#her storyline hits

[jcforsapphics]

Seeing my two faves interacting this episode made me so happy, I hope we'll get more of them <33 and I'm so incredibly proud of Frankie!

[slayerdurge]

so like... the Qun being reveled to be pro-trans in DAI makes zero sense... considering both sten & the arishok are shown to believe strongly in gender roles... and that sten even goes as far as to say that a person can never be anything other than what they're born and that a fisherman who tries to become a merchant will never be a real merchant and will only ever be a fisherman pretending to be a merchant... like... ?????

I mean i get wanting iron bull to be pro-trans himself but wouldn't it make way more sense for that to be something he actually dislikes about the Qun... and then it would actually create tension in his storyline between his own viewpoints & agency and the messages he's learned from the qun and partially actually believes and has partially been forced to believe through literal indoctrination and abuse... and therefore whether he becomes tal-vashoth or not could actually be something that matters instead of just a meaningless pseudo-choice...

[apollos-boyfriend]

this is like. all fully speculation. but i was rewatching some of jaiden’s nuzlocke videos, and them combined with a recent clip of hers i saw talking about how she’s not even sure why quackity chose her for the qsmp made me connect why he might’ve picked her. because like. i think nearly everyone was a bit shocked, if not confused, to see her on the lineup. despite having been in the scene for a while—her first public animations were for ihascupquake, after all—jaiden isn’t your first thought when you think of minecraft youtubers. as far as i’m aware, she was on one smp before the qsmp—epicsmp, and we all know how that ended.

no, jaiden isn’t who you’d think of when you think minecraft youtuber. but she is who you’d think of when you think storyteller. which, yeah, is kind of obvious. there’s a whole subcategory of youtube for animated storytellers, and jaiden’s been one of the front runners for years now. but the thing about jaiden specifically is that she doesn’t just tell stories. she shapes them. you can really see that the most with her animated nuzlockes. she’s given scenarios and events that are largely random and arbitrary, fully just game coding and out of her control, and she turns them into her story. her platinum nuzlocke specifically highlights this with the giratina, two jaidens storyline she creates to explain her resetting the run and attempting the elite four again.

live mcrp HEAVILY relies on having to go with the flow of the game, and learning to work around in-game mechanics and limitations to create a storyline out of. things that are story-important, like pets or npcs, are fragile and can be taken away at any moment, be it by a mob, glitch, or player error. you have to be able to think on your feet to not only work around it, but create a narrative to explain that decision fitting into the canon and story instead of just taking it at face-value. and that’s exactly what jaiden’s been doing for years now with a lot of her gaming-based content. quackity would need people accustomed versatile storytelling as much as he’d need people accustomed to survival minecraft itself, and jaiden is nothing short of an expert at her craft

[selunesfavouriteprincess]

i know there’s a lot of delicious angst that people really like romancing Neve as a Rook who saved Treviso, but to me there’s something so chef’s kiss about a non-SD Rook who not only saved Minrathous, but a Rook who let an entire other city get blighted because Neve asked them for help. I love a Rook who is as dangerously devoted to Neve as she is to them, who throws themself into the line of fire as much as she does, who would put Neve’s life over anybody else’s. and the angst that causes as well - when Rook puts Bellara’s life on the line to dissemble the wards because putting Neve at risk simply isn’t an option and Neve is angry, because who is Rook to decide what risks Neve can and can’t take? to value her life more than Bellara’s? and yet Rook couldn’t do anything else, couldn’t bear to even consider losing Neve - Rook promised they’d be by Neve’s side forever, and they’d let half the world be destroyed before they broke that promise

[catoinette]

which version of ladybug is the coolest and why is it pv bug

[katierosefun]

okay so now that i’ve officially finished watching leverage i just want to say that maybe i’m obsessed with this show on multiple levels and something about how it hits so many itches in that it’s about found family and it’s about fucking over bad, rich guys (no billionaire bootlicking in this show! and i fucking love it) and it’s also about how sometimes the bad guys are the only good guys you get and it’s also about how we are all stronger together it’s about how at the start of this show, we have all of these characters who are largely used to working alone and being alone and yet the show concludes that ultimately, we are better when we are together and by being together, we might be able to leave something behind that is bigger and brighter for the next people in our generation and no man is an island and no person is meant to beat goliath on their own or whatever

[kara-knuckles]

With all the talk about Siege's story, I'm once again reminded how much I hated the whole Chetleigh sequence in Episode 13. I have a lot of problems with this Episode, but this one is easily the biggest.

First, we have a group consisting of "less than three companies of combat-effective soldiers, and nearly a thousand refugees". Where are they during the week-long operation in Chetleigh? Did they somehow find a place to hide in this Sarkaz-controlled territory? Did Siege sneak 1000+ people into a nearly conquered town? What did they eat? What about medicine and other supplies?

