#leaving the issue open to the criticism of ‘all the power in the world but the female character still needs a man to be whole’

[age-of-moonknight]

“Hearts on Fire,” Moon Knight: City of the Dead (Vol. 1/2023), #2.

Writer: David Pepose; Penciler: Marcelo Ferreira; Inker: Jay Leisten; Colorer: Rachelle Rosenberg; Letterer: Cory Petit

[twistedwonderlandimaginesblog]

Hello!!~~ I'd like to request Idia, Malleus, Riddle, Vil, and Leona (seperately), reacting to an MC that has gotten possessed and are trying to save them, but are hurt by what the possessed MC is saying to them.

Idia Shroud:

That hit was critical, going straight past his armor and right to his soul. There’s a deep-seated fear that those are your true feelings for him, that the possession has nothing to do with the harshness but is tapping into more honesty on your part. Regardless he wants you back, deciding to deal with his feelings after he’s saved you.

Leona Kingscholar:

Leona has faced plenty of insults in his lifetime, he’s heard it all at this point. Somehow, it doesn’t make it easier to hear that vitriol in your voice, a person who had supported and even loved him despite his flaws. The sting is easy to ignore in the moment since there’s a more pressing issue to attend to, but he’d lick his wounds in private later, perhaps informing you of what your possessed version had said to see how you’ll handle it.

Malleus Draconia:

Malleus is not happy, and while most people in this situation wouldn’t be, they didn’t hold half the power he did. His smile is eerie, almost enough to shake off the possession immediately, but a few jabs are thrown his way in quick succession. This only angered him further, eyes glowing with a burning fury the world would never be able to withstand. How dare they invade your mind, make your voice say such heinous things; there’s no greater crime than disrespecting you in such a way. He’ll handle the situation quickly, as he can’t stand seeing this version of you a moment longer.

Riddle Rosehearts:

In the past few years Riddle has heard some rightful criticism, and while making efforts to change his ways, he still wondered if it was enough. Did you secretly resent him? The possessed version of you seemed to enjoy eating away at him, your insults pointed and aimed at his weakest points. He couldn’t give in despite the hits he’s taking because he needs the real you back, even if just to ask if your real feelings aligned with what the ghost was spewing.

Vil Schoenheit:

Vil is irritated but unsurprised that the ghost possessing you would try to prey on your relationship with him. He’s confident enough that your wish for open communication had always been true and that if he was upsetting you in some way, the true you would have come to him long ago with these complaints. He has a severe distaste for the ugly expression that possession leaves on your beautiful features, determined to wipe them out of existence for committing such a crime.

[mamaclownhunter]

Adding to the Empress Shen Quingqui agenda-

But also Peak Lord Shen Quingqui

This got away from me

All of these are headcanons (mixed on canon information but I feel more comfortable calling it all headcanon)

Bc here is the thing- he absolutely is now filling the favored teacher role most anime’s cling to.

One he is a badass- he rolls into his new life and is already fucking nailing it, finding loopholes, playing the part- learning his powers with proficiency.

He has the lower half of his face hidden, he is grace and elegance. The chilled demeanor of someone who is unbothered and brilliant. All the while having fun while being untouchable in a fight.

He is a closet weirdo. The type of weirdo that kids will see and cling to. The relatable weirdo of someone who just does strange things- and flails to maintain the image he has. I am adding a gossip hoarder (can you blame him??? He loves this world with all his fucking heart and the gossip is fucking awesome everything from Scandals to murders to monsters) - oh! How can I forget Fauna and flora obsessed fan boy???

Actually a good teacher though. In strange ways but the kids actually learn and respect him (I am obsessed with mother goose Shizun- you don’t understand this man has children flocking him and he is a goose. Elegant, long and will fucking murder you for his brood of disciples sorry Binghe you are special but not that that special. You can adopt them too.)

Lastly he absolutely still reads trashy books but instead of being a pervert he is just criticizing them. How dare this- how dare that. Peerless cucumber extraordinare- but also the brothal streak OG SQQ did but I thought it was clever for SY to make it seem like he went to brothels for information.

But we have to look at these traits as an outsider.

Empress Shen Quingqui being this soft bamboo green figure next to the black and red Emperor. He has a fan over his face but is elegant and beautiful.

Most demons know to not let this fool you. Here is the major issue- this man is not always hard to capture but the Gamble is Luo Binghe has to be relatively nearby (because Wife plot!) but! If he sees you touch his precious Shizun you are dead. That is the gamble. Because alone? It is a fucking fight for your life. This is a competent Peak Lord after all- he kills people with leaves. He has fun- not sadistic fun mind you- but like a human playful fun. Like it is a game. If you try to capture him near his peak- the War God will come down on you.

Do not let the Empress fool you. He is a demon. A human demon. He is a bastard and sharp tongued, he will happily talk to you about your family and your culture, he will happily accommodate demons, he playfully floats around monsters bc and quote “I just think they are neat” (Queen Shang Qinghua always laughs), he! Scolds! The! Emperor!, he is strange and bossy but also so friendly and open- the demons have whiplash

Meanwhile Peak Lords- knew who Shen Quingqui was before his Qi Deviation. He was a caustic, envious cruel son of a bitch whose energy sat like a rock next to Yue Qingyuan- oppressive air sank around him, you always got a chill looking at him. Then one day he is sitting there gentle smiles and feeling refreshing to be near. He is engaging and still quick and sharp- but now it feels less like a climber looking for a foot hold- it feels more precise with just enough air of teasing.

He is strange now too- rambling on about plants and animals. He is more serene. That fan of his a deft weapon and skill.

Students look at him in fucking awe after the switch, he is gentler- firmer- but I am so obsessed with SQH calling the disciples a gaggle of ADHD children. How much do you want to bet SQQ (SY is soooo neurodivergent it hurts his life is his hyperfixation and his crops are thriving), he is that one anime scene in action anime where you have monsters or enemies closing in on SQQ and he is just serenely in the middle eyes closed fanning himself.

Barely have to lift his pretty hand to dispatch them.

(Internally you have chronically on line loser SY boasting and arrogantly praising himself absolutely imaging it in an anime- I love him I am obsessed-)

The rest of the cultivation world learns his actual perverted Vice is reading trashy porn- and not for pleasure- no he gets his pleasure by hating it (but he is reading it bc he found his demon husband with it and there is a horrified fascination to it)- he is actually rather easily flustered! But also extremely obtuse! What a strange man!

I love ourwardly well earned badass SQQ, I love that he gets caught up in wife plots, I love that there is a proximity to Binghe that sends him into a wife plot or battle couple. I love how he is human in a way that I want more outsider pov, SQQ with the badass mother goose with a monster problem.

I want to see Demons and Cultivators horrified as this man delicately flutters like a leaf getting swatted by a cat around very deadly monsters, I want him to be hiding how he is absolutely devouring gossip. This is the OP Protagonists HUSBAND- an adhd literature nerd who is just faking it until he makes it.

[cy-cyborg]

Watching people get upset about the new dragon age trailer being "woke" is so funny. Up until inquisition, the templars (who are written like religious cops/a religious military power) were seen as pretty unambiguously the bad guys who overtly mistreated and abused an oppressed population (mages) they had control over, had pretty blatant messages of racism and sexism being bad, not to mention it's repeated depiction of systemic racism, especially towards indigenous people (the elves) the damage done by colonialism, criticism of the church and depictions of it abusing people, including some of its most loyal followers (the entire andrastian system), criticism of an over-reliance on tradition and isolationist policies and how it can leave the door open for corruption (the dwarves), openly lgbtq characters like Lilliana and Zevren and the entire companion list of DA2 - there were even hints that this world's equivalent of the pope was gay, and even criticism of the treatment of people with disabilities by people in power (the tranquil). They weren't always handled well, but they've always been there. All of this stuff is in the first game and has remained throughout all of the series. How did these people get this far into it and think all this is new?

Anyway, just to piss these people off even more, not only is there a black elf and a "fat" woman (apparently that's people's issue with harding?), but there's also black amputee woman in the gameplay trailer (Neve Gallus), they don't seem to have caught that one yet lol.

[ID: A gif of Neve, a black woman in extravagant white armour, surrounded by people frozen solid . Neve's right leg is a bronze prosthetic. /end ID]

[the-garbanzo-annex-jr]

by William P. Barr

Reading the report issued last month by Columbia University’s Task Force on Antisemitism, one could be forgiven for thinking that it describes the University of Heidelberg circa 1933. It contains accounts of observant Jews being harassed and assaulted, and open calls for the murder of Jews. But no, this is not Nazi Germany. This is the Upper West Side of Manhattan in 2024. There—in one of the nation’s most elite enclaves of higher learning—the oldest hatred is alive and well, gussied up in academic robes. 

The admittedly “serious and pervasive” antisemitic incidents detailed by the report are disturbing. Even more troubling is the extent to which Columbia faculty and administrators were complicit in the problem. One instructor kicked off a class in the Master of Public Health program with a discussion of the Jewish “capitalists” who “laundered” their “dirty money” and “blood money” through donations to the university. Others silenced Jewish students in class discussions of the Holocaust and Israel. Still others moved class sessions and office hours to Columbia’s “Gaza Solidarity Encampment,” where Jewish students were routinely threatened and physically attacked.

For their part, campus demonstrators made no attempt to conceal their hatred of Jews. In fact, they made a public spectacle of it. A video cited by the report shows demonstrators stealing an Israeli flag from a Jewish student and assaulting him as he tried to stop them from setting it on fire. It shows demonstrators repeatedly shouting “Go back to Poland” at Jewish students as they walked across campus. One leader of the encampment proudly boasted, “Be grateful that I’m not just going out and murdering Zionists. . . I feel very comfortable calling for those people to die.” Still, the same university that offers hours of training on “microaggressions” refused to acknowledge decidedly macro-aggressive attacks on Jews. 

While all this was happening, administrators either minimized or denied the problem. One member of the Office of Diversity told a student that if the antisemitic incidents she observed made her feel unsafe, she should leave campus. Another administrator told individual students that they were the “only student” who had complained about antisemitism before referring each for mental health counseling.

The gaslighting is astonishing. Moreover, the report’s key recommendation—more training on what constitutes antisemitism—misses the point.

Antisemitism isn’t borne of ignorance at Columbia. Antisemitism is taught at Columbia. Discrimination—now reconceptualized as “intersectionality”—has become the ideological touchstone of the university. It is the subject of training programs, celebrated in academic centers, studied in labs, and baked into departmental mission statements. Under this theory, the world is divided into oppressor and victim classes based on racial, ethnic, and gender identity. And in this system of power and subordination, Jews are the ultimate oppressors. As one Columbia student leader put it, “white Jewish people are today and always have been the oppressors of all brown people.”

