#nominating this for worst impression

[storiesforallfandoms]

may the best artist win ~ eminem

word count: 1754

request?: yes!

@thatonegirlthatlikesthings “Helllloooo I’ve been all in your page recently and I absolutely love your eminem stories I was wondering if I could request one with him and reader where she’s also a singer and they’re up for the same award and they make a bet between them where whoever wins gets to do whatever to other a little smut

I love you and your writing HAPPY HOLIDAYS 🤟🏽😭😭❤️❤️”

description: in which they both get nominated for the same award and decide to make it a game between them

pairing: eminem x female!reader

warnings: swearing, smut (oral, fem receiving, a little degrading but only like one mention)

masterlist (one, two)

Marshall had made it very clear throughout his career what his thoughts on the Grammy’s were. He vowed he would never return to the Grammy’s ceremony, even if he was nominated.

But then you were nominated for Song of the Year at the same time that he was. It was your first time being nominated for a big award show like that, so obviously you were excited. It excited you even more because Marshall was nominated for the same award and you liked the idea of potentially beating him after being nominated for the first time.

“There’s eight other nominees, honey, there’s no guarantee either of us will win,” he reminded you.

“You’re ruining the fun of my fantasy,” you teased. “I want to win my first Grammy after being nominated against my boyfriend. It would bring me so much satisfaction.”

Marshall raised an eyebrow at you. “Oh yeah? Want to place a bet on that?”

His question sparked your interest. “What kind of bet are we talking here?”

“If I win, you blow me in the car ride home.”

You were used to Marshall being very forward about anything sex wise, but it still took you by surprise sometimes. This was one of those times. For some reason, you didn’t expect his terms to the bet to be so outright sexual.

You crossed your arms and raised an eyebrow. “And what do I get if I win?”

“That’s up to you to decide.”

You took a moment to consider it. If Marshall was going dirty with his, then you wanted to go dirty with yours too. And you wanted it to be just as naughty as him wanting road head on the way home from the award show.

“Okay,” you said. “If I win, you go down on me in the bathroom at the arena.”

He seemed impressed with your decision. “Really? That one is a bit dangerous to try. Are you sure it’s what you want?”

“What, are you scared to do it because you know I’ll win?”

He took hold of your hand and gave it a shake. “You have a deal.”

The night of the Grammy’s came quicker than you expected. As usual, Marshall was wearing a pair of jeans, a t-shirt, a jacket and, of course, his signature Kangol hat. You decided to dress up a little, with a somewhat casual dress that came just to your knees. You weren’t concerned over dressing up too much since the two of you were skipping the red carpet anyways.

The worst part about shows like this was that the more important awards, like your Song of the Year, were left until the end of the show, meaning you had to sit through endless speeches and attempts at jokes from the hosts and presenters. If it weren’t for this bet, you’d probably ditch the rest of the show.

At least the performances were good.

When the presenters for Song of the Year came on stage, all thoughts of the bet left your mind and instead you were full of nerves. What if neither of your names were called? Or worse, what if they called your name and you embarrassed yourself while accepting the award? On live television, where everyone in the entire world would see it and it would live on the Internet for the rest of your life.

Noticing your nervousness, Marshall reached over and took your hand. You looked over at him and your nerves almost completely melted away.

You almost missed the announcer calling your name if it wasn’t for your song loudly playing from the speakers and everyone around you looking at you with joy and excitement. It took a minute for the news to register before the excitement set in. You stood from your seat and planted a kiss on Marshall’s lips before making your way to the stage. You were glad now you hadn’t wore a long dress and risked tripping on the way to the stage.

You accepted the award and managed to give a speech that actually sounded coherent through the combination of excitement and nerves you were feeling. You were sure the camera could pick up how much your hands were shaking, but you deserved it given the circumstances. You smiled one more time for the audience and the cameras as the music played you off the stage. You followed the presenters to the backstage area where other artists and producers were conversing. They cheered as you walked in, congratulating you on your win.

You were shocked when Marshall walked up to you, not even noticing that he had left your seats to come back stage. He immediately put a hand on the back of your head and pulled you into another, more passionate congratulatory kiss.

“Why aren’t you in your seat?” you asked, a little dumbly but you were too dazed by excitement and by the sudden kiss.

“I believe we had a bet,” he said. “One that you just won.”

From the minute the presentation for the award started, you had totally forgotten about the bet. You didn’t even have time to gloat to Marshall about you winning over him, nor did think to do so anyways.

But he was right. You did win the bet.

You politely excused yourselves and left the backstage area to find the nearest bathroom. You went in first to make sure no one else was there, and when the coast was clear you opened the door for Marshall to join you. The minute he stepped inside, his lips were on yours again. They were rough and full of lust and passion. Despite having lost the bet, it was like he was just as excited for this outcome as you were.

With your lips still pressed together, Marshall backed you towards the counter. He put his hands on your hips and hoisted you onto the counter, breaking the kiss for just a split second before attacking your lips again. His tongue pressed against your mouth and you opened to let him in. His tongue swirled around your mouth, connecting with yours a few times, before pulling away. You almost grabbed him and pulled him to come back, but stopped when he got down onto his knees in front of you.

You were very glad you wore a short dress.

He didn’t have to push your dress up much since it was already bunched up around your thighs. You had wore a small thong just in case you had won and this was the outcome, which was proving to be a very smart decision on your part.

You gasped as you felt two of his fingers run through your folds, already dripping from the make out session alone.

“You’re already so wet,” he noted. “Just from the idea of me going down on you? You dirty slut.”

You whimpered at the degrading name.

You watched as the bottom part of his face disappeared between your thighs. He eyes were looking up at you as he licked one like stripe from your entrance to your clit. You gasped and reached down to grip his hair. Realizing he still had his hat on, you knocked it to the floor so you could really get a good grip on him.

His hands gripped your thighs, no doubt leaving marks on the sensitive skin. His tongue made quick work of licking at your clit; quick, short strokes mixed with long, slower ones every now and then just to feel you quiver against him. Everyone knew that Marshall was good with his tongue, but you knew just how good he could really be with it.

The brushing of his beard against your inner thighs and your pussy caused a whole new wave of pleasure the run through you. You wanted to watch him while he worked - he looked so concentrated as he devoured your pussy - but your head kept lulling backwards as moans tumbled from your mouth. You knew you should be more quiet since anyone could walk past and hear you, but you weren’t really in the right mind to think about that right now. All you could think about was Marshall’s wet tongue against your swollen clit, and the coil that was beginning to tighten in your stomach.

You tried to push Marshall away. As much as you were enjoying this, you wanted him to fuck you so you could cum on his dick instead. But he resisted your attempts to move away and continued his work.

“M-Marshall, I-I’m gonna...I’m so close,” you stuttered out. “I want you t-to fuck me.”

He looked up at you again and you could tell from the look in his eyes that he wasn’t about to stop any time soon. He was determined to make you cum this way, and that determination was hot enough to set you over the edge. You threw your head back again and let out a cry in pleasure as you felt your orgasm wash over you. You held Marshall’s head in place as he continued to lick over your clit, lapping up your juices.

You rested your head against the mirror behind you and tried to catch your breath. You almost whined when Marshall finally pulled away from your sensitive core, but felt yourself becoming turned on again at the sight of him. His lips were glistening and his beard had some leftovers of your juices on it. He turned on the sink next to you and wet a paper towel in order to wipe his mouth and chin clean.

“I’m surprised you didn’t take up the opportunity to bend me over and fuck me in front of the mirror,” you commented. “I thought it would’ve been really hot to do that. I wanted to feel you inside of me when I came.”

“This was your prize for winning the bet,” he said. “I wanted you to benefit from it.”

