#or the fact that paige was killed off so damn early

[vaderscape]

TLJ fans who refuse to take any actual legitimate criticism of the movie scare me

[phoebehalliwell]

A season six au where, instead of being a one-off used simply to confirm that Wyatt is evil in the future, Chris-Crossed is set up as foreshadowing of the final conflict at the end of the season - Wyatt coming to the past himself to stop Chris.

After Bianca, Wyatt keeps sending more and more demons after Chris trying to stop him and bring him back home, but they all fail, so the penultimate episode has Wyatt coming back to the past to personally deal with the threat Chris represents to him.

Only he's not prepared to find his entire family (logically, he knew, but emotionally he hadn't considered the ramifications). He hadn't considered what it would be like to see his parents so in love with each other and with his younger, happier self. He doesn't know how to deal with the fact that the people whose deaths just emotionally shattered him are still alive and happy here.

He tries to stick with his original plan but fails. Maybe he discovers that it was Gideon who abducted him as a baby (he always knew something bad happened to him as a kid, but he never knew it was an Elder), and he's the one to kill him and save his younger self. Maybe he reveals to Piper and Leo that it wasn't just Gideon that turned him evil (bc lets be real, that was a weak ending), but an escalating series of attacks over his entire childhood, culminating in demons killing his parents and causing him to go darkside out of revenge.

Maybe the finale is Piper, and Leo, and Chris, and Paige, and Phoebe convincing Wyatt to come back to them, that he didn't have to let his trauma define him, that he could choose to be good again and change the future for his younger self.

(And then maybe in season eight we give Christy the same damn courtesy because frankly she didn't deserve her fate either.)

first off: fuck yeah. second off ik i bring this up every time i still can't believe they made billie INCINERATE christy!!!!!!!!!!!! that's how you tie up that plot???? uhh chrisy shoots some fire at billie who deflects it and it hits christy and burns her alive. and then we cut to the hug montage. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!.

i mean for starters i'm always wishing we did more with evil wyatt bc like. we saw so little. like this is a world where magic exists out in the open. like. !!. there's a lot to be done here. also really getting more into the what made wyatt evil can be good ik everyone has different opinions i personally think like. i like the idea that gideon did kidnap him in canon and did try (and continuously fail) to murder him and it like fucked up wyatt psychologically that be the time piper & leo got wyatt back he was already like. like Really Fuckin Broken. like one of those kids who rips the wings off of a butterfly Specifically to see how it reacts. that type of kid. i also think that by the time wyatt made it back to the family piper and leo were already fucked up for starters bc they both went bonkers bc you know. their son has been kidnapped. and i think it strained the whole charmed thing i think phoebe bound her powers and moved away to ny and i think paige was the only one who really kept trying with the whole you know magic protectors of the innocent thing i think she was actually the one who trained wyatt the most as another witchlighter w a similar power set and i think she was for the record wyatt's favorite because i think you know piper and leo fret over him A Lot bc a) he was kidnapped b4 and you really can't have that happen again and then b) um. ur kid's a lil bit sociopathic. like he like. tortures animals. which is a red flag and makes you really uncomfortable. but i think between paige and henry like they've seen a lot of fucked up kids and also like he does need training like magically and you know he is powerful like. he's not delicate that's for sure he can hold his own. i think paige in their youth takes the lead on training both the boys i think.

okay so sidebar for context specifically on wyatt's early childhood i think gideon stored him in the heavens when trying to kill him possibly with a small faction of elders/whitelighters in his camp so wyatt's got this association what whitelighters = evil elders = evil you know. and i think once he develops the strength (age 4?? maybe five) he does like. kill all of them. and wanders the heavens and the elders find him like oh my god it's the twice blessed wtf is he doing up here and they return him to piper & leo and like. find all the dead whitelighters/gideon and kindaaaa put together what happened and just lie about it. they're like yeah we found him in the underworld. demons amirite. here's your son back. gideon died in the fight to get him back btw. so paige takes over magic school and gideon's like this great fuckin hero that. okay well i just took a break to scroll thru my phone and now i have no idea what i was saying. long story short um. like.

paige is wyatt's favorite

paige runs magic school

wyatt is v damaged

& the culture surrounding him Is Not Helping

i also think wyatt's really a dick to chris because like. well he's really damaged chris is a really easy target because he's just So Much Weaker than wyatt

the elders also want to strip wyatt of the twice blessed destiny but can't w/o saying Why (he killed an elder and bunch of whitelighters) so instead they're trying to be like the elders! whitelighters! god we love em so much don't we aren't they the best don't we love em which just drives wyatt more batty bc he knows they're lying which really sows his deep hatred of good magic

so i think when wyatt comes back as the final Big Bad he's like fuck it you know what i'm going over Everyone's heads yeah this was to kill chris but i'm pushing the whole schedule forward i'm killing the elders and i'm taking over who's gonna stop me The Charmed Ones? give me a fuckin break bc in his entire time the charmed ones are some old washed up thing of the past he never really got to see them like. together.

and i think just like the way wyatt views the world in general is augmented distorted like he's got mirror from the snow queen in his eye that type shit but i think. i think seeing the world before the world he could have had. i think makes a big difference. i also think his view of his parents changes greatly because i think piper was always a hardass who like didn't let him so shit bc she was terrified for him and she was also like. a demon killing machine. and then leo i think got really just sorta weak desperate and depressed in the dark timeline really wallowed like constantly. so seeing his parents as two normal, adjusted people. oh i also think wyatt killed piper. in the dark future. and i think seeing her like this like he almost feels guilty. and seeing them how they are he almost like. wants to get that childhood. like now there really is this what if. because to be perfectly honest he's not like happy don't get me wrong it's not like he doesn't love killing murder & being evil bc i do think he gets a kick out of it but there's just this constant vacancy like it's never enough like. he never feels quite whole he thought he'd feel that when he took out the elders he thought he'd feel that when he took out the charmed ones and ruled the underworld he thought he'd at least get some contentedness ruling he whole fucking world but there's just. there's something missing. and it bugs the shit outta him not knowing what. and seeing family and healthy love he's like oh 😐😐 well i don't really want that that's lame and boring also suckish and i hate my family. but like. 😐😐😐😐 oops he kinda. he kinda wants in. gideon still dies tho leo still kills him which wyatt sees and is like hey what the fuck. bc he always saw his dad as some pushover who like kissed ass for the elders all the goddamn time like jfc man get a fuckin spine but hey!! he just killed an elder!!!! and leo's like no one hurts my family to which wyatts like a) nice job on the murder king but also like b) family?? 👀👀 because as a kid he always felt like his dad picked the elders over him like oh gideon's a hero he brought my son back to me and wyatt's like okay so you're a moron jackass bootlicker and a bad father word but seeing this wyatt's like hey what the fuck. what that's an option wait u do stick up for your family and have your own beliefs.

tbh you know that one post like i love it when a villain doesn't get a redemption arc per se but rather just becomes domesticated like a cat. i think that's what i'd want to see w wyatt. like he's like okay bet. gideon was a fuckin dickwad. but um little me deserves a chance. and if i want i'll just like. take over again. but i'll take a backseat and see where this goes. because again there's something missing. you get the chance to see what you'd be like if you were an adjusted, normal human. and if this doesn't work well know there's two of you so you can take over the world twice as fast. evil wyatt Also does the uncle coop thing. and everyone has to keep an eye on him because like he is a lil bit cuckoo and does have a penchant 4 violence but like. he's having a really good time he does love piper's cooking also he's v invested in the paige henry sideplot like heyyyyyyyyyyyy hahaha u guys r in love lmao. and paige is like no we're not we're just no we're not shut the fuck up you don't know shit and wyatt's like oh shit you like him lmao hahahah. wyatt fuckin Hates kyle bc that's not his uncle hey stop dating my aunt back the fuck up. but then hangs out with kyle and is like no actually i like him we can keep him around. he just can't date paige tho. kyle becomes a whitelighter and then an angel and their friendship helps heal the relationship wyatt has to the heavens. also wyatt's whole tragic backstory w like. gideon tried to kill him for the greater good and that was a self fulfilling prophecy that triggered the apocalypse does kind modify how kyle sees the world end justifies the means style. doesn't try to kill leo bc he doesn't wanna kill wyatt's dad. i'm literally just saying shit now. piper teaches evil wyatt how to knit. wyatt sees all the demons who work for him in the future and they don't recognize him and he's like oh rite i'm not evil supreme leader of the world here. bianca also lives in this au. wyatt healed her and initially kept her to torture for information or something idk i just want her alive. evil feral domesticate cat wyatt who lives in the manor like a fuckin leech and offers really unhelpful violent suggestions whenever a problem is encountered but at least he's having a good time. he picks himself up from daycare frequently because piper opened her restaurant. 👍

[summahsunlight]

All For You, Part 1

Rating: T

Word Count: 2173

Pairing: Poe Dameron X Pilot!Reader

Summary: Your life in the Resistance was not easy, being married to Commander Poe Dameron and a skilled pilot yourself. When you unexpectedly get pregnant, your life is forever changed. Raising a child on base is hard, but never having parents of your own as a child, you are determined to love your little girl and give her the best life. Poe is equally as devoted to you and your daughter, vowing to keep you both safe from the impending threat of the First Order.

Taglist: @thescarletknight2014​, @elmoakepoke​

It’s here! The 200 followers celebration! This was inspired by a one-shot I wrote , Little Pilot. Everyone really enjoyed it and I just started thinking about different scenarios of Poe and his little daughter and this series was born. The taglist is open if you want to be added send a message, ask, or comment here. Feedback is always appreciated! I’m really excited to be sharing this one with you🥰

Life never went according to plan but as you sat there in the med bay, it felt like life was just playing a trick on you.  “Doctor? Are you sure?”

Harter Kalonia nodded. “Yes. I’m sure. Captain Dameron, you’re pregnant. Congratulations.”

