#such a good way to communicate the two 'sides' of the raven queen (life/death) as well as vax's acceptance vs percy's defiance

[aq2003]

sorry i cracked and i skipped ahead to the duskmeadow episode just so i could listen to vax and percy's meetings w the raven queen and GOD this is some of the absolute best dming i've seen from matt yet

[kirapen]

The Ghost Of My Parents AU (A Proper Introduction)

Guardian Spirits are the ghosts of those who watch over their loved ones from beyond the grave. Immune to the rules of normal specters, Guardian Spirits are unable to intervene with the lives of the living. They are forced, for better or for worse, to watch over their loved ones in silence, their presence never to be known. They are able to interact with other kinds of ghosts and ghouls, but as an act of courtesy they will never mention Guardian Spirits to those they watch over. Maternal figures, especially mothers who died during childbirth or while their child is still young, are the most common kind of Guardian Spirits.

Charlotte Marie (Lottie):

The "magicless" Prefect of the Ramshackle Dormitory. A young woman scared of her own shadow who inherits the powers of The Mark Of The Spirit, which allows her to commune with the dead, see them as they where in life and travel between The Realm of The Living and The Great Hereafter whenever she pleases. When encountering the spirits of Queen Leah Istvan of Bladevale and Princess Maleanor Draconia of Briar Valley, she makes it her life's mission to lead the two wayward spirits into the Great Hereafter, but first must conquer the hurdle of making them see that their children do not need their mother's protection, and the even greater hurdle of helping them overcome centuries of prejudice and learn to walk alongside one another as friends

Leah Istvan:

The Queen of Bladevale and mother of Silver. A gentle and demure woman, she was raised to be a good wife and mother rather than a queen in spite of her natural gifts of strategy and intellect. She spent 400 years by her sleeping son's side, her wails resounding throughout the halls of Wildrose Castle, haunting the villagers that lived nearby and the poor soul who attempted to get to close to her infant son before he could awake. Despite being a patient and understanding person, Princess Maleanor always bring out the worst in her, often leading the two to fight whenever Lottie isn't around to intervene

Maleanor Draconia

Crown Princess of Briarland and mother of Malleus Draconia. After her death at the hands of The Knight of Dawn, Maleanor stayed by her son's side while Lilia searched for a way to hatch him. Even after her beloved child was born, she continued to act as the star that looked over him, even following Malleus to Night Raven Collage when his time for enrollment came. Her contempt for humans causes strife between herself, Leah and Lottie, and often refutes the young girl's attempts to lower her walls and allow her in

The Knight of Dawn (Stephan Istvan)

The King Consort of Bladevale and father of Silver. In death he choose to live in a self proclaimed exile in the far corners of The Great Hereafter, where he now lives a quaint life tending to his garden, thinking that the blood forced on his hands that will never wash away. For 383 years, he spent every Halloween Night trying to convince Leah to allow the Fates to watch over and protect their infant son, but every year his pleas would fall on deaf ears. Now the two spend their one day together in each other's arms, leaving the heartbroken Knight of Dawn to wonder when he'll truly be able to be reunited with the love of his life

[spoiler1001]

Glad to know you're open for prompts! *(unfurls a piece of paper)* Okay, one of these says "Caleb tracing Molly's tattoos."

Caleb was good at many things. Spell casting was just his more notable talent. Molly paused. Spell casting was just what Caleb was most famous for, what people who were shallow or not wanting to look deeper would associate with Caleb. Molly knew that his wizard was skilled in many things. He wanted to share none of those skills with others, barely even the nein. Definitely not with the volstruckers. Sure they were trained in many things but to Molly, he was skilled in everything he tried. 

Caleb was Molly's alone, especially for moments like this. Lucien was wrong about many things during his short life and especially about his claim of the wizard. Molly didn't share.

Their whole relationship was a steady rhythm. Push, pull, give, take. Molly purred to himself. This felt right, like he was meant for this. His eye markings were still seared onto his body, but were rendered null and void. Artwork helped form them into more than blemishes on his skin.

