#i thought they'd stay ambiguous about it

[wildflowercryptid]

i'm playing trough the unova villain arc in pokemas rn and i did not expect them to randomly drop the detail that the in-game events takes place 5 years after bw2.

[copperbadge]

how did u psych urself up to go to therapy? my executive function has been awol for like 2 years and it's gotten to the point where it's wrecking my ability to do anything. i'm scared to waste a bunch of time and money going and getting told i'm just lazy or that the problem is just me

Happy to talk about that! But this is really two issues, so I gotta do a fly-by real first on "scared of getting told I'm just lazy". :D

It sounds to me like you're aware intellectually that laziness isn't the issue. You know this is an executive function issue and not a personal flaw, but I definitely get that it's hard to internalize that. So I'm going to drop links here to some discussion of "laziness":

How do you know you're not just lazy? (ask sent to me -- it's long, but you can skim for the laziness bits if you want.)

Lack of motivation means you are avoiding pain (second ask in response to the first)

Laziness Does Not Exist by Devon Price

These are essentially my proofs when I want to remind you that laziness is a label that stigmatizes an innate behavior -- inability to act is real, laziness is not. If a therapist tells you that you are lazy, and ESPECIALLY that you are the problem, you should fire that therapist. Don't even stay the rest of the session if you don't want to, just say "I see we are not compatible," and bounce. I don't think the odds are high that you'll encounter that, but on the off-chance that you do, that's a bright neon sign that they're a bad therapist.

In fact I would open with that pitch: "I'm struggling with executive function and the self-perception that I'm really just lazy. I need help with the actual executive function issues but also with how I view myself because of them." The therapist's response will tell you a lot about whether they'd be a good fit.

So with that out of the way...

I eased myself into therapy with the speed of a small child entering an extremely cold lake. It helped a lot that all of my therapy has been virtual via Zoom, so a lot of stuff that would have been a barrier, like going to the physical appointments, discomfort in a strange space, etc. were swept away.

I didn't even want to see a psychiatrist for my Adderall prescription, but I knew I needed help and medication seemed to be my best option, so with the assurances of several people that it wasn't therapy so much as mental health maintenance, I saw a psychiatrist. And he was lovely! (I just met with him yesterday to go over my next few months of scrip.) For a while that was all I did: talked every month to a kind person who asked specific and measurable questions about my mental health -- mood, sleep patterns, ability to work, hobbies -- without getting especially personal. I thought, okay, I can handle this, I can probably handle more, so I asked him for a recommendation for a therapist.

He looked at the network of independent practitioners he belonged to (Clarity Clinic Chicago, if you want an example of a good network) and found me a couple of options. I got extremely lucky to find someone I felt was appropriate for me right out of the gate, though some of that was also knowing what criteria I had: I wanted someone who explicitly stated they specialized in adult ADHD and disability, and who seemed like they were interested in addressing a whole person and not a single issue. When we met she seemed nice, wasn't pushy or judgey, was familiar with spoon theory and disability activism because she also has ADHD, and didn't blink (or ask overly invasive questions) when I said I was very uneasy about therapy because of past experience. She was comfortable with the ambiguity I brought -- I basically said "Look, I think this is something I need but I'm not entirely sure what my goals are yet, it's just I only recently found out I have ADHD and I am rethinking a lot of stuff," and she was like fine, let's rethink it together.

It still took me a long time to start talking about anything meaningful, but she handled the non-meaningful stuff as if it was serious and important, which helped. Admittedly I have really good insurance so I pay $20 a session for therapy, which also helps; it's pretty negligible in terms of health costs for me. I can afford to dawdle.

So, all that said...my path may not be an option for you, but I think it indicates the kinds of options you have. You don't have to jump into serious and heavily emotional processing first thing if you don't want to. You can shop around for therapists and you can drop any bad ones you encounter speedily, or if you find one you immediately like you can still spend time getting comfortable before dropping into the heavier stuff.

I would suggest that if you have a prescribing psych or doctor for any kind of mental health meds, ask them if they have a recommendation. If you don't have that, ask around people you know or believe have access to therapy and see what they think. If those aren't available to you or you're uncomfortable with that, I'd do a search for licensed therapist and your health insurance, or see if your workplace has an employee assistance program that can recommend you someone.

Good luck! I hope you get what you need. Lord knows I've been there.

[cozymoko]

Let us test your patience now! How about ROMANTIC yandere headcannon or fic for our mutual fav kaname with a human day class darling? Cucu- 🌕 anon

YAN. KANAME KURAN WITH DAY CLASS S/O

Note: Lmaooo. PS: writers block is killing me. o(╥﹏╥)

Pairing: Kaname Kuran x GN! Human s/o

WARNING(S): Yandere themes, manipulation, bad writing

Want more? → Vampire Knight Masterlist

Being his partner, you're destined to live a lavish lifestyle. Gifts have become an everyday occurrence between the two of you. It's his way of leaving his mark on you, gifting you with jewels and pricey trinkets, though he'd never tell you that. When noticing him with a matching one of his own, your relationship should be clear as day.

St. Xocolatl's Day was something he cared little about prior to his relationship with you. However, it was somewhat of an obligation to attend (to get to his classes). As he exited the gates, his eyes were quick to find you as they'd always have been. You stood near the end of his line, patiently waiting your turn. Little did you know, that was enough to make his heart swoon.

You were a bit reluctant to throw out the chocolates. This day came only once a year and you wished to eat to your heart's content. The variety of chocolates wrapped in colorful, florescencent plastics that were just as eye-catching as you'd expected. But from the looks of it, you wouldn't get to try any.

“Do these hold some importance to you?”

If you had not been his lover, you would've found it to be a genuine question. But the hint of dismay swimming in his usually calm gaze was a dead give away. He looked like a kicked puppy, an expression that was strictly reserved for your eyes. You were quick to shake away his worries, pushing the wrapped goods into his open arms.

