#just leaving both sides of leadership frustrated

[auggusst]

nagging machiavellian bitch and tired 'dont make this my problem' old man yaoi my beloved

[arolesbianism]

Thinks oh so hard abt the spiraling upwards clan founders, especially the birchclan founders. Silly lil kitties who's pasts are drenched in blood with the primary regret of not drawing it sooner

[welcomethefears]

Part One || Part Three

(Oops I slipped and wrote more :) )

As he heard the sound of clashing swords behind him, Legolas once again felt his mind drifting to (Y/N), not for the first time since the fellowship had left Rivendell. As Boromir, a rather bawdy human as Legolas regarded, clashed playfully with the Hobbits, Legolas found himself tracing another memory of the (H/C) haired she-elf. Seeing the clashing of sword and dagger, well swords for the halflings, Legolas saw his young friend.

It was one of the trips soon after the one he initially met (Y/N), during a time in which they always fought. That day was no different. In trying to prove herself, or as he thought at the time, embarrass him, Legolas had approached his regiment of guards only to find them fighting the young noble born girl. He remembered how taken aback he had been, seeing what he thought a prissy princess to be tussling with warrior elves. She was holding her own only due to her vigour, as undoubtedly her movements were sloppy and unrefined. Although to any other race of Middle Earth she would seem as graceful as a trained dancer, Legolas’ keen eyes picked apart each mistake she had made. Upon seeing their prince, the Mirkwood elves had dispersed, and the guard attacking (Y/N) had disengaged much to her frustration.

“What do you want pretty boy?” (Y/N) had asked him in an annoyed tone, causing Legolas to blush lightly, both now upon reliving the memory and in the memory. At the time however, Legolas was also angered by her words. During those years of rivalry, she loved to call him names, always enjoyed seeing him seethe with indignation. Perhaps it had been because of how flawless his father was that she wanted to crack his uptight shell, or perhaps when she called him pretty boy, she had really meant it. Legolas now believed the latter but chuckled slightly remembering what had happened next.

“I have a patrol in the forests I need to take this lot on. If you’ll return to your father’s side then perhaps, we can continue with our work unimpeded,” He had asserted, wanting to pinch a nerve. He had done so successfully, as he watched her face flush in embarrassment at his words, however the outcome was completely different from what he had desired.

“I believe you’ll need an extra pair of hands, led the way, Prince Legolas,” She replied angrily, grabbing at a nearby short sword and shoving it into the leather belt she wore around her tunic. She had not been bluffing when she asserted, she’d join the patrol, and Legolas now thought that had been her ploy all along, after all, she hadn’t worn one of her flowing gowns that day. He recalls how she stuck annoyingly close to his side that patrol, taking a lead jokingly over him in a way that he had felt undermined his leadership. In reality she had just been trying to amuse him and help him where she could. He remembers now how her braided (H/C) shone in the rare pockets of sunshine that Mirkwood forest would sometimes get, and how his arrow was trained towards the unknown that may threaten her. He cannot recall how the two separated from the regiment, but he can picture what they encountered next. It was a nest of the large spiders that threatened the peace of the Mirkwood forest, and Legolas had been swift to decimate as many fledgling arachnids as possible. Before he could finish them off however she had launched herself to stand between the remaining spiderlings and him.

“Stand aside, Princess,” He had hissed at her, already frustrated with her presence, anger growing even further with her current actions.

“This is foolish Legolas. If you kill all these spiderlings the fully grown ones will grow agitated. You’re putting future patrols in danger. Besides, killing every single one will disrupt the natural order. We must leave at leave some alive, so the earth is stable,” She had asserted, drawing her sword from her side to defend the creatures further. Legolas was beyond furious at the time, but now he could see her strength in that moment. (Y/N) had always been more connected with the land and her creatures than he ever had, and she was easily more knowledgeable as well. He admired that about her now, but during this incident he hated it fiercely. At the time he drew him own short sword, and the two clashed as best they could. Despite her best attempts, Legolas was, and always had been, the greater fighter of the two.

Legolas had pinned her the forest floor, her braid picking up twigs and green grass from the forest floor as she grit her teeth at his proximity. In a flush of anger and annoyance he had pressed the blade in her neck, yet she stared back at him defiantly. They had eventually been broken apart when a more senior guard had found and dragged the two back to the citadel as they threw insults at each other. The nest had been left, and although Legolas had to fight off those spiders later, he acknowledged that the order of the forest remained for another cycle.

He shook his head as he returned to the current moment, glancing at the play fight in front of him. It was much less aggressive than his had been with (Y/N) all those decades ago, and so he shook his head softly. He felt someone bump his shoulder, and Aragorn looked almost knowingly into his eyes.

“Keep a look out, will you?” Aragorn instructed, directly Legolas’ gaze to the horizon with his own grey eyes. Legolas rolled his eyes in response, before turning to dutifully keep look out for the group. As he kept watch, hearing the clashing of swords still, his eyebrows furrowed as he saw something on the horizon.

“What is that?” Sam asked with concern.

“Nothing… it’s just a whisp of cloud,” Gimli dismissed, causing Legolas to grow agitated, just as he had once done with (Y/N).

“It’s moving fast… against the wind,” Boromir observed worriedly, immediately halting the fight which had cause Legolas to reminisce. Legolas raised his own brows in worry now, before yelling to group in a panicked warning.

“Crebain from Dunland!”

“Hide!” Instructed Aragorn as Legolas hid as quickly as he could. As he found cover, his thought flashed quickly to (Y/N), wondering what she would have done in this situation.

~*~

Legolas looked on carefully as Bill the pony retreated from the Fellowship, the small, stout and reliable creature that was now unburdened from the supplies trotted away with little care. Aragorn had said he knew the way home, but Legolas couldn’t help but worry slightly about the poor creature. Perhaps that was a lingering effect from (Y/N)’s companionship, his worries and valuing of the creatures of Middle Earth. That time he had found her with an eagle was not exceptional, and he found his lips upturning slightly while thinking of her nurturing approach to creatures. Sam seemed fairly upset and quietly unsettled at having to say his goodbyes to Bill, but Legolas knew it was for the better. The quest ahead was going to be rough to put it lightly, and it was no place for such a kind soul as a pony. Although they had not spoken at length so far on this journey, Legolas found himself wandering towards the round halfling. Upon closer inspection, this was hitting Sam harder than Legolas first assumed. Likely Bill’s departure was an indication that this journey was going to be so much harder than Sam had ever imagined, for if a pony could not accompany them, it was surely going to be a challenge.

“It is better he does not accompany us. I was told once that equine’s will follow their companions through the worst dangers possible, without a care for their own wellbeing. It is a kind mercy that you spare Bill from facing what is ahead,” Legolas told Sam, trying his best to comfort him. He had placed a hand on his shoulder to try and comfort him, but in truth Legolas had little experience physically comforting people. Even when he had broken (Y/N)’s heart, he had awkwardly hovered over her sobbing form, unable to find it in himself to reach out and embrace her.

“I am grateful for your words. The person who told you that is as wise as they are kind Mr Legolas,” Sam replied, patting Legolas’ hand to acknowledge his attempts to comfort him. Legolas nodded, his smile from before at remembering (Y/N) growing more.

“She is indeed,” Legolas confirmed with a nod, pulling his hand away to give Sam a little space to process his feelings.

“Tell me about this elleth, perhaps it will distract me from the sadness I feel over Bill,” Sam instructed, although his tone was incredibly soft and melancholic. Legolas smiled but was quietly surprised that Sam did not know he was talking about (Y/N). From how close Frodo and Sam were, he had assumed that Frodo had relayed all the information he knew. As Legolas recalled, Hobbits had a penchant for gossip, but nonetheless he felt lighter at the prospect of talking about someone he valued so dearly.

“I recall this one memory in particular of her, from when we used to despise each other, though I promise now she is valued companion. I had been visiting her family in Rivendell to participate in negotiations of some description, I no longer remember the specifics. I had been tending to my horse a day or so after my arrival, brushing his coat in an attempt to escape the politics of my father.  This elleth, her name is (Y/N), had approached me in the stables. Her (h/c) hair was braided neatly, and she was dressed in riding clothes. It was clear that she was there for similar reasons. She approached her own horse, a dappled grey mare, who whinnied softly at seeing her rider. (Y/N) has always been in tune with the creatures of Middle Earth, as was evident with the way all the horses in the stable had turned their attention to her, including my own stallion. In those days I was jealous of her abilities, and I was immature enough to let a competitive spirit sour our encounters.

She approached me kindly while holding the mare’s reins and informed me that the way I was tending to my horse could be better, and that he preferred a wooden comb for his mane. She has this innate ability to read all those around her, including the creatures she wandered through life with. Before I learnt to appreciate this, it angered me greatly. I challenged her to a ride around the outskirts of Rivendell, intending to demonstrate my own prowess with horses. (Y/N) is stubborn, always has been, and so she angered slightly at my own attitude. I know now that challenging her, questioning her about her knowledge of creatures was foolish, she had always been insecure of her abilities. I should not have pushed her to race, and yet she responded with a fire I have rarely seen in any companion I have known.

She was quick, a strong rider with an even stronger bond to her mare which she tended to like a mother would a child. This was her only weakness in the race against me, she cared too greatly for the creature. I purposely chose a path which would push our horses, and I knew no fear in placing my horse in danger. She lost the race and was furious at me. She could not care less about the race by the end of it, for she was more concerned for the wellbeing of my stallion. She would be terrible on a battlefield, but I could tell this care was why Rivendell had such loyal horses. I was astounded by her accusation, that I cared little for my stallion, and stormed away to calm myself in a nearby forest.

She had found us later, the horse and I, approaching in a calmer manner. She apologized for outburst towards me, before explaining herself. It was then I understood her perspective, and little by little I have been working towards viewing all of Middle Earth’s creatures with the reverence she has for them. She would be proud we are caring for Bill in such a way, since he is a loyal pony who would do anything for you,” Legolas finished, smiling down at Sam as he finished recounting the tale. He purposefully left out the part where he had truly started to admire her after this encounter, and that he had apologized greatly for placing his horse in danger over a simple rivalry.

