#personally i was hoping for more from Gil's first fight

[anime-scarves]

Strange/Fake ep0 was sooooo good. I can't wait for the rest of the show to come out. I think it's next year, but man I've been excited for this one since I read the first volume.

[spacedace]

Still thinking about the Social Worker Jazz concept that @gilbirda posted about and it's slowly turning into a full Anger Management fic send help

-

Jason at length - much longer than it really should have taken really - set the resume down.

The new Social Worker’s resume. Because she was there, in his office, trying to convince him to hire her as a member of his criminal organization.

Crime Alley’s new social worker. A bright eyed Midwestern transplant from some tiny speck of a place that only qualified as a city because there was nothing bigger in a hundred miles in any direction to claim otherwise. The new social worker who had a Psy D. and three masters degrees and who had graduated Valedictorian. The one that had high paying private gigs lined up all over the country with the offering companies fighting over her.

The one who had, apparently, decided to take a shit job in Gotham’s shoddy social services department instead. The one that got kicked to Crime Alley - which was its own division despite technically being a small neighborhood in the grand scheme of things - within her first month. Supposedly for the sole purpose of scaring her off or getting her killed for all the questions she was asking and secret dealings she was sticking her nose into.

That social worker.

“I’m gonna need you to run this by me again.” Jason said, never so grateful for the voice modulator in his helmet as he was in that moment. It stripped out the bewilderment that had bled through into his words and made him sound stoic instead.

“I’d like to work for you.” The social worker - one Dr. Jasmine Nightingale - repeated primly. Back straight, clothes neat - if skewing more on the librarian side of professional - expression confident and hopeful. Completely and utterly oblivious of how fucking insane she sounded. “I was told that you’re the person in charge of Crime Alley.”

He resisted the urge to scrub at his face. It’d just look weird with his helmet on and not do anything to actually settle him in that moment anyway. “I understood that part.”

“Look, Doc,” She earned a doctorate and she was crazy enough to waltz into the office of one of Gotham’s most powerful Crime Lords, he’d be respectful about using her proper title at least, even if he suspected she was ten pounds of crazy in a five pound bag. “You’re going to have to tell me why. I was under the impression the only reason you ended up dumped on our end of the city ws because you wouldn’t play ball. But now you want to sign up for my crew?”

Nightingale frowned a little at that.

“Is that what people are saying?”

“What else are they gonna say?” Jason answered, leaning back in his seat, “Head of the department only dumps Crime Alley on folks he don’t like. And everyone knows he doesn’t like anyone that can’t or won’t play his game by his rules.”

“Alright, well. I’ll give you that.” Nightingale conceded, “Payne doesn’t like me. The feeling’s mutual. But for the record,” She added giving him a wry smile, as if sharing wry smiles with Red Hood was just something people did, “I asked to be assigned to the Park Row and Bowery neighborhoods.”

“You wanted to work here.”

“Yes.”

“Bullshit.”

Nightingale laughed. It was a bright sound. Not especially clear or pretty, but warm and welcoming in a way that carefully calculated giggles or overdone guffaws couldn’t be. Something with real and honest amusement in it, that encouraged those nearby to laugh along. Not the kind of involuntary, nervous chuckling people tended to slip into when they thought they had pissed someone that scared them off.

She just wasn’t intimidated by him at all, was she?

Behind his helmet, Jason found himself smiling. Just a bit.

“I’m serious.” She assured, blue-green eyes meeting the dark stare of his helmet without a moment of hesitation. He watched as she brushed a lock of her bright red hair behind her ear and out of the way. She’d woven it all into a practical, neat braid but a few sly pieces had snuck out to bounce around her. Gilding her quiet professionalism with a playful charm that worked well with her academia but make it cottagecore kindergarten teacher aesthetic.

“I’ll admit, Gotham wasn’t part of my plan when I first graduated. Time and choices take you funny places sometimes.” She plucked an invisible bit of lint off her soft blue cardigan, not nervous but absent as her gaze went distant for a moment. Thinking back on the events that had led her to his fine city. In a blink, those sharp eyes were back to focusing entirely on him. “But Gotham is where I am now, and I want to help.”

She looked at him, a serious, determined expression settling easily on her face. “The city as a whole has so much chaos and crime breaking out all the time.” No censure or horror in her voice, just a neutral fact to be observed. “But where the rest of the city has millions of dollars poured into it by various foundations or charities run by the Waynes, Park Row is largely ignored.”

Jason watched as steeliness sharpened her gaze, the blue-green shifting from the shine of a bird’s wing to the warning hue of something poisonous and deadly. “No one deserves that. No one.” Her chin tilted up, proud but not imperious. “So yes, I want to work here. There are people in Park Row and the Bowery who need help and I refuse to let any of them feel like they are going to be ignored.”

Jason considered her.

Really looked at her. Pealing back his initial off handed impression of her as some clueless transplant in over her head with no idea of what she was doing or what she was poking her nose into to find the real woman beneath. Her confident poise, her clear unshakable belief, her unflinching willingness to look danger in the eye and not blink. The tense curve of her frown, the lines of pain at the corners of her eyes, the simmering anger beneath it all. There was an edge to her, too. Something sharp and dangerously well hidden by the cardigan and folksy charm of her accent.

It was personal for the woman before him, Jason realized. Maybe not Crime Alley specifically, but something about the whole situation. The treatment the neighborhood and its residents received from the city at large, from those even beyond it.

Crime Alley wasn’t a place that received much in the way of charitable thought. The average joe with their house in Somerset and job at some corporate shithole hating every second of their life but thinking at least I don’t live in Crime Alley. Those asshole hoity-toites in city hall throwing money around equally between shit that’d get them re-elected and their off-shore slush funds in the Caymens doing their damn level best to pretend the black mark on the other end of the city just didn’t exist. Bruce, flooding the entire city with charitable programs and carefully constructed infrastructures shying away from the manifested grief and trauma that was the place he watched his parents get murdered.

For the most part no one from outside of the Alley gave a shit about the Alley other than as a place to avoid at all costs. And most of the time those natives that manages to claw their way out into better and brighter lives didn’t ever turn to glance back. Orpheus could have learned a thing or to from an ex-Alley Kid who managed to eek out a steady 9-to-5 and move to Burnley.

And something about that seemed to piss Dr. Jasmine Nightingale Psy. D right the fuck off.

He could see why Bill said he liked her enough to let her in.

“Alright.” He said, tilting his head, watching the woman seated across from him carefully, “Still doesn’t explain what you’re doing here. Why you’re trying to get on my payroll.”

“I’m not trying to get on your payroll.” She said, some of the glinting edge softening, but the steel remaining. Strong and unyielding. “I’m trying to get into your community outreach program.”

Jason thanked god and all the saints once again for the gift of his helmet. That baby had saved his ass more times than he could count both by keeping his head in one piece and keeping his stupefied expressions wrapped up and hidden from view. Dr. Nightingale was one hell of a woman to make him have to rely on that fact twice in one conversation.

“Wasn’t aware that was something I had.”

Nightingale, not fortunate enough to have a full face covering helmet of her own, had nothing to hide her stupefied expression behind. Jason had a feeling she might have removed it to make sure he saw even if she did though. She looked like she had caught him eating glue like it was a cheese stick.

“Yes you do.” She said, sounding deeply confused but unshakable confident in what she was saying. “I’ve seen it. The soup kitchens, the shelters, the collection boxes for donating old clothes, the after school day care.” Nightingale ticked off on her fingers, “I’ve lived here for less than two weeks and I’ve lost count of all the things I’ve seen setup to help people struggling in the area that I’ve been very reliably informed you and your organization are behind.”

Oh.

Those.

“Those aren’t part of some community outreach program.” He said, “We are simply locals offering services for our neighbors.”

He watched as her caught-him-eating-glue expression shifted into one that said she’d stumbled upon him licking electrical sockets for a mid-day pick-me-up instead. He had to give it to her, the woman was not afraid to let one of the most dangerous men in the city know she thought he was a fucking idiot.

“Let me see if I understand this right.” She said, and he appreciated that there wasn’t any kind of condescension in her voice, even though she very clearly thought he’d been dropped on his head as a baby. Possibly from the top of a three story building. “You have a large group of people working together to plan, organize and execute multiple services in your area - your community, if you will - that provide aid and support to those that otherwise would not receive it. Reaching out with your available time and resources to offer these services, that you provide. For free.”

Alright, Jason got it. He had stumbled ass backwards into creating a community outreach program. But he wasn’t just going to let her think she won this one. He was Red Hood, he had a reputation to uphold here.

“What makes you think any of that is free?” He tilted his head at just the right angle, the one that cast shadows across the planes of his helmet and made him look hell-touched and terrifying. “Just because we don’t charge money, doesn’t mean there isn’t a price to pay.”

Dr. Nightingale, dressed like a damn kindergarten teacher, laughed at him.

[youlikefanficdontyousquidward]

All the Kings horses

Summary: When your injured in Eregion Gil-Galad has to confess his feelings.

There may be a smutty sequel to this in time but for now enjoy another shorter fic.

This morning you were reveling in the beauty of Lindon, admiring the golden leaves drifting through the gentle breeze and singing songs of hope and love with your kin. Now you sat on horse back, clad in your silver armor and preparing to march to Eregion.

You rode just behind your dear friend Elrond with the High King beside him. As the current captain of the King's guard had been sent with most of Lindon's forces to march into Mordor it fell to the few left to take up his mantle. The responsibility weighed heavy on your mind. Sure you weren't the only one who would be ensuring his safety but to you it was a personal matter.

You'd met the young High King when you were a simple foot soldier. You had fought under his banner against the forces of Morgoth. There you saw him on the battle field, his broad form clashing against the enemy. His spear glinting in the light as he spun it with a grace that left you speechless. He was every bit the King you'd imagined and when his firm grasp clasped your hand to help you rise, you swore you'd fight for him until the end.

It had been an age since then and you were sure he had not remembered one soldier from such a battle. Still he had always treated you with respect despite your low rank. Asking your opinion on trivial matters, or sharing with you a book or two to enjoy in your free time.

When the horses stopped to rest, you dismounted and took your post. You were unsure why you'd been ordered to stand guard inside the King's tent. The honor rightfully should have gone to higher ranked guard but you were not about to question your temporary captain. Not when the power had gone right to her head and not when it let you gaze at your King.

Elrond entered and you bowed your head to him with a smirk but there was no levity to be found. His face was serious as he placed a hand on your shoulder. He passed on to speak to your King and you were left feeling more apprehensive about the battle to come.

It was a bad omen indeed and when the fighting began you stayed back with King GIl-Galad and a few of the guards. As Elrond had explained they need only fend off the orcs until dawn. By then Prince Durin would've brought his army from Khazad-dum for much needed reinforcements. Too many had already fallen and you felt your hands itch for your sword.

"Enough!" Your King growled. "I will not stand by as my people are slaughtered."

There was no argument, none of the guards dared disobey and from the firm nods of your kin you knew it was settled. You rode in formation, the bow man taking out threats as you made your way into the fray.

From horse back you struck down at closing in orcs, keeping yourself between them and your King. As your group neared the cleared river bed the bow man was struck. You'd barely known him, just another face you passed in your duties but you'd done so for 200 years. Now that face struck the wet ground with a snap you could hear over the cries of battle. There was a shout and the elleth flanking the King went flying off her horse as it fell. You rode on, catching a glimpse of her fighting against a gathering group of orcs.