Molly, admittedly, had moments of self consciousness. He knew he was of demon blood. He knew that his lavender skin was rare and the strangeness was off putting. He knew that when he smiled his fangs were too big. Caleb never made Molly feel monstrous about himself. Caleb smiled at him and saw the being underneath. 

Caleb saw his dazzle and his showmanship. 

As he mused the two swayed and Caleb ran his thumb over the peacock feathers. Molly turned his head to face Caleb's jaw, the gesture with Caleb's thum facing outwards. Nothing was said between the two as they kept the rhythm. From their closeness Molly could only hear the heartbeats of the two of them. 

Molly moved his hand up Caleb's arm resting over Caleb's own eye mark. Caleb took a sharp breath and ran his fingers over the snake on his arm. 

Caleb took a sharp breath and leaned into the touch. 

This was perfect, a divine communication, a blessed sin. Caleb and Molly seemed  to melt together, becoming one whole instead of two separate beings. Two hearts one pulse. 

Molly almost smiled. This was dangerous. Blood magic was looked down on, besmirched. Labeled the most damning and evil magic out there. That wasn't true. This- what he was feeling was even more dangerous. This could condemn even the most virtuous spell caster. Molly took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Caleb kept his hands on Molly. Always keeping them connected. The world wasn't important to them; no Lucien, no Trent. Just them. 

Caleb swayed his hips against Molly, a smirk on his face. 

"Don't be cocky." Molly lovingly whispered. Caleb's smirk widened. That cockiness was something that heated Molly's blood.

Oh Caleb had Molly wrapped around his little finger. Molly couldn't complain. It was the happiest of endings for him. 

After he came back, everyone was different.

"Your mind is drifting, my friend." Caleb's voice was light, amused. 

Molly blushed. "Its just...everything." 

Caleb hummed and ran his finger over his new tattoo in the center of his chest. 

Orly was a miracle worker. The jagged scar left over from his death was worked into a flower made from diamond and emeralds, and jades and a little bit of any other jem that they could find. There was no magic in this picture, besides Molly's usual magical presence in everything that involves him. The group didn't comment on it but the image as a whole was of a raven surrounded by flowers. This thrice dead body should have a monument to the Raven Queen, Molly decided. It was awkward when the others saw that one, but it was...Orly drew every feather of the bird and every petal. It was so lifelike people almost thought the raven would fly away. 

Caleb ran his thumb over the head of the raven, where the scar was thickest. His hands shook against Molly's skin. 

Molly placed a kiss on Caleb's temple. For everything that they had gone through, moments like this were needed. 

Molly grunted as he had to bring himself back to the reality of what he was doing. He needed to focus on where he was and what he was doing. Maybe constant death was making him sentimental. Maybe he was getting old. Molly was starting to get white strands in his hair, maybe from his constant relationship with death. It matched Caleb's blond and silver strands. 

Molly took a deep breath through his nose. Scented candles filled the air.

Molly felt himself becoming more and more grounded. The silken clothes he was wearing felt soft. How Marion managed to find a one piece with buttons that he could leave open. Caleb himself was wearing a blue suit. Music was playing off to the side, a slow dance with a heavy beat. Perfect to just lose himself in the arms of Caleb. 

The two spun as the song reached the precipice, building towards a final climax. Caleb took a deep breath and dipped Molly. Molly's head was leaning back with his neck and chest arching. Molly's eyes were closed but he could feel Caleb's mouth and stubble pressing over the tattoo. It made Molly shiver. Caleb was so warm. 

Dancing at the Lavish Chateau was the best idea. The area smelled of flowers and good times. The washrooms had soap scents that Molly could only dream of. The beds were heavenly, but Caleb's own bed was Molly's favorite. 

"Your thoughts are elsewhere tonight, Mollymauk." Caleb had said as the two of them made their way to bed in the tower.

"That's my own sentimentality getting the better of me." Molly placed a hand on the eye mark in between Caleb's shoulder blades causing Molly to think about the matching mark on himself; his exit wound.  

