#i for one am looking forward to seeing where his arc goes. yes hes a terrible person but hes FASCINATING and I wanna learn more abt him

[cottoncandysprite]

The one thing I'm least looking forward to when ofmd comes back is the Izzy discourse, ESPECIALLY since it sounds like we're getting a semi-redemption arc. All I'll say on the matter is that both sides need to touch grass and if I see anyone either woobifying him with zero nuance OR calling anyone who likes him an irredeemable person I'm blocking on sight

[thr0wnawayy]

Just HOW corrupt is Hero Society?. Pt 1.

At this point in MHA's timeline, it's no secret that Hero Society is beyond saving. In my time lurking in these tags, I've seen the occasional post tackling some aspect of this corruption, all of which I found insightful. Today I'd like to share some of my own tidbits and thoughts regarding the sensationalized hellscape that is MHA's Japan.

Hawks' Origins:

Something that always bugged me was the timing, It seemed to good to be true. Hawks' dad gets caught, ENDEAVOR of all people is the one to do it and the Commission just happens to arrive.

Well, no. Let me ask you this, why would they send in the Number 2 hero to deal with a petty thief turned murder. A hard hitter like Endeavor would have been the WORST possible person to send as opposed to like, Eraserhead who would have been able to dissarm Takami quietly.

It's not like Mr. Takami was particularly dangerous either, his feathers at best could make for decent lockpicks or shivs but that doesn't justify Endeavor's appearance nor does it make sense given his arrogance. To him the situation would be small fries.

It just doesn't make sense when you assess the risk, it's not like Endeavor has ever been good at restraint (See: Hero Killer Arc) and the possibility of collateral wasn't exactly zero when you consider Mr. Takami got caught jacking a car (additionally not a major or dangerous crime). So he gets arrested, the seeds of Hero worship are planted in a young Keigo's mind and Hawks + his Mother flee and become homeless. Hawks eventually goes looking for the police and returns with:

Well they aren't police.

So, your telling me that these Commission agents just so happend to be around Hawks, here in some backwater cranny. What interest would the HPSC have in this dregg of a family (How do they even know their names). They shouldn't. Not unless they knew something before hand.

(I find it funny that the scene parallels how Tomura was found, down to their respective "saviors" having their own agendas)

We know Hawks used his quirk as a sort of motion detection system to alert his father of any intruders. Mind you, we don't know how far or accurate he was prior to the HPSC's efforts (minus being able to reach the city). So it's possible the HPSC avoided detection by watching from a distance and avoiding certain areas where Hawks could sense them.

Just how long was the Commission watching, how long did they allow the abuse to continue. How long did they watch the Takami's starve on the streets from afar before acting. So many questions, yet no answers.

"Cool but how does the HPSC tie to Endeavor?" You may be asking.

Well, sometime before the arrest happened Hawks had actually left the house and ventured into the nearby district woth his mother.

And came home with an Endeavor plush. Funny how that works huh?. It's not implausible to assume that the Commission simply requested Endeavor to handle Mr. Takami, possibly adjusting his schedule for their convenience.

I'm not suggesting that Endeavor knew of the Commission's scheme here, nor am I suggesting he (intentionally) helped. (Enji's cruel, yes. But he's also an idiot in anything not hero/celebrity related.).

Something I ask myself is, were there other candidates?. Children stuck in situations like Hawks', what happened to them. Were they abandoned to either die or become villains, killed to eliminate potential threats, or perhaps they were just born "unlucky".

Some final notes:

Hello, I apologize for the amateur nature of the formatting, I'm still getting used to the sites formatting options, as well as trying to figure out my "style" so to speak. Regardless I hope you found something in this post and look forward to your thoughts and opinions regarding the content above.

Yours truly,

Thr0wnaway.

[butterflydm]

pulling out bits from recent cast interviews re: s3

Several sets of interviews came out today! wotseries.com has six (!); looper.com, decider.com, & collider.com all have one each.

(speculation and spoilers for s3 and for the books through TFoH)

In Ceara's wotseries interview, we get this little hint:

WotSeries: How far along in the books are you? Ceara: I wouldn’t want to say because I read up to where we are in the scripts, and I think that would give away too much.

This implies to me that s3 is going to go a bit beyond The Shadow Rising, at least in places, because it's no secret that TSR is going to be the spine of the season.

We get more from Daniel:

WotSeries: How about any movement towards developing the relationship between Lan and Nynaeve in season three? Daniel: Season three, yes, it’s more of a build season for those two. There are some really great scenes, some stuff we’re really happy with. We do get to see some intimate stuff, not sexual stuff necessarily. So, some moments with them. But with Lan and Nynaeve, it’s this working toward what the book readers know it’s going to be. It all depends on how much time we get, how many seasons we get to do this thing. That’s a relationship that I’m really excited about and I love working with Zoë.

So, again, yeah, that really does make me feel like we're going to get one or two episodes at the start of the season where the whole crew is together and bonding. In the books, Lan and Nynaeve basically don't see each other at all between splitting up at the beginning of TSR and then eight million years later in ACoS. I do think that we might also get a reunion of at least some of the characters at the end of s3, though.

In Donal's interview:

Dónal: Well, I have big faith in Mat. I’m pretty confident in him. Regarding chatting to women.

This makes me wonder if we're getting Melindhra introduced next season. Because, uh, Mat has not really had a lot of success so far. I mean, apart from the very first episode.

Dónal: Well, there’s loads that you can look forward to in season 3. I mean, we’ve got much of it. I feel like I’ve filmed a good stretch of it, and I’ve really enjoyed the material and the new arc. This arc that I go on this season. And I think you can just expect things to be… there’s more moments with the characters to kind of learn about them in more quiet, subtle ways, more revealing ways. And I think it’s probably common knowledge that Mat does change his clothes between 2 and 3. You know, like really, we would have to ask questions and get concerned if he didn’t. I feel like I could tell you that. And I’m excited, man. I’m very happy to be wearing what I’m wearing.

Not that this should be shocking to anyone, lol, but Mat will have an arc next season! Dónal does a good job of not saying anything here though, lol. We WOULD have to be concerned if he hadn't changed clothes, yes, lol. I am excited to hear that Mat is getting some good character moments next season.

Ceara also shared this with us in the collider interview:

My script is always annotated with little quotes from the books, which I really love.

That's amazing! I think this is the first time anyone has mentioned it? That's a really neat way of giving the actors context for their lines.

We all knew that Elayne & Nynaeve would get a big story together in s3 but we get that confirmed:

We see Elayne bump into certain characters this season, but obviously, this cast is huge and growing all the time. I'm sure you cannot go into too many spoilers about Season 3, but for Ceara the actor, which characters are you really excited for Elayne to get to have more screen time with? COVENEY: I'm really excited to continue the journey that Zoë and I have started with Nynaeve and Elayne. I'm really excited to see where that goes because they've had such a rough start and were thrown into such extreme situations. So yeah, if the fans lovingly call it the Detective Agency, I'm excited to see if the business is thriving.