You smiled and reached for him. He stood between your legs and gave you a more gentle kiss than the ones you had gotten earlier. You could still taste yourself on his lips, which just helped to turn you on even more once again.

“Well, now that my prize for the bet is over, why don’t you take me home and use me to your relief?” you suggested, looking up at him with the most seductive look you could manage while still coming down from your high.

Marshall smirked at you. “I like the way you think.”

[machineheraldbabe]

my arcane hot takes/predictions

i believe all of these things but! it's all in good fun. there isn't a character i genuinely dislike; every one serves their purpose, their motivations are fully realized, and every dilemma they endure/represent is morally complex and super fascinating!!

i love reading/talking about this show :)

If we had to nominate a single character as the show's villain in s1 (rather than the enforcers as a unit, or silco's shimmer operation, etc.), it would be marcus. if he hadn't taken silco's blood money, none of this would have happened.

jayce is "worse" than viktor in season 1 morally; "worse" comes with a lot of weight, ofc. i think season 1 follows jayce's story especially closely, from starry-eyed genius, to political initiate, to chess-master-in-training. the narrative indulges and displays his darkest traits and contrasts his narrative of moral emptiness with viktor's story of lonesome self-sacrifice. this is why i think it's VERY interesting that jayce allows viktor to break the news about his deal with silco for an independent undercity.

BUT! viktor will completely flip this dynamic next season, and viktor fans like myself will find ourselves in jayce's shoes! i can't wait for this!

relatedly, i am eager for a complete villain arc for viktor. it's mostly agreed upon that his story is incredibly sympathetic, but i'm hoping that the writers push him a few steps too far. i don't want to be comfortable - i want to watch a true degradation of morals to complicate what it means to redeem or condemn someone with such a tragic past. it'll blend very nicely with our initial impressions of vi's s2 story.

jinx is the main character of arcane and i love that for her.

vi's alleged enforcer arc makes Perfect sense, especially when contrasted with her dialogue with vander in act 1: "i grew up thinking that i am less than them." she can't be less than them if she's one of them.

mel hates viktor and was worried that jayce prioritized his relationship with viktor too highly. this comes from the scene where jayce confides in her that viktor is dying and her first remark is: "i didn't know you were so close." not long after, she silently belittles viktor when convincing jayce that the hextech weapons are a necessity by looking down upon him and refusing to consult him. i also want to be So Clear that i adore her character and that this is NOT a criticism; both scenes are phenomenal and are integral into their tripartite dynamic.

caitlyn was way out of pocket for her aggression in ep 9 and it definitely revealed her character's darkest tendencies that i think we'll see more of in s2.

viktor will be the sleeper-agent for s2. i know i'm projecting here but think about it - even visually, he has his own shade of purple amidst shimmer's fuchsia and hextech's blue. much like how powder's stealing was the initial conflict in s1, i think viktor has the same catalyst potential.

the worst things s2 could do are a) killing off a champion too early (save the deaths for ep8/9!) and b) giving viktor a love interest.

[gallifreyianrosearkytiorsusan]

Conversations

Author’s note: Kerubiel in Living waters AU. Thank you to @sleepyfan-blog for letting me borrow Cedric. :)

Summary: Kerubiel wakes up and has a chat with Cedric.

Warnings: let me know if I need to add anything.

Tagged: @barn-anon, @bleedingichorhearts, @c-u-c-koo-4-40k, @egrets-not-regrets, @kit-williams

Tagged: @sleepyfan-blog, @ms--lobotomy , @thevoidscreams, @i-am-a-dragon34, @gra93fruit-blog

Tagged: @felinisnoctis

Kerubiel wakes up ... an indeterminate amount of time later. Vaguely confused and glad to be awake. He's wounds have been patched up and he's in a bed.

He slowly looks around, and spots Cerdric the Black Templar Apothecary writing something down. Curious to know it is, he subtly activates his swim-in-air ability to sneak over to peer over his brother-cousin's shoulder.

"I hope you aren't trying to move yet, Keru," Cedric says in Stern Apothecary No-Nonsense voice.

"... I was," Kerubiel says after judging what would be a better choice to make, "what are you writing?"

"I am writing a message to someone I trust," Cedric says. "A first born space marine.

"what?!" Kerubiel says in shock, "who is this person? I want to meet them. What are they like? Which chapter are they in? Where are we?"

Cedric stifles a laugh and smothers a smile, "Keru, are you going to ask eight thousand questions, or are you going to let me talk. Don't worry, you'll meet papa soon. You need to be nice to papa, Keru."

"Papa?!" Kerubiel says, "What do you mean papa?! Lord Dorn?"

"No." Cedric says trying not to laugh at the utterly shocked expression on his face, "Another."

"What do you mean 'nice'?" Kerubiel asks squinting at Cedric a little.

"I am asking you to be nice," Cedric replies unfairly mysteriously.

The burning need to know, to have knowledge is starting to drive Kerubiel a little nuts, "Ceedriic."

"Surely, you are capable of that much, dear brother of mine," Cedric says with a light chuckle.

"What fuck shit is going down?" Kerubiel asks him, hands on his hips and an arched eyebrow.

"Nothing," Cedric, replies, "I don't know what you mean. Everything is fine. Brother dearest. You need not worry."

"So we are being monitored then," Kerubiel guesses still squinting at his brother-cousin suspiciously.

"I didn't say that," Cedric replies swiftly. "whatever gave you that impression brother dearest."

With that Cedric gives Kerubiel a fond smile. Kerubiel is more spooked by the minute, "What kind of fuck-shit are you trying to pull? Why are you doing the 'oh I'm a cute apothecary' routine on me."

"What do you mean?" Cedric says innocently, "I'm just an Apothecary. Brother dearest."

"Yeah," Kerubiel says, "And a better information gathering specialist than half of the First Borns I know in the Dark Angels wing I am in."

"What does that mean?" Cedric says with an innocent look. "I am too young to know about enhanced interrogation techniques."

"Says who?" Kerubiel asks dumbfounded.

"So they say, so mote it be," Cedric says sounding far more innocent then he has ever been in the time that Kerubiel has known him. "I would never argue against the word of our Older more experienced older brothers."

"Hah!" Kerubiel says with a snort. "That is the worst load of grox-shit that I have ever heard in my life."

"Wha-," Cedric says with a pouty face, "How dare you say that. I have been told that I am not threatening and adorable. And a pat on the head and an 'aww' of course you're scary Cedric."

"What are they, completely stupid?" Kerubiel says demandingly, "Or have they had too many concussions."

"For one thing, I and you, and all of them, are temporally displaced," Cedric explains, "this is M3 Ancient Terra."

"Oh. Primarch's gonads." Kerubiel swears. "Any other melta bombs to drop on me?"

"There are Chaos Marines here, and we are not to hurt them, hunt them, or harm them." Cedric says, "They are ... nominal allies."

"That is completely heretical nonsense," Kerubiel says. "Are you drugged or something?"

"There is a treaty in place, or so I have been told," Cedric says.

"... Why did you believe the Hydra's lies?" Kerubiel asks him.

"Oh, not a Hydra who told me," Cedric says, as he glances out of a window and warns Kerubiel, "Although, there are Hydra around."

"Great." Kerubiel grouses. "and we can't do a damn thing to stop them. huh?'

"Nope. No violence," Cedric, "... besides, the Hydra can be funny. They think they are very clever."

"All first borns think they are clever." Kerubiel retorts.

"The Hydra underestimate us, and think we are cute babies." Cedric says cheerily.

"We are not cute babies!" Kerubiel says scowling. He doesn't pout. He doesn't huff. He's not sulking.

"Wear an expression like that," Cedric warns-slash-threatens him "And you will get called adorable and have your cheeks pinched, depending on the temperament of the first born who sees it."