You stayed by King Gil-Galad through the night, fighting by his side as the field grew quieter. You met Elrond on the field, loosing a throwing knife to strike an assailant coming up behind him. You lost your 2nd and 3rd in close combat, to the eye and toe of orcs.

You lost the last when it became lodged in the skull of an orc that almost clipped the King's armor. You'd had it in hand and leapt onto the beast, knocking it down and stabbing up through the mouth. You heaved in deep breathes, the prolonged fight starting to wear on you and rose from off the corpse.

Gil-Galad stood, haloed by the first light of dawn. His hair loose and glowing stands dancing in the breeze. Morning had come and a horse stood on the hill. Vorohil had returned and worse for wear. Despite the arrows he managed to ride to you, collapsing into Elrond but he brought no comfort. The dwarves were not coming.

Still your King called you to ranks and the battle continued. Each sword slash felt like you were trying to stop the flow of a great river. No matter how many fell the fight never stopped. You were pushed back past the wall into Eregion, baring witness to the city in ruins. You could not abandon hope now however, with each moment you fought on those within the city were granted time to escape.

Pain erupted from your leg, an arrow piercing into the flesh of your thigh. You screamed before blocking the orc approaching, crashing your head past the joint blades and crushing their nose with your helm. It fell loose and clattered against the stone path, rolling to stop by the feet of an approaching horde.

You stepped back, meeting your King against you. In a moment of silent connection you knew he was seeing much the same thing. You'd lost sight of Elrond some streets back and hoped that somehow he'd appear now. Slaying his way to rescue his King.

You fought on but in the narrow passage you lost your sword. You heard Gil-Galad call your name but you couldn't see him in the mass of orc's beating down on you.

Your mind seemed to swim in to the depths, going dark and blank for many minutes at a time before you surfaced for a moment. In blinks it seemed you went from face down on the carved stone of the street to your arms painfully gripped as your limp body dragged after you. Flashes of carnage, orc, elf, blood, viscera, all blurring into a collage of suffering. In the dark of your mind you smelt burning but couldn't draw the strength to open your eyes. The warm sensation trickling from your hairline, down your face was a likely culprit.

"Lord Sauron said we don't need these ones..." A nasally voice spoke near by.

Your hair was pulled painfully, jolting your head back and for a moment you could see again. Gil-Galad, your King and the only elf to ever take such root in your heart, strained against his captors. Something cold touched your throat but in the haze you were back in Lindon, receiving your armor for the first time since the war. Elrond was there too, shouting, congratulations maybe? Everything was perfect and tranquil. The leaves fell gently on the wind and you shut your eyes.

When they opened again all you knew was pain. So loud it thrummed in your head that all else seemed drowned out by it. You groaned against it, shifting to try assess cause. A large hand landed on your shoulder and you flinched.

"Apologies." A strained voice spoke withdrawing. "Just take a moment."

Your hand came up to your face, rubbing against the brightness of the light ahead. It came away with russet flakes sticking to your fingers.

"And perhaps we don't reopen our head wounds while we're at it." Gil-Galad's voice came crisper now.

"Wher..." You began, jolting suddenly and reaching for your missing sword.

Gil-Galads hands took your own, encompassing them with ease and radiating in you such calm that you forgot your pounding heart.

"Safe, my dearest friend." He smiled, brighter than the sun and no less warm.

Your heart stuttered in your chest at his words. You'd think it was some trick of your injured head but his hands were still holding your own and his face a serene mask. His eyes left your own for a moment, focusing on your lap as his thumb brushed gently over your bruised knuckles.

"I thought I may have lost you. That years of deluding myself that it was for our best interest that I say nothing, would have robbed me of this chance." Gil-Galad murmured.

He didn't sound himself and you began to worry. You shifted your hands in his to clasp them. You gave a reassuring squeeze and kept focused on his softening features. His brow lifted and those dark eyes met your own again.

"Please, If this isn't what you wish say the word and you will never hear another syllable about it." Gil-Galad promised but you kept your lips sealed.

"I have loved you too long from afar. I wish for you to be by my side from now until the end of all things. I wish to hear you sing and laugh and tell those awful jokes that you tell when you think I'm not listening. I want all of you and all I have to give is me and my burdens." Gil-Galad professed.

You had no words, no eloquent speech of your own just a hand taken and laid on his shoulder and lips pressed to his own. Gil-Galad responded in kind, his hand coming to cup your cheek as he deepened the kiss.

"They are no burdens." You manage between kisses. "Not when shared with you."

This seems to spur him on, nipping at your lower lip and moving his hand up into your hair. You hiss suddenly, pulling back as the reminder of your pain pulses to life again.

"Sorry my love." Gil-Galad apologises with a chaste kiss to your temple. "There will be time when you're healed."

You pout at this, earning a hearty laugh and another soft kiss against your lips. You supposed you'd waited this long for him, what was another day.

[neyafromfrance95]

i loved galadriel's arc in s2, but not as much as in s1 and there are many different ways in which it could have been better.

i loved that she was shown to struggle with the denial of her taboo feelings for halbrand and with reconciling them with her hatred of sauron, now motivated even more to personally slay him. i loved how she was annoyed for not being in the leadership position instead of elrond, showcasing her ambition for power, leadership and personal persecution of sauron. i loved the battle, how she was the one to start fighting and did not stop fighting even tho sauron almost begged her to.

i agree with everyone that the dialogue was weak. however, i don't think it's really about the dialogue. i never believed galadriel would give in to evil!sauron (her willpower, pride and fear wouldn't allow it), but the temptation for power and the recognition of connection are there, so i wanted to see this crisis and angst displayed more intensely. i can forgive it, as it can be explained by galadriel setting her mind and spirit on blocking her personal emotions off and switching to the kill mode. but only if we see that personal, intimate struggle moving forward.

if she really overcame her interpersonal conflict with sauron and the darkness... it would simply be so out of character and inconsistent, that the only explanation would be that sauron really stole her soul and replaced her with a watered down galadriel who would give a lesser headache to elrond and gil-galad, lol.

first of all, there was no temptation in that battle, really. sauron didn't propose to her for the second time, he was set on breaking her down till she gave in to him (again, nenya=galadriel). yeah, he told her that the door was still open but he sought submission from her this time around (s1 finale was darkly romantic, s2 finale was darkly romantic too but even more so darkly erotic, if u know what i mean).

it doesn't make sense for galadriel to be devoted to and obsessed with slaying sauron for centuries only to get over it after battling him only once. it doesn't make sense for her interpersonal conflict to be resolved after the interaction where she emotionally closed herself off after the whole season of displaying the scandalous levels of mental illness and loser behavior over that man, lol.

i think what the majority of haladriels are discontent with, is this impersonal attitude galadriel had throughout the battle (save for a very impactful and significant reaction she had to halbrand, and other microexpressions). and i agree, i want her to scream at sauron for killing her brother, for betraying her, for deceiving her ("it was just an illusion" counts tho), not about the free peoples of the middle-earth.

but here is the thing. the reason why i feel uneasy about galadriel's attitude here, it that i'm anxious about the possibility that they won't get to come face to face in the future to have this sort personal of clash (fingers crossed 🤞 that the mind-palace is re-introduced in s3). but i do believe that it makes sense for galadriel to be closed off as a defense mechanism when she first saw sauron. he was changed, so she felt detached from this new form she wasn't adjusted to. it would make sense for her to "explode" emotionally only as the culmination of a slow realization that halbrand *is* sauron.

and as for the darkness, it would feel weird for her to be "healed" from her own darkness by the two men who kept lowkey "slutshaming" her.

now, there is a hope that they are going to *subvert* the viewer expectations and she is going to experience the effects of finally having touched the darkness, learning how to find the light even though there is the darkness in her. that would make for a far more interesting character journey than her not having to make decisions and mistakes bc she is an one-dimensional good girl.

as for the things i would have loved to have seen in s2:

galadriel being alienated and bullied as a child and only having finrod who understood her was hinted at in the beginning, but it would have been great if we had some more flashbacks expanding on this in s2. it would help the audiences to really sympathize with galadriel's obsession with revenge more.

and it would have been so cool to see the flashbacks into her quests and crusades, her knight adventures, how she actually started to *enjoy* fighting and power while the darkness crept into her heart, to the point it became part of her, to the point sauron became an intrinsic part of her identity. after all, she was so obsessed with the idea of slaying him that she turned her back on heaven, her home and risked literally everything for him.

and i mostly talk about galadriel/haladriel in this blog, but i have to say, im disappointed with the overall treatment of the female characters in this season. my third favorite character after gal/sau is miriel and i feel like she was sidelined in numenor plotline too. going into the sea was epic and showcased how worthy and dignified she is, and i absolutely adore her chivalric romance with elendil, but it still felt like they could have done much more with her, or at least given her a pov.

idk, i hope s3 improves these flaws of s2 and doesn't cater to the incels, but their loudness is worrisome.

[rey-jake-therapist]

I don’t believe any leaks at this point, but it’s fun to speculate with the clues we got from the show and the trailers. My two cents on what might happen:

(1) Galadriel decides to go face Sauron by herself in the finale (her being willing to sacrifice herself and make right her wrongs seems to be a theme in S2, and she already expressed the desire to face Sauron alone to Gil-galad at the start of the season). From the trailers, it seems she might bait him using the Iron crown (that she steals from Adar) or even Nenya (he wants the Elven Rings);

(2) Sauron and Galadriel fight like we saw on the trailer and on the Behind-the-Scenes footage;

(3) Don’t have a clue on whom might get the upper hand on this fight (logically it should be Sauron, because he’s a Maia, and Gal’s only an Elf, and she’s not in the prime of her powers yet). Anyway, after the fight, Sauron pitches the “Will you be my queen?” to Gal;

(4) To persuade Galadriel into becoming his queen, Sauron shows her vision(s): the “Last Temptation”. Now, he’ll bring out the big guns this time around. In S1 finale, he tempted her with promises of endless power (a queen fair as the sea and the sun, and stronger than the foundations of the earth), and it didn’t work. Will he try this route again or a different one? Based on the Polish review, and some of Gal’s Nenya visions these season, I think Sauron might actually go with the “you’ve felt it too” route, tempting her with love and family (probably showing her a vision similar to the one Arwen had in “Return of the King”). He might even use Nenya in some way.

(5) I think Galadriel will succumb to Sauron’s temptation, until Elrond intervenes.

Allow me to explain: it’s been teased Galadriel is afraid she won’t be able to resist Sauron, and other characters have shown similar fear (both Elrond and Gil-galad). This temptation has to be strong enough to wow her and haunt her for years to come (in the future, Galadriel will remain in Lothlorien, fighting Sauron and his servants from afar and not directly). Probably it’s also the reason why she’ll try so hard to “close the door” on Sauron’s access to her mind, and succeed, only “passing the test” (finally resisting Sauron) when Frodo offers her the One Ring in the Third Age. But Sauron never stops trying to get to her, until the bitter end (meaning, he needs to have some degree of hope, she’ll come around and join him - this only makes sense if he was almost successful once). It would also make her brother’s words come full circle: “How am I to know which lights to follow?”/“Sometimes we cannot know until we have touched the darkness.”

