#i saw this post earlier without this addition

[alacants]

The source of those rumors is a guy from Carlos's family's tennis club who is close to Kiko Navarro & knows some members of Carlos's team & is a regular collaborator with Punto de Break. According to him (he's said this before) Carlos & Juanki had a significant fight towards the end of 2023. But the claim that they nearly split up back then came from someone else who's less reliable.

As for 2025, the first guy says Carlos's dad has apparently not been happy with what Juanki is doing for a while... but it seems like Carlos doesn't agree. If things don't turn around after clay season his family might push for changes to the team.

From my perspective it's hard to understand the coaching strategy sometimes. Like you said Juanki's strength is not tactics but it seems like that's what Carlos really needs. This is just one example but I think it's crazy that he sat on court in silence for three sets without suggesting Carlos change his return position v Djokovic - Carlos eventually figured it out... in the last game of the match. And that was honestly the main factor in him losing. You could argue Juanki wanted him to figure it out himself but why on earth did they not discuss that beforehand when it also cost him massively at the Olympics (which Carlos said he didn't even think about before the match?)

I know Juanki's whole thing is treating team like family but there are a lot top coaches who say that after 5ish years a coach has nothing to give a player anymore & I wonder if their partnership has run its natural course. Carlos doesn't seem any more tactically equipped than he was two years ago & his technicals have mostly not improved either (return... backhand...).

thanks for this background - after replying to some earlier asks i dug around and saw some folks citing punto de break but not any specifics so this is appreciated. this does immediately increase the credibility to me bc i know pdb values their access and would not jeopardize it for nothing lmao. tho if it's like, a guy who sometimes writes for them and is mostly posting on his own time... i guess that's somewhere in the middle. (btw i still haven't seen anything other than reports of reports of reports? if you've got links i would very much appreciate them!)

as usual i think we're looking at two questions here: could carlos benefit from a different coach, and does carlos want a different coach.

i think we are all in agreement that for carlos to continue to develop as a player he needs something he's not getting at the moment, whether we're thinking in terms of incorporating a new addition to the team or making a wholesale switch. and i don't disagree with you at all about the natural lifespan of a coaching relationship. i've cited this before in discussions of juanki's own career (stuck with one guy; was it a mistake?) and of ferru's (split but waited too long; chalked the delay up to personal feelings).

but as long as it's presented to carlos as an all-or-nothing choice i don't think he's there yet and i would not be surprised to find out that his recent post-match declarations were a message. (tbc it very much MIGHT be an all-or-nothing choice, regulars here know i have plenty of thoughts about the academy lmao.)

the thing is that at this point the unknowns are still really, really risky. if you've had the same coach for most of your teen/adult years and you're ready to strike out and try something new, then that's exciting and stimulating and you're in a good place to make the best of it. but if you're dragging your feet? if you feel like you've been pushed? maybe someone else could give you more, but you have to be ready to receive it, you know? if you're an environment that you know enables you overall to perform at a high level (4 grand slams), where you feel overall confident and supported even if you're lacking direction in some big matches, where you get value from your coach's presence above and beyond the specifics of tennis--it is inherently going to be a risk to make a big change and if you're not all in on doing so the risks will be even more likely to find you.

that's why i keep saying is that i don't see it happening unless carlos' results gets much worse than this--or, potentially, unless a voice that holds as much weight with him as juanki's (so, his dad) gets strong enough that he listens to it. that might be where we're headed!

(incidentally i have feinted at this without saying so explicitly, but there is an unbelievable amount of money riding on carlos' success or lack thereof--i don't mean prize money, i mean his brand as a star--and it would be naive to pretend that's not a factor in decision-making. that's one of the reasons i've pointed to a sustained slump, rather than one or two disappointing slams. when the results start to affect the brand.)

just talked this over with friend who compared the ideal set-up to darren/simone for jannik--supervisory coach + tactical/court coach. if so, then the question is whether they come to that same conclusion and get the set-up in place before the decision is out of their hands, so to speak.

[ripplestitchskein]

This is one of my favorite moments from the episode. Like from an art point of view the expression and body language is so on point. If you watch this sequence without sound it tells the story just as effectively as the dialogue, so kudos to them. A+ animation.

However, I’ve seen a few people say it doesn’t make sense for Stolas to react like this because he overheard Stella plotting to kill him. Which, I think that scene was more to highlight Stolas’s obliviousness in general more than him knowing she was trying to kill him? But that’s a separate post. This moment though has very little to do with Stolas’s worry over his personal safety or even the assassination attempt itself. He is not reacting to the reveal that Blitz didn’t warn him about an assassin from a place of “I could have prepared myself better with a warning and known what Stella was plotting earlier”.

He’s reacting to it from a place of “Someone tried to kill me and you didn’t care enough about me to even mention it”. The episode is about how Stolas is interpreting and “learning” that Blitz was showing him all along he didn’t care about him, that Blitz just does this to people, that Stolas is NOT special he’s just another in a crowd of people Blitz fucked and fucked off.

That they conveyed so well how crushing this must have been, to learn the person you love and care for not only knew months ahead of that someone was trying to kill you but you factored so little into their thoughts they just FORGOT to tell you? How he realized that he meant so little in the scheme of Blitz’s life that Blitz couldn’t even be bothered to mention it?

So yeah this isn’t a mistake, this isn’t the writers forgetting Stolas already knew, the issue here is not about the assassination at all, it’s about how Stolas is now interpreting this as “Someone tried to end my life and I meant so little to you I didn’t even warrant a heads up about it”. Like, not to be dramatic but Blitz just basically confessed that he didn’t care about Stolas’s existence at all.

We know it’s because of how Blitz sees Stolas as this untouchable immortal figure on high, but Stolas doesn’t see himself that way. He’s very clear he doesn’t recognize his own power and position.

It goes even deeper than that devastating line of thought though. It casts the whole “Am I in danger?” aspect of Western Energy into a whole different light. We interpret it as him not really believing he is in trouble, just mildly inconvenienced and wanting Blitz to play hero for his romantic fantasies. He is kidnapped by someone he recognizes as being a friend of Blitz’s, he calls him to clarify it, Blitz is then “I can’t save you today, my daughter has a thing”. During this point in the conversation Stolas has no idea Striker is sent to assassinate him persay, he thinks he’s just been kidnapped by a friend of Blitz’s. But Blitz DOES know Striker tried to kill Stolas in the past and is a credible threat. In this scene in Apology Tour Stolas finds out that Blitz knew that from the beginning, that he knew that and still couldn’t be bothered to come and was dismissive of it. That’s what Stolas saw anyway. He didn’t see Blitz driving crazy and turning around. He didn’t see his face of worry or regret. So the only information Stolas has now is “I called you telling you I was kidnapped by a man you knew tried to kill me and you said you were too busy. You knew how dangerous he was and you didn’t even care about me enough to help me.”

I’m sure it was a lot easier to deal with and excuse Blitz not being there and being busy when he assumed Blitzø didn’t know he was in real danger, now Stolas knows the truth. Blitz knew the person he identified as having kidnapped him had tried to murder him in the past and it still wasn’t enough to stir Blitz to save him.

Like that’s so fucking crushing? And important. Like critical really.

Like do the Stolas math of “Let me add up the evidence to interpret his feelings” and in addition to all the times he sneered or turned away add in “He knew a person who kidnapped me had already attempted murder and still didn’t give a shit”.

We know that’s not the whole story, that Blitz was worried and did turn around but Stolas doesn’t. This is the whole pattern of their entire relationship. He never sees when Blitz turns around in any context. He looks at Blitz and SEES him, is rebuffed by Blitz turning away and so Stolas looks away and just as he does Blitz turns back to him. It makes me want to claw my face off. This isn’t about the assassination at all, this is about them missing each other yet again.

In my head I think of it like a trapeze act. They each take the swing, they are flying through the air but they aren’t paying attention, they look away and miss the grab and both are plummeting to the ground.

[quitealotofsodapop]

Surprise Marbled Egg

"You're working for the Lady Bone Demon!?"

The roar of rage filled the air as Macaque winced, ears flattening at the sight of his angry... well, he isn't sure what Wukong is to him anymore but he knows what he wants to be. MK, the poor kid, was staring up at him with tear filled eyes as he clung to Wukong's back and the reborn Pilgrims flanked him, the dragon is particularly spitting fire.

"W-Wukong! Listen-" Macaque stammered, pleading with the golden monkey, trying to explain himself only for Wukong to scoff.

"Why should I!? What reason do I have to Listen. To anything you have to say after this betrayal, Macaque!"

"I swear! I didn't- I wouldn't..." Macaque's words died in his throat as he remembered. That wasn't true. Had it not been for that chance encounter in the market, had he not seen his former mate pregnant and with his young child, he very well could have enacted his plans for revenge and helped the Lady Bone Demon without a second thought so long as it meant Wukong would suffer. "I'm sorry!"

"..." Wukong is silent, rage and fury burning his eyes red as his hold on century old glamours slipped from the sheer strength of his emotions, "Sorry doesn't cut it. Not this time."

"Peaches-"

"Don't you dare call me that!" The m9nkey king hissed, fangs bared as his free arm went to his neck, digging beneath hsi ever present scarf, "You don't have the right! Not after putting MK in danger, not when you betray me like this right when I only just started to trust it! You are a terrible beast, Liu'er Mihou, and I no longer can hold onto any part of you!"

With that, he gave a decisive pull, snapping something from his neck and throwing it to the ground. It was if everything stopped as soon as Macaque laid eyes upon it. A simple necklace, made with a shard of amethyst and intricately woven in a braid of black fur. Instinctively, his hand went to where it's matching citrine and ginger colored pendant, this one with stones of topaz, ruby, and jade added to the braid in addition to the main citrine, rest beneath his shirt.

"You... kept that?" Macaque's voice sounded distant, pained even to his own ears as Wukong turned his back to him, failing to hide his own tears as they welled up.

"It was all I had left of you when you left."

With that, Wukong walked away, pausing at the frame of the door to glance back, "I could never bear to part with it, not the most precious gift you have ever given me. But MK comes first, always. K can't stand by you knowing what the bone demon would do to my child."

With that Macaque's beloved wcaskngthe closing of the door casting Macaque and the forgotten pendant into shadow. His friends followed soon after, peering and spitting upon him as they passed.

OOOOooooooo! (earlier post describing this exact scenario). We discussed this a bit in dms!

Macaque done f'd up.

Even if he's genuine about not helping LBD, he still accepted a deal from her, and dragged his feet on telling Wukong about it. Now LBD is back, MK is traumatised, the world is in danger, and Wukong can't tell if the last few months have been even real between them as a family unit.

Throwing his marriage pendant back at his mate is the clearest statement of "You've f'cked up" that Wukong can say without bursting into tears.

Macaque still has his own pendant - he wore it the day he was dragged into the Underworld. Now he hides the one he gifted Wukong so many centuries ago beneath his scarf.

Most of S3 is Macaque in a fugue state, responding robotically to LBD's words. LBD sends the Not-Mayor along to ensure that her champion doesn't grow a backbone again.

Macaque still finds ways to sabotage the Thrall - deliberately splitting up the van to separate the gang as in canon, though for different reasons.

LBD and the Not-Mayor's frustration rises to a boil when Macaque allows Tang to claim the Ring of Samadhi from Lantern City. The scholar had some choice words to give the shadow monkey, but stoppered when he saw the exhausted, depressed look in his eyes (and a familiar black-cord pendant on his neck).

Tang: "You... you really did care about him, didn't you?" Macaque, icy curse already in effect: "Every single day. MK too." Tang: "You should probably tell them that for yourself. I swear you two are terrible for talking things out."

The talent show is quickly interrupted by a beefed-up bone demon thrall wrecking the stage - having finally given up on expecting the Macaque to do his job.

Wukong finally sees a glimpse of his mate's true self when he tackles the Thrall from grabbing MK - screaming at the stunned king and cub to run!

The gang makes it to the Ritual Site, where Nezha and Red Son are there to greet them.

There's chaos in the snow behind them as the Six Eared Macaque has reclaimed his will to fight. LBD's Thrall laughs at his predictability.

MK still embraces his best friend engulfed in True Fire.

Wukong is so overridden with guilt - not only hiding the last ring from everyone until it was too late, but also severely misjudging his own mate as having betrayed him.

Wukong flies off to confront the bone demon on his own.

Wukong is still captured and possessed - the Bone Demon preying upon his parental nature with her young host. The Not-Mayor becomes a limp noodle as his lady's power leaves him. Mei is stolen to power the Bone Mech's heart with her true fire.

Macaque is found half-dead in the snow. Nezha uses his own True Fire to melt the demon's icy curse from his body.