Upon reflection now, he had challenged (Y/N) to the race so he could watch her ride. When he had watched her ride into Mirkwood she had always been rigid and proper, so seeing a more relaxed version of her race him was tantalizing. Her husbandry of horses was incredible, that he could now admit. She was an incredible rider and even better carer, and Legolas was in quiet awe each time he rode with her. Perhaps it was his own insecurity about his connection to the lands, feeling that as an elf, a prince at that, his knowledge should be strong. Now though, he knew simply that her knowledge filled his gaps, rather than challenged his.

“She sounds very kind indeed. You seem incredibly fond of this elleth,” Sam replied after fully absorbing Legolas’ story. Legolas blinked himself back into the moment, tearing his mind away from the image of (Y/N) riding her mare with incredible skill.

“I am fond of her. She is one of my closest companions,” Legolas replied with a smile.

“A companion? Forgive me for my forwardness Mr Legolas but you speak of (Y/N) the way I speak of Rosie Cotton. She is the most amazing lass I have ever seen, and I intend to marry her one day,” Sam announced confidently to Legolas, which took him a back slightly. He spoke of (Y/N) the way Sam spoke of the woman he wanted to marry? Legolas was shocked, he could not form his thoughts, let alone words for the thoughts. Married? To (Y/N)? His stomach churned and his heart felt heavy as he thought about the gorgeous elleth who’s heart he had shattered in a million pieces.

“I wish you luck in wooing your love,” Legolas replied in a way which was certainly kind, but also indicated that he did not wish to address the conversation further. Sam nodded in response, picking up on the subtle hint that Legolas was struggling to understand how he felt.

Legolas departed from Sam’s side, sitting himself on a rock nearby to gaze at the water. He watched with narrowed eyes as Merry and Pippin threw rocks into the water, trying his best to attune himself to the present rather than become preoccupied with more, overwhelming thoughts of (Y/N).

[ofseaglass]

work comes first

summery - After the war Finnick Odair takes up new responsibilities regarding District 4. but what happens when he starts neglecting quality time with his wife?

pairing - Finnick Odair x Fem!Reader

Word count - 0.9k

After the war had ended, Finnick was to help with essentially rebuilding the world. He took over some leadership over District four and was constantly helping with the rebuilding of homes that were lost due to bombing. You were strictly told by him to stay put and not to do a single thing, not even lift a finger when it came to working on the reestablishment of your home. Though sometimes when he was out during the day you’d bring him lunch or watch him do whatever it is he needed to do. But the worst days were the ones he spent in his office. Enveloped in paperwork and updates and writing letters. You wanted to give him space you really did. But he had just recovered from the Mutt attack that almost took his life. It's not that he didn’t spend time with you. You were still his top priority but being spoiled with sleepless nights in 13 had you missing the times where you had hours to be enveloped in each others arms in his room.

So it upset you just a little when he didn’t leave his office after 11pm. Where in the living room you had all his favourite snacks from the capitol that were sent to you both, red wine from District 11 all set up as a little picnic. He’d been working so hard and you wanted to do something nice for him. And because you wanted to spend some time with him after being neglected the past week. You’d been waiting for an hour now, he usually finished around 10 so what was the hold up? When 10 more minutes passed the frustration set in and you decided to check up on him. 

You knocked lightly on his office door and opened it a crack, peaking your head in. He looked up from a pile of papers and gave you a sleepy smile, some light returning to his tired eyes. He looked so sleepy after being here since 5. But you smiled knowing he’ll finally get to relax with you.

“Do you need something, honey?” he asked, his voice slightly horse from exhaustion. You shook your head and frowned. “I've got a surprise for you. When will you be done?”

“A surprise?” he cocked an eyebrow and smiled. “As soon as I finish this progress report for President Paylor I'll be down. Promise” He told you, his attention returning to his pen and paper. You nodded and closed the door as you left, starting to feel tired yourself.

You return to the living room and sit on the couch, staring at the picnic you set up. Untouched.

Another hour passed and you were out cold. The exhaustion is finally catching up to you. But when the clock struck 1 am finnick finally noticed the time and remembered he promised you he'd be finished over an hour ago. He instantly stood up, muscles aching for sitting for so long and he started down the stairs. Only to find his wife asleep on the couch, snoring softly and the little surprise you had set up for him. To say he felt terrible was a brutal understatement. 

How could he have so carelessly ignored the time? He made you a promise! What kind of husband-

He sighs, trying to silence the thoughts and carries you back up to  your shared bed. He removes your jewelry and changes into his pajamas before slipping under the covers with you, pulling you close to him as he presses a gentle kiss to your lips.

“Finnick?”

You spoke, half asleep while nuzzling into his chest. “I’m here now, baby. I'm so sorry.” he said, lips pressed against your temple as he soothingly ran his fingers through your hair. 

You shook your head. “It's okay. Work comes first.”

Those words are what really got to him. He can't believe he has made you feel as though his work came before you. Obviously it was important but you were his world. And he needed to make it up to you.

The next morning when you awoke you reached out toward Finnicks side of the bed. Only to find it cold and empty. Was he really back to work already? You knew it was important but you didn't know how much more you could take. 

You got up to go clean up the untouched picnic from downstairs only to find the living room spotless and the sweet smell of pancakes coming from the kitchen. When you saw your husband standing in his pajamas with his golden messed-up curls you crossed your arms. Is this him trying to get your forgiveness?

He turns around and smiles as he flips the batter in the pan. When he sees your unbothered expression he frowns slightly and approaches you.

“I know. I'm so sorry, pretty girl. I never intended to make you feel unimportant. I love you so much and I swear to you that I'll keep an eye on the time when I'm in the office late.”

You hug into him and sigh. “I understand. It's okay.” but he shakes his head.

“It’s not. And I know it's gonna take more than pancakes to make it up to you. That's why I have a whole day planned. Starting with walking to that cafe you like to get your mocha latte.”

You hum and press your lips to his as he cups your face.

“Apology accepted.” you say simply, pretending to be unbothered. And he sighs. Relieved.

“But Finn?” He looks down at you questioningly.

You look behind him at the abandoned pancakes blackening

“You're not off to a great start with your peace offering about to burn down our kitchen.”

[yannaryartside]

A REVIEW OF SYDNEY'S JOURNEY INSIDE SYDCARMY

As a person who profoundly yearns for sydcarmy, I would like to say…

Syd can love Carmy despite everything

But she cannot stay with him despite everything.

Not despite the problems in their relationship, not despite his inability to resolve his issues. And more importantly, not despite her own mental health, happiness, and dreams.

this is kind of an open letter to the writers of this show...because I have concerns of how they will rap this up, particularly for Sydney. It all got worse because of that Mattew interview.

PART 1:THE LOVE IN THE STRUGGLE

I understand what the show is doing with Carmy and Syd, showing the reality of loving someone with mental illness and (metaphorically) loving someone recovering from addiction. The struggle to do right by each other, coming from both sides, is excruciating and frustrating to watch, but it is beautiful (to a certain extent).

They are also playing into all of Carmy’s insecurities of never being good enough even when he tries his best. So what better way to heal that than showing Carmy that he was good enough for Sydney to love him despite him failing her (as a partner and friend). The love triangle thing is salt to injury until Carmy decides to stop ignoring all the ways Syd affects him. But that has to be in unison with him leaving behind all his bad coping mechanisms: the work addiction, the self-sabotage, and a toxic relationship.

I get it. But you have to show the other side of the coin. How can you love someone despite everything (despite how they hurt themselves and you) and still decide to do what’s right for you? To keep your side of the street clean, as the character in the anonymous meeting said.

Syd has been a punching bag (emotionally) for the majority of her screen time. Even her trying to discover her culinary voice in s2 was framed in the context of Carmy’s abandonment. I was pissed off after s2, but now I am baffled and angry.

Some time ago, I interacted in this fandom with someone who said Syd would be a prop for Carmen's growth; in all fairness, I think they meant a plot device. A character whose sole purpose in the narrative is to show the main character “the right way” (with a romantic relationship or not), like Gandalf or something. A character is never explored in depth and, therefore, absent of agency besides the elements of the character that favor the path of the main character.

I am not saying every element of Sydney's character has been crafted to favor Carmen. But the show has shown some intent of never giving her any agency besides sticking with these people in this broken system because she loves them all, Carmy especially.

I understand why Syd would choose to stay; she has found a place where she belongs, I just wish she didn't have to sacrifice a good opportunity to achieve her own creative vision, to have more financial security, and even her heart (now broken) in order stay at the Bear. Because that is the narrative, the show is feeding you. Do you want me to applaud her for being loyal despite letting go of all her dreams and sitting by a man who has rejected her in multiple ways just so she can prove she is the one? No, respectfully, fuck you.

If Syd is in love with Carmy despite everything, that's fine; that's just life, and you can do nothing about it. If she lets go of her chances to pursue her dreams waiting for him, that's on her.

Not to mention, this show crafted this character in a particular way. She is insecure about her talents, and despite having great people skills and exemplary leadership, she doesn't believe she can manage it all on her own, walking to the sound of her own drum and her will. I need that for her. That growth, just because it really feels like they have been building up to it. The character that never saw themselves in a leadership position but by doing it discover they are meant for it.

CALL YOUR HERO BY IT'S NAME

I also need her to have credit for everything, right there on the screen: the recognition, the opportunities, the adventure, and the self-exploration, the love.

Why are we trying to make peace with the fact that Sydcarmy may be open-ended? and (in that same context) that Syd's culinary success could also be open-ended, or just a brief plot point in this show that nominated Ayo as a "lead" in award shows?

Regardless of creative decisions, even if you want to make a show solely about closing bad chapters before opening the good ones, it could be done better. This is not a shipping or a fandom thing.

Sydney gets to be the peace (the real one), but that will never be acknowledged by the other characters and only firefly by the man she has loved for all the show's runtime? Why is it that the audience cannot explore/witness Carmy's desire for her? To see him dream of her and call her his actual peace? To pursue her and trying to be better, especially for her? Why does that only get to be a glimpse in your narrative? You already decided that was what you wanted for your main character, you could at least tell your audience that's what you want.