The only one that remainded was his own, marked with such intricate and neat calligraphy that only he was capable of.

~~~ To my dearest, {Name}, whom I miss terribly. ♡

Every. Aching. Moment

Kaname is not one to shy away from his feelings, especially the ones involving you. The relationship you share is ambiguous, to say the least. The adoration and infatuation in his gaze are evident, and yet he's willing to keep it a secret for the sake of your reputation. Frankly, he's quite the selfish man, and at times he can't help but act rashly when it involves you.

The Pureblood wants to possess you and everything you are. He can hardly keep his hands off you as is, and the scarce amount of time you spend together only fuels his cravings. But with a little interference, I'm sure he could pull some strings. He is a Kuran after all, what can't he do for you?

Whether he wants to admit it or not, humans are very fragile beings. If he so chose to, he could slaughter thousands with just a mere snap of his fingers. At times, he wishes to do just that. After all, you had always been surrounded by other morals who practically jumped at the opportunity to suck away your time — Leeches, that's all they are. Blood-sucking leeches (hypocrite).

It's a shame he can't stay with you for the entirety of the day. During your absence, he's grown rather irritable with those beneath him. “Sharing you,” or rather your time, is and shall remain one of his least favorite pastimes. Truthfully, the thought of turning you into a vampire has crossed his mind more times than he'd care to admit.

“It's been quite some time since our last interaction. Are you avoiding me, {Name}?” His words came out as a feeble whisper, with how close he was to you, that was more than enough. “You've been spending far too much time with those in the day class and frankly, I've grown a bit jealous.” His warm breath grazed the shell of your ear as he gently rested his hand along the small of your back.

“Can't I be a little selfish? Just this once.”

Your relationship is bound to spark the interest of the aristocrats roaming the night class. It's not everyday they see the Great Kaname Kuran grow so soft for a mere human. Only a fool wouldn't be able to see how tightly you have him wrapped around your finger. But the real question is why?

Oh what a shame, no one will truly understand why. Those who've tried weren't fortunate enough to make it back. Their death being by the hand of a Pureblood who are they to say anything? In their eyes, your situation remains an anamoly regarding the many faces of Kaname Kuran. Though it seems he's not too keen on playing nice when you're involved.

An immortal life can be a blessing and a curse. Even so, it happened to be one thing Kaname wouldn't wish to liveanything. You've spoiled him far too much, at this rate you'll be a vampire in no time!

[matan4il]

Hey! Anon from the last time here! By "Pro-Palestine Westeners" I was partially referring to all these students from Columbia and MIT who were illegally occupying the school grounds and harassing/hurting the actual Israeli/Jewish/Middle Eastern/the other generally decent students.

I know there's Pro-Palestine people who are actually decent, but all these college students are risking suspension/expulsion/jailtime because they'd rather chant pro-Ha*as slogans rather and listening to news from biased fonts rather than educating themselves on what's really happening. Some people would rather stay in their ivory towers, rather than going outside and touching grass.

I also know there's LGBT+ people in Palestine and other parts of MENA, and all I wish for them is that they live long enough to find a place where to live freely and out of the closet, without suffering persecution from their government.

Hope this clarified at least a little bit my other ask, and sorry it sounded so ambiguous. Finally, let's hope that Eden Golan gets at least in the top 5 at Eurovision 2024, just to spite anyone who booed her.

Hi Nonnie!

Thank you for sending this ask to clarify the previous one, it's what I thought you meant, and I'm glad to hear I wasn't too off.

TBH, as a gay woman myself, with gay Palestinian friends who are a part of my queer community, and whose struggles I know well, that's the first group I thought about as well. Then I thought about the fact that under Hamas law, husbands can rape their wives with impunity. I thought about the way the Christian population (the biggest non-Muslim minority under Palestinian rule) has demographically plummeted in the areas that Israel passed on to Palestinian control as a part of the Oslo accords. I thought about black people, whose ancestors were kidnapped because of the Trans-Saharan (i.e Arab) trade slave, and are still treated as lesser humans because of that (based on their skin color, they are still referred to in Arabic to this day as "Abeed," meaning slaves).

I think this last group, which most people don't even realize exists, deserves a bit more info shared about it:

Pretty sure black activists in the states, who don't know the history (and present) of the Arab slave trade, or the persisting anti-black racism that exists in Palestinian society, have no clue they're being exploited against the same Jewish community, which stood with Martin Luther King Jr. and the civil rights movement, even having some of its members paying with their very lives for this. I hope they wake up and realized they're being used for antisemitic purposes by the same people who enslaved and are still discriminating against some of their people.

But it's funny how the world's activists and human rights defenders seem to ignore the plight of these marginalized Palestinians, isn't it? Almost like, because they're NOT being oppressed by Jews, rather by fellow Palestinians, and can't be used to justify antisemitic rhetoric and action, then they don't count. So much for minority solidarity and intersectionality, right? It doesn't extend to Jews, and it doesn't extend to Palestinians who can't be weaponized against Jews.

Regarding the last bit of your ask, bless you for being hit with Apollo's dodge ball and predicting Eden making it into the top 5, despite every effort made by the jury members of so many countries, the awful people in the audience, and members of fellow delegations. It was magnificent!

Sending you hugs! xoxox

(for all of my updates and ask replies regarding Israel, click here)

[dollsome-does-tumblr]

some wwdits finale thoughts--

i found that okay but wasn't nuts about it. i feel like i would've liked to see it strike a more tender emotional note with most of the characters. (i get the "they never change~!" argument, but i feel like it's somewhat at odds with the show itself, and there have just been so many good earnestly touching moments throughout the years that i definitely wanted more of those here at the end!) wanted more laszlo and nadja and maybe a fond little farewell to their iconic marriage. it kind of shocked me that laszlo, nadja, and colin were left so in the background while guillermo and nandor got so much of the ending. (though i can't complain because i love them dearly and i do think of them as the two main characters of the series, and the characters who changed the most, even if they can't tell they did.)

i did enjoy the ambiguous nandermo of it all (although i wish they would've hugged 😢 they both needed a hug and i needed them to hug, okay), and i especially liked that guillermo "decided to leave" to give the documentary some closure but then immediately came back to be like, "jk, HEY BESTIE!" because guess what! guillermo's life doesn't always have to be sacrifice! guillermo can have what he wants! he can embark upon a new life out in the world AND stay in his weird thing with nandor and his vampire besties! and, i guess, fight crime and do things in the shadows with nandor in their underground lair!

also cute that nandor and guillermo ended up in bed (well, in coffin) together at the end of the episode, just like nadja hypnotized us into imagining as the most perfect ending we could possibly imagine with our simple little human minds! (that's the one us hulu viewers got, anyway!) i did definitely earnestly believe for a second there that they were gonna make out in the coffin instead of what actually happened. le sigh!

random thoughts:

was nadja dolly in this episode (aside from the rosemary's baby hypnosis) and i just forgot from finale brain scramblies? i felt like i was missing her.

feeling like they could've done more with the monster and, idk, tied that to the theme of this season a little more somehow (whatever the theme of this season was). i just feel like something got left hanging there. maybe something to do with laszlo and colin and parenthood and daddy issues.

nandor's continued crush on the guide why?? you know what, i won't stress over it. i'll just cling to the fact that he committed so hard to his life with guillermo that he somehow made the underground lair happen.

wish they'd called back to guillermo's vampire slayer powers more somehow. i just feel like we needed way more of that!

i wish we could've seen seanie and charmaine and the baron and the sire again :'( like maybe they could've thrown a viewing party of the documentary at the end!

also: omg, i want more about the documentary (or documentaries)! who are these maniacs out here making multi-year documentaries about vampires and what role are those documentaries supposed to play in society?? they should've given us at least a little bit more about that! come on!

i think we need a movie to wrap up these loose ends and finally provide a nandermo embrace. a movie and six seasons and a movie, if you will.

p.s. JACKIE DAYTONA! i am also pretty tickled by the thought that the events of "local news", perhaps the most chaotic and deranged episode, happened twice.

p.p.s. NANDERMO BAD GUY FIGHTING SPINOFF PLS!

p.p.p.s. headcanon: nandor and guillermo both watch the finale episode someday and envision the sitcom-marrieds dream sequence as their perfect hypnotized ending. are forced to confront their feelings at last.

[yanderegrizzsworld]

Hello! I saw that you write for Wally Darling, and forgive me if this is weird in anyway, but, Yandere Wally Darling x Trans Male reader that doesn't really care? Kinda like;