So the problem is not, as the report suggests, an “absence of clarity” about what constitutes antisemitism. It’s that antisemitism now lies at the ideological heart of the university, smuggled in through postmodern critical theory. It has been nurtured in faculty lounges and classrooms for decades. Now it is on public display for the entire world to see. 

This hatred is a danger to all members of the Columbia community, as it will not—and has not—stopped with Jews.  

In April, an angry mob consisting primarily of Columbia students, alumni, and even faculty, overran the university’s historic Hamilton Hall in the name of “intifada.” Four janitors were working in the building at the time, cleaning up after students and faculty. The rioters held two of the men, one African American and the other Latino, against their will and physically assaulted them. (My law firm represents the two workers.) 

All of this darkly mirrors the violent convulsions that wracked Columbia during the late 1960s, when I was an undergraduate there. Then, as I recount in my recent memoir, it was Students for a Democratic Society that was calling for a revolution. Mainly white and affluent, the demonstrators seemed to have done pretty well for themselves under the existing democratic system. But what they lacked in intellectual coherence, they more than made up for in violent zeal. They took over buildings, rioted, and provoked violent confrontations with the police, all while campus administrators, with a few notable exceptions, remained supine.

By the time the university was forced to take action against the rioters, it was too late. The message had been sent. Moderates, conservatives, and the politically undecided chose to pursue their education elsewhere. Radicals and revolutionaries were welcome on the Columbia faculty. And the very mission of the university changed from the pursuit of truth and knowledge to activism and social transformation.

The antisemitism that is convulsing Columbia is the consummation of the ideological drift and mission creep that began at the university in the 1960s. What was initially a crude cry for revolution in the riots of 1968 now finds expression in the academic jargon of intersectionality. But violence is the inevitable end of a theory that views our democratic institutions as systems of subordination. And antisemitism is the impulse that is unleashed by the intersectional taxonomy of oppressors and victims. 

It will take more than a cleanup crew to remove the stain of antisemitism at Columbia. It will take principled leaders with moral courage and ramrod spines, both of which seem to be in short supply. In the absence of those leaders, the victims of discrimination will have to rely on our legal and judicial institutions to protect the civil rights that Columbia University has once again surrendered to a baying mob.

[kalisburnerphone]

Only // Choi Seungcheol

Happy Birthday Cheol!!! You deserve everything good in the world.

Summary: Just a little glimpse into the life of Seungcheol and Solana.

Word Count: Unknown because I wrote this in the notes app on my phone but probably under 5k.

Warnings: Idol!Seungcheol x OC!Solana, established relationship, a tiny bit suggestive, Seungcheol on his pouty baby agenda, curve/plus-sized, foreigner!oc fluff, mentions of period and period sex, Seungcheol’s breeding kink is mentioned, they’re just in love tbh, pregnancy mentioned, slight handjob, allusions to sex, domesticity, teasing…I think that’s all.

N.B: This is in the same idolverse as my last Seungcheol piece but none of the parts are in chronological order. This couple will appear in other universes as I'm trying out this writing style and I also don't like writing from a first person pov. If I missed anything, let me know. Constructive criticism is welcomed. This is a work of fiction and does not represent the members of Seventeen and what they are like in reality.

At the sound of the front doors keypad being unlocked she ventures from her spot on the couch to greet the person she knows is about to appear once the door opens.

“Hey you.” He grins when he spots her. “why’re you still up?”

He questions pressing a quick peck to her lips before bending to take off his shoes. He tries to hide the jolt of pain he feels but she notices anyways, she always did. Their schedule had be jam packed since the concerts last weekend and soon they’d be on a plane to Japan for the remaining shows.

“I was working on that assignment when you texted so I decided I’d stay up. I haven’t seen much of you this week outside my phone screen.” He can hear the pout in her voice before he even looks at her and it’s honestly moments like these that Seungcheol is absolutely grateful that he gets to experience with her.

“I have a few days before we leave for Japan, I’m all yours.” He presses another kiss to her lips and lets her pull him behind her.

“I ran you a bath, go strip and get in. Have you eaten yet?” She asks as she lightly pushes him in the direction of their bedroom.

“Mhmm, we had team dinner. Join me?”

“Not tonight baby, shark week has started.”

“Okay,and? Y’know that’s not an issue.”

“Baby, you’re taking a bath not a shower. It’s not happening. Now, go strip and get in before the water gets too cold. I’ll come keep you company in a bit.” She compromises knowing fully well that he wouldn’t stay long in the bath if she didn’t at least sit with him.

Seungcheol seems satisfied with her answer as he lifts his hand to signal that he’s giving her five minutes to join him.Once he disappears down the hall she’s moving towards the couch and picking up her laptop, saving her assignments before powering it off. Kkuma had been staying with her uncle this past week as both her parents were extremely busy.

After the quick clean up, she’s turning off the lights just as Seungcheol calls out for her.

“I’m coming you big baby,” she teases making her way to the bedroom. She gets the little seat she uses at the vanity and takes it into the bathroom with her. She sets it down besides the tub, Seungcheol’s eyes never leaving her figure. Both arms resting on the edge of the tub used as support for his head as he watches her move around before she sits next to him with a little basket of their skincare products on the counter in front of her.

He sits quietly as she removes the days makeup from his face before applying his cleansing oil. After a few minutes she removes the oil using a warm,damp towel. They’ll have to finish the rest of steps once he’s done but it’s the last thing on his mind at the moment.

“How is it?”

“Hmm?” He hums out, much too preoccupied with the way her fingers are massaging his scalp.

“Your leg baby. I know you like putting up that shield of yours but we’re not going to pretend like I don’t know that you’re in pain. It’s been acting up since Saturday and I didn’t say anything because I figured you knew not to push yourself too much but, you’ve barely had time to rest lately.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I’m not mad at you Cheol, I…I’m just worried. Carats are as well, I can’t begin to count how many videos I’ve seen this week of you being in pain after stages. As much as they love that you’re back and doing what you love baby, they’re also extremely worried and protective. I’m not asking you to promise me that you’ll be more careful, I just need you to try and remember to take it easy from time to time. Take a break,put your leg up and relax. Yes, your rehab went well and you made progress quickly but you gotta remember that you’re still healing and over exerting yourself won’t help.”

Both his cheeks are cupped in her hands as she looks at him. Seungcheol isn’t sure if she can see the literal hearts in his eyes but whatever she sees must have assured her that he’d gotten her message loud and clear because she’s pressing her lips to his for what feels like the first time this week.

She pulls away too quickly for Seungcheol’s liking and he’s left chasing her lips as she goes. “One more.” The little giggle that leaves her mouth has him smiling brightly and her thumbs lightly poking his dimples as they appear.

“You’re so whipped.” she teases lightly, pressing kisses everywhere except for where she knows he wants them. The water in the tub has gone cold but Seungcheol didn’t care.

“Like you aren’t as equally whipped, princess.” He teases back before he’s taking matters into his own hands and slotting his lips against hers. Her kisses are something he can never get enough of and he only ever pulls away once he’s satisfied with leaving her breathless.

“Lemme finish up here and I’ll come rub your tummy, I know those first day cramps are horrendous.” He says softly.

“Okay. Don’t forget to finish your skincare.” She reminds him before making her way back to the bedroom with her little seat.

Seungcheol can’t help the lovesick smile on his face as he gets out of the bath and drains the water before stepping into the shower to rinse off. He contemplates washing his hair but decides he’ll just do it the following morning and proceeds to finish up his skincare and brushing his teeth before entering the bedroom.

“Baby,”

“Hmm?”

“Was that a new oil? It smelled really good.” He informs as he’s in the middle of pulling on his boxers.

“Mhmm, Josh recommended it to me the last time we met up. It’s warm vanilla and something but it’s supposed to help you relax and sleep well. Did you like it?”

Seungcheol loved the way she interacted with his family. He remembers how skeptical he’d been about introducing her to them but all those worries had been for nothing as she fit right in with them,especially Jeonghan and Joshua. Three of them together was like having mischievous triplets who fed off each other’s energy and they often gave Seungcheol a run for his money but he wouldn’t have had it any other way.

“It’s nice, you should buy more.”

Once he’s got his pants on he’s joining her on their bed. Her phone is placed on her bedside table as she grabs a medium sized container and some other item he doesn’t quite notice.

“Up against the headboard, get settled.” She bosses him around as she grabs one of the extra pillows and props it up under his leg before twisting open the cover on the container.

“What’s that for?” He questions, knowing better than to protest against her doting on him. It’s not often that she’s this fussy over him openly but he guesses he owes it to her hormones being all over at the moment.

“Icy Hot,” she says showing him the front of the container. “It’ll help with pain relief in the muscles and joints around the area.”

She explains as she applies a generous amount to his leg before massaging it into the area softly. “It’ll be cold at first, once you feel it start heating up that’s how you know it’s working.”

Once that’s done she’s carefully lifting his leg from the pillow and sliding his knee band under before securing it in place as she’s done numerous times throughout his recovery. Seungcheol waits until the container is covered and placed back on the bedside table before he’s pulling her towards him.

“Wait! Lemme wash my hands first.” She laughs lightly wiggling her way out of her boyfriend’s grabby hands.

“Babyyy, hurry up. I’m cold.” Seungcheol whines out not even five minutes later and she can hear the pout that she knows is settled on his lips. She had already completed her nightly routine so once her hands are clean,she’s making her way back to bed and immediately being pulled onto her boyfriend’s lap before she can settle next to him.

“You and your manhandling tendencies.”

“Tendencies that you love, let’s not pretend now.” He teases pressing a kiss to her jaw before moving lower to her neck where he lingers a bit.

“No marks tonight, I have a shoot tomorrow and Yeji will kill me if she has to do damage control.” She informs him, one hand on his shoulder and the other tangled in the hair at the back of his head.

“Just one?” He rests his chin on her exposed cleavage, looking up at her with a pout that he knows usually gets him his way. Seungcheol knew she wouldn’t let him have her the way he wanted so he’d have something else.

“Nuh-uh. The last time you said just one Cheol, she asked if I was mauled. You get carried away and I’m not complaining because you know I love it but not when I have to shoot.”

“Fineee,” his pout is even deeper now. “but after shark week has ended, I’m having my way with you.”

