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pangolinheart · 2 years ago

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Ship game: Laurentiis?

asfdhjalkhjfd the world wants to know: which of the Crystal Braves would Rhiki date?

Of the three characters I've been asked about so far, Laurentius and Rhiki would probably have the worst relationship. To be entirely honest Rhiki would never consider Laurentius as someone she might hook up with. There are a lot of reasons for this, but if she had to give just one it would be "his sideburns." More seriously, he doesn't have any qualities that she finds particularly attractive, and nothing sets him apart from the dozens of other casual acquaintances she has.

If I were going to write some sort of romance between them, I would say it would have started after he turns himself in for selling information to the Garleans. Maybe they encounter each other a few times around Gridania, either in passing or occasionally at the bar. Rhiki is her usual chatty self and doesn't bring up what happened with the Wood Wailers (he thinks it's because she want to start fresh, but more likely she just doesn't recognize him....) Maybe he develops a little crush on her. He would almost certainly have to ask her out - while Rhiki doesn't dislike him, there's also nothing about him that she's particularly attracted to. He's just a friendly face she occasionally encounters. At some point he mentions or she remembers that he was That Guy from when Frixio had been kidnapped, but he seemed to have learned his lesson so she lets bygones be bygones. Rhiki is a big fan of second chances.

Supposing he did work out the courage to ask him out... Rhiki might say yes because she feels kind of bad for him and it was sweet of him to put in the effort. She figures it won't be too long term. Just a few drinks or dinners. But, hey, maybe they end up having a good time. They both like alcohol, so that's something I guess. They're both Lancers... Other than that they don't really seem to have much in common, but who knows. Maybe feeling more satisfied with his life brings out a better side of him. M Maybe it's nice watching him turn over a new leaf. Maybe it's just nice to have a kind of normal relationship between all of the crazy primal fights and political intrigue.

She would have been very encouraging when he brings up joining the Crystal Braves (though she warns him the uniforms are not sexy.) Alphinaud seems excited about the whole thing and maybe it will build his confidence and give him a new sense of purpose. He can help save the world like he wanted to when he joined the Wood Wailers. She's very proud of him when he volunteers and even tells him that the uniform doesn't look that bad on him. But then things start to shift - he's more secretive, he spends less and less time with her, he's not as interested or as caring. At first she'd tell herself that he was around less because he was making new friends, he's gruffer and quieter than usual because he's got a lot more responsibilities now so he's tired and still adjusting. But Rhiki's not stupid (okay she is stupid but she's also very emotionally perceptive) and eventually she realizes something is definitely going on, though I'm not sure she'd guess what. She tries to talk to him about it, but he's evasive. She's not the type to secretly follow a partner to learn their secrets, and she's already got a lot going on with Moenbryda's death and the whole Crystal Tower things, so she just puts it out of her mind and they gradually see each other less and less.

Until they see each other at the banquet in Ul'dah. Rhiki would probably be surprised and hurt by the betrayal. There are a lot of things she can look past, but being willing to kill their friends for money (presumably? he didn't seem to have any prior interest in the Ala Mhigan conflict) is not one of them. She's hurt, sure, but she's not shattered (if she's being totally honest she was happy but not really that emotionally invested.) Laurentius is Just Some Guy and she's not going to compromise her morals for him, She doesn't hate him for what he did (Rhiki doesn't hate very many people) but she is disappointed, because she knows he has the potential to be a better person. As much as she likes to forgive people, she also knows when she has to cut someone off for her own good. She's a little angry when she sees him at Baelsar's wall, but she's mostly sad. When Raubahn tells her after the revolution that Laurentius and Yuyuhase have been found and arrested, she advocates for a fair but even-handed punishment, but it's not because of their past relationship. It's just what she would do for anyone. She doesn't go to see him.

(Send me a character and I'll tell you what a ship with them and Rhiki would be like!)

Previous Ship Asks: Riol Ysayle

#ffxiv #final fantasy xiv #arr spoilers #a real reborn spoilers #laurentius #rhiki tag #these are actually pretty fun to answer!#this is the last one in my inbox but feel free to send more in #anyway rhiki would never date laurentius but if she did the vibes would be “that pathological liar you almost dated in high school”#the sideburns really are a deal breaker #also just realized that laurentius and zenos are equally memorable to Rhiki #and it's not because she remembers laurentius super well....

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chrisevansstitties · 1 year ago

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No worries. I mean a little bit, but only because the I'm thoroughly enjoying this conversation I can't help, but be for you're reply.

I don't lean toward any side, but I can guarantee you they'll be someone who will try & claim so. It's like you can't even disagree with anything with people trying to make you out to be a monster, and then making assumptions what they think you meant. Anyone who truly believes that someone is homophobic for not liking a ship, or "liking too many straight ships," need to reevaluate their thought process. It doesn't make sense. No matter how they try & justify it in their mind to themselves doesn't matter. Objectively, it's illogical. They're not winning any metals for all the mental gymnastics they have to do to come to those conclusions, but they sure do try. Like, I've said I've seen it happen so many times. Instead of judging people for they're shipping preferences how about we judge them for their personality, or how they treat people, what how they talk about themselves & other people. I could go on but it would be redundant. I just don't get how you could know a person & think they're cool, but because they ship the "wrong" things in your mind, everything else that you've experienced with that person doesn't matter. The most be something wrong with them. That's so childish.

I think you meant the Wednesday fandom is as toxic as Marvel, right? And who do people think they are trying to tell someone else who they can & can't ship? Why do they thing they have any authority? Who lied to them & said they had that power?

Just ship who you want to ship. Don't feel the need to have to defend yourself to anyone.

I'm sorry that happened to you. The fact that they liked you at first, nothing had changed about you, you just happen to like some heterosexual ships and that's what ultimately changed their perception of you. I don't get how people don't see how mindboggling that sounds. I'm so sorry you went though that. I'm glad I found someone who sees that it's okay to disagree with things like this without forming the worst assumptions, and then treating you like garbage.

Lets try & move on from the fandom trauma for now, shall we? The transition rom talking about deep shit to fangirl stuff is so awkward. I'm sorry. I'm so bad at this.

Wednesday knows what she's doing. Tyler's gotta catch on eventually. The moment when he finally realize she's been doing that shit on purposed! Ugh. It'll be golden. I can't wait! xD

I think my messages are open. Let me know & we'll talk about setting something up there.

I guess Joel being the stalker it a good guess. Not one I like, but I can't think of anyone else in whose already in the Addams universe at the moment. I just don't agree with it though.

When I thing of Xavier the first thing that comes to mind is him being all mopey about Weyler interactions. The the way he treated Bianca. Lastly, his visions of the hyde. As much as I don't care for him it is a mystery as to why he was was painting the hyde, the cave entrance & some of the ways the people were murdered. He has to be connected somehow. But his personality is so uninteresting to me that I don't even care. Do other people in the fandom even point that out, or has he faded so far into the back of the fandom's mind that they forget about it?

That dance is got so big & the fact that not many people mention that it was for Tyler is a crime. Jail time for all those people! xD You know what's not a crime? A female showing affect for the guy she likes. I don't get why that's so taboo. You don't lose your independence just by doing something like that. As long as it's mutual, why not? That strong independent woman thing is okay, but not when it's the only thing we get. And then if it's not written properly that can be just as bad. But you're right, that's a whole other conversation.

Yeah and Tyler definitely tried. Not well but he tried. And that that's fine. I've only seen the first HTTYD.

Okay, I'm a little confused here. Where are they getting the idea that Wednesday went to the dance for Enid from? Are they talking about the Rave'N? They can't be. The Rave'N, the dance she wasn't going to in the at first, right? The same dance that she only even changed her mind going because thought Xavier got her in a lie so she came up with the dance to cover her own & got an up close encounter with who she thought was the hyde at the time? The one she the was going to ditch after Xavier figured her out she only asked because he found out she only asked him she snuck into his shed that day & that was the only reason she asked him? The same dance that she was in motion to ditch that very night until Tyler showed up at her door thinking she had left a note asking him to accompany her to? Where did Enid fit into any of this? Even that moment when Enid took her dress shopping was just a ploy to distract Enid, so she could go to Jericho to talk to Donovan about her investigation. So it can't be that dance, right? Nah. There must've been a delete scene of some whole other dance that I missed. Because where are they coming up with this stuff?

Xavier's character just seems to get worse & worse the more you think about him. He better not have just used Bianca's own insecurities against her. It seems I wouldn't put it past him. The way he dismissed Wednesday's ideas in the beginning, but then at the end lied & said he was always there for her makes me think he would do something like that. I'm starting not to like him either.

I have to go check now. I think he might still wear his ring ow that you mention it. I want to see how his & Fran's relation ship was. And young Tyler interacting with his mom. I know it had to be so sweet. It must've been long & tragic the way things played out. I can't wait for Donovan & Tyler's character growth & bonding. It needs to be done. Tyler needs to be redeemed & delved into as his own character apart from Wednesday also. I just love all there characters.

Hunter & Jamie did so well with their characters. I trust their acting abilities to play this out. And I agree Jenna may be right about a few thigs but the romance isn't one of them. The writers ditching the opportunity to set Wednesday Addams up with a monster is preposterous. And her contraction on not wanting romance, but leaning into Wednesday dating Enid is so contradictory. No hate to her either. It just doesn't make sense.

Now, to the fans who try & change the show narrative & bait people into arguments just so they can force the idea that Wednesday is a queer icon. I don't understand how their minds work. It's like we didn't want the same show.

Kit Connor is who you're talking about. I heard about that. But it happens all the time. It's the entitlement these "fans" have to know about celebrities lives. Yes, the actors, writers and everyone else evolved wouldn't be where they are because for their fans. But two things can be true at the same time. And what people don't want to admit is a lot of them wouldn't be where they are if it weren't for the work they put in. These fans say the show, or character did so much for them. But then they want to pry into celebrities personal lives like they owe them that too. They don't. Respect goes both ways & a lot of fans need to come to terms with that. Supporting a piece of media doesn't mean that the actors, or writers or anyone in production owe you the right to their lives, or how they want to tell the story you tell them you love so much. Fans like that need to sit down, be quiet & rethink how they treat celebrities & then come back.

It's fine. I'm pretty sure thing is going to a little be incoherent too. I usually do re-read but I still mess up a lot. And I'm getting back to you last, so I may not have time to edit this one.

Can we talk about how Wednesday was in the most none triangle love triangle ever? Like, Wednesday and Tyler were doing their own thing meanwhile Xavier was just kind of there. Now if Wednesday liked Xavier too that would be a proper triangle, but that’s not what played out. She was always upfront with him that she was there for Tyler. He was just guy on the side who had a thing for a girl who’s into someone else. It was never a triangle. It almost confuses why anyone calls it a triangle at all.

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skania · 4 years ago

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Excuse me but am I the only one that prefers InuKik over InuKag?

My friend, you’re not the only one. InuKik is pretty much at the top of my all time OTPs. I bleed for this ship. Meanwhile, Inu//Kag is just... there. It’s a ship I’ve come to accept thanks to what it means in terms of InuKik (confirmation that InuKik are soulmates, a second chance for Inuyasha’s and Kikyo’s souls to find happiness together as they were meant to do), but I don’t care for it on its own lol

#inuyasha asks convos #otp: you were all I wanted #ironically I remember that when I first watched inuyasha #aka when I was a little kid #I used to despise inu kag with a burning passion #nowadays I accept it and can even find some fanart cute #but I don't ship it #it helps that I've realized that they're far from being one of the worst ships in existence #I have to thank naruto and now yahashime for that lmao #jerzarights #asks

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ordinaryschmuck · 3 years ago

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What I Thought About "Knock Knock Knockin' on Hooty's Door" from The Owl House

Wow. They are really pushing it for that secret message, huh?

Anywho--Salutations, random people on the internet who certainly won’t read this! I am an Ordinary Schmuck. I write stories and reviews and draw comics and cartoons!

I think it goes without saying at this point that Season Two of The Owl House is setting itself up as a season without filler. Now, filler episodes aren't always bad. Yes, it hurts when a series turns away from the main plot for a week. But at best, they're utilized as a chance for the writers to play around with the characters and developing said characters without it relating to the overarching story. So, some people who see that consider it a bad thing that a series doesn't have that many filler episodes.

I like to call those people: F**king morons.

Don't get me wrong, I see where some of you are coming from. And I'd be willing to agree...if The Owl House was a plot-driven series. Which it's not. It is a character-driven series. Because for every plot thread and narrative that the show presents, they always relate to the characters and develop them further each time these threads get brought up. For example, look at "Knock Knock Knockin’ on Hooty's Door" (It pains me just to write that). Several narratives move forward, and it’s all done to make the characters grow. And to explain how requires going into spoilers. So keep that in mind as you continue reading.

Now, let's review, shall we?

WHAT I LIKED

Hooty: Might as well start with the character that this episode is about.

To tell you the truth, I wasn't a huge fan when I found out we're getting a Hooty-centered episode. I've grown to love him over time, but he is a comedic character that's best used in small doses. Primarily due to how his voice is grating to me (My ears are still bleeding...). With that said, I do really love his contributions in "Knock Knock Knockin' on Hooty's Door" (Seriously, there couldn't have been a less awkward title?). Hooty's antics when trying to help everyone are as hilarious as they are heartwarming. He deeply cares for his friends but just doesn't understand how his plans could do some unintended harm, which is pretty lovable if you ask me. We also get some surprisingly great insight into his character, as he feels insecure about basically being the comic relief who doesn't really do that much other than being funny. Rarely do you get that level of dimension from a comedic character, and it's even more uncommon for that to work out as well as it does here. It once again proves just how competent the writing is in this series to the point where we get an episode about Hooty, and it's funny and heartwarming instead of being annoying. And whoever is responsible for that, you're the best.