“But... I get a hormone shot every month. Poe and I are careful.”

“Contraceptive's are not always one-hundred percent effective.”

“Clearly,” you said, with an aggravated roll of your eyes.

“Captain, were you and Commander Dameron not trying to have baby?”

You slowed the lump that had formed in your throat. “No. We’re not. I mean, someday we would like to have children but we agreed that now is not the best time with the future of the galaxy so uncertain. I honestly thought it was just a stomach bug!”

Kalonia looked at you sympathetically. “If this baby is not what you or Commander Dameron want at this time--”

Understanding what she was hinting at, you stopped her. “No! I... I don’t want to terminate the pregnancy--at least... not until I talk to Poe. This is his baby too and he should be a part of any decision that I might have to make.” 

“Alright,” Kalonia said. 

“Is it alright if I get back to work?” you asked her.

“Actually, Captain, if you are going to carry this baby, you need to cut back.”

“Cut back?”

“Your line of work is dangerous for a fetus, especially in the early stages.”

“I know that but the Resistance needs all the pilots it can get.”

It was an argument that you knew you were not going to win, just by the way Kalonia looked at you; then of course there was going to be Poe--he was never going to let you fly missions once he knew you were pregnant. You briefly wondered how long you could keep this from him in order to keep flying.

You quickly tossed that idea aside. Even if you waited to tell him, Kalonia would, and you would knowingly be risking the life of your baby. That wasn’t something a loving mother would do. 

Sighing, you left the med bay and went to find Poe. Your stomach was filled with nervous butterflies. You weren’t sure how he was react. There was a chance that he’d be less than thrilled--a small chance--but still one that existed. Like you had told Kalonia, you and your husband had not been trying to have a baby. Your hands went to your currently flat stomach, smiling slightly as you thought about the little baby inside of you.

A little baby that you had created with the man you love. Poe would love that baby as much as he loved you. Why were you so worried about telling him?

Because, you thought, cynically, now is not the time to have a baby--we live on a military base, our jobs are dangerous. What would happen to our baby if we both are killed? Maybe it wasn’t the right time to have a baby, maybe you should discuss the possibility of terminating the pregnancy with Poe... what kind of life could you honestly offer the child you were carrying?

Suddenly, you just felt like crying. You had always wanted a family--ever since you were a little girl and never had one of your own. You didn’t know what love was until you met Poe. You wanted this baby, you wanted this baby desperately but would it be fair to your child to force a harsh life upon it?

Wiping the tears that had managed to fall from your eyes, you straightened your flight fatigues and stepped into the hanger. If everyone saw you crying they would know that something was up and you didn't want anyone else knowing until you had told Poe.

“Hey Captain,” Paige Tico greeted. “Everything go okay in the med bay?”

“It was fine,” you answered, adverting your eyes. “It was a virus.”

A virus? Is that what you think of your baby? Anxiously, before Paige could ask anymore questions, you moved through the hanger towards your fighter. Perhaps working on it would clear your mind and prepare you for having the difficult conversation with Poe about the future of your baby.

You tried pushing those thoughts from your mind and work on your fighter. It was easier said than done--you kept thinking about Poe, about the baby, and what you were going to do. In fact, the more you thought about Poe and the baby, the harder you tried to focus on your ship. You were so focused that you didn’t even notice your husband approach.

Poe placed his hands on your waist, startling you slightly. “Sorry, baby, didn’t mean to frighten you. You’re awfully focused, you know that? I find that sexy.”

His lips brushed against your temple and his hands moved along your waist to wrap his arms around your middle from behind. Normally you felt so safe in his arms, like you were home--but right now, you felt like his arms were trapping you. “Just need to get this done,” you whispered, curtly. 

“Are you okay, sweetheart?”

“I’m fine. Why do you ask?”

“You seem tense--and not in a good way.”

“Just tired.”

Moving away from him, you ducked underneath the wing of your fighter and went to the other side of the ship. Poe followed you but he kept a respectful distance, realizing that you didn’t want to be touched right now. “What did the doctor say? Was it a virus like we thought?”

Tears began to blur your vision. You did not want to tell Poe that he was going to be a father in the hanger-- not with all these people around. “Yeah,” you choked out, almost in a sob. “It was a virus.”

Poe looked at you, softly. “Y/N? What’s wrong?”

You wouldn’t look at him. “Nothing is wrong.”

“Anyone tell you that you suck at lying?”

“I’m not lying.”

“Oh yeah? Why are you crying?”

Damn hormones. You wiped furiously at your eyes, wiping the tears away. “Poe, please, I don’t want to talk about it here, okay?”

Sighing, he nodded and then he took a step closer to you. Gently, Poe took your face between his hands and pressed a tender kiss to your lips. “Fine, then we’ll talk about it later. I hate to see you so upset; sweetheart. Please, don’t cry. Whatever it is, we’ll face it together, okay?”

You locked eyes with him. You loved him so damn much and you just wanted to blurt out that you were pregnant. It wasn’t the place, though. Letting a few more tears fall, you nodded. 

Poe kissed those tears away just before he pulled you into his arms, into a comforting embrace. “Bee and I are calling it a day; why don’t you do the same? Let’s go have dinner and then maybe we can share a shower...”

“I’m...I’m not very hungry.”

“Still not feeling well, huh?”

“Not really.”

“Then you really should call it a day, sweetheart.”

Knowing that he was right, you sighed and closed your fighter up. Wiping your hands with a cloth, you sniffled as you tossed it aside. You could tell that he was looking at you and when you chanced a look at him, sure enough, his eyes were on you. He was clearly concerned. “Poe, seriously, I’m fine.”

Poe didn’t believe you. He’d known you for a long time now--since flight school--and he knew when something was upsetting you. He just wished you would open up to him. You had trust issues, Poe didn’t blame you given the nature of your childhood, but that didn’t stop him from wishing you still weren’t so anxious when it came to trusting him. “Okay, but... you know you can always talk to me.”

You felt another surge of tears. Is this what the next nine months were going to be like if you decided to keep your baby? “I know, Poe, I’m just... there’s a lot going on right now...”

He just wanted to take you into his arms again and comfort you. Slipping his arm around your waist, Poe led you out of the hanger. BB-8 rolled behind you, equally as concerned about you as his master. 

And this made you cry harder. Damn these kriffing hormones! 

Once you made it to the mess hall with him, you had miraculous stopped crying--thank the Maker, because you didn’t want to explain to your friends why you were crying. You couldn’t think up a believable lie. Poe’s right, I am a terrible liar. 

Poe led you to your usual table and offered to grab your dinner. Exhausted and emotionally drained, you simply nodded your head. While he was gone, your hands rubbed across your stomach, mind wandering and thinking about the baby--you wanted this child, you loved this child--but what if Poe didn’t? What would you do if he didn’t want to have this baby?

“Here you go, baby,” Poe said, gently, setting a tray down in front of you.

“Oh no,” you cried as the smell of the food made you sick.

Dashing up from your table, hand covering your mouth, you bolted from the mess hall and just made it to the public ‘fresher in time before you threw up all over the corridor. You sat there for the longest time just crying, you weren’t even sure how much time had passed until Poe edge his way into the refresher and helped you stand, walking you back to your quarters.

Poe quietly let you both inside, helping you to the bed. He got down on the floor and pulled your boots off, then he helped you out of your flight suit. Still not speaking to you, he got you back on your feet and pulled the covers down, and then he was helping you lay down. 

His hand gently pushed your hair back and he smiled, softly. “I think you need to rest. You’re never going to beat this virus if you don’t sleep, Y/N.”

You a few tears leak out of the corners of your eyes as he pressed his lips to your forehead and turned away from the bed. “Poe.”

“Sweetheart?”

“It’s not...it’s not a virus.”

“Not a virus... we’ll if it’s not a virus...than what is it?”

Sitting up, you wrapped your arms around your waist, as if you were protecting the baby inside of you. “Poe...I’m pregnant.”

Poe was silent, his brown eyes wide. BB-8 blurted excitedly. A baby! Poe! A baby! Still, the commander couldn’t formulate words; which was a rare feat for him. 

You grew more nervous the longer he remained silent.  Blinking the tears out of your eyes, you stared at the wall just behind him because you didn’t want to look at him when you spoke next. “Doctor Kalonia says that if we don’t want to have this baby...since it is rather unexpected... that we have time.”

Finally finding his voice, Poe questioned, hoarsely,“What are you talking about?” 

“Raising a baby on a military base--if we don’t want too...we have options.”

“No.”

“No,” you repeated. “What do you mean by that?”

“It means... I want to keep the baby. Our baby, sweetheart.”

Tears streamed down your cheeks. Poe smiled at you and sat down on the edge of the bed. He reached for you, pulling you flush against him and you buried your nose against his shoulder. “You want to keep the baby?”

Poe pressed soft kisses all over your cheeks and hair. “Yes. Yes I want to keep the baby. So it’s not according to plan, but this baby is ours, and I want to raise that baby with you. I want us to be a family.”

You continued to cry, this time a mixture of happy and sad tears. “But what kind of life can we give our baby here and with the threat of the First Order growing... how safe is it really going to be?”

“Listen, I know it’s going to be difficult. I promise our baby will be safe.”

“How? How can you promise that?”

“Because...you and the baby are my life, sweetheart, and I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure you’re both safe from anyone that wants to harm you.”

“All I wanted when I was a little girl was a family to call my own--I want to give our baby that, Poe.”

His lips caressed yours. Poe wanted nothing more than to give you that family you’d been searching so long for--he wanted to make sure that you were never alone again, longing for someone to love you. “We will--we’ll give our baby a family that loves them more than anything in this galaxy.” 

You rested your forehead against his and closed your eyes, picturing Poe holding and singing to your baby--just loving the tiny little life that he had created with you--you had never wanted anything more than this child. 

