#i love the influence they have on each other

[saiaisaiko]

Another note: "Try things out, see what you like." If you don't have any experience in the kitchen, you can start by experimenting with different recipes. When you find out you like a certain ingredient more or less or a cooking technique more or less, you can adjust the recipe and follow new recipes with that knowledge.

I.E. I love pepper and would almost always add it to a mix of vegetables to be prepared. At the same time, I discard any zucchini or eggplant I see in recipes because I can't stand them. (I also discard recipes using them as a base for the dish, unless I want to try them out again or see a way I haven't tried them. But it is not required to experiment with things you don't like.)

For baking, I would always follow a recipe as written. Too much chemistry and too little leeway with the chemical reaction working. I don't say do not try finding adjustments, but be prepared for droughts and batters to not work, if the ingredients are unbalanced or replaced with something that has not the right properties.

Following along with instructions already laid out for you can remove stress and anxiety when trying out new things. Maybe you ant to try out a new style of food, maybe a new preparation technique or even a whole new ingredient. Recipes are like a guideline and friend in that regard and not your enemy when cooking from scratch.

But I have to agree with the above, take the time to wash your vegetables and fruit. Prevent cross-contamination, only handle food with clean hands, and a separate thing from me, clean up while you cook. it can be downright overwhelming when the dishes pile up on you.

A tip for those not able to dedicate a separate cutting board for vegetables and meat. (Like me: I only have one cutting board at my home and my parents wouldn't keep the habit anyway) First, prepare the vegetables and fruits, wash the board in between if you don't want the juices to influence the taste of each other. Then prepare your meat. It serves the purpose of keeping things clean and preventing salmonella or something like that to get from the meat to the vegetables and you have your ingredients already prepared and can concentrate on adding them to the dish as needed.

A lot is habit and experience. You'll need less time and maybe even less advanced preparation for your cooking with experience and also the risks of certain foods. All those pieces of advice are with the thought you're buying your groceries in the store and don't do something like going foraging or farming. Though it is never a problem to just wash your raw ingredients and food with water to add a certain layer of safety to them.

Adding: Keep track of your allergies and sensitivities. And how your digestive system reacts to certain things. When I'm stressed I tend to horribly upset it in a very painful way. Always. And it only grows when I eat greasy foods. It can feel as if I poisoned myself, but I did not.

Cooking question I'm too embarrassed to ask someone IRL: how easy or hard is it to accidentally poison yourself?

I know not to eat things that are too old (past the best-by date, changed color etc), I know not to eat things that were burned. I know to be careful about handling raw meat. I know how to store leftovers. I know to pay attention to instructions on the package and to check if the package is damaged etc.

But at the same time... well, a lot of cooking advice I've seen over the years includes some variation of "try things out, see what you like!" and I'd kind of like to do that. But if the results turn out inedible, I'd like them to be "inedible" as in "tastes very bad" and not "inedible" as in "going to upset your stomach" or "send you to the hospital"

If I try to cook/bake/roast/fry/whatever a food that can be eaten raw, like fruit, what are the odds that the result will be safe to eat?

What about lettuce? I'm aware it would probably taste bad, but would it be safe to try?

If I mix random liquid-y things from my pantry to make a sauce for whatever vegetables&meat I'm frying, what are the odds the result would be safe to eat? (Assuming all the components are edible by themself, I'm NOT talking about cleaning solutions or dish soap or whatever)

What might be some questions I don't even know I should check?

If I try to cook/bake/roast/fry/whatever a food that can be eaten raw, like fruit, what are the odds that the result will be safe to eat? If I mix random liquid-y things from my pantry to make a sauce for whatever vegetables&meat I'm frying, what are the odds the result would be safe to eat?

100% safe. There is a ZERO (0%) percent chance of accidentally creating a poison when cooking a safe-to-eat-raw food item.

You're not going to accidentally create a poison when you mix spices, sauces, or various edible ingredients together.

It's just not how chemistry works. With no exception I can think of, you can't take one safe-to-eat plant or animal and cook it or mix it with another in a way that will create a toxic substance.

Cooking lettuce to eat is safe. Cooking whole fruit is safe. Mixing a hundred sauces together is safe. Go for it.

I could take a sample of every single individually edible item in my fridge, pantry, and spice cabinet, blend it all into a big slurry, cook it & eat a portion of that concoction with confidence that I won't die from it. While it may be gross and taste bad, it won't actually harm me. It won't be a poison, no matter how many different types of food ingredients are tossed into the pot.

I cannot guarantee that you will never upset your stomach, because you could be sensitive to or allergic to an ingredient that I don't know about. It's not a poison to all humans, but it'd be uncomfortable to you. You can only learn about that through experience.

What CAN be dangerous:

Improper sterilization and improper technique can accidentally leave poison-producing bacteria or mold to breed when canning or fermenting foods.

Eating large amounts of a couple specific foods can be risky. There's not a lot of these, so here's a list of the big names to keep an eye on:

Cassia (common) cinnamon has a chemical that is toxic in larger quantities, but harmless in small quantities. If you eat 2 teaspoons a day, every day, you'll run into trouble. If you use Ceylon cinnamon instead, you can eat pretty much as much as you want.

Don't eat a whole nutmeg. It's wonderful when used sparingly, but can be poisonous in large amounts. Same rule as Cassia cinnamon: 2 teaspoons a day, every day, will get you into trouble. Eat less or less often.

Eating too much Liver (the organ) can cause copper toxicity and Vitamin A toxicity. It's great for you when added to a meal once a week, or a couple times a month, but shouldn't be eaten daily or in huge amounts.

Don't swallow cherry pits. They're generally harmless when swallowed whole, because they pass through digestion unscathed, but if they're crushed or cracked open first they release a compound that turns into cyanide when digested. Our body handles cyanide pretty well, but 4-5 cracked pits can become harmful. So: Don't chew them, and don't swallow them on purpose.

There are some foods which need special preparation to be made safe. They're safe COOKED, but not RAW.

Cooked beans & legumes are safe to eat. But if you're starting from a totally DRY bean or lentil (canned are pre-cooked) make sure to soak them in water for several hours and boil until they're FULLY COOKED before you eat. (Fully cooked is when you can crush them easily with a fork, with no gritty or hard center) Undercooked or uncooked beans & legumes can fuck up your guts real good. Very painful, horribly unpleasant, but probably won't kill you.

Cassava (the root vegetable that tapioca is made from) MUST be thoroughly cooked before eating. Raw cassava can be toxic. It's another cyanide bro.

Don't eat raw potatoes - always cook them. If your potatoes have sprouted, don't eat the sprouts & peel any green skin off. Tbh tho, an adult would need to eat at least a pound of green potatoes to get sick. Be reasonably cautious about it. Don't feed green potatoes to small children.

--

Note: This advice is intended for someone who shops at a grocery for their food, not someone who is foraging for ingredients or is growing their own. There's a lot more opportunities to poison yourself when working with whole plants in the wild, and not the prepared-for-sale ones at a store.

[sewermageboy]

Hey remember how in that one interview they were like "Oh yeah we only wanna bring up choices that are meaningful, not just one liners and cameos"?

And how most of the three choices we are given boil down to flavor text?

Disband Inquisition or have it join the chantry? Doesn't actually matter, the Inquisitor is doing the exact same thing and there's none of the corruption from within that was given as a reason to disband the Inquisition in the first place

Inky vowed to stop or redeem Solas? Also doesn’t matter, most of their lines are identical, they'll still argue that he might listen to reason and will still help you redeem him

Who did you romance? Literally only comes up in one codex entry letter from the love interest (or in case of Dorian: a two line exchange as they're standing next to each other at the end). Only matters if you romanced Solas, which also affects weird things like your Inquisitor only asking Rook after their love interest if they've romanced Solas, like, what??

Anyway idk if I am pissed at this or just find it funny. Like. They knew that the three choices they put in barely influenced the world, and they STILL gave us that excuse??? What's that about???