Wally begging the reader to stay and the reader is just kinda like; alright I guess-

Yknow, no fear, doesn't mind the creepiness? Please tell me if this is off limits! I don't want to accidentally make you uncomfortable... please and thank you! Take your time.

Imagine: Romantic Yandere Wally Darling with a reader who doesn't mind his yandere behavior

A.N: Hello dear! Quick reminder that I don't write gendered reader, the reader's gender in my writing is always ambiguous

Wally's world has always had it's odd & quirky elements, be that of it's environment or it's neighbors. Because of this, Wally's odd habit of staring & way of speaking doesn't bring much if any concern from the others, merely regarding it as a part of him.

He doesn't see the idiosyncrasy of his fixation on you if you don't mind it. No matter what leaves his mouth or how long or intense his stares are, he continues with his behaviors. You don't seem to mind, why should he?

Any concern from another neighbor about his demeanor towards you has him initially refutes said nervosities, asserting that if what they're saying were true, you would've said something by now. Yet the worries of the neighbors sit at the back of his mind, making Wally question himself & how he acts around you.

Anytime thoughts like that pop up, he's initial instinct, without fail, is to immediately locate your whereabouts & asks you upfront if his attitude towards you, at the very least, startle you . No matter how many times you claim it doesn't, Wally can't help but consider that you might be lying to make him feel better. Though he does snap out of it briskly, you'd never lie to him!

As Wally absolutely adores having your attention on him most (if not at all) of the time, his covetousness makes itself known if your attention is on someone else for too long. The puppet instantly implores for you to stay longer for lost time between you two & feels a smile grow on his face when you shrug & agree.

Wally relishes in your easygoing attitude with him, even in situations where if it were any other neighbor, they'd promptly start asking questions & strive to leave or keep a distance with him. He'd often laugh silently to himself, while he appreciates his neighbors concern for him, he's perfectly fine, he's just completely delighted whenever you spend quality time with him & only him!

[katy-133]

Bluey Spoilers for The Sign (S3 Special)

This episode is so polished, not just from an animation and story standpoint, but also on a structural level.

I really wanna talk about it, so let's go step by step with this.

Early on in this episode (it's over 30 minutes instead of the usual 7), Calypso tells Bluey a story about a farmer who is granted what appears to be good luck (having a horse), which actually leads to bad luck (getting injured from the horse and is forced to stay in bed), but then leads to good luck (the military comes and takes all the young men from the village, except the farmer, because he couldn't leave his bed). It's basically the "blessing in disguise" idiom.

Good luck, bad luck, good luck.

Bluey is confused by the ambiguous ending, not understanding how an ending can be both happy or sad.

Then the rest of the episode proceeds to illustrate this idea for Bluey to better understand it.

The whole episode uses the same reversal of fortune structure right to the end. Just when I thought they'd finished using it, it would come back again, bringing more and more previously planted elements into play.

Bluey's Mum needs to find the missing bride (bad fortune), so she takes the girls to a bubble tea shop where Bluey finds a coin (good fortune). They find a telescope and Bluey has a coin to use it, but it gets stuck and she gets upset (bad fortune). Because the coin is stuck, the sheep dog family are able to use the telescope later on to spy a different house they want to buy instead.

Bluey will never realise that her actions directly affected the outcome of her getting to keep her home. asdfghjkl

There's so many other details I'm leaving out, but that illustrates the overall structure.

I love domino affect stories like that where everything's interconnected and little details from one person's life are directly affecting a stranger's. It's very Dirk Gently, it's very 428 Shibuya Scramble, it's very Good Omens. It creates this emerging narrative that our lives are more intertwined than we realise and that trying to do right by your community effects your community (and past it) more than you can even be fully aware of. I think it's an important message for kids (anyone really), because it gives you this perspective on life that urges you to try to do the right thing, even in the face of feeling powerless or small.

[deeplyridiculouslyinlove]

Ranking Wheel of Time Characters and their Narrative Arcs

I've been thinking about a post like this since probably book 8, so here we go. My ranking of the arcs of the major characters in the Wheel of Time book series, and separately my ranking of those actual characters (because they are not the same!!)

Arcs:

Nynaeve

I could say a literally never-ending amount of things about my darling Nynaeve. I think she has the most internal development of any character in the series, which makes her feel especially human to me. Getting to watch her learn that her anger is rooted in fear and a lack of control and to confront that was so powerful and it felt very real. Watching her grow from hating Moiraine to standing beside Moiraine at the end with Rand made me so emotional. And speaking of Rand, it was so nice to have one of the original Emonds Fielders with him in the later books to witness his descent--I think it added depth and believability both to her character and her position having cared for the younger ones when they were kids, and also really helped humanize Rand. While I tend to think Nynaeve's relationship with Lan is really random since they barely speak to each other when they fall over their skis in love with one another (apparently), by the end of the books I'd accepted it and it also made me emotional when she went behind Lan's back to find all the other Malkieris to ride into battle with him. I just feel really proud of Nynaeve and want the world for her and I'm glad that she was given a real growth arc the series.

2. Mat

So I grew from thinking Mat was a bit annoying and childish, to finding him fine as a character but listening to his chapters at 1.6 speed because I didn't care about carousing at inns or random bands of fighters, to having his chapters be my favorite. And I think that's because Mat really evolves throughout the series in a way that still feels very believable and true to the same person/character. He's is written so well as a character learning lessons while staying true to the core of who he was in the first book. I felt a lot of pride for Mat when he rescued Moiraine, and although I saw some chatter by folks on the internet that they'd be fine if the Daughter of the Nine Moons thing doesn't happen in the show, I actually really liked his relationship with Tuon because it was one of the few relationships we saw actually build and develop slowly. Despite being a fated relationship, they also spend time together and develop a rapport. It was a fated marriage not fated love, and I thought that worked much better than the fated loves of Rand’s polycule. I also liked that Mat and Tuan's relationship had some ambiguity until the end; although they clearly cared for one another, we never saw them come to really understand one another, which felt authentic to the situation they were in. Mat is also one of the very few men in these books who actually recognizes that there are things he doesn't know and doesn't need to be involved in, and I appreciate that from a male character in what ultimately remains a pretty patriarchal world despite RJ's structural changes to society (I can back up this statement about patriarchy, but that is a whole separate post). I think this is likely at least in part because Mat doesn't engage with the Power, which is the part of the books that most upholds patriarchal stereotypes and values. Now I'm rambling about Mat more than his arc, but I think he both has a lot of depth and grows internally in significant ways and I really appreciate it!

3. Aviendha

I love Aviendha as a character, and I think her arc is another really good example of slow internal growth. We see get to see her go from Maiden to Wise One to the person who discovers the new message hidden in Rhuidian and what that means for her entire people. We see her struggle with what it means to have left the Waste and what she feels is right for the future. And all of this without that many point-of-view chapters compared to other characters! Aviendha's relationship with Rand also feels the most authentic to me of any of his three women. We actually get to see their dynamic build and see them spending time together, it’s not just like “oh I’m fated to love him!” They also spend time apart and Aviendha doesn't spend that time pining over him, but rather focused on her own goals and the bigger picture. From the narrative, I get why they like each other and also why they are a good match for each other. I don't love her getting injured in the way she does at the Last Battle because I'm not really sure what purpose it serves (I guess it's the ultimate sacrifice for an Aiel to not be able to walk or fight?), but if my biggest qualm with her arc is only at the very end, I'll still rank it quite high.

4. Egwene

When I started reading the books and talking to friends about the gender dynamics in them and the female characters, so many of them mentioned how Egwene gets one of the best arcs in the series. And while I don't disagree with that (I have her ranked in the top 5 still!), I think the fact that Egwene is not a ta'veren in the series really hurts her arc in the later books. Once she's Amyrlin, and particularly once she goes back to the tower as Amyrlin, I feel like she starts to get plot armor that detracts from her actual development. All she has to do is talk and people are completely swayed to her side in a way that I think sort of stunts her internal growth. I loved her time with the Wise Ones in the Waste and with the Aiel and I think it really showcased her eagerness and dedication in a way I related to, and it made her growth in Tel'aran'rhiod and becoming the Amyrlin feel really deserved. Her ending was tragic and powerful and somehow it both doesn't feel like what she deserved but also feels like it lives up to Egwene and I feel really conflicted about it!! I'm was very meh on the Gawyn stuff, since I don't think it really added anything and he's a bit of a downer of a character--honestly, Egwene is the character in the books I most wish had just not had to have a romantic relationship. That said, unlike a lot of other relationships in the seires, we at least see Egwene's feelings for Gawyn develop over time in the dream world so it wasn't as frustrating for me as some other characters' romantic arcs.