How does Elrond fit in here? In Ep.4, Galadriel makes Elrond promise that, come a day, where he needs to choose between saving her life or stop Sauron, he must chose the second. This might be a red herring, but it does sound a lot like foreshadowing, along with the theme of Galadriel being willing to sacrifice herself. Well, Elrond will be in the Battle of Eregion, and he might be forced to make this choice (we know none of these characters will actually die, but still).

Any thoughts?

That's pretty much how I envision it too !

You know, I've often read that there were two paths that the show could take : a corruption arc for Galadriel where she temporarily succumbs to temptation and leaves with Sauron, or a lazy copy of the ending of season 1, where she tells him 'no' again and chooses the light for good.

Personally, I think that the first option is unlikely, and that it's way too early for the 2nd option to happen. I believe in a third path : Sauron manages to get under Galadriel's skin and almost convinces her that she belongs with him. She finds the strength to resist the call, but Sauron may be able to escape because she can't kill him while she had the chance... Wishful thinking, I know 😅

During season 3 she will be nonetheless haunted by the "what if" and will realize that she's not the one who can defeat Sauron. They may be even more connected than they were so far, Sauron being able to speak directly to her without standing next to her, until she finds a way to block him.

I like very much the way you think regarding Galadriel's reluctance to face Sauron in the future ! We know she never stopped fighting him from afar, but The Hobbit is the only instance where we see her actually stand to him - a scene that's not in the book, btw - and I always wondered why. If she didn't trust herself, it could explain this.

I'm sure that Galadriel telling Elrond to not choose her over defeating Sauron is a foreshadowing. Earlier in the post I suggested that Galadriel may spare Sauron, but another scenario could be played out : Elrond being unable to hold on his promise.

It's all so exciting... I can't wait to see how wrong we were about all this 🤣

[studentinpursuitofclouds]

Hi! So you know how In the crimson badlands there are fallen warriors who are dead but attack you , can you write how those who go to/ are familiar with the crimson badlands would react to seeing the farmer, a close friend of theirs, as one of the fallen possessed warriors ? ( I’m referring to Alesia, Camilla, Jadu, Lance, Issac, Magnus, and anyone else related that I didn’t think of)

Dear God! Anon, this ask is sheer pain and suffering!... You son of a bitch, I'm in. And If I am destined to suffer from writing this headcanon, then I will drag everyone who wants to read it to the bottom with me. Suffer! Ahahahahahaha!

Anyway, enjoy and thanks for asking 😊

(PS: of course, I refuse to believe in this scenario, and my Farmer was on the verge of death in my story, but they are all good, fluff, puppies and nothing bad at all).

⚠️ Warning: angst, mention of deaths, blood and corpses.

_________________________________________

Isaac:

He knew that he shouldn't get attached to this stupid and annoying upstart from Stardew Valley. To this little dumb pup, always smiling, always trying to help everyone, always covered in mud and grass, to this... This... Damn it. Isaac's insides screamed that he shouldn't get attached to the Farmer. But he did not listen to his inner voice. And from that, the realization of loss hurt the heart more painfully than a knife. Maybe on the face, Isaac will keep his negligence, and even say a not too kind word towards the fallen Farmer, who, because of their stupidity, became another lost soul. But some of his close colleagues know that he is filled with grief and sadness. He lost too many people he could call friends... All the tears in the world won't be enough for every person Isaac has lost. But why did Farmer's death hurt so much more?...

Magnus:

When Magnus learned from colleagues about the fate of the recently missing Farmer, he cursed the day Camilla decided to show the Farmer this Yoba forgotten place. Even though they were gifted youth, they were still youth! Magnus yelled at Camilla for a very long time, accusing her of being partially responsible for their death... No, not death - even worse. After all, their friend, a young adept who gave hope, must wander in the form of a walking dead along with other damned. It will hurt him more if the Farmer was also his partner... Then Magnus is unlikely to forgive Camilla.

Lance:

Of course, Lance agreed to another patrol along with the other adventurers in the Crimson Baldlans, as they needed magical support. Of course he didn't lose his temper fighting the damned mummies and serpents. Of course, his hand didn’t waver as he struck down the fallen adventurer with his sword, a walking corpse that had already warped due to dark magic. Of course, he had already prepared his sword when another walking dead appeared among them, ready to attack. Of course he... what? No... This is... can't be... For the first time in his life, Lance was momentarily paralyzed. His friend, his ally, his... object of sighs?... stood in front of Lance, trying to get the words out. They spoke indistinctly, but Lance could recognize two words: "Sorry.... Run...." That's all they said before inflicting a serious wound on the pink-haired adventurer, which almost became fatal for Lance. While his colleagues were distracting, Lance managed to cast a teleportation spell for them all, and they immediately found themselves in Castle Village. Lance's colleagues immediately began to help him stop the bleeding and look for a healer, but he still couldn't get their face, their friend out of his head... Lance closed his eyes, hoping it was just a nightmare.

Marlon:

Marlon heard something fall and crack in his and Gil's room. He went to check and saw that there was a broken photo frame on the floor. Marlon picked it up, dropping the pieces, and looked at it for half a minute. It was a photo of him with Gil and the Farmer in front of their Adventurer's Guild that they recently took as a memento. Marlon usually did not believe in omens, but for some reason some bad feeling gurgled inside him. Unfortunately, his fears were confirmed by Alesia, who entered the Guild in the evening with bad news. Both Marlon and Gil were in complete shock, still not moving away from the realization that their next close friend fell victim to the damned desert. Old adventurer couldn't sleep tonight, and already wanted to get drunk to drown out the pain of loss. Gil didn't let him do it, trying not to leave his old one-eyed friend alone with grief.

Camilla:

It was quite rare when you could find Camilla out of sorts, but today was exactly that day. After an important meeting hosted by the Ministry of Magic, Camilla left conference hall irritated, not even bothering to joke in her usual manner. She refused to talk to anyone who wanted to ask her about something, and didn't even react to the strange tingling in her body, referring to this spoiled irritation. But suddenly, anxiety paralyzed her. She turned pale as a corpse, for Camilla felt the inception of some very strong dark magic. Stronger than even the energy from Apophis. Casting a protective spell on herself, Camilla moved from the cozy tower to the very heart of the Crimson Baldlans in an instant. The place where she felt this energy. And she gasped in horror. A living dead man was walking sideways nearby. Fallen warriors in these sands are already quite common, but it was a completely fresh corpse, the blood did not even have time to dry. And Camilla saw the corpse's face... Yoba, that tingle she felt earlier... She always felt the Farmer in the Crimson Baldlans, and always had time to save them if they were on the verge of death. But due to her irritation, malice and negligence at this very moment, she lost a friend and a budding mage warrior. She needs to make every effort now to stop a new threat that has not yet arisen. The Farmer was indeed very gifted in magic, such an uncontrolled flow of energy could even surpass even Camilla's with proper training. But this is not meant to be. Now Camilla can only stop the Farmer's torment and hope that they, up there, will be able to forgive her...

Alesia:

The day for Alesia was the same as the previous days: patrolling the walls of Castle Village, training recruits, and controlling monsters if there were too many near the main gates of the village. And so it was until a strange figure appeared not far from the walls. Alesia saw floods like those of fallen mummies, and realizing that this man was not alive, she fired an arrow from her bow to end the suffering of another lost soul. Only the arrow bounced off them like a spring. Alesia considered that she had missed, and more focusedly released another one. Still nothing. Looking closer with binoculars, she saw that this creature surrounded the barrier. But what struck her more was the face of this already dead man. With ugly scars and blood all over... But still recognizable. The Farmer, her dear friend... This desert spares no one. And although Alesia's heart broke from the loss, she did not lose her composure and immediately went to report to Camilla about the impending threat. For the Farmer was an unusual walking dead, with magic still preserved in their body, which could harm even more people, or even make a breach in the village's barrier.

[gallifreyinstituteforlearning]

How does one erase themselves from time and become a conceptual entity. I want to punch Lord Foaming Sky the Celestis in the metaphorical face for what they did to my afterlife and think becoming a conceptual entity would be the best way to do this?

How do I become a conceptual entity?

Evolving into a conceptual entity ventures into physics, metaphysics, and advanced temporal mechanics. Here are some steps that might be involved:

1️⃣ Step 1 - Master Temporal Mechanics: First up, you'll need to learn a LOT of info by having an unparalleled understanding of time and its mechanics. This includes manipulating potential timelines and understanding the intricacies of fixed points and temporal paradoxes.

2️⃣ Step 2 - Study Conceptual Physics: Next, it's time to hit the books, but not just any books - these are the kind of books that make the Matrix look like an episode of the Teletubbies. You'll need to understand how mortal concepts like 'existence,' 'identity,' and 'consciousness' can manifest in the physical universe, and also how they can be manipulated.

3️⃣ Step 3 - Transcend Physical Form: Begin the process of transcending your physical form. This could involve advanced meditation or exposure to raw artron energy (among many other methods). The goal is to detach your essence from your physical body and bind it to a concept or idea.

4️⃣ Step 4 - Bind to a Concept: It's time to pick your eternal theme. Choose something timeless and universal like 'justice' or 'vengeance' to bind your essence. This will link your existence to the very fabric of reality, so choose wisely.

5️⃣ Step 5 - Erase Physical Ties: Carefully erase your physical existence from the timeline. This involves ensuring that your new conceptual form is not paradoxically undone by your physical removal from history, so it's probably the most mind-boggling step.

6️⃣ Step 6 - Fortify Your New Existence: Strengthen your new form by integrating it into the collective consciousness of the universe. You want to be a legend whispered across galaxies - you need to become a 'living' myth - a concept that only exists in the minds and hearts of sentient beings.

7️⃣ Step 7 - Confront Lord Foaming Sky: Now, for the grand finale: taking on Lord Foaming Sky. As a conceptual entity, you won't fight in a traditional sense, so you can't rely on the jujutsu lessons your mum paid for to fight him. Your confrontation will be metaphysical, challenging his essence and what he represents. However, given his track record of failures, your battle might be less about might and more about outsmarting him. The guy's an idiot.

🚫 Disclaimer

This guide is purely speculative. Attempting to erase oneself from time or become a conceptual entity could have unpredictable and potentially catastrophic consequences on the fabric of reality itself. GIL does not approve of such practices and does not accept any responsibility for the death or metaphysical death of you or Lord Foaming Sky or any other person/s involved.

Related:

How might the Celestis digest?: How the Celestis might digest, highly theoretical.

How does religion work on Gallifrey?: Overview of the history and perception of religion throughout Gallifrey’s history.

Hope that helped! 😃

More content ... →📫Got a question? | 📚Complete list of Q+A and factoids →😆Jokes |🩻Biology |🗨️Language |🕰️Throwbacks |🤓Facts →🫀Gallifreyan Anatomy and Physiology Guide (pending) →⚕️Gallifreyan Emergency Medicine Guides →📝Source list (WIP) →📜Masterpost If you're finding your happy place in this part of the internet, feel free to buy a coffee to help keep our exhausted human conscious. She works full-time in medicine and is so very tired 😴

[cherrysfanfics-ily]

Cupid's Match

➣ 𝑰𝒏𝒕𝒓𝒐 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑪𝒂𝒔𝒕

        Cupid's Match follows a 16-year-old soc girl named Rosalie Moore who has learned to not care what others think about what she says, does, or who she likes; She navigates her junior year of high school with a newer mind from last year and her own opinions of people around her. She is a huge flirt when it comes to a certain T-bird - Richie Valdovinos - and will take any chance she gets to flirt with him. She becomes one of five outcasts throughout her junior year with some of her best friends - Olivia Valdovinos, Nancy Nakagawa, Cynthia Zdunowski, and Jane Facciano - and making new friends along the way and causing some light chaos. 

