#everyone: focused on family feud

[tommylovingho]

[larkingame]

play the demo | patreon | larkin is rated 18+

someone is after you.

for over a decade and a half now, you’ve traveled up, down and across the country--running schemes and hunting fiends with your mentor, con-man-by-day, vampire-hunter-by-night, Wyatt Abrams--the prolific vampire slayer and the living descendant of Gregory Abrams, founder and prophet of the Abrams Family, the nomadic vampire-hunting cult that raised you--and was wiped out years ago.

carrying the abrams name means also means carrying on it's enemies--but that isn't to say you haven't forged a couple of your own along the way. now, it seems someone is trying to make good on old threats and promises. they've placed a bounty on your head.

so you and wyatt do what you do best: you run away. to some little town, out nevada ways, where the title of town preacher is unexpectedly thrust upon you--bringing back years of trauma you thought long tucked away.

as if that wasn't enough, on your first day in town the local mine up and explodes--leaving the reclusive family that runs the town--and owns the mine--to suspect you as the main culprit.

now you're left with the responsibility of investigating the disaster to clear your name, looking into the mysterious cult just south of town, the gang of outlaws who've been wrapped up deep in a feud with larkin's patriarchal family--a group of people which you suspect to be hiding a secret most monstrous--all while dealing with the ghosts of your past, and the roots your family left behind.

larkin is a vampire western choose-your-own adventure game, with focuses on romance, religion, horror and complicated family dynamics.

play a fully customizable character [[decide upon their physical appearance, gender identity, sexuality, customize their pronouns]]

dictate a unique relationship with your mentor-turned-father-figure and his former appentice

romance any of twelve characters, five male, three female, one non-binary and three gender selectable characters.

define your characters skillset and scheming tactics, select their weapons and fighting style, elect their feelings on religion, vampires and the cult that raised them.

the doctor [male] cyrus sokolov - the quasi-mayor of larkin, cyrus sokolov also operates as the town's doctor and mortician. he's immeadiately suspicious of you, the new preacher and the reputation you comes with. even though he doesn't like it, he needs your help.

the princess [female] celina sokolova - despite the misconceptions among the townsfolk, the reclusive third sibling of the sokolov family, celina, is actually the family’s eldest. hardly leaving the sokolov mansion, it’s rumored around town that she’s been struck with some sort of sun-related illness, others seem to hold the opinion that miss sokolova simply sees herself as too good to linger amongst the common folk. whatever the case may truly be doesn’t much matter to the people of larkin, after all, it's much more fun to gossip. she's very suddenly developed a fascination with the preacher, a hunger almost. but will she eat you whole?

the mortician's assistant [male] dominic sokolov - the youngest scion of the sokolov family, dominic works as assistant mortician in larkin, though he’s much more interested in larkin’s living townsfolk then the dead ones he’s been charged with taking care of. with seemingly endless information on everyone and everything that goes on in larkin, mister sokolov might not be the worst friend to have.

the lawyer [male] jacob nash -  larkin’s only practicing attorney and resident do-gooder. after passing the bar exam, nash headed out west in the hopes of making a real difference for the people there, only to spend most of his days settling petty disputes and notarizing documents. despite his disappointment, however, nash has managed to keep a level head and his fondness for the people of larkin, even though he’s not so sure the sokolovs have the townsfolk’s best interest in mind.

the bartender [female] rose holloway - larkin’s most recent transplant, that was, until the preacher showed up. former city-girl, rose has adapted to both life out west and on her own, the only way she knows how--by pushing through it. the owner and bartender of larkin’s only saloon, the emerald, rose is a popular figure around larkin whether she likes it or not, but whether that has more to do with her occupation or the fact she also happens to be larkin’s youngest widow is still a topic up for debate.

the lieutenant [male/female/non-binary] hollis - an enigmatic figure around larkin, hollis serves as a lieutenant for the mysterious rateliff fellowship. one of the cult’s few members to make the long trek from their encampment in the desert to town more than once. talked to by few, hated by most, hollis bears the reputation of the people they represent to the town of larkin--one, that isn’t particularly favorable.

the vampire hunter [male/female/non-binary] ace zhang - vampire-hunting-mercenary extraordinaire, the last the preacher knew of ace, they were the young hot-shot on san francisco’s hunting scene. once upon a time ace was a prominent figure in the preacher’s life, the first real acquaintance they managed to make on their own, someone outside of wyatt’s sphere. growing up a member of the guild, their life is one that’s mirrored the preacher’s. maybe that’s why the two seemed to be linked so closely during the preacher’s time in california, whether that was as friends, rivals or something more, their presence is one that remains prominent in the preacher's mind.

the outlaw [male] cassidy alan ward - cowboy, outlaw, bandit, cassidy goes by many names and titles, but the one he prides himself on most is leader. protector of his people, the ward gang hides out somewhere in the hills outside larkin, looming over the townsfolk as an ever-present threat, cassidy finds the sokolovs personally responsible for the death of his sister, caroline, and he is out for blood.

the gunslinger [female] ethel jackson - cassidy's right hand, ethel is a gunslinger through and through. fancying herself the robinhood type, she's got a personal hatred for the family that looms over larkin.  with the fastest gun in all of nevada, maybe even all of the west--ethel could prove to be a valuable friend--or a deadly adversary.

the stranger [non-binary] reyes - the newest addition to ward's gang, not much is known about them or their past--what everyone is well aware of, however, is the fact that nobody whose ever decided to cross reyes has ever come out of it alive.

the vampire [male/female/non-binary] montero moreau - you've hunted down their coven, debilitating any hopes for growth they had in terms of advancing in the cut-throat world of Vampires. you've made montero look like a fool, and they hate looking like a fool. They're determined to hunt you down and take revenge.

the first man [male] - adam - he believes himself to be the mirrored man mentioned in the abrams family book of genesis--the first vampire, plagued to walk the earth--and he has long been in search of his eve.

play the demo | patreon | itch.io

[allwaswell16]

A One Direction fic rec of fics like the book Red, White & Royal Blue as requested in this ask. The fics all have varying combinations of the main tropes of the book (enemies to friends to lovers, royalty, famous/famous, and/or fake relationship). You can find my other fic recs here. Happy reading!

- Louis / Harry -

💙 Queen of Arizella by seducedbycurls

(M, 277k, omegaverse) Harry is King of Arizella, he needs a Queen and who better than an omega on the run from death? Louis will learn to become the perfect Queen -the perfect fake Queen, but only for a few months.

💙 The Greatest Thing by @infinitelymint *

(E, 163k, canon) Harry and Louis haven’t spoken since the band broke up when a dangerous combination of Niall Horan, tequila, and an ordained Elvis impersonator means that the two of them have to embark on their biggest publicity stunt to date - together.

💙 Façade by written_with_no_end / @written-with-no-end

(NR, 133k, famous/famous) An AU where Louis is the lead singer of The Rogues, Harry is the lead singer of White Eskimo and both are sick of being in the closet so kiss one night to fuck with the media.

💙 Lightning Strikes The Heart by @fournipplesau , @justalarryblog

(E, 130k, historical) As expected every year, the Lockhart House hosts the season’s opening ball, and its invitation is the motive of the hustle in town, and every family hopes for the invitation. This year is no different, but this year everyone's attention is focused on the new Duke of Montgomery, His Grace Harry Edward Styles, and whether he will attend it.