(Honestly, I would have respected it a lot more if they'd simply said "yeah, we had to work with the time and budget we had, and while we would have liked to include more choices, we had to narrow it down to what's directly relevant to the story of this game")

[enden-k]

1st batch of random sketches of a loose ivlk au idea

in which ivan is a vocalist/lyricist in a band who lost his inspiration for music and finds it in luka, a burnt out musical prodigy, after getting entangled with him almost by fate; they become each others muse and obsession - and comfort

they share the similarity of being musical prodigies with abusive guardians/upbringing; ivan ran away from his and lives a free and unrestrained life singing in underground bars and clubs in a band he only joined bc of his best friend/childhood love. his feelings went unrequited for many years until he eventually and recently slowly got over it, coming to terms its no use and that they would never have a chance since hes "too intense", "too much", "not normal". bc of this, his inspiration disappeared since till was his muse all this time

luka stayed and became a golden-caged songbird, objectified and used by his possessive guardian bc of his talent. he was trained strictly since childhood and forced to perform on stage, study and pursue music, the only thing that he truly enjoys, to utmost perfection to the point of burn out and beyond. his guardian eventually passed and it left luka free but since his entire life was planned and dictated and control taken from him, he feels lost and alone, unsure what to do. music was the only purpose in his life, the only thing hes good at, he can do; hes burnt out and exhausted but still continues, the things his guardian ingrained into his mind still controlling his behavior and life

when luka meets ivan, his love for music gets rekindled without the pressure and abuse that loomed over him all his life; when ivan meets luka, his inspiration and love returns. theyre both scarred from their similar upbringing and situation which influences a lot of things they are/do (e.g. tendencies to become obsessive/possessive,...) theyre both considered and branded "odd" by people around them but they learn they can let go of their masks around each other and be themselves, finding comfort and healing together. what started as an entanglement w mutual benefits grows into mutual love

i babbled quite a bit kjhbkjbj.. 🧍‍♀️

(as obvious above, i love keeping close to canon while also mixing in own thoughts/my hcs when i do AUs so yea, luka still has asthma, migraines etcetc, but theyre also both autistic (not planning to make it relevant or focus, im just throwing it out there) and luka has an ED)

[takumiraine]

Once Upon A Time chapter 5

<first> <prev> <next>

Jason Todd knew it was only a matter of time until his bubble burst and one of his brothers found out what he was getting up to. He was just hoping he could pull it off for a little longer. Even though the pit still reacted at the strangest times, he felt calmer, more normal, than he had in years. He wanted to hold it close and make sure nobody could take it from him.

From Replacement: you went back to college? Does B know?

Fuck.

—

Danny had been wary at first. Rich boy Jason Todd-Wayne in his college classes. The man was older than Jazz, though not by much, and a freshman with him. Either the guy was a bad influence or Danny just had really shitty luck.

He and the universe both knew the answer to than one really. But 60 bucks a week to reteach the guy basic math and Jason always gave him dinner in the deal? Danny wasn’t going to look that particular gift horse in the mouth. If there was one thing Danny had forgotten during the past almost two years it was how hungry his human side got. Not having money and being on the run meant opportunities to eat were few and far between.

What Danny didn’t expect was how sarcastic and assholish the rich guy could be. He loved trading snark. Danny assumed that it came from them both having older siblings. But between that and the half formed core that was slowly shoring up, Danny found himself growing attached. He had missed having friends. Getting to talk to Sam, Tucker and rarely Jazz through a conspiracy message board wasn’t enough. Most of the time it was just a way to make sure that nobody had been captured by the GIW. They had a way to pass longer messages but to do that too often would be suspicious.

“So I don’t get it,” Danny said, gesturing at Jason with some fries almost a month into tutoring, “What do people actually do at Galas? The tabloid pics just show a bunch of people in uncomfortable looking suits standing around with champagne.”

“….thats really it. It’s boring as shit.” Jason kicked his chair back on two legs, leaning against the wall. “If I liked you less I’d invite you.”

“If you liked me less?”

“Oh yeah. Because then you’d have to meet my brothers, the assorted not quite adopteds, my dad and scarier yet, our butler.” Danny choked on his laugh.

“Your butler is the scary one in that situation?”

“Alfred is like a ghost. Always there when you turn around.” Jason put on the accent “Master Jason, you really must come home more. Nobody quite enjoys my cooking like you.” He let the chair legs settle on the floor. “Now imagine that from behind you in a dark kitchen at two am while you’re half drunk and trying to make a sandwich.”

“Okay, yeah, I could see it being that scary. My sister was….” Shit he hadn’t meant to mention Jazz. “She was the only one who cared sometimes.” May as well rip that bandaid off.

“Yeah?” Jason asked, taking a drink from his coffee cup. “Didn’t know you had a sister.”

“My family and I don’t see each other anymore. It’s for the best.” He hoped Jason wouldn’t ask more questions, because ‘my parents sold me out to the government that only knew where I was because of the Justice League which is why I hate them and by association your dad, and now my sister is in hiding in a different state with a new identity’ was way too difficult to explain. “I left before they could kick me out.”

Danny watched Jason’s face twist into a frown. “Bigots suck. Sorry man.”

“Yeah…. Well…” Danny busied himself with finishing his burger. Then, once he chewed and swallowed. “Wait. Is your dad the one that fell into the champagne tower last year?”

Jason groaned, “he’s not always like that I promise.”

“No I get it. A weird ‘Family Friend’ invited us to his fancy party so he could hit on my mom once. I accidentally on purpose took out the entire buffet table including a cheese fountain so we had to go home.”

“Cheese fountain?”

“You know those chocolate fountains?” Danny asked. Jason nodded. “Like that, but with fondue cheese instead. And before you ask why, all I can say is it was in Wisconsin.”

Jason watched him with an unreadable expression for a moment, and Danny assumed he was processing it, because when the expression broke, Jason was laughing.

He looked so much younger when he laughed like that, and Danny remembered that they had both had, in their own ways, a rough life. “Yeah. I know. I was finding cheese in the weirdest places for weeks.”

“Did you get invited back?” Danny’s heart ached with the fact that a month or so later, Everything Fell Apart.

“No… I…” he cut himself off, remembering the horrified looks his parents gave him as their weapons, the ones he fixed, were turned against the ‘beast’ that ‘possessed’ their son. The looks mimicking the ones they gave him when the party screeched to a halt as he did his best impression of a Scooby Doo villain being unmasked. The screams of shock turning into ones of horror. The -

“-anny? Danny?” He blinked and shook his head.

“What? Oh, sorry.” He took another drink from the coffee, emptying the cup. “No. I never was asked back. You done?” He looked at their empty plates and grabbed the tray. “We should get to the library. Though I’m sure someone as good looking as you has plenty, these x-es won’t find themselves.” He was overcompensating for zoning out now, words coming out faster than normal.

“Yeah… are… you okay?” Jason asked, as Danny bussed their tray and grabbed his backpack, a backpack bought by his tutoring money. A tutoring gig he desperately did not want to fuck up with his own bullshit.

“Me? Fine. More than. I just zone out sometimes. Come on.” Danny’s words were still coming out too fast. He took a few breaths during the couple seconds Jason took getting his things, trying to ground himself as much as possible. He was going to be normal. He was going to be normal if it killed him. Again.

The walk to the library was quiet and Danny was thankful for that. He needed to get his head on straight if he was going to be any help to Jason and he still had his own homework to do after. As they walked in, both Danny and Jason instinctively looked towards the desk where Barbara usually worked, but she wasn’t there, some other guy was checking in books with quiet beeps.

Danny had learned over the last month that while Dick, Tim and Damian were Jason’s official siblings, Barbara was an unofficial one and he liked her the most.

It made sense, since she didn’t seem to pry into Jason’s life the way Jazz would have if she was here. Not that he would have minded her prying for how much he missed her, but four years ago he would have hated it.