Macaque, shocked to be alive: "Nezha...? Thank-" Nezha, stern: "This isn't for you. It's for him." (*Macaque leans up painfully to see MK nearby, crying into the other three adults' arms. The cub is injured from Mei's fire, but doesn't care for his own injuries.*) Macaque: "Bud..." Nezha: "It is only because he requested that I dare drag you back from the brink. The Lady Bone Demon's geas upon you is null and void with your refusal, but mine is not. So I give you these instructions, Liu'er Mihou; Do not disappoint him." Macaque: "I won't. Promise." Nezha: "Good. Also, small side effect; your ears are stuck like that." Macaque, reaching to feel: "What do you- ehh!?" (*Macaque jumps up to look at his reflection in the sheen of the temple walls - seeing six lotus-petal-shaped ears on permanent display. He hasn't much time to ponder this when the full force of a baby stone monkey slams into him.*) MK, sobbing with relief: "MR LIU'ER, YOU'RE OKAY!!! (*Macaque sighs and hugs the child back. He can fret about any lotus-revival side effects later*) Macaque: "Hey bud. Sorry I messed this all up. I thought the Lady Bone Demon could help me get revenge on your Baba for a fight that happened a long time ago but... turns out revenge wasn't really the thing I wanted. I just wanted Wukong by my side again. But I still led her to you, and I am so sorry. I'm not a hero like your Baba..." MK, sniffling: "Can you be the Warrior instead? And help me get Baba back from the Lady Bone Demon?" Macaque, smiling: "I'll try my best, bud." Pigsy, interrupting: "Good! 'Cus if you hide something as big as, oh I don't know; Making a deal with a world-ending bone demon, again - I'll personally hand you over to King Yama myself!!!" Macaque: (*flinches, gives an intimidated thumbs up*)

Red Son has a brief moment of disgust at seeing Macaque alive again, but calms down when MK assures him that "Mr Liu'er is good now!". The fire demon still shoots his sworn uncle a glare, threatening to let PIF and DBK know about any future wrongdoing.

The gang confront LBD and her possessed champion. Macaque and Wukong are forced to fight once more.

The shadow monkey manages to break the King's trance by tying a certain familar pendant around his neck.

Possessed!Wukong: (*hand slowly reaches to touch the black cord and amethyst pendant. Is quiet, as if trying to calculate whether or not to rip it away.*) Macaque: "I'm so sorry, Wukong. Had I known you still thought of me so strongly, I wouldn't have accepted her offer. But..." (*Macaque pulls another pendant from his scarf; this one with an orange-fur cord and large sunset-like stone in the middle, flanked by smaller multicoloured shards. Even while possessed, the King seems to startle at the sight of it*) Macaque: "I really should have known that, seeing how I couldn't part with the one you proposed to me with..." Wukong, eyes flickering: "Mihou..." Macaque: "I haven't been the best mate. Or friend. But I want a chance to make it up to you and the cub. Even if you never forgive me, I want to be there for both of you. For all of you." (*Macaque takes Wukong's cool hands into his own*) Macaque: "If you will have me again, peaches." Wukong, crying: "Plums!" (*LBD's hold on the Monkey King breaks as Wukong pulls Macaque into his arms.*) MK: "YAY!" Red Son: "Noodle boy! The bone mech?" MK: "Oh yeah! Sorry!"

The Lady Bone Demon is defeated - MK feels multiple pairs of hands covering his ears and eyes as she tries to leave him a final warning...

Macaque still has a long way to go in making up to his mate and their cub. But he's got time.

[lukolabrainrot]

Part 2. Explanation

In one of the interviews (don’t remember exactly, Vogue one perhaps) they are asked who is most likely to fall in love at first sight and they both point at L, and something similar is stated multiple times throughout the WT in various ways. Now N on the other hand always supports the friends to lovers being the best romantic trope and I think it’s not only because it is her character’s story arc. The way she is talking about a deep connection developing in the course of the friendship being the best way to go about it, implies that she is not someone who jumps into relationships easily. The way they are talking about their first meeting makes me think that it was indeed a love at first sight for L, and attraction at first sight for N. How he talks about this immediate feeling of warmth, the way he describes her dancing that first time, I think he was slowly on his way down. While her first reaction to him was “how tall he is?”(indirect quote), her facial expression makes me think it was not just his hight that captured her attention. Do you see the difference? For him it was a feeling, for her an appearance. And he is not a touchy fella, even with his BRT family cast as close and friendly as they are, usually it is not him who initiates contact, but not with N (who on the contrary is very touchy) even from the earlier moments of filming. “I don’t really do selfies but if you want one we’ll do that,” “l’m not really a hugger. Oh, you want a hug N, as many as you wish.”

Now as I said LOGICALLY, REALISTICALLY we cannot even truly speculate about events or conventions taken/ not taken, had/not had. For all we know they might have never even admitted to anything, to themselves or each other (doubtful but still). And their relationship are entirely platonic (that would make me question so many things about life but who knows). But from the audience point of view I would say biggest shift definitely happened during s3 filming. I want to make it clear that by no means do I wish to imply any kind of infidelity, quite the opposite I am one of those who believe that until WT their relationship never slipped into romance, beyond perhaps certain tension which I think is sipping into what we see on screens (cough* tongue slip *cough). By which point serious relationship were already over, though I truly think they started to unravel sooner, that it was not pretty, and that L was the driving force of it. Why? There was a little movement in adjacent’s SM life which sparked my memories, S posting “my world” giving of vibes of obvious overcompensation? Well during the filming drought of s3, when all Polin fans were feeding of crumbs, someone reposted J’s post of appreciation to L with those words and additional “don’t get to see him a lot this days” (or something of a kind). Undertone is kind of similar, no? And the way she completely wiped him out of her life? Does not really say parting ways amiably to me😬

Yet again we DO NOT KNOW why hbs happened, how 🐜 got in the picture or where their relationship ever stood. But I will only say this, in my eyes it was the public who gave her the label, and as a result importance, not L, not really. All of her little games only make me believe in this more. She was never given permission to imply anything serious from him, a hotel room, a T-shirt, a hand, easily plausible to not be related to him, but posting his face without his consent? Entirely different story. Now as to her traveling with him, again we don’t know the circumstances behind the scene, was she there as a part of a friends group, her and his sister seemed chummy perhaps in some moments it was on hers behalf, or as an easy travel companion, or perhaps they are insanely in love and we are just fools. We DON’T REALLY KNOW anything, we see only what they allow us to see.

And you know what I saw? L was 😍 from the start of WT, his body language pretty much consistent throughout the entire WT. N on the other hand while always affectionate wasn’t as open or obvious until the second half of WT, especially with her 😍, in some of the last interviews she literally has “check out from reality” moments from looking at him. I see their silence as being sooo loud, especially on L part. They themselves stated that denying or commenting is pretty much pointless when it comes to public’s opinion, N said reading certain things online she would have a moment of “this is hurtful, they don’t even know me. THEY DON’T EVEN KNOW ME!!!” WE DON’T EVEN KNOW THEM, and they know that we don’t even know them, and they are right people will always think what people wish to think. (I for one am glad that more and more famous people feel confident enough to stop bending backwards for fans satisfaction. Public’s entitlement to peoples’ privacy is truly outrageous.) And what I see is that the only people whose point of view in this situation should matter are the two people whom we wish happiness. N and L. Look at what they allow us to see and don’t give attention to background dancers that are trying to distract us with flashy costumes from their inability to be in rhythm. To me some watermarks they paint seem like a beginning of a beautiful painting, but we’ll see what comes of it only when they would wish us to. (Not even going to comment on N supposed adjacent, those who believe that side hug is an epitome of romance, and perceive some barely reliable SM based sleuthing as hard core evidence, to each its own)

Again, apologies for dumping this on you. Truly adorable your blog.

Thank you for the kind words Anon, and glad you are here! ❤️️

[celaenaeiln]

Just how true do you think the sentiment of “bruce was still a child who didnt get to grow up/move on until he met dick”?

Very true! Actually-Alfred straight up says it-true!

This scene is when Dick was accepted by Batman to become robin.

I was actually going to use this for another Dick and Alfred post but let me just drop it here that Dick cares about Alfred so much!!

Like this boy is the sweetest, most caring person ever. He asks the butler if it's okay for him to become robin-who does that?! Who would think of doing that?! He's the most considerate, softest baby ever! The tiny, nervous, shy smile on his face in the second panel <33333

Here's the answer: "And while he most certainly became a man...I don't think he ever became an adult."

But Alfred says it twice!

"But Alfred always used to say Bruce would have self-destructed if he hadn't met me and learned some responsibility."

My other post about Bruce and Dick has a lot of images that talk about this idea too

That's why I love Bruce and Dick's relationship so much. They are so codependent on each other. While Bruce saved Dick (not from being angry. He wasn't an angry robin, istg.), Bruce also would have died without Dick.

Before Bruce met Dick, he was on a one way track to his own ending. He was reckless, didn't take precautions, and was on the verge of being consumed by the darkness of which he was fighting.

At this time, a boy came along that shined light down upon him (literally because of the circus stage lights lol) and he was taken by him instantly.

With a new partner-a child-by his side Bruce was forced to take precautions, learn how to operate as a human being, and was just happy to have someone who bright and cheerful. He used Dick as an emotional crutch from losing his mind.

"Still, the addition of Dick Grayson into the Master's crusade has made a difference in him."

"I do believe I saw him smile. There have even been occasions in the pantry when I could just discern the muffled sounds of laughter echoing up from the dreadful cavern beneath the manor."

There are so many occasions where Alfred talks about how extraordinarily important Dick is to Bruce.

Dick raised Bruce.

To borrow a lyric line that explains this:

"Take a broken man right in my hands And then put back all his parts"

Dick's "i can fix him" issues which are a massive part of his relationship with Deathstroke come from acting as a child parent to Bruce.

But the greatest part?

He still is.

Again and again and again. Dick is the only person Bruce relies on. He never tells anyone his secrets or worries unless that person is Dick. And often he bears the brunt of the work by his family. Both Tim and Jason have gotten angry at him for taking Bruce's side or supporting Bruce but the thing is, he's the only one who can next to Alfred. Tim has accused and praised him of being too much like Batman sometimes but when you raise a kid (adult-sized) I think you're bound to forgive them while also admonishing them for their mistakes.

They also use Dick as the unofficial spokesperson to talk to Bruce

"Hey. Tim told me about Zur. Are you alright?"

Side note: Tim tried talking to Bruce earlier but Bruce kept ignoring his concerns.

For each robin, Dick acts as the emotional go between Bruce and them.

Jason:

Jason's sad face :'(

That moment meant so much to him

Tim:

Another reason why Dick and Tim are so close is because Dick acted like the parent during Tim's robin era. It wasn't until recent comics that they had Bruce actually even caring about Tim.

Damian:

Also Dick and Damian father and son moment <33

Dick the fixer upper. Always fixing everyone's family issues. With each other or with Bruce.

Also the scene of Martha Wayne thanking Dick

There's a comic panel where Bruce says "Dick is the glue that holds the family together."

Dick is literally the light of his life. Without him Bruce would've lost it. It was the perfect combination of Dick's cheerful personality, strong ethics, and tragic backstory that caused Bruce to take him in and it was these same traits that helped him grow. Because Dick's distinguishable trait is that he humanizes people. And Dick humanized and raised Bruce.

[hillbillyoracle]

So I saw this screencap earlier

And I thought it was a great chance to talk about something.

A lot of progressive folks are familiar with the fact that right wing circles use feminine as a derogatory term and that there's a real cost to that for women.

What people are less familiar with is how it hurts men - queer and straight, cis and trans.

And I'm not shocked given how common it is in left leaning spaces to be reactionary (read: dismissive or outright harass) when men try to talk about these what these issues look like for them.

When men talk about how they've experienced toxic masculinity and anti-feminine bias, in addition to the usual right wing responses, I'm starting to see a bunch of supposed feminists and trans/queer allies harass them as well - saying they're hurting women/feminine presenting folks by "centering men", dismissing their concerns as made up (even when there's research to back it up), "why aren't you talking about what this is like for cis and trans women instead??".

I've seen trans men accused of being TERFs or being liars (by other trans people even - wtf) when they talk about their experiences of allies actively excluding them from trans spaces or harassing them for using T4T tags. I've seen men be accused of lying about publicly accessible clinical research that shows men make up 75%-77% of suicide cases - or worse suggest they deserve it. I see posts about how men's complaints "aren't unique to them" and dismiss them because women also suffer things those authors assume are the same (even when the research contradicts this).

And here's the thing:

When you assume feminine=good/safe/gentle and masculine=bad/unsafe/enemy - you're parroting a conservative talking point.

There is no way around this fact.

A big part of what underpins child rearing being "the woman's domain" in conservatism, is the idea that men are inherently dangerous and therefore shouldn't really be around children without women present.

The reason why they blame women for abuse and rape - because they believe men are inherently dangerous and if a woman trusted them then it's her fault.

Part of why women have been effectively banned from many trades and careers for so long is the assumption that being around that many men presents an inherent danger to a woman.

"But!" you might be saying, "This person is clearly talking about men engaging in open conflict as good here!"

Yeah because conservatives see politics as an inherently male/dangerous/toxic sphere and uphold it as such.

I could go on and on really.

All of this is to say - please be more thoughtful in what you consume, comment, and reblog.

There are experiences specific to being masculine. Erasing that is one, a dick move, but two, particularly violent toward those talking about trans masculine, minority masculine, disabled masculine, and queer masculine experiences.

All privilege comes at a cost. Listening when people talk about that cost is key building a new more fair reality. Seeing the privilege is not worth the cost makes fervent allies. Want more allies? Don't be a dick to people having that realization.

