#it has been a journey. and it is now complete.

[mosabsdr]

The Journey is Long, But You’re Walking With Us 💙

Every time I wake up, I remind myself that we’ve made it through another day. And that’s not because of luck, but because of the kindness of people like you.

We’ve now reached $2,200, and that is a sign that we are not forgotten.

💔 War has taken everything from us—family, home, security. 💔 Each day, we wake up to uncertainty, not knowing what’s next. 💔 But you give us something to hold onto.

If you can donate, please know that your support is life-changing. If you can’t, a simple reblog spreads this post to more people who might be able to help.

We are still here, still holding on—because of you.

[iviarelleblr]

So, my tl;dr on this is "they're still making changes but it is all in the name of telling the story as it needs to be told, highly recommend picking it back up."

The longer version... well, I hope you don't mind if I have a bit of a ramble about the longer version. There are reasons season 1 looked worse and even more reasons why they made the changes they did. I highly recommend listening to the Wheel Takes podcast's coverage of season 1 in particular, to get a screenwriter's inside point of view on likely reasons why these decisions were made. But, the tl;dr of this part is, they're writing the series as much for existing fans as they are for the random mom who liked Gone Girl and sees Rosamund Pike on the poster, and also COVID fucked everything.

First off, the show is adapting from the whole, completed series. Robert Jordan started the series assuming it would be a trilogy, then quickly being taken to task but continuing under the assumption he'd only be writing about 6 books before the ending. Even once it became clear that 6 wouldn't be the end, he always thought he was only 1-3 books away from the end. He also changed his mind, a lot. We know this from things people have said after viewing his notes. And sometimes, when he changed his mind, he needed to add something he hadn't thought of before to make the story going forward better.

So, there were a lot of things stated and set up in the books that never had a payoff. What's the show supposed to do with that? Either you give it a purpose in the story, or you cut it, to make room to set up a lot of payoffs that didn't have enough establishing in the first place.

Second, one of the biggest early changes from book to screen was giving Perrin a wife only to fridge her in the first episode. It sucks! Nobody is ever at all saying that it feels good to do that. But they did need to give Perrin an external, reason for viewers to relate to him and understand what he's going through, over his book journey of the internal struggle at his violent tendencies. It wouldn't have worked as well if it had been his mentor or another family member, because "wife" is shorthand to the wider audiences, and thus a shortcut to a visceral understanding of, oh, he's afraid to give in because he could do that again to someone else, after going through such a terrible loss in the first place.

Third, several things happened at the end of season 1, including Barney Harris as Mat Cauthon leaving the production during the COVID stoppage (for reasons we still don't know and that aren't our business to know or speculate on) causing a hole in the plot written for him in the final two episodes, and losing all the stunt performers and some of the major locations for the final episode. The Blight was supposed to be filmed in a real place, I think in the Canary Islands but possibly somewhere else. Instead, they had a couple of months to build a set that would come anywhere near the level of immersion for the work to be done. Nearly all the Tarwin's Gap stuff had to be done with CG instead of live, and at least one pivotal scene at the end of episode 8 had to be rewritten to accommodate COVID filming guidelines for performers in close contact. This also put a strain on the budget, because of such heavy reliance on special effects and a whole new set for those last couple of episodes after having completed the first 6 during lockdowns.

I'm not saying anyone has to forgive season 1 its faults. The faults are legion and nobody can go back and change them now. But I do recommend taking season 1 on its own terms, looking at what it's doing with regard to setup, nods to readers, and what a show-only would need to know going forward vs the bits that would be nice to book readers but ultimately don't further the greater story. (Again, the Wheel Takes episodes are incredible insights into this. See also: LezbiNerdy's series on the costumes with Bree and Pez. Pez guessed book 14 events from 1x01 costumes, I'm not kidding I was there in the Discord server in realtime. That level of devotion to the books and the story is there from the very first, and I think a lot of people who are angry at the show for its changes could stand to step back and watch those breakdowns and see how much love there is for the story we all know and love across the whole production.)

I will say, season 2 steps it up in the biggest way. They got an increased budget, and they got into the real meaty heart of The Great Hunt. They've mostly skipped The Dragon Reborn, leaving its plot elements for later, but season 2 hits the ground running and never ever stops being amazing. Season 3 is going right into The Shadow Rising, widely regarded as the favourite and/or best book of the series, and the trailers promise so much fun and MILF violence even past what was in the 3x01 cold open sneak peek I shared in my original post. That's not even the event you might be thinking of from TSR, that's Liandrin's escape with the thirteen BA, though it sets the stage for the other thing even more effectively than the books did if you look just a few inches past the surface level.

So, if you have any inclination, I absolutely and with my whole heart recommend going back to the show with an open mind if you can. Even I felt a little let down by 1x08, but it's grown on me in the years since, and everything that's come since has so much more than made up for it. If you still hate it, you've lost little except a few hours of your time. But if you can find love for it, you get a whole new turning of the Wheel to have fun with and theorize about, and I love that for all of us who can get there.

The first 11 minutes of 3x01 are now available to watch on YouTube and I'm sure we are all being completely normal about it!

[satoruswifeyyyy]

lover, you should've come over (r.zoro x fem! reader)

chapter 1 chapter 2 chapter 3 chapter 4 chapter 5

chapter 5: how you get the girl

official playlist

masterlist

synopsis: reader and zoro are dating but it's not the same as before-something has changed.

it had been weeks.

weeks since you started acting like zoro didn't exist.

weeks of your sarcastic remarks growing dull, your wit losing its edge, your laughter disappearing completely.

weeks of zoro trying—desperately—to fix what he had broken.

and it was hell.

because you weren't just mad at him.

you were hurt.

and hurting you-of all people-was something zoro thought he'd never do.

but here they were.

he had to fix this.

and so, roronoa zoro—the gruff, stubborn, prideful swordsman—began his pathetic journey to win back his girlfriend.

attempt #1

zoro had always watched over you in battle. even before dating.

but now? he went overboard.

anytime a single enemy got remotely close to you—

SLASH!

gone.

you didn’t even get the chance to fight.

at first, you ignored it.

but when zoro blocked an attack that you definitely could have handled, you snapped.

“are you kidding me?!” you glared at him. “i had that!”

“tch.” zoro scoffed, wiping his blade. “yea i know.”

you clenched your fists. “oh, i’m sorry, i didn’t know i suddenly needed a babysitter.”

“you don’t,” zoro said. “just don’t feel like letting you get hurt.”

you paused.

your heart almost softened—

then you remembered how he broke up with you and walked away.

damn it.

attempt #2

“you owe me for this, moss-head,” sanji muttered, expertly cooking.

“yeah, yeah.” zoro grumbled.

he was desperate.

and according to sanji, “the best way to a woman’s heart is through her stomach, you dumbass.”

so now, zoro was begrudgingly carrying a tray of your favorite food to you.

he knocked on your door.

no answer.

“…oi. it’s me,” he said. “open up.”

nothing.

he sighed. “i brought food.”

silence.

zoro frowned. maybe she’s not inside?

and then—

“leave it at the door.”

he stiffened.

her voice sounded… empty.

“…just open the door, y/n.”

nothing.

his grip on the tray tightened.

“fine.” his voice was tight. “eat.”

and he walked away.

(she didn’t eat it.)

attempt #3

“alright, bro!” franky slapped zoro’s back. “time for the grand gesture!”

���i already regret this,” zoro grumbled.

“don’t be a coward!”

and so, franky—and the rest of the damn crew—dragged zoro onto the sunny’s deck, where you sat, reading.

��Y/N!” franky shouted.

you barely glanced up. “what.”

franky elbowed zoro.

zoro groaned.

then—

he gritted his teeth… and yelled:

“I’M SORRY FOR BEING A COMPLETE IDIOT AND BREAKING UP WITH YOU!”

a pause.

"I CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT YOU, LIFE WITHOUT YOU SUCKS. PLEASE COME BACK TO ME!"

silence.

the entire crew stared.

you blinked.

luffy’s jaw dropped.

sanji fell over laughing.

brook literally collapsed.

chopper gasped. “did zoro just… YELL?!”

“holy crap.” usopp whispered.

even nami was shocked. “i never thought i’d see the day.”

zoro was red. very red. deeply, painfully, miserably red.

you…

looked at him.

expression unreadable.

and then…

you simply stood up—

and walked away.

zoro’s heart sank.

“…that was painful to watch,” robin murmured.

franky patted his shoulder. “you tried, bro.”

zoro clenched his fists.

no.

not enough.

he needed to do more.

attempt #4

late at night.

zoro stood outside your door.

again.

for the hundredth time.

and he knocked.

“…what do you want.”

your voice was tired.

zoro exhaled.

and then—

“…you win.”

“…what?”

“i said, you win,” he muttered. “i give up.”

the door creaked open—just a little.

your tired (your eye colour) eyes peered through the gap.

zoro swallowed.

“…you don’t need to forgive me,” he admitted. “i don’t deserve it.”

you didn’t reply.

he took a deep breath.

“but you should know something.”

his voice was soft.

almost… vulnerable.

