#its like my destiny to always love my non-canon ships more than the canon ones

[gcfkooks]

all these years and i never even finished fairy tail but i’m still in my grayza era....... we deserved that endgame besties

[queerofthedagger]

20 Questions for Fic Writers!

Thanks so much for the tag! <3

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

132 which. insane.

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

1,520,700 which is even more insane. anyway

3. What fandoms do you write for?

BBC Merlin, Stranger Things, The Sandman, The Raven Cycle, and Lord of the Rings, and coming soon probably also Black Sails, let's be real

4. Top 5 fics by kudos?

Old Haunts (Are For Forgotten Ghosts), A Study in Choices and Second Chances, I Wouldn't Leave You If You Let Me, Still I Surface in Morning Light, and Fate Rests Heavily On Our Shoulders. I'm never not baffled by the fact that my two most popular fics not only are for HP, but are for Regulus/Harry. Like. That tag has maybe 100 fics???

5. Do you respond to comments?

Yes!! Sometimes it takes me a while but I'll tend to get around to them eventually <3

6. What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

I think that's a toss-up between my my s5 Morgwen AU With Eyes Wide Open, and the one where I made the Diamond of the Day worse, watch all my bridges burn

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

This is such a difficult question because Angst with a Happy Ending is kind of my brand. That said, esp where Merlin is concerned, one thing I think about a lot is the inevitability of tragedy and how, no matter how many fix-its I write, personally I believe that most of them, if I didn't end them before the fact, would eventually end in some kind of tragic way, actually. Like. Very rarely is Merlin not immortal, or the world not against them, or or or. So in that vein I guess one of the happiest ones would be We Can Always Run because it's such an utter rejection of destiny, an utter refusal to even pretend they're playing the game.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Very rarely, thankfully.

9. Do you write smut?

Occasionally, yeah! It's a constant process of pushing at my comfort zone tbh, but I do enjoy doing it (ha), so!!

10. Do you write crossovers?

Nope, it's just not really my thing, neither for writing nor reading. Obviously never say never but yk.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Unfortunately (don't do this).

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yes! Such a cool feeling, I love the thought of them existing in other languages in the world <3

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Nope; there have been and are a few plans for that floating around though 👀

14. What's your all-time favourite ship?

This is so hard but in the end it gotta be merthur, like, because I love them to pieces but also just for the sheer amount of words I've written for them. Not sure if/how that would ever get topped, especially considering it's like, on-going.

15. What's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you will?

There's a bunch of HP WIPs I would have loved to finish, but I've fallen so utterly out of love with the fandom I don't really think it's ever going to happen at this point tbh.

16. What are your writing strengths?

Worldbuilding, plots/characterization, and prose; I think I'm solid in those and they come easily to me/bring me the most joy when writing. Editing, in a way, because I'm an obsessive bitch with a system about it.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Descriptions; I'm just not a very visual writer, which is not too huge of an issue when writing familiar characters and settings in fic, but becomes immediately and glaringly obvious whenever I 1. introduce non-canon stuff, or 2. have a go at OG. Also planning/outlining; I can make a bunch of notes but if I write an outline, I will not write the fic. I don't think it's necessarily a weakness, but it can make a bunch of additional work when it comes to the plottier stuff.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language?

Not the biggest fan tbh, which I know is probably controversial but odds that your audience will understand it are low if it's more than a bunch of words you can guess from the context? I prefer the ""dialogue," he said in Latin" approach. It's subjective though I get it.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Bandom RPF at like, 12 (not telling you which band peace and love). I took a long fandom hiatus until a couple of years ago though, and under this fandom alias it'd be HP/Tomarrymort.

20. Favourite fic you've ever written?

Still There Are Many Names In History, I think. I love a lot of stuff I've written, but that story has my entire heart in it, and the response to it has left me sobbing like. a ridiculous number of times which, like, is not something that I usually have to deal with lmao.

No Pressure-tagging: @prattery @emryses @glaftwlet @snapshotmaestro @merlinemrys @atlantablack @insane-ohwhyfandoms @hazelands @aeonthedimensionalgirl @slantedknitting and anyone else who'd like to, just say I tagged you <3

[zachsgamejournal]

PLAYING: Breath of Fire IV

I think we’re closing in on the end. But in good ole BoF fashion, the last leg is taking the longest. Also, Nina is totally the main character of this game.

NINA

I’ve only ever beaten BoF 3, 4, and 5--though I’ve played 1 & 2. It’s a constant that Ryu is the main character, and that Ryu is the player. Ryu is never (to rarely) given dialog because the player is meant to imagine the voice of Ryu. And while this definitely works for BoF 3 and 5, Nina is clearly the main character in 4.

1. We Start the Game as Nina

In both BoF 3 and 5, we start the game as Ryu, and that’s basically where we stay for the whole adventure (occasionally controlling other characters). BoF 4 has us start with Nina. It’s a simple distinction, but sets up my next point.

2. Nina Makes All the Decisions

My screenwriting professor said the main character makes the decisions that drive the story. In this sense, Ryu is extremely passive. He’s mostly just along for the ride. It’s Nina that offers to help him, Nina that decides he should tag along, and it’s Nina’s quest he joins. Later, Nina decides to rescue Cray. Nina goes to her father for help. Nina asks the gods for assistance. Nina insists they save Ryu. Nina encourages Dies not to abandon Ershin. Nina insists on the helping that furry...thing. All the while, Ryu is just like, “...sure.”

I vaguely know how the game will end, so we’ll see if this all holds up.

3. It’s Nina’s Quest

The game starts with Nina and Cray on a mission to find/rescue her sister. While Ryu is integral to the plot, he doesn’t have a lot of skin in the game. Nina is also royalty, and this game has some Games of Thronesian politics going on. While Ryu’s actions carry little weight beyond the act itself, everything Nina does has the ability to affect policy and international relationships. We see this when the Empire pressures the Alliance to cede territory post Nina’s rescue op failure.

Also, Nina just told Ryu that she loved Cray. Ryu isn’t even the love interest in this game.

I’m actually really happy that Nina is the star. Female characters aren’t normally given the respect they deserve. Maybe instead of Breath of Fire, they should have called this “Wings of Destiny”...cause Nina has wings.

Back to the Plot

So, Ryu went super-Dragon and killed some imperials. The gods have offered to help Ryu, (as long as he plays hide and seek first), and Fou-Lu has escaped the village in which he had started to feel at home.

Nina and the team discuss things and decide that if it’s Ryu’s destiny to meet up Fou-Lu, they might as well confront him proactively. They seem to be under the impression that the empire is using Fou-Lu gain power (if they only knew).

Ursala is the Imperial captain that captured us, but now she’s our captive. The team asks her to help them get into the Empire. She’s confused. It was her mission to bring the dragon to the Empire, so this kind of works out...She agrees and is now a playable party member.

I like her.

Heading back to the warp gate, we learn that it’s broken because of our previous activities (and because we were attacked by Captain Jackass). Ursala tries to make us feel bad, but she works for an evil Empire--so jog-on. We have to head north and need a sandflier but don’t have the cash. This is comical, cause I put in a cheat for infinite Zenny way back when...

We’re supposed to ask a merchant sandflier for help, but we’re too late. Ursala immediately jumps to action and without a word, Scias follows her lead. They take the merchant ship like a band of pirates and it turns out to be a French-accented froggy friend from before that sexually harassed Nina, Marlok. He tries to make use feel guilty, which works on Nina and Cray--but the rest of us know he’s a POS. He offers us a bond to buy a ship, expecting that we’ll do great things and thus able to cash in on our success.

We get to a checkpoint, but it’s blocked. Ursala wants to fight the guards, but Nina is against it. We do the non-violent solution of trampolining over the wall. We get to a ship yard...I only now realized in the game that the oceans aren’t water--but mud. weird...where’s all the water? So the only seas are up north.

The captain doesn’t want us on without the blessing of the sea god. We got to coastal cave and find the Sea Dragon there...I think. We get his blessing and are good to go. The captain now doesn’t want women on board. The women insist that they are tough and have been through a lot. The muscle the dude we keep fighting shows up, and it’s implied that his defeat would prove we’re tough. Ursala shoots him and falls off the mass of the ship. So  a new test of courage is needed. Ursala and Nina must stay within the hull of the ship over night with ghosts and bugs. They succeed.

As we travel across the sea, we fight muscle dude again (he was much stronger this time). And then the wind stops. The sailors think this area is haunted, maybe by a god. We go check it out. The dungeon is interesting, but frustrating. You have to walk across planks to get to the other side, but the planks break and drop you down into the hull. There’s a light over your head to warn you when you’re about to fall, but I still fell a lot. In the hull, as you walk, skulls that are spread about rattle and vibrate: it’s eerie and entertaining. Eventually we find a rock creature that thinks of itself as a god, but it’s just a rock powered by god-power. So we kill it.

No remorse.

The wind returns and we make it across the sea. After traveling through a jungle, we meet a furry thing. I feed it some food and it seems happy...I think. At the end of the jungle we find a treehouse and are attacked by more furries. The previously furry comes to our defense and we meet Beyd. He has married one of the furries and maybe these are his children? Cray had my reaction and was like, “Well...uh, anyway--how do we get to the empire?”

One of the furries gets sick and Nina vows to save it (cause she’s the main character!). This brings us to an interesting, but not super fun mini game. We get to sail the boat, but you have limited supplies. Every second you’re on the seas, the supplies get used, but they’re used faster if you row. Rowing is necessary because the wind doesn’t always blog in the direction you need. So you have to decide whether to burn supplies by rowing, or wait for the wind to change directions. There’s places to find and treasure to discover. It is, kinda fun...

While we’re out here collecting medicine on the high seas, I also find the sea god: SCORE!

We save the furry and are guided to some islands that are available to walk across when the tide is low. So we venture a cross some tropical keys. It’s pretty. The group gets tired and Nina insists on taking a break: cause she’s the main character. After our rest, the tide has risen and the group is trapped. Cray is pissed and Nina feels responsible.

This is an interesting part of the game cause the group has to survive on an island and reflect on their mission. Ursala warns it could be months or years before the tide recedes. Chill Ursala. The group explores the island and finds both water and and great fishing spot. We’re gonna be fine. Just delayed.

Scias likes the island, as he just sleeps all day. After a while, Cray chills out and apologizes for his temper. While Ryu is casting a line, Nina reveals that she’s in love with Cray, causing Ryu to trip. Nina reflects on her feelings, unsure if they’re true and doubtful that Cray feels the same.

The tide recedes and the team escapes. We come to a riverlands that requires some log riding and log dodging. It’s cute, but I want to get out of here...

Fou-Lu, after escaping the village, receives a direct hit from the hex canon. They apparently used the friendly lady that help Fou-Lu as a “sacrifice” to power the canon. EVIL! Fou-Lu survives and arrives at the capital. He meets statue guardian that recognizes him as the first emperor. Fou-Lu orders the guardian to destroy the imperial city. Fou-Lu is pissed, and just doesn’t seem to think humans are worth it...

As the guardian destroys the city, Fou-Lu cleans up loose ends, finally killing the general that ambushed him on the night of his awakening, and then killing the current emperor. The Emperor first tries to act subservient to Fou-Lu, but then stabs him with the “dragon slayer” sword. It doesn’t work and Fou-Lu laughs in his face.

Similar to Breath of Fire 3, the game has reached a point where it doesn’t have more story to tell, but wants to add hours. So there’s tons of little quests and obstacles that have little to do with the overall plot. It’s sad, because the minigames and mini-nations they’ve created are really interesting.

I tried to think back to how Final Fantasy 7 handled this. I think, for the most part, the game doesn’t make its endgame clear until much later. Most of the game is, “What should we do now?” So I don’t feel there’s as much a “rush” to get to the end. Also, much of the game is about tracking Sephiroth, so you’re really looking for clues as you find obstacles, vs having an end destination and just running into a million reasons why you can’t get to it. You feel out of control and inconvenienced. But these obstacles would make really interesting and fun side quests. Having them as options would absolutely make them more interesting.

Another thing that Final Fantasy 7 really succeeds at is making each new area a new piece of the puzzle. You’re always learning history about the world or a character. So while it might be a brief obstacle, it’s also an interesting deeper dive into the world. Breath of Fire’s diversions don’t feel as enlightening.

Still, BoF4′s diversions still feel like progress cause we inch closer to the goal...it’s just that we’re not getting much character or world development in the process.

Combat

I do prefer the combat over BoF3 (and many RPGs). I like that the other characters are always on-call in the battle, and it’s easy to switch out (more so than Final Fantasy X -- how I remember it anyway). I’ve done zero grinding, and I’m pretty proud that I’ve survived so far. After crossing the sea, it seemed like the enemies were getting ahead of me, but I got better at using the spell combos (which are cool!). So surviving a few battles usually meant getting a few levels up. When I first played the game, i was cool with grinding, but I’m glad I don’t have to now. The only thing that is cheating: I gave myself 99999+ zenny. So I’m able to stock up on healing supplies. Though it helps, I’m sure a few hours of grinding would have me being just as well stock on healing supplies.

Is it better than Breath of Fire 3?

I’m a little torn. Breath of Fire 4 is “epic”. There are multiple nations that have a strong sense of culture and history. The mythology around the dragons is of the galactic scale. World War is in the balance and my party includes two members of royalty and two semi-gods. The world feels huge even if the story is pretty linear.

In contrast, Breath of Fire 3 had three nations--that I could tell: Wyndia, Eastern Kingdom, and across the sea. Strangely, Wyndia had gangster cities, gangster markets, and amoral lab that was accidentally making mutants. While eastern kingdom seemed pretty chill and peaceful--but lacked a ruling entity. Hmmm...