They spend a lot of time and energy deceiving us, but they have to put in (if not time) an equal amount of effort to show why Sydney is the right choice.

Also, why is that only the black woman, the one whose culinary journey we don't follow and explore? Particularly in her getting credit for it and feeling good about her chosen profession? Marcus got to go to Copenhagen, Ebra and Tina got culinary school, and the shows have followed them in their journey to gain confidence in this craft. We got a whole episode of Carmy's journey (and Luca's).

You have four young chefs that we follow so we can get a journey inside the paths in this industry: Luca, Carmy, Syd, and Marcus. Three of these young chef characters (the three men) had the opportunity to travel and have mentors who valued them and recognized their potential; what about Syd?

This point keeps pissing me off. When Matty Matheson decided to open his mouth to say, "Sydney doesn't have professional training," it hurt extra because I am sure some people were watching who, even if they watched the show, may doubt that he was incorrect.

Syd is the only restaurant member who actually went to culinary school. The fucking CIA. The only acknowledgment the audience has of her culinary experience is that line of dialogue of Carmy being impressed by her resume in the fucking pilot. Besides that, the only element of her journey being brought up in dialogue constantly through the seasons is Sheridan Road, her most recent and painful professional failure. It also doesn't look good that Syd is the only one not " European trained" of the young chefs and is precisely the one whose recipes and creations are never properly acknowledged or explored.

The worst part of all this is that Sydney is the only woman in the main cast whose childhood dream was cooking professionaly. Tina, Marcus, and Luca discover this passion later in life, you could even say Carmy didn't dream of fine dining before Michael cast him out of the sandwich shop. But Sydney likely grows up dreaming of this as the only daughter of a single father (who is likely a first-generation American), a girl who lost her mother quite young; therefore, she is conscious about time and how she decides to use it.

So, dear Bear writers, please let Sydney win; at this point, I am begging you. Out of dignity and craftsmanship, if I cannot ask for more. You may resolve this in s4, or whatever time you are thinking for this. Let me inside her heart, her deep motives, to find her courage, let her shine. Follow her. She will love Carmy still, and if Carmy comes from her, let her be his.

[josy-woodhouse]

I want in on talking about Annabel and Prospero.

Since most posts I've seen are about how nice it is to watch them being healthy for one another (it really is, I adore their dynamic) I decided to talk about how neither of them would hesitate to kill one another eventually.

First of all both Annabel Lee and Prospero are calculative people. Both of them care for only the outcome and how to get there. I have seen people call Annabel a hypocrite for protecting Prospero because he's important to her after what she did to Duke and I entirely disagree, more on the rescue from Ada later. We have established that Annabel really doesn't care that everyone in the academy (except one, if the Deans can be trusted) is doomed.

I don't think Annabel's general willingness to sacrifice people needs to be discussed.

Now, I'm leaning a bit far out the window here, but take a good look at Prospero in the left picture above, he looks more frustrated than anything. His chances just got a lot worse, he needs to rethink his strategy and on top of all that Ada is invading his personal space again.

Moving forward to what I think makes their mutual betrayal inevitable, the episodes after the Mansion Arc (this is were it gets interesting):

Until now we have seen Prospero mostly be mildly bothered by whatever is happening. When everything fell apart during the Lesson and everyone except for him apperently just did not do their job, he seemed like he was about to explode and seriously questioning his choice of team. Everyone else appeared to just want to go on with the day, Prospero however demanded answers, proving that he cares to win this entire game without getting side tracked.

Further his behaviour during the lesson shows that he actually doesn't get how anyone else would still be reluctant to kill their friends here. He was genuinely not expecting anyone to act out of empathy anymore.

And after the widow's watch affair and him witnessing Annabel freaking out after the labyrinth and smoothly asking about Pluto instead of giving an explanation, he is surely just one big-ish failure or unwillingness to take action away from openly confronting Annabel how it can be that whenever she is alone with Lenore, things go south ways, how whenever people want to act against Lenore, she calls it a waste of time despite the growingly obvious threat that Lenore poses.

I think Annabel actually does matter to him, and I think he matters to Annabel as well, but both of them expect something really specific from one another and sympathy alone means little to them.

Now about Annabel saving Prospero.

I believe this says everything:

Since Annabel is a chess player, get ready for chess metaphors:

In chess, most gambits are about giving away a pawn. Why? Because a pawn has very little value on its own and sacrificing a pawn in order to get a slightly more profitable structure on the board can actually be worth it.

Sacrificing a queen? If you do something like that, you better be 100% sure you're seeing a forced checkmate.

Not only is Prospero's spector really powerful, Prospero is also the only thing keeping Annabel in control of her own team right now. Other than Prospero who's supporting her as long as she keeps bringing results, she is stuck with Ada who is a complete wild card and useless most of the time, Morella who is only half on her team, Will who is loyal mostly to Montresor and Montresor who constantly challenges her leadership.

The way things are standing right now, everything she has build would fall apart the very moment Prospero is gone.

Also, what if Annabel and Lenore have to stay long enough for their teams to start falling apart? Whom does Annabel want to face in a one on one? Someone like Montresor who's spector can very much use brute force against her or someone like Prospero who's spector is similarly unforceful as hers?

We even saw, that Annabel can just simply neutralise Prospero's rats with her fog, leaving him with no real attack on her. While he applies her with status conditions she can use her blossoms to attack him after she used her fog to make his rats disappear like she did on the widow's watch

Annabel did not safe him because she likes him, which she does. She saved him because he is a very important piece for her game and no real threat to her in the long run.

Prospero follows Annabel not because he likes her, which he does, but because she keeps bringing results. Or at least she did until rather recently.

[mayzi33]

**THINGS FROM THE SERIES I LOVED THAT THEY CHANGED/ADDED VS THINGS IN THE BOOKS I WISH THEY KEPT IN THE SERIES**

Just wanna highlight I KNOW they can't possibly keep the series 100% accurate to the books after all if they were just recreating the same thing that wouldn't be fun. But those are just things I think could've worked if they chose to keep it.

Things I like that were added/changed.

-Leeli being more active from the beggining. I know that Leeli's caracter arc is about her finding confidence in herself and being independent in her own circustances (needing a crutch and all). But I love how they highlight that more from the start in the tv show. She's constantly trying to keep up with her brothers and prove herself to them, choosing to go to the Anklejelly Manor with them, being able to play zizby with them, using her crutch as a weapon, helping her family with her observation skills, and how she shows frustration in her role as Song Maiden (just like Janner and Tink show frustration in theirs) since she doesn't want to just stay on the sidelines and play her whistleharp and all the time and actually wants to fight. I love how they're showing more of Leeli's feisty personality rather than just her sweet side.

-Sara being introduced from the beggining. I like that instead of just revealing us that the Sara Cobbler girl that merely mentioned in the beggining of the first book is actually really releavant in the second book, they show her importance from the start. And I especially like how they show her leadership skills (which makes sense in the fork factory revolution arc) and I also love Janner's silly crush on her, highlighting how much he must blame himself for her being taken away and how much he must blame himself even more for leaving her behind. Which again, adds a nice touch to Janner's character, since we know that being eat up by guilt its his whole thing.

-I really like the way they started building up the tension beetwen Janner and Tink from the start. Janner constantly snapping at him and regretting it later, and even when he apologizes Tink doesn't seem to accept it showing that he already took whatever Janner said or did to heart. All leading up to when Tink gets overwheld and runs away from his brother in Dugtown. And once again good ol' guilt eating Janner up.

-I like how Podo seems to be even more affectionative towards the kids, especially the boys. In the books it's shown he's softer towards Leeli, which makes sense, since she's the youngest, the only girl, and they bond over the fact they both got a disability in their leg. But even though it's made clear he loves Janner and Tink just as much even though he might be a little tough in them from time to time (Janner being the eldest and Tink being a king plus the man-up ideology), I love how he's shown more affectionative towards them in the series. Headpats, words of comfort, lifts them up, first priority is to keep the kids safe. Also love the pet names he has for them. "Oskar, get these pups to safety in you-know-where." "If you drop my grand-baby I swear I'll-" "Stout heart, son."

-I also love how Nia is more active aswell. She freaking threw a STATUE on a hound dog to protect her son. She took a big ass LEAP. She never puts her head down to the fangs ONCE. And she's also shown to know how to fight a with a sword. Nia was already a badass mama in the books and these little scenes in the series make her even MORE badass.

Things from the books that weren't kept in the series and I wish they were:

-Some of Janner's outbursts. Janner's temper and sudden outbursts are one of my favorite things about his character and what I think shows the most about his eldest child struggles. Unfortunately in the series he doesn't seem to have them as much in the books (or maybe he does, I need to rewatch the series) and I especially wanted to see his outburst right in the beggining of the book where he snaps at Podo and Nia for pestering him about taking care of Tink and Leeli again. I think it's a big part of his character, and though I underatand that it was probably downplayed due to the sake of screentime and maybe even built-up for something bigger, I wish they kept at least that scene.

-The kids being caught by the fangs and thrown in jail during Dragon's Day. Again, it's something they adapted for the whole family to be caught at once later on, but the only reason why I wanted the kids' ambush and kidnapping to be kept it's simply for the sake of bonding moment tbh. The way Tink and Leeli immediatly coodle up to Janner, and how Janner tries to be the adult and checks on their wounds and consoles them. Also, the scene where once they're out of jail Podo is yelling his lungs out at them but then immediatly softens when they hug him. and later on he PRAISES THEM for terrozing the fangs LMAO literally those are the only reasons I kinda wish they kept it that way

-Podo's nightmare in the second book. I was kinda dissapointed when they didn't keep it in season 2 and also pretty much confused. I find it to be a key moment for built-up to later reveal Podo's past. I'm sure they'll still make the big reveal worth it but I hope they still throw some hints here and there to make-up for that scene cut. Once again, I think they might have done it for the sake of time limit.