"If they should try to touch me without permission, they will be losing finger privileges if they are out of armor," Kerubiel hisses softly.

"Your hissing and biting will not deter them," Cedric warns, "it will get scolding and punishment, depending on the nature and mood of the first born."

"... What kind of punishment?" Kerubiel asks.

Cedric explains what kind of punishments they give. Kerubiel stare at him in disbelief, "those aren't punishments! That is mildly annoying training at worst. The fuck. Why are they soft? What the fuck are they trying to pull?"

"I have been told," Cedric says, "That it is, in fact, punishment. And I have not been given reason or actions that they don't believe what they say."

Kerubiel rolls his shoulders as a soft rumbling sound comes out of him, "That is.. good to know, even if I still don't trust it."

"... I get why you feel that way Keru." Cedric says.

[acoraxia]

Stretches. Been a while since I've been here.

Anyways s4 spoilers ////

u opened my eyes.

Azure and swk

Oldest brother and youngest sibling dynamic.

Azure was the one they all looked up to as a leader. As thier leader. They saw the qualities of a leader and someone who would do right by them and take care of them. That's why they nominated him to take the jade emporers throne first.

Swk is the silly carefree guy. So full of young and happy energy. Azure saw something in him. Something great. He, as the oldest brother believes in him. And instead nominates swk to be the leader.

Oldest and youngest dynamic where the youngest just wanted to make the others proud and happy. Followed them blindly in thier pursuits and was easily persuaded by them. Not seeing any faults with overthrowing heaven. Bc swk completly believes in them all without fault.

The oldest who is so proud of the youngest and how much potential they see in them. Azure sees a sense of peace in swk. Pure happiness and joy. A care for others he believes the jade emporer lacks.

So the older brothers nudges them gently in the direction they believe is the right one because thier so proud of what they see in thier youngest sibling. So proud of what swk could become. Only for all of it to crumble.

Swk was captured. Tortured. Grew up into someone very different from the little fun loving guy he used to be.

Azure had everything taken from him. By the little brother he tried to teach and help grow into the person he knew swk could be. A true leader. Only to be "backstabbed" by that same little brother that looked up at him like he hung the damn stars in the sky.

Swk probably looked up to Azure back in the day. As a true and honorableand strong leader. Urging himself to be like that one day.

Only to end up....yeah.

ANYWAYS ALOT OF THOUGHTS PROBABLY NOTHING MAKES SENSE I NEEDSLEP BYE BROTHER

THIS IS THE SHIT I’M TALKING ABOUT HELLO.. hey.. hello

There is nothing more heartbreaking than seeing your sibling spiral down a path that makes you want to cry out and tell them to stop—but you can’t because they’re too out of reach by this point and all you can do is watch and see them spiral more and more out of control and it doesn’t matter if you’re the eldest/youngest anymore because it’s completely out of your control.

Sun Wukong admiring Azure and wanting to impress him; Azure adoring Sun Wukong and cheering him on as much as possible.

And then they both watch each other become the worst thing they’ve ever witness and now SWK is cracked and broken in half and Azure can’t have his little brother back because it’s impossible to do it now.

The way he gasps and looks like he’s about to cry isn’t the same way you’d cry over a lover — it’s how you look at your little brother with the realization that you failed your duties and are now forced to deal with the consequences.

Incredible.

Go sleep

[oswlld]

oswlld's monthly wrap up: march

note: i am trying something a bit different this year, so bear with me as i figure out how i want to format this. i wanted to spend more time sharing what i consume, beyond what i rb, and put my thoughts in one place. these posts are okay to rb

--

When We Cease to Understand the World, Benjamín Labatut [started 02/24, finished 03/14] What an outstanding example of blurring the lines between fiction and reality. I am content in never knowing what’s real and imaginary in the lives of these people. May we never forget that for every new idea challenged, there is a real person with real emotions and motivations behind it. 4.25⭐️ in storygraph. — No Stopping Us Now: A History of Older Women in America, Gail Collins [started 03/03, finished 03/30] This book makes some strong points, but comes off weak in its execution. By having it be told decade by decade, it becomes hard to follow along when so many names and events are being tossed around. Without a firm thread tying all the themes together, the achievements ended up feeling lackluster when it should leave you feeling a sense of pride and hopefulness. 3.25⭐️ in storygraph (I rounded up, but it feels more like a 3.15)

23.5 Degrees, GMMTV [started: 03/08, ongoing] What a breath of fresh air!! With my busy schedule, I managed to catch the first two eps and I’ve loved every minute of it. It doesn’t take itself too seriously, while still keeping a tight grip on its sense of identity. The series soaks up every aspect of its space theme like a sponge. Content specifically made for me, tysm! As much as I have tried refraining from consuming more high school settings, I couldn’t help but be enamored by what I have seen so far. I have paused this series for now, but hopefully I’ll be caught up before the end of April. I should be able to watch it live on Fridays in May. Until then, I will miss them dearly! — Always a Witch, Netflix [started 03/28, in progress] At this time, I have only seen episodes 1-5. So far, it’s a very straight-forward series. I am restraining myself from calling it predictable, because there are one or two things that really turns some tropes/themes on its head. But all-in-all, I am still waiting for this show to grab me. For a show that checks all the boxes that really makes a core jessi show, a series with time travel, magical realism, and found family, it has yet to completely sweep me away. Time really got away from me this month, but I will finish this series sometime in the next two weeks. We shall see if the latter half gets better.

Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour (Taylor’s Version) [watched 03/15 thru 03/18] I have seen this live and did see the original film in theaters last year, so this experience was more of a rewatch. This time around, my parents wanted to watch some of it with me so we made a whole evening of it on 3/15 so that was really neat. I will be traveling a lot in April and will be taking an audio copy of this to keep me entertained. — Oscar Nomination Season [started 02/17, ended 03/24] All of my initial reactions of what I managed to cover this Oscar season is in this post. Some of the strongest categories I have had the pleasure of covering this year were the Best Documentary (feature), Best Production Design, Best Live Action Short, Best Documentary (short), and Best Animated Film. I have several more films to tackle later this year, but my overall impression this Oscar season was just alright. One or two films have hit an extremely high note for me, but no worst of the worst.

BEYONCÉ, Beyoncé [relistening] During the pandemic, I really got into waching YT reaction channels reacting to full albums. One of my favorites is HTHaze and he is only beginning his listening journey through Beyoncé’s discography (yes, for the first time!) His reaction to Beyoncé’s self-titled made me want to relisten to it in full for the first time in years. I tend to only revisit a few songs through the years, but I do love going back to albums after time has past to recontextualize everything all over again. I’ve had my longtime faves from my 20’s but in my mid-30’s, the songs that hit harder now are: Pretty Hurts, Haunted, and Jealous. — Bewitched, Laufey [first time listening] The same YT channel got me to listen to this album. I am guilty in having my first listen be through his video first before diving into her album properly. With that said, the brain rot went FULL ROT. I love LOVE her compositions. Having learned from her Tiny Desk that getting a grand piano influenced the way she wrote her songs makes the whole conception so much grander. Her voice is soooo, it’s SOOOOO !!!!!!! I read a comment somewhere that her dream is to rejuvenate jazz the same way Taylor Swift did with country for a younger generation and that really spoke to me. I truly believe she is heading in the right direction in achieving that. My favorite run of songs goes from: Haunted, Must Be Love, While You Were Sleeping, Lovesick, California and Me, Nocturne (Interlude), and Promise. Those seven songs in that succession is so GOOD, ahH! — Once the Musical [relistening] Every spring, I fall into a Once spiral and it just gets deeper and deeper. This time though, I only tackled the core faves on YT rather than committing to the full audio (w/ Arthur Darvill and Joanna Christie). Although Arthur Darvill’s Leave will forever solidify his Guy as my Guy, Declan Bennett is The Guy of Guys for me. My mandatory relistening experience always goes: Arthur’s Leave, Arthur’s Say It To Me Now, Declan’s Say It To Me Now, Declan’s When Your Mind’s Made Up, Zrinka's If You Want Me, Once’s Spotify Jam Session. And it would all be on a loop lol. — Cowboy Carter, Beyoncé [first time listening] This is still fresh in my mind, having only listened to it in its entirety once through. My first impression is that it’s one of her most cohesive albums to date. Having had the first taste of what she would eventually achieve all the way back with Lemonade and The Gift, Cowboy Carter feels like a natural progression in her discography. I don’t have a top songs list to provide at this time, as I would need more time with the album. Fav songs come with time. Although, I did listen to 16 CARRIAGES when it was released several weeks ago and I knew then it would be a spectacular album. What a phenomenal single to lead a phenomenal homecoming.