💙 Paint Me In A Million Dreams by green_feelings / @greenfeelings *

(M, 112k, famous/famous) When Louis sacks the role Harry auditioned for in Scorsese's next big film, their irrational feud starts. Who could have guessed it would get even worse when for promo season, their teams decide to present them as a couple for publicity?

💙 mirrorball by cherryboys

(NR, 102k, famous/famous) When Harry is asked to fake date Louis Tomlinson, an actor he hates because he bad mouthed one of Harry's songs in the beginning of his career, he is opposed to the idea.

💙 white winged dove by duchessy

(M, 100k, arranged marriage) Pressured to marry in order to save his family from financial and social ruin, Louis finds himself caught between wanting to be selfish and doing what he needs to do for the sake of his sisters, if no one else.

💙 king of my heart by wildestdreams / @thelavendrhaze *

(E, 83k, adaptation) A Red, White, and Royal Blue AU where Hollywood elite, Louis Tomlinson, finds himself falling for the closeted Prince of England.

💙 A Night in Hollywood by Sax246

(NR, 71k, famous/famous) Louis quickly comes to realise Harry is only enjoyable on the screen and not in-person. When the two get caught in a fight by paparazzi at a celebrity party, the media goes crazy, and they are forced into a PR-relationship against their will.

💙 don't want no other shade of blue by padfootyoudog / @louisisworthit

(E, 58k, omegaverse) it was foretold that Alpha Prince Harry would be mated to a beautiful male omega with eyes that could rival the stone amethyst, but Omega Prince Louis refuses to believe it.

💙 Need So Much of You by @lululawrence *

(NR, 46k, canon) the would-have-been canon compliant, fake relationship, friends with benefits, friends to lovers fic where Louis wonders if this thing going on with Harry is going to break him or change everything for the better.

💙 walk my days on a wire by sunshiner *

(E, 38k, famous/famous) when actor Louis Tomlinson used to daydream about dating Harry Styles, this is not what he had in mind.

💙 (we will be) as if chosen by @alivingfire *

(E, 35k, secrets)  Under the watchful eyes of millions, Louis has to figure out how to keep his carefully constructed house of cards from falling, and the first step to accomplishing that is to keep from falling in love with the irritatingly charming Prince Harry, who just won't stop showing up and trying to whisk Louis out of the constraints of his boring life.

💙 Lies & Liability by 4ureyesonly28 / @evilovesyou

(M, 34k, historical) Harry Styles wishes that he will enter matrimony out of true love, no matter how favourable the match with any which alpha may be.

💙 Sail into the Sun by orphan_account

(E, 31k, Prince Louis) Louis needed a way out, Harry needed a husband. It was a mutual agreement. Doesn't mean they have to like each other.

💙 Dancing With Masks by @softfonds *

(E, 18k, famous/famous) With awards season coming up and new films on the way for both of them, Harry and Louis' managers decide it's time for them to date for publicity. 

💙 rapture in the dark by stylinsonsupporter

(T, 13k, hate to love) Harry does the Winter Girlfriend routine with Louis instead.

- Rare Pairs -

💙 Love Like This by @reminiscingintherain *

(E, 32k, Zayn/Louis/Liam) A Zouiam RWRB AU, featuring Louis as the First Son, Liam as the Prince, and Zayn as Liam's friend and equerry. 

💙 Be My King (I'll Be Your Queen) by transteverogers *

(E, 15k, Zayn/Liam) That one where Zayn's a royal bad boy and Liam's his PR agent/Personal Assistant and basically everyone knew they had feelings for each other before they did.

[glitterjay]

ENEMIES TO LOVERS | 이희승.LHS

summary: heeseung finds himself drawn to the girl he initially clashed with. two competitive rivals notice the sparks that fly every time they encounter each other. beneath the surface of their hatred lies a hidden chemistry drawing them closer despite their efforts to resist. could love possibly fire up from sparks?

genre: feuding families, a little bit of everything (smut, fluff, angst), enemies to lovers

warnings: will contain smut, heeeseung and reader are in their late 20s, more to be added.

prev | next

taglist (open): @drunkhee @jvjsssnaa @minniejenseo @slut4hee @nyxtwixx @m1sskz @tanisha2060 @heelee-01 @enhypenlovre @rainingleaves @hommyy-tommy @ramenoil @yorukoushii @pockettwinzz @samouryed @capri-cuntz @jjklvr9 @minjaexvz @simhinata @nurihihi @aaa-sia @yunhoswrldddd @viciousdarlings

heeseung was sick and tired of seeing your face in every single meeting these investors held. his mother urged him to go on behalf of his father, pointing out how he had to deal with such encounters and emotions since he would be the next owner of the company.

it was hell for him, though. the way your soothing voice seemed to have an effect on everyone in the room, how smooth your words were, and how easily you could stab him in the back with counterattacks to his statements. it was obvious the investors were also focused on your good looks, looking at you with heart eyes—not heeseung, though. He could only see you with fire in his eyes.

the spark on his chest was back when a break was called. it was the last meeting, which would decide who these people chose to work with, and it was, by instance, the longest one yet. everyone seemed to be interested in the snacks offered by your building outside of the meeting room—everyone except you and heeseung.

the moment the door slammed shut again, he stood up, slamming his hands against the table. it caught you off guard, but you were quick to brush it off. "what's gotten into you?" you asked. heeseung only scoffed, standing up straight to fix the glasses resting on the bridge of his nose. "don't think you're winning this one," he said.

the investors were all back inside the meeting room, and another hour of presentations passed. this was the moment you both had been waiting for—the moment of truth. you were nervously playing with your hands behind your back. heeseung noticed this and smiled to himself. so, you weren't perfect after all.

the whispering that filled the room soon died out, causing the two to stand up straight. not only did the companies depend on this decision, but the pride of each of you hung by a thread.

"after this past week's getting to know both of you and what your companies do, we noticed a similarity." the words made you wince.

"Iit would be an honor for us to work with both companies simultaneously, thereby forming an alliance."

© glitterjay | tumblr

missed me? :)

[buddiebeginz]

Guys don’t let spoilers for new eps rattle you. We’re closer to Buddie now than we have ever been. Just have to let the story play out.

Remember these things:

They’re not really pushing B/T in the press they’re doing for the show. Like sure they’ve talked about them but go read all the articles and watch the interviews T*mmy is being talked about more as a mentor figure for Buck and not a long term love interest.

The show has very deliberately connected Buck’s bi awakening including B/T to Eddie and compared T*mmy to Eddie.

They’ve literally with dialogue pointed out Buck wanted Eddie’s attention twice (once when Buck was talking to Maddie after the game and once when T*mmy says “my attention” a clear indication he knew Buck wanted Eddie’s attention).

They’ve full on paralleled B/T scenes and Buddie scenes (call Eddie/call T*mmy)

Buck was talking about how great Eddie is moments before T*mmy kissed him.

Eddie was the character they chose to have crash Buck’s first date with a guy. They chose to have it be where Eddie announces that Marisol is moving in and after the date was over and ended badly the main thing Buck focused on wasn’t T*mmy it was the fact he lied to Eddie.