-Tink being implied to have a crush on Maraly. In the second book, it's shown that among the Wingfather group Tink was the one who got the closest to the Strander Chief's daughter who kidnapped them in the first place. They're always playing together, and later on Tink says to Janner that he "really likes her". I wish they kept that because among the Wingfeather kids Tink is probably the last one to be interested in romance. Leeli is always sighing dreamily when the adults tell them love stories and clearly seems to be in love with Thron and dreams of marriage though she was in denial at first. And Janner became head over the heels for Sara after she oh-so-bravely sacrificed herself for him and dreams of going back to rescue her or at least reunite with her someday. (and lets not forget the whole "eyes that shine like jewels in the dark" thing. a poet in love is the dorkiest thing ever.) So, Tink seems to be the most grossed out by the idea of being in love. And Maraly, being a tough strander girl, probably has never thought of such thing. So I think it'd be funny to see this "I'll never fall in love love is gross" duo slowly fall for eachother. So I wish they kept that or at least showcased that more.

I'll probably make a part two of this. Probably.

[dyxtd21]

Starcream's canon information and trivia:

1. The cherry on Starcream’s head isn’t just a decorative flair—it’s a symbol of his vanity and self-importance. He’s obsessed with keeping it polished, using it to draw attention to himself, especially in tense situations. Starcream believes that his cherry represents his “royal” status among the Decepticorns and acts as if it’s a crown, giving him an almost ridiculous sense of grandeur. He often says things like, “No other Decepticorn could bear the cherry of leadership.” Ironically, Megatwix barely acknowledges it.

2. Starcream has an uncanny ability to flatter, charm, and manipulate with sugary words, earning him a reputation as the “Sweet-Talk Specialist.” He’s always whispering compliments and half-hearted praise, especially to Soundwafer and Shockwerther, in attempts to win allies against Megatwix. However, his sweet-talking rarely gets him far, as most Decepticorns see through his honeyed words. Still, he’s convinced his charisma is unparalleled, often saying things like, “It’s not manipulation if they simply appreciate my finesse.”

3. Whenever he's cornered or caught, he immensely "sweats" cream, dripping fast down from him.

4. If he's angered, there is a high chance he bursts cream everywhere, which would hit others or flood the room in the process.

5. While flying in his alt mode, he would splash others that he sees in his cream, including Megatwix. This is his mischievous side of. He will then smirk and chuckle, remarking mockingly: "Aww, look at you. All nice and creamy for my taste. How cute."

6. Starcream has a near-phobic obsession with everything being perfect. His whipped cream and cherry must be spotless, and he goes to absurd lengths to make sure his appearance is flawless at all times. If there’s any hint of imperfection, he’ll drop whatever he’s doing—even in battle—to fix it, muttering curses about “inferior” desserts and the “outrageous” state of his surroundings. This trait often backfires, as his fixation on appearance blinds him to practical matters, leaving him vulnerable in situations where others are focused on the task at hand.

7. His cream melts quickly upon standing too close to anything flammable, like fire itself.

8. When Starcream really wants to lay down a threat, he has a habit of phrasing it in the sweetest possible language. Instead of outright saying he’ll “finish off” a rival, he might say something like, “I’d just hate to see you crumble under the pressure!” These sugar-coated threats are classic Starcream—sweet on the surface, but with an unmistakable sharpness underneath. He thinks these backhanded lines make him sound clever and intimidating, though they often come off as comical to others.

9. Whenever he’s upset, Starcream has a dramatic tendency to launch into what the other Decepticorns have dubbed his “meltdown monologues.” In these, he’ll complain about how “unappreciated” and “tragically misunderstood” he is, often speaking to no one in particular. These monologues have been known to last several minutes and are full of sugary self-pity and elaborate gestures, as he acts out his grievances and laments the fact that no one recognizes his true greatness. These are both comedic and frustrating for the other Decepticorns, who often just leave him to rant alone.

10. Starcream has given himself the grandiose title of “Supreme Cream Commander.” He insists that everyone address him this way, especially when he’s trying to make a point or assert authority. Of course, almost no one in the Decepticorns actually uses this title except for Starcream himself, and Megatwix will occasionally refer to him as “Commander Cream Puff” just to get under his skin.

11. Starcream dreams of leading a “Candy Coup,” where he overthrows Megatwix and declares himself ruler of the Decepticorns. This plan, which he constantly tries to enact, involves him rebranding the Decepticorns as the "Cream Elite."

12. Starcream has a particular envy for any Decepticorn that gains Megatwix’s praise or attention, especially Soundwafer. Though he constantly mocks Soundwafer as “dry” or “unimaginative,” deep down he can’t stand that Soundwafer is so valued by Megatwix. Whenever Megatwix acknowledges someone else’s work, Starcream becomes consumed with jealousy and will go to comical lengths to prove his superiority, usually by trying to do a “better job” in increasingly absurd ways. His plans to upstage his allies typically end in sticky mishaps that only further frustrate him.

13. Starcream has a strong disdain for anything crunchy (including Thundercrunch)

[sol-dial]

It’s been a while but I can finally gush about my favorite moments from Avengers Assemble Season 3, episode 21 “Building the Perfect Weapon” :D

So blah blah Truman Marsh kicking Hulk out of the Avengers and he is replaced by Red Hulk. When that’s revealed, welp chaos. Hulk runs away and gosh the rest of the Avengers go to run after him but Marsh tells them they have a mission to do.

Everyone goes back into the room except Steve and Tony and they talk.

“If he thinks I’ll go on another mission with that maniac..” Tony said, obviously frustrated.

“We have to make the best of it, Tony.” Steve replies seriously and not a second later he smiles at him rather fondly, leaning in to clasp his armored shoulder. “I thought you were a maniac when I met you.”

And HELLO?! Steve keeps his hand on Tony’s shoulder as they walk back into the room qwq. Also..I want to know the lore so bad why Steve first thought Tony was a maniac when they first met and how that opinion changed!!

Then mission and Red Hulk casually dropping military knowledge to everyone’s surprise.

After digesting the information, Steve moves his gaze to look back at Tony, who looks at him. “A maniac, huh?” Steve says in quiet disbelief.

(SHUT UP? It’s so silly that Steve brought that up since no one else on the team will understand that reference except Tony. Like, Steve looked back at Tony to bring it up)

As Red-Hulk suddenly charges, Steve backs up to be side-by-side with Tony. The two exchange sideway glances, Steve giving a knowing smile as he merely shrugs.

Tony looks away, muttering “Yeah. Maniac.” , unaware that Steve is still looking, and smiling fondly, at him until Tony begins ordering.

Steve trying to hide his love for Tony challenge (impossible)

Like geez, Steve still smiling and looking at Tony even though Tony isn’t looking at him and only moves when orders are being delivered like okay sir good for you 👌

Anyways they find The Leader and fight Ultimo and I that fight scene because of Tony’s quick thinking planning!

He first tells Falcon to get Ultimo to chase him and Falcon does it without question until wanting to know what’s next. The Avengers trust Tony I love it <3

In the span of minutes, Tony asks for a cable arrow, compliments Clint’s shot, asks for it very nicely, connects it to the back of Ultimo’s head, orders Thor to electrify the cable, and boom, Ultimo is defeated. Like, YEAH! LEADERSHIP SKILLS, GENIUS SKILLS! The Avengers run so smoothly like woah.

Hehe Tony saying “that’s all” for his plan, and Clint laughs and repeats disbelievingly “Heh. That’s all, he says”. Shut up I love Tony downplaying his quick planning and the team refusing for him to downplay it since yeah, Tony’s a genius!

Tracking The Leader, the Avengers find a destroyed little town and try to find out exactly where he is. Red-Hulk is impulsive as ever, trying to rush things. While arguing, The Leader sent an energy wave to disable their tech. So, Falcon’s trackers don’t work and Tony, in his armor, can’t move o_o

Even more fun, a hole opens up and everyone’s falling!

Red-Hulk jumps using the rocky walls. Thor uses his hammer to hover. Widow uses a wire to hold onto a rock, with Falcon holding onto one of her legs. Clint uses an arrow and sticks it into the wall. Steve digs his shield into the side of the wall.

AHH! With his left hand, Steve is holding his shield and with his right hand, holding onto Tony’s gauntleted wrist. We can hear Steve struggling because Tony’s armor has got to be heavy, and remember Tony can’t move.

How does Steve have a good grip on his shield, with one hand, and the other hand holding Tony, whose armor is probably weighing them both down?!

Anyyywaaays!

Red-Hulk leaves all of them to get The Leader while Thor goes to save the others. Just as Widow’s wire breaks and she and Falcon fall down below Steve and Tony, Thor grabs one of Widow’s wrists. Thor then flies up, where Falcon reaches a hand for Tony to grab onto, so Steve and Tony are dragged up (since Steve is still holding onto one of Tony’s wrists). Clint grabs onto one of Steve’s legs and Thor drags everyone to safety, yippee! :D

(Wanted to add this photo of Steve holding Tony because I’m silly :3)

Tech is finally back up and after running into a death trap with spikes, crushing walls, and lasers, the Avengers decide to fly out of there.

“Everyone who doesn’t fly, grab on.” Tony orders.

Falcon flies, no problem. Thor picks up Clint and Widow jumps down to grab onto Thor. Steve is the only one who jumps onto Tony and hangs on.

Like damn. Tony wanted to help everyone, but everyone’s alright. And Steve was so quick to jump onto Tony like geez, Steve is the only one who wants to be on Tony qwq. They are so powercouple <3

Episode ends with Red Hulk being turned into a gamma bomb, so extra flames, and the hint of Hulk going back to save them..to be continued..as the episode says!

[princeescaluswords]

not sure if it was meant to be done elsewhere, but my favorite fic of yours is 'Ten Things That Scott McCall Can't Say'!

Thank you!

I wanted to point out something. In Second Chance at First Line (1x02) Scott gets angry at Stiles while riding in the Jeep because he feels Stiles is treating Scott's transformation and the danger like a quest in a video game:

Scott: I can't find anything about wolfsbane being used for burial. Stiles: Just keep looking. Maybe it's like a ritual or something, like maybe they bury you as a wolf. Or maybe it's like a special skill, you know? Like something you have to learn. Scott: I'll put it on my to - do list, right underneath figuring out how the hell I'm playing this game tonight. Stiles: Maybe it's different for girl werewolves. Scott: Okay! Stop it! Stiles: Stop what? Scott: Stop saying "werewolves"! Stop enjoying this so much.