—

Jason knew the haunted and hunted look that had settled into Danny’s eyes. The way he trailed off into something vacant. How his breathing seemed to get stuck in his chest. Which is why he tried to interrupt the cycle before he could spiral. Something big happened to him, and Jason knew he wouldn’t want to break down in a cafe in front of people.

Thankfully he seemed to snap out of it quickly, instead overcompensating into energetic. The message was clear. ‘Don’t ask about what just happened.’ Carefully, Jason let Danny lead him into the library, aware of his positioning and making sure not to follow too far behind or loom too much. Considering he had at least six inches on Danny, that last part was hard, but he tried.

He could feel the pit spiraling in him, circling and coiling like a dragon deep in his chest. Itching to do…. Something. It wasn’t punch or claw or fight. This was new. He didn’t like it in the slightest.

He looked over to where Babs usually was, then remembered she had a class, criminal justice degree, how apt, as he and Danny went towards what was now their spot. Jason found he had the sudden impulse to pull Danny’s chair out for him, and shoved that particular useless idea back down into the abyss it belonged in.

—

Danny looked over at Jason who stood at the edge of the table looking…. Angry? Confused? and pulled out his own books. “I promise, my zoning out isn’t contagious.” He said, looking up at Jason and kicking the chair across from him out from under the table for Jason to sit. He gave a wry smile, “if it was, I don’t think anyone in my high school would have made it.”

Jason snorted a laugh, snapping out of whatever thoughts he had been thinking. Jason pulled the chair out further and sat, sitting more comfortably than he used to. More of the true Jason, Danny was realizing, less of the person he was supposed to be. In another lifetime…. But no. He couldn’t… not while he was being hunted. It wouldn’t be fair to Jason to have to hide such a huge part of himself and his past.

Not to mention he hadn’t ever come out to Jazz and his friends. Well he had…. But more in the ‘hey I’m dead but not really’ way and less in the ‘so I like guys’ way.

But in spite of those barriers, this tentative friendship with Jason was enough to keep him happy.

Which made the next kick in the teeth from the universe completely expected.

All he had wanted was to walk home in peace. Sure it was almost midnight, in Gotham, but still. He made it most of the way, and was slinking through the Bowery when it happened.

Guys with dark clothes and weapons were suddenly in front of him. He turned only to see more at his back. There had to be five in total? Or was it six? Danny didn’t have time to count.

“Hey guys.” He hedged, muscles tensing as he raised his hands to show he wasn’t a threat. “Don’t mind me, I’m just trying to get home. Long walk and all that. If I could just…. Scooch past you?” Danny took a step to do just that and the lead goon swung at him with a baton.

He hopped back slightly, dodging the hit when it came. “Not a chance. Boss needs some…. Help with his latest ideas. You’re coming with us.”

Danny ran through his options in his head. Option 1: get kidnapped. Option 2: get the shit kicked out of him. Option 3: beat the shit out of them and get labeled as a possible bat to be or possible rogue to be. Option 4: go fully ghost and either escape unscathed but wind up more firmly on the GIW’s radar.

Option two or three would wind up happening, because he wasn’t going to put himself at the mercy of the Bat-ass again, and he wasn’t going to offer himself up on a silver platter to the GIW.

The moment one tried to grab him, Danny dodged out of the way, and that seemed to bring the goons on him en masse. They seemed well practiced, but considering it was Gotham, there wasn’t a big surprise there. The next few minutes were a flurry of elbows and knees, punches and kicks, batons and clubs.

Danny would dodge and counter, disarm one and fling their weapon across the street. He would have sore ribs and bruises from his elbows to his knuckles come morning but he was slowly winnowing them down. He had a brief thought about the conservation of ninjutsu, as the fewer goons there were the stronger they seemed to get. The realistic answer was they were less concerned with hurting each other when there were fewer of them, he knew that. But everything was more fun with ninjas.

When there were three left, one threw a punch that connected with his nose. There was a pop and crunch and a hot rush of blood down his face even before the pain set in. He spat out the blood that collected in his mouth from the way his head snapped back when he was punched. Another one came at him, and his own years of training caught the guy’s arm, judo throwing them into another look and sending them both careening into a wall. The move was trickier with gravity, but he made it work.

Danny looked up at the last remaining goon. He grinned, teeth too sharp and stained with his own blood, eyes glowing just the faintest green. “Run.”

They did.

Unfortunately for the goon, they ran smack into the chest of one Batman.

[scyllas-revenge]

That makes sense to me. I've seen fics in which Finduilas is utterly miserable even among her family or is constantly having to deal with crap from Denethor and I've never quite liked that interpretation (although it certainly provides some interesting drama). I think you're right that she married Denethor with a very practical, political mindset.

My hot take is that despite the political nature of their marriage, I think they both came to love each other in their own ways.

I like to think Finduilas had a strong enough personality to meet Denethor where he was and keep some of his stronger unpleasantness at bay- both because he was less miserable with her around and because she had the ability to influence his decisions. Denethor certainly is very manipulative but I think Finduilas could probably have changed his mind so subtly that he'd walk away convinced it was his own idea all along.

So I think Finduilas was- well not exactly thriving, but doing pretty well all things considered, despite a bitter homesickness and almost elf-like longing for the sea (Minas Tirith is cool and all but the only tree there is fucking dead. she may as well have moved to one of those spaghetti bowl highways in Houston). But when the threat of Mordor started to overwhelm her, things just went downhill really quickly. Suddenly she wasn't mentally strong enough to temper Denethor's worse traits, which made him more unpleasant to be around (coupled with his fear that his wife was dying, because I think she was one of the only people in the country he had any respect for), which made the threat of Mordor seem all the more overwhelming to her, and so things just got worse and worse.

And of course I think you're 100% right about Denethor's "emotions? in this economy?" He definitely wouldn't have a very good bedside manner. Poor Finduilas.

Anyway most of that is just vibes and not based on anything in the books (I forget a lot of the finer details, I need to give them a reread)

I realized I always draw Finduilas sad, so have a little sketch of pre-Denethor Finduilas playing in the sea

[hehe-69]

Solavellan haunts my every waking moment, I can’t stop thinking about them, thinking about Solas.

Veilgaurd Spoilers

Imagine knowing you cannot give to me all of you because you are still bounded to the will of someone you called “friend”. Bounded and enslaved to a purpose and wanting so desperately to leave that purpose behind so that you could have them and give them all of you.

But you can’t, they have your heart, they consume you completely but you cannot. You are ruined and twisted.

Thats a different level of pain, wanting, yearning, waiting, for 10 STINKING YEARSSSS but knowing you can’t give them what they deserve, what you so desperately want to give them, that you cannot HAVE THEM.

And believing you are too far gone for them to love you, that you are to twisted and rustiness to be loved but they still do, they FORGIVE you after you lied and betrayed them and all you have to do is stop but you can’t.

You’re bounded to this purpose because of the enslavement to someone who stole you from the fade you loved and twisted your purpose in ways that no other spirit has been twisted.

And finally you are free, but you wouldn’t dare ask them to go with you not after all you’ve done. But they choose you again forever and always. They choose to love you and they love you willingly and unconditionally in such a mind bogglingly beautiful way. It makes me SICK and the most wonderful of ways.

I wish we got to see more of Solas and Inky, they are so complex and beautiful and pure in their love for each other.

Inky’s love makes Solas pure again, it makes him whole again, it makes him him again. It makes him something more than he was in the beginning, it gives him hope.😭😭

The fact that his fist decisions that aren’t influenced by Mythal is him seeking atonement and choosing to be with Inky and letting himself BE LOVED FOR ONCE.

They make me want to write again

I will never not choose them to have their happy ending I physically cannot do it not after everything they’ve both suffered.

Varric died trying to save Solas I feel like not redeeming Solas goes against what Varric sacrificed himself for. He loved his friends so deeply he risked his life trying to save him from himself. Varric always wanted happy endings to his stories and for his friends, the least I can do is honor him by giving this one the one he wanted. The one that Solavellan DESERVES.

This game is, at its core, about many different shades of love and devotion and the many ways that it can be twisted to distorted beyond the point of recognition.