Natasha had two interviews that I've seen, one with decider and one with looper.

There's nothing for s3 in the decider interview that I could see, but from looper we get:

But it's not just about the evil deeds; it's also about the politics. When you come into Season 3 — without giving anything away — it opens up the mind to this more vulnerable side of Lanfear and where she's coming from. The relationship with Rand — there are scenes in Series 2 [where] you get little glimpses and nuggets of that, that there is a vulnerability there, or more reasons rather than just being dark and evil. Circling back to a previous comment, you said Lanfear knows what she wants. As Natasha, what do you think Lanfear wants? The goal in the whole realm of the world is, if I put it like … Beyoncé and Jay-Z. She wants to be the king and queen. What she wants is the Dragon and her to be together, have their kingdom, make some good choices. That's her main goal, and to shoo away anybody else that gets in the way of that.

So it sounds like we might be getting Lanfear's Big Offer (we could challenge the Creator) to Rand in s3, which would make sense.

[niirialnox]

Season 3 LET'S GO (aka I'M NOT READY FOR THIS ARC)

Episode 1;

idk how I feel about Eddie's haircut. . .

NOT LOOKING FORWARD TO WHAT'S COMING I CAN TELL YOU THAT (no matter how many times I've seen the scene already)

THE HAND PLACEMENT ON BUCK'S WAIST GET YOUR MAN EDDIE

God I love Buck and Chris scenes so much

LMAO KAREN CRYING AND HUGGING BUCK

I agree with everyone who says WHY DID WE NOT GET THE 911 CALL with this damn scene! Cause I wanted to see how everyone (especially Bobby and Eddie) fully reacted to him coughing up the blood

Oooh the Maddie stare is kinda scary. . .

NOT THE WHOLE OLD FOLKS HOME HAVING THE STD LMAAAAAAAAO

The way I understand that Bobby is trying to protect Buck by keeping him on light duty (and we all already know how that goes), but the fact that none of this was put onto Chim who literally had rebar through his head. And yes, I understand that maybe Chim did everything he was told to do, but that could only be a theory since we never get to SEE him until he comes back. Did he have to do everything Buck had to do to come back? Kinds sucks that Buck gets singled out. Buck should have been talked to about everything instead of his choice being taken away

Also the fact that they all kinda brushed him off (ESPECIALLY Eddie) on his trauma from the whole thing makes me angry (which will carry over to the next episode)

God they always gotta give Maddie the rough calls

OH GOD I DIDN'T KNOW THEY START THE TSUNAMI IN THE FIRST EPISODE I HATE IT HERE

The dad grip on Chris's shirt lmao

FUCK NOT READY FOR THE NEXT 2 EPISODES

Episode 2;

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH

'Where did all the water go' will haunt me FOREVER

I'm also not ready for what Athena has to do either. . .

I KNOW IT'S A DRAMA BUT DAMN LEAVE MADDIE ALONE

Bobby doing the underwater rescue of the man impaled is something Buck would get in trouble for lmao

I love May so so much and it HURT that she had to go through that with Vicky

It's still weird to me that NO ONE tried to check on Buck cause they just assumed he'd be inland with Christopher

Dad!Buck will always be my favorite Buck

I WILL NEVER GET ON A FERRIS WHEEL AND THIS JUST ADDS AN EXTRA NOPE TO IT

BUCKS SCREAMING FOR CHRIS KILLS ME

Episode 3;

I am NOT OKAY

I WASN'T READY FOR BUCK TO FIND CHRIS'S GLASSES :(

I wanted to skip the Ferris Wheel scene SO BAD cause it made me nauseous cause of my fear of them

ATHENA WAS SO CLOSE TO CHRISTOPHER

THIS ATHENA SCENE I WASN'T READY FOR AT ALL (Though Athena breaking into a house did give me a giggle)

I FEEL LIKE THE MEAT CLEAVER WOULD HAVE BEEN QUICKER

AND THE REST OF THE 118 BEING SO CLOSE TO CHRIS TOO AAAAAAH

Buck calling Maddie and having to tell Eddie is also not a scene I was not ready for no matter how many times I've watched it

Watching Buck fall after seeing Chris safe makes me SOB EVERY TIME

Eddie giving Chris to his husband is honestly one of the best things ever (but does him calling Buck his free babysitter sit wrong for anyone else besides me? I know it was in jest and just trying to lighten the mood but it still kinda bothers me)

Still don't like Eddie's hair cut lmao And I'm not looking forward to the lawsuit UGH

[khaleesiofalicante]

i've noticed that even in tsc no one ever talks about lucifer. we know so little about him. did that kinda inspire you to explore his character? and if it didn't where did you come up with the idea to develop his character so much before we actually get to see him?

i fucking love that btw. that you've written so much about luci and there's so much discussion about him but we haven't even met him properly yet. i'm going to lose my shit when he comes.

one of the most terrifying scenes in fmf was when david found out about lucifer's creepy cameras. it felt so violating (something that david is constantly suffering with). and even in lbaf, he is kinda omnipresent. he's not not here but we know that he's still there.

also in all your stories lucifer is somehow always associated with david. rn we're focusing so much on luci's connection to lance but i'm pretty sure he'll be connected to david too. idk how but i'm sure.

i'm really looking forward to see lucifer's arc. i can't even imagine these people defeating lucifer. because how can you defeat someone you don't even know!

Hope this isn't creepy, but I have always had a weird fascination with Lucifer. The idea of rebelling against God(!!) has always made go a little feral so it's a character I think about a lot.

FMF was definitely one way to explore his characterisation a lot. I know we all know that Lucifer is "powerful" (obviously) but what I wanted to explore was how he uses that power and what he uses it for. Like what his motivations and strategies and fears. It's one of my favourite things to do when I create a character and I was able to do a lot of this in FMF.

So, what do we discover about him based on FMF. We know he isn't loyal to anyone, but he expects loyalty from others. We know he enjoys control - whether it's to know what everyone is doing all the time, or whether it is simply to manipulate someone physically - Nico or emotionally - David to keep them under his thumb. We know he is not obedient and does not like authority figures (youngest child syndrome for real).

One of my favourite things is that he isn't messy. I feel like most villains and princes of hell are. They are either too greedy or too impatient or too chaotic. Lucifer is none of that. He knows exactly what he wants and only goes after it. He has a plan for everything. And he doesn't get emotional or irrational. That's what makes him powerful and dangerous.

My task was to explore ALL of these dimensions in the lbaf world which is a lot easier said than done. One way to do it was...for him to do nothing at all.

Because so far (if you are following the story well and remember what we saw in Azazel's pov ) everything is going EXACTLY how Lucifer wants it to go. He's not even intervening. He's just letting things happen because he knows/sees what will happen. He is letting other people do their job for him while he watches/monitors. That's control. That's power.