Lilith’s Letter to Hooty: I mean it when I say that I love how Lilith kept her word about her and Hooty becoming penpals. Their friendship was something I would have never expected to love, and I'm still shocked that it works so well, so seeing it continue like this just warms me to the bone. Plus, it is pretty sweet that Lilith's kind words are what inspired Hooty to do what he's done in this episode...meaning it's Lilith we should thank here--SON OF A WITCH! Even when she's gone, she's still working her way into my heart!

King going through Puberty: What?! KING IS EVOLVING!

(There, I made a Pokemon reference. Do I get my cookie now?)

Eda Keeping Herself Awake to Train Herself: I'm willing to bet a large sum of money that this has everything to with Raine getting captured last week. If Eda was still the most powerful witch in the Isles, she might have actually saved them. But she isn't, and now the love of her life is in the clutches of a tyrant planning something that could potentially be the end of everything. So I can understand Eda pushing herself to her limit to get back on top again, as I would probably do the same. It's not healthy in any way, and Eda would be doing more harm than good. But when it comes to the people you love, logic doesn't always win out in the end.

Luz Wanting to Make her Way into Amity’s Heart by Making the Echo Mouse Happy: ...That's it. I Just...I just love everything about it, ok?

This was also when I knew that I was wrong to doubt that there would be zero Lumity in this episode. I realize my follies now, and I humbly apologize.

Hooty Teaching King About Demons: This was so funny. So, so funny. Probably doesn't come as a surprise, especially since The Owl House proves itself as a comedy before, but the jokes have never hit as frequently and as hard as they did here. From Hooty getting offended by King's dance to him and Dana's insert wanting a "DNA sample," everything managed to successfully make me lose my s**t. It does come at the expense of King suffering, but I can stomach that much more than if it were Eda or Luz. And, as a bonus, we get lore about how demons work, added with another great joke of King getting in trouble with Hooty for saying he already knows this stuff. Humor isn't always the show's strong suit, but when it works, it f**king works.

King Wanting to Know What he Is: But despite how funny King's vignette was, we still get to see more of his character grow. We learn that he's frustrated now that there's this big question mark over his life now, feeling extra angry that his father "abandoned" him to leave such a present mystery. It shows the hidden resentment he has that Lilith inadvertently brought out, made even worse when King's father hasn't responded to the video yet. King hasn't really gotten that much development until "Echoes of the Past," so it's pretty cool that the writers haven't really slowed down on it. Especially when it leads to these great moments of King venting his frustrations.

King’s Shouting Powers: KING learned FUS RO DAH!

(And now that's a Pokemon reference AND a Skyrim reference. WHERE'S MY GOSH DANG COOKIE!?)

Eda’s Nightmare: If King's vignette hits you hard with the laughs, Eda's will absolutely hit you harder with the feels (never make me say "feels" unironically again). Knowing that Eda's life got thoroughly screwed over by the curse is something we could figure out on her own. But seeing just how much the curse ruined her life and tore apart relationships that mean the world to her really does a swell job at ripping apart the soul. What's even more tragic is, technically speaking, it's all sort of Eda's fault too. She kept hiding the curse, refusing to be a burden to others who would do all they could to help. If she had only been open and honest, things probably wouldn't have changed much, but they most likely would have been better than they are now.

Eda Attacked her Father as the Owl Beast: ...I don't know what I was expecting when "Keeping Up A-Fear-Ances" hinted that there was some possible tension between Eda and her father...but it definitely wasn't this.

The fact that we see blood where his eye used to be doesn't make things any happier, either.

Raine Broke Up with Eda: Before we get into anything else, let's celebrate the fact that it's now confirmed that Eda and Raine really did use to date in the past. Because this show is just f**king phenomenal with its LGBTQA+ representation!

But, seriously, this is a fantastic reveal that goes far beyond just shipping...well, sort of. It shines a new light on Eda and Raine's interactions from last week, revealing that while they're not a couple anymore, they still very much love each other. It helps make their last interaction especially tragic, as they were both on the same page now and could very well be together again. Only for them to be forced apart for the second time in a way that's much worse than the first. And I frickin' adore that this series changes the impact of one episode one week later. Again, it shows just how competent these writers are, and kudos to them for making something so...perfect.

The Moon Person: WHO THE FU--Nope. Nope! We have more than enough mystery bulls**t to deal with through CreepyLuz and Philip Wittebane, so I am PUTTING YOU ON THE BACKBURNER FOR NOW!

(They're probably nothing more than a one-off character, anyway)

The Owl Beast and Eda are Connected: Through visuals alone, we, the audience, can clue into what the curse really means. The Owl Beast doesn't want to be a part of Eda as much as she doesn't want it to be a part of her. Whether they like it or not, and they very much don't, they're stuck together. The thing is, and this is what I love the most, they still decide to make the best of their situation rather than let it ruin their lives even more. This might be the best possible turn Eda's curse could have made. It'll still affect her, and there are probably more negatives than positives, but at least now, it's not the worst thing in the world. And I feel like that's all anyone can ask when in a position like her own.

Eda's “Pretty Dream”: I don't know what emotions are toiling inside me more with this moment. Awe and wonder over how beautiful Eda's dream is, or heartbreak over the implication that she has only had nightmares since getting cursed...I'm gonna say both. Yeah, it's definitely both.

Eda’s Harpie Form: Well, fan artists are gonna have a field day with this...especially the freaks.

(You know who you are. And you're weird!)

Luz Calling Amity a “Cotton-Candy Haired Goddess”: ...Have I ever mentioned how much I love this show?

Hooty Kidnapped Amity: ...Hooty, if your stupidity wasn't charming, I would be more than willing to call the authorities over how you kidnapped a girl in your version of a knapsack and locked her in the basement. For that is going to ring SO MANY alarm bells in people's heads.

Amity and Luz Stuck in a Tunnel of Love: *Smacks lips* Mmm. The adorable awkwardness of this moment is just *chef's kiss* magnifique!

Luz being afraid of getting made fun of:

Amity’s look of hope: I mean...just...f**king--LOOK AT HER:

That is the look of a girl who, while embarrassed as hell, still is ecstatic to learn for a brief moment, everything that she is hoping for has a high chance of being real. Who, in their right mind, wouldn't go "Aw!" at something so pure and innocent?!

Luz Destroying the Tunnel of Love: This is how to effectively utilize dramatic irony. The audience can understand why Luz is tearing the place apart because she explicitly states that she's afraid of Amity rejecting her in the end. They also know that's bogus, thus making it extra painful to watch Amity's heart break more and more with each second (which is perfectly represented through Amity's expressions). You feel bad for both of them, and even worse when you know that it can easily be prevented by the simple art of communication. That's what makes it great dramatic irony. Knowing the point of view of each character results in a scene that evokes emotions in two different ways.

Hooty’s Breakdown: This was...genuinely hard to watch. Not that it was badly written, far from it. It just...hurt seeing how destroyed Hooty was when he realized he failed the people he has such an admiration for. On the upside, a wholesome moment follows soon after as the Owl House gang tries to reassure Hooty that he's done a lot of good that night. It's a pure action that shows even though Hooty gets on their nerves all the time, they still care about him...damn it. I think I'm gonna cry.

Eda’s Advice for Luz: ...Eda...You're the best.

You found out that your surrogate daughter wants to ask a girl out, and not only were you quick to deliver the best possible advice ("Just go for it!"), but you also quickly reassure her that it doesn't need to be perfect.

And you know what? That's it. Eda is the best cartoon mom! She might not technically be Luz's mom, but I don't give a s**t because she is the best!

Luz and Amity Ask Each Other Out: Shh-sh-sh-sh...

Do you hear that?

...

...It's the sound of dozens of Lumity fans collectively losing their s**t...and I'm one of them.

WAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

HOO-HOO-HOO-HOO!

IT!

IS!

CANON!

AH-HAHAHAHAHA!

HOLY S**T! Holy s**t! Holy s**t...might just be the best way I could possibly describe this! Finally, after all the waiting, speculating, and praying, THESE TWO IDIOTS FINALLY GOT TOGETHER! AND IT WAS PERFECT! I mean, it was awkward as s**t, but that's what makes it perfect! You know why? You wanna--Hey! *snaps fingers*. You want to know why? It's because they're teenagers. Of f**king course, it's going to be awkward! This is their first relationship, so there will be a lot of missteps along the way. And that, in itself, brings me to the best (second best part?) thing about it happening in episode eight of the new seasons. Most endgame couples get together in the climax or even at the end of the series. But to have them get together this early on, means there will be quite a few episodes dedicated to showing them grow as a couple.

And better than that--EVEN F**KING BETTER THAN THAT--dozens of kids are going to see these two, a realistic depiction of young love that just so happens to involve two girls, and are going to learn once and for all that there is nothing wrong with being who they are. That fact alone is f**king incredible. Yes, it sucks that season three got cut short, and we'll have even less time with Luz and Amity, but knowing how many kids have felt seen today almost makes it worth it in the end.

And if I see one mother f**ker saying this was poorly paced, I might just hunt them down for SPORT...Sorry if that was an overreaction. I'M JUST SO HAPPY! Because they're happy! Look at them. Listen to them! It's so...GAH-HAHAHA!

“They’re adorable! And deserve all the happiness!”: You're darn right, Hooty! You're darn right.

King’s Father(?) Shows Up: What the--WHAT?! They're doing this now?! Here?! After everything else?

Oh, man. What could this mean? What dynamic changes will this cause in the main cast? How could the writers fit this in during the next two episodes? And what--

Hooty Eats the Letter: ...Pfffft--HAHAHAHA!

Oh, man...I should be mad, and I wouldn't blame others if they are...but that is too much of a brilliant f**k you that I can't help but appreciate it. Bravo writers. Bravo.

WHAT I DISLIKED

...Dislikes? Dislikes? You would honestly believe that after everything I witnessed in this episode, that I would have the gull to list anything wrong with it?!

HOW DARE YOU ASSUME THAT I WOULD BE SO CALLUS TO--Actually, I do kind of have an issue with the episode's title. It's just too much of an awkward mouthful for me to get behind. I understand that the writers wanted to sneak the K into the secret message, but were there really no other titles starting with K that they couldn't come up with?

But that's just a personal issue, and in no way do I think anybody else would feel the same way. Especially with how well-written everything else is anyway.

IN CONCLUSION

"Knock Knock Knockin' on Hooty's Door" (title aside) is another A+ episode. It was hilarious, heart-wrenching, and downright adorable while keeping me entertained with every minute. I'm sure there are some issues I was willing to ignore due to how expertly written everything else was, but why bother looking for the chinks in the armor when I could just enjoy a perfect episode for being so...perfect! Some of you might be willing to disagree with me, but to that, I say: Don't knock it till you've tried it.

(Now, if you don't excuse me, I'm going to go lie down. It's...It's been a day.)

#the owl house #the owl house season 2 #the owl house reviews #the owl house spoilers #toh spoilers #toh hooty #king clawthorne #eda clawthorne #raeda #luz noceda #amity blight #lumity #lumity is canon #what i thought about

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purplerose244 · 4 years ago

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My thoughts on Seabound!!! 🌊🌊🌊 (3/4)

SPOILERS ALERT!!!

Yep yep yep, I'm liking this season a lot! 😍 Although I hope we'll get into a more frantic situation now, like with more battles and more bonding moments (Nya and Maya hopefully, but with Bentho too 🦈🦈🦈)! We got half a season to go, I'M READY!! 😎😎

Alright, here we go!

GENERAL THOUGHTS

I do like the season a lot, maybe MoM was a little more cohesive? Idk but it's not a big complain, I still love it so far 😍

Also maybe I would've liked more interactions between Nya and Maya about how they've been apart for so long, they had a chit chat but I would've loved even more. Maybe with Nya saying that it was fine and she grew up only to realize she is still hurt by that, even though it wasn't Maya's fault. I still like how they did it, I wished there was more that's it 🤷‍♀️

While I do make sense to Maya's behavior, that while it seems a little different from Hands of Time it had its logic in my opinion, maybe Ray feels a little weird? He seems less courageous than before, and it was established that he is a hothead like his son so that came off as unusual 🤔🤔

But I do love the fact that he's here and he's bonding with his son, for real, I've been waiting for this for so long so I'm happy nonetheless 🤩

Maybe I'm just easy to please and I take all I can get idk 😅

THE STORM AMULET

Oh, are we gonna address the wind element? It feels like we haven't really seen a Morro reference since Hands of Time, that would be cool! 😍 I mean, why even mentioning the wind then 😅😅

Well what do you know, they tracked them, who saw that coming?... me, I saw that coming... we all did probably 🤷‍♀️

Jay took upon himself making a quick recap on how Ninjago will be destroyed this time, thanks Bluebell 👌

Yep nyeheh electricity makes Nya go crazy for sure ❤�� ... wait it wasn't a Jaya pun?

Jay wear your seatbelt please, you risk you life enough 😅😅 Pff lol "are we there yet" and they are actually there, biggest plot twist I've ever heard of 😂

LEGO HUG 💜💜💜

And with someone who might as well join the League of Jay apparently 💙

I liked The Island yet it was not as exciting as I hoped for, but now understand the meaning of it. The ninja helped the keepers and they are all allies. Without The Island the moment where Mammatus gives Nya the amulet wouldn't be as meaningful

Is it just me or Nya looked even more gorgeous during that moment?... just me huh? Okay then 😂💕

Wait that's a fake? Wait... UNCLE POWERS?!? OMG THAT I ACTUALLY DIDN'T SEE COMING 🤯

Here I thought he was just messing around, he always makes things harder 😅 Or maybe better? I mean, they kinda missed a bullet on this one...

BENTHO IS SO SWEET AND COOL OMG HE IS ALREADY OUR FRIEND 💙🦈💙🦈

Jay somehow had his own TV show in the past and yet he's got that horrible acting skills wth 😂😂😂

Kalmaar is a very cool villain, like, deeply evil. Not only he's calculated and merciless, he stops at nothing to get what he wants. And the people that get in the way? He wants them to suffer because they had dared to confront him 😳

And yes the voice does help a lot, I'm sorry I'll keep saying it until the season is over 😂 (or even beyond? Please cast Giles again LEGO 🥺🥺🥺)

Awww Nya no my poor girl 😢 Jay wanted to hug her to comfort her he is so sweet my SHIP ❤💙❤💙

MOM PEP TALK MOM PEP TALK!!! 🤩🤩🤩 How cool was it?

