a percent bellow that, after all, this is still a society in which like 90% of people are subsistence farmers). But it blows wedding dresses of actual princesses (with one exception) out the water. It checks all of the boxes - it's red, fits Nigar's personal style while going the extra mile, and of course, it's real damn pretty! I even considered it for the first spot, if you can believe it. An absolute waste for a fake wedding, I tell ya. But great wedding dress is the least our best girl deserves.

2. Kösem

I hate that Kösem the super special Mary Sue got to marry Ahmet when even Nurbanu didn't, but at least we got this beauty out of it. It's not that spectacular on its own, but the headband, earrings and especially the absolutely epic cape together create a cohesive, truly unique look that I just can't get enough of. Also, Beren is super mega hot here, fucking sue me.

1. Hatice (wedding to Ibrahim)

...I have no justification for this one. Objectively, it's very solid, even a top 5 material, but is it really THE best wedding dress in this show? And the answer is yes, because I fucking said it and this is my list. I love everything about it so much! The gorgeous embroidery! The amazing jewelry set! The stunning tiara! Is it all a bit too much? Maybe. But too much is just enough for me in this case. Also, Hatice is by far the most beautiful woman on this list, so eat your heart out. This dress is an absolute icon, a gold standard that most of the rest had failed to live up to.

That's all dresses I could remember. If you have any complaints about this very objective and scientifically rigorous list, address it kindly to Minette!

[not-poignant]

Hi! Is there going to be a break between TND finishing and TUP launching? Adore all your stories - much love!🥰🥰🥰

Hi anon!

Yeah there's definitely going to be a pretty significant break! I need to get my story load down pretty drastically, so I don't think I'll be able to add The Prince's Son back in until Blue, Gold or Black are finished in the Underline the Rainbow series.

I'm hoping my future line-up which is many months away will eventually be something like:

Palmarosa

Underline the Silver (this or Red will likely replace Black)

Underline the Red

The Prince's Son (once a month updates)

Constellations and/or other Falling Falling Stars extras (once a month updates)

And pooooossibly Smoke in Autumn going onto regular rotation.

A Stain that Won't Dissolve is over halfway now, it's reasonable to think that might actually be finished by about chapter 50 or a bit before. Underline the Black is well over halfway, and we're actually sliding into our final act. Blue and Gold might actually be still going at that point but they're not as taxing as some of the regular stories I'm working on every month! They're pretty relaxing to write.

The reality is that I've been working way too hard for a little while and rather than just like... go on complete hiatus, which I can't afford to do financially anymore, I will not be replacing every story I finish with something else.

I'm in a group with a lot of other professional serial writers on Facebook and when the question 'how many projects / serials are you working on right now?' comes up, most people are working on 1, or 2-3 at most. And then I come in and I'm like 'I'm working on 8' and then we all sit there and stare at that like 'damn boy you're going to collapse if you keep doing that' to which it's like oh I already have. x.x Whoops! It is a problem entirely of my own making, I'm excited about all of these stories, and it's really only sheer willpower that is stopping me from also working on Red and Silver and The Prince's Son etc. at the same time.

This is also to give me more time to rest but ALSO to work on editing Game Theory which has honestly ground to a complete halt!

Anyway there's some shifts happening, they're a few months away, and The Nascent Diplomat isn't officially finishing until May (on AO3), and I actually think by then I'll have a better idea of what's happening.

Hopefully! O.O

[siena-sevenwits]

Jan 13 - Day #14 - Fortnight of Books

A book you didn’t read this year that will be your #1 priority in 2024?

Heh, since we're already into January, let me tell you what I have on the go!

Completed:

The Silver Chair by C. S. Lewis (reread)

Reflections on the Psalms by C. S. Lewis

On the Go (Brace yourselves... this is just the way I read right now, and it works for me.)

The Fellowship of the Ring by JRR Tolkien (Reread - I'm at the Barrow Downs)

Over a Hot Stove by Flo Wadlow (Memoir of a Norfolk kitchen maid who became cook at a great house at age 23)

Plutarch's Parallel Lives, Volume I (Just finished Numa Pompilius, a pseudo-historical king of Rome - read aloud to a sibling)

The New Testament (Reading through in order. I'm at the Gospel of John, and we just had the Samaritan woman at the well + I'm still reading through Scott Hahn's commentary on Romans)

Breaking Free from Body Shame: Dare to Reclaim What God Has named Good by Jess Connolly

On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness by Andrew Peterson (reread and read aloud to a sibling - they just got back from the Manor)

On Stories, and Other Essays by C. S. Lewis (I'm in a Lewis mood, I suppose!)

Clear and Simple: How to Have Conversations That Lead to Conversion by Andre Reignier

The Robe by Lloyd C. Douglas (read aloud to a sibling - Demetrius has just seen Pilate wash his hands)

The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson (re-read and read aloud to my Dad - Bridge Four has just learned how to side-carry the bridge.)

Beowulf (reread for school - the Ring-Danes have just turned to praying to the old gods in hopes of driving Grendel away)

Um... am I still technically reading The Silmarilion?

New book you are most anticipating for 2024?

Wind and Truth by Brandon Sanderson (The Stormlight Archive Book #5)

I don't keep up with most authors, so I have little sense of what's upcoming. But I do know I'm getting another Stormlight Archive book this Advent! We're getting what is effectively the series end and I am excited. Yes, he's said there will more more Stormlight Books, but he's also been quite clear that these first five books essentially form a series in themselves, and this will serve as the finale, even though it will set things up for the future "back half" of the series. Which is a wise choice. Sanderson already has problems with bloated books because he loves to show EVERYTHING when a little telling would do him a world of good. If he had barrelled on without resolution for 10 books, I might give up even though this series has my heart. But I do have hopes for this book. Rhythm of War was a bit of a disappointment, suffering severely from middle book syndrome, far more than Books 2 and 3 did. But the fact that this is a resolution books of sorts has me crossing my fingers that Sanderson will be back on top of his game and that the ending will give it a stronger through line. I don't expect a perfect book, but as long as the aspects that I really love get to shine, and my brother and I have a lovely read aloud time, I'll be happy.

But... seriously, someone else name Sanderson's books for him. This man cannot write a decent title to save his life. (Though from what I've heard, this title is better than some of the others he was considering.)

Sometime I've got to make a blog post about my thoughts and hopes for Book 5, but this isn't the place.

I may add one extra post to the fortnight tomorrow, just for fun.

[heavyelectricity]

Gladiators 2024: The Review

Gladiators 2024 is in the books, and we have our first champions in 15 years! The new series started with high ratings and has continued to deliver throughout its 11 episode run, capturing the imagination of the general public so strongly that a second series has already been commissioned by the BBC.

Now that it's all over, I think it's fair to say that the show has been a creative triumph as well as a ratings hit, running much closer to the glory days of the 1990s ITV run than the disappointing 2008-09 Sky One revival. While it's fresh in the mind, it's a good time to take a look at what the show did right, as well as identifying any weaknesses that can be improved next time around.