[charmedtheselfproclaimedking]

Charmed Again: Season 2 (Charmed Fanfic)

Episode 1 - Back to Black: Part 1 (Premiere)

Warnings: I don’t own the rights to any of the characters from the hit TV show “Charmed” or the storylines related to the show those rights belong to original creator Constance M Burge.

15+ Moderate/Graphic Displays of Violence, Sexual Innuendos, Witchcraft and Potentially Triggering Scenes.

Pan sat on the couch within the attic in her family home looking through a family photo album that included pictures of Prue, Piper, Phoebe, Paige, Melinda, Wyatt and Chris as well as containing baby, child and teenage pictures of herself and Paul.

“Do you know the elders summon me more than you do these days?” Piper complained as she appeared as if from out of nowhere.

“I’m sorry grams things around here have got even more crazy than normal as I’m sure you’ve probably seen for yourself.” Pan replied as she stood up, placing the photo album down on the couch.

“Yeah I’ve seen which is why I decided it was time to properly check in,” Piper explained to her granddaughter. “How are you coping with it all?”

“I’m doing good yeah it’s most Drake that’s struggling with it all although he’s acting like it’s not affected him, I know it has. He doesn’t let people in easily and when he does, he winds up hurt that’s got to blow.” Pan admitted to her.

“The elders have always been real pains in the proverbial especially with their archaic ideology you should’ve seen the hissy fit they through when I married your grandfather but eventually they learned I wouldn’t back down and it was time for them to change their ways which I hope happens again in this case.” Piper reassured her.

“I’m not sure this time Grams I’ve not seen or heard much from Quinn since he got reassigned and I doubt Drake’s going to open himself up again just to be hurt.” Pan replied honestly.

“Drake’s a lot more resilient than you think and he’s full of surprises I mean just look at him you and Paul all under the same roof.” Piper disagreed with her granddaughter. “I never thought he would wind up moving in and he did.”

“Pan are you coming back to...” Lacey began to ask while walking into the attic before noticing Piper. “Oh, never mind.”

“Hello again Lacey I see being dead is a good look on you.” Piper said to her granddaughter’s girlfriend.

“Right back at you Mrs Halliwell.” Lacey replied to her.

“I’m so glad Aunt Paige bended the rules about white lighters and sped up Lacey’s process.” Pan admitted as she walked over to Lacey and kissed her. “I couldn’t imagine life without you.”

“Yes, well every now and then the elders and by which, I mean my sister Paige manages to get things right.” Piper told them both. “Where is my grandson and great grandson anyway?”

“Paul’s working late at the law firm and Drake’s always late coming in from Devilish Delights.” Pan explained to her grandmother.

“What the hell is Devilish Delights?” Piper wondered.

“A very nice and very colorful performance venue for exotic male dancers.” Pan reluctantly replied.

“Oh,” Lacy laughed. “She means a strip club.”

“I suppose continuing to give you more and more chances are proving worthwhile for me.” Cindy smirked while she and Drake stood in Cindy’s office fixing their tops, having clearly just had some fun with each other.

“Please I’m the closest thing you have to a friend around here unless your hiding them somewhere really good.” Drake laughed, teasing his boss.

“Friends are seriously overrated I mean what use has anyone really got out of friendship?” Cindy replied. “If I wanted friends, I’d have friends, but I don’t.”

“Don’t you consider me a friend?” Drake asked as he moved closer towards his boss.

“I don’t do emotional attachments of any kind and that’s the reason why this works.” Cindy admitted before leaning in to kiss him only to be frozen mid-air.

“Didn’t I ban you and Paul from ever coming here?” Drake asked as he turned around to see Pan and Piper stood at the now opened office door.

“Yeah this time I’m not doing the freezing or the invading.” Pan replied while pointing at her grandmother, making it clear Piper was to blame.

“Who even are you?” Drake asked Piper, clearly unamused.

“Hello, anyone home?” Paul shouted as he walked into the foyer only to see Lacey orb into the foyer, although Lacey didn’t quite execute the landing making her fall to the floor upon appearing into the room.

“Damn, Quinn always made it look so bloody easy, but orbing is really hard,” Lacey moaned as Paul helped her back on her feet. “If I don’t start acing this white lighter thing quickly, they may consider taking my wings off me.”

“Lacey you’re still relatively new to all of this you’re not supposed to be the best straight away give it time.” Paul suggested to her. “Where is everyone?”

“Your grandmother Piper Halliwell returned from the grave once again just in time for Drake’s birthday tomorrow.” Lacey told him.

“Drake’s birthday is on the 31st of October, I should know considering I was there the day he was born.” Paul replied to his white lighter.

“True but Halloween is a big no for him, so we just do his birthday the week before, so he doesn’t have to be associated with all hallows eve.” Lacey explained to her charge. “I swear I tried doing a fancy-dress themed birthday for his 21st and the guy almost killed me on the spot.”

“How can Drake not love Halloween the guy’s obsessed with horror movies and all things spooky to an alarming level which I guess is the demon in him, but Halloween should be his favorite time of year.” Paul wondered. “Not to mention as a Halliwell it’s the most important time of year for us.”

“Delilah was a huge fan of Halloween and she used to go all out every year she’d throw this big party for the entire street and her and Drake used to spend so much time decorating, designing costumes and coming up with ideas.” Lacey revealed to Drake’s biological father. “It was their thing and he’s refused to celebrate it since to be honest with you I think she made such a big deal about Halloween because it was her son’s birthday she loved him more than anything and he loved her so much.”

“That’s terrible here’s me believing Drake and I were growing closer and not only didn’t I know he loathed his own birthday but I didn’t even know the woman that raised my son the woman he called mum was named Delilah.” Paul admitted, hurt by the realization his white lighter knew his own son better than him.

“I wouldn’t blame yourself on that one Drake’s a hard one to open up on a good day never mind opening up about the worst day of his life.” Lacey said, trying to make Paul feel better about himself. “His father was called Stewart in case you were wondering about him too.”

“What was his father like?” Paul asked her.

“He was a regular dad type nothing to write home about really Drake was always closer to his mum but Stewart and him did have their wrestling addiction they bonded over every week they used to go to shows together and Drake would get so excited to spend time with him.” Lacey continued to reveal more about Drake’s adoptive family before beginning to laugh over a memory she quickly shared with Paul. “I remember Mr Black tried bonding with him with a father son camping trip which I of course invited myself too and Drake was just hopeless and it wound up being just me and Stewart doing some father and son’s friend bonding why trying to find Drake.”

“Where was Drake when you eventually found him?” Paul wondered with a smile on his face, happy to hear more about his son even if it wasn’t from Drake himself.

“In a nearby hotel he paid for after swiping his dad’s credit card which was pretty much expected from us both except for finding Jake in the room with him which Mr Black wasn’t so happy about.” Lacey laughed. “He would’ve been even more pissed if he realized that’s when his son lost his…never mind.”

“I think we should work on having Drake move his birthday back to the right date I mean his mum would want him to keep up the tradition she created for them both.” Paul suggested to Lacey.

“Trust me when I say that conversation won’t end well, I’ve tried it a few times myself and it only ever ends up in disaster Drake really doesn’t like talking about anything deep especially with new people, no offense.” Lacey warned her charge. “Quinn was lucky Drake let him in like he did which was clearly a big mistake. I liked Quinn too I can’t believe I was fooled into thinking he was a good guy.”

“Quinn’s not a bad guy in fact he’s one of the best guys I’ve ever met.” Paul defended his departed friend. “The elders made it clear he had to give us up as charges if he had a choice, he’d still be here trust me.”

“I understand this whole white lighter gig has a bunch of stupid rules which I have to memorize like no matter how idiotic, grumpy or down right rude my charges can get I’m not supposed to bite back which is a thing I’ve complained to Paige about in length.” Lacey complained. “My point is Quinn at the very least could’ve said goodbye to Drake elders be damned Drake deserved a goodbye.”

“Maybe saying goodbye was just to hard for him.” Paul replied.

“Not that it’s not lovely having people I know pop up where I work especially the dead kind but what are you actually doing here?” Drake asked Piper as Piper, Drake and Pan stood in the parking lot outside of Devilish Delights.

“I’m pretty sure mid-day hook ups with your boss isn’t in the job description for stripping although I’m not exactly an expert in that area.” Piper joked before going on to reveal. “I’m here to celebrate your first birthday living under the Halliwell Manor which I’ve been told you celebrate a year early.”

“I’m grateful you dug yourself out of your own grave just for my birthday but it’s not exactly a special one and I don’t intend to do anything special for it.” Drake replied to his great-grandmother.

“Yeah that’s not quite how it works when one of us return from up there no digging is actually involved.” Piper explained to him.

“I really think you should reconsider doing something special it means a lot to us to get to spend your first birthday with you.” Pan tried to persuade her nephew.

“I understand birthdays aren’t your thing but there a big deal to us and I want to use this occasion to get a proper chance to get to know you.” Piper admitted to Drake. “Please just let us do something if only to appease us.”

“Fine,” Drake reluctantly caved. “We can do brunch or lunch but that’s all.”

“You are going to be so pleasantly surprised by how amazing I am as a chef in fact I taught your father everything he knows although I must admit he never quite mastered it as well as me but he sure comes a very close second.” Piper boasted.

Paul and Pan found themselves sitting at the table in the dining room of their family home waiting for Drake to come downstairs as the table was filled with a luxurious display of food while Piper kept popping in and out from the kitchen with more plates of food she somehow managed to squeeze onto the table.

“I know Lacey advised me against it, but I really think we should convince Drake to celebrate his birthday on his actual birthday Halloween isn’t exactly a holiday that we as witches should be avoiding.” Paul suggested to his younger sister.

“I say we don’t rock the boat this year at least I mean you’ve just got him living under the same roof pushing him too soon might not end well.” Pan replied to her brother. “Besides this is about the parents who raised him that’s not exactly an easy topic to approach especially when you’re the father who gave him up.”