Where Breath of Fire 3 feels “better” is that it feels more personal. The story starts small: a lost dragon-boy found my starving thieves. We live in a small town and solve small-town issues. This slowly grows to include local gangsters, a kingdom, and a dragon holocaust before we battle God. I like Breath of Fire 4′s characters, but I feel like I have a stronger bond with BoF3′s. Also, I felt like BoF3 tried to explore the grey area: killing monsters that had feelings. I felt emotionally challenged in the different scenarios. Whereas, BoF4 is always: “We’re the good guys, and we do the good things!”

[fakeikemen]

Anti-Kat/aang rant:

I had some leftover doubts since I recently joined the fandom, about if Kat/aangers had any points worth mentioning about why Kat/aang is a good ship or why Zutara is a bad ship. And the YouTube comment section of the soon-to-be-premiered video of Zutara relationship progression on the official ATLA Yt channel has convinced me that— No, they don't have any points at all. They actually invent excuses to hate on Zutara. And ridiculous excuses at that:

"Katara and Zuko have no chemistry. They are like siblings. Katara is the sister that Zuko never had."

Like I would've actually considered this theory if Zuko and Katara weren't so obviously romantically framed in the scenes they shared starting from "Crossroads of Destiny".

Somebody in the comments accepted that Zutara scenes were romantically framed but that didn't mean anything.

And I'm like: ?!?

This is animation we're talking about? Like anything that happens onscreen is because it was 100% intentionally put there, because it is drawn, coloured and animated. Even for a second worth of screen time, multiple frames have to be created.

Why would they put in that much hard work into making something if nothing was to come of it? Why would they frame those scenes romantically if Zuko and Katara were supposed to be siblings?!

Argument: Null and void.

"Zutara could never happen because Katara already had A/ang loving her and because Zuko had already M/ai as a lover."

Oh so fictional characters are strictly supposed to have only one possible love interest because anything else is illegal?? That's some bullshit right there.

And while we're at it, they talk about M/ai like she was perfect for Zuko but she was not? She treated him like trash? And Zuko literally forgot about her until she showed up in the last few minutes. Yeah, that's true love right there.

Argument: Null and void.

"Katara and A/ang have always been in love with each other from the start. Katara was ready to leave her village for A/ang after 5 mins of meeting him, obviously she was whipped. She was one who suggested that they kiss in Cave of two lovers and she blushed. She kissed A/ang on his cheek many times!! It's true love!! You're blind if you don't see that!!"

I—? Like, its clearly stated in canon that she wants to go with A/ang because this is her only shot at learning waterbending? They really think Katara exists as a character only to be A/ang's love interest, huh? That's sad.

She suggested that they kiss because they were trapped in a cave with no way out. There was a sculpture of two people kissing with ominous scriptures like: "Love will lead the way in the dark" (I don't exactly remember). This was evidently a "kiss or die" situation? Like it just shows that there is no other way Katara would've thought of kissing A/ang?? Seriously this is minus points for Kat/aang Idk why they even use this argument.

And why do they think the innocent cheek kisses are proof of Katara "not keeping her hands to herself"? Ugh. And if these kisses are romantic, why are we always shown that A/ang likes it but not the other way around, i.e.: Katara blushing after kissing A/ang's cheek?

Like Kat/aang's so called development is a joke. There are no two ways about it.

Argument: Null and void.

"Katara hated Zuko for 90% of the show and was kinda okay with him for the last few episodes."

Katara definitely didn't hate Zuko in Book 1 and 2. She was angry at him, yes, but she didn't outright hate him? Like if she did she wouldn't have bothered to offer to heal Iroh. She wouldn't have reached back to Zuko in the catacombs either. And she definitely wouldn't have offered to heal his scar.Her grudge against Zuko became personal only after Zuko betrayed her in Ba Sing Se.

For which he earned forgiveness from Katara fair and square and Katara forgave him at her own volition. No one forced Katara to forgive him.

And after being forgiven, Zuko and Katara were practically glued to each other. They really act like the episodes after TSR don't exist, huh?

Argument: Null and void.

"Zuko is abusive. He hurt Katara many times. He tortured Katara and her friends and tried to kill them."

Where? Seriously, where? Definitely not in canon.

Like, the narrative takes so much time to establish the fact that Zuko doesn't hurt people fatally under any circumstances. He is a victim of abuse: not an abuser himself. When did he hurt Katara? He pretty much saved her from a much, much worse fate in "The Waterbending Scroll" i.e.; the Pirates. He only knocks her unconscious at the North Pole and Katara returns the favour the next time she sees him. Combat is not physical abuse. Where did he torture them? He barely caught hold of them long enough to even actually say anything. Zuko literally got his face burned off for trying to prevent some soldiers from dying. This character would try to kill a 12 yo and his friends? Bullshit. He never tried to kill them. Other than the time he hired Combustion Man which was sooooo evidently wildly OOC for Zuko The worst of Zuko's behaviour paints him mostly as a brat and sometimes as a rude assh*le.

Saying that he was anything more is pretty much gross mis-characterization of Zuko. Like, its literally making up things that didn't happened.

Throwing around heavy words to make the opposing ship look bad is not woke at all.

Argument: Null and void.

"Zutara never kissed on the show, Kat/aang had 4-5 kisses."

Yes this is a real argument from their side.

Like yeah man, kisses = true love; why didn't I think of that before?

This is a new low.

Their first kiss is "kiss or die", the next kiss was in a daydream, the next two kisses were non-consensual and the last kiss featured an extremely OOC Katara.

The fact that Zutara has equal, if not more shippers even without any kisses just makes Zutara more powerful.

Argument: Null and void.

"Zutara makes no sense."

Oh but it does. It makes an awful lot of sense. A lot more sense than their ship.

Like their personal character arcs are so beautifully intertwined? They literally complete each others arcs? Them getting together would reinforce the main message of the show: healing and growth? They are both so alike yet different; they balance each other so perfectly? Zuko actively works toward improving Katara's mental health? Katara offers him endless support? They are so beautiful: I cry.

Argument: Null and void.

"Kat/aang is cAnOn!!!"

Do they have a better argument: No.

Like yeah, we know. We know that Kat/aang is canon. But we also know that the Zutara fanon is much better. And they know it too. That is literally why they feel the need to attack Zutara whenever they can. They can't even state valid points in their defense? And when you state logical points, they just— ignore it? It's almost like they harp about canon to remind themselves about it.

Argument: Even the arguer doesn't believe it.

Yes these are comments I saw with my own two eyes in the comments section. Is it just me or do Kat/aang shippers chose to remain wilfully ignorant about the context of the show?

[sitruunavohveli]

So I’ve been thinking about this for a few days and I’m just going to say it now. I’ve not done any media studies in my life, I studied environmental sciences ffs, so do not expect any sources or scientific analysis. This is just me being so fucking done and annoyed with everything after years of being a fan of things and always been low key ridiculed about my fandom interests by creators and even some other fans and ranting about it.

I’m so fucking done with heteronormativity and queerbaiting. I’m so fucking done with “will they, won’t they” relationships ALWAYS ending with “will ofc, duh” if the couple is a man and a woman and with “nah, don’t be ridiculous” or “wellllll, it could be INTERPRETED that way but… oops, they died anyway so it doesn’t MATTER, does it?” with queer couples. I’m so old I’ve seen this happen many, many, MANY times.

The thing is. I read comments on facebook and twitter where some fans still insisted that Cas saying “I love you” to Dean meant like BROTHERS and “stop bringing that gay shit into everything” and those comments weren’t RARE. Like. If the same scene, THE EXACTLY SAME SCENE, happened between a male character and a female character there would be NO PEOPLE saying it’s “sibling love”. There would be no people saying it’s not romantic AND sexual.

(I mean. It doesn’t have to be sexual, but it clearly is romantic. I’d need to write its own post about asexual/graysexual/demisexual erasure and lack of representation in media, because fuck that as well. But this is not that post.)

This shit is NOT NEW either. I grew up with Harry Potter like so many did. (Fuck JKR btw. Despite the author I’m still going to use HP as an example, because that’s easy for me.) The problem is that people are so much more comfortable with straight relationships, straight being the norm, assumed straightness. When you look at a random list of HP fanfiction relationships I swear that the queer ones seem “ridiculous” and “far-fetched” to most of the heteronormative fanbase. Harry/Hermione is a completely normal thing to ship and “they should have ended up together!” is not a controversial take. Even Harry/Luna seems reasonable. But let’s point out how Ron was “the one he’ll surely miss” or Harry running after Draco for all of the sixth year (“rapidly becoming obsessed with Draco Malfoy”), or that Remus and Sirius lived and gave Christmas gifts together, and I can almost hear everyone sighing “it doesn’t mean LIKE THAT, STOP MAKING EVERYTHING GAY”.

I’m not just tired of the queerbaiting and never seeing any same-sex relationships between main characters as plausible UNLESS THE WHOLE THING IS ABOUT SEXUALITY. (And yeah, there are SIDE CHARACTERS that are awesome and queer and just living their life, but making a main character queer while they’re just living their life and fighting bad guys and falling in love? Yeah no. Why would we ever want to have that! Why would we ever want to give the idea that queer people are JUST PEOPLE LIVING THEIR LIFE AND NOT JUST SIDE CHARACTERS?) I’m also just as fucking tired of ALWAYS reading every friendship between a man and a woman as a romantic one despite it being completely platonic. JUST TREAT THE RELATIONSHIPS THE SAME. STOP READING THEM DIFFERENTLY JUST BASED ON WHAT YOU ASSUME IS IN THEIR PANTS.

Back to HP. Even the “Dumbledore was gay all along” thing was shitty, because it would have been SO FUCKING EASY to just make Albus/Gellert canon IN THE BOOKS. Just ONE hint from Rita Skeeter on one page about the relationship or possible love/lust between them would have been enough. The MORE shitty thing however was when they asked about canon Albus/Gellert being possibly a thing in the Fantastic Beasts movies and TPTB were like “uhhhh, we hadn’t planned on it…”

Then there was Merlin. Five seasons of destiny and being two sides of the same coin and almost a love confession… until Arthur dies. And Merlin waits him for 1500+ years. (Btw when Rory did the same for Amy in Doctor Who, it was explicitly romantic.) Then there was Sherlock. Yeah, need I say more?

And now Dean/Cas. With just a few additional lines it would have been fine. It would have been the greatest slow burn love story ever. (I mean… it still is for those who see it. Just not explicitly for everyone. For many, many fans it’s still “take that gay fanfic shit away, THEY’RE LIKE BROTHERS”.) My lovely bisexual Dean Winchester would have been the bi icon he deserves to be. The growth of a man who for all of his life had to pretend to only be tough and hyper masculine just to SURVIVE and who hid all the femininity and weakness and insecurity and sadness and love under the tough-ass shell, who kicks fucking ass and finds men AND women* attractive. All the jokes about Dr Sexy and Dean’s cowboy thing and gay thing WOULD CANONICALLY NOT HAVE BEEN JOKES.

(*Sorry, non-binary friends. Your representation in media is even more awful and should also be written into a completely different post.)

So I’m tired. And annoyed. And so so so done.

Fuck heteronormativity. Fuck all the creators and TPTB for gaslighting us. Fuck them all for caring more about what conservative white straight cis males possibly think than what their actual fanbase thinks. Fuck them all for making us believe that true representation is possible. Fuck them all for not ever giving us the queer happy ending we deserve.

[flowerflamestars]

elain for the character asks?

Considering how long it took me to find the prompt bit, I think this has been languishing in my inbox for a shamefully long time! I’m so sorry- I am terrible at asks, but I love them and thank you :) How I feel about this character: MY GIRL. I love Elain, I love writing Elain, I hate beyond the scope of reason how Feyre sees/talks about her sister. 

As someone who, irl, has also been just like, wildly disregarded for/while presenting extremely feminine, I feel for her. Elain is still an Archeron. She’s got fire in her- even the baking thing. Noble Archeron Daughters were clearly never allowed to learn basic domestic skills, it is a rebellion. That’s our theme overall- I think there’s so much that gets swept under the rug, or goes unnoticed with her.

All the people I ship romantically with this character: So, in fic, I have thus far paired her with: Lucien, Azriel, Lucien AND Azriel, and Morrigan.  If you come from the frame of canon, Elain can be shipped with basically anyone, because we know...almost nothing about her actual thoughts/feelings.

I also...have a wild rogue option. 

1. Lucien. Come on- let Elain have some of that mischievous charm! that canonical good Autumn banging! Let them get together with aching slowness and fuck off from the Night Court that underestimates and sorta dislikes them both forever. They’re mates for a reason, even if I do also love the idea of a platonic bond.

2. AZZY BABY. Look, despite ACOWAR, the great charm of this ship remains almost purely aesthetic. They are a COMPELLING combination. Her hair tangled on his armor! Azriel blushing! the fact that they both have so, so much going on below the surface and seem to, at least on Azriel’s side, understand that. BUT. BUT. unless canon can find a way to double back on SJM changing her mind from ACOMAF’s clear Az + Mor Forever bullshit, and this is just...here Az, have another beautiful blond lady to protect, I WILL RIOT

3. Why have a love triangle...when they can all love each other?? (I remain steadfast in the fact that queer Az like...makes the MOST sense, but I digress.) 

4. Babes, stay with me: Jurian. I personally think that his actual role in canon will be to become Vassa’s king...but canon is wildly unreliable. ACOFAS, nightmare that it is, is our bridge to the future.

Elain is lowkey obsessed with regaining her humanity. It is Not Subtle. Feyre, because she’s Feyre, frames this as Elain still being in love with Greyson...which I don’t really buy. It’s about what Grayson represented: safety (which a la Jane marrying Bingley absolutely extended to her also being able to protect Nesta, fight me), familiarity, the sort of life Elain has thought she’d have since childhood. Everything around her is unfamiliar and threatening...and furthermore, the lady wants her original body that was forcible taken from her. 