Molly purred, trying to comfort Caleb and himself. 

Caleb turned around and cupped Molly's cheek. 

"Mollymauk. I know everything is still so new but-" Caleb's voice was warm. Compassionate. It made Molly happy to hear- but Caleb really needed to know.

"Caleb the only thing really new is me realising that I love you."

[gunterfan1992]

Episode Review: ‘Obsidian’ (Distant Lands, Ep. 2)

Airdate: November 19, 2020

Story by: Jack Pendarvis, and Kate Tsang, Adam Muto, & Hanna K. Nyström

Storyboarded by: Hanna K Nyström, Anna Syvertsson, Iggy Craig, Mickey Quinn, Maya Petersen, James Campbell, & Ashlyn Anstee

Directed by: Miki Brewster (supervising), Sandra Lee (art)

Of all the many colorful characters in Adventure Time perhaps none has a more elaborate backstory than Marceline the Vampire Queen. In many ways, Marceline really was the writers’ gold goose, engendering complex story after complex story. By the time the series ended, the vampire’s life had in more ways than one been woven into the very fabric of the show’s mythology.

But because I am a Marceline fanboy—whose zeal for her majesty is rivaled perhaps only by Glassboy himself—I always felt like the show could have done even more with her backstory; I mean, when the series finale aired, there were still plenty of questions that had yet to be answered (What happened to her mom? What is Simon going to do now that he’s “cured”? How did Marcy and Bubblegum meet? Were they romantically involved before the events of the main series? How did it all go south?). Nevertheless, when "Island Song” played for the last time at the end of “Come Along with Me,” I forced myself to push aside this minor, fannish grievance and applaud the show for writing such an excellent character. I didn’t need for every last detail of her life to be explicitly shown on screen. I was happy.

But then, about a year ago, news dropped that one of the Distant Lands specials would really delve into the history of Marceline and Bubblegum’s relationship. In an instant, I tossed my stoic “I-am-satisified-with-what-I-received” mentality right out the window. We were going to get another Marceline episode, and it was going to dive back into her elaborate backstory!?! I could barely contain my excitement as I waited for the episode to drop.

Well, was my excitement worth it? Or was “Obsidian” a big ol’ let down—a tragic victim to grandiose expectations that were never meant to be fulfilled?

I’m quite happy to say that not only was “Obsidian” a remarkable special in its own right, but it is arguably one of the strongest episodes of Adventure Time, period.

The plot of this episode is fairly standard, as far as Adventure Time episodes go: Glassboy (a new character voiced by Michaela Dietz, the voice of Amethyst from Steven Universe) accidentally sets a giant fire monster named Molto Larvo loose on the Glass Kingdom, and Marceline and Bubblegum—who we learn have been living their best cottagecore life together in Marcy’s cavehouse—are forced to save the day. But the series’ writers take this otherwise quotidian adventure idea—a story which, at least on paper, could have easily fit in during any of the show’s many seasons—and employ it as something of a Trojan Horse, using it as a pretense to delve into both Marcy’s traumatic childhood and her and Bubblegum’s romantic history. And, boy, is it a ride!

With regard to the former story thread, the audience learns that sometime after the Mushroom Bomb detonated, Marceline and her mother, Elise (voiced this time not by Rebecca Sugar, but by actress Erica Luttrell, who played Sapphire in Steven Universe), roamed the wastelands in search of shelter; after Marceline’s mother came down with some sort of sickness, she sent Marceline to be on her own. Elise was hoping that this would spare Marcy the trauma of seeing her mother die before her very eyes, but due to some communication issues, Marceline never learned what became of her mother. As such, Marceline began blaming herself for “leaving” her mom to die in the wreckage of the world. This plot thread is perhaps one of the bleakest that Adventure Time has ever explored, and the show does it masterfully, balancing the darkness (e.g., Marceline’s mother coughing up blood) with bright spots of comedy (e.g., the "wazzup” dog) that never feel distasteful.