         Asher Valdovinos is the brother of Richie and Olivia, and he is not afraid to fight in order to protect his friends and family. He is a T-Bird who puts up a wall to find out who he can truly trust within his walls. He is a very joking and loving person with his friends and family, and very flirtatious when it comes to a certain pink lady - Jane Facciano - to where he wants to be there for her. He is truly one of the kinds who tend to be very protective and is one of the first ones to put up a fight. He grows close with Rosalie Moore in his junior year and becomes best friends who tell each other everything. With his fellow T-Birds he messes around, drinks, and has some friendly competition with each other. 

Rosalie Moore played by 

➣ Sabrina Carpenter

Aubrey Moore played by

➣ Aubrey Plaza

Christian Moore played by

➣ Christian Bale

Asher Valdovinos played by

➣ Jake T. Austin

Richie Valdovinos played by

➣ Johnathan Nieves

Gil Rizzo played by

➣ Nicholas McDonough

Potato Gonzalez played by

➣ Alexis Sides

Shy Guy played by

➣ Maximo Salas

Jane Facciano played by

➣ Marisa Davila

Olivia Valdovinos played by

➣ Cheyenne Isabel Wells

Nancy Nakagawa played by

➣ Tricia Fukuhara

Cynthia Zdunowski played by

➣ Ari Notartomaso

The Rest of The Characters played by

➣ Their respective Cast

Description:

Rosalie Moore is a soc eventually turned outcast, who has learned during the summer to do what she wants and says what she wants and not what others want her to be or do. Over the summer she had started flirting with a certain T-Bird not caring about her so-called "friends" thoughts on who it is, and throughout the year makes a new group of friends who appreciate her more. Her junior year goes a way she never expected and can't wait to see where it goes. How does her junior year end up?

This story includes:

➣ Cursing

➣ Mentions of Sex, Weed, Alcohol, etc.

➣ Violence

I do not own the characters or rights of Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies, I just own Rosalie Moore and Asher Valdovinos.

I hope you love Rosalie and Asher as much as I love them!

Also posted to my Wattpad

➣ Ohshc22

Authors Note:

I'm very sorry to @cyansadness for the sad scenes and the heartache, thank you for talking through scenes and about Asher and Rosalie with me! I can't wait for you to read it !

[solmarillion]

Of Mirruin and Mírestel and the Fall of Eregion

“If nothing else can free us, twins of cursed fates- then I must deliver death for us both.”

[artwork by @itariilles​​]

Mirruin and Mírestel were the twin children of Celebrimbor and Annatar, born during a time of close partnership and love between the Elf and Maia, and their birth was celebrated by the Noldor of Eregion, giving hope that the curse of Fëanor's line might be broken.

When they were young, Mirruin and Mírestel made a promise that they would always be there for each other. As the years passed and the twins came of age, Annatar began to spend more and more time with them, thinking about how they could help him shape the world as he wished. One year, Annatar was to leave for a long errand, and he invited the twins to join him. Heeding the warning of Celebrimbor, who knew not where Annatar left for on his errands, Mírestel did not follow Annatar- but Mirruin did, and it was that choice that set the twins on opposing paths.

Annatar brought Mirruin with him to the land of Mordor, and his tower of Barad-dûr, revealing himself to be Sauron. Though Mirruin was terrified at first, Sauron gave his child the most comfortable furnishings, spoiling them with beautiful gifts. He showed them visions: of an Arda that could be, of the bliss of Valinor that they had never seen before, of the folly of the Valar, and the suffering and mistreatment of Melkor. All of it was from Sauron's own warped view of the world. Over time, Mirruin came to believe that what Sauron was doing was right- even though by following him, a bloody path lay before them.

Meanwhile, Mírestel trained herself secretly in the arts of combat, both in swordplay and in wielding a spear, fearing what Annatar might do to their sibling. Though they were able to keep this to themself for a time, Celebrimbor eventually found out, and while his first instinct was to dissuade her, he knew that Mírestel, just like himself, refused to abandon what they had set their mind to. Instead, Celebrimbor offered his advice, from a mind hardened by an age of war.

When Eregion was sacked and Sauron revealed himself, Mírestel's worst fears were realized- there was Mirruin, serving under the banner of the Dark Lord himself. But Mirruin did not wish to cross blades with Mírestel; instead, they pleaded for her to stand down, trying to convince her of Sauron's vision. Mírestel no longer recognized their sibling, whom Sauron had fully converted to his cause, and yet, the more Mírestel looked back at Mirruin's sorrowful gaze, the less will she had to fight. Mírestel would forever blame themself, and Mirruin, for the torture and death of their father Celebrimbor. Mírestel saved the polearm that impaled her father, using it as their own personal weapon as they vowed to save Mirruin from darkness.

The two met for their final battle during the War of the Last Alliance, during the Siege of Barad-dûr. No words from Mírestel's lips could break through to Mirruin, fire-jewel, who had transformed fully into a servant of the Enemy, and long since made peace with the inevitability of slaying their sibling. But Mírestel, hope-jewel, had accepted this too, and in one final stand, drove the spear through both of their bodies, finally reunited, finally freed, by the arms of death.

Sauron was there to witness it, and though he spent all his time with Mirruin, who had opened their heart more readily to his words, he did not love Mírestel any less, and his heart was shattered at the sight of his children, dead, on the same spear he had so painfully used to kill his beloved. Though he long believed most of his emotions to have been washed away with the waves that sank Númenor, they lived on through his children, and he knew then, that this would be his undoing. He gave no resistance, then, when Gil-galad and Elendil finally were able to throw him down. He allowed himself to be disembodied, so that his hated feelings could finally disappear forever, once and for all.

In the aftermath of the battle, Elrond found the bodies of the twins, and wept long for them, remembering the pain of having lost his own twin Elros forever. Elrond then made a loving grave for them, flowers growing around it, and even in the harrowing wasteland of Mordor, the grave of the children of Sauron and Celebrimbor remained ever beautiful, and was never to be tainted by the forces of darkness.

[portraitofadumbassonfire]

Rambling about how much the Succession series finale fucked me up.

Kendall realizing that the people who once supported him (Rava, Jess, and his kids) truly are gone, except his one true friend whom has already admitted that he can't trust him and that he'll "follow the money" told me how this whole shown will end early on. He got all of the weapons he needed for battle, just to stab himself in the foot.

Ep 9 he said he hoped part of his father was in him.

He got his wish.

He tried to get a vote of no confidence against his father in 1x06, yet it backfired, and it made sense why it did due to how poorly he handled it.

The finale was no different.

He also resembles Logan in the worst way by resorting to physically abusing Roman in private and public, and how he intimidated him during the voting. Now both of his siblings rightfully separated themselves from him.

Shiv's arc is the most tragic to me due to the fact that in S1 she wanted nothing to do with Waystar and worked with Gil against Logan, just to be ridiculed by him and called a coward for not competing.

In S2, Gil drops her and then she moves back into her father's "good" graces and fights to be CEO.

Logan promised that it's her, yet still sidelined her at any opportunity to the point where she embarrassed herself in front of the Pierce family.

It's funny how so many lines that I originally saw as petty insults like "Kendall is screwy, Shiv's not as smart as she thinks she is, Roman you're a moron" were accurate descriptions of the characters. Shiv swore she thought she would overturn her father, the man who runs a conservative media conglomerate, would appoint her as the CEO, as if these old ass yt men would take her seriously under any circumstances. She even had an odd dynamic with her own husband where she was the one with affairs and threw him under the bus at any time it was possible for her to.

In the end, she ended up exactly where she didn't want to be, the same position as her mother, a woman stuck in a hapless marriage with a child and a man whom she has a fraught relationship with. She had so much ambition, just for it to backfire horribly.

"A fucking waste of time" as Peter said.

To be fair, they did nothing but argue in front of them, cut family dinner short, or eat his prized cheese, so I get the annoyance. But you were part of why they are at odds against each other.

So boo hoo.

If any of the sibling resemble each other than being blood related, it's Shiv and Kendall. Both of them wanted to be the CEO of Waystar for their own personal reasons.

Kendall's reasons were very specific.

As he said, he was promised the role since he was seven years old. It's obvious that idea has followed him for years and years till he became an adult, like we all do, and it became bigger. It's how the show is started. He's ALWAYS wanted to succeed his own father.

He fought so hard to succeed his father since the first season and never stopped, he did have some pause during S3, but in that finale after confessing to his crime to Shiv and Roman and them comforting him In a way that hasn't been seen in the series almost ever was a huge change to their relationship as a whole, to see him lie about him speaking his truth just because he was scared that they'd rightfully use that information against him was hard to watch.

All of that fighting to overturn Logan, he became him in the process, using his intimidation against Roman to make him make a decision. I wouldn't be shocked if Shiv noticed that and decided to vote against Ken.

Speaking of Romulus, he's ironically the one sibling that escaped the waystar circle, but he was more kicked out of it.

After Gerri being the only person on his side, then dropping him after he impulsively fired her and had the nerve to act as of he didn't, after Mencken the neo nazi saw how he acted at the funeral (as a person who lost a loved one) and dropped him like a bad habit, and he burned bridges with Mattson, it's clear to say he doesn't have anyone else on his side.

He's not like Shiv or Kendall where they have intentions to be CEO, are the opposite sides of one coin, and the obvious fact that he ultimately doesn't care about almost anything.

He got out of the loop more than Kendall or Shiv did and yet he's still lonely, or at least that's what I interpret from that smile to a frown in his last scene.

After dealing with the physical harm from the protests, he ran back to his mother. (and let's be real, he's Caroline's favorite child). Shiv and Kendall would fight over who would be CEO, but he never cared that much.

For Roman to be the sibling that escapes Waystar, I truly didn't see that coming, but should have. Why would he subject himself to that kind of torture after he endured it for his entire childhood?

And this is the Roy sibling that I find the most annoying, but I will admit, he was fully aware of the bullshit his family was on 24/7.

So his ending makes sense, he smirks, but then frowns about the people waystar, employed or not, whom had his back and he screwed up the relationship with, but that whole place felt like a cage to him, so what loss is there anyways?

Connor, Connor, Connor. The eldest son, ready for what a long distance relationship with his own newlywed wife. He and Shiv and a similarity to their father when it comes to romantic relationships. His father dies and he gets married, Shiv suggests an open marriage to Tom on their wedding night. BANG!

Logan was with Sue-Ann when he was married to Caroline and with Kerry when he was married to Marcia. Oh how history repeats itself. Connor is the eldest son and only escapes half of the abuse just because he's the most neglected.

Connor and Roman have a similarity due to how uninterested they are in the battle to be the next CEO, Roman saw it as a cage and Connor saw it as a competition to see who could be loved by their broken father. (which at this point he knew was pointless)

It's sad to see Connor and Willa soon to be separated because, Out of all four siblings, Connor has Willa, one can say he bought a person, but she has had many opportunities to leave, but still stayed and had his best interest in mind, even reminding him to stay true to his original ambition. Can anyone else related to him say that?

