#stop taking the nuance out of star wars

[marvelstars]

“You didn’t kill Anakin Skywalker, I did” Darth Vader in OWK

While I believe with some work this phrase could be worked into SW canon, I dislike it´s implications, I think this phrase was the show creators trying to whitewash Obi-Wan role in ROTS when he decided to cut off all of Anakin´s limbs and letting him burn alive, one of the most painful ways to die ever. This tells me not only part of the fandom has a hard time seeing the story as it´s with nuance but also current creators at disney but that´s not how Lucas developed his story.

Obi-Wan may have not groomed Anakin like Palpatine did, owned him like Watto but he certainly tried to kill him on behalf of the Jedi Order and he was convinced he only could kill him off , in fact it´s Obi-Wan the one who started the fight on mustafar activating his lightsaber first while Anakin wasn´t looking at him.

Obi-Wan´s mission on mustafar was to kill off Anakin plain and simple, when he saw him burn alive he didn´t feel pity or mercy, he feel disgusted, in lucas words, Obi-Wan thought he was a thing, a thing of the darkside and when he discovered Vader was alive he planned to train Anakin´s Son, use his memories of Anakin to convince Luke to kill off Vader, his father, then tried to deflect blame when confronted with the truth by Luke.

This doesn´t mean Obi-Wan didn´t love Anakin at some point but he believed in "once a sith always a sith" for someone who told Anakin only Sith deal in absolutes, he had a very "absolute" way of thinking, the only thing Obi-Wan tought he could do for Anakin once he fell to the darkside was kill him off, at no point does Obi-Wan in the OT tries to deny that´s his intention so it´s unnecesary for the fandom and some creators to try to do mental gimnastics over this fact and by the way Obi-Wan learned of Anakin´s actions, you could even say he was justified even if his actions were cruel.

That said the story is clear that there are two types of deaths, the physical one and the spiritual one when people fall to the darkside, the jedi believe killing a sith is ok because they are already dead and so they are not killing the same person, that´s the logic Yoda follows and Obi-Wan when it came to Anakin and Dooku but they are also hypocritical in this choice of words when they act as if revenge wasn´t a big factor on it but at least they accepted they played a part in what happened to Anakin even if they are trying to fix it by killing him.

This is what makes Luke reject their orders, because he doesn´t want to commit patricide for revenge, he respects and loves his teachers but that´s something he knows he can´t do without falling to the darkside as well and despite all the reasons he had to hate Vader, he also has felt his care for him in the force and that´s why he wanted to save him.

Anakin tried to convince himself that he was spiritually dead and lost until Luke went to rescue him and that´s why he told him he already saved him even if he was dying.

Obi-Wan was totally surprised when he discovered Vader turned back from the darkside and when he realized Anakin was going to join the force he realized he wasn´t going to see him as himself again, unless he teached him how to become a force ghost(this is tackled in the novel version of Obi-Wan´s pov in ROTJ), so ironically, it was Obi-Wan´s need to keep Anakin around, on his side, what promted him to teach him how to become a force ghost, because he discovered he still loved him as his friend and wanted his friend back.

It´s pretty clear in the story, this isn´t about criticizing Obi-Wan, this isn´t Jedi bashing, it´s how literally the events happened in star wars and those are part of Obi-Wan´s personality as well as some of the Order povs on the darkside this doesn´t contradict their good intentions or Obi-Wan´s sassy lines and warm demeanor with friends and family.

[radiosummons]

It's been so long since I’ve watched the Clone Wars movie that I completely forgot that a major plot point is that Anakin (also Ahsoka, but mostly Anakin) was tasked with keeping Jabba the Hutt's son, Rotta, safe/alive.

And like ... wow, that's actually super fucked up. Like S-tier levels of fucked up. Congratulations. The writers really did put Anakin in a situation where he had no choice but to actually protect the child of a being who was directly responsible for his family’s suffering (as well as that of everyone on Tattooine, but this is Anakin-we all know he only cares about his special circle of people more than he ever will the “greater whole”). 

And Anakin’s immediate disgust, while confusing and probably even downright unfathomable to Ahsoka in the moment, is so absolutely justified. He knows that Rotta is going to live and grow into an adult that basks in absolute luxury at the expense of slaves. 

You just have to know that it absolutely infuriates him that his duty as a Jedi and, by extension, citizen of the Republic has put him into this position. He can’t even object to his responsibility to carry out this mission (although he initially tries). 

Now, obviously, I’m not saying Anakin should have abandoned Rotta, refused to protect him, or force forbid actually tried to harm/kill him (though, I could totally believe Anakin had a brief moment where he might have even seriously considered or fantasized about doing any of those). Regardless of how unjust and fucked up it is that Rotta is going to continue to benefit from his father/the Hutt Clans’ brutal supremacy, he’s still, well ... a child.

And no Jedi would willingly ever bring harm to a child, right? *cough cough*

I can only wonder what was going through Anakin’s head as he watched this random ignorant padawan he only just met an hour ago pick up Rotta and then proceed to call him “cute.” Like ... can you even imagine the sheer amount of conflicted emotions he must have experienced in that moment? 

And the fact that Palpatine directly orchestrated all this whole other level of sick fucking shit just to force Anakin specifically into this kind of fucked up situation ... bruh. Mister Sidious just couldn’t resist an opportunity to bring even more pain and suffering into Anakin’s life, especially when it had the added benefit of sowing more discontentment/doubt into his already shaky relationship with his own personal morals as well as his relationship with the Jedi Code. 

Fuck, what an actual maniacle bullshit fucked up thing to do. Creating a situation where Anakin has no choice but to actively protect an innocent life (a noble and moral thing to do), but with the full knowledge that this innocent being will only later grow to contribute to the cycle of abuse and trauma that he himself has been scarred by (and has already committed great atrocities in direct response to) ... brilliant.

Sith Lord in fucking deed.

(Also, don’t let this post fool you into rewatching the movie. There’s small gem moments in it, sure. Meeting Ahsoka, Captain Rex and Ventress for the first time are some highlights, of course. And maybe a few other mini moments between Anakin and Ahsoka as they start to sorta bond. But like ... you can just find some Youtube compilations of those moments. Don’t force yourself to watch the movie. It’s not horrible, but it’s definitely not up to the quality of the show and uh, yeah. Not worth your time imo).

Update: Sorry for reposting this again. Grammar mistakes and typos were driving me insane.

[prying-pandora666]

On Outrage Marketing and How To Stop It (ATLA Live Action)

I’m sure we have all noticed an uptick of aggression and frustration against fellow fans on this and other social media sites.

Depending on your perspective, you may think that other fans are being overly critical and hysterical or complaining just to complain.

Alternatively, you may believe that other fans have descended into toxic positivity and are dead set on silencing all discussion and dissent, even if it’s the slightest bit critical or questioning.

The reality is: both are true and false.

This is outrage marketing.

As much as we can dunk on Netflix for their past decisions, they’re not idiots. This isn’t a case of the actors and director not knowing when to shut their mouths. These media outlets are not doing hard journalism and bringing us the facts: this is sponsored content. The studio is PAYING to put these stories out there.

Why? And why so close to release?

Exactly for the reasons you’re seeing: to make us fight publicly on social media.

Look at it this way. How long did it take for the trailer hype to die down and for it to stop trending everywhere? A week?

Meanwhile, how much longer can outrage carry hype and word of mouth? For months or even YEARS. All the outrage clickbait we have seen in the past with Disney products especially (Star Wars, Marvel) is intentional outrage marketing. It keeps people talking, which keeps the content trending, which keeps spreading the word and building hype in a time where content is myriad and every IP needs to compete to keep your attention.

Basically it works like this:

Group of fans #1 are fed these interviews by the algorithm and make criticisms or express concerns.

Group of fans #2 are fed the most exaggerated or hyperventilating takes from the first group to create the illusion of irrationality.

Group #2 decries the “hysterical” fans and lump every bit of criticism into this, silencing dissent.

Group #1 feels censored and attacked which makes them even more aggressive in their criticisms.