Like, this isn't even Maya asking Nya to believe in herself, this is her saying that she KNOWS her daughter can do anything when she puts her mind into it. FINALLY SHE SEES HOW AMAZING WATER GODDESS IS 💜💜💜

MORE LEGO TEARS OMG THIS SEASON IS FILLED WITH TEARS 😱 Which... kinda makes sense considering it's a water based season 😂

Nice one, and now? NOW WE GO BACK TO KAI COLE AND RAY YAS!!! ❤🖤❤🖤

RIDDLE OF THE SPHINX

That is... surprisingly Egypt theme like? It feels like a title coming from the Fire Chapter of season 11... well we got two fire elementals so 😍😍

SPARRING KAI AND RAY

I REPEAT SPARRING KAI AND RAY!!! SPARRING KAI AND RAY!!! ❤❤❤ Lol Ray got old, but how can someone blame him? He did touch death while aging in Hands of Time, I'm just happy he is alive 😂

Yep, master prankster Wu, that's what I love 👌👌 I always thought Wu had become a father figure for Kai at the beginning, so seeing Ray and Wu in the same picture feels very wholesome to me 😚

Ah, uncle Powers, I both love you and hate you so freaking much 😌😌 But you make cool slides nonetheless 😂

ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL ME WITH BEAUTIFUL SMITH INTERACTIONS??

BECAUSE I LIKE IT KEEP GOING 🤩

Oh no you guys are stranded on an island whatever are you going to do?? It's not like you had already before and managed to survive (Skybound) or you got stranded on a rock in a sea of sand filled with giant monsters (Fire Chapter) or you were on a freaking COMET in SPACE (Rebooted). Yeee, this is the worst yet 🙂

I'm starting to think these ninja are just a bunch of drama queens so no matter what happens, it's always hopeless 😂😂 I feel like I'm kinda right on this one honestly 😛

Whoa whoa WHOA WHO IS NYAD THIS SOUNDS VERY COOL???

Aww I like that, while Ray told his kids stories about dragons and how they traveled through the Underworld, Maya told them about Nya the first water master that could summon whales 💙❤💙❤

Pff imagine if it turned out Nya was the master of fire, carrying a very water based name? Lol

Maya: I would know if it was possible!

Nya: Yeah, like she knows that I can control a bit of ice because it's frozen water

Maya:...

Maya: YOU WHAT

I find both interesting and very annoying that this explorers club thinks so highly of themselves, to the point the deny to aid even the FREAKING SAVIORS OF THEIR FREAKING LAND 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️

Misako got good reflexes after all, Kai was probably ready to melt this guy's face 😅

Oh, so a trial by Sphinx is a challenge? A mental one? A cultural one? A physical one? Idk but Misako is actually taking charge and that is cool I guess 🤷‍♀️

Okay this is kind of weird, how is Ray so afraid? Is it because there's fire?... did he... did he grow afraid of fire for some reason? Because it feels a bit off for now, but if there is a deeper meaning that could be interesting 🤔

Wait is that the riddle from Decoded? That's fire right?

IT IS FIRE 🔥🔥🔥

Lol at least in this one Kai wasn't completely ignored 😂 I know my flame babe isn't the most rational person, but I do like that it was an answer connected to his element where he used his head!

Ah Clutch, you really got no backbone 😅 And apparently you're the only explorer who doesn't, dang look at the others go! I'm having a bit more respect for them now 😚

LOOK AT SENSEI GO FINALLY!!! 😍😍 FIGHTING SCENES HECK YES!!!

Kalmaar: I'm your conquerer

Wu: so after skeletons, the serpentine, nindroids, the Stone Army, Chen's army, ghosts, oni, more snakes but on fire and people from a game, that makes you the tenth. Have a free cookie

Kalmaar:...

Wu: you're not special

Is this a little throwback to Possession too? Nya seems to always control better water when she doesn't actually think about it. When her feelings are free, so are her powers 🌊🌊🌊

Also this opens up more possibilities! Creatures connected with other elements might get summoned too! I would love something like that 😍😍

This was NEAT, or maybe I just missed Kai that much ❤ What's next??

PAPERGIRL

ANTONIAAAAAAAA!!!! MY GIRL IS BACK!!! All my girls are back in this season, I'm so happy 😍😍😍 And if she is here, sweet little Nelson has to be around and I cannot wait! Bring in the purple ninja! 💜

Owww Antonia's last day as a papergirl? Nooo why??

She's got a job at the... DAIRY DRAGON??? OMG OMG OMG IT'S THE ICE CREAM PLACE BRAGI TOLD US ABOUT ON TWITTER!!! 🤩🤩🤩 I remember the post, he was asking about names for the place and ice cream flavors. Now I can't wait to see what did he choose 🍦🍦🍦

UNAGAMI BABY HI HONEY!!! 🙋‍♀️ I hope he's doing great 😘😘

This is so cool honestly, Antonia got her own character arc going on! Living in a chaotic city like Ninjago City must be pretty dang exhausting 😅

Was... was that Dareth in the garbage can? Am I wrong? Poor brown ninja 😅🤎😅

SPINJITZU SWIRL, BANANAKHAN, ORANGE SERPENTINE, I'M DYING 😂😂😂

Their friendship is so wholesome, I'm so happy they are still together no matter what happens 💕

I thought Kalmaar wasn't much of a fighter but DANG he's got skills! Also the fact that he uses tentacles makes the fight very cool to watch! 😚😚

RAY RUNNING IN AFTER KAI GOT HURT HECK YES ❤❤❤

Well at least you tried Ray 😅

Ah, little cameo of the original Weekend Whip, always nice to hear it again... AND DO THE WEEKEND WHIP!!! 🌪🌪🌪

EVEN NELSON GOT CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT I'M SO PROUD 💜

I don't even know what is cooler, the kids being mad lads on their bikes, Kalmaar driving a TRUCK or Kai going full parkour on the buildings to follow them 🤯

I'm sorry... am I the only one that during the Kai and Kalmaar talk kinda thought of Jestro and Clay? I miss my boys from NK, they're even more at odds now 😭😭

KAI YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO DIE OR EVEN TRY TO DIE GET BACK HERE AT ONCE 😱😱

Kalmaar just loves to make everyone feel inferior, gotta be his hobby 😶

Oh good Kai is back

OH NOT GOOD KAI IS NOT BREATHING?!? FLAME BABE I TOLD YOU YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO DIE 😱😱😱

Antonia, Nelson, you guys are now my heroes. You saved my fave, I'll be forever in dept with you ❤❤❤ Am I being overdramatic? Most likely, but Kai is one of the few that didn't almost die or did die in a dramatic situation and he is also my absolute favorite character so that... kinda keeps my sanity in check in this show 🥴

I wonder... does he still not know how to swim? He saved Lloyd in Possession but I wonder if he was only trying to float on the surface... THAT'S TERRIFYING

This episode was so adorable, I love Antonia and Nelson so much 💜💕💜💕 It's nice to see what the other people of Ninjago do while everything goes mad 🤣

Wait hang on my Ninjajan is a little rusty

"Ninjago City. City that never sleeps" well if that ain't the truth 😂

MASTER OF THE SEA

Like Master of the Mountain? Wait are we going back to Shintaro?? VANYA?? ANOTHER BEST GIRL RETURNS??? 💛

Hey hey hey, we got a full Nyad backstory! I really like when they do these little drawn shots, they feel more like legends! And... the ending sounds terrifying? Like, they wouldn't let Nya sacrifice herself and die... again... right? 😱

Bentho: and the world was in balance, until now because of my brother

Lloyd: and the Overlord before of course

Bentho: the what now?

Lloyd: the evil one my grandpa the first Spinjitzu Master fought?

Bentho: YOUR WHAT NOW

Why do I like this offscreen "hiiiyaaa" that sensei Wu does before actually going into the scene? 😂😂

No matter if they come from the underground or the sea, these are all snake-like creature with the same intellect 😅 Kalmaar and Garmadon would have a lot to talk about, sea king dealing with his minions does remind me of Lord Garmadon in season 2 a lot 😂😂

KAI AND RAY FIGHTING TOGETHER KAI AND RAY FIGHTING TOGETHER ❤🔥❤🔥❤🔥❤🔥❤

OMG Kalmaar is such a brat and petty villain I love him so much 😂😂😂 Yes I didn't even mention his amazing voice!... AH DANG IT 😳😳

*Misako kicks Kalmaar and is actually useful* 🙆‍♀️🙆‍♀️🙆‍♀️

*Misako gets taken as hostage immediately after* 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️

KAI LITERALLY JUST GOT SAVED FROM DROWNING WHY MUST YOU DO THIS TO HIM!!!... and Ray and Cole and Wu of course, I care okay 😅

OMG that face 🤣🤣🤣

That some meme material right there

Whoa Vincent that voice just got super up when the Unsinkable showed up, it kinda sounded like Jay's lol

NO NOT BENTHO!!! 😢😢😢

Kai: Nya talks to whales now? (I snorted so hard at this 😂😂)

HECK YES NYA GOT THE AMULET!! 😍😍😍 ... we got, like, four more episodes to go so something needs to happen in between... do I need to be scared? I feel like I need to be scared 😅

Jay starting a fire then blaming Kai?... this is so in character I got chills 😂😂

SHARK BOY IS STAYING TO THE MONASTERY THIS IS SO PRECIOUS!!! 🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩 I want all the shenanigans and we need to write fanfictions about more shenanigans and AAAAHHHHH 🦈🦈🦈

Bless these two fire idiots

They own my heart ❤🔥❤🔥 Also Vincent, this is supposed to be a fun little gag moment, your amazing voice acting is kinda distracting me 😭😭😭

ANOTHER LEGO HUG

YOU GUYS ARE SPOILING ME OVER HERE HECK YES 💙🌊💙🌊

Maya learned that her daughter is capable of everything, I love that. Nya simply understood that she doesn't have to give up when something gets difficult. She is AMAZING and can do anything she puts her mind into. She simply has to hold on until the end 💪💪💪

Omg Benthomaar playing billiard with the guys I already love this 😍😍

YES IT IS SHINTARO!!! THE UPPLY ARE HERE OMG!!! HI VANYA YOU LOOK AMAZING GIRL MISS YOU I HOPE YOU'RE DOING OKAY!!! 💛💛💛 ... I just really like Master of the Mountain okay 😅

I love how Vanya doesn't even question it. It comes from Cole and he said it needs to be protected? Done and done 👌

Wait what, did something fall?

IS THAT THE FAKE?!?!? WHAT HOW WHEN??? UNCLE POWERS??? OR KALMAAR DID SOMETHING??? SOMEONE??? I'M LEGIT CONFUSED AND EXCITED??? 🤯🤯🤯

Well dang, I didn't see that coming, now what Seabound? What do you have for me?

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smallplaceinthecosmos · 3 years ago

Text

I posted 1,257 times in 2021

181 posts created (14%)

1076 posts reblogged (86%)

For every post I created, I reblogged 5.9 posts.

I added 313 tags in 2021

#mcyt - 85 posts

#dream smp - 57 posts

#dsmp - 44 posts

#tommyinnit - 28 posts

#ranboo - 24 posts

#wilbur soot - 21 posts

#tubbo - 19 posts

#dream - 14 posts

#vastcosmoslive - 12 posts

#streaming - 9 posts

Longest Tag: 140 characters

#y'know what though sometimes i go back and listen to stuff i listened to in middle school and shit still slaps so who's the real winner here

My Top Posts in 2021

I think the thing people have to realize is that Techno's character is just...kind of an asshole, and that's not a bad thing.

cc!Techno knows this, it's intentional. That doesn't make him a bad character. He got rid of the in-character family dynamic for a reason - we're supposed to be mad at him if we're fans of Tommy's character. If we are upset about him dismissing Tommy's death, his character is working as intended. Things are going according to plan.

It doesn't even make him wholly unsympathetic; it's fine if people are enjoying his character, because that's an intended consequence too. There's room for both.

354 notes • Posted 2021-03-07 14:53:59 GMT

/rp

I know Tommy's always the main character and I sympathize with people who want to see other people be involved in the lore instead of Tommy, but I honestly really hope Tommy is the person Ranboo trusts to help him with his enderwalk state. From Ranboo's first day on the server I've really enjoyed his and Tommy's dynamic, and it just kind of fell off after Tommy left Logstedshire and teamed up with Techno - I'd love to see them actually interact again.

I think Tommy could be really good for Ranboo, and vice versa - Ranboo's admittedly quite lacking when it comes to standing up for himself, and for Tommy that comes in abundance, while Tommy's tendency to act without thinking about how it might affect other people might be balanced out by Ranboo, who always looks before he leaps.

They've both gone out on a limb for each other before, they have a basis for being able to trust each other, and so far there's absolutely nothing souring their relationship. After Tommy was exiled protecting Ranboo, and Ranboo was one of the only people visiting Tommy in exile, they have a basis for a very ride-or-die friendship that I think both of these characters are in sore need of. I want to see that come to fruition.

396 notes • Posted 2021-02-16 04:12:57 GMT

I've been meaning to make this post for a while, but in light of recent events...I hope I can word this properly like I want to, but I'm not going to lie, the more people use "They're minors!! >:o" as a reason for why shipping Tubbo, Tommy, Ranboo, Purpled, etc. is bad, the more it grates on me a little bit.

The truth is, guys, it really won't be that long until they are adults. Using the fact that they're minors as the main reason why it's bad to ship them is infantilizing at best, and at worst it could lead to some...unforseen consequences after they do turn 18.

The main reason why things like "enderbees" and the like should be considered inappropriate is not the fact that they're not legal adults yet. The fact is, in both the US and the UK, the age of consent is 16; if that were the only issue, you might still find it weird, but it wouldn't be worth getting up in arms over, if all involved parties said they were okay with it.

