#i can definitely think of some characters with a knight/fool dynamic | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

macbooth · 1 year ago

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full of childish whimsy in a hostile fashion tonight so here’s every shakespeare clown i can think of and whether or not i think i’d beat them in a fight

(i do not mean fools i mean clowns. they do not need to be the secret genius of the play. if they are stupid in every way shape or form i am including them here)

Puck (A Midsummer Night’s Dream) No chance. Bro’s got that magic and ALSO has a big strong scary fairy king as his bear, like, do not separate them. If I even tried throwing hands at this cunt I’d get torn to shreds and used as glitter dude, I’d be over. 0/10

Nick Bottom (A Midsummer Night’s Dream) I could but I’d feel bad. I also think he’d put up a really solid fight. Like this is out of donkey form, bro was a physical worker. Like I reckon I could win a fight with some of the tradies I’ve seen but I don’t think it’d be easy. Also he’s just really dumb so I would feel a little bad. Donkey form though, I’m running away. Scary as shit. I am afraid of horses though. 6.5/10

Touchstone (As You Like It) Absolutely I could beat the shit out of this man. I hate him so much. Full of hostility towards this fucker. His clothes aren’t even subtle I could find this bitch in the forest no time and hunt him down and rip him to shreds, fuckin court jester doesn’t even have the roughness of the country on his side. 9/10 (-1 point cause he definitely fights dirty but I just hate him so much I’d win)

Jaques (As You Like It) First off he’s absolutely a clown. Second off I’ve played him before so my word is gospel. Third off bro has no fucking chance against me. He’s a podcast bro who thinks I don’t know that Tame Impala is one dude. I’d ask him why we can’t print more money and he would explode instantly and it would be the funniest thing he did with his life. 10/10

Audrey & Corin (As You Like It) I’m lumping these two together cause in the show I did they were one character (and I also played them). I wouldn’t even want to fight these two. And even if I wanted to Audrey would absolutely be able to beat the shit out of me and I would thank her. Our setting was in semi-modern country Australia, that girl would have a shotgun. 2/10

Autolycus (Winter’s Tale) Just like Jaques to me. He might be a little bit harder because he’d change costume and I’d get confused because I have no object permanence but other than that what has he got. Bitterness? Resentment? Bitch so did I when I was 15 grow up experience love. 8/10

Falstaff (Henry IV parts 1 & 2, Merry Wives of Windsor) I don’t actually know about this one but he is very punchable. I feel like he’d let me punch him and I think one punch would be enough for me. I think that would satisfy my urge to punch him. He may be a knight but let’s be honest he’s shit at it so I stand by this. 4/10 (just cause I don’t really give a shit)

The Dromios (Comedy of Errors) I absolutely could beat them in a fight but I would feel So Bad. You see how they’re literally already treated in the play, I wanna give them a break. That being said they’re both kinda dicks but they’re going through it already so I’d wanna give them a breather. I would win though, even if they both were attacking at once. 7/10

Launcelot Gobbo (Merchant of Venice) He’s such a prick but I would be laughing too hard at his name to fight him. Bro’s name is Gobbo. Bro’s name is basically Gobby. Imagine being named Blowjob. I would lose my mind. I would laugh so so hard I would collapse. My heart would fail. Biggest L name out there bro. Launcelot Gobbo oh my god. 3/10

Launce (Two Gentlemen of Verona) Nah man he has an attack dog. I don’t care what breed of dog Crab is in a production I fully believe he would kill for Launce, that’s just their dynamic. I understand them better than anyone else (I have a dog). Also he’s already working for Proteus, is that not punishment enough? 4/10

Speed (Two Gentlemen of Verona) I mean I definitely could fight him. I don’t imagine he’s got much fighting experience. But once again, he has to deal with Valentine which does feel like it would be cruel to inflict more onto him. Like Valentine’s not as bad as Proteus but fuck is he stupid. Also if I accidentally flubbed a punch Speed could absolutely tear me a new asshole with his words and I would sob and cry and literally never recover. 4/10

The Porter (Macbeth) Fuck no. Bro definitely has a knife on him at all times. I can’t explain why I think this I just do. He works night shift, he definitely doesn’t get paid enough for his dog shit job, he would absolutely try to stab me just to spice up his evening without me starting a fight. 1/10

Trinculo (Tempest) Yes. Sorry, you’re Russell Brand? L. I could kick your ass. And he’s like drunk for half the show, and almost fucked a fish. I doubt his judgement is good enough to say the alphabet backwards let alone dodge a punch. He couldn’t even get Caliban to kick my ass (who definitely could by the way) cause Caliban fucking hates him. Bro, failwife to Stephano should pay more. But it doesn’t. 8.5/10

Dogberry (Much Ado About Nothing) Without Verges? Yes. With Verges? No way. Those two are a power couple in the dumbest possible way. He would absolutely try to get me arrested though but I simply would not go to prison. What’s he gonna do? Send me to prison? I’m already not going. 7/10

Mercutio (Romeo and Juliet) No chance. Unless Romeo fucked up so bad like he did in the actual play, I would have no chance against this dude. I wouldn’t even want to even if I could. I’m a Benvolio stan first and foremost and a person second you think I’d wanna fight his bestie? Only exception is if it was an actual fight club and not just a pure fight out of hatred. I feel like Mercutio could give Brad Pitt Fight Club Realness, outfits included. I would still lose though. 2.5/10

Don Adriano De Armado (Love’s Labour’s Lost) I reckon I could wreck this dude’s shit. You know that gif where the fuckin dude is doing all these cool sword moves and then he just gets shot? You know the one. I forgot where it’s from but you know the one. That would be this fight. Armado would bust out his flair, his razzle dazzle, his pizzaz, and I would just deck him I think. That’s the power you need in this world, I think. Power of fist to face. Peace and love. <3 8/10

Costard (Love’s Labour’s Lost) I do not think Costard would realise he was being fought even as he was actively getting hit in the face. I know how to say honorificabilitudinitatibus, he doesn’t even have that against me. Bro couldn’t even confuse me with that, I learnt that, like an adult. Anyway yeah I’d kick his ass. 9/10

Holofernes & Sir Nathaniel (Love’s Labour’s Lost) This is the same man to me. I would destroy them both. Fuckin nerds. Flowery ass language nerds. I support gay rights and gay wrongs but the only reason I couldn’t fight those two gay muppets who heckle is cause they’re too far away (in a theatre booth), these two gay muppets who heckle are right in front of me. I’d kick their tweed cladded asses. 10/10

Jaquenetta (Love’s Labour’s Lost) She is just like Audrey to me. I could never bring myself to hurt her. Also she’s pregnant and I feel like it’s fucked up to hit a pregnant woman just for fun. Also she could absolutely wreck my shit. Please wreck my shit Jaquenetta. 0.5/10