I mean LOOK AT HIS FACE WHEN HE LOOKS INTO HER EYES IM GONNA PUNCH A TREE

[rnadett]

I have an extremely wild theory about the ending...

So...

PLEASE DO NOT READ ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT ME TO >>>POTENTIALLY<<< SPOIL SOMETHING FROM THE FINALE!!!!

I WARNED YOU!!!

I'm not going into too much details, since I don't have too much time because of my work. 😭

So let's start with Ekko:

We already know that the key character of Act 3 is him, whose unique ability is to turn back time. From the previous part, we also know that Jayce has tried to kill Viktor before, but every time so far, he has failed.

I think what Jayce and Ekko are trying to do in ACT 3: comes from the same root, but in very different ways – much like how their characters have always been, with parallels to each other throughout the series from the beginning. (the poster above is also telling)

We’ve also seen countless scenes from Act 3 that were quite significant hints... I haven’t pieced all the anchor points together yet, but my theory is that many characters will die in the final ARC — including Ekko, who will most likely make one last attempt to rewind time so the sisters can succeed.

We already have this screenshot from Reed. And It's from s2ep9. Behind Ekko it's some kind of machine, I believe it's a time machine, but not for rewind seconds, but for more... So much more. And they built it with Heimerdinger together.

This environment and this machine also appears in these scenes from the trailers:

Also in the recent teaser Vi says this.

I mean c'mon, It can't be more obvious than this at this point.

Also I noticed something while I rewatched this trailer:

https://youtu.be/Sl-xmZTH6GE?si=rW5vFHJUWm0ECD6p

Parallels and flashbacks were deliberately included. I think those will be the key points for the time travel.

The fate of the characters from a dramaturgical perspective... Well, I think many main character will die, What will make the stakes of the siblings' success even more important.

Yeah... Almost ALL characters except the sisters.

For example:

Caitlyn... I think Caitlyn may not die by Ambessa's hands but there is a possibility. But either way she will die. But one thing for sure: her final act will paves the way for the siblings to succeed. This makes her redemption arc finalized. Ambessa also planted this idea in Caitlyn's mind. Sacrifice . (Maybe the only thing truly worth learning from Ambessa about leadership, though not in the way Ambessa intended it to be understood.)

And for Vi... Yeah, she will watch yet another person she loves and cares about die. The Arcane writers seem to enjoy making her suffer....

Since the story revolves around the two sisters, they will finish the story, as they started.

THE LAST DROP

So the final scene probably will be about the sisters and the final sacrificing. Many say, Jinx don't need a redemption, but I think everyone deserves one in one way or another.

.

.

It has been hinted - or a fact from episode one that Jinx/powder ruins everything. She got her second name because of this. It's her character.

“Vi always used to say, I can fix anything... Before I broke everything.”

But why is it like this? What is it based on?

I think the 'last drop' will be foreshadowing of the first season, where she tried to save everyone, but nearly everyone ended up dying.

Why this would be any different?

I think what moslty form Jinx is how many people 'believe' in her.

Jinx and Powder, as appeared in a methaphore in Season 2, Episode 6, symbolize a coin with two sides. Both sides exist within her, but which side prevails depends on the events that unfold.

In Season 1, Episode 3, Vi allowed her heart to be influenced by the protective love she felt, which prevented her from trusting her sister.

That's why I believe that this will not just be Jinx's redemption, and not only will it rewrite her story, but also Vi’s. Vi, whose personality is so protective that she often doubts everyone else - (including Caitlyn), will have to learn to let go of this feeling and trust others, even if it means there's a chance her sister might die.

So what's my prediction?

So, if I wasn’t clear enough, (since English isn’t my native language and there are so many things in my head at all once that I want to express but I don't have time for more 😭)

My theory is that the siblings will eventually bring everyone back to life, but it will come at a cost, and I think Jinx will be the one to make that sacrifice.

But her death will not be a sad thing from her perspective, she will be finally free from the burden and suffering she felt, also she will be free from her demons as well.

.

.

As for the fate of the other characters I mentioned here, I can’t say for certain. Unfortunately, due to the 10-image limit, I couldn’t attach more visuals, but I believe Ambessa will die at the hands of the Black Rose. This is foreshadowed quite well in the intro: first, we see Ambessa crushing the rose, then a petal falls, but we don’t actually see her destroy it completely. Later, we see her daughter stepping in to take her place, reaching for the same rose while petals are scattered on the right-hand side, symbolizing Ambessa.

I think this story arc will continue in future *Arcane* series.

As for Sevika, it’s pretty clear that Viktor will transform her after her death and bring her back to life. That’s how she’ll end up with another cool new arm. (The new Sevika poster is literally titled “Armed and Ready,” by the way.) She’ll probably try to incite the Undercity against Piltover again, which is why we see in the trailer that Piltover is fighting Zaunite civilians.

My other theory for Sevika (Or a continuation of the above, perhaps a combination of the two. ) is that Singed will make her a new prosthetic to her... And it’s also possible that through Singed Savika will side with Ambessa.. Since Ambessa is very good at seeing what people need and how to manipulate them, she might offer Zaun's independence in exchange for her help.

From Corin Reveck’s side – He will succeed in bringing his daughter back to life (Orianna), and I think this is no longer in question... After nearly everyone in the series has suffered the consequences of his actions, directly or indirectly... One might hate this character, but he is the perfect example of someone who would do anything, sacrifice everything, and set the whole world on fire (and does) for the love of his daughter. He is fully aware that he has become a monster, but he doesn’t care.

From Viktor's perspective... I'm not sure what his story will be. Perhaps the fact that they’ve saved each other’s lives multiple times with Jayce will become a symbol that ultimately, they will end up taking each other’s lives together. At some point, there was a possible foreshadowing of this when the creators depicted a "Memento Mori" between the two characters in season 1, when they were at the place where they tried to jump separately. A "Memento Mori" is an optical illusion where the combination of various elements forms the image of a skull, symbolizing death and the transience of life.

Overall, please take all of the above writing as just a theory; many parts may not turn out this way, and in fact, nothing might happen as I’ve suggested. Have fun!

And yes, I know my post turned out quite long despite saying I don’t have time, but believe me, if I did have time, it would be about six times longer, with all the references and every thread detailed in full.

[blissfullyecho]

Dealing with Haters on your Level Up Journey.

People are gonna talk about you anyway, you might as well get hotter and richer as they talk.

Victoria’s Secret had the biggest glow down to make insecure women feel better about themselves. Same with Hollister/Abercrombie. Jennifer Lawrence is irrelevant and doesn’t get casted for anything good anymore because people got sick of her just as fast as they fell in love with her.

Why? Because when you try to be FOR everyone, it ruins the experience of you and your brand. People that feel uncomfortable with how you look and how you want to better yourselves were always in a secret competition with you. And to be honest, they always felt like they’re better than you. But the thing is, when you decide you want to level up, they take it as a threat to their status when they’re with you. That’s a good thing because they know (probably even more than you) that you have what it takes to get there.

It’s okay to be exclusive. It’s okay to only want to be associated with things that are on brand with you. From the examples I wrote above, see what happens when you dim your light and change yourself to make others feel good? It literally ruined all of them and they tried to make a comeback but each time they failed. Fenty… a brand that promoted inclusivity but it’s not talked about too much.

To get elevated status, get comfortable with shining so bright you make other people uncomfortable. Kim Kardashian has done sooooo many things and got herself cancelled so many times but why is she still relevant? Because she never changed herself for the approval of you. She’s going to make a bag regardless and she was trained that all publicity is good publicity.

When influencers get cancelled (hi), we make SO much money. It’s disgusting how much money we truly make when people cancel us. We are signing deals left and right for contracts 30-60 days from then when we’re still relevant for people to check if we’re still cancelled, but it’s not too fresh to work with a company if that brand will get cancelled for working with us too soon. Why do you think all apology videos from influencers are fake? Because money is coming in, in crazy amounts.