And yes. He has a connection to David. Not a literal one. But it's something I came up with for plot reasons because I see David as the character Lucifer would be most fascinated with because David exerts the same kind of control/influence over Max. Despite all the shit he goes through, David always gets what he wants and that's definitely something Lucifer finds powerful and curious - as mentioned in FMF. We'll explore this dynamic in one more fic actually. But more in that latter.

AND YES I CAN'T WAIT FOR HIS ENTRY EITHER. I AM SCARED TO WRITE IT BECAUSE OF THE SELF-PRESSURE.

[watchinglikeafangirl]

Last Twilight had the worst ending...

I know, this is old news and the series ended a week ago BUT I have exams coming up, so this post got delayed. Anyway, here's my opinion about this ending after reading a bunch of MDL reviews, all saying the same: The way Last Twilight ends is insulting.

This series totally missed the point, the ball didn't even look at the goal and went the other way. They messed this up so badly, I'm mad. I can't even laugh about it 'cause it was such a great series. Episode 9 made me weep ... and then came everything else.

We spend time with Mhok and Day, forming a bond though they seemingly have nothing in common. Day is very self-centered and wants to be pampered but Mhok doesn't go all the way. He's his caregiver but he draws lines. There's a problem rising in the background: Mhok is too nice. He never calls Day out for crossing the line, he talks his way around it, he makes sure Day still feels warm in is heart. Mhok is the kind of person who desperatly needs people around him and he keeps them close no matter what, so sometimes, he's misunderstood or overshadowed. I hoped for some kind of conflict about Day taking but rarely giving. There's only one scene where we can see a glimpse of it. It's just one line and 10 seconds and the series goes on as if Mhok didn't say anything, as if it was a joke but it was so much more and I wished for a conflict like this but it never really came.

"Day, I think you can be so inappropriate sometimes."

It's what Mhok says in episode 8 when they wake up at the beach after partying all night. I felt his line, I sat here like "exactly, tell him!" But sadly we won't get to know more about this. Every conflict, every scene and every little action is about Day. It's so much about Day that Mhok doesn't get to say honest feelings like that even if those are negative. Because yes, Day is inconsiderate. We follow his struggles after turning blind. Even after a year, he didn't get used to it and he projects his lack of self esteem on other people, trying to find something others like about him, so he could learn to like himself as well. And Mhok gives it to him because Mhok gladly makes him feel at ease and Mhok is a people pleaser. They both have their own journey and arc but I feel like their relationship is unbalanced. Throughout this entire run, I felt like these two needed to get rid of this inbalance in order to be able to move forward. The conflict is inevitable BUT the thing is, they didn't go through with it.

The inbalance is the reason for their conflict but it's not solved or named. Mhok gets the job offer abroad and declines. It's his decision and I'm very sure he didn't make that decision entirely about Day. Leaving the country is not something one instantly does and I understand why he doesn't want to go. Yes, he doesn't have many people holding him in Thailand but leaving is still hard and not an easy decision. I get that. Plus Mhok and Day are adults, they are in their twenties, they are no children. While Mhok actually behaves like he thinks about many factors before making a decision and is careful about his next step and what it would mean, Day just makes everything about him and his blindness. Yes, Mhok is probably staying because of Day. No, he's not staying because Day is blind. That's why their relationship started, because Mhok didn't see Day in a different light, because Mhok doesn't care if he's blind or not. I am so frustrated thinking about it lmao

Well...I hate their breakup since they are not properly addressing the real issue. Day says he's holding Mhok back and Mhok says he's afraid of losing people which Day chooses to ignore. Mhok's story starts the day his sister dies...Day knows Mhok doesn't have a family, yet it's about Day's blindness??? It's so inconsiderate that it's insulting Mhok's entire personality.

This series refuses to let the characters work on their relationship together because of this stupid "cursed 11th episode" thing. Mhok and Day are insecure when it comes to the other but they could go on the journey together and see the world in a brighter light. But no, Mhok cries on his own while Day had two people hugging him and nobody cares where Mhok went - not even Night. I was so disappoited how this all turned out.

The breakup is not even the worst, it's what comes in episode 12 that really made me angry. What do you mean, three years have passed? Mhok and Day never tried to talk it out? Mhok never reached out? Mhok thanks Day for the break up? Where am I? What is this? I'm crying internally.

Anyway, we see Mhok coming back for the wedding and as soon as he sees Day, he randomly starts hitting on him...? First of all, the way they talk to each other lets me assume they have stayed in contact or reached a mutual understanding, so why have they not talked it out? They seemingly haven't been talking about their conflict at all but why are they so friendly? Shouldn't they be mad at each other or not talk at least? Instead we see an extremely happy Day and an inappropriatly flirty Mhok. Their personalities seem to have been thrown out of the window and we get too many scenes of Day saying he's uncomfortable and Mhok pushing himself into Day's space. It's aweful. The wedding was sadly very uninteresting, I skipped the speaches and I certainly skipped that weird dancing scene. What was all of this for?

And then, they get to talk. Mhok apologizes and Day is finally a grown-up. I understand where both of them are coming from but that little talk didn't go anywhere. Their conflict still hasn't been resolved. After another forever they hug it out and happy end. Well, okay. I guess Mhok realized he put Day before everything which he shouldn't have done and Day was too selfish to see Mhok suffer. It's fine for me, not the best way to show us their growth by inserting a three year time jump. I'm still not sure in what way they have grown or how much they each overcame their issues. It's very lazily written.

But then they hit us with THE worst ten minutes I have ever seen.

Day gets his eyesight back.

I'm sorry, what was the point? Did the writers change? Did they have amnesia? This is not what the series was about, is it? We see Day starting to accept himself though the struggle never really stops. But still, he owns a book store, he went to university, he goes outside and is not too shy to ask for help. He doesn't overthink what people may whisper about him when he walks around or eats outside. He is much more confident and shines from the inside. He's not insecure any more. This series showed us his journey of learning to live with a disability.

And then this disability is healed and his life is shown as much better than before. What a message.

It's so insulting.

And the last scene made it so much worse. They look at the sunset where Day lost his eyesight (and "turned into stone" (I cried so much)) and he has the audacity to make fun of Mhok's "do you still think I pity you." I was so pissed, that line meant so much to them both back then and now it's made fun of? Never make fun of moments when you were at your lowest, Day. I love Mhok's face because he's going through it. He smiles it away but he's a bit awkward lmoa

But seriously, what an ending. It's so bad... The show is just great but the last episode is so low and lazy.

[cilil]

4, 14, and 26 for the writer asks, please & thank you! Hope you have a great week!

Thanks for the ask! I'm not looking forward to this week, I must admit, since I find traveling incredibly stressful and am not very interested in the place I'll be seeing either... ugh, don't ask me why I agreed to it in the first place x) (must have been some weird bout of "it will do you good to go outside!")