They’ve made it a point to say in interviews that Buck isn’t going to be having any more one on one coming out scenes this season. Yet they had both of Buck’s important coming out scenes involve Eddie. Buck ends up coming out to Maddie because he’s talking about the date and how he’s upset he lied to Eddie. They also had some very deliberate dialogue when Maddie said “I just think maybe you’re not sure of your own feelings yet. And if there’s something you need to tell Eddie you will. In your own time.”

They devoted a whole intense scene to Buck coming out to Eddie including with a hug.

They keep promoting Buddie in interviews and the press and almost all of the promo videos and pics this season have included them. They’ve also had Ryan and Oliver front and center during the press early on and both seem excited about Buddie’s storyline together this season.

They’ve even made Maddie and Chim’s wedding about Buddie to a large degree. All the promos for it are 98% Buddie. They’re also wearing a couples costume, partying with drag queens, and being more physically close than we’ve ever seen them be. Remember this is also happening at an event we saw Buck invite T*mmy to and we know Eddie has a gf who should presumably be his +1.

Marisol has barely been in this season. We don’t really know her as a person or even her last name. We don’t even know how a relationship between her and Eddie functions because we’ve barely seen them together. The one ep Marisol was heavily featured in the show treated her more like a punchline than a fully fleshed out character and certainly not like a long term love interest to a main character.

They’ve already had Eddie talking about how he’s a nester this season. But they also had a very emotional scene where Chris talks about Shannon and how everyone leaves. Eddie having Marisol move in with him so quick (even if she did move back out) just proves he’s repeating old patterns. He’s looking to replace Shannon in his life and for Chris. Instead of looking at what he has and what he wants.

Also remember that Ryan was included with all the other cast members who play queer characters on that episode of Family Feud that’s likely to air during pride month.

I know a lot of people are nervous about what the show is going to do with Buddie but remember there is more incentive for them to make Buddie canon now than ever before. They’ve gotten a lot of positive feedback especially in the press from Buck’s bi storyline. Tim and Ryan and Oliver and the rest know how much people want to see Buddie happen and how much attention they will garner the show when it does. They’re in the perfect position to finally move these characters in that direction and I think they are slowly and steadily. We just have to be patient. We’re likely to have parts of the story suck as we get closer to Buddie but it will be worth it in the end.

[burningfudge]

NOOOO not XvX. I’m not a fan of the feud forming between Scott’s and Rogue’s X-Men. I think it’s incredibly stupid. At least the Avengers aren’t involved with this one.

I’m looking forward to Strange of Asgard, mostly for the Stephen and Loki interactions. Dormammu Invasion of Earth also sounds pretty interesting and I hope the Faltine family is the focus of that storyline. I NEED a comic focusing on Dormammu, Clea, Doyle, and Umar.

“Galactic Leaders Assassinated” 🥲 I hope my boy Hulkling will be alright.

AHDJEJAK ULTIMATE INCURSION!!!! SIGN ME THE TF UP. The Maker’s fucking up the universe for everyone and I’m here for it.

Timeslide (2024) #1

[krysmcscience]

Oh, hey, remember these cute lil kiddos who totally aren't evil or anything?

Yeah, they're in color now. And still very much actually evil.

pay no mind to the lazy background behind the orphans

Some more headcanon rambles under the cut:

Prior deets are here.

I've thought a little bit more about each Bishop's backstory kinda? But not too much - mostly just deciding how they met, and having fun assigning deaths to their families to allow for a continued cycle of abuse (in a sense). Each of the Bishops' families died in a way that relates to their eventual domains as gods, enabling them to lash out at others with the very things that left them as orphans. Because I'm nice to characters like that. And by nice I mean horrible. :D

Shamura:

Shamura's parents were already part of a cult, and had learned too much about a group of enemy heretics they'd been spying on, and thus their rather large family was slaughtered alongside the rest of the family's cult in the midst of the ongoing war. Shamura had been away to run an errand before the attack, and thus was unable to do anything about it (in parallel to how they did very little to protect their siblings from both Narinder and the Lamb). They were very close to their family, and the loss drove them to start finding new family in the form of other orphans they came across. It wasn't just the four who became their adopted siblings, but the others either did not survive, or simply couldn't keep up with Shamura's ambitions - to end the gods whose followers took up arms and cut down everyone Shamura knew.

Throughout their journeys, they intensely studied the ways of war, weaponry, and spellcasting, particularly curses; because, after all, gods could hardly be killed with mere mortal weapons. They also researched a great deal into the gods' crowns, as well as certain immortal entities who weren't quite gods, as the three birds seemed strangely neutral, and amenable to helping anyone who crossed their paths, all without asking for anything in return. Shamura's studies and research grew much easier once they met Kallamar, due to the circumstances of his upbringing.

Kallamar:

Kallamar's well-off but isolated family was wiped out by disease, spread intentionally by those who wanted to quickly wipe out proclaimed heretics, and Kallamar himself nearly died from the sickness, as well. He was found by Shamura, who had only been intending to rob the manor he lived in, but offered to nurse him back to health if he would grant them use of the place as a base of operations. He agreed, so Shamura did as they offered, with some assistance from their entourage, which by that time already included Heket.

Once Kallamar was on the mend, he was informed of precisely who was responsible for the obliteration of his family. He chose to join Shamura's group in seeking vengeance, and began to learn how to utilize various weapons from them. Due to his cowardly tendencies, though, on his own time, he focused more on subtler methods that he could use up until being backed into a corner - poisons, mainly, before expanding to contagions created from a mix of curses and natural elements. Kallamar's manor remained a base of operations for the siblings up until the beginnings of the Old Faith were established, and their respective temples constructed.

Heket:

Heket was an only child, and her parents both starved to death; they were farmers whose livestock died out across several consecutive crop failures. Those failures were made worse by intentional sabotage from several feuding cults situated nearby, as none of them wanted to risk letting their enemies barter for critical food supplies. Heket managed to survive by consuming her own parents' bodies, as well as those of dead cultists she came across while trying to go on living as close to normally as she could, though when it was realized that she was alone, her home was invaded while she was out looking for more food. Furious at the audacity, she torched the place with the interlopers still inside, and set out in search of a new home - and more food, which she was not picky about.

She would steal anything she could to eat from campsites and cult grounds, and for good measure, she would set anything she couldn't carry with her ablaze before moving on - equal parts distraction and a means to starve out potential enemies. She crossed paths with Shamura by chance - alone - and attempted to rob them of their food. They were more clever than she expected, though, and by now already used to desperately hungry orphans trying to nick a meal. To her surprise, Shamura invited her to eat with their small group, and between the food and the talk of bringing down the many warring cults one by own, Heket decided to continue traveling with Shamura - whether they wanted her to or not. Fortunately, they did, as she was already quickly learning the tricks to thievery, and had a knack for utilizing explosives. (I will die on this hill. She blew me up so many times, Kallamar had nothing on her.)