The reason Horn and Misery couldn't just evacuate the survivours was because there was something so important there that absolutely couldn't fall into Sarkaz hands. So, what was so important Siege would be willing to risk 1000+ lives to protect it? Hell if I know! It is never mentioned again after this throwaway line.

And then Siege went full Rambo and got shrapnel to the chest as a reward. But don't worry! They conveniently have a doctor at hand to reassure the reader that on this Originium polluted battlefield where every scratch can lead to Oripathy, let alone a point blank altar explosion, Siege is perfectly fine! Just got knocked out for a couple of days to add some drama!

Finally, there are the Exemplars. One of the survivours just so happened to have an old beacon of this never before mentioned ultra elite unit that is more elite than the already elite Tempest Platoon, and, most importantly, it's already defunct, so Siege can have a free flag to rally people under. But why use this name in the first place? With how high morale was at the moment, people didn't care much about what she called herself. So, why wouldn't Siege, who wanted to distance herself from both kingship and the dukes, use Glasgow? It is her name, her gang, and most people in that group were from Norport anyway, so they would be familiar with it. It would have even acted as a tribute to Baird, whom everyone forgot about overnight! Why not actually write that "Vina and her legendary pals" story, and instead go with the PR option?

[shierak-inavva]

[insert mom & dad joke]

[yuesya]

I'm eager to hear your complaints about Fontaine's last story segment.

Haha Fontaine complaints! (Cracks knuckles)

Also: Spoilers ahoy! If you’re someone who plays Genshin Impact and has not finished the Fontaine archon quests, then I do not recommend reading any of this.

I’d also like to add: Fontaine’s main story definitely had some bright spots for me, and there were various scenes and tidbits that I enjoyed. That said, I also had several complaints by the end of it all. This entire thing also... got pretty lengthy, whoops.

… Anways! Without further ado:

1) Furina’s Trial

Personally, I am not a fan of the way that Furina’s trial was handled.

Firstly, the setup involved in luring Furina into their initial trap: The boat/house that was transported to the opera house courtroom. This was accomplished through psychological torment and manipulation, in which people were purposefully incited into targeting her.

When the walls eventually fall down around Furina and reveal her standing inside the stage of the courtroom, the Traveler has a line somewhere around there when she tells Furina that she had her last chance to come clean with her secrets to them, right before these walls came down. Here, I just wanted to ask –clearly there was already a full house in the audience seating, and they literally brought Furina onstage. Even if Furina did decide to come clean in those last few moments, what were they expecting to do? “… Hey everyone, sorry there’s no trial happening after all! You can all go home now, the show’s over!”

Moreover, the trial itself. Furina was driven into a corner and put on the spot, and she was publicly grilled and humiliated in front of an audience. The Primordial Seawater test was also… just, why would you do that? Bringing in a harmful substance and forcing someone to test it on themselves in front of an audience? Sure, it might’ve been diluted to a ‘safe’ level. But instead of just saying that and informing Furina that a Fontaine person would show corresponding symptoms anyways, Traveler & Navia chose to present it to Furina as a lethal substance. Aside from causing mental anguish, I fail to see the point of it.

“But this trial is necessary! Furina won’t tell us what’s going on otherwise.”

Alright, then let’s just commit to that. It’s necessary for everyone to take on an antagonistic role in order to drag Furina to court and make the truth come to light.

But can’t we still… address things, in the aftermath? You can argue that Traveler & co. were trying to act for the ‘greater good.’ The fate of Fontaine was at stake. Still, even if the tactics used in bringing Furina to court and trialing her were necessary, lying and manipulating and gaslighting someone is not the right thing to do.

Except does anyone properly acknowledge that in the aftermath? Is there anyone who admits that this is a terrible thing they’ve done, and makes that clear? Did anyone apologize to Furina for forcing her through such a traumatizing experience? (Side-eyes Paimon in Furina’s character quest.)

Nah, instead we just save a country and give ourselves a pat on the back for doing a great job.

Happy Ending!

2) Focalors’ Death

I want to preface this by saying that I understand Focalors is the Hydro Archon, so in order to get rid of the Hydro Throne her death was probably inevitable, from a godly perspective.

From a human perspective, however, Focalors is innocent. She was not the one who committed the original ‘sin’ of using the power of the Primordial Sea to turn Oceanids into pseudo-humans. And yet she is the one who must pay for it. The only resolution we have to this is that Furina now gets to live her life freely as a human. Now, it might just be me, but for all that Furina was split off and created from Focalors’ humanity, the two of them are essentially seem to be two separate, different beings.

3) Humans vs. Gods

Thematically, Fontaine’s story seems a little mismatched when compared with the other regions.