The Good

First off, I think the overall look of the show is fantastic. One of the biggest weaknesses of the Sky show was the small studio setting, and thankfully Sheffield Arena gives the feeling of a big time event that Birmingham's National Indoor Arena did back in the day. The set retains plenty of elements of the 90s presentation, like the padded silver platform edges and the big imposing backdrop of The Wall, but with great modern touches like additional projection. I never hated the water element of the Sky show but I don't miss it, and the added pyrotechnics are a nice touch. I can't think of anything I'd change, except for maybe a move to a bigger arena – more on why later.

The presenter duo of Bradley and Barney Walsh have been somewhat divisive among fans, and there are definitely criticisms to be made. Having said that, it's clear that they're excited to be involved and I think that they're both totally fine on interviews, with Bradley's natural charisma and rapport coming through well. Guy Mowbray has been good value on commentary too.

The on-screen graphics all look very nice, and the introductory video packages and recaps of previous shows are a nice way to get to know the contenders. Likewise, the Gladiator intros are useful in familiarising the audience with the new cast, although it's very clear that they've been reused from episode to episode. I also really liked the touch of having all of the Gladiators welcoming the contenders into the final.

The selection of events was pretty much dead on – all of the returning games were top tier choices from the classic series, though they weren't all handled correctly. I think all three new events are worthwhile additions to the roster, with The Edge being the highlight and really the signature game for the modern show. I wasn't sure about it at first because the initial contenders were quite tentative, but once they started to sprint across, I was hooked. The scoring was initially too generous, but the revision to the rules in the semi-finals was perfect.

The Ring is very simple, but I can understand the need for that from a TV production perspective – you do need some low-setup, low-tech events to balance out the more elaborate events. Thankfully it is also very hard-hitting, so it's quite entertaining to watch. As for Collision, some people prefer Hit & Run but I actually prefer the new event, thanks to the greater visual involvement of the Gladiators. The need to carry the ball to score also adds an extra wrinkle to the whole thing.

I think the Gladiators this year mostly did a fantastic job in terms of both gameplay and establishing themselves as personalities. For me, there are a few standouts. Nitro is an absolute all-star – he's very charismatic and he seems to be an incredible all-rounder on the events. Legend's heel schtick is highly entertaining, with “There's no I in team, but there are five I's in individual brilliance” being my favourite line of the entire series. I've become a big fan of Fury – she's relentless whether she's on The Ring, The Edge or Powerball, and has a strong sense of fair play. Dynamite's performances stand out as being particularly impressive given that she's not the biggest of the group.

The standard of the contenders was also very high this year. I couldn't pick between Marie-Louise and Bronte for the women's final, and while I did predict the winner of the men's final, it was closer than I was expecting. There were some absolutely cracking close Eliminators along the way, and very few major mismatches. In most cases, even the lowest-scoring contenders managed to pick up points in the majority of their events.

The Bad

I really hate to say this as I'm a huge fan of Bradley Walsh's work on The Chase, but as good as he and Barney are on interviews, their scripted links have been arguably the weakest aspect of the show. Event introductions have frequently made me cringe, with some lame jokes and banter that comes off as forced. They're so much better when they're just allowed to operate naturally, and I hope that if they return, they'll be given room to play things a bit more off-the-cuff.

One aspect of the presentation that winds me up is an occasional lack of information. The clock is displayed on screen for the full duration of every event except The Ring, during which the timer is only shown for the final ten seconds of the game. Why? That's admittedly a small peeve, but I have a far bigger one – the Eliminator times of runners-up determine progression to the quarter-final and semi-final rounds, but we're never shown them. Since this information is so important, it's really frustrating that we never get to see those times, either via a clock running during the event or a leaderboard at the end of the show.

Of course, that only matters because the structure of the competition was a bit unusual – a factor of the 11-week format. I've got to be honest, as good as the action was, I'm not entirely sold on a tournament format that lets you theoretically lose two episodes in a row and still end up in the semi-finals. Also, the criteria for choosing replacement contenders in the case of injury was not especially transparent – lots of people were confused by the addition of Wesley as a brand new contender in the Quarter-Finals, and it's not entirely clear why Matt was brought back from the heats to replace Chung. Hopefully, next time will have more episodes and a simpler single-elimination tournament structure.

Before the series, I never thought that my criticisms of the events would be about the classics. However, Hang Tough was only featured on three episodes – a crazy low number for one of the most iconic events from the original show. I understand it's because The Edge and Hang Tough can't be set up during the same taping, and I get the need to establish the new event, but let's have a better balance the next time. As for Gauntlet, every single woman scored maximum points and most of the men did too – it's just too easy in its current form. I feel like there's no good reason no to revert to the 1994 rules, with five Gladiators, a 30-second time limit and time-based scoring.

I don't think any of the Gladiators were bad value, and I actually believe that people have been rather unfair to Viper in particular – he's been widely criticised for his performance in events, but in reality his performance has been similar to Wolf's contributions in the original run. The problem is that his villain character isn't quite connecting, and I hope he's allowed to show more personality than “silent and grumpy” if he returns. It's also sad to see that Athena has been given very few one-on-one events and very little interview time, so I hope she gets more focus if she comes back.

Further thoughts

Ulrika Jonsson has complained about the loss of the cheerleaders from the ITV show. I don't particularly miss them, but I suppose it wouldn't hurt to have them? Also, I'm a huge fan of the event music from the ITV version of the show, and not having such prominent tunes did bug me at first. However, over the course of the series I did become used to it and it's not something I'd look to change now.

Jet has mentioned that she and other past Gladiators would have liked to have been involved in the show, providing colour commentary or some sort of insight. This may be controversial, but I actually think that not including them was the right choice for the first series. The problem with bringing the old favourites back from the start is that you immediately run the risk of overshadowing the new cast, as well as pigeonholing the show as nothing more than a nostalgic product – something I think the show has very successfully avoided, as it's hugely popular with both kids and adults.

Having said that, I do think that bringing them in for a second series would be a good move now that the new cast is established. If the production team can bring back additional classic events, the veterans can speak with authority about what it's like to play them, and young fans can get a glimpse of the people their parents keep mentioning. What's more, if someone like Jet were to come back, it would be nice to have a woman as part of the presenting team, as was the case in the ITV and Sky versions of the show.

I have no doubts over the professionalism of everybody involved in the health and safety aspects of the show, and it was good to see stoppages and such when needed. However, I was quite surprised by the number of equipment malfunctions – lost shoes on The Wall, helmets coming off, all that stuff. There were also plenty of injuries – Comet, Sabre, Finley, Dev, Chung, even Finlay forfeited an event due to being banged up. It's obviously a high-impact show, but hopefully the next series won't be quite like this.

Although the arena used was good for the show, I feel like it may benefit from a move to a bigger venue for the next series. Public interest is sufficiently high I don't think you'd have trouble filling out the seats, and it would give the benefit of increasing the space available for the events - especially if a third event requiring ceiling space is added, since The Edge and Hang Tough should both be prominent.

Wishlist for next series

Three new events, two returning/revised and one new (return preferences: Skytrak, Atlaspheres and Danger Zone)

Gauntlet rules revised

Two to four additional Gladiators

Better utilisation of Viper and Athena

More episodes with a simplified tournament format

More transparency about the competitive aspects of the show

Presenters given either less scripting or better scripting

Fewer injuries!