Jurian is our One Human Hero. He’s team humanity 1000%. Elain is going to wildly fuck his world view: she’s High Fae, but she was born human. She’s a faery, and she wants to be human- but all the good parts of Human Elain didn’t just disappear with transformation. It is DELICIOUS.

Furthermore, we get cogent elements of other Elain ships- Jurian is fucking ancient, he’ll understand her war trauma. He’ll fucking throwdown to defend her. He’s in the unique position to understand both Magic Powers, but also, her human heart.  He probably gets, considering his own history, more than the people around her are willing to, that Elain Is Not Okay.

My non-romantic OTP for this character: Not to be the most on brand, but NESTA. I always find it so ridiculous in canon, that every single time Elain says something cutting or like..remotely sassy, Feyre is like ELAIN? Elain? 

Elain and Nesta are sisters- AND best friends. Elain has more social graces..but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t also have those thoughts. They get along- they’re a team.

My unpopular opinion about this character: Not to always scream the same thing- but. I want her a thousand miles from the Night Court. She is so transparently going through the motions, and they like her for that?? Its SO unhealthy. There’s no respect for her as person, she’s fully boiled down to The Nice One We Have to Take Care Of. 

She is a GROWN WOMAN, and is she is NOT OKAY. I want her to snap. Burn down that house Rhys bought her. Fuck all the way off like, I’m a seer, I control my own destiny, I am allowed to be in pain. 

Even if what she wants in the end is a quiet, normal life, I want her to get the chance to choose it. Not because her younger sister bought it for her and shoved her into it so they’d have more pleasant smalltalk to make at family dinners. It is...not that insane for grown family members to love each other and still live lives with healthy boundaries. 

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: Oh jesus, so many things. The limitation of Feyre’s Little Sister goggles is the most telling with Elain, because unlike Nesta, Elain doesn’t always have the tools to make herself heard.

Okay, but actual prediction: I’ve talked about this previously, but I think Elain going Full Faery is going to be an intrinsically more magical journey than Feyre or Nesta. She sees the future- her power isn’t a tool (Feyre), or a compliment to her being (Nesta)- she became something else. I want her to be the wild one. Just, utterly fey in the literary sense, otherworldly, scary beneath the prettiness! I want her to be allowed to have the range. 

[beautifulsnake2162020]

Personal Opinion: In defense of Yennefer

First of a few points before reading:

1.) You don't have to read or agree with this. Its totally fine. This is my opinion of things based on my personal interpretation.

2.) I'm okay with people shipping any non-canon ships, with the netflix series its Geraskier and with the video games its Geralt and Triss. Everyone is free to ship their own ship.

Without giving too much away for those who are only watching the netflix series. Geralt, Ciri and Yennefer form a family that were created by destiny (a mix of fate and personal choices). Because they are formed by destiny itself its a bond that is stronher than blood.

All three of them are products of blood relatives who either abused, abandoned, or who seeks to only use them for other (political) means or simply don't see them for who they really are. Geralt's mother, Visenna, gave up her chance to raise him to continue serving as a sorceress/healer. Ciri's family kept her sheltered but in doing so, they don't see her as having her own dreams and goals that has nothing to do with politics. But because of her position as a princess she can't really be herself. And Yennefer has suffered from domestic abuse which is rooted from her disability as a hunchback. Whether we want to admit it or not we all seek to have some sort of family who would accept us for who we are. That type of family is not restricted to those we are related to by blood. Its why we seek out communities in various platforms because even we as people (even us introverts) need to feel we belong to a community of any sort. This is one of the reasons why I love the books, its about a family formed outside of blood relatives with people that may make us better versions of ourselves that nobody can't.

My guess as to why Yennefer was given a leading role in the series is because she is a part of the trio that forms the family by destiny. When I read the books I was upset that Yennefer didn't have as much book time as Geralt and Ciri. I understand that maybe in the time of writing it she was just supposed to be a vehicle to complement Geralt and Ciri's adventures but she is also clearly her own person. She, like many other characters, is human. She makes decisions that I don't always agree with, but she's not a bad person per se. But this may not come across clearly to an audience who only watches the series. So they gave her a leading role and gave her the main heroic moment in the Battle of Sodden to overtly show how a more rounded person. If she wasn't shown her backstory the mainstream audience would only think of her as a manipulative and ambitious bitch without seeing her as human. With the way the netflix series was written, I can understand why it is difficult to show subtle layers of complexity since things might be boring if there is no action or drama going on. Also since they are pushing for the witcher family to be the main trio, it would be unfair for Geralt and Ciri to have more screen time than Yennefer who is also part of the trio (just to be clear I'm not saying she should have more screen time but at least an equal amount).

On the issue of why she chose to have her spine corrected, Zach from the try guys worded it best. "Its something I care about and so I've decided to do something about it." Insecurities may mean nothing to everyone else but it can be personally self destructive. As someone who is studying in a difficult program with some professors who terrorize your self-worth and question if you have what it takes to even graduate, sometimes not caring about your insecurities makes it worse. For Yennefer she knows that being a mage and attractive will give her agency and control over her life which she hasn't had aside from her trysts with Istredd.

For those who don't understand why she wants to have a baby when she signed up for being sterile; I ask the question of why she shouldn't want to have a baby? How many of us ask our past selves not to do anything that we now regret? I wish I paid more attention to my diet when I was younger but I'm now paying the price because of my PCOS. Why shouldn't she regret impulsively transforming herself and becoming powerful. Being a successful person is not mutually exclusive to not being a parent.

The netflix series isn't perfect, but I understand the changes are made due to the medium and the mainstream audience I want to wait till they adapt the last scene in the books before my final judgment.

[winterironbang]

Story Previews:

Below you will find the names and summaries of the entered stories, please take care to read through them and be aware of any warnings when thinking about which piece it is you wish to claim. Make sure to have two in mind when choosing as your first choice may already be taken.

To claim a story, send an email to winterironbang@gmail.com with the titles of your top two favourites. Claims only begin on March 24th at 10am GMT, please wait until this time to submit your claim, or else it will NOT be counted. 

I’ve had people in the past try to submit claims via ask and they have not come through, please send in the claims via email only. Thanks.

 1.    Title: HandShook

Summary: “Get me a handshake, Tony, that’s it. Don’t break anything and please do not turn this into an interspecies war.” -James Rhodes

Tony Stark is the first man in the history of the human race to breach the heliosphere keeping space-faring humanity from the rest of the universe. Bucky’s people, the Aldori, a technologically advanced, space-faring race, watch him do it. The Aldori demand a meeting to establish diplomatic relations and determine whether or not humans will prove to be a threat to them. Without letting the Aldori know that only Tony’s ship is advanced enough to make the trip, Rhodey is forced to send him as ambassador.

Simple right? Except the handshake Tony is supposed to capture on film for Rhodey is intensely intimate to the Aldori.

The Aldori decide to go through with it. Their people are at war and they need these humans, who are apparently so advanced that they can skip through ‘The Trench,’ to either join their cause, or, at worst, remain neutral.

They’ve married off royalty for political alliances before. It’s a good thing Prince Bucky came back from the war only partially damaged. He’s perfect for an alliance with an untested race of people.

Current word count: 21,637

Warnings: 1) Bucky and Tony engage in an act of public handshaking which within the world would be roughly the equivalent of public nudity/a public sex act 2) Bucky forms an accidental mind meld with Tony as a result of a really good handshake--bare hands touching is very intimate for his people. Tony doesn't know about this for a very brief time. During which he 'feels' Bucky's feelings for him which are predominantly affectionate. -the mind-meld may result in telepathic sex which hasn't been written yet. (So: Tony engages in an intimate act without knowing it's considered intimate. Bucky accidentally Bonds with him, creating a mental connection as a result. Pseudo accidental marriage. Light (I think?) Dub con of the making someone else feels your romantic feeling for them type.)

 2 Title: Tony’s New Friend (working title) Summary: When Tony is forced to come home for his summer break at MIT, he thinks it is going to be a disaster. He’s right. But it also ends up being a lot more exciting than he thought too. Who says urban exploring is a bad thing? Current word count: 14432

Warnings: None A/N: It’s not finished yet, but I’ll have a better summary/more finished by time you pick it. Promise. (This is turning out longer than I thought)

 3 Title: No Title Yet/Canon-Divergent from CA:WS

Summary: After helping Natasha and Steve with the Project Insight fuck up, Tony agrees to help with their Winter Soldier problem. Namely, find the man and keep him non-hypnotisable. But of course the Winter Soldier, being the Winter Soldier, finds Tony first. 

Current word count: 5.181

Warnings: Maybe some gnarly description of the connection between the metal arm and Bucky’s skin. Nothing too bad, but I guess caution is best. There might be a scene of adjusting a new arm, but since I am no doctor, I don’t know how detailed I will describe that yet.

A/N: This is a canon-divergent fic, that has Steve, Nat, and Sam ask Tony for help with the Helicarriers instead of, you know, dumping all of SHIELD’s info online xD Steve tells Tony about his parents and Tony, taking a few days to deal with it, then decides to help him with the Winter Soldier, thus creating BARF sooner, with Helen Cho and Bruce Banner (so no Quentin Beck). Bucky in the meantime, having managed to evade HYDRA, finds him because the arm needs repairs. 

 4 Title: The Daemon In Me (tentatively)

Summary: Tony Stark is, as far as he knows, the only person who can see daemons, a manifestation of a person’s soul that, naturally, shares their Mark. 

Several years after his parents’ deaths, Obadiah Stane arrives to inform him that Howard had arranged a marriage for him, and it’s time to meet his prospective husband. There’s just one tiny hitch. 

The groom doesn’t have the same Mark as his daemon.

Current word count: 5050-ish

Warnings: Implied/referenced child abuse, Howard’s A+ parenting, alternate universe – daemons, alternate universe – soulmarks, implied/referenced arranged marriage 

A/N: This is definitely alternative universe but it’s incredibly vague on details of such. It’s also not finished yet, but Tony and Bucky will definitely meet, beat the bad guys and end up happily ever after (I can’t be more specific, because this was supposed to have been a completed fic).

 5 Title: The Tangled Tale of Winteriron 

Summary: Prince James was born to the kingdom of Brooklyn via the miracle of a magic flower. Kidnapped at a young age, his best friend and betrothed Steve Rogers tears the kingdom apart to find him. 

A thief named Iron Man is currently on the run from the king’s guards. Hiding in a secluded tower, he finds himself tied up by a young man with a whole lot of… hair?

Current Word Count: approximately 9500 words

Warnings: Emotional manipulation and abuse

A/N:

 6 Title: Winter Witcher (may change) Summary: Twenty years ago, the Witcher Bucky rescued the King and Queen of Stark from a monster that had moved into their castle. Pressed to name a reward above and beyond the coin he’d been promised, he claimed the Law of Surprise, electing to let destiny choose his prize. Before he could return to find out what it was that he’d won, another monster locked him in ice. Tony of Stark has always known that his marriage would be a political one, but he’s discovered that his betrothed and his chief counselor are conspiring against him. Left with no time to plan an escape and isolated from his few loyal friends, Tony’s desperation and determination unlock a conduit of chaos within him that takes him far, far away, right into the arms of his destiny. Current word count: ~25,000 (finished but unedited) Warnings: Dubcon (sex drug/magic) A/N: This draft is complete, but if our artist has additional ideas, we’re happy to discuss how to work them in! This is basically “Episode 1” of what might turn into a whole series of stories, but as this is the “pilot” episode, it should stand on its own.

 7 Title: Your eyes aren’t rivers there to weep (But a place for crows to rest their feet)

Summary: Bucky sat up slowly, pain throbbing from his temple to the nape of his back specifically. "You’re an absolute idiot, you know that? Didn’t you know your AI can’t detect magical traps?”

“Oh sure, ‘cause we fight many villains who like to hide portals in the floor? You’re a bigger idiot for following me, Barnes.”

-or-

Tony disobeys orders during a mission and causes him and Bucky to fall through Doom’s time travel portal, forcing them to survive together in a tropical rainforest, to their utter reluctance.

Current word count: 11 800

Warnings: None

A/N: This is an unedited WIP! I added the outline for what I plan for the reminder of the story at the end. :)

 8 Title: Wings in my Soul (Stars in my Eyes)

Summary: After being spaced when his ship is destroyed, Bucky assumes his life on the run is over. His life is unexpectedly saved by one of the most advanced spaceships he’s ever seen, and the sentient AI running it. T-0N33 is so real, Bucky quickly finds himself questioning how thin the line is between machine and man. Together, they flee from HYDRA’s spreading influence and the megalomaniac Technopath, Zola. Throughout space battles and hijinks, they ask themselves: Can an AI have a soul and more importantly, can they fall in love?

Current word count: 7,838

Warnings: Nongraphic violence

A/N: ^o^ gay bois in SPAAAAAAACE

 9 Title: Here, There and Neverwhere

Summary: After a long quiet night at the pub, Bucky was ready to have a simple night in. However, as fate deals its hand, Bucky gets dragged into a series of events that pulls him out of his new normal to a game where Gods and magic reign supreme. A handsome and charming magician Tony helps Bucky stack his deck, granting him a chance to survive.

When the wheel of fortune spins, will the odds be in their favour?