Personally, I don't think so.

This finale felt right in the most tragic way for me because, the series had shown so many signs of how it would all end from S1-3

Kendall losing the vote of no confidence, Shiv being shanked by Tom, Roman losing his personal support, Connor being outcasted, etc.

Tom has been aware of how Shiv treated him for a while, there was no way he wouldn't get his lick back in the end, especially knowing the environment he's in. Yes as effeminate as he can be, he'll use what he can to get what he wants, just like the Roys do.

He used Greg as his own Shiv stand-in because he knew he couldn't overstep his boundaries with her while Logan was alive, when he died he did feel so much empathy for not only Shiv, but her brothers as well because he is still human and finding out your parent died in an airplane bathroom and you have a few seconds to say goodbye is a lot for a person.

Nonetheless, Tom and everyone persisted in their pursuit for power, meanwhile Connor took ownership of his father's residence, because I'm sure Marcia would love to let go of a home she shared with an unfaithful husband.

With the eldest son's rules of claiming what they want in a full mansion and then being pulled together by the old footage of their father, it's easy to still think they'll have some solidarity even after anointing Kendall as the best choice..

Choosing items with a simple sticker was a warning. Tom choosing Greg as his second is a win, but a loss. Mattson can just easily choose another U.S. CEO if he feels lole getting rid of Tom, but he is the current decision.

Tom 'the people pleaser' Wambsgans being CEO is a shock, but not as much as a shock for me as opposed to most of which saw this finale.

Logan called out his own children, them playing toy soldiers, being unserious people, and full-fledged morons.

He was unfortunately correct.

For Kendall to try so hard to be Logan 2.0, to the point where he lied to them, where Shiv said she can't stomach him, where he resorted to ignoring Connor and barely taking Ewan seriously when he was one of the only ones being honest with them,

Connor inheriting the delusion that Logan had with how he honestly believed his life will go on to be, Roman with his "I win" mentality his father has, or Kendall & Shiv having the cutthroat, "I'll demolish anyone who might oppose me" sense that their father had for years.

But the tragedy is that none of his children truly present that state of mind.

It's not surprise that the biggest people pleaser of all characters, Tom, would be the one to impress Mattson.

Tom has been a pick-me since episode one, but he showed how much he will and has worked in his own favor.

Greg was someone I thought would overthrow and fire Tom, but Tom being the one who was chosen as CEO feels so unexpected, but appropriate. He managed to reverse the dynamic of his relationship with Shiv, but maintain it with Greg, even though both relationships involve emotional manipulation, they still come back to each other, unfortunately.

Shiv and Tom have said some truly horrific things toward each other for a married couple under a few months and yet they never left each other officially, Greg has tried to throw Tom under the bus as well since he is a blood relative meanwhile Tom projected his own personal issues with Shiv onto her own cousin, whom she stole $20 from, and yet, Tom refuses to leave Greg alone.

Tom now being able to control Greg & overpower Shiv at this moment is shocking, yet hauntingly expected.

It haunts me how when shiv and Roman chose Kendall as the leader, they just casually mocked his way of speaking, when in reality, he used the same disturbing methods as their deceased father, Tom still having Gerri, but especially having Greg's back in the end. Shiv noticed how her brother was turning into Logan and his much her own husband outsmarted her in the end, Roman just ordered the same drink Gerri did just to feel some sort of accomplishment, and Kendall came to the conclusion that no one else was completely in his corner.

Shiv as CEO was never gonna happen, Roman was too silly to take seriously,  Roman had a whole speech prepared for his father's funeral and couldn't deliver it, Kendall spoke his and now in retrospect, it feels more like wishful thinking, Connor never got to say his own eulogy, and Shiv delivered one that was poignant, yet still unchanging to the environment around her.

Anyone who tells me or might tell me this series finale made no sense should keep it to themselves, because the writing was on the wall.

[storms-path]

FFXIV Write 2023 Day 9 - Fair

“THE GODS WILL BEAR WITNESS TO OUR PERFORMANCE!”

SEE THE ILLUSTRIOUS WANDERING MINSTREL PERFORM THE BALLAD OF SHINRYU’S DOMAIN LIVE IN PERSON

RELIVE THE STUNNING BATTLE OF ALA MHIGO AND THE CLASH BETWEEN WARRIORS OF LIGHT AND CROWN PRINCE

50 gil per entrant, recording devices and linkpearls will be confiscated

Arashi stared at the hastily scrawled poster in front of her, head in hands. “Really?” she muttered. “Of all the people you could hire as the centrepiece of this festival, he was your choice?”

Arenvald at least had the kindness to look remorseful. “Actually, he came to us when he heard about the project,” he said. “He said he wanted nothing more than to help people remember the tale of their liberation. And their liberator,” he added sheepishly.

As if Arashi needed the reminder. Five years since her confrontation with Zenos at the end of time and space had been host to a great deal of adventures, but her first fateful battle with the crown prince and his captive Primal was as clear to her as it was when she had taken her first steps into the Royal Menagerie. She must have been frowning as the memories played out, for her return to reality was greeted with Arenvald’s worried features.

“I can have alternative arrangements made, if it’s too much for you!” He limped over to put a reassuring hand on Arashi’s shoulder. Arashi tried to ignore the shaking running through his body. Arenvald had regained the use of his legs in the intervening years, but he would never fight again, and walking was still very much an effort of will. Fordola, who had been keeping diplomatically (or disinterestedly) silent until that point, rolled her eyes and strode over to her companion.

“No, you won’t. We spent a small fortune on the rest of this already. Or did you forget the sleepless nights you spent counting out every last coin to balance the books?” Fordola’s cast-iron stare told Arashi that the issue was not negotiable. Many others would have been intimidated by the woman, but Arashi was merely relieved. So many people treated her as some mythical hero who could do no wrong. It was refreshing to remember that Fordola was not one of them.

Still, it wouldn’t do to risk her ire without cause. Particularly not with Arenvald present. The poor man didn’t need more worries. Arashi held up her hands in what she hoped was a concillatory gesture. “Fine, fine. I’ll not argue his presence, or his choice of song. Just so long as I’m not obligated to appear.”

Arvenvald’s face was a picture of relief. “Good! Of course, we’ll not be expecting you to do anything of the sort. This is a celebration of everyone’s efforts to liberate Ala Mhigo, after all. Though if you were to make a guest appearance…” Arenvald trailed off at the flat stare he received. “Or maybe not.” Arenvald allowed Fordola to guide him to one of the nearby chairs, settling heavily on the wooden frame. “I’ll get this properly finalised and drafted for Commander Hext. See you at the fair!”

Arashi smiled and inclined her head. Fordola grunted in response. Then Arashi was out the doors and into the glorious midday heat of Ala Mhigo. Perhaps it would be prudent to drop in and have a private chat with “Commander” Hext, just to make certain that her presence would not be required on stage with the minstrel. Then again, perhaps not. Lyse would never conspire such a thing, but Fareena was visiting and she most certainly would. Particularly since she was most displeased at not being offered a teaching position in Arashi’s fledgling school.

Yes, perhaps it would be best to just let Arenvald alone and enjoy the fruits of his-

“-labour to free the good people of this nation from their cruel oppressors! I give you all, ARASHI WASHI!”

The announcer’s voice boomed into the open air, magically enhanced to spread far and wide so that even those in the very back of the amphitheatre would hear him. It was, unfortunately, a packed crowd.

Arashi didn’t know who had put the idea in the minstrel’s head. It could have been Fareena, nursing a grudge and seeking petty revenge. It could have been Stalwart, who had also been a guest of honour in one of the previous performances. Or it could have been her dear sister, who had front row seats with Lyse, Arenvald and Fordola, the last of which was actually smiling for once.

Arashi, thankfully, was not alone backstage. Beside her was an equally uncomfortable Raubahn, dressed in an exaggerated version of his old war gear. M’naago, on the other hand, looked practically giddy to take her place on stage, dressed in Resistance finery that had clearly been cleaned and polished recently. It turned out she had something of a flair for theatrics when not bound by duty.

Arashi herself was dressed in her old armour, restored for just this occasion. Well, restored in appearance. Careful application of glamour hid the rips and tears from her trip to the end of the universe. It would be enough for the show, and that was all they needed. Arashi turned back to see M’naago swatting Raubahn’s hand away from his helmet, only to turn her attention on her observer. She made an impatient shooing motion, urging Arashi onto the stage. With a resigned sigh, Arashi stepped forward.

Five years on and Arashi still couldn’t handle the cheers. The roar of the crowd drowned out her thudding heart, her hesitant footsteps. Why are you all cheering me? All I did was fight a dragon. It should have been Lyse up on stage, or Alphinaud, or Krile, or Thancred, or anyone else. The people who had risked life and limb to gather the information they needed to assault the palace. The people who had suffered sleepless nights drawing up stratagems and tactics to outwit the Empire. The people who had really made a difference.

But then Arashi caught sight of another familiar face, towards the back of the crowd. A roegadyn woman, covered in scars and looking distinctly uncomfortable to be there. Flowing Lily. Her first student, and deeply uncomfortable among crowds. She never spoke of the reason why, but she always avoided them wherever possible. She was staring into the middle distance, but then their eyes locked and her face split into an impossibly earnest smile. Then she was cheering with the rest of them, her voice carrying clear across the crowd and to the stage.

Arashi took courage from the gesture. If Lily could conquer her fears and doubts, so could she. The Warrior of Light strode forward with a smile, waving to the adoring crowd. If the people needed her to be a hero again for a day, she would play the part as best she could. It was an old mask, but it still fit.

[ivorystand]

How many setbacks can (or will) your OC endure before they give up on a course of action?  Or alternatively, how many times can they be let down or betrayed before they turn their back upon another person?

(All OCs if it’s okay ^^ or if it’s too much just Yuhki!)

I AM SO SORRY IT TOOK ME THIS LONG TO ANSWER!

Given I have 20 xiv ocs in total, I'll just do the ones I mention on here lol

Putting this under the cut because its LONG, but OCs I'm answering for are Yuhki, Alwin, Carbon, and Novia! Also, spoilers for Heavensward, a tiny bit of Shadowbringers, and a bit of Endwalker.

Yuhki will try her best to keep going no matter how many setbacks there are. The one exception was when Estinien was possessed by Nidhogg. That was her breaking point for a bit. She gave up on being a dragoon until Nidhogg, using Estinien's appearance, attacked Vidofnir. In a way it's kind of ironic that the same thing that caused her to give up also spurred her back into action. As for how many times she can be betrayed before she turns her back? She is a bit too trusting for her own good. It would take a lot for her to give up on someone, which can be her downfall.

Carbon, meanwhile, sees setbacks as all the more reason for him to continue going. He chalks it up to being a Dotharl, but it's also a great show of how far he would go for people. But in the same vein, he has a "three strikes and you're out" look to being let down or betrayed.

