#i'm so glad val's first coming out was so positive

[hollowtones]

ayy monhun fan! what are you thinkin of what we've seen of wilds so far?

The initial trailer they dropped months ago was pretty cool. "World" is my least favourite game that I've played (even thought I liked it a lot!!), and 90% of why I felt that way was "this is the first time they're making a game of this scale / scope / direction", so it's exciting to see them make a successor to it now that they're not also learning how to make a game like it from the bottom-up & not also building the tech side of it from scratch.

Big desert environments have me excited!!!! I love the way these games do deserts. I'm always dreaming of Val Habar. I love the colour palette they're using for this area. Big fan of Yoshi being a new mechanic. In general I'm noticing a lot of things in "Wilds" that feel like a really cool mix of ideas from "World" and "Rise" in a way that feels a little more grounded. It's cool that they're bringing back a buddy you can ride around on & control. I wonder if they'll let Yoshi fight with you. I don't remember if they showed that off already. Getting to hotswap between 2 weapons without having to run back to base camp feels like a big deal that I haven't really wrapped my head around yet.

The focus mode thing seems fine. More granular control over aiming sometimes seems neat, & the footage we've seen makes it feel like positioning & animation commitment are still a part of it, which I like. Expanding part-breaking into "opening wounds that take more damage & enable special attacks" seems cool! (There was a similar-ish tenderizing mechanic with the Clutch Claw in "Iceborne", and I fuckin hated using it. Loved the idea of it at first. Having to do this whole separate action that interrupted the flow of the fight in a weird way to enable more damage felt awful after a while!! And they designed all the fights around the fact that you have it & use it! So I'm glad they're seemingly taking what I liked about it & chucking out the rest, haha.) I remember there was some hubbub about focus existing at all when news was first dropping. Some people were mad about it? I feel like this happens every time they announce a new Monster Hunter. They reveal a new feature, and a couple guys crawl out of the woodwork to go "THEY HAVE MADE THE VIDEO GAME PITIFUL AND EASIER - THIS IS THE DEATH OF THE FRANCHISE!" The franchise has died every game since the first one, by my count. (They end up buying the game anyway, of course.) I hope they put out a demo soon, though. I wanna get my hands on it & see how it works in the middle of a fight to see how I actually feel about it.

Weapon & armour design so far has been great. Happy about that. The bits of NPC designs we've seen have been cool. I don't really like the smith's look very much. Which makes me sad because I'm pretty sure she's supposed to be Little Miss Forge. LOL

When they first showed the game off I remember thinking "yeah, that's cool, I'm looking forward to this, but it's coming out Next Year & we're not even halfway done with 2024." Well now we're almost two thirds of the way through the year. And they keep dropping gameplay trailers. And they look hype as fuck!! And now I'm feeling more impatient!!! I wanna try this shit out soon!!! I wonder if they'll drop a public demo after Gamescom or something. I wonder if my computer could even run it...

I liked the way Hunting Horn played in "Rise" but it's cool to see the more traditional recitals back. (But faster!! And with new combo paths!!) I think I've spent a cumulative hour or two watching that horn trailer over and over again for little details. The funny bubble reminds me of bead of resonance but it seems like it might also be some kind of AoE team buff? It could also just be extra damage like bead was. But I loved bead. So I'll take it. Being a Hunting Horn fan is accepting that you'll be playing an entirely different weapon in every subsequent game, so I suppose I fuss less about whether or not it plays like any one specific game. But mannnnnn it looks cool as hell this time around.

[finnglas]

hmmmMMM Kaide and Tali (and Lyna if you want??), gardening

[this fits their Inquisition canon v well]

Herbalism is one of the many things the clan tried to teach her, but Ines hadn't truly been interested until Kaide had pulled out his fancy scissors while they were on a ride to harvest a lovely seeding bit of royal elfroot. "These will be nice for growing," he'd told her, carefully scraping out a pod but leaving plenty for the wild animals and wind to scatter. "We'll plant them in Skyhold's garden."

Which was how Ines had become interested in the courtyard that Kaide had claimed for his own space, with one corner for healing herbs and one for poisonous ones, and one for the ones that could go either way. The last corner was for the seedlings Ines was growing herself under Kaide's patient tutelage, and that is where Taliesin finds him, kneeling in the dirt, the sun catching at the fine teal velvet of his sleeves and picking out the red highlights in his hair.

"These are almost ready to harvest," Kaide says as Taliesin approaches, sounding worried. "She was so excited to get to do it herself. Have you heard from Lyna at all?"

Ines has been traveling with the clan for the past couple of weeks, spending time with her mother, mainly, although she had promised Taliesin she'd also speak to the Keeper about the possibility of vallaslin. Maybe.

"Not since the last one, but the clan should be passing close by any day now, so--"

"Ada! Papa!"

Kaide is on his feet faster than Taliesin has seen him move outside of battle. Ines hits him full-force at a flat out run and nearly takes him down, and Taliesin spares a moment to rub his bad knee and be grateful it wasn't him.