Final thoughts

As a huge fan of Gladiators since the very first series, I was really apprehensive about the show returning. Would it live up to my expectations? The Sky show never managed to match the ITV run for me, even though I had the good fortune to attend a taping for the second series. Would it hit with the public? I've watched enough worthwhile retro revivals fall flat to know that it was by no means guaranteed.

The new series has exceeded my expectations - I genuinely didn't think it'd be pulled off this well, and I'm so happy the show has been given the revival it deserves. Overall I think the entire team has done a fantastic job, and hopefully it's clear that the criticisms that I've made come don't come from a desire to knock their hard work, but are provided with the most constructive intent. The show was great this year, and I'm confident that a few tweaks will make it even better next time around.

Hope you enjoyed this review - let me know your thoughts, and I'll be back soon with some statistical analysis for the series.

[eclipseaotters]

Give lover boy Tae a break okay

or: jikookers’ taennie protectors era

Since we’re all open to differing opinions here, this is gonna be a totally different one. Let me rant in my side account so you don’t grab your torch and pitchforks on my main. I’m talking to a wall here but i need to let it out.

I agree that something changed in the air re: Tae and yes I do think it started after Taennie’s photos were leaked BUT HEAR ME OUT.

Try to remember how it was when gurumi surfaced. Seeing the whole thing unfold in real time was horrible—people waiting on the latest photos, fans from both sides scrambling to cover it up saying it’s edited or it’s not them. It was messy. But anyone with eyes and a decent brain knew they were real photos. So it’s extra scary.

It started in August. By October, headlines looked like this:

A whole iCloud account was involved. There was a group chat with hundreds of people. Threats from the awful leaker were THIS bad:

And even then, people were disgustingly excited about an impending dating scandal instead of being concerned about artists’ privacy. Go figure. It was a really, really bad time.

So let me be the really odd one out among jkkrs by saying I understand and genuinely accept why Tae had to amp up tkk interactions AND I’m not calling him out on it. Let me even go as far as saying tkkrs (and Jenlisa shippers i think) were the silver lining during the peak of the Taennie revelations.

Tae and Jennie can’t afford to be found out now, period. We all saw the reaction of the two fandoms and the malicious nosiness of the media after the “accidental” IG follow. And it was just that. What more if it’s a full-blown dating scandal? So any little contribution against the exposé helps, whether it’s proving that they’re in different locations, or appeasing and/or fueling rabid same-sex shippers so they can water down loud intrigue as well as support for Taennie.

I understand why a lot of jikookers, jimin lovers, don’t approve. It fuels the cult and validates them. And some of us are worried it fuels more hate against Jimin. But in a bigger picture, does a few tweaks in Tae’s behavior, a few more tkk interactions, really significantly change things for the worse? It really doesn’t, I think, because even if tkk don’t interact, the cult’s constant hating on Jimin will still be a thing.

I think it’s more of us we’re really thinking about here. How Tae’s actions hurt us because it fuels a cult that spreads hate against Jimin. But for Jungkook, Jimin, Tae? What their haters (and shippers) do is insignificant to them. They don’t go around looking for the hate. They see it on the weverse lives, yeah, but I’m pretty sure they’re (sadly) desensitized already. It’s been like that ever since. If they ever feel it’s too much even for them, they’ll call it out the way Joon did.

So let Tae do his thing and let the boys help, yeah? Let the cult be validated because that actually helps a lot in the short term. Taennie don’t have the luxury to be in the middle of a dating scandal in such a transitional, unstable time. All eyes are on them.

At his very core, Tae doesn’t bullshit, please. That’s what I love about him the most. When it got bad before and Jennie’s friend was involved, he acted immediately.

So for Tae to behave the way he is doing now—it’s because he HAS to. It helps.

It’s not just Jikook who knows how to be loud to those who listen, Tae does too. He’s also trying his best to be loud to those listening. Did you watch his latest live? The song he played? Snippets of songs he’s written? Have you been seeing how more romantic Tae’s been the past year? Man’s so in love he can barely contain it.

He could rival Jungkook in the fight for the bigger hopeless romantic (but Jungkook just had to do a series of indisputable-number-1-fan things just weeks ago so he’s still the OG smitten lover boy lol look at him).

Anyway, Tae’s not one to hide but this time he has to because it has serious ramifications to their careers. They’re two of the biggest stars in SK, heck, two of the biggest Korean stars in the world. Both of their groups have a global reach. They have so much to lose.

So please give Tae a break :( Taennie (and Jikook and all of them) are not one-dimensional characters. They’re human and they want to be able to live like humans. If you were in Tae’s shoes, and it’s tried and tested that your actions towards your bandmate—no matter how horrible your shippers are—doesn’t even directly affect their partner/your other bandmate, you might just be doing the same. It’s not even a big deal.

Bottomline is I’m acknowledging the change in Tae’s behavior; I’m just not against it because it doesn’t affect Jikook and it’s not ill-intentioned. He’s only playing the people who want to be played, and that shouldn’t be a large portion of us on this side, because his target audience for that is waaaay over there in rainbow text land.

When you fully absorb that thought, I swear you’ll easily get over that dreadful feeling you have when you see tkk interact and you’re anticipating the cult’s reception of it.

[When I have energy, I’ll let out my precious thoughts on vmin’s relationship because that’s another thing. tl;dr is what they’re showing—or not showing—is also not a big deal for me.]

[karimwillia]

Please don’t judge this.

Notice Me

Warnings: Suggestive

“MJ shut up!” “Hell no. I mean The FULL Princess is taking her time out to come with us to the damn club….Well you to the club.” “She was already here and besides I only invited her out because of you! She be hard body ignoring me most of the time.” Mj pauses. “The cap Ri she is legit busy you know that. You be sad as hell when she can’t take y’all normal nighttime call.”

Riri and MJ had not been out in months and with the weather finally warm this was the perfect time. To top it off she finally gets to see Shuri again. The two scientists talk/text when they can which is pretty regular. But lately Shuri has been traveling making it possible for Riri to see her again. This fact is causing Riri to be almost nervous. Being honest she has a bit of a thing for the Black Panther…she’s so special to Ri. When she says special to her it’s on every level. She thinks of her night and day and wants to hear her voice and feel her touch even if it’s just a hug even if she wants more. She has is bad for the Panther.

“Ri! Ri! Girl where do you go during these day dreams of yours. Also what in the world is this fit you must want to take something home tonight.” “Sorry and no where girl just thinking about equations you know. But maybe I wanna get me a little something.” Riri put the wild thoughts of her and Shuri in the back of her mind talking to MJ. “Mhm girl you was not thinking about not damn equations but ok.” Both young women laugh when a knock at the door booms.

Answering the door two Dora Milaje warriors in black are standing at the threshold. “Miss Williams we are here to escort you to the Panther.” RiRi recognizes the two guards as Ayo and Aneka of the Dora, these two are not Shuri’s normal guard. They must be here for a special reason.