“…i never stopped loving you.”

your fingers tightened around the doorframe.

zoro exhaled. “i was an idiot. i got in my own head. thought you didn’t want me anymore.”

“…that was stupid.” your voice wavered.

“i know.” his jaw clenched. “and i hurt you.”

finally—finally—you opened the door.

“…do you mean it?” you whispered.

zoro nodded.

and that’s when your walls broke.

you threw herself at him—punching his chest, hitting him.

“you idiot!”

“i know.”

“you asshole!”

“yeah.”

“you made me suffer for weeks!”

zoro didn’t argue.

didn’t stop you.

just held you tight.

until you stopped shaking.

and then—

he tilted your chin up.

and kissed you.

it wasn’t a desperate kiss.

it wasn’t rushed.

it was… gentle. soft. familiar.

like coming home.

when they pulled apart—you exhaled shakily.

“…don’t do that again,” you murmured.

“i won’t.” his voice was firm. “never again.”

and this time—

he meant it.

(their spark never died. it had just taken some time to rekindle.)

a/n: happy ending?? epilogue coming up next!!

[delicateperspective]

Lyrical Analysis of "Sattelite"

If we analyze Satellite within the context of Harry’s House (played in reverse order), it follows a clear emotional progression:

In Love of My Life, Harry reflects on a relationship that was incredibly significant to him. He lost it, but has now found it again, signaling a reconciliation.*

In Boyfriends, he admits that despite their deep love, the relationship isn’t perfect—they’ve both made mistakes, but they always find their way back to each other.

Now, in Satellite, Harry explores the feeling of waiting. He’s finally ready to fully choose this person, but they aren’t quite ready to choose him—at least not publicly, not completely.

This song captures the frustration of being in love with someone who loves you back but is unable to fully commit because of external circumstances. It’s not unrequited love—it’s love that is being held back.

Lyric Breakdown and Analysis

You got a new life Am I bothering you? Do you wanna talk?

This immediately sets up a distance between them. Louis is on his first solo tour, stepping into a new chapter of his career. Harry wonders if he still has a place in Louis' life, if reaching out is even welcome. There’s hesitation here, like Harry is unsure if Louis even wants to have this conversation.

We share the last line

Many fans assume this refers to cocaine, but in this context, it’ could be referencing either One Direction, where they literally shared the last lines of their songs (such as when Harry closes Over Again with "all over" and Louis used to add "again") or Louis’ album, Faith in the Future, which he was actively recording at the time. (Some believe Harry’s voice can be heard as the backing vocals on the last line of That’s the Way Love Goes. Louis brought attention to this specific part during a fan chat on Twitter where he mentioned loving "the strings at the end".)

Then we drink the wall 'Til we wanna talk

They avoid the conversation. They numb themselves. They wait until they can’t ignore it anymore. This could hint at coping mechanisms—drinking, distractions, public relationships, anything to avoid the pain of not being together.

I go round and round Satellite

Harry is the satellite. He’s orbiting Louis, always close, but never fully reaching him. This is exactly what happened after November 2011—they were still together, still seeing each other, but never able to exist in the same way they did before.

Spinning out, waiting for you to pull me in I can see you're lonely down there Don't you know that I am right here?

He’s feeling lost, waiting, wanting Louis to finally choose him publicly. A satellite can’t pull itself in—it needs gravity, it needs the planet (Louis) to bring it closer. He knows Louis isn’t happy either. Louis might be the one who is physically distant, but Harry sees right through him. This is heartbreaking—Harry is saying, "I’ve never left. I’m still waiting."

I'm in an LA mood I don't wanna talk to you She said, 'Give me a day or two.'

He was filming Don’t Worry Darling in LA, but LA is also a symbol for fakery and PR relationships. Maybe he’s frustrated, maybe he’s tired of waiting. "She said, 'Give me a day or two.'" could be about his PR girlfriend at the time, OW. It could symbolize the artificiality of that relationship—like she needs Harry’s time, but only for the sake of PR. It also contrasts Louis, who Harry is actually waiting for.

Right here, right here Wishing I could be there for you

This is Harry’s core message in the song. He’s always been there, but he’s never been allowed to fully be there for Louis the way he wants to be. He’s waiting, but how long can he wait?

Analysis of the Satellite Music Video

The Satellite music video is essential to fully understanding the song’s meaning. While the lyrics alone convey a sense of longing and waiting, the video amplifies these emotions through the story of Stomper, a small, abandoned robot whose journey mirrors Harry’s feelings of isolation, patience, and the fear of never truly reaching the one he loves. When analyzed alongside the historical context of 2011, the significance of the Curiosity rover, and the heartbreaking ending of Stomper’s journey, it becomes clear that this video is not just a visual accompaniment—it is a metaphorical retelling of Harry’s experience of orbiting Louis for over a decade, waiting for the day they can finally be together.

The Opening Scene: A Calculated Choice

At the beginning of the music video, we see Harry backstage at his concert in pajamas when a staffer greets him. This seemingly mundane interaction is important because it establishes Harry’s normal routine—his life is moving forward, his career is thriving—but something is missing. Then, the camera shifts focus to Stomper, the small robot, appearing for the first time. At this exact moment, a TV screen in the background broadcasts the launch of the Curiosity rover from the Kennedy Space Center on November 26, 2011.

We hear a documentary narrator say: "Launched on November 26th, 2011 from the Kennedy Space Center, Curiosity was born on Mars. It has spent over ten lonely years roaming the surface of the red planet."

The choice to feature Curiosity, a rover rather than a satellite, is significant. If the song is about a satellite, why focus on a rover?

The answer lies in the date: November 2011.

November 2011 was a turning point in Harry and Louis’ relationship.

Before this, they were inseparable, openly affectionate, and constantly together.

But in October 2011, Eleanor Calder was introduced as Louis’ public girlfriend.

In November 2011, One Direction signed their U.S. deal with Columbia Records, marking their official expansion into the American market—a market that was notoriously less accepting of openly gay relationships, especially in boybands.

From this moment on, Harry and Louis’ interactions became more distant, more controlled, and more hidden.

The Curiosity rover’s launch in November 2011 is a direct parallel to Harry and Louis’ forced separation. Just as Curiosity was "born" on Mars, isolated and alone, Harry and Louis entered a new phase of their careers where they could no longer be publicly close. Curiosity has spent over 10 years roaming a planet it can never leave—just as Harry has spent over a decade orbiting Louis. This is why the Curiosity rover is the perfect metaphor for Harry’s experience.

Stomper the Robot

Stomper, the small cleaning robot in the video, is an extension of the Curiosity rover metaphor. Like Curiosity, he longs for connection, but he is stuck in a cycle of waiting, watching, and hoping.

Stomper starts off ignored, unnoticed, insignificant—this is a parallel to the main character in the Adore You music video. Both do not see their lives as worth anything and are quite miserable - until they meet that someone/something special. For Harry, I firmly beleive this was Louis, who showed him he was important and worthy of love.

As soon as he sees the Curiosity rover on TV, he feels a connection—just as Harry might have felt when seeing Louis. We know they were immediate friends. So much so that people have debated if they met before boot camp.

Stomper then breaks free from his routine and starts pursuing something greater, something he longs for. This moment in the video directly parallels Harry’s own journey—this deep connection is found and then they were both off on a life-changing journey and pursuing their dreams.

Stomper’s journey mirrors Harry’s decade-long orbit around Louis, always waiting, never fully reaching him. Inside the concert venue Stomper watches fans, longing for connection. Even through crossing the rainy streets, highways, and landscapes Stomper is determined to find Curiosity, no matter the obstacles. When he takes a moment to stare into his own reflection in a puddle it is a moment of self-doubt. He sees himself as small, insignificant—just as Harry may have felt at times throughout their journey.

The deeper meaning here is clear: Harry is searching for something he fears he may never find—Louis’ full, public commitment.

The most heartbreaking moment of the video is when Stomper finally arrives at the Kennedy Space Center—so close to Curiosity, so close to the thing he has been chasing the whole time—but his battery dies before he can reach it. This moment is devastating because it reflects Harry’s fear that he will never get to be with Louis the way he wants. He has waited for over a decade. He has watched from a distance, orbiting, hoping. But what if he waits forever and it never happens?

Stomper’s battery dying is symbolic of time running out, of patience being exhausted, of the fear that all of this waiting will be for nothing. As Stomper shuts down, alone, just inches away from Curiosity, the video leaves us with an open-ended question: What if Harry never makes it to Louis?

Why the Music Video is Imperative to Understanding Satellite

Without the video, Satellite can be interpreted as just a song about waiting for someone to be ready. But with the video, it becomes a deeply emotional and symbolic story of isolation, endless devotion, and the fear of waiting forever.

The Curiosity rover metaphor directly connects to 2011—the moment their relationship changed and they were forced into distance.

The opening quote highlights the theme of observing from a distance, just as Harry has had to do in his relationship.

Stomper’s journey represents Harry’s decade-long orbit around Louis, always waiting, never fully reaching him.

Stomper’s battery dying before he reaches his goal is Harry’s biggest fear—that he will spend his whole life waiting, only to never truly be with Louis.