Push back against the assumption of woman=good and man=bad when you see it - especially in community spaces. The amount of times I've seen domestic violence services only available to women is insane...

Do not let identarian politics blind you to the fact we're all human and working toward our own liberation should not come at the oppression of another. Believe me, those with real power would much rather you stay raging out at men in a similar class with you than directing your efforts at them.

The right wing wants you to believe it's either/or. Fuck that - it's both/and.

[catras-breakup-song]

i think there are a couple things about catra's designs that people tend to get wrong (in my opinion at least, these could just be interpretations):

catra's s4 outfit is actually just a force captain uniform, not necessarily a second-in-command horde ranking above one (not that it's any less hot on her!). despite having been a force captain for most of the earlier seasons, she was actually still wearing her cadette uniform. you know, 'cause she was always skipping force captain orientation and whatnot! and then she finally started taking that power much more seriously after the portal arc. you'll notice catra's design looks much more similar to scorpia's now bc boob window lmao, who was always a force captain since her first debut, save for personal customizations to support their animal hybrid body types.

also, bonus, the reason why catra's arm sleeves are uneven is to match her appearance while she was corrupted by the world falling apart, although that wouldn't explain why she still has part of her left arm covered in black. this was something i saw someone theorize a while back, but i'd never be able to find the post again.

anyhow, it also parallels glimmer's queen design pretty well (i hate that this image is mirrored):

they both have one arm covered by a sleeve, while the other is bare, yet still wear gloves on each hand. they both wear a headpiece. they both make room in their clothes to show their chests. they both have the V-curved waistband to divide their setup into torso and waist/thighs.

...moving on now...

2. catra (along with adora, glimmer, and bow)'s future wish designs were only supposed to be temporary for scorpia's ball that they were getting ready for. i see a lot of fanart that depicts them in these outfits as their main future designs overall, but i don't believe that's the case. they would definitely appear much more settled-down without a doubt, but in my headcanon adora isn't always wearing such a long dress and catra may wear shoes more often but usually not all the time. admittedly, this is just my own take and isn't entirely relevant to the point. also, mind you, that ball wasn't even canon to reality; we don't know if it actually ever happened. it was just something adora imagined she would be able to see if she were to live.

in addition to that, nate also said this, implying that adora does not stick with dresses as casual wear and by extension the same most likely applies to catra about covering her feet instead of wearing leggings that make movement more free, although this may change as time goes on after the war and they grow to find comfort in peace:

EDIT: i found this post

[capitalism-and-analytics]

I recently saw a post (not from you, just out in the wild) talking about how 'trickle down economics is a failure'. I'm fairly ambivalent about the concept for a few reasons, but in this case the person was criticizing it because 'the rich got richer' and 'wealth disparities, etc.'

Now I'm by no means an expert, but wealth (if not 'money') has certainly exploded in the last 50 years in the US - the fact that the vast majority of the population own a smartphone AND a computer alone should lead one to conclude this (it's near tautological). I'm also somewhat critical of demand-side economists when they complain that things aren't affordable, because that's literally what their economic model declares is the ideal situation. They seem to believe that a highly complex system can be fine-tuned so that everyone gets exactly what they need without fail, and don't consider such an idyllic outcome is nigh impossible: you either have too much, or not enough, never exactly what you need (at least, for a large population over a long period of time). I think I'm going to start referring to these people as 'Goldilocks Economists' because they seem to think they just need to keep trying things until they get it juuuust right, and underestimate just how many variable would require accounting.

Since you seem more informed on this topic, what are your thoughts?

Without seeing the post, I can't really speak in regards to it too confidently of specifics, but given your examples, it has to do with the fact that there is a disagreement in intended outcomes. Economic systems do not have intended outcomes or goals, they are dictated by society. The real metric of the 'effectiveness' of a system is in regards to how much it fulfills the represented society's goal(s). In relation to the author of the post, they aren't 'wrong' in their criticisms as it pertains to their own goals, but they are failing to realize that the rest of society does not agree with their goals in behavior. The reality is that the things people say and the things people do often contradict themselves. e.g. businesses often utilize cheap labor because consumers care more about price leadership than the usage of fair labor, despite claiming they would pay more for products produced with more fair labor.

Some of the other misconceptions that you brought up:

We don't live in a zero sum system and it is constantly growing as it is not measured through finite tangible resources, but the perception of both implicit and explicit value, which is effectively infinite.

The issue isn't that a system can't theoretically be fine-tuned, but instead the issue is that we can't unanimously define what is perfection to even attempt to fine-tune towards.

The misunderstanding that growth is only additive opposed to when in reality it can be multiplicative or exponential, which perpetuates the disparities. e.g. if everyone does 10% better, then those already doing better will proportional gain more relative growth, despite everyone being better off.

The misconception of 'needs' v. 'wants'. This goes back to my earlier point, but there is this fallacy that everyone will pursue the needs of others over their own wants, yet in reality, most of society will only pursue the needs of others when it aligns with their own perception of value.

[nyx-thedragon]

i'm hardcore procrastinating doing school work even though i know it needs to be done, but through that procrastination, i have noted down all the changes from 92sies to livesies that I could think of that i want to know the reason for (i watched livesies with my brother earlier, that's what spurred this on). so, here is that list (in order of when i thought of them, pretty much)!

92sies to livesies changes I wanna know the reason for:

1- all the lyric changes - carrying the banner, specifically

2- Denton is just gone. why? :(

3- to go along with #1 - Race didn't say the line about Sheepshead??? literally what was the reason??

4- how they lowkey butchered David's character a lil -> why was he so adamantly against the union/strike and wanting to help with it?? in 92sies he was concerned, sure, but he wasn't as against it as livesies David

5- Seize the Day not being a David song -> he doesn't have a solo song in livesies! Kath & Jack get one, why not him??

6- no more Cowboy Jack. why?

7- Jack's main "character color" is blue instead of red, and David's is...white? also blue? -> starts off with no color pop, has blue towards/at the end -> main characters need separate "character colors", thank yew

8- Spot & Brooklyn don't help out as soon in the story as in 92sies (Brooklyn's Here is a bop tho)

9- Les is a lot more...more? in livesies. why?

10- David has a more prominent accent like the other newsies than in 92sies (you can hear David Moscow, David's actor in 92sies, slip into his actual New York accent when he's talking to Spot Conlon, fun fact (that i saw from an article (?) that someone posted a link to ages ago))

11- Jack's backstory - he's literally just Jack Kelly in livesies, no "Francis Sullivan" being his "real" name. why?

12- the addition of Bill & Darcy (i guess without Denton, the newsies don't know anyone who can use the printing press, so they needed to be there...)

13- Kath going from annoyed at Jack & his advances to actually starting to/liking him happened kinda fast imo - could've taken some more time for that in the script -- too many long dance breaks!! shorten one!!!

14- Kid Blink (and Mush, kind of) isn't there or just isn't named :( [Mush is a named character in the script, but his name was never said in the performance - in the Disney proshot at least]

15- absolutely zero mention of Sarah Jacobs. none. like she never existed. she could've been named at least once by David when he mentioned his and Les's parents

16- Jack is extremely flirty with Kath right out of the gate ??

17- Brooklyn newsies have a signature color, red (maybe that's why Jack's character color couldn't be red...)

18- Jack doesn't try to break Crutchie out of the Refuge

19- Mayer Jacobs hurt his leg instead of his arm ?

20- Jack mentions how Mayer didn't have a union to protect him from being fired -> goes along with David being so fucking adamant about not going through with the union/strike (David mentions his dad not having a union to protect him in 92sies, not Jack)

21- no real explanation on why Jack's dad isn't around. is he dead? in jail? (all that's mentioned of him is that the streets of New York "sucked the life right outta" him in Santa Fe (Prologue)) -> also, his mom isn't mentioned at all

22- David has no clue how buying papers works ??

23- Les doesn't know about orphans ? (Jack: "ya got folks, huh?" Les: "doesn't everyone?")

24- why was Medda's last name changed from "Larkson" to "Larkin"

25- Les yelling at the person who throws them out of the World building instead of Jack

26- Santa Fe feeling more like "i'm gonna kill myself if i don't get out of here" instead of yearning for the freedom of the West (there's still yearning, but not as much)

27- Jack starts to have second thoughts about the strike earlier than in 92sies

28- Jack talks to Pulitzer about the deal before the rally instead of after -> and he doesn't get arrested at the rally (this one goes along with #27)

and that's the end of the list! less than i thought there would be, but more than what i mentioned while watching it. anyway, if there's any like, explanations for any of these changes, let me know and link the article or interview or whatever where they're explained, if you can! i am genuinely curious about all of these and have been for a while, actually.

anyway, that's all for this post! have a great day/night, and stay warm! :3

(p.s. i tried something out with coloring the character names, kind of color-coded based on their character colors - Jack is red, David blue, Kath and Medda pink, the other Jacobs family members are purple, Denton is orange (his character color is tan/brown, but i don't have that here, so orange will have to do), and any other characters are green because they don't have character colors. let me know if you like it, or if it's too confusing; i'm totally fine changing it if y'all think it's too much)

[yangqism]

[teaser] we can't be friends | liu yangyang

actor!liu yangyang x actress!femreader

synopsis. yangyang is born to be a star, the kind of talent that lights up the screen. you, on the other hand, is a nepo baby who everyone believed got the lead role because of your family’s influence. he fought all these years to be the man that he is while you are still busy proving yourself to the populace. you believe you’re more than just your parents. he believes he’s less than without his fans. when your lives become intertwined, things get messy–one has never tasted consequences while the other lies awake at night, haunted by the thought of it.

genre. romance, angst

warnings. there's pretend kissing then there's real kissing where yangyang doesn't ask you, he just goes for it, i do not know the difference between drama and series so sorry <3

words. 8,812

eternal sunshine. masterlist

a/n. i got CARRIED away because i felt like i was getting away from the plot? idk but this is a long ass fic so i hope u guys read it <33 thank u so much!!! but i'm pretty sure the other fics won't have the same words as this bitch <333 HAPPY NEW YEARRR YEAH

post date. January 1, 2025, 10PM KST

It started with the kiss scenes then the lovey-dovey shootings then came the drive-you-home extravaganza. Everything about Yangyang screams boyfriend for you. When he’d smile at you like you’re his most favorite thing in his world or when you’d be the only one he’d give techniques and advice on set, you knew what Chenle said about the man is right. 

At first, you were in-denial about it. Thinking that maybe you’re thinking this way about Yangyang because you can’t get your shit together and that you’re acting unprofessional. But, you know yourself. All this time, you are professional and diligent but his acts towards you aren't. 

Now, you’re here watching his character meet up with a new character the director added on a whim, saying something along the lines of ‘I’m sad Yangyang’s character didn’t have a partner.’

“Cut!” The director shouted, “That was a good run! Thank you, everyone!” 

The moment your eyes locked in with Yangyang, he immediately walked your way, not minding the new female character in his vicinity. 

“You were great out there,” you complimented. 

“Thanks,” he looked up before looking right into your eyes again, “But that’s just an act you know, what you saw earlier.”

“...I know?” You laughed. Of course, you know. You’re an actress for god’s sake!

“Just… saying,” he responded. “Anyways, are you free? Do you want to hangout with Sicheng and the rest?” 

You thought he’s about to ask you out on a date but Sicheng’s name flew out of his mouth and made your mood a bit down. 

“Sure, I’d love to,” you replied, opening your SMS app to message your manager about the said gathering.

You were about to sit beside Yangyang when the new actress beat you to it and told you to sit between Sicheng and Hendery. 

“It’s more fun if we sat beside our partners in the drama!” She suggested but you knew she just wanted to sit besides Yangyang. 

The table was tense, with the actress giving Yangyang a lot of food on his plate while you and the rest were quietly looking at the both of them. 

“I told Yangyang not to invite the newbie,” Hendery murmured. 

“Wouldn’t that be bad?” You asked, surprised he even talked to you. 

“So what? He could tell her I’m the one who suggested it.”

“That would be bad for you, then.”

"Everyone knows I’m bad. Much better for her to experience it sooner."

You wanted to continue the conversation with Hendery more but he was clearly preoccupied with his ramen.

“That’s Hendery for you,” Sicheng smiled. “Here, get some of the beef I cooked.” 

“Thank you, Sicheng,” you thanked him as he put some cooked beef into your plate. 

From time to time, Yangyang kept on glancing at you while the new addition to the crew kept on pushing herself to the man. He was being uncomfortable because even though they rented a private section of this restaurant, rumors can still go and he can’t afford to have that. 

“He’s looking at you, Y/N,” Sicheng said, as if you hadn’t noticed it earlier. 

“I know, oppa. It feels weird.”

“Miss Y/N, you haven’t been touching your plate. Is everything alright?” Dejun asked rather loudly and everyone’s eyes on you now which made you feel small, especially when Yangyang’s gaze turned concerned. 

“Yes, Dejun-sunbae. I just feel full now,” you smiled at his direction which is a bit to the left whereas you were in the middle. 

“I’ll finish your food, Y/N. Give it to me,” Yangyang suddenly said, his right hand in your direction, waiting for you to give him your plate. 

“But–”

“Sicheng-ge, give me her plate,” you swear you could hear the newbie disagreeing with Yangyang but he didn’t mind.