Leshy:

Leshy's nomadic family was killed in a freak accident - a lightning strike right in the middle of a random ambush by traveling cultists. Being little more than a toddler, Leshy initially survived by burrowing out of sight, and then by disarming the attackers with how deceptively cute he looked. On a whim, one of the cultists decided to try to indoctrinate him, and he was carried along with the group until nightfall - after which, in a fit of pure unhinged toddler fury, he wrecked their campsite AND their faces before fleeing underground. He survived just short of feral for a while, catching his food (animals and people) in the pit traps he'd learned to make from his family. After that, he wound up wandering close enough to Kallamar's manor to spot a group of kids heading inside, and decided to be the little menace he is.

He started off digging traps around the manor - and definitely ate at least one of the orphan kids - before graduating to breaking and entering. He nicked food, toys, and/or weapons each time, mostly just for the fun of it, before Shamura eventually managed to catch Leshy in a trap he couldn't burrow or bite his way out of (and his cute puppy eyes were not going to work on them anymore - not after the first two dozen times). Kallamar attempted to make Leshy fix all that he'd broken in the manor, as well as return everything he'd stolen, with very minimal success. Heket wound up being the one to bring Leshy more or less to heel, mostly by feeding him and showing off all the cool ways she could blow things up, which he found entertaining enough to become slightly more bearable around other people. For a long time, however, having him around was more or less like living with a half-feral and all-manic hyperactive animal without any concept of or care for social niceties. Kallamar did not appreciate all the property damage, but conceded to Shamura's certainty that Leshy's...unique skillset would be useful going forward. (Naturally, they were not wrong.)

Narinder:

In keeping with parallels - more than one this time, even - Narinder attacked and killed his own family. Eventually, at least, and as retribution, because his parents saw him as the runt of the litter, too needy and not worth the effort it would take to keep him alive. He was not merely abandoned, but sold off for a pittance to cultists, who wanted to sacrifice him to the then-god of death. Being as small as he was at the time, however, he was able to squeeze out of his shackles and wriggle from his chains on the way to the cult's ritual grounds, sneaking away while his captors were distracted. He did not go far, however - he was too furious with them for that. He trailed after them, instead, waiting until nightfall, and strangled the leader in their sleep with the very chains they'd put on him, before cutting the throats of the rest of the sleeping cultists. He then attempted to track down his traitorous family by following scent trails, but was soon thwarted by a downpour. Still, he vowed to find them one day, and sacrifice them the same way he would have been had he not escaped.

The deets for his meeting his siblings are in the prior post, so that really just leaves his family's deaths. After Shamura began their rise to power, their growing influence - along with help from the other siblings - made it easy for Narinder to discover where his parents and littermates had taken refuge. With his own influence in Shamura's budding cult, he faced no issues with ordering his "family" to be brought to him for sacrifice, though he did briefly fly off the handle and cut down his father for being the one to suggest selling the runt. Speaking of which - Narinder was quite delighted to let his so-called family see how much bigger he was than all of them by that point. He was equally delighted to behead every last family member himself, and to desecrate their remains by putting various pieces of them on display around the cult grounds. I'd say his adoptive siblings were disturbed by this, but. Obviously, every last one is fucked up enough to where we all know they weren't. <:]

At some point I'll share the toxic obsessive Narilamb AU that draws from this backstory, lmao, but for now I need to sleep. X_X;

[artist-issues]

Screentime For the Prince

You know how in the original Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, each character's true nature is revealed by what they choose to treasure?

You know, Grumpy treasures safety because his true nature is vulnerable, the Queen treasures beauty because her true nature is ugly, and Snow White is the only one who's treasure is as true as her nature: pure love?

And how the Prince only gets around 5 minutes of screentime, and in those 5 minutes, proves that he A) treasures Snow White's true nature of pure love and B) keeps his promises?

Well, I was thinking. In the new Live Action, they're basically writing in a different male character in place of the Prince and not focusing on any kind of love story. So it's not actually "Snow White." But what would a good, faithful, beautiful adaptation of Snow White look like? (You know, one that actually does adaptations correctly--like Cinderella 2015?)

What should they be doing with the Prince?

I have a general idea below.

I mean, they can't introduce him in the same way they did in the classic animation. Obviously modern people aren't used to so much nuance in their big-screen fairy tales anymore; 5 minutes of screentime isn't enough, we prefer Mr. Darcy & Lizzie Bennet-levels of couple-building interactions, at least. And that's okay.

But it means we have to fill in a lot of the blanks about where this Prince comes from and why he values Snow White's "pure love nature" so strongly.

So I figure, in my head, it might look something like:

The Prince (let's call him Walther, German for "Walt," since basically everybody who worked on the original movie agrees that it was Walt's big brain child, and the popularized "Ferdinand" is not only fan-made but makes me think of a kindhearted bull) is the heir to a neighboring kingdom's throne.

Prince Walther isn't King yet, not because his parents are still King and Queen (they're dead,) but because tradition states he can only take the throne once he's come of age. Prince Walther's like 17, turning 18. So instead, his kingdom is essentially run by this council of busybodies, with one Regent holding the throne until he's old enough to take it. Something like that.

(the picture is of Dean Stockwell who's the son of the original voice actor for the Prince, I think someone who looks like him ought to be cast.) Prince Walther experienced pure love from his parents, who treated him like a normal boy and didn't place much emphasis on courtly manners or politics when raising him. But then they died tragically, leaving their honest and innocent son to be raised by a bunch of old people who put way TOO much emphasis on those things.

Because everyone in Prince Walther's court has had to handle being next-door neighbors to the Wicked Queen's country. They're all super political, and afraid of appearing weak, and therefore, very insincere. That's what I'm saying.

Everyone he interacts with on a daily basis never comes out and says what they really want. Nobody is genuine. He lives a life of hearing words like, "good morning Your Majesty, I hope you slept well. The Grand Duke could certainly stand to sleep better; the poor fellow looked run down at breakfast." but learning that what they actually mean is, "The Duke is getting old and ineffective and when your birthday passes you should decree that he give his land and resources away to me."

And he misses the genuine love the court used to feel from his parents' kind, simple way of ruling. No political games, no complex feuds. Plus, he misses the personal love they shared as a family, genuine, uncomplicated. He missed the days when people just say what they really want, unafraid, so that their rulers can take care of their needs.

Then there's the problem of why Prince Walther's in the Wicked Queen's realm in the original movie--that's not his territory, if he has his own kingdom.

So I think it would be neat and interesting if the Queen wants Walther's land. Maybe she invited his parents, way back when, to a kind of audience to negotiate an alliance. Then she got jealous of his mother's beauty, maybe even tried to seduce Prince Walther's father, and assassinated them both when he rebuffed her. Oo, maybe even the Huntsman (her FAITHFUL Huntsman) helped her do it all those years ago.

But she didn't realize they had a young son, so she couldn't just raise her hand and say, "Hey Neighboring Kingdom, it's too bad your monarchs both mysteriously died--don't worry, I'll be your new leader" because Prince Walther's council suspected foul play (they always do, they're suspicious people) and were preemptively like "NO NO WE HAVE A PRINCE, WE HAVE A PRINCE! We're fine, we don't need help, everything's fine."

So she sort of had to stew on that. Maybe she even tried a couple more halfhearted attempts to get their throne, and they just never worked out--then eventually her attention was occupied by how much older her stepdaughter was getting, and how much prettier.