The more you are unapologetically you, and you’re all about yourself, the more relevant you’ll be. The more talked about you’ll be. The more at peace with life you’ll be. I believe that people come into your life match with the current version of yourself. That one might sting a little, but you’ll attract authenticity when you’re authentic to yourself. Don’t wait for permission to better yourself. Remember… lol it’s always the ugly ones that hate. I’ve never seen a pretty girl to be jealous of someone else’s level up unless there was a threat.

xoxo hoped I helped!

🖤🍸Make sure to check out my book called The Luxe Girl’s Playbook to Life for a fresh perspective on reinventing yourself for 2025. You’ll receive immediate access after purchase.

[elizabeth-stone]

i found another song kathryn and aubrey sent each other while filming (they probably did not but they should have!!)

it's an aria called "La Mamma Morta" which literally means The Dead Mother🥲

literally agatha bringing misfortune to all those around her, and yet she meets rio BECAUSE of the death that surrounds her. rio whose gift is literally life itself, her powers but also her influence on an agatha.

rio who shows agatha she is worthy of love. rio who shows agatha her powers are a gift. rio who walks with agatha "surrounded by blood and mud" and offers her love and support regardless. agatha who dares to hope and love rio, the divine, the oblivion, death herself.

i CANNOT WITH THEM

AND DEATH IS KISSING YOU

MY BODY IS A DYING BODY SO TAKE IT

I'VE ALREADY DIED🥲

[ponyextulparlog]

//OKAY OKAY guess who played How Fish Is Made (and the dlc). yeah that's right. this may be one of the funkiest ways i've seen someone advertise their game not gonna lie. anywayss about my thoughts on it;; I love how it gives more context to Jimmy/Curly's weird relationship they have going on. esp the scene with the isopod and in the dlc where Curly actually makes an appearance. "I ate his tongue and we've been coworkers ever since!" Jimmy acts exactly like a parasite. He latches onto people and takes what he can get, even if it ruins them in the end, just to benefit himself. But a parasite can't do that without a host, because it's the only method it can keep itself alive. it's a disgustingly co-dependent relationship, one can't be without the other. It also clarifies even further to us when Curly in the dlc mentions being the one that brought him in, which implies he directly influenced in Jimmy being hired by the company. "Quick buck, just a few trips" (to keep it short). these two are destroying each other and despite so they are inseparable. in a bad bad way. hell i dare even go as far as saying the DLC is in Jimmy's pov considering we are an amalgamate mass that keeps consuming. it's never enough. I also think that the big fish before the endings of the first game also may be a metaphor to Swansea?? i picked up on the way it speaks and they definitely sound similar. I'm not sure about the others but if yall have any ideas on it do tell. this may be a stretch of mine but the Do fish feel pain? in the musical sequence may also be on par with the I hope this hurts in MW. And the raw meat twitching this is definitely about Curly. okay now for theory timeee back to the isopod thing. Jimmy manipulated Curly to bring him closer, so after being fucked in life (probably by his own choices) he could continue his parasitic cycle. as host, Curly fails to notice this until he is unable to take it any longer. He victimized himself to appear small and break down Curly's walls. Earn his sympathy so he could attack, appear as friendly as possible- at first, at least. and it worked WAY TOO WELL. Curly's a good man, everyone's dependable guy. of course he'd help him. it was way too easy of an opportunity to miss and Jimmy knew. ANYWAYS i could say more but i shall spare yall of my incessant yapping. just know that i WILL make fanart about this (how the fuck do you draw an isopod??)

[blueberri-blu]

Learning You...

Mikey ♡

[Bayverse] Slowly getting to know Mikey ♡

Leo ♡⁠˖ Donnie ♡⁠˖ Raph♡⁠˖

Meeting Him:

You met through April, her thinking you two would hit it off

(and knows Mikey wants more friends)

He immediately starts flirting with you

You just start giggling, realizing it's just his personality

You both have been joined at the hip since then

I'm sorry this is so short but I feel like with Mikey you wouldn't take long to become friends!

Befriending him

You and Mikey have competitions to see who can eat the most pizza

Or beat the other in a video game

But you just giggle it off as Mikey being mikey

Or skate better

AKA, Competitions all around

Very friendly, giggly, joking Competitions

You'll have long movie marathons, with Mikey and you making fun of the movies (we all know he can't sit still for long)

He is constantly flirting with you "Angel cakes, baby, sweetcheeks, Babycakes" you name it

But you just giggle it off as Mikey being Mikey

Eventually you both are trying out pick up lines on each other

This always ends in huge laughing fits that are so loud even Even can hear them

Honestly? Y'all are just like those elementary school best friends on the playground

"I'd die for you, you're my bff"

"omg so would I!! You're MY bff"

You'll start inviting Mikey over so you two can get some time off, show him around your apartment/house

If you have any, and I mean ANY pets, he is in love immediately

You two will watch TV shows for hours

If y'all end up watching Euphoria, he'll say "wow your highschool must've had drama novela style"

You'll have to explain to him that no, most high schoolers aren't doing hard drugs in the bathroom, and that yes, maybe a few hook up in the school bathrooms

All in all, you and Mikey hit it off right away and have a friendship even the mane six from my little pony would be jealous of

First Date

Your first date takes... awhile to be honest

With Mikey always flirting with you, you can't tell the difference between joking, and Mikey trying to ask you out

Mikey goes to April for advice

She tells him that, it's not really special when he talks like that to everyone

So, Mikey thinks of a plan

Influenced a little bit by Leo

He brings you a box of pizza to your place

And when you open it, it's a heart pizza, and in the box in sharpie is written "will you be my only love?" With Classic by MKTO playing in the background

You two stay the night at your place, playing video games, watching TV shows (you show him reality TV and he is hooked.)

At the end of the night, Mikey is confident and leans in for a kiss

If you kiss him back, after he'll be breakdancing a "victory dance" in your living room

If you pull away and say you don't kiss on the first date

Hell immediately start planning your second, third, fourth date and, if you let him, your wedding

Dating

Mikey is very touchy

He loves PDA and physical affection in general

If you do too, you can't keep your hands off of eachother

His brothers, don't appreciate it

If you don't like PDA or physical affection as much (in public) he will have a pillow to hold and cuddle with while he holds your hand

He doesn't care if he has to wait for you to be comfy for physical affection

In his words "my sexy Angel cakes, no need to rush, imma have you forever, right?"

Omg he is so sweet

His brothers are kind of happy he has you now tho, you entertain almost all of his ideas, and Mikey never feels stupid or dumb around you

You even encourage him to try some of his (non dangerous) ideas, just so you two can see what happens

I can totally see Mikey teaching you to ride on a skateboard

Thankfully his "powerful lou jitsu ninja skills" as he puts it, give him the reflexes to always catch you

If you don't get the hang of it, that's ok!

Mikey loves it when you and him share his skateboard,

His two favorite things, you and skateboarding (all that's missing is pizza)

You'll go to skateparks that are either closed down

Or just closed at night with no one there at night

You bring a calming presence to his chaos

Always encouraging him to try things, but within safe limits

Mikey brings out an adventurous side of you tho

He loves cuddling you, big spoon or little spoon, you on top, him on top, he doesn't care!

Dating Mikey means pizza, skating, adventure, movies and gaming

[agentrouka-blog]

I was talking to my friend and she came with an interesting thinking. Can we take The Dreadful as another evidence that Jon/Sansa relationship wasn't/woudn't be purely platonic, and Kit/Sophie knew? Think about it. Do you see Kit doing a movie like that with Maisie (even though it's quite normal for actors to do all kinds of movie)? I don't think he would, it would be really strange for them. But bc Jonsa relationship wasn't already platonic, it won't have this strangeness in playing lovers in this movie, so it was easier for them to accept doing this project together.

I think it behooves us to remember that these people are professional actors first and foremost, and that their personal relationship with each other as private persons or as professionals is something we have little direct insight into.

They make money making movies. They won't turn down a good opportunity unless they really have to. They like working with each other and have stated they want to work together again. So now they are.