Sicheng, being the biggest shipper of you and Yangyang, gladly followed the younger’s request. 

“Thank you, Yangyang-sunbae,” you said, eyes glinting with affection that everyone on the table didn’t miss. 

Of course, the both of you may not notice your deep fondness towards each other but everyone around you can feel it–they just don’t want to meddle with it. 

After everyone finished eating, you guys decided it would be better to part ways with each other and when the cast vanished into the busy streets of Seoul, you found yourself alone with Yangyang. 

“At last,” Yangyang jokingly said, nudging you playfully with his elbow while grinning from ear to ear. “At last, I can be with you alone!” 

Your heartbeat raced as you tried finding a reasonable response to him. “Don’t say that, sunbae!” 

“Why? Don’t you want to spend time with me?” 

“I like being with you, Yangyang-sunbae,” you responded, your tone was heartfelt but your execution was shy. 

Yangyang glanced at you for a while before forcing you to look back up at him, his fingers found your chin, racing it up so you could meet eye to eye. “I’ve been meaning to tell you this, Y/N.” 

“Mhm?” 

“You can stop calling me sunbae, you know,” he continued, “Just call me Yangyang, like everyone does.”

“But I don’t like calling you the way they do,” you argued, your lips forming a firm line. 

He just laughed at your stubbornness before ruffling your hair. 

“Okay, nepo baby. Just call me whatever you want,” he smiles at you genuinely, never getting tired of your little habits. 

“Okay, my dearest sunbae,” he laughs again this time but you truly meant what you had said. 

Sure, you might have other sunbae than him that you look up to and respect the most but none of them is Yangyang. None of them can make you feel the way he makes you feel. To you, he’s irreplaceable.

[vidavalor]

Hi! I’ve been reading your metas and I’ve got a couple questions cause either I absolutely suck at understanding or I was just overloaded with information

1. For the fish meta in ineffable husbands speak, what does Crowley’s “off the hook” actually mean cause you said something about hook being communication but like it’s definitely wrong if I interpreted this as Crowley thanking Aziraphale for not communicating with him ahaha

2. For the coffee meta about Aziraphale drinking coffee, what’s Crowley’s response ‘Not really’ mean? Like I’m pretty sure I’m wrong when I interpreted it as Crowley saying that he doesn’t find Aziraphale calming him down that pleasing 😭😭😭

And additional question if you’re able to fit it in here but do you think Ineffable bureaucracy actually went to Alpha Centauri or are still on earth?

Hi there! 💕 Thanks for reading & for reaching out. I'm always happy to clarify stuff. 😊 *makes tea and gets out the cookies* Answers to the three questions are below. Please let me know if this response doesn't make sense or if there are other questions that you have.

About the etymology of "off the hook" in 1941 mentioned in the Fish meta:

When someone has gotten into a bit of trouble but then the person with whom they're in trouble has decided to let them carry on without consequences for the actions, we would say that the person was let "off the hook", right?

In the scenes prior to this one in 1941, we saw that Crowley had gotten into a bit of trouble with Mrs. H, as she had paid him for whiskey that he was unable to deliver. To help Crowley, Aziraphale volunteered to do his magic act in exchange for Mrs. H letting the lack of whiskey go. Mrs. H agreed so it was really Aziraphale who got Crowley off the hook with Mrs. H.

When Crowley thanks him for it when they're back in the bookshop, he says: "Cheers for getting me off the hook." In choosing that term among the others he could have used, he's created a couple of puns/innuendos in the sentence and made the thank you also a knowing bit of flirtation.

"Off the hook" as an expression has two, main roots: fishing and telephones/communication. It is figurative language that developed from people comparing that to a caught fish escaping the hook of a fishing line. So, Crowley's thanking Aziraphale by comparing himself in the situation to a caught fish who was trapped and had no visible escape from the line until Aziraphale stepped in and got him off the hook. There's a metaphor happening here, though, as well, because of what it is was that Aziraphale helped Crowley with-- dealing with the broken bottles of whiskey.

If you go back to the earlier part of that Fish meta and what we looked at regarding what's suggested about the situation around them first having sex and then you look at the euphemistic use of alcohol as related to sex throughout the story-- which is a bit easier to see in Crepes, the post that preceded Fish-- then what we're saying is that Crowley sees the same metaphor that Aziraphale does happening on this night in 1941 and that's that Aziraphale coming to the rescue of Crowley and his broken bottles of whiskey/alcohol in 1941 = metaphorically, the first time they had sex in Rome.

Crowley in a jam with some broken alcohol bottles-- whiskey, no less, when his signature drink is Talisker, which is a single malt scotch (scotch being whiskey made in Scotland)-- and Aziraphale being how he got off the hook in 1941 is a bit metaphoric for their origins in Rome, where, as we looked at in the meta you're talking about, we looked at the heavy suggestion across different scenes of Crowley's trauma-induced situational anorgasmia and Aziraphale helping him to heal from that. The "off the hook" part is a fish/sex-referencing joke while the way Crowley says the line is such that he's saying "getting me off" in there as well, for amusing maximum related innuendo. It's acknowledging the metaphor to the past that is understood between them because of that shared history at the same time as it is also about what's happened in 1941.

Where this crosses into communication, too, is that the other origin of "off the hook" that came up independently from the fish origin but kind of alongside it is that "off the hook" also comes from old telephones. For ages, as we all know, telephones used to be connected by cords into wiring in walls and you had to make sure that the phone part of your phone was in its cradle/receiver when you were done with the prior call because, if you didn't? The next phone call then wouldn't be able to come through the phone.

If someone was trying to call you and your phone wasn't fully hung up and ready to receive it, it would just ring endlessly on the caller's end and not ring at all on the end of the would-be recipient of the call. The call wouldn't be able to happen. This was known as someone's phone being "off the hook"-- meaning, it wasn't able to receive calls and the people involved couldn't talk as a result of that. It refers to the inability to communicate.

Communication is verbal but it's also physical for sexual partners and talking, in Ineffable Husbands Speak, is incorporating different definitions of communication across other scenes. It's wording, it's speaking more directly, it's sex as a whole and different forms of talk in bed-- if it can be communicated, it's talking. The word talking has those multiple meanings to them, some of which I got into as part of this meta about Crowley's "we've been talking for millions of years."

This is about equal in the etymology of "off the hook" to the fish-related history of the phrase. This is what gives it a little extra oomph when it comes to phrases that Crowley would choose because he's talking about Aziraphale having helped him with a problem that night that they both see as metaphoric for Aziraphale having helped him through having a disordered relationship with sex. They put the phone back on the hook. The phrase he chooses in flirting while thanking Aziraphale for the assist that night is one that references sex via both fish and the good communication that made, and still makes, that possible.

There's also that, ironically, if you do that good communication in bed right, you eventually get to a point where forming coherent words in general is an impossibility so that's a good version of off the hook that could be a way of looking at it, too. 😉

I didn't mention it in the meta you were reading but, given that a literal caught fish that doesn't wind up getting off the hook is facing death, there is also an element of sex-and-death happening in this as well. Since you seem to like these metas 😍, I'd recommend this one on sex-and-death in their speak, if you would like another one and haven't already seen it.

There is a third meaning of "off the hook", which is to say that something is excellent, incredible, on trend, etc... it's something that is massively exceeding expectations. This is American slang in origin, popularized from rap music, but is not that old as a phrase. This meaning of off the hook was not in existence in 1941 and isn't really applicable to the conversation here so I didn't bother with it in the Fish meta. It was the fish innuendo that Crowley was going for in that scene.

2. About Crowley's "not really" in the Six Shots of Espresso scene:

Wording like this is like a game. The object is to have a whole conversation on the surface about one thing where the words chosen to have that surface-level conversation are such that they're also talking about something else under the surface using those same words. This is very much the case in the Six Shots of Espresso scene.

Crowley has to reply to "does it calm you down?" with something that contains a level of truth and that satisfies the conversations on both levels at once with whatever words he chooses but Aziraphale, amusingly, has poked a little fun at the fact that Crowley's coffee-as-sex innuendo here means that the surface-level thing they're talking about is espresso, which is caffeine, which can actually be anxiety-inducing. [This while the opening scenes of 2.01 show that they're both feeling overly anxious of late as well.]

Aziraphale jokingly sets him up a bit with the teasing "does it calm you down?" because Aziraphale knows that six shots of literal espresso is an anxiety attack in a mug, even if sex overall does calm Crowley down for a bit. The literal coffee definitely doesn't calm him, though-- that much espresso doesn't calm anyone down lol-- so Crowley is now set up to have to answer in the negative because of the surface-level coffee part of the conversation.

The reply is "not really" because drinking six shots of literal espresso definitely doesn't calm him as it's a ton of caffeine but having six shots of euphemistic espresso also revs him up, too, just in a different way. Not the anxiety of the literal coffee but it gets him hot. It's true on both levels that it's calming-- overall and afterwards-- but not in the moment. To say that it did calm him down would have been to imply that the sex puts him to sleep and/or that he can be sated when, ultimately, he might be briefly sated in the short term but never overall.

Crowley always wants more coffee. 😉

3. re: where did Gabriel & Beez go?

I think this is one of those things where they could do any one of three or four different options and they all would work in the story. Whichever they choose will feel right when we see it. Story-wise, they could put them in Alpha Centauri or back at The Resurrectionist or just coming off a rollercoaster at a fair somewhere or any number of different things related to their story, and any of them would fit well.

Gabriel and Beez basically were written to "anywhere but here" territory for a few minutes in the story because The Final 15 never would have happened if they had still been there and it needed to happen for the overall story but they're going to come back into the story very quickly. We'll probably only be with them in that location for a literal minute or two when someone (I'm currently betting on Uriel) goes to get them and tell them what's happened.

If it were me, I'd put them in their Alpha Centauri-- alpha/beginning; cent/one hundred/money... the bar with the dollar bills on the walls where they first heard "Everyday" together and used it to talk about how they felt about one another...

...and I'd save The Resurrectionist Public House for a shot in the end scenes of Crowley and Aziraphale having joined Gabriel and Beez at their table by the jukebox to consume some food and intoxicating liquor together. 😊 We'll have to see what happens, though.

[bladekindeyewear]

HS^2 bloggin’ mainline 2024-10-08

(Previous post - current page 666)

Just caught the tweet announcing an Update as soon it went up! From the look of the log it seems we're moving on, unless there was an addition to p666 which I doubt since they would have warned people to update their cache in the tweet or what have you. So it's time to finally move on from this page, I'm clicking that Next button!

I get the feeling from the log moving onward that this situation isn't going to be resolved in the next page, and we're either going to cut back later... or cut back to Vriska emerging from the Plot Point from John and the others' perspective, because we know she only has one thing left to do. (Other than the question of exactly how she's leaving there, which I assumed would be something special rather than the Plot Point simply "running out of time".)

(==>)

Yep, the resolution with Vriska is coming later.

ROSE: This is an impressive shield. ROSE: I don't think I've ever seen you make one this size before. JADE: ive been practicing! JADE: if i stay focused i should be able to keep it up for quite a while.

Oh heck I didn't notice, that's a cool-ass green Spacey shield with a Space symbol on it! That ought to be a tough nut to crack with any weaponry! (Is she protecting the ship, or the rebel forces maybe? The bubble doesn't seem to be wrapped around the meteor.)

ROSE: Honestly, if it gets to be too much of a hassle, we should be fine as long as the kids stay inside. ROSE: This ship was specifically designed to take a battering. JADE: from artillery maybe JADE: but who knows what kind of other nasty weapons jane has tucked away in her diabolical business pantsuit! JADE: its not like she tells jake everything JADE: or almost anything, really JADE: when it comes to the kids id rather be safe than sorry ROSE: Sure.

Ohh, of course they're shielding the ship, especially the part containing the children. A good chance they won't just stay inside though, especially given this caveat being announced-- though whether they can or can't get through Jade's shield is a different story, unless they break out some new powers or the ship's possible transportalizers.

JADE: by the way JADE: i saw kanaya leave earlier ROSE: She's meeting Karkat on the field. JADE: without you? ROSE: Yes. ROSE: She made it pretty clear that it wouldn't be wise for me to join her. JADE: oh... ROSE: Mhm. ROSE: Some barb about the danger of me "Being Maimed Quite Viciously" on account of all humans looking the same once the bloodshed begins. ROSE: Then she shot me a peace sign and walked away. JADE: ugh, im sorry rose :(

Yeah, Kanaya's off working out some SERIOUS stress most likely. And Rose was very awful pulling that Sapphire future vision excuse to avoid contending with the emotions of the present, to "stop trying" with her. Hopefully someone or something lights some sense under her ass, maybe something to do with the children and them going off to do something dangerous simply because Rose hadn't bothered with the trouble of discussing more of the live situation with them... I dunno. She clearly needs something jarred loose about her attitude, if what Jade said earlier didn't explicitly do it. Maybe Jade can help more right now?

JADE: this should never have happened JADE: between yiffys capture and rescue and finding dave... JADE: like that... JADE: i just feel like my life flashed before my eyes and it made me a little crazy! JADE: after being unconscious for a bit things feel way clearer now ROSE: Nothing beats a rump to the skull for mental clarity.