5. Rand

For me Rand's and Egwene's arcs are really really close in terms of how much I like them, but I think there are things missing in the execution of Rand's arc that make it a bit lower for me--had it been done slightly better (from my perspective) I think it would have edged out Egwene. I really *want* to empathize with Rand starting around book 11 when his PTSD and the weight of everything else he’s carrying really starts to impact him. But because he spent the first five books whining about how everyone is trying to use him as a puppet (and particularly suspecting literally any woman with power before he had been given any reason to do so), his later arc doesn’t lead well into him then being someone you’re supposed to empathize with in my opinion. Particularly because his whole arc in the later books is about love and compassion, but I don't feel like we get that from him in the early books? I find it very confusing. I think for that progression to work we really needed a part of his arc where trusting and/or showing compassion to someone leads to serious harm, then he turns hard, and then he remembers the need for compassion. Maybe I’ve just forgotten it but I really can’t think of anything at all like that first step in the books? He distrusts the people who eventually hurt him? And things generally work out for him, even though he’s struggling internally? Anyway, this rating is higher than it otherwise would be because of how much I *want* it to work because having a chosen one who so clearly struggles with the weight that destiny places on him is interesting and the madness angle is also interesting to me. Oh also, I think Rand should have actually died at the end and that not doing so makes his arc more boring, sorryyyyy.

6. Faile

Faile is another character I really wanted more for. I hated the weird dynamics in her relationship with Perrin, but I could have liked them together without the physical abuse and if the power dynamics had felt more consensual and didn't have this whole element of her expecting Perrin to behave towards her in a way that he clearly didn't want to. Her being the lady to his lord was cute! I also liked Faile's progression from being a Hunter of the Horn to guarding the horn at the end. I like how self suffiicient she was and how she was able to find a way to combine what she was born for/raised for and what her parents wanted for her (being a noblewoman) with what she wanted (adventure and love).

7. Perrin

I have very few real issues with Perrin's arc and I’m sure other people liked it a lot. My ranking it relatively low is much more that it bored me and I left the series unsure of what it was trying to say than it being a bad arc or doing Perrin a disservice. I hated Perrin's relationship with Faile, and I hated that I hated it because (as discussed above) I think it had a lot of potential. Like Mat, I appreciated that Perrin did not think he needed to be involved in everything nor that he was always right, and I found his growth from boy to man quite believable and that it took place over the course of the books in a way that was well-constructed. I found the whole question of hammer vs axe and his contemplation of the Way of the Leaf to be really interesting! But I'm not sure I fully grasped the resolution of that debate and what the entire focus on it in the narrative was trying to say. And I feel the same about his struggle with the wolf side of him. Is the point just that violence is sometimes needed? And/or that it eats us up from inside? (But also that we have to accept that?)

8. Elayne

I want to do my best to separate Elayne from her arc, since I personally don't love her character for reasons purely of personal preference. I think the reasons her arc specifically is lower for me is that I feel like we don't get to see her growing into being a queen, since one of her primary character traits is that she is already so royal when they all meet her. I think the decision to have her win her crown in Caemlyn with a battle where they just snuck up behind the other forces was a weak one -- why couldn't they have defeated these people before if it was that easy? I also don't love that she gets no time to like learn how to be a queen before she is more focused on becoming a mother. The whole pregnancy arc doesn't sit quite right with me. She sleeps with Rand literally once and it's basically just to get pregnant? But this just builds off of what I dislike about how she just decides she's in love with Rand one day because she is fated to be. Give me the scene where they bond over war strategy and thinking like rulers like six books earlier instead of in the last book! It also seems like there's no reason she and Aviendha couldn't have become friends before realizing they both liked Rand instead of because they are forced into proximity by that fact, and I also feel like she and Rand should have spent actual time together before falling for each other--to my mind the way her part of the polycule goes down weakens Elayne's relationships with both Aviendha and Rand, which otherwise could have been interesting.

9. Moiraine

I have far too much to say about my baby Moiraine. I'm including New Spring in these arcs, and reading that made me want to reread the whole series in a new light. I love her. I love her I love her I love her. And to me New Spring makes her arc in the main series both more powerful and more tragic. Seeing in New Spring just how determined she is and also how much self-doubt she carries and how much her Aes Sedai serenity of the later books is disguising inner turmoil is so rewarding. I wish we had gotten to see so so much more of it. I know that she has to be mysterious to our main characters, but I don't think she has to be mysterious to the readers, particularly once we are more than a few books into a fourteen book series. To that end, I know why she had to go away (she is the Merlin character after all!), but I wish she had come back a few book sooner and we could have seen literally any interiority about reckoning with her time in the Tower of Ghenjei. The Moiraine in New Spring would have been going CRAZY both leading up to knowing she had to go through that archway and while stuck in the tower--even if she was being tortured, which she also would have withstood for a while. The fact that she couldn't take action that it was such a passive way of supporting Rand and his mission would have killed her, but also she would have been so very resolute, and I wish we could have seen that more. Instead, she just like shows up right before the last battle, speaks her piece, goes to help Rand (presumably thinking she's going to die??), and we see none of it from her POV! She never sees Siuan again and because we can't see into her mind that's just like...chill?? And obviously I hate the book pairing her with Thom, particularly her *offering to give up her abilities* for him. I see what it adds for his character arc, but what does it add for hers? Plus there is literally no reason to remove her powers and give her that powerful ter'angreal instead. That's just RJ's obsession with disempowering women and I despise it.

10. Siuan

Oh Siuan. My other baby Siuan. I'm only ranking her arc this high because I think it had a lot of potential to be telling an interesting story, but I think her ending was so horrible I can barely think about it. There was so much potential here to be telling a story about how you can have power and influence and be important even if you are less powerful and that the strength to manipulate and steamroll people is not the only way to make a difference, but I feel like this would have been a much more interesting message if she was the only (or one of the few) powerful women to get knocked down like this rather than it happening to literally every woman with power at the beginning of the series in one way or another. I particularly hated that with Siuan they did this knocking her down a peg in a way that made her younger and pretty for an old man (when she was only like 40 in the first place I might add!)--and she also started acting younger in a way that felt strange. I liked her teaching Egwene, but why couldn't she have some of the teacher vibes Moiraine did? And the way she dies with no one noticing or caring and it making basically no difference to the plot is so horrible. And, I'm sorry, it's not what the character deserved. Nor was it in line with the message I thought her arc was trying to send about the ability to have an impact no matter how unpowerful in traditional ways. And it happens because she doesn't stay with a man?!?! No one even knows she mattered after she was deposed and it’s all so unfair.

11. Lan

I feel like Lan doesn't really grow that much as a character since he spends the entire series basically just expecting to die in various ways at different times. Even with New Spring I don't feel like we get a good sense of what his character is meant to be doing besides impacting other characters in the series. I am not against his relationship with Nynaeve, but I don't think the books flesh it out very well. And I'm still mad he ends the series mad at Moiraine--where is their New Spring dynamic of him vibing with her even when he's annoyed with her? Obviously his leading the Malkieri into the blight really hit me in the feels and was a great culmination of his plight, however, which is why I still think the arc deserves an honorable mention.

12. Thom