I honestly don't think this project means to them what it means to some jonsa fans who love seeing them in it. (Although that is lovely for the fans in question, more joy to them.)

Also, you don't need approval/confirmation through some obscure reading of Kit and Sophie's movie projects. You just need to look at the show and judge based on that, and there were choices made there by many people who were not the actors, who influenced what that final product looked like, and there's plenty of evidence. More than you will find in some War of the Roses gothic horror movie that happens to be filmed with the same actors.

[wingedshadowfan]

⚠️arcane s2 act ii spoilers⚠️

"caitlyn switching sides immediately when vi calls her cupcake again" "caitlyn double crossing her mentor ambessa out of the blue" "caitlyn and vi haven't talked or seen each other in months" "caitlyn randomly changing her mind" SHUT UP

if singed didn't manage to get warwick out his way (which would've still likely made warwick go berserk causing casualties and/or even losing the remainder of vander), ambessa's army of trained warriors, because notice there weren't any enforcers w/ them, would've raided a village of pacifists who don't have a single weapon, in order to catch and tame a monster that can and has turned a dozen people to bacon in minutes undoubtedly to employ it against other innocents (which caitlyn never wanted happening btw, even in her pursuit of jinx and her personal revenge, she thought it was taking too long and being too violent and destructive, which we saw caused tension betw her and ambessa), not to mention caitlyn called singed a monster and we don't quite see her changing her mind after seeing the dead daughter he does animal testing in order to immortalize, she'd alr confronted ambessa for her and her himbo's methods (warmongers not following the lawful procedures, who's surprised), and if in the midst of me potentially spying on ambessa and her people vi of all ppl falls from the sky to say this "monster" is her dad (considering caitlyn is still deeply grieving her mother and has been under the impression vi's dad is dead) and that the village prophet will turn him to a man again (effectively neutralizing a potentially uncontrollable and very severe threat) like i'm sorry but if i was caitlyn and had to act immediately under a time crunch, i'd also go straight to "here's where the guards are placed, i'll walk you in as a hostage" it was the perfect moment to betray ambessa to diverge attention (and it would've worked if jayce hadn't blown a hole through viktor's chest, which i'm actually not exactly blaming him for doing to a eugenics enthusiast) - w/ the help of vi and in the urgency of needing to figure out how to save all those people by herself (and in the undercity too bcuz it's a relatively neutral ground and caitlyn can't go quite back home after this unless she kills ambessa or smth) and why couldn't she have done it before? the stakes weren't as high before and she also couldn't do much against ambessa in piltover without a single capable counselor left (despite everyone telling her "it's your call" it's never that simple in politics)

and even if you took the complete opposite stance and argued that caitlyn doesn't love vi anymore/never truly did bcuz she hurt her, pushed her away, got a rebound and became authoritarian (which isn't a hill you can easily die on if you consider literally any other outside influences on the situations and relationships in arcane imo) guess what? none of these things matter for the decision caitlyn had to make (and vi likely didn't tell her jinx was in the village too)

[aspoonofsugar]

What do you think so far of season 2 of Arcane ? Honestly I think for my part that it’s too rushed and there are too many storylines it’s so confusing. Besides they completely destroyed Vi and Caitlyn relationship lol the disappointment is high

Hi!

I am sorry you are not enjoying the season very much. On my part I am loving it and I am looking forward to the final act!

I think much criticism I have seen stems from the very own premise of Arcane as a show tbh. I think there are two things to clarify.

First thing to clarify

Arcane is in the end a League of Legends show. Its main commercial goal is to explore the Lore of the Game, so that new fans can be brought in and old fans can have fun spotting easter eggs. As a result, it takes some choices that in another story you wouldn't have. Two examples:

1- Mel's arc feels out of the blue, but it ties into the lore of the game (I heard they wanted to make Mel into a new champion? If so, she is probably going through an arc where she is receiving magical abilities, as smart as fuck and good at politics isn't exactly a set skill that works in LOL). It is a storyline you would not usually add, as you would not usually add the Black Rose shenaningas. They added it because it probably lets them add a new champion to the game and it lets them play homage to another popular character of the game. That said, Mel's own storyline has the potential to tie nicely with the main plotline:

a) Mel's disappearance does in fact have an impact on the narrative, i.e. it lets Medarda do as she pleases in Piltover. If Mel were around, there is no way she would have let her mother establish Martial Law without a fight. I think Mel could have also had a positive influence on Cait. Not only that, but Medarda's love for Mel humanizes her character and gives more depth to her relationship with Caitlyn. It is obvious Medarda and Cait's bond is one where they are projecting on the other a loved one. Cait finds a new mentor figure/mother after Cassandra's death. Medarda finds a new mentee figure/daughter after Mel's disappearance. They are not mother and daughter, but they project on each other a need they both feel, as they are both grieving.

b) Mel has always been linked to Jayce and Viktor's B plot aka Arcane plot, as she, Viktor and Jayce are the ones who created HexTech. This season Viktor and Jayce have both "touched" the Arcane, which has traumatized them in opposite ways. In a sense, they have both lost their humanity in the pursue of progress. Moreover, they have both become entangled with magic. Well, even if I know very little of LOL Lore, I think it is safe to assume Mel inherited some kind of magical ability. The fact she is trapped in some kind of magical dimension where she has to decipher old runes makes me believe her experience is not very different from Viktor and Jayce, thematically. They all pursued progress through science, only to now face something of wild and irrational. Also, Mel being the one with the higher magical potential among the trio could be pretty interesting.

2 - I would not have wanted Vander to come back in any other series and was skeptical about the choice of having him be Warwick. That said, I also understand it makes a very interesting background for the champion, so I understand why they made this decision. What's more, I actually like a lot how he has been used. Instead of being reduced to a simple agent of chaos, he has been used as a catalyst in Vi and Jinx's arcs.

Basically, they are taking choices, I would not recommend in any other story. However, they are making them work pretty well both for Arcane and for LOL.

Second thing to clarify

It is true Arcane is an ensembled cast and it balanced different pov rather well in season 1. However, this does not mean that ALL characters have the same importance. I think both season 1 and this season so far have made very clear that the story has ONE main character, that is Jinx:

She is the one given the major focus BY FAR.

The whole first season is her journey to become the Jinx in the games, which is symbolically why the season ends with her embracing this alterego. Every other major character's plotline in the main A plot is after all tied to her. Vi wants to save her. Silco wants to control her. Caitlyn wants to arrest her. She is the reason why Cait and Vi meet each other in the first place. Not to count she also unwillingly kicks off the B plotline by having Jayce's research come to light.

The second season so far has revolved around her, as well. This time she is going through a journey, where she tries to fix what she has broken. At the same time, she has to accept the consequences of her own actions. She grieves Silco, connects with Sevika, adopts Isha and tries to mend her relationship with Vi. Meanwhile, all the other major characters are impacted by her. She is at the centre of the conflict between Vi and Cait, for example. She is the one who almost kills Viktor, so that Jayce tries to resurrect him. Finally, she becomes the centre of the major conflict between Piltover and Zaun.

In short, I think it is fair for people to be annoyed their faves are not receiving the screentime or focus, they had hoped. However, I think that so far the series has been coherent in keeping Jinx at its center. We'll see if it will be so for the ending, as well.

Finally, I don't think Vi and Cait's relationship was ruined. I think the conflict among Vi, Cait and Jinx is actually my favourite part of this season. I will add that their conflict is actually a mirror of the first season:

Season 1 has the first act focused on Vi's relationship with Powder and it ends with their separation / Season 2 has the first act focused on Vi's relationship with Cait and it ends with their separation

Season 1 has the second act focused on Vi and Cait's relationship, as Vi looks for her family / Season 2 has the second act focused on Vi and Jinx's relationship, as they look for their family. Both relationships start as conflictual and slowly grow better

In season 1's third act, Vi fails to reconcile her relationship with Cait with the one with Jinx. We'll see if in the final act of season 2, she will fare better.