“I agree with you both, I agree with Paul in that as a Halliwell it would basically be sacrilege to ignore Halloween, but I also agree with Pan that Drake celebrating his birthday should be up to him.” Piper interjected while placing another plate on the table. “Halloween has a way of making Halliwell’s celebrate whether they like it or not.”

“Maybe I should just talk it out with him and get him to be more open with me?” Paul asked his sister and grandmother.

“Because that has worked so well in the past.” Pan replied with sarcasm.

“I’m sorry honey but Drake’s brick walls have brick walls behind them and who knows how many layers of cement.” Piper told her grandson as she walked over to him and placed her hand on his shoulder. “I mean even I’m handling with kitten gloves and I normally blow things up.”

“You’re both right I just hate the fact he’s still beating himself up about things that were in no way within his control and I hate he’s hurting and there’s nothing I can do to stop him from hurting.” Paul admitted.

“I know sweetie,” Piper replied as she hugged into her grandson.

Lacey orbed into the dining room once again missing the landing and this time falling mid air crashing into the table breaking the dining table and destroying Piper’s entire buffet of food at the same time much to Paul and Pan’s horror as they looked over at their clearly furious grandmother Piper.

“Oh god,” Pan said in shock. “My grandmother is totally going to explode my girlfriend.”

Having waited long enough for the birthday guest and leaving Pan, Paul and Lacey to clean up made by the rookie white lighter Piper decided it was time to chase Drake out of his bedroom only to find him putting on his jacket after knocking on his door and letting herself into his bedroom.

“Good you’re finally ready I did make a buffet but let’s just say Lacey’s orbing ruined the feast.” Piper said to her great grandson.

“Thanks, I can only imagine you went to a lot of work, but I have to go into work.” Drake replied to her.

“Isn’t the whole point of sleeping with your boss that you get benefits let’s say like time off on your birthday?” Piper joked.

“It’s that a subtle way of you saying you don’t approve of me stripping or that you don’t approve of me sleeping with my boss?” Drake asked his great grandmother.

“I married my white lighter which was considered a lot worse than dating your boss back then so I’m not going to judge you for who you sleep with or strip for I just want to spend some time with my first great grandchild on their first birthday with his family.” Piper admitted to him.

“No offense Piper but this isn’t my family in fact everyone at Devilish Delights has known me longer than the people in this house barring Lacey who is actually my family.” Drake replied. “I’m not trying to be mean or hurtful it’s just you’re not my family, this isn’t my birthday and even if it was, I don’t do birthdays.”

“We’re trying really hard here Drake sooner or later you’re going to have to meet us halfway.” Piper made herself clear.

“It’s been months since they took the charmed ones off me as charges when are you going to convince them to reinstate me as their white lighter?” Quinn asked Paige as the two of them stood within the clouds.

“I hoped for the process not to take this long but then Lacey wound up getting herself killed by a demon with her father’s face and Pan was left completely grief stricken so I had to change priorities and make sure I could rush the white lighter process for Pan and Lacey to be reunited.” Paige explained to the white lighter. “From the feedback I’m getting from the other elders it may take a while for them to come around to everything and even then, I’ll have a hard time convincing them the charmed ones need two white lighters. There is a way I could probably swing it with them to reinstate you now, but I don’t think you’d like it.”

“Paige I’ll do anything to get back to them.” Quinn pleaded with her.

“You’ll have to refuse all feelings you have for Drake and that you won’t act on any feelings for him and I could get them to reinstate you now but I’d rather you just wait until I get this demons and angels rule overturned.” Paige revealed to him.

“And how long will I have to wait for that rule to be changed?” Quinn asked the elder.

“I’m not sure how long it’s going to take or even if I will be successful, but I am extremely hopeful.” Paige reluctantly admitted while still trying to give Quinn some hope.

“I’ll make the promise to the elders and I’ll never act on my feelings for Drake.” Quinn decided. “I can’t be away from them any longer especially with the source and the triad still out there.”

Drake was stood within a local cemetery in San Francisco holding a red rose in his hand as he looked over at his adoptive parents Delilah and Stewart Black’s gravestone.

“I’ve been thinking about you a lot lately mum wondering what my life would’ve been like if you were still around wondering if you ever forgave me for what I did.” Drake cried as tears fell down his cheeks. “Wondering if you’d want me to embrace the Halliwell’s or run away as fast I can. I met my biological mother and I betrayed your memory by calling her mum you’re the only real mum I’ve ever had and I’m so sorry for never appreciating you enough when you were around. The truth is I’ve never recovered from losing you and now all these new people are in my life trying to push me to move on and I’m so beyond terrified of trying to live again.”

“Your mother could never blame you for an accident that happened when you were still a child, but something tells me you’re never going to believe it until you hear it from her.” Piper said as she appeared standing next to her great grandson before Drake was left stunned to see his mother Delilah appear in front of him in a series of white orbs instantly becoming corporeal.

“Mum.” Drake struggled to mumble as his voice broke before he ran over to hug his mother beginning to sob in her arms as Piper looked on with tears in her eyes “I’m so sorry.”

“Drake you have nothing to apologize for honey.” Delilah told her son as she broke off their hug and kept her hand on his face stroking his cheek lovingly. “The fire was an accident that you had no way of knowing would even happen I mean how could you, you didn’t even know you had powers back then.”

“I’ve missed you and dad so much mum.” Drake continued to cry.

“You had no reason to miss me or your father because we’ve never left you, we’ve always been there with every move you’ve made.” Delilah revealed to her son. “We were there when your heart broke over your first love Jake, we were even they when you were stripping at that club although your dad and I look away at the skin filled parts. We were there when you became a cop, when you found your birth father, your birth mother and when you became a charmed one.”

“Really?” Drake asked his mother as tears continued to fall down his cheeks.

“You have made us so much prouder than we could have ever imagined you would. You’re an amazing and loving boy who has done some truly incredible things and I know you will continue to do even more.” Delilah admitted to Drake. “It truly breaks my hear that you keep closing yourself off to everyone because of this stupid notion you have of not deserving to be loved. Life will never get better if you keep not living it Drake and you deserve to have the most wonderful life.”

“I don’t feel like I do.” Drake argued with tears still in his eyes.

“Yes, you do you deserve to be the happiest person and I refuse to allow you to think otherwise for any longer!” Delilah demanded.

“I’ve never learned how to be happy without you and dad.” Drake admitted to his mother.

“You never have to be because even when you don’t see us, we’re always there.” Delilah promised him. “We will continue to always be there but you have more than just us now you have your father and your aunt now too and I know there’s enough room in your heart to love us all so let Paul and Pan in because they really do love you and you deserved to be loved.”

“Can I help you?” Cindy asked Piper Halliwell as she the witch walked into Devilish Delights where Cindy was stood behind the bar counter waiting for her arrival.

“Yes, you can go ahead and tell me why my great grandson’s boss is a demon who seems to be taking a special interest in him?” Piper wondered as she walked over towards the demonic club owner.

“You do realize your great grandson is also part demon himself.” Cindy replied to her.

“I’ll be the one asking the questions here unless you would prefer me jumping straight to the exploding.” Piper snapped at her.

“If you must know I genuinely had no idea who he was until after he was hired and trust me when I say I wasn’t particularly thrilled to find out he was a charmed one considering my history with you lot.” Cindy admitted to Piper.

“You mean because your father was Barbas and your sister Barba attacked my grandchildren not so long ago.” Piper told her. “I know you’re not like them and are trying to seek some form of redemption but why do you need to do it around my great grandson?”

“I never wanted to be part of this world or the Underworld but since meeting Drake I’ve found myself tolerating somebody for the first time I even tolerate his detective friend Lacey and that annoying squirrel boy Quinn.” Cindy answered honestly. “Paul and Pan will take some work.”

“If you ever hurt any of them, I will kill you!” Piper warned her. “In fact, I’d kill you now if it wasn’t for the fact history has once again seemed to repeat itself.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” Cindy quizzed the Halliwell Matriarch.

“I think you already know.” Piper responded with a knowing look.

[sieben9]

“the miller’s daughter” impressions

First order of business: remember how to breathe.

Nope.

Nope again.

Nope, still not working

...OK, where did I put that defibrillator.

Thoughts under the cut.

So. Cora did not have a glass heart as a replacement. Missed opportunity, but who am I to judge.

...god, this episode killed me. Multiple times. There's just so much going on.

First, Cora's backstory.

Oh, look, it's Paige! Hey, Paige!

So that was her problem with Eva? Some spilled flour and a crown? ...OK, that latter one I can at least get behind, but still. I hate to say this after everything that happened, but Snow's comment about "do you think the person she was survived [ripping out her own heart]?"... well, I have to say, that person probably wasn't that great to begin with. Oh, she was ambitious, brilliant, and daring, but...

 "I want to make them bow. I want their kneecaps…to crack and freeze on the stones. I want their necks to break from bending."

...yeah, there may have been the odd character flaw or eight in there. Also, that was a fantastic delivery.

So, I recently re-read the original fairy tale of Rumpelstilzchen, and yes, I cackled with glee when I realised what was happening in the flashback. Also, is it ever explained where she got that dress? Because currently, I'm imagining her doing the "she's about my size"-thing with some unlucky lady who's now lying in the gardens in her underwear.

So. That's how Cora met Rumplestiltskin, then.

God, but these two were just so bad for one another, but mesmerising in their awfulness, too. Because as terrible as they were for each other, they were also quite clearly in love.  Or at least something close enough.

Also hot. I'm not going to pretend that I didn't notice

And I was right on the "catastrophic breakup" front. I mean, I had absolutely no idea how catastrophic, but still. I got that one. And you just know it's been haunting him for all these years. "Did you ever love me?" could very well have been the last thing he asked on his deathbed. Also, Rumple, I could have told you that one for free. ...then again, he's got well-documented problems in that area, so I probably shouldn't snark. Too much.

And then...