The reason shipping them is bad is the fact that they don't consent to it, and I imagine that will remain true in a year or so. They're not babies, they have the capacity to understand and decide how they feel about being shipped irl (and every right to say it's fuckin weird); it's unfair to them to take away their agency like that, and we need to set a precedent for that now instead of later when people are saying it's not bad because they're not minors anymore without understanding why it was bad then anyway.

Tl;dr: Tubbo, Tommy, Ranboo, Purpled, etc. are old enough to make decisions for themselves, shipping them is bad mainly because they don't consent to it, not because they're minors.

509 notes • Posted 2021-02-19 17:52:50 GMT

Ok forget the teens having their relationship drama go like Bad's tweet actually

2039 notes • Posted 2021-02-26 20:01:49 GMT

God I can’t describe how much I appreciate the fact that Wilbur Soot is the sort of person who can respect when other people enjoy things and doesn’t use popular fandoms/hobbies that are typically considered “cringey” as the butt of his jokes

Like no offense to the man but at first he sort of comes across someone who would make jokes about people who like Homestuck, or like, musicals or something, and then he’s just...genuinely so respectful of other people’s interests, like do you know how tiring it is seeing people use a person being an Undertale fan or smth as some kind of “gotcha” like. Idk he just. He likes Hamilton, he does political roleplays in Minecraft with his friends and gets far more into them than he should have to, he calls a 17-year-old his best friend with no hint of irony or sarcasm, he’s just...the complete antithesis to cringe culture I respect him so much.

Wilbur gets so much shit but he is so cool, genuinely he’s an amazing example of actively choosing to be a good person. He deserves fucking everything

5294 notes • Posted 2021-10-01 00:58:10 GMT

Get your Tumblr 2021 Year in Review →

#my 2021 tumblr year in review #your tumblr year in review #Haha mine loaded y'all thought it was fake didn't you

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kitkatopinions · 3 years ago

Note

Weiss for the ask game?

What are my top four favorite non-romantic relationship dynamics for them?

Qrow - Okay, Weiss and Qrow are a dynamic that this show slept on. Qrow with his disaster parent energy and his own struggles with loneliness being an unexpected mentor to Weiss, who was biased against him for lots of some valid and some not valid reasons realizing that there's more to him... Beautiful. These two could absolutely be amazing mentor/student father/daughter figures and it could've been great. Ruby - I can see and understand why people ship Weiss and Ruby, but I just love them as friends way too much for that. They contrast each other in perfect ways and have this strange dynamic that's like a bit Harry-and-Draco-if-they-were-actually-friends energy but it's also very different than that. I wish they'd kept them bickering longer and developed their friendship more slowly and naturally, but I do love their relationship for a lot of what we got. Ironwood - I know I've put Ironwood on a lot of lists, but it isn't my fault that he has such dad energy. Him and Qrow should've been co-parents of Weiss and Whitley. But James and Weiss's relationship is always fun to write. Imagining her being eager to make him proud, but quickly realizing that he's a very warm and caring person is so much fun. Whitley - Weiss and Whitley's relationship is everything! I'm so disappointed in how they played it out in the show, but they're so similar and yet had such conflicting responses to their abusive childhood. And Weiss could be an argumentative and sometimes cold older sibling, but still love her brother and try to get back a loving relationship that they had once had by trying to be more caring, supportive, and understanding - while Whitley also grows to be more understanding and appreciative of her as well, even though they'd still argue, fight, quip, and pick at each other. Honorable mention to Winter, who almost made the cut.

What season were they at their best and why?

This is surprisingly hard to pick, but I might say season four? We learned about her and her home life, thus adding layers to her character, we see some of her responses to trauma, she gets some great quiet moments at the start showing how stifled she is at her house, but her character winds up so resolved, and over all, she feels more fleshed out.

What season were they at their worst and why?

Oh gosh, this might sound controversial, but I might have to go with season one? It's like the writers hadn't quite figured out what Weiss's home life would be like yet, for one, so she was a lot more 'spoiled brat and that's all' Malfoy quality character then she seems to be later. Her resolution with the conflict of Ruby being leader feels very rushed, and many of the good threads for her in volume one like her attempts to befriend Pyrrha feel like they're dropped after even an arc, leaving them feeling very unimportant to her character at large. And of course, then we get what really makes this her absolute worst season, and it's the never apologized for anti Faunus behavior she blatantly displayed. I'm unsurprised but still disappointed that a large amount of the fans of this show just accept this arc as fine or at the very least pretend that Weiss was somehow in the right at all. In a proper and well done storyline, if Weiss acted that way and the writers still wanted her to be likable, we would've seen her realizing how wrong she was to treat Blake and Sun the way she had, we would see her apologizing to Blake sincerely without expecting anything in return and making an honest effort with Sun, and then we would've seen her starting to do research and look up videos on her scroll to help her start to unlearn her anti-Faunus ways (which would've been an ongoing process for her character.) And instead what we got was incredibly weak, very shallow, and pretty dang white comfort-ish.

How would I rank their outfits from worst to best?

1. Her worst outfit by far is V7-8. What is that outfit? There's so much going on, it makes her movements look terrible and although they fix the braid some in V8, I'm still left sitting there going "What the heck how did she get enough hair to do that when her hair looked fairly thin just the episode prior?!" Ugly. It's plain straight ugly. 2. Her second worst outfit is her V4-6 outfit. I get the whole idea behind this outfit, and how it was supposed to signify that she felt trapped and muted and not able to be herself in her home with Jacques, but then... They should've had her change clothes when she ran away, or at least had her lose the jacket that was tight-sleeved, high closed collar, and the darkest and grayest part of her outfit, and replace that with something white and more open and maybe lined with red or black to signify her getting back to her original color scheme. 3. The Beacon Dance Dress. Very basic, just the same damn silhouette we saw from every girl but Pyrrha and Blake at that dance. Disappointing. 4. Her OG season 1-3 outfit. There's a lot to like about this outfit, but I can't help but wish the sleeves were short (since they kept clipping into her dress and felt like a bit much for me,) and it just looked a bit... Childish? That might be the point, since she was so young and part of her early story had to do with her lack of experience and her status of being spoiled. Still, it just wasn't quite my favorite. 5. Her best outfit in my opinion is her Travel Outfit in season two. It's a great look, with the boots and the full skirt with the black tulle and the black lining. Perfect for fighting with nice well done sleeves. 10/10, one of my favorite RWBY outfits, I would say.

Which Hogwarts House would I sort them into (optional; what would their wand be?)

You know, I was going to say Slytherin Weiss, but... I think she's a Hufflepuff. Her early ambitious behavior was - I think - more of a learned behavior than otherwise, and she's incredibly hard working, is the more fair member of Team RWBY in the first few volumes, the quickest to want to trust the authorities in place, and her loyalty to people like Winter and Ruby and even her family name characterize a lot of what she does. I think I'd put her in Hufflepuff. And as for a wand, Aspen and Veela Hair, 12 inches exactly, bendable.

What do I think this character would be like if they were on the opposite side (good characters are bad, bad characters are good)

Evil Weiss is so much fun, okay, let's go.

She starts out the same, only instead of quickly warming to Ruby and working as a teammate, Weiss becomes something of an antagonistic character, making trouble for her other teammates and turning into a right little bully. She thinks she's going to make connections with people like Pyrrha, but with her behavior, Pyrrha wants nothing to do with her, and Weiss blames Ruby for this since she thinks Ruby 'ruined Weiss's reputation' by becoming team leader. Once the group starts hanging out more with Sun and even sneaks away from her to do a mission with him, Weiss becomes convinced that they're trying to replace her and requests a transfer to a new team. Ozpin says no, insisting she try to make it work with her team, and she starts seeing him as an enemy too. After the Fall of Beacon, Weiss returns home and attends Atlas Academy, becoming part of a new team (who lost their leader in the attack.) Despite their being no assigned leader, Weiss deems herself leader and starts mistreating and plowing over her other teammates, landing herself in trouble with Ironwood and Winter, who acts cold and disapproving over Weiss's behavior and makes Weiss angry and confused. When Ruby and her gang arrive, Weiss is furious that they're immediately made Hunters and decides it's special treatment, and Weiss almost runs away from Atlas Academy in a fit over it when she's instead visited by Watts. Not knowing anything of him or his role with Salem, Weiss falls for his flattery, assurances that he can get her the respect and praise 'she's earned,' and he straight up recruits her to Salem's side.

If I suddenly had control of RWBY, what would I want to do with this character after the events of V8?

I would have Weiss be determined to 'keep moving on' with what they have to do and have her desire to dismiss any of their wrong or troubling actions be framed as a bad thing. I'd have her give bad advice to Ruby about just moving on from what happened to Penny (although don't get me wrong, Weiss wouldn't be heartless in this and clearly be sympathetic and caring towards Ruby despite her bad advice.) And I'd have this behavior be a point of contention between her and Yang and between her and Jaune, as I'd have Yang be doubting their actions even more and Jaune feeling guilty and ready to give up himself over it. This wouldn't immediately get resolved and remain a problem once they quickly return to Remnant and go to Vacuo, where Weiss has a same 'move on' and 'ends justify the means' behavior with her family, leading to some complications both with Winter and Whitley. Then I'd have this all come to a head and Weiss would realize that she actually does have to stop and think through both where they all should go, what she actually wants, and the past actions of her and her group, and that would lead Weiss to start changing for the better, focusing on validating both the feelings of people like Ruby and Whitley, validating her own feelings of pain and trauma (and starting to realize that when all this is done, she maybe doesn't want to be a hunter anymore,) and helping the people they've hurt recover.

And then I'd eventually have her get together with Yang.

#rwde #canoncrit weiss schnee

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puckwritesstuff · 4 years ago

Note

Meme Questions

2 & 3

9 & 10

13 & 14

40: When It’s All Over

2. Is there a trope you’ve yet to try your hand at, but really want to?

I’ve actually never done a true “only one bed” fic. I don’t count the start of “Slowly Learning” because there wasn’t that sexual tension and nervous energy that comes with the full exploration of the “only one bed” trope. It might be cliché, but it's something I've been thinking about.

3. Is there a trope you wouldn’t touch with a ten foot pole?

I’ve talked about my least favorite trope before, and it's likely that I'm not going to be writing about it any time soon.

9. Which fic has been the hardest to write?

This current one, "Nothing Like You", actually. I was having such a tough time getting words on the page that I just started posting to give myself deadlines so that I'd have something. I've been pretty good about making them so far, but it's been difficult.

10. Which fic had been the easiest to write?

"Step Into Your Power", by virtue of a large chunk of it being other people's writing. Similar story with "Where the Law Leaves Off".

13. What's the best writing advice you've ever come across?

Writing advice is such a personal thing that it's hard to point to anything specific that really fuels me that would be applicable to anyone else. But I will say that "write what you know" is extremely misunderstood advice, and it's not supposed to be a limiting way of thinking. It's supposed to send you out to learn shit so you can write about it. You think I know what it's like to be an anthropomorphic duck? No. But I'm still writing about it.

14. What's the worst writing advice you've ever come across?

I had a professor in college tell me that I shouldn't write about a story I had been working on for almost 10 years because I'd been working on it for too long. The only part of the writing that he liked was a scene that I had never written before. He didn't like much of what I wrote. I'm not saying you shouldn't take input from people who don't like your writing, just make sure that they're putting in the effort to understand what it is you've put in front of them.

I'm still working on that story, btw.

I'm going to thank you for the asks here, so that it's above the cut hiding the answer to the last question. Thank you so much!

40. Write an alternative ending to [When It's All Over], or at least a summary of one.

We're going to go with summary because that was a long-ass fic, and basically the entire second half would have to change to have any real difference in the ending.

Here's the Bad Ending to "When It's All Over"

It starts with Gyro dying in the Cube at the hands of Borg!Fenton. They manage to get him back to Penny's ship before he goes and Della admits that she has feelings for him and kisses him as he dies. Everyone is demoralized, and Gandra can't get all the Evronian tech out of Fenton before they touch down. While he's in surgery, Borg!Fenton attacks his doctors, killing some, and assimilating the others. Fenton has become an Erigus.

The Cube arrives over Duckburg and Donald goes up to face Evron alone.

Della realizes that Mallory's project is Evronian tech and arranges to get Mallory and Lena up to the ship to take out the engine. Huey and Gosalyn stow away. In the hospital, Drake and Gandra are being hunted by Borg!Fenton. Gandra is killed when she stops Borg!Fenton from spearing Drake through with one of his robot arm tentacles (which he has now, for reasons). Parts of Fenton start to wake up and become aware of what he's done and what he's doing. Drake tries to call in for back-up, but can't get a message out.

Up on the Cube, Huey and Gosalyn go to try and help Donald with Evron. Huey picks up the Chi-blade and spears it through Evron, defeating the Heartless inside, but killing Donald and leaving his spirit trapped in Kingdom Hearts forever. The Chi-blade is split in two. When Gosalyn tries to help Huey with it, she is burned with magic fire from the inside out.

Lena, Mallory, and Della make it to the engine block, and Lena is able to absorb the power into her arm like last time. The experience permanently blinds Mallory and Della stays behind to activate the Cube's self-destruct mechanism. She and Huey are still on board when the Cube goes up.

Drake is chased down and cornered by Borg!Fenton, who is fighting and losing against Evron's tech. Drake is mortally wounded by one of the Evronian controlled tentacle arms. Drake tears the Evronian tech off of Fenton's head and Fenton has a moment of clarity right before Drake dies. By the time Morgana and Capt. Cabrera find Fenton, he's blacked out and lost too much blood to be revived. He dies lying in Drake's arms.

#meta #asks #fanfiction #take on me fic series

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brookeolin · 4 years ago

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TRIGGER WARNING/TW: emotional and physical abuse and violence

Hi! I've been paying attention to the stories of assault that have been shared by brave survivors over the past week... and years... Every time a movement to share revives, I consider talking about something I've been through... but usually by the time I feel like I can, I tell myself "it's too late, the moment passed". I am finally realizing that this mentality was a stupid way of silencing myself--and it's truly never too late to speak up.