Thom's arc is basically just from hating Aes Sedai to marrying Moiraine, and getting continually paired with weirdly young women. I guess he learns to overcome prejudice based on his nephew's death? I do like the role he plays with Rand and Mat and their respective character development as they grow up from the Two Rivers to adventurers, but I'm not sure that's really his arc or development. But for that I'm giving him a higher ranking than his Moiraine arc alone deserves.

13. Tuan

I don't think think Tuan gets that much of an arc. While she becomes Empress, she doesn't seem to grow or change her mind on things during the series, and mostly she puts aside things she doesn't like very much with intentions of dealing with them later. BUT I like how her and Mat challenge each other and engage with each other, and I think the internal growth is somewhat implied or is something that would have happened if we had had more time with her. I wish the entire Seanchan plot was more resolved at series end, but that's not specific to Tuan.

14. Loial

This may be controversial, but I don't like Loial's arc very much! I don't think he needed to get married! I'm glad he seems happy about it in the end, but it feels unnecessary. I loved him adventuring and writing his book and being sort of childlike in a really endearing way, but everything with his mom and with Erith took him out of the story for a long time and seemed to be sending the message that ultimately everyone wants to settle down. Let him explore and write his book and be a late bloomer! Idk.

15. Min

I am ranking Min even below the characters that only have a fraction of an arc because I loved Min so much in the earlier books and I hate the way the series treated her subsequently. When we first meet her she is determined to be fully herself, despite a talent that makes her stand out and a personality inclined against confrontation. She's brave and interesting! I hated watching her become more ladylike for Rand, and for a while essentially being absolutely nothing more than a lover and comfort for Rand. I really wish we had had more lingering payoff for the many books that Min was reading and trying to parse out what the prophecies meant, but it felt like Cadsuane was basically like "yes I agree" and then...it was no longer about Min having figured it out?

And just for fun, here would be my list of these same characters from ones I like most to ones I like least (although I like them all tbh!!)

Characters:

Moiraine (main trilogy + new spring)

Nynaeve

Egwene

Moiraine (main trilogy only)

Aviendha

Mat

Siuan (main trilogy AND main trilogy + new spring)

Loial

Rand

Lan (main trilogy + new spring)

Perrin

Lan (main trilogy only)

Faile

Elayne

Tuan

Thom

[twisted-fics-in-wonderland]

Nightmare Comfort Scarabia

Prompt: Y/N had a nightmare and asks comfort

Characters: Kalim, Jamil

✨🌸Fluff🌸✨

I wrote this on my Obey me Blog and people liked it so I'mma feed my fellow TWST Simps one dorm at a time ( •̀ ω •́ )✧

Y/N is going to be gender neutral to the best of my abilities. They/Them Pronouns, and I’m going to try and avoid gendered descriptors <3

TW/CW: Not describing what was in the nightmare but if that ambiguity bothers you and makes your mind spiral please don’t read and have a wonderful night, 

Heartslabyul | Savanaclaw | Octavinelle | Scarabia(here) | Pomefiore | Ignihyde | Diasomnia |

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Y/N jolted upright, holding their chest as it felt as if their heart would run away. They tried to calm their breathing and their thoughts, unable to shake the horrors their subconscious cruelly subjected them to. They took some deep breaths and manage to calm themself enough to look at the time. They squinted as the cheap phone Crowley gave them lights up and the numbers display on the screen. It was late.

They wondered if it may be too late to ask for comfort from someone. Of course they could just pet Grim but they didn't feel like dealing with the feline whining and complaining in that moment. So taking another deep breath both to sooth their shaky hands and for some courage, they opened their contacts to make a phone call.

Kalim

Y/N had no issue calling Kalim, he was always willing to help a friend in need. They patiently waited for Kalim to answer, knowing that they'd soon receive the comfort they sought.

"Y/N.." the young man whined at his magicless friend, "I'm tired..."

"I know.. I'm sorry for waking you up," they sighed softly, "I had a nightmare and I was hoping that you'd stay on the phone with me for a while?"

"A bad dream? Y/N why didn't you say so? I should come over there," he mused, excited to comfort them in their time of need but disregarding the fact that they had only suggested comfort over the phone

"You don't need to, I don't want to worry Jamil and-" Kalim shushed them by loudly and confidently talking.

"Jamil will be okay! I'll be over in no time," his cheerful voice made it hard to tell him no before he hung up.

They sighed softly, smiling a bit to themself and heading down to the front door and waiting patiently for the knock at the door. When Kalim knocked on the door Y/N swings the door open and pounced on their friend. They hugged him tightly and Kalim hugged back just as tightly. They let go eventually, taking his hand and leading him into the dorm and out of the cold.

"Y/N! I was already looking to invite you to have a sleep over with me but this works too!" he knew this wasn't a sleep over but he was going to treat it like one.

Kalim took his coat off to reveal his expensive silk pajamas. He also carried a bag with him. It looked to be full of snacks and drinks, along with some movies and a laptop to watch them on. "Wow, he really came prepared," Y/N giggled to themself.

"I thought we could put on a movie to make you feel better," he smiled sweetly at them. He was just happy to help.

"Thank you Kalim," they smiled back, hugging him once again, "lets get back to bed."

"Yeah! I brought a variety of stuff so you could pick something you liked!" he excitedly told them while heading to their room.

The rest of the night went nicely. Kalim put on the movie, it was enjoyable with all of the snacks and drinks he brought. Though neither of them lasted long before falling back asleep in each other's company.

Jamil

Y/N fought with themself internally about calling Jamil as he already had more than just a full plate with taking care of Kalim. They were sure he wouldn't exactly appreciate them making more work for him. They hesitantly, and with a deep breath, called the poor overworked man. They traced the quilted design on their thin blanket to sooth themself as they waited.

"Hello?" a tired, exasperated voice came through the phone's speaker.

"Hey," they spoke awkwardly

"Do you need something? Make it quick, I just got Kalim to go to sleep," Jamil sighed out in a harsh tone.

They froze for a moment at the sudden passive aggression Oh no they're traumatized.. Same /j, which normally wouldn't bother them as that was just how Jamil was(sarcastic, dry, blunt, etc) when he didn't feel like acting overly nice, but they felt more sensitive than normal this night. When they began to stammer out a response it came out quiet in almost a whisper.

"I had a nightmare and I was just.." they let out a soft yet frustrated sigh, "sorry. I shouldn't have called," the hung up and flopped onto their back.

Y/N sniffled softly after a while, the anger subsiding and the thought of the dream returning to them. As fast as the memories were creeping back, they were pulled back to reality just as fast by their phone ringing. They hesitated to pick it up as they saw Jamil's name, they of course answered.

"Hello...?" they spoke shakily.

"Are you okay?" Jamil huffed from the other end.

"Jamil..." they sighed and placed their palm on their forehead, "don't worry about it."

"Well, it must have been bad if you called me."

"And you made it clear you were too busy to help me so don't worry about it," they surprised themself with how abrasive of a tone they had taken.

"I'm sorry," he sucked up his pride for the time being, but it was clear it was still hard for him to say, "just tell me what I can do."

"Stay on the phone with me at least until I fall back asleep?"

"That's all?" he asked, mildly surprised they didn't need more than that.

"Yeah.. I just don't want to be alone after... all of that,"

"You don't have to think about it anymore," he sighed, switching to facetime swiftly,

The pair sat awkwardly for a while, before getting comfortable in their beds.

"So, does this happen often?" Jamil tried to ease the tension.

"More often than I want them too," they snort

"You're not going to give me a clear answer are you?" he chuckled, a small smile forming.

"Nope, goodnight, Jamil," they nuzzled into their covers.

"Goodnight, Y/N."

[balkanradfem]

I also watched Heretic after seeing Alyssa Grenfell's video on it and had mixed thoughts. There were things I thought were done well, like portraying how mormonism has groomed and set up the Sisters to enter dangerous situations and not know how to react i.e Sister Paxton fawning and Sister Barnes being discreet and polite about trying to leave. At their age I also would've politely gone along with anything while internally panicking.

And I know it's a mormon thing, but I also appreciate that the Sisters get called by their title and their own last name for the whole movie, it's very rare for a woman to be addressed that way. I also appreciated that for a -man kidnapping young girls- movie, it doesn't get too obscene or sexual (at least not explicitly). And I do get the point of them having an old man specifically target young women and lecturing them on religion (that negatively impacts them, not him) and setting them up to lose 'games' they never agreed to play. Very common thing men do, target young women with their complaining and psycopathic nonsense that they'd be too scared to pull with another man.

One thing that struck me though was Sister Barnes having her birth control implant violently ripped out. I saw what they were going for with how religion (men) control women's reproductive rights, but I don't think it was very well done and felt more like shock value. Even the character Mr Reed didn't seem to have a reason why he did it, it felt unnecessary. Especially given the fact I'm certain a lot of men watching didn't know those even existed, its a very inconspicuous form of birth control that you'd have to know to look for. And now they know it can also be cut out. That made me feel sick. Also the fact that Sister Barnes dies while being the one that is implied to be sexually active and less religious did not sit well with me at all.