In Mondstadt, its people play an active role, as seen in how the Knights of Favonius (and Diluc) join Venti in helping Dvalin and restoring peace.

In Liyue, we see the people stepping out from the gods’ purview. With the ‘death’ of Rex Lapis, the Qixing declare that the age of humanity has come, and it’s the people of Liyue working together towards a new future.

Inazuma has people literally fighting a war and rebelling against their archon; in the end, Raiden hears the cries of her people and she is the one who changes, in response to her people’s hopes.

In Sumeru, Nahida is locked up by her people (the Sages) but also saved by her people (Alhaitham, Cyno, Nilou, etc.) And in the fight against false god!Scaramouche, Nahida connects the Traveler to her Akasha terminal (?) and literally uses the collective wisdom of all of Sumeru’s people to assist in the fight.

For all four of these regions, it’s the people who step up and play important roles in resolving their respective nations’ crises.

In Fontaine, we do see its people also tackling various problems –Navia with her Spina di Rosula, Wriothesley and his flying ship– but in regards to the most important issue that’s the ominous prophecy hanging over their heads?

Neuvillette, a Dragon Sovereign, is the one who saves Fontaine’s people from Primordial Seawater by turning them fully into regular humans. Focalors, the Hydro Archon, executes herself in order to give Neuvillette the power to do so –and that’s not even mentioning her meticulous plan to fool Celestia, and the 500 years of silent suffering that Furina endured.

Focalors’ sacrifice is essentially what saves Fontaine, in the end. Divine intervention.

4) Meropide Detective Arc

This is a lot more minor, but it feels like we spend a lot of time running in Meropide looking for clues and learning about useless things that didn’t play any significant role towards the main plot of the archon quest.

You spend days and days running around the prison, and in the end you find out it’s only important because Wriothesley wants to test your observational skills. My dude, that is really not the most important thing here!

Personally, I think Sigewinne’s thing with cooking suspicious-looking food would’ve made a better character quest than a side tangent in the main story. I don’t even remember what the betting ring was about anymore.

I think I would’ve liked a stronger focus on what we originally came there to look for –investigating Childe’s disappearance– which might’ve wrapped up the jail arc a lot quicker, true. But maybe we could’ve gone back and spent more time with Furina instead? Maybe discover for ourselves that Furina is hiding things, and talk to her more, get to know her better? … It would provide more context and an extra ‘oomph’ for the upcoming Furina Trial, at the very least.

5) Powerscaling?

Okay this is definitely a LOT more minor, but. Powerscaling. It feels like things just escalated very, very quickly in Fontaine.

Childe. We know he’s strong, we fought him back in Liyue. Except Neuvillette crushes him in his Abyss form in, what. Less than a second?

Eventually, we encounter Skirk at the end. We find out that the space whale responsibly for nearly destroying Fontaine is just her master’s “pet,” which implies a whole other level of terrifying power that exists out there, along with whatever faction Skirk happens to be a part of.

It would be cool if we get to learn about Skirk more in the future, but overall there seems to be a lot of higher power appearing after higher power in Fontaine. Maybe that's just me, though.

[yangscowlick]

As a Yang Stan, I think the rest of yall need to realize you really talked yourself into a ‘Yang’s self-sacrificial tendencies are going to get an arc!’ In V9, when that has always been a feature, not a bug, of Yang’s character.

Yang is always going to throw herself in front of her loved ones. But she doesnt recklessly throw herself into danger for the fun of it.

[angstics]

a very fun minor character just introduced. she's the sixth wife of shirley's ex, she snort-laughs uncontrollably and needs sad things said to stop her, she is eccentric with a sing song accent but earnest enough to endear shirley multiple times, and she keeps singing musical hits at her wedding. she just exchanged rings while singing "something good". a choir & her husband (who is faking his musical love for her) joined in

[tallbluelady]

Is your OC open about their past or do they prefer to keep such things a secret?

Rowan will answer what she can if asked about her past, but she's not just going to spill the beans right away. Though I do think since Endwalker she's more content to live life as Urianger's partner and work on her studies and hobbies than be known as the Warrior of Light. If people don't clock her as a powerful person, she's not going to correct them. If they do, then she'll just smile, nod, and ask them to keep the secret, but Rowan will confirm she was in fact, Hydaelyn's Chosen.

Thanks for the ask!

[eeblouissant]

I don’t know if I like this page enough to post all of it (yet???) so here’s a little piece

[catcatb0y]

Every time Helluva Boss or Hazbin Hotel has a glimpse of genuinely GOOD WRITING, I go insane. Both of these shows feel like edging to me, like they will tease me with these bangers and then leave me to dry EVERY DAMN TIME.