Anyway, Prince Walther asks for an audience with the Wicked Queen; he's about to become King, and he knows that the council fears their neighbor, and he sort of wants to go over and size the next-door ruler up for himself. So he rides over with a little delegation of the members of the Court he can actually tolerate the best, and is visiting.

It's not fun. They're only there for a day, but the Wicked Queen is definitely scary. For one thing, she's unnaturally beautiful and everyone he brought with him is either stupefied in her presence or terrified. He himself is very confused by her; he's an open-hearted guy, with a touch of naïveté even though he was raised with good intuition and doesn't trust the Queen. All audiences with her are full of all the formal, double-and-triple meaning conversations that he hates back home; except worse, because she makes everything seem more sinister.

So after a particularly weird conversation with the Queen where he can't decide if she was flirting with him or threatening his kingdom, he goes for a ride around the courtyard to clear his head. And what should he hear, like a breath of the freshest air since his parents died?

A pure, beautiful voice. A young girl singing--and not just singing about anything, but singing about what she really wants. Genuinely. Her heart's fondest desire--and it's not power, or land, or even freedom. Just love. She's singing loudly, like she doesn't care who might hear such a vulnerable longing.

And he climbs over the wall and sees this scullery maid. She's absolutely beautiful, even though she's dressed all in rags, and he loves the picture of her: sharing her heart with doves, who feel completely safe with her, and not having to worry about what anyone thinks of her.

He sort of eavesdrops on her for a little bit, and in this part of the movie, maybe we learn how impulsive he is. He just jumps over and tries to join in. Maybe it's even a little funny. And we can stretch out the feelings behind the part where Snow White runs from him--that feeling of her being unsure of a stranger, not because she worries about what he thinks, but because it's so surprising that anyone is taking notice of her so abruptly at all. And she doesn't know him.

Maybe he asks to extend his stay at the Queen's palace and keep negotiating or whatever, but he really just wants to get to know the scullery maid better.

Then the romance is sort of still fast, but built in a way that the audience can sink their teeth into. The Prince and Snow White have a few more mutually-agreed-upon meetings, not necessarily hiding them, but just in breaks between courtly audiences with the wicked Queen. They're both enamored with each other: she's never been treated so kindly by anyone and his whole faith in pure, innocent love and uncomplicated, genuine people is being restored just by talking to her. They bond chiefly over missing their parents.

Eventually he learns that she is the Queen's daughter--maybe from the Huntsman, maybe from Snow herself in an innocent way. He's stunned that she's treated so poorly, but the second he learns it, he confesses that he loves her and he wants to take her away from there. Plus, this solves the whole "will my kingdom go to war with the Wicked Queen or be allies even though we can't trust her" diplomacy thing--Snow White is her heir, so it would be a beautiful twist of Providence that the girl he has fallen in love with can also be the alliance of peace for the kingdoms through marriage.

Snow White accepts his proposal, but she's afraid for a moment that her stepmother won't allow it. The Prince urges her not to be afraid: he'll take her to his castle and they'll be happy no matter what: he promises it, he gives her his word, he encourages her not to worry because he won't let anything stop him. It's lovely. She finally has someone she can gift her superpower of pure love to, and someone who can treasure her like she deserves.

Problem is, the Queen overhears this last conversation, right after learning that Snow White is the new "Fairest of All" from her mirror, just like in the original film.

So while the Prince is convincing his council that he's proposed to Snow White, the Queen's largely-unknown secret stepdaughter, and is going to reveal the fact to the Queen tomorrow, the Huntsman and the Queen herself are plotting the assassination attempt that eventually leads to Snow running for her life and living with the Dwarfs before she ever gets the chance to see her betrothed again.

Then the movie unfolds largely the same way it did, but with more dialogue and nuance strengthening the original's main themes: Snow White is pure love in nature, and that's everything the Prince has been missing, and he fulfills his promise which she has total faith in. And along the way, the Dwarfs learn to care more about protecting an innocent girl than they care about protecting themselves, and treasuring a person over jewels. Grumpy in particular. And the Queen dies because she's a jealous witch who's self-love has twisted her into something ugly.

Basically, what I'm saying is, there's a way to make the Prince compelling for audiences who are now used to more fleshed-out interactions in movie couples. Just give him a background that is longing for pure, uncomplicated, innocent love. Then when he runs into Snow White, who's never been treasured and valued since her parents died, they give each other everything they've been longing for--and then they have faith in one another when circumstances, both funny and sinister, force them apart.

It's like the Notebook (just in story structure)--you build up romance in the first act through a few poignant scenes, but then the rest of the movie is about waiting for that romance to be fulfilled.

Anyway. I guess I could've said all this more succinctly, but I was kind of making it up as I went. 🤷‍♀️

[bellaxgiornata]

Ask the boys! What are Mikey and/or Matt's favourite comforting ways to decompress (with reader)?

Ohhhh, thank you for this one!! I had to sit them down for this little dialogue! As always, I'll throw everything under the cut because this'll be longer. But please enjoy this gif depicting Matt's enthusiasm levels today at me being distracted from a particular fic update he wants.

Bella, dramatically shouting: So who's ready to play ASK THE BOYS?!

Mikey, cringing a little on the couch: D'ya really need to say it like that, pet?

Matt, raising a brow: Yeah, we're not exactly on an episode of Family Feud. This isn't a game show.

Bella: No, but could you imagine if you were? Maybe Fog could be the fourth player. And you know what? I'd actually pay good money to see that because it'd be hilarious. But now that you say that, I think I want to play Ask the Boys like it is a game show every time someone asks for it. So thank's for that, Matty!

[Matt dramatically sighs loudly on the couch beside Mikey]

Frank, shouting from the kitchen as he makes coffee: Can you just let the lady have some fun? Play along, dammit. Don't you know better than to argue with a pregnant woman, anyway?

Mikey, settling into the couch: He has a point. Best not to argue.

Matt, reluctantly: Fine. What's the question?

Bella: Okay, since you're being a sourpuss I'm asking Mikey first. What's your favorite comforting way to decompress with Reader/a significant other?

Mikey, scratching his beard in thought: Suppose I'd say...somethin' calming. Like takin' a walk, just holdin' hands and enjoyin' each others' company. Or maybe cuddlin' up in bed or on the sofa with a book and just readin' together, not even sayin' a word. I deal with enough excitement with my family, don't exactly need anymore outside o' that, y'know? I'd rather just...slow things down for a bit together. Be able to hold them and just be with them.

Bella: Ohh, I like that. You definitely do need less stress and a slower paced environment with some of the stuff your family puts you through constantly. Or like...an entire change of scenery that isn't Dublin.

Mikey, humming in agreement: Ya can say that again.

Bella, focusing on Matt: Now Matt, same question.

Matt, growing a sheepish smile: I'd have to say...in my bed with both of us not wearing clothing--[quickly holding up a hand to quiet everyone before they interject] solely because it's far too irritating if I'm trying to decompress and relax with too much outside stimulation, not for any other reasons. I'd rather just feel them over anything else. Because I'd prefer to focus in on their heartbeat and their breathing, listening to the sound of their voice as they talked. Sometimes outside stimulation just gets to be too much with my senses, and that's where I'd feel the most comfortable with a partner while trying to decompress. Somewhere without some of that extra stimulation. And uh...I wouldn't mind being the one who was being cuddled instead of doing the cuddling, I guess, too...