Where’d You Go Bernadette, written by Maria Semple and narrated by Kathleen Wilhoite [started 03/22, finished 03/29] I��� I didn’t like this. And that’s alright. Even if I didn’t like the premise or the characters, I did enjoy the format of the narrative and the narrator (especially her singing!!). But in the end, this was just not meant for me.

—

As it is still March when I am writing this, I wanted to endcap Women’s Month with a special shoutout to two women in my life that have been working with me to improve my overall well-being: Wendy (personal trainer) and Sofia (life coach). I am in a better headspace because of the work and trust they have in me to build a life I want. I cannot wait to see what I am capable of this time next year.

[midwesterngothicmomus]

in Norse Grandma Addition

Why did they defend Loki's child? You would think Frigg would want her dead and so.

This is long so I put it under a cut but TLDR: It's their job as Odin's wives and not doing so would create a bad precedent.

Jörð fostered Loki. Nominally she is the closest thing to a mother for him, so she expands a certain amount of care to all his children. She is also Odin's wife and as Odin's wife, she has a duty of care toward any children of his house, which Percy counts as because Loki is Odin's sworn brother and lives in his house. Additionally, she has strong feelings about Poseidon thinking he can just attack a child in their house and get away with it and just wants to crack his skull open since she thinks he raped Loki (who she did help raise).

Frigg is effectively the second in command of Odin's house. She manages its internal affairs and its public image to an extent. Even if she does not like Loki, as a wife (and yes this is a dated belief but she is an old Norse woman) she has to follow her husband to an extent. One of the things Odin is constantly pushing for in my fic is for the family to appear united to outsiders so it would be extremely bad if she let an assault like this pass without doing anything. It would discredit her as a wife, expose discord in the nose pantheon, and give others the impression that if they attack children of the Norse pantheon they won't be punished which is not something she can allow to happen as the main hostess. So Frigg will, at least for appearance's sake, make sure Percy has whatever she needs. It's literally her job as Odin's main wife and the person who manages the house's finances, regardless of her feelings about Loki.

Gunnlöð does not care about Loki one way or another. He is an adult who can take care of himself. She'll defend him if she sees him being attacked because he is part of Odin's house. For Percy, she defends her because Percy is a child who can't fight and Gunnlöð has strong feelings about that.

Gríðr actually feels indebted to Loki because she has used his skills to get her hands on rare research materials before, so naturally she doesn't want to alienate him. On a more practical note (and her bio will talk about her relationship with Odin more), she is Odin's wife, and doing what he wants is her job. Since he wants Percy safe then she will step in.

Rindr does not care for Loki but she knows Poseidon raped him so, as a fellow rape victim she wants to hurt Poseidon. It's not like she can hurt Odin after all (he's her husband, she has attitudes from her time), but Poseidon is fair game, and he showed up to kill his own daughter so she wants to hurt him because she thinks he is the worst.

So in summary, Percy is Loki's daughter and a child of Odin's house so as such she is entitled to be defended in said house. Not doing so would make the Norse look weak to other pantheons which Odin would hate so, regardless of personal feelings, Percy will always be well cared for by the Norse.

[ainyan]

FFXIVWrite Day #11: Once Bitten, Twice Shy

once bitten, twice shy

idiom

a person who has failed or been hurt when trying to do something and is now careful or fearful about doing it again

They wanted to be his friends. They acted more like a family. But he needed neither. He wanted neither. Friends walked away. Family disappeared. No one ever stuck around, so it was simply better to let no one close enough to abandon you.

But they were persistent.

“Is it a miqo’te thing, or do you just really like heights?”

Szah’li hadn’t expected to be found, but reflexes honed among the Black Shroud kept him from starting off the peaked roof of the building. Slowly he rose from his crouch, turning to face the elegantly-clothed man who stood before him, as sure-footed as any Keeper. He met that single dark eye, saw the concern swirling beneath the false cheer, and turned away again, uncomfortable. “I think better up high,” he replied shortly.

The hyur stepped closer, booted feet soundless and sure on the icy tiles, and the miqo’te found himself impressed at Thancred’s absolute faith in his own abilities. A faith well-founded, he had to admit. “I admit to a certain fondness,” the rogue was saying as Szah’li mused, “of heights, but I think I prefer shadowy corners for my contemplations. Still,” he murmured, that single eye gazing out over the snowy streets of Ishgard, “the view is incredible.”

Szah’li detested small talk. “What do you want, Thancred?”

The hyur’s attention slid back to him and he realized it had never truly left. “I’m concerned about you,” he replied just as bluntly. “I know from hints dropped by you, by Alphinaud, by Tataru and Y’shtola that you have just about been through the hells and back while I’ve been playing hermit in the forest. And as standoffish as you were before, ‘tis naught but a patch on how reclusive you have become. You need not stand alone, Szah’li. We are here.”

Anger warred with pain, ripped at his belly. His ears went back, his tail lashed as he shot back, youthful temper erupting. “Like you were here when I was being hunted as a regicide?” he spat, and saw Thancred wince, his features tighten. “Like you were here when I was all but alone in a foreign land, reviled by most? Where were you when I was shorn of the Light’s blessing, when I was hunted by the Heavens’ Ward, when Haurchefant…” He trailed off, choking on his own bile and tears. “Where were you?”

When he collapsed into a crouch, wrapping his arms around his knees and fighting for control, Thancred stepped forward and knelt down beside him, reaching out to stroke a sure hand over his hair. “I’m sorry,” he said softly. “I never stopped thinking of you, of all of you, but I was… I was not at my best.”

Szah’li lifted his head, then jerked it away from Thancred’s hand. “So?” he asked bitterly. “Neither was I.”

So Thancred knew all too well, story after story poured into his ear by a remorseful Alphinaud, detailing the trials which Szah’li had faced over the past several months, mostly by himself, with only nominal support from the skeleton team of Scions left after their betrayal. “Your worst is better than my best,” he said simply, without the resentment he’d felt during those first few months after the events at the Praetorium.

Szah’li turned and stared at him. “I fucked up by the numbers, Thancred, in so many ways. Alphinaud tried - gods know he tried. But I needed you. I needed Y’shtola. I needed Yda and Papalymo and gods I needed Minfilia. I’m not a leader. I’m not a hero. I’m just a kid. A kid nobody wants,” he finished, choking on a bitter sob.

Thancred acted without thought for once, dropping down beside the young man and enfolding him in his arms. Though Szah’li fought against him, his struggles were half-hearted at best and soon ended with him collapsed against the rogue’s slim chest. “You are a kid, a kid who’s been through far too much in your short life, who has lost more than most adults ten times your age. But you are wanted,” he added fiercely.

“The Warrior of Light is wanted,” came Szah’li’s muffled retort.