Anyway -

4: a story idea you haven’t written yet

Oh dear, I have entire documents filled with those. Let me just pick one, maybe one I haven't talked about too much before...

Alright, this idea might not be popular with certain people, but I don't care so here goes: Exploring Melkor's time in Valinor post-captivity. There are some interesting tidbits to expand on, like how he got interested in certain people, how he learned their languages (because yes, speaking languages and verbally communicating is not the default for Ainur), how his relationship with certain people might be more complicated and nuanced and, most fascinating in my opinion, if he maybe at times enjoyed... maybe not helping others but sharing his knowledge and teaching and creating as he (by design) should have been doing this whole time; also drawing a parallel to the "Annatar in Eregion" arc.

I feel compelled to stress that I have no interest in constructing a "my poor (but clearly evil) blorbo did nothing wrong and it was everyone else's fault" narrative - after all where's the fun in it for me if I don't write about Melkor being delightfully evil, messing with everyone, getting into petty fights and ruining lives? No, I just think that it could be fun to explore this time period with a bit of nuance and some shades of grey, show that there was indeed a genuine path of redemption and make his decision to stick to his evil ways out of sheer pride and pettiness even more devastating.

14: where do you get your inspiration?

Simply put: Everywhere. Everything can be inspiration. Be it a book I read, a show or movie I watch, a game I play, music I listen to, a picture I find, something I see in real life, something somebody tells me about, an idea somebody shares with me... add the power of shower thoughts and you have yourself a perfect storm. It's as if plot bunnies are waiting to jump me at every corner.

26: are you able to write with other people around?

Yes, but it's not exactly ideal. If I'm, say, in public, for example in a waiting room where nobody is paying attention to me or trying to interact with me, I can write just fine. If I'm in a more private setting where people know me and are at least passively aware of my presence, I might feel more compelled to keep an eye on them instead, also because it's more likely that they'll try to interact with me at some point. Plus I'm not trying to be rude ;)

It also depends on my mood. On some days I can look people who give me angry stares for being on my phone dead in the eye while writing straight up smut, on other days I can barely write a light gen piece if another person is just near me.

[flimflamfranky]

Excited about the story focus going back to Egghead? Do you have any expectations for Franky?

i am trying so so so hard to keep my franky expectations in check

but yes, i am very excited to return to egghead. this has been an arc i've been looking forward since vegapunk was first name dropped, and it's been a blast so far. vegapunk is everything i could've asked for and more, and i desperately want him to spill everything he knows. very excited to see where it goes, especially after that cliff-hanger.

but. i'm not really expecting a franky arc. i really really want one, but i think it's...unlikely. i don't know if any of the arcs going forward will focus on any one character like they have in the past. an arc focus means significant character development, and i just can't see any of the straw hats needing that anymore. the only exception i could see would be maybe usopp, just because his dream is basically character development.

at most, franky would probably get what zoro got - a minor flashback and maybe a little more focus (fingers crossed - i would love to see more about franky with his parents on the grand line, or his time making himself into a cyborg, or even his time at vegapunk's lab on karakuri island - i just want more franky).

he's definitely gonna get something, because of the whole thing with kuma. franky was the one that had that moment with him on the sunny, and the one that told the others, so i feel like there should be some follow-up on that. i do think that kuma will get the spotlight when we return to egghead, it's just with bonney, and vegapunk with his satellites, and cp9, and the seraphim...there's a lot competing for that spotlight, and it's hard to say whose gonna get that focus.

again, i would really really like this to be a franky arc, but i'm also keeping my expectation very tempered. better to be surprised than disappointed.

but there's also a lot i'm looking foward to outside of franky, so it'll be an exciting arc regardless.

[muxas-world]

Genuinely think this is going to be a character arc for pecco. In a good way. Cause there will come a time where he will be getting a lot of feedback on dealing with Marc which he will have to discard and figure out his way. The way Dovi did. And I for one am looking forward to it. Because by understanding his riding, Dovi understood Marc. And I think Pecco might not be besties but I think he might learn something about himself, riding and the nature of rivalries and legacy.

Genuinely hope he can breakthrough. At least enough to do a helmet swap.

Yes;) i think idk who it was so sorry really but someone on here say that dovi find the best way of beitng marc was to do the opsite of him but in jerez pecco went the same way as marc (also cause pecco riding style if you do anlsys he alwys if you leve space his going for it just like marc he just if he thing he is fine ar 3d he is stying there but yea hi is agresive or goes for it if he sees the gape) personly dont know what is the best way of beting marc ... th i do think marc would bring the best side of pecco if pecco adapst/does fumble the bag the best side of him as rider is jerez or cataluya where he isn't afraid of waiting being staragic and atackk but also mugello where he becomes the best version of lorenzo and just does a perfect startr and gets away qtar is and expale of that valencia last year too etc;) (honetly i want to se next season more than this just cause who exited in am of the idea of marc-pecco as tenamet and the bicht the hand the narrative valentino being there just sooo jucy)

[always-andromeda]

Honestly, I’m only taking summer courses cause I have to. I take a reduced course load during the fall/winter semesters because 5 classes is just way too much for me to juggle so I catch up in the summer! It sucks, but it’s all I can do to catch up. But thank you! I’m working hard and hoping it pays off.

Yay! Can’t wait to hear your thoughts on Songbirds and Snakes. But that reminds me, have you watched Southpaw yet?? I’m still dying to know what you’ll think of it!

Yes! Omg that scene where Josh is on his knees is from Future Man 😅. It’s such an odd show, but it ends up being super addictive once you get into it.

(Thank you for the edits, I’m a total a sucker for Jake w a fluffy beard. Like this pic —> https://pin.it/4yatQrQ <— of him from Pinterest 😩😩)

-🤹

The class schedule is completely understandable!! We all gotta do what we gotta do. I’ve been doing part time for the last year and starting in the fall, I’m finally taking the leap into full time on my classes. Which is super exciting and kind of daunting. So hey, we’ll see how things end up going!!

AND YES YES YES THESE PHOTOS OF JAKE LITERALLY GET ME FROTHING. The beard. The hoodie. His SMILE. He looks. So comfortable and warm and safe in these pictures. God, he’s so gorgeous.

Finally, we have good news!! Two bits of good news, actually. Firstly, my copy of Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes just arrived today so look forward to some thoughts on that sometime soon. Second, I just watched Southpaw!! So strap in and prepare yourself for a mini review under the cut because I have THOUGHTS. For everyone else, spoilers for Southpaw ahead!! You have been warned!!

Genuinely…such a heartbreaking movie. And one that’s played so well by both Jake and Rachel?? I love Rachel McAdams in basically everything I see her in but the way she plays Maureen is just…so honest?? I’m a little underwhelmed that she has little character outside of being Billy’s cheerleader, but I definitely think Rachel makes every inch of this role work for her.