In short, it has never been only Vi and Cait, but always Vi, Cait and Jinx, as her lover and her sister represent two different sides of Vi. Just like Jinx has to reconcile both Jinx and Powder, so Vi has to reconcile both Jinx and Cait. Similarly, Cait needs to reconcile Vi and Jinx as two parts of Zaun.

In conclusion, I do agree that there are a little bit too many storylines, some of which might feel out of the blue. I also understand people wanted some characters to be explored more. However, I also think they are doing a great job at telling the story they want to tell and they are giving the viewers all the elements to understands the characters' developments. Surely, it would have been great to have some dynamics and psychologies explored more, but the writing level stays pretty high.

This does not mean you should like it, though. You probably were more interested in some dynamics and storylines that ended up being sidelined and it is totally valid to be annoyed by it.

Thank you for the ask!

[taisgf]

What about a relationship with the yellowjackets girls post-rescue. Or what about 25 years later, reuniting with them. Like in the show, they all find a way to come back together, but with the weight of their shared history in the wilderness, how would that be? Would old feelings rekindle? (By the way, I love your writing!)

hc. reunion with the adult timeline yj girls (shauna, tai, van, lottie, nat)

A/N: sorry this is a bit small nonnie!! and that i took so long… this is such a cool ask so I had to do it 😈 and again peep the van favouritism. a bit nsfw tee hee, implied wlw (duh), drugs n shit, van’s cancer😔 not proofread because nnnmnhnhb….. uhhh mmm. nah.

NATALIE:

Natalie would be almost embarrassed to see you again after it all. Being such a pillar within the group in the wilderness, and having lost herself so much after would really hit her when she sees you again.

You’re engraved in Nat’s mind during those 20-something years, a spit image of your face lurking in her subconscious. Somehow, each time Natalie found herself blacking out, or hitting the peak of her high, you’d come to mind. Your face, looking at her- and suddenly she’s 17 again, sat next to you by a fire.

Natalie would be torn between never wanting to see you again, and craving your company so deeply. So when you’re thrust into her life again, likely by Misty’s influence- she doesn’t quite know how to react.

You’d catch her staring- all interactions short, yet packed. As things with Lottie pick up, Nat would be quick to defend you, never leaving a few metres distance just like she used to.

After that, she wouldn’t be as subtle about her feelings toward you. She’d be hesitant to go into anything serious let alone long term, but having you back with her would do a lot for Nat. She’d have someone she can really trust- and who would that be if not you?

Any intimacy with adult timeline Nat would be wild, impromptu and more than likely when you’re both under the influence. Rough, and fast and heated- but lying together after? Maybe, if you’re lucky, Nat would let you look into her soul a little. Maybe she’d let you in. Keep at it and who knows where you two would end up.

TLDR; Nat’s very confused. But aroused?

VAN:

Reuniting with Van would definitely go the smoothest out of all the girls (women)? She’d let you stay in her shop, keeping you for days- enticing you with nostalgic movies and shows you’d watch together as teenagers. Cuddled up at night referencing some dumbass sitcom- watching all the films that came out while you were stranded that you never got to experience together as teenagers. Dumb reality TV, some Jim Carrey ‘AS SEEN ON VHS’ movie for the 80th time- anything to be close to you.

Van wouldn’t be the one to bring up getting back together by any means, but she wouldn’t shut it down either. It would be great for a while- until you find her discreetly sneaking around her medicine cabinet, or her constant complains of pain. Van would gradually grow distant, and knowing her- you’d pick up on it pretty fast.

She’d be reluctant to let you know about her cancer- but it would be a huge weight off her shoulders once she did. She’d be able to enjoy your time together way more, and your company would make her feel a lot better.

Chances are you’d be with Van a good while before all of the things with Lottie and the others- meaning you’d meet back with the group as a united front, secure and positive through all the bullshit. You’d be a huge anchor for Van through it all- and no doubt she would be for you too.

(Van’s cancer was totally cured btw. Showtime told me themself sorry) (I’ll be so mad if she dies) (my baby….)

Van’s still silly as shit, too. Everything that happened in the wilderness would no doubt just become fodder for her twisted sense of humour, but deep down she’s deeply hurt. Having you back and repairing those old relationships would really help her, more than you could understand.

Adult van’s strap is like. That retro pinky-reddy-orangey by the way. Canon. I can see the future (and because she used it on me yesterday)

TAI:

I feel like reuniting with Tai before everything would be rather inevitable. She’s a public figure- and after months and months of seeing her on TV, you’d reunite- maybe teaching Sammy at school, only to see her walk in for a parent-teacher conference. Maybe you’d see her posters around, enticing you to vote for her.

(I want to write a reunion, Sammy’s-teacher fic now💔)

Tai has legitimately nobody to confide in about what happened- and with all the drama surrounding her campaign for senator, you can imagine how relieved she was when you find your way back into her life.

I imagine you’d reunite at the peak of her stress; maybe after the whole ‘SPILL’ drama. Tai’s sleepwalking again, she knows it- and she remembers how it was you who knew how to calm her. So, when you drunkenly stumble your way into her bed after meeting in a bar she’s not surprised that she can finally sleep the whole night. Only with you does Tai ever feel well rested. Only in your arms can she relax.

Which, given Tai’s whole marital downfall, would lead to a passionate and almost desperate love affair. Change my mind- wait, you can’t. It would be almost scandalous, the fact that the esteemed senator candidate and yourself, both having endured the wilderness together, are together. If the press found out, they’d have a fit. Tai never fails to remind you this, so your relationship would be kept under tight, tight wraps.

Any intimacy with adult Tai would go one of two ways. Option 1, as an act of comfort. To remedy sadness, take that stress of eachother’s shoulders. Slow, and tender- a mature kind of love, like Tai’s always been. You’d lie for hours after, talking. Maybe you’d unload about all the nightmares and flashbacks to the wilderness, or maybe Tai would ramble about Sammy and [WIFE NAME].

Or, option 2. Rough, angry sessions that last hours at a time. Unloading all of the bottled up negative emotions which between the two of you is enough to last a lifetime. Tai would pull your hair, rut into you without a care of how you might bruise- or maybe she’d let you dig your nails into her thighs, bite at her skin and just pray that it wouldn’t show the next day in time for her meeting.

LOTTIE:

I feel like reuniting with Lottie at her retreat alongside the other girls is the obvious answer, but I’m inclined to say that you’d actually turn up a good while earlier.

Lottie’s presence in your life would never cease- not since you’d met her, no matter where she was or where you are. Lottie lingers- and she always will.

She’d think that some spiritual presence, be it fate or the wilderness drew you back to her. That of course you found your way back to her somehow. You were Lottie’s girl the second that plane went down, and there’s no doubt in her mind that you’ll always be.

That’s why she’s so happy to see you at the gates of her commune- eagerly offering you a room in her best suite, right beside her own. She’s cater to your every want, showing you around and explaining how everything’s connected to what you all experienced out there.

And no doubt, you’d fall for it. Maybe you’d want to. Either way, you do. With Lottie, old feelings don’t rekindle per se, they were always just there. Even when you didn’t talk, even when she was god knows where- Lottie was there, and so were you.

Having sex with adult Lottie would be less ritualistic and spiritual than it used to be when you were out in the wild. At first, it might even seem normal. But, the passionate sensuality, the way she worships you and insists that ’no, no, you just lay back, let me take care of you’ or the way her tongue spells a prayer against you while her head’s buried between your thighs brings you back.

SHAUNA:

While with the other girls it’d likely be themselves or maybe the hand of fate drawing you back together, with Shauna it would have to be you starting things.

You’d reach out a few times- maybe she’d humour you, and you’d grab a coffee while you’re in town. Shauna couldn’t deny that it did make her feel a certain way and sure after a few drinks and if you were lucky enough to catch her during the whole ‘Jeff allegedly cheating’ thing, maybe she’d concede and you’d hook up.