“Threat or a promise?” She teases, one hand on his shoulder and the other in the hair at the the of his head. Seungcheol doesn’t give her an answer, he simply presses his lips against hers, hard.

It’s sloppy, a mess of teeth and tongue and he thinks he’s got her in a position where he can sneak a mark or two but she’s pulling away much too soon for his liking.

“Babyyy.”

“Hmm?” She smiles giving his lips a few pecks before leaning in close to his ear. “You ain’t slick Choi.” she whispers with a lick to his earlobe before slipping off his lap and into her spot in bed.

“I’ve been meaning to ask you, what do you want for your birthday this year?” She asks redirecting the conversation before he could pounce on her.

Seungcheol breathes out a heavy sigh and readjusts his length in his pants before turning on his side, head propped up on one hand as the other settles on her waist.

“I don’t need anything. Just wish me happy birthday at midnight and I’ll be fine with that.”

“Cheol, c’mon. There’s gotta be something you want. Last year you said the same thing but lit up like a child on Christmas when I got you that chrome hearts collection and now you’re obsessed with the brand. I’m only asking because I really don’t know what to get you this time.”

Seungcheol finds it cute how she’s now the one pouting at him. If he was being honest, there’s something that he wanted but he wasn’t sure how she’d react if those words ever left his mouth. It wasn’t something they’d spoken in detail about given the place they were both at in their careers but Seungcheol couldn’t help the thoughts that had been occupying his mind recently.

Thoughts of her plush stomach all round with his child, breasts heavy and full as she waddled around their home. It drove him a bit insane especially whenever he’s inside her, hoping that his seed will take and she’d make him a dad. As bad as it sounds he wished that damn implant was ineffective as he pumped her full of his cum, round after round.

“So there is something that you want.” He hears the teasing lithe in her tone but feigns innocence, telling her that he doesn’t know what she’s talking about and that he’ll be happy with whatever she gave him.

“Tell me.”

“Baby, there’s not—ohh fuckkk!” his eyes immediately lock with hers as she starts stroking his length over his pants, her palm pressing into the head when she reaches the tip.

Seungcheol chuckles in disbelief at the bratty little smirk displayed on her lips. Her hand slipping past the band of his sweatpants to continue her teasing. Lips brushing against his own as she whispers against them “tell me what you want,daddy.”

In a matter of seconds Seungcheol has her flat on her back as he hovers above her, one hand loosely wrapped around her throat before their lips meet. She nips at his bottom lip before licking it over and Cheol struggles to stop the moan that slips pass his lips as she continues pumping his throbbing length.

“You’re such a fucking tease, y’know that? Y’know, I’m trying to be respectful but you just love to test me like I won’t lay some towels down and fuck you the way I haven’t been able to in the last three weeks.” His fingers squeeze a little tighter around her neck and he huffs at her audacity to still be smirking at him.

“It’s okay though because as soon as shark week is over, I’m going to remember this moment right here and I’m going to have my way with you. Fuck you just the way you like it, round after round I’ll fuck you full of my seed until it sticks and you’re all round and full with my baby.” He whispers hotly in her ear.

“That wasn’t so hard, now was it?” comes her quick witted response and once again Seungcheol is huffing in disbelief.

“You knew?”

“Like I said baby, you’re not slick. You forget just how well I know you sometimes and I saw you looking at baby clothes that you claimed were for Kkuma.”

The tips of his eyes are red as he buries his face in the crooks of her neck.

“I’m sorry. I know we haven’t talked about it seriously and both of our careers are really hectic right now but I can’t get rid of that feeling of being ready to take that step with you.” He speaks so softly that she wouldn’t have heard him if he weren’t so close to her ear.

“Hey, look at me.” both hands cupping his cheeks as he does as she asked. “there’s no reason for you to be sorry. I’ll have your babies, you know this. As long as it’s with you I know I’ll be okay. I guess what I’m trying to say is, once our schedules clear up a bit we can go to the doctor to get the implant out and we can start trying.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” She can’t help the way his smile makes her smile as well. She’d do anything for him and if a baby is what he wants then that’s what he’ll get.

“You’re going to make me a dad? Give Kkuma a sibling?”

“That’s the plan baby, but until then, lay back let me fix the problem I created.

Solana smiles as she recalls that faithful night three months ago. She had gone to the doctor without Seungcheol while he was in Japan and had the implant removed. He was still unaware to that fact but that didn’t stop the new heights his breeding kink had soared to. True to his word, he’d had her ten ways to Sunday during the week they got off after Japan. On the balcony of his hotel room before and after their speech at the UN and many more after that which has brought them to this faithful moment.

It’s August 8th and Seungcheol’s 29th birthday. She’d wished him happy birthday at exactly midnight because lord knows he’d be pouting for the rest of the month if she didn’t and he’d had his way with her once again until the sun came up and they both drifted back to sleep.

She’d planned a simple birthday dinner with the boys, Kai and Nami. They had gathered at their favorite restaurant, a private room booked as they all ate and drank while telling stories and remembering their trainee days. As the evening goes on, Jeonghan and Joshua are the first to hand Seungcheol presents. One by one they all give him their gifts and watches as he opens them until she’s the only one left.

It’s a little blue box, quite smaller than the other gifts he’s gotten so Seungcheol’s not really sure what it is. Jeonghan however is sitting in the corner with a knowing smile on his face. He wasn’t stupid, he had picked up on the little things that seemed to fly right over Seungcheol’s head but he wouldn’t ruin that element of surprise for his best friend.And surprised Seungcheol is when he opens the box and pulls away the pink wrapping paper to reveal a small photo album.They’re all pictures from over the course of their relationship. From polaroids to instant photo booth pictures, there was a memory attached to each for every month of the last five years.

Seungcheol’s eyes are immediately finding hers once he gets to the last page of the album. “This is real, right? You’re not fucking with me?”

She shakes her head and smiles at him mouthing surprise as Seungcheol drops the box and album onto the table before pulling her into his arms and kissing her. She’s the first to pull back when she feels something wet hit her cheeks.

“Yah, why’re you crying?” She laughs lightly followed by a sniffle of her own.

“I’m happy, so fucking happy. Thank you and I love you. You and the little bean growing inside of you.” He smiles sniffling a little.

“No.Fucking.Way. Jeonghan hyung wasn’t lying.”

They’re both pulled out of their little bubble by Mingyu’s surprised outburst as they all circle around the open album on the table that shows an ultrasound with the title:

Baby Choi 2025 ♥️

[princesssarisa]

I've decided not to write any more long posts about why some people don't like Disney's Belle. I've probably been dwelling too much in other people's negative thoughts that I disagree with. But here are the rest of the critiques of Belle's character that I've read, and my short, succinct thoughts on each one.

I still think it's very interesting that some critics think Belle is too sweet and gentle, too feminine, and not "strong" or "modern" enough, while others think she's too defiant, too "modern," and not sweet or gentle enough.

Her desires at the beginning are ill-defined: she wants "adventure" and "more," but has no specific goal. This is true, but personally, I don't mind it. Plenty of us don't know exactly what we want from life, but do know that we want more excitement and wonderment.

She does nothing but read and complain in the village; she makes no effort to achieve her dreams of adventure, and she never does any realistic peasant chores, which makes her come across even more as a spoiled rich girl. I think it's implicit that Belle and Maurice are too poor to leave the village – that's why Maurice sets out to gain fame and fortune with his invention. And I think Belle's never doing housework onscreen was part of Linda Woolverton's feminist agenda. Maybe it's not realistic, and maybe it's overly "second wave feminist," but I do think it was fair of Woolverton to want to break away from the Walt-era Princess model and not show Belle cooking or cleaning.

Her dreams of adventure are side-swept in favor of a mere love story. I think there are two ways of addressing this issue. One is to argue that her dreams of adventure do come true, just in a way she never expected. The other, supported more by the song "A Change in Me" from the musical, is that she does lose her dreams, but for the better, as she realizes her life doesn't need to be like a romantic storybook to be happy.

Her romance with the Beast isn't nearly as fleshed-out or as realistic as fans claim it is. This is subjective. Some people think it's one of the best-written romance arcs in cinema.

She affects meek politeness and plays games with Gaston instead of plainly refusing his advances. First of all, if Belle didn't care about politeness, she would be a hypocrite to criticize Gaston and the Beast for their rudeness. Secondly, Gaston is intimidating. Third, this is only the beginning of her journey – with the Beast, she arguably learns to stand up to someone who mistreats her, which lets her decisively reject Gaston and call him a monster later on.

She seems to blindly love all books without questioning their content, which could be dangerous, especially when the French Revolution arrives. Belle has no trouble thinking for herself. If she can open her heart and mind to the Beast, and loathe Gaston while the rest of the town adores him, then I'm sure she can tell good books apart from bad and dangerous books. And the fashions in the movie are such a mish-mosh that I'm not sure if it takes place before the French Revolution or after... or if the French Revolution will even happen in this fairy tale world.

She sacrifices her own needs for men. Yes she does, but it's not framed in a gendered way, and both the Beast and Maurice do the same for her.

She emasculates the Beast. Well, I'll admit that the Beast's arc isn't very empowering for him – that's the whole point, that he learns to give up some of his personal power and love unselfishly. But is that necessarily a bad thing? I'll also admit that sometimes, I feel troubled that the Beast lets the mob attack the castle and does nothing to protect his servants. Still, we probably shouldn't judge a character whose mental health is clearly suffering at this point: immobilizing, suicidal despair doesn't only exist in fiction, so we should think twice before we call it "weakness" or "emasculation."

She needs male characters to rescue her – the Beast from the wolves, Chip from the cellar. I respect the complaint that the Disney Renaissance movies still rely too much on the "boy rescues girl" trope, but there's no shame in needing to be rescued. Especially because in the forest scene, Belle is just one human facing a whole pack of wolves, and in the cellar scene, her father is rescued too.

She never uses her skills, knowledge, or passions to solve problems – the only purpose they serve is to unite her with the Beast. I think this is just a genre problem. The whole story is geared toward uniting Belle and the Beast in love, and every story beat serves that end.

She almost leaves the Beast to die in the snow and stays angry about the West Wing incident even after he saves her life. The former is only a split second, while the latter is only in self-defense when the Beast unfairly blames her for his injury. Besides, consider the context of how the Beast has behaved until this point!

She's a hypocrite for giving the Beast a second chance yet dismissing Gaston as a monster. She doesn't give the Beast a chance until he risks his life to save hers. If Gaston had done anything like that, she would have given him a second chance too, but he doesn't. Gaston is also far more cold-blooded and narcissistic than the Beast ever is.