The Satellite video is not just a visual accompaniment—it is the key to understanding the pain, devotion, and longing that define the song. It shows that love isn’t always about being together—it’s about the willingness to wait, even when you don’t know if the waiting will ever end.

The Larry of It All

When you piece together the lyrical content of Satellite, the music video’s symbolism, and the historical context of November 2011, it becomes increasingly clear that this song cannot be about anyone other than Louis Tomlinson. While Harry’s public relationships have often been used as a way to attribute meaning to his songs, Satellite does not align with any of the narratives surrounding his ex-girlfriends. Instead, it directly ties back to his decade-long connection to Louis, their forced separation, and the way Harry has continued to “orbit” around him ever since.

The lyric “We share the last line” is one of the most telling clues. If Harry’s vocals really can be heard on the last line of Louis’ song That’s the Way Love Goes, then this lyric is not just poetic—it is literal. This would mean that even after years of distance, Harry and Louis are still collaborating in quiet ways, still leaving traces of each other in their work. No other ex of Harry’s has this kind of musical connection to him. His relationships with women like Taylor Swift and Olivia Wilde were highly publicized, but neither involved the kind of hidden, intertwined songwriting that we see with Louis.

Then there’s the November 2011 connection, which is impossible to ignore. The Satellite music video opens with the launch of the Curiosity rover, explicitly pointing to that time period—the exact moment when Harry and Louis’ relationship changed forever. Before November 2011, they were inseparable, openly affectionate, and constantly together. But as One Direction’s career exploded and their U.S. deal with Columbia Records was finalized, they were forced into distance. Louis was given a public girlfriend, and their interactions became noticeably restricted. The rover metaphor fits perfectly with their story: Curiosity has spent over a decade roaming Mars, just as Harry has spent over a decade “orbiting” Louis, never quite able to reach him again in the way he once could.

This simply does not align with any of Harry’s public exes. His relationship with Taylor Swift lasted only a few months and did not involve years of waiting. His relationship with Camille Rowe ended on his own terms, and he has never given any indication that he was left in a position of longing. His connection with Olivia Wilde was highly visible and did not involve the kind of secrecy and forced separation that Satellite suggests. None of these relationships match the depth of history, restriction, and quiet devotion that the song conveys.

Ultimately, Satellite is not about a fleeting romance or an ex-girlfriend Harry willingly moved on from. It is about someone he has been tied to for over a decade, someone he has never been able to fully let go of, someone he has continued to orbit around despite the distance. The only person who fits that description is Louis Tomlinson.

Final Thoughts

This song isn’t about unrequited love; it’s about love that is held back. It’s about years of restriction, of external forces preventing them from fully being together. The music video reinforces this theme, using the Curiosity rover’s launch in November 2011 as a parallel to the moment Harry and Louis were forced into distance. The satellite metaphor perfectly captures Harry’s role in this dynamic—always orbiting, always near, but never quite able to land where he truly wants to be.

The fear that Stomper’s battery dying represents is one of running out of time. What if he waits forever, only to never truly reach the person he loves? This is why Satellite is so devastating—it’s not just about longing, it’s about the uncertainty of waiting.

Ultimately, Satellite is a song about enduring love, about waiting for the person you can’t let go of, even when you don’t know if they’ll ever fully come back to you. In the context of Harry’s House in reverse, it’s the moment of waiting that bridges the gap between pain and reunion. It’s about hope, but also about the fear that hope might not be enough.

[sirians-dragon-blog]

🎴Pick a Card Reading:

🌟The important message meant to find you

Hi! Let's do an energy reading for you. Please take what's resonate. Please pick one card from below(or multiple if you feel inclined to) and scroll down to see your pile. Enjoy!

Readings are below

---------

Moonwort:

Crystals: Carnelian, Black Obsidion

You are being asked to work on severing any toxic relationships, any self-sabotaging and self-degrading thought forms, or projects that are not making you feel truly happy. If you don't feel ready to stop it all, know that the divine encourages you to let them go. It is essential to clear out these energy to make room for the divine abundance meant for you. Your guides are working on the energy sources and traumas that are keeping you trapped or to endure the trap. Fear and worries might rise, but know it is just the rigidity of your ego self.

On the other hand, if you've been working clearing these toxic bonds and karmic relationships, and toxic habits, know that your team is giving you lots of love and light. The purging will be coming to an end soon. Your time to thrive as your soul self is near.

The energy for this pile is very firm. It is still loving and compassionate, but it has a strong "you need to step your foot down" energy. Be authoritative with yourself and the surroundings, you are not here to fit into the mold. Goddess Kali-Ma and Sekhemt are present and helping you break the final boulder into pieces. Very fiery energy pile Moonwort!

----------

Lavender:

Crystals: Lapis Lazuli, Aquamarine

Your ancient wisdom in the Egyptian timelines and soul's mastery is coming back to you at this time. Your soul is seeking to express and be seen because your wisdom and energy are needed by the world. However, there seems to be doubts and uncertainty in you. You've been on a certain path for so long, you're not comfortable with this side of you. Perhaps you feel that you cannot juggle different hobbies, missions and jobs properly (literally occupation or different goals). Your team is asking you to rise above the situation, see the bigger picture. Ask yourself lovingly, what is it that you're afraid of with this new side of you? How can you let go of distractions and the goals and projects that don't serve your heart's joy? Your awakening is destined, but you are required to make space for them. Do not fear of being seen, my dear. Your spiritual gifts are to be shared and honed. Know that your worries are echos from the past lifes. YOU are living in the NOW. Not the past. Let the divine take away the worries, for you're being protected well in this journey. It doesn't mean oppositions wouldn't arise but when they did, they're here to build your strong and confident characters. They would be the mirrors to your worriying thoughts. When it happened, know it's not meant to discourage you but help you release these thought forms. Your soul yarns to express and so does the wisdom and mastery of you.

-----------

Birch:

Crystals: rose quartz, aventurine

Very auspisious reading for you, my dear!You've completed a purging cycle. After all the struggles and hard work, you are stepping into the new you. Your reward is here. Now, take some time to let go of the worries and anxiety that might have been bothering you since the endeavor. Letting them go will help with the process of reaping what is divinely yours and reclaiming your full power. Take time to put down the stories that have been running in your head about all the impossibilities to reach a successful outcome, because you've achieved what you desire! Allow space and time for the gift to be unraveled around and for you according to the highest good. Allow yourself to pamper your mind, body, and soul. Rest assured that your prayer and request to the Universe had been heard. Your team and soul have accomplished the request. It is done.

---------

Thank you so much for letting me read for you! I hope this resonates and see u next time❤️

[maybeiwasjustjade]

Things I wished SJM had done instead regarding the Night Court post-ACOFAS (which has been exactly 1 book, but we all know she won’t be heading in this direction anyway):

1. Have ACOSF be about Nesta, and Nesta alone.

Make it about her healing journey + the formation of the Valkyries, instead of being a book about Stockholm Syndrome and essentially beating a woman into submission

If the Dread Trove needed to be in the book, let it be a byproduct of Nesta’s journey in exploring her magic. She can’t heal if she’s still terrified of its existence, and the Dread Trove primarily calls to her.

2. Have Nesta learn healing magic

Make and Unmake; Life and Death. Two sides of the same coin. If Nesta is Lady Death, why can’t she also be the Mistress of Life?

Feyre’s pregnancy: having Nesta learn healing magic ties in to Feyre’s pregnancy problems. It gives her a goal and a reason to explore the many facets of her abilities that isn’t just its manifestation as silver flames (that she eventually lost anyway)

Which brings us to issue number 3

3. A Court of Silver Flames should’ve been about, you guessed it, the silver flames

Why was Nesta forced to become a warrior instead of being taught to hone her magic? Amren couldn’t do it, but that doesn’t mean she was the only option. SJM literally had every means necessary to circumvent the story to find a way to make Nesta learn proper magic. It’s not like the physical training was consensual; they should’ve given her another option.

Eris: the random throwaway plot involving Eris just to make it about Cassian’s many many insecurities. Let’s be fucking for real right now. It should’ve been about Nesta—especially if they were going the route of what Nesta wants vs how she was raised. And lemme tell ya something really funny: Cassian’s hardly any different than Eris, status-wise.

Eris vs Cassian: SJM should’ve had both of them train her. Cassian can remain as her yoga instructor for nonconsensual boot camp, but have Eris teach her fire magic. At least then the whole Neris plot/proposal has an actual point, and it’ll give Nesta some reprieve from her forced proximity to Cassian. Eris is also fortunately in a position to understand her quite well.

4. Nyx should’ve been a daughter and not a son

Oh that would fuck with them alright. Have Feyre and Rhysand conceive a son because of the vision….only for the child to not only have wings (that were conveniently missing, how strange) but also be a girl. So not only is the child more Illyrian than High Fae, she also can’t inherit the magic

And even if she could, do we honestly think Feysand would know how to raise a daughter to be the heir? Feyre doesn’t even know how to rule or do taxes or make policies 😂. Chances are, Nyx would grow up to be another Mor—who does nothing involving her job and just runs around having fun like a stereotypical rich daddy’s girl.