::long sigh:: Rumple, under the circumstances, I can't really blame you, but also what the fuck.

So. That answers my question about Snow, I guess. Gotta say. I wasn't expecting Cora to die quite this early in the season. I mean, I expected her to, and was not-all-that-quietly looking forward to it (because while I loved to hate her, there was definitely a good amount of "hate" in there), but.... well, there are still six episodes left, so why did this feel like the first half (or maybe third) of the season finale?

And poor Regina. No, she should never have trusted Cora. She should never have worked with her. She knew that nothing good would come of it, and she still did it, but at the same time... "You would have been enough" and her smile just before she collapsed! Just... gaaah. A depressing number of potentially good things in Regina's life only ever seem to come to  "could have been", "almost", and "maybe." It's a damn tragedy.

And that is the face of someone who just took a running jump off the redemption-wagon. ...can't really blame her, either

Congratulations, Snow, you did to Regina what Cora did to you. Feeling heroic, yet? To be fair, though, the narrative absolutely frames it as a terrible thing, and she knows it almost the second she gives Regina that heart. Seeing her that cold and calculating as she was in the vault, though...? Damn, she'd have made a terrifying villain, is all I'm going to say.

OK. The phone call. Dear god, that phone call.

aka "this is why I have to write this post from beyond the grave"

This just wasn’t fair. I forgot how to breathe. I mean, where do I even start? I mean, the text itself was... wow. Yeah. As Rumple said himself, he's full of love. And Belle very clearly knew that. She doesn't even know herself at the moment, but I don't think she has any doubts that this man loves her. More, he told her exactly who the woman he loves is, and through that, she knows herself at least a little (I'd even say "a lot") better. Just... give me a second, I'm having emotions again.

And then there's the contrast to the love story in the flashback. I know it's never stated outright, but to me it was clear that Cora and Rumple brought out the very worst in one another. They fed each other's darkness, and they both revelled in it. Compare that to "you make me want to go back to the best version of myself", and just... this adds so many shades and layers to their relationship and their love, it's amazing.

And then, of course, we had Neal's reaction.

I have this creeping suspicion that Neal might have honestly thought that his father was entirely incapable of love since taking on the curse. After all, he left him. Something his "real" father would never have done. Maybe he didn't believe it fully, but it's just the kind of thing you'd tell yourself to get over the pain of being abandoned like that. And now his father is dying, and he has to confront the fact that... well, he probably really does still love him. And his tiny little "I'm still angry" just pulled the whole scene together. Because of course he is! Of course he's still furious, he's allowed to be! Doesn't mean he loves his father any less, though.

::sigh:: Please, just let them be happy...

While we're on the family drama... all my love for this little moment all the way back at the beginning of the episode:

"You're hoping I'll bleed to death now, aren't you?"​ "You're Henry's grandfather"

Just... just that little exchange says so much about Emma as a person. No, she doesn't like him. No, she doesn't really trust him. But, if I may paraphrase Firefly for a moment "You're family. Why are we still talking about this?"

There's also a little philosophical aside I've been pondering while (or rather mostly after) watching the episode and that is how this whole conversation on "love is weakness" vs "love is strength" played out in the end. After all, we saw where Cora got the phrase, and then we saw her die by her daughter's hand (though not intent), because Regina loved her and wanted to be loved in return.

I think that when all is said and done, love was Cora's weakness -- because she made it into one. Her desperate attempts to rid herself of the emotion turned it into a blind spot. Compare that to Emma, who's always shown to be at her best when acting out of love for her family (and friends, when she didn't know what they were), and who's only ever been strengthened by that love. Hell, it's what let her do some pretty impressive magic this very episode -- it took two fully trained sorceresses to get through that first barrier, and Cora almost failed completely at the second one.

So... yeah, no neat little phrase to summarise all of that, but I thought this worth writing down.

[allronix]

Salty asks: 1-27.

Assuming this is the fandom of your namesake. 

1. OTP that I just don’t get. Probably Sam/Tron. Not to say some folks can’t REALLY fucking rock it (see the “We Are Pilots” verse), but it takes a lot of work. Their only meeting in canon was in a duel to the death with the Program being brainwashed and crazy, and Sam has very little if any reason to even like the guy, even in a post-Legacy setup. 

2, Fandom OTP I only BroTP:  Probably Tron/Ram. Ram had too much chemistry with Flynn, and Tron was single-minded enough about Yori to put his deity on hold. While I can very easily see group marriage as a normal part of Program society, it’s not something I can see in canonical circumstances. 

3. Unfollowed someone over a fandom opinion? Nope. But if they trash my faves, I hope they can back up their dislike with a very good argument. 

4.  A NoTP for my fandom. Not touching Sam/Alan with a 10-meter Rod Primitive. The age gap for one, the paternal role Alan took for two, the fact Lora is not dead in this timeline third, the fourth is the possibility of OT3: Shall We Dance making this ship even more brain-breaking.

5. Has fandom ruined a pairing for me? Not in this fandom, but I’ve avoided the hell out of some shows because I saw the fandom for them was such a big ball of crazy that I wanted to avoid it like kryptonite. 

6. Has fandom made me enjoy a pairing I previously hated? I’m not sure if it’s a good thing, and I’m not sure I’d call it “enjoy,” but there are some Clu/”Rinzler” fics that almost make the whole thing come out as something marginally less squicky and more interesting than “sadist and his sex slave.” 

7. Anything I used to like but dislike now? Y’know, I kinda used to dig Flynn/Alan slash. But after I realized I could make a drinking game out of them (take a shot if they mention Lora, chug the whole thing if they mention Jordan - stay sober the whole night), they lost a lot of appeal. I’ll make an exception for “Shall We Dance” scenarios. Heck, I love Shall We Dance because it’s a very different matter if Lora’s aware and on board with the whole thing. Heck, if someone upgrades it to an Ot4 of “Shall We Dance With Jordan,” then I owe them a six-pack of top-quality beer or cane-sugar soda and my enthusiastic gratitude. 

8. Anon hate? Yes. Received it. But over politics, not fandom. It’s to be expected. The Galaxy Rangers list used to have “don’t talk to Allronix about politics” as one of the bylaws. 

9. Most hated character? Probably Pavel. He’s such a transparent slimeball with little in the way of interesting motivation. Tesler? While he’s a nasty piece of work, there’s wiggle room to argue that he’s doing what he’s doing for the good of the system and doesn’t like doing what he does. Sark? Incredible ham and definitely one note, but David Warner plays the best creeps ever.  (He out-creeped Malcolm McDowell, that’s near-impossible) 

10. Most disliked arc. Probably the Isos. I’m still not sure what they were, or why they were special or what was so great about them, or how they would change everything, aside from the implication they were partly biological. Which is great and all, but the way it was handled has an “organics rule, synthethics drool” vibe that is pretty insulting when everything else in the franchise shows that the Programs are just as capable of love, hate, morality, humor, and free will as the humans who built them. 

11. Unpopular character I like that the fandom doesn’t? I just had to have the bad luck…or the good luck…to latch on very hard to the Tron 2.0 characters. Good luck in that it’s unexplored territory. Bad luck in that I seem to be the only one who writes Mercury, or Crown, or I-No. 

12. Unpopular arc I like the fandom doesn’t? 2.0 again. What got me about it is that the 1982 and Legacy films dealt with malevolent AI who were cruel of other AI and wanted to extend the cruelty. 2.0 inverted it; the uncorrupted Programs were, with very few exceptions, wanting to protect themselves and their home. The corrupted Programs were driven insane by a User who embraced the worst parts of the role. And then you had F-Con who planned to crank that up even more so that they could rule both worlds from the shadows. It really needed to be explored more, as it was a great start. 

13. Unpopular opinion about a character: Sam Flynn kinda spooks me. He has no reason to be merciful or benevolent to Programs. As far as he saw, his dad believed in them, and they stabbed his dad in the back, kept his dad away from him, tried to kill him, tried to kill Quorra, killed all of Quorra’s people, and eventually killed his dad right in front of him. And he’s taking over command of a software company with barely any time to process that trauma.  It’s probably not going to end well for the Programs unless something intervenes.

14. Unpopular opinion about the fandom: They have very little interest in reclaiming the female characters from the margins, and that’s quite frustrating. Quorra and Paige get some fics here and there, but even those petered out. Yes, this fandom is VERY heavily skewed male, but you’ve got Quorra, Paige, Mara, Gorn, Lux, Yori, Lora, Gem, etc. in Legacy canon, and some great potential with Mercury, Ma3a, and Eva Popoff if you import from 2.0. I was hoping to see at least SOMEONE write up a fanfic about Jordan. What kind of woman could handle a brilliant, cheerful, crazy ball of energy like 80′s!Flynn?  

15. Unpopular opinion about the canon: Legacy is very difficult for me to watch. Even though it totally brought the whole thing back from the dead, it’s just frustrating to watch. Not to say everyone didn’t bring their A-game to it, but it took everything that made the first film so much fun and destroyed it, ending up as a depressing waste where everyone loses, and Dillinger Jr is just waiting in the wings to cause even more trouble. 

16. If I could change anything about the canon, what to change? Tron 2.0 totally happened. It would not be hard to come up with a workaround for Ma3a that keeps Lora alive. There’s probably about three or four ways I could come up with other than the made of crack one I’ve got going in my fics. 

17. Instead of X happening, I’d go with Y: If you want something other than “instead of 2.0 being thrown out the airlock, it’s part of canon,” I would have loved to see Sam get rescued by Bartik’s crew (Bonus points if Yori’s running the damn thing) and then meet up with his dad and Quorra. That way, there could have been a little more complexity to the Grid situation and a way to avoid the whole “Programs are evil!” thing Legacy ended up with.

18. Does not shipping something ‘popular’ mean you’re in denial and/or biased? Shipping, IMO is shorthand for schools of character interpretation. Someone who ships Quorra/Sam is going to have a different take than someone who ships Quorra/Zues, or Quorra/Paige. They’re all looking at the same data, but the interpretation of the data is going to vary.   