Alwin is a mix of his "siblings" and how they see setbacks. He can stay determined until too many things pile up. A perfect example was when he was pulled into the first by the Crystal Exarch. He stayed with fellow Viera/Vii in the Rak'tika Greatwood, slowly starting to wonder if the others were okay and if Yuhki would arrive to "save" them like she always seemed to do. Of course, being in Fanow, it didn't help that he felt distant from his peers due to him being a male. But once Yuhki had shown up and reunited the Scions, he regained that hope, as well as some closure that family isn't just blood, but the people he trusts and cares about. As for his view on being betrayed, he is incredibly trustful. He always gives people the benefit of the doubt. The only time he doesn't is when that person hurts those he cares about. Hurt him? He's fine with it. Hurt Yuhki, Carbon, or any of their friends? He refuses to trust you.

Novia is very pessimistic. Having seen the horrors of war firsthand when she fought in the Battle of Cartineau, it's surprising she would endure as much as she did. She didn't let anything stop her until she reached Garlemald again with the other Scions and members of the Ivory Stand. Seeing her fellow Garleans so set in their self-destructive ways, still loyal to the leaders and military that failed them (in her eyes at least) was heartbreaking. Even then, she swore to restore Garlemald to what it once was, minus the colonizing dictatorship that the Galvus family seemed to focus on. But she's also very tough when it comes to trust. When she was hired as a sellsword by Yuhki and her group, she didn't see any of them as anything but a means to an end. She got the gil she needed to survive, and that was it. But slowly, through their adventures together, she learned to trust people. But that being said, she wouldn't hesitate to drop anyone who betrays that trust. Hell, they'd be lucky if she just stopped associating with her, if they were super egregious with their betrayal, she would actually fight them, if not try to kill them if they posed serious harm to the group.

[calowlmitygoddess]

Rhena lore master post

I have many Rhena toughts TM but i dont wanna draw the out.

Backstory: Rhena was born to a couple of adventurers, her mother hailed from the Dothral tribe on the steppe and her father was an eorzean hyur. They were constantly traveling around Eorzea, her mother would tell her stories from their tribe, and her father would teach her about adventuring. However, while she was still a child, in one of their travels too near the border with garlemald, they were caught in a skirmish with a few sentries, and captured, Rhena managed to escape, but found herself now alone.

She continued to travel alone, her echo having been awoken during this time helped her survive. It was mostly uneventful, as she could only take on small simple jobs, causing her to greatly resent her powerlessness and become determinated to rise to greater heights both in power and money. during her teen years, after taking a job that was too dangerous for her, she was saved by a thamaturge named Alma (thought looking back she was definietly a black mage), it was the first time Rhena fully witnessed the destructive power of magic and she was fascinated, she begged Alma to take her in as an aprentice and the woman eventually relented. They spent many months toghter, with Alma teaching Rhena the basics of magic, it was the first time in many years she had a 'family' thats it ,until the Calamity struck and Alma dissapeared, leaving Rhena alone again.

She spent the next five years trying to find her missing master, to no avail, her funds growing low, and hope depleted, she realized it was time she try to change, to rise to the top like she always dreamt, and so she saved up enough gil for a carriage to Ul'dah, in hopes of achieving this dream.

Personality: Rhena is stupid stubborn, and her main plan of action is hitting her problems until they go away, she very rarely gives up or admit defeat, she's a sore loser and has a massive ego. She has a very black and white view of the world, thought it has been slowly changing thought she wont admit it or voice it. She hates the over complicated moral decisions she has been constantly dealing with and often just defaults to letting others do decisions for her, thought she has been trying to think more critically after just blindly following orders got her and others in hot waters. She both loves and hates being hailed as a hero, after all, its all she ever wanted, she's known and loved by almost everyone, powerful enough to fight god like beings on the regular and has enough income to afford whatever she wishes, and yet all of that has been achieved has been done so with blood of those she failed to save. Still she's an optimist at her core, and firmly believes this is her fate, and she will follow accordingly.

Relationships: Rhena tries her best to keep people at arms lenght, so they dont end up hurting her when they inevitably leave, but despite her best efforts, she cant help but get attached. Amongst the scions she has the best relationship with the Leveilleur twins and Lyse, and has great respect for Urianger, Y'shtola and Thancred. She was deeply marked by both Minfilia and Ysayle. Another important relationship is with the elder dragon Midgardsommer, who has joined her in her travels, often acting as a mentor of sorts. She's always a bit shocked how many people consider her a friend and it leaves her a bit flustered. She often still visits the Thamathurge guild, to see how her former masters fare, and everytime she's in Ishgard, she escapes to the forgotten knight to speak with Sidurgu and Rielle.

Other Additional facts: After the fight with Nidhogg, having absorbed the aether of Hraesvelgr eye's her physical appearance changed taking on a draconic look, most characteristics are barely visible, with the exception of her left eye, that turned yellow.

She still often refuses to stay at an inn, prefering to just camp outside in the wilderness, pretend she's still just a simple adventurer.

After meeting the Dothral tribe on the Steppe, she has decided she will spend a few weeks or even months there once Gyr Abania is liberated to learn more about the place her mother came from.

[reallyghostlypost]

Sorry for the long post, I wanted to write about this for a while but never figured out how to do it in a coherent way. So it might be a bit messy😅

I think Lance feeling stressed due to all of his responsibilities is a big reason why he falls in love with the farmer.

He's one of the most experienced and capable adventurers/mages out there, aside from a few individuals who either aren't combatants (Magnus and Camilla) or are retired (Gil and potentially his master). The only adventurers above his rank that actually go on missions are Marlon and Jolyne, and even they probably spend more time dealing with guild business than actually killing monsters. Lance is currently the best/highest ranking actual fighter in SVE.

So he'll almost always be the most trusted and responsible member among any group of adventurers he works with. He'll be the one responsible with his team's safety and the one everyone will rely on. He'll be the one who has to explain the situation to everyone and make sure they all know what to do or expect. The one who has to keep everyone safe, be prepared for any problem they could encounter, give orders in the middle of a battle, cover everyone during danger, and make sure no one is lost or injured. Every time something goes wrong all team members will look at him waiting for a solution. If anything bad happens to someone on his team it will be partially his fault as their leader.

He's under a lot of pressure because of his position. Since every adventurer working with him relies on him as the most experienced and competent member of the team he can't afford to show many emotions. If they face a really dangerous situation during a mission he can't show he's scared since that will panic everyone else even more. Or if he's tired or hurt he has to hide it as much as possible to not worry the others.

Drake idolizes him so much he painted his hair to match Lance's, how could Lance ever tell him that he's been so worried about whatever mission they'll have to do to the point where he couldn't sleep for days? He has to keep these things for himself and hope he'll be capable (and lucky) enough to get everyone back home safely.

And he can't just complain to Jolyne or Camilla either. They have their own problems after all, and they too rely on him to do his job properly. He can't come across as too weak or uncapable of doing his duties. I think Lance really loves his job, but he also finds it really stressful and tiering. Especially since he also tends to overwork himself.

But then he meets the farmer, who doesn't know anything about how the guilds operate. They don't know Lance either and only have some vague idea of what his position means. The farmer is also the only adventurer that fights alone, doesn't expect help from everyone and doesn't answer to anyone either. They are probably the first person in a long time that Lance could act a little more human around.

The farmer is barely part of their guild, they don't do any normal activities that are expected of other adventurers (and adventurers basically dedicate their whole lives to their guilds apparently). No matter where they go or who they meet they never try to represent the Pelican Town guild, despite potentially being it's vice leader (Gil has been called the guild administrator and there is literally no one else to fill the position). They also don't care that Lance is the First Slash's second in command, or about any other of his titles. Lance can interact with them without feeling like every chat is a political or an 'official guild business' thing where he has to constantly watch his words.

But also, he doesn't need to feel responsible for the farmer's safety or actions. He doesn't need to worry if the farmer has enough supplies or maintained their equipment properly, or if they have some totem with them. The farmer always works alone, comes and goes as they please, and proved to be capable of taking care of themselves without anyone's help. They faced dangerous situations alone and got themselves out without help, healed themselves on their own and dealt with lots of decisions alone. It's not that Lance doesn't want to help the farmer, but he can trust them to take care of themselves without feeling like he holds their life in his hands and every mistake of his could lead to their death.

To use one of my headcanons as an example, when the invisibility spell wears off during Lance's heart event I assume he was ready to take charge and be the responsible team leader he should be. After all, he the farmer is a still new and inexperienced adventurer trapped in an unfamiliar location. But to his surprise the farmer doesn't turn at him looking scared or worried, or even waiting orders like he was used with. After all, the farmer fought their way into this cave multiple times so they don't doubt that they can fight their way out of it too. So they just reach for their weapon and prepare to attack. They trust Lance will join the battle without actually depending on him.

As you said, Lance gets more relaxed after marriage, admitting he's not as strong as he would want, admitting making mistakes during his magical experiments and speaking about how exhausted he is or how lonely he feels at the outpost. He probably hasn't been this vulnerable to another person ever since he joined the First Slash. The farmer doesn't rely on him for protection or advice, so he can finally admit some weakness and look for support form someone else for change.

Post 1.6 SVE spoilers - aka the 'Lance wtf is wrong with you?' update

Didn't play with the new update(s) yet but I peeked at the files and the changelogs and there are a few really funny things in there.

But first, Marlon:

These are the exact opposite of each other. It looks like Marlon was secretly trying to get the farmer killed.

Marlon: "The Skull Cavern is dangerous for an inexperienced adventurer such as yourself. Here's something that will keep you safe." *gives the farmer something that attracts even more monsters*

But if you thought Marlon and Qi are the only oddly violent characters in the newest updates you're wrong. You can add Lance to the list too! And this time it's not a bug :D

Lance, wtf? This is a friendly competition, there are children participating! Fighting over the eggs won't even help you win, you would just waste you limited time! Lance, what are you doing? 😭

If Lace is willing to fistfight children over a meaningless contest like the egg hunt (or better, willing to threaten children with a sword in front of their parents), how competitive does he get in a serious one? We all assume Lance would be pretty relaxed about having a love rival, but he's apparently ready to go straight to violence for something much less important than the farmer.

To be fair to Lance, it makes sense. Adventurers belong to a small and tightknit community where being good at violence is the most useful skill a member can possess. And news about your talents or failures travels fast to everyone else. Easiest way for people to test their worth would be through different competitions, since clear goals and rules means it's easier to judge someone's talents, and they have less chance of adventurers killing each other.

Refusing to participate would probably label someone as a coward and it might ruin their reputation worse than simply losing would. And for a group that defines themselves through fighting to the death escalading every competition to violence probably feels natural. This might be one of the reason almost every adventurers mocks the farmer at first. The farmer is too nice and friendly and that makes them look like a weakling that would never survive among 'true' adventurers, let alone the battlefield.

And Lance is not only a highly respected adventurer but also a guild leader. He probably wouldn't have even been considered as Jolyne's vice leader if he would have avoided these contests. And in order to earn his position he must have been really good at fighting his fellow adventurers. So this attitude is not surprising if you think about it.

Still, Lance pointing a sword at Sophia while clutching a colourfully painted egg is such a funny image.

[dearest-dirt]

Love Will Tear Us Apart (Hal Jordan X Reader)

Warning: Verbal Fighting, Really Slight Physical Aggression, Angst to Fluff, Breakup and Makeup 

Word Count: 3.7K

Reader is gender neutral. 

Masterlist

Author's Note: Hi! I love this dumbass! I am so soft for him!🥺🥺🥺 I have more Hal Jordan stuff coming out soon! I hope you like it! Bestie, please reblog! Also, thank you to my beta! You’re the best! <3 

Summary: You love Hal Jordan but every person has their limits, especially when it involves a certain ex-girlfriend.