As hard as I try, though, I can’t imagine it going any further. Shauna cares about you; of course she does. But, she’s resilient and now she has a whole family of her own. We see Shauna do her best to distance herself from everything that happened, and having you like that would only bring her back.

So, she’d blow you off. Maybe you’d be a new victim of her drunk, sad booty-calls, but beyond that? I don’t think Shauna would be so quick to get back together. But the love? Of course it’s still there.

(Sorry to my shauna girlies😔 I cannot lie and say she would because I just don’t think so!!)

[karanseraph]

Today's feature is "More Than Meets the Eye" (1984 three-part mini-series) and Transformers One (2024).

"MtMtE" sets up a lot! Seen now in retrospect, it clearly has been referenced and homaged a lot. I mean, even little things, like how Bee is injured and needs to get a ride from Wheeljack and he complains that his injured part is his rear axle. Years later, in Robots in Disguise (2015) Rear Axel is that Bee's favorite Earth rock band. So, a lot of Transformers, including Transformers One has been influenced by this mini-series.

These are both animated works but pretty different in style and techniques.

Both Transformers One and MtMtE have a lore drop early on. In the 80s mini-series it's a narrator telling you right away that this was millions of years ago and there's a planet called Cybertron with living intelligent robots who can think and feel and that they come in peace-loving Autobots or domination-bent Decepticon flavor and that they are at war and have exhausted their planet's resources and energy.

In Transformers One the lore drop comes after a few establishing shots and our first look at Orion, in which we see the lore as Orion experiences it through watching a historical holographic recording. (Is this "diegetic"?) The details differ 40-years into the franchise. At the dawn of time Primus specifically created Cybertron of himself, he exists in the core, created The Primes, and chooses worthy leaders through The Matrix of Leadership, which enables energon to flow and power the planet.

In the later portion of MtMtE Spike will write in a journal, allowing some in-universe narration to explain more about the bots, so that's a similar device for delivering lore to the audience.

Both the mini-series and later movie have some similar main characters. Megatron leads Decepticons and Optimus Prime the Autobots. Megatron has Soundwave, Shockwave and Starscream all hanging around to serve him. There's a whole bunch of bots who look kinda like Starscream and it's hard to tell who is who sometimes. Bumblebee is introduced in some vaguely scavenging or salvaging capacity. A number of Autobots in MtMtE will be background "miners" in Transformers One. A notable difference is Elita being absent, or anyone girl-like. As well, the two factions antagonize each other, so there's no third party. No Sentinel. No Quintessons.

In Transformers One, Starscream was a leader of the High Guard who got dethroned by D-16 (Megatron). in MtMtE, Starscream is seeking leadership from Megatron who insists this will never happen. So, role reversal.

The settings are different. Both start in Iacon on Cybertron. But while in Transformers One they leave the underground to explore 'The Surface', as if another world, in MtMtE the bots all journey to Earth on their search for energy and literally experience another planet. so, there are still parallels in the general structure.

No humans in Transformers One, the only alien presence is The Quintessons. While in MtMtE we're introduced to the Witwicky family of companion humans.

Energon cubes feature in both. They are cute blue things that bots eat and which Sentinel is secretly using to pay tribute to Quintessons, and in MtMtE they are mostly rainbow stacks of energy, which feature in Megatron's resource looting plot that endangers and introduces the human characters.

I wonder if in some ways Airachnid took on Reflector's function in Transformers One. He's often in the group shots in MtMtE and even takes some photos with Thundercracker, but although, apparently, there was concept art for the character, he didn't make it into Transformers One. But Airachnid's role in the plot involves her having seen everything with her many eyes and being made to replay what she saw as evidence. I have to wonder if there was ever a plan for that to be Reflector.

Both MtMtE and Transformers One involve a battle between Megatron and Optimus. As epic and referenced as the battle at Sherman Dam is, seeing it after seeing the battle in Transformers One makes it look so primitive. Like, yeah, it was epic, but Transformrers One went way beyond the battle in MtMtE (or even the mortal battle in The Transformers: the Movie which also is epic and often referenced).

Optimus Prime doesn't have as epic a fall in MtMtE as Orion in Transformers One (or even Tf:tM) either, but he does get caught in an explosion at the ruby crystal mines and rolls off a cliff.

Mines where it's the Starscream-shaped bots doing most of the mining for their Decepticon faction. Quite different from these being the High Guard in Transformers One while many future Autobots were the miners in Transformers One. (Also, there's the Trackers in Transformers One who do not mine but are a functional guard for Sentinel and Airachnid who resemble the Vehicons from Transformers Prime who carried out mining and combat duties both.) Who are the miners and who is the guard seems among continuity defining elements.

OP does use a jet/rocket pack at one point in MtMtE, which is a ting that happens not a few times in Transformers One.

I also wonder, again, if at any point in planning Mirage was going to be the winner of the Iacon 5000, instead of Chromia, in Transformers One. Especially now, reminded how in MtMtE Mirage was the one who snuck aboard the Decepticon space cruiser and brought it down. It could have been an interesting parallel or comparison.

MtMtE ends with the reveal that Megatron is alive after his cruiser crashed into the sea, which in its way parallels Megatron appearing in the post-credit scene in Transformers One rallying his Decepticons.

But, back to beginnings, does anyone thing that Orion's entrance into the archives climbing through the circular duct in any way is homaging James Bond movie intros? That whole looking down the barrel/sight thing?

Since I found out that Transformers One is on Paramount+ in my region, and since I still have access to this service, I've been watching it every day and then watching some other Transformers content I have access to. Back-to-back like.

It's only been a few days.

The first day I watched Transformers One and then about 6-ish episodes of EarthSpark 'Season 3 '. Transformers One IMO, is the superior work. I don't hate EarthSpark (the obvious shift between seasons 1 and 2 does frustrate me). It generally does a lot of things I like. One of them is that it has an interesting animation style in which the 'Transformers Bots' come out looking very toy-like and the special effects 2D in style and it makes me feel like the whole thing is someone playing with toys, but in a good way (except one of the kids I'm playing with wants to go in a direction I don't like). Anyway, Transformers One is just a more epic thing all around. It's from the same era but made with different style and design. Less like toys (weirdly, considering Director, eh?) and more like an animated Science Fiction/Adventure in general. Also, arguably deeper resonance in the characters and their arcs.

The next day I watched Transformers One and then Rise of the Beasts, which only came out a little more than a year before. So, similar era of media, again. Animation vs 'live action' (but we know those bots are all animated just in a 'realism' style). The characters look pretty good to me in both. And the plots and characters and their arcs are different, but both are interesting and have resonance. I mean it's like the 'brothers' that turn into enemies with one, but then in the other it's largely about these two (three but Primal is so ahead of the others) guys from different planets trying to do their best for their own families and coming together to fight a destructive force. So, both movie are pretty epic. I kinda want others to watch these back-to-back to see what they feel, because one movie is like the one splitting apart and the other is about separate people joining as one.

Now, today I'm watching The Transformers: The Movie (I believe I own this one) and Transformers One back-to-back double feature. I'm still in the midst of this. But I think TF:tM holds up. It's 80s as Hell, right? 1986 up against 2024. But if I think about it in terms of "was this good or typical of its time" then both movies looked good in their era. Both animated, though different in technique and style. Both make use of Quintessons while the main foe is someone else. Both pretty epic plots. Both have that sort of cultural resonance where Transformers One does have those sort of Prince of Egypt vibes (I see what you did TFWiki) or like shades of Set and Osiris or vaguely The Lion King where there's a pair of close characters who split apart dramatically with betrayal. And Transformers: the Movie is very Hero's Journey itself borrowing heavily from Star Wars. Both these movies made use of some amount of celebrity casting and it worked. Transformers One several more girl or woman type characters than Transformers: The Movie, but that's also likely reflective of the eras in which they were made. Transformers One still mainly has the one main pink heroic girl and dark bad girl characters which is a thing with this whole genre of the action toyline adaptation, but yes, many other different types of bots in the background.

I think maybe Bumblebee tomorrow?