Current word count: 5086

Warnings: Canon typical violence

A/N: Rating is currently T but could go up to M or E 

[co-mixed]

Storm/Gambit

Probably the most popular shipping question is whether or not you support any non-canon ships. I never actually thought about that much, until recently. I’m mostly a canon ship supporter: regardless of whether or not I like a couple, if it’s canon, I’ll see it for what it is. Of course there are cases, when I wish things went differently, and honestly, there were some Marvel break ups I took harder than I should have. But I’m so used to Marvel Universe by now, that its never ending movement doesn’t  worry me anymore (if anything, “Dawn of X” only loosens the stakes). Anyway, the point here is that I’m in the zone of total canon acceptance with Marvel. That said, I caught myself coming back to one particular non-canon ship that kind of stuck with me. I know there is a fair share of people who’d like that to happen, and I guess I’m one of them.

Storm and Gambit.

Before all the Rogue/Gambit fans get a chance to argue, I wanna clarify, that they were the endgame from their first shared scene, and that shows. I remember reading up on their story what was it… about 17 years ago, and it couldn’t be more obvious. Honestly, it’s not easy to picture them with anyone else (we’ve seen how they do without one another). Besides, the difficulties of their journey only made it more clear. I just think that marriage is not the best idea for them, because I never wanted them to join the pantheon of COUPLES. You know, like Sue and Reed, Jessica and Luke.

But this is not about them. This is about Ororo and Remy, because in-between on again off again Rogue romance, and all the dramatic love stories Storm went through, it would’ve been interesting to see a fun adventurous relationship between these two. What comes to mind is actually Rhett’s quote from “Gone with the Wind”

- Did you ever think of marrying just for fun?

Background

The main argument against this romance is that Storm and Gambit meet under confusing circumstances i.e. he saves her when she’s reverted to her pre-teen years. This happens in Uncanny X-men #265-267

Nanny reverses ‘Roro back to childhood, removing all memories of her adulthood. However, Storm breaks away and hides in Cairo, Illinois. Meanwhile, Shadow King is after her (isn’t he always?). When he lures Storm into a mansion, with the help of his hounds, they attack her, but she jumps out of the window into an outdoor pool. She is pulled out of the water by Gambit. They run away to her hideout.

They stick together, since Remy is also on Shadow King’s radar now, battle him, and run away to New Orleans. There they spend some time doing the Robin Hood thing up until Nanny catches Gambit. Storm rescues him, also growing up to her teens.

Before you get any ideas, I have to mention that right away Gambit knew who Storm was. Yes, you could say that he took care of her, but you can easily say the opposite. They still have a fantastic dynamic, where they easily play off each other’s phrases (but that’s Claremont for you, right?). And normally Ororo’s all “I shall meet you at the monorail”, but her kid self is way less dramatic.

The two have a lot in common, and they have fun in general. Storm even feels like she finally belongs somewhere. And later, she is the one to sponsor Remy’s acceptance to the team.

To sum it up, with this storyline there is potential, and I have no idea where they were going with that originally. Let’s try and figure this out.

After Storm’s unfortunate (but ultimately successful) trip to Genosha (she was kidnapped along with New Mutants and turned into a mutate, but grew back up), she goes back to leading the X-men. Before that though, we get this panel:

New Mutants #97

That’s she actually gets Gambit to join the team, even if just for a while. And we assume they already familiar enough, since when she’s uneasy about whether or not she’s made right choices as a leader, Remy is the one to give her a pep talk. Okay, that’s a completely “friend” thing to do, and I pretty much see no chemistry here. Except for, you know, the fact that one of Gambit’s mutant abilities is to be irresistible.

X-Treme X-men

During X-Treme X-men series ‘Ro and Remy spend plenty of time together, even considering that his  and Rogue relationship gets pretty serious, and Storm has a lot going on. But let’s not skip anything important.

Originally in this Claremont’s run, Storm forms a team to go after Destiny’s journals. Of course Rogue is on the roster, which kinda means that eventually Gambit will show up too. That he indeed does. At some point, around issue 4 or 5, the team has to go help out Gambit, because surprise, he’s accused of a murder. That’s pretty much when we see where both ladies’ beliefs are. Rogue doesn’t for a second buy the fact that Remy would kill (even a mafia leader), Storm, on the other hand, doesn’t have much faith in the guy. So yeah, Rogue is goin all true love, while Storm lacks trust. At this point that’s not out of character for her, because the whole operation runs of lack of said trust.

Not to feel too bad for her though, around the same time ‘Roro gets a lot of attention from Bishop, and starts seeing Davis Cameron. A lot is going on in this book, but team Gambit/Storm gets two unforgettable moments.

in X-Treme X-men #4:

And in X-Treme X-men #32

Yes, I know that both times the writers here have to remind us (and him) that Rogue is his soulmate. In this department it would be hard to compete with her really. And I wouldn’t want Storm to. After all Rogue literally saved Remy from death twice in this run only, and there was a hint of resentment in him, but it doesn’t really go anywhere, just dissolves as many other stray phrases.

Either way, Storm and Gambit, they are friends, and we get some good moments out of two of them, when they’re together they seem to have a great chemistry.

Storm 2014 #9

What would I want them to be?

They would never qualify for a serious relationship by any of my standards. Basically, they are too much alike in a sense that he, for the most part, lives the life she would want to. Free of responsibilities like not letting the whole order of nature get out of control. But they still are pretty interesting together, it’s easy for them to understand each other, and talk things through, even though we get only glimpses of that. They are always honest with each other, so they would’ve made a pair that won’t ever have to deal with couples therapy. Also, it’s always jokes and flirting with them, even when they’re both in a relationship, hell, even when she was married.

When they need support, they’re there for each other:

X-men Vol 1 #326

X-men Gold #6

But at the end of the day it’s always gonna be Rogue for him, and now he’s in the ever after zone really (or in a way in a narrative limbo).  

As for her… I guess I’ll have to make a whole new in-depth analysis of her ‘ship choices to determine that (she has a lot to choose from).

With the comics anything can happen, so I should probably say that we’ll see where it ends up.

[dexi-green]

Rise of Skywalker was good. Rant/Appreciation, spoilers ahead. Super long and rambling. This is all personal opinion, if you disliked it, thats fine. If you disagree, great.

First some quick points, then the longer stuff.

I loved Babu Frik and D-O

We finally got to see the Knights of Ren in action!

Also all those Star Destroyers?? Like those things are gotdamn huge... and that many of them? Actually scary honestly.

LANDO LANDO LANDO! LANDO AND CHEWIE IN THE FALCON!!

WEDGE!!!

CHEWIE GETS HIS MEDAL!!!

Also not gonna lie.. I wanted to see a gungan. Put some respect on Jar Jar. Or confirm the Darth Jar Jar theory you cowards.

We got to see a proper version of Rey’s version of Luke’s Dark Side cave vision (The TLJ one just wasn’t it for me. The mirrors..okay...)

Storm Troopers fly now... Did they steal stuff from some Mandalorians. Mandalorians are like..the only ones ever to have jet packs like that (that I’m aware of). Maybe the Mandalorian show will see some leftover imperials stealing Mandalorian armor, which they will replicate (obviously badly, because there stuff is no beskar).

I was so happy to see the interactions between Leia and Connix, because I just loved to see Billie with her mom <3 I’m so glad they gave her a role and just kept expanding it.

Hux... I love the back and forth between him and General Pryde, (I was hoping Richard E Grant would’ve played Thrawn but alas...) wondering who the mole is, and OF COURSE ITS HUX! Because he just wants to see Kylo lose. We love it.. I’m kinda sad he was taken out so quick, but it was good while it lasted.

How they tried to push Poe into some kind of.. not relationship, but not too subtlety trying to tell the audience, no he’s not gay, in like...just a bad writing way, like okay gosh, he’s straight (Also Poe was a drug runner...). That LGBTQ “representation” was trash, but definitely better than Endgame’s so-called representation.

I also wished we woulda got more (legacy) cameos, especially in the final battle when all the ships arrive. Maybe the Ghost Crew (I think you can see the ship though), or a character from the Mandalorian show (I was hoping for more tie-in’s in general (baby yoda), but The Mandalorian did sorta set up the force healing ability). My foolish soul was hoping for a super old old clone or a super old and scarred up Mace Windu, or just super old Ahsoka, but this film 100% confirmed no going back that they are totally dead with their voices amongst the other dead jedi :/ I can’t have everything and thats alright. I’m just glad they were in there in some capacity.

JJ has said that the thing Finn was going to tell Rey was that he was force sensitive (none of the good ships flew sadly imo) but that is still...amazing to me. I love it so much. Especially with that exchange between him and Han in TFA “We’ll use the force.” “That’s not how the force works.”. Hopefully he got or gets the chance to tell Rey because then she could train him and <3 Also I think that now makes it go back to no non-force sensitive people have used a lightsaber in the films (aside from Grievous). I loved the inclusion of Jannah and the other storm trooper deserters. Not only because of the kinship with Finn, but also... They are on a moon of Endor... So moon of the Endor system inhabitants, with slightly primitive techniques and tools and things come to help in the final battle? I love it. Putting some respeck on the Ewoks (also we see Ewoks?!?! Specifically Wickett <3) (Also I noticed a Fire, Water, Earth theme. The final battle in the prequels was in fire/lava. The final battle in the original trilogy was on the forest moon of endor, and while not the final battle, Kef Bir is the ocean moon of endor)

Palpatine doing what we all knew he was, using bodies to live through. I mean thats why he always had apprentices, just so he could skip over to them when his body got gross and weak, or at the very least work through them. I definitely wanna know more about the whole Snoke operation. We knew it was insane for some rando to be that powerful to be whispering and seducing Ben to the dark side from birth. And the cloning? like please, tell me more. I loved Palpatine’s exclamation of “Return of the Sith!” as an obvious nod to the films Return of the Jedi and Revenge of the Sith, but also the fact Return was going to be Revenge of the Jedi.

I LOVE LOVEDDDD the small scene of Luke training Leia. Yeah the CGI on their faces wasn’t the best but just being able to see it and knowing that he did go forward and train her as well as other students was everything to me. I’ve always wanted Leia’s force abilities to be more acknowledged outside of the comics, so you know I went crazy in the scene from TLJ (for multiple reasons). Leia training Rey?! Rey referring to her (and Luke) as her jedi masters?! we love to see it <3 Rey going back to Tatooine, back to the moisture farm (I could just hear Aunt Beru calling out for Luke (but also him calling for her and uncle owen when they got disintegrated..oop)). Calling herself a Skywalker, AND SEEING LUKE AND LEIA’S FORCE GHOST!! WE LOVE TO SEE IT (but hate it because it’s the end). THE TWIN SUNS AS THE SAGA ENDS WHERE IT BEGAN!!

The voices of the Jedi at the end?!? I cried. I mean there was Anakin, Obi-Wan (both old and young), Qui Gon, Mace Windu, Yoda, and Luke of course, but also Aaayla Secura, Luminara, Adi Gallia, KANAN JARRUS (who is voice by Freddie Prinze Jr. aka the best Fred Scooby Doo could ask for) , AHSOKA TANO!!! Nothing I want more than more Ahsoka <3 I would’ve loved to see them all show up as Force Ghosts at the end ala the ghosts of Harry’s family in Harry Potter Goblet of Fire/Deathly Hallows but I understand why they opted for voices only. Also no Ki-Adi-Mundi because while everyone was saying, “Rey, You can do it! We are with you!” he just woulda been like, “But...what about the droid attack on the wookiees?”

Han!! Han!! When he appeared to Kylo, after Leia pulled him back as much as she could, and Rey healed him and inched him further, and then of course, Han finished the job. Leia asked him to bring him back and he did in the end. The person he seemingly hated the most (maybe thats tied with Luke. I honestly would’ve liked to see some kinda of thing between Luke and Ben, some reconciliation). The famous Solo “I know” which we all know means I love you. like come onnnnn <3 AND Ben and Leia’s bodies becoming one with the force... but Leia only after Ben... like she was holding on, waiting for him <3 This really made me like Ben/Kylo a bit more, obviously the light side Ben more, because Kylo is actual trash imo.

I cried when Chewie cried for Leia. Her death was sad on it’s own, but Chewie just broke me. He had a happy family, then Ben went bad, Han and Leia split, and Luke left, then when he thinks everything is coming back together, He lost Han, then he lost Luke, now Leia? If you actually watch him he just collapses to the ground, throwing his arms, sobbing... AND HAVING TO SEE HIM IN SHACKLES!?!? And not like “oh we gotta trick these guards” but actually captured and shackled, After all the wookiees being captured and enslaved and he how he had to deal with that...come on man....

I cried when Luke pulled his X-wing out of the water. We all saw it submerged in TLJ, waiting for that moment when someone would do it. The fact that he does it, when he couldn’t back when it happened on Dagobah. It shows how much he’s grown, showed him stepping into Yoda’s role even more fully. He never got to leave that island in it, but Rey did. Plus Rey wearing his Rebel helmet like she wore the helmet in TFA?! Honestly... Two “nobodies” from nowhere sand planets who become the hope and saviors of the galaxy (you could include Anakin in that as well, but he just...kinda sparked the hope in Luke and was his savior so...indirectly the hope and savior).

The only thing I didn't like was the Ben and Rey kiss at the end but luckily it wasn't drawn out and he died right after. Cause you really expect me to believe that within the same movie of him pushing her to her limits and making her believe she killed a friend that she gone be like...oh but you still cute tho?  Also while re-watching everything and watching the prequels last month I remembered how Palpatine influenced the midichlorians/force to make Anakin in Shmi (it might not be canonized though, I’m not sure...). Obviously he’s not a biological father but...he is responsible...so that in a way makes him Kylo's grandfather in a sense. Rey is Sheev’s biological granddaughter so...big yikes. To me Kylo/Ben and Rey have a much better dynamic as brother and sister anyway.. I think a brother and sister bond suit them so much better. A rhyme of Luke and Leia, and the forged sibling bond between Obi-Wan and Anakin. It has pieces of both and would have been beautiful for it to play out that way. About Rey pulling her family in Ben Solo back to the light. I mean she even thought of Han, Leia, and Luke as parental figures... but luke and leia kissed so :/  guess just a family thing. 