Rinse and repeat. Bots can also be used to help foster this hostile environment. Reddit and Twitter are known to be infested with fake bot accounted for this reason.

Meanwhile, the much larger group of audience members just sees ATLA is trending and there’s a lot of buzz and tons of pictures that are aesthetically interesting so they are interested in the show.

So how do we stop it?

By no longer making the repeated posts complaining about other fan reactions, and ignoring them when you do see them.

Instead, engage civilly with your fellow fans. Be curious. Try to understand their actual perspective before you attack. You can disagree without making a caricature of the opposition and interpreting them in the most uncharitable way possible.

This will produce more nuanced discussions and allow people to vent their concerns as well as share their excitement in a way less hostile or censored environment.

Thank you to all who took the time to read this. I love ATLA and I love this fandom.

[niqhtlord01]

Humans are weird: Interview with the Devil’s right hand

*Recording starts*

Interviewer: Is it alright if I record this?

Subject: Well you’ve already started so why bother asking me?

Interviewer: I’m sorry, it’s a force of habit.

Interviewer: I can turn it off and take written notes if you want.

Subject: Nah, recording is fine.

*Background noise of children playing*

Interviewer: May I ask why you chose such a public place for this interview?

Interviewer: It seems so out of place given your line of work.

Subject: Were you expecting it to be in some shady bar on the far side of town that holds all the ne’er-do-wells and vagabonds meet and scheme?

Interview: *sounds made of sentence starting and stopping*

Subject: Bars get boring after a while and I wanted some fresh air.

Subject: And what do you mean by “my line of work”?

Interviewer: Well, you know….being a hitman.

Subject: Been a while since I’ve been called that.

Subject: Personally I prefer mercenary.

Interviewer: Is there a difference?

Subject: I’m sure you’d be able to find any poor sod that’d give off a list of reasons and nuances, but at the end of the day we all just kill people for money.

Interview: I’ve heard that you have a preference for being called “The Devil’s Right Hand”.

Subject: I don’t actually.

Subject: But you do one job for a galactic dictator with a tad of genocide and the next thing you know you got a nickname.

Subject: You know how hard it is for people to just use my real name and not that cheesy nickname?

Interviewer: What is your real name anyway?

Subject: Francis O’Connell.

Francis: Never got your name by the way.

Interviewer: Mortica Preces.

Francis: Haven’t met a Peline since the resource wars on Nifelen II.

Mortica: You fought in the resource wars?

Francis: I did. I made myself a scarf from the all the sacred braids your people wore from the dead I left on the battlefield.

Francis: Was the only thing that kept me warm during those freezing nights.

Mortica: You scalped my people?

Francis: Only from the dead ones; I’m not entirely a monster.

Mortica: …..

Mortica: Do you realize the religious significance of our braids, and what it means to take them?

Francis: I did and I didn’t care.

Francis: You were my enemy and I was damn upset at your people’s attempts to end my life.

Francis: Thankfully the war ended and we can now meet here as friends.

Mortica: …….

Mortica: When you agreed to do this interview I had pictured this much differently.

Francis: I told you that I would give you my side of the story.

Mortica: You did.

Francis: Did you expect me to sugar coat it?

Francis: Make it like I was fighting for some noble cause and lost myself in the throngs of war to become the monster the universe now sees me as?

Francis: Well that’s just horseshit people tell others to make themselves out to be more sympathetic.

Mortica: So you don’t want sympathy?

Francis: What the fuck am I going to do with that?

Mortica: Then why did you fight in the resource wars?

Mortica: Why did you commit such acts of malice and cruelty upon my people?

Francis: Simple really.

Francis: Because I was paid to.

Mortica: That’s it?

Mortica: Because you were paid to?!

Mortica: You butchered thousands and helped rip a peaceful star system asunder because you WERE PAID TO?!?!

Francis: I was paid very well if that makes the difference for you.

Mortica: How can you sleep with yourself at night???

Francis: *pauses*

Francis: When I go to sleep at night I am greeted in my dreams by the faces of everyone I have ever killed in my line of work.

Francis: Not just from the resource wars, but from every conflict, murder, and killing I have ever committed.

Mortica: So that rumor is true for humans then?

Francis: Oh yeah; that bit is very much true.

Francis: Each dream is the same. I’m walking down a long hallway that stretches on far beyond the horizon, and lining each side like a decorative mask collection is the face of a person I’ve killed.

Francis: Some of them are screaming at me; shouting out their last words or begging for their lives as they weep.

Francis: Some have the bullet or knife wounds from their death fresh on their skin as the blood drips from them like a fountain.

Francis: Then there are the ones that don’t say anything and just stare at you as you walk by; their silence piercing me like a blade through butter.

Francis: It’s a bit impressive how no matter how far I keep walking I never see the same face twice. I would be walking for what seems like hours or days and yet each face is different.

Mortica: A fitting nightmare for one such as you.

Francis: Oh but I haven’t told you the best part yet.

Francis: Attached to each face is a tag, like the ones you see for clothing sold at department stores, and written on each tag is how much I was paid to kill them

Mortica: By the gods….

Francis: I’m not even sure how I remember that but I think it’s my subconscious trying to punish me for the life I’ve lived.

Francis: While I’m walking down the hallway I will stop every now and then and look at the tags and smile to myself at a job well done.

Mortica: I don’t think I can continue this interview?

Francis: Why?

Francis: Because you are just realizing why someone would be called “The Devil’s right hand”?

Francis: You need to grow up.

Mortica: Excuse me?!

Francis: I said you need to grow the fuck up.

Francis: I’ve read your puff pieces promoting military life and the benefits it brings to the enlisted.

Francis: I couldn’t help but notice you left out all the PTSD, the horrific injuries experienced on the battlefields, the emotional trauma of losing your comrades day after day and realize the only way to survive is to cut off any emotional attachment to your squad mates just to ensure that you have some sanity left by the end of the war.

Francis: Only to find out that even if you do somehow survive you find society no longer has a use for you so you are left to rot on some run down street corner begging for scraps.

Mortica: That may be what your people do with your soldiers, but we Peline’s know how to treat our returning veterans.

Francis: Oh do you?

Francis: Then please explain why one of them paid me to do this interview with you?

Mortica: Wh-what?

Francis: I doubt you ever spoke to one of your returning soldiers in your entire career, have you?

Francis: Too afraid to get the real details of military life in favor of keeping the status quo.

Francis: Much less than first grade Ensign Tublek Frent.

Mortica: Who?

Francis: Oh you know who he is.

Francis: He came to you after the resource wars, after losing an arm and a leg, and offered to give you the scoop of the century.

Francis: An in-depth look of how your military bungled the entire war and then cast aside returning soldiers.

Francis: But you didn’t meet him; oh no.

Francis: You reported him to military command, who then had him declared mentally insane and locked him away in some dark corner of your medical facilities.

Mortica: How do you know any of this?

Francis: See my government found out about Tublek and were very much interested in giving your government another black eye.

Francis: So they paid me to break him out of the medical facility and transported back to Terra for a live broadcast.

Francis: Job went easy enough and I was just about to hand him over when the old sod learned who I really was and slipped me a coin.

Francis: Can you guess what that coin was for?

Mortica: You would kill me for a single coin?

Francis: Having read your articles I would have killed you for the sheer pleasure of it, but a man such as myself needs to keep up appearances and the devil’s right hand doesn’t do jobs for free.

Mortica: We’re in a public place; not even you are so foolish to try killing me here.

Francis: On the contrary, it was the only way to make you feel safe and draw you out.

*Rustling sound and the click of a weapon being pulled out*

Mortica: This recording has been going live to my office. If you kill me everyone will know.

Francis: Eh, publicity is publicity these days.

*Cocks gun*

Francis: I wonder where your place on the wall will be?

Mortica: Wa-

*GUNSHOT*

*Screams of children in background and footsteps slowly walking away.*

[hecckyeah]

Listen. I know, I KNOW we all have mixed feelings about the finale. Just in the last hour, I’ve read at least five posts on each side, some saying it was the best thing filoni’s ever created, and some literally cursing his guts. As I watched it, I was leaning much more to the how dare you, I waited two years for this and this sucks side, but I had a good night of sleep and some thought, and. I think everyone is overreacting.