I don't have a games industry person to call out. I'm sharing my story just to get it off my chest.

A couple years ago, in my late 20s, I was dating a guy named Mike. The relationship was pretty toxic from the start, but I was naiive as hell (yes you're still probably naiive about a lot of things in your late 20s btw) and thought his mean streak was sort of... refreshing? I fooled myself into thinking that I'd finally met a guy that would be honest with me about my flaws, and who would love me despite them. Because of this infatuation with a mean streak and the emotional highs and lows that come with it, I ignored all of the red flags. Some examples related to games: If we played a new game and had different opinions about it, mine were always wrong. If I tried to make an argument for my opinion, he'd accuse me of trying to make him feel stupid. My opinions were always invalidated without a discussion. We would play games together--he would tell me I was bad at it. He wouldn't even play the games I'd worked on, and told me he didn't like them. Everything I did or said was bad or wrong, but he'd always sugar-coat it and comfort me with encouragement that I could "do better". It was a rollercoaster of emotions every day. My self-esteem was so low that... I believed he was right. His gaslighting prevented me from seeing the reality of the situation--I was being emotionally abused, constantly.

Time flew by during this relationship. I was always either ecstatically happy or deeply depressed, and so I developed intense anxiety and panic attack problems. I would have a panic attack and would try to talk to him about it, and he would get mad at me or ignore me. The next day, he'd apologize and we'd make up. This happened more times than I can count. The relationship was so all over the place all the time that my emotional energy was always spent. I got too tired to talk to friends, and cut myself off from everyone without realizing it. I was also shipping a couple games at the time, and stopped working on them in the normal way... I didn't playtest, I didn't proofread, I just hacked things out as fast as possible so I could get back to putting out fires in my relationship. Every single disagreement about games or anything else was always turned back on me, and used to further belittle me.

Things continued to escalate with Mike, and maybe... a year into our relationship, one day, he was mad at me for arguing with him about... something. I was probably mad at him about rent--at this point, he was playing games all day and not working. I was paying for our entire existence, including rent, so we'd fight about that a lot. Anyways, we were fighting and it escalated and he started to hit me. He then shoved me onto the couch and started strangling me. I couldn't get him off. I was seriously at the limit of being conscious when I managed to pry him off of my neck, and then he hit me some more. That went on for a bit, until I managed to run out of the apartment. I wandered around in the streets for a while before coming home.

Guess what! Even after something like that, I stayed with him! People aren't kidding when they talk about how difficult it is for abuse victims to leave their abusers. Why? He convinced me that he beat me up because I pushed him to that point. He managed to manipulate me into believing it was my fault. Turns out, this kind of gaslighting is pretty typical in these abuse situations, but I didn't know that at the time and was... so traumatized and fucked up that I believed him. It took me almost another year, and more physical abuse, to finally leave. I almost died multiple times while dating this guy. On the last occaision, he strangled me again after slamming my head into the wall. He stopped strangling me at my breaking point again and started running towards the kitchen, saying something about a knife. I sprinted out the door with only a shirt and underwear on.

An old guy was closing up at a bar nearby and he let me in and called the cops. Of course, the cops weren't helpful--they stood there asking me "but how bad was it, really"... even asking me to rate my fucking beating on a scale of 1-10 while I was sobbing and covered in bruises. Eventually, they finished questioning me and taking pictures of my neck, and finally drove me home. We got there and they asked... "Do you want us to arrest him? You need to decide." These fuckers made me decide if I wanted my abusive boyfriend to go to jail, outside of my apartment, while I was shaking like a leaf, with no pants or shoes on. It was the lowest point of my life, by far. I was like... seriously in disbelief that they were asking me, the victim, to make this decision. Thankfully, I said yes, and he went to jail. I went back into my apartment, alone, surrounded by broken furniture. I called my mom and a friend. I'll never forget how strange it was to just lie there in my ruined apartment, not really knowing what to do. I went to the ER the next day and the nurses there told me they see girls like me in this condition every day, and they told me that a lot of those girls go home and it happens again and again. They asked me sincerely to never speak to Mike again, and I didn't. I have not seen him since. Oh, but I was still effected by the gaslighting so deeply that I gave money to a friend to bail him out of jail a couple days later, because I still felt like everything was somehow my fault. It was NOT my fault. He chose to violently assault me. That was his choice. It took me a long time to recognize that, because his gaslighting really effected me to my core. The power of abuse is truly incredible and horrific, and the power an abuser has remains even after they are gone.

I was was lucky to come out this alive and on my feet. I am no longer in that relationship--I am safe and happy. As lucky as I've been to come this far, I've been through some very real PTSD since then, and still struggle with the physical and financial repercussions of my assault to this day. Things have gotten a lot better though, so I thought it'd be a good time to share this with folks.

I hope that anyone out there who is also a domestic abuse victim can see that they're not alone, and that they can get out of the situation... hopefully faster than I did. I can't advise anyone personally--I'm a victim, not a professional. However, I can promise you, if you're a survivor/victim of domestic abuse, that there's hope. You can get your life together, as impossible as it might seem--I am living proof of it. Trusted friends, therapy and local domestic abuse centers are incredibly helpful. I have personally literally used all of these methods to help with my own situation, when it was at its worst. There is no shame in asking for help.

If you're not a victim, or don't personally know anyone who is... I hope that you might now recognize that domestic abuse is a very real and pervasive thing. It doesn't happen to one specific kind of person--it can really happen to anyone, and often for long, drawn out periods of time. Relationships are complicated things that can be incredibly difficult to get out of, especially when abuse (emotional and/or physical) is happening. Please keep this in mind, watch out for your family and friends, and support victims as much as humanly possible.

-Nina Freeman

#domestic abuse #partner abuse #nina freeman

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thiswreckageivebecome · 6 years ago

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As Long As It Takes (“The End.” -Part 25) (Sebastian Stan x reader)

Description: “I’ll wait for as long as it takes, as long as I get you at the end" You meet Sebastian Stan on the street in New York. What starts off as a fan encounter stretches to an unexpected coffee date and before long you’re caught up in a whirlwind and left with an internal struggle of what to choose.

Word Count: 4108

Warnings: Language.

Authors Note: As noted in the title, this is the final part to this story. Thank you for sticking with me through all of this. It has meant more than you’ll ever know. ALSO, in the process of moving my computer screen was destroyed so I’m trying to post all of this via the mobile app and we all know what a bitch that can be. Therefore, I apologize for the formatting issues that are found here. If it’s too annoying, you can find the story on Wattpad and AO3.

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The following eight months seemed to rush by, yet move as slowly as slime simultaneously. You worked on getting your things and your life, in many ways, packed up and ready to move into this new chapter of your life.

Sebastian had to assure you multiple times a week that everything would be okay. You knew it in your heart but starting over somewhere new brought you anxiety some days, not to mention that packing to move was the worst experience of your life. When Sebastian had free time, he came down to assist in packing. The majority of the time not much packing was done, but instead laying in bed binging television and just enjoying each other's company. There were some instances, however, when Sebastian did help. The two of you went through your things, things you had retained in your possession all the way back into middle and high school.

"I have hoarding tendencies if you couldn't tell by now," you told him one time after the two of you had spent the last three hours looking through one tub of letters and pictures from way back when. The memories had brought back happy tears to you and much laughter for both of you.

"I love you regardless and I will officially put into my vows that I'll never submit you for that hoarders show."

"Ha-ha," you said the words out stocatto-like, drenched in sarcasm. Soon enough, September was ending and Green Day was calling your name. You had just shipped the last few pieces of furniture to Sebastian's apartment, it still felt weird to say our apartment, when a honking horn was directed at you. You smiled when you saw your friends, Beth and Caroline driving up. As you hopped in, Beth addressed you first, "ready to go drop some dollar bills!!!" You couldn't help but roll your eyes.

"Please, please, don't tell me you're actually taking me to a strip club for my bachelorette."

"You'll just have to wait and see," Caroline peeped in. The three of you headed to the airport to board your awaiting plane. When you landed, your friend Talley was waiting for you at the gate. You embraced as you hadn't seen each other in a year or so. You all headed out and to your awaiting vehicle which Sebastian has lined up for you. The limo took you to the hotel where you met Olivia who had flown in from LA to be a part of your wedding party. The five of you decided to nap before heading out for the evening. Sebastian knew you were off limits until the wedding Sunday but you still planned to facetime.

"Hey, babe," Sebastian practically hollered at you once the call connected. You had to rip your headphones out of your ears to avoid hearing damage. "Oh, shit, I'm sorry," he attempted to apologize, not thinking about the headphone not being back in your ears yet. You got the headphones positioned back in your ears and smiled at the screen while talking small.

"You're feeling good, huh?" You chuckled lightly. It was obvious the boys had already gotten started. Seb's eyes were glassy and he had that dorky, albeit very tipsy, smile you loved so much plastered on his face.

"Yeah! We're about to head back out. These dudes, I swear, (y/n), I love them so much." His face quickly sobered. "Not as much as I love you, of course!" His face lightened again.

You busted out laughing as quietly as you could so not to wake anyone already napping.

"Thanks for that. Make sure you tell every one I said hello." The next thing you knew your ears were hurting again before you could remove the headphones.

"GUYS! HEY GUYS!! (Y/n) SAYS HELLO!!" You just barely heard a chorus of "Hey, (y/n)!" in response.

"Babe, you're going to end up marrying a deaf woman if you keep it up."

"Shit. I'm sorry...again."

"It's okay. Well look, I'll let you guys go so you ca-"

"(Y/n), Chris wants to talk to you. Here he is." You heard the phone drop to the floor and the pickup amidst of "Damn, Sebastian. Hey, man. Why don't you go sit down for a minute. I'll bring you the phone when I'm done talking to (y/n) so you can say goodbye." You heard Seb agree before you heard Chris' voice.

"Hey, (y/n), how are you?"

"Oh, I'm good. Not quite as good as y'all are, though, it seems."

"Not as good as Sebastian and some of the other guys, you mean. I'm good. I've only had a beer or two thus far. Someone's gotta keep an eye on these fellas."

"Honestly, Chris, why am I not surprised?"

"At what exactly?"

"That you're taking it easy so that you can keep an eye out."

"Yeah, well. It seemed like the thing to do."

"Well, I appreciate it, Chris. I mean. It's still early and if they're already that tipsy, there's no telling how crazy the night is going to get." You paused, mind swirling as an unsettling thought crept in. Before you could stop yourself you said it aloud. "Sebastian must be getting really nervous about getting married."

"Hey, hold on just a second." You heard a door open and shut and a few more seconds of little sound.

"I wanted to step out where it's a little quieter so we can chat without distractions. Why do you say that? That Sebastian is getting nervous?"

"Just forget it. I honestly didn't mean to. It just appeared in my mind and transitioned to my mouth."

"Well, it clearly bothers you so I think I shouldn't forget it until we talk about it or you talk about it with someone. I would put Sebastian on the phone but honestly, I don't know how much good it would be with his alcohol-filled headspace right now."

"Chris, I really don't think I want to talk about it," you replied even quieter than before.

"You may not want to, but I really think you need to."

"Look, the thought literally just came out of nowhere because of him being so wasted so early. It just seems like a lot of alcohol very early in the evening. I know sometimes he tends to drown out his concerns with alcohol, not always, but sometimes. God, I make him sound like an alcoholic. He's not, Chris, and that's not how I meant it."

"I know, (y/n), I know."

"Maybe I'm the one that's nervous about getting married."

"No, I don't think you are. I feel like you've never been more sure of anything." His response couldn't help but make you giggle.

"You're right, actually."

"I thought so."

"For what it's worth, I think Sebastian feels the same way. I know I've told you before but I've never seen him this happy in my years of knowing him. I think he just is happy to be back together with his buddies he hasn't seen in a while and they were wanting to drink so he joined can.” He paused. "Man, I make him sound like a peer pressured teen." He started laughing and you joined him.

"You really did to be honest. Awww, teenage Seb. I wish I had known him then."

"Has Georgeta shown you the photo albums yet?"

"We've made it through his second year. That's it, though." He guffawed at this info.

"Well, the good news is, after Sunday, you'll have the rest of your lives to look through them."

"It'll probably take that long too," you giggled. A moment passed. "Thanks for talking with me about the irrational fear that creeped in for a moment. Everyone here is napping so I'd have no one else to talk to about it."

"Of course, (y/n), you're one of my best friends. That means we're here for each other. If you need to chat at anytime all you have to do is pick up the phone. You know that, right?"

"Yeah, I suppose I do, despite that I never really think to do so, honestly. That goes both ways. You know that, don't you?"

"I do. Oh God, I hope Sebastian doesn't hear because you realize we just both said 'I do''s, don't you?"

"Oh hell, we did didn't we?"

"Yeah, but I'll keep it on the down low." You laughed.

"Thanks, Chris. I was so worried you were going to show up and try to move in with me," you said sarcastically. "Granted, I'm unsure where you'd move into since I currently an homeless." You could practically hear his eyes rolling in his head.

"You're not homeless, dramatic."

"Well, technically I am still in transition. I'm just saying."

"In transition my ass. All of your shit is here and unpacked."

"No, it's not."

"The stuff you have in your suitcase doesn't count."

"No, but the majority of my stuff is still in boxes spread throughout Sebastian's apartment." He took a moment before answering.

"(Y/n), it's not, I swear to you. I have yet to see a box and I've been here all afternoon." You began to think and wonder because you had literally FaceTimed Seb before the girls picked you up and the only things you had shipped were furniture pieces so all boxes had already made it up there. In fact, Sebastian had tripped over a box of your things while you had been on the call.

"I don't understand." How in the world would he have gotten rid of all of the boxes.