"Easy," Kaide laughs as he pats her on her back. "Your deadly nightshade is almost ready to harvest. You're just in time."

"Ooh, can I borrow your scissors? Hi, Ada." She interrupts herself to give Taliesin a hug, and over her head he sees Lyna coming through the courtyard gate that Ines had flung open.

"Hi, Bee," he laughs, kissing the top of Ines's head. He'll ask her how her time with the clan was later.

"Can I borrow your scissors to harvest them?" she asks Kaide again. Those fancy little things. Taliesin still thinks she only learns about herbs to get to use them.

"We'll, no," Kaide says, and Ines looks positively crestfallen. Taliesin tilts his head; it's the first time he can remember Kaide denying the girl anything. But then he reaches into his coat and pulls out a leather bundle, grinning. "Because you'd probably rather use your own, right?"

The sound Ines makes has the horses snorting and stamping from the other side of the wall, and a dog barks nearby, alarmed. Kaide helps her unwrap the little belt pouch, and inside is a set of herbalist tools, maybe even fancier than the ones he carries.

"I couldn't get back to Ostwick to get a set like mine," he's explaining, "so these are from Val Royeaux."

"How much did those cost you?" Taliesin laughs, and Kaide shrugs.

"Oh, Ines, hang on - gloves. The 'deadly' part of the name isn't for decoration."

While they go off looking for a pair of gloves for Ines, Lyna finally makes it to Taliesin's side.

"Are they always like this?" She's smiling, though. She's told him before that she's perfectly happy to have a third parent in the mix. Taliesin hasn't told her that Kaide has been discussing making Ines his formal heir, with a title and land and everything.

"They're thick as thieves. He gave her a pony within the first month she was here with us," Taliesin says by way of answer, chuckling. "I think he'd give her all of Val Royeaux if he could."

"I'm glad," she says softly. "It eases my heart to know the two of you have someone looking out for you who loves you so much."

"You know, he's offered to invite you to stay here, too."

But Lyna is already shaking her head. "It's a generous offer, but I'm not made for staying in one place. I'll visit, though. Perhaps next time, I'll plan to stay for a bit." She grins slyly. "I noticed a handsome young blacksmith on my way in today. Perhaps I'll stop to speak to him."

Taliesin snorts. "Good hunting," he teases, as Kaide and Ines come back into the courtyard, properly gloved this time, Kaide apparently talking her through the fine art of making poisons. Just what he needs.

Kaide pauses near him to say hello to Lyna and kiss Taliesin briefly, lingering with his arm around Taliesin's waist as they all watch Ines - carefully, for once in her life - harvest the nightshade and transfer it to a bottle. Taliesin foresees her interest in the hobby waning quickly, now that she has her own scissors and has accomplished her goal of growing a plant, but he also knows Kaide won't mind, will just cheerfully keep enabling her along whatever path her interest takes next.

Lucky, indeed, all of them.

[emberapatow]

ember runs into an unexpected familiar face, aka @vallaurent

The clinic was, once again, pretty quiet. Renee had been out for part of the day, so it was left up to Val to care for any incoming patients. Of which, so far, there had been very few. Just a few scrapes and bruises. Val had, luckily, taken one of her books with her to pass the time. Completely occupied with it, she only noticed that someone had entered Redwoods little clinic when she heard the footsteps coming up to her desk.

"One sec, hun, this is just getting interesting-" she called out, casting a quick glance upwards to check whether the person standing there was dying or in any state that would require her attention - which made her pause.

"Oh, Ember. Hey." Val smiled, a little bit awkwardly. Shaking off the surprise at seeing the other woman there, she closed the book. "What can I help ya with? Got hurt?"

~~~~~~~~~~~

Saying Val was the last person she expected wasn't fully true, if her mother or sister showed up suddenly at the clinic, that would have been more of a shock, but Ember certainly didn't expect the person to turn around to be Val, and it only really confused her more when the other seemed to be less of a surprise than it was for her.

"I-- Val. Hi," she stumbled over her words, blinking rapidly. The world was such a small place for sure. "It wasn't really me, there's a little girl outside, she fell and hurt her knees and I came in to get some bandages but-- I'm sorry, what are you doing here?"

~~~~~~~~~~~

"I work here?" Val responded, slightly surprised at Ember's confusion, before realizing that Ember probably had no idea that Val had even made her way to Redwood. Val knew everyone who came and went, because she knew how to get information out of people. But Ember hadn't been here for that long, and why would anyone mention to her that Val was here?