Moth (Love’s Labour’s Lost) This little fucker should be an INSTANT knock out but I just know this fucker bites. He’s a shit talking 8 year old? Oh he plays wolves on the playground, I just know it. He plays wolves and he’s definitely been suspended for it, I just know it in my heart. Sure, I could kick him, but he would grab hold of my foot and try to rip it off. We would shake hands and agree to part ways, having met our match. He, who plays wolves, and me, who played fairies, leave the fight with our heads high and respect in our hearts. I am kidding of course but I do think we would tie. 5/10

Lear’s Fool (King Lear) There’s already so much fighting going on, I don’t even think they’d notice if I just started kicking this dude. Not only could I fight him and win, I think I’d get away with it too. I’d win not only physically but socially too. What’s he gonna do? Tell his boss? Bro he’s preoccupied with his whole kingdom crumbling, grow up. 9/10

Lavatch (All’s Well That Ends Well) This is more meta but my hatred of this play would fuel me here. I would fight literally anyone in this play if given the chance, not a joke. I would get in the ring with literally anyone from this play, but honestly, out of them all I weirdly respect Lavatch the most, maybe because he at least knows that he’s a cunt, unlike literally everyone else who Just Suck. I do think he’s probably scrappy though, so I wouldn’t leave unscathed. I also think if he got the upper hand he would be so so awful about it, so I’d really have to fight. 6/10

Sir Toby Belch & Sir Andrew Aguecheek (Twelfth Night) Andrew is canonically bad at fighting, and honestly I do not believe Toby would be any better. Love both of these guys but if I had to fight them both at once I think I would be able to just move out of the way and they’d bonk each other on the head like a cartoon. They’re just silly guys. 9/10

Maria (Twelfth Night) Every woman clown could beat my ass. Audrey, Jaquenetta, Maria, they are all so special to me and would all also fucking destroy me. Maria especially cause I just know she is full of hate. You don’t hatch a plan like the Malvolio plan unless there’s something deeply worrying about you. She’s a Scorpio to me. <3 I do love her, she’d demolish me. 0/10

Feste (Twelfth Night) Would actually kill me. -5/10

I know I’ve definitely missed some but uhhh don’t expect me to remember every clown even if I’m neurodivergent about these plays please. <3

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starrysnowdrop · 2 years ago

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Oh my goodness I was so self-conscious of headcanon-ing Aymeric as a virgin too. (For the most part. I also headcanon that, during his Temple Knight trainee days, he was young 'n horny and had some handsy fun with other trainees but that's it.) Like "hey here's this attractive character I/my character want(s) to fuck - I headcanon that he's never fucked and has even taken a vow to not fuck yet". But it makes sense for him! And really opens up some interesting venues to explore in a relationship!

Big solidarity handshake here dude, let's have fun being Aymeric's firsts.

Oh thank you so much for telling me this sweetie! I was actually really nervous as well about sharing that headcanon with everyone, but then I just went “You know what? Screw it, I’m posting it anyway!”

Note: I do not mean to disrespect or discredit anyone else’s headcanons, as this is obviously all subjective and not set in stone, until SE confirms anything, which we all know they won’t. Even if your headcanons are completely opposite of mine, they are just as valid.

Now, I just can’t see Aymeric ever going all the way to having intercourse with anyone, even of the same sex. My thoughts are that he has been plagued with the rumors of him being the bastard son of the archbishop, and even if possible bastard children aren’t an issue, I just think that he would have a lot of personal issues with doing so. I see him as man that has dedicated his life to serving Ishgard and fighting in the Dragonsong War, so he didn’t allow himself to have any sort of sexual relationships as they are also a distraction. Fooling around with other knights when he was young is a definite possibility, and I agree with that, but going all the way as to having intercourse? I say no.

I didn’t mention this in the Ishgardian Ball post because it wasn’t relevant, but I also headcanon him being on the Ace Spectrum, specifically grey or demi. Now that might be more of just a personal preference thing, as I myself am demi and I might just be projecting onto Aymeric that way, but I think it also makes sense with the story I’m writing for Aymeric and Hali. Aymeric hasn’t had romantic or sexual feelings for that many people, like he can count on one hand sorta thing, and as I mentioned in the other post, Hali ends up being Aymeric’s first, and vice versa.

I also agree with you that it really makes for an interesting relationship dynamic, and it’s something that I do intend to write about in more depth at some point. Since Hali and Aymeric are both virgins before they make love for the first time, it is just one more thing that they have bonded over, and can relate more to each other, and I enjoy imagining that.

Once again, thank you so much for sharing this with me @janzoo!!! And yes, solidarity in our OCs being Aymeric’s firsts!!! 🥰💖

🤝

#asks and replies #aymeric headcanons #perhaps I should write out all my personal Aymeric headcanons??#I did that for Cid and for G’raha a long time ago #hmmm maybe I should add that to my list of things to write

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thevibraniumveterans · 1 year ago

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All this is classic Star Wars “misdirection”.

In A New Hope, near the beginning, Obi-Wan speaks with Luke.

Kenobi: I was once a Jedi Knight the same as your father.

Luke: I wish I’d known him.

Kenobi: He was the best star-pilot in the galaxy, and a cunning warrior. […] Your father wanted you to have [his lightsaber] when you were old enough. […]

Luke: How did my father die?

Kenobi: A young Jedi named Darth Vader, who was a pupil of mine until he turned to evil, helped the Empire hunt down and destroy the Jedi Knights. He betrayed and murdered your father.

We know that that’s not true… well at least it is, depending on how you choose to see and tell events, according to Obi-Wan’a Force ghost in ROTJ.

Luke: Obi-Wan! Why didn't you tell me? You told me Vader betrayed and murdered my father.

Kenobi: You father was seduced by the dark side of the Force. He ceased to be Anakin Skywalker and became Darth Vader. When that happened, the good man who was your father was destroyed. So what I have told you was true... from a certain point of view.

Luke: A certain point of view?!

Kenobi: Luke, you're going to find that many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view.

Characters not telling the truth from the beginning is literally BAKED into Star Wars from the very beginning. Imagine if Old Ben told Luke that Anakin was his dad and became Vader in Ep4, we’d never get the “No, I am your father” revelation in ESB.

Which brings me to my next point.

The Star Wars branch of The Direct recently put out this article:

In it, the article highlights past interview talking points, the first of which was made by Dave Filoni five years ago on StarWars.com’s Rebels Recon #4.8: Inside “A Fools Hope” and “Family Reunion - and Farewell” on YouTube.

youtube

Filoni had said, of the relationship dynamic between Ezra and Sabine:

“It’s been a varied thing and I think everybody’s knee-jerk reaction is to ship the two. You know, to think that, because the two are similar in age, that there’s some type of gravity between them romantically. […] And I think it’s very strong at this point to show boys and girls being friends in supportive of one another. Everybody has their different relationships and it’s just not something that had to be romantically dimensional.”

So okay, Filoni definitely had Ezra start off crushing on Sabine but then he matures and still likes her. Fair enough, because by S4, they’re not kids anymore. They’re not dependent on each other but they rely on each other, and grow with each other. But that they should be, and definitely are, very close friends with each other.