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“It's Carol or me,” you huffed with frustration and anger. Everything had finally come to a boiling point after almost five years together with him.

“You’re being ridiculous, I’m not going to do that,” he said, rubbing his face with his hands. Hal was tired, it’s been a long few days with the League and the Corp and now this.

“Carol or me,” you said through gritted teeth.

“Look, I’m fuckin’ exhausted. We can have this fight tomorrow, okay?”

“I’m gonna ask you one last time, Hal: Carol or me?”

“I told you already, I’m not doing this right now. I’m not going to fuckin' choose between you or Carol, so cut the fuckin' crap and let's go to bed. I’m so goddamn tired!” He said, raising his voice at the end. You were starting to piss him off.

“Fine. I’ll choose for you,” you stated louder than you wanted to. But you couldn’t hold back the anger that was seething through you right now. You’ve bared this  teeter-tottering of his for almost five years. You’ve had enough.

“What the hell does that mean?” You didn’t say anything, instead just moved towards the front door to put on your shoes. He watched with anger rising through him. “Where the hell are you going? It’s the middle of the fuckin' night!” You continued putting on your shoes and started opening the lock on the front door. Before you knew it, Hal was next to you grabbing your arm with a little too much force. “What the fuck are you doing?”

“Get. Your. Hand. Off. Of. Me,” you gritted with restrained anger. Hal didn’t let go. Now he was mad.

“FINE! You wanna go? Huh?! You wanna fuckin' leave?! Then get out, go!” He yanked the door open, practically shoved you out, and closed the door.

You stood there for a second, staring at the door, before yelling at the top of your lungs so he would definitely hear (and probably the neighbors, too): “Fuck you, Hal Jordan!” With that you turned and left.

You loved Hal more than anything else. You loved everything about him. You loved him more than you ever thought you were capable of loving someone. Nobody had ever made you laugh as hard and as often as he did. You loved the way he would smile at you when he got a “great idea” that usually ended in disaster. How he would wear a slight frown when something was bothering him but he didn’t want to mention it. How he would insist on laying in your lap or on top of you because he liked feeling your fingers continuously running through and playing with his hair. When he would use his ring to cast constellations or silly little images on the ceiling when you would lay together in bed. The feeling of his hands in yours. The feeling of him. 

But you couldn’t do this anymore. As much as you loved him, you didn't want to feel like you were the other person in the relationship. You knew how much he cared about Carol and how much she meant to him. You also knew about the history between them. He was very honest with you from the beginning, and you liked that. You never thought you would ever have to ask him to choose between you and her. But someone can only take being taken for granted for so long. At first, it didn’t bother you much that he would go to Carol at her beck and call any time of the day or night. Or how much time he would spend with her. Or how much he talked about her. Even after she had married Gil, you didn’t mind that they were close because, after all, they went through a lot together. But eventually, you started feeling like you were left out of their little world. Inside jokes you didn’t get; constantly being told what Carol had said about something you were talking about. Forgotten little things like your favorite flavor of something or the other. But Carol’s favorites were always remembered. Constantly, having to hear about her; feeling like no conversation could be had without her being mentioned. It started feeling like you were competing against Carol for Hal’s attention and you just couldn’t win.

The straw that broke the camel's back came just before he left for his latest mission. Your birthday fell a few days after he had to leave, and you wanted to spend some time with him, just the two of you. You kept telling him about how you had made reservations at your favorite restaurant for dinner the day before he left and how much you were looking forward to it. On the day, you spent a considerable amount of time getting ready, looking your absolute best in something you felt absolutely fabulous in. (But, also, knew he would definitely like; you loved seeing that signature playful flirty smirk he would give.) He wasn’t home for most of the day, you didn’t think anything of it, figuring he would just meet you at the restaurant. You went to the restaurant and waited for him to show up. 10 minutes pass, no problem Hal’s even late to his Justice League meetings. 30 minutes pass, okay he’s running later than usual. 40 minutes, then 50, then an hour. You could feel the servers' sad gazes as they walked past you. You finally called him.

Ring Ring Ring

“Hey!”

“Where are you, Hal?”

“Oh, I’m at Carol’s.” You never knew it was possible to feel your heart rip apart but it did in that moment. “I was visiting the Ferris airbase earlier, so Gil and Carol invited me to din—Oh shit! Oh, my fuckin' god, I’m so fuckin' sorry, babe! I totally forgot about the dinner. I’m leaving right now. I’m so sorry!”

“It’s fine. Finish your dinner,” you said holding back tears that were threatening to escape, “I was leaving from here anyway.”

“I’m so sorry, love. It just escaped my mind. I’ll make it up to you when I get back home, I promise. I’m leaving here, okay?”

“It's fine, Hal. Uh, I just called to say that I’m staying over at (F/N)’s house for the next few days. They’re going through some things right now and really need me.” You couldn’t bear to see him tonight; you didn’t have it in you to hear about his dinner with Carol, about what she made or what she said.

It suddenly dawned on him that you’d only called him exclusively by his name so far, and not the hundred different nicknames you gave him. He got the feeling that something was wrong.

“But you know I’m leaving tomorrow and I won't be back for a few weeks. Can’t you go after I leave tomorrow?” he said, dejected and sad. You could imagine his slight frown and it made everything worse.

“They really need me. I’ll see you when you get back.” God, you were going to cry any second. You didn’t think you could stay on the line any longer. “Look, I have to go, I’ll talk to you later, okay?”

He was silent for a few moments before he murmured, “yeah, if they really need you, then I guess that’s fine.” He knew something was off; he could hear it in your voice.

“Thanks, bye.”

“Bye, sweetheart. I lov���“ You hung up, Hal didn’t know what to do. You’d never hung up on him before like that, before saying you loved him.

You didn’t have the strength to sit there, listen to him say he loved you, and say it back to him because you would break down.

Hal came back to an empty apartment that night and he didn’t like it. He didn’t like you not being there. The apartment felt colder than usual without you. He didn’t know before that night how much he felt at peace sleeping with you next to him. The smell of your body lotion and conditioner lingering on the sheets, just made everything worse for him. He couldn’t sleep and you didn’t answer his last few texts. He spent the whole night more or less awake. Before he left in the morning, he called you but you didn’t answer his call. Weird he thought. You always pick up his phone, even at odd hours of the night. You were being a good friend, so you were probably just busy, he didn’t think much of it after that. With that he left to save the world. You stayed the night with one of your friends, who you knew wouldn’t pry. You would go back to your place once he was gone.

You guys didn’t fight, you talked things out, worked out solutions to your problem. Never ultimatums or tantrums. You kept it civil and mature. So Hal didn’t understand what had happened that night he got back. He couldn’t even remember how the fight started. All he could remember was how angry and sad you looked. And making him choose between you and Carol? That was absurd. He loved Carol platonically now, but he loved you romantically. He wanted to spend the rest of his life with you. He loved you more than he was even capable of expressing. You wouldn’t answer his calls, his texts, emails, or social media messages. Your friends/family came to get your stuff and wouldn’t tell him where you were. They would say that they didn’t know or give some other lame excuse.

He was miserable. He was so miserable.

And so were you. You couldn’t escape Green Lantern, even if you tried your best and avoided every freaking place that literally existed. But you still tried your best to move on.

Everyone around Hal could see how miserable he was and he was bringing everyone down with him. Even the other Lanterns were getting fed up, it had been around four months and he was starting to become broodier than Batman (who had half a mind to find you and fix this, because he simply couldn’t stand it).

Hal was running late as usual to some friend’s engagement party. He walked in scanning the room out of habit, until his eyes fell on you. You were laughing at something someone had said. He just looked at you, yearning and longing running through his veins. He knew he was going to fix this, fix what happened between you two. He stared at you for most of the night, waiting for a moment to get you alone. You didn’t expect him to show up, he’s probably off on some other planet doing who knows what, you thought. But there he was, staring at you the whole damn night. You tried your best to avoid him, playing this elaborate and intricate game of avoid-ment. You would steal a glance at him every once in a while, just to see how he was. You couldn’t tell. He always cleaned up nice and a suit always made him look extra attractive and more put together than he really was. You loved it when he wore a suit. The whole night went smoothly for the most part, you managed to avoid him for the entire party.

You breathed a sigh of relief as you left and made your way to your car. Searching for your keys, you hardly noticed someone leaning against your car. “You know, it would be safer for you if you found your keys before you come out into the street at night. Or were you just looking for an excuse for Green Lantern to save you?” You looked up to see Hal leaning against the driver’s side, with a smirk on his face. You rolled your eyes and continued searching for your keys. “You’re not looking for these keys by any chance are you?” He was holding out his hand with your keys in his palm. What the—?! How did he do that? When did he do that? You avoided him like the plague, so how exactly did he manage that? You step closer to take the keys out of his hand and he moves his hand, lifting it slightly. You reach for them again and he moves his hand away again. He knew this would always make you smile. You reach for the keys again and this time he uses his ring’s power to dangle them above you, just slightly out of reach. Bastard, you thought, using his ring against me like this. He was wearing a childish smile. 

“I would appreciate it, if you would give me my keys back.”

“Humm,” he pretended to ponder, “I’ll give them back, but first you have to come home.” Before you could say anything, he continued, “And by home, I mean our place where we used to live together four months ago. You know, the place we spent forever looking for and even longer decorating? Home, where we’ve had one too many food fights while cooking. Or where we put up too many halloween decorations, and always have tons of halloween candy left over because we live in an apartment complex with like one and half kids.”

“Hal, look—” You were cut off before you even could say anything else.

“No, Y/N, you look. I’m miserable. I’ve been miserable these past four months. I don't know where we went wrong; where I went wrong. But I don’t want to lose you. I can’t lose you. I won't, not without trying everything in the galaxy to fix this. So tell me how to fix it. Do you want to go to couples counseling? I’ll never see Carol again, if that’s what you want. I love you more than you’ll ever know and I’m not going to give you up without a fight. So tell me how to fix us.”

You stared at the ground, tears blurring your vision. You couldn’t face him, you would become undone.

Hal stepped closer to you, you didn’t move back. That was a good sign, he thought. He reached under your chin and gently lifted your face up to catch your eyes. You were done for now, any semblance of composure gone with his touch. You sobbed covering your face with your hands.

“You’re the one who left and now you’re the one crying your heart out? I think it should be the other way around, sweetheart,” he joked. That only made you cry a little harder. “You know you're really pig-headed, right?” he continued, while pulling you in closer and enveloping you in his arms. God, you both missed each other. He relaxed against you, taking in the smell of your conditioner and perfume as he rested his chin on your head. After a few minutes, you stopped crying and gained enough composure to finally sort this out, because you didn’t want to lose him either.

“I,” you sniffled, stepping out of his embrace, his hands finding yours as you move back. “I, um, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have left like that. That was very immature and childish of me.”

“You think?”