Which, sorry to say, means that more than likely Feysand will want to try for another child soon. Remember, these are the same idiots who willingly conceived a child knowing that they made a death pact. They are in fact, reckless and selfish enough to do this.

And finally, in preparation for the clusterfuck that will be book 6:

5. Nyx having wings and no magic

My favorite theory truly, is having the child that Feyre and Rhysand nearly died for due to their own stupidity, be absolutely powerless and incapable of inheriting the HL magic. Genetics is funky for a reason; Nyx can be born primarily Illyrian and it still would be possible. We don’t know what having Night Court magic does to Feyre’s genes after all or if shapeshifting also fucks with DNA (like it does in Animorph).

Having an Illyrian heir would be absolutely hilarious because it would be a complete mindfuck for the IC aka the people who absolutely look down on and LOATHE the Illyrians. Despite you know, having three of them in the group. And Illyrian Nyx means they have no choice but to confront the issue that is Illyria. Feysand would never let their precious son go through the training or the Blood Rite or the poverty. Nevermind that they couldn’t care less when it’s someone else’s sons and daughters, but I digress. Either they fix it, or they ignore it and watch as it bites them in the ass in about 20 years

[is-today-tomorrow-in-nz]

This is just my rant on why I don't like reboots or Spin-offs:

The insipration came from the new 'leaked' Suitls LA video. While I may talk about Suits predominantly, this also applies to other beloved shows that are being desecrated by reboots/spin offs.

Oh boy, here it comes!

When will the studio execs ever learn that magic can happen only once?

I know I'm biased but the arrow guy tries so hard to be Harvey Specter, trying to imitate him down to the swag and cadence of his voice but it only came off as extremely grating. See, the thing about Harvey is, he is not pretending to be a charming ahole; he is a charming ahole; a flawed bastard with a deep-buried heart of gold. People hate him but would sell their souls to be him. He knows exactly how to push people and get things done but knows when to hold back too. And he cares with such a ferocity that sometimes make you wish you were someone he loves. Gabriel Macht did such a great job at it and immortalized the character. Same goes for Jessica, Mike, Donna and Loius. All these characters were immortalized by the actors who played them.

'If it looks like a duck, walks like duck, it is a duck' logic does not apply to reboots or spin offs. Of course there are exceptions but considering the current trend, reboot/spin offs are rarely enjoyable and they all seem be experiencing the two season curse. The first episode often has the highest viewership due to nostalgia factor then the rating falls and keeps steadily falling till the show is cancelled in season 2.

Coming back to the clip, we could see right away who the 'Mike' is and who the 'Donna' is. And despite me trying to keep an open mind, my feelings about the show soured right away. Again this exactly what studio execs seems to not understand when they sign off on a reboot or spin off- As a viewer, I had already completed that journey. I don't need to repeat it again.

I was taken into a new setting, I got to see the players, I grew to love some then grew to hate some, but I travelled with them and my journey is done when the characters walk off into the sunset. It may have been a happy/sad/ bittersweet ending but I, as a viewer has gone through it all and processed it and now the show holds a fond memory in my place. Just because it triggers warm feelings in me, doesn't mean I want to do it all over again with new characters.

I don't need the new characters to convince me how much better they are than the original ones. I don't need a Ted Black to tell me how he is so great and better than Harvey Specter. I don't need to him to talk and walk like Harvey or do things 'better' than Harvey. Same goes for the characters imitating Donna, Mike, Louis and Jesicca. I don't need a better version of my beloved characters. What I need is for you to show me who these new characters truly are. Show me what they stand for, show me their flaws. Let me uncover them like I did with the original show. Let the show have it's own flavour and personality. But no, we can't have nice things, can we?

And this exactly why reboots/ spin offs often lose their audience cause they don't seem to understand the concept of fan loyalty or what nostalgia truly means to a fan. If the show had been about a different corporate lawyer with his own set of characteristics and traits, I would have loved to give the show a chance but every promo and clip is about how Ted Black is as good, if not better than Harvey which grates my nerves to no end.

So, instead of treating beloved franchises like cash cows, pay the writers well and write better stories. Have some respect for your audience and don't play with their loyalty.

Thanks for coming to my TED talk!

[elainsgirl]

I’ve seen some people say they don’t mind elriel not being mates because their story will be beautiful regardless, and that it might be better if they aren’t mates because that makes their love more special. While I’m not against that sentiment, I just feel like SJM has written too many hints that they are in fact mates. Some nessians get angry if you say elucien is a corrupt mated bond due to the corrupted couldron. To them you’re implying nessian is also a corrupt bond. But that is not true. Because that would mean the couldron actively gave Nesta a mate. Why would it? It hates her. And if it did, Cassian likely would’ve immediately realized Nesta is his mate like Lucien did with Elain. But he realized later, like Rhys did with Feyre. It’s the timing that gives it away in my opinion. Thus, nessian is a bond from the mother, just like feysand, and elucien from the couldron. Now we have Azriel who is showing clear signs of being Elain’s mate (sensing she is a seer like Madja said a mate would, whereas Lucien couldn’t figure out what was going on with her, and so many other things but I don’t want to type all that lol). SJM loves writing parallels with her main acotar couples because she’s using the Koschei story as her inspiration. Feysand and nessian’s stories have many, but elriel has as well. I believe Elain and Azriel definitely have a mating bond given by the mother. This way, SJM can still write the rejected bond story with elucien like she has been wanting to, while still having elriel ending up being mates, perfectly completing the pattern she started and the prophecy with the sisters and the bat boys. How do eluciens and gwynriels not see this? The answer as you know is that they are in complete denial.

One thing I never understood is when antis complain that if one bond is corrupted that means all bonds are wrong, not just eluciens. And the reason that doesn’t make sense - its stated by Sjm herself that not all bonds are right or perfect, its a mismatch system. You can get a good bond or an illsuited bond. Feysand and Nessians’ bonds are clearly matched and perfect meanwhile the ONLY bond to be questioned is Eluciens. That is a choice done on purpose by Mass.

Look, the minute Mass wrote “why not make them mates?” Between elriel, everyonr should havs clocked on and questioned this. Bcs there was no reason to write that line if elucien is endgame. Absolutely none. From acowar Mass has the readers question why elucien? Why not elriel when it’s clear they’re more suited for each other? Then in the bonus as a set up for elriels upcoming journey she once AGAIN makes you question why elriel aren’t mates. The literal fact she wrote the “how does it make sense that two of my brothers are mated to two sisters yet the third given to another” line - eluciens should’ve packed it up bcs Sjm atp is blatantly telling you where the story is going.

Rhys knew Feyre was his mate long before, she had her transformation and the bond snapped BUT Feysand fell in love first THEN accepted the bond. Their love was established before they became “official” mates- Nessian follows the same path. It shows us readers that these characters aren’t accepting each other bcs of the bond but they fell in love and chose each other long before. The bond is a cherry on top, take it away and Nessian/Feysand would still be in love.

Elucien breaks away from this pattern. Lucien blurts out they’re in mates and what I find extremely interesting- in his monologue during acowar, he does not once state feeling drawn to Elain or how he looked at her and knew she was his mate who he had to save at all costs. Sjm never reinforces that idea within acowar - the same book where she introduces the idea of elriel being mates. Interesting right? Anyways, elucien break from this pattern that Mass has used so far. Their story would be forced proximity and then Elain coming to accept Lucien as her mate and realise the cauldron was right for her…which doesn’t sound romantic does it? Also what author questions if the cauldron was wrong between a couple…only for it to be right in the end? I definitely agree there is 2 bonds at play. A fated/mother bond and a cauldron bond, Azriel is elains second mate hence why he is affected & can smell the elucien bond. Also worth noting, Elriel have mother imagery whilst Elucien have cauldron imagery.

Elain and Az fall in love, choose each other, establish their love and then BOOM! Mass creates their “we’ve been mates all along!” Storyline that she is so fond of and used for Nessian/Feysand. It allows her to maintain the pattern whilst exploring the concept of bonds.

[abbylee0710]

Cosmic Hearts: Echoes of Another World

Synopsis: When five friends find themselves in the universe of their beloved game, they do not expect how much their presence will impact the story. With internal conflicts, a little bit of drama, and the truth of why they were transported to this world in the first place, the five will learn how to navigate their roles and the significance of their bond to each of the love interests in this universe.

Disclaimer: This is my first time writing so feedbacks are very appreciated, MC will not appear in this story but she did exist (will be explained in future chapters) the five girls are my very own original characters, the premise is that of an isekai, I will try my best to portray the boys' characters to the best of my abilities, this might be a very long series, please do not repost on other sites

Prologue: The Starting Point

It started as a normal day, meeting with the group, double-checking if they had missed anything, and then getting in the car for their destination. Abby couldn’t have thought of anything going wrong. She and her four other friends were en route to a private resort. A three-day short vacation, meant as a getaway and a celebration for completing their final exams. The resort was in a hidden paradise, a four-hour journey from the city, passing through mountains to reach the gorgeous beach. She was honestly looking forward to it, expecting a smooth and peaceful ride. Not until her friends decided it was too peaceful anyway.