[ti2guhr]

I don't know how to explain this exactly but I never really watched house in a serious way. I'm not sure if it's because I started watching it so late and it just seems cheesy now that it's like 20 years old or my medical knowledge from college would take me out of the story a lot because they'd do so many things wrong or the writing or something else, but while I enjoyed the show and found it entertaining I never took it seriously. But I held out hope that maybe it could be something I could watch in "right" way (as a drama) if they changed things or made it more accurate or wrote it differently.

The last couple episodes of season 4 was when I finally had to accept that was never going to happen lmao

[captainderyn]

[Fictober24] Day 6: "I'm not giving up."

Prompt: 6. "I'm not giving up."

Fandom: LOTRO

Pairings: Wulfwryn/Raenor (implied)

Warnings: None

SPOILERS FOR: The 'Reasonable Request' quest and the Noriel and Wynmar quests in general.

Summary: Raenor debates with Noriel about loving a human in an attempt to get her to open up to what she truly wishes for. Noriel pushes Raenor, as so many have before, oh whether his choice to love Wulfwryn is a reckless pursuit of heartbreak.

---

The affection of elves was difficult to obtain and even more fiercely guarded. Elves had a centuries, if not longer, lifespan to mull over love and tended towards holding onto that love until the end. As such, elves often waited years to finally decide who that One would be and were cautious to what many mortals would call the point of folly. 

Raenor, supposed, he had been the same. For several centuries he’d devoted himself to his studies under the tutelage of Talagan in Edhelion and thought of little else but his literature, music, and the history around him. Then for longer, darker years, he’d wandered Rivendell like nothing more than a wraith of who he’d once been as he’d grieved and questioned his place in this world. 

“You threw all of it away for a human woman.” Noriel scoffed as he drew to a close his own story that she’d asked him to tell. She looked over at him with wide, disbelieving eyes. “You’re throwing centuries of love and steadfast company away for what…fourty years? That is a mere blink in our eyes.” 

Raenor hummed in discontent, leaning his forearms against the stone wall before them. Across the pavilion, Wulfwryn and the Rohirrim Wynmar gathered their weapons to head into the wilds of the Great River. No doubt to have a conversation as necessary and unpleasant as the one he had walked into presently. 

He grew weary of the interrogation he faced each and every time one of his kindred saw the woman he chose to walk beside. The indignation that he would be so reckless, the declaration that he was making a horrendous mistake that he would regret for the rest of his years. 

“You looked stricken when I said that no elf of this age would love a mortal, for their lives are fleeting as a breath.” Noriel continued. “So in some part of you, you must recognize that you are damning yourself to grief untold.” 

Raenor steeled himself with a breath, schooling his face into an impassive expression as he turned his gaze away from the retreating forms of Wulfwryn and Wynmar. 

“You and many others think that I acted foolishly and without thought, implying that the feelings we find ourselves with are cold and calculated measures taken.” he said, words clipped. “Yet I would rather savor a taste of the best years than deny myself the chance at all.” 

Noriel’s expression screwed up as though she tasted something sour. “I just simply cannot see how it would be worth it!” she said. “The thought of the inevitable…nay, I cannot bear it.” 

Nor could Raenor, some days, when his own mind betrayed him and ruminated on exactly what it would feel like to have Wulfwryn ripped away from him. Yet, he’d had many others torn from him who were meant to be eternal. The years they were granted were not a guarantee. Talagan had lived many years before Raenor and was meant to live many more alongside him, yet the Dourhands had squandered that. 

“True, those days will be dark. But I am not giving up on the affection I feel nor the partnership I’ve built just because I fear for the future.” Raenor softened his voice as it had sharpened into daggers. “Mellon Nin, I believe perhaps the grand ideal you use to deny yourself what you want is just a masquerade for fear.” 

Noriel looked down, running her fingers along the grooved lines of the stone. 

“How will you bear it?” she asked softly. “When it happens?” 

He did not have an answer for that and he pondered in his silence for long moments. “I do not know, truly.” he said. “I suppose the same way I bore the grief of Edhelion. With the aid of those around me to lessen the pain.” 

Time may have passed in swathes of grays and blurs and he may have wandered aimlessly and without passion for living during much of that time, but he had come out on the other side of it. Wulfwryn herself had helped guide him, though she hadn’t known it at the time, from the last clutches of his grief. Just as he had, unknowingly, pulled Wulfwryn from her own sorrow. 

Raenor and Noriel stood there together in contemplation, in the quiet stillness that could fall between two elves when there was no sense of urgency, until Noriel took a long, ragged breath as if struck. 

Something had come over her, as her voice shook when she asked; “Is it worth it? To love like that?” 

There was no hesitation in Raenor’s voice when he answered near immediately: “I would do it a thousand times over, just to experience life alongside her again and again.”