Now, we're supposed to believe that Scott's agitated mental state is due to the wolfsbane rope concealed in Stiles's backpack, but this scene also marks something else, just as important. This is the last time we see Scott get angry at Stiles because of how Stiles behaves toward Scott. Scott may become exasperated at Stiles's insistence on murder as a solution when it comes to Derek, Jackson, and Liam, but that is in defense of others, and Scott does judge Stiles in Lies of Omission (5x09) when he believes that Stiles kills Donovan to protect his father, but I cannot think of another time when Scott expresses anger or even frustration at Stiles at how Stiles treats him specifically. If you've read my blog know I believe that there were plenty of opportunities for this.

Now, moving forward to the other end of Scott's character development, compare this exchange to the scene in Pressure Test (6x15), where Scott is gathering his things to leave Beacon County after his father negotiates a deal.

Rafael: Look, I know this isn't what you wanted, but it's the right decision. When Stilinski called... Scott: Can you hand me that shirt right there? Rafael: Now, you can be mad at me, but I'd rather watch you leave the state than watch you die. Scott: (SIGHS) I'm not mad. I get why you did it. Rafael: Scott, you're not the only one who gets to protect his family. I'll be downstairs.

We've seen Scott lay into his father before in Insatiable (3x23), but he doesn't in this instance. While the circumstances are different, both scenes have a character making what's happening to Scott about them instead. But now, six seasons have passed, and Scott has learned that there are things he can't say -- or, more precisely, emotions he can't express during a crisis situation.

Teen Wolf made it a point to explore the burdens of leadership. Derek was an incompetent alpha because he made decisions based on his emotional reactions to events -- anger at what had been done to him and his family -- and Scott has managed to mature into someone who can put aside his own emotions in order to do what must be done. Scott has demonstrated this growth, and he will do it again in Season 6 when -- after a harrowing night of listening to his mother struggle to live on the operating table -- he goes to Peter -- Peter! -- and asks him to join the fight against Monroe.

Personally, I literally seethe in reaction to that scene in Eichen House in Werewolves of London (6x17), but the show was relentless in its conviction that a good leader has to put their own emotional responses to the side in order to be effective. I would have loved if Scott had unloaded, verbally or physically, on Peter after that villain enabled a fanatic to point an assault rifle at his own daughter and the man trying to protect his ungrateful ass, but that wouldn't have made stopping Monroe any easier. So Scott didn't.

Fanfiction gives us what canon didn't, and the lesson Scott learn about suppressing his own reasonable emotional responses is what I explored in this story. I suspect that the movie commented on that by having Scott move to Los Angeles -- somewhere he could be free to express himself -- but I wish it had been more explicit.

[babygirlispunk]

Clandestine

Chapter 3: The Ambush

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Chapter Summary: After your failed recon, the clan trails Din in hopes of figuring his next move. Still unsure of his motives and the absence of Bo-Katan, you contemplate your next move and whether your pacifist ways benefit you anymore.

Word Count: 4.7k

Chapter Contents: 18+, sexual themes, violence, mentions of blood, self exploration, mentions of dead parents, self-worth issues?, blink and you miss it PTSD.

You call for a meeting with Dodac as soon as you got back from Keren city. Even though you had the whole walk back to think of your next move regarding Din, you were stumped. Topped with Dodac infantilizing you, Bes' very noticeable absence, the unnecessarily intimate failed recon that is still clouding your mind and your growing paranoia of your leadership skills, you feel like your head was going to explode.

Dodac keeps asking you what happened but you kept it vague, or more so, lying because the whole ordeal was one mistaken move after the other and you didn't want word to get around that you were skin to skin with Din.

How would they view you knowing you had degraded yourself? And for what? You, yourself didn't even know what information you were trying to get out of him. Why did you feel so inclined to figure out who he is? Even though he was back on Naboo, he wasn't a threat at the moment. You and your clan could very easily get rid of him. So why does his presence grate at you?

Frustration tips you over. Planting your hands onto your face and scream, forgetting Dodac is in the middle of trying to converse with you. You take one deep breath in, another one out, hands pulling down your face as you stare up at the temple ceiling. Your hands limp to your sides and after some silence you notice a few scorch marks on the temple's roof.

"Who's been shooting at the ceiling?" you ask a bewildered Dodac.

Before he can answer, Jak and Tiiona enter with Corus teetering behind.

"Lady Calista." Jak greets you.

"What's your report." You cut to the chase.

"We followed him to a transporter that took him to Theed. From there he went to a shipping bay, which I can only guess is stationed. We were unable to enter without clearance and it was heavily guarded. We kept your orders to not engage and give ourselves away."

Dodac chimes in. "Is anyone still shadowing him?"

"Yes, we thought he may notice us trailing him over a period of time so we waited till reinforcements took our place and continued to follow him from there."

"Good... good." Tapping your chin you ask- "Any chance he met with anyone?"

"If he did, then it would've been in the shipping bay. He did seem to be in a rush." says Tiiona.

"Dodac, how is communication with Bes going?"

"Still no reply my lady."

"It's safe to assume that Bo isn't on Naboo, otherwise Bes would've been back by now." you think out loud. "So why did he not leave..."

"If you don't mind my opinion.” Corus speaks up. Everyone turns their attention to her, she slightly cowers. “Should we even be worried of the silver Mando? For all we know, Bo could have just ditched him, rendering him useless after your fight."

There it was. The questioning of your authority. You get a read of Corus' face. She is timid and looking down, not wanting to look you in the eye. A promising young warrior, but still finding her place in the clan.

"It's a precaution and as a child of a watch, those people can be unpredictable and vicious. Especially in numbers." You keep your voice stern. "You may all go rest now, it's late. Thank you for your work today."

Jak and Tiiona both bow their head and are off to their quarters. Corus stays, shifting in her spot.

"What can I do for you Corus?" you smile, trying to ease her.

"I didn't realise you were back but I came to ask Dodac if I can go back on duty. I have recovered and am honestly getting anxious staying around the temple doing trivial jobs." Corus starts to find her voice, words still a little shaky.

You turn your attention to Dodac. "That reminds me, I need you to give a talking to, to whoever was in charge of medical stock. The fact we were low on bacta is very concerning. Corus might not have been so lucky if her injuries were more lethal."

Dodac nods vigorously. "It won't happen again."

"Don't worry, if it went under Bes' radar then it's not your fault." You reassure him.

"As for you Corus." Her eyes perk up eager for your answer. "You can move back to training and combat but you can't leave the premise yet."

After being bothered by Din claiming your people had attacked first -against your orders- you took it upon yourself to interrogate Jak, Dodac and Corus on what happened when they were trailing him. Corus eventually cracked under pressure and admitted that she did indeed, attack first. They were apparently harassing a citizen which had angered Corus so she took it upon herself to intercept.

"You are young and still learning. Your actions... Not following my orders could have had greater repercussions-"

"But because of what happened you were able to take her down.." She whines.

"Corus." You deepen your voice making sure to make a point. "You didn't follow orders. We are warriors but that doesn't mean we fight every fight, otherwise we'd be truly extinct."

Her face is annoyed but glad enough she won't be doing mediocre tasks. "I understand, my lady."

She bows her head to you and Dodac before heading out the temple doors. You sigh once she's out of ear shot. Dodac gives you an apprehensive smile. "At least she is eager."

After going over the last few details with him, you head to your quarters to rest. You kick off your sandals, the cool stone underneath soothing them from a long days walk. You undo the string tightening the dress to your body and let it drop to the floor, too tired to put it away nicely. You lay your naked body across your bed, eyes fluttering from exhaustion.

Time passes, you are feeling too hot and bothered to cover yourself with the sheets and it keeps you tossing and turning despite your exhaustion. Opening your eyes you try to focus on something in your moonlit room, picking the drapes that are flowing with the breeze.

Through blurry vision you struggle to focus. Your body is restless, but in a way you aren't familiar with and you cradle yourself on your side in foetal position. Your breathing is long and heavy, thighs are squeezing together and your hips are rocking in circular motions unconsciously. Your hands start to wander over your body in an attempt to soothe yourself, leaving trails of goosebumps.

Like someone is guiding your hand, you start rubbing circles on your knee. Gradually you glide your hand ever so slowly up the underside of your thigh, massaging along the way. The movement starting to feel familiar as you reach the crease of your ass. Heat radiates from you, knots starting to bind in your lower stomach, a chill following down your spine. Gently you start caressing your folds. It was moist and slick making it easy for your fingers to glide up and down, eventually leading you to enter yourself smoothly. Eyes squeezed tight, you let out a small whimper from this foreign sensation.

Slowly in and out, in and out, in and out. But that alone wasn't enough to satiate this new found excitement and you let your mind wander, landing on earlier today. Trying to imagine what was going through his mind while he was fondling at the seam of your underwear and your sandal was rubbing up against his cock. Would he have followed through if you two weren’t interrupted? You press deeper inside yourself adding another finger, wetness spreading around them down to your knuckles. How far would he have gone in the crowded bar? The thought excites you, feeling yourself squeeze around your fingers. What would it feel like if it was Din's thick fingers pumping inside you instead of your own?

Wait.

Din?

Frak.

Like as if you were jolted with electricity, you sit up lightening fast. Your body is balmy and your breathing is ragged, eyes wide open taking in your surroundings and adjusting to the moonlit darkness. You sloppily wipe your fingers on your sheets, frazzled by your own thoughts and actions.

So this is what it felt like to be... aroused.

You weren't oblivious to what sex was. Bes made sure to educate you, albeit awkwardly, but he made it seem so... formal? You had also overheard other clan members talk about it but it never interested you as you grew up. You were too busy relocating, rebuilding and protecting your clan. Not to mention, no one had piqued your interest since you were surrounded by people who you considered family.

But why oh why did you have to think about him.

Haar'chak!

This man was plaguing all aspects of your mind. The stress and anxiety his was causing vexed you. You hated him. You hated that he was a child of the watch, you hated how he arrogantly wore his shiny armour around like it was nothing, you hated that he hurt your people, you hated that he fought beside Bo-Katan, you hated that your mercy to him made your own people question your authority and leadership, you hated that he touched you so intimately and wormed his way into those kind of thoughts. You hated that man so strongly that you finally realised what you should've done the moment he set foot back on Naboo.