Likewise, when it comes to the story thread about Marcy and Bubblegum’s romantic history, the special does not hold back. We get to see “Bubbline” at its best and its worst. I have a feeling that the word “fan service” is going to be used by a lot of folks when talking about this episode. As the AV Club writer William Hughes notes, this word is usually hurled around like a pejorative, but it aptly describes the appeal of “Obsidian”. After all, this episode really is “fan service at its finest”—not only does it give the ravenous shippers the story tidbits that they have so long to see (e.g., the moment Marcy gave Bubblegum her rock shirt, Bubbline’s epic break-up), but—and this is very important—it does so in a way that is fundamentally meaningful. “Obsidian” does not feel self-indulgent, unnecessary, or pandering. On the contrary, it is overflowing with deep emotion that allows us to better understand how Bubblegum and Marceline really feel about one another. Sure, over the centuries that the two gals have bummed around Ooo, they have bickered and fought, but deep down, their love is passionate. In many ways, it is like the titular obsidian, which means that nothing short of an enchanted diamond pickax is strong enough to break Bubbline apart for good.

(It’s also quite nice that after seasons and seasons of tip-toeing around the question of Marceline and Bubblegum’s sexuality, “Obsidian” can explicitly focus on their life together, showing the two characters cuddling, kissing, and dancing. In terms of LGBTQ+ representation, it’s a huge leap forward, and I’m so happy that Adventure Time has had a part to play in normalizing queer relationships!)

Marceline episodes almost always featured a catchy diddy, but "Obsidian” really cranks things up to 11 by featuring a whole bevy of catchy songs, several of which are perhaps among the show’s strongest. The first right banger, “It’s Funny,” is the song that plays over the special’s credits. With a grunge-meets-riot grrrl feels, this track really sets the tone for the episode, signaling to the audience that we’re in for, as Lumpy Space Princess once put it, some “drama bombs.” The next standout is “Woke Up,” a brutally honest diss track that Marceline used both to contain Molto Larvo and break up with Princess Bubblegum centuries prior to the start of this episode. This song was written by pop rocker Zuzu, and it—as the kids say—slaps. Layers of fuzzed-out guitar and digitally processed vocals are used expertly to sell Marceline’s emotions and convey how, on the surface, she’s delighted to no longer be under Bubblegum’s romantic spell... even if her heart may not be so sure.

But arguably, the musical jewel of the entire special is “Monster,” a somber ballad that Marceline sings to Bubblegum when they find themselves trapped in the collapsing furnace and are facing what they believe is certain death. Written by indie pop artist Half Shy, this song is, in many ways, something of the inverse of “Woke Up”: soft, happy, and filled to the brim with a sort of love that few are lucky to receive and even fewer can honestly express. Not only does “Monster” finally cement Marceline’s real, visceral love for Bubblegum in song form (remember: almost every prior Bubbline song was either indirect or delivered by an angsty, heartbroken Marceline), but it also “tames” Molto Larvo, allowing him to metamorphose into a strange but harmless cat-butterfly critter. Just like “Come Along with Me,” “Obsidian” proves that the power of love and music will save us in the end—if not physically, then at least emotionally.

Regarding the production-side of things, there’s a lot of praise to doll out. First off, the look and style of “Obsidian” is gorgeous. While “BMO” opted to experiment somewhat with the classic Adventure Time art style, trading cel shading for an almost watercolor feel, “Obsidian” echoes the aesthetic of the original series. That said, there’s an undeniable animation bump—likely courtesy of that sweet, sweet HBO money—that lets Ooo and its denizens shine in all their glory. You can tell that Adam Muto, art director Sandra Lee, supervising director Miki Brewster, and all the members of the production staff really went above and beyond the call of duty. The episode's soundtrack, composed by Amanda Jones, as deserves a shout-out. Jones did an excellent job mixing the chiptune style of the original series with a bass-heavy rock sound that highlights Marceline’s starring role. Bravo!