Some thoughts.

First, I do think it should have been an animated Rebels season 5. I am partial to live action in general and I’m so glad we got such fantastic casting. But Filoni really shines in the animated world. Live action has limits that animation laughs at, and with all of Dave’s creativity and parallels and callbacks and history in animation, it would have suited this show better. Granted, the viewership might have been worse than it already was, but who’s to say?

Secondly, of course the whole thing was a setup for future movies/shows. It would have been near impossible for this to be a standalone series, with only 8 episodes and so much at stake. I still have absolutely zero idea how this fits in with the s*quels, but I hope it’s all part of the plan to safely extract our (Filoni’s) favorite characters before all hell breaks loose on the narrative.

BUT. Just because it was a setup doesn’t make the story any less meaningful. Dave is the master of arcs within arcs within arcs within arcs. There was the mini arc of Ahsoka and Anakin, reconciling very (very very) complicated feelings and Ahsoka coming to grips with her past as a child soldier and forgiving Anakin for the choices and mistakes he made. There was the mini arc of Hera in the New Republic and how she has to balance her loyalty to the government that she helped to establish with her loyalty to her family (something I don’t think we’ve seen the last of). There was the mini arc of (obviously) finding Ezra!!!! HE’S HOME, YOU GUYS. Sabine did the selfless thing and sent him home after a decade to have a fighting chance to reunite with his family. And to meet Kanan’s son and to see the beauty that Lothal has turned into and to hug his adoptive mom. And she has full faith in him that he will be back to get her, or that she’ll find a way to go back. Because she now has knowledge that he didn’t before, and with Ahsoka’s help and probably Shin and Baylan too, there’s no way they won’t Jedi their way out of this. (*cough* world between worlds *cough*) Also seeing Morai was a HUGE plot twist. I, for one, can’t WAIT to see what’s up with that.

FINALLY. and I think this is something that Star Wars fans (dare I call them fans anymore?) seem to always forget is that Star Wars……. Kinda sucks. It always has. No one in their right mind would say that Star Wars is a literary masterpiece or anything close to that. Star Wars is great because you are literally required to take it all with a grain of salt. Nothing goes at face value. You have to overlook things for the rest to make sense. You cherry pick your favorite parts and ignore the rest. Do I know absolutely anything about mandalore and their political history?? Not one single thing. But could I explain to you the nuances of the aptly-named Disaster Lineage and how generation trauma comes in more ways than by blood?? I could write PAGES. There’s so much history and lore and side characters and branches of story and nuance that no one can ever fit it all together perfectly, no matter how good of a storyteller they are. You have to pick a niche and run with it, and that’s exactly what Dave Filoni is doing. AND that’s what we as fans need to do. If you’re mad that he didn’t address the chiss as a whole or delve into the mysteries of the nightsisters or expand on what happened between Ahsoka and Sabine in depth, then I’m sorry, but you’ve come to the wrong place. Put on a pair of rose colored glasses and cry at Ezra’s reunions with the rest of us.

I’ve stopped expecting perfection from any major franchise (haven’t watched a marvel show or movie since TF&TWS) because the bigger they get, the less they’re going to appeal to the general fan base. And Ahsoka was no different. But it did accomplish one thing: bringing Ezra Bridger home after 10 years, and I think that is all we actually need to worry about for now.

Thanks for coming to my TED talk.

[highfantasy-soul]

I get people concerned that 'viewers are seeing a hot guy and falling for his manipulation!!' but like....personally, I don't believe cops when they just tell me someone is bad without proof?

The thing about compelling antagonists is that a lot of the time, THEY HAVE A POINT!! Vader in the OG trilogy had no point. It was just black/white we want to be fascist all over the galaxy and have all the power, you want to stop us. In the prequels, Palpatine was the same: he wants power....just cause. Anakin you can make a partial argument for in that his initial intention was never just to get power for himself, but rather protect those he loved: this led to him being able to be manipulated and then making abhorrent choices like slaughtering a bunch of children.

In newer Star Wars, there's room for nuance - room for critiquing and looking into things and seeing it isn't always black/white our protagonists are perfect, the antagonist is psycho evil for the sake of being evil.

We didn't see the rebels in Star Wars Rebels, Andor, and Rogue One as evil because they were killing storm troopers - we saw that their violence was justified in fighting back against an oppressive regime that was hurting people.

When I look at Qimir, he's only killed combatants directly opposed to him. We don't know yet what his real goals are - we don't know why the Jedi 'abandoned' him. So I'm going to reserve judgement and hear him out until I get more info. You know, like you should when determining if someone is evil and needs to die? You don't just rush in guns blazing because you see a red saber and someone fighting enemy combatants?

I know a lot of people have woobified the jedi so much that even though they're a militant police force with absolute power to kill you with their laser swords, fighting back against them is somehow seen as kicking a puppy, but idk man. I'm not against violent opposition to an oppressive force. Obviously we need more info before we can say for sure if Qimir's goals need to be pushed back against, but I don't go into situations with the default view of 'the jedi must be right'.

For me, it's really interesting to see how similar Qimir's attempts to get Osha to join him are similar to how Sol got her to agree to join the jedi. Separating her from other influences: check. Giving her tests to unlock parts of herself she knows are there: check. Showing kindness and understanding of her situation: check. Offering her something she wants (with Sol it was to allow Osha to 'be her own person' rather than only the other half to her twin and the lure of other children like her (that he conveniently left out she'd never be able to have a deep relationship with due to the non-attachment rules of the Jedi) and with Qimir it was being accepted for who she was, not some sanitized version of who others wanted her to be, plus the deep relationships she craves): check.

Is Qimir pushing for Osha to join him so he can have power? Yup. Did Sol push Osha to join him so that the order could have more power? Yup. So now the real question is: power to do what?

Though the idea of the jedi is great, how they actually exert their influence isn't always good for everyone (see stamping out the witches who we, yet again, haven't seen do anything bad). When you have a huge organization that prioritizes their own view of the world above all others, it's not only 'bad' people who get caught in the crossfire. Everyone just makes the assumption that if the jedi are against you, that means you're just a psycho who wants to go around killing people with impunity and if the jedi are supporting you, that means you're automatically good - but that hasn't been shown to be the case. Lets take a look at the Separatists as seen in the Clone Wars tv show - they weren't all fascist maniacs, they just wanted to govern themselves - not to have slavery or be able to kill a bunch of people, but because they were concerned about centralizing rule too much (which turns out, they were right to be worried about that!!) Or Tales of the Jedi when we saw the Jedi turning the other way when members of the Republic were treating their citizens horribly.

Fighting against those aspects of the Republic and the Jedi doesn't automatically throw you into the 'fascist psycho mass murderer' category. Killing the Jedi you think are responsible for the slaughter of your whole culture, I don't think, puts you in that category either. And of course, there can be instances where people do bad things for what they believe are the right reasons (see: Andor and Rogue One) BUT they aren't doing it to people we've associated with 'the good guys' for so long it makes it hard to think about the situation at hand rather than reacting in a knee-jerk kind of way to protect your blorbos.

Very long winded way of saying: I'm not saying Qimir is good or bad. I haven't seen enough to say yet. No, killing Yord and Jecki isn't enough 'proof' any more than Cassian killing the injured rebel so they wouldn't be caught was 'proof' that he was bad. We need to know WHY they're taking such drastic actions before I'm comfortable making my decision on what the show is trying to say.

If you feel like that's me 'lacking critical thinking skills' because you've jumped to a conclusion that's not supported by any facts yet, fine. But I'll wait for the narrative to finish before casting judgement based on what I think is a common trope used in stories.

[wastingawayinmyroom]

would’ve, could’ve, should’ve

“Percy,” he croaked. And immediately he knew it was over, from the subtle sound of peace in Nico’s voice to the ragged, painfully noisy breaths he was pushing in and out.