Oh my god, Tavros actually knocked her out cold when he fell from the ceiling?! (And I'm reminded again that she was carrying the stuffed corpse or arm of someone, presumably Dave but we can't be 100% sure.) I wonder if this is trying to make excuses for some of her Candy-timeline behavior... though out of all of them, she has the least to excuse, really? I feel like both versions of her were remarkably in character and didn't do nearly as much weird potentially-Muse-guided stuff like Roxy and others at that initial funeral for Dirk back in the epilogues.

JADE: the mistakes we made are so obvious to me now JADE: embarrassingly obvious! JADE: we should never have talked to john in front of kanaya, for one thing JADE: they required way different approaches ROSE: Oh, so that was the problem? JADE: one of them at least

Bolding Rose for dryly pointing out that this is VERY MUCH a backslide into the wrong approach to this entire situation that Jade's having, focusing on the actions required to approach or defuse each person as if fulfilling video game objectives, trying to make everyone happy instead of trying to come clean and trusting the others to do as they will. She's trying to control (Witch) the situation too much, which was her issue in the Candy timeline in the first place.

JADE: i definitely wasnt expecting you to say all THAT either JADE: but i know she hit a sore spot so its understandable why you lost your temper JADE: its my fault for panicking ROSE: Interesting. ROSE: I didn't even realize I was mad. JADE: i mean JADE: it brought me back to the last time i mentioned your mom and you flipped that table ROSE: I was eighteen. JADE: you didnt talk to me for a month! ROSE: Eighteen years old. JADE: yeah and i havent tried to talk to you about it since!

Oh damn, those are some gigantic fucking unresolved Mom issues she has in this version of events that it sounds like she should have seen a psychologist or dozen about! D:

JADE: look all im saying is JADE: i understand why things went downhill the way they did and im not going to get caught off guard again JADE: this whole situation is my fault and even though it just keeps getting more frustrating and shitty im going to do right by you JADE: were going to figure this out ROSE: Are you sure it's prudent to keep this amateur marriage counselor performance up? JADE: rose... JADE: youre taking this seriously JADE: right? ROSE: I don't know what you mean by that.

Jade is still thinking she has to be in control and responsible for everything... and Rose is so afraid of tackling everything that she's practically dissociated from her own marriage. Her distorted Seer of Light vision or not, that's not going to help-- again, Steven Universe taught us that with Sapphire in Keystone Motel.

(==>)

COOL-ASS shot of Jade and her adorable pawprint gloves-- goofy shot of Rose with her short hair practically invisible. :D

JADE: i think you do but bleh whatever as long as we don't have a repeat of last time we can still position you as the good guy JADE: or at least less of a bad guy JADE: though playing stupid and cajoling her into slapping me around for catharsis wont work anymore JADE: well have to think of something else... ROSE: Jade, I've been compliant with these clumsy machinations partially because they weren't all that consequential at the time, but you need to cut your losses. ROSE: It's time to start looking beyond the end of your own nose, and accept that these methods aren't going to work. ROSE: This is not a situation you can win. JADE: im not trying to "win" anything!

Yes she is, this is exactly what I was talking about! Jade treating this like a problem to be solved instead of confronted, much like she did with trying to be in a relationship with Dave and Karkat at once in this timeline, instead of allowing others agency to help determine the endpoint of the situation. Because if she's too controlling, those methods themselves are going to dismantle her efforts, which at least Rose recognizes even if SHE'S wrong about other things.

JADE: im trying to be an adult and not run away from this ROSE: Look, I know better than anyone the satisfaction of gaming people's reactions and getting into their heads. JADE: (oh my god are you even listening to me) ROSE: But it's a losing game. ROSE: You're going to push too hard, or misconstrue something critical, or cross another line. ROSE: And you'll regret it. ROSE: That's not conjecture, it's a guarantee.

She IS right. But she's also being defeatist to avoid opening up and admitting fault, and ESPECIALLY to avoid confronting any uncomfortable emotions or problems she's still stopped trying to confront both without and within herself. That Mom stuff especially from the sound of it. Maybe unpacking that at some point soon will help shake Rose loose a bit.

JADE: youre so frustrating to talk to these days! JADE: "ohhhh bluh bluh blah i can see the fruitlessness of all our clumsy insignificant thrashing in fates cosmic current" JADE: dont forget im more than a little versed in future sight myself ok JADE: i dont care how credible it seems, you cant depend on that information!

An allusion to her long, long childhood stint inverted to Seer of Time and guiding everyone with Skaia's clouds before she was knocked violently loose from the habit out onto a true path of active agency!

ROSE: I know it's hard to hear, but you need to take a second to think about what I'm saying. ROSE: Don't you feel the least bit relieved? ROSE: You've spent so many years wrangling this dirty little secret. JADE: that "dirty little secret" is my fucking daughter ROSE: Well, now she's not a secret anymore. ROSE: You don't have to shoulder the burden of keeping her tucked away from everyone in the entire world for fear of the consequences, because the consequences have happened. ROSE: You're free to invest all that energy elsewhere. ROSE: Maybe work on yourself a little bit. ROSE: We could even unpack the hamster guy. JADE: oh we are not talking about the fucking hamster guy JADE: i don't want to talk about any of it really!

It's kind of fascinating how they've constructed a conversation where not only are BOTH parties acting so wrong, they're also completely right in naming each other's faults. Jade, the problem *IS* that you don't want to talk about it.

JADE: ever again! JADE: thinking back to that whole conversation makes my skin crawl!!! JADE: "abloo hoo hoo, my life is a monkey paw, everything i want hurts me in the end" ROSE: It was a little pathetic. JADE: I KNOW!

Jade has been hiding her vulnerability from the ENTIRE WORLD to the point where she essentially wanted to stop existing, except vicariously through her daughter, and she thinks now that it's been uncorked a little she can just go RIGHT BACK to never dealing with her problems ever again. NOPE! Doesn't work that way, Jade!

JADE: it had nothing to do with what we were trying to DO JADE: it just derailed everything... JADE: and worst of all, yiffy heard it! JADE: ugh!!!! ROSE: You can't keep trying to control the narrative forever, Jade.

Hah!!! (Bolded for emphasis.) Controlling the narrative, controlling her friends, controlling reality because reality IS "the narrative" here (and Space is the story's pages).

Geez I've had a lot to say and I'm only partway through the second page of this upd8.

ROSE: If Kanaya wants to hate me, or punish me, she has every right to. ROSE: She asked for the truth. JADE: oh come off it!!! JADE: the truth is whatever people WANT to believe JADE: you can either try forcing them to understand your side JADE: leave it completely in their hands and take no responsibility JADE: or you work with their wants and perspectives JADE: and make some informed compromises ROSE: Over the state of reality? JADE: rose i am begging you can you please cut it out with all the cryptic cosmic crap and come back down to earth???

Rose is absolutely WAY too defeatist here, and Jade is still trying to take too much control. FORCING them to understand your side? It's impossible for people to perfectly understand each other-- and mutual understanding takes time and being open about yourself. Jade had to be forcibly pried open into revealing what vulnerabilities she actually had here and she thinks it's pathetic and regrettable, instead of the biggest step towards salvaging this situation that anyone has taken so far, which it was!!! Taking responsibility means taking responsibility for your own flaws; at least Jade is right here that Rose is basically taking NO RESPONSIBILITY AT ALL for her side of the relationship, consigning it all to fate so she doesn't have to work on herself. Neither of them want to confront what's wrong inside their own hearts and their own insecurities. (When really they should be opening up about themselves and getting closer to my Kanaya/Rose/Jade OT3 ship. /s )

ROSE: Things aren't like they used to be, Jade. ROSE: There are no right or wrong routes, anymore. ROSE: Just a tangle of meandering side-paths. JADE: so what, that gives you a free pass to self-destruct? JADE: the best choice was to "double down and say a bunch of horrible insane shit to your wife" ?

Rose still feels deep down that because this isn't a "relevant" timeline anymore, that nothing here matters, just like Vriska used to. Maybe if they pull off the Plot Point plan and forcibly drag this timeline closer to relevance, something will kick off in Rose's mind that tells her, GUESS WHAT, THE STAGE LIGHTS ARE ON, you can't just say that this entire timeline doesn't matter anymore? Hmm.

ROSE: Jade, over the course of 15 years, when have any of your efforts done a grain of good? ROSE: For yourself or Dave? JADE: woooooooow i know what youre doing ok? JADE: go ahead push every button i have i dont give a fuck JADE: youre the one that has everything to lose here JADE: and no matter what awful things you say it wont change the fact im worried about you ROSE: Don't be. ROSE: I've done fairly well for myself this past decade and a half. ROSE: I've been happy. JADE: thats whats scaring me! JADE: youre not prepared for how bad it can get JADE: you have no idea at all!!!!!!!!!!! ROSE: If you say so.

Having felt like she failed with Dave, and then had him go off and die on her rather than stay with her, Jade is TERRIFIED that Rose is going to ruin the amazing thing she's had with Kanaya out of apathy and fear. Maybe if Kanaya turns out to be in serious danger from something she didn't foresee, and Rose actually has to confront being genuinely scared of losing her for good, it can dislodge Rose from feeling like she'd be happy letting everything keep falling apart around her? That she absolutely HAS TO FIGHT to keep this relationship, that a relationship requires "trying", and that you can't waste time not trying at all thinking you have everything locked down tight and nothing to lose, because as Jade recently learned you can lose EVERYTHING in a moment.

JADE: ... between you and dave and john i dont know whos worse JADE: is it really that hard for any of you to care? JADE: if you dont get your head on straight and begin trying shell leave you JADE: all youve had together and everything you could have had JADE: gone! JADE: and since youre so cool with talking about your mom now JADE: you shouldve learned that lesson from her a long time ago! ROSE: Excuse me-

OUCH. Bringing up all the regrets from the moments after Rose realized she'd lost her mother, lost ANY CHANCE to make amends with her before Jack killed her... the moments which Jade was there for over pesterchum talking to her during, right before she flew into a Grimdark rage.

JADE: look it takes a lot of concentration to hold this perimeter JADE: i think itd be best if you looked after the kids ROSE: ... JADE: inside. ROSE: Fine.

Why is the next command "Rose: Ramble"? Is she going to start talking to herself? Probably, set up by Jade's "(oh my god are you even listening to me)" line. Pulling a Dave Strider and talking to herself since she can't hold a conversation with Jade here.

(Rose: Ramble)

Yeah that's a dark, hopeless, kind of dissociated look on her face.

Oh she's rambling INTERNALLY, there's a lot of black text on this page. XD

You saunter on out of there. You could say so much more, but it’s fine. Jade has no idea what she’s talking about. There’s not a thing to worry about here. You came out the womb playing defense, you’re not about to drop the ball now.

Opening up for self-examination, being vulnerable like they BOTH need to let themselves be to move forward, is the polar opposite of "playing defense". I wonder if she's dunking on herself, here.

If you hadn’t, maybe you’d be more concerned with the torrent of bullshit you’re dealing with. You really are getting it from all ends here, between Jade’s guilt-ridden busybodying and the glint of rage and pain in your wife’s eyes and the sudden, inexplicable tragedy of your brother’s demise.

Ohhh fuck. Dave's death is hitting her too. I'm not sure why I forgot it would. No wonder she's been shutting down instead of confronting anything.

All that on top of the twist of your gut every time you see your mother in Roxy’s face or hear her in Roxy’s voice. Really, you should be losing your shit. Instead, your emotions are in order and your shit is on lockdown exactly where you tucked it away, smooth operator that you are. God, you need a fucking drink.

Gosh, that's sad. And yeah, she totally IS dunking on herself. She knows on some level that something's seriously wrong with her, and she's just avoiding it, conceding defeat even though she knows she's undoubtedly part of the problem. A part of the problem she's partially given up on fixing.

Submission -- to fate, to the oblivion of drink, to everyone else's will -- is Void, simultaneously the essential duality of and a weakpoint of her nature as a Light player.

Instead of folding, you try to curb the craving by focusing on the inside of your hand and slowly moving that energy to your fingertips. Jade is right, of course, but only on a base, intuitive level that is otherwise lacking in specifics and easily misinterpreted and manipulated. For there to be inarguable truth there has to not only be an authority, but one that cares enough to reinforce their intentions absolutely, and you can’t imagine any such authority caring all that much about this laughable mess.

I'm not sure if I completely agree on inarguable truth being contingent on an authority existing (I mean I suppose so in terms of the limits of both-scientific-and-historical observation in our universe, relying on human and imperfect accounts, and also it's DEFINITELY true when talking about A STORY and being able to read the author's interpretation of something or if there was one at all as opposed to the Death Of The Author that Andrew has been foreshadowing since most of the way through Homestuck is what he believes to be a better outcome for the work), but I suppose she doesn't realize that Calliope is the one who authored this timeline-- the living, non-ascended Calliope back in the Meat side. And she absolutely cared-- and we, the readers, do too!

If there’s no truth, then why even bother looking for your best option? Just leave the hierarchy of choices in ashes, the Mayor would be so proud. And then horribly disappointed, realizing this doesn't mean democratic power to the people. It means total fucking black out.