Running themes in all of star wars is hope, family, and who you are. In this, the prequels were the darkest. They end in a family divided, hope seemingly lost, and giving into the worst parts of yourself. The original trilogy was about finding the hope in the darkest times, becoming more than you think of yourself, and that family can overcome anything together. This trilogy was about clinging onto hope that you can find and making it a beacon for others, becoming more than what you and others think of you, "subverting destiny", and the fact that family isn't blood, not always. Just because someone tells you you're a monster, just because you started to believe it, doesn't mean you are. Once you have hope you hold onto it with everything you have, no matter how many times you fail or slip.

Rey being a Palpatine isn't "the bad guys bloodline living while the good guys die out". It isn't about bloodlines. Sure Kylo and Vader's terrible deeds will live on in infamy, but so will the entire rebellion's. Instead of being like, "oh well by blood I'm a Palpatine so I gotta use that last name" she made a conscious choice to go by Skywalker, because of what the Skywalker family meant to her and the galaxy, so that their deeds live on and not Palpatine. He will become a bad memory, a scar on history, while Skywalker’s, the positive idea of them, will continue to live and spark hope year and years into the future. Her blood isn't tainted and her grandfathers nature isn't hers, if it was she really would be the empress on the sith throne after Palpatine's death. She would've took Kylo's hand and offers before. Its the same with Kylo. He succumbed to what Rey was actively fighting against. Its the idea its harder to be good than bad.

Palpatine's bloodline living on means nothing unless Rey decided to make it mean something. But she didn't. As far as I'm concerned the only thing the bloodline might've impacted is her connection to the force and how strong it was naturally (like Kylo because of Leia (maybe Han..debatable, i like to believe he’s a little force sensitive) and her and Luke's connection to it because of Anakin). Her parents also actively fought against Palpatine as far as we know, Luke and Leia fought against Vader like... To say oh your parent was like this so you are gonna turn out the same? Yikes. Also Finn and the other stormtrooper deserters? Literally brainwashed from such a young age to be killers but they said no? It seems like the theme was you can fight against your destiny or like Yoda said about the future being hard to see because its constantly moving so "destiny" is kinda just a trash idea, be who you are or the person you want to be, not what others tell you.

Also I see some people saying it destroyed Anakin's legacy, and I have to disagree. To the fan's Anakin's legacy was never killing Palpatine. Sure that was the action, but the act was saving Luke. It was coming back from the dark to the light to save his son and in a way, the rest of the galaxy, at least for a time, it was betraying his master. It was the why he did it, not the how. Not only did he save Luke's life, but he fueled Luke to go forward and continue down the path of hope and light as long as he could. Anakin's true legacy lives on in Luke and Leia and the Rebellion. Palpatine's return doesn't diminish Anakin's sacrifice. Because it wasn’t about just destroying Palpatine. Anakin/Vader's thoughts went to Padme and Luke, and the prophecy of bringing balance, he knew he had to do something. When Luke takes off his helmet when Anakin is dying he thinks, “The boy was good, and the boy had come from him–so there must have been good in him, too. He smiled up again at his son, and for the first time, loved him. And for the first time in many long years, loved himself again, as well.” (coming from the novelization of Return). As long as Luke lived, and Luke's legacy lives on, so does Anakin's and so does Anakin’s return to the light. Anakin's legacy and impact, the good and the bad, will continue. Maybe the people of that galaxy won't know of the person named Anakin compared to sith lord Darth Vader, but his impact will always be there.

Yeah they aren’t always the most perfectly written stories with the best effects and yadda yadda, I know there are some missteps and less then stellar things in this films, but they are here to entertain, and I’m entertained. There is probably so much I’m missing, and I really want to go see it again, and can’t wait till it’s out on DVD or streaming services... 

It was a beautiful film that did the best it could to end a saga thats bigger than anything ever, thats been going on for years, something that is unheard of and never been done. I just want to honor the history, the memory, and the work it all took. I just love these films so much. <3 Also, always remembering Carrie, Peter M. and Peter C., Christoper, and Kenny, and all other actors and crew who have passed who lent their time and effort to all of these films and this entire franchise <3 

[pherryt]

Supernatural Sci Fi Rec List

This is the second rec list in a series I’m making (first was the Destiny Fic Rec List). The art for this list was made by me ( @dragonpressgraphics​ ) for Colliding Worlds

By Pherryt/Me

What’s the Truth?: Wordcount: 8256, General, Destiel  Android!Cas, Android phobia, Secrets, Explosions, Angst, Hurt/Comfort Summary:  Dean has never made a secret of his hatred for AI's - especially androids. His whole world is turned on it's edge when he finds out Cas has been hiding something big from him since they met... and before he can even come to terms with it, he almost loses Cas for good.

Colliding Worlds: Wordcount: 54009, General, Destiel   Crossover with Doctor Who, Canon Divergent Season 11 Summary What happens if the Doctor meets our boys? When the supernatural meets the other wordly? Can the boys expand their worldview to include aliens?? A fun exercise in colliding worlds...

Crossing Fantasies: Wordcount: 6839, Teen, Destiel  Crossover with Star Trek, Bunker Fic Summary  Dean's minding his own business in the bunker when 3 very impossible people show up in his room amid a glory of sparkles. There's no way he could be facing down Captain James T. Kirk, Doctor McCoy and Commander Spock - they're fictional characters from a TV show for fucks sake, right? So why was he holding a gun on the very real presence of three strangers claiming to be just that in his own bedroom at a supposedly impervious Bunker?

You Stole My Line!: Wordcount: 2888, General, Destiel   Crossover with Doctor Who, Season Codas up to 12  Summary  Because really, Dean's gonna brag about killing Hitler, and that's going to make some people a little jealous...you know who I'm talking about right? And then in the end, it helps Dean open up a little bit more...

Midnight Adventures: Wordcount: 8992, Explicit, DCJ  Crossover with Doctor Who, Coitus Interuptus and feels  Summary  Dean, Jimmy and Cas had moved to the middle of nowhere for a reason. Relationships such as theirs were hardly ever understood to begin with. Throw in the fact that, well, Dean's boyfriends were related to each other, and it causes quite an outcry. So. Middle of nowhere. Lots of land and privacy. And all they wanted to do was celebrate their anniversary in peace. And sex (definitely sex). Of course, time traveling aliens with their magic box kinda put a damper on that. But that's okay - he makes up for it in the end.

The Replacement Engineer: Wordcount: 3061, Explicit, Destiel  ABO, Non Trad, Omegas Cas and Dean, Switching  Summary  Dean's the doctor on Charlies ship, and he's just met Castiel - the replacement for their previous engineer. Nobody expected them to take such an instant liking to each other. After that, it was only a matter of time before Sam was scarred for life and Charlie needed to give the ship a few upgrades. But it wasn't really their fault!

Humanities Second Chance: Wordcount: 3076, Explicit, Saileen  ABO, Post Apocalyptic, Omega Sam, Alpha Eileen, Switching  Summary  The world changed after the Earth rose up against humanity. Disaster after disaster struck, decimating the population, but as humans have always found a way to do - they survived. They might have changed a little in the process but, they survived. Not that the new generation of kids knew anything different. They hear the stories, the tales, but to them, this is the new normal. And Sam is about to embark on the next phase of his life - getting mated

Solitary Flights and Second Chances: Wordcount: 7415, General, Destiel  Astronaut Dean, NASA style Summary  All Dean's life, all he wanted was to go into space. He's sacrificed a lot on the way to that dream. Now he has it and he realizes... he sacrificed too much. Way too much. Sabatoge, injury and an aborted trip are a strange way to get back the things he lost... that most precious thing of all... but if he can salvage something good from all this, he'll take it. he just needs to get back home alive, first.

More Recs (Not Mine)

Purgatory: Population 1 By  @jhoomwrites​ : Wordcount: 13165, Mature  Destiel, Mark of Cain, Crashlanding  Summary:  While helping out a group of terraformers, Dean ends up with a mysterious Mark on his arm that gives him the urge to kill. After giving up on the idea of a cure, Dean comes up with the only solution he can think of: he takes his ship, picks a direction, and flies until he’s so lost no one will ever find him. And for a few years, it works. Dean has a planet full of monsters all to himself, monsters he can kill and maim and satisfy his dark impulses. At least until a stranger crash lands on his planet. Will Dean be able to resist long enough to help this man leave? And what if he doesn't want him to leave?

Well Build Ourselves by @reallyelegantsharkfish / : Wordcount: 5420, Explicit Destiel, Android Summary: An android walks into Dean’s shop. (italics)

I'll Cross the Sky for You by  Superhoney  : Wordcount: 33364, Explicit Destiel, Top!Cas, Bottom!Dean, Courier/Captan Cas, CoffeeShop Owner Dean Summary: Castiel thinks it sounds ridiculous: a spaceship that’s also an Earth-style coffeeshop? But upon his first visit to The Family Business, he quickly realizes that the owner, Dean Winchester, is incredibly handsome, the pastries are delicious, and the coffee is out of this world. One visit leads to another, and before long, Castiel is completely won over by both the coffeeship and its owner. It’s hard to maintain a relationship when you’re constantly flying across the vastness of space, but for the sake of both his heart and his stomach, Castiel swears he and Dean will make it work

And then there were five by @feartheophanim : Wordcount: 5969, Teen Destiel, Spaceflight, Ship to Ship Battle Summary: Dean is the best engineer on base, and his father keeps refusing his requests for off-world assignments. Pissed off with the same old-same old, Dean goes for a drink and meets a stranger who offers him a job on his ship. Things are harder than Dean expected, out there in space, but things soon take a turn for the strange. He is left with far more than he bargained for.

the light of falling stars by by @procasdeanating : Wordcount: 4980, Explicit Destiel, Alien!Cas, Battles Summary:  … when Lieutenant Dean Winchester and the two ships under his command engaged in combat with a Seraph squadron. Two army ships were destroyed, while one fighter, presumably Lt. Winchester’s, made a forced landing on a nearby uninhabited class D planet after triggering the emergency protocol. The ongoing search has not produced conclusive results. Lt. Winchester is classified as missing in action…

The Ark by  @pimentogirl : Wordcount: 2776, Explicit Destiel, reunion, hurt/comfort Summary: The Ark, a triple class interstellar craft, offering the opportunity to travel between colonies regardless of Tier Status... ...and the last place left to look...

Because of Harrison Bergeron by  @nachsie : Wordcount: 5249, Not Rated destiel, sabriel, Android Summary: In the year 2081, amendments to the Constitution dictate that all Americans are fully equal and not allowed to be smarter, better-looking, or more physically able than anyone else. The Handicapper General's agents enforce the equality laws, forcing citizens to wear "handicaps": masks for those who are too beautiful, radios inside the ears of intelligent people, and heavy weights for the strong or athletic. When Harrison Bergeron in an attempt to overthrow the government is gunned down, the strongest able to break from the control start a rebellion that leads to an all out war. One rebellion group lead by Harrison's baby brother, Sam in it's attempt to destroy the government runs into a sleeper citizen base, running into by fate a sleeper teenager called Castiel

Real Skilled at People by Astarloa / : Wordcount: 1456, Mature  (This reminds me of a Robert Heinlein short that I loved but can’t find anymore. If anyone knows where to find it, I’d love to know!)  Summary:   In an alternate future reality there's a black market doctor named Robert and a man who yearns for wings.

Looking to the Sky to Save Me by raths_kitten / : Wordcount: 8693, Explicit Destiel, Bounty Hunters Cas and Sam Summary: Sam and Castiel are bounty hunters. When a warrant is out for Dean, Sam convinces Castiel to catch him. Loosely based on Killjoys.

Dreaming in Digital by @ltleflrt : Wordcount: WIP (80k +), Explicit Destiel, Sabriel, Post Apocalyptic, Androids, Bounty Hunters Summary: When Dean finds a deactivated sex bot, he knows it's his lucky day.

Qualia by @imogenbynight : Wordcount: 26600, Explicit AI, Bring Tissues, Destiel, Sam/Jess Summary: When Sam & Jess move into a smart home, Dean finds an unlikely match in the AI that keeps it running.

Lost and Found by @destieltrashland : Wordcount: 22928, Explicit Destiel, Sam/Jess, Nod to Space Seed (Star Trek), Character Death (not Team Free Will) Summary: When he reached the hatch door he looked through the small window, shining the light from his helmet inside. The cargo area was cleaner than the front of the ship, due to being sealed off from the tear in the hull, and it still held a sizable number of items within. The items floated under nets keeping them tethered to the floor. “What strange readings?” he asked as he pointed his own tricorder inside. “Power signatures and –“ she paused, pressing buttons on the screen as if to confirm her assessment, “life signs.”                                                       ----- Castiel and crew find something unexpected while recovering an ancient spaceship. Dean and Sam struggle to adjust to life 300 years in the future.

[pumpkins-s]

Stormbreaker / Coffinmaker

Read On AO3 Here

When Pidge is offered the spot as communications officer for the Kerberos Mission, to accompany her father, and her friend and former classmate Shiro, she’s expecting eight months of quiet, beautiful cosmos, ice samples, and—if she’s lucky—some broadcast signals to support her alien life theories.

She is not expecting to end up the prisoner of a fascistic race of alien cat-lizards hellbent on apparently reenacting the ugliest parts of the Roman empire, down to the massive enslavement and expansion effort and the gladiators as entertainment shtick.

But, if she’s going down, she figures she might as well go down swinging.

(Or, in which Pidge is the third Kerberos member, is decidedly not a damsel in distress who needs protection—thank you very much Shiro—is very much done with this crap, and fully intends to make it home to her little brother, no matter what it takes.)