"Hold on a sec." You heard rusting on Chris' end of the line. "Oh shit," you heard him say quietly and you could almost see him looking down in frustration. "(Y/n), I'm so sorry. I think I just ruined a surprise."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"I think Sebastian unpacked everything for you and had already put it around the apartment. I bet he wanted you to feel right at home and wanted to surprise you by having everything unpacked when you guys got back. He's already separated his closet and one side is all of your clothes. Shit, (y/n), I'm so sorry."

Your eyes began to tear up, touched by how thoughtful and time consuming this gesture had to have been. He must have only had a few boxes left when you had FaceTimed.

"Oh, Chris. It's okay." You sniffled.

"Oh, God, please don't cry. I feel like shit already."

"No!! No, it's not that. I'm not upset. I'm just touched by his gesture."

"Oh, thank God. I was worried for a minute there."

"Well, look, I need to get off of here and take a nap. Thank you for keeping an eye on him, all of them, tonight. I really appreciate it, Chris. You have no idea how much I do. I know we're not supposed to see each other before Sunday but will you please let me know if anything happens and I need to be there? Or if you need backup because I feel like it's gonna get pretty rowdy."

"Well, you may be right about that, but I can handle it."

"Chris. You have Seb, Mackie, Chase, and Chu. Just those alone are enough to cause concern. Let alone the other four.” Chris busted out laughing in response.

"That is very true. Okay, I'll call if I need backup, I promise."

"Thank you. Also, don't take this the wrong way because I love all of them, but for God's sake don't let Seb promise anyone another spot on the groomsmen team. Please promise me that."

"I got you, (y/n). I'll keep them in line and out of the groomsmen line," he said chuckling.

"Thank you, Chris. Seriously, all joking aside, thank you. I forever owe you for all of this."

"Don't mention it."

"Don't mention what?" You teased.

"Oh okay, smartass. Let me go tell Mackie you added him to the wedding party."

"Shit. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry." You both began to laugh again.

"Alright, well I'll let you go so you can nap and I can check on the boys. It's awful quiet out there."

"Yeah, you better go, then. I’ll talk to you later and thanks again."

"Anytime, see ya."

You quickly fell asleep. The next thing you knew, you were being awoken by Caroline and Beth jumping up and down on your bed.

"Damn, you guys." You tried to remain serious but couldn't stop yourself from grinning.

"Let's party!!!" They dragged you out of bed and quickly into an almost endless night of fun. After brunch you all finally headed back to the hotel to rest. Vegging out with plenty of laughs, catching up, and chick flicks were all in order on the night before you married the man of your dreams. Sunday came and the wedding went off without a hitch, surprisingly. You all danced the evening away before Sebastian and you headed out for your two-week honeymoon on a 2am flight.

Your honeymoon was spent traveling through Italy, Romania, and the Philippines. Before you both knew it, it was time to return to your home in NY. Sebastian still had a few weeks off of work so you two spent practically every moment together. Once he was down in Atlanta, you decided that you'd begin a job hunt, looking for something part-time. It worked out that Sasha happened to need some extra help around the shop so you stepped in. Since Sasha knew the inner-workings of you and Sebastian's relationship, the job at the shop gave you something to do and some income while he was away yet the freedom to visit him when it was convenient for the both of you. About a year and a half after you were married, you surprised Sebastian on set in Greece.

"Babe!!!" He exclaimed entering his trailer, running to you, picking you up, and spinning you.

"Sebastian," you squeezed his neck, "oh, I've missed you...so fucking much." You kissed him as he released you back to the floor.

"Oh, that goes both ways," he quietly replied after your lips parted. You both smiled softly but only for a moment. "So, babe! What are you doing here? Why didn't you tell me you were coming?"

"Ahm, Sebastian, babe. It's called a surprise," you responded sarcastically.

"Oh, thanks for the info. I had no clue." He rolled his eyes back at you.

"I just missed you!"

"Well, I'm so fucking psyched you're here. How long are you here for or is that a surprise too?" Now it was your turn to roll your eyes.

"No, that's not a surprise. I'm only here a couple of days. I have to be back to work on Monday." Seb's face dropped a little bit. "Sure I can't call Sasha and work something out?"

"Don't call her. She doesn't know I'm here."

"What?" His eyes grew in size. "You didn't tell Sasha something? Since when?"

"Oh, hush!"

"I'm serious!! You told her about that one night that I had to go to the doctor the next day after what we did. It was like you couldn't wait to laugh at me behind my back. Actually I take that back, you laughed in my face. It was like you couldn't wait to have other people laugh with you." You attempted not to bust out laughing in his face once again. "Go ahead, laugh. I can tell you want to. Your face is about to turn purple from you holding it in." You complied and had to bend over as you couldn't stop laughing. He took your arm to keep you from tumbling over. Once you caught your breath again, you leaned back up, thanking him for the laugh and for steadying you.

"Okay, so a little bird told me you get off around seven tonight?"

"Who've you been talking to?"

"A little bird. I just said that."

"Well, you're right so you must have been talking to someone important or at the least, correct," he laughed.

"So dinner tonight?"

"Of course. Then a little dessert?" He winked seductively. "Actually, how about a lot of dessert? Maybe a couple of dessert trips?" He waggled his eyebrows at you. You slapped his chest.

"Stop, Seb. I get it, okay."

"I mean, it's been a month."

"Seb, I get it!" He pulled you by the hips to him, your face flushing.

"Okay, I'll stop...talking about it. But is it a possibility?"

"Dessert is a possibility."

"Wait. Just to be clear...dessert or," his voice dropped to a gruff tone, "dessert?"

"It'll be a surprise." He smiled, reading your mind. No surprise would be had that night. The next morning, however, Sebastian had a big, slightly prankish, surprise waiting for him. He had left you asleep in the hotel suite and headed to work. He stepped up to his trailer on set to go in and get ready, or so he thought. When he opened the door, about 30 pink plastic bodies slid out of the trailer. He was shocked but then he realized what the pink plastic bodies were. He couldn't see anything but plastic bodies inside his trailer.

"Surprise!!!" You shouted behind him about 10 feet off. He spun around quickly, jaw dropped in shock.

"Wait. What??" He said as a ponderous smile began to spread across his face and his eyes ignited with joy. "Are you saying???"

You simply nodded with a painful cheeky grin. He ran to you, picking you up into a bear hug lifting you off the ground in the process.

"We're going to be parents!!!" He shouted for anyone in earshot to hear. Little did he know most everyone on set already knew as you had roped them into helping you with the surprise. Everyone came out of the woodwork, or rather, from behind trailers, props, and inside the building, clapping and cheering, passing on their congratulations.

Later that evening after Sebastian got off of work, he rushed back to the hotel but when he walked in you were asleep. He fixed himself some breakfast for dinner. As he turned around to plate the food, he saw you standing next to the island.

"Shit. Did I wake you up? I'm so sorry."

"Sebastian, it's okay. I didn't mean to fall asleep, it just happened. I wanted to be awake when you got back."

"Are you hungry?? I'll fix some food real quick...for both of you." You smiled and walked leisurely to him, putting your arms around his back and interlocking your fingers behind him.

"I think we're fine for now. We ate a lot earlier. Thank you, though. We both appreciate it."

Sebastian lowered himself to one knee and placed his hand on your stomach despite that no one could really tell you were pregnant yet.

"I can't believe you're here, little one," he said caressing your stomach. You ran your fingers through his hair as he continued to speak softly to the baby and sneaking butterfly kisses here and there.

"You're going to make a great dad, you know."

"You're going to make an even better mom."

"We shall see. I have said for about seven years now that the only way I'd have kids was if they were yours. I couldn't deprive the world of little Sebastians running around."

"I can't wait to meet her."

"You want a girl," you asked incredulously. He stood up to his full height and pulled you close.

"Yeah, I want the world to have a little you running around." You shook your head and chuckled lightly into his chest.

"I love you, Sebastian." After a moment, his hands moving to your arms and leaning you back quickly he exclaimed,

"Wait! So you're telling me, you knew you were pregnant...and we did ....what we did last night!?" You burst out laughing.

"Seb, you can have se-" his hand flew over your mouth stopping your sentence short.

"Shhh!! She doesn't need to know about," he whispered and then softened his whisper even more to finish, " s-e-x yet." You couldn't help but giggle at how silly he was being and he removed his hand.

"Seb. Babe. Stop." You continued laughing. "You're being ridiculous."

"How long have you known?"

"A couple of weeks."

"So...you mean the last time we...before last night, of course."

"A month and a day ago, yes." You grinned.

"I just can't believe this. I'm as happy as I've ever been."

"Me too, babe. Me too."

You went back home. After another couple of months, Seb was home and on hiatus from work for the following two years. In the meantime, he didn't miss a moment of your pregnancy, the child, Sophia Faye Stan coming into this world, or her first year of life. After Sophia had passed the age of three, Sebastian and you began trying again and it wasn't long before soon you were pregnant again. This time you got the little Sebastian you had been hoping for. Mihail Stan was born in May two months to the day before his sister's fourth birthday. Sebastian continued to work but it was less frequent typically only working a couple of months a year and limiting PR so that he could spend time with you and the kids. Your little family purchased two homes, both near enough to either side of the family so that the kids could know their grandparents better. Your family spent three-fourths of the year in NY as it had become your home since moving and the remainder of the time in NC with trips down in between visits. After Mihail had gotten to the age of two it worked out that a new child came into the family but by adoption this time. Rosamie Sampaguita Stan came into your lives on December 22nd. Adopted from an orphanage in the Philippines, Rosamie was dropped off at the orphanage and no one had been able to track down her parents for the past year of her life. She brought so much joy and a feeling of wholeness to your little family.

By the time the kids got to high school, Sebastian decided to limit his work even more. He stuck to jobs that would be local and didn't require travel. You continued your photography business you started after Rosamie turned six. Sophia pursued acting, like her father, but studied at Syracuse. Mihail grew up loving animals and became a veterinarian, moving to North Carolina to attend vet school at NC State. He graduated with honors and moved to Boone to open his own practice. Rosamie remained close to you. She loved to dance and after studying dance at Juilliard, she opened up her own studio downtown, purchasing a home just a few blocks from the quaint two bedroom home you and Seb downsized to after she graduated college.

The remainder of your days were spent with joy and love. You welcomed the sons-in law and daughter-in-law and adored the grandchildren you were blessed with. It was a beautiful 45 years of wedded bliss.

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I can't believe it's finally over. A part of me has died as I have enjoyed writing this story so much. Thank you to all of those who read and enjoyed. I'm eternally grateful for your kind words and eyes. I want to quote "Chuck Shurley/a prophet/ God" in Supernatural to finish everything out:

"Endings are hard. Any chapped-ass monkey with a keyboard can poop out a beginning but endings are impossible. You try to tie up every loose end, but you never can. The fans are always gonna bitch. There's always going to be holes. And since it's the ending, it's all supposed to add up to something. I'm telling you they're a raging pain in the ass...So what's it all add up to? It's hard to say...No doubt, endings are hard. But then again, nothing ever really ends, does it?"

@pari0924 @yesixoxo @a-d-v-e-n-t-u-r-e-s @verymuchso-youknow@moniquefitzgerald@chmereaustin@rayonship07@buckyband@wydari@parisispretty@mylexlife@ivoryfoxfigliadeifiori@pepperspraymeiwillpeppersprayyou @crownie-sr@sebstan01@awinterloveuniverse@linksforlaylor@layoutmellet@theliarone@rebekastan98@discophony@inthenameofrock@glitterintheairblog@millie-saurus-rex@celinejfong@camerica96@emilyinbuffalo@seargantbcky@sebbysebbastan@iamwarrenspeace@jeelicious78@valentinachr@badassbaker @sebbystanlover-vk@mummastace @ssweet-empowerment @void-imaginations @ilovebeingjoyful @superwholockian5ever @mashed-fandom-imagines @the-nonsenseblog

#as long as it takes #sebastian stan #fanfiction #sebastian stan fanfiction #sebastian stan x reader #my writing

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charoite-burrower · 6 years ago

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Lore: Something a little different

It’s not an Interview with Outcasts, but it IS the story of two dragons I picked up during BotE to explain how my clan of recluses learned about Luminax. I’ve had their story in my head this whole time. Now it is out of my head. Enjoy!

-----

Verdance vaulted into the air to avoid being side-checked by a very wobbly young Guardian who stumbled into him in the street. His frills flattened against his neck with a crack as he gazed down at the hatchling. This is what he got for straying out of the city's Fae marketplace.

“Careful!” he told the boy, who was big enough that he could have done some damage.

The Guardian looked up at where he was hovering, eyes wide, and was silent for several seconds before replying, “You be careful!”

“BENEDICT.” The hatchling's distraught mother, who had been perusing a shop window, entered the conversation by lowering her head to their level. “You're being very rude.”

“No, mom, he's my Charge! He needs to be careful!”

His mother sighed hard enough that Verdance had to beat his wings harder to maintain his position. “I'm sorry,” she told him. “They do this a lot when they're young.”

“It's okay. I understand.” Verdance didn't, really; he had no children. He did understand that it was an annoying habit, though, and as a result could empathize with the mother.

“Ben. Come on.”

The hatchling stamped a paw on the cobblestones. “I'm not supposed to leave my Charge alone! You an' Dad said so!”

His mother responded by simply picking the young boy up in a paw and settling him in between her wings. With another apology, she set off down the street, grimly ignoring her now shrieking son.

Verdance watched them go, feeling more certain than ever that he was never having kids.

*****

“Verdance?” His landlady, who owned both the private garden and the tree within it that he'd built his nest in, called up to him from her back door. “There's someone here looking for you.”

He set aside his book with a sigh and flew down to her. “It's not another traveling salesman, is it?”

She nervously fidgeted with her pearl. “He's, um, a child.”

“Why would a child be looking for me?”

He heard a voice call from the other room. “Mr. Fae? Is that you?”

Verdance's fins drooped. He recognized that voice. With a sigh, he padded past his landlady and into the front hall. “Benedict? How did you get here?”