I mean, remember in Rebels S4E1 when the Ghost crew is helping to save Sabine’s dad? He asks Ezra, “Are you with Sabine?” (Meaning, he wants to know if Ezra is part of the group his daughter is with.) And Ezra hilariously replies, “Yeah, I'm with her. I mean, not with her, with her. I'm just friends... With her.” (I mean, sure, it would be way past awkward for Ezra to say that he’s with Sabine, but by fumbling his response, not only do we know the extent of his feelings for her (he actually likes her, go figure 😂), he’s telling a half truth. Because, he is friends with Sabine! It’s true! He just doesn’t want her dad to get the wrong idea! 🤣)

According to Carrie Beck (producer of Rebels) in that same Rebels Recon interview, she said:

“I think the really incredible thing about watching the two of them grow up together as young people lost in a really big galaxy is understanding that one of the strengths of their relationship is actually how they’ve grown and they’ve been able to see each other through. […] And I think, very much, both taking their lessons from Kanan and Hera, I think, has shaped them into the people that they are. You may not be able to control the world around you but you can control how you treat other people and how you work with them. And I think their bond is so strong that there’s nobody else that he could rely on quite like her.”

Beck literally says, there’s two kids who looked at their role models (and team “captains”) who are in love, and took notes.

So it totally squares with Ezra not being 100% truthful in his message for Sabine. Because when he’s telling her something, he wants her to know something. He’s got unresolved feelings for her, so he told her in a way that he hopes she understands. Because it’s never been about him. And even though it’s not 100% truthful, she understands that he cares for and about her. What was at stake was the galaxy, not what they had between them. She knows how he feels. And I think he knows that she’s got feelings for him too. So he phrased his “I’ve got feelings for you” message in such a way that he’s telling her how much she means to him.

So yeah, it would be very very weird of Filoni to have two teenagers somewhat get together, leave us hanging on their story for half a decade in our time, and not resolve it. Filoni knows what he’s doing. He wrote the damn thing after all, he knows what’s going on.

me: i'm tired of seeing the sabezra fandom go to the ends of the world to explain the sister line. i mean, i ship them too, but it'll be canon or it won't and it's useless (although fascinating) to delve into the gestures and psychology of it.

also me: "wow my writing prof really just explained exactly all of the literary character writing conventions that could be at play and i should share it on tumblr dot com"

#star wars #star wars a new hope #star wars empire strikes back #star wars return of the jedi #ben kenobi #luke skywalker #star wars rebels #ezra bridger #sabine wren #sabezra #from a certain point of view #dave filoni #ahsoka series #Youtube

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glowingbadger · 3 years ago

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Ashe SFW and nsfw HC? Also ferdie too pls? Ty!

A couple of sweet good boys on a sunday let's gooooo

Ashe, Ferdinand (FE3H) x GN Reader HCs

SFW (nsfw below the cut)

Ashe:

- Ashe is absolute precious boyfriend material, with all of the cozy and comforting trappings that come with it. Cute inside jokes and pet names that sound like nonsense to anyone else, shared clothing and swinging your hand slightly when he holds it- all of the wonderful little things that reinforce the effortless way you just 'get' each other.

- He does worry about you a lot, but he'll tend to channel that into productive solutions. He'll offer to teach you some techniques with a bow, or even certain little survival tricks he learned in his rougher upbringing. His first instinct is to be your chivalrous knight- to throw himself in front of you and protect you with his whole being. However, he can certainly be convinced to channel this instead into helping you feel confident in your abilities so you both have less cause to worry to begin with.

- Dates with Ashe are usually pleasant walks through town, or through a nice forest path he'd heard of from the locals. You two will bring some food you prepared together, and simply enjoy each other's company along with the sights. When you do feel like taking time for a bite to eat, he'll even regale you with his favorite chivalrous tales. He apologizes for getting so wrapped up in them- surely you must find them embarrassing or boring -but he's so passionate and engaging when he tells you these stories, it's hard not to get swept up with him.

Ferdinand:

- get ready to be ~spoiled~ my friend. Once you've captured Ferdie's heart, no gesture is too grand, no price is too high, and no effort is too great for the chance for him to express his adoration. He'll have flowers delivered to your quarters until you're surrounded by a veritable garden, and if he has to bring a personal chef to Garreg Mach to ensure your favorite dishes are always available, then so be it. If his absolute excessive doting is too much for comfort, he can be talked down a little bit, though you're going to have to be firm with him. In general, Ferdinand does best with a straightforward and communicative partner, as he doesn't always do well with subtext.

- While not necessarily into PDA (it seems ignoble to engage in physical pleasures in public), he has absolutely no qualms about calling you "darling" or "dearest" no matter what the company. He'll openly brag about you to anyone who will listen too- though he hardly sees why he should have to, since it's so obvious that you're the most stunning, brilliant, charming person in Fodlan and elsewhere.

- Ferdie frequently enjoys sharing a ride around the castle grounds on horseback. If you don't know how to ride, he'll gladly teach you, and in fact he secretly savors the chance to guide you by hand and provide for you. Of course, it's equally if not more appealing to have you share a saddle with him, held close to him by an arm around your waist.

- He's shy about admitting it at first but he loves when you brush and/or braid his hair- it feels so intimate and loving!

NSFW v

Ashe:

- we've chatted about Ashe's sexual tendencies a bit, so feel free to check the masterlist in my profile for more of this good good boy (he's in a bunch of the multi character posts), but let's see what else we can chat about.

- Ashe bruises fairly easily, so it's likely you'll leave a hickey or two on him without even fully meaning to. He's very sweet about it, shyly smiling and telling you that he doesn't mind if it's from you. The other Blue Lions (okay mostly just Sylvain) might tease him a bit if they notice, but in truth, this just makes Ashe think about how wonderful it was to have you and how he can't wait to be with you again.

- His cock is about average in length, but it has a wonderful shape to it that stimulates all kinds of unexpected spots. When fully erect, it has a nice, strong upward curve, and the head bulges a bit thicker and has an attractive dark pink flush to it. Ashe also has gorgeously defined arm and shoulder muscles, so he's more than strong and dexterous enough to pull off any position you'd like to try, despite his lithe frame. If anything, the gap appeal between how sweet and earnest he is and how pleasurable the sex can be is arousing in its own right.

- He's very shy about giving and receiving oral at first. He has this idea that giving oral is a complex and scientific process for him to master, and he desperately wants to get it right for you. Meanwhile, receiving feels like he's making you do something subservient for him, which he's personally not into (he's not into power dynamics in bed much in general). He can absolutely get over this, and in fact he can be quite good at oral once he learns to relax and just try things and learn together, but you're going to have to reassure him a bit.

Ferdinand:

- why have I written so little about Ferdie?? He's a joy, let's talk about fucking him.

- Ferdinand actually has a fairly impressive cock, and he has no idea. It's not like he's completely naïve- he's fooled around a bit with romantic interests in the past- but you're likely to be his first true sexual partner once he's realized his enduring feelings for you. So when you ease down the hem of his breeches and see his manhood standing long and thick and nicely tapered, you might be a bit pleasantly surprised.