"An ambush?"

"An ambush."

"Are you sure that's necessary?" Asks Dodac.

"Yes I'm sure!" You snap.

Reeling from yesterday and last nights events, you didn't get much sleep with your mind racing with anger and how you wanted to deal with Din Djarin's existence.

Everyone who had been called to the meeting cowers uncomfortably at your sudden change of tone, unsure and confused by their leaders sudden change in tactic.

You look at everyone, but their eyes avoid you, looking at one another and Bes' voice echo in your memory. "I hear the whispers questioning why you spared her and didn't take the saber when you knocked him too." Your paranoia grows, feeling the blood draining from your face. You're suddenly feeling flustered and like oxygen is being sucked out from the room.

You take a deep breath trying to stabilise yourself and attempt to look like you are fine, unaffected by your own insecurities.

"You are sharing words with your eyes. Tell me what is being said."

A few seconds of silence pass waiting for someone to speak up when Jak finally slices the tension.

"We are just unclear about what your goal is my lady." His eyes flicker around at everyone except you but he speaks with his chest. "One moment you want to avoid them, then of course you win the fight with Bo-Katan which we are all very proud of but now that the silver Mando is back your hot and cold on what you want to do about him. It seems as though his presence has obscured your tactics and reasoning."

Tiiona jumps in the conversation. "We just don't know if he is worth the resources, energy and men. He is just one man, we are a whole clan. He doesn't feel like someone worth dealing with."

The rest of the group nod their heads in agreement.

All these years being their leader now being question because of the existence of one man, resentment building inside replacing the anxiety.

"I'll admit, the sudden appearance of Bo and Din did shake me. It had been years since I'd seen her and my hate towards her have shrouded my judgement and reasoning. I know you all carry the same sentiments about her. As for the silver Mando... seeing him with the darksaber and the fact he is death watch, is why I was undecided about what to do with him." You take a second to collect your thoughts.

"The darksaber is a significant symbol to Mandalore. Some of you are much older than me and have more experience with the Death Watch and their atrocities, so I have come to the conclusion overnight that something so important should not be in his hands."

The group murmur in agreement, fueling your confidence.

"Whether he still stands with Bo-Katan is irrelevant because without the darksaber, she has no claim. Not like she is deserving however we just need to make sure that someone else undeserving doesn't have that claim."

"So when and where will we be taking action?" Chimes Dodac.

You smile at him, proud of your own conviction.

"Tomorrow night."

You continue to discuss your game plan, going over details and what you need to prepare for the ambush. You decide that you will bring five of your men with you, confident that will be enough for you to bring him down despite wielding the darksaber and obviously being skilful enough to have held off 3 of your men before.

You will have Dodac stay behind to keep charge of the clan while you go fight and your entourage will consist of Jak, Tiiona, Zo'ha and Kalton. Along with Corus, realising you may have been unfairly harsh on her for doing what she believed to be right and her actions leading in your favour. You brought it on yourself to give her the good news.

You make your way to the training grounds where a group were practising their shooting and combat skills.

Tettar!

Gaanynir!

Chekar!

Ara'novor!

Commands are shouted as you observe your people, a sense of pride filling you. It was always rewarding to see you how skilful they were and how you upkept your Mandalorian roots despite living as diaspora, disconnected from your home world but still connect with tradition and culture.

"Lady Calista." Nay'tan, your combat officer, greets you and the rest bow their heads in your direction as they get back to sparing. "How may I help?"

"I'm looking for Corus."

"She's in the armoury with Fren-ri."

You nod your head and head towards the armoury, Nay'tan’s commands booming behind you.

Nearing the door you hear conversation and gasps. Curiosity getting the best of you, you quietly get close to the door and focus your listening to inside the room, slowing your breath to hear them over yourself.

"-riously! Why would Boler lie to me?" exclaims Fren-ri.

"He'd say anything to try impress you." Corus teases.

"Maybe... but I don't think he's smart enough to make something like that up."

"Yeah yeah I get that you have a crush on each other but why would he bring it up with you?"

"He thought Lady Calista and I were friends since we got the alcohol together and just thought I'd want to know about their encounter."

Your chest tightens at the realisation of what they are talking about.

"Hmmm" Corus doesn't sounds too convinced. "Did he give you details?"

"Well I didn't believe him at first either till he described the dress she was wearing yesterday. Then he said that there was hostility between the two of them at first." Corus hums for him to continue. "Then she sat with him, he ignored her as she ogled him up and down."

"Maybe she was admiring his armour. Honestly he beat my ass and even I'm a little jealous of it. Mine is so dingey compared to his..." You sigh, relieved that Corus isn't believing Fren-ri.

"I would think that too if it weren't for the fact that Boler said he could see the silver Mando feeling her up her thigh and basically groping her. And I quote, from Boler 'she looked like she was really enjoying herself, the girl was practically melting into the couch'. But then he said something distracted him and he had to leave, begrudgingly."

You cringe at the recounting, praying to the Maker Corus doesn't buy into it. One person believing it is manageable but if news spread, your leadership is done for.

"Do you think it was a planned meeting? Is that why she wore that dress?"

“I don’t think it was planned, he only just got here…she’s an utreekov if she’s desperate enough to get handsy with a child of the watch.”

“Ne'johaa! If she finds out what your saying about her, you might get some stupid punishment like I have.”

“Maybe the people should know. She’s younger than most of us and I always thought she was too young to be leading us. Lady Calista only got her position because she was a Marchioness with the Kryze name and we respect Bes enough to take his word that she was worthy even though she’s not a Kryze by blood.”

There’s a silence, Corus clearly not knowing what to say. She was an infant when it happened and has little memory of the purge or history of Mandalore and it's monarchs.

“I don’t want to talk about this anymore. Just keep this to yourself, at least until you have solid evidence she’s cosying up with that di'kut.” Corus sighs.

“I’m sure Boler can tell me more.”

“When are you going to see him ag-“

You leave as quickly as possibly, as quietly as possible so they don't hear you. You're not sure if you want to scream, vomit or cry. You feel faint and like the planet is spinning too fast on its axis. Heavy breaths and staggered foot steps, you lean yourself against a wall bracing your hands on your thighs, begging for air.

You've been exposed by a stupid gossip. You gave into temptation and now you have risked your own position as a leader and the respect that came with it. If you weren't leader, then who were you? You promised your adoptive father and mother that you would hold the Kryze name and the responsibility that came with it. Their last dying wish as their body lay crushed beneath debris, for you to rescue everyone you could, be their beacon in desperate times. You were just a young teen, still figuring yourself and your place in Mandalore, only to be thrusted into the position as a symbol of hope.

No.

Can't let idle gossip hinder you. It was just a lapse in judgment. No leader is perfect, they all make mistakes and it wasn't like your choices had life or death consequences. You have proven yourself time and time again over the years. You were able to find safety and refuge, establishing your clan at a young age. Now as a young woman, you were able to win against Bo, a well renowned warrior.

Taking care of Din will be no trouble at all and you will regain your people’s respect and any doubts among them, no matter the gossip, will be washed away.

You are worthy…

The wind whistles through the tree, breezing past you as you stand in the clearing that you had last fought Bo at. The sun is just about to set and nature's sounds echo into the dark. You stand centre and alone waiting for Din to arrive as arranged, armoured and helmet on.

You sent a scout out to Din in Theed and had them arrange a meeting between the two of you. You figured to do so in the clearing as an intimidation tactic, splatters of blood still scattered where you stood.

You start tapping your foot impatiently. He's late.

Static buzzes from your comm and Jak's voice emits. "Do you think he's still coming my lady?"

"He was spotted on a transporter to Keren. Maybe he's taking his sweet time just to piss me off."

"Hut'uun." huffs Jak.

"Patience. We can't let his tardiness get to us." speaks Zo'ha.

"Quiet, I can hear footsteps approaching..." You whisper, not wanting your guest to hear you.

Within the brush, a tall shadow emerges, the moonlight shining off him and outlining his silhouette. He struts towards you, no longer keeling to the side anymore. He must be fully healed now... unfortunately. Already, almost fixated on him, you nearly miss the small hovering pod following next to him. You stare at it trying to figure out what he has brought with him but it's closed shut. It almost looks like a cradle...

He stops just one step away from being toe to toe with you. He does what you can now deduct as his signature stance, hip popped with his hand resting on his waist. There's a silence between you and it feels like the breeze is trying to push you towards him. Just like last time.

"Is he carrying a bomb or something in that pod?" Jaks voice whispers in your helmet.

Obviously unable to answer Jak... "What's in the pod?" You ask Din.

"Nothing of your concern."

"It is my concern if it is a potential thre-"

"Why am I here Lady Kryze." He sighs impatiently.

He cuts you short and you snort, annoyed. At least he has a singular drop of manners to address you formally. Though it is probably how he addresses Bo as well.

"We want you off Naboo."

"Is that so." He drawls, unmoved.

"Whatever business you and Bo-Katan had here, is over. This is our territory and you are not welcomed here."

He hums amusingly, stepping forward and closing the space between you two. Your gaze follows his helmet having to look up at him as he nears. That damn breeze trying to nudge you closer.

"Last I heard, you were a Mandalorian Marchioness, Lady Kryze." He drawls out your moniker, a tightening sensation twists in your stomach. How you wonder what it'd sound like if he said your real name. "- and not the Queen of Naboo. So you have no jurisdiction on where I can be or what I can do."

He pokes his pointer finger into your chest plate. You don't lose your balance but his strength does give you a slight push. You look down at his hand, his big hands... and back at his unmoving helmet, your breathing starting to deepen as anger build inside you. Warmth envelopes you as you remember every little thing he has done to you in a short amount of time that has vexed you and distorted your sense of self.

"That was your last warning."

His heads tilts to the side confused. Your hand ready by your side you reach for your pistol and your quick to start shooting. He closes his body and guards, stepping backwards as lasers ricochet of his armour, sparks light up and bounce off him lighting him gold. You aim for different parts of his body but his sturdy and quick enough to block it.