"I came here a few months ago, after I split from my last group." The honest answer. Val sighed softly. "I heard you made it here not too long ago, yourself. Congrats on makin' it back to civilization, by the way. Heard you have some family here, too."

~~~~~~~~~~~

"...Thank you?" Val's been here for a while, of course. Of course. And it was a big thing when she showed up, everyone knew about Isaac Apatow's daughter, and Val knew about her family status, knew about the dad who hasn't been there since she was four, it wouldn't have been hard to put it all together. And then casually stay out of Ember's way, considering everything.

It made sense, of course it made sense, but still, it stung.

"Sorry, all of this is just a surprise to take in, I didn't think-- well, I guess that's obvious." She forced herself to get over it, it was really not helpful to keep being the human equivalent of a question mark. (She didn't think about why meeting Val actually surprised her more than, say, meeting Orion here.) "But yeah, I kind of came looking for my father, so that was a positive find. And to be clear, I'm glad you're okay, and not zombie food."

~~~~~~~~~~~

Val felt her own bad conscience tug at her. The fact thet she'd been avoiding Ember was, probably, pretty dang obvious. Should she have acted surprised? Pretended that she didn't know that Ember had been here all along? Somehow lying felt wrong in that moment, but maybe that would have been the better option.

"Thank you. I appreciate that, hun." Val smiled her typical smile, because she was glad to see Ember. The fact that she was alive was a miracle. Val hadn't thought she'd be seeing the other woman again. But then the knowledge of why they hadn't even been together in the first place weighed heavily on her. Shaking those feelings off, Val quickly turned her full attention to Ember.

"What about your mom? I... I know she isn't here with you. What happened? If you don't mind me askin'."

~~~~~~~~~~~

Val was simply making conversation, Ember knew that. Was trying to be nice, asking about her mom, but Ember's stomach lurched at the question and felt like running away. Like maybe Val not telling her she was here was a good idea, actually.

(It was for both of their sakes.)

"It was the age old story, really. Zombies came, zombies chomped, only one got out bite free, life intact," she said, trying to keep her voice casual even though if one person could see through it, it was Val. Her dad knew her mom decades ago for the most part, aside from the phone calls, Orion barely knew them to really get to know her mom, but Val-- she came to dinners at their place, chatted with Izzy while she waited for Ember to get ready. She knew how close the family was. "It happened over a year ago now, so it's been a while.

"...anyway, did you arrive here alone or with somebody?"

~~~~~~~~~~~

Val found her heart cenching when she heard Ember tell her about her mom. It was something Val had been afraid of, but now had her confirmation. Seeing the casual way Ember was talking about it felt worse. Not because it was disrespectful to Isabelle in any measure, but because Val knew Ember enough to know it was a facade.

"Oh honey, I'm so sorry." The pain in her voice was genuine as she stood up from behind the desk. Their relationship right now seemed unstable, unsure, or at least Val didn't quite know just how to handle Ember, but even now, she felt it was right to pull the other woman into a hug. "She was real special. I'm sorry you lost her." It took Val a moment to pull away, hands pressed gently against Ember's shoulders.

"I came here alone. My survivor group disbanded, and after that I stumbled here. Ember... I hope you know this but... I'm so glad you're here."

~~~~~~~~~~~

"I-- thanks," Ember said because really, what could she do to such a genuine show of sympathy that came from Val in that moment, seeing right through the walls she tried to put up and then Val even came up and hugged her and it was so easy to just let everything else fall to the wayside and wrap her arms around Val herself, enjoying it for a moment before Val pulled away.

Pulled away but not too far, her hands still on Ember's shoulders as she explained how she got here and then added that she was glad Ember was here too with those dark, deep soulful eyes of hers looking down at her and Ember was moving before she could really register what she was doing - leaned forward and pressed her lips against Val's, gently, almost like a question.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Val wasn't sure what she had expected - what she'd hoped for - but when Ember suddenly leaned forward and kissed her, she realized that this had been part of it. Ember was gentle, questioning as if she didn't quite know whether this was okay or not. It still felt the same after all that time. Val couldn't help herself in that moment. She reached up, cupping Ember's face with her hands and kissed her back, letting her thumbs trail over the other woman's cheeks as she did so. Only for a few seconds before she pulled back enough to look back at Ember's face.

"Honey, I-" Val looked at her, realizing that she'd missed this in ways she hadn't even realized, but also remembering why they hadn't had this. Why she hadn't seen Ember in all those years. "You know I'm no good for you, hun."

~~~~~~~~~~~

There was that first moment of the kiss where Ember wasn't sure if Val would kiss back or pull away - both understandable and possible reactions, given their history -, but then Val leaned into it, cupped her face and kissed back and Ember let out a sigh as she lost herself in those few moments before Val pulled back again.

Ember chased her lips for a second before looking at back at Val - fuck, that honey just rolled off her tongue so easily and it was so incredibly distracting. Val was probably right, she knew that. They were bad for each other, they've come to that conclusion plenty of times before. But they've been in this exactly situation after those conversation just as many times, and Ember in that moment didn't - just couldn't - care about the past. "I don't really care right now," she said and when she kissed Val again, this time there was no hesitation, no question, just the desire to keep doing it and not let her brain overtake her.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Val had expected their past to overcome both of them. Make them pull back and realize that after the many times they had split up, they should have learned their lesson. To not get too close again. But it was hard, not getting pulled in when Ember was so close, when she said she didn't care with no hesitation. And when she kissed Val again, the woman knew she lost that internal battle, at least for the moment.