“The Warrior of Light is needed,” Thancred corrected, his arms strong and warm around the young man, “but Szah’li Khiyanto, Scion, friend, brother - he is wanted. I would rather have you as you are, without the Blessing, without the power, than I would a hundred Warriors of Light when all is said and done.”

“You went away,” Szah’li sobbed.

Thancred closed his eyes and buried his face in the boy’s dark hair. “I know. I’m sorry. It’s not enough, but I’m sorry. I came back as soon as I could.”

Szah’li’s inner demons struggled with one another. He wanted to pull away, to reject Thancred’s compassion, his pity, his affection. He wanted to reject any who would insinuate themselves into the barren wasteland of his heart and risk a rejuvenation of the life that once lived within, that died in the fire, in the screams, in the blood.

And he wanted to burrow into that brotherly embrace and never let go. He wanted to cling to the offered friendship, the offered family, to replace that which had been lost with something new but equally as important, equally as welcome.

But he had been once bitten. He had loved. He had lost, most horribly, most terribly.

And so he was twice shy, and though he yearned to accept the comfort of Thancred’s embrace, even its warmth could not thaw that core of cold that kept him isolated and alone.

Kept him safe.

So he held himself back, and when the hyur finally released him, he kept his face turned from the man. Finally, Thancred sighed. "Think about it," he advised, and Szah'li winced inwardly at the hurt in his voice. But he did not look at him, even as he walked away.

Leaving him alone.

FFXIVWrite2023 Day #11: Once Bitten, Twice Shy

OCs: Szah'li Khiyanto

NPCs: Thancred Waters

AU: Szah'li's Saga

[ -- Master Post: FFXIVWrite2023 -- ]

[greyias]

Constellations from the One Word Prompts :D

 If someone's only exposure to the life of a spy came from action-packed, high-octane holodramas, they might have a mistaken impression that it is a life filled with glamour and intrigue, with dangerous liaisons with seductive individuals from the farthest constellations of the galaxy.

These people would be wrong.

“Oh, no you don’t!” Theron grabbed the Wookiee’s hairy foot just before she could clamber into the air vent that he’d been eyeing as part an elaborate fantasy to escape his current hell. “And for the last time, Vrack, you’re not supposed to climb the walls.”

She let out an indignant series of growls in Shyriiwook, but he didn’t care. If he couldn’t leave, the Force be damned if anyone else was. 

He was Theron Shan, intergalactic super spy, founding member of the Alliance, savior of the Republic many times over. And now he’d been reduced to this: incompetent babysitter of what had to be the rowdiest and most ill-behaved group of school children in the entire universe. 

Oh, according to the paperwork, Class 5A-B7 were all star students from Coruscant’s most prestigious primary school who had performed so well on their exams that they’d won a class trip to tour the Gav Daragon, personally helmed by their personal hero, the beautiful, brave, famous Commander of the Eternal Alliance as part of a PR event the Republic was putting on to gin up morale as the war with the Sith Empire ground on. Unfortunately for everyone involved, she had been called away on an urgent mission for the Republic just as the class had been boarding the shuttle for the Gav Daragon. Somehow, in the chaos of the crying children, Theron had been nominated to take her place.

And now chaos reigned.

Theron blamed Jonas Balkar. He didn’t know how exactly, but he was certain his former partner and now the Alliance’s frequent liaison had somehow pulled some nebulous strings to put him in this position.

The teacher, a kindly old Ithorian teacher, had peeled off to take the little Twi’lek boy with a bladder the size of a koja nut to the bathroom. It had to have been the fifth time the kid had to pee, and would have been concerning if Theron didn’t have his hands full trying to keep the remaining dozen children from killing themselves the moment their teacher’s back was turned.

It had started with Klee Khze, the nine-year-old Rodian girl who had apparently stolen a stealth field belt from one of her parents and smuggled it in. She was now using it to pop in and out of sight, sneaking up on her classmates and destealthing in right in their faces in order to make them shriek at the top of their lungs. She would make an excellent SIS agent one day.

At least she was staying with the class. Theron had somehow lost sight of the little Pantoran kid, Dva Shek, and had been trying to not panic as he peeked around the museum’s large exhibits to find where he’d wandered off to, when out of the corner of his eye, the tiny Zabrak child had inconceivably clambered up onto the platform in the center of the room that was three times his tiny size, and was climbing into the cockpit of a shuttle that had been parked on display.

“What are you—” Theron was forced to abandon his hold on Vrack as he raced across the room. “Kerrah, get down from there!”

Like the rest of the pack of brats, Kerrah paid him no heed, and had clambered into the cockpit, her tiny hands nimbly dancing across the controls. Time seemed to move almost in slow motion as the once best operative in the SIS, and now the galaxy’s worst babysitter, leapt high just as the engines from the old shuttle hummed to life and started to slowly rise from the platform. 

Theron heard a different child let out an undignified squeal of fright as he awkwardly half-landed on the still lowered boarding ramp chest-first. Air whooshed out of his lungs as his fingers wrapped around the edge of the boarding ramp and painfully pulled himself the rest of the way onboard. Behind him, another child, it could have been Klee, let out a whoop of delight.

There was no time for him to either catch his breath, nor find any small solace that at least now the children were finding him interesting enough to actually cheer for, as he scrambled to his feet and lurched towards the cockpit. He staggered as the plating beneath his feet shuddered and managed to get into the cockpit just as another panel lit up brightly.

“Kerrah, no!”

The Zabrak shot him a toothy grin, finger hovering over a red button. “Kerrah, yes!”

He tried, he really did, but she was too fast for him, and before he could snatch her hand away from it, she was able to let off a small volley of missiles from the display unit. A small but noticeable explosion echoed throughout the room as the missiles blew a hole in the wall beyond them.

It was a minor miracle that wall just led to the back halls of the museum, and not the vacuum of space.

By the time Theron had got the small shuttle landed and firmly march Kerrah back out to the rest of her classmates, she was still grinning triumphantly. The stunt had apparently impressed Klee, who became visible long enough to give her fellow troublemaker a well-deserved high five, and whatever compliment she was giving Kerrah was being drowned out by the hysterical sobbing of Vell Zud, the timid Bothan boy who was now convinced they were all going to be sucked out into space.

“Mister Theron!” A reedy voice called, somehow pitching their voice higher than Vell’s wails. “Mister Theron, I need some help!”

O what fresh hell is this? Theron thought grimly to himself as he turned to locate the source of the voice, and sadly, was not disappointed with what he saw.

“Ravo,” he yelled as he once again found himself racing back across the expanse of this room of nightmares that was cleverly disguised as a museum, “how the fuck did you get behind that force field?”

Somewhere, a child gasped at the profanity coming from their chaperone.

“I dunno.” The Mikkian shrugged her pink shoulders as she tapped the giant Cormium Crystal next to her. “But the door behind me closed when Kerrah tried to kill us all with that missile.”

“I did not!” The indignant cry came from across the room, barely audible over the terrified keening that hadn’t stopped. “It was an accident!”

Theron pinched the bridge of his nose, exhaling a deep breath as he tried to gather the frayed edges of his dwindling patience. “I just need you all to stop doing everything for five seconds so I can think—”

Before he could finish that thought, a loud, whooping cry drowned him out, and as one, the room’s occupants looked up in confusion to see a tiny blue Pantoran dragging a massive dodecahedron glowing metal cube behind him. “Can you believe I just found this datacron in the back halls? It’s super heavy and was really hard to get across that giant chasm — why do they even have giant death pits here? It’s so unsafe! Luckily, I just so happened to have a MGGS and was able to grapple…”

There wasn’t even time to process the absolute insanity of that, before his attention was grabbed by the sound of the lift heralding the arrival of several new figures. From the hulking figure of the museum’s security guard, to the absolutely puzzled expression of the teacher and the student she was escorting, as they took in the rampant destruction that had happened in the fifteen minutes that Theron had been left to watch the kids.