“That’s our que! Hello Aneka and General Ayo.” Riri greets the women and pulls MJ to the door she has not been this excited in so long. The two women greet Ri and smile at each other with a knowing look. No one knows this because she really does no even admit it to herself how much she thinks of Shuri. Their bond has evolved to a very strong one but she still is self conscience at times wondering if Shuri even notices her. It sounds wild doesn’t it but still human…

“Damn this is not discreet at all.” Mj whispers as they fall in line with the Dora guards walking out of the dorm room they share. “Well she did give me a heads up she was sending them sorry.” Riri admitted as they kept walking. It was a needed measure because truth be told there has been some odd happenings at the outreach centers. Shuri voiced concerned about it one day to Riri so she wanted the extra protection for them all tonight. It is also the reason she has been traveling.

Walking to the door Riri almost stopped breathing. There she was Shuri the Black Panther of Wakanda standing outside the SUV in a form fitted black suit with no shirt her curls perfectly fluffed, the panther suit necklace around her neck and bottom golden grill in her mouth. She was waiting for them. “Damn she looks good as fuck. You sure you never hit that Ri?” “Shut your ass up. No I have not.” “Well why not girl look at her.” “STOP.” Riri was flushed a bit now the mere thought of anything physical with Shuri lit her on fire. When they exist the door to the outside Riri can hear Aneka and Ayo chuckle at the exchange.

“Ooooh well well Riri Williams you are a vision.” Shuri’s eyes behind her dark glasses are locked on Riri and never left. This is a long overdue visit she’s been missing the scientist so bad it hurt. Life since the Telokan battle has been complicated though to say the least. So tonight she wants to forget about it all and focus. “I can do something every now and then.” Riri turns to give a 360 but has to adjust her top which is a generous description of what she had on. She’s in a tasseled crop top that shows all skin. It’s paired with high waist jeans and silver heels so she can be a bit taller for the night. Shuri scoops her into a one armed hug and her spirit leaves her body how the hell is Shuri still that much taller than her. “Well you defiantly did it tonight.” Shuri’s warm accent fills Riri ear as she whispers to her.

Tonight is going to be hard.

“Ahem and I’m MJ Riri’s Best friend roommate you know.” Shuri laughs “Yes I have heard of you. Ri cherishes your friendship shall we go?” “Is that right we’ll she cherishes yours too so that’s cool.” “Is that so?” The royal is still holding onto the scientist as MJ gets into the SUV first. “Oh yea she can’t even sleep at night unless she hears from you.” Mj was being messy but the Panther shot a look at Ri when she heard that smiling to herself. “Well thanks for letting me know I’ll have to make sure she is always rested then.” The chatter from there falls into mundane small talk. What did Shuri mean was she going to be sending good night texts or some Riri was in a crazy daze over analyzing the words.

“Hey ladies how about something to drink? What would you like?” “Anything is fine really so we can get loose. We are too sober.” MJ spoke up in response to the royal. Riri and Shuri had forgotten she was there for a moment considering they where almost cuddled up on the bench seat. “I want clear vodka or tequila.” Riri chimes in as her brain logs back into the conversation. In the past she would pick up on certain statements that Shuri would say. And it could be taken as flirting or as her being nice. But tonight something was different about Shuri’s energy. She whispered in her ear and even behind the glasses Riri knew the Panther’s eyes have been on her the entire time so far. This is different.

Shuri passes the drinks around. “Let’s drink to having some time to get loose.” “I’ll drink to that.” They all down the shot and it rushes over them. “Let me get some more.” MJ exclaims and they drink a few more each.

Pulling up at the club everyone files out and Shuri tucks Riri under her right arm as they are escorted inside to a VIP section. *Horns* “In the house tonight is none other than the Black Panther!!!” The dj announces their arrival and Ayo and Aneka instantly disperse into the crowd to stand guard. The drinks are taking over and all three girls make it to the section and start to dance. MJ and Riri dance to the song on the loud speaker and Shuri looks on a little bit stoic. It’s not her style of music yet so just zeros in on how Ri is moving her body. The section bottle comes to the table.

Tonight is the night no more stalling Shuri is gone make her move. Shuri maybe lowkey but her feelings for the scientist are just as strong if not stronger. The royal has never felt like this before. EVER. At least not about another human. Every free moment her mind will drift to Riri Williams. She thinks of how she’s doing, what is she doing, how can she take care of her and how beautiful she is. Her mind is also sometimes not so pure either, those are her favorite thoughts. The problem is being who she is social cues have never been her thing so she was never sure if the times she has flirted or said things to her it registered. That stops tonight she’s on a mission and so far it seems to be working the energy is different. In a good way.

Riri is feeling good so far and is moving with a certain confidence knowing that her Panther is watching her every move tonight. “Yo girl she is eye fucking you tonight behind them glasses I’m telling you.” Mj has no filter at all speaking to Ri over the music. “Girl you know what I think you right but I don’t know what to do.” “To stop teasing her and go over there. Make something happen.” Mj’s pep talk works.

Riri makes her way to Shuri leaning in over her and I her ear whisper. “Baby are you even having fun?” Riri took a chance on the name as she’s talking. “Oh yea I’m fine Umntwana but I’m better that you are here.” Shuri whispers back reaching up to grip Riri’s waist and pulls her down to her. “We’ll have to dance when the right song comes on.

Riri reaches taking off Shuri’s glasses so she can lock eyes with her for the first time tonight and they are pitch black. There is only ONE reason that is. She really was eye fucking her good lord that made her blood run hot. With Shuri’s strong hands on her body holding her down. “So about this not sleeping, how can I help?” “I just need to hear your voice every night is all.” “What about tonight you stay with me and I’ll make sure of that.” Just then the song that makes her move every time comes on and Riri rocks her hips *ALL MINE* Brent Faiyaz. The slight friction of Riri’s grinding prompts Shuri to stand up and makes sure her scientist is close. Swaying almost as one to the music the royal’s strong tattooed hands are gentle but something about where they are placed is searing Riri’s skin. Riri leans her head back to grip onto Shuri’s neck as they dance the friction of her back and ass on Shuri feels so good. What helps is how each of her movements are met. Shuri’s face is in the crook of neck the steady warm breaths make her hotter.

Shuri bites down on her pulse and it’s mind numbing. They have totally forgotten they are in the club and with a turn of her head Riri catches Shuri’s lips licking out slowly to deepen the kiss with them moaning in harmony. It’s slow but a sensual kiss filled deep desire and a lot of unspoken passion. Shuri shift her hands to grab lower onto Riri and it elects another moan for the shorter women. “You better get it Bitch!” Mj shouts from the couch. The far too intimate moment was called out just in time or it was going to be something completely different going on. *You decided to be here with me* Love in this club is now playing. “Shit, we gone have to finish this later.” Shuri says it so casual and calm making it hard to focus again for Ri. “I was coming with you anyway remember.” With that Riri gets pulls away bending over shake her ass for Shuri and they dance remainder of the night.

Finally they have noticed each other.