19. One thing I dislike most about my fandom: It’s a back alley of the 80′s that its own company barely wants to admit they did. This makes canon and newcomers a little hard to come by.

20. Purest ship in the fandom. Tron/Yori was my first OTP. They’re still my OTP, because 82!Tron was such a sweet, earnest dork and Yori was such an adorable, sneaky badass. Post-Legacy? It’s going to be one heck of a climb no matter which guess you take about Yori’s fate (And seriously? Morgan got gypped), but having those two limp off into whatever digital sunset there is would be the closest we get to a happy ending that’s canon-compatible.

21. Crack ships? A crack ship for the sake of a crack ship is a “no thanks!” But there are ships that look like someone did them on a three-drink dare that actually manage to work. I’m thinking to KOTOR fandom where someone made a REALLY awesome case for Canderous/Bastila that should not have worked and totally did. 

22. Popular character I dislike: It’s not so much “dislike” as “I’m not sure what to make of them.” Really wanted some development on Sam. Quorra got Evolution and a nice episode of Uprising, but Sam…he’s still a bit of a blank to me. 

23. Unpopular character I adore:  I especially latched on hard to Jet Bradley after reading the Ghost in the Machine comic because he had clearly done a lot of thinking about what being a User means in that setting, and was bringing up points no one else bothered with. As such, he makes an excellent foil and walking deconstruction fleet while still being, ostensibly, one of the good guys. 

24. Would I recommend Tron to a friend? Only with a ton of disclaimers. This was made in the EARLY 80′s, by people who apparently had no fucking idea what they were doing, and Disney probably signed off on it while under the influence of something. But the combination ends up as something inexplicably brilliant and probably launched thousands of computer animation careers and hundreds more IT careers. 

25.   How would I end it? I’ve got fics in mind for it. I kitbash 2.0 and Legacy shamelessly. The ending I have in mind? Well, Alan and Lora end up giving up their lives in analog to rebuild the Rome Flynn started. Jet ends up dedicating his life to serving the Programs and goes a bit native. Mercury and Tron act as the primary “knights” of Alan and Lora. Sam and Quorra handle much of the rest in the analog world, slowly trying to open up the world and make it ready for the revelation of the digital one. And Yori runs a reformation of the Program religion so that they are prepared to accept the Users as fallible beings who are still powerful, but less “worship as deity” and more “we depend on one another - don’t screw it up.” 

26. Most shippable character? Probably Flynn. I can see him as a fellow who would (prior to the coup) enjoy himself and his opportunities to the fullest, including trying anything twice sexually. 

27. Least shippable character: Probably Esomond Baza. He’s a coward with so little self-esteem, self-respect, or a moral compass that he needs a few months of therapy before even thinking of a date. 

[guttersvillemayor]

Dasie Who?

[It was just another Tuesday night. At least that’s what I told myself. It made it easier on nights when I could feel my father’s presence. Knew that he’d have something to say about how I spent my nights. But then again he really couldn’t say anything. He died when I was 11. A robbery gone wrong. Which is funny in some weird, twisted way seeing as he’d been in actual war zones and lived to tell the tale, but the moment he was stuck stateside he was killed. 

We’d just moved to Seattle the year before. My father had been transferred to the Naval Station Bremerton and we lived at Fort Lawton with my mother. That was until he was killed. Then we moved from apartment to apartment with my then-baby brother Noah. And then my brother Jace. Plus twin sisters Sara and Anna. To say my mother went down a dark path is putting it lightly. I didn’t even realize until I was 14 that Noah wasn’t my father’s son like I thought. But apparently my father had known about my mother’s checkered past. 

I came to learn of it the hard way. How she spent the little money we got from my father’s pension on drugs and god knows what instead of on her children. I had never known why my parents weren’t married until I’d seen my mother in action. He was waiting to make sure she wasn’t just trying to trap him. That might make my father seem like a bad man, but you’d have to know my mother and how horrible she could be. I’m sure in some messed up sense she loves us. At least I’d like to think that for my siblings sake. But considering we hadn’t seen in her in over a year it was highly unlikely. 

When I turned 16, I petitioned for emancipation and begged to take care of my siblings. Thankfully an old military buddy of my father, Lieutenant Commander Austin McDaniels stepped in to help keep us together and became my siblings’ legal guardian until I could prove that I’d be responsible enough. It was a very rare case, but I was more than willing to play up the fact that my father was a vet and that my mother was clearly a trainwreck. My school records were decent and I had already gotten a job and had a car. By the time I was 18 I was the legal guardian, and McDaniels transferred to a new post when I turned 19. 

It was challenging at times. And I gave up my own dreams to take care of my family. But I wouldn’t change a second of it. Even the bad parts. Like the jobs I had to take to make end meets. When I was old enough, the remainder of my father’s pension was put into a savings account. It’s not much, but it’s good to have in case of emergency and I try to leave it alone for only real emergencies. It would be too easy to take out money for anything from rent to food if I didn’t have that thought in mind. And for a while when rent was hard to keep up with, I really had to stop myself from doing that. Instead I found myself working for Pierre. 

Pierre Scott was a friend of a friend and my boss. When I fell on hard times and needed money fast, an old friend from high school suggested I go work for him. The moment I walked into the Forbidden Desires Gentlemen’s Club I knew I was going down a path I most likely wouldn’t come back from. Any dreams that I had would have to be completely forsaken. Thankfully Pierre only needed escorts at the time. Arm candy to men with money who for whatever reasons needed to come across it this way. I learned really early it’s best not to ask questions. I cleaned up nice, was polite and well mannered. And that made me a very popular commodity. 

When I first started, I was nervous about exactly what was required of an escort. My heart was racing so hard up until Pierre assured me that no one was allowed to touch me without my permission. He made it clear anything I wanted to do was my prerogative and that he’d have my back if someone got handsy. That seemed weird but he valued running a respectable business. He saw it as something that could benefit both the girls and the men as long as there were rules and boundaries which were respected. I’d worked for him ever since. Most days it didn’t bother me, dressing up fancy for some man who just needed me to look pretty. Some of my regulars had actually become weird defacto friends in a sense. 

But like I said, on days when the memory of my father weighed on my mind it was a bit more of a challenge to get out of my head. I was currently in the back room of the club, the kids staying with our neighbors the Fredericks, getting ready for a night out. The gentleman was new and I hoped it’d be a simple evening with not much talking. Sometimes conversations, especially small talk, was hard for me. It was best to be seen and not heard. 

The pearl earrings that we were allowed to borrow from Pierre’s collection easily slipped into place and I knew I still had a few minutes to kill. Looking in the mirror only made me dread this night. And I didn’t like dreading a job that I usually enjoyed. So I set out for a quiet place to wait. My fancy dress swooshing with every step up the backstairs. Escort services were just one part of the Forbidden Desire’s offering. The other was very in house. Soft, slinky music filling the room as my hand pushed open the velvet door to the balcony. Not many people were up in the back area unless they just came for the view. Instead there was a decent crowd downstairs enjoying the company of the ladies that worked the floor. Dancing and entertaining them. 

Classy, not trashy as I once described it to a friend. I’d never worked it, but I would be lying if I said I’d never thought about it. There was a fascination more towards the dancing than anything else. When I was a little girl my father took me to the ballet. It was actually one of the few things we did on a regular basis that I remember and one of the last things we did together before he died. I remember being mesmerized by the dancers and wanted to be just like them. So I took ballet classes. Once he died it was harder to keep up with it, but I did as best I could. When I danced I felt connected to something I couldn’t describe. I felt connected to him and my childhood. My eyes were trained on the current dancer up on the stage. Regina. And she was good. Graceful and seductive and just mesmerizing like the ballerinas from my childhood. 

I was so entranced that I didn’t even notice Pierre walk up next to me. “You know, I remember Jake telling me that you used to dance in high school. Ballet in fact. Said you were pretty damn good and could have become better had you gone to an academy or something. What kept you?” My eyes flicker from Regina to meet his. I was pretty closed lip about my past. People knew what they needed to know and nothing more. Pierre probably knew the most out of anyone in the whole building but even that was limited. Over the years I’d learned to trust him. As much as I could trust any one. 

So in a rare moment of honesty, I mumbled softly as my eyes turned back to Regina.] It’s hard to pay for that kind of education when you’ve got four children who depend on you and barely any money. Being a dancer is a nice dream, but that’s all it is. [Pierre is quiet for a moment before humming softly. “Well with Paige quitting last week, I’ve got an open dancer spot. If you’re interested, you could split shifts between your escort work and dancing. I’d be more than willing to give you a bump in profit if…” He trails off and my eyes cut back to him. Eyebrow arched in curiosity. 

Pierre wasn’t a bad guy but this was sounding too much like a Pretty Woman scenario for my taste. Once he knows he’s got my attention he continues. “... if you spend that extra money towards dance school.” The incredulous look on my face is hard to disguise. Pierre must be drunk or something and I have no problem telling him so.] Hahaha, very funny. But what you're talking about is just ridiculous. Go back to your office, Pierre before someone else realizes you’re drunk and takes advantage of the situation. [I push off the rail I’d been leaning on and am ready to head back downstairs when his hand catches mine. Letting out a soft gasp, I can’t help but turn back to meet his gaze once more. 

There’s something about the look he’s giving me that has me worried. Not that he’d do something out of line, but that he might cross a line that would make being here uncomfortable and I actually really like working here. He seems to pick up on my distress and slowly lets go of my hand so that it drops by my side. His tone still firm. “I’m serious, Dasie. You make me a lot of money and I’d be a fool to give you an out. But you deserve more out of life and if I can help you find it some way, I want to. So come in early tomorrow and work with Regina a bit. See how you like dancing on the floor and if it’s something you like doing and interests you, the job is yours. Just promise me you’ll think about the other part. You’d make one stunning ballerina.” I swallow the lump that has formed in my throat and can’t bring myself to say anything. So I simply nod my head and back away towards the stairs. 