There was blood on his hands. There was blood on both of them, both of their blood on both of them, and somehow knowing that felt more intimate than any other form or shape of their love.

Percy cupped Nico’s face, feeling the soft warm of his skin, the euphoric sense of holding the person you hold dearest in your arms. He took the lingering sadness in the knowledge that this would be the last time, and he embraced it, which somehow made it better and worse at the same time. “Nico,” he said, voice hoarse. “My love, my life, my sun, my star.”

He pressed their noses together. Nico inhaled, then laughed, then winced. His hand pressed harder against the stab wound in his chest. Percy held it. Till’ death do us apart, after all. 

“You’re still a poetic sap,” his love said. He smiled, and Percy wondered if he would ever feel this good again. A hand reached up to trace a line on his cheek, where a tear had trailed down his face. “Promise me one thing.”

“Anything for you.” A shallow, shaky breath. Percy felt a sob ripe through him, and as the dam cracked, more water flooded through, threatening to flood the valley. 

“Perseus,” his life said, in that confident, vulnerable, lovely voice of his, the tone nuanced in every way. “Hey. Don’t cry.” A rattling cough that resonated through both their bones. “It’ll be fine. I’ll be waiting for you, in Elysium.”

“Elysium,” Percy repeated. His voice was shaking, his hands were shaking, everything was shaking. It wouldn’t stop shaking. 

“Yes,” his star said. “In Elysium. But promise me, Percy, that you’ll still be a poetic sap.”

His voice was getting weaker, his pulse beckming thready and slipping away. The sounds of war and battle continued on around them, but Percy could not be bothered with even a nuclear bomb.

Nico was going to go. Forever.

Despite himself, he laughed. Nico was one of the few people who could make him do that in any situation, any time, anywhere and for any reason. “Yes. I’ll be a poetic sap until my soul crumbles to ashes.”

Nico closed his eyes. 

“For me?” His sun murmured. 

“For you,” he confirmed.

He could tell the exact time that Nico slipped away, yet he chose to remain there, to kick and snarl and scream when people tried to take him away. When people tried to hurt him, he hurt them back. 

He thought, sadly, that he’d broken his promise to Nico di Angelo.

He couldn’t be a poetic sap. Not now, not when he was gone.

Would've, could’ve, should’ve. He could think of a hundred reasons why they were doomed from the start.

A tragedy.

[maybeiwasjustjade]

In celebration of s2 of HOTD, I have a few fics I plan to publish by the end of the season. Just a little something to hopefully tide us (and my hyper-fixating brain) over the next two years of wait.

However, I have an issue with switching around between works so nothing gets done. Currently, there’s 3 projects in the works, so I want y’all to vote for which one you find most interesting.

They’re all Green-centric, mind you (I just find them more interesting and fun to write and develop 🤷🏻‍♀️):

rivers always reach the sea (rarts):

Multichapter (the ultimate monster fic)

A rewrite of show canon where everything changes, yet ultimately nothing does. Canon diverges from 1x07, that has lasting effects on how the Dance is played out. The children are smarter, more ready, but war comes anyway no matter how hard they try to stop it.

Does include an OC—a second daughter for Alicent, and Aemond’s twin.

Starring Helaegon (but healthier), TGC’s Aegon, an Aemond with Therapy (that isn’t Vhagar), Daeron being important, Maelor existing, overall more prepared TG, shifting alliances (none of the kiddos promise), another Great Council at Harrenhal, even more dragons and dragon lore, a very specific timeline, and OC/Cregan ship.

A ripple into a hurricane/Second of Her Name:

3 chapters (but very long ones)

Set in a world where Alicent birthed 1 son (Aemond) and 3 daughters, thus changing the Dance altogether. A few characters are aged up, and others aged down.

To fix the rift between his family, Viserys orders for f!Aegon and Jace to be betrothed after the events of Driftmark; a marriage date set for after Jace’s 16th nameday. The Dance still happens, but it doesn’t start the same way, or even ends the same.

A chance to take a deep dive into the root of Aegon’s character if he had been born a woman, and without the pressures of his mother and grandfather, or the throne he didn’t want.

Starring Jaceagon (a Mess), Helaemond ft twins, an even more menacing Aemond, Rhaenyra being Rhaenyra, and sweet baby Daeron (whose just there for the vibes (for now))

Valonqar

3 chapters + an epilogue

A post-Dance AU where the Blacks won, and Rhaenyra lived to sit the throne. Jace lives, as do Rhaena and lil Aegon, but everyone else is dead. Aegon is now heir, Rhaena Lady of Driftmark, and Jace the Lord of Dragonstone. Jaehaera is the last of Alicent’s blood that lives

This story delves into how Jaehaera’s life would be like living as a hostage under Rhaenyra’s rule, especially now that her family and faction have been stripped of all names and titles. Jaehaera must learn to live as Jaehaera Hightower—the incest abomination daughter of the Usurper and his sister, in a pit of snakes where almost everyone wants her dead. Fortunately, she finds herself with a few allies that don’t agree with the queen and king consort’s treatment of her.

Also covers Jaehaera’s complicated history and feelings about her family, and the tragedies that befell them.

Though it follows a few notes from canon, ultimately Valonqar is a happy ending story, where Jaehaera gets to reclaim her identity and get long-deserved vengeance.

Edit: I would like to mention that despite the fics being TG-centric, they don’t include TB bashing. Critical of certain, much deserving characters yes, but hopefully written with nuance. Except Daemon. Expect Daemon bashing

[enaelyork]

[Headcanon]- Dating Thrawn

🌙 Thrawn loves you. How do you know ? He accepts that you make a mess of his life.

🌙 It's Mitth'raw Nururodo. Does he constantly correct you in the most serious way. You apologize and giggle because you find it so cute. And maybe you even distort his name on purpose to see him react that way.

🌙 You shed a tear the first time he held your hand in public. It was so unexpected and unpredictable that you almost had a cardiac arrest.

🌙 Thrawn shows you his affection by talking to you about everything he is passionate about. You can listen to him talk for long hours without stopping as the glow in his red eyes fascinates you.

🌙 When something worries you or upsets you he doesn't necessarily see it. He perceives a change in you and will work to understand it.

🌙 He sometimes feels helpless in the face of your emotions. But he is understanding and his clumsiness in making you smile touches you from the bottom of your heart. You love the way he tries to tame you as much as you try to do it with him.

🌙 You both love art. You might play music or paint. Everything that comes from you is a form of art in his eyes. He is honored to be your muse.

🌙 Your meetings often take place in places conducive to sharing your common passion: concert hall, museum, opera house, etc. You love exchanging your interpretations on the subject.

🌙 Thrawn is still trying to figure out why you're so busy preparing for each date. In his eyes your beauty does not lie in your hairstyle or how you dress but in you : your spirit and the wonder he sees in your eyes.

🌙 Thrawn considers you a masterpiece. Your body fascinates him and if he had to tell you what he prefers, it would undoubtedly be your eyes and all the mysterious nuances he sees there. You like the way he looks at you.

🌙 If Thrawn is not physically demonstrative, he will demonstrate his love for you and turn to you for any advice regarding the society in which he lives. He will also count on your presence during important maneuvers and will not make a decision without speaking to you. Your opinion matters more than anything.

🌙 On the other hand, concerning war and military tactics, he will never allow himself to be contradicted. Revealing his somewhat psychorigid side which you find quite adorable.

🌙 You like the detached way in which he approaches a problem that you entrust to him. He always manages to see things differently and calm you down.

🌙 Your relationship has never been official (even if you dream of a marriage proposal), but everyone suspects it. Your closeness escapes no one, although Thrawn has always strongly protected his privacy.

🌙 If you share your workplace he will not show any sign of particular affection towards you and will never favor you, favoring objectivity.

🌙 Since the Chiss perceive the reactions of bodies differently, it manages to sense your temperature variations.

🌙 Are you feverish? It's not a fever, Grand Admiral. It took him more than ten seconds to understand where this sudden burst of heat was coming from.

🌙 Thrawn is very hermetic to all love and romantic manifestations. As long as it sometimes puts you in awkward situations.