The hatchling smiled. “I waited until mom was asleep an’ sneaked out.”

“How did you know where to find me?”

“A Guardian always knows where to find his Charge,” Benedict said imperiously. “You live real far across the city, though.”

His stomach sank. “Did you sneak out last night?”

“Uh-huh!”

It was evening His mother was going to be in hysterics by now.

His landlady peered around the corner. “We need to get you home. Your mother must be so worried.”

The hatchling scowled. “I'm not supposed to leave my Charge.”

“He did this in the marketplace last week,” Verdance explained to her. To Benedict, he asked, “Do you know your way home?”

“Yeah! Dad says I'm a natural av-nagator.”

“You can't send him back out in the city alone,” hissed his landlady.

Verdance made an effort to keep his frills still. “Of course not. I need to talk to his mother, anyway.”

“I'm hungry,” Benedict announced.

“Then you better get us there fast,” Verdance replied, and walked for the front door.

His mother looked relieved, and also like she wanted to strangle her son, when they showed up at their house on the big dragon side of town. While Benedict whined at her knees that he was hungry, she tried explaining her son's behavior to Verdance. Something something only child? Whatever.

“Is this going to happen again?”

“No. We'll keep an eye on him. Hopefully he picks something else as his “Charge” soon. I'm so sorry for the trouble.”

When Verdance began to fly away, Benedict started wailing. Thankfully, he couldn't fly after, so Verdance soon left the irritating little hatchling behind.

Guardians.

*****

The city was on fire. It had been burning for hours, starting when the Emperor attacked the large side of town, but despite the fighting Ridgebacks and Guardians (who, rumor had it, had ordered all the Imperials to get as far away as possible), the fight was making its way toward Verdance's home. His landlady had already fled, but Verdance had hoped the big dragons of the city would overwhelm the rotting monstrosity that had attacked them. Soon, however, the grim reality had come clear.

He'd just gotten done packing a satchel with clothes and food and the few mementos that would fit when he heard a breathless call from the courtyard below.

“Mr. Fae?”

Verdance looked down to see Benedict, and felt the panic he'd been trying to stifle since the attack spike in his chest. He zoomed down towards the hatchling, who looked tired and was covered in soot.

“What are you doing here?”

Benedict frowned. “Keeping you safe.”

“Kid, you can't-- where are your parents?”

“I dunno. They went to stop the bad dragon. They told me to hide in the house, but it got burned up, so I found you.”

Verdance looked out over the ruined city, what he could see of it in the smoke, anyway, and shuddered as he heard the Emperor's roar on the wind. It was getting louder, which meant the dragons who were fighting it weren't doing well.

He looked down at Benedict and made a decision. “Look, kid. I was just about to leave.”

“But it's not safe!”

“You're right. I… need someone to come with me and keep me safe.”

Benedict puffed his chest out. “I can do it!”

“Okay, but if you come with me, you have to listen to me.”

“Okay!”

Verdance got them walking, but quickly realized that wasn't going to get them moving fast enough. The little guy couldn't fly, but he could definitely outstep Verdance even at his size. He swallowed his pride for the sake of increasing their chance of survival.

“Benedict? Is it okay if I ride on your back? I'm, uh. Tired.”

“Sure! I'm strong. I can carry you real far.”

Verdance fluttered up and settled in between his shoulders. “Okay. Go where I tell you.”

Benedict nodded, and they turned toward the trickle of refugees visible on the horizon, moving through the smoke.

*****

The first few days out of the city were tough. Benedict had no food of his own, and though he walked faster than Verdance, he got tired quickly. The insects that Verdance had packed for himself, he passed off to the hatchling. Their store dwindled quickly. They weren't able to keep up with the rest of the fleeing dragons. Benedict couldn't hunt, and Verdance didn't know which plants were edible. By the time they got to the next town, Benedict was tired and hungry, but Verdance was hungrier.

The town had been wiped nearly clean of supplies, but as soon as the dragons living there saw Benedict, they broke into their personal supplies to help them in their journey.

“Where are you going?” One of them asked.

Verdance was about to tell them he had no idea, when the hatchling piped up. “The Clan of the, uh… the Outcast! Mom said if we got separated, we'd meet up there.”

“Never heard of it,” their helper said.

“It's real far away in Nature.”

It was as good a plan as any. Verdance had wanted to get far away from the Emperor, and Nature qualified. They'd just have to go by boat, since Benedict didn't fly. With a rough plan now in mind, the two of them thanked the villagers and got back in the road.

*****

They weren't the only refugees trying to get out by water, but thankfully the worst if the crowds had come through ahead of them. So many of the dragons could just fly where they needed to go, after all. Again, Benedict's youth helped them, and soon they had passage on a small ship. They were sleeping on the deck with a displaced Snapper family, but they were moving.

Benedict had nearly doubled in size on the road, but he was thin from not having enough to eat. He took his first experimental flight off the front of the boat their third day on the water. Verdance kept an eye on him, periodically calling out tips, while one of the Snappers walked him through identifying edible plants that would be growing in Nature.

Benedict curled up next to him protectively after his flight nearly ended in a crash and napped. Verdance transcribed notes about plants into the margins of his only book so he wouldn't forget. Benedict's first flight should have been longer. The boy needed more muscle, and energy.

He was nearly done with his notes when a blue Snapper heavily laden with bags of herbs walked over and introduced herself as Enid.

“The others told me you're headed into Nature. Have you ever been there?”

Verdance shook his head. “I've never so much as been camping.”

“Lucky I'm here, then. I do a lot of trade with Nature clans.”

“We're looking for one called Clan of the Outcast.”

“Even luckier than I thought. I can take you there. It's where my wife lives.”

Verdance felt a surge of relief so strong that it left him exhausted. He thanked Enid profusely, then excused himself to rest. He leaned back against Benedict's ever-growing side and allowed himself to hope for the first time that everything was going to be okay.

*****

Benedict's parents weren't there when they arrived, but it was another few months before he was old enough to realize why. The clan took them both in and listened to their story with horror. They were isolated, and received news only when the Snappers came through to trade.

It was hard adjusting to life in a hole in the ground after living in such a large city. Verdance eventually built a new nest in the branches of the massive tree above the hill that housed the clan. This caused Benedict to sleep outside.

“They can give you a room, you know,” Verdance told him one day.

Benedict's voice had grown deeper recently. He was now two-thirds his full size, having filled out rapidly on the plentiful food in the jungle. “I need to keep you safe.”

Verdance began to wonder if he'd been wrong this whole time. When Benedict was full-sized and still insisting on sleeping under Verdance's nest, Verdance quietly went to the Matriarch and asked if they could build a room for Benedict. When it was done, Verdance spun a new nest on the ceiling inside it. Once that was done, Benedict gladly moved in out of the elements.

*****

A year passed. His parents never did arrive. Benedict never mentioned it, and Verdance was too afraid to bring it up himself. But one day, the Guardian surprised him.

“I never thanked you for keeping me safe during our trip here.” The words drifted up from the floor of the room. They'd put out the lamps to go to sleep, so Verdance couldn't see his roommate.

He decided to try deflecting with humor. “Hey, you kept me safe, remember?”

“I'm being serious. I’d be dead if it weren't for you. Crushed, or starved, or worse.”

Verdance felt his frills droop. “I wasn't just going to leave you there, Ben.”

“I'll make it up to you.” He said it with the same determination of every declaration he'd given Verdance since that day they met in the market.

“I hope you know where I'm coming from when I say I hope you never get the chance.”

Benedict laughed at that, a low rumbling which Verdance felt in his chest and stomach. “Good night, Verdance.”

Verdance lay awake, deep in thought. Benedict had turned out well, despite everything.

Maybe… maybe he did want hatchlings someday. It would be nice to see them get the chance to be kids for as long as they deserved.

#fr lore #clan of the outcast #long post

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sydney-stylites-blog · 7 years ago

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Of betrayals and backstabbings | The Dragonpit edition

Yeah the title really doesn't make a lot of sense, but I liked how it sounded 🤷🏻 I kind of wanted to explore the whole Jon betraying Dany thing again, and why the Dragonpit scene conclusively ended any doubts I might have had regarding that.

I've been staunchly against the concept of Jon betraying Dany and I've addressed it multiple times already. Betraying Dany doesn't fit in Jon's character sketch. There a million already existing problems which everyone has to deal with, and Jon playing Dany is not one of them. Of course, then we have the classic case of Ygritte brought up. If Jon could betray her for the Night's Watch, why can't he betray Dany for his family? What antis conveniently forget every time they bring this up is that Ygritte (and the wildlings) were coming to destroy the Night's Watch (and a ton of innocent people while at it). So Jon betrayed her because he had no other option. Dany is coming with her armies and dragons to save Jon's home, save the North...so why, why would Jon betray her? What would he have to gain by this?

Consider this. When Sansa and Arya played Littlefinger, that was awesome! We not only supported it, but we were thrilled af when it happened! But what about when Littlefinger had betrayed Ned Stark, and that was after telling him he shouldn't have trusted him? I mean, he had warned him earlier hadn't he? So the betrayal wasn't out of the blue, right? It was something we should have been expecting, wasn't it? But did we support that? Did we agree with or sympathise with Littlefinger?

And okay, when Jon betrayed Ygritte, who did you agree with more? Did you feel bad for Ygritte but also felt that Jon had done the right thing? Could you see Jon's struggle between love and duty and acknowledge that the right choice wasn't as easy to make?

Why were our reactions different to all those situations? Short answer - motive. Our reaction to betrayals are based on the motive, and how well it is portrayed in the narrative. 'A woman murdered a man' evokes a different reaction than 'a woman executed a man who had led to the death of her own father'. Throw in the fact that he was still trying to get her to kill her sister, and we not only agree with the woman in question here, we are positively cheering her on! Because that's the difference motive makes - it justifies actions otherwise considered wrong, and we have numerous examples of it in Game of Thrones. My personal favorite, of course, is Jaime and the Kingslayer story because it perfectly highlights the difference between us knowing the reason, or judging the action as it stands.

So what could be Jon's motives for playing Dany?

We have the obvious, to protect his family and Winterfell from the unstable witch (that is supposedly Dany on tumblr).

But that's the thing again antis. Dany has never once, not once threatened or even implied in extremely vague terms anything that could be constituted to be a threat to Winterfell or the Starks. In all their interactions, whenever she wanted Jon to bend the knee, she never even went in the general area of threatening his family if he refused to. The issue of family wasn't brought up at all in that sense, so the idea that she would harm his family now, after having clearly developed feelings for him, has only sprung from the minds of the Jonsa Fandom who very much want it to be true because it justifies their POV and their ship. Because the assumption that Dany would want to destroy Winterfell, destroy the Starks and Jon realized this and is appeasing her by catering to her romantic feelings would work extremely well if, if it had been implied anywhere at least once, even if vaguely. But it hasn't been portrayed, and by itself fails to suffice as the motive setting up Jon conning Dany.

Jon will never betray Northern independence for love, and is only faking it to protect the North from Dany's ire.

Considering that the North was already protected from Dany's ire before Jon pledged himself to her, I don't even know where this comes from. Dany promised to fight the White Walkers without asking anything in return (an action which squarely put her in the 'good guy' category), Jon playing her to accomplish something which had already been accomplished is not only senseless, paranoic and unnecessary, but it also would then put him firmly in the douchebag category. Dany let him keep the North, only for him to offer it to her twice, and then ultimately turn right around and say lol, kidding?? Really Jonsa peeps? That makes sense to any of you? Why is it so hard to accept that Jon judged her worthy of his allegiance? But of course, that wouldn't work for the antis and this mess is far more appealing.

About the Northern independence though, I've already mentioned it before, but I'll say it again. The whole 'King in the North' concept arose because the Starks would not accept the Lannisters as their king, not after what they had done. Supporting the Baratheons would have been treasonous and dishonourable, and would have embroiled them in a civil war they had no interest in being part of. The main reason however, was that the Northern Lords had grown disillusioned with the Southern kings who did not care about the Northern issues at all and only paid attention to the North when it was in their own interests. Now, with Daenerys pledging herself to defeat the White Walkers, the entire dynamic of the game had changed, the Southern ruler in point, was not a Lannister or a Baratheons, but a Targaryen, who was coming to save the North instead of abandoning them to their plight and, contrary to popular belief, could in fact be trusted. The North Remembers, and it is this that Jon hopes the North will remember once the Walkers have been defeated, that Daenerys is not her father. So, in short, Jon is not playing Dany for Northern independence because it's frankly ridiculous and the alternative (he feels she's a worthy ruler) makes much more sense in this case.

Jon is playing Dany for Sansa's sake, either because he took her advice about not making mistakes seriously or he's deeply in love with her.