It was surely time for my appointment and I needed to distract myself from the bizarre turn this night has taken. There’s a separate entrance for the escort business. A more discreet one and even an area for limos and cars to stop by and pick us up. It almost looks like a hotel lobby and valet service. It’s quite the disguise and I can see the receptionist looking for me when I push through the double doors. Seems I was a tad behind, though one look at my client for the night and I knew he wouldn’t mind my tardiness. 

Effortlessly, I glide across the tile floor and slip my arm into his with a wide smile on my face.] Good evening, sorry for the delay. [“Oh it’s nothing, Sadie. I hope you like the ballet. We’re going to the Pacific Northwest Ballet’s performance of Sleeping Beauty and they have gala after that.” My lips pull back into a wide smile but it’s mostly for show. Because for as much as I love the ballet, and it’s been so long since I’ve had a chance to go, that is the last thing I want to do after how my night started. But tonight I wasn’t Dasie Wallace. I was Sadie and my date was taking me to see the ballet.] 

[flauntpage]

Tactical Guide to Namajunas Vs. Jedrzejczyk II: No Fluke Punch

Rose Namajunas might only hold the strawweight crown for a few months, she might lose it all this Saturday and return to the ranks of "the rest." The sum total of her legacy might be a blip on Joanna Jędrzejczyk’s record. But no one can claim she fluked her way there.

No, every excuse under the sun can be offered for Joanna Jędrzejczyk, but Namajunas had her sussed. She saw every counter before it left the long-time champion’s head and had the measure of every strike. Namajunas utterly bewitched the champ: this poster girl for accuracy and economy in the cage, reduced to swinging at shadows and recoiling from flinches. And when Namajunas decided it was time to go, Jędrzejczyk’s feet were stone. An anomalous result on paper, a reversal of the usual order, a subversion of expectations, but no damned fluke.

Yet the "lucky punch" is all just a part of the usual song and dance. That’s fighting. You get your earth shattering twist and the price you pay is the same stale platitudes for weeks afterwards. When any great champion falls there is always someone to pop up and insist to those present that shooting Jesse James will not make one into Jesse James. In this case most don’t expect it to. Rose Namajunas is erratic and inconsistent. She is not the ice cold, clockwork fighter that Jędrzejczyk was.

Nobody in the know expects Namajunas to match Jędrzejczyk’s exceptional title defense record with the number of horrible match ups out there for her—Claudia Gadelha, Karolina Kowalkiewicz, Jessica Andrade. Every single one of those face-first brawlers who were made for Jędrzejczyk to dance circles around seems a terrible fight for Namajunas. Maybe Rose never comes close to Joanna’s numbers and maybe she’s just a transitional champion enjoying her cup of coffee in the big time. None of that is going to matter on Saturday night though, because unless she has forgotten everything she knew, she still has enough ring smarts to flatten Jędrzejczyk again unless the ex-champ brings something new.

Hypothetical Gameplans

Everything about Rose Namajunas’s gameplan in the first fight was tailor made for Jędrzejczyk. We covered that extensively in How Rose Namajunas Killed the Queen. She stayed out of range of Jędrzejczyk's kicking game, and refused to press forward and feed that piston-like jab. She repeatedly feinted Jędrzejczyk out of position and numbed her wits to the real attacks that followed. Why change that which isn’t broken?

Fighting at distance mitigates Jędrzejczyk's combination work and that is how she strikes best. Jędrzejczyk’s jab is a counter punch, countering forward pressure, and if that forward pressure isn’t there Jędrzejczyk struggles to find the mark with her jab out in the open. And of course, cutting gorgeous angles and stepping out the side door only works with an aggressive opponent. If they aren’t providing the straight line aggression, side-stepping isn’t taking a tight angle from which to strike as they turn, it is just slowly floating around them at range.

The gameplan ain’t broke, but it can certainly still be built upon. Namajunas created and closed distance rapidly in the first bout, but had a tendency to hang about and admire her work once she got in. In fact, the one combination that Jędrzejczyk got off in the first fight came after Namajunas dragged her feet getting out of range. Of course, nothing came of it but if Jędrzejczyk has a smart team—and we have every reason to believe she does—they’ll have noticed that. Catch-and-pitch could work a treat for Jędrzejczyk in the rematch if Namajunas doesn’t start minding her Ps and Qs.

Catch-and-pitch is a style of counter fighting which works well for fighters who are conceding a speed advantage to the opponent in footwork. That is not to say that only slowpokes use it—after all, the shoulder roll is a style of catch-and-pitch counter fighting. But just as it says on the tin, catch-and-pitch is about physically receiving a blow—on the forearms, the elbows, the shoulders—and using that as the trigger to fire back with counters and counter combinations.

Jędrzejczyk has quicker hands, works better in combinations, and has a tighter left hook on the inside, but that doesn’t matter if her feet are too slow to control the range. Going into a shell and working exclusively on the counter could work a treat. Namajunas works exclusively in singles and doubles but hangs around much longer, making her a great mark for a counter left hook. The new champ also rarely targets the body, meaning that if Jędrzejczyk wanted to utilize a high elbows "crazy monkey" guard or even employ a cross guard, she could go all in on catching and countering Namajunas with sneaky headshots.

If Namajunas wanted to mitigate the threat of counter shots and counter combinations, she could work on getting out the side door after she steps in with her one or two punches. A style more suited to her might be to get her guard up after the blows, lower her level slightly, drop her head forward as if to place it on Jędrzejczyk’s sternum, and then shove Jędrzejczyk backwards. This is re-establishing range for the lazy man—rather than quickly change direction and move backwards or sideways, you simply make the opponent move. Don’t scoff though, as we discussed in Giorgio Petrosyan and the Counter to All Strikes, the finest defensive technician in kickboxing is constantly shoving his opponents off balance after his strikes.

Another point about Namajunas’s game in the first fight was that she didn’t do much kicking. Namajunas used to lash out with her legs constantly but suffered a rough loss to Carla Esparza and settled down. Namajunas’s feints repeatedly drew missed kicks out of Jędrzejczyk, it would be great to see her capitalize with high kicks as there are few repercussions to a blocked high kick when the opponent is so out of position. In addition, the stepping-off-line low-kick is a nice way to end punching combinations and re-establish range, solving the first problem we talked about. High and low kicks both also work exceptionally well off a shove out of mid-range.

For Jędrzejczyk, distance is disaster, and slow rounds, and lost rounds. Rose Namajunas is nothing like Gadelha, Kowalkiewicz, or Andrade. She has zero desire to drive a pace and she will take her time to dull Jędrzejczyk’s senses and draw her out. Jędrzejczyk’s first concern then is to get in without being made a fool by counters. The great defensive ring general must move forward and cut the cage. On the plus side if she is actually looking to do it, Namajunas’s habits play quite nicely into it. The champion tends to back up without breaking the line and isn’t shy about running from feints. A few feints and some good footwork should have Namajunas on the fence if Jędrzejczyk commits to making that happen.

By bringing the fight closer to the fence, Jędrzejczyk can force engagements and keep Namajunas in place for more than one strike. Furthermore with straight retreat removed, Jędrzejczyk can get to the body—the most important factor in this match up. At UFC 201, Karolina Kowalkiewicz was getting boxed up by Namajunas until falling into a clinch and hammering her body with knees, at which point the air instantly went out of Namajunas. It was one of the quickest changes in fighter temperament due to body shots you will see and it is a question that needs to be asked of Namajunas again.

Jędrzejczyk has been one of MMA’s greatest proponents of the right straight to the body, and her secret is to get her opponent near the fence first. Opponents begin to square up as their back foot brushes the cage, but while the head can still move freely, getting the body out of the way without retreat is a tough task. Investing in this early and going to it frequently through the five rounds would be a great idea. It also serves as a great level-changing entrance, allowing Jędrzejczyk to come up with the left hook and continue into combination work, or fall into a clinch which would probably be a better idea.

Clinch striking would be a great idea for Jędrzejczyk. She is great in the clinch defensively and, frankly, Namajunas's most famous moments from the clinch have come as other women have tried to head and arm throw her—the plague of women’s MMA—then given her back control.

Along the fence, Jędrzejczyk would do well to make like former women’s featherweight champion Germaine de Randamie—and that is likely the only time you will ever hear that—and post her head beneath Namajunas’s, throwing her hips back and having at her with knees to the midsection.

It would be good to see Jędrzejczyk eschew the jab, at least the one we know her for. Rather than looking to hit Namajunas with the jab, the jab could be flicked out in singles and doubles to make Namajunas move and facilitate that waltz towards the fence. If Jędrzejczyk wants to hit Namajunas in the head, why not do it with elbows during the pummelling in the clinch, or in combinations along the fence after digging to the body? Namajunas’s face just doesn’t hang around on the end of Jędrzejczyk’s jab in the same way that the thoroughly defensively flawed Gadelha and Andrade’s did.

Assuming Jędrzejczyk hasn’t spent her entire camp training fencing with the foil, her straight line movement is unlikely to be on a par with Namajunas’s. The champ's control of distance—both maintaining it and closing it—is the key to her winning this fight. If Jędrzejczyk can stifle that, then this is a fight in the clinch or in the pocket or even on the ground, and she is much better equipped to take Namajunas in those areas. Jędrzejczyk can create exchanges and clinches in two ways—catching Namajunas once she has stepped in, or corralling Namajunas towards the fence. If Jędrzejczyk cannot do that, it is difficult to see her winning this rematch.

Lovely distance work against Paige Vanzant.

Joanna Jędrzejczyk is a smart fighter. Her footwork as a defensive fighter has been marvellous and she has never looked to be fighting on instinct alone. In an ideal world she brings something new to this fight and gives Namajunas a new look to deal with.