‘The sunrise looks so pretty’ she thought as she looked out the window, admiring the colors that were being painted in the sky like a canvas. Drowning the irritating voices that are getting louder and louder with each passing second. Elly, who was today’s designated driver, was exchanging heated words with Jazz, the girl in the shotgun. Destiny, ever the pacifist, is trying to mediate between the two while Eve contributes to the argument through the various expressions she makes on her face.

Now, normally, Abby would’ve taken this opportunity to distract them. Takes their attention away from each other through the long ramblings of her love for Rafayel and his tragic lore with MC in the game that they all play, but she remains silent. 

Their group is tight-knit, friendship going way back since their junior high school years. Abby, Jazz, and Destiny even have known each other since childhood. Eve, a younger distant relative of Jazz, was later introduced to the trio with Elly joining them when they met her in junior high. 

With a friendship lasting that long, it is common for fights to happen. Verbal disputes and even insults are being thrown and said sometimes. They do share similarities but that does not mean that they don’t have different opinions on certain matters (No Eve, matcha does not taste like grass!). But they always come out with a stronger bond, understanding that their differences and similarities are what makes them close and connect.

This fight, however, is different, it feels different. Or maybe it was just Abby and her sensitive feelings. She may or may not have been holding a silent grudge against the four before this trip. In typical Abby fashion, she kept her feelings in and just brushed them aside, instead trying to look forward to the vacation they planned.

Elly and Jazz are still going at each other and Eve, who has had enough of their yelling finally snaps. “Gosh, can you two put it to rest already? Your voices are grating my ears!” She whines and Abby hears Destiny sighing and softly muttering her agreement. 

“I’m trying to end it but Elly won’t just shut up!” Jazz grumbles. Elly gives her a nasty glare for that “Oh, of course, I’m so sorry you can’t understand the point, as always” She quips back making Jazz roll her eyes and they continue their fight.

Not having any of it, Eve turns to Abby, pouting to voice her complaints “Can you believe the two of them? Abby, say something!”  Abby just sighs “I don’t know, do I have to?” 

That earns a raised brow from Eve “Well, aren’t you usually the one who butts in to bring attention back to yourself?” This was said not in a malicious way, Abby is aware of that. That is just how Eve acts and she gets along well with the other because they are similar in that aspect – always saying biting words to tease but never to intentionally hurt. Their friends are used to them being like that. However, with the tension brewing between the five, Abby snapped.

“What? So are you implying I’m an attention-seeking bitch now? Is that how you all see me? Why you were all avoiding me these past few days? If you are all so tired of my attention-seeking ass then you should’ve just left and never invited me with you all for this trip in the first place!” 

Silence…

Realizing her outburst, Abby immediately shuts her mouth. ‘I overreacted’ She can feel the guilt bubbling inside of her chest. She let her emotions win again, always spouting words without thinking first, again. Shocked eyes of all four, even Elly and Jazz who stopped arguing after hearing her shout, turn to her. Avoiding eye contact, an apology at the tip of her tongue but she can’t seem to spit it out. Her pride won’t allow her.

‘Was she wrong though? Weren’t they leaving her out, always discussing things when they thought she wasn’t there?’ She can hear her mind tell her. Pretending to look at her phone, she remembers the comments that she always hear from others. 

“You can be a bit too much sometimes”

“Do you feel the need to insert yourself in the conversation? We’re not asking for your opinion here”

“You talk too much, I’m tired of listening”

Was that the case with this too? Were they getting tired of her too? Did they realize that they can never put up with her overbearing attitude too? 

Abby was pulled back from her thoughts when she felt her phone vibrate. “Samara calling” her screen displays. It was from her cousin. She did not feel like answering so she ignored the call. It was not the right time to answer with the kind of atmosphere she created anyway. 

The faintest touch of a hand was felt, followed by a voice “What? Abby no, that’s not it” It was Destiny, her tone that was like calming a child but laced with bewilderment. Abby can feel the familiar sting in her eyes, not even sure why she just had to say those things when she should’ve just shut up. Slowing down her breathing, she compels herself not to let the beginning of tears show.

The car is still driving, and Abby finally meets the gazes of her friends. She makes eye contact with Elly through the rearview mirror, smiling softly and about to open her mouth to maybe say a joke to dispel the awkwardness until the view ahead catches Abby’s attention. There was a sharp turn that Elly and Jazz still had not noticed, focused on what was going on at the back.  They were driving straight to the cliffside. Following her line of sight, Destiny sees what situation they are in and yells “Elly! Cliff!” 

As if doused suddenly with cold water, Elly’s eyes widened, snapping her head back to look ahead. Jazz did the same and sucked in a sharp exhale, Abby can feel Eve’s hands grip hers as they witness Elly’s futile attempt to avoid their impending doom.

The car crashes into the barricades, the speed having enough force to break it as the vehicle continues until it falls. The crash was heard even kilometers away, startling resting birds and causing them to fly away. Inside the wreck, Abby who was unable to move caught the final glimpse of her friends, bloodied, and her vibrating phone. The cracked screen displays Samara’s contact again. Hurt and feeling so miserable, Abby’s vision blurred, “Is this it?” she closed her eyes and finally allowed herself to succumb to the darkness.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 

It all played out like scenes in a movie, quick and brief.

Abby can be seen chilling and lying down on her bed. Scrolling through the short YouTube videos on her phone, occasionally giggling and pausing to comment or like. After moving on from a short compilation of the ‘Cats getting angry cutely’ video, she was stopped by an ad and was greeted by a 3D handsome man, black-haired with glasses in a first-person point of view.

“Ah, it’s this game again.”

Taking a screenshot, she opened her and her friends’ group chat and sent the picture.

@Abigail Elsher

[Sent image]  This game has been popping up all over my social media. Should I just try it?

@Jasmine Blair

Oh, me too… Love and Deepspace right?

@Evelyn Blair

The quality looks great

@Destiny Levine

I am tempted to download it right now I heard great reviews about it

@Abigail Elsher 

Ok, I’m downloading it You all should too! @Amalia Keller stop pretending you’re not here! I can see you reading our chats [angry emoji]

@Amalia Keller

[Sent like]

@Evelyn Blair

Will download it too!

@Jasmine Blair

Yeah, sounds fun

@Destiny Levine

If you all are going to play, then I’m playing too.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – –  

Abby stops herself from giggling as she screenshots the interaction between her MC and the purple-haired diva in the game. “Excuse me??!! Why did this fine specimen rizz me, just to walk away without even letting me finish what I was going to say?!” she sighed dramatically but then added, “That was hot, do it again sir.”

Elly just rolled her eyes at what she just witnessed

– – – – – – – – – – – – – –

@Jasmine Blair

I call dibs on the Doctor. His representative flower is also Jasmine Meant to be fr [heart pierced emoji] Looks cold but is a softie trope >>>

@Evelyn Blair

You do you Jazz, however… WHY THE HECK IS CALEB NOT A LOVE INTEREST??!!

– – – – – – – – – – – – – –

@Destiny Levine

Oh my gosh, Xavier is so… [heart eyes emoji] Why isn’t he real?

@Abigail Elsher

I have asked this question every day since meeting Rafayel

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

All eyes are on Eve, as she is none the wiser, and continues to play the game. The girls were already all aware of what was going to happen in this chapter. Knowing how attached Eve became to dear gege, the girls were all looking forward to her reaction. 

Jazz can be seen sneakingly trying to prepare the camera. Making sure what was going to happen would be caught on tape. The others; Abby, Elly, and Destiny were acting nonchalantly but were greatly observing. They were not going to miss anything.

A few seconds later and then…

“WHAT THE FUCK”

Eve’s iPad gets thrown and a chorus of laughter rang across the room.

“THEY DID NOT JUST KILL HIM” Eve’s devastation continues much to the amusement of the other girls. Caleb just exploded with grandma in chapter 4 of the main story and Eve’s reaction did not disappoint

“BOOM shakalaka I guess” Abby snorts and the others laugh harder, Eve just throws a pillow at her face.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – 

@Amelia Keller

[Sent image]

@Destiny Levine

Oh wow… Are all affinity levels for the 3 the same?

@Amelia Keller

Unfortunately, I don’t have a favorite.

@Abigail Elsher

She’s playing for the plot and lore atp

@Jasmine Blair

Well, the story is good

@Evelyn Blair

How is it good when they let Caleb explode?

@Jasmine Blair

[ROFL gif] Ah yes, that happened

@Amelia Keller

I will keep playing, maybe they will add more characters

@Destiny Levine

Maybe they will Why else is there a ‘to be announced’ notif in the LI’s display

@Evlelyn Blair

Will save for Caleb then #HeIsAlive

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – 

Jazz was startled when Abby suddenly screamed.

“Love and DeepSpace? The fuck, it is love and depression!” 

With eyes that scream ‘???’, Jazz asks her “What happened?” to which Abby turns to her, getting a little misty-eyed “Just finished Raf’s standard myth.”