This is a very shipper reason, as canonically there has been no love shown from either of them, but I would have still accepted this reason if they hadn't already made it crystal clear that Jon and Sansa don't agree politically. They both have different views regarding politics, and while Jon does ask her for her opinions, he does what he believes he should do anyway. Also, while Sansa has a more grounded worldview which takes into account people's feelings and motivations - rewarding those true to you for their loyalty (Karstarks and Umbers), taking Cersei more seriously, not abandoning the North and literally everything else, Jon's are more idealistic and based on his strong moral code of 'honor' - not taking the castles away from the Karstarks and Umbers, choosing to believe in Tyrion, putting his own life on the line to save his people (by going to Dragonstone). Jon has been consistently portrayed, all throughout this season, as valuing honor above everything - a very strong Ned Stark trait tbh - and not taking Sansa's advice as seriously as he should (which is what she notices as well, and it upsets her). So with this set-up, believing that he is actually playing Dany because of what Sansa has told him is, quite frankly, a stretch, because there is no narrative indication which would make us believe that. This would also explain Sansa's reaction to learning he had bent the knee, she's resigned to it because she knows that though Jon loves and respects her, he still does what he thinks is the right thing to do. Also, Sansa doesn't berate him for doing what he did in the way she would have had she believed he had been repeating Ned's and Robb's mistakes - - > she doesn't believe he's making those mistakes ie bending the knee to Dany is not disastrous (as the antis would have you believe). Sansa is upset because Jon clearly didn't consider asking Sansa's opinion about a very important political decision, and she's upset because she knows that the Northern Lords will not accept this easily, but she doesn't react as if it's the worst thing in the world ever, nor does she act thoughtful, which would have indicated that all is not as it seems. In short, Sansa's reaction is very much expected under the circumstances, which are that Jon doesn't take her as seriously as he should. And given this, it seems unlikely to imagine that he's in cahoots with Sansa and they're taking down the Dragon Queen together (together! 😂)

Every reason for Jon playing Dany would have worked if the narrative had given some sort of suggestion about a possible motive, some indication of Jon treating Sansa's advice seriously, or made Jon give up the North before she pledged to fight the Walkers. And the nail in the coffin for the 'undercover lover' theory was the Dragonpit scene. Nothing would have cast stronger doubts on whether Jon truly loves Dany or not, than him accepting the truce. Despite it being the smart political move, it would have also raised a tiny red flag regarding Jon's true intentions, in my mind at least. Jon basically had nothing to lose by accepting the truce, nothing except for his honor. And that made him refuse! It wasn't just him making a public proclamation that he loves Dany (although it sorta was 😂), it was him being faced with a choice to sacrifice his honor, his word, to get what he wanted, it was him being asked to choose whether he truly was his father's son, it was him being expected by the one who knew the truth to do the dishonourable thing for the greater good. He could have lied and supported Dany later, he could simply have walked away from the battles to come because they didn't directly concern him and his people and let Dany fend for herself. But would it have been the honorable thing to do? Smarter, yes. Wiser, yes. More beneficial to his own people, yes. But honorable? After taking Dany's help to defeat the White Walkers, which let's be honest, are a far greater threat to the North than anywhere else, after taking her armies and dragons to save his home and then turning his back on her when Cersei came at her with fresh forces would have been as far from honor as possible. If Jon has indeed been playing Dany all along, then he should have accepted Cersei's offer - which would not only have placated the Northern Lords later, but would also have served as a potential hint of him playing Dany. But in keeping with the characteristic theme of this season, Jon chooses honor over the alternative more politically savvy choice. He upset everybody, even Dany, with this choice when he could have gone with the easier one, which would have ensured everyone - those at the Dragonpit as well as the Northern lords - would have been happy with the outcome. Everyone would have gotten what they wanted, and the subsequent - if any - reveal of Jon having played Dany all along would have made much more sense to the audience.

But Jon did not make the easy choice. The deliberate inclusion of this scene was only to portray that even when the choice is tough, Jon would choose honor. This is his character, his identity. Also, the callbacks to Ned Stark, aside from foreshadowing that when the time comes to choose, Jon would most likely choose his Stark heritage, remind us that Ned Stark valued honor above all, and the only times he sacrificed it was over love - love for his sister and love for his daughters, which caused him to abandon his honor for their survival. So for Ned Stark's son to betray a woman who trusts, loves, respects and admires him, a woman who's had the same struggles in life as he himself has, a woman who is willing to set aside her own personal goals to help him destroy the threat to his home, for him to betray a woman who has already given him everything he wanted, is actually a betrayal of Ned Stark's legacy and everything he stood for. By going so far as to blatantly lie in Ned Stark's name, Jon would have, in one stroke, destroyed everything that Ned Stark inculcated and symbolised, given what we already know about him having no motive at all for the undercover lover angle. So the callback to Ned was very necessary in highlighting that Jon is truly Ned's son, and throwing away his honor without an ironclad reason is not his character. It's simply not.

Also, this scene was very important because it very starkly set up the contrast between Jon (and even Dany) and Cersei. Remember how all of us were totally skeptical about believing Cersei at all in the first place? Even after the convincing reason of her wanting to protect her to-be-born child, it still was hard to believe that she would actually help them. And why was that?

'When enough people make false promises words stop meaning anything. Then there are no more answers, only better and better lies.'

As the audience, we now know not to trust Cersei. Even when she's being completely sincere, it's hard to trust her because her words have long since stopped meaning anything to us, she's not someone who's promises we'll ever trust, because as Jon said, they are only better and more elaborate lies. And lies won't help us in this fight. So Jon not lying is very important to show us this difference, of how we basically trust Jon's promises and how cautious we are when it comes to Cersei. And as if that's not enough, Cersei's scene with Jaime lays it all completely out, when Jaime is do adamant about sticking to his promise and is struggling to understand how Cersei could have lied to them.

Cersei: I'll say whatever I need to say to ensure the survival of our house

To Cersei, the priority is only her house, her family, to the point that she can't even acknowledge the enormity of the Northern threat. She's focused on ensuring her family's survival, everyone else be damned. And that is categorically shown as an evil thing. Saying whatever is needed to be said, making false promises, basically everything that the Jonsa fans expect from Jon is clearly and emphatically shown to be evil, to be wrong. The whole purpose of the Dragonpit scene is to bring out this contrast between Jon and Cersei - Cersei doesn't care about futile things such as honor and promises when the question is about her own family's survival, Jon however not only cares about the realm, as a whole, but he also highly values honor and takes his promises seriously. We even have Jaime Lannister (my cute nugget 💖) walk away from Cersei, whom he loves above and beyond all, because of his honor. If, after all this, Jon is shown to not have any honor at all, then...

#jonerys #jon snow #game of thrones #undercover lover #doctor who gif #because i'm an idiot

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youspoketome · 6 years ago

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My Favorite Albums of 2018

I tried something new this year. All year long, every time I bought a new album I added it to a note on my phone as a list so that I could adjust the order as needed. Some things settled into their order quickly, but a couple spots went down to the wire. Embarrassingly, I was just looking at my 2015 list and six albums on that list were the previous albums by six of the bands on this list, and one was a solo album by the singer of a seventh band listed here. I'm not quite sure what that means in the grand scheme of things. And that seems like a long enough introduction, so here we go!

Murder By Death - THE OTHER SHORE

Honestly, I thought Murder By Death was finished having albums on top of my best of lists. I had been so disappointed in GOOD MORNING, MAGPIE. That album had like two good songs, but the rest was at best forgettable filler and at worst sounded like a parody of themselves. The two albums since then had definitely been better, but still not at the levels of their earlier albums. Enter THE OTHER SHORE: an incredible return to the long form concept album following a story of love and dying planets in a western in space. It's full of catchy hooks without ever being clichè, small character moments and big, world-ending finishes. Best of all, it's got ripping 2-minute long cello solos. This is peak Murder By Death right here.

mewithoutYou - [UNTITLED]

mewithoutYou is another band I've loved for years, but thought was coming off of a weaker album. I enjoyed PALE HORSES (it made my top ten list the year it came out), but it didn't have anything that really grabbed me and made it a necessary part of the mwY canon. [UNTITLED] immediately feels important. It's not the most easily accessable album, but when have mewithoutYou ever been accessable? This is an album that has layers that you can appreciate as you dig down to them on further listens. Over the years mwY's sound has evolved from the heavier hollerin' of [A->B] LIFE and CATCH FOR US THE FOXES to the completely clean and folky IT'S ALL CRAZY... and back again. [UNTITLED] really blends things together by taking the heaviness from early albums and adding them in for flavor rather than building the songs around them, giving the songs depth and intensity. For my money, it's their best album since BROTHER, SISTER. Still waiting on that album/EP collector's edition to ship though, so no pictures.

Gregory Alan Isakov - EVENING MACHINES

I've enjoyed Gregory Alan Isakov's previous albums of folky songs fit for sitting on the front porch at your farm while reading an old book, but whenever I'd see him live my favorite song was always the non-album track "Liars" and I'd always wish he'd record it. That song seemed darker than anything else he'd written and had this slow build to an epic climax that almost gave you chills. He finally did record it on his studio album with the Colorado Symphony in 2016 and then he followed that up with his most eclectic album yet. From the soft and haunting opener "Berth," all the way to the end, EVENING MACHINES expands on what Isakov is willing to do, keeping that same welcoming, mellow feel, but getting there in new ways and with new instruments. "Caves" captures that darkness "Liars" had in a way that is wholly satisfying to me. It feels like he wrote the album I didn't even realize I had been wanting him to write all along.

Emery - EVE

I've always enjoyed Emery, but it wasn't until their last album YOU WERE NEVER ALONE when they broke the album down song by song on a behind the scenes podcast that I fully appreciated them as musicians. Unlike a lot of bands that came out at the same time in the same genre, Emery is a band with multiple members who have actually studied how music works and can point out and name every single time signature and key change in every song. Now with EVE, I've been able to listen to the little details, noticing and appreciating the attention they give to every little part of each song. The way they don't add the screamed vocal at this part of the song because that seems to obvious, so they save it for when it'll be more striking. How they add the harmonies and layer the vocals. Some bands with that kind of background forget how to write a catchy song or what makes a song enjoyable to listen to, but Emery has this ability to perfectly blend this crazy musicianship with honest, straight from the gut songwriting. The end result is an album full of fantastic songs with awesome little parts and details that make it special and stand out.

Thrice - PALMS

For me (and a lot of people, I think) Thrice and Thursday have always been kind of linked. I discovered them at the same time, both on their second albums. They were post-hardcore bands, similar enough sounding to compare to each other and they both started experimenting with their sound on their fourth albums. Then they both announced they were breaking up within a day of each other. The weird thing is when I first discovered them, I preferred Thursday hands down. Then they both released their third albums and cemented my opinions of them, so much so that I decided not to buy Thrice's fourth album when it came out. Man, that was a huge mistake. That fourth album, VHEISSU was the album when Thrice hit their stride, expanding and exploring their sound with each release since then. Each of their post-reunion albums have continued this trend and PALMS might be their best full album yet.

Frank Turner - BE MORE KIND

To be honest, I'm surprised this album is this far down. If you had me rank my expected best albums of the year list at the beginning of the year, Frank Turner with have been number one with a bullet. But BE MORE KIND was not the album I was expecting, and I was a little let down by it. That I'm saying that my number 6 album of the year was a bit of a let down should tell you how highly I think of Frank Turner. It starts off strong with the mellow opener of "Don't Worry" followed by a full on banger in "1933." But the third track "Little Changes" just didn't hit for me. It seemed like Frank Turner dumbed down for the masses. And it's not that it's too poppy; I enjoy myself a good pop song. It's just that the songwriting seems so simple. There are a number of really good songs throughout the rest of the album (like "Blackout"), but the overarching feel for me is that it's too simplistic, there's no depth to any of the songwriting. All that said, it's hard to rag too much on it because how can you bash an album that's sole message is to be kind and positive and to treat other people decently? Maybe it's that message that made him lose his teeth. In summation, I like Frank Turner a lot, even when he's disappointing me.

Smoking Popes - INTO THE AGONY

INTO THE AGONY is the Smoking Popes first album in seven years. They were putting out albums more frequently than that while they were broken up! After being broken up from 1999-2005, the Popes returned with STAY DOWN, which was not the strongest album to come back on. It was mostly a downer and ended up being completely forgettable for me. This time, upon returning from a seven year album cycle with new album they've knocked it out of the park. It's upbeat and catchy, it's slow and meaningful, it features Josh Caterer's soaring vocals, and it's another fantastic entry into the catalog.

Death Cab For Cutie - THANK YOU FOR TODAY

I think Death Cab's existence as a band is better broken up into stages. You've got the pre-TRANSATLANTICISM era, the TRANS/PLANS era, NARROW/CODES, and now KINTSUGI/THANK YOU. TRANS/PLANS is my favorite era. It's where I discovered Death Cab, it's where I spend the most time with them, it's just the best. But after a bit of a dip there for a couple albums (not saying they were bad, it was just a dip), I felt like KINTSUGI was a step back up, and now THANK YOU FOR TODAY continues in the same vein. It's a more electronic/synthy sound than previous eras, which sets it apart from their highest peaks, so you're not just constantly comparing it to something they'll probably never reattain. I really enjoy where this era is taking them.

Alkaline Trio - IS THIS THING CURSED?

This past summer I decided to give Alkaline Trio's AGONY & IRONY a listen for the first time in I don't know how long. Everyone agrees Alkaline Trio used to be good and then got less good, and I agree, but that specific album was for me the low point, mostly because of "Love Love Kiss Kiss." But then this weird thing happened: I really enjoyed it. Even that song, which is still doofy, wasn't as bad as I remembered. I was so bummed out about it at the time, but that album has some really good songs on it. Even at their lowest point, I still really like Alkaline Trio. IS THIS THING CURSED? is a new Alkaline Trio album. It's got Matt songs, it's got Dan songs, it's got one Dan song that kind of too doofy (Little Help?), it strangely has multiple song titles that end in question marks, and it has an acoustic closer featuring Matt's scratchy-voiced wailing. This is another solid Alkaline Trio album.

The Decemberists - I'LL BE YOUR GIRL

Every year at the same time, all of the baseball websites post their top prospects lists, where they rank the upcoming minor league players in all of baseball or on each team individually, so people can get excited about the next wave of baseball All-Stars. In almost all of these lists you've got your top five or six guys who are clearly the best players in that team's minor league system in that order, but then at about number seven they kind of become interchangeable for a while. You could switch prospect #8 with #12 and no one would cause too much of a ruckus because they're all pretty similar at that point. We've reached that point in my best albums list (really, we reached that point with Alkaline Trio). These final couple spots could have also gone to 6666 by Four Fists, 9 by Saves The Day, KIDS SEE GHOSTS, or if I was in the right mood, even the new MXPX or the Matthew Thiessen solo album. What pushed I'LL BE YOUR GIRL across the line was (a) my wife's incredulousness at my mentioning it might not make the cut and (b) the fact that "Once In My Life" and "Everything Is Awful" have full-on been our anthem songs this past month. This is the Decemberists doing what they do. Folky songs about sea monsters, horse gallop rhythms, and cowboy sing-alongs. Throw in some synth lines to keep things fresh and baby, you've got a stew going.

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