If there is one thing the UFC strawweight division could do with it is a rivalry between two very different, exciting strikers at the top of the weight class. Whether this fight sets the table for a rubber match, or Rose Namajunas emphatically cements herself as the woman with Joanna Jędrzejczyk’s number, this might be the most intriguing fight in the history of the UFC’s women’s divisions.

Jack wrote the hit biography Notorious: The Life and Fights of Conor McGregor and podcasts at The Fight Primer.

Tactical Guide to Namajunas Vs. Jedrzejczyk II: No Fluke Punch published first on https://footballhighlightseurope.tumblr.com/

[flauntpage]

Tactical Guide to Namajunas Vs. Jedrzejczyk II: No Fluke Punch

Rose Namajunas might only hold the strawweight crown for a few months, she might lose it all this Saturday and return to the ranks of "the rest." The sum total of her legacy might be a blip on Joanna Jędrzejczyk’s record. But no one can claim she fluked her way there.

No, every excuse under the sun can be offered for Joanna Jędrzejczyk, but Namajunas had her sussed. She saw every counter before it left the long-time champion’s head and had the measure of every strike. Namajunas utterly bewitched the champ: this poster girl for accuracy and economy in the cage, reduced to swinging at shadows and recoiling from flinches. And when Namajunas decided it was time to go, Jędrzejczyk’s feet were stone. An anomalous result on paper, a reversal of the usual order, a subversion of expectations, but no damned fluke.

Yet the "lucky punch" is all just a part of the usual song and dance. That’s fighting. You get your earth shattering twist and the price you pay is the same stale platitudes for weeks afterwards. When any great champion falls there is always someone to pop up and insist to those present that shooting Jesse James will not make one into Jesse James. In this case most don’t expect it to. Rose Namajunas is erratic and inconsistent. She is not the ice cold, clockwork fighter that Jędrzejczyk was.

Nobody in the know expects Namajunas to match Jędrzejczyk’s exceptional title defense record with the number of horrible match ups out there for her—Claudia Gadelha, Karolina Kowalkiewicz, Jessica Andrade. Every single one of those face-first brawlers who were made for Jędrzejczyk to dance circles around seems a terrible fight for Namajunas. Maybe Rose never comes close to Joanna’s numbers and maybe she’s just a transitional champion enjoying her cup of coffee in the big time. None of that is going to matter on Saturday night though, because unless she has forgotten everything she knew, she still has enough ring smarts to flatten Jędrzejczyk again unless the ex-champ brings something new.

Hypothetical Gameplans

Everything about Rose Namajunas’s gameplan in the first fight was tailor made for Jędrzejczyk. We covered that extensively in How Rose Namajunas Killed the Queen. She stayed out of range of Jędrzejczyk's kicking game, and refused to press forward and feed that piston-like jab. She repeatedly feinted Jędrzejczyk out of position and numbed her wits to the real attacks that followed. Why change that which isn’t broken?

Fighting at distance mitigates Jędrzejczyk's combination work and that is how she strikes best. Jędrzejczyk’s jab is a counter punch, countering forward pressure, and if that forward pressure isn’t there Jędrzejczyk struggles to find the mark with her jab out in the open. And of course, cutting gorgeous angles and stepping out the side door only works with an aggressive opponent. If they aren’t providing the straight line aggression, side-stepping isn’t taking a tight angle from which to strike as they turn, it is just slowly floating around them at range.

The gameplan ain’t broke, but it can certainly still be built upon. Namajunas created and closed distance rapidly in the first bout, but had a tendency to hang about and admire her work once she got in. In fact, the one combination that Jędrzejczyk got off in the first fight came after Namajunas dragged her feet getting out of range. Of course, nothing came of it but if Jędrzejczyk has a smart team—and we have every reason to believe she does—they’ll have noticed that. Catch-and-pitch could work a treat for Jędrzejczyk in the rematch if Namajunas doesn’t start minding her Ps and Qs.

Catch-and-pitch is a style of counter fighting which works well for fighters who are conceding a speed advantage to the opponent in footwork. That is not to say that only slowpokes use it—after all, the shoulder roll is a style of catch-and-pitch counter fighting. But just as it says on the tin, catch-and-pitch is about physically receiving a blow—on the forearms, the elbows, the shoulders—and using that as the trigger to fire back with counters and counter combinations.

Jędrzejczyk has quicker hands, works better in combinations, and has a tighter left hook on the inside, but that doesn’t matter if her feet are too slow to control the range. Going into a shell and working exclusively on the counter could work a treat. Namajunas works exclusively in singles and doubles but hangs around much longer, making her a great mark for a counter left hook. The new champ also rarely targets the body, meaning that if Jędrzejczyk wanted to utilize a high elbows "crazy monkey" guard or even employ a cross guard, she could go all in on catching and countering Namajunas with sneaky headshots.

If Namajunas wanted to mitigate the threat of counter shots and counter combinations, she could work on getting out the side door after she steps in with her one or two punches. A style more suited to her might be to get her guard up after the blows, lower her level slightly, drop her head forward as if to place it on Jędrzejczyk’s sternum, and then shove Jędrzejczyk backwards. This is re-establishing range for the lazy man—rather than quickly change direction and move backwards or sideways, you simply make the opponent move. Don’t scoff though, as we discussed in Giorgio Petrosyan and the Counter to All Strikes, the finest defensive technician in kickboxing is constantly shoving his opponents off balance after his strikes.

Another point about Namajunas’s game in the first fight was that she didn’t do much kicking. Namajunas used to lash out with her legs constantly but suffered a rough loss to Carla Esparza and settled down. Namajunas’s feints repeatedly drew missed kicks out of Jędrzejczyk, it would be great to see her capitalize with high kicks as there are few repercussions to a blocked high kick when the opponent is so out of position. In addition, the stepping-off-line low-kick is a nice way to end punching combinations and re-establish range, solving the first problem we talked about. High and low kicks both also work exceptionally well off a shove out of mid-range.

For Jędrzejczyk, distance is disaster, and slow rounds, and lost rounds. Rose Namajunas is nothing like Gadelha, Kowalkiewicz, or Andrade. She has zero desire to drive a pace and she will take her time to dull Jędrzejczyk’s senses and draw her out. Jędrzejczyk’s first concern then is to get in without being made a fool by counters. The great defensive ring general must move forward and cut the cage. On the plus side if she is actually looking to do it, Namajunas’s habits play quite nicely into it. The champion tends to back up without breaking the line and isn’t shy about running from feints. A few feints and some good footwork should have Namajunas on the fence if Jędrzejczyk commits to making that happen.

By bringing the fight closer to the fence, Jędrzejczyk can force engagements and keep Namajunas in place for more than one strike. Furthermore with straight retreat removed, Jędrzejczyk can get to the body—the most important factor in this match up. At UFC 201, Karolina Kowalkiewicz was getting boxed up by Namajunas until falling into a clinch and hammering her body with knees, at which point the air instantly went out of Namajunas. It was one of the quickest changes in fighter temperament due to body shots you will see and it is a question that needs to be asked of Namajunas again.

Jędrzejczyk has been one of MMA’s greatest proponents of the right straight to the body, and her secret is to get her opponent near the fence first. Opponents begin to square up as their back foot brushes the cage, but while the head can still move freely, getting the body out of the way without retreat is a tough task. Investing in this early and going to it frequently through the five rounds would be a great idea. It also serves as a great level-changing entrance, allowing Jędrzejczyk to come up with the left hook and continue into combination work, or fall into a clinch which would probably be a better idea.

Clinch striking would be a great idea for Jędrzejczyk. She is great in the clinch defensively and, frankly, Namajunas's most famous moments from the clinch have come as other women have tried to head and arm throw her—the plague of women’s MMA—then given her back control.

Along the fence, Jędrzejczyk would do well to make like former women’s featherweight champion Germaine de Randamie—and that is likely the only time you will ever hear that—and post her head beneath Namajunas’s, throwing her hips back and having at her with knees to the midsection.

It would be good to see Jędrzejczyk eschew the jab, at least the one we know her for. Rather than looking to hit Namajunas with the jab, the jab could be flicked out in singles and doubles to make Namajunas move and facilitate that waltz towards the fence. If Jędrzejczyk wants to hit Namajunas in the head, why not do it with elbows during the pummelling in the clinch, or in combinations along the fence after digging to the body? Namajunas’s face just doesn’t hang around on the end of Jędrzejczyk’s jab in the same way that the thoroughly defensively flawed Gadelha and Andrade’s did.

Assuming Jędrzejczyk hasn’t spent her entire camp training fencing with the foil, her straight line movement is unlikely to be on a par with Namajunas’s. The champ's control of distance—both maintaining it and closing it—is the key to her winning this fight. If Jędrzejczyk can stifle that, then this is a fight in the clinch or in the pocket or even on the ground, and she is much better equipped to take Namajunas in those areas. Jędrzejczyk can create exchanges and clinches in two ways—catching Namajunas once she has stepped in, or corralling Namajunas towards the fence. If Jędrzejczyk cannot do that, it is difficult to see her winning this rematch.

Lovely distance work against Paige Vanzant.

Joanna Jędrzejczyk is a smart fighter. Her footwork as a defensive fighter has been marvellous and she has never looked to be fighting on instinct alone. In an ideal world she brings something new to this fight and gives Namajunas a new look to deal with.

If there is one thing the UFC strawweight division could do with it is a rivalry between two very different, exciting strikers at the top of the weight class. Whether this fight sets the table for a rubber match, or Rose Namajunas emphatically cements herself as the woman with Joanna Jędrzejczyk’s number, this might be the most intriguing fight in the history of the UFC’s women’s divisions.

Jack wrote the hit biography Notorious: The Life and Fights of Conor McGregor and podcasts at The Fight Primer.

Tactical Guide to Namajunas Vs. Jedrzejczyk II: No Fluke Punch published first on https://footballhighlightseurope.tumblr.com/