Jake brings such a special flavor to Billy too. I’m continually surprised how almost every role he’s been in in the last ten years…he’s an entirely different person. And he bodies it every. single. time. I swear, both Rachel and Jake absolutely killed this.

The most interesting part of this movie post-Maureen’s death is seeing the way that Billy’s relationship with his daughter changes?? Like that scene where Leila says that she wishes that Billy had died instead of Maureen??

I think it’s tragic, actually, just how instrumental Maureen was to both of them functioning. The way that Billy unconsciously still cites her rules (like her not wanting Leila to watch Billy’s fights) to Leila even though she’s no longer around to enforce them?? I think Billy’s arc is way more about him stepping up to actually be Leila’s father more than him building himself back up for that final fight.

I am so surprised that I was able to keep my emotions in until the very end when he wins the fight and has his head against a corner of the ring and is muttering, “I’m ready, baby.” I was full on crying by the time he was hugging Leila and telling her he was ready to go home.

Even though this isn’t my absolute favorite Jake movie, I see why it’s one that’s often credited as one of his great roles?? Like I see Billy Hope as a character that’s up there with David Loki and Lou Bloom as far as complexity and dimension goes for his characters. Overall, pretty solid film and I’m glad I finally watched it!! ☺️👍🏻

[carlos-in-glasses]

hiya! i hope you're still down to answering asks about That Line, sorry if you're not, do feel free to delete this too!

i think my initial reaction to that line was like a sucker punch to the gut with the way it was setup, i.e. the framing, him standing next to TK, and TK looking at him after he'd said that line. i was so pissed and i'm still pissed about it now. in no way is that fair to TK for him to have said that, no matter how angry or hurt he is. i'm not saying right/wrong bc it's never as transparent as that, i'm coming from pov of an audience and having witness both sides of the argument. yes, tk crossed a boundary when he visited iris even though both him and carlos had agreed not to, and i understand why carlos would react the way that it did. i hated it, but i don't really wanna get into it now. which brings me to,

i think, or at least i'd hoped that this might be setting up for carlos' character arc where – you'd previously mentioned that 403 is essentially confronting his past before taking that next step into his future with carlos, and i agree! – we'll be able to see carlos realising that he needs to be able to learn how to let go of the unfounded guilt he had towards this whole mess (i.e. marriage, iris getting kidnapped), and iris would swoop in and be like, 'hey, i'm no longer your legal responsibility now, and i am no longer your responsibility, period. i can take care of myself, and i'm sorry for the way things were but we're still best friends and i still love you. you can let go of this now.' something something about him having to confront and address things rather than chalk things up until he absolutely had to confront it, in order to move forward in his life, bc atp its at a standstill. and it's kind of like a full circle moment for him to realise that he didn't need to, and will never need to take on this weight and responsibility all by himself and pushing away the ones he loves in the meantime (i.e. TK 😭😭💗💗💓), when there's someone so willingly to take on this weight with him (back to my boy TK). i know i'm dreaming big but if i had to cope with shitty writing choices from a professional who does this for a living, i can pretty much read between the lines and interpret it however i want to.

which brings us back to That Line, so if the writers are willing to explore that route with carlos, it would make much more sense in relation to him implying that it was the marriage, and TK having been drowning in his own guilt and misery, misunderstood and took that to mean that carlos had meant with him (imagine the angst we would get from this if it was addressed on screen i'll cry).

i know i'm putting myself through the mental gymnastics and i'm pretty sure i'm 100% wrong in this. atp i'm still pissed at everything and especially carlos (i know its warranted but i'm still pissed and that's ok bc i'll get over it), but this is a headcanon i'd like to believe in until we have more context in 404 IF (and that's a big fat if) it ever gets addressed. if its just a result of a poor writing choice, i'm more than willing to pretend it never existed too.

thank u for reading, sorry it's this long!

Hello anon! Very happy to discuss, no worries at all. <3

I think 4x03 was a hard pill to swallow after how easily 4x02 went down. We've never seen Carlos shut out TK like this, even in the ice storm (he was mad but he was there. Although I should note I did not see the ice storm arc play out as it aired, so my experience of it is different to those who did watch at the time), but we've seen him be 4x02 Carlos before. The contrast is extreme after last week's squishiness. It's implied he 'doesn't like TK right now' immediately after being madly in love. It's new for us to get to grips with, how he goes from one to the other so quickly. I share your sucker-punch feeling and I still have it now to an extent – even after having talked myself into thinking Carlos was referring to himself and Iris. I guess I wish I didn’t have to *think* that, and rather I could just know. I’m happy for plenty of things to be left up to my interpretation as a viewer, whatever I’m watching, but a lack of clarity around something like this line doesn’t sit well with me. I have a very nervous disposition!

You’re right, the framing and the whole vibe made it seem like a super passive-aggressive reference to his own relationship, yet as I mentioned it’s total whiplash for the man who’d so recently comforted TK on the couch to say such a thing. If he *was* making a reference to being super displeased with TK to the extent of suddenly finding their relationship bad (just writing this reinforces to me how it makes no sense…) then the punishment does not fit the crime. Especially as Carlos is canon-aware that TK and Iris hugged rather than had a falling out.

Essentially, I share your headcanon and would really like to see them address this comment so we and TK aren’t left in the dark. There are actually so many good things that can come out of this arc, even if the writing itself leaves us with neon question marks blinking over our heads. By trying to ignore his past and leave it behind him, Carlos has inadvertently looped it tightly with his present and now he has to unpick it from this point. That’s fascinating! I want to see it. This is contrasted nicely with TK, I think, who in some ways ‘left the past behind’ when Owen brought him to Austin, but has been doing the hard work to face it and overcome it ever since, by going N.A meetings, taking his sobriety seriously, talking to the crew about it and his relapse, and finding an incredible man who opened up his heart again. Carlos is on a similar journey, in his own way, he just has to stop resisting and pretending and lying. I love Carlos so much – and it’s because I love him that I care. That lad needs to apologise to his fiancé. TK needs to understand that Carlos’ reaction was due to 99 problems and TK was maybe 1-ish (due to a transgression that was actually nbd). And they are going to be okay.

[imaginependergast]

The Cabinet of Dr. Leng: The Hot Take

  Here we go. I finished it and my thoughts are under the cut. For the next two weeks if I do any Imagines or answer any Asks that contain spoilers or specific details or characters from the book I’m going to tag it spoilers: tcdl. 

Not a spoiler, but I feel like this experience will be made better by reading Cabinet of Curiosities before this.  Very open to hearing what you all think or have any Imagine requests.

Alternate Title: Pendergast & Fenec fuck everything up 

I liked this overall. I thought it was a tad slow at points, mostly in the first half since there was a lot of set-up on Constance’s part but since this is a multi-book arc I don’t think this is a problem. Overall I was pretty engaged the entire time. 