🌙 Why are you kicking me under this table, Y/N? Do you have ankle pain? Was probably the most embarrassing question you've heard at a business dinner.

🌙 He found it ridiculous when you explained the meaning to him once in private before showing you how a Chiss indicates his desire to you.

🌙 He doesn't laugh at any of your jokes. You love him for that.

✨STAR WARS HEADCANON ASK IS OPEN✨

[dindjarindiaries]

if you really wanna know why people portray Hunter as mean, I have a theory, but it's not a particularly nice one unfortunately? generally I see a lot of people who are huge Crosshair stans being the ones calling Hunter mean. and like ik it comes from a place where they sympathize with Crosshair, so they believe him when he says the batch abandoned him, but like, ultimately, even the narrative knows Crosshair is in the wrong (this is why we see him struggling with his own morality and self hatred, because hello, he realizes he made the wrong choice.)

idk I think Crosshair *feels* abandoned by Hunter but ultimately *knows* he's the one who repeatedly walked away. which is why he is baffled by Omega's loyalty to him. anddddddd star wars fans are not known to recognize nuance unfortunately..... so they believe Crosshair at face value.

Yeah, there’s long since been beef between Hunter and Crosshair stans, and they all need to take a page out of their faves’ books and remember that they forgave each other and never really stopped caring about one another even when they disagreed

[rebeccalouisaferguson]

Tell me about his big spectacular movie, which I thought was incredible. [Ferguson eyes me suspiciously, a dubious look, which sort of throws me off]

No, really, it’s really immense. And there’s so much moral complexity to it, which I kept finding myself writing in my notes. Why did you write morally complex? Why did that kick in?

Uhh, me? Well, quickly, with blockbusters, we often expect big triumphs and clear delineations of good and evil, and this gets muddied with a lot of people playing a kind of strategic intergalactic geo-political chess, which I think your character is definitely doing. Yeah, yeah. Could you just take the quote there and just put it on me instead? Say, Rebecca said that? That would be amazing, thank you [laughs].

But to be honest, I think you nailed it, and that’s what we, actors, love about these roles and working with Denis. It’s not the simplicity of good vs. evil. It is always the moral imbalance of a human being, you know? Even if you’re out in space and the stakes or high or whatever is there. That’s what makes it—the shades, the nuances.

Sure, I would say that this film pushes it as far as you possibly can with a blockbuster; you start to question your allegiance to seemingly heroic characters. It’s interesting. I think that’s really fascinating, and I think I’m going to have to, after these interviews, think about it. And I think you’re right. There were moments where, Oh gosh, I can’t go into it too much, but I remember talking to Denis and thinking, “Oh my god, she’s so driven by her belief!” You know if I were my own daughter, I’d be going sod off, stop it!” Like I felt this eagerness to separate, to cut the umbilical cord, but I obviously have to love my character and understand her.

It made it easier understanding the world of the Fremen—without giving anything away in that sense—but when she becomes a reverend mother, all of the information handed down into her, all the layers that she needs to carry inside, is something that she needs to deal with as well, whether she loves it or not.

That’s one of the key elements to me of the movie: characters like yours and Paul’s who are making difficult choices and ones that could even possibly alienate the audience, like the choice Paul has to make with Chani at the end... You’re basically comparing the inner journey of my character architecturally designing war and Timothee choosing between two women [laughs]. I think he has bigger issues than that, buddy! [laughs]. But I think you’re right; it’s within your choice, and reason comes the fall of simple love, the domino effect of a higher stake. And that’s, I think, is the brutality with which the character of Jessica needs to penetrate through him. It’s the play is bigger than your emotions.

I was going to ask if it’s hard playing these choices, but when you think of her as a mother-to-be, again, maybe the protective nature of all of it makes more sense. [Shakes her head in agreement] I think one of the difficulties I had tapping into, which was challenging, was that I’m not religious at all. And I would say that Jessica is somewhat, or becomes, a fundamentalist, right? In her belief. And it is so completely the opposite of who I am as a human being. So tapping into it and embracing it and understanding it was a really interesting journey for me, internally.

For sure, there’s a fervor of fundamentalist, but at the same time, I sort of read some of her behavior as a chess move of protection to make sure the Fremen are on her and Paul’s side. It all seems too tenuous for them. Yeah, that’s what’s interesting, isn’t it? It’s how you interpret, and I agree, but I also believe the moves that are made are made on a pillar of actual belief. What she actually believes in her son, what he is, it’s a very strong belief, call it fundamentalist or just call it very strong belief. The point is that, this is her mission throughout the entire duration of this world is to push forth her belief.

Right, well, then, were you ever concerned about your character coming across as… I dunno, scheming? Duplicitous? The Bene Gesserit aren’t evil, but it’s maybe fair to say they have their own hidden agenda. Yeah, they do, and it’s a little bit like back in the day, isn’t it? I compare it a bit to when I did “The White Queen” [TV series] back in the day, and it was a chess game. The men were out in the battlefields, and the women were plotting the houses. You marry France, that’s a good alliance—but I don’t love him!— surdoué, better army, stronger bonds. It’s sort of like [make little noise like moving figures], the plotting, the chess games, right? It’s kind of what the sisterhood is all about. So the question is, is this what we have had [all along], even if it’s a science-fiction, action film,  based on the idea and the idealism of what we have in society, which is women are at home and plotting the stronger bonds and the bigger fight. But what’s nice is here, we have a mixture because Denis lets women onto the battlefield as well, and that’s what’s so wonderful: we’re mixing it.

This film ends the way it ends— let’s call it a cliffhanger. But it teases so much more, a holy war, a daughter for your character. I assume you want to see more and potentially play opposite your daughter at some point in the future? I mean, I do, but… there’s never just a yes or a no. I’m very much what’s on the page, the story needs to be there, there needs to be reason. But it’s Denis. Denis wouldn’t write something that I wouldn’t want to be in. I love him. I think he is exquisite, he’s exquisite as a director, I think he is so creative. I think he is so smart, and especially when he talks about how the world is going the way the studio lies, and the creative freedom that is gradually taken away from us. I know what he wants, which means I believe in him.

So if it came [to a sequel], of course, I’d want to, but also, I want to take my character into a place that’s interesting to me. There’s always the balance. If you’re going to dedicate your four months to something, it needs to be worth it, right?

I need to wrap up, but I wanted to quickly ask you about “Mission Impossible” and your character’s death, which I thought was fitting with the film thematically—the idea that Ethan may lose everyone he loves in this mission and the great cost of it all—I wanted to hear how you felt about it. Was it bittersweet? I think, for me, when they came to me with the offer, and I said I wasn’t interested, that was the result; it was very much what was planned in my schedule. And how it was executed was very much, umm, an interpretation for everyone. I guess I [would] wish my husband would grieve me more than Ethan did [makes a cheeky clacking with her jaw]

To be honest, with that said, cheekiness aside, I believe that Chris McQuarrie and Tom [Cruise] make fantastic films and they are always wanting to go in directions that are unexpected, and darker, and interesting.

So when the relationship came to a point where—there was not more to be done really with Ilsa, and we have three picture deals in Hollywood, and when they come up, we as actors have the decision to say yes or no to a continued offer; they will make a good, something dramatic out of it, and all I can do is embrace it.

I hope people enjoyed it; I know a lot of people didn’t, and I know there are a lot of articles out there— and I’m not the writer. I do my job, and I do it as well as I can, and I serve the character because I think Chris wrote a fantastic character. And I’m so honored and grateful that I got to play her.

[csh-tournament]

Tournament Recap: Round 1

And so, Round 1 of Stage 2 is officially over. I thought it'd be a fun idea to make a little status update post as a way to sorta recap the bracket so far.

Aside from 3, which is barely hanging in there, the numbered albums (and Little Pieces of Paper) have all been completely wiped out, which is to be expected but also kinda sad. On the flipside, not a single track from Twin Fantasy (Face to Face) has been eliminated! Of course, that's going to change no matter what in the next round because Stop Smoking and Bodys are going up against each other.