Val kissed back with the same determination, one hand still cupping Ember's cheek, the other trailing into the other woman's hair, gently. Ember still kissed the same way she did back then. She let herself get lost in it, until she needed to pull back to breathe. "Did I ever tell you I love the way you kiss me...?" Val muttered, close enough that her breath ghosted over Ember's lips. Biting her own lip, Val pulled back enough that she could look into Ember's eyes. "Do you wanna get outta here? I like kissin ya, but the clinic entranceway probably ain't the best place for it."

~~~~~~~~~~~

Ember kept her eyes closed for a moment after Val pulled back, smiling before she peppered a couple of feather light kisses on Val's lips. "I am pretty sure you have, but I still love hearing it. And right back at you." And when Val asked if she wanted to get out of here, she let out a small chuckle and nodded. "That's smart, this is-- don't get me wrong, pretty awesome, but yeah, not the kind of place for that."

Still, she gave Val one last kiss and then pulled back. "Good to see you in an environment like this though, it makes sense they snatched you right up here." She slid her fingers through Val's. "Fuck, I really missed you, you know?" She ignored everything else - they could deal with other realities later, for now, "Lead the way - where do you live?"

~~~~~~~~~~~

It felt so, so good. The small kisses, the little affections, so familiar to her. Letting her hand run through Ember's soft dark hair, Val looked at her with the awe and affection she hadn't allowed herself. Lettinger her fingers thread Ember's, she chuckled. "Yeah, it... feels good. Normal. The way it was before, kinda."

Especially with Ember here, now. Val would let herself forget and be happy, for just the moment. She deserved that much, right? And Ember did, too. "I missed you too, lovely. Now, let's get outta here. My apartment ain't that far away." Quickly radioning Renee that something had come up and she'd be out, Val pulled Ember with her, outside of the clinic into the sunshine. Still holding her hand, as if the other woman might just disappear.

It was a 10 minute walk to her studio apartment. It was in a somewhat lonely part of Redwood, but Val liked the size and just because she was a chatterbox didn't mean she didn't like the calm and quiet. Opening up the door, she led Ember into a spacious apartment. Tall windows letting the sun in, shelves and other furniture lining the walls, filled with books and other knickknacks to make the place cozier. A makeshift bedroom made with a portable divider, and, in the middle facing the outside, a small Island of couches, chairs and a table. Normally Val would've asked if Ember wanted to drink something, offer her to sit down, along those lines. But now she just reached up, cupping Ember's face and pulling her into a kiss, loving and gentle and a little bit deeper than she had allowed it to be back at the clinic.

~~~~~~~~~~~

It was so easy to fall back into walking next to Val, holding her hand, Ember's fingers gently caressing the back of the other woman's hands. There was something calming and excitable at the same time to be heading over to Val's place - something she's done plenty of times before and yet, it was all new, in a new place, unknown territory.

They were on the same page, though - when they arrived, Val didn't linger, didn't do pleasantries, they went right back to kissing and Ember sighed into it, the neediness that she didn't show too much before coming out now.

She's seen the place just enough that after a few moments she started leading the two of them towards the couches and once Val's legs hit the couch, Ember pushed the other down onto it, standing there, watching her for a few moments, taking in the entire woman - the frizzy, curly hair, the desire in her expression, the lanky body, those breast that curved and fit right into her palms, Ember knew from experience. "Fuck, you're still so gorgeous," she breathed and then climbed into Val's lap, straddling her and kissing her again, deep and full of desire.

~~~~~~~~~~~

They picked up where they had left off. Like there hadn't been several years that they hadn't seen each other in, they just slipped back into their old rhythms. And Val didn't mind it. Kissing Ember with the same desire and need, not holding back as if a barrier had been broken.

Val followed Ember's lead, let herself be pushed onto the couch, meeting Ember's gaze as they stared at each other for just a moment. Things may have changed but she was still as beautiful as ever. Those warm, brown eyes that Val could get lost in. Her beautiful brown hair, sometimes tied up, sometimes falling onto her shoulders. Val remember how she played with it when they were half-asleep in her bed, strands between her fingers. "Can only say the same to you, honey." Val immediately reached out to Ember, kissing her again, letting her tongue gently trace Ember's lips. Her fingers found skin, soft and warm beneath her fingers, just from where Ember's shirt had slipped up. Her fingers traced the familiar curve of the other woman's hips, before pushing upward her back. Val pulled away enough to let her lips trace the gentle line of Ember's jaw, placing kisses, soft and feathery, down to her throat.