- Related, Ferdie definitely gets off on praise. Steadily stroking his length while telling him how beautiful his cock is, how big it is, how you can't wait to feel him inside of you, will easily have him bright red in the face and panting for you in no time. If you liked, you could certainly get him to cum like this, making an absolute mess as he spills his load all over your hands with his head tilted back and his fists clenched.

- He's a bit clumsy with his hands at first, having not learned about sex to any great degree prior to you. He'll be immensely relieved if you're the type to tell him exactly what you want and what feels good for you, so communication is key when it comes to him. However, he has a wonderful natural sense of how to move his hips, and his thigh and glute muscles are well developed as any true equestrian's would be. Riding Ferdinand is especially enjoyable, since he'll intuitively match your rhythm so he's pushing deep into you at the best possible angle.

- Ferdinand is beautifully sensitive in a number of places. He loves having his hair pulled, and feeling your nails along his scalp and down the back of his neck raises goosebumps across his skin. His nipples are sensitive as well, and while he may be shy about you playing with them at first, the feeling is simply too pleasurable to resist. As he starts to realize the full potential of different types of sensations, his foreplay improves exponentially as well- he becomes more adventurous, kissing and gently nipping at your stomach, your inner thighs, anywhere he can reach really.

#ashe ubert #ferdinand von aegir #fire emblem #fire emblem smut #ashe x reader #ferdinand x reader #fire emblem x reader #fire emblem headcanons #spicy headcanons #fire emblem imagines #fe3h #fire emblem three houses

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goron-king-darunia · 6 years ago

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Annon-Guy: How do you feel about the official pairings in Symphonia? LloydXColette, EmilXMarta, SheenaXZelos and AliceXDecus. P.S. While these are not official, what do you think of the GenisXPresea and RegalXRaine ships?

I didn’t realize SheenaXZelos was considered an official pairing by most, actually! As a concept, I think they could be cute, but as things are right now with the canon where it is and with the interactions they’ve had, I don’t think they’re a very healthy relationship. Zelos basically sexually harassed her and she had very little recourse other than to punch him. I think if they showed Zelos learned NOT to do that and to flirt in a way she’s actually RECEPTIVE of, then it would be a cute dynamic. Zelos being goofy with her and her being sort of dismissive would be FINE if his goofiness didn’t involve groping and other things she clearly doesn’t like. If she actually liked what Zelos was doing, it’d be a little sleazy but it’d be fine. (The sleazy thing is mostly because, like, as fictional characters they’re MADE to act that way and a fictional girl being receptive to groping sends a broader message that it’s okay to grope girls which it generally isn’t.) But if Zelos could improve a bit beyond what we see in the games (and he improved GREATLY in DotNW. He harasses Sheena less but it’s still there to a degree.) and they fleshed out the relationship a bit more for some tenderness, yeah, they’d be cute. AliceXDecus is a little toxic, just by virtue of them both being written as bad guys. In some alternate universe where Alice’s lust for power is directed more toward a protective impulse and Decus’s devotion to her isn’t fully out of her manipulating his feelings for her until she’s vulnerable and starts giving back (which she basically only seems to do at the very end of the game unless you do her sidequest and learn a bit more) then they’d be pretty cute. A terrifying power couple with the woman in charge and her man behind her 100% would be a rad thing to see. LloydXColette is really cute, even though I think Lloyd is a terminal dumbass and Colette could do better. XD They really care about each other though and they have a really cute dynamic and the games fully flesh out their interactions so that even if you don’t read them as romantically interested, you can tell they have a very strong bond. ColetteXall the Dogs is a good ship too though. Let her adopt all puppers. EmilXMarta has potential, though I oppose it on the grounds that I prefer Emil and Richter together, but I think even at the end of the game, both ships would have toxic elements. Richter is clearly not fully over Aster’s death and is bad at articulating emotions and Marta is still working toward treating Emil as his own person and not as her knight. In each ship, Richter and Marta would need to work on themselves a lot more in order to actually address how their behavior impacts Emil. Emil has basically already completed his arc and has improved in the ways he needed to in order to be “someone deserving of their love.” Like, clearly Richter and Marta both love late game Emil basically exactly as he is. They both wanted him braver and he did that. He improved to the point that he’s able to tell them when he thinks their wrong which is healthier for him and for potential relationships. But Richter, even at the end of the game, fails at communicating with Emil at almost every turn. Communication breaks down when Emil tries to decipher vague statements Richter makes because Richter is still too afraid of being fully honest (though to be fair, during the late game he has committed to disengaging from attachments with Emil because he plans on one of them killing the other.) Richter’s growth from the sidequests basically disappears late game. During the first two quests, he opens up a lot, but once he realizes Emil is 99.999% probably Ratatosk, he abandons that growth because he can’t afford not to kill Emil if he wants all his effort to pay off. Marta, meanwhile, does make strides toward learning to tell Ratatosk and Emil apart, but it’s also very clear that she’s still not seeing them fully. When Ratatosk pretends to be Emil, she can tell that it’s Ratatosk. But when Emil pretends to be Ratatosk at the end, she’s completely fooled, even though Emil clearly refers to himself as Lord Ratatosk, which we NEVER hear Ratatosk do to refer to himself. Furthermore, she’s fooled by the idea that Ratatosk “can’t be controlled” and that’s why he’s breaking whatever Verius did. Marta sees Ratatosk as inherently violent and dangerous during the endgame which completely undoes all the growth she supposedly did during the middle of the game where she defends his actions to everyone because she “knows Ratatosk is a good person.” That, coupled with the fact that even while she dials things back, she never stops flirting even though it’s clear Emil wants to take it slow, shows that she definitely needs more time learning about Emil/Ratatosk so that she’s CAPABLE of treating Emil/Ratatosk like a PERSON and not as an idealized caricature of her “perfect man.” I think if you gave both Richter and Marta 2 years to just... no pressure date Emil, just hang out and do platonic things like board games and such, I think if they both did that? Just hung out with him in a calm environment and talked like normal people without being forced into battle constantly to cooperate, then I think both relationships could definitely blossom into something really nice. But overall, I think Richter has a better shot because he already treated Emil like a full person. He didn’t want Emil to be braver in order to fit some idea in his head of what Emil should be. He wanted Emil to be braver because he SAW EMIL STRUGGLING and wanted Emil to be able to defend himself. He didn’t demand Emil do anything like Marta had. He told Emil what he thought he should do and then asked Emil to TRY. 90% of Richter’s complaints to Emil were “don’t do this just because you think I want you to.” “Don’t try to like herbs just because you think I want you to. If you want to try to like herbs, do it because it’s something you want to do to broaden your horizons.” (I’m reading between the lines of course, but still.) Marta was definitely LEARNING to do that and that was REALLY nice to see. She eventually did start giving Emil advice because she wanted him to improve for his own sake, not to fit her definition of an ideal man. But Richter was doing that in the beginning. Which is why I think he’s a better match. All of Richters work to deserve Emil has to do with exclusively personal work. He needs to learn to feel his feelings. He already treated Emil right. Marta’s work needs to happen interpersonally. She needs to learn more about who Emil really is and work on treating him the way he wants to be treated. Richter and Marta are foils like that. She already feels her feelings and can communicate her own needs with Emil, but she hasn’t quite met the threshold of treating Emil as his own person. Richter has always seen Emil as his own person, even though he had EVERY REASON to project Aster onto him. What Richter needs to learn is to feel his feelings and communicate his desires. So yeah, long but this is my game of expertise since I played ToS a long time ago and I obsess over Richter and Emil, so... definitely a dearth of knowledge on the ToS part compared to all the hyperfocusing I do on DotNW. AS FOR NON-CANON SHIPS: GenisXPresea is really cute. The “age gap” is the only real issue, but when it comes to fictional characters, the age doesn’t matter as much as their role in the narrative and how they interact with each other. Genis and Presea both behave in similar ways, both have similar levels of power. Presea has been alive longer, sure, but their levels of experience in the world are roughly the same. Also, given how long elves and half-elves live, the age gap becomes less important as limiting the relations to only people in their own age range becomes difficult a gap of 100 years between half-elves is basically a gap of 10 years by our standards. So the number is less important than the dynamic and power level. Neither is inherently more privileged than the other, they have a good camaraderie, they share some interests and take an interest in each others’ hobbies, they seem to enjoy each other’s company, and the only one with any objection to it is Presea, who mostly objects on the principle that she wants to live life for herself for a while because she was trapped in her own body for years without any agency. RegalXRaine is an iffy one. They get along well, but there doesn’t seem to be much chemistry. They respect each other and get along well, but they have very different interests and Regal still loves Alicia very much and seems more committed to helping Presea reintegrate with society than getting back in the dating pool. I think they’d make a cute couple, sure, but a lot needs to happen before that stuff happens.