*More detailed stuff under the cut. Songs are grouped by album/EP/I'm bald/any other miscellaneous infinitely nuanced answer*

1 [0/16 (0%) Remaining]

tybee island horse ghosts (Eliminated in Group Stage)

good sunday (Eliminated in Group Stage)

big jacket (Eliminated in Round 1 by My Boy (Twin Fantasy (2018))

Cesare the somnambulist (Eliminated in Group Stage)

happy/ugly (Eliminated in Group Stage)

David Lynch versus the moon (Eliminated in Group Stage)

his shiny customers (Eliminated in Group Stage)

up all night (Eliminated in Group Stage)

inside the bell jar (Eliminated in Group Stage)

july new hey (Eliminated in Group Stage)

kid war (Eliminated in Round 1 by portrait of the artist as a young fag)

you have to go to college (Eliminated in Group Stage)

yes bulletin (Eliminated in Group Stage)

mortgages for veterans (Eliminated in Group Stage)

my dad just passed out (Eliminated in Group Stage)

what does OUJ stand for (Eliminated in Round 1 by America (Never Been))

2 [0/13 (0%) Remaining]

smokezone (Eliminated in Group Stage)

this one time I went to a coffee house because some guy I knew was playing and I just sat there for an hour and didn't talk to anyone and then I came home and wrote this song (Eliminated in Group Stage)

we are in space (Eliminated in Group Stage)

it's you, you're the asshole who made this (Eliminated in Group Stage)

shoelaces (Eliminated in Group Stage)

act suspicious (Eliminated in Group Stage)

reversible jacket (Eliminated in Group Stage)

the majestic hotel (Eliminated in Group Stage)

90 (Eliminated in Group Stage)

fiction I (Eliminated in Group Stage)

hanging out with my mom in women's apparel (Eliminated in Group Stage)

...then it will be exactly the same as earth (Eliminated in Group Stage)

will you please pass the milk, please? (Eliminated in Round 1 by Famous Prophets (Minds))

3 [2/13 (~15%) Remaining]

no starving (Eliminated in Group Stage)

portrait of the artist as a young fag

beach weak (Eliminated in Round 1 by Nervous Young Inhumans (2011))

foreign song (Eliminated in Group Stage)

psst, teenagers, take off your clo (Eliminated in Round 1 by High To Death (2011))

sun hot (Eliminated in Group Stage)

beach fagz

summer bummer (Eliminated in Group Stage)

ryan north by northwest (Eliminated in Group Stage)

beach drugs (Eliminated in Group Stage)

beach death (Eliminated in Round 1 by Sleeping With Strangers)

beach funeral (Eliminated in Round 1 by Bodys (2018))

oh! starving (Eliminated in Round 1 by We Can't Afford (Your Depression Anymore))

4 [0/9 (0%) Remaining]

a good bridge to never cross until there's no doubt that he's dead (Eliminated in Round 1 by Famous Prophets (Stars))

who even knows (Eliminated in Group Stage)

even the who knows (Eliminated in Group Stage)

not "kidding" around (Eliminated in Group Stage)

heartless dick (Eliminated in Group Stage)

dickless heart (Eliminated in Group Stage)

feel like daniel johnston (Eliminated in Group Stage)

the ghost of bob saget (Eliminated in Round 1 by Beach Life-In-Death (2018))

around (Eliminated in Group Stage)

Little Pieces Of Paper With "No" Written On Them [0/21 (0%) Remaining]

leave together (Eliminated in Group Stage)

I don't want you (Eliminated in Round 1 by Overexposed (Enjoy))

I am afraid of literally everything (Eliminated in Round 1 by The Ballad of the Costa Concordia)

100 minutes of solitude (Eliminated in Group Stage)

neon sign (Eliminated in Group Stage)

samson's golden axe (Eliminated in Group Stage)

I scream social (Eliminated in Group Stage)

wachovia receipts (Eliminated in Group Stage)

the singles song (Eliminated in Group Stage)

get better get well (Eliminated in Group Stage)

squid desert (Eliminated in Group Stage)

ff (Eliminated in Group Stage)

nothing (Eliminated in Round 1 by High to Death (2018))

surf jerk (Eliminated in Group Stage)

a pleasant sort of terror (Eliminated in Group Stage)

total burn (Eliminated in Group Stage)

when I'm here (Eliminated in Group Stage)

the staying song (Eliminated in Group Stage)

I CAN TALK WITH MY EYES SHUT (Eliminated in Round 1 by psst, teenagers, take off your clo (2015))

the vice president of google and et al (Eliminated in Group Stage)

hot sun (Eliminated in Group Stage)

My Back Is Killing Me Baby [2/11 (~18%) Remaining]

the drum (Eliminated in Round 1 by Unforgiving Girl (She's Not An))

happy news for sadness

sunburned shirts (Eliminated in Round 1 by Maud Gone (2015))

stoop kid (Eliminated in Round 1 by Jerks)

something soon

no passion (Eliminated in Round 1 by Some Strange Angel)

father, flesh in rags (Eliminated in Round 1 by Oh! Starving (2012))

strangers (Eliminated in Round 1 by something soon (2011))

lawns (Eliminated in Group Stage)

p.o.w. (Eliminated in Round 1 by The Ending of Dramamine)

open-mouthed boy (Eliminated in Group Stage)

Twin Fantasy (Mirror to Mirror) [7/10 (70%) Remaining]

My Boy (Twin Fantasy) (Eliminated in Round 1 by Times to Die (2015))

Beach Life-In-Death

Stop Smoking (Eliminated in Round 1 by Hollywood)

Sober To Death

Nervous Young Inhumans

Bodys

Cute Thing (Eliminated in Round 1 by Beast Monster Thing)

High To Death

Famous Prophets (Minds)

Twin Fantasy (Those Boys)

Monomania [6/9 (~67%) Remaining]

Romantic Theory

Misheard Lyrics (Eliminated in Round 1 by Twin Fantasy (Those Boys) (2011))

Times To Die

Overexposed

Los Borrachos (I Don’t Have Any Hope Left, But The Weather Is Nice)

Souls (Eliminated in Round 1 by The Gun Song)

Maud Gone (Eliminated in Round 1 by happy news for sadness)

Sleeping With Strangers

Anchorite (Love You Very Much)

Starving While Living [2/5 (40%) Remaining]

It's Only Sex

Reuse The Cels (Eliminated in Round 1 by Boxing Day)

I Hate Living (Eliminated in Round 1 by Romantic Theory)

Devil Moon (Eliminated in Round 1 by Cute Thing (2018))

Oh! Starving

Nervous Young Man [9/20 (45%) Remaining]

Boxing Day

We Can't Afford (Your Depression Anymore)

Don't Remind Me (Eliminated in Round 1 by Los Borrachos (2012))

Homes (Eliminated in Round 1 by Knife In The Coffee)

Afterglow (Eliminated in Round 1 by Something Soon (2015))

Jerks

Broken Birds (Rest In Pieces)

The Gun Song

Goodbye Love (Eliminated in Round 1 by There Must Be More Than Blood)

I Can Play The Piano (Eliminated in Round 1 by Stop Smoking (We Love You))

Crows (Rest In Bigger Pieces Mix) (Eliminated in Round 1 by Los Borrachos (2015))

I Wanna Sweat

Burning Man (Eliminated in Round 1 by Sinner)

Dreams Fall Hard (Eliminated in Round 1 by Nervous Young Inhumans (2011))

Plane Crash Blues (I Can't Play The Piano)

Big Jacket (Eliminated in Group Stage)

Death At The Movies (Eliminated in Round 1 by Fill In The Blank)

Jus' Tired (Eliminated in Round 1 by Sober To Death (2011))

Some Strange Angel

Knife In The Coffee

Disjecta Membra [1/17 (~6%) Remaining]

Endpiece (Eliminated in Group Stage)

Please Mr Pilot (Eliminated in Round 1 by I Wanna Sweat)

2:24 (Eliminated in Group Stage)

The Hard Part (Eliminated in Round 1 by Bodys (2011))

Sound Man/Low Fidelity (Eliminated in Round 1 by Hey, Space Cadet)

Napoleon (March On Russia) (Eliminated in Group Stage)

Drunk On A Work Night (Eliminated in Round 1 by Broken Birds (Rest In Pieces))

Love Me Too Much (Eliminated in Group Stage)

Dream: Encounter On Smoke Mountain (Eliminated in Group Stage)

Sinner

When Will My Man Come? (Eliminated in Group Stage)

Hi Life (Eliminated in Group Stage)

AC (Eliminated in Group Stage)

If Not, Then Oh Well (Eliminated in Round 1 by Destroyed By Hippe Powers)

Memories (Leonard Cohen Cover) (Eliminated in Group Stage)

KS (Eliminated in Group Stage)

Unfinished: Pain Star (If Heaven is full of people...) (Eliminated in Round 1 by Drunk Drivers/Killer Whales (Album Version))

How To Leave Town [6/9 (~67%) Remaining]

The Ending of Dramamine

Beast Monster Thing (Love Isn't Love Enough)

Kimochi Warui (When? When? When? When? When? When? When?)