They other thing was the women being locked in cages. They were so dehumanized that I don't think the directors even considered that the audience would care what their fates were and if they got to escape the house too.

The ending was the main thing that did it for me though. On one hand I'd like to see it as not mocking women for having faith despite religions being obviously designed by men who want to subjugate them, but it felt more like a flimsy it's okay to be religious too :) It can be a positive thing aswell :) that fell flat for me. Especially with the house being a metaphor for religion. So what, it's okay to stay kidnapped and under a mans control sometimes? If they wanted to follow through on the point of religion being a way to control women (which is one of the things I liked about it, and not something many movies dare point out) they should've kept up with the Sisters outsmarting him and having them both escape because of their own intellect and not have one die and the more 'innocent' one live through a 'miracle'. I also didn't care for the ambiguous ending on if Sister Paxton even did get out. It's overdone and I'm tired of women always getting terrible endings.

With a few changes it could've been a really great movie, and I still think it re-watchable because of Chloe East's and Sophie Thatcher's acting alone. (Thatcher singing the end credit cover of Knocking on Heaven Door was also a nice touch). But there was a lot of things that made me very aware that it was directed by a man (or men in this case). Anyway, loved reading your thoughts on the movie! Seems like we had similar opinions on it.

Thank you for the analysis, I agree with you too! The grooming and women being taught to either fawn or stay polite while absolutely terrified out of their minds and in great danger, was very jarring to see in this situation and I was glad that it was presented to us how not-normal and insane it is as a learned response. I was beyond frustrated that he was lecturing them on religion when, exactly as you said, it was negatively impacting them, not him, and he did a half-assed job, and knew less than them, despite presenting himself as a great learner.

I have to admit I skipped the ripping out the implant scene, as soon as I realized he was coming at her with a knife I closed my eyes and skipped. It probably was for the shock value. I think in the movie it was so he could lie about the implant being a proof that she's not a real person? I was taken aback that that sister Paxton recognized what it was, because I actually had no clue about it, I was kinda appreciating being educated about this existing. You are so right about the implications that she was less holy for being sexually active, that didn't even cross my mind!!

I was devastated, horrified and filled with grief for women locked in cages, you are right that they were given no second thought but I was crying and grieving for them and had to take a long time to tell myself that this wasn't real and I don't need to go find a way to free them. Seeing that was incredibly painful and traumatic to me.

I agree that the ending fell flat too. What did you do all that for just to defend religion if it's a choice.

I can see that sometimes women take religion and cut out all the bad parts and turn it into something positive for themselves and the community, such as, make it about their loved ones, like the butterfly idea, or pray for others just because the act of praying is selfless and loving and kind, but in those cases I don't consider it religion anymore I see it as individual women cultivating kindness and community and love. They would have done that without religion too. It's certainly not the point of religion to have women do that, it's women going rogue and using religion as a tool to forge community in their own way, not as servants but as equals, decision makers. Religion never focuses on that.

So I wouldn't use that argument to defend religion, its an argument in favour of women. I feel like movie used it to defend religion and I don't agree with that. But I also feel like they needed to do that in order to not be portrayed as 'evil blasphemy movie that nobody should be watching because it's anti religion', they wanted to make themselves not opposed, in order to be more palatable to the masses and religious people, they wanted everyone to be able to watch it and not feel attacked for their beliefs. But now I'm just speculating, I don't know what the real goal was.

I agree that it's rewatchable because the actresses were incredible! And it would have been better if they both escaped. And i loved knocking on heaven's door too. I loved your analysis and your thoughts on it!

[shatouto]

random OC ask: what is an alternate life path your OC might have gone down? how different would their life be if they'd made those decisions instead?

ohohohoho. ohoho. oh boy

i think there are two biggest "branching off timelines" moments in solli's life, at least so far

1. running away with astarion VS staying with cazador

this moment, to be more exact. in the good timeline, solli comes down to the kennel, frees and heals astarion, and runs away with him

if solli hadn't come down to the kennel that night, cazador would keep astarion in there and torture him for another week, maybe even month, however long it takes for astarion to learn his lesson and never even think of approaching solli again. the cazador in my story enjoys making the distinction between his half-vampire heir and the spawn who are beneath him.

then cazador would rethink his approach so far and inject solli's sterile environment with more and more of his lordly venom. he will say that solli is about the right age to really learn, and start to mould solli into a second version of him.

solli is young, obedient and attached. he actually really loves his father, even in the good timeline, never mind here. he has always hung onto cazador's every word. i think once solli gets over the trauma of having to brutally beat astarion who is someone he cares about, the innocent child will truly be gone.

in this timeline solli will become a full-fledged cazador 2.0, and what he lacks in true vampire power he makes up with sadism. he will be an artillerist artificer who also makes torture device on the side (godey hates it; automation might take away his job someday!). he is cazador's second in command, often seen by his side during social gatherings, and he preens in that position. the spawn, especially astarion, hate him a lot. he doesn't care because he thinks they're beneath him

he doesn't know that he's also a sacrificial lamb when the time comes, just a little more special. he might or might not survive cazador's ascension, depending on how it goes

2. convincing astarion not to ascend VS helping astarion ascend

(this will be towards the end of the story so i haven't written it obviously lol)

this fork in the road assumes that solli did previously run away with astarion and was by his side for years before they come back to szarr palace to face cazador (like in the game).

this is basically the ascendant ending but because solli's relationship to astarion is a bit different from tav's, i still wanna talk about it a bit (also bc i've thought about it A Lot)

i think ascended lord astarion would really double down on gloating about having "stolen" cazador's heir. it's kind of sad because it's been years since he stopped thinking of solli as just a trophy and a fuck you to cazador; he's come to love the kid. but, with time, ascension will bring out the worst in him.

he has solli grow his hair out long again (so he looks more like cazador than ever), dresses him up all prettily, and keeps him locked in his beautiful chamber. solli is returned to exactly where he was as a child: a pretty doll in a glass case, to be displayed but never touched. lord astarion treats him pretty much the same way as cazador.

in my lore, solli can't really be turned into anything other than a half-vampire – he can't become a true vampire OR a dark consort. he was born being able to walk in the sun, so in return he can never have anything more than that. as such, astarion grows bored with him after a while and leaves him isolated for longer and longer stretches of time as he finds amusement elsewhere.

i'm ambiguous on whether astarion would torture him for fun at any point in time. it's possible, considering solli can look A Lot like cazador especially if you're like squinting to see that. maybe lord astarion would do it when he's feeling extra vindictive or resentful (or bored), i'm not sure

regardless, solli will just wither away in solitude and eventually die alone

[unfortunate-stranger-losers]

do quigley or duncan or their sister die? I’m on season 1 but I don’t think I’ve ever seen a clip anywhere of quigley and duncan together 😢

While the books leave it ambiguous, I do believe there is a definitive answer. Major spoilers for S3/all 13 books under the cut.

In the series!canon, Quigley reunites with his siblings on the SSHAM, and the secret code in The Incomplete History references them reuniting with the Baudelaires on Briny Beach.

In the book!canon, well... I have an unpopular opinion on this one; I believe that most, if not all of the members of the Queequeg crash survived. And this isn't just because I love the Quagmires and Fiona... I have evidence!

You see, we know that most of Snicket's knowledge of the Baudelaires' thoughts, feelings and situations were taken from their island commonplace book - A Series of Unfortunate Events- as he mentions them writing in the book. However, they could not write information they were not privy to, and all they knew about the Queequeg crash was that Kit suspected everyone was eaten by the Great Unknown. 