#DotNW #ToS #ships #Anonymous #ask GKD

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selcier · 7 years ago

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Obikin Fanfiction Recommendations

I’ve been thinking about typing this up for a while now.

This is by no means an extensive or exhaustive list. These are simple a few fics that I remember vividly for various reasons. Many of theme are masterpieces in their own right without the added benefit of being fanfiction. And many are fics that I have read over and over again. These are also fics that have inspired me to to my own writing.

Please also keep in mind that these recommendations will include some constructive criticism. While I love them all, there are comments that I think need to be said in any recommendation. I’m not going to be adding warnings (those are in the links) but I want to give a larger picture of the piece besides fawning over how much I love it.

There are many fics that are not on this list that I actively read and love and I’m always looking for more! I have excluded works that I love but are in the beginnings of their development as a cohesive story. This list also does not include any tumblr ficlets. I love those too but they are more difficult to keep track of. If you follow me, I tend to reblog everything I love so you can find more that way. If you have any recommendations to send me, please do!

I have tried to tag authors when I know them on tumbr.

In no particular order:

His Face in the Rearview Mirror by starscry

The car breaks down a week and a half into his trip.

What a beautiful AU. Fast cars, sexual tension and a great retelling of TPM. I’m drawn to this fic for its detail and mood. I can feel the heat of the desert in every scene. I can envision Anakin’s upbringing in the descriptions. I desperately want them to justkissalready the entire time; there is a fantastic level of tension throughout the narrative. This is the type of short but fulfilling read I go back for many times. Its currently on hiatus but I’m crossing my fingers that starscry will finish it soon.

Fringe Believers and Hopeless Wanders by iiscos

A Jedi falls in love with a kind, but poor mechanic aboard the luxurious, ill-fated R.S.C. Terranova. A Star Wars/Titanic AU

This fic is definitely an inspiration for my own writing. Its paced fabulously with a steady rise of plot and tension. And while it follows closely to the original plot of Titanic, all the Star Wars details are fleshed out in loving detail. It also has the same feel as Titanic; a romance that doesn’t make any logical sense but that is captivating none the less. Unfortunately, this fic is also on hiatus it seems as the author seems to have moved on to other fandoms. However, keep in mind the original tags were ‘happy ending’ so I’ll go with that. :)

Favorite line: “ Obi-Wan in his formal Jedi robes, clean and simple against the lavish backdrop, searching for familiar faces in the dining saloon.” For some reason this image keeps with me. I liken it to the line from the RotS novel in which Obi-wan stands in the expanse of carpeting in Padme’s apartment looking lost. The parallels reduce me to a sobbing fool.

wicked thing by imaginarykat

There are rumours of yet another Sith Lord hiding among the Separatists. The Council sends Anakin to investigate. Anakin has a bad feeling about this.

or,

the story of how Anakin exists in a perpetual state of intense embarrassment, Kenobi is enjoying it a little too much, and everything is, generally speaking, a gigantic mess.

Ah yes. The opus of the Sith!Obi-wan movement. May we be forever blessed. This fic sucks you in from the very first moment. The insight the reader has into Anakin’s mind is a fabulous take on his character and I love the inanity he brings. Oh course, the whole plot is rather contrived; but that’s part of the fun. Fanfiction is for nothing more than indulging our every whim and a myriad of possibilities. I particularly enjoy that we’re meant to not fully understand whether or not Kenobi is using Anakin or not. And whether or not Anakin is already his apprentice or not. Unfortunately, the last few chapters have been lacking direction for me. But I’ve still enjoyed reading them and still look forward to experiencing the story with the characters. Not all obikin needs to be sadness and flames.

Favorite line: “His mouth opens to speak even though his mind seems empty of all thought; only one word escapes his lips, one that tastes of defiance and submission and fire all at once.“Master.” “ Hot damn yes. This is why I come here!

Ad Verecundiam by DarthSnug

Time Traveling Sith Lords seems like a matter for the Council, so Obi-Wan puts the man’s sudden arrival at the Temple out of mind. He has other things to worry about after all: his Trials, for one, and his former Master’s stubborn insistence that young Anakin Skywalker must be trained.

Then the Council approaches him, saying that their reluctant darkside guest is specifically asking for him, and in standard fashion, Knight Kenobi finds himself getting into all sorts of terrible trouble without much backup at all.

This is probably the least developed fic on this list. Only three chapters in, however, and I’m hooked. So far, it hasn’t gotten caught up in extraneous scenes or pointless divergences to the plot and I’m hoping it continues to do so. I’m enjoying, despite the fantastical nature of the canon divergence, the reality of the narrative. Characters have reasonable and relate-able reactions to outside influences. The Council is appropriately suspicious, Kenobi is appropriately obeying the Council’s orders-but-not-really. I’m excited to see where this is going especially as Vader is clearly not necessarily remorseful about his actions. He hasn’t turned into the good-guy yet. I think we all forget what a Sith is supposed to be canon. They aren’t just dangerous and handsome, they have ugly goals. I’m hoping that this fic explores that option.