"Mh... Can I...?" A lingering question muttered against the crook of Ember's neck as Val's tugged on Ember's shirt.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Ember chuckled against Val's skin, eyes closed, leaning into Val as her head tilted, giving space for Val's lips to caress her skin softly, gently as she asked Ember whether she was okay with going further. It was all so familiar and so new somehow at the same time and Ember didn't want either of them to stop. "Fuck yeah, please. I want this. I want you." There was no uncertainty after, both of them getting lost in the pleasure of each other, not caring about the past or the future, only about the other person, about feeling good and feeling close, feeling that intimacy and closeness they've known well over the years between the two of them.

END.

[daydreambelievcr]

setting: visiting hours + val / dusty ( give me Pain from his car accident when she was like 11.... evil laughter )

[  VISITING  HOURS  ]:     upon waking in a hospital bed, one of the muses turns their head, and finds the other sleeping in an uncomfortable chair by their bedside.

Eyes slowly fluttering open, straightening from the huddled position that she'd fallen asleep in, Valerie sucked in a breath at the sight of her brother stirring in his hospital bed, eyes burning as a fresh wave of tears threatened to spill. "Hey... I'm glad you're up, but try not to move too much, okay?" she urged him softly, her high-pitched voice breaking. For a fleeting moment, the preteen girl hoped that the whole ordeal had been some kind of homesick nightmare—phone lighting up with a call from an unknown number, excusing herself from rehearsals to take it, the feeling of her stomach dropping down to her toes, blooding running cold in her veins at the news that Dusty had been in a car accident (a really bad one, from the sound of the person's utter disbelief that he'd made it out of the wreckage still clinging to life). Since they were both in California, Val was the closest family he had, and although she was a mere eleven years old, she'd been the first one to arrive at the hospital to see him. It felt all wrong to her, seeing her jovial and outgoing older brother in such a state, so frail and broken, his limbs and skull covered in bandages in a feeble attempt to hide just how bad his injuries were. She'd been too young to really remember losing her parents, but the sudden reminder that she could have lost the closest thing she had to a guiding hand planted a festering pit in her stomach. Even though they'd come to the decision to emancipate the youngest Graves-Seong children so that she and her siblings would be free to pursue their separate dreams, she had a sinking feeling that nothing good could come of their family being splintered like this.

[allinmycorner]

It was a celebration of everything Taylor Swift in the ballroom as the stars danced to her songs in hopes of making it into the semifinals. Our show opened with a performance of "Love Story" featuring most of our pros. Several later did a routine to a slowed down version of "Style" to promote the Dancing With the Stars tour. I did not see Peta during the show so I hope she's doing alright. Barry, though, was there to cheer everyone on.

Mandy Moore (no, that that one), who has choreographed for the show before and choreographer Taylor's Eras tour, joined the panel as a guest judge. Alfonso also confirmed that bandleader Ray Chew is a Swiftie and has also worked with her before. And all the disco balls were turned to hearts for the evening's celebration. Taylor even sent another video wishing everyone the best before the competition began.

Who made sparks fly and who had their castles crumble? Let's take a look!

Harry and Rylee: I think this was the right outcome. While Harry has made some improvement, I don't think he was ready for the semifinals. However, I think he should be applauded for all the hard work he did to get to the quarterfinals. I'm glad Rylee put a lot more content in their rumba to "August" after Billy Porter's comment about Harry being a tree for Rylee to dance around after the dance off in the last show. He handled it well and maybe if the show had a few more weeks, he might've been almost as good as some of the others but it was just too little too late.

Jason and Daniella: Jason took stock of his position in the competition and decided to fight his way back to the top of the leaderboard. And he succeeded. His Argentine tango with Daniella to "Don't Blame Me" was fierce and sexy. It also included a lot of leg work that he executed impeccably. I also loved his little wink to the camera toward the end. Definitely one of the best routines of the season. I still think he's a lock for the finale, especially as he's now the only man left in the competition.

Xochitl and Val: Xochitl and Val danced a quickstep to "Paper Rings" and it was upbeat and as energetic as she is. We also got to meet her mother during their package, which was a nice treat. She's clearly Xochitl's number one fan. I also think Xochitl is a lock for the finals but she does have to be careful. Some of her kicks didn't look as clean as they could've been so she just has to watch out for her technique.

Charity and Artem: Charity hopes that winning the cha-cha dance off last week will help give her the spirit and energy to beat the others. She and Artem dance an Argentine tango to "Look What You Made Me Do." But I don't think she really absorbed Carrie Ann's comments from last week. She had flawless technique but there still didn't feel like there was much emotion behind them. I don't know if she's a lock for the finals. This was her third appearance in the bottom 3 in a row and I don't know if she could survive a fourth time.

Ariana and Pasha: Ariana feels the pressure now that Carrie Ann said she could win it all. And she delivered with her beautiful rumba to a slowed-down version of "Cruel Summer." She and Pasha continue to have great chemistry and she keeps mastering each move while putting emotion and intention behind it. I think she is a lock for the finals and still believe it could be a battle of husband and wife for the mirrorball - will Pasha or Daniella take it with their respective partner?