She's really, REALLY hung up on this being a non-canon timeline isn't she? Not only that-- but an AUTHORLESS timeline. She sees this whole timeline as Void (a black out, devoid of meaning and importance) and she can't see how she should actually be caring about it; she's just as doubtful about the validity of non-canon works of Homestuck, that the fanfics that we come up with because we care about these characters could be anywhere as interesting or worth caring about as canon, much in line with Dirk Strider's viewpoint that nothing could possibly matter if it doesn't have a Higher Purpose to the main, author-stamped story. Luckily enough HS^2's entire thematic structure is built to eventually prove her wrong, to teach her and Dirk and all the rest of us that Homestuck and its characters are worthwhile even wrested from the author's grip!

It’s only through quite rigorous contemplation of this metaphysical miasma (to the detriment, some might say, of your attention to the present moment) that you’ve managed to glean much of anything at all, a wonder in and of itself. Trying to decode these countless twisting paths has taken years of practice, but like all your favorite games the tedium enhances the satisfaction of playing. A small pastime, like a crossword, to privately enjoy outside the scope of any intrusive third persons. Currently, for example, you know that Vriska’s up to something important within the meteor. Exceedingly important, actually, far more important than anything here has had any right to be in a long, long time. It’s a point of almost disturbing clarity in the otherwise nebulous and ill-defined milieu of your prognosticative purview. You’re not quite sure what it actually is, though.

Interesting look into her non-ultimate Seer of Light talents, and the current limits they possess based on the combination of her abilities' limits in this Candyverse and her own beliefs and perspective. Why IS what Vriska's doing so important?

It doesn’t really matter, in the long run. Important or not, Vriska’s going to fail. Jane’s going to fail, too; really, just about everyone is going to fail to do something that really matters. In an unsuccessful effort to stave off that failure, and perhaps to atone for it on some level, Calliope will sacrifice herself, fruitlessly. You’re not exempt from the firing squad, either. In the imminent battle, you are going to be shot in the head, the bullet burying deep into your moral grey matter and jamming up the works of your conditional immortality, leaving you confined to a hospital bed. You had to pull all kinds of ridiculous, eyebrow-raising Chaos Theory shit to figure that one out. The rat-tail was worth it, your daughter’s anguish aside.

I'm not sure what she means by "the rat-tail" (does one of the people she knows have that hairdo?? Meenah? what does that have to do with her daughter? if anyone knows what she's alluding to by saying "the rat-tail was worth it" let me know in the replies), but I'm starting to see why she's been acting so hopeless. She doesn't mind Kanaya getting serious distance from her because she thinks she's going to get locked into a coma soon and she doesn't want Kanaya to mourn her as badly. That's pretty fucking depressing. I wonder which parts of this whole prediction are wrong, and why?

Calliope, this Calliope, sacrificing herself I can absolutely see (she's done observing within her fanfic, in a sense, and while not in a serious relationship with anyone she might decide to step out of the way and relinquish her Ring of Life for the sake of saving someone else)-- but fruitlessly how? And if Vriska is going to "fail", then why is what she's doing so damned important, hm? Fail at what, and gain what else in the process, to still invoke such importance? That's not something Rose has addressed or been willing to see. (EDIT: To clarify a bit here, not only is she blind to the purpose Vriska will accomplish-- it's definitely possible that Vriska leaves the plot point WITHOUT resolving her psychological issues, "fail" to, but even then she'll be only one step away from becoming her Ultimate Self at a pivotal moment and she'll already know what that last step IS inside herself, holding on to the Point's importance to finally do the most important step at a later time after getting out. That's just one of many ways to spin things, and she's blind to the true purpose of the Point regardless, or what "failure" truly constitutes in this situation.) Will Rose really enter a coma, and if she does, is her fatalism keeping her from seeing that some unexpected ray of hope is probably going to free her from said coma?

Kanaya may not see it this way at first, but your lobotomy sleepytime will be a well-earned, golden opportunity for her. A chance to experience life unshackled from the ol’ ball and chain. Even if it requires you to foist some compelling motivation for her to embrace it. She can’t waste her independence waiting on you again. You refuse to accept that outcome. What’s the point of a world where anything is possible if the love of your life won’t explore her full potential?

Yeah fuck that!!! I figured this was where Rose was leading, seeing herself as a net negative and refusing to believe that she's WORTH Kanaya, an insecurity she holds so tightly to that she's unwilling to fight for her own happiness. Thinking Kanaya's true potential lays in places that won't circle right back to you eventually. (Rose might be hinting at Kanaya unlocking some of her latent power, quite possibly-- considering the Sylph of Space as a healer, breaking through to that potential might even be enough to save her from the coma she's mentioning.)

It might even be gratifying for her romantically, though you haven’t peered too deeply down those corridors out of respect for her hypothetical privacy (surely not because they’d make you want to rip off your own face to perceive; that’d be hypocritical). Whatever. It’ll be good for her to stretch her legs, and it’s not like you’ll be awake to miss her.

Interesting... now THIS is a huge, huge blindspot for Rose. Since she's refusing to look down the paths of possibility where Kanaya feels for anyone other than her, what if this is one of the biggest reasons she's missing the path of possibility which eventually saves her and reunites them? (No, I'm not just saying that for the sake of Kanaya/Rose/Jade OT3... not entirely, anyway. >_>")

Or everything will collapse and everybody will disappear. It’ll certainly happen eventually. Maybe in an hour, maybe a day, a couple weeks, millenia from now. Who’s to say? Those specifics are beyond you now.

Everyone's seriously underestimating the Candy timeline. Everyone except Roxy and Calliope, the Rogue of Void and the Muse of Space, working together across the canon-to-non-canon barrier... the perfect pair of heroes to set events into motion that will make everything outside of canon real.

It’s this thought that unwinds you, untwisting your knickers. It’s hard to take things too seriously when you know that the details don’t matter and the ending never changes. It’s out of your hands. There’s nothing left to lose.

When Did You Stop Trying

She's practically LETTING herself get shot just so she doesn't have to see the rest of a story she doesn't think matters! Hopefully she'll be rather ridiculously surprised to find her timeline mattering after all-- to everyone both inside and outside their story. Hopefully we don't have to watch her agonize TOO long waiting for her to figure that shit out, even if the possibility of a certain duration of coma ends up making that wait longer than we'd like. At least in that case, we'll get to see the flabbergasted look on her face when she's brought out of her condition and realizes that everything suddenly matters again!

(==>)

A preview of what she sees ahead. Damn.

You’re nobody now. Just a shadow. Dirk was right to leave. He would have hated this existence. Ah, well.

I'd hoped both this Rose and Rosebot wouldn't make the exact same mistake, because hopefully we get to see them both convinced out of it... but possibly it could be circumstantially simultaneous? That'd be pretty appropriate given one of them is Ultimate Rose.

All tension has left your body, at this point. You don’t retreat to the heart of the ship; you have somewhere to be, so you set off, moving not towards a definitive point on the horizon but in cadence with a song that dances on the periphery of your awareness. You heard its first few tentative notes years ago. A subtle ‘ding’ when your ecto-father died. A little ‘dong’ when your wife handed you your daughter. A clear ‘ting’ when an old friend asked you for her first and only favor. Over time, and especially within the past few days, these scattered sounds have woven together into a compelling melody.

This sounds sort of like a mix of what meat!Calliope wrote into the Candy timeline, and intervention of other authors like Dirk excising himself to strengthen his meat!timeline importance? But mostly that Calliope, the story written in part by that distant author who wouldn't leave you to such a fate as you're expecting.

It helps you drown out the noise of war and focus, taking you back to times when there was destiny and indignation and righteous fury. A colorful cat-squid princess, advising a young girl to “play the rain.” She wanted so much, always needing to be seen, desperate to fight for some shred of validation. Only to never appreciate what was already in front of her. Thankfully, you aren’t her anymore. You don’t owe her anything either. You are unbound to that person completely. Defunct. As above, so below.

I wonder if that statement, behaving like this is Hell (to go with Vriska's purgatorial little trip in the Point), is also a reference to her making the same mistakes on both sides of the Candy/Meat divide? And I wonder if Rosebot truly believes, deep down, that she's the unlucky one in Hell too. Probably not yet, or at least not consciously, especially with Dirk artificially suppressing her doubts. (Also, playing the rain brought up again because at least ONE of these Roses is going to have to pull it off before HS^2 ends!!! It's one of the biggest unfulfilled threads that people wanted to see filled in Homestuck before it ended, and its subsequent continuation-- and goes hand in hand with all of Rose's unresolved psychological issues too somehow most likely, unless it's going to be done to show us that it wasn't indeed the biggest point after all?)

Also, just noting on the side the comparison of the woven thread of the narrative and fate to a musical score, one where the different authors, participants, are contributing parts of the music and different instruments, like the Fraymotifs that blended their aspects to write reality like a song.

Also also, it occurs to me that if Rose is going to enter a coma, she's quite possibly already going to have left a VERY INFURIATING farewell note for Kanaya that shows she saw her coma coming all along, and inadvertently clues Kanaya into the stupid game Rose had been playing by distancing herself so cruelly.

(==>)

A troll soldier looks down from something.

(==>)

Oh, they're bumping face first into a (much taller than them? and very pissed) Kanaya aren't they.

(==>)

Ooh, aglow, too. I wonder if this is a younger recruit or if Kanaya is just tall and huge now; she didn't seem like she compared much taller than Rose and Jade, though most people have always seen Kanaya as tall. This seems like the sort of thing I'd like to see artist commentary on when it comes out. (I've been trying to chew on the artist commentary first back-to-front from where HS^2 first became Beyond Canon, but I'm very slow at it due to some energy issues lately, so even Part 1 of that will be some time coming.)

(==>)

Literally haloed in light! If you weren't so preoccupied with your imminent demise, Rose, you could take some time to appreciate how amazing your wife is and believing in how much she loves you instead of thinking yourself less worthy than SHE thinks of you and casting her off.

(Commanders: Congregate.)

Ooh she mad.

Nothing too important in this page's dialogue, other than Kanaya acknowledging that Rose and Jade won't be involved in directly attacking and that she'd rather that be the case regardless, from an emotional standpoint. She definitely still wants Rose out of the line of fire, even if she's mad at her. (And Jade pulling defensive duty around the children might lose you a big offensive card but it isn't TOO bad, hopefully.)

(==>)

KARKAT: FUCK ‘EM.

Hah! Totally moirails. (Also look at that BLOOD imagery behind the grasping of hands, in all colors of the hemospectrum. That's not subtle Aspect imagery at all! I love unsubtle Aspect imagery! :D )

(==>)

MEENAH: shell yes motherblubber MEENAH: wayward wenches betta step the fuck back MEENAH: its a troll thaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaang

you're ruining the mood meenah

(Jane: Push the big red button. Blast it all to high heaven.)

Yeah Jake's gonna have dismantled that moon superweapon WELL before it fires.

You do not push the button because that would be incredibly stupid. The battle hasn't even started yet. Instead you take advantage of the momentary quiet to breathe. To think about life. About situations you could have handled differently. Feelings you could have... considered better. People you could have saved.

Does she? Does she really? Really now? ¬_¬"

(==>)

OH GOD IT'S A GIANT CAKE LASER THAT'S HILARIOUS

Your father never did voice any kind of opinion on your parenting style. In hindsight, he was probably avoiding the subject altogether. Or didn’t think much about it, focusing his pride on your exploits instead. He did raise a businesswoman, after all. At any point you could have asked for his advice. Now you can't. 15 years. Utterly botched.

Yeah, she definitely screwed the heck up on the parenting front, I suppose that *IS* something she's seriously reckoning with now that Jake has pulled back the curtain. It's too late for her to consider backing down, but she's at least going to feel some regrets and let that eat deservedly away at her before her final moments in this timeline.

Oh pfff, I hadn't even looked at the title of the next link (I'm guessing the answer is YES OF COURSE)

(Jane: Consider, is it too late?)

Of course not.

Really?

You remind yourself, you are incredibly young for a god. It’s natural for your growing pains to be this calamitous. All of the struggle and regret will feed into a brighter future. Newfound order will ensure stability, leading to a period of progress this planet has never seen before. There is so much living left. So many opportunities. This will not be your last chance. You’ll do better with the next one.

This is pretty in line with the way megalomaniacal way Jane behaved back when she was controlled by the Condesce, envisioning an empire with Jake at her side bearing her children forever. Candy is essentially an entire timeline where she followed through on her ambitions without constraint.

Speaking of constraint-- (Gee I thought he was totally going to take the Third Option and fly up to destroy the laser, this can't be over this quickly with a gun to the head--)

(Jane: Look behind you.)

Oh dear, so it definitely IS assassination, then. You must really hate how bad she's been for the children, Jake, to really go through with this as personally as BGD suggested. I was thinking about turning points like this for Hope players (in other media actually, a certain Hope player in Murder Drones actually) and moments of Rage being negative or positive turning points in equal measure, points where their belief in the breadth of possibility is pushed into a corner and it's time for them to narrow everything down to ONE CHANCE, to do or die, to a gun to someone's head or a blade to someone's neck and a willingness to cut a possibility off forever when it REALLY COUNTS to come in balance with their role (in ways depicted in Murder Drones with, hint hint, exactly one of their eyes showing a murder-mode X and the other eye open, as if on the tipping point before that Hope is cut off). How for a Hope player to be effective and balanced, they HAVE to know when they can't just sit on their heels and need to take action even if it means cutting off all the other paths they WISHED were true but can't be, acknowledging reality.