Fandom: Voltron: Legendary Defender

Relationships: platonic Pidge & Shiro, Pidge & Matt, Pidge & Sam Holt

Characters: Pidge, Shiro, Sam Holt, Matt Holt, Thace, Ulaz

Rating + Warnings: Rated Teen; trigger warnings include graphic violence, blood, combat, murder, and systematic transphobia on the part of the Galra. I recommend checking AO3, or in my author’s notes under the cut, for a more extensive list.

Stormbreaker was written for the @pidgebigbang, and is accompanied by art from @anime7otaku7artist7. 

Chapter 1: Willow

((Author’s Note: 

Hello, hello! Welcome to Stormbreaker / Coffinmaker, my fic for the Pidge Big Bang. Developing the concept and storyline for this fic was the work of months (even if I wrote 90% of it in the last two weeks before it was due shhhh), and I'm so pleased to finally be able to share it. I love Pidge and the friendship she holds with Shiro, and I really wanted a chance to explore that in a setting where they were closer to being peers, as well as what her relationship to Matt would be like if she were the older sibling, and hence that (+ my desire to just see Pidge kicking ass as a gladiator) is how Stormbreaker was born.

As always, music played a big part in my writing, and I'd like to take a moment to credit that: I wrote and outlined this fic largely to the work of Barns Courtney and Florence + The Machine, particularly his  The Attractions of Youth album and her How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful album, respectively, and the influence of both is definitely there in how the story turned out. The title of this fic was chosen as a nod to two songs that pushed the concept and development of Stormbreaker by leaps and bounds. Of Monster And Men's Winter Sound, and Florence + The Machine's My Boy Builds Coffins. And of course, I can't not mention the song that played the original inspiration for this fic: No Doubt's Just A Girl.

For your listening enjoyment while you read, there's also an actual playlist for this fic (with more than just those previously mentioned couple of artists in it, promise). You can find the tumblr post for it here, with art by the wonderful corpus--corvus, or jump straight to the Spotify or Youtube link.

Before you read, a final warning for the content -- this is a gladiator fic, boys & girls & nonbinary pals. That means violence, blood, injury (Shiro's probably an obvious indication but people do lose limbs), fight to the death scenarios, and murder. People die in this story, and not all of them necessarily deserve it, though rest assured Pidge and Shiro themselves stay (relatively) intact. There's also the presence of underage drinking in a flashback scene, some mentions of the sexual abuse and forced prostitution of slaves within the Empire, and swearing. So much fucking swearing. Additionally, while all relationships are written to be strictly platonic, Shiro and Pidge's longer friendship and view of each other as closer to peers does mean their friendship has an emotional intimacy that wouldn't necessarily be seen in their canon counterparts. They lean on each other for support, quite literally, so if any of that would be a personal squick to you for whatever reason, please look away now.

That's about it! Enormous thanks to the Pidge Big Bang mods for putting this all together, and to my artist, anime7otaku7artist7, for their phenomenal work. Their art is embedded in the story, and you can also find a link to it here.

Stormbreaker is split into eight sections, with the entirety already written out pre posting. Chapters range from about 4-10 thousand words, with the first one being the shortest. It will update every day until its completion (so long as everything with editing and posting goes smoothly on my end, at least. Here's hoping). Enjoy!))

(( Author’s Note [Cont.]:

Willow: Forsaken

The gorgeous title art opening this chapter, while not provided by my official artist for the Pidge Big Bang, is provided by the wonderful corpus--corvus, who put up with months of my ranting about Stormbreaker!Pidge, and generously provided me with both this title art, and coverart for this fic's playlist. Thank you Logan you're a peach.))

Oh I'm just a girl, living in captivity

Your rule of thumb

Make me worry some

Oh I'm just a girl, what's my destiny?

- "Just a Girl", No Doubt

“Careful,” is the first thing Pidge’s father says to her, and she sighs, blowing errant bangs out of her eyes—she knew she should have pinned them back when they were suiting up—as she steadies her arms and inches the ice sample out of the extraction drill.

“Yeah, Pidge, careful,” Shiro says with a grin she can only classify as shit-eating, leaning over the back of the drill with his forearms resting on top.

“I am careful,” she snaps, fully removing the sample and hefting it between her arms. The weight is less than that of Earthen ice of the same mass—which is expected, given the gravity on Kerberos is much lesser than that on Earth. It’s a lucky thing their suits are specially designed and weighted to model Earth’s gravity on their interior, Pidge wouldn’t want to be hopping and stumbling around like the astronauts of her grandparents’ generation.

She hands the sample over to her father carefully, his eyes bright as he studies it. “Extraordinary.”

Pidge glances over at Shiro, who is doing his best to look anything more than politely interested, and smirks. “What? Not impressed?”

Shiro looks down at her, and shrugs ungainly against the bulk of his suit. “You guys get…a little more excited about ice samples than I do. I understand their value, but it’s not exactly my area.”

“Yeah, yeah, motorboy.” Pidge rolls her eyes. “I get it, you’re only interested in things with an engine and that go really fast.”

“That’s—“ Shiro makes a face. “Ok, that’s only partially true. I also like…uh…” He trails off, brows furrowed, and Pidge grins. “…What do I like?” he finally asks, looking to Pidge in askance.

“Uh. Reading? Fixing Keith’s bike?” Pidge counts off on her fingers, squinting down at them. “That’s…you’re really bad at having non-work-related hobbies, dude.”

“Gee, thanks.”

“Oh! Me!” Pidge holds up a third finger triumphantly. “You like me!”

Shiro groans. “You’re my best friend, that’s a given—“

“You know what I like?” Pidge says, and then continues on before Shiro has the chance to respond. “I’ll tell you what I like. Motherfucking aliens, that’s what I like, Shiro.”

“And here we go again—“

“And that—“ Pidge points at the ice sample, “could be the key to finally proving their existence, right Dad?”

“Well,” her father says, looking quietly amused as he shifts the sample in his hands. “We certainly can’t rule anything out, all the way out here. And I’d hardly complain if one of these ice samples wanted to come along and solve my life’s—“ There’s a rumble all around them, rock vibrating slightly beneath their feet, and he pauses. “…What was that?”

“Earthquake?” Pidge asks as another rumble starts up, stronger than the last.

“Kerberos-quake?” Shiro mutters behind her, and she turns to tell him just how terrible that was, before the strongest shake yet occurs, throwing her off balance, and she yelps, falling forward.

“Pidge!” She catches herself on Shiro’s outstretched arm. “You okay?”

“I’m fine.” She shakes her head, trying to dispel the hair blocking her vision and the vague sense of dizziness she feels. “We should get back to the—“ She stops, caught up in the feeling of something suddenly here, large and looming and right behind her, and slowly turns around as a ship comes into view.

For once, all her knowledge—all her calculations, her observations, her vast vocabulary, abandon her, and she is left with one thought, and one thought only.

That isn’t one of their ships.

“It can’t be…” She hears her father say, but it’s distant, muffled, as if he was underwater, and then all she can focus on is Shiro grabbing desperately at her arm, yanking her along.

“Run. Run!”

She runs.

It’s a rush of sudden sound, sudden movement that seems at odds with the serene stillness expected of space. All she can hear is the roaring noise of whatever is behind them, Shiro’s shouts, her own heavy breathing as she stumbles along in her suit, the previously steadying weight suddenly cumbersome.

There’s a sudden pull behind them, around them, everything lit up purple, and Pidge screams as her feet suddenly leave the ground, flying up into the void of black above them. She hears both of the others yell her name, and she reaches out blindly for something, anything—her father’s blurry form, the outstretched hand she knows is Shiro’s, only to find nothing.

Tractor beam, a detached, scientific part of her mind supplies for her. I’m the smallest, so it’s natural I’d be the first picked up.

Sure enough, one of them—she thinks her father—flies up a moment after, Shiro caught up off the ground last.

They’re both shouting in panic, and Pidge thinks she should be screaming, too. Might already be screaming, or perhaps she’s forgotten to altogether, it’s impossible to tell, right now. She is not in control of the motion of her own body, of her senses.

Debris off the ground, caught up in the beam with them, catches on the side of Shiro’s helmet, scraping along, and she can only pray it hasn’t knocked it loose, hasn’t stolen his oxygen, before another rock slams into her own head.

The last thing she hears as it all goes black is the sound of her own voice tapering off, dying in her throat like a person hanged, condemned and left to die.

…Oh, so she had been screaming.

The night Shiro gets offered the position of pilot for the Kerberos mission, Pidge drags him out drinking.

“Shots!” she announces loudly, placing them down on the bar, and Shiro winces. He’s the one person she knows who gets a headache just from being in a bar. Normally, Pidge would have sympathy, as prone to migraines brought on from stress and lack of sleep as she is, but over time she’s come to accept this is an inevitability of taking Shiro out anywhere fun that isn’t space or flight themed. Luckily, the more alcohol Shiro gets in him, the more he seems to forget about his headache, or his apathy towards bars in general—enough to be willing to repeat the same cycle of misery, ecstasy, and then mild hangovers, occasionally, every few weeks, at least.

“What are those?” He picks one up cautiously, sniffing at it. “Whiskey?”

“Mhmm,” Pidge hums happily, sliding into the stool next to his. “Good brand, too.”

“I think I’ll just order one of those fruity cocktails,” Shiro says with an air of quiet distaste, sliding the shot glass back across to Pidge.

“Weak.” She downs them both, hers first and then Shiro’s, slamming the second empty glass down to the background of his horrified face.

“I don’t know how you do that,” he says, and she sticks her tongue out at him.

Drinking is just one of the many things they do together, but in very different ways. Shiro—perhaps still trying to live down the keg-stand days of his barely-twenties that Pidge remembers sneaking into at seventeen or so all too fondly—doesn’t like anything strong, anything that leaves too much of a burn behind. He finds his preferences in what is sweet, where the alcohol is masked by some more agreeable mix-in.

Pidge, meanwhile, relishes the burn. Chases the chemistry reacting in her own body, the poison her brain somehow just barely sustains, with fascination. Drinking is stupid, objectively. So naturally that only leads to the urge to categorize it, sample every flavor until she understands every urge and every predilection.

She watches Shiro order his cocktail in amusement, and waves her hand when the bartender looks to her. They both know how to take care of themselves—and each other, if they find it necessary. Shiro will sip his fruity drinks, and Pidge will knock back a couple shots before giving it a break and then nursing a beer or some watered down vodka-and-schnapps concoction for the rest of the night.

She’s an experimenter, not an idiot. If she takes it too far, makes herself too sick or poisons herself too permanently, she won’t be able to carry out the next test. She’s the extent of her own sample size, which means she has to make herself last.

“Remember when we were young,” she says languidly, swinging around on her stool and leaning on the bar, head tilting up to watch the ceiling, then Shiro. “And we’d party like the sun wouldn’t come up?”

“I remember going through a bottle of Advil every two months, yeah,” Shiro says dryly. “Besides you’re—I love the way you say that, when we were young. You’re not even legal to drink yet.”

“Shhh.” Pidge waves a hand. “Keep your voice down or you’ll get us kicked out. I worked hard on that I.D., Matt helped me pick the picture.”

“And what a great picture it is,” Shiro offers sarcastically, and Pidge levels a threatening eye at his drink. He pointedly moves it out of her reach, and after a moment, continues. “I still don’t get why you like bars so much. You’re you—I can barely get you out of your room to go to the dining hall.”

“Are you kidding me?” She waves a hand. “Bars are the one place where I can get social stimulus without having to actually talk to or acknowledge anyone beyond the wonderful person providing my drink. It’s an observational heaven. At the Garrison I actually have to make conversation.” She shudders, and Shiro snorts.

“…It still feels weird being out here, with your parents knowing where we go.”

“Joys of being second-gen American,” Pidge says proudly. “Just enough Italian left over where a twenty-one plus drinking age seems like the dumbest thing in the world.”

“I guess.” Shiro wrinkles his nose. “Still just feels weird when my commanding officer knows I go out drinking with his daughter.”

“Shiro, you practically live in our house. You’re in Matt’s elementary school graduation picture, for crying out loud. Bit late for worrying about that sort of thing.” Shiro winces, and Pidge laughs, patting him on the shoulder. “Man. Kerberos. I can’t believe you’ll be locked up with only my dad and some poor communications officer for eight months.” She pauses, and at Shiro’s faintly proud, but still somber look, she grins. “Maybe I should suggest to Dad he bring his zero-gravity specialized Scrabble board along.”

“Oh god,” Shiro groans, dropping his face into his elbow against the bar. “Please, don’t.”

“Doing it,” Pidge says happily. After a long moment, she looks over to Shiro, curling her arms into a pillow on the bar for her to drop her head onto, sighing. “…It’ll be weird, without you here. It was going to be strange enough not having Dad around that long, but at least I’m used to him disappearing off for missions.” Shiro grunts morosely, and she hums. “Always got Matt, I suppose. And Mom. I’ll just spend more time around the house or something. Lucky we live so close.”

Shiro says nothing, stealing the discarded beer bottle of some other long-departed patron, and peeling habitually at the label in one of his little-seen nervous gestures. “It will be weird.” There’s silence again, and Pidge is just starting to wonder if she’s expected to say something, before he continues, quiet and unsure. “You know they haven’t decided on a communications officer yet. You could always…throw your hat in the ring. They’re already worried about team compatibility—with a mission this long, and this important—and everyone knows we work well together.”

“Me?” Pidge snorts. “Please. Even if I wanted to—and I’m not saying I do—they’d never take me. I’m still a cadet.”

“Only while you finish up the last of your engineering credits.” Shiro points out sullenly, still not meeting her eyes. “You’ve been an officially marked communications officer for the better part of a year at this point. And there’s no one better at the job.”