“Oh…” She answers, but then remembers something “I just unlocked Zayne’s, should I be scared?” 

With a little nod, Abby pats her shoulders softly as if to comfort her muttering ‘Good luck.’

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – 

@Jasmine Blair

WTF Why is his myth this sad??! [crying emoji]

@Evelyn Blair

I’m gonna hurt you more Jazz, look at your name

@Jasmine Blair

STOP REMINDING ME I’m gonna ugly sob every time I hear someone calling me by my full name [crying gif]

@Abigail Elsher

[Sent image] [Sent image] [Sent image]

@Jasmine Blair

ABBY WTF STOP SENDING ME PICTURES OF JASMINE FLOWERS

@Destiny Levine 

[crying laughing emoji]

@Amelia Keller

She’s crashing out, @Abigail Elsher send more

@Evelyn Blair

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

– – – – – – – – – – – – – 

@Evelyn Blair

[Sent image] Look! A star! @Destiny Levine can’t relate since her star left her…

@Destiny Levine

EVE WHEN I CATCH YOU [angry gif]

@Jasmine Blair

Now Eve, that’s just foul [laughing emoji]

@Destiny Levine

[Sent image] At least mine did not explode

@Amelia Keller

Oooh burn

@Abigail Elsher

Yeah, Caleb did burn

@Evelyn Blair

I HATE ALL OF YOU!!! [angry stomping gif] MY MAN IS STILL ALIVE TRUST!!!!

@Destiny Levine

Ok #cope

– – – – – – – – – – – – – 

Abby raised a brow when she noticed Elly tagging her in their group chat. Looking at her professor and then back at her phone, she decided to see what it was about.

@Amelia Keller

[sent video link] Hey @Abigail Elsher wake up

Abby catches herself before she screams, reminding herself that she is in class. Giggling, her fingers fly across the screen to type out a quick but excited reply.

@Abigail Elsher

OMG, NEW COMPANION??! Sea God Rafayel!!! [flying money emoji]

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – 

@Destiny Levine

I now understand why I have multiple holes. One for Xavier and one for Lumiere

@Evelyn Blair

Wild… But go off queen

– – – – – – – – – – – – 

@Jasmine Blair

[Sent image] I got him!!  Master of Fate Zayne, the man that you are

@Amelia Keller

Congratss! Now we wait for the crash out after she finishes the story because of the angst

– – – – – – – – – – – – –

They were all in Eve’s living room, watching the live stream for Love and Deepspace’s 2.0

“Oh? A new love interest?” Destiny points out

“I will stay loyal to fishie” Abby clutches her chest as if making a vow. Jazz nods, agreeing with her “The doctor has a tight grip on my heart I fear” Then Destiny also joins “My star is still the brightest for me”

Eve, still bitter with the unfairness of it all, pouts “Well! I’m still waiting for Caleb!” this caused the three childhood friends to giggle at the youngest’s antics.

“He’s hot though” All of them snapped their heads at where the voice came from, Elly was acting as if nothing was different but they could see how interested she was in the new character.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – 

@Jasmine Blair

Just finished long awaited revelry Can I just say? @Amelia Keller we found your man

@Amelia Keller

Found my man indeed [blushing emoji] [sent image]

@Abigail Elsher

How tf did you reach level 60 in affinity already?! Didn’t he just get released yesterday???

@Amelia Keller

I had so many diamonds saved up And I somehow binged listening to his tender moments, secret times, bonds, etc. To the point, I need more content

@Destiny Levine

She fell hard for him, got it

@Evelyn Blair

Must be nice #StillWaiting4Caleb

– – – – – – – – – – – – – 

It was the release of the first quad banner and the girls were in Abby’s room. Eve was not pulling as she was saving her diamonds, Destiny was grinding since she didn’t have enough and Elly was grinning cause she already won. 

In the bed, Jazz and Abby are still wishing. The latter let out a frustrated scream a few minutes later followed by the sound of real cash being paid. “You expensive fishie” Abby grumbles as she finally gets Rafayel’s card after losing on her 50/50.

Jazz sighs as she sees the animation of a blue tail displayed on her screen “The fish always goes home to me… The doctor on the other hand”

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

@Amelia Keller

Oh my… [sent video link] He’s a dragon? After all the theories of him being Hades? Not complaining though

@Evelyn Blair

Ooooh Sylus’ limited myth! Finally!!

– – – – – – – – – – – – –

@Abigail Elsher

Got spoiled, @Amelia Keller are you ok?

@Amelia Keller

[crying gif] THAT DAMN PAPER COMPANY

@Destiny Levine

“My dragon is gone” emotional damage

@Jasmine Blair

Love and Depression strikes again

@Amelia Keller

[crying emoji]

– – – – – – – – – – – – – 

Eve slams the door open. A big grin on her face as she goes to the table where her friends are seated. Proudly showing the announcement poster of Love and Deepspace 3.0 on their Facebook page. “Caleb is baaaaacccckkk” she excitedly yells.

The four just sighed and smiled at her “Congrats, your apple is alive” Jazz softly patted her relative’s head. 

“I’m gonna get all his cards, I have waited for this very moment!”

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

@Abigail Elsher

The trailer just dropped @Evelyn Blair

@Evelyn Blair

HE’S YANDERE???!!! EVEN BETTER

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 

@Jasmine Blair

[sent image] I’m afraid she’s down bad

@Abigail Elsher

HELP HAHAHAHAHA

@Destiny Levine

Eve, why the hell are you crying while holding an apple?

@Jasmine Blair

She just finished Caleb’s myth

@Amelia Keller

Apple is the only merch she can afford

@Destiny Levine

[LOL gif]

– – – – – – – – – – – – – 

The five were all gathered in Destiny’s room. All are on their gadgets playing.

“I just noticed, we are all friends but each of us main a different love interest in this game. It’s kinda funny.” Evelyn breaks the silence and Destiny giggles “Just shows how different our types are in men.” She answered.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – 

“Samara says she will give this game a chance.” Abby grins while sipping her drink. Now, all five are in a cafe. 

“Nice, I’m curious who she will main” Jasmine replies, amusement evident in her eyes. Abby has been whining about Love and Deepspace to her cousin to persuade her. After months, it seems that she has finally gotten the other to play.

Eve giggles. “Considering her personality, I can’t see your cousin falling for any of the current roster of LI’s. Maybe she will devote herself to the future upcoming love interest.”

“Now that would be comical” Amelia, or who they call Elly, nods. Stirring her coffee, she then adds “One of us for each love interest it seems.”

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 

Maybe it’s because of the heavy regret she felt. Of not being able to reconcile with her friends before their demise. Abby finds herself recalling their group’s antics while playing their favorite game. The happiest that they have been together. All of the silly chats, the get-togethers, the chaos. She recalls it in the final moments of her consciousness and then it abruptly stops and she feels herself being surrounded by light.

Suddenly, she opened her eyes. Her surroundings were in a blur and her thoughts were in disarray. Confusion, relief, and anguish all mix up and fill her chest, confusing her as she gets used to the thought that she can breathe. 

She is alive

Clutching her still-aching forehead, Abby mutters a curse, gripping what she thinks is a handle to stabilize herself.

Oh gosh she is alive

The cool sensation of the metal spreads through her fingertips and she registers the cold air that wraps around her. Abby is ok, she is well and not hurt but that shouldn’t be the case. She definitely experienced dying. The phantom remnants of fear are still fresh from her mind as gravity pulled the car they were in straight down. 

So why the fuck is she alive?

Her ears adjust and she hears sounds, some sort of announcement that echoes. Her brain catches words but with how muddled she feels, it just fails to discern and piece together the information it is receiving.

“ …. now ha…. new hunters….. all…. toda..” The voice is static, the announcement coming from the public address system. It continues until it gets clearer. Then she hears a ding.

Instinctively she moves forward, now into a room devoid of light. 

She is alone, where are her friends?

“But before we go, please enjoy the gift we received……. years ago….”

Abby’s vision clears and she realizes that she is being scanned, the door where she came from closing shut. The announcement continues in the background, understands a little bit of what is being said but some words are still lost on her.

“.... these electro…. Traversed time and space a miracle of…” She heard this before, but where?

Abby compels herself to observe her environment, completely giving up on listening. All around her are high-technology, like she is in a completely advanced civilization. Squinting her eyes, she read the words that appeared before her.

“Heading to new recruit registration center.”

Then she felt the platform she was on shake and move upwards, she was on an elevator. Brightness again filled her eyesight, the view that greets her behind the glass is somewhat familiar. With tall buildings, all with futuristic designs, and cars lined up on the highway.

Abby again looks around, looking for her friends. 

‘We were together, why are they not here?’

She is visibly panicking. Bouncing on her feet and immediately bolted out once the elevator opened. Running straight into the door at the end of the singular hallway. 

With a slam, Abby enters the room. Frantically looking around, meeting with pairs of eyes that are staring back at her. Hoping to find familiar faces amidst the crowd. She stops as she finds one. However, it was not what Abby was expecting. 

It’s a familiar face, that’s for sure, but it’s a familiar face that she still hasn’t met in real life. With big brown eyes and a bob cut that frames her face. There was no mistaking who she is. It just made Abby panic more.