But seriously, if he was fast enough he could have just flown to space and blown up the Cake Laser. I guess this is more effective.

JANE: Jake? JAKE: Hi. Sweetheart. JANE: What are you doing here? Is everything ok? JAKE: It's all gravy train, don't worry! I was only thinking to myself and... JAKE: realized how sorry i'd be if i didn't come wish you good luck. JANE: How thoughtful! JAKE: Mm hm! JAKE: Come here.

Is that really going to work? Maybe with Jane deluding herself this much right now. I feel life if Jake actually pulls this off it'll end the battle far too quickly; maybe he'll shoot her and her Maid of Life powers will bring her back to retaliate the moment he turns his back on the body?

(==>)

Oh dear, he's going in EXTREMELY personal for this isn't he. A point blank shot through the heart in honor of Dirk maybe?

JANE: Well! That felt very lucky. JANE: Hoo, hoo! JAKE: I was hoping so ha ha! JANE: Thank you. ;B JANE: Wow you sure are holding me very tight, I assure you we don't have that kind of time sir! JANE: *eyebrow wiggle* JAKE: So right! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. JAKE: Oh Jane. JAKE: Before I let go, I wanted to say first. It's been a hard life and all but, JAKE: I'm really happy I got to see you. JANE: Me too J! JAKE: And... I'm going to miss you. JANE: Aw! JANE: Wait, what?

Looks like she didn't see it coming, even if I don't think it's gonna stick. Just exhausting whatever extra life she's built up in reserve, I'd bet.

[click]

(==>)

OW, to the head! No wonder there was a blood/violence warning in the tweet announcing this upd8.

(==>)

Oh god that's horrifying it didn't finish her off

this dialogue is horrifying why do you have to traumatize Jake more like this he's promising it'll stop oh that's awful okay serious fucking trigger warnings ouch

(==>)

OH GOD and she healed herself and knocked his aim off course. This is why you always double tap. D:

She's gonna be PISSED. (I didn't need the vivid mental imagery of bullets stuck in heads a third time counting Rose AND this anyway, brain damage is a bit of a trigger for me.) Hopefully Jake at least gets away, or destroys the launch button, or with his assassination attempt failed NOW goes to fly off and destroy the cake laser directly on the moon.

(==>)

Alright that's pretty cool! Not good obviously, but inevitable.

JAKE: W-w-w-w-w-w-wha? JANE: As I was saying- JANE: Jake.

Counter-attack incoming.

(==>)

JANE: IF YOU HAVE ONE SHOT

(==>)

OH THAT'S SOME HYPER VIOLENT PISTOL WHIPPING OUCH. EVEN IN BEYOND CANON THEY AREN'T HOLDING BACK A BIT ON THE MATURE GODDAMN RATING even when it isn't a psychological deep dive owowow

JANE: YOU BETTER JANE: MAKE IT JANE: *FUCKING* JANE: COOOOOUUUUUUUUNT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I wonder how he's going to get away? He deserves to after this, and also he's possibly the only one who knows about the space laser and isn't coming out of this without at least one big solid heroic accomplishment that sticks under his belt. The space laser seems pretty much designed for him to intervene.

(==>)

You stop your onslaught, knowing the next couple blows will finish the job. A just death. How romantic.

Pfff-- I guess even if she killed him, it wouldn't announce that the death had been Heroic over his head.

Oh wait, I just realized--! Jake has TWO GUNS. Both the prior shots ought only to have been from one, unless he switched to single shot pistols for some arcane reason.

Between the adrenaline and taste of blood in your mouth, the decision is clear to you. You will not fail yourself. You will claim the spoils of this war and oversee a thriving planet. Cultivating an ever bettering stock of humanity. Your future. On and on. Forever. Alone.

Yeah sure you will.

Wait, what does that next link even mean? --Oh, it's Spades Slick and the co-opted Felt gang members she captured isn't it?? :D I've been waiting for her to unleash them!

(Jane: Release the Brig Boys.)

Wait what the fuck

As if!!!!! Maybe some time in the trenches with the Brig Boys will do him some good.

Oh my GOD she's seriously letting him go?! I'm not sure if that's not even more messed up in the head of her than killing him! She's seriously got a screw loose. She's really afraid of being alone and sure he'll come back to her side, isn't she, even if she needs a leash to force him? (And plot-speaking this just gives him a chance to fly up and bust the Moon Laser.)

Why are they Brig Boys, doesn't that mean prisoners? I mean I guess she probably paranoidly imprisoned some of the clone soldiers, but...

(==>)

Oof, Jake splats to the ground.

Death would be a kindness, after all. You gave Jake a shot to stay by your side and make something of himself, but in the end he proved himself just another deserter. You should have seen it coming; you learned 15 years ago that people will slip right through your fingers if you let them.

well what's your plan then

It’s fine. You won’t let go again. Jake is your means to an end. When you scramble his frontal lobe, you’ll make sure it doesn’t heal right. It won’t be much of a change, anyway.

JESUS CHRIST WOMAN

If I didn't know better I'd accuse someone who worked on this slate of updates to have known about my trigger about the idea of brain damage and personally stacked this one up against me! Good thing I worked out a lot of my fears in therapy so much before this, sheesh. Beyond Canon might know when to STOP punching and crack a joke but when they punch they don't pull those punches, ouch.

(Jane: Commence battle.)

Good thing Jake's already sitting up. You'd better not wallow in that discouragement from the failed assassination attempt, GO AFTER THE MOON LASER. (Though, Rose did warn us that from her biased point of view "just about everyone is going to fail to do something that really matters".)

(Jake: Look out into distance.)

JAKE: TAVROS!

Aw damn, is he going to fly in to help and leave the moon laser problem to someone else? At least he's the one parent of Tavros's focused on something he should of the two.

(==>)

That's a letter from Rose and a pack of trail mix. Rose, now that we know you're lining up future events so things turn out a certain neutral-victory sort of way, I can't help but wonder what the fuck you're planning with the kids. (And how they're going to potentially far surpass your limited expectations.)

On the plus side this means that as soon as we've reckoned with that letter WE FINALLY GET BACK TO THESE KIDS AND POTENTIALLY HAVING SOME FUCKING DIALOGUE THAT INCLUDES YIFFY OR IS ABOUT AND AROUND HER AT LEAST, I'VE BEEN WAITING SO EXCITED TO GET BACK TO THEM AFTER THAT JADE HEART-OUTPOUR THAT YIFFY OVERHEARD AND IS LIKELY STILL MIFFED ABOUT! :DDD Gosh I've been waiting for Yiffy and the other kids to interact more.

I'm extra busy with family stuff for a couple weeks so I probably won't post anything extra between now and the next update, but as usual I'll be right there when it arrives. Until next time!

[theangrycomet-art]

Hi! I saw your posts about Monty and Chica getting their own kids. Would you do one for the Daycare Attendant/Sun and Moon?

Glamrock Kids: Neil and Tay

I have some rough designs for both actually, though I'm still figuring out the details of each kid as well as ironing out both of their timelines.

Becky Neil-> Bonnie Tay -> Sun/Moon

TLDR: We'd get an explantion for Bonnie's whereabouts, some vengeance on his behalf, and/or some character exploration on the DCA (and potentially Eclipse).

Neil has two settings, the Prequel Route (probably better suited to a DLC/flashback/minigame) and his Present-Day Route.

The Prequel Route would take place a few years before the events of the game when when Neil (at that point known as Becky) is roughly 8 years old at an overnight party in the daycare. This route would finally explain exactly what happened to Bonnie and how Neil barely escaped Vanny's clutches.

The Present-Day Route would be where Neil (13) is investigating the Pizzaplex to try and find where Bonnie went and repair him while defeating the other hacked animatronics. Depending on his choices, he can take either spare parts from the shattered animatronics or find the hidden spare parts scattered across the Pizzaplex. Different endings would result in who he decides to reboot or shatter.

Tay (13 as well) is stuck in the Pizzaplex due to leaving their only blood sugar reader kit behind. They end up searching in the Daycare where Sun bursts in on them with his usually... exuberant hello.

Together (read Sun) finds the kit in the ballpit (having probably been thrown in there via the slide by some bully). The DCA then initially tries to rush the kid out so they can exit the building in time, but after scanning the kid, notes the insanely LOW blood sugar levels as well as several cuts (from their earlier frantic searching).

The delayed exit at the insistence of firstaid treatment and Sun's strange indecisiveness of actually leaving the daycare himself forces Tay to miss the deadline, trapping them for the rest of the night.

Gameplay wise, I feel like it would be fun for Tay's route to sort of be a bonus route you get after completing the others that allows you to explore the pizzaplex in its entiretly without having to deal with as much security so that the player can unlock ALL of the secrets as well as any additional bonus content.

But on the other hand, Tay's route could be an extra hard mode with having NO safeway to walk around the Pizzplex, having to be aware of food intake, having limited or 0 access to cameras, AND having to escape his only ally attempting to kill him every hour.

Plus the thought of Sun constantly panicking about the kid/s safety and Moon trying so hard to fight the glitch to keep this kid (who is one of the few humans to treat both of them the same way) safe at all costs is far more entertaining.

There is also the potential angst of Tay "fixing" the DCA by rebooting him into Eclipse as seen in the Ruin DLC and Eclipse not remembering them.

[skyward-floored]

Malon and the glasses

A little addition to the Incredibles au glasses fic (found here!) I posted the other day, it takes place during that one, so I suggest reading that first (though you don’t have to to understand this).

This is also in honor of Mother’s Day, cause Malon is the best :)

...

Nobody saw much of Twilight the day he got his glasses, the teenager keeping pointedly to himself.

He barely ate any dinner that night, and quickly asked to be excused, shutting himself up in his room without waiting for dessert. His brothers watched him go, but soon went back to eating, the fight over who got the last slice of bread much more exciting than Twilight’s mood.

Malon exchanged looks with Time after Twilight left though, and once dinner was over and done with, she headed up to the room Twilight and Wild shared, joined by a slice of the cake Wild had made.

Here goes, she thought, bracing herself as she walked down the hallway. Twilight didn’t often get moody, but when he did, he really did.

“Hey honey, can I come in?” Malon asked, knocking softly on Twilight’s door.

A noise of confirmation came from inside, and Malon pushed the door open, greeted by the sight of Twilight sitting grumpily on his bed as a wolf. She set the slice of cake on his bedside table, then sat on the bed beside him, his ears twitching softly at her arrival.

“All right, come here,” she said gently, and Twilight scooted himself over, sadly flopping his head in Malon’s lap. Malon adjusted herself so they’d both be more comfortable, and Twilight let out a breathy sigh, not looking at her.

Malon looked at him a moment, then let out a sigh of her own.

“Oh hon, I’m sorry. I know you didn’t want glasses,” she said gently, and Twilight let out a morose sound.

“Does anyone ever want glasses?” he woofed grumpily, and Malon hummed.

“Well... at least you just need them for long distances, you’ll pretty much only have to wear them while you’re driving,” Malon said encouragingly, but Twilight didn’t look cheered up.

“Yeah. I can pull up to school and have everyone see how dorky I look.”

“Hey, I’m sure you don’t look dorky,” Malon said, and scratched a soft hand over his fur. Twilight leaned into the touch. “I’d bet they make you look nice. Sophisticated.”

“Silly,” Twilight added glumly, leaning against her arm. “Like some kind of smart alec. Glasses are just asking for trouble.”

“Now why do you say that?” she asked, and Twilight gave a small shrug.

Malon waited for him to speak further, switching from scratching behind his ears to running her hand along his head, more like how she used to do when he was smaller. Twilight relaxed, and a moment or two went by before he spoke again.

“...I’m already weird,” he mumbled finally. “Glasses are just going to add to that.”

“Twilight, you’re not weird,” Malon said firmly. “Unusual maybe, but that’s just how things are with superpowers. We’re all a bit unusual.”

Twilight gave her a flat look. “Mom, I have five brothers with the same name as me. Not to mention Dad. And Warriors. And Sky. Powers aside, that’s not normal.”

“Okay, okay, you got me there. You know half of the names were accidents though,” she said with a pointed scratch, and Twilight softly huffed.

“I know. I just... don’t want glasses.”

Malon sighed, patting him by the thick fur at his neck. “At least give them a bit of a try, hon. It’s this or no learner’s permit, so you’re gonna have to decide which you dislike more; not being able to drive, or wearing some frames while you do.”

Twilight sighed, and his mother scratched him behind the ears in silence.

“Can I see them?” she asked after a minute.

Twilight hesitated, then slipped back into his hylian form, leaning over and grabbing the glasses case she’d seen Time bring in earlier. He handed it to her and Malon opened it, picking up the glasses and inspecting them.

“Well they don’t seem so bad to me,” she said kindly, peering through them. “The frames you chose are nice.”

“It was those or the ones with these giant rims,” Twilight said with a small smile, and Malon chuckled. “...I guess they could be worse.”

“Can you model them for me?” Malon asked, and Twilight hesitated, looking at them. Then he slowly took the frames from her, and put them on.