I-94 W (832 mi) (Eliminated in Group Stage)

You're In Love With Me (Eliminated in Round 1 by Plane Crash Blues)

America (Never Been)

I Want You To Know That I'm Awake/i Hope That You're Asleep

is this dust really from the Titanic? (Eliminated in Round 1 by Beach Life-In-Death (2011))

Hey, Space Cadet (Beast Monster Thing In Space)

Teens of Style [5/11 (~46%) Remaining]

Sunburned Shirts (Eliminated in Group Stage)

The Drum (Eliminated in Round 1 by It's Only Sex)

Something Soon

No Passion (Eliminated in Round 1 by Drunk Drivers/Killer Whales (Single Version))

Times to Die

psst, teenagers, take off your clo

Strangers (Eliminated in Round 1 by Drugs With Friends)

Maud Gone

Los Borrachos (I Don't Have Any Hope Left, But the Weather is Nice)

Bad Role Models, Old Idols Exhumed (psst, teenagers, put your clothes back o) (Eliminated in Round 1 by I Want You To Know That I'm Awake/i Hope That You're Asleep)

Oh! Starving (Eliminated in Round 1 by Life Worth Missing)

Teens of Denial [9/12 (75%) Remaining]

Fill In The Blank

Vincent

Destroyed By Hippie Powers

(Joe Gets Kicked Out of School for Using) Drugs With Friends (But Says This Isn't a Problem)

Not What I Needed (Eliminated in Round 1 by Deadlines (Hostile))

Drunk Drivers/Killer Whales

1937 State Park

Unforgiving Girl (She's Not An)

Cosmic Hero

The Ballad of the Costa Concordia

Connect the Dots (The Saga of Frank Sinatra) (Eliminated Round 1 by beach fagz)

Joe Goes to School (Eliminated in Round 1 by Vincent)

Twin Fantasy (Face to Face) [10/10 (100%) Remaining]

My Boy (Twin Fantasy)

Beach Life-In-Death

Stop Smoking (We Love You)

Sober to Death

Nervous Young Inhumans

Bodys

Cute Thing

High to Death

Famous Prophets (Stars)

Twin Fantasy (Those Boys)

Making a Door Less Open [4/11 (~36%) Remaining]

Weightlifters (Eliminated in Round 1 by Cosmic Hero)

Can't Cool Me Down (Eliminated in Round 1 by Sober to Death (2018))

Deadlines (Hostile)

Hollywood

Hymn (Remix) (Eliminated in Group Stage)

Martin (Eliminated in Round 1 by Anchorite (Love You Very Much))

Deadlines (Thoughtful) (Eliminated in Round 1 by Kimochi Warui)

What's With You Lately (Eliminated in Round 1 by Twin Fantasy (Those Boys) (2018))

Life Worth Missing

There Must Be More Than Blood

Famous (Eliminated in Group Stage)

Other

Drunk Drivers/Killer Whales (Single Version)

Unforgiving Girl (She's Not A Single Version) (Eliminated in Round 1 by 1937 State Park)

War Is Coming (If You Want It) (Eliminated in Round 1 by Times To Die (2012))

Edit: Mirror to Mirror and Starving While Living were counted wrong. That's been fixed.

Edit 2: Forgot to mark Maud Gone (2012) as eliminated. I knew I'd miss at least one.

[dancerinthestorm]

Fic Recs: Awesome OFCs edition

For some reason OCs tend to draw a lot of fire in certain fandom circles but I love them unapologetically. For me they are a brilliant way to add something new, something unexpected to a well known and well loved story. So, here‘s my utterly incomplete list of „fics that should be read for their awesome OFCs alone“.

Make way Lizzie Bennett, Sophie Hatter and Tiffany Aching, there are a some new girls in town! 😁

Theodora Byrne in @esta-elavaris epic "Catch the Wind" (AO3).

Oh dear, where to start. I am forever in love with Theo. I'd kill for her, I'd die for her. Her sass, her indomitable spirit, her way of throwing poor James Norrington off kilter. The whole story is just shy of 418k words and a beautiful, terrifying beast to behold. I unwisely started it on a Friday night shortly before going to bed and simply could not stop until my darling, long-suffering husband put his foot down on Sunday and made me eat, drink, shower, sleep and (most cruelly) sent me off on Monday morning to resume adulting.

I'm not sure if I should own up to it in public but to tell you the truth: I have not been able to pick it up since that day. Not because I do not want to (oh how I want to!) but because I am afraid. Afraid that the story will end and I am not ready for it. Afraid for what might happen to Theo and James. When I left them in chapter 63/101 they were happy, comfortable and (relatively) save but with the whole ordeal of "At World's End" still ahead of them.

Should you still put down everything else to read it? Yes! Absolutely! Go! Now! Shoo! And don't be a wuss like me, the story deserves so much more!

Pirates of the Carribeans. James Norrington x OFC. Rated E.

***

Nika in "This Destiny is Mine" (AO3) by @messy-insomniac-bookgirl

I knew I was done for when one of my favourite authors decided to let one of her gorgeous female leads tackle one of literature’s most heinous crimes: The fate of Boromir. No way I would not root for her, rage with her, fear for her, laugh with her. A beautifully nuanced and overall kick-ass female lead that I cannot get enough of.

The story itself is not too long yet and is intriguingly hard to place. The author calls it a fix-it. And it is... but also not... not really... It gives us an OFC but she's no 10th walker. It has already made me feel everything it is humanly possible to feel, sometimes within the span of one short chapter alone.

Amazing storytelling and I cannot wait to find out where this journey will take Nika.

Lord of the Rings. Boromir x OFC. Rated E.

***

Jenya in Bramandian0336's "Black Honey" (AO3)

Having to deal with the emotional hot house that is Kylo Ren/Ben Solo is nothing for the faint-hearted and calls for especially intrepid female leads. So, this list would be utterly incomplete without her.

Meet, Jeyna: historian, archeologist and - suddenly and unnervingly - subject of Kylo Ren's scrutiny. I absolutely devoured her stroy with all it's amazing world building, obscure Star Wars lore and action.

Star Wars. Kylo Ren/Ben Solo x OFC. Rated E.

***

Asta in "Where I am needed most" (AO3) by @scyllas-revenge

Unable or unwilling to commit to any of the literary behemoths above? Then I have just the thing for you! A beautiful one-shot set in the chaos of the Battle of Helm's Deep. Wonderfully dense story telling garnished with spot on characterizations. Headstrong, brave, resourceful, sharp-tongued Asta is a sight to behold and I could not get enough of her clashing with Eomer.

Eomer/OFC. Idiots in love, shouting matches and kisses. Rated T.

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As mentioned: this list is totally incomplete. Please feel free to yell your own favourites at me in the comment section, regardless of fandom! 😁

And as always: a huge shout out to all the authors for your time, your talent and your dedication! You guys are absolute rock stars!