That is not one of her friends, staring back at her is a character that Abby is endeared with. Someone that she was close to in the game and that fact is fucking her up.

Why the hell is Tara from Love and Deepspace in front of her?

[xelasrecords]

OK so, I'm in pain and I thank you for that. Jumin's grief in the SE is so isolated, both self-imposed (because that's how he's built) and due to him being the secret keeper and the best friend. One year of losing someone you love feels like a long time and no time at all, and Jumin knows it well.

It has been a year since a part of Jumin died. It is a part nobody else shall ever know, could not ever know. Who is he without Jihyun to remind him?

We have gone insane over this before but it never gets old. Jumin's loss of identity without Jihyun because he grew up with him and now he has to grow old alone!! Who will understand the part of him that only Jihyun was allowed to see!!

There are strange blank gaps on his walls where once beautiful landscape photos hung, trinkets that once sat on shelves tucked away into a drawer. The books on his shelf are changing, mysticism into autobiographies. Removing painful reminders is another way he copes.

It's so sad that he had to change this whimsical side of him to cope, because really, who has he become without Jihyun?

They had gotten together, Jumin, Jaehee, Saeyoung, in an empty conference room at C&R late one night and rewritten history to protect the ones still living.

I love the rewriting history line c:

In the end, Jumin had to be the tie breaker. As in life so in death, he agreed to bury Jihyun in lies.

THIS ONE TOO. SCRATCHED THE ITCH IN MY WRITER BRAIN. You're good with words Faye.

Jumin and Jaehee were the last two to leave the building that night. They walked in silence through the dark hallways, the lifelessness of the building making the hair on the back of Jumin’s neck prickle.

This imagery?? Working late into the night and having to walk through the empty office in exhaustion while carrying the weight of your decision, having your assistant beside you yet you feel completely alone. I want to give him a hug.

Didn’t Jumin trust Jihyun wholeheartedly with his deepest feelings? It was Jihyun who listened Jumin’s frustrations with his father and his insecurities and struggles he wouldn’t dream of sharing with another person. They spent countless nights by Jumin’s window, discussing their lives. Then why, at what point, did Jihyun stop trusting Jumin to do the same for him?

When did he get deemed untrustworthy?

It's so easy to internalise someone else's destructive actions when that person is so close to you. I'm sad that he won't find a reprieve from these painful questions because he can't share these with anyone, and the only person who can give him answers is dead.

I love fics that feel personal and this definitely tugged at my heart strings. It reminded me of my own grief journey and so I have to thank you again for writing this with as much care. It's a beautiful, heart-wrenching read.

Fault Lines

Exploring Jumin's grief in the aftermath of the secret endings and V's death.

✦ Word count: 1851

✦ TW: Alcohol use

It has been one year since the collapse of Mint Eye.

It is only in the evening, after a day of work, as Jumin is eating his dinner in silence, that he remembers the anniversary.

He has spent the last year trapped in a twisted time loop of memories that overlap his day-to-day activities. He is still there, in the helicopter, he is still walking into the compound, he is still hearing the screams. Before he wakes up in the morning, he knows something is wrong, even if he can’t place it. He is still trying to change the ending.

Everyone looks at him with sad eyes and talks to him in repulsive tones of pity, even after they’ve finished giving him the endless sorry sorry sorries he is apparently due.

Everyone treats him delicately, speaks in hushed tones, shares his personal tragedy between themselves, and it frustrates him deeply in a way he doesn’t know how to express. Perhaps what he needs to escape this horrific time loop is for someone to grab him by the shoulders and shake him hard until all the scattered pieces fall back into place. But everyone keeps pitying him, and he is still trapped.

It is perhaps odd that the only sympathy Jumin can accept without resentment is Saeyoung’s. Maybe because he only gave it once, in the hospital, with a frankness most couldn’t muster. There was a strange sense of solidarity they shared, as if they were flip sides of the same coin. Jumin recognised some of Saeyoung’s anger in himself in the shape of a frustration he found hard to swallow. And, although he knows Saeyoung would never admit it, he sees the way he is similarly weighed down with grief.  

It has been a year since a part of Jumin died. It is a part nobody else shall ever know, could not ever know. Who is he without Jihyun to remind him?

As the realisation of the date hits him, he feels a wave of nausea rush over him. He drops his cutlery and instead reaches to top up his wine glass. His hands have a slight tremor, and he spills a drop of red onto his tablecloth. He watches it spread.

He drinks a lot nowadays. It’s the only way to cope with the fact that he still lives in the past. The supply at his house is constant, the evidence well-hidden. If the maid is concerned by the number of empty bottles she finds hidden under the counter, she doesn’t mention it.

There is evidence, of course, but there isn’t anyone looking for it. There are strange blank gaps on his walls where once beautiful landscape photos hung, trinkets that once sat on shelves tucked away into a drawer. The books on his shelf are changing, mysticism into autobiographies. Removing painful reminders is another way he copes.

Once the glass is empty, he rises inelegantly from the table and takes a step back. How has it already been a year? How is he still a bleeding wound? Shouldn’t something have changed by now?

But things have changed, at least for everyone around him. He knows better than anyone how people have grown and changed over the last year. Oh, he has played healer and secret keeper and unbreakable pillar to the RFA from the moment cracks started to show.

They have come far.

He remembers Saeyoung calling a meeting just a week after Jihyun’s death. He had just been discharged from the hospital and seeing him so serious and unwell made him look like an impostor of the friend Jumin thought he knew. They had gotten together, Jumin, Jaehee, Saeyoung, in an empty conference room at C&R late one night and rewritten history to protect the ones still living.

It was a tie. Saeyoung: firm and insistent, even if worryingly pale, needing the story to be different to protect Saeran. Jaehee: brow creased in worry and objections at the mere suggestion of lying, again.

In the end, Jumin had to be the tie breaker. As in life so in death, he agreed to bury Jihyun in lies.

Jumin and Jaehee were the last two to leave the building that night. They walked in silence through the dark hallways, the lifelessness of the building making the hair on the back of Jumin’s neck prickle.

Only once they stepped into the lift, once the doors had closed on them, did she break. He was standing behind her, so he couldn’t see the way her face crumpled, only the sudden way her shoulders seemed to collapse inwards. He could hear her breathing stutter and her voice break.

“Why did you deny him the truth?”

He knew who she meant. Jaehee had assumed that, of course, Jumin would protect Jihyun’s story. But in the end, he knew the truth would break the RFA in ways they couldn’t heal from, and that was something he would not allow. Besides, there was a small part of him that knew that Jihyun would choose the lies to protect his loved ones. So, despite the twisting of his gut, he chose to lie. For all of them, if not for himself.

Was it not a small kindness now, to spare them this one detail?

After seeing her off, he returned home, poured out two glasses of wine and drank facing the window. It was his turn to apologise now, for the part he had played in covering up the truth. He knew Jihyun had already forgiven him, but Jumin could not forgive himself.

The second glass sat out on the counter for three days before the cleaner eventually put it away. Jumin couldn’t bear to look at it.

If he squints, he can imagine that the RFA is almost normal again. They can get together without conversation dwindling out into painful awkward silence – most of the time. Saeyoung makes them smile when they need him to, which is often. There aren’t any arguments anymore. At the last one, there was even talk of hosting a party again.

It’s not perfect. The early days were rough. Jumin would force them all together every so often (taking advantage of all that horrible pity they had for him), and they’d sit together without saying much. Saeyoung had bruises he wouldn’t explain. Zen sat in silence, looking profoundly lost. Yoosung was notably thinner, the circles under his eyes ran darker than they ever did before and Jaehee would chew her lip till it bled.

Even now, there are visible fault lines. At RFA get-togethers, Jaehee shrinks into herself. If the conversation lingers on Jihyun for too long, Saeyoung leaves the room. But, at least, Zen and Yoosung have some semblance of sanity and faith. They can look back reasonably fondly on their past without too much pain. To Jumin it looks like they are putting themselves back together.

And Jumin himself? Jumin drinks and imagines these cracks will be patched up with time too.

As Jumin steps away from the table, he feels a dull ache behind his ribs. He refills his glass and first moves towards the window before thinking better of it. Tonight, of all nights, he can’t sit there. Not when that was their seat. He veers off down the hallway instead, into his study.

He shuts the door (sealing himself in), settles behind the desk, and pulls out his phone. It has become a habit to not check the messenger as often as he once used to. In the early days after Mint Eye, every new chatroom brought a new wave of despair and anxiety for Jumin, as well as attention on himself that he did not want. That anxiety has lingered and taken away some of the comfort the chatroom had once brought him. On a bad day, he does not open the chatroom at all until the end of the day.

His phone pinged less today than it usually does, and now he finds out why. It seems like Jaehee, Zen and Yoosung have chosen to get together this evening to commemorate the anniversary. The invitation was seemingly open to the whole RFA, but it is no surprise that they are the only three who ended up meeting. As much as Jumin fights to hold them all together, today is the one day he feels like he would shatter if he had to be with them all.