Sometimes I forget the time frame in the books. When Coldmoon said he only knew Pendergast for three months I did a mental double take. 

I love the friendship between D’Agosta and Pendergast. I thought it was adorable how D’Agosta missed his buddy and I’m happy he’s a major player.

I forgot how much Hayward does not like Pendergast. Maybe because it’s been so long since she’s been a character but I remembered her feelings on Pendergast being a bit warmer than they seem to really be. She does not like him and seems to not even want Vinnie to talk to him. Also I’m slightly worried for D’Agosta’s marriage because I could easy see Hayward being like ‘me or him’. 

Did everyone forget they have kids? Constance literally went into the Pendergast Cinematic Universe (PCU) multiverse without giving one single shit about her son. I guess the charitable or easiest rationale is that she’s satisfied he’s off being a living deity to some monks and that basically means he’s on his own anyway but when Constance was waxing poetic about missing Pendergast I thought it was pretty obvious she didn’t mention her son. I really hate that Constance had a kid as a plot point and I feel like the authors are hoping we just forget about that. I don’t hate Pendergast having kids nearly as much, but you’d think he might semi-consider his living son when he’s doing some crazy time/space traveling. This isn’t exactly like a normal fed case. Maybe that’s a stupid point because being a Special Agent as he is is inherently dangerous but I feel like this should be mentally weightier than what starts as his typical cases. My problem is more with Constance’s child. I will continue to harp on this because it, like everything about Wheel of Darkness and this stupid twist, pisses me off.  

On the note of Constance missing Pendergast- “breath caressing her ear”... does that imply they banged? I know he’s kissed her before, but this seems like an oddly more intimate detail that wouldn't be a thing if they were just talking or spending time together. 

Similarly, Pendergast calling Constance “My Constance”. That could just be ‘my’ meaning from my timeline, but it could also be ‘my’ as in mine. 

Ferenc sucks. Fuck them kids that guy. Happy he died and can’t be more of an asshole.

I liked the Proctor-bits. He seems like such a badass. I want him as my manservant.

D I O G E N E S 

I literally said, outload, ‘yes!’ when I finished the book and he showed up. I  fucking love it. I am so happy that he’s back and everyone is now involved in the weird operation. I’m looking forward to finding out what he’s been up to, if he’s still simping for Constance and how he and Pendergast are going to work together.  I also expect he might double cross everyone at some point because he do that. 

It’s pretty obvious but I’m really interested in where this goes. Personally, I don’t think Constance, if given the choice, will end up staying in the past. I think Pendergast, by the end, will finally say what he needs to say and she’ll go back. Or if she loses young Constance and Joe I think she’ll go back regardless. Personally, I don’t think the kids will make it. From a purely book-writing standpoint I don’t know where the story could go with them alive and living in current day. The series already warehouses all the kids. Frankly, I don’t want them around as regular characters anyway.

I think if the kids do survive, Constance will figure out how to set them up for life with all the money and assets she has and she’ll return to the current day knowing they they are safe, comfortable and free to live their own lives. I kind of wonder if she’ll think about taking them out of their time/universe and how they may feel similarly as out of time and freakish as Constance did. 

I can’t get over Diogenes. 

I really want to get back into writing smut fanfic about these characters.

I really like Murphy. I think he’s a great B character but I also fear he won’t make it. I’m getting the creeping feeling of O'Shaughnessy from Cabinet of Curiosities. 

My general feeling about this book was that it’s set up for the rest. It did the job of making me invested and really wanting to know what happens next  a lot of which is just because of D i o g e n e s.

If I had to guess, I’m going to like this more than the Helen trilogy and Diogenes trilogy. 

I’m also interested in the museum curator murder. There has to be something interesting there with how he was killed. Twoeagle getting shot is one thing, but this murder seems like more. They probably are truly related, but I feel like there’s something about this murder. 

Kinda hoping this entire arc ends with Constance getting some d from at least one of the Pendergast brothers. 

[forcebookish]

finally started andor and i'm enjoying it. i already loved cassian so it wasn't a hard sell, and when the first guard died i literally said, "oh you may as well kill the other guy." jsjdjfdks cassian is my kind of lead 😌 (side-note: i'm watching it with my folks so when i said that my mom was like, "i don't like that you think like a criminal." FIRST OF ALL, MOM, i'm a writer i kind of have to think like that; second of all, i was thinking like a cop because there was absolutely no way that guard wasn't lying and he would right away lie to his superiors about what really happened SO...)

although it is star wars so i am gonna be hypercritical of it djdikfjf yes i am that kind of fan soz ANYWAY i'm only saying that because episode 3 really annoyed me 😅 for starters, the editing is. bad. then, there was no reason for them to detain bix except that she was a Main Character; literally everyone is running scared but the corpo just sensed that SHE was the one they should arrest🙄 i couldn't possibly care about timm, i didn't even hate him enough to be happy when he died i was just like "oh no, that was... inevitable." i think they were going for an Anyone Can Die type of thing, but he was obviously a throwaway character so??? i was literally waiting for him to die. luthen walks all the way to the other side of the warehouse because... they need to be on the other side of the warehouse so they have this big set piece and lose the box lmao. it was just so contrived 😩

and i'm not trying to just rag on it, i DEFINITELY like more stuff than i don't. but these are all symptoms of the same disease, which is that disney sees all of these as products to pump out and it doesn't matter how passionate the writers are, they keep running into these little things that needed rewrites/to be fleshed out (or edited better).

you know, they needed someone to go, WHY do they detain her? she needs to be doing something DIFFERENT than what literally everyone around her is doing. WHY did luthen walk to the other end of the warehouse? maybe there's some graffiti or a part or SOMETHING for him to look at/inspect, not just TO BE DRAMATIC. because right away i was like, oh, the writers need him to be over there so they lose the box. ok. there goes that tension. it's the same with the editing, there's just a lot of stuff where you're like ok why did that happen? where are we? oh it's a flashback? why was there no transition? why is the lighting and coloring pretty much the same despite having a different location, on a different planet?

anyway i promise that i'm liking it, it's definitely the first star wars thing i've liked since rogue one. i like most of the characters, and i'm really looking forward to the villain's arc because that bitch is going lose his job and his god damn mind. i like the mood, i like the culture of the planet, and i like that even when i see stuff coming or the writing is kinda lacking/laggy i'm not bored, which is more than i can say for the sequels and solo! 🙃 i definitely think they left kenari too early, i hope there are more flashbacks because that neverland-esque culture was neat and i liked the sense of foreboding from just noticing that there were only children (i wasn't even annoyed that i figured out all the parents died in a mining accident when i saw the mine skdkfka because it's genuinely a cool idea!). the blow darts took me by surprise too! i also like the trend of alien languages not being translated! you just infer what is being said through body language and context clues! i love that shit! needs more women of course.

ok i've said too much i just wanted to get that off my chest lol i'm not interested in arguing if you found this through the search function and take Issue 😩

[antianakin]

That sentiment of Padme's hypocrisy is exactly where this post came from, don't worry, I'll never call you petty for that. I am frequently petty on this blog, it's sort-of made for that.