However, in an earlier portion of The End, when the Baudelaires are traveling to the arboretum, Snicket says that their friends (the Quagmires, Fiona probably) were "in circumstances just as dark although quite a bit damper than" theirs. "Just as dark" does not qualify death at the moment, as the Baudelaires are simply under a moral quandary and the Medusoid Mycelium has not been released yet. As well as this, they would not know if their friends were in a "damp" situation, just a "dark" one. And who would know better what situation they were in at that time than the Quagmires themselves?

As such, Snicket likely knows something we don't. As well as this, we know Kit's story doesn't always align with the truth- she claims all three Widdershins were on the Queequeg when it crashed, however Snicket stated in The Penultimate Peril that Fernald was fighting the Quagmires aboard the ship (not necessarily implicating Fernald in villainy, it's likely Duncan and Isadora just saw him and heard the kill bill sirens). 

Why would he leave their fate ambiguous? Well, considering several villains survived the Hotel Denouement, and many of them are stated to have something against the Quagmires (the Woman and Man send their eagles to sink the SSHAM home, and Esmé was in charge of their estate and helped Olaf capture them), it's likely the Quagmires want to stay as under their enemies' radar as possible. 

Adding to this, they could be trying to stay off the radar of VFD itself; VFD does not have a crystal-clear reputation, and in fact seems to have a dangerous cult-like atmosphere (best description here, but also see here, here, here). And seeing as Fernald is very disillusioned with the organization, now an enemy of both sides, he would definitely not want to be seen by them; adding to this Fiona's loyalty to him and the beginnings of her break with the organization in The Grim Grotto, she'd probably want to lay low as well. 

Duncan and Isadora also, probably, very against VFD. They found out something about it while researching, and after being captured by Olaf and the White-Faced Women, they shout to the Baudelaires that they learned about something terrible- which they immediately follow up by shouting about VFD. And considering how useless the volunteers were in rescuing them, and how they spent a lot of time with Hector, who seems to have either left the organization or be hiding from them, they almost definitely do not have a good view of it. Even though Quigley was p much successfully inducted by Jacques, he's not going to want to leave his siblings so soon after their reunion. 

All that to say, at the very least, everyone but Widdershins has good reasons to want VFD to leave them alone. So throwing out that they're alive would be dangerous for them, especially if Snicket mentioned they'd contacted him. So he likely gave some clues and left it ambiguous so as to not completely lie. 

As to how they survived? I've linked to @snicketsleuth a lot but they have a pretty good idea...

tl;dr the Queequeg and SSHAMH crews are probably alive!

[powdermelonkeg]

Hey do you think it's possible to fix how time travel works in skyward sword so that this link can be the first hero who fought demise in the distant past? The one from the legend I think Zelda tells us (but maybe it was someone else, my memory isnt that great).

Anyways, I'm curious because I think that's what we were supposed to think. That Link became the hero in the present, them went to the past, and by defeating Demise became the hero from the past.

So, for this, you've got two options, one involving Link himself being known, and the other being Link's legend. They've got different criteria, so it depends on what you're looking for.

If you want it to be Link that's acknowledged, with the caveat that you also subscribe to the belief at the end of the rapidly-fraying timeline post, then you can say that when Fi course-corrected the timeline, that that was a side effect put into motion to make sure Link still encountered the legend that would lead him downward.

However, if you want it to be the legend, provided you also want to go along with what's intended for the timeline (because I doubt they actually put any thought into all those possible splits in the chart), then you can look to the Ballad of the Goddess.

This exists, alongside the legend of the man the goddess gave a sailcloth to. And everything up until this point-

-was pre-determined. Link was supposed to win the Wing Ceremony, Zelda was supposed to hear a call for the surface, and so on.

The Ballad of the Goddess was meant to be a hint and guidance for the hero when he first starts out. He knows what his job is, what the end result should be, even with other stakes at play. So we can reason that Hylia had at least some limited future sight ability in order to generate these prophecies.

With that in mind, the above phrase that generated my whole Mudora theory could well have been the same thing—Hylia telling her people about what's to come, but either leaving out details so they think it's already happened, or time itself distorting the tale to change it from future tense to past tense as it's retold each generation. We know from Gaepora's meeting with Fi that the stories of the past are altered and missing pieces. So if you want to stay as true-to-intention as possible, I'd say go with that.

My own thoughts on this line below the cut.

Personally, it's the past tense that gets me hung up on this bit of dialogue; that the goddess gave the sailcloth back then. It throws me into speculation mode because I'm like "no, that hasn't happened yet, so that means it's happened twice!!!" which gives me a springboard to speculate what the world before Demise might have been like. It's also a line that could have been fixed with a single word.

You know, they say that the goddess promised the Sailcloth to her chosen hero long ago.

If they'd done that, there would be no room for questioning. I do kind of want to ask @sunnylaurels what the exact wording is in Japanese so I know without a shadow of a doubt that it's a dialogue error and not a mistranslation (after BotW's journal conundrum I no longer trust localizations) but-

The fact of the matter is, regardless of what's intended, I think it's more fun to speculate about an unknown predecessor to Link. Someone who tried, who failed, who was given a second chance, who was scattered to the winds of time to fulfill a purpose. It's a whole pocket where I can basically make up what I want, and the canon is just ambiguous enough to support it, which is amazing.

However, I also know that some theories, despite how they're technically canon-compliant, feel like they betray the canon to subscribe to on the basis of the Zeldevs' intentions. I know for a fact that the dialogue was intended to reference Skyward Sword Link. In a similar vein, I know that Breath of the Wild's 10k years ago are intended to happen after everything else in Zelda canon, or that nearly everything in Twilight Princess is intended to be a callback to Ocarina of Time.

I just have a serious case of "but what if THIS tho!"

[mamamittens]

I'm considering a bit for Ambiguous Intent (Hitman AU shipping Thatch and Izou with my OC Nikia)

Specifically an idea for the end where she figures out their actual occupation

So, it's revealed to her maliciously by Teach, perhaps through a mysterious package from a 'concerned friend'. Filled with evidence of their crimes and murderous tendencies.

This is after her fun, spy intrigue chase involving her inheritance from a secret spy great aunt where she's already revealed her feelings.

So now she's horrified and concerned. There's a lot to consider and given what she's learned, as well as how, she needs to get her head on straight. She knows it certainly wasn't revealed in good faith, but that doesn't make the information any less distressing.

Teach's goal perhaps to create an opening to make waves and take over the void left behind by the downfall of his family. He doesn't think it'll be completely successful, but getting even a few of his brothers out of the way will go a long way towards his goal. And chasing their wayward lover seems like a good distraction.

Anyway, she doesn't react how he expects her to, which is to report it to the authorities or even disappear in an attempt to run. Which he knows Thatch and Izou wouldn't accept at this stage.

She instead pretends everything is fine and sets up a long vacation on her own. Very casual like, and not even totally lying about why she's doing it.

Her excuse is something along the lines of "needing to clear her head because it hit suddenly that she's in a relationship with two good friends and she's getting overwhelmed". They're bummed, and want to go with her, but she's sweet and insistent. She just needs to reframe her thoughts, given that she never expected to be attracted to anyone, let alone have it returned, and it was kind of a identity thing.

They're shockingly chill because they'd long since had Haruta set up some stuff with her shit for tracking and keeping an eye on what she's doing. They don't usually stalk her intensely but her little trip to a few destinations is pretty transparent and she never lies when she checks in with them so they know she's okay.

She still cares after all, and she has experience with her family enough to know that they likely have connections. She can't flee without careful consideration.

They don't super suspect anything until they take a look in her apartment and find the package.

Then they know exactly what she's actually considering.

And well, she's had long enough to think. They get a lot more serious, tying up some loose ends including narrowing down the leak and informing their father. It's a serious issue, after all. Both as interference in their relationship and a bad sign of a traitor in their midst.

In less than a day after finding out, they're on their way to pick her up for a... Lovers retreat.

I like the idea of her having a video diary to keep track of her thoughts. Maybe it keeps getting backed up on the cloud connected to her account and that's what gives away her actual worry. Leading to searching her apartment for the package that lead to all of this.

At first, they don't want to watch it. Wanting her to work things out on her own terms--they already know she loves them after all. But loving two men in a poly relationship is a... Little different from loving two part time serial killers/contract killers. One of which initiated contact to kill her for fun at first.