Somewhere behind him, a sharp clang echoed as a piece of twisted metal fell from the wall where it had been hanging precariously after the missile strike. That was the precise moment where he gained an acute understanding of what it must have felt like to be Ngani Zho all of those years ago, having to deal with an equally precocious child.

"Look, there's a good explanation for all of this."

It was late, much later than she had anticipated, when Grey had managed to find a moment to herself to try to hopefully salvage the situation with the class trip. The shattered and crestfallen looks on all the children’s faces when she’d had to leave had been absolutely heart wrenching. But like clockwork, Theron had swooped in to help, agreeing to take her place. Her hero, always and forever.

As exhausted as she was after rescuing Arn and addressing the crisis on Manaan, and still trying to shove down the dread at what she might find once she reached Elom, Grey still summoned a convincing enough smile into place as she dialed the frequency of Miss Chobbets’s holocomm hoping that maybe a few words from her would help ease any lingering hurt feelings. 

The elderly Ithorian's face shimmered into life over the holo, and she held up two silent fingers to her twin mouths, a wry smile creeping across her features. Without a word, she swiveled the camera to show a view of the school's shuttle, and Grey's own strained smile melted into something far more genuine.

Tucked away in the back of the shuttle was Theron, his head drooped in slumber as an entire gaggle of exhausted schoolchildren snuggled up to him. The little Wookiee let out a loud snore, but the rest of the group didn't seem to rouse.

"I take it they had a good time?" she asked quietly.

"Oh, very much so," Miss Chobbet said quietly.

"I am glad," Grey replied. "Do pass on my apologies to the class again. Perhaps once this situation is dealt with, we could reschedule another trip."

"Oh, that won't be necessary," Miss Chobbet rumbled. "We're all barred from ever returning to the museum, anyway."

"Wait, what?"

"Don't worry, it's not important," the Ithorian continued. "Although would Mister Theron be available to chaperone future trips? The children seem quite taken with him."

As she watched the wavering image of her slumbering husband and his napping charges, hear heart melted just a little more. When faced with a scene like this, how could she argue? "Of course… just promise to take a holo of this for me."

[vihattu-thethoroughbredofsin]

Okay, transformers fans, I need answers from you.

SPOILERS are possible, but not really. It's better not to read if you haven't watched the cartoon yet. Now a new animated series has been released, and for some reason I see the same thing in all opinions  — complaints and misunderstanding about why the GHOST is catching Decepticons and keeping them in prison. To this I have a counter question — why shouldn't they? It seems to be confirmed that for some time in the past, transformers openly fought on Earth. I very much doubt that they did it carefully and absolutely without harming humans . It is unlikely that the military conflict of huge robots did without any casualties at all (If it turns out that way, well... that would be stupid). And when the Autobots, and then Megatron after the destruction of the space bridge, went to cooperate with humans, the rest of the Decepticons did not. That is, there is a situation when supposedly aggressive huge robots that have not accepted the peace agreement are walking free, and it is not known what they have in mind. I doubt that all Decepticons are playful white and fluffy bunnies, considering the conditions they found themselves in. It is unlikely that they are just sitting peacefully somewhere without harming anyone. At least twice already, two of them were going to harm the child, presumably for the sake of entertainment, judging by the accompanying phrase before that. Moreover, there were rivals nearby who could really do harm, but they still threatened children who could not attack effectively. In such a situation, capture and detention in prison seems to be the only way out, if they did not come to an agreement in a good way. It's another matter what they do with them later, but the audience complains about hunting. Maybe the GHOST will turn out to be an evil insidious organization that eats poor and unfortunate Decepticons for breakfast, lunch and dinner, but so far their actions seem quite logical. Even if the Decepticons are starving and suffering, it doesn't automatically make them good guys. There may be reasons for fear. To condemn plot decisions with the fact that "well, they're cute and suffer!" when we don't even know what they did and what consequences their actions lead to is a bit strange. Maybe they demolished cities, maybe  humans were killed or maimed, we just don't know yet. If that was the case, then where else would they be if not in prison? There are more questions for Megatron, what kind of leader he was if the whole faction told him "No!" and went to hide and starve, just to disagree with his decision. Did he try to probe the ground before his decision at all? How did he not find like-minded Decepticons among his own soldiers? Did this Megatron really manage his troops so badly? Well, before condemning the actions of Optimus, he could think about what he could do to improve the situation. And if he has not come up with anything better than direct obedience... Then we found the winner in the nomination "The worst Decepticon leader". From this, I have a more global question for the fandom — do you really love Decepticons so much? To some strange blindness about the plots with them. After about a year of being in the fandom, I somehow got the impression that Decepticons are the public's favorites, no matter what, when fans treat Autobots rather coldly. And this applies to almost any media. Moreover, I do not judge from the point of view of morality, evil characters can be loved, there is no such popular "problematic" here. But it's just interesting. I can't understand what moods are floating in the fandom, I would like to know.

[paintedscales]

FFXIV Write 2023 :: Day 7

Prompt :: Noisome Characters :: Nomin tal Kheeriin, Estinien [Wyrmblood], Alberic Bale Word Count :: 1,207

FFXIV Write 2023 Master List

A campfire, nearly burnt out and left to the cold to smolder till it was naught but ash and charcoal. That was all Nomin found when she finally arrived at the destination that had been suggested to her by some of the local guards stationed about Dragonhead. It was not what she had hoped for, not with the task asked of her to find the fugitive at large.

Fwump!

The sound of something falling to the ground close by had alerted Nomin, and she quickly turned toward the source. A man, clad in obsidian black armor, had leapt from a nearby ledge and landed on the ground with practiced poise. Of course, the one thing that Nomin noticed above everything else was the lance he wielded.

"That Ishgard would resort to sending coin-starved adventurers after me… I know not whether to laugh or feel insulted." The armored man rose to his feet before spinning his lance forward and pointing it at Nomin. Of course, such a sight caused her to furrow her brow and adjust her stance so that she might be quick to draw upon her bow and arrows.

His words indicated the truth of the matter. He really was the one she had been looking for as requested by Alberic: Estinien Wyrmblood.

Before anything could happen, however, a brilliant light shined forth. It was blinding enough to where Nomin instead shielded her eyes from the sudden shine. On the other hand, it seemed Estinien was more surprised by the fact that whatever it was shined at all.

"Th-The Eye! It rouses…for another!?"

When the light had faded, the two were left standing there. Though Nomin could not see Estinien’s expression from behind his helm, there seemed to be this sense of irritation as he mounted his lance upon his back once more.

“Preposterous…” That all but confirmed his irritation.

“Our paths shall cross again. You can be sure of it.” After this declaration, Estinien braced himself before leaping high into the air and onto the mountainside. Nomin watched after him, her expression changing from her own form of annoyance to being simply impressed with the jump made.

After he had disappeared completely from sight, Nomin’s expression fell to a contemplative frown as she folded her arms over her chest. She had almost forgotten about the biting cold of the land at that moment.

Just how soon would they cross paths again when it had already been such a wild goose chase just to find him the first time?

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A fortnight had passed, and Nomin continued her time in Coerthas, helping where she could. Be it at the request of Haurchefant, the Scions, or other people that required aid, Nomin did her best to remain able and willing to see to the tasks that needed doing. It was only by Haurchefant’s elated stories and praise of her that people began more readily accepting her help.

Despite everything else she did in the way of training or helping others, that interaction lingered in the back of Nomin’s mind. It was enough to keep her on her toes on most days, and up at night at the worst. Was she to expect him in unexpected places? Just when and where would she and Estinien cross paths again?