She's to blame for the Beat's near-death at the climax because she reveals his existence to Gaston and the other villagers. Of course she is. It's explicitly framed as a terrible mistake and she openly blames herself. But it's an impulsive act of desperation to save her father, and she tries to explain that the Beast is kind and gentle. Until it's too late, it clearly doesn't cross her mind that the villagers could form a mob to kill him!

She plays a nurturing, motherly role to both the Beast and her father. I agree that heroines shouldn't need to be nurturing. But it's not inherently anti-feminist to be that way!

She's sidelined in the final battle. Yes, this is true, but her presence is still essential to the scene, and not every heroine needs to be an action girl.

Her portrayal falls short of the original Beauty's greatest virtues: her kindness, selflessness, and compassion. Belle still has those qualities, they're just combined with more "modern" ones (adventurousness, defiance toward unjust authority figures, etc.). Besides, Disney had already made several excellent movies about heroines defined by kindness and gentleness. What's wrong with giving Belle a slightly different set of virtues?

She's too traditionally feminine and ladylike. I think most of us can agree that "femininity" ≠ "anti-feminist," and anyone who thinks that way is a little misguided.

Her creators glorify her at the expense of the other Disney Princesses. I agree that it was unfair and mean-spirited of Linda Woolverton to imply that the three Walt-era Princesses are "insipid," but I do respect her insistence on making Belle a different, more "modern" heroine. And I agree that Paige O'Hara was mistaken when she described Belle as "the first Princess not looking for a man" (neither Cinderella nor Ariel dream of romance until they actually meet their princes), but I don't hold that against Belle.

She's too blatantly written as a role model – she doesn't feel like a real person, but like a living instruction manual for how a "smart," "empowered" woman should behave. This is valid. But I personally do think she seems like a real person as well as a role model, and I think she's engaging enough that I don't mind the obvious "role model" qualities.

[utilitycaster]

Sort of related to the post about people coming in for shipping but something that’s struck me, as actual play fandom has spread, is that there is a certain lack of genre awareness currently - not just surrounding Critical Role, to be honest; it’s a frustration for me for the conversation surrounding Dimension 20 and Worlds Beyond Number for a while as well.

Take fate, for example. The idea of fate, whether it’s as specific as an ancient prophecy, or as broad as the general concept of destiny, is absolutely at the core of so many classic fantasy series that to be vehemently opposed to it within Critical Role is to display profound ignorance of the genre of fantasy. It’s akin to showing up to a sporting event and getting mad that people are running around in athletic gear; it’s like going to an Italian restaurant in the US and screaming in the face of the waiter when they give you bread and olive oil. There is not, per se, a required reading list. You do not need to read nor watch all of Lord of the Rings let alone consider it a formative work; Sam Riegel and Aabria Iyengar sure haven’t. But if you are not familiar with the genre at all, at the very least you do need to come with a certain awareness that you are not familiar with the genre and be open to its conventions. And to be clear: it’s valid to hate the theme of things being fated. But again, that’s like hating they serve bread and olive oil at the Italian restaurant; you should probably simply not go to Italian restaurants.

Another example that is my personal source of irritation is the obsession with radiation as a factor in Burrow’s End. Setting aside my original irritation at just good old-fashioned lack of reading comprehension with the conflation of the poison and the Blue/the Light, the idea that the intelligence was induced by radiation is really…not genre aware. Like, I recognize I’m coming at this with rather more knowledge than average (from a scientific rather than genre-aware perspective no less) but to get back to genre, I take no issue with, say, radiation in comic books. I know the premise of Spider-Man or of Doctor Manhattan’s origins is absolutely ridiculous; but that’s the genre. Radiation in comic books exists to be an easy origin story so we can get to the point of “here’s a guy with powers”. However, in a show that derives its narrative language from Watership Down and Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh, the idea that the magic and the lightning and the source of intelligence are radiation makes little sense. Another example is the weird response to Skip in Starstruck; the idea of an alien brain parasite like that is so genre-typical to space opera it feels like, again, someone going to an Italian restaurant, pointing at the bread, and saying “WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT? HOW DARE YOU!”

I think my particular frustration with both of the above (and when I talk about Worlds Beyond Number) is that those people ignorant of genre and not letting it wash over them a la Sam will often fall back to the real world (although, unfortunately, not when it comes to radiation) when trying to make sense of the narrative without the signposts, language, and tropes of the genres to which they belong. To understand the subversions or deconstructions that are likely to occur in, for example, the upcoming exploration of the Citadel in Worlds Beyond Number, you need to be open to the idea that it is a complicated place and not simply The Evil Empire That Suvi Will Definitely Leave; if you’re utterly suspicious of everyone and refuse to try to understand why this is a place people enjoy let alone will die for, you can’t actually experience the story. We are going into the Citadel arc; these wizards will be humanized, and if you have closed off your mind to them already you have set yourself up to be miserable. I do think it’s great that actual play has found an increasingly large audience, but the medium of actual play also carries a certain lexicon and ignorance of it will skew one’s interpretations. My personal bugbear here is of course interpreting bog-standard tanking strategies as either romantic or self-sacrificial in intent, but in general, any resistance to the mere concept of gaining power, the existence of concrete deities, combat, and the placement of plot above romance in D&D are all signs of this ignorance. And again: ignorance is fine! But with all of the above there also often comes this entitlement to a story that is familiar, in blatant disregard for those parameters of genre and medium, and I have to wonder, again, why people mad that a fantasy story is leaning heavily on fantasy story norms, or why D&D has combat, are still showing up to the fantasy D&D story. To return to the Italian restaurant, which is getting a lot of terrible patrons in this metaphor, it feels like a lot of people are showing up to this restaurant because they heard it was good, but then becoming furious it won’t serve them peanut butter and jelly. People who are not familiar should still be welcome, but that lack of familiarity needs to be accompanied by an openness and desire to learn, rather than the entitlement that is so often present.

[piglet26]

Jason Fry Interview about Reylo

There's a really great interview with Jason Fry, who wrote the novelization.

Comments on Kylo Ren

I think Ben is disappointed by all his father figures, which is a part of what fuels his rage. He sees Han as a scruffy criminal, Luke as a jealous rival and Snoke as an uncaring manipulator. He rejects all these father figures as wanting and can’t fill the void that’s left -- until he reaches that pivotal moment on Kef Bir.

Do you feel by the end of TLJ that Kylo was turning back to the light or solidifying his stance in the dark side?

Neither. He’s won a battle but lost his personal war, and is adrift. The Resistance has escaped, his chance at vengeance has been lost (complete with the great “no dice” joke when they disappear in his hand), and Rey has severed the connection between them.

What do you think Kylo was suggesting to Rey in the throne room? Do you see it as a strictly force partnership or did see his words as meaning more than just that and an actual relationship?

It wasn’t clear to me, because at that moment I don’t think it’s clear to Kylo. He sees Rey as a partner in the Force, absolutely, and there’s obviously this incredibly powerful connection between the two of them. But Kylo’s still working through his own issues there, including what that connection means to him.

He tries to use Rey, which is why she’s so disappointed in him – she thought she could bring him back to the light, and the first thing he does after she thinks she’s succeeded is to try and make her a partner in his ambitions.....that connection goes back to The Force Awakens, when Kylo tries to pry open Rey’s mind and instead lets her into his own. That’s pivotal for both of them – it unlocks Rey’s nascent power, because she sees how Kylo can do what he does, but it also leaves Kylo’s deepest fears and insecurities open to her.

I think this is additional wonderful insight into criticism around Finn's storyline in the The Last Jedi.

Along the same lines, I think the world of John Boyega, who’s a wonderfully dynamic actor and someone whose voice Hollywood needs to listen to. But I also think his criticism of Finn’s storyline in TLJ is misplaced. I think TLJ did a good job with Finn, and what fans who dislike his storyline are missing is that it’s a middle chapter – all complications and reversals and missteps, particularly for Finn. Finn is a remarkable character whom I’ve called the conscience of the sequel trilogy, a child soldier with a moral compass strong enough that he shakes off his programming and refuses to kill for the First Order. But he’s also in search of an identity after making that decision. In TFA he devotes himself to Rey, and that’s where he still is in TLJ. His new friends expect him to dedicate himself to the Resistance, but that’s the last thing he wants – he just stopped being a soldier for a cause, and he’s not signing up to do that again......... Finn’s one of my favorite characters, but I think he got shortchanged in ROS, not TLJ.

[slxsherwriter]

Blood Magic

Fandom: Halloween 2007

Pairings: None

Warnings: Blood, self harm (not true but tagging for those that would have an issue)

Word Count: 1439

A/N: Things were kept fairly purposely vague here. Let me know if you want any more! No beta.

The moon was high in the night sky, the only light in the empty forest clearing. A terrifying setting to some but to her, it was nothing but comforting. Out among the trees and the nocturnal life, there was no judgement. No harsh gazes, no whispered words behind her back. Simply her and the natural world. So much power to draw from, a place to commune and reconnect with the universe. The perfect spot to be able to perform the ritual. Letting out a small sigh, she settled down onto the ground, making herself comfortable. A smile was worn and her eyes briefly closed. Soaking in the moment and appreciating the quiet, She was able to find a center, which was just what she needed to concentrate. She could sense the few owls in the area and mice moving underfoot. There weren't any large predators in this forest. Just another reason that it was the spot for her.

Opening her bag, the young woman remained silent, not wanting to break the peace that was blanketing the clearing. She would have to disturb it soon enough but for now, set up could be done silently. Candles, a knife, and a small bowl were removed from the bag. The candles were laid out in a carefully planned pattern in front of her before the bowl was placed in the center. A critical eye was given to the setup, the woman leaning back to get a bitter view of the setup. Satisfied with the result, she nodded to herself. Each candle was lit in the same slow and methodical way that they had been setup.

Knife in hand, she closed her eyes, missing the crunch of leaves that came from behind her. Or the looming presence that drew steadily closer.

"With this offering, I give myself unto the earth and ask for the spirit in return." The knife was brought to her palm, a steadying breath taken, before it sliced deep into the flesh. Blood instantly pooled around the silver blade before dripping into the bowl in front of her.

It was just as she had closed her hand into a fist that the heavy boot hitting the ground behind her caught her attention. Whipping around, she was greeted with none other than the Boogeyman of Haddonfield himself, Michael Myers. Part of her had thought the man a myth, a legend to keep others behaving in the small town. Urban myths were gaining popularity these days after all. She should have known that there was some level of truth there. Proof of the fact was standing right before her now, looming with a menace and a threat of harm. The energy she felt radiating off of him was like nothing she had experienced before, sending a shiver down her spine.