Bella, nodding: Makes sense. I think we're all well aware of how touch starved you tend to be--especially for a touch that isn't someone punching you in the face for once. Obviously for you to decompress with a partner, you'd want them doing the comforting. Though I highly doubt you'd ever just, you know, ask for what you wanted, so you'd need a partner that already could intuit that. But you know, there's nothing wrong with asking for what you need, Matt.

Matt, abruptly rising from the couch: Okay, I wasn't expecting this to turn into a therapy session. Are we done now?

Bella, rolling her eyes: If it was a therapy session with all of you, we'd be here for months. But yes, that does answer the question for this round of Ask the Boys!

Matt, grinning: Great, now maybe you can get back to that thing you're almost finished writing for me. You know the one.

Bella, sighing: Fine, fine. I'll let you three get back to pre-baby panicking in here for now while I finish it.

(Bella's Follower Celebration Post for those who want to join in the fun!)

[tank-grunt]

i rlly want to be interested in veronaville but it overwhelms me tbh. but the viola/rosaline sim concept rlly intrigued me, how would u incorporate a rosaline sim?

OKAY SO LIKE... in romeo and juliet, juliet's sole confident is her nursemaid (ostensibly named angelica - if it wasn't intended to be her name in the original play by shakespeare it has become her name in multiple adaptions since) who was mentioned to have been a mother to a daughter. her daughter was named susan iirc, and she died before the play begins - but veronaville takes a lot of liberties with shakespeare so who cares about that. lets add angelica - possibly a teacher at school or a friend of the late cordelia, or even both! - and make rosaline angelica's daughter, alive and well instead of long dead. thus we make her juliette's peer, best friend, and sole confident instead of just her only unseen cousin (who only sometimes gets to physically appear or be focused on in adaptions following the original play)

this would have two implications:

1. she theoretically could have been a simpler, easier choice of partner for romeo monty - associated with the capps but not one of them, and not directly involved in the feud, so no one would object to his pursuit of her. possibly even actively desirable to his family as a potential significant other... but she's not interested! however its through romeo montague's pursuit of rosaline that he even meets juliet capulet - he attends a party to see rosaline, but finds more of a match in juliet.

so imho adding rosaline would add more spice to romeo monty and juliette capp's dynamic, because i think in the context where rosaline could have been the favorable match for romeo in his families eyes it becomes more meaningful that he chooses juliette in the end. and it would give them a more interesting meeting than just happening to know each other since they were little kids - which is fine, childhood friends to lovers is a sweet dynamic and i often love it. i just also crave more spice in veronaville. teehee?

and then 2. this would give juliette, like, more companionship outside of her family and like. puck. no offense to puck but puck is everyone's friend, he's not specifically juliette's friend. but rosaline would be specifically juliette's friend and not specifically a sibling or cousin, not her boyfriend's sibling or cousin, and not Everybody's Friend™. someone fully on her side and her side alone that she could truly confide in and trust about a feud that is actively destructive. with rosaline as angelica's daughter and an unrelated peer also has the added benefit of adding another unrelated household to a neighborhood that only has like. 3 families total.

and thennnn with her as angelica's daughter, translating angelica's role as a nursemaid who partially raised juliet to that of a school teacher and/or close friend of such a wealthy and influential family, there are implicit expectations that would be placed on her - though narratively flexible because one its sims and two the particulars are dependent on finer details we're not going into here, but its an interesting jumping point. and then theres a matter of whether an outsider can truly remain impartial to the feud forever -- would she eventually be forced to pick a side? what would be the consequences of picking a side, let alone one that may be seen as the wrong side? delicious.

[mesillusionssousecstasy]

House of the Dragon 2x05: Review

First of all, poor Corlys Velaryon. He lost his incredible wife, the love of his life.

I love Rhaenyra's braids.

The showing of Meleys was horrible. Everyone hated it, is repulsed by it. Poor Meleys.

At the beginning, the hanged men are still there.

Also, then the first thing we are seeing is Aemond has taken the Valyrian Knife (with the prophecy on it).

Incredible scene with Aegon burned body and the maesters trying to help him.

And meanwhile, Aemond his watching Aegon, watching his work.

Ser Alfred Broome is quite the man of the situation.

I love Daemon Targaryen's entrance always.

Again, the feud between the Bracken and the Blackwood. There must be something there.

Finally, we get to see the Eyrie.

OGM big foreshadowing about Rhaenyra's death when she was just in front of Balerion's mouth. Rhaenyra's head goes back and forth to Balerion. I'm pretty sure she will sacrifice herself to save her son.

WTF, Daemon is sleeping with his own mother. They went to far.

Did you notice that now Daemon is in the center of House Strong, on the burn chair.

Daemon is still obsessed by the "King" term.

Ser Criston is a fucking coward.

I felt bad for Alicent in this episode.

Aemond's dreams about the throne, will never be the same from Daemon. Daemon has never been able to kill his own brother Viserys, even less Rhaenyra.

Aemond is definitively the bad guy of the story. He is a crazy Targaryen.

The smallfolks are super important.

Poor doggy doggy.

Again poor Alicent and poor Smallfolks, which are very important.

Riverrun is beautiful, with his magnificent bridge.

Is it me or is it completely stupid to rebuild Harrenhal, because it's so cursed.

Interesting conversation between Alys and Daemon, foreshadowing about Aemond.

It's terrible to see the difference between the beginning of House Velaryon and now what has happened to it.

Baela was incredible. I had tears in my eye during her speech.

I finally like Ser Alfred Broome. He is direct.

It seems that while Daemon is in the weird wood bed he doesn't sleep correctly. Or he is always sleeping.

I think that when he was awake by Ser Simon Strong it was all a dream. The woman said something very important "Riverlands are an ancient place, watched closely by the eyes of old Gods and new." What's frustrating is that there is nothing significant that tells us when Daemon is sleeping, is awake, what's real and what isn't. For what we know he is been asleep since Alys gave him the weird wood drink and we could watch a possible future.

In the last dream, the camera is heavily focused on the weird wood bed then there is a glow under the bed.

It's also the hour of the wolf, the darkest hour of the night, coincidentally right after the hour of the owl. Meaning it's 3 am.

It seems that everything Daemon is seeing can ba a warning for him and for what may come.

Have you seen the parallel / foreshadowing between Daemon and Rhaenyra watching the fire in the fireplace?

Aemond is definitively crazy! And Helaena knows it. Now, I know why there isn't anything between both of them.

I also fought that Targaryen could burn.

Have you noticed the parallel between Viserys and Aegon been in the same bed and the same state. Mummy condition.

Aemond is definitively the bad wolf of the story.

Interesting, they have kept the entire Targaryen Family tree in Dragonstone.

It's a shame that we couldn't see more of Dragonstone.