Sat by a fire and nursing a mug of hot cider, Nomin had been staring intently into the flames when she was pulled from her mindless staring.

It started with the crunch of snow before she realized the clinking of chainmail. When Nomin looked, it was Ser Alberic who approached her. He wore a warm expression on his face as he took a seat next to her, his eyes drifting to the enclosed fire in its dome of stone.

“It is pleasing to see how readily the dragon stirs within you. You show great potential, Nomin -- a potential that may well prove the difference between victory and defeat,” Alberic spoke after a time. When Nomin glanced over at him, her eyes tired, he continued. “Estinien is no ordinary dragoon. Even when set against the legendary Azures of ages past, the man is considered second to none. Such is his prowess, in fact, that the day he was chosen by the Eye, it was proclaimed that Haldrath the Dragonseye had been reborn.”

Nomin gave a silent snort into her mug.

Now why did that sound familiar?

‘Broken Scale…she fights with the strength of Chakha herself! Were she Dotharl, I would believe her to be the very reincarnation!’

“I mean not to disparage your skills, Nomin, but to pursue Estinien in your current state would be tantamount to suicide.”

“And what do you know of my skills, Ser Alberic?” The noisome ire and vitriol of summers past alongside the Jhungid stirred in Nomin’s chest and stomach as she took another sip from her mug. She hoped the warmth of it would wash away the feeling, but it only made it worse. Those memories bled with new ones as more words left her mouth.

“Do you know the trials I’ve faced before coming here from the Far East?”

Obsession. Every routine. Every movement. Every tactic. Every strength. Every flaw. Observed and noted to break free of the shackles the Jhungid bound her and others with.

“Or do you speak thusly because I am not of these lands and am in fact spat on by the very Ishgardians Estinien himself fled from?”

‘Look at her…horns and tail…and scales, besides! Dragonspawn, I’m sure of it. Best not to consort or be seen with the likes of her.’

“Because you hear the same whispers -- albeit perhaps spoken more plainly? That I am a heretic or dragonspawn?”

‘Vile heretic! Begone with you! I’d rather die than be helped by your hands!’

Alberic fell silent, a finger tapping on the bench as he thought about his next words.

“I merely wish you to be on equal footing when, not if, you face Estinien.” Alberic’s tone had softened as he readjusted the focus in which he spoke. “But you are right in that I know not of the trials and tribulations you have faced before coming to Eorzea. You have my apologies for insinuating otherwise.”

The two of them sat in silence. Nomin continued to sup upon her cider, and Alberic kept his gaze upon the flames that burned.

“Though I remain ignorant…” Alberic started. “Perhaps I have an inkling as to why the Eye took a shine to you. Even if you may not want to learn the way of the Dragoon -- I suppose it matters little at the end of the day. If you are chosen by the Eye, so be it. None of us can change that. At least allow me to aid in showing you what to prepare for.”

Nomin turned her head only slightly to glance at Alberic. Letting out a sigh that clouded into steam in the Coerthan cold, she gave a shallow nod.

“It would be foolish of me not to accept that,” Nomin replied.

“If you would humor me, then,” Alberic shifted on the seat before reaching over and tossing a loose piece of firewood into the pit. “It is only fitting that you are edified regarding our origins as Azure Dragoon.”

[downwithpeople]

finished counter/weight

it wasn't bad!

most actual plays do about 0.5 systems - they nominally use dnd 5e but mainly just do freestyle rp. it's wild to hear someone kitbash together what, 6 fucking systems? multiple groups of players operating at multiple levels asymmetrically? what a big swing! it's so fucking ambitious! i don't even know if it's a good idea!

the big downside of the variety in systems means that a huge chunk of the airtime is spent explaining, discussing and negotiating mechanics. the mechnoir portion was the absolute worst for this and i think part of what made the first session or two so rough was the players just not understanding the game or how to effectively use their characters. the benefit of this immense variety of systems is...i don't know? maybe it's fun to play? i didn't feel like the extended kingdom interlude was that interesting and i would have definitely preferred the events of that to be relayed to me in a 10-minute convo rather than negotiated through another system where the players seem barely cognizant of the stakes.

i found it very difficult to understand what was going on with the setting. a lot of setting names are thrown at you very fast and at this point i still don't know if i could confidently describe all of the big movers and shakers in the setting. still not 100% on who the rapid evening are, who diego rose was, who most of the big corps are and why they matter. i don't hate any of what i learned but i'm not sold on the divines in general. rigour is cool because i understand what rigour is and does. i don't get how righteousness works, nor any of the divines which aren't a giant robot. even at the end, when they were saying shit like 'ooh grace won't like that' i still didn't understand what that meant or why it mattered. maybe i'm just too stupid. that said, the parts that i did understand i thought were pretty decent.

i liked the chime and i liked the cast. audy was cool and had some great moments tho as i said, still don't know why their status as a divine matters. aria seemed like an insanely poor fit for the group but i like ali acampora as an entertainer so it balances out. mako was consistently delightful and the introduction of larry was my favourite character beat in the season. cass didn't make that much of an impression on me and it was too easy to forget they were royalty. i think austin should have laid down the law super hard in the first session and been like 'hey you guys are criminals, you are mercenaries, you do crimes for money, be on that wavelength' instead of like, however the fuck he described their deal with orth.

big fucking mistake: the custom XP triggers he worked out. podcast or no, do NOT ever give players a mechanical incentive to play suboptimally. players already play suboptimally; the mechanics should lead them by the nose into optimal play strategies. i would not recommend giving a player like keith an incentive to fuck up the mission with antics unless you want to ruin your friendships.

i think i would have enjoyed a less structured game along the lines of what is actually suggested by the rules of the sprawl. i guess this is just actual play podcasts in general but the thing is, most PBTA games make it pretty explicit that the game works best when you come in with a set of starting positions and assumptions instead of a predetermined storyline. austin can't help but come in with a big sheaf of predetermined storylines, down to specific planned scenes and even fucking maps. i would love to hear a podcast where someone plays the game as written for once.

i have no idea where to go from here. i'm sure as shit not listening to marielda because i know it will make me big nerd angry. i am not so invested in the setting that i absolutely must find out what happens in twilight mirage. if the hieron stuff is good maybe i'll listen to that next but i think i'm gonna give fatt a break for a while.

my OC for counterweight is the candidate of the divine antipathy.

[galerymod]

Javier Bardem's worst looks or Hollywood's most adaptable actor

Javier Bardem, who was born in 1969, comes from a dynasty of actors and for a long time refused to follow the predetermined road to an acting career. However, he finally accepted his destiny. His first successes came in Spain in the 1990s in films by cult director Bigas Luna, who made the young actor's screen presence shine in exaggerated macho roles: After playing a supporting role in "Lulu - The Story of a Woman" (1990), he cast him in a leading role - in "Jamon Jamon" (1992), co-starring with his current wife Penélope Cruz, and a year later in "Macho".

Bardem's instinct not to be tied down to these roles and a few coincidences changed his life: He emigrates to the USA to play roles that do not correspond at all to his previous image. This risk-taking was rewarded with worldwide fame: in 2001, he became the first Spanish actor to be nominated for an Oscar. However, he always remains loyal to Europe and more daring productions.

During his career, Javier Bardem has worked with some of the greatest directors; few European male actors can boast such an impressive filmography. In 2008, he won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his role in "No Country for Old Men". Just two years later, he was honoured at the Cannes Film Festival for his role in Alejandro González Iñárritu's "Biutiful". In 2012, he plays an antagonist of James Bond in "Skyfall". Together with his wife Penélope Cruz, he has been a dream team in front of and behind the camera for many years, but is able to keep his private life private.