Solider, Poet, King by @glare-gryphon

Second chances are very rarely given, but the Force smiles upon two of its favorite children and returns them to a time before their actions have met their consequences. Anakin Skywalker, also known as Darth Vader, seeks redemption while Obi-Wan “Ben” Kenobi, disillusioned with the Jedi Order and its Code, falls to the Darkness. Trapped out of time, Master and Apprentice must once again work together to stop Sideous’ plans from reaching fruition and bring Balance to the Force—all the while dodging the Jedi, the Sith, and their feelings for each other.

I admit, I’ve re-read this at least ten times. It came with me on the plane to Thailand, comforted me next to the fireplace this holiday season and was there for rainy days this spring. This is a fic I cannot gush about enough. The first time I read Chapter 1, I thought ‘oh this sounds interesting, if cliche.’ But then i was hooked. Glare, in all their writing, adds such a depth to the characters without distracting lines of exposition. As the reader, you’re desperately on Anakin’s side hoping that he finally gets his happy ending. And you feel Ben’s pain on having to live again. You want them to succeed. This is compounded with the spiraling-out-of-control relationship Padawan Obi-wan has with Qui-gon and the ongoing fight against Sideous.

I am worried that this fic has gotten too large and that there are too many spinning wheels to pull together in the end. But that hasn’t dampened my ability to enjoy it as it is. And I’m not sure if this is intended (although I certainly enjoy it), but there is an underlying strain of ‘wrongness’ about Anakin and Ben’s relationship. This isn’t a happy story, I think. I don’t want it to be happy.

Favorite line: “ Vader’s durasteel wrist is pinned to the stone by one of Adelfos’ boots, preventing the younger Sith from moving. His back is to Obi-Wan like this, but the Padawan can see Vader’s face through the man’s legs. Whatever Vader sees when he looks up into the man’s cowl, the shock hits him like a speeder. Blood drains from the Sith’s face and he’s trembling, mouth opening and closing like he’s trying to form words but doesn’t quite know what to say.” This line gives me chills every time. I love feeling Anakin’s surprise though the lens of Padawan Kenobi. Beautiful.

as good a place to fall as any by @glimmerglanger

Obi-Wan and Anakin are sent to find a rumored weapon from the Old Republic on a mission directly from the Jedi Council, taking them away from the front lines at a vital time. During the course of the mission, they find far more than trouble than the anticipated and stumble into a series of events that leads to unintended attachments, misunderstandings, a fierce love affair, bloody victories, and an eventual end to the Clone Wars…

I’m a big fan of a/o/b fics done well and this one is fantastic. While the dynamics are certainly part of the story, it is more focused on the emotional relations between characters in the backdrop of a war. Each chapter is almost a mini story with a full plot and satisfying ending. It does have that same feeling of a story arch in the Clone Wars where you know the main conflict will be resolved even as the over-arching conflict (Anakin and Obi-wan’s relationship) continues on.

And I can’t say enough about the tiny world building elements that glimmer adds. In the first chapter, they focus on the a/o/b dynamics as if it were any physical condition in a modern world. Its not sexualized from the stand point of the characters (until, well, it is sexual). And they way that Obi-wan addresses his crisis is so in character. He really struggles with his decision and is eventually overrun and guilty about his choices.

Favorite line: ““I don’t remember what that’s like, either,” Anakin said, and he sat up, scrubbing at his face. For a moment they sat, and then he reached out, and tugged on a strand of Obi-Wan’s hair. A cautious smile lifted one corner of his mouth. “I like seeing you like this.”

Obi-Wan snorted, wishing he had not removed his tunic. He could feel the blush on his skin. “Messy?” he asked, abandoning the cot and the intimacy, before it tempted him beyond his ability to bear it. Already his emotions were in a tumult, as they had been since he had thought Anakin would not breathe again. It was best not to think about it.” Urgh the pain and happiness rolled up in these scenes sends me to tears.

Admire the Foliage by the AngryAssassin

Anakin is left to his own devices on an unknown planet and naturally, he gets himself into trouble. Obi-Wan helps him out. Porn with a little tiny bit of plot.

I would call this porn with absolutely no plot whatsoever. But I don’t even want to tell you how many times I’ve read it. Be forewarned for plants, vines, tentacle bits, possible non-con, threesomes of a sort, voyeurism, and other nsfw things.

Thank you and have a great day.

Wake the Storm (part i of the Ouroboros series) by @bedlamsbard

Considering that he had picked up what was probably a Sith artifact, promptly passed out in the middle of a war zone, and apparently woken up twenty years in the future with Obi-Wan having taken up residence in his head, Anakin thought he was entitled to have a few questions.

This is the first fanfiction I had my husband read. Overall, it is not a full Obikin story but I love the undercurrent of tension. (Both between Old Ben and Jedi Knight Kenobi). And while the plot is based on a slightly outlandish theme, its pulled together tightly across multiple times and space. And when we get to see the interactions between Kenobi and Padme, my heart breaks every time.

Many times in fic, we take the idea that Obi-wan will leave the Order to be a given. Like it isn’t hard to give up everything you’ve ever known to seek out a different life. Like that isn’t a terrible decision to make. In this story, this idea is treated with the respect it deserves. Its easy for us, as readers, to make these decisions for the characters but it is much more difficult for them to choose. In this fic, we see Obi-wan struggle between being who he really is (in this case, Anakin’s friend), and who he really wants to be (a Jedi Master).

And we also see another version of that Kenobi who did not make such a decision and the ramifications of that. I’m torn between empathy and hatred of that version. But i fully enjoyed the exploration of one character who underwent such a drastic split.

Overall, this seems like it would be an exploration of Anakin (and I think it was intended to be one), but I see it more of an exploration of Obi-wan. And, of course, the sequel is every bit as thought provoking and well written.

Favorite line: “Obi-Wan leaned against the wall beside him, his face hidden behind one hand. “I saw what Vader left behind.”Again, the smell of sulfur and burning flesh, a sound that might have been screaming. Anakin’s stomach heaved again, making him clap a hand to his mouth, but there was nothing left to vomit up. After a moment, the Force impressions vanished.” Well, i have many, many favoirte lines. But this is from the second chapter. Every sentence is so well planned and full of nuanced. Be still my heart.

The Light You Leave Behind by laventadorn

Ahsoka has left the Jedi Order, and Anakin is haunted by the last words he spoke to her on the steps of the Temple: “I understand, more than you know, wanting to leave the Order.” But perhaps leaving does not mean walking away; perhaps, it means only taking a different path.

For Obi-Wan, things are even less simple. The darkness clouding the Force seems to whisper behind him; with Anakin gone, he feels half-blind. Does his way lie with the Order that has raised him, or with the two Padawans he has lost?

Because Anakin and Ahsoka have set out to learn what they can about the Sith - and to destroy them, once and for all.