[ssaalexblake]

I'm curious about your opinion about 'a discussion' about the Doctor saying in Survivors of the Flux: "Earth has been shielded from the Flux, but it'll be vulnerable. It'll become a target. If the Flux is destroying the universe, if planets and stars are being wiped out, there will be displaced creatures who need a home. Somewhere to take over." Mostly due to how I've seen it being said to be the Doctor expressing anti-refugee sentiment, especially the usage of 'take over'.

i've sat on this one because it depends Entirely on how this ~discussion~ happened. Your grammatical choices in writing this ask do not fill me to the brim with confidence, however.

Anyway.

If we're having an on the level discussion on linguistics and phraseology where we talk about how innocuous turns of phrase like 'take over' (mice took over my loft once, it sucked) have been co-opted as very not innocent phrases, and how it would have been better if they'd made it verbally explicit that they meant a colonization like something along the lines of what the Sontarans literally already did in Liverpool a couple of episodes ago then... You know, I may even agree? I do think contextually it's clear what they're saying here but hell, might as well be on the nose. If people are gonna accuse the era of spelling everything out for people, they might as well have done so.

However, if we're being cunning enough to ignore all context available in both that A) this whole era is a criticism of treatment of refugees AND simultaneously even more so a scathing criticism of colonialism, all to genuinely spout that they'd suddenly, in one of the last couple of episodes, do a step-heel-turn and deliberately say fuck them refugees that are gonna come steal all our jobs or something then... I mourn our good friend, Nuance McNuance. Such a good guy. Miss him so much. Gone too soon.

This line did not happen in a vacuum and should not be considered like it did.

(this is bringing me Back to people who complained that war of the sontarans had inconsistent morals. No. Actually it was just giving the thumbs up to beating the shit out of violent colonizers and also saying to stop waging pointless stupid war and getting people killed for no reason other than ego. Oh the death of nuance.)

Anyway, like i said, it depends on how this was said. Discussing linguistics choices is a totally normal port of fandom call, but ignoring context both of the scene and era at large to Choose to interpret in such a way that contradicts the themes and morals of an entire era of the show is... Well. We'll highball and say it's uncharitable.

(and since when does the Doctor refer to somebody being Nice as a Creature??? If we're digging in linguistically already then that is. Not a thing.)

You know that post going around saying that a person saying they support something but doing so using "bad" language is Far better than the person who uses the up to date appropriate terms, but is supporting a fucked up message? How in such cases sentiment is where you look because that is Far more important than linguistic choices? Yeah. I'm still far more worried about the zygon two parter, thanks (but i'm not gonna talk about That one bc i'd have to watch it again and hell no).

They're talking about daleks, and cybermen, and sontarans, and whatever other species may make like the british empire and colonize. This is clear, frankly, to the point you don't Need to think about it.

The conversation is about phrasing, which could be improved but is not, you know, Horrifyingly dire as it's obvious what they meant.

Incidentally, due to context, if said line had been said in Moffat's era i'd be Way more leery because of some unfavourable context in his era.

And, to conclude;

In the words of Fred Jones in Scooby Doo, Monsters Unleashed

"I think coolsville sucks"

[revacholianpizzaagenda]

Püha ja õudne lõhn (Sacred and Terrible Air) chapters 15+16 summary

Chapters index - ask away for any clarification or further details!

15. MOULD

The chapter of the end times. We follow the last days of various secondary characters throughout the six years that go from the beginning of the end – the initial pale onslaught, the nuke – to global entroponetic collapse in 78. It’s a suspended atmosphere. Oblivion and annihilation are almost met with relief. Some, like Anita, come into their own in the end days, finding unexpected wellsprings of inner strength. Gessle’s subversive documentary on Hirst finds a public of fascists missing the nuance. Khan calls his mother for the last time one month after reaching Graad, saying goodbye. He will not return. Katla joins Graad in the war against Mesque; the struggle is futile, but as satire would have it, not even losing a war can take the social democracy out of Vaasa. They even become the first and last city in history to eliminate light pollution. As the world ends, they look at the stars.

The war entwines with the advance of the pale. Its arrival is heralded by fruit going mouldy.

As Ann-Margret Lund dissolves at last, she leaves no memories in the pale, there is no past for her to return to. Katla sinks into the pale.

16. ENTROPONAUT

(Monty Python voice) and now for something completely different. Present (72), Samara, collapsed Nad-Umai region. Zigi, now a washed-out husk of a man, traverses the desolate grey expanses of the near pale. But he is not alone…

21 years ago, Vaasa. In a fit of rebellion, as one does to change the world, a drunk Zigi wrecks a bus stop, fisticuffs a trash bin and throws a brick at the window of the fanciest picket fence house in the suburb: the Lund house. The girls’ father rushes out to punish the vandal and engages him in a long pursuit which, after some slapstick detours, ends with Zigi climbing to the safety of a garage roof. Then, too, he was not alone, a shadowy figure was already egging him on from the roof, inciting violence...

Present. Zigi’s past and present companion turns out to be none other than the blurred cytoplasm of Ignus Nilsen. The two have a contentious relationship, with the apocalyptic shrike now supporting, now inspiring, now suicide-baiting his ward. Zigi is trying to flee from the world. This pains Nilsen, who, despite everything, loves the world deeply. Their bickering takes on the ideological tones of a confrontation between communism and nihilism, a central tension of the book. At one point, Nilsen’s impassionate defense of communism, in its most fundamental aspect of belief in your fellow human, appears to make the pale retreat from their spot. This makes Zigi panic. The pale rolls back. Nilsen accuses the Lund girls of having been bourgeois, all girls are bourgeois, but Zigi shuts him up: they weren’t. He does not know what they were thinking, but it was something else.

Zigi threatens to make Ignus disappear if he won’t reveal something from his erstwhile, bloody retreat to Samara: why on earth did he take the Harnankur model with him? But Nilsen admits that all he says – all the tales of Mazov and his gentle soul, of the amphetamines-fueled birth of Samara SRV – can’t reach any further than what Zigi already knows...

[noblehouseofgay]

Long fuckig ramble about morals and jkr and all that

It's so complicated like- seeing people with the opinion on hp I used to have vs my current opinion

Bc I used to get annoyed when I'd see any hp stuff. Bc to me it equals unsafe. It meant to me that you don't respect me or my life, as well as a lot of other people's.

But like seeing marauders fans, ik it's the opposite. Obviously this doesn't count for all fans, I steer clear of millennial white women fans, shit scares me.

But I saw someone talking about how it's a red flag to like any of it, and from someone who's been on both sides- i disagree

If you are actively speaking up against jkr and what she stands for, I think you're allowed to enjoy what you want. Especially if it's a fan made thing? Dude she gets no money from that go wild

I just think the internet as a whole needs to remember what nuance is. The internet feels likr a black hole so often and it sucks. I'd much rather have a civil discussion on shit rather than get called a slur and blocked

Anyway I'm rambling. Obviously I still feel some guilt for being a fan of hp. It literally freaks me out sometimes bc its so conflicting with who I am. But I think the fans (queer marauders fans especially) make it what it is. We took what that trash bag of a human made, and turned it into something more accepting

We saw the racism and stereotypes and all the bs, and we gave those characters real traits instead. We gave them real personalities and stories. And I think that's beautiful. Taking something gross and making it better

Tho I do absolutely understand that some people don't agree. Like I said, I had that opinion for- probably 10 ish years of my life? Idk time isn't real

Tho the mental battle I have is exhausting sometimes. Bc I'm trans. I'm literally the thing she targets the most now. I've grown up seeing the antisemitism and the racism and the homophobia from her. And it's fucked up. But I think- the whole "Harry potter fans need to grow up" shit needs to stop. Bc we could say that about any fucking fandom. A fuck ton of movies/stories/etc are considered childish. A lot of those things also have villains that people love. I think we need to acknowledge that while it's fictional, it can do harm, but we can enjoy the fiction if we still stand against the harm

God I have so many thoughts and I just needed to get it out ig

Fr tho "those fans need to grow up" yeah ok go tell it to star wars fans. Or disney fans. Or Marvel fans. Or doctor who fans. Or fucking any other fan. Bc you can have your criticisms, but get a better argument