Alyson and Sasha: When this competition started, I thought Alyson would only make it a few weeks. I didn't peg her as the dark horse but she has proven herself to be. She has certainly come a long way since her first dance. I do agree with the judges that Sasha needs to let her dance more. It took them 30 seconds of a 90 second routine to finally get into the proper cha-cha. That needs to change. He needs to let her dance from the beginning and show off her moves and maybe they might make the finals. I think it will come down to a choice between her and Charity and either one could go home at this point.

After the individual dances, we had a dance relay. Our couples were paired up and each pairing was assigned a different dance style. One couple was selected to dance first and then the second couple danced. One judge was assigned per couple and they voted on who would get 3 extra points. So let's see how that went!

Ariana and Pasha vs. Xochitl and Val

Our first relay was between two of our best couples. Ariana and Pasha kicked things off and then Xochitl and Val took over. Both danced beautiful Viennese waltzes to "Lover" and it's amazing how different they felt. Ariana and Pasha's had a more classic and old-school feel, like I was watching a routine from a classic movie or Broadway show, while Xochitl and Val's felt more modern, like something you would see today. Carrie Ann had to make the decision and ultimately awarded the point to Xochitl and Val. It was a tough decision and I think either couple could've won.

Harry and Rylee vs. Alyson and Sasha

The second relay featured a jive to "Shakes It Off". The two couples at the bottom of the leaderboard competed in this one with Harry and Rylee going first and then Alyson and Sasha performing. Neither couple have danced a jive before so this was new for both. They seemed to do well enough but I do think Alyson was a bit better than Harry - her legs were more on point during her kicks than his. But both had plenty of content and showed off their dance abilities. However, I do think Bruno made the right decision to award the extra points to Alyson and Sasha.

Jason and Daniella vs. Charity and Artem

Our last relay featured our two "middle" couples, for lack of a better word. Jason and Daniella and Charity and Artem danced a cha-cha to "Lavender Haze", marking the second time in a row that Charity had to dance a cha-cha for extra points. She won last time and hoped history would repeat, even wearing the same style of pants as last time. But Jason brought a little more energy along with technique to his cha-cha, just inching out her excellent routine with Artem, and so Derek awarded Jason and Daniella the extra points.

So that was Taylor Swift week! Next time, we have the semifinals. Now, I have my sister's wedding this coming Saturday. I may not be able to post on time next week like I would usually. So my semifinals post may have to be combined with my finals post. I'll have to see but I wanted to give you a head's up.

I'll see you next time!

[booasaur]

Amar a Muerte - 1x53 - translations by @caesir

[dwtsfun]

Dancing with the Stars Season 31 Week 5 Part 1: Most Memorable Year is Back! And an Unexpected Result

I know this is early this week, but I don't have time to be playing around with two recaps on Wednesday and Thursday. So I'm forcing myself to get this one finished before tonight's show that I'm already gonna have to watch late due to a work commitment.

Before I get started, I want to talk about Selma and Sasha. As we all know at this point, Selma decided to withdraw from the competition due to health reasons. You have to respect how proactive she was about everything. She and her doctor were monitoring her body all season and as soon as things started to go south, she decided to bow out to make sure she didn't cause any permanent damage. To me that speaks volumes. As inspiring as her journey has been, I also feel that her departure was just as inspiring and maybe even more important. It's a story of making sure you listen to your body and don't push yourself past the point of no return. I'm glad she was able to do one last dance with Sasha. It was beautiful and I'm so glad that she and Sasha got to leave on such a positive note. Now, I don't think everything was handled the best and the show could've tightened up in a few places. But all in all, I really love that they got to be celebrated during their last hurrah.

Trevor and Emma- Jazz (Score=32)- I really have three things to say about this dance. 1) This was Trevor's best dance by a long shot. 2) It still doesn't feel all that natural when he dances. And 3) This was just a contemporary dance with shoes on. They should've just been assigned contemporary and called it a day.

Shangela and Gleb- Foxtrot (Score=32)- It was really nice seeing this different side of Shangela. She was subdued but still very dynamic. She moves beautifully and is so expressive in these slower ballroom dances. I loved her arms. Now, her shoulders need to come back down as they were creeping up at times. She also had a mistake. Other than those things, it was a great dance.

Jessie and Alan- Tango (Score=29)- This was Jessie's best dance by a long shot and it sucks that her dance last week was scored so high that it seems like they took a backstep. The judges were just on some bs. Now the first half was a bit of a mess. Her frame was bad. She had many mistakes. The breakdown was a bit wtf moment and she was off beat. But after that, the dance improved drastically and I felt like I was watching a legit contender. We need more of that Jessie.

Gabby and Val- Foxtrot (Score=36)- I have to say that this was Gabby's best dance so far. A lot of the issues that I usually have with her, weren't as obvious as they usually are. She does have really nice turns. I just need for her to work on the performance aspect of her dancing now.