In her haste of movement, she had knocked over two of the candles and the bowl was sent wobbling. Instinctually, she raised a hand to block the blow that was coming. His knife entered into her already cut hand, though this time the blade pierced straight through flesh and bone, embedded into the palm of her hand and appearing on the other side, nicking her cheek in the process.

The movements happened so fast, she couldn't recognize what was occurring. He had interrupted the ritual and the spell.

Her mouth dropped open to let out a pained scream but nothing came out. The pain in her hand faded, only to be replaced with a blinding, body numbing pain that ran from the top of her head to the tip of her toes, coupled with this overwhelming sensation that was suffocating at best. Her entire body locked, muscles spasming painfully, leaving her unable to do anything else against the next onslaught that came. Except nothing ever did.

Her vision was hazy, unfocused, but she could make out the shape of the man hanging above her, arm raised. But he wasn't attacking. Her brain moved as sluggish as the rest of her body felt in that moment, meaning she didn't comprehend what was happening, what had happened, or why he wasn't attacking. Sprawled in the middle of the small ritual setup, she was nothing more than easy prey for the man. Eyes opened wider when the thud of the knife hitting the dirt beside her head registered. It hadn't entered her chest, her throat, or her head. That suffocating feeling was still present and she still couldn't place it. It was not like anything she had experienced in her life before. Another thud and yet, no more pain. The only source was radiating from her hand. Again and again, the knife was plunged into the ground beside her head. Never once did it hit her, never was there any additional blood drawn.

Slowly, the constriction in her throat eased and the pounding in the back of her skull began to fade. Her vision cleared along with it. The towering mass of a man that stood over her, chest heaving and hands clenched at his sides, came more into focus. Little by little, with minimal movements, she slowly pushed herself up into a more seated position. There wasn't any move made to get away from him, at least not yet. The new found situation was delicate. She hadn't expected to find herself alive after all, not once that blade of his that had already caused so much death and destruction had been dug into her own flesh. Never had she felt more acutely aware of her own body; the thrum of her heart, the expansion of her chest, or the bite of fire a little too close to her skin. Michael cocked his head to the side just slightly, but he remained a statue, not moving another muscle. A wave of confusion washed over her. Ever so carefully, she inched forward to get away from the fire even when it put her closer to him.

Her movement didn't not bring any ounce of movement from him. She had no idea what to make of it. Cradling her injured hand close to her body, the pulsing, throbbing pain a reminder of the injury that needed to be treated, her eyes remained locked on the figure before her. There was no telling what his next action would be.

Again, it occurred so suddenly that she was caught off guard entirely. One second she was on the ground, the next she was in the air, in his arms. No excess pain, no difficulty breathing. He was not making an attempt to squeeze her to death. There was enough power in his frame to manage such a feat. No, he was simply holding her off of the ground. Not cradled against his body exactly but also not held out like a rag doll. Blood stained them both as the seconds continued to tick by, nothing being said or done. It took her several more seconds to be able to gather enough courage to speak.

"I need to wrap my hand…" The most pressing thing? Probably not. But it was the safe thing to be able to focus on. Otherwise, she might have lost all sense of composure. Did she really expect any sort of response from the masked killer? No. No she really hadn't. If anything, perhaps the simple act of speaking would be what was needed to kickstart the process of her death.

Instead, what it did was make the man turn and start walking, with her still in his arms. With nothing else to focus on, she finally was able to give thought to what she had felt before and the lingering sense of something else that was still present in her mind. While the ritual had not been completed, something had been exchanged. She closed her eyes, trying to sort it all out in her mind. What else was she supposed to do anyway? It wasn't like she was escaping the ironclad grip of Michael Myers. There was nottelling where she was going or what the man planned to do with her. He wasn't one to play with his victims. That was a well known fact.

Blood as an offering. But spilled with malicious intent, from a blade that wasn't her own. A blade that wasn't cleansed. The candle pattern disrupted.A jolt of realization went through her. Had she just performed soul magic by accident thanks to his attack? When she had asked for the spirit, she had meant the Earth. Could it be possible that some of his spirit had been transferred instead? The thought made her stomach churn for a moment. Oh, shit.

[emrosedeleon]

A lot of astrologers seem weirdly pessimistic about the capacity of ordinary people to maintain and exert power against the powerful, like y'all seem to think empires and capital will last forever somehow and looking at the same stars, I think you're being clouded by resignation.

This is an anti-crypto post, an anti-Elon post, an anti-Russia post, and an anti-China post.

What I see in the stars for the coming years to the close of the decade is a simmering world, but one in which the colonized and impoverished are primed to demand true equality.

As much as I think America and Israel are doomed, failed, unjustified states, I think all states are unjustified and I think the nation state will be consigned to history.

Just as I think crypto will fail, I think the entire top-down structure of the economy will be challenged.

Capitalism and autarchy and answering to your betters and doing what you need to for survival - these are Earth Age miseries.

Not to say the world will automatically be perfect, but we're finally leaving the 20th, and the 19th, and 18th centuries in the past.

I can't say that'll be instant communism, although I'd appreciate that - and I think we're looking down the barrel of a very dark time, but one that will fail to maintain itself and establish longevity. And I see something better afterwards, a clean break.

I'm not saying we'll instantly start caring about women and children and queer people and the disabled automatically, but these are going to be deeply and immediately entangled issues for the foreseeable future, patriarchy has been critically weakened in recent history.

I think we'll see good progress for the rail workers being that they experienced a setback during Mars retrograde.

I think this Saturn-Jupiter conjunction also being the Saturn return of the Internet, and the US Constitution - that indicates big global changes for the better.

I'm not saying capitalism will immediately shrivel on the vine making way for classlessness and equanimity - but we are going on a path that demands global multiculturalism, openness between regions, and social democracy at the very least.

[konmaao3]

My thoughts about season 4

(tagged as tdp critical because I’m focusing on the negatives. It’s long enough as it is although I tried to keep myself short) We don’t really need yet another review, but I wanted to understand why I found season 4 so underwhelming and thus wrote this stuff, so why not post it as well.

tl;dr The storytelling was often immersion-breaking. Many things seemed to happen because the plot needed them to happen, not because they made sense. Irrespective of that, the story felt shallow. There weren’t enough conversations about all the important stuff going on, the dragang just travelled without much character development.

I think my main issues are with 1) the overall storytelling and 2) the characters within the story. Season 4 often chooses the lazy, convenient route (I’ll use the word “convenient” a lot here). In isolation, many of my points don’t matter that much or could be explained by some head canons, but they add up. There were just so many immersion-breaking logical errors and weird behaviours, and also some design choices I simply disagree with.

1) Storytelling

The story of season 1-3 was essentially “in a hostile environment, bring Zym from A to B”, which is all that was needed. What made it great were the characters within the story. So season 4 didn’t have to do something spectacular in this regard, but things were constantly throwing me off, preventing me from getting invested.

No open fire in a huge sunfire elf camp? That doesn’t sound right, there are plenty of nomadic cultures that use fires literally inside of tents. Ancient and medieval and modern armies on the march needed their fires as well. It’s strange that these human-elf misunderstandings only came up after two years. In fact, it seemed as if this plot line hadn’t gotten the memo about the time skip. Because that was the starting point of the whole conflict, it always felt weird. If I ignore that and pretend that there was a believable reason, I don’t have many issues with this story arc.

However, the Aaravos arc had me constantly shake my head:

Zubeia and Pyrrah conveniently leave just when Claudia&Co. climb the Storm Spire.

“The staff of Ziard has been stolen. I’m afraid this can only mean one thing: The Fallen Star has returned.” – Why can it mean only that? It’s a powerful relic, that alone is reason enough for any dark mage to try and get it. Claudia whispered “one step closer to freeing Aaravos” when opening the chest, but if Ibis heard that, he should have simply said “a dark mage stole the staff to free the Fallen Star” instead. But conveniently, this puts the good guys on the right track from the get-go.

Why did Zubeia take the dragang with her? Very convenient that the protagonists are included in the story that way, but there wasn’t really a reason. It’s especially weird that Ezran tags along (the world really needs a 12-year-old boy whose death could cause yet another succession crisis?) and that Opeli just yeets him into this adventure (unless she has a coup in mind, lol).

Why hasn’t Zubeia asked Ezran and Callum about the mirror in the last two years? She knows that it went missing together with Zym’s egg, and someone must have told her that Viren stole that.

For plot reasons, overpowered Zubeia needed to stay behind at Umber Tor, and the collapsed entrance worked well enough. Then the back entrance is supposed to be secret, hidden somewhere in a huge forest, and yet they find it in no time – of course with a local’s help, but they were already conveniently close anyway. Getting to know N’than and earning his trust to a degree that he was willing to risk his life by leading them to Rex was conveniently easy as well.

Rayla told Soren “you better be right behind me”, but after five steps she should have noticed that this wasn’t the case. Conveniently for the plot, she didn’t notice. Of course for plot reasons Soren had to get lost so that he could meet Claudia, but there should have been another way to do that. The drakeriders, including N’than, were pretty much unnecessary and could have made room for more important matters.

TDP usually avoids problems caused by stupid communication, but in the case of Rex it was a close call. Upon seeing him, the first word from the heroes should have been “Aaravos”, followed by “wants to escape, we have to stop him”. Would have saved a lot of time, avoiding drama that didn’t feel real anyway because it was so obvious that it was just the result of bad communication. Why do they even ask for the location of the prison? Would make sense if they wanted to free Aaravos, but they just want to prevent others from doing that.

When even Rex wasn’t immune to the sleep spell, Zym was unaffected for unknown reasons. However, the villains didn’t care about that and let him run away and hide, and then they went one step further and left their sleeping enemies and Soren unsupervised so that Zym and Soren could wake the rest of the dragang (scatter a few more “conveniently” in here somewhere).

Archdragons are intelligent beings. Yet when Rex woke up, he didn’t do the sensible thing – look for Claudia, squash her, then interrogate the others – but threw a temper tantrum like a wild animal, conveniently allowing the villains to escape and forcing the heroes to flee. Conveniently for them, suddenly a hole appeared in the barrier at the gate.

(If season 5 starts with the heroes not knowing where the prison is: Why didn’t Zubeia tell Rex that the dragang are the good guys and get the map from him as well?)