As another production aside, I should point out that CN/HBO’s decision to make these specials each 44 minutes was the right call. The 11 minute format of the original series often left something to be desired when it came to plot development, as many an important episode was forced to end somewhat prematurely due to time constraints; conversely, the 8-episode miniseries format that the show experimented with during its latter days sometimes felt like too much time (Stakes, Islands, and Elements all had whole episodes that felt like nothing more than the show treading water). The length of “Obsidian”, however, was just right, giving us plenty of time to take in what was happening without ever feeling like it was dragging.

A final aspect of this episode that is worth mention is its many call-backs to previous episodes and characters. “BMO” was mostly a self-contained story that, due to its nature as a prequel in space, really couldn’t reference the Land of Ooo without feeling forced. “Obsidian,” however, throws in everything and the kitchen sink (Adventure Time superfan and all-around cool person Jagm has collected most of them here for those of you who want to see everything laid out nicely). Stand-outs for me include Choose Goose (someone who we really haven’t seen since season five) smuggling sketchy products into the Candy Kingdom, post-Ice King Simon trying his hand at open mic nights, Bronwyn as an adventurous hero, and Finn the (Adult!) Human complete with beard and scars! Of note, Jake does not appear in this episode, except as a tattoo on Finn’s chest. Many in the fandom are now speculating that the events of “Obsidian” take place after our beloved shapeshifting dog’s death. Oh say it ain’t so! Perhaps we’ll learn more in “Together Again.”

Mushroom War Evidence: Unlike “BMO,” which directly referenced the Mushroom War and its fallout (both literally and figuratively), this episode returned to the show’s roots by featuring gobs of explicit hints in throw-away lines or elaborate background pieces. Honestly, there is far too many to list here in a pithy paragraph, but some major references include: the reveal that the Glass Kingdom, like the Fire Kingdom, was created by ‘magic’ blaze from the heavens (almost certainly a nuke); the fact that Marceline and her mother wandered for a time in the debris-filled wastelands following the apocalypse; and the reveal that Marceline spent at least part of her childhood holed up in a bomb shelter surrounded by the bones of myriad dead humans. Honestly, while references to the Mushroom War have always been sad footnotes to an otherwise cheery show; in this episode, however, the references are very graphic, illustrating the sorrow and horror of mutagenic war.

Final Grade: As I said earlier, I’m a Marcy fanboy, so I’m horrible biased, but I don’t care. This episode rocked. Q.E.D.

[aproblematicpanda]

IF YOU ARE BORED I WILL APPEAR: the 100 for the in depth fandom questions 💖💖

Excellent timing, I just sent you an ask, too! :D Thanks babe. <3 I feel like I have so much more to say than I just did but the inspiration seems to have bailed on me. Oh well. If you have any follow-up questions hmu!