[9800sblog]

hybe labels tarot reading

reputation in the kpop industry

[ hybe labels include every company under their umbrella, artists, staff and ceos ]

* I changed the opinions of idols for artists in general, because I wanted to include producers, stylists, designers, etc.

in general

the star, page of swords, 4 of cups reversed, 10 of pentacles, knight of swords

needless to say, these are very intelligent people, strong mentality, an interesting and maybe unusual way of doing business, they may not have very typical hierarchy in the company. definitely a force to be reckon with, the lyric "I'm a newbie soon to be butterfly" from le sserafim - smart, describes their reputation perfectly, this business model, groups and plans may have been created when they were very young and/or new to the job, and it's been working out exactly as planned. the term "hybe family" used by fans is quite accurate, from the 10 of pentacles and the star cards, everyone seems quite comfortable and easy-going with each other, may often exchange encouraging messages and visit each other. these are very hardworking, passionate, focused people, the knight of swords represents well what strong opponents they really are. this isn't talking about other entertainment companies and/or other artists, it's about people that try to ruin them (like the people spreading rumors, mistranslations, etc. about them oftenly), I think the whole situation happening right now is a good example, it's very obvious they're not fighting with each other, but towards the same goal, in one direction, and the people that are obsessed with the "feud" pretend to not be able to connect one thing with the other. this seems like a funny business model as the star card in my deck is a literal clown making jokes. the young women are great examples of what the company is all about, like le sserafim saying they'll secretly change the industry while everyone makes fun of them, and they're having fun, making things easy for them and those like them. the 4 of cups reversed really represents their introspection level, in the card, the person is chilling with the cups they already own, while a random being tries to offer them a different cup and they just laugh, it's quite an interesting company that many like to study. they're definitely helping the justice system, it's easy to notice in this spread, nothing new, most of them seem to have police license and/or training. very weird people too hehe

channeled song:

closer artists

wheel of fortune, the devil, 2 of cups, king of wands, the sun

again, they're really a force to be reckoned with, there's no reason to go against them, so if you do, you will screw yourself and your adjacents. karma seems to be on their side more often than not, because they accept bad consequences for their mistakes. again, it really seems they all have some sort of really strong training like military level, these cards are really impotent. it's easy to make business and get to an agreement with them, they're very nice people, treat fans and admirers with sympathy. they have each other's backs and those that are equally nice to them, they aren't afraid to be mean or senseless tho, it's something about the culture of their founders. fantasy and science are a big part of the company, they have a lot of respect in general! oh, they lie for fun, for sure! because those that need to know the truth, get it easily, so it's funny to see people try to crack their codes. they're very accepting of all types of people, it's a very accessible environment, place and community. nobody in the industry seems to be really scared of them, when it comes to ador vs hybe, it seems to be one of those things very obvious to those that know about business and entertainment, it doesn't seem to be about min heejin vs hitman bang, it's more about what they represent, what their names mean in documents, etc.

channeled song:

staff

8 of pentacles reversed, king of swords, the lovers, 4 of wands, 9 of cups, the world reversed

wow!!! criminals are really screwed in this company, don't worry, none of the public figures involved in this "feud" are bad people, otherwise, they would've had their consequences a LONG time ago, nothing pass by them unnoticed hahaha 😆 people there are really strong, really intelligent, and so is their businesses, staff outside of the company are very impressed! don't underestimate anyone involved there, including minors, they already know more than you if you do so haha it's a really accessible company, and easy, simple people, with a lot to show off for, most about them is misinterpreted and they really don't care, justice is on their side, as a whole. they don't care about a good reputation or money, they're just having fun and following laws, it's a very strict and by the rules place, not very square people tho haha they don't have to try very hard or work much, they're too smart omg hahahah it's not just about dancing on stage, they do a lot more behind the scenes, as usual in kpop! their names are very established, hybe may die, but none of the public figures would suffer from that at all (everyone you can find their names in documents (specially court docukents), internet, associations, etc. they're all considered public figures). none about this screams paying to win awards, actually the 8 of pentacles reversed would insinuate the opposite, as the card literally shows someone making money, if it was upright in this situation, it would insinuate money laundering or general corruption, but they don't care enough about fame to do that (the world reversed). this spread literally says "it's not my fault that everybody loves me". they're not ruining common people's lives, it's just another attempt to ruin working people's reputations, but as britney spears said "hoping I'd resort to some havoc, end up settling in court, now are you sure you want a piece of me?"

channeled song:

female artists (including those that work there/with them)

temperance, 4 of pentacles, 6 of cups, 5 of swords, the hermit, the hierophant

oh literally trust them with their eyes closed... they feel very safe around everyone and everything there, this is literally the opposite of how people have been trying to taint their image. they're very into psychology, spirituality and other ways of being respectful of all beings, it's like how they have fun.. this whole mess seems to be about charity being taken advantage of, the 5 of swords explains well, a typical business thing that usually happens behind the scenes, but they're probably taking advantage to fix other things, including different industries. for female artists, these are just regular people trying to do what they like (including business), being sabotaged by people they lowkey depend on, seems like politicians, since kpop is a part of south korean government for a few years now, and we've been having a surge of poorly made politics for over a decade. they like the way people think over there, the way they live and how they treat what is 'other', the 4 of pentacles seems to represent culture and hobbies in this spread. it's a wide range, it has a lot of history, people have many stories to tell, it holds a lot of life, talent is never-ending, those are very good brains. there's a lot of secret information, as accessibility has been very relevant in the reading so far, in this spread it seems to mean that a lot of them are disabled or innately sick, so they have a different type of business indeed. endless knowledge.

channeled song:

male artists (including those that work there/with them)

queen of pentacles, king of cups, 6 of wands, the tower reversed, the empress

very similar vibes, they feel well taken care of and respected there, it's easy to have respect towards everyone too. hm, it's a very organized company and people, that like to clean up mess, they're fun, easy going, respectable/celebrated, talented, nurturing. associating with them means you'll probably get to get your ducks in a row, the people in power are easy to get along with, easy to understand, relatable and helpful, not at all the "dark ceo vibes" title people been trying to stick up their asses. just very similar opinions to the female artists, just different cards. they do want the public and/or people like politicians to stop interfering with their work, cause they end up having to do things they wouldn't usually do.

channeled song:

before anyone talks about the military training thing, that's a very common thing for entertainers since the beginning of the industry, I mean, royalty used to wear clothes and crowns that weighted multiple kilograms just for paintings, these people are often in situations of danger and they have to be able to not depend on personal security service, or else they'd have to pee and sleep with them. txt literally debuted with morse code, aka military communication, and bts - dope mv "this is bangtan style", they're all dressed up in some kind of police uniform. non militaries cannot wear military attire, it's illegal, yet we often see kpop idols wearing camouflage and other similar styles. why would they spend years training under these companies to debut "poorly singing, poorly dancing, no stage presence" like it's so common to hear online? it's an industry after all, not children playtime.

[fantasticalleigh]

Rewatching old RAW from 2020 and it’s so interesting to see how the Randy vs Drew feud went down because there wasn’t that much intensity behind it so when they announced their Hell in a Cell match I just sat there like huh neato. But seeing how differently (and WELL) built the Punk vs. Drew feud was handled leading up to HIAC and all the emotion and excellent promos and hatred behind it is incredible. The difference is literally night and day (and Drew and CM Punk have chemistry for days compared to Randy vs. Drew).