But yes, this came about from just sort-of thinking through a scenario between Obi-Wan and Padme where Padme's trying to convince Obi-Wan to forgive Anakin (this is obviously in a Padme lives AU) and Obi-Wan DOES sort-of give her a speech something along the lines of this post I made a while back in order to drive home why it's difficult for him to do, nearly impossible. Padme, for all that she did care about the Republic and knows the horror of Anakin's crimes against the Jedi and the clones, will never REALLY understand the kind of loss and devastation that the Jedi went through at Anakin's hands, or the utter betrayal they will feel because of it. She can't. Because it's not HER home or HER people that were destroyed. And outside of Legends and EU stuff, we never really get any indication that Naboo is impacted all that badly by the Empire anyway. Not like we know Ryloth did, or Lothal, or Kashyyyk, or Lasan, or Mandalore. And this allows her to keep seeing Anakin in a way that the Jedi and the clones and the people who are suffering more directly from Anakin's actions just CAN'T.

So this was about trying to figure out what would get Padme there. What would allow her to see Anakin for what he is rather than being able to keep pretending he's still a good person? What might truly shove her over the edge and actually keep her there (because she says she'll leave him a few times, she says no to him and then walks that back when life gets rough and she wants to turn to him for comfort and an escape all over again)? And I think ripping apart and destroyed the dream she had of a family on Naboo, making it something she can never get back or return to, might just be the only thing that could do it beyond Anakin personally murdering or torturing the twins or something.

Padme has to REALLY understand it. She has to REALLY be able to feel that loss and have it be something Anakin did as a betrayal of her because he wants to hurt her, and hear him justify it to her face.

And yeah, after that I think you could have Padme maybe realizing she has a few apologies to make. And perhaps being able to finally, for once, look at Anakin without that rosy lens of a dream he's since shattered. And now she can see the warning signs, warning signs she'd seen all along and just chosen to ignore because his attention was flattering and his passion was consuming. And while it's obviously very satisfying to have the Jedi characters sort-of be a little petty about it, I think ultimately they'd probably the ones who actually end up helping her through it, helping her come to terms with her new loss (both of her family and home as well as of her image of who Anakin was and her hope that she might one day get that fantasy of what they had back) and move forward from it.

Whatever that means, now! Maybe it does mean joining the Rebellion, or maybe it means recognizing that she's a liability and she needs to put the family she has left first and so she goes into hiding to take care of the twins or something. She's been so focused on saving Anakin that she has maybe been neglecting Luke and Leia a little, so her healing can maybe look like taking a step BACK for a while to give her children the focus they deserve from her now that she's able to prioritize better and see them more clearly. She gave up spending time with her family and her dream of starting one of her own in order to serve the people of Naboo and the galaxy once already, and the regrets that that left her with are what led her to the choice to enter into a forbidden marriage with Anakin in the first place, so maybe this time, she decides not to put herself in that position a second time. That could be just as good of an arc for Padme as having her become a leader and a fighter again, by letting her recognize what it was that drove her into Anakin's arms in the first place, despite knowing it was a massively bad idea.

So I guess for me it's less about Padme seeing Anakin more clearly, although there is obviously some of that, and more about learning to see HERSELF clearly. I want her to understand the part she played in all of it, to understand the mistakes she made that helped bring Anakin to this point even if it was obviously never intentional and it's not her fault that Anakin made the choices he did.

I kind-of want an AU where Padme lives and for a while she keeps insisting Anakin is good, she keeps wanting to save him, won't believe he's beyond saving even after Mustafar.

Until he and Palpatine turn on Naboo.

Until Padme has to go home, and finds Theed destroyed, Varykino in rubble. She runs to her family home, only to find their bodies still left there on the floor, unable to truly fight back, especially against the person with a lightsaber who had clearly been the one to cut them down.

And it's a lot harder to keep believing there's good left in him after that. It's a lot harder to put her time and energy into saving the person who took her home and family from her.

The genocide of the Jedi she could forgive. The enslaving of the clones she could forgive. The destruction of the Republic she could forgive.

But the murders of her family and the tarnishing of her home might actually put her over the line of what she's capable of forgiving.

[sarah-yyy]

What is clj and why are we watching it? (I ask even though I still haven't finished lltg😅)

ALRIGHT it's been awhile since the last proper rec post (and yes yes yes buddies i know i am late to the show i'm SORRY) so bear with me while i try to contain my yelling about cang lan jue (or, love between fairy and devil, which......as my sister put it, is about as low an english title as it can get 😂)

what: period cdrama // 36 eps, roughly 45 mins each where: netflix // iqiyi why: do you enjoy the soft sunshine gremlin/broody fight fight fight demon dynamic? this is the show for you 🥰

a brief overview!!!

this is my son dong fang qing cang, or, daqiang (affectionate), Moon Supreme™, mightiest in the three realms, who was unfortunately defeated in battle 30000 years ago and imprisoned for ~reasons

this sweet child xiao lanhua (lit. little orchid) is a low level immortal orchid spirit (fairy is ehhh, she's not exactly a 仙 but ehhh translations hmm) who accidentally (!!!) Frees The Monster™ from his prison while attempting to save this other boy she has been having a crush on

(the whole thing involves kissing - this is literally the first episode)

(this is not the only kissing we will get, dw)

the process triggers a spell and they??? switch bodies when they kiss??? which is hilarious because we get fun scenes with xiao lanhua in dfqc's body like

and

ANYWAY this is not the only side effect of their first encounter!! dfqc soon realises that he has been Cursed™ to a) feel any pain inflicted upon xiao lanhua physically, and b) share xiao lanhua's emotions!

him!!! an almighty being who has not felt one (1) single feeling since he had them literally ripped from his being (not by choice 😭) since he was a child!!! suddenly he's crying?? and feeling fear??? and getting hurt??? this is Not Okay!! he is the mightiest in all the realms!!! this is a weakness that he must rid himself off!!!

before he can figure out how to do this, the most prudent thing to do appears to be to have to protect xiao lanhua from all harm, and uh, doing whatever he can to ensure her emotional wellbeing and happiness??? dfcq goes from broody unfeeling demon lord to number one xiao lanhua stan (begrudgingly) the longer he stays around her

he literally went batshit to protect her and it was Amazing to watch!! god of war whomst??? can't hear you over me beating your ass to protect my girl

but it's not just that!! he's also going around reading through ancient scrolls to figure out how to best make an orchid plant grow/blossom well, and just. collecting dew water for her! making her (terrible) food!! taking to see the sunrise because it's good for her! daqiang contains multitudes!!!!