Malon studied the way they sat on her son’s nose, how they made his eyes look, and how they looked with the shape of his face. Twilight’s ears flattened in embarrassment the longer Malon silently studied him, and he looked at the floor again, until she gently cupped his cheek and tilted his head back up.

“Look at that. I was right. They do make you look nice,” she said with a smile.

“...You sure?” he asked quietly, and she nodded.

“I’m sure. And I’m not just saying that because I’m your mother,” she said as she gave him a squeeze. “You look fine, hon. I promise. And if I’m being completely honest... they make you look more grown-up. Mature.”

A hesitant smile formed on Twilight’s face, and Malon reached over and grabbed the plate she’d brought up.

“Wild mixed up another cake, I brought you a slice,” she offered, and Twilight’s ears pricked. He took the plate from her, and leaned on her shoulder as he began to poke at it, his smile growing just a little as he ate.

“Thanks Mom,” he said quietly as he nibbled at it, and Malon nodded, rubbing his shoulder.

“Sure thing, honey,”

Twilight set his head on her shoulder, and they sat there together as he quietly ate the cake, Malon smiling at the sight of the glasses still on his nose.

[scotianostra]

On September. 27th 1938, Queen Elizabeth, the world's largest ocean liner was launched on the Clyde.

The Queen Elizabeth was the sister ship of the Queen Mary, which was christened four years earlier, I covered this yesterday.

Unfortunately, her role as a luxury liner was short-lived - with the outbreak of the Second World War the following year, the Queen Elizabeth entered service in February 1940 as a troopship and didn’t return to her original role until October 1946.

The Cunard line’s enormous luxury ocean-goer was built on the river Clyde to sail between Southampton and New York, named after the Queen Consort (later the Queen Mother).

Following the outbreak of World War II, the security of Queen Elizabeth became a major concern for Cunard-White Star and the British Government. It was not safe to keep the ship in Scotland, as it was well known that she was a tempting target for the Luftwaffe.

Queen Elizabeth was painted in military grey before departing Clydebank for what was rumoured to be a short journey to Southampton. However, once in open sea the ship’s course was altered – Queen Elizabeth’s maiden voyage was to New York!

Thus, the untested and untried ship – then the world’s largest ocean liner – made a secret dash across the Atlantic to the safety of America. She arrived unannounced in New York, surprising officials and New Yorkers alike. Queen Elizabeth berthed alongside Queen Mary, Normandie and Mauretania Queen Elizabeth was requisitioned for wartime service on 13 November 1940.

The ship sailed to Singapore where she was refurbished into the world’s largest troop carrier. During the works, defensive armaments and a degaussing coil (to protect against mines) were fitted.

On 11th February, Queen Elizabeth sailed from Singapore bound for Sydney, Australia, arriving ten days later. Here the conversion into troop ship was completed and Queen Elizabeth undertook her first trooping voyage to the Middle East, carrying troops to Suez.

Queen Elizabeth later sailed to Canada, and carried troops to Sydney, while in 1942 the Admiralty considered possible future uses for the Queens. Their trooping capacity meant they were the most valuable large troop transports in service. When the USA entered the war in December 1941, the future use of Queen Elizabeth along with Queen Mary changed. Ultimately, the ships were most valuable operating the trooping service on the North Atlantic, and following a major overhaul Queen Elizabeth commenced this service. She remained in Government requisition for the rest of the war.

At the end of the war, Queen Elizabeth was famous on both sides of the Atlantic. The ship, which had carried over 750,000 troops, now commenced work repatriating those troops as well as the war brides.

Queen Elizabeth was released from Admiralty service in 1946. Her post-war overhaul and refurbishment was carried out both on the Clyde and at Southampton. This overhaul saw luxury passenger interiors installed aboard Queen Elizabeth, in preparation for civilan transatlantic services. Additionally, ship was painted in Cunard livery, while the machinery was overhauled.

Queen Elizabeth was given her full sea trials, and then officially accepted by Cunard. The ship made her maiden peacetime passenger voyage to New York on 16 October 1946.

Queen Elizabeth proved a popular ship and over the coming months the ship was well booked. On 17 April 1947, Queen Elizabeth ran aground near Brambles Bank as she made her approach to Southampton in thick fog. The ship was later successfully refloated.

In September 1951 Queen Elizabeth made her 100th peacetime transatlantic crossing. But as more passengers took to airline services, Cunard realised that they needed to upgrade Queen Elizabeth in order to keep her relevant in a changing world with a particular focus on longer duration cruising

As such, during a refurbishment in January 1952 the ship’s fuel capacity was increased allowing her to sail longer distances without refuelling. Additionally air-conditioning was fitted throughout, to allow the ship to undertake voyages into warm climates. Four years later, Queen Elizabeth was fitted with stabilisers, which greatly improved passenger comfort.

When Pan American World Airways flew the first Boeing 707 service across the Atlantic, the future for Queen Elizabeth was in doubt. By 1962 the decline in the number of passengers on the Atlantic shipping service (they had moved their business to airliners) led to an announcement that the ship would be used more and more for cruises.

Cunard gave Queen Elizabeth another major overhaul in Greenock, which involved an interior refurbishment and the creation of an outdoor swimming pool on Queen Elizabeth’s aft deck. This was combined with a new lido area which, it was hoped, would allow the ship to attract more cruise passengers.

Sadly, the 1966 Seaman’s Strike meant that the refreshed ship was laid up in Southampton for a number of weeks, which further impacted on Cunard’s financial viability. On 8 May 1967, Cunard announced the fates of the two Queens. Queen Mary was withdrawn from service later that year, while the Queen Elizabeth was to be retained until Autumn 1968, by which time it was hoped the QE2 would be ready as her replacement.

Queen Elizabeth was initially sold to a group of Philadelphian businessmen, who intended to turn her into a floating hotel in Florida. The ship made her final transatlantic crossing on 5 November 1968 before she was withdrawn from Cunard service.

Once in Florida, the ship was opened to the public, however this venture didn’t last and the ship was closed in late 1969. In 1970 the ship was auctioned and bought by C.Y.Tung, Hong Kong, who planned to convert the liner into the world’s largest Floating University.

Re-named Seawise University, the ship sailed for Hong Kong to be converted. The transformation was almost complete when a series of fires broke out aboard the ship, causing her to burn out and sink in the harbour, a sad end to a beautiful ship.

You can find more pics and info on the link below, including an 8 minute video. Among the pics you will see that although Queen Elizabeth was a luxury liner, it was not this way when it was in service during WW2, troops were crammed into every available space.

[mylordshesacactus]

Hold Fast: Countdown

As I mentioned previously in this post, the climax of the Suncrest campaign involved our bard having to hold concentration as long as possible, maintaining his grip on a casting of Wish to determine the degree of monkey's-paw involved in how that Wish would manifest.

(The party's Wish: "I wish for the Fae Queen of the Summer Court to lose all interest in the Spellbound Dominion.")

The challenge: Ten rounds. Combat would continue for the full ten regardless of when concentration dropped, as well--if they lost concentration early, they still had to survive the battle, just without the benefits. I counted down from ten, and each round had an associated additional twist (I wrote two variants--one for if they fought in the Court of Summer itself, and one for a battle in the city of Suncrest), as well as a consequence for what would happen if Max lost concentration during that round.

Keep in mind I had JUST given the party access to the Die of Fate--if Max had somehow managed to drop concentration in the first few rounds, they would deserve whatever they got!

Round 10: Psychic Backlash. The Faerie Queen is one step away from a god--she KNOWS, she can feel, that these mere mortals are trying to rewrite her mind. She lashes out viciously, with all her considerable power. Consequence: Catastrophic detonation. The spell takes effect, and the world as a whole is saved--but the party, and every living thing within 10 miles of the border, takes 10d10 points of psychic damage. This would instantly kill every civilian in range....including the entire city of Suncrest, and the Ranger's whole family.

Round 9: Spike Growth. Centered on the party, the Fae-infused magic of the area moves against them to hold them in place while the army occupying Suncrest rushes to confront them. Consequence: Permanent limbo. The Faerie Queen stops trying to annex the Dominion, but it remains half-phased into the Faewild forever.

Round 8: 1d10 Archfey Warlocks enter the battlefield. (The original number was 1d10+10! But the party went out of their way to find the warlock contracts in the Summer Palace and destroy them, preventing the Queen from calling on them.) Consequence: The spell takes effect with no nuance, a panicked, graceless shove at anything fae-touched....including the party, who by this point have collected several fae boons, magical effects, magic items, and even warlock pacts. It would also drag all of their werewolf friends into the faewild and bind them there.

Round 7: Eledrin enter, Sparrow enters. (Sparrow is the fae pegasus that our Ranger bonded with--he can be summoned, but it took him a few rounds to catch up.) The eledrin represented higher-level elite soldiers, a bigger challenge than the infantry pawns the party fought earlier in the war. Consequence: The fae directly under the command of the Summer Queen are banished--but the Wild Hunt, which she unleashed on the Dominion but does not command, remain, and will be a threat in this region forever.

Round 6: Commander enters. This is the cold sadistic commander who killed the party's friend Olassa, the guard-captain of Suncrest, during the initial attack, and who nearly performed a coup-de-grace on a downed Andromeda before Audie saved her life with a clutch Banishment. She has not mellowed in the months since we last saw her. Still a fucking bitch. Consequence: Permanent portals. The armies are banished, and since the Summer Queen will no longer be interested in this war once the spell takes effect, they won't return as a full invasion--but the portals they ripped open remain, and will always be a problem, allowing fae leakage and incursions that will need to be eternally fought.

Round 5: Wild Court Reinforcements. Not all the twists are bad! Round 5 is the midpoint--a good moment for a twist. The timing was perfect, too--things were starting to look bad for the party, and when I described another portal opening I got audible wincing from around the table...and then Shasta, the lesbian androsphinx who's been a long-time ally, roars onto the battlefield at the head of the Wild Court of Summer to shore up their defenses, and the badly-flagging party gets a much-needed infusion of hope. Consequence: The fae are banished, no exceptions--but the damage done to the ecosystem, and to the city, remains. Cleanup will be difficult, and repairing all the damage will take the better part of a decade, if not longer.

Round 4: Wall of Fire. The dry, oppressive heat of a parched summer has been concentrating around this battle--now something, maybe the spark off clashing swords or maybe just malice on the Summer Queen's part, ignites the kindling deep beneath the roots overgrowing the massive, fae-touched tree dominating what used to be the market square of Suncrest, choking the life from the city. It blazes into a wildfire, scorching the party and cutting off their ability to flee deeper into the city. Consequence: Neutral. No drawbacks, but no benefits either. The party is now fighting for 'yes, and'.

Round 3: Earthquake. Hunters of Shroudpost enter. The Queen of Summer is coming. The earth rips open and shudders with the force of that power, knocking party members down. They're already on difficult terrain--they've been driven from the gates and deeper into the city, across rooftops before being forced down, and are currently fighting in and around the massive root system of that towering fae oak tree. In another much-needed infusion of positive energy, the Hunter militia from the party's very first adventure are revealed to have made their way to Suncrest and connected with the Resistance. They fire off a volley from high in the trees and call down to the party to hold on a little longer, the Resistance is on its way! Benefit: Unconscious friendlies will stabilize at 1hp once the Wish triggers.

Round 2: Faerie Queen Enters. Everything is fucked. She can cast any druid spell at will, including as a legendary action; she cannot be charmed, is essentially immune to psychic effects of any sort, and also holds two silver hunting knives and can make six attacks per round, or another as a legendary action. I searched LONG AND HARD for an archfey statblock that suited the level of threat I was going for here. This is not an enemy you try to kill--it's going to be hard enough to survive. Benefit: The love and power of the Wish seep into the very earth around this city the party has given so much to defend--Suncrest remains under the effect of a Hallow spell for ten years. (I'll get more into this in another post.)

Round 1: Sunburst. Having just brutally cut down a brave young paladin of Pelor, and entirely seeking to rub salt in the wound, she casts a brilliant explosion of blinding sunlight into the battlefield, dispelling the field of Darkness that our tiefling fighter had thrown down in order to shield some badly-wounded party members from directed attacks, searing everything in the area and taking out the fighter herself. (This was originally going to be a last-ditch vicious casting of Power Word: Pain on Max to break concentration, but Max was under two layers of Banishment at the time so I pivoted. Fuck a RAW; it was clever and creative, so DM fiat said that in THIS SPECIFIC instance--Max was forewarned, consenting, and holding concentration on a) a fucking Wish, which works however I say it works and b) not a battlefield effect--he could absolutely do it.) Benefit: Tree of Charm Resistance. The great fae-growth oak tree around which this final desperate scramble has taken place becomes a permanent, powerfully magical fixture in the city of Suncrest. I'll go into more detail in the epilogue post!

Round 0. There's no twist. I made it clear to the party that Max could release concentration now and get everything he wants, no drawbacks, some beautiful gifts--or he can hold it, for one more round, and see what crystallizes. Unanimous call was to keep fighting. Benefit: All fae curses in the Spellbound Dominion break. Every single one. Hag curses are broken; werewolves who choose to be are cured...And far away, in a vault beneath the city of Requiem, five adventurers stir for the first time in fifty years.