Of course one has to factor in that the Orton vs. Macintyre feud feels like it was a lot shorter (I haven't checked to see how long it lasted but it definitely doesn't feel like 10-11 months' worth of content) and of course there was different leadership at the time AND it was in the Covid Thunderdome era so of course all that impacted the show heavily but it still has to be noted how much better one feud was executed over the other.

Also “I’m Randy fucking Orton and I demand the WHC title for the 13th time because I say so” is much much much less compelling as an opponent for Drew over “you injured me and halted my career for several months, then stole something precious from me and mocked my family, thus invoking the pettiest fucking man in the roster. It’s fucking go time.”

In 2020 Drew was a huge babyface, having come back and proven himself as worthy of champion status. He was a fighting champion and let anyone who wanted a shot at the title to try. He'd had his own irl hero's journey to make his way back to the WWE and got along with most of the roster and seemed well-liked by most. He was cocky but honorable and booked like a beast.

In 2023-24 so far he’s the broken down, deeply bitter, deeply angry man who’s been disillusioned by everything that’s happened to him to the point he’s turned into the opposite of what he once was. It’s been absolutely fascinating to go through the archives and see how he is such an opposite of who he used to be. He’ll blame everyone but himself for the challenges he’s faced and each loss he’s taken. He’s so determined to get back the gold, he’s blinded to everything else and doles out destruction wherever he goes. And Punk brings out the worst in him and he brings out the worst in Punk. They're holding up mirrors to each other fighting over who gets to say they've been wronged the most. They had months of slowburn where Punk was out injured and it was just Drew in the ring with a mic and it still delivered. And (though I haven't watched the Drew/Orton HIAC yet) at this point, having watched (and gone insane over the punkintyre HIAC match) I don't think anything can compare to that at this point.

There's more I could and would like to add to this but I've rambled beyond the point I set out to make so I'll cut myself off here.

(Must add the caveat that I know there are huge swaths of lore and character developments I'm missing from 2019+2021-23 and everything behind that. I only started watching WWE in March of this year and have picked through content to watch and learn from over on Youtube and Peacock. Currently I'm only focusing on all the RAW 2020 episodes but will continue in chronological order and maybe do the same for Smackdown starting in 2020 at a later date. There just...so much to get through... @-@)

[thesamoanqueen]

Now that some time has passed, I thought about what happened at Summerslam for the Bloodline, because so much happened, so much quality and planning, but as always the shadow of the WWE and their horrible priorities is already there, and I don't like it.

Roman's return was amazing, perfect and is clearly due to what Solo has said and done in recent months. In the last years Roman has been focused on himself, sacrificing everyone, but in his mind the reason for his actions was always his family future. Years ago, during the Thunderdome he said to Jey: "I need to stay on top, to have this (the universal title), to provide for our family".

Their family future, the legacy, it's a constant in the storyline, it's the center of the storyline and it's the focus even with Solo. Logic dictates, since Solo decided to give himself the title of Tribal Chief, that in the end they would have a face off for their family business.

Solo was sent to keep Roman in charge, but when everything fell apart, he returned to his original purpose. He did it wrong, with questionable methods, hurting his real family, adding not so close extra family members and starting to become so arrogant to disrespect Roman, calling him a weak chief... and Roman, he had his moments, but no one can call him weak after a run of almost four years, much less take away a title that was given to him by the elders, by his father and that he loves, has always loved more than anything else. He'll fight Solo for this and after that, he'll try for the undisputed title again because as he told Jey, he needs it.

His intentions at Summerslam were clear, he was there for Solo, Solo was the first, most important target but as always there was the new champ in the mix. And here we go again, because the questionable moves Ken made during Roman's return, were more or less the same ones he did at the Royal Rumble when we had a match planned with The Rock. And now that Roman is back, who has already attracted all the attention to himself and his storyline again, suddenly Ken talks about a third match and just as suddenly after a couple of hints, Randy Orton is moved to a feud with Gunther, in another roster, leaving Ken without an opponent and free to stick his nose in Roman's storyline again or at least his segments.

Unfortunately it's clear they will have to talk sooner or later, WWE cannot manage both of them on the same show and keep them away and I'll not defend the feud with Solo as I did with The Rock, because they are two different levels, even if Solo is working hard.

But I don't want the WM again, where Roman disappeared to highlight someone else, I don't want his work to be sacrificed to give visibility to someone who had months to prove he was the right choice and was only successful with kids and critics behind their lil screens. Enough with excuses and piggybacking, this behavior is not okay and cannot be tolerated any longer.

[bi-cot3]

okay hear me out: cot3 spiderman au!!!

lockwood as spiderman- charismatic, a good fighter, no sense of self-preservation, tragic backstory, etc

lucy and george are his coworkers also interning at the daily bugle that he’s semi in love with but his attachment issues make him avoid those feelings like the plague

the three of them are absolutely MISERABLE at their jobs- the only good thing about it is the company they find in each other

george loves research and sharing his findings with the world but nowhere else would hire him except for the bugle. they don’t let him do any actual journalistic work or anything to do with research. honestly, sometimes he thinks he would be happier in an actual scientific experimentation job, but he likes the idea of making information and important findings available for everyone

lucy is a photography intern. she is passionate about all arts, especially making physical art, but has been able to make enough of a living off her photography so that’s what she focuses on the most. in this au she still is running from an abusive household and her mom is possibly a plot element (idk the context though, I just like the angst that comes with it)

lockwood canonically comes from money (inherited after his family’s death) and is more there for an inside view of the daily bugle and to see if he can change the opinions they are publishing (read: he absolutely CANNOT, bless him for being so delusional optimistic)

not fully sure where this au would go, but know that it is fully inspired in spirit by the stoncy fic ‘with great power’ by dharmainitiative on ao3 (which you should ABSOLUTELY give a read if you are a fan of ST or have ever shipped stoncy) (not endorsing of ST whatsoever!!! just the og polycule)

other underdeveloped plot ideas under the cut:

norrie died in [insert violent incident here] and although lucy has no logical reason for it since spiderman wasn’t a thing back then- or even around in the area they lived, she harbors spite that no one was able to swoop in and save norrie from an early and untimely death (or maybe she’s in a coma??? idk)

one of them is roommates with kipps. I would say that the three of them are roommates, but the logistics of keeping the spidey secret in the extremely close quarters that are nyc apartments would be a nightmare to write

kipps might be george’s ex. idk why, I just think the dynamic of lockwood’s feud with the man is hilarious when the george-ex dynamic exists in fics

(norrie and lucy were in love. bc it’s canon in my heart and everyone is queer bc I say so)

ALSO: bonus points if the three of them get together midway/two-thirds of the way through the fic but lockwood is still avoiding telling them

[aroaessidhe]

2024 reads / storygraph

Sailing By Gemini’s Star

final book in a historical fiction trilogy

following a group of pirates creating a free society on Nassau, stealing from the crown and freeing the enslaved

particularly focusing on the son of a naval captain who ran away to become a pirate, and the complicated relationship he has with his family and adopted brother - with their decades long feud coming to an end as England tries to stamp down on piracy

focuses on familial and platonic relationships, found family, everyone’s queer, aroace MCs