Joseph and Daniella- Rumba (Score=34)- I was shocked at how well Joe handled this dance. I wouldn't go as far as to say that this was one of the best male rumbas ever. I immediately think to Apolo (S15), Corbin and Jordan who all had some of the best rumbas I've ever seen from a man. What I will say is that it was a really good dance and the technique that I saw from him was very impressive. His hip action was especially good. Now the song choice with the dance style left much to be desired. And the last pose was a bit too corny for my liking, but it was a really good dance.

Daniel and Britt- Contemporary (Score=34)- In my opinion, this was Daniel's best dance. I thought two 9s was a bit too high. I felt like one was deserved. Daniel still needs to connect his movements for me. There still is too much empty space between when he completes one and starts the next. I also thought a few of the lifts were a little shaky. I did like his arm extensions though. Those were really nice to see.

Jordin and Brandon- Salsa (Score=33)- It was nice seeing how much more comfortable Jordin has gotten with dancing over the course of the competition. Even though there were some mistakes and it wasn't as polished as her dances usually are, it was still very good and I love this upward trajectory.

Charli and Mark- Contemporary (Score=39)- This dance was amazing. The concept was incredible. It was beautifully performed. I felt like Charli really connected to this dance in a way that she hasn't before. It's exactly what I've been looking for from her. I loved it. It was perfect to me. But Len giving it a 9 makes sense.

Vinny and Koko- Jazz (Score=32)- Vinny has come so far in such a short amount of time. He performed this so well. There were no mistakes. It was clean. Sure it was simple. But I'd rather the dance be simple and clean versus messy and complicated. As we go on, I think Koko can add more complexity to his dances and he'll be able to handle it. But it's best to have a solid foundation and build on that.

Heidi and Artem- Rumba (Score=36)- I have to say that this was my favorite dance from Heidi by far. I do think that we needed more hip action from her and I want her to push the performance more. But like so many others this season, she's improved so much and I'm excited to see what else she's going to do this season.

Wayne and Witney- Foxtrot (Score=37)- This dance was gorgeous. Wayne has been a great dancer all season. But he has improved so much as well. I was super impressed with his frame more than anything else if I'm being honest. I think that's honestly what sold the dance for me.

So that was last night's dances. I will be late watching tonight but I'm hoping to get the next recap/review up by tomorrow. Let me know your thoughts and we'll see how tonight goes.

[artificialqueens]

But I'm A Cheerleader! - Chapter 23 (Aja x Farrah) - Millie

Farrah was lying on Aja’s bed in her arms that evening, a heavy weight of anger towards her ex-best friend resting upon her. The whole ordeal infuriated Aja; not because Valentina despised her, but because it’d upset Farrah like this. Valentina could hate her all she wanted.

Farrah had her head resting on Aja’s chest, and she let out another defeated sigh. Aja twirled her fingers into her wavy hair in a basic attempt to comfort her, and Farrah smiled weakly. She intertwined their hands and rested them lazily on Aja’s stomach.

Aja wished she could stay in this position forever.

“Ugh, like, why can’t she be straight-up with me?” Farrah reiterated, the anger still festering inside her, clearly with no plans of settling down any time soon. “If she’s not happy, she could’ve told me! Not that I’d do anything about it, now.” She grumbled.

“Hey, don’t let her get to you like this,” Aja cooed, stroking her hair. “She’s a coward if she can’t be honest with you about something like a friendship.”

“Oh, God, she’s gonna blow up when she hears about us.”

Aja immediately stopped stroking her hair, and her whole body turned stone cold. She retracted herself and pulled away slightly, propping herself up on her elbow so she could look into Farrah’s eyes, and she was met with a look of panic.

“Who says she’s gonna find out?” Aja questioned. “That anyone’s gonna find out?”

“Aja…” Farrah said, pulling back and sitting up, but the grip on each other’s hands was still the same. “We have to tell them eventually; sooner rather than later.”

Aja bit her lip and looked down. She thought coming out would be the hardest part of all this, but she was far from correct. Their friends had only just come to terms with them being friends, and girlfriends was going to step far over the line for them. She wasn’t ready for that type of rejection again just yet.

“… Yeah. Okay,” she said simply. “When?” She would mentally prepare herself for whatever their reactions were. Not that she could tell or anything, but she liked to think she could help herself right now.

Farrah shrugged. “As soon as we can.”

That filled her with dread. When she didn’t respond, Farrah took that as a cue to talk more.

“Aja, we shouldn’t keep it from them. Keeping our friendship from them for over a month was bad enough.”

Aja sighed.

“I get that you’re not totally ready yet, but I don’t want to stay in the closet around them,” she said. “I want us to be honest.”

“Okay,” Aja gave in. She could see where Farrah was coming from. “Baby steps though, right?”

Farrah nodded. “Of course,” she said. “We can just tell a few of them at first.”

She went pale all of a sudden. “I’m so sorry; I don’t want you to feel forced into anything,” Farrah apologised, biting down on her bottom lip. “I’m sorry.”