[demon-blood-youths]

An Officer's Corruption - Part Sixteen

Hello everyone! This is Demon-mun, again and this is part Fifthteen of An Officer's Corruption started by @the-silver-peahen-residence

||Previous Chapters 1-7||((Click here))

((Previous chapters 8-13)) (Click here))

Part Fourteen

Part Fifteen ( Violence Warning )

||OVA Chapters||

OVA part Six

OVA part Seven

---- Warnings ---

Violence

Slight NSFW

---- Summary ----

After the huge brawl that took place at T Prison cafeteria. Officer Violet goes to investigate what caused Itadori to get violent after some words. Also, Oblivion plans to dive deep into Yuuka's history.

-----

"So that's what happened." Ink said as she is at her office talking to Sai. Which has been so long. When she got the call from him. She can't help but answer him since it felt so long since they talked. She wants to know how he is doing so far.

"I see..."

"Yep. The Yazuka guy, Katana Man breaks into the prison to kill Denji because he killed his grandfather who had him do job of killing demons so they can smuggle the remains. Of course, that old guy died not because of Denji but because he made a bad deal with the zombie Devil. So you know how that is."

"Not surprised that Denji had to do it because of some debt. It's a common unfortunate case for many who had to pay back debt left by their parents.." Said Sai.

"Yeah! And now we had a mini-riot just hours ago." Ink said.

"Is it related?"

"No. Some prisoner messed with the wrong guy and got his teeth pulled and even his tongue out." Ink sighed.

"Fuck!"

"Eh?! Sai? You okay?" Ink said.

"Yeah! That's pretty brutal if you ask me. That prisoner must of done something to piss the other guy off." Sai said.

"Anyway...what's up with you, Sai? How is that bat guy doing?"

"Oh...." Sai sighs, "Okay."

----- Sai's office ----

As he talks, below the desk. He winces as Terry down there is now teasing him below as he feels tongue on his length.

"How is he?"

"On his best behavior of course," Sai managed to say as he goes to push the bat's head with his leg to his groin to get that best feeling in the world. Ever since that night, he can't help himself. Damn him. No doubt, he is going to do it again with him tonight.

"Just some jokes here and there," Sai added. "But overall, okay. He is also getting out on his best behavior. We talked and we came on a deal."

"A deal?" Ink asked.

----

"Yes." Sai answered. "I decided to have him as my CI. I need someone to get information that most officers can't get." He said.

"Huh. I think that's a good idea." She said. Sai wonders if he knows anything about Ryomen Sukuna has something to do with Sai's charge and Rust's. Maybe they did.

"By the way...have you ever of Ryomen Sukuna?"

"Yeah! I do! He's the one who gives us money for repairs. He sounds like a nice guy." Ink smiled. Sai hums, "Well...do you know that he has someone in prison he cares about?"

"Not sure. It wouldn't be surprising."

"I can't get into details for that since someone is taking care of that so I'll talk to you later."

"Right, talk to you later, Sai. It's great to hear from you again. Also, sorry for the late update on that file."

"It's fine. No worries. I know how to handle my prisoner. It's no problem." Sai said, forgiving her. "Next time, have Hellmare handle that, got it?"

"Right!" Ink sweatdropped with a sheepish smile. "Anyway! Talk to you later." She said.

----

"Right, later." Sai smiles before hanging up. Sai hisses a little, "Can you at least wait? Didn't I get you blood earlier?"

"You did. But I need more if I'm going to work for you." Terry bite his hand. Sai sighs and pats. "Fine. Then another night would suffice?'

"Sure."

-------- Roosevelt Island Prison -----

Oblivion was upset on how Yuuka was treated the other night. She can't imagine it. She had to ask an extra shot available in her office. She wonders. She went outside and request a drone from Fosh to deliver that shot to Ophelia.

Today at noon, Oblivion request a different line for Fosh so she can talk to Ophelia in private on the phone after she got a text from Ophelia.

"Hello Oblivion. Thank you for seeing my message."

"No thank you for taking the time on this." Said Oblivion. "So what do we got?"

"I will say this...it's disturbing what they're doing to her. It's messing with her quirk no doubt but there are side effects." Ophelia frowns. "Both mentally and physically. She has a right to react. Messing with someone's quirk can do some longstanding damage to someone that will take time."

"Okay...so what kind of side effects are we talking about?" Oblivion asked.

"It's not pretty so here's what I listed. Right now, I'm thinking of making an alternative that might change the deadly poison to less dangerous poison temporarily. But I know you don't like that." Said Ophelia.

"Please tell me." Oblivion sighed. "I want to help her."

"Very well." Ophelia said as she goes to explain

----- Lower Cell Floor ------

"So I guess you heard the news..." Kali sighs. Rex chuckles, "I was wondering when Sukuna going to make a move. Never thought he would be so generous after the prison break-in."

"Do you think..."

"No. Sukuna isn't that kind of person. In fact, he hates that old geezer who was smuggling devil remains. He also had some artifacts stolen from his collection once and it was sold. He seems elated that old man died and his grandson now off to another prison. After all...he cares about Itadori and that's why he doing this. This way, the enemies of Six Claws will look for them when released or wait...instead of breaking into the prison themselves."

"It doesn't explain the other charges held by Vanguard's officers." Kali said.

"Ah yes. Davion." Said Rex as he continues, "That man is a dragon who is a bounty hunter. Apparently, he ran into a unlucky situation where he got arrested. That man is really strong. Whenever a huge bounty appears, he comes hunting." He said. "Although...his actions garners some police attention since his methods are.....a bit crude." Said Rex. "After all...I seen his work when he comes to black market tracking down his targets."

"And the other one?"

"Ah...Terry the Bat. A pain in the neck. From what I heard, he takes down criminals. You can say that he's anti-hero in those comic books. No doubt, he will have Officer Narong to work with him if their interests align." Said Rex. "Although...these are just guesses. I'm not surprised that both of them are going to be released since they're smart and charming but I am curious why Sukuna has mentioned them for some reason. Maybe...Davion could be used for a hired gun or sorts. As for Terry, not sure though." He shrugs.

"So nothing on Itadori?"

"No. Things are proceeding as planned. It seems like Sukuna wants Six Claws out of the prison so Itadori won't be in danger. It seems fair." He said. "If I had to guess maybe Sukuna wants the Six Claws for something. Only four of the six Claws know Sukuna in the criminal underground." He said.

"And you?" Kali crosses his arms, "I can guess a lot of stuff." "If you guessed that Sukuna wants me out due to business, then yes. You are correct." Rex smiles. "And now, now! In case you're wondering, I do not deal in human trafficking. Just weapons, money, and such. Nothing else."

"How is that any better?"

"Even as criminals, we have standards." Said Rex.

------- Warden Kinie Ger 's Office -----

"So that's how it happened." Warden Kinie Ger informs him of what happened between Iku and Yuji that started the brawl.

"I see. Thank you for informing me. Tell me did Yuji win or what?"

"Actually..he won. If you want to know the details. The man who provoked him lost two of his teeth and a tongue. Forunately, since he's a demon. It will grow back but he won't leaving the infirmary after a week. In fact, Yuji would be out of there when he wakes up. So no need to worry. Yuji is in cell by himself so he can calm down. As for his friends, the same. But they will leave the solitary soon." He said.

"I see. Thank you, Kinie." Said Sukuna.

"Just doing my job. After all, I owe you for the repairs." He said.

"So you explained the situation to them," Ryomen asked.