“Are you gonna listen or keep making skittish remarks?” He smiled, motioning for you to go on. “I don’t want you to stop seeing Carol. I don’t have anything against her. I like her, I do. And I also know what she means to you. But I feel like I’m competing constantly for your attention. Sometimes I feel like I’m the other person in our relationship. I just feel ignored and overlooked. I don’t want to feel like that. It's a tiring feeling, like I have to go out of my way for you to spend any time with me or even notice my existence. Even though we live together! At times, I even feel like I was asking for too much from you when all I wanted was for you to be there for me. Like the times when you would be late or even forget about our planned dates because you were with Carol. Constantly having every conversation mentioning her. I can’t do it.” Your thoughts were a jumbled mess, you were trying your best to be more articulate, but you were overwhelmed with all the emotions you were going through.

He stood there listening very intently to what you had to say, his fingers laced with yours, gently rubbing his thumb against yours in a calming manner.

“I’m sorry,” you continued after a pause, “I shouldn’t have blown up like that, but I couldn’t take it anymore after you forgot about my birthday dinner before you left, then came back and mentioned Carol again. I just felt so alone and angry, in that moment. I should’ve been more open about what I was feeling earlier on. I didn’t want to make you choose between us but that’s exactly what I ended up doing.” You were sniffing again and trying to avoid his gaze.

He was processing what you said, and it made him feel terrible. He wanted you and Carol to be good friends and his best idea at the time was to talk about her and get you to like her, he didn’t think it would backfire in the long run like this. Now, he really felt like shit.

“I didn’t mean for you to feel like that. I messed up. I simply wanted you and Carol to be friends, so that’s why I thought it would be a good idea for me to always talk about her and always try to get us to hang out with her. I didn’t realize it would make you feel like that. I’m so so sorry.”

You looked at him with disbelief and astonishment. This was his bright idea of getting you and Carol to be friends? “Um, what have you been doing to Carol to get her to like me?”

“Uhhh, more or less—definitely more—of the same. I just thought if I talked about you guys enough to each other, you would come to be best friends,” he said with a nervous giggle. I really did not think this through, he thought. “That's why I always go see her, so I can talk about you.”

I can’t believe I’m in love with a moron, you thought. A moron more or less tasked with saving the universe. How he was managing that was beyond you (and most of the other people around him). You smiled at him, before breaking out into a little laugh.

You were smiling at him, he felt his world fall back into place. He pulled you in closer, taking your face in his hands and caressing your cheek.

“I’ve been miserable without you too,” you whispered, putting your hand over his. “These past four months have been hell,” you continued softly, “I don’t want to lose you either. I want to fix this too. I’m also willing to do anything in the galaxy to fix this. You just need to tell me how.” His eyes glazed over your face like he was looking at a masterpiece he couldn’t believe existed.

“I love you,” he whispered before gingerly placing his lips onto yours. Devotion, passion, and yearning deepened the kiss with every passing second. Silent promises being exchanged with each touch to never hurt each other again, and to fix your relationship. You continued kissing each other, hands entangling with the other’s body. You were both making up for four months of misery. Each time you would pull away to breathe, “I love you”s and “I’m sorry”s were whispered back and forth.

“Get a fuckin' room,” someone yelled, walking past. You both pulled away, lips swollen,  foreheads touching, fingers interlaced, and laughing.

“So does this mean you’re coming home?” he quipped.

“No,” you mischievously stated.

“But—I—We—,” he stuttered with exasperation.

“My new place is much better than our old one; plus our lease is almost up. And, the landlord’s an asshole. Remember how many times I had to call him to get the AC fixed when it broke last summer? I practically died of a heat stroke. Not to mention that the washing machines are constantly broken. Do you really want to live there that badly?”

“No, I guess not,” he smiled somewhat sheepishly, afterall you spend more time in the apartment than he did. “So are you gonna ask me?”

“Ask you what?” You raised an eyebrow at him.

“You know? Like I asked you before we moved in together.”

“Oh, I see,”—you dragged out the ‘o’ in “oh”—“Harold Jordan, do you want to move in with me? Again?”

A smile beamed across his face, “Yes. Yes, I do.”

“Good, otherwise this would’ve been kind of weird,” you laughed as he kissed you again. “But, we are going to have to work on our relationship. We should probably think about couples counseling, but it might be hard with your ‘job’. Maybe we could start by trying to be better communicators and telling each other if things are bothering us or something?”

He nodded in agreement. “We can start right now,” he beamed, “I would like to go see this new, much better place of ours and explore a few other things.” He was trying to wiggle his eyebrows suggestively, but he just made you laugh at how goofy he looked.

“Really, after four months and all this, the only thing you can think about is makeup sex?” You quipped playfully, taking the keys from him and pulling him towards the car.

“Maybe…so is that a yes or a no?”

“Get in the car, please.” You stopped suddenly. “Wait, I have a question: how did you get my keys? I made sure to stay as far away from you as I possibly could!”

“A magician never reveals his secrets,” he smirks.

“Okay, Harry Houdini.” You rolled your eyes, smiling as you both got into the car.

The two of you knew that you were going to fix your relationship. You were meant to be together. It took some time and effort but everything worked out in the end. The Justice League and the Lanterns were glad that Hal wasn’t making everything miserable anymore—that was until he started planning on proposing to you, then that was a whole other can of worms. They were equally not ready for wedding Hal or, eventually, dad Hal that came down the road.

[literatikoo]

Lane Kim deserved better

I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that I would only write Lane Kim meta when I am very very angry because I need to be powered by spite and petty energy to unravel exactly how much of a disservice this show was to Lane and by extension any Asian kid with a similar life. And, well, it's happening now, so buckle up kids, this is going to be a loooong ride because I have a lot to say.

Before we start on the negative aspects, the show got a lot of things about Lane right, which is why I care so much about her character. Yes, ASP obviously didn't know how to write a POC experience and it's seen in the way some very harmful stereotypes were propagated (the tiger mom trope, Mrs Kim's religious beliefs, the depiction of the Kim extended family etc) but at the same time Lane was beautifully written as a character, unlike her plot which left much to be desired. Lane Kim was an Asian girl with rock n roll dreams who had an extremely fraught relationship with her mother and had to fight for even a semblance of independence. And I hate to say it but a lot of daughters of Asian households are forced to hide a part of themselves from their families, so Lane's story was authentic.

Not only was Lane amazing as an individual, she was also a great friend. She was the only one who was really in Rory's corner; she never judged her and supported all of Rory's relationships (my favourite example of this is when she barely tolerated Jess in S2/3 and then did a complete 180 like 5 episodes later, all because Rory decided to finally accept she liked him). Lane never pointed out what Rory was doing wrong not because she was afraid of doing so but because the two of them had been friends for years and Lane believed that Rory would figure it out one day. Lane shows this unconditional kindness not only to Rory but to everyone. She takes in her Korean cousin and teaches her to have fun even when she's afraid that Mrs Kim has replaced her, she lets Gil be in the band because she empathises with him, she takes care of the band and prevents it from breaking up multiple times. And these are only a few examples of Lane being the kindest character on GG.

One of the best things in Gilmore Girls is that the most unproblematic, amazing guy is given to Lane. Dave Rygalski is the best love interest on the show hands down (Sorry to my boy Jess but Dave was LEAGUES ahead of him at 17) and Lane definitely deserved someone like that. Their story was adorable and I would have loved for them to be endgame. However, what grates me is that when I see people talking about Lane "deserving better," it's usually about Dave vs Zach. When Lane actually deserved better as a WHOLE and not only in terms of love interests. I always thought it made more sense for her to end up alone at the end of the og series. Because Lane was a person who craved independence and she was not going to get that while tied to some guy (even if that guy is boyfriend extraordinaire, Dave Rygalski). It's even worse when we see that Lane is the only female character on the show to be treated this way. Rory rejects marriage for her career while Lane ends up with marriage as her storyline. Lorelai and Luke get back together but their relationship is still left open ended, though arguably it would've made more sense if they got married when Lane and Zach did. Paris gets into Harvard Medical school and gets a great relationship, similarly Sookie gets the family she wanted and continues to be amazing at her job. But Lane... god Lane is the only one without an open ending, without any space for speculation of where her life might lead her. Not only did they marry her off, they also gave her a terrible first time and twins, effectively locking her to Stars Hollow. The show even cut down all hope of her being a rock n roll mom as one of her S7 storylines is choosing the kids over going on tour with Zach. She doesn't get to be her own person for more than ONE season; she's stuck with being a daughter and then a wife and then a mother.

Something else that angers me about Lane's storyline is that we never really get to see how badly her relationship with her mom affects her. Don't get me wrong, I adore Mrs Kim's redemption arc and I think it was beautifully juxtaposed to Lorelai and Rory's crumbling relationship, but having a mother like that is hard. Not only did Lane have to hide 90% of her personality from Mrs Kim but she also lived with the fact that one day she might have to choose between her dreams and her mother. In the end, Mrs Kim makes that choice for her and deals with it by kicking Lane out in S4, and yet we never really see how that negatively affects Lane. Hell, Jess acts like a broody teen for two seasons, Rory wastes six months of her life away at the DAR and they both come out of it successfully. Lane gets kicked out, figures out her own living conditions, gets a job, works insanely hard for her band and... ends up having to give her dreams up completely.

Lane and Paris shared a lot of similarities too, even if they both had different friendships with Rory. They both came from terrible families and looked to Lorelai as a mother figure, they both cared deeply for Rory, and they were both incredibly passionate about their careers. Paris made calendars and flashcards and went crazy studying for both pre med and pre law. Lane was a walking, talking music encyclopaedia, she bought CDs obsessively and organised them by genre under her floorboards, she taught herself to play the drums and then found a band to play for. And yet... only Paris becomes successful in the end, whereas Lane takes over Kim's antiques. Lane was still a musician in AYITL and she can be rock n roll even with kids but this is all hypothetical and we never see it on the show.

There is a lot of terrible, lazy writing on the show and a lot of characters get ruined because of it but with Lane, her character stays the same, they just ruin everything else for her. I think she'll be an amazing mom and will probably make her best out of doing music casually. But the writers also took something so special and destroyed it just because Lane stopped being as important to the plot as she was in seasons 1-3. Lane and Rory drifting a little after Rory leaves for Yale makes perfect sense, that's just how relationships are, always changing. And yet as Lane's importance to Rory decreased so did her importance to the writers.

Lane wasn't the kind of character that needed character development or a redeeming character arc- she was never a bad person and nothing about her had to be fixed, unlike Jess or even Paris. All she really needed was for her dreams to come true because for the first 4 seasons her dreams were the biggest fixture of her personality. Like how Jess needed to overcome his trauma and Rory needed to figure out where she fit in and Paris needed to become a girlboss, Lane needed to realise her dreams because that's where her arc was leading her. But it just didn't happen. Instead, Lane becomes 2-dimensional; a large part of her screentime is taken up by Zach problems, her dreams fall flat and she becomes tied to Stars Hollow for the rest of her life. Not to mention we see less of Lane in favour of Logan and the dickhead posse.

This is not me hating on all the other characters I've mentioned in this meta, I'm just pointing out the lack of respect the writers have for Lane in comparison to all these other people who fulfilled the role they were made for. Why would you write Lane to have all these dreams and make her struggle so hard for 4 seasons just to smash them to pieces? And why is it that one of the only POC characters on this show is treated like this?

And you can't tell me the writers didn't know what they were doing, not when this is a direct quote from Lane in S7:

"It was such a small window -- a peephole, really. For years, I was this repressed kid, and then there was the briefest of windows. And then -- slam. All of a sudden, I'm this overburdened mother. I barely got to do it, Zach. I barely got the chance to be a person."