Aja knew that Farrah only had good intentions, and after all, she was at the point now where she just wanted to be fully open with the world about herself. But she’d only just regained her friends’ trust, and it didn’t take a genius to get that telling them anything new involving Farrah would practically throw their friendship out the window. Was it a risk she was willing to take? Probably. But not immediately.

“No, it’s okay,” Aja assured. “I’ll just start with Sasha and Alexis, and branch out from there. Maybe Shea, too.”

“Are you sure it’s okay?” she asked.

“Yes; it may be scary, but it’s the right thing to do.”

“But are you, like, totally sure?”

Aja crossed her eyebrows together. “Yeah, I’m sure,” she said. “Why are you worrying so much?”

Farrah looked away, staring out of Aja’s window as if she found the usual, boring street interesting suddenly. She poked her tongue into her cheek.

“Farrah.” She squeezed her hand.

The blonde turned back to face her. “I just am,” she said. “I feel like I’m pushing you. It just hit me, square in the face.”

Sure, Farrah was emotional, but this seemed completely unnatural of her. She didn’t normally worry like this; she appeared to be the confident one until this moment. As it turned out, neither one of them was that at all.

“You’re not,” Aja reassured. “It was a bold move, and I’m glad you took it.”

“Really?” Farrah asked. “You’re sure?”

“Yes.”

Farrah pulled her into a hug, and Aja could feel a couple of hot tears leaking onto her neck (although she didn’t say anything, for fear of upsetting her further). That only concerned her more, way more than coming forward with the truth to Sasha and Alexis did. Being this worried about boundaries just seemed so out of character, and she was going to get to the bottom of what was causing it.

-

Farrah was pretty sure that she’d never been with someone more patient than Aja. Okay, so she was far from patient and certainly didn’t take any shit thrown her way when they first properly met, but now? She put up with Farrah like she’d known her all of her life. That was far more than what anyone else she’d dated had done.

She hoped that she hadn’t noticed the minor stress-cry she had when they hugged, but if she did, she didn’t say anything. They resumed their previous position once she’d quickly wiped her tears on Aja’s cheer t-shirt, and her girlfriend held her closer than before.

Farrah wondered if she could ever get past this: this constant panicking if she felt like she’d come to a line, let alone even crossed it. Seemingly bad decisions and misinterpreted actions just seemed to haunt her, and every time she proposed something, she felt like she was overstepping a boundary. It was easier when they were just friends, but she could put a whole relationship at stake with just one wrong move. Aja didn’t seem too fazed by or against anything she’d suggested (at least, as far as she could tell. Over-analysing was a bitch).

Farrah thought of herself as fairly confident, but at the start of every relationship, she never knew how to approach milestones; it felt like she was practising a new cheer routine and she didn’t know what move she was doing next, and if she did one thing wrong, the whole routine would fail and someone could end up falling.

But, Aja was patient with her. She was outgoing, talented, and ambitious on top of that, not to mention beautiful. And Farrah was forever grateful for that. Hopefully she’d pull herself together soon, and stop worrying over every single tiny thing.

-

“I’ll see you tomorrow, right?” Farrah asked, stepping out the door of Aja’s house.

Aja smiled. “Of course you will,” she said, shutting the inside door to the hallway so her mother couldn’t see them. She bent down to kiss her, caressing her cheek. She wanted that kiss to say something that her words couldn’t: that she was here for her, always, and she’d try to understand her anxiousness; that she’d support her no matter what.

Aja was pretty sure she got that across, because when she pulled away and squeezed her arm, Farrah was smiling.

“See ya,” she said, swinging her backpack with her clothes from school and homework in it over her shoulders and set off back home, her dangerously short skirt swishing side to side.

-

Walking along the street, Valentina was minding her own business on the way to the store. She didn’t live in this neighbourhood, but there was a store that sold exclusively candy and you could buy whatever you wanted for cheap, so it was worth the trek.

She’d always liked this area due to the fact that every house was different to that around it, whereas the ones closer where she lived had the same, boring, cream exterior. This area’s houses were all different colours, with different arrangements and styles of windows, and grand, wooden doors. She would’ve liked a house just like that; Valentina liked to think that she had an eye for artistry.

She was almost at the store now, and she felt her stomach rumble. She’d seen Aja and Sasha down this road before, barely giving them a second glance as she walked past them, so she was pretty sure they lived around here.

She turned round the same corner that she always did, and what she saw filled her with rage. The thought of the candy that she was getting close to was completely swept to the side.

Farrah was stood so close to Aja, there was only a few inches between them. Valentina darted back around the corner and pulled her phone out to film - who knew what Aja was up to? She pressed the red recording button on the screen in case anything dramatic happened.

And it sure did.

Val couldn’t quite believe her eyes, but it was right there before her. She looked over her phone to check she wasn’t just seeing things, and to her great distress, her eyes weren’t lying to her.

They were kissing. And she’d just got it on video.