Din reaches for his pistol too, whipping it out and shooting back at you. Raising your shield you protect yourself while still trying to aim at him through blocked vision. In a brief few seconds he stops and you move your shield to see his next move. He's pressing buttons on his gauntlet before waving his arm sideways. The pod sitting between you two, hovers away in the direction his arm had gone. You realise there must be some sort of precious cargo in there.

Taking the chance you start running towards the pod and is followed by a "No you don't!" as Din's whipcord is wrapped around your neck. With a strong tug, you are pulled to the ground, legs flailing in the air. You try to thread your fingers through the cord as he drags you along the ground closer to himself, struggling to loosen it as you choke from the sudden force.

Through dusty vision you look up to see yourself nearing Din, you point your pistol at him, shots bouncing off him or missing completely. You knew at this point, you needed your backup.

"Gaa'tayl!" you call out.

You slide to a halt by his feet, you look up as he looks down on you.

"I don't want to fight you!" he shouts in desperation.

"That's too bad because I do!" You spit your words out, you wish he could see the smirk behind your helmet.

The sounds of jet packs zone in on your position, distracting Din and letting you commando rolling and double kicking him in the groin. You land on your feet and rip the cord from your neck. Without wasting a second, you're unsheathing your blade from your brace and take swipes at your opponent as he blocks with his arm braces, clanging and scraping sounds echoing repeatedly.

As he reaches for the sabre on his hilt, his hand is lassoed by one of your men and pulling his arm away. He goes to grab it with his other hand and it is also lassoed away. Planting his feet to the ground he tries to pull against your men but is rendered useless when Kalton lassoes his legs together causing him to buckle down to his knees.

He grunts and groans still trying to fight against your men, squirming under their hold but he is stuck on his knees and arms stretched out on both sides like the ancient paintings of Urthaa.

"How do you call yourself a Mandalorian when you have no honour in battle." He growls at you, shaking his head furiously.

You chuckle out loud. "A real Mandalorian would recognise a well planned and executed ambush."

You notice he kept looking to your side and follow his line of sight to see the pod that had been pushed away.

"Tiiona, go check the pod." You order.

"Don't fucking touch it or you will regret it!" Shouting, he tried to pull his shackles again.

You bend over and meet his eye level, laughing in his face. You feel triumphant that your plan had worked out flawlessly and now Din was helpless in front of you. Seeing him tied up and growling at you as he fought against his hold was exciting and that burning sensation starts building at your core.

No. Not NOW.

"You're not exactly in the position to make demands, are you?" your words slip out teasingly.

A metal sound taps behind you, making you look over at Tiiona as she tries to pry the pod open. As she fiddles with it you turn back to Din. You graze down his body to his belt.

"This belong to me now." You grab the saber from him and stand upright again, looking down and towering Din now. You’re in power now.

Unsheathing the darksaber before you, admiring the artifact in font of you. It vibrates violently in your hand and the sudden weight of it takes you by surprise nearly pulling down on your wrist. You grab the hilt with your other hand to stabilise it. You slowly swish it, side to side as it whirs and glows.

"Kandosii'la." you whisper to yourself.

You pull your focus from the saber and back to a grunting Din. "How did you obtain the dark saber if not from Bo-Katan."

"I won it in a fight against Moff Gideon."

Gazes are shared between you and your men at the sound of the familiar name, a shared trauma shrouding among you all.

"Is he-"

You’re cut short by the sound of Tiiona yelling and hitting the ground. Before you can react, Jak, Zo'ha and Kalton go flying back by an invisible enemy. Your head shoots around trying to find the perpetrator but no one is in sight till your eyes land on the pod and it is open. You barely make out what is inside it before you hearing Din lunging towards you. You swing in his direction, the darksaber's weight nearly throwing off your balance feeling like it's trying to pull you down to the planets core. The sword lands on Din's braces as he shields himself. You growl trying to push all your might and weight into him. His arm braces start burning red as the saber slowly cuts through the seemingly impenetrable metal.

Din starts to keel beneath you, he struggles under the weight of you and the saber but suddenly a force pushes you away and sends you flying. You land with a loud thud. As you make impact with the ground, saber still in hand, it brushes against your body and you screech from the seering pain.

"Lady Calista!" Jak is by your side pulling you onto your feet. Your body falls against his as the pain shoots throughout your whole body. You look down and see your whole left thigh had been flayed.

Rage builds in you as it begins to mask the pain and you whip your sights back to Din only to see a small body scurrying into his open arms.

A small, green... creature?

As Tiiona tries to jet towards them and land a blow, the small child raises its hands in her direction, squealing and once again, she is sent flying back, landing against a tree.

"There's no way." Jak utters in disbelief.

"Jetii." you hiss.

Previous ✧ Masterlist ✧ Next

Tags: @blossom82 @ashhlsstuff @starepiphanyy

[qqueenofhades]

Okay. So. I have a question about academia and completely understand if you’d rather set this one aside. It’s a bit of a long-winded one on my part.

I started a masters program abroad last fall but had to leave after the first term because of serious illness (compounded by homesickness and burnout of course of course). I’m so happy that I made that decision, despite it grating against everything I have been telling myself for years about what it takes to live a fulfilling life. In truth, my illness revealed that I’d thrown myself deeper into academia for the wrong reasons. I’m grateful to have that insight now.

However, I’ve also gained a lot of new insight now that I’ve been working a normal office job for several months now. It’s a good job, maybe a little too disorganized on the leadership side, but the pay is good and my supervisor is great.

But I’m also really missing my research and classroom discussions and academic library access. If I give grad school another try, I wont be filling out any apps until next winter. I definitely can recognize I need more time (plus I have an idea for a research paper that I’d love to use as a writing sample — my research interests shifted A LOT in the one semester I spent in school).

Of course, that’s also nerve-wracking, considering how poorly I handled grad school the first time around. In addition to that, there’s the frustration with how academia is treated both internally and externally, as well as the fact that the job market for professors is just.. not great.

All of this is to say, what would you tell a grad-school-dropout who’s thinking about making a comeback? Is it worth the money, the time, the job insecurity once the PhD is hanging on the wall?

Thanks so much for taking the time (and congrats on the new bed!!) <3

Welp. Hmm. As ever, I both deeply sympathize with your desire to return to academia and also want to stand on your shoulder as a little Kronk shoulder angel (and/or devil) going BUT ARE YOU SURE???

(Yes, as the most pathologically Eternal Academite possibly to ever, I have zero ability to tell anyone else not to do it, but just picture me as a Greek chorus of worms standing on the passage as your ship sails in, spookily singing BEEEEEEEEWARE.)

As you note, you have a reasonably fulfilling setup now, you're making decent-ish money (surely more than you would make as an academic, BUT LET US NOT TALK ABOUT THAT) and you crashed and burned the last time you tried grad school. Now, that is not a reason NOT to do it again, since as you point out, things have changed, you're in a better place, you know what you want out of the experience, you changed research interests, etc. All of that means that yes, it is possible that you can rejigger yourself and try again, but I would definitely advise taking it very carefully.

First of all, don't apply for a masters-to-PhD program directly, as that will put more pressure on you and lead to the feeling that you HAVE to finish it if you've applied for the terminal degree. Apply for a master's program in your new field, check out flexible or part-time options for attendance, see what the financial aid is like (I have by far the most student debt from my master's degree, not my BA or PhD, which is... not great) and everything else to see how you can best ease yourself back in and make sure that you haven't committed too much money, time, and irreversible changes if it all goes FUBAR again. Trust me, I KNOW that deep deep yearning for research, academic credentials, and library database logins; witness me singing to the heavens when I got this job and LO, ALL MY BELOVED ELECTRONIC JOURNALS RETURNED TO ME, I HAVE WANDERED IN THE DESERT. I'm researching a new book chapter now, 18 months-ish later, and I still get drunk with power over being able to JUST OPEN FULL TEXT PDFS and USE A UNIVERSITY LIBRARY TO ORDER OBSCURE ACADEMIC BOOKS. It really does just tickle some deep KNOWLIDGE!!! button in your brain, and I get it. I really very much do. So yes, if you still feel that itch despite all the Horrors of last time, it might be worth following up.

I would not recommend uprooting your entire life again to go somewhere else, unless you get a really gangbusters financial-aid offer and/or there's some compelling reason that makes it worthwhile. There may be a school nearer you that offers what you want and which may allow you to stay in your current place and work at your current job, even part-time. Or there might be an online option; plenty of reputable name-brand schools are expanding into online programs, so it's not just scammy diploma mills and the University of Phoenix in that arena. If you want to have the traditional campus in-person experience and don't feel as if a virtual degree is bang for your buck, that is something else to consider, but yes: do take it carefully, apply for only the master's first (as I have said before, if you can be happy doing anything other than a PhD especially in the humanities, please do that), see what your part-time options are, don't rush, reach out to faculty at some potential schools, reach out to the financial aid department, generally do your homework and make sure it feels right. I'm absolutely not going to say don't do it, since as noted that would make me a blazing hypocrite. Just take the hard-earned lessons of last time and put them to careful and thoughtful use, and I'm sure you'll discover what's best for you.

Good luck!

[avatar-legends-confessionblog]

It's been a long few years since I last sat down and watched A:TLA in full, and I still haven't started a re-watch but have been watching random episodes here and there... and almost every time I do I end up more and more frustrated with the fandom. Namely for how a lot of people portray Sokka. I'm absolutely not saying everyone does this, there are plenty and plenty of people who don't, but there are a lot of loud folks who do treat him like an idiot.

I think the thing about Sokka is he's often on both extremes. Is he an idiot? Yeah, sometimes. Boy ate a questionable substance off a cave wall and forgot sneak attacks involve,,,, sneaking. He decided it was a great idea to send Katara a letter pretending Toph wrote it. But he's also very smart. He picks up a base understanding for engineering within a few days, same with sword work. His skill with the boomeraang is more than just physical skill (though that's also insanely impressive) he's also smart with it and fucking nailed combustion man from behind a wall because he calculated the angle of his explosions like, wtf, that's insane.

Sokka is funny, he has a lot of great one liners and a quick wit. He can also be very unfunny with horrible puns and terrible quips.