But they do and it's awkward and rambly. She's not saying directly what she knows but alludes to it often. Very raw thoughts and mortification she's in this situation to begin with.

It'd be stupid to stay. A massive gamble with two men who she already knows are capable of terrible things. She'd be an idiot to assume she's an exception to that. Horrified that she'd possibly prove how stupid she is if she went along with it.

But she loves them. If they wanted her dead, she'd already be gone. So obviously invested in her person and well being, theyve gone above and beyond for her. It would be insulting to their efforts and feelings to cheapen it.

It's not even strictly that they've killed. Her great aunt certainly didn't have clean hands and they got on swimmingly.

But she's stuck, musing morosely on a cliff overlooking a national forest somewhere.

To be an idiot woman killed by someone she loved or die having been too afraid to risk trusting them.

She just... Doesn't know.

It's a lot.

But she needs to make a choice.

Run scared or blindly trust.

And that's about when they catch up to her for that... Intense lovers retreat where they dedicate a lot of time to showing her how serious they are. And how much they want her.

No tricks or long con here.

Just several intense weeks proving how serious they are about keeping her.

By the end, she won't have a choice but to believe them. And it'll be instinct to trust them absolutely with anything they say. They can play pretend like their dirty secret never got revealed if it makes her comfortable, but she has to trust they'll never hurt her.

Not unless she begs for it, at least.

Teach is taken care of off screen or something, idk lol, toyed with the idea of him trying to seduce her but that's just the need for drama talking.

[bluiex]

(Immediately took the royal idea in an angsty direction (assumed unrequited love & Scar showing ambiguous signs of trauma). Nothing explicit but there's references to their wedding night! This was done head empty, so sorry for the pacing /formatting (not an experienced Tumblr user either) LOL — if anyone gets anything from this they're welcome to add to it /fix it up)

.

Scar thought he knew his place.

He'd familiarized himself with the judging stares from the start. Grian had been by Mumbo's side with a readied hand over the sheath of his sword like he was just waiting for an excuse. His fiance was kind, but he wasn't much better; his introduction one of resigned misery. Scar worked hard to break down their expectations over the months, but they'd both grown to trust him as a friend. Just a friend.

Scar hides a fond sigh. Despite everything, their warmth ended up being something close to what he wanted when he'd imagined for his wedding night in the past. He can still feel the loving ache between his thighs, their heated praises still echoing in his ears.

If things were different, maybe he'd consider himself lucky to not be truly bound to his arranged husband. If only he could swallow his feelings, if only he hadn't fallen so easily for them both.

He can't sleep with them. Actually sleep, that is. He's sure there's a couch in the corner, which would likely be preferred, even if he did serve as a catalyst for their urges–

He takes a shaky step out of the bed, blindly reaching for a wall for support, and trips.

His heart plummets, and the loud shattering of glass against the hardwood floors makes him nauseous. He's so dead.

Behind him, sheets move, quick and furious, he's sure.

"Scar?" a voice asks, cautious.

"I'm so, so sorry," he yelps. "I– I didn't mean it. I can clean it up, I promise, don't worry about it."

He narrows his eyes at the darkness, willing shapes to appear so he could follow through with his words. Sharp pain instantly shoots through his hand, and a pitiful whimper is torn from his throat.

"Scar," Grian says, "stay still."

Scar braces for some sort of impact that doesn't come.

Hurried hands grab at his own, and he drops the pieces of glass instinctively.

"Oh, Scar, let me get you fixed up. The only guard around tonight is me to honor your guys' privacy. No one will know a thing." Grian gets out of bed, and Scar can only wonder why his words don't sound like a threat.

"It's fine," he starts, a nervous laugh in his voice, but Grian just tsks.

"You're bleeding. Don't argue with me," he says, no room for argument.

"What were you even doing? If anyone should be resting, it's you." Grian adds, with the swish of a bottle and its contents. "I feel like I should be insulted that you're insistent on walking when I promised you wouldn't be able to."

"Oh, don't worry. Every move I make is a reminder of earlier tonight," Scar muses, through gritted teeth.

Grian hums, and starts tying his bandages. "Then explain yourself."

Scar blinks. "I was going to–you know–just find a place to sleep and all."

He swears he can hear the ruffling of feathers.

"What? Why?"

Scar frowns, even if Grian can't see it. "I didn't want to intrude. It should've been you."

"It should've been me?" Grian echoes. "It was me. We were all together, weren't we? You're the one who–"

Yes. Yes, Scar had worn that blood red lingerie in honor of Grian's signature jumper. He'd called out his name just to see Mumbo's face, to indulge the rough touch of the guard's hands when he finally threw out his urges from the other side of the door. He'd been waiting for their wedding night, to see them both give in was worth everything.

"Scar?" Grian whispers.

He doesn't have time to prepare for Grian's lips against his own; soft and careful and loving, he hopes.

"Please. Please just stay in our nest for the night. We can talk more when you wake up, I'll tell you everything." Grian swears, once he's pulled away and left Scar breathless. "We love you. We both do, if you do too."

Scar blinks, and feels something break within him when Grian pulls him close.

First off- this was AMAZING. The pacing is was perfect and I see no need to fix it... I WANNA HOLD SCAR AND TELL HIM HES LOVED *cries into my hands*

[matan4il]

Good morning Alice! I was gonna wait to send this till after the finale, but then said duck it I'm not predicting anything. I'm just curious about your feelings.

So I always felt like if the network was to cowardly to make Buddie Canon it would only end 2 ways, them maybe dating women or just ambiguity single as a family. Basically I never expected to see an actual fleshed out love story written for either.

And well, S1 Buck is single, S2 Shannon is dead, Ali leaves, and we get good montage hug, S3 single and great party montage. OK S4, if that was the series finale we got Buddie walking into a party, Buck not fullying entering, Eddie uncomfortable and the will reveal. As shippers, we would have never bought it. The general audience would have just shrugged. Again, they weren't left in love with women but did leave with a crazy strong bond. S5 single, and now we approach S6. I have no clue what will happen with Marisol and Natalia, but I think we can all guess it would resemble the S4 ending if anything. So again, if they were unsure about renewing and left it open-ended, the GA would shrug, and we would be like "well then here is what really happened".

So I watched that Love in the Air montage like it was approaching a series finale and felt exactly like I thought I would. I was laughing at how vapid these relationships look on Buddie vs the others. 911 love stories are built on adversity. Couples that don't get a lot of representation because maybe some don't think they are sexy enough. That's what makes me love them is how strong their foundations are. They are not built on meet cutes, you know. You can't write a love story for these 2 that approaches touching the bonds and experiences they have already experienced together. I will use the word again. it seems almost vapid!

So no clue what will happen in the finale with these girls. My gut instinct is not a lot of focus. But I'm already excited to move to ABC, where I think they will actually be invested in.

As always, I loved your meta!! Stay safe, and I hope you are feeling OK and made headway with your new treatment!!!

Hi sweetheart, thank you so much for this lovely ask! And for the kind words about my 617 meta! *HUGS*

I agree with you, if Buddie doesn't go canon, the show would never be able to develop a fully fleshed out and satisfying love story with any other Love Interest, so the show would either use really lame LIs (where it's easy to see that they'd go in the way of Ana and Taylor a short while after the cut off point of the show's finale) or Buddie would be chronically single (and each other's life partners). I admit, I prefer the latter. The former just means a break up to get to the latter, and then in both cases I'd just headcanon that Buddie finally had a feelings realization and confession, getting together at some point in the future that we don't get to see. It's inevitable with their love story.

But without a doubt, when we know that the whole (or at least majority of the) finale is the one call during which the 118 will be going down, that means there won't be much room to develop anything with either Natalia or Marisol. And I feel like that's exactly how 4a left off with Ana, and 4b did the same with Taylor. They exist, something has started there, but it's built on such shaky ground (they really did give us less than nothing for why Marisol or Natalia would work out with Eddie and Buck), we KNOW that this ground would collapse under these new LIs after a short while.

I do think the move to ABC has a lot of potential. I'm thinking ABC bought the show from Fox knowing that things are a bit rocky, so they KNOW they need to bring in more viewers, and I'm sure they understand that letting Buddie go canon has the potential to do just that, make TV history, create buzz and bring in more viewers.

On a personal note, I'm just still blown away that my HMO actually approved this treatment, but it's gonna take another week (exactly) until I get my first treatment. Which sucks, I have to cancel guiding students from Harvard in order to make this appointment, but yeah. Health before anything else, right? If I kept the Harvard tour, the next appointment is mid June.

Thank you, darling! I hope you're having a great day, too! Love you tons. As always, here's my ask tag. xoxox