The caterpillar was creepy, the Creature was silly (I had hoped for something more menacing to emerge from the chrysalis, maybe something with Koh-the-Facestealer-vibes). The scene where Viren knelt down felt very out of character, considering how disillusioned he had been until that point, and I immediately suspected that they were trying to set up a dramatic moment that could then be interrupted by silliness. The Creature vomiting all over Viren was just that, but because it was so predictable it was neither dramatic nor funny. The Creature didn’t do anything the whole season that couldn’t have been done by the other characters. I’m sure it will become plot-relevant later, but it could have been interesting right from the start. Given enough intelligence, the Creature could for example struggle for agency and free will against Aaravos who just wants a puppet. Or at least give it some cool powers.

So, within the existing story many things could have been done better, but as mentioned above the whole premise was weird from the start. It felt as if the heroes went on the adventure not because it made sense, but just because they are the protagonists of the show.

What should have been done differently? Rough idea from the top of my head: To make things interesting, you can’t have a super-powerful ally such as Zubeia around the whole time. So the heroes’ quest could have been a seemingly private one at first that doesn’t involve Zubeia (or the info-dump that took away much from the Mystery) and keeps them in the dark about the world-threatening danger that is Aaravos. It could have started with Callum interacting with Aaravos through the mirror (not knowing who he is), Aaravos promising knowledge about the missing Rayla, e.g. in exchange for the cube or the map to his prison (framed as a hostage situation, blackmail, a simple trade, anything goes).

The threat would have been more subtle. As things stand now, Zubeia should already fly across all of Xadia to warn everyone (especially the archdragon of Ocean … any others left? Sol seems to be out of the picture) and send a shit ton of dragons to the heroes’ help.

2) Characters

Rayla leaves in the morning as if that couldn’t traumatize Callum all over again, but he doesn’t even acknowledge her return at all when waking up (or later when she comes to the valley of graves), only caring about greeting Zubeia. Then Rayla is gone all day, and we don’t know why – to be fair, a mind-controlled Rayla slashing the Zubeia painting as this fanfic proposed would be an interesting reason. We also don’t learn why she suddenly returned – conveniently right when it’s adventure time.

I’m on the fence about Rayla’s and Callum’s behaviour when they see Viren. We don’t know what’s going on in their heads, but it felt odd that Rayla would just leave again after she has just returned, and that Callum would let her go without offering to come with her. Felt like the plot just needed the Rayla-Claudia confrontation so that Rayla could get the coins. But then the confrontation: Rayla says she won’t make a deal with Claudia … but she also doesn’t say what she does want. Taking a hostage usually does involve making a deal. Instead she just holds a sword to Terry’s throat and stands there. And how does Claudia (conveniently) know that two of the coins are Rayla’s parents? Parents and their children don’t look that similar. Otherwise great scene, Claudia’s smug cruelty was bone-chilling, Rayla’s scream was heartbreaking, Claudia giving Rayla the coins was very intriguing.

But then so many missed opportunities to add some emotional depth to the story:

When Callum gets angry at Rayla in his study, Stella interrupts. Ezran forgives her immediately and never talks about her absence, even though she is like a sister to him and it hurt both him and Callum and of course her as well. When Rayla wants to talk with Callum at the top of the Storm Spire – not necessarily about them, but maybe about Aaravos possessing him – Soren interrupts. When Soren talks to Rayla about Callum, the drakerider fighting the dragon interrupts. When Ezran and Callum talk about Callum’s possession and about Rayla, they don’t exchange more than a few sentences. When Callum and Rayla talk in the lava cave, Rayla leaves after just a few words (including “no one can control you” after she saw Aaravos literally do that). No one ever voices their concern about a world-threatening evil about to return to Xadia, apart from one dry comment from Rayla. No one asks Soren how he feels about the fact that Claudia is responsible for that.

Then there is Soren’s reunion with his family. His talk with Claudia was interesting, but – for valid in-universe reasons – it couldn’t actually go anywhere because Claudia couldn’t be honest. Soren thought that she was alone and wants to free Aaravos just because, when in reality Claudia wants to save Viren. But she can’t tell Soren that, because she needs to stall him until Viren and Terry free her. However, once Viren is there, there is a lot to unpack for the family:

Claudia almost killed Soren with Noctu Igne

Viren almost turned Soren into a fire monster

Viren told Soren to kill the princes, then denied it and made Claudia believe him. Would he feel remorse for any of that now?

Soren “killed” Viren’s illusion (which Viren doesn’t know yet)

I wrote a whole fanfic about this confrontation, and even with my hyperfixation on Rayllum I was very much looking forward to it, but what season 4 gave us is … nothing. Nothing at all after S1-3 set up the most interesting family dynamic imaginable.

I’m totally okay with Callum and Rayla not solving all of their issues in season 4, but there were so many opportunities to talk about serious matters, and the season ignored them almost completely. Sure, that can come later … but it doesn’t have to, not all of it. A set-up season is allowed to be interesting as well, and season 4 had the potential for it. The whole “bring Zym from A to B” plot from S1-3 was so interesting because it was accompanied by character interactions and development, things that were missing here.

Some words about the humour:

Honestly, I didn’t mind Claudia’s and Terry’s fart jokes that much. They weren’t funny, but they didn’t have to be and I’m not sure if they were supposed to. They felt in-character because Claudia was always quirky, and if Terry is her boyfriend then it makes sense that he shares her sense of humour. It was humanizing them, making them more than the evil villains who murdered Ibis. Still, the humour of season 4 didn’t convince me (while I often found S1-3 hilarious). I can’t remember many jokes in the first place (were the guardians supposed to be funny? I can’t even tell), much less ones that worked.

So, yeah, season 5 can still fix a lot of things, but on its own season 4 wasn’t great.

[sophieinwonderland]

Me again (Plush/Sword anon - I'm coining myself as Seed Anon)!

I've learned a lot about plurality over the last few weeks. I've learned it's generally a good idea to listen when someone is talking to you - and it isn't like I dislike having Sword around. She was dangerous because she didn't care about anything but her job: keeping me safe. It wasn't really her fault that she wasn't built to know the difference between "thing that makes Seed uncomfortable" and "yet another person turning on Seed to make him feel bad", y'know?

I've been leaving the door open, so to speak, for her to come say hi or whatever while I work with Plush. I reason that if she was strong enough to just...materialize herself out of nothingness last night, she'll be powerful enough to say "Hey, give me attention" in whatever way she can as long as I'm not actively trying to shut her out, right?

It seems like she might be...lonely? So at some point I wanna really focus on making her her own room so that she doesn't have to keep going out of her way (and potentially her comfort zone) to see me. I just have visualization issues and right now I don't have a very good place to sit and focus - too much external noise. If you have tips for that kinda thing I'd be interesting in hearing them

(Seed anon)

That sounds like a good policy. Welcome her when she comes and don't push her away. But you're right that you probably don't need to actively seek her out either. (Though she might appreciate it if you did.)

And making her a room sounds great too! You may want to design it with her to keep her part of the process so she can really personalize it.

She was dangerous because she didn't care about anything but her job: keeping me safe. It wasn't really her fault that she wasn't built to know the difference between "thing that makes Seed uncomfortable" and "yet another person turning on Seed to make him feel bad", y'know?

I'm going to say something in the interest of other people who may be in situations similar to this. I want to note that this isn't meant as a criticism of you and your actions.

But if some people are in situations like this, I think it would be worth it to try to teach the headmate instead of pushing them away. I believe anyone can learn, and even if this is all she knew, you could teach her.

This isn't something that's your fault, of course. If you were a teen at the time, a child yourself, it's too much to expect you to play parent to your headmate. But it is something I want people to think about if they're going through similar experiences.

As for visualizing the inner world, there are some guides here that can help with building inner world visualization skills:

Also, for this, specifically...

too much external noise.

You might want to look into buying yourself some earplugs.

[thevaudevilledemon]

I wanted to write something for my new ship before the year was over.

To all Magicstones and Dimeshippers out there, I apologize but I’m going to be making some competition.

I don’t think this is very well written, but I wanted to get something down. So umm... I guess criticism is fine but like, be aware I already wish I didn’t share this so...

Stuck Together Duck

Characters: Donald Duck (Main), Magica De Spell (Main), Gladstone Gander (Cameo), Scrooge McDuck (Cameo), Miss Quackfaster (Cameo)

Plot: After another failed dime robbery attempt, Magica finds herself stuck to Donald Duck of all people, but maybe this isn’t the bad thing they initially believe.