I personally don't believe in film ranking, everyone should make their own judgement, but since Wikipedia is blank here, which means there is no film list of all his films, I have added the ranking to give an overview.

There are actors who play in a different dimension for me he is one of these exceptional talents.

mod

[mylifeincinema]

My Best of 2023: My Top 10 Films!

Finally! It’s time for My Top 10 Films of 2023! 2023 was another weird year for me in terms of film. As usual, I had a few I championed, but, yet again, a lot of the big guns didn't land the way I'd expected or hoped. As a quick reminder -  My Top 10 Films isn’t necessarily a list of the ‘best’, or ‘my favorite’, but rather a mix of the two that takes both sides of the A&E into as equal consideration as humanly possible. Definitely keep that in mind, especially the fact that how re-watchable each film is weighs in significantly. So, in terms of all that, this list nails my 2023.

First, here are some Honorable Mentions (in no real order), most of which spent at least a little time in the Top 10: Jonathan Glazer's The Zone of Interest (which really deserves that 10 spot, but it's about as far from re-watchable as it gets); David Fincher's The Killer; Sofia Coppola's Priscilla; Kelly Fremon Craig's Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.; and Takashi Yamazaki's Godzilla Minus One. Any of these could easily claim that 10 spot on another day. As for Martin Scorsese's Killers of the Flower Moon? Sorry, y'all, but it barely cracked my Top 20. No matter how incredibly well-made it was, it was still a solid hour too long. And worst of all, it felt it!

Okay, without further ado, here they are…

My Top 10 Films of 2023!!

10. Danny & Michael Philippou's Talk to Me

Damn. This was fantastic. I’m still really pissed I missed it in cinemas. Such a super creepy, perfectly executed premise fueled by surprisingly good performances and genuinely terrifying moments, throughout. I especially love that it never heavily relies on jump-scares and just how brutal these spirits get. The desperation and hopelessness of the third act is just the cherry on top.

9. Greta Gerwig's Barbie

Hilarious. Bold. Heartwarming. And not at all subtle. Margot is perfection, which doesn’t always work in the film’s favor, but it knows and acknowledges that, and becomes more interesting by doing so. Gosling is hilarious and interesting and delivers one of the most absurdly audacious performances of the year. Gerwig’s vision, here, is dazzling not only in its use of practical effects, but also its brazen approach to the film’s message.

8. Christopher McQuarrie's Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part 1

Tom Cruise is out here doing the important work in a time when said important work is more essential than ever. This is a big-screen spectacle of an action film with exciting fights and chases and stunts that get more and more impressive, wild and outlandish throughout. As to be expected from the franchise, the cast all deliver rock-solid performances, and McQuarrie’s work behind the camera is every bit as good as Fallout, despite Fallout still probably being the better of the two films, overall. The plot, action, and editing here are all perfectly intense, working beautifully together to create a truly jaw-dropping piece of action cinema. Once again Cruise and friends prove decisively that popcorn flicks can be art, too, folks. Big, loud, crazy, fun art. So damn good.

7. James Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3

Loved it. Every single moment is earned. The needle drops get better and better and build up to a joyous, cathartic, downright amazing moment at the end. James Gunn directs the hell out of his pitch-perfect script, allowing these characters to evolve in a manner as interesting as it is entertaining as it is organic. The Winter Soldier is still the best single film in the MCU, but this trilogy is its heart and soul. Finally… Cosmo is such a Good Dog.

6. Wes Anderson's Asteroid City

There’s good reason why Wes Anderson is one of my very favorite living directors. Asteroid City is a fine example of pretty much all of them. It’s visually stunning (How the f*ck did that production design not get nominated?!) , superbly acted, and written with as much quirky humor as it is raw emotion as it is perfectly balanced existentialism. I may still not quite be fully sold on the framing device, but all-in-all, this is a purely Andersonian oddity, and I loved every minute of it. Plus, I really want to be friends with that roadrunner.

5. Alexander Payne's The Holdovers

Genuinely hilarious and sneakily heartfelt. The tender moments play out so naturally that they pack an emotional wallop, then the brilliant Paul Giamatti or Da'Vine Joy Randolph lets out a perfectly delivered line that’ll absolutely floor you. And I just love the look of it, every single piece of this film looks and feels like it’s straight out of the ‘70s. So good. Probably my favorite Payne?

4. Yorgos Lanthimos' Poor Things

Despite being significantly overlong, Lanthimos' Poor Things is still just so damn good. I hate that Emma Stone’s odds are going down, as she delivers what will likely remain a favorite ‘til the end of the decade. Mark Ruffalo is also a blast, and is very much the upset I'm hoping for most come March 10. I honestly didn’t think he still had a performance like this in him. Dafoe is magnificently weird, and every time he graced the screen was a treat. Yorgos went off, here. This is probably his best work yet. It’s also one of the most visually interesting films of the year. I absolutely loved how this movie was shot. And it’s very easily better than the book. So, y’know, there’ that too.

3. Dos Santos, Powers & Thompson's Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

A masterful amalgamation of animation styles, narrative ideas and next-level voice performances. As visually breathtaking as it is emotionally ambitious as it is structurally exciting and entertaining. This is the exact type of comic book movie that still has me excited for comic book movies.

2. Wes Anderson's The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar & Three More

I'm kinda cheating, here, as this is technically a collection four individually released short films, and not the originally planned anthology feature. But I don't care. These are all fantastic; masterclasses in adaptation, blocking, production design and acting, the lot of 'em. I want so badly for Wes Anderson to just adapt Dahl's entire bibliography. Head HERE for my full thoughts.

And The Best Film of 2023 is…

1. Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer

A truly staggering achievement. As ambitious and bold a biopic as we’ve gotten in a very long time. Nolan understands the mechanics of this man and his story in a way that's so philosophically nuanced, and directs scene-after-scene of characters discussing physics and politics in a that makes it edge-of-your-seat shit.

Thank you for reading!

-Timothy Patrick Boyer.

More of My Best of 2023...

[k00292299]

Today I’ve been studied British artist Rachel Whiteread’s works. Her artwork “House” really impressed me, because of her idea to show negative space of the building.

Here is small description of her artwork from site artsy.net

She makes room you can’t enter, stairs you can’t climb, and doors you can’t open. Her monumental sculptures appear, upon first glance, like familiar architectural forms—yet they’re devoid of utility, leaving the viewer to simply look and consider the meaning embedded in plaster and concrete. Reactions have varied widely: In 1993, Whiteread received nominations as both the best and worst artist in Britain.

Her artworks are very interesting for me because she is making viewers confused, when they can see something familiar what they know, and then when viewers are coming closer they see that it’s something topsy-turvy with no purpose in it as we used to.

In my opinion there is more metaphorical sence in those artworks than physical, her works telling that space inside things is not just space, and not just nothing.

[not-poignant]

Some recent posts made me take closer look at the word count for FFS. I didn't realize that FFS is large enough to be about 7 novels! Possibly more! And you wrote those 7(+) novels in about 2 years! And crafted an amazing story that I'll be rereading for years. By 'winging it'. While also writing other stories! Bravo, take all my kudos, and I wish there was an award I could nominate you for. You are a truly impressive author!

Definitely more, anon!

The average length of a novel is 80-100k (in everything but like epic fantasy and hard sci fi), and so if you average that out, this easily sits nicely in the '8 novels long' mark. Maybe even a bit more.

Since romance novels can start from 60k, it's about 13 romance novels. :D

It's the kind of thing a publisher would look at be like 'um, fuck no.' The fact that every serial I write is very comfortably over 200k is like, welp, that's just how it be dsalksj I think I'm a publisher's worst nightmare, lol