"Yes. Officer Vanguard took it well as she doesn't mind it." Kinie answered the phone with Ryomen Sukuna. Although...she has no idea how Ink thinks. "As for Officer Vin Shia, she seems apprehensive about this but she will get around as she got her orders."

"Good, good." Ryomen hums.

"Anyway...this date." Kinie Ger said. "What is the time and place?"

"Now, now, now. I can't spoil the surprise, can we? I will have my driver take you." Ryomen chuckles making Kine Ger make a face. "But...if you want. It's the view of the city."

View of the city.

Kinie Ger doesn't like being inside the city but seeing the view. She doesn't mind it. "Okay...is there anything I need to bring?"

"Oh? You want to give me a gift?" He teased. Kinie Ger nods, "Yes. I don't think spending time with you be enough, I wonder if there is anything I should give you. Mind you, I only know how to cook, bring wine or such to make the date enjoyable."

Ryomen laughs. "Wow! I never had a woman who wants to bring something as a kind gesture." He said. "I accept." He said gently. "Anything that surprises me. Though yourself is enough."

Kinie Ger can't help but smirk a little at this. "Very well. Also you said that you're planning on adding another request."

"Yes. It's nothing extreme. All I want you is to make sure Itadori is safe including his friends. After all, he is my prized fighter. And joy of course." Said Sukuna.

"Leave it to me." Said Kinie. "Officer Jinx is good at her job at protecting others."

----- Jinx with Kisho and Megumi ----

"So can you two tell me what happened?" Jinx asked the two. "I asked your friend, Itadori but he doesn't want to say."

"If Itadori doesn't want to talk, then what makes you think we will talk?" Megumi asked her seriously with an emotionless look. Jinx biting her cheek, "Because I want to know."

"Megumi..." Kisho said, unsure as he wanted to tell her. Megumi shakes his head.

"She needs to know...what's the big deal?" Kisho asked with a frown.

"Kisho...." Megumi warns, giving him a look to which Kisho wants to say something but doesn't want to disobey.

"Look. I just want to owe him for helping me out against that Akane and the Snake Devil." Jinx said. "I just want to understand. I know he doesn't throw a punch unless something seriously pisses him off."

"And how do you know?" Megumi said. "Do you know him? Or just know based on his file?" He said, not convinced by this.

"I want to know him. I only know what he likes and what he can do. I even saw what he can do too." Jinx sighed. She recalls the times when Yuji becomes so...primal. "So, please. If I am in charge of protecting him whether he goes to trial or gets released. I need to know so I can make sure nothing happens like that again."

"I mean...if you want to know..."

"Kisho."

"Come on, Megumi! It sounds like Officer Violet cares so why not? It's the guy's fault for starting. We were just minding our business. I mean...Yuji is a type of guy who doesn't like people talking shit including hurting innocent people." He said.

"Huh?" Jinx said.

"You see. That Iku guy was bragging about being in the Demons of Oda." He said. "He says he knows Yuji in the fighting ring and some other shit."

Megumi sighs.'

"Then Yuji isn't interested because that guy's whole plan is to take on Yuji because he's the strongest."

"That's what the other prisoners were saying."

"See? Told you!" Kisho tells Megumi who rolls his eyes but sighs.

"And he says something that if he wins, then Itadori gotta serve him and tell him to bring the girls, the female guards," Kisho said, looking a bit disgusted.

"Then one of the two, Syuuta about a female guard with dark reddish brown and wants to do things to her. That's when Itadori snapped." Megumi added.

Jinx blinks before widening her eyes. Hold on...then....did Itadori do that because he doesn't like how the guys were talking about me? No that can't be right?

"There. Are you happy? Not sure if that's going to change anything." Megumi said. Jinx shakes her head, "No, that's enough thanks. It makes me....glad that Itadori did something like that for no reason."

"Huh?" Megumi blinked.

"Anyway you two can go back to your regular cells." Jinx said. "Thank you very much."

"Hey!" Kisho watches Jinx runs off. "Hey Megumi, do you think...Jinx is going to tell Yuji that she gets it and Yuji won't get in trouble."

"Who knows. It means...we will be in our cells alone till Yuji comes back at the morning." Said Megumi.

"Meaning we will be there in our cell by ourselves," Kisho sigh then he blinked. Hold on...that does mean. Kisho looks nervously at Megumi who chuckles a little. "Itadori will be fine. You're on the other hand..." He looks at him.

"Oh come on, Megumi! I was just trying to help." Kisho pleaded. Megumi ruffles his hair, "I know. But we haven't finished because of that damn break-in. Maybe a reward would be good for you."

"R-right..." Kisho sighed before grinning a little, "Yes...Lord Fushiguro."

Megumi twitched a little, "Little punk...let's get inside!"

"Okay, okay!" Kisho laughs. And so the night continues on as Jinx returns to Yuji's solitary cell. How would this night go.

----

To be continued...

[acourtofantumbra]

Thinking about Iphraxia

Yes, I inhaled the HOFAS prologue and chapter one Sarah posted to her new site yesterday... and a couple things have been itching my brain since (and making thinking about anything other than release day impossible).

Safe to say we're hitting the ground RUNNING. Poor bb Ruhn. But some through lines and well... associations made by both proximity and repetition that have me (tentatively) very excited about a BIG hope I've had. One I'm not alone in.

🚨 HOFAS PROLOGUE + CHAPTER 1 SPOILERS 🚨

I have also not read the book in its entirety yet. This is just me spewing nonsense. Please don't reply/comment with any spoilers if you have read all of HOFAS. I've waiting two years for this! Just feeding my spinning brain until Monday night.

WHAT A FIRST CHAPTER! I have so many thoughts spinning about the info dumps we get - and awesome confirmations like Daglan = Asteri + Cormac shadows = Azriel shadows. Good work team!

But I'll be honest, I'm looking for any and all crumbs for a TOG connection... and this one just wouldn't stop irking me.

So, I'll begin with Bryce's lies. She spells out for us that, honestly, she's never had too hard a time deceiving folks by playing into what they wanted to see from her: a ditzy party girl incapable of scheming. We've spent two books, and many years, peeling back Bryce's layers, only to discover she's even more capable, more selfless, more calculating than we ever could have guessed. Even where we're guided largely by her POV. Queen. Aelin would be proud.

That gift we've seen honed over time... lasts all of two seconds in the presence of Rhys, Amren, and Azriel. But specifically, it seems, Azriel.

Now I'll fearlessly reference the cursed Azriel bonus chapter from ACOSF...

"“I..." He watched her swallow. She clutched a small gift in her hands. "I was coming to leave this on your pile of presents. I forgot to give it to you earlier."   Lie. Well, the second part was a lie. He didn't need his shadows to read her tone, the slight tightening of her face. She'd waited until everyone was asleep before venturing back down, where she'd leave her gift amongst his other, opened presents, subtle and unnoticed." A Court of Silver Flames, Azriel Bonus Chapter

So we have Azriel referencing, perhaps, his shadows' abilities to detect lies. They can also hear the Cauldron sing in ACOWAR, so why not expand their extra sensory capabilities? Rhys and Cassian have even confessed to not really understanding the full scope of Azriel's powers... so naturally we're not entirely sure all that he's capable of either.