Sokka is very useful. He's usually the one taking care of the gaang's budget, and making sure they eat and move and find their way places. He's the one coming up with plans most of the time. His developed leadership is genuinely inspiring. He's also absolutely useless at times. Sokka is kidnapped and nabbed a rediculous amount of times, leaving the others to need to save him. As a nonbender, he's often the weakest physically in a fight.

Sokka is a boy constantly going wildly between the greatest character you've ever seen, and the stupidest character you've ever seen. Most people only see one or the other, and confirmation bias means they catch all of the ways he's either great or terrible.

At the end of the day, Sokka is just a kid. He has his strengths and flaws just like the rest of the gaang. He is neither better nor worse than all of them outside of subjective opinion.

I, personally, am a fan of duality. My favorite characters are the ones with two contrasting sides. (Like Aang, on one end, sweet boy who just wants to be friends with anything that moves, on the other, literally the most powerful person in the world), so, I rather like Sokka, and like that he's both an absolute idiot and a genuis. Sokka is the definition of "I am strong of heart and dumb of ass"

X

[snowstories]

Also one last thing: I played the game in Dutch and could've sworn Riju mentioned (during the cutscene where you give her the Thunder Helm) that she has worked hard to gain the respect of the Gerudo as their chief. However, I just rewatched the cutscene in English, and that line doesn't seem to be there? I wonder if this is a translation difference between the Dutch and English, or if I just misremembered. Both are very possible.

Either which way I think it fits with Rima, the old woman in the outskirts of Gerudo Town, mentioning that Riju is a wonderful chief despite her age and that after all this (the Vah Naboris quest), Buliara has to see Riju differently. Riju's diary also mentions that after an accident involving Vah Naboris, Buliara didn't leave her side, and Buliara is consistently shown to be overprotective of Riju in dialogue. In addition, Riju's diary also states that Buliara was the one to tell her that her mother was dead.

All this together seem to point towards Buliara being overprotective of Riju, and Riju chafing under this because she is, of course, a child. Not just a child: a child with leadership duties. Riju wants to be seen and respected as an adult as any child does, amplified by her adult role in society. This is at odds with other people's view on her, which is that of a child. Buliara especially seems to regard her health and safety as her personal duty; she might've been close to Riju's mother and feel a duty towards her, too. Buliara, therefore, leans too hard in the other direction and is overprotective.

The truth is somewhere in the middle of course, with Riju being a kid with kid interests (plushies, most notably), but also a very capable chief deserving of respect. Riju's frustration at being treated like a child is understandable, but treating her as an adult would lead to much bigger problems in the long run. On the other hand, Buliara's worry is also understandable, but she needs to respect Riju's abilities and let go. I think Riju's character does a good job showing a child in an adult role and the issues this would logically cause, while still showing them as competent and capable and deserving of agency. It's a balance many kids games (including other Zelda games) strike well, and I'm happy to see it in BOTW.

[STILL HAS NOT PLAYED TEARS OF THE KINGDOM DISCLAIMER]

[aster-saturn]

So hey-! In spirit of the festive season, I wanted to share with you guys my personal silly headcannons that I like to believe the Spirits Of Christmas do and have done.

As in the entities like Santa, his elves, Jack Frost and so on.

These aren't tied to Rise of the Guardians or anything like that by the way! Just little blurbs of whatever 'existing' and 'classic' stories of them are out there

Christmas Elves

🔔! The elves have a unique way of expressing frustration or surprise when they can't swear. Whenever they try, instead of words, all that comes out is a flurry of cheerful jingle bells. It's like an involuntary, magical sound that leaves everyone around them confused but entertained.

🌱! Mistletoe is both a blessing and a curse for elves. If they accidentally wander under it, an invisible magical barrier locks them in place. The only way to free them is by receiving a kiss from someone. It's a comical (and sometimes awkward) moment because the elves are so tiny, and the kiss is always full of laughter and festive embarrassment.

🍪! Elves have a strict no-human-cookie policy. The sugar in human-made Christmas cookies is just too potent for their little bodies. Santa once tried to sneak them a batch, but the elves only managed to nibble a tiny piece before getting hyperactive. Now, their only treats are the healthier, elf-made sugar-free gingerbread cookies Mrs. Clause herself bakes in the North Pole kitchen.

🎀! Every elf is assigned to a child at birth, ensuring that each child receives a special, personalized gift. These gifts are carefully crafted by the elf, based on the child's wishes, dreams, and even unspoken desires. The bond between the elf and the child is magical, formed the moment the elf is given their assignment.

💊! If a child starts to lose faith in Christmas or no longer believes in Santa, their elf begins to fall ill. It's a gradual process — the elf becomes slower, their sparkle dims, and they grow weak. This illness is not physical, but a magical one tied to the child's belief. The elf’s magic is rooted in the child's love and wonder, and when that fades, so does their strength.

🧩| Now if you're wondering what happens to the elves if their child grows up, that's where Elder Elves come into play. The Elder elves are wise, mature, and have been with their assigned children for many years, sometimes even centuries. These elves have grown with their children, learning their dreams, struggles, and wishes over time. Because of their long relationship, they are more responsible and take on leadership roles, guiding the younger elves and ensuring everything at the North Pole runs smoothly. While they may still have a playful side, their wisdom is often sought by both the elves and Santa himself when big decisions need to be made.

Next up: Jack Frost!

[frostfall-matches]

[ matchmaking... ]

@ferelden-loser​ : [ match report ready ]

the romantic match is…

✦ Sylvain Jose Gautier

Yvenne is difficult to impress? Sylvain will take that as a challenge. His less-than-noble motivations for flirting aside, it always catches his attention when people don’t respond favorably to him. Depending on how much he appreciates their presence, he’ll make it a point to try and get on their good side. He’ll try grand gestures as well as small, subtle ones. It starts off really insincere at first, but the more he gets to know Yvenne as a person the more genuine it is. He’s quick to pick up little details and he’ll keep those in mind whenever he wants to just do something nice or show a bit of affection. It becomes his goal to impress her every once and a while. He is definitely the type to pick up little gifts here and there and leave them for her by her room or at her desk.

Sylvain’s the type to give it to her straight if she ends up going overboard with her loyalty to the empire. Sure, Sylvain’s loyal to Dimitri and the kingdom, but he’s not going to just blindly excuse everything that ends up happening. He knows Yvenne is smart and can think for herself, so it’s a bit frustrating to him when it feels like she’s not thinking critically about the person or cause she’s claiming loyalty to. And don’t get him wrong, he’s not saying that she shouldn’t be loyal to Edelgard, but he’d prefer it if her motivations were thoughtful and measured. He’d want her to tell him if he was going too far with something.

Early on, it’s very likely that Sylvain would end up on the receiving end of Yvenne’s quick temper, both intentionally and unintentionally. He likes to tease and sometimes he’s a bit too on-the-nose. On rare occasions, he’s even a little mean-spirited (much more likely to happen when they don’t know each other well). He’s quick to back off and apologize, though how sincere that apology is really depends on the situation and their current relationship. His lackadaisical disposition may rub her the wrong way at first, too, before they establish some sort of common ground between them.

Yvenne would likely be impressed with how intelligent Sylvain is. One thing any INTJ can appreciate is someone who can hold their own intellectually. Of course, it may take a bit of time for her to realize this and really get to see that side of Sylvain. After all, he keeps some of his cards close to his chest and doesn’t let just anyone get close to him. Yvenne is likely to find out how smart he really is when he makes some offhand comment about their classwork, or when he keeps winning against her in board games they play together in their down time.

Sylvain appreciates that she has good leadership qualities. Most people aren’t suited for being a leader, even if they try to claim that type of position. She isn’t the type to boast about it, either; she’s confident in her abilities and she’ll let her actions speak for her. That type of skillset and attitude is such a boon during wartime. Sylvain can definitely rally people, but he prefers not to have the burden of leadership placed on his shoulders. Still, any leadership endeavor that Yvenne might want to tackle, he’d be more than willing to support her in any way she needs.

His bias against the Crest-seeking noble woman aside, once he knows what Yvenne’s stance on Crests are, Sylvain is immediately sympathetic to any struggles Yvenne may have faced being born without a Crest - if he gets to be privy to any information from her past, that is. It hits a little close to home for him, honestly, what with Miklan’s whole situation. As much as he hates the idea of someone he cares about getting shitty treatment just for having or not having a Crest, he’s glad that Yvenne isn’t as likely to follow and uphold the current Crest hierarchy as it is.

On hot days, Yvenne and Sylvain are both the type to stow away from the sun and/or try to find things to do that won’t give them heatstroke. Sylvain’s just more used to cooler weather, and Yvenne detests how uncomfortable hot days can be. If swimming is an option, Sylvain is definitely suggesting that - of course, Yvenne will not be spared from some stupid flirty comment of his, but it is what it is. (He’s also the type to be just careless enough to get moderately sunburned, and he’ll complain about it a lot. Unfortunately for him, Yvenne is not the type to baby him. Tough love.) However, if Yvenne prefers to stay indoors to stay cool, he’d be more than happy to hang out with her and find something low-energy to do.

He’s baffled that she’s related to both Hubert and Hanneman, and yet it makes so much sense. He can definitely see the similarities between her and her two relatives, and it makes the contrasts that much funnier. Once he learns of this juicy little tidbit of information, he’s definitely curious whenever he sees her interacting with them at Garreg Mach. Hubert and Hanneman are both such distinct (weird, in Sylvain’s frank opinion) characters that he wants to see how someone who they consider family treats them. It won’t make him want to get close to either of them, though, so this all stops at sheer curiosity to him.

He thinks Yvenne’s embroidery hobby is really cute. She’s a pretty stern and serious person on the outside, and even if she acts sweeter around him once they’re together, she’s still pretty no nonsense a lot of the time. So, he thinks it’s cute that she has such a delicate and careful hobby. If she does any sort of embroidery on a handkerchief or something similar as a gift for him, he would keep it with him always! It’s a really nice tangible reminder of how much she does for him - anytime he takes it out, he’s filled with so much appreciation and affection for her. And if someone notices and asks him about it, he is more than willing to boast about it (if Yvenne’s the type to get embarrassed about something like that, then that’s too bad for her, LOL).