Scrooge could feel something was up. Years of fighting off greedy and unscrupulous assailants had given the old duck a sense of foreboding, he could always tell when something was about to happen. He hunched over his desk and kept his eyes on the office door, what he was anticipating, even he couldn't know, maybe Donald would storm in warning of a Beagle Boy attack, maybe Rockerduck would waltz in with something to brag about, or maybe the tax collector would walk through the door, he did not know, but he knew something was coming, or rather, someone. It did not take to long for the door to open with a loud FOOF, and the maniacal cackling of an Italian witch filled the room. "A-HA-HA-HA, Good Morning Scroogie" Magica said mockingly. "You witch,' Scrooge shot up and began to reach for his garlic gun, 'I've got a barrel full of garlic with your name on it." Before he could grab the firearm, Magica cast a simple pushing spell to shove Scrooge back into his chair, and the threw what appeared to be a pasty white marble at him. It landed on Scrooge and his chair with a kind of SPLCH sound and covered both miser and object in a thick white smoke. When it had cleared, Scrooge felt the same as he had before, and he almost felt like gloating about another one of Magica's failed spells, until he tried to open his mouth. "Oh what's the matter Scroogie? Glued to your seat I presume?" Magica cackled once more at her bad joke, but mostly at Scrooge's misfortune, before continuing to speak, mostly to herself, she doesn't know why she likes to speak her thoughts out loud, maybe it's all a part of the gloating process. "With these sticky spell bombs, I have managed to glue all your security to the floor, and with twenty-four hours until the spell wears off, it gives me all the time in the world to melt your precious number one dime into a powerful amulet." At this point, Scrooge had heard this song and dance before, but knew that there was very little chance of him getting his dime back. "I shouldn't need anything, but just in case I missed a guard, I have an extra sticky spell bomb to keep the dime secured to my fingers." The bomb she pulled from her purse was only slightly larger than the dime. Of course, the immediate flaw was obvious to Scrooge, if she kept the dime on her finger, that would give Scrooge just enough time to reach Mount Vesuvius before Magica could melt his dime. Thankfully, Scrooge was unable to voice these thoughts so Magica was most likely unaware of this issue, like she was also unaware that she did not glue Miss Quackfaster to anything, so she was able to call for Donald to race by and try to stop Magica. It was unfortunate luck for both of them that as Magica was leaving, Donald was running right into the office. Magica, with her hands reaching out, slammed right into Donald, who as luck would have it, raised his hands to try and keep her from ramming directly into him. A small cloud of white smoke coated both of their hands, the dime flew out of Magica's and bounced onto the floor before rolling towards a floor vent, thankfully stopping just before rolling into it. Of course, neither Magica nor Donald noticed this, as the former was yelling at the latter, and vice versa. "You oafish prat!" Magica yelled. "ME oafish? You ran right into me!" "You should have seen me coming through and ran off to cower like you usually do!" "That's rich, coming from the woman whose afraid of soap!" "Oh you think you're so smart!" Magica tried to walk off to pick up the dime, only to be stopped by a force holding her back. She turned and glared at Donald, "You can let go of my hand now." "Me? Why don't you let go of my hand?" "Well I would but...' she suddenly realized what had happened, 'Oh no..." She began to violently shake her hand, flex every muscle in her arm, she even planted her foot on Donald's chest, which really irritated him because she was wearing heels. She slapped at Donald's hand, even smacked it against Scrooge's desk, but her hand was still firmly locked with Donald's. "NO! Curses and Hexes, my last sticky spell bomb went off and stuck our hands together." "Well fine, cast a spell to counter it!" "It only wears off after twenty-four hours." "WAK! Twenty-four hours stuck to you of all people? I'd rather be super glued to Fethry!" "I'm not exactly excited to be stuck to you all day either." "Uncle Scrooge, what can we do?" Scrooge made a low growling sound, but gave no reply. "Scrooge has been glued completely, he can't open his mouth or leave his chair. I don't even think he can blink." "Creepy..." Miss Quackfaster had entered the office at this point and saw the rather unusual sight, which at this point was just another Tuesday for her. "What magical malady has happened this time?" She asked half dry, half of concern. "Uncle Scrooge is glued to his chair and I'm glued to Magica." Donald replied in anger. Quackfaster sighed, "Oh dear, looks like someone is going to have to take care of your Uncle's business for today." "Do you think you could do that? I need to wash my hands." Donald glared at Magica as he added that last part. "Well, I suppose, for a little extra pay." Scrooge almost exploded in rage, but being still and silent, nobody could tell. "Quite frankly, I should be paid for being stuck to Magica all day. I'm just thankful Daisy's at her parents this week." "Oh, you're afraid of your girlfriend seeing you holding a prettier woman's hand?" "I would be if I actually was. Come on!' Donald yanked Magica out of the office, 'We need to find a way to separate us fast." Quackfaster closed the door behind them, picked up Scrooge's dime and replaced it in its special case. She then walked over to Scrooge and looked at his desk. "I don't suppose you have a schedule for today, do you Mr. McDuck?" A tiny sound of embarrassment was audible through Scrooge's glued beak, evidently, he did not make one.

Donald and Magica looked very much like a grumpy pair of children in a get-along shirt, faces so full of vitriol and hatred that they'd probably kill someone if they could get away with it. Thankfully, most of the security guards were glued to the floor, some had a single hand glued to a wall, and one more was fighting to peel his baton off of his hand. Donald and Magica eventually made it outside. "Alright, where to now?" Magica demanded an answer. "My house, and quickly, the less I'm seen with you the better." Donald suddenly felt his arm being raised over his head, then his feet lifted from the ground, he looked down to the see the path to his Uncle's office building getting narrower and the grass taking up more of his view. He then looked up. "HEY! No flying!" "You said you wanted to get there quickly." "And discreetly!' he snapped back, 'besides, I'm not particularly fond of hanging from your hand while a hundred feet in the air." Magica rolled her eyes and began to descend. "Fine,' she puffed 'you aren't exactly a light load anyway." Donald managed to touch the ground and began to stomp toward his car. "I'm not sitting in that." "Oh yes you are, unless you have a better idea." "Several, but you'd complain about them too." Donald tugged on his arm so hard that Magica practically flew into the car. "Close the door, and I'll get us home as quickly as possible." "I hope you drive better than you argue." Magica slammed the door, partially hoping the 313 would shatter into pieces, but it didn't. Donald left the key in the ignition, but unfortunately for him, the ignition was on his right side, the hand that was currently glued to Magica's. "Well genius?" "Could you turn the ignition for me?" Donald tried to sound less angry when he asked, but Magica only scoffed. "I'd rather not, unless you ask me really, really nicely." Magica had a large and wicked smile across her face, but it was quickly wiped off when a familiar voice rang through her (and Donald's) ears. "Well, well. What have we got here?" Magica turned and looked, her face began to flush. Gladstone Gander had a smug grin on his face and was leaning into the car. "Gladstone Gander, what are you doing here?" Magica always seemed to demand an answer, never ask. "Well, I was on my way to visit my favorite Uncle, when I just so happened to spot you and Donald in the air, seeing Donald dangle up there made me chuckle, so I snapped a couple photos to share around." Gladstone shifted his vision to look at Donald, silently fuming, he then noticed something peculiar, then took another picture as he smiled. "Well, it looks as though Donald and Magica are holding hands, isn't that lovely. I think Daisy would love to see this photo." Donald snapped, "Show it to her and I'll wring your neck faster than Uncle Scrooge when you swallowed that nickel!" Magica could barely handle the sheer volume of Donald's anger, and Gladstone chuckled. "Well cousin, it's been fun, but I'm off to see Uncle Scrooge, maybe he'll be glad to see me this time." Gladstone chuckled to himself as he walked off. Donald sat there fuming, Magica sat there in a mixture of ear-bleeding, emotional confusion and hatred. She reached her right hand over to the ignition and turned it until the car started. "Let's go." Magica huffed, Donald asked no questions, put the pedal to the metal and sped off, slowing down to the speed limit quickly.

The drive went fairly smooth, some pedestrians did stop and stare, wondering what Scrooge's nephew was doing with one of his arch nemeses. Otherwise, there was no issue. Donald and Magica were silent the entire ride, both glaring in different directions, Donald glaring at the road, Magica to her side. They had a small snafu when they parked in the driveway, where they had forgotten their hands were stuck to each other and tried to get out their separate ways. Donald, having already opened his door, led Magica out of the car and into his house. "The boys are at Grandma's farm for a couple of days helping her with the farm chores. We'll have the whole day to figure out how to get rid of this." Magica hummed, this house was disgustingly quaint, very little in the way of an actual motif. Magica was tugged along towards the kitchen, with Donald angrily continuing. "We'll start with basic soap and water, maybe it will melt you in the process." "Charming." Donald began to fill the kitchen sink with soapy water as soon as he reached it, then began to roll up his sleeve, asking Magica to do the same. Magica either seemed to want to make this more difficult for Donald, or wasn't paying attention, though after half a minute of no response, the sink was full and Donald was not waiting any longer. He raised his and Magica's hand, still no response, and while glaring daggers at Magica, threw their hands into the sink, splashing water over the both of them. "Hey!" "I told you to roll up your sleeve." "A true gentleman would roll it up for me." "Etiquette lessons from a witch who lives in a shack." "Please, an Italian shack is a million times greater than one of your American houses." "Except these houses are big enough to hold your ego." Donald raised his and Magica's hands out of the soapy sink, still stuck together. He thrust the hands back in and grabbed a brush. "Hey, that tickles!" Donald ignored her and kept on brushing, raising their hands from the soapy water again, still stuck. Donald than grabbed an abrasive sponge and scrubbed harder. Still their hands were stuck together. Donald than reached for the steel wool. "Donald, stop! You'll take our feathers off that way." Part of Donald didn't care, but than again, if the steel wool didn't work... "Fine.' he huffed as he pulled the sink plug and grabbed a towel. 'What else can we do?" "I have a magic book in my purse, it could have a separation spell." "Fine, we'll try that." Magica held out her purse while Donald dug through it, he could feel multiple odd talismans, some coins, a tube of lip balm, a couple wrapped restaurant mints, some receipts, what felt like a wallet size photograph, and finally, deep into the bag, a small handbook. He pulled it out, "Pocket book guide to quick and easy counter-spells and hex removers" was written in fancy gold lettering. He tossed it onto the kitchen counter and Magica began to skim through it, flipping through pages with her free hand. She stopped when she found what she was looking for. "A-ha! Separation spell, when two beings are magically joined together, this spell will bring them apart." "Good, let's try it out." Donald couldn't keep the hopeful excitement of his face, and Magica was also grinning like a Cheshire cat. Unfortunately, her grin lessened as she read the page. "Oh no, we need a wand to use it." "Why? What does a wand do that regular witches can't?" "Well wands are often an extension of the spell caster, plus their own magical prowess can enhance the wielders magic, and even hold onto a very specific type of ability, like that wand I used to turn you and your kids into animals." (Oddball Odyssey - Uncle Scrooge No. 361) "My nephews.' Donald coughed before continuing the conversation, 'So a wand can make a witch stronger and also have their own magical powers?" "So, the dunderhead can be taught." Magica had a smug grin on her face at this remark. "I'm going to take it you don't have a wand." "Of course not, you and your Uncle and those annoying triplets of yours keep breaking all my wands." "Well that idea's a dud, anything else?" "Unless you're willing to saw of your arm." "Maybe not mine." The two stood in silence before they began to snicker at the exchange.