Azriel's also the Night Court's spy master and in this scene with Elain, he defaults to those skills he's mastered over time in lieu of his shadows' guidance. So, language barrier or not, Azriel might just be able to read Bryce, as she points out herself. We love a male fluent in body language, amirite?

But humor me for a sec, we've had two years since the crossover was announced to kind of side eye the fact that Azriel's blade is call Truth Teller - which is now front and center in the overarching plot and specifically this chapter. And for the TOG readers among us... we couldn't help but notice we've had an actual truth telling blade before: Damaris.

Azriel's sort of alluded to legend about his blade's abilities - mostly that it'll strike true. But we've never really confirmed if he's able to use it like a lie detector as Dorian does with Damaris in TOG.

And the specificity of couching the language barrier issue (pre-magic bean lol) alongside references to Truth Teller pretty consistently in this very first chapter has me 👀

In the scene above, Bryce is immediately curious about how Azriel could react to what she'd said if he couldn't understand her and the laugh/Rhys' surprise when Azriel clarifies leads me to believe he didn't need to know what she was saying to be informed it was BS.

Of course, again, pre-bean, Rhys is likely mind speaking translation for Azriel in the second instance in particular. But he's still relying on Azriel wholly to confirm truth or not prior to moving on. And Rhys doesn't question Azriel's response - at least no audibly.

And I'm just saying, we know Azriel is currently holding onto Truth Teller.

Azriel, being the primed warrior that he is, is sitting and lying in wait for some shit to go down the whole time. So when Bryce has a bad reaction to the magic bean (lol sorry I will never stop teasing), before she can get her bearings she's already slammed down by Azriel's shadows, dagger drawn.

The fact that we can assume he's been holding Truth Teller, ready to strike, makes the shock at the blade's reaction to Bryce sans Starsword all the more interesting. When Amren is like, "Dude why do you even have that thing with you and close to her?" Azriel kind of bashfully winnows it away. Amren's ellipses there is suspect as hell too, but that's for another time (or the rest of this book).

Anyway, if we pretend that Truth Teller is displaying some Damaris type traits, then the other details we're getting in close proximity to the blade's discussion are worth a second glance as well (in my humble opinion). Also, want to note that I'm aware that TT is a dagger and Damaris is a sword. I don't think they're necessarily the same or from the same ore. That's for SJM to explain lol.

Anyway, as Bryce is selectively explaining her/the universe's predicament, Truth Teller comes up again. But first I wanted to pause on the "only three planets that were able to kick [the Asteri] out." While I'm fully open to this being a little different than we have been theorizing - we've come to speculate that Hel is one planet and the Starborn Fae planet is where Prythian is located. This leaves the third successful planet: Iphraxia.

A quick reminder what we know about Iphraxia:

So the Iphraxia events happen 16,323 years prior to conquering of Midgard and many have speculated this planet could house Erilea and our beloved TOG crew.

I've always side eyed the use of the word "denizens" because it can either mean "an inhabitant or occupant of a particular place," or "a foreigner allowed certain rights in the adopted country." Rigelus alludes to the Asteri encouraging planets to come and conquer others, never realizing those who opened the doors were the true masters. In that case, Asteri referring to a group like the Valg as denizens would also make quite a bit of sense to me.

Maeve fights in Erilea's first wars - granted she manipulates the hell out of them - but she confirms at one point that she just wants to have her kingdom in peace (an evil kingdom) and that she's been running from Big Bads for a long time. She is of course Valg - not native to that world - and is not on Erawan's team to start. But it becomes very clear by KOA that we're all playing checkers and Maeve - a world walker - is playing chess. Then of course we have a group of stranded, vengeful gods who want to return to their family/world... but were left behind in a hasty evacuation perhaps? Of course when Aelin shuts the gates, they're presumably lost forever, but that chapter would have come long after Maeve originally fought back against Erwan who believes that planet was his to command... motivated by that world's larger forces perhaps.

^ This is why I shouldn't have procrastinated my TOD and KOA rereads... the details are not as sharp as they should be. But that is the general essence of things.

Anyway, returning to the reference to Iphraxia and the grounding connection Truth Teller is being set up to be has my TOG IS COMING alarms blaring.

Of course this chapter ends with the horn tattoo on Bryce's back being exposed and Amren confirming it's similarity to the Book of Breathings... a book we know landed in Midgard along with TOG's Walking dead in Jesiba's library... and written in markings we can pretty confidently say are wyrdmarks. And you know what crew of folks are crackerjack at reading wyrdmarks? :)

Anyway, I think TOG officially entering the crossover is imminent and with this line of thinking re: timeline... it might not actually separate the TOG timeline as far back as we've been predicting it might be (like in the very far past).

All I know is that I've had great fun over the years reading people's analysis of first lines and first chapters of books actually providing you with everything you actually need to know/can expect from the book. Sarah is actually pretty great at doing this so in our proper chapter one (not the prologue but sure why not) we're hitting a couple of beats pretty repetitively and I can't help but feel it's priming TOG's reentry for us.

That being said, can't wait to be proven wrong in just THREE FREAKING DAYS!!! Unless Walmart stops lying to me and actually delivers my book as early as it's claiming it will.

[spiderdreamer-blog]

Treasure Planet (2002)

The year 2002 was a weird time for the Disney animation studios, to put it mildly. After the legendary stretch of films that constituted the Disney Renaissance-The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King-the yearly animated offerings were still making money, but they largely weren’t outright phenomenons anymore. Worse, competition had arisen both within and without: Pixar had totally changed the game with 1995′s revolutionary Toy Story, but the fancy new CGI bells and whistles were making more money than the studio’s traditional 2D animation and seemingly had more staying power to boot. Former studio chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg had left to form DreamWorks with legends Steven Spielberg and David Geffen thanks to a highly publicized power struggle with CEO Michael Eisner after the 1994 death of company president Frank Wells. They were succeeding too, with 2001′s Shrek being a (ahem) monster hit in particular. Eisner’s grip on the Magic Kingdom was slipping after this and other costly blunders like the creation of Euro Disney/Disneyland Paris, and he knew it. In the middle of all this, one of the most expensive films in the company’s history, a passion project for directors Ron Clements and John Musker, was nearing the end of production: a sci-fi adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic adventure novel Treasure Island. How does it hold up? Well, if you’re like me and grew up with this, Atlantis: The Lost Empire, and The Road to El Dorado on loop, the answer is “I cannot be remotely objective about that”, but let’s get down into the nitty gritty on why this movie rules.

I suppose in one sense, I don’t necessarily have to offer a plot summary. If you’ve somehow gone your entire life without knowing the basics of Treasure Island and its myriad adaptations, I’d love to see the realtor quote on the rock you’re staying under. Disney itself is no stranger to the property as a studio. The book served as the basis for Walt’s first big swing into live action territory in 1950, and quite a good one at that in its surprisingly faithful rendering of Stevenson’s red-blooded adventure. Not the least of which was Robert Newton’s immediately iconic, gloriously hammy West Country accent-fied portrayal of Long John Silver; if you’ve ever wondered why movie pirates sound the way they do, he’s patient zero. And of course there’s Muppet Treasure Island, a childhood favorite that has a surprising amount in common with Planet in terms of some of its adaptation choices (namely, making Mr. Arrow a stern, professional sailor rather than the drunken layabout of the novel).