Pidge blinks, surprised at the blunt honesty in his tone. “…You…really want me to apply, don’t you?”

Shiro shrugs, glaring down at the decimated bottle label. “It’d just be—it’d feel weird without you, alright? Like something was missing.”

Almost unconsciously, Pidge reaches across, snatching up the balled-up wrapper, freeing it from Shiro’s wrath and contemplating it, as if it might suddenly give her an answer to this new puzzle.

Of course, looking for solutions in beer bottle wrappers is neither scientific nor logical, so Pidge isn’t very surprised when it offers her none.

“…I guess we do do most everything together, don’t we?” she offers softly. Shiro just shrugs again, avoiding both the answer and her eyes as he sits up and sips awkwardly at his drink. He doesn’t want to pressure her, to suggest her into something she doesn’t want to do. He also doesn’t want to go without her.

He’s always been stupidly good at expressly not talking about his worries, especially when he thinks he’s burdening someone else with them. Luckily for him, while Pidge is no feelings expert, she is a Shiro expert at this point, and very good at determining the logical end point to a problem.

“Yeah, okay,” she says unthinkingly. “Why not?” Shiro turns to look at her, still all kinds of conflicted mixed in with his hope, and she steals his drink easily, downing back the last of it, and when she slams it onto the bar next to the empty shot glasses, it sounds like a promise.

Kerberos. What could go wrong?

It’ll give her an amusing story to tell Matt when she gets rejected, at least.

…We come from a peaceful planet…

Pidge comes to with a quiet gasp and a rush of aching pain along her left temple. She startles just ever so slightly—everything blurry and her suit feeling far, far too heavy for either Kerberos or the conditions of their ship—before the weight of strong hands holding her arms behind her back, and Shiro’s muffled voice pleading somewhere off to her left, come to her attention, and she tenses, stills.

It doesn’t all come back so much in a rush as in a trickle of images, feeding into her brain like a lagging video on a bad connection as her quick, panicked breaths fog up the inside of her visor. The ship, the tractor beam, being dragged up and up and away from Shiro and her father, the sudden crunch of the rock against her skull, all sliding through her mind and clicking into place.

For the first time in a long, long time, Pidge feels true panic grip her, staring down into the abyss of the unknown. She’d come close, in their attempt to flee the inevitable on Kerberos, but had been too caught up in the immediacy of the situation. That was instinctive panic, raw and something close to animal.

This is a panic of exercised consideration. Of weighing up her circumstances and what little information she has available to her and ultimately coming up short—short of a plan, short of an idea, short of even a clue. She has no idea where she is—beyond somewhere she never was supposed to be—who has her, or what is going to happen.

Based on her position and her mode of capture, Pidge can only assume herself and the others are being held captives by a hostile extraterrestrial power. Which is not, she thinks a little hysterically, even remotely fucking close to something the Garrison had prepared them for.

For Pidge, sorting all this out amongst the overwhelmed screeching in her head and the dull throb of pain above her eyes that signals either an impending migraine or a concussion feels like the work of hours. But it must only be moments, because one second Shiro is talking, stammering out a few desperate phrases on their behalf, before there’s a shuffle of movement, and Shiro’s cut-off yelp of pain as something strikes him.

At that she does stir, almost involuntarily jerking against the hold on her to turn and observe, check on Shiro’s condition—he was speaking, which means at least he hadn’t sustained any major head injuries, surely. In response there’s a tightening of the grip on her arms, an increase on the weight pressing down on her back, a boot maybe, and she buckles instinctively, head bowing to the ground and her whole body going taut but unmoving.

Eventually, after some further exchanges of words she can’t muddle out in the confused space of her brain beyond the disbelieving fact that it’s definitely English, the grip holding Pidge shifts, moving as something like handcuffs with a rigid bar between them is shackled onto her wrists. Something takes hold of the bar, and begins to drag her backwards, assumedly out of the room. Rough sliding noises on her left and right are the only indication she has that the same is being done to her father and Shiro, she doesn’t dare look to confirm.

It’s not until they’re moving along some hallway, and the other dragging noises move past and ahead of her, that Pidge dares to tilt her head just slightly up, trying to catch sight of something beyond her own feet scraping along a metal floor.

She can only get glimpses, between long stretches of endless chrome and the shine of purple lighting coming from some undeterminable source. Flashes in windows of huge containment systems, layers upon layers of prisoners crammed into cages and moved about as if building blocks directed by a child. She sees whispers of floors upon floors of moving figures, all discernable only in the same shades of grey and purple, with splashes of red, outsizing any operation she’s ever seen at the Garrison.

She sees torture. She sees order. She sees cruelty. She sees control.

There’s the bark of voices above her head, and she yelps as she is dragged around a corner roughly, the quick turn putting a strain on her arms. But she doesn’t dare fight back, not at the risk of suffering the same fate as Shiro.

Observation is her greatest—her only strength, right now. She must do what she does best, as she does at officer meetings, in Garrison dining halls and classrooms, even in shitty, dim-lit desert town bars.

Pidge watches. She grasps at every piece of data, commits to memory every variable she can spot, and above it all she is left with only one question, buzzing in the back of her dizzied, overwhelmed mind.

Where the hell are we?

[officialfand0mtrash]

my giant-ass kinlist

Character, Source

anything else not necessarily canon

astrick (*) means literally me

not really looking for canonmates, however if you wanna talk that’d be ok!

note that the amount of info is not relating to how major the kin is to me, they’re just the ones with more non-canon memories. most of my “literally me” kins are either the kins i just feel the absolute most in touch with and closest to, and are also mostly the ones i identified as first.

sometimes i started talking in first person

Juniper Branch*, Warrior Cats (Dawn of the Clans)

Raven Pelt came out to me as identifying as a molly after our kits were born, because she was afraid I’d leave her if she told me earlier

Jerboa Jump, Tennessee Tuxedo & His Tales

heckin enemies to friends to lovers relationship with Tennessee himself

i mean it probably wasn’t that great looking back two angry smartass sarcastic people in a relationship doesn’t sound good but… Tennessee’s great i think he made me a better person through it

is mainly for coping.

Taptap*, Underdog

Riff & I were fucking. dating? maybe. it was the 60s.

i was still around in his gang in the other episodes, just around, y'know, robbing banks.

Underdog was my brother but he’d never admit it.

Thistlewhistle*, My Little Pony (Generation 3)

i was a transman

Starcatcher was also male!!

in fact not everyone was female,,

on Butterfly Island all our names were spelled as one word. but its. not like we ever spelled our names anyway.

Shifty*, Cauliflower Cabby

Boston and I were fucking. But we weren’t dating. It was illegal, he only wanted my body, and he didn’t care about me enough to.

Boston considered his title of Boston Bully, New Yorkie Public Enemy Number One very highly. He was afraid that showing sexual interest in a man would destroy his title. Though I’d always secretly thought that, since it was illegal, it would only boost him.

I never even wanted to be in Boston’s gang. I had maybe borrowed alot money from him years back and he wanted me to pay him back by robbing banks. After I’d made it up he threatened to shoot me if I left.

is mainly for coping.

Tubby*, The Beagles

Stringer & I were dating, and I wish I could say Scotty was the only one who knew. No, Scotty was the only one who’d take us to manage, I’m amazed his agency didn’t fire him over taking the Gays as clients. I suppose I’m glad he didn’t, we wouldn’t’ve done half the shit we did if it weren’t for him.

Our band’s name isn’t because we’re beagles… well, I’m a bagle/chihuahua mix but no way in hell does Stringer have any beagle in him. We called ourselves the Beagles cuz we really like the Beatles

we also really like Elvis (have you heard the bass in Heartbreak Hotel?)

I came from Jersey and am Jewish by race, I’ve never practiced the religion.

Fernsong*, Warrior Cats (Vision of Shadows)

stop shipping me with Ivypool she’s mates with Blossomfall!!

i’m a transtom and i’m so glad i’m not a tortie!!

i would’ve loved to have kits and a mate but everyone in Thunderclan is too old for me or just can’t tolerate me and im ://!!

i didn’t know and still don’t know if i want a tom as a mate or a molly…

Tigerheart, Warrior Cats (Power of Three)

No I never became Shadowclan’s leader. When I died my mother, Tawnystar, was leader, and my sister Dawnpelt was her deputy.

I also didn’t have children with Dovewing. In fact, I was never romantically interested in her. She was beautiful, she was a wonderful molly…. but she was born the day I became a warrior, and I refuse to mate with someone that’s a good 15 moons younger than me.

In fact, my mate was only about 9 moons younger than me. His name was Bumblestripe.

After Darktail took over Shadowclan and Tawnystar, Rowanclaw, Dawnpelt and I took shelter in Thunderclan is when I became mates with him. And I never left. He was too loyal to Thunderclan and I already felt like an outcast in Shadowclan, sharing my name with Tigerstar (What was my mother thinking?) and I’m very glad I did.

Roach*, Warrior Cats (Vision of Shadows)

Darktail gave me so much trauma for what he did i hate it so much i hate him so much. i’ll snap his neck if i ever find him again. (but maybe if you’re from a different canon and apologized for the shit you did, maybe i wouldn’t,,)

i stayed in Shadowclan after he was killed and became mates with Rain. i like to think… that i really helped him with not only the trauma of losing an eye, but helping him get used to only having one… and he helped me to trust cats, and other…. trust-related issues i had.

Percy, Warrior Cats (Firestar’s Destiny)

Duke, Thomas the Tank Engine

Smudger and I were.. dating? Married? I'm not sure, but we were romantically involved with eachother.

Windstar, Warrior Cats (Dawn of the Clans)

Yarrowleaf, Warrior Cats (Vision of Shadows)

i was a transmolly and a lesbian.

i was mates with Sleekwhisker and damn what a mate she was…

Yew Tail, Warrior Cats (Dawn of the Clans)

I had horrible, horrible paranoia… I thought… I thought that one day, that all the cats in Starclan would get upset with us and make the moon fall and kill us all. And I would pray every night and stay up for hours to make sure it didn’t. I think the tradition of holding vigils may have come from me.

[darkcloud-kcalifornia]

Alright, season finale time for My Little Pony.  I’ve been trying to avoid spoilers for this one.  No idea what’s going to happen.  So, let’s see what goes down in “Shadow Play”

* We open on the book that got the ominous sting at the end of the last episode.  So yeah, I guess we were in the finale then.

* Huh, a different set of Elements being talked about here.  OK, we’ve got Rockhoof as Strength, Flash Magnus as Bravery, Meadowbrook as Healing, Mist Mane as Beauty, Somnambula as Hope, and who I’m guessing is Star Swirl the Bearded as Sorcery.  [note to self: look up actual names]

* And apparently they had been gathered together by somepony else to embody their ideals, like the Mane 6 were.  Was this Celestia, or somepony else?

* Ooh, the gatherer was a unicorn stallion, but the ancient Elements came to believe he was just wanting to use their power for himself and so they cast him out.

* Then he became Shadow Pony, and the Pillars stood as one against him.  They beat him but had to make some kind of sacrifice to do so, and created a seed to carry hope to the future.  I wonder, was that seed the origin of the Tree of Harmony?  I’m also seeing the emergence of the sun and moon on the sides of where I have it paused right now, so maybe it’s the origins of Celestia and Luna?

* Incidentally, I am loving this lore dump.

* Oh good, Sunburst was smart enough to make a report on this directly to the Alicorn Sisters and the Mane 6.  I guess he knows who has to deal with all the destiny crap around here.

* Huh, apparently Celestia never knew what happened to Starswirl, but these were apparently his last words before vanishing.

* OK, so Celestia and Luna were around back then, but young and had only ever met Starswirl.

* Reluctant nerd hoofbump. Also, I like how Celestia doesn’t know much Old Ponish anymore due to disuse.  It’s a nice nod to what happens when you don’t use something.  I can’t imagine how bad it would be after 1000 years. I’m a bit surprised Luna isn’t more familiar with it though, given how she spent most of the time sealed away. Unless she was fully cognizant of the passage of time during those 1000 years, which is… fairly nightmareish.

* So, more to Old Ponish than she thought, actual other languages being used, or Starswirl just had horrible hornwriting.  You decide!

* Ah, sloppy writing. Only readable by somepony who is ever worse at that kind of thing.  Anyway, the last stand was at the Temple of Ponhenge at the base of Mt. Foal.  …OK, I know they try and fit in horse puns, but “Ponhenge”?  Surely they could have done better than that.

* Those ruins look nice and ruiny.  Also not much like Stonehenge, which again makes me wonder why they referenced that.

* Be careful what you wish for Twilight.  Also, be careful where you place ancient magical tomes.

* Ooooh, ancient holographic display of the final battle.  So, sealed away, and the objects each pony carried are somehow related. Well, they’ve got the book, and they know where the mask is at least, so that just leaves the flower, the blindfold, the shield, and the shovel.  Gonna be honest, might be hard finding a flower after 1000 years.

* Never underestimate Twilight’s ability to be a nerd.

* Right, so banished to Limbo, but they had to take him there themselves and so got stuck there with him.  …Who’s gonna be the idiot to try and get them out and release the Pony of Shadows in the process?

* Twilight!  Twilight shall be that idiot!  Come over here so I can slap you!

* RD does not like demonstrative models.

* Boo!  The Map stepping in to help the search is cheating! Although this might be seen as the Tree of Harmony trying to get its parents back.  Kinda touching if you think of it like that.

* Skeptical archeologist is skeptical.  Somepony should tell her she’s in a fantasy series.

* Had no idea AJ was that strong.  Oh well, Shovel Get!

* Rarity’s problem to overcome is crappy gardening?  I can’t say I think much of Mist Mane’s descendant if it never occurred to her to, you know, perform upkeep.  Or hire others to do it.  Heck, just apply for a government grant if money’s the problem, that place has got to be a historical site, and once you attract tourists you can get money for, you know, upkeep.  Flower Get.