It is more obvious today of all days how much his grief has isolated him from his loved ones. He has always been fine with his own company. In fact, after a long day of interacting with people at work, a quiet evening with Elizabeth was always his favourite way to decompress.

Today, however, his loneliness eats at him from the inside out. Despite having eaten some of his dinner, he feels hollow, as if he has been carved out from the inside with something sharp. His head spins, partially due to the wine and partially with the weight of all that he wants but cannot have. The complexity of his feelings has long since escalated from a ball of threads. His life feels like a tapestry coming unravelled. One wrong question, one train of thought he follows too far is like pulling on a string that shouldn’t be pulled, one that will reduce him into a heap that cannot be put back together.

Even the simple thought of trying to explain himself to another person makes him feel ill. To have to recount all that he has been through and all he has been feeling (things he hasn’t even fully admitted to himself) in order to feel a sort of connection again feels insurmountable. Even his friends, people who has known and loved for years, feel separated from him by an impenetrable wall.

Jumin desperately misses his best friend. He was left profoundly alone in the wake of his death. He is also betrayed in the deepest sense. On top of that, these feelings are all at odds with one another.

Didn’t Jumin trust Jihyun wholeheartedly with his deepest feelings? It was Jihyun who listened Jumin’s frustrations with his father and his insecurities and struggles he wouldn’t dream of sharing with another person. They spent countless nights by Jumin’s window, discussing their lives. Then why, at what point, did Jihyun stop trusting Jumin to do the same for him?

When did he get deemed untrustworthy?

He thinks back to the year he has had. Paying off nosy journalists, hiring special security teams, throwing his influence around at hospitals so that the RFA wouldn’t struggle any step of the way. Was he not capable of handling things in a crisis?

Look, he wants to say. Look what I have achieved.

He has existed for the past year in a one-sided argument that will never conclude. Jumin, proving himself over and over again to a ghost that cannot ever concede and free him.

He pulls out the bottle stashed in his desk and pours another glass. The room is silent, and Jumin can hear the echo of screams.

[orcelito]

FANTASTIC NEWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i finished & posted the ITNL 14 re-edits, WHICH MEANS!!!!!!!!!!!!! i'm officially done with my re-edits project!!!!!!!!!! :D!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ive been thinking a lot today about my plans for ITNL 15, AND i have tomorrow off, so if all goes well i'll be able to start writing again. TOMORROW !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

and if the chapter grips me like i expect it will then... hehehehehe

could be an update in as little as a few days, depending. i'll keep u guys updated

[undaughtered]

i think this is controversial but i do legitimately think (and this trend is starting to emerge, very slowly but very surely, in religious and theological studies, especially among scholars of comparative religion) that judaism can wrestle christianity back from christians on some level. not practically, obviously, but it is really is about time christianity was reappropriated by the people it has been used to oppress including and perhaps most especially jewish people. not in a messianic way, obviously, but in the sense that jesus as a historical figure was a jew, a jew who loved his religion and culture passionately, and the jesus movement was, long before it was christian, a jewish movement.

[the-nysh]

i know you're a ONE-centric blog now but just wanted to drop it and say that i was looking for bkdk metas and yours came up and i LOVED it !!!!!! only been in the mha fandom for 3 years, but you've stuck by bkdk since 2018 + i hope you feel rewarded by everything that's happened since ! all the older bkdk fans got the last laugh <33 (again dont post this on your blog since its not really an 'ask' but hope this made you smile + feel some sort-of nostalgia, have a great day !!!)

Ahaha, oh anon~ So you've noticed. ;) (And no worries, there's no need to hide it; I'm fine with sharing!) I'm guessing you found one of those old anon-asks I answered back in 2018? Cause in truth my faith in bkdk had already been fully invested since 2016, but I secretly kept it to myself (for obvious fandom hell reasons) til I could no longer hold back my feelings anymore, and began posting here in 2017 with some of my first metas for them. And since then *insert serious Woody voice* oh yes I've always stuck by and seen ev-ry-thing~

This is what I had already long concluded and confessed back then:

I’ve come to an educated decision pertaining to what’s been narratively invested from the start – a core direction of the series actually, and from this I’ve found one of the most fascinating, complex, and rewarding character-relationship dynamics I’ve seen. Damn I’m sold.

And now? AND NOW?? What does it FEEL like? To be rewarded for that long term patience and receive precisely what I'd signed up for? Ohum~ It feels like purring behind a pleased smile, chilling back with some of the most refined scalding hot darjeeling tea.....to have simply enjoyed this ride and trusted in Hori (not the western fandom) and my own reading preferences from the start. To be constantly fed his slow-cooked, full course meals without ever needing to ask for anything more? Cause there's really no need! Everything came to those who waited. Hah....(yes the signs were there all along for those who chose to look and read his work for themselves) it feels so correct to have chosen Kacchan as a favorite and follow how his complex canon relationship with Deku would develop from their deliberately rocky beginnings. I am so glad for the journey to get here. :')) I can only wish Hori the best to finally stick the landing and conclude his series in a way he feels satisfied with!

[girlitfeelsgood]

I am getting so fed up with myself I just can't get myself to do anything

[blujayonthewing]

for that one oc ask - GHOST and DESIRE for uhhhhhhh Melliwyk! I know very little about your OCs yet so i'm tempted to just keep throwing asks at you but I don't wanna overwhelm lol

hi hello first of all please do feel free to send more... if the spirit moves you...... 👀

ghost: Who or what haunts your OC? What happened? How do they live with their ghosts?

When asked about the scars up her arm, Melliwyk usually explains it very briefly as the result of a lab accident when she was still a student, laughing off almost dying and how the discharge launched her across the room, but it also launched her academic and research career. What she does not generally explain is that the other thing that happened was her then-roommate happened to walk back in unexpectedly at the exact wrong moment, got caught in the face with magically charged electrified shrapnel, and was permanently blinded... the incident may have accelerated Mel's arcane studies, but it ended Amberly's.

It set the tone for the rest of her career. Even having exploded, her experiment was highly impressive and promising, especially from someone so young and still early in her arcane studies, so it opened up a lot of opportunities for her-- and on the other hand she got a reputation for keeping an eye on the bigger picture and not letting personal risk or others' feelings get in the way of meaningful progress, a reputation she leaned into an benefited heavily from despite the fact that Amberly getting caught in the accident in their dorm wasn't even really her fault. There were lots of other times in the years following where she was more than a little flippant with risk management or others' wellbeing in the pursuit of her work. It got her a lot of professional respect, and mostly her reputation ensured others kept themselves out of risk around her; she got really used to not thinking about anybody else whenever she did anything, for better and for worse.

This was decades ago, now; for most of that time, she's consciously thought about it very little-- and definitely less and less over the years (although it subconsciously has affected her decisions sometimes, like moving out into the middle of nowhere alone to get into weirder and possibly more volatile experimentation). She's been thinking about it a lot lately, though. Adventuring is the first time in a long time she's had to live and collaborate with others, and relies on mutual trust for her own survival. Doing Hero Shit in the real world, with real people enduring real suffering, has also put her back in touch with her humanity after spending so much time in magical academia and then total isolation. She's had to think, a lot, about how many people have been hurt or killed by things like not barring the door while working on something dangerous, or thoughtlessly drawing aggro to an already injured NPC, or failing to safeguard her loved ones after knowing that her becoming an enemy of the state would put a target on their backs as well. She liked Amberly. She hadn't meant to hurt her, and hadn't even meant to be careless about her safety; it worries her how hard it seems to be for her to protect others from her own actions, even when she wants to-- how dangerous she is to the people she cares about. She's not entirely sure what she can do about it other than isolate herself again, and that isn't really an option anymore.

desire: What's one thing your OC wants more than anything in the world? Are they open with that desire? Why or why not? What would they do to fulfill it?

Oh man this is a really interesting question for her right now! For her entire adult life, her greatest desire was to either reinvent or rediscover artificing, which was a millennia-lost art in her world; she kind of figured, you know, either she'd do that under less fraught circumstances, or it would be a lifelong pursuit that she could work to further but would never personally live to see the end of, so, honestly she's feeling more than a little unmoored right now in terms of, you know... personal goals..... entire life's purpose...... that kind of thing. Fortunately she's still got the broader overarching desire for discovery in general to keep her going, and slightly-more-dubiously-fortunately the Ongoing Adventure demands all of her attention right now (more, I would almost argue, than she has to give...), but Being An Artificer when that was a theoretical/ experimental field has been so central to her identity for so long that I think if you asked her right now what she desires most she'd get really stressed and existential about it, lmao. She hasn't had a chance to figure it out yet! I mean, of course, there's always going to be an answer, and right now it's probably 'to destroy the sorcerer king [our bbeg]' for various plot and personal reasons-- but even that, you know, I think she'd be uncomfortable and dissatisfied with the thing she wants the most being 'to beat the bad guy' instead of something more personal and/or interesting.

ask about my OCs!!

[milk-toast-honey]

Me thinking that good things would keep coming by themselves without me actually doing anything just because my mental health has gotten a lot better.

Turns out i still need to put in an effort. Huh. Who knew.