Top 5 favorite characters: Octavia, Echo, Lexa, Lincoln, Murphy Other characters you like: Gaia, Raven, Emori, Monty, Harper, Diyoza Least favourite characters: Clarke, Abby, Kane Otps: Octavia and Lincoln, Lexa and Clarke, Bellamy and Echo Notps: Bellamy and Clarke, basically anything involving Abby Favourite friendships: Murphy and Raven, Monty and Jasper Favourite family: Spacekru Favourite episodes: 4x10, 5x02, probably more but I can’t really think of anything else right now (I appreciated 7x02 but I’m not quite sure yet if I’m gonna call it a favorite, that will depend on how the rest of the season turns out) Favourite season: Season 2 Favourite quotes: “We’re back, bitches!” “I don’t choose pain. I choose life.” “Not everyone. Not you.” “ You're the most beautiful broom in a broom closet of brooms.” “ I can't change the tide if the moon won't cooperate. It's basic physics.” (I’m including this last one because of an amazing Monty/Jasper gif set I saw once.) Best musical moment: Ehh... Well I stll tear up basically every time I hear Cloud by Elias, the song that played during Lincoln’s death scene. It’s an amazing song and anything related Lincoln’s death still gets to me, not just because of the characters but also because of everything that went on with Ricky and everything he was put through, it’s just... it’s a very loaded moment in the series as well as behind the scenes. I’m not sure ‘best’ is the right word here but it’s the moment I’m going with. Moment that made you fangirl the hardest: When Octavia became Skaikru’s champion. I found it rather poetic that a young woman who had been spat out by her community simply for being born was their only hope for survival. Plus, she looked incredible. When it really disappointed you: It’s not just ‘a moment’ but I’ve been really disappointed by the show’s treatment of Octavia and how its hypocrisy concerning other characters who have done way worse shit than Octavia yet they are patted on the back and protected for it by the narrative. It aggravates me. I’m not mad that Octavia has had it rough, when a character gets everything handed to them on a golden platter with no real consequences, that��s boring. But it makes me mad that she’s the only one who has to pay for her mistakes and none of the others have to, and the way the characters are now comfortable joking about what has been the most traumatizing, horrifying and scarring thing anyone has ever had to go through really pisses me off. Octavia deserves so much better, the show really dropped the ball here. I’m also extremely disappointed by the way the show handled Lexa’s death. Octavia survived a sword through the gut and falling off a big ass cliff, but Lexa can’t take a stray bullet in the presence of someone who is meant to be a doctor? I mean I get that this was supposed to prove that we’re all vulnerable and that even Lexa, Heda of the thirteen clans can’t escape death, but come on. Also the way Jason treated the Clexa fandom was gross. Saddest moment: The moment Bellamy called Octavia “the queen of cannibals”. Up until that point I held onto hope that things would get better, that the show would still turn things around, that everything Octavia had been put through would be put into perspective when she could tell the one she loved the most about the horrors the bunker put her through. But when Bellamy called her that, it was made clear that not only did he find out about the most traumatizing part of his sister’s life (and it’s not like it lacked trauma before) but he also didn’t care. It was the moment where I had to give up hope that they could ever get to a place where I would respect and care for their dynamic again and it made me sad, because Octavia deserved so much better. Most well done character death: Oh god, this is a difficult one, because I have issues with most of the main characters’ deaths lol. So I’m gonna go with Nia for this one, because I really liked that Lexa recognized who the real threat was and took matters into her own hands and did what she could to maintain the coalition. I can’t think of another death that I didn’t hate. Favourite guest star: Probably Jessica Harmon Favourite cast member: Marie Avgeropoulos Character you wish was still alive: Lincoln, hands down. So many things would be different right now if he had still been around. One thing you hope really happens: I hope Bellamy and Echo are endgame and not just that, I also hope that the show will allow Bellamy to treat Echo with the love and respect she deserves. Because so far the show hasn’t really shown their relationship much respect and most of the effort is coming from Echo’s side and I don’t care much for that. Bellamy clearly loves her a lot, so I hope the writers will let him show and prove that to us in the final season. Most shocking twist: I don’t really think the 100 is good at shocking twists? You see most of them coming from miles away lol. When did you start watching: When it came out, basically. :) Best animal/creature: Helios! Favourite location: Ehh... I’m gonna go with the dropship or Arkadia, not because I love those places so much but because they’re where the show’s best seasons (one and two) basically happened. Trope you wish they would stop using: BYG One thing this show does better than others: Pissing off its fanbase! :’D Funniest moments: Most of Monty and Jasper’s interactions in the earlier seasons, those