the entire time, because dfqc never really bothered with any explanation beyond "you belong to me", xiao lanhua is thinking: fuck, i accidentally freed a guy from prison and now he's in love with me?????

it's hilarious

ANYWAY that's the setup of the show!! obviously, there are some plotty things going on, and ofc it wouldn't be a good xianxia if they did not have go to the mortal realm to 渡劫 (i'm on this arc now and it's so funny too, i love it)! i'm only two thirds of the way through the show because tragically work is a thing that i have to do, but i have heard that there is Sads™ towards the end (although i'm told it ends well) and i'm looking forward to it!!

i personally am really enjoying this! things move along quickly in this show, and because they're pretty basic plotlines it doesn't take a lot of focus to watch! the sets/costumes are gorgeous, and dylan and esther are surprisingly good in this!! i've always been pretty meh about dylan outside of cvariety until now, but there have been scenes in this where he just blew me over. the pacing of the relationship is good as well, like i'm 2/3 of the way through and they haven't gotten together yet, but they're obviously fond of each other and slowly tipping across the line and it's just SO CUTE TO WATCH

please watch this so we can all suffer together, 11/10 would rec

[holdmecloser-gandydancer]

WAIT WAIT WAIT I AM A CLOWN AND A FOOL

FOR THE HADESTOWN LYRICS, TAAKITZ IS *RIGHT THERE*

KRAVITZ IS A MUSICIAN

But if you want to do either blupjeans or taakitz, that's cool lol because I feel like those lyrics specifically is good for blupjeans, but the song in general is very taakitz and aaaahhhhhh

Anyway, I hope you have a lovely day lol <3

"So you're the Grim Reaper." It's not a question, rather a statement of fact.

"That's a name some people call me, yes."

"Like, The Grim Reaper, tee em tee em tee em?"

"The very same."

"Huh." He pauses for a moment. Sits back on his hands as the breeze beckons the tall grass to dance in the wind. It tickles his forearms, bare from where he's rolled up his sleeves. "Are you here to kill me?"

He shakes his head and laughs. Gently, no hint of malice for ten country miles. "No, not at all."

He squints. "Then what're you here for?"

A shrug. "I was wrapping up another job—"

"You killed someone else?

"I shepherded his soul to the Astral Plane, yes."

He nods before motioning for him to continue.

"I was in the area and I saw advertisements for your show. It looked entertaining so I decided to stop by."

"Didya like it?"

A nod. "I did. I haven't cooked in so many years. It was nice to see someone so skilled and passionate."

"So were you alive then? At one point?"

"Awfully forward aren't we?"

"Sorry. Just curious."

"Don't be, I would do the same thing in your position. Yes, once upon a time, I was alive. I was a performer like you. Not cooking though. Music."

He softens. Clearly he wasn't expecting such an honest answer. "What'd you play?"

"Anything I could get my hands on. I had a real soft spot for strings though. The violin was my favorite."

"Can you not play anymore?" He chews his lip before snapping, a brilliant epiphany having come over him. "Ah, I get it, you're one of those ghosts so you can't touch anything from the living world."

He reaches out a cold hand, making gentle connection with an impossibly warm wrist. "Nope. I just so rarely have the time."

He looks at the connection but doesn't move to terminate it. "I'd like to hear sometime." He smiles something small and a little self conscious. "If I'm not being too forward again, that it."

"I don't think you are. What's your name, handsome?"

"Taako. And yours?"

"Kravitz. It's a pleasure to meet you, Taako."

-

They laze around in the grass for what feels like moments but the arc of the sun in the sky suggests has been hours. They lie in the soft sunbeams, talking about nothing and everything. As the day goes on, they inch closer and closer until they're hardly any distance apart. Their fingers intertwine until their hands reach a temperature equilibrium.

Truly, Kravitz is content to stay like that forever, though the feather the length of his forearm that lands in his lap, materializing from seemingly nowhere, seems intent on not letting him fall victim to such displays of sloth.

He groans and sits up, idly twirling the feather in the fingers of his unoccupied hand.

Taako gazes up at him. "Duty calls?"

"It does, I'm sorry to say." Kravitz squeezes his hand as though Taako is a kite threatening to fly away into the vast blue expanse. "I'll be back soon. I promise. Wait for me?"

A smile. "I will."

---

To say that time doesn't flow exactly the same for Kravitz now than it used to is an understatement, though it's hardly been a problem in the past few years. The Raven Queen moves on an even slower cosmological time scale than he does so it's become hard to notice these incremental changes. Seconds turn to minutes, minutes to hours, hours to days; the sand in his hourglass moves more akin to molasses these days.

Of course, Kravitz doesn't know this. What reason would he have to know this? Not many mortals he spends time with these days. So when he tells Taako he'll be back soon, he believes is.

He just has a few jobs to deal with.

Circle of necromancers, spooky death cult, nothing he can't dispatch with ease.

The paperwork, on the other hand? Kravitz is certain that the paperwork is a special cosmic punishment for him.

But in what feels like only a few hours' time and he's—

And he's being debriefed for another quick case. Nothing special, just the murder of a quarter of a little frontier town. A quick stop in to investigate and he'll be able to drop back in on—

"Taako?" He asks the moment he steps through the rift he's sliced for himself.

He looks haggard. Horrified. With 40 bodies around him, how could he not be?

Taako looks at him, a slurry of emotions pulsing across his face. "This isn’t... I-I didn't..." He stammers out. Anger takes the stage on his face. "Where the fuck were you?"

Kravitz tries to take stock of the situation. "I was summoned by my Lady. Taako, what happened? Did you do this?"

"That was four years ago," he spits. Another evaluation of the surroundings. "I don't know what happened," he says, voice barely above a whisper, laboring under about six layers of emotion.

Kravitz blinks at him. "I-I never meant to be gone so long. I'm sorry. I'm sure you thought I forgot about you. But doing this to attract my attention?"

"I would never," Taako’s ears twitch more the more incensed he becomes. He shakes his head and looks like he's about to start dry-heaving. "This wasn't me. I don't think it was me, anyway."

"You don't know?"

"I think maybe a spell went wrong but I don't know and my one witness just turned tail on me and ran and I think he's going to report me to the militia and who could blame him? I'm th-this monster!" He says, his voice climbing several decibel hills. And then it clicks. "Even you're here to kill me!"

"Taako. Taako. Listen to me. I'm not here to kill anyone. This is an unusual event. A tragedy. I intend on finding out what happened here after I assist these individuals in making it home." He hesitates in saying home but it appears as though Taako catches his meaning well enough. "I'd like to talk to you about what happened here. I promise i will work more swiftly now than I did. I want to get to the bottom of this. And I'm going to need your help doing it. So, will you wait for me?"

Taako chews his lip, pointedly avoiding looking at the scene around him. And then, at long last, a small nod. "I will."