Where Planet benefits the most is the meta-knowledge one is bringing to the story and updating it to fit within the lines of a modern feature film. Structurally, it’s fairly faithful as we meet Jim Hawkins (Joseph Gordon Levitt, still most famous for 3rd Rock from the Sun at the time) at the Benbow Inn and he obtains the fabled treasure map from Billy Bones (Patrick McGoohan, giving us a great death rattle in about 2 minutes of screentime), thus prompting a treasure voyage. But even in this early stage, there are smart changes: Dr. Doppler (David Hyde Pierce) is a combination of Dr. Livesey and Squire Trelawney so we can cut down on characters, for instance.

And most crucially, rather than a pre-teen, Jim is now a teenaged delinquent whose father abandoned him and his mother Sarah (Laurie Metcalf); the thirst for adventure and Treasure Planet itself is established in a tooth-rottingly sweet prologue, but now we have extra context and motivation in addition to the destruction of the inn. Jim wants to make his mother proud and feel like he’s worth something. Then, when we get to the ship, not only do we get the great reinvention of Captain Smollet in Amelia (Emma Thompson at her Emma Thompson-iest), Silver (Brian Murray) too is enriched by foreknowledge. Silver’s treacherous intentions are laid bare within minutes of meeting him rather than saving that turn for Stevenson’s famous apple barrel scene. But this adds tension rather than subtract. Now we wonder less that Silver WILL turn mutinous and more what it means for his and Jim’s relationship; the apple barrel becomes a lightning rod. He becomes an even more intriguing character as a result, one of the few genuinely morally ambiguous villains in Disney’s history that makes some surprising choices by the end.

If there’s one arguable flaw in the adaptation, it’s the depiction of B.E.N. (Martin Short), a robotic take on Flint’s old crewmate Ben Gunn. He’s a clever idea conceptually, especially with the angle of his missing memory circuit that hides a deadly reveal, and I like his gangly CGI animation. But he fits into a trend Disney was leaning into in terms of trying to recapture the lightning in a bottle that was Robin Williams’ Genie in Aladdin where they hired big comedy actors to come in and riff as the sidekicks so that they could boost the trailers with funny bits and ensure the parents their kids wouldn’t be bored. Sometimes this worked out splendidly (Eddie Murphy’s Mushu in Mulan is as iconic as his Axel Foley or Donkey in Shrek, Rosie O’Donnell and Wayne Knight fit in shockingly well in Tarzan), other times...less so (hi gargoyles in Hunchback and Dave Thomas and Rick Moranis just doing Bob and Dave McKenzie again as the moose in Brother Bear). To be clear, there’s nothing outright wrong with the character as presented. I think Short is a deserved comedy legend who also really needs clear direction so he doesn’t get lost in a sea of hamminess, but this is certainly a better showing of his eager-to-please neuroses than the likes of The Pebble and the Penguin. And he only comes in at the third act point, so there’s less time for him to feel jarring. But he doesn’t feel strictly necessary in retrospect, especially when the movie is already funny in cleverer ways (”Well, uh... thank you. Thank you very much! Well, I have a lot of help to offer anatomically— amanamonically— as-astronomically face smack“), and we have a Designated Kid Appeal Merch Sidekick in the form of Morph. Two feels like pushing it.

Of course, even if the story had been merely okay instead of better than average, this would still be one of the most visually striking films the studio’s ever released. Taking cues from the Brandywine school of illustration, the colors are lush and rich, and the alien character designs are appropriately outsized on such a grand stage. The action scenes are clever and creative throughout, especially the escape from the inevitable mutiny and a nail-biting outrun-the-clock climax.  The CGI integration is a little easier to spot 20 years on, but the Deep Canvas process allows for all manner of imaginative spacefaring visuals, the Victorian-by-way-of-Star-Trek aesthetic (sailing ships in outer space is exactly the level of FUCKING AWESOME it needs to be), and especially Silver’s cyborg limbs married to his broad 2D frame.

Though it certainly helps when you have master animator Glen Keane supervising one of his best performances, marrying the subtlety and grace he’d achieved with characters like Aladdin and Tarzan with the bravado of his earlier villains like Ratigan or Sykes in Oliver & Company. Under his hands, Silver can go from garrulous and brash to quiet menace or reflection in the blink of an eye. John Ripa (recently co-director on Raya and the Last Dragon) has a tougher assignment with Jim considering he’s something of a straight man, but he rises to the occasion with touches like a ‘face mask’ adding to Jim’s brooding nature that gradually fades as he opens up emotionally. Ken Duncan adds another great heroine to his quiver after Megara and Jane in Amelia, especially with the cat-like features, and Sergio Pablos’ Doppler is frequently a comic highlight with his wild gestures and facial grimaces that anticipates the animator’s work on Klaus.

Things are equally great on the aural end. A year after his iconic work on Atlantis, James Newton Howard gives us another great old-school adventure score with Celtic/Gaelic influences that also gets rockin’ at points with electric guitars punctuating Jim’s most awesome moments. Yes, it’s very XTREEEME and 2002, no, I do not care. (YMMV more on John Rzeznik’s “I’m Still Here” musical montage, but I think it’s awesome) The voice cast is also well chosen in its mix of then-current-stars and more unusual talent. Levitt, as with Ripa’s animation, opts to underplay, but he’s far from flat and manages some moving moments of tenderness and anger. Murray, primarily a theater actor in life, goes for the opposite approach, marrying big theatrical emotions with Silver’s larger-than-life personality, but never loses sight of the character and is quite affecting in the film’s denoument. Pierce inevitably brings a bit of his Niles Crane to Doppler, but since that’s one of the best sitcom characters in history, I can hardly complain, and he gets the lion’s share of the film’s most memorable lines, including a priceless Star Trek shoutout. Thompson is stiff-upper-lip dry wit personified, and she gives an interesting tinge to a budding romance in the latter portions of the film. Metcalf only has a few key scenes, but builds an effective portrait of a struggling single mother within them; thanks to her, you really end up rooting for Jim and Sarah to make amends. Rounding out the numbers are Michael Wincott giving a scary-ass pirate filter to his iconic gravel-pit voice as the villainous Scroop (who gets a memorable spin on the typical Disney villain death-by-falling trope), Roscoe Lee Browne’s stentorian bass giving Arrow a do-not-fuck-with-this-guy dignity, and ringers like Corey Burton and Rodger Bumpass as a pair of robo-cops.

Treasure Planet’s story had a bit of a sad ending at first. Unlike the same year’s immediate hit Lilo & Stitch, it was a notorious flop financially, especially given how expensive it was to produce, and hastened the death of big 2D theatrical films at the studio who pioneered them. But it’s lived on admirably, and even with its flaws (I think we also could have done without the fart noises alien), I count it among my favorites. I miss this period of Disney theatrical animation, where strict formula gave way to experimentation and weirdness. We should do that again every so often.