This is another rec that is still in it’s infancy. But I’ve been sucked in to the pure feelings of this world in all the relationships and their dynamics. I would consider this, so far, a bit more on the gen side but the sheer stress between Anakin and Obi-wan and Anakin and Ahsoka is captivating. I especially love the way Obi-wan just holds himself back at every turn and how much the reader can feel his distress.

The last chapters were a bit more plot focused than the first few. I am not really sure at this point what type of direction this story will continue in. We seemed to leave behind the emotional tension to focus on moving the story along. That isn’t the type of story I normally enjoy but I’m hoping it returns to its roots a bit more in the future.

Favorite line: ““Well,” he said eventually, “that wasn’t what I was expecting you to say.”

Anakin’s forehead crinkled in clear confusion as his eyes cut toward Obi-Wan, as if trying to figure him out. He reached out in the Force, a tentative brush that Obi-Wan couldn’t bring himself to meet. He had to keep his shields shut tight or he might -

“I thought you were going to tell me you’re leaving the Order.”” Kill me know. Obi-wan, just kiss him already!!!

Finding Balance by moonstone

The Dark side clouds everything, even to eyes that should see through the murk with ease. Darth Sidious has miscalculated, drastically, and the waiting game for his enemies is now at an end, and Balance is at hand.

Another Sith Obi-wan here. But a bit different. In this, Obi-wan has always been a Sith, even when living with the Jedi Order. He’s been biding his time before creating his own Empire. I love how cold he is in this one. And how all the members of the Rebel Alliance are unsure of what he might do. Will he keep his word? Will he kill us all anyways?

I think, in this story, the relationship between Obi-wan and Anakin takes a bit of a back seat to to the world-building and overall plot development. In this case, i love that aspect. I want to see Anakin scare the shit out of people when he pulls up in a Destroyer, and I want to see them scramble for words when the Emperor ends up injured in their base.

Its a simple story and not overly complex. And I love it for that.

The World Undone by lilyconrad @writegowrite

Anakin Skywalker, proud symbol of the strength and purity of the Jedi Order, is the target of a strange and handsome Sith named Obi-Wan, whose only goal seems to be pulling Skywalker down into the dark with him.

This is an all-around great read. Very entertaining, a great host of characters, good plot, fun story, sufficient sexy scenes. I had a great time reading it and its a staple for the fandom.

I especially love the brutal nature of Kenobi in the beginning and the way he plays with Anakin throughout the story. I love seeing how their relationship evolves from enemies to sparring partners to friends to lovers. It is so, so satisfying. And also, Anakin is a joy to read here. You know that something fishy is going on in the background but have no idea what! I was glued to the screen in the scene when Anakin comes back from the Council. I think that this is a great additive to the story. I wanted to learn more about what was going on just as much as I wanted to finally see them make-out.

However I did miss that brutal quality as the story progressed. This is purely a preference and has no bearing on the quality of the story (because the quality is superb), but I felt it lost its Sith-like edges with the introduction of Anakin and Obi-wan’s back story. Suddenly, we were meant to sympathize with Obi-wan. I feel like that took away from his character as a Sith. Sometimes, I don’t want to apologize for the characters. I want them to be dangerous and awful in their own way; like a first testament god. But like I said, that was a matter of preference. I do feel like it is the prerogative of the writer to create the story they wan to see. After all, that’s why fanfiction exists. And I applaud the author for creating a dynamic piece that covers such a wide variety of topics, characters and stories.

#recom #star wars fanfiction #my list #fanfiction #obikin #my writing #star wars #recommendations

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eliaamartell · 7 years ago

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Could you explain the whole obsession with sansa and the hound? i don't get why that relationship is so romanticized at all...

Well, a romantic subtext is indeed present in the books when it comes to Sansa and the Hound. While in the show their relationship was never romanticized (maybe you’re a show watcher?) and the age difference between the two characters is too big, in the books the romanticization is undeniably there.

Here are some examples. There’s the serpentine stairs scene in ACOK, which is the first real sansan moment, if I’m not mistaken (it’s in Sansa II, here are some relevant parts):

He laughed, shook his head. “Drunk as a dog, damn me. You come now. Back to your cage, little bird. I’ll take you there. Keep you safe for the king.” The Hound gave her a push, oddly gentle, and followed her down the steps.

[…] “A hound will die for you, but never lie to you. And he’ll look you straight in the face.” He cupped her under the jaw, raising her chin, his fingers pinching her painfully. “And that’s more than little birds can do, isn’t it? I never got my song.”“I… I know a song about Florian and Jonquil.”“Florian and Jonquil? A fool and his cunt. Spare me. But one day I’ll have a song from you, whether you will it or no.”

There is the whole Blackwater chapter (Sansa VII, ACOK). I don’t remember how the scene went in the show exactly, it was still written by GRRM but I think it was a lot “softer”. The book is definitely trying to imply something:

“I could keep you safe,” he rasped. “They’re all afraid of me. No one would hurt you again, or I’d kill them.” He yanked her closer, and for a moment she thought he meant to kiss her. He was too strong to fight. She closed her eyes, wanting it to be over, but nothing happened. “Still can’t bear to look, can you?” she heard him say. He gave her arm a hard wrench, pulling her around and shoving her down onto the bed. “I’ll have that song. Florian and Jonquil, you said.” His dagger was out, poised at her throat. “Sing, little bird. Sing for your little life.”

[…]

Some instinct made her lift her hand and cup his cheek with her fingers. The room was too dark for her to see him, but she could feel the stickiness of the blood, and a wetness that was not blood. “Little bird,” he said once more, his voice raw and harsh as steel on stone. Then he rose from the bed. Sansa heard cloth ripping, followed by the softer sound of retreating footsteps.

There is the dream in which Sansa sees the Hound in her marriage bed (ASOS, Sansa VI):

That night Sansa scarcely slept at all, but tossed and turned just as she had aboard the Merling King. She dreamt of Joffrey dying, but as he clawed at his throat and the blood ran down across his fingers she saw with horror that it was her brother Robb. And she dreamed of her wedding night too, of Tyrion’s eyes devouring her as she undressed. Only then he was bigger than Tyrion had any right to be, and when he climbed into the bed his face was scarred only on one side. “I’ll have a song from you,” he rasped, and Sansa woke and found the old blind dog beside her once again. “I wish that you were Lady,” she said.

There is the famous Unkiss, the most popular sansan moment. (Click the link for an explanation if you haven’t heard about it.)

As the boy’s lips touched her own she found herself thinking of another kiss. She could still remember how it felt, when his cruel mouth pressed down on her own. He had come to Sansa in the darkness as green fire filled the sky. He took a song and a kiss, and left me nothing but a bloody cloak. (Alayne II, AFFC)

And there are many more examples.

I’m not a sansan shipper (in the sense that I don’t particularly want their story to have a romantic conclusion), but if this isn’t romanticizing, I don’t know what it is. We can even say that this ship was created by Sansa, in a way, because she’s the one romanticizing it and often thinking about it. She’s still thinking about the Hound when we last see her in the books, and she’s gone a long way from King’s Landing at that point.