* Actually Flash Magnus’ shield being in the Dragon Lands makes quite a bit of sense.  It was made to combat dragons after all.  Makes sense that either it would accidentally get left behind after an expedition, or stolen by the dragons to keep it from being used.

* Also, neat to see a Spike/RD teamup, even if it’s likely gonna last a minute or two of screentime.

* Ugh, seriously, Garble has it?  Somepony just kick that idiot in the face so this can be over with.

* Garble is stupidest dragon.  Seriously, he just got outwitted by Rainbow Dash.  Well regardless, Shield Get.

* Fluttershy… just help to move the zap bee hive, and didn’t even need to do that to get the mask. She just felt like it.  But then arguably her trial was a few episodes ago anyway.  Mask Get.

* Pinkie’s trail… was very Pinkie.  And that ooze was a lot less dangerous then they made it out to be.  Um, Blindfold get?

* How is Starlight the voice of reason with regards to the risk involved in this plan?

* Why didn’t Pinkie wash that thing before bringing it >P

* Oh, gee, Starswirl is horrified that somepony broke the seal what are the odds?

* Way to summon the ancient evil, Twilight.

 And there’s the end of episode 1.  Time for a stretch and snack I think.  Let’s all go to the lobby, let’s all go to the lobby…

 * Yeah, having a backup plan in case the ancient evil escaped as well would have been a great idea, Twilight.  You still have that slap coming.

* Twilight and Starlight are able to hold the PoS back with a double tech… but can’t stop him from escaping at the speed of dark.  Nice going, Twilight.

* On one hoof, having the person you’ve revered all your life give you the dirtiest look for your incompetence must suck.  On the other, she really has this coming.

* Heh, Pinkie pointing out all of the other threats they’ve had to save Equestria from is a good one. And I like how Magnus is totally down for teaming up with the modern heroes to beat PoS into submission.  But Starswirl is going to be an absolute grumpy gus about this.

* Yay, source of Tree of Harmony, and the Elements, confirmed!

* And now Starswirl is planning on sacrificing the Elements to seal PoS again.  Despite the cost to Equestria.  Yeah, getting Outer Senshi vibes from this guy.  Which is a shame, because all of the other Pillars seem to be perfectly nice and affable ponies willing to work together.

* And Twilight’s search for a different solution… just has keeping the Pillars around while still sacrificing the Elements.  And yeah, the Pillars made the elements, but did so over a long incubation period. Try following Starlight’s advice and look for a non-banishment solution, stupid.

* Kinda funny how the heroes are having trouble tracking PoS down because Equestria is a better place, so all of the old dens of darkness are just fine these days.

* Starswirl needs to get his head outta his flank.

* I think some offense was taken.

* Yeah, the narrative is leaning pretty hard against Starswirl and towards Starlight here. Especially with the whole “Once a villain, always a villain” bit.

* Thank you, Starlight, for actually asking what happened all those years ago.

* Huh, Sirens confirmed as series canon.  Odd. Mind you I don’t know that much about them as I’ve never watched the movies, but some things are unavoidable knowledge if you hang out online in the fanbase.

* The PoS’s name was Stygian?  Man, it’s like his parents wanted him to go supervillain.

* So Stygian gathered them together to fight evil, but got jealous.  At one point he stole their artifacts to work some spell or another, but was discovered before actually finishing and was cast out.  And when he came back he did so as Dark Death Evil Man. But as Starlight helps to point out, they don’t know what exactly he had been trying to accomplish with his spell, though their guess is stealing their power.

* Yeah, Starlight has had enough of Starswirl’s crap.

* Now I’m wondering who build the temple to the Shadows, as apparently it already existed before Stygian came upon it.  Also, never listen to the mythos spoken from the depths of the Earth, dude.

* Oh look, there’s more to the story than meets the eye, who could have guessed.

* Well, Twilight’s been holding the idiot ball all finale thus far, but at least she noticed the pony of Stygian within the Pony of Shadows.  Not sure diving in was the right idea though.

* OK, Stygian’s side comes out, he wanted to make copies of their artifacts in the hope it would make him a Pillar and he could join the battles.  That’s still something you really need to talk about before you go stealing stuff.

* Rainbow Friendship Lasso Beam go!

* So The Shadows are banished, but Stygian remains.  Happy end!

* Aw, Starswirl commenting on how tall Celestia got is cute!  And Luna asking not to have to turn in the essays they were supposed to 1000 years ago is just funny.

* Can’t blame the Pillars for wanting to see what’s changed over the course of a millennia.  Of course there’s the problem of nopony’s gonna believe who they are.

 And that’s the end of the season.  It was pretty good all things considered.  Although this ending does make one question how things are going to work out with the non-reformed villains.  OK, Sombra isn’t likely to be a problem, but he is still awkward in that they killed him all kinds of dead.  But the new characters introduced seem decent enough now that we actually get to see them in something other than tales.  And I’m still curious about who built the shrine to the Shadows.  Evil cultist ponies!

Also, I may not care much about shipping debates and all that, but I can definitely see Rainbow Dash/Flash Magnus being a thing.  At the very least they’re certainly chummy with each other.

[inkmyname]

Why the heck are the comics like this? I have nothing against Kataang as a fanon ship--it’s cute, fix the things wrong with it in canon and ship the heck out of it! But the way it’s portrayed in canon by Bryke with like zero input from Katara, romanticization of the forced kiss trope, verbal abuse and one-sided emotional support and lack of understanding is like... why? Kataang could have been a great ship! It could have been complex with Katara recognizing that she was putting Aang on a pedestal too by pinning her hopes of saving the world on him while also simultaneously mothering him/treating him like a child. He can’t be both child in need of protection and divine savior and there could have been so much emotional tension between the two of them stemming from this.

Aang could have had amazing character development by calling Katara out (“you can’t protect me from everything, Katara--it’s not fair”) when he realizes the extent to which his inability to control the Avatar state unfairly burdens Katara with the responsibility of making sure he doesn’t hurt the people around him. So he goes to Guru Pathik and lets go of his attachment to Katara. And by this, I mean a nuanced take on “attachment”--it’s not “You can’t ever love Katara” but “My current attachment to you--in fact, our attachment to each other--is codependent and selfish and has been ever since you dug me out of the iceberg... I want better for you, for us, so I’m letting you go. I love you more than I love my attachment to you.”

And this is a much better setup for a poignant, selfless, transcendent romance. It could have actually intertwined their character arcs to grow together instead of the half-assed mother-child-but-you-forcibly-kissed-me-against-my-will-but-I-guess-I’ll-kiss-you--in-the-last-20-seconds dynamic we got in the show. 

(As an aside, the poignant transcendent symbolism, the selflessness, the growing together is why Zutara remains the vastly more popular ship 15 years after the airing of the show despite not being canon).

Imagine if Katara and Aang actually got to be friends on equal footing after they stop idealizing each other.

Imagine if Aang matured enough to provide emotional support to Katara instead of always the other way around, in a “You’ve always taken care of me--let me take care of you for once” sort of way.

Imagine if Aang was secretly pining for her instead of forcing his feelings on her, conflicted between his duty as the Avatar, upholding his Air Nomad philosophy of detachment, and his growing selfless love for her--the real Katara with all her flaws and darkness and not the Katara in his head he idealized. Basically going from “Why aren’t we together yet?!” to “It’s okay you don’t love me yet or ever--I would never expect that from you. I know now that that would be selfish--and I made the mistake of being selfish with you once, and I don’t want to make that mistake again. Love comes in time, in its own way, and it shouldn’t ever be conditional.”

It would have been so great for him as a character. 

Imagine Katara not holding back with Aang, getting angry at him, telling him exactly what he needed to hear (for e.g., when he runs away and how that affects her abandonment issues) instead of accepting/enabling his selfishness with nary a word of reproach.

Imagine Katara realizing that her need to mother him was wrong and came from a place of trauma stemming from her mother’s death and her fear of losing anyone else close to her because she couldn’t protect them.

Imagine Katara letting that go and eventually, down the line, she develops genuine feelings for Aang--not the boy she rescued from the iceberg, simultaneously child and savior, but the man who despite everything has matured into a kind, generous, selfless, non-judgmental, and genuinely wise person who always puts other above himself or his selfish desires.

Imagine a relationship that is less about destiny and “baby, you’re my forever girl” and more about a mutual “I don’t care about destiny--it’s never been about that. It’s been about just you and me, and I hope I mean as much to you as you mean to me. I want you to be my forever person, if you’ll have me, because what we have is something destiny could never predict.”

Because true love is not blind. It sees all and does not mind.

I want all of this emotional tension present in this ship. I want it to be resolved. I want the catharsis. 

THAT is the Kataang I want to see.

Goddamit, now I want fanfiction of this. Someone please write this.

Instead, we get a juvenile fifth grade romance that never moves beyond mutual and toxic idealization and actually regresses further in the comics with anti-feminist physical intimidation (throwing lava at the girl you like, anyone?) and emotional abandonment (Aang cavorting with the new Air acolyte girls while Katara is left abandoned and the comics make Aang out to be right wtf---).

The comics are so so so badly written and OOC and feature plot-driven characters instead of character-driven plot, which, you know, predictably ruins the characters we’ve come to know and love from the show because their world views become whatever the plot requires of them at the moment and they become black and white narrative vehicles instead of actual characters with nuanced viewpoints.

this panel here is so contradicting for KA as a relationship lol. typically a/ang loved k/atara and he verbally expressed it but a lot of his/their relationship was blind on who she actually was.

[miky91ftw]

Could you please do Lucky and Sailor Mercury/Sailor Jupiter?

Sure thing! Here I come: (put under a read more as I kinda got carried away)

LUCKY

How I feel about this characterI think of Lucky as a character extremely full of potential. We have seen him grow from being a total newbie to a sort of competent team leader, and we have learned to appreciate his determination, his optimism and his dedication to his goals. Yet I feel there is a lot more we haven’t seen of him, both regarding his backstory and both regarding his evolution as a person, and thus I’m really looking forward to such potentially amazing developments!

All the people I ship romantically with this characterTBH I don’t really ship him with anyone at the moment? And for now I see the GaruxLucky ship more as a one-sided dynamic with potentially interesting developments, tough as of now I don’t really feel like pairing Lucky with anyone.

My non-romantic OTP for this characterLucky with Stinger as his second in command/lancer will always be my  weak point. (tough let’s be honest, basically every relationship Lucky has with the other member of the crew is special in its own way)

My unpopular opinion about this characterWhile I appreciate that the source of Lucky’s good fortune ultimately leads in his determination and optimism, I still feel like luck, or, in a broader sense fate, played a crucial role in shaping Lucky’s life to allow him to become the key figure in the defeat of Don Armage in the present time. He may have the willpower and the bravery to defy his destiny, but in the end I feel like he is still - unwillingly or not - walking down a path that fate - or something/someone else - prepared for him beforehand. 

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon.I’d like to see him abuse a bit more of his luck, even if only in mundane/everyday things. Like intentionally coming up with plans with a

  SAILOR MERCURY/AMI MIZUNO

How I feel about this character“the kind-hearted genius“, i was always fascinated by the dichotomy that the series presented with her: you get to know her as the brain of the group, the one that should be valued for her intellectual and analytic capacities. And yet you discover that she is so much more than that, that her kindness, her dedication and her attention to others are her real defining trait, what really makes Ami the precious friend and the great person she is. While her intelligence more often than not attracted jealousy and coldness, it was her kind heart who, ultimately, saved her and allowed her to find the friends she truly deserved. 

All the people I ship romantically with this characterI used to low-key ship her with Ryo back in season 1. I like her relationship with Makoto both in a romantic and platonic way.

My non-romantic OTP for this characterAside from the aforementioned Makoto and the main girls OT5, I’m intrigued by her student/mentor relationship with Setsuna/Sailor Pluto as hinted in the manga.

My unpopular opinion about this characterI am not excessively bothered by the fact that she doesn’t have an offensive technique in the first season? I think her role as a purely support fighter is really unusual and fits her character.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon.Connected to the previous point, I wish we could have seen a more varied series of support powers from her, like the dimensional-barrier thing seen in the manga or a more extensive use of the Shabon Spray as a freezing weapon (leaving Aqua Illusion to a purely offensive manoeuvrer)

SAILOR JUPITER/MAKOTO KINO

How I feel about this characterSame with Ami, I love how Mako as a character is built on duality: big, strong and intimidating at first glance and caring, delicate and romantic once you get to know her. Moreover, the narrative acknowledges this, and you get to see her grow, learn to accept herself for what she is and give to her friends all the love and protection she is capable to give. You see her find a family after a life of isolation and rejection, and you see her unleashing all of her fury to protect this happiness and the world where she found it. How can you not possibly love her and wish her nothing but happiness? 

All the people I ship romantically with this characterSee the previous part regarding Ami x Mako. If we take into account the live-action, instead…

My non-romantic OTP for this characterhum. Aside from the OT5, I can’t find anyone else? (Tough, If I have to say, I don’t really see her getting along that well with Haruka or admiring her like it was hinted in the manga and a bit in S?)

My unpopular opinion about this characterIt is complicated to say, but I think that Mako managed to develop into an amazing and likeable character without all the inputs that were added into her backstory (namely, both the senpai thing and her dead parents), so I think you could still have a nice character with her struggles and depth without such a heavy backstory??? but again this is basically nitpicking. 

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon.more jokes about her talent  I wish we could have seen more of her daily life without her parents or, even better, Mako slowly getting “adopted” by the Tsukinos, with her staying for dinner, helping with the chores… it could have developed in a lot of interesting ways!

Thank you so much for asking!