Within a couple minutes, the two were already laughing and joking around. "...And can you believe the things that come out of his mouth?' Donald said through heavy gasps before imitating his Uncle Scrooge, 'I have a story for each and every coin in this here bin, blah blah bah." Magica was close to tears, "I can believe that, during one attempt to steal his dime, he showed me other piles of dimes around his house,' she snorted, 'like they were all little people." The two again howled with laughter. "Ah, sometimes my Uncle drives me crazy." Donald and Magica quit laughing. "Yeah,' Magica sighed, 'honestly, I'd rather be his relative than my Uncle's. He hated magic after my parents..." "Something happened to them didn't they?" Donald had sympathy in his face, and Magica looked away. "It isn't important. My Uncle just... wanted to keep me safe." Donald was silent for a bit. "I was raised mostly by my grandmother, Uncle Scrooge barely knew me or my sister by name when my parents died." "Really? It seems like you two are always together now." "Well, my nephews and I are the last known relatives to him. I think he wants to impart some old McDuck wisdom on us. I could really care less." "You don't want his fortune?" "I can be a rich man fishing, or I can be a poor duck fishing, it doesn't matter to me. I just need money to feed my kids." "Okay, are they your kids or your nephews? You keep referring to them both ways." Donald chuckled, "Right, I've been raising them for so long, they kind of have become my kids. They're actually my sister's kids, but I've been raising them since they were hatchlings." "There father?" "I've only met their father once, and Della never actually talked about him after." "Were you two close?" "We were twins, we were closer than anyone else in the family. Grandma actually tells me that when we were taking our first steps, we helped each other. She helped me with my model ships, I helped her with her model planes, we were better friends than anyone else." "So what happened?" "What d'you mean?" "Why did she leave her kids with you?" "Oh, well she volunteered for an experimental flight, a jet that could reach outer space. It was a mission that was only meant to take her a month at most." Donald looked away, a sullen expression on his face. "She never returned, did she?" "Look, I love my boys, and I would move mountains for those kids, but the only thing I want to do is give them their mother back.' he paused and looked down, 'I want my sister back." For once in her life, Magica actually looked at Donald with sympathy, here she was, a witch who kept trying to ruin his Uncle and bring misery upon his family, while he has three kids to raise while his sister is lost in space. Magica actually felt sympathetic for Donald, and the scariest part to her, she knew exactly why. "I had a twin brother too.' Donald quickly turned his head to her, puzzled and intrigued. 'His name was Poe." "Poe? That's a rather simple name for a magical family?" "Well, Magica is not actually my real name, it's...' she hesitated, but she felt like she could trust Donald, much more than she could trust anyone else, 'It's actually Amelia. We tend to give ourselves fake names to protect ourselves from greater magic." "Ah.' Donald paused, he knew nobody was around to hear him, so he felt he could say it, 'Amelia is a nice name." Magica blushed a little, "Thank you.' she coughed and then continued her story. 'Poe and I were, well not as inseparable as you and Della seemed to be, but we were still thick as thieves. Eventually, when I began to make my own way in the world, Poe decided to stay behind to continue his studies. We kept in contact, and he eventually got married and had a daughter, my niece Minima. He later adopted another daughter, but I've only met her twice." "What did Poe study?" "Trans-dimensional Theory, he was working on using magic to create portals to alternate universes, different dimensions, co-existing realities, and one day it actually worked." Magica's voice cracked a little as she finished, Donald immediately knew what happened. "He also never came back... did he?" Magica began to bawl, she wrapped her free hand around Donald and wept into his shoulder. She never told anyone about any of this before, and now that she was able to tell someone, it was too much. "I wish I had as close a relationship with my nieces and you do your nephews. Then it would be like having my brother nearby me at all times." Magica raised her left hand to wipe away some tears. Then she threw it around Donald, then they both noticed something, they were hugging each other. With both arms. "Our hands..."Magica began. "They're free!" "But how?" Magica was befuddled, she moved both her hands around wiggling each finger as though she just had a cast removed, Donald was doing the same thing. "I think some of your tears landed on our hands, it must of been the salt water that did the trick." "Salt water, why didn't we think of that?" "Why didn't you read it in the spell book?" Donald had a playful tone to his voice, which Magica was aware of. "I might of if I had the dime stuck to my fingers instead of your hand.' she chuckled, 'But then again, I guess it wasn't bad to be stuck to you today." Donald was a little shocked at this revelation, but he smiled. He couldn't disagree, being stuck to Amelia was not the worst thing he could imagine.

"And you figured that salt water countered the spell?" Scrooge McDuck was trying desperately to understand the story Donald told him. Of course, he left out everything about him and Magica finding common ground, and did not even allude to Magica having a different name. He and Miss Quackfaster were coating Scrooge and his office chair with light amounts of warm salt water, he was already able to talk, blink and move his head and fingers. Gladstone was not doing much, but he was making more salt water for the rest of the people that were hit by Magica's sticky spell bombs. "Yep, we tried everything else, soap, steel wool, magic, but in the end, all we needed was salt water." "Hmm' Gladstone huffed, 'if that were me, I could have found that out before I even left the office." "Why Gladstone, are you jealous that I got to hold Magica's hand for most of the day while you had to work?" "Bah! I wouldn't be all high and mighty if I were you, remember I still have those...' Gladstone looked at his camera, 'What happened to my photos?" Donald couldn't help but snicker, before Magica left, Donald asked her to do something about the photos Gladstone took. Of course, Magica was very happy to oblige since she was also not eager to have anyone in her family see them. "Well, you found how to nullify the spell, and that's all that matters." Scrooge couldn't help but find the scenario a little suspicious, but then again, he knows Donald also exaggerates sometimes, so he figured it was little more than that. "And as long as that witch learned her lesson' Miss Quackfaster piped up, 'We can hope she never uses those sticky spell bombs again." Donald agreed, but felt deep down that Magica wasn't going to just drop those little white marbles so quickly, and though he couldn't see, he was right. All the way in Italy, Magica was placing the three sticky spell bombs she left at her home and placing them in a small chest, placing them alongside some wild posies that had withered a little, but still reminded her of that one failed attempt where she found something she wasn't looking for. For her, these three sticky spell bombs would remind her of the same thing. She didn't get the dime, but right now, that didn't matter to her.

[sylvaridreams]

IM SO GLAD U REBOGGED THAT can i get 7 for whichever of them has the wildest answer

OH BOY a special ask just for me! :3

Commander love interest asks

7. What kind of dumb rumors pop up/would pop up about the relationship?

I'll go with Trammander for this, mostly because it's the only relationship Alba has ever had that he's been open about; everyone else is kept discrete and secret for safety and privacy, to the point that he doesn't even tell his friends or Dragon's Watch that he's dating Canach.

He and Trahearne stopped shyly flirting and tiptoeing around the issue after the cleansing of Orr, and were generally openly affectionate after that. They didn't let their relationship get in the way of work or vice versa, but it was usually clear to onlookers that they were a couple. Whenever problems arose within the Pact, and when people were dissatisfied with some choice Alba had made, there'd usually be someone there to point out that CLEARLY Alba was only made Commander in the first place because he was banging Trahearne; the ol' excuse of "you only got into a position of power via favoritism, not the merits of your work." At some point it expanded outside of the Pact; Tyrian tabloids for a while recycled stories like this, exclusive exposés via anonymous source revealing the "truth" of it all. Especially right after Trahearne’s death* there was a lot of this, a lot of panic and public questioning if Alba was fit to lead or if he would be Allowed to keep his job with his boyfriend dead-- a few groups were basically lobbying Almorra betwen HoT and Lws3 to get both a new Marshall and a different Commander enstated; she rejected all of this obviously and offered Alba the promotion. He had more reasons for leaving the Pact than just not wanting a hands-off desk job.

During the height of the post-Maguuma favoritism/unfit to lead panic, Alba spent the majority of his time mourning in the egg chamber. There was some silent agreement between his companions that nobody mentioned to him what kind of gossip was brewing in Tyrian society, even if he asked, because it was clear to the people closest to him that he wasn't in any condition to handle hearing what was being said about him and Trahearne.

*of course there was also a lot of criticism of how Trahearne had led the Pact in to fight the dragon, nevermind that he had no way of knowing what was going to happen. There was at least a bit of a respectful grace period after his death where no one really dared publish anything openly criticizing him for it, but within a year some publications started to crop up asking why Trahearne was allowed to lead such a charge, and of course it was soooo obvious that it would end up this way, etc. To this day I don't think Alba looks at stuff like that, newsprint or leaflets or anything, just out of habit now. If something important is happening in the world, someone will probably contact him outright.

[bouquet-full-of-wildflowers]

What Once Was Mine by Liz Braswell Review

《 ☆☆☆ 》

tl;dr: it was fun to read, but almost none of the characters felt like the same characters as the ones in the movie. i honestly think this book could've been better if they removed any connections to tangled the movie. it would've been a great standalone!

spoilers below!!

i will say, as a huge fan of tangled, and because of my love for the movie and the characters, i really didn't enjoy this book as an extension of the movie. that being said, this review is admittedly very biased.

it was well written, but it felt very out of character for most of the characters and read almost like fanfiction. to be fair, i haven't read any of the other twisted tales, so i don't it quite know how these stories are generally set up. it was fun to read, given an air of suspension knowing that liz braswell was not in the writer's room for the movie. it also felt very unnecessary that the book was a story told by a boy to his sister going through chemo in a hospital. i'm still not quite sure why that had to be in the book without it just being a story about rapunzel with the powers of a different flower.

my biggest issue with this book is that the sense of time was not there. the first part of the book was nearly identical to the movie, and rapunzel had sent mother gothel on the two day journey to get her the white seashell paint to be able to escape the tower to see the laterns. in the next couple of pages, it was revealed that she had taken a shortcut so it wasn't as long of a trip, but in rapunzel's pov it felt like she was only gone for a couple hours. there are several examples of this time shift where it felt like some parts of the story (rapunzel spending time at the witch cottage to learn her powers) that felt like it was over weeks of time but the whole point of her leaving the tower was to see the lanterns which, at this point of the book, i was unsure if she missed them due to being chased or if everything had just been taking place over several hours and everything movee very quickly, which doesn't make sense since her powers involve moon phases. it is later revealed that it had been 9 days since she had left the tower, which, if i am recalling correctly (i will have to go double check), earlier in the book it was said that the lanterns would be in 3 days.

flynn never climbed rapunzel's tower. rapunzel simply saw him drop off a bag in a cove, and she decided then that he'd be the one to take her to the lanterns. it seemed like a very implusive decision from someone who is not impulsive. rapunzel also very much seems like a damsel in distress when she very much doesn't want to come across as one. because flynn didn't climb her tower, she didn't use the frying pan as a weapon, and so the entire book she has no weapon and has to watch her friends fight for her.

another couple minor issues that i had were:

- rapunzel being told that she is the lost princess instead of being able to have the realization herself

- flynn is simply written horribly

- arianna and frederic decided to tell the kingdom that rapunzel had died as an infant. how can she then come back as the princess if the princess is dead? it feels like it opens plot holes like the people losing trust in the crown for lying to them for 19 years about the fate of the princess

overall, even with all of my criticisms, i read the entire thing and had a great time doing it. it was a fun story and an intriguing ride, and i honestly couldn't put it down even with my thoughts.

likes:

○ i very much enjoy gina! she was a fun character

○ the premise is very neat! i definitely feel like it could've been fleshed out more!

○ i loved the ending. it felt like it had enough connections to the movie and the characters to give me good vibes

dislikes:

○ real world mentions of europe and christianity/christian god

○ multiple different powers