Some would argue it’s just Sansa being a romantic at heart (as we only see this relationship through her eyes) and that the Hound is just a brute who tried to assault her so we as readers shouldn’t romanticize it too. But I think some signs are there that the Hound doesn’t look at her only in a sexual way. He has a sort of protective instinct when it comes to Sansa (“I could keep you safe”). Also, she is the only one he has told the story of how he got his scars and he trust her enough to keep that secret.

And there is also the whole “true knight” narrative going on, one of the major dynamics in Sansa’s arc, where the Hound has a pivotal role. Sansa learns from the Hound the harsh reality about knighthood, and Sandor (not the Hound) learns from Sansa to be a better man, that maybe true knights can really exist. His “redemption arc” that leads him to the Quiet Isle in a way starts from Sansa’s room during Blackwater.

Also, GRRM himself has acknowledged the relationship and said that there’s something there.

I don’t know if there is hope for this relationship in the future. I don’t even know if Sandor will ever get back into the story again (not the Hound, he’s dead). But there was definitely something in the past books. Sansa and Sandor have a connection that is interesting to notice, even if you don’t care for a love story.

#anonymous #ask #ask: sansa stark #ask: sandor clegane #sansan #hope this helps #and it's not too confusing #i'm not an expert on sansan #i just run into sansan shippers a lot on my dash

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gravetells · 8 years ago

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Wanted & Wired (Tether #1) by Vivien Jackson #BookReview #ScifiUrbanDystopian #CyberpunkRomance

*** This review is SPOILER-FREE! Read on with confidence! ***

Author Vivien Jackson’s bio may be the last page I read in this book, but it sets up the atmosphere of the Wanted & Wired story ‘verse just about perfectly. And the rest of Ms. Jackson’s bio is just as entertaining and appealing to a girl who grew up loving Han Solo and grew into a keen appreciation of Captain Mal…

Vivien Jackson writes fantastical, futuristic, down-home salacious kissery.

Right from the first scene, Wanted & Wired hits the ground running and immerses the reader in its futuristic dystopian setting, where terms like whole-organic and post-human have nothing to do with fancy grocery stores.

“I’ll let you know the details once I’ve completed my diagnostic.” “That should be any minute now, though, right? It takes you, like, five hot seconds to check out my bios.” “That’s because I have you loaded in active memory.” “Eh?” What she wouldn’t have given for some plain speaking from her partner. For once. But he got her frustration, or must have, ’cause his half smile looked a little sheepish. “Guess you could say you’re always on my mind.”

Not since my college Science Fiction English class have I had so much fun with futuristic urban sci-fi (okay, let’s just call it cyberpunk). Wanted & Wired invoked so many fond memories of the greats—like Asimov, Gibson’s Neuromancer, even Ghost in the Shell—and invited me to snark along with Mari’s obvious affinity with some very famous space pirate captains. Wanted & Wired fair shivers with a Wild West vibe that breathes life and vibrancy into an already brilliant story world. You can hear it in the turn of a phrase, the peek of a crinoline underskirt, the twang of the Texas-secessionist accents.

In the dim blue glow of the free-fae light, her eyes looked big as desert marigolds. Somebody who didn’t know about her love of all things deadly might end their assessment right at those eyes. Delicate, they’d think. Delicate and precious. Heron agreed, to a point. But he also knew what Mari was capable of. Delicate, precious, and… completely badass. The perfect mix.

And holy hell, this book packs some serious action sequences. About thirty percent in was one that had me grinning like a fool, with a Knight-Rider-meets-the-Avengers-meets-Firefly flair, and I’m pretty sure I actually fist-pumped when the scene careened to victory. Flashy cars are one thing—one thing I covet so very hard—but said sexy machine hardwired into a human brain and handled with finesse and utility… and some seriously lethal mods? Oh my. I think I may have a new hero crush. Heron is that perfect, killer combination of cool under pressure, crazy smart, uber confident, unpredictably lethal, and heart-wrenchingly vulnerable. Mari is his polar opposite in everything except dealing in death, and she owns her sexuality like few other female leads in the romance genre. Neither of the main characters loves killing, but they’re willing to do it to protect each other. Mari is a true badass, a sniper who has zero compunctions about taking out a mech or clone, and she’s as dangerous with her god-given limbs as she is with her favorite toys. She also has a deep-seated aversion to anything bio-mechanically enhanced, and Heron definitely falls under that heading.

About the last thing he expected was for her to keep gazing straight at him, flaying him layer by layer with hot-whiskey eyes. She stroked a finger over his bare knuckles. “Well, we already talked about the guilt, got that sorted. So I’m guessing something else is going on. Ain’t it always? Tell me.” Her voice was made of temptation. Heron pressed his lips flatter before he spoke, out loud and in his most uptight, professory tone. “Well, for one thing, physically, I’m hampered by this transmission, this virus. I appropriated voluntary control of most of my autonomic systems some time ago, but…” “The big words do turn me on, but I flunked out sophomore year. You want me to follow this, it’s gotta be in English. Or Spanish, if you’d rather. Just not Genius.”

It takes a lot of something special to lure me away from chain reading romances, but Heron and Mari and the world Ms. Jackson has built around them are just fascinating. I’d read a whole series dedicated to Heron’s youth, just watching him grow up, come into his own, become this incomparable, alluring other.

“For instance, you got any exposed electrical ports? Spots I oughtn’t get wet?” He looked down at her. Agony. Blissful, sharp, buttered agony. “Only in my head and hands, and even there, nanocoated seams make the electronics waterp… fuck.” Her unspoken question hit him in the gut. “Yes, Mari, you may put your mouth all over me.” “Goody.”

Wanted & Wired is an adrenaline-inducing sci-fi adventure that skips across a canvas splashed with primers of Wild West, sophisticated-steampunk flair, and even space pirates of a sort (but the kind who spend as much time running black ops on the ground as holed up in their cozy mercenary space plane). All things that, on their own, wouldn’t really appeal to me, but this story world is addicting and all kinds of creative. Like so many of the sci-fi classics, Wanted & Wired wrestles with the philosophical definition of humanity: What defines ‘human’? Where does ‘machine’ begin? How comfortable do we trust ourselves to become with tech before we lose our sense of self, control over our own destinies? This story is steeped in diversity—racial, bio-mechanical, sexual, sub-genre—you name it, and Wanted & Wired just might have it.

Readers who fancy the sci-fi greats will lust after @Vivien_Jackson’s Wanted & Wired Click To Tweet

Straight up, you won’t find many stories like this in the romance market right now, although I wouldn’t be surprised if the Tether story universe inspires a thriving new cyberpunk romance sub-genre. Any romance or urban fantasy reader who gets the warm fuzzies thinking about Star Wars or Firefly or Isaac Asimov will adore Wanted & Wired, be sucked in right from the start and beg for more when it ends. Me? I’m excited to see what’s coming next for Mari, Heron, and all their precious things.

Straight up, you won’t find many femme-strong stories like @Vivien_Jackson’s Wanted & Wired Click To Tweet