two were amazing. Couple you would like to see: I wish the show would make Niylah and Octavia a thing even if I don’t passionately ship it. I also became a huge fan of Clarke and Gaia! Actor/Actress you want to join the cast: I really don’t know anyone for this question... I’m a big fan of Kristen Stewart so I’d probably be thrilled with that, but it’s not something that I actively want or anything. Favourite outfit: Ehh... As much as I hate to say this, Clarke does get the best outfits and I think I’m gonna go with the dress she wore early in season 6. I’m also a huge fan of Octavia’s grounder look bw. Favourite item: Lincoln’s diary Do you own anything related to this show: Nope What house/team/group/friendship group/family/race etc would you be in: Well I don’t know which one I would be in, but Spacekru or Trikru seem like the most fun so I’d want to be a part of one of those! Most boring plotline: I never really cared for the City of Light although I will admit that storyline had a lot of potential, I’m just not sure the show really handled that well? Most laughably bad moment: The fact that Clarke just becomes anyone’s leader anywhere while not doing anything for it. And how fast she was forgiven and integrated into Spacekru in season 6 while doing the bare minimum to work for their forgiveness and showing no signs of remorse or wanting to change. Best flashback/flashfoward if any: I really liked the flashbacks of Octavia’s childhood, they did a good job of portraying what life had been like for her and it helped us understand her character better, even if they were short and limited to one episode. I also really enjoyed watching Octavia during those ten years in Skyring, but I’m not sure those qualify as a flashback and I do have some issues with them, still, so I’m gonna go ahead and stick with 1x06. Most layered character: Octavia, hands down Most one dimensional character: Oh god, how do I answer this... Of the core group I guess I would go with Raven. And that isn’t because I don’t love her, because I very much do, it’s the show’s fault for not really digging into anything that’s related to her. She’s just in the background until they need her to fix a problem they’ve been having or until they need someone to be tortured, or lately when they need to make Clarke look less horrible. She just doesn’t really get much else to work with, we don’t know what motivates her, we barely see her feel a type of way about the things she’s put through and when she does get a voice, it’s obviously meant to create sympathy for other characters so... yeah. Scariest moment: I don’t find it a very scary show hahaha. Grossest moment: The graphic scene of Lincoln’s execution, it was in such poor taste, especially considering everything that had been going on with Jrot and Ricky. Best looking male: Murphy Best looking female: Octavia and Echo Who you’re crushing on (if any): Octavia and Echo Favourite cast moment: Ehh, I don’t really keep up with the cast so idk? I did love Marie calling Echo Octavia’s sister-in-law though. Favourite transportation: None I think, I don’t really care? Most beautiful scene (scenery/shot wise): The one that comes to mind right away is the one of Octavia swimming towards the surface after she ran into the anomaly, it’s just such a pretty shot. Other than that, well, The 100 is shot in a beautiful environment so a lot of their scenery is gorgeous but I just immediately thought of this one. Unanswered question/continuity issue/plot error that bugs you: Jason’s blabbing about the damn worms. The way 3x01 felt completely disconnected from everything that happened in 2x16 also still bugs me. And how it feels as if the new writers never really saw the previous seasons and instead just read character descriptions, I feel like they didn’t really grasp the relationships and stuff like that in season 6. Best promo: Ehh, I usually just watch the episodes so I don’t really have an opinion about this. Loved the uproar the one for season 7 caused, though, because I’m a sucker for drama hahaha. At what point did you fall in love with this show/book: As soon as I met Octavia, she’s my baby and you will have to take her from my cold. dead. hands.

Send me a show/fandom and I’ll answer

[gifts-of-heimdall-runes]

The Rainbow Bridge & The Northern Lights

In Norse mythology, Bifröst is a burning rainbow bridge that reaches between Midgard (the world) and Asgard, the realm of the gods. Bifröst means "shimmering path. Bifrost is the rainbow bridge that connects Asgard, the world of the Aesir tribe of gods, with Midgard, the world of humanity. Bifrost is guarded by the ever-vigilant god Heimdall. During Ragnarok, the giants breach Heimdall’s defences and cross the bridge to storm Asgard and slay the gods.   The etymology of the word is uncertain. The original form of the name seems to be Bilröst, which suggests a meaning along the lines of “ the fleetingly glimpsed rainbow.” If Bifröst is correct, however, the meaning would be something akin to “the shaking or trembling rainbow.” In either case, the word points to the ephemeral and fragile nature of the bridge. Bifrost is built out of fire, air, and water by the Gods. The three materials gives the three colours Red “Fire”, Blue “Air”, and Green “Water”. Also known as Asabru ("Bridge of Gods"), Not only do the Gods use this Bridge to travel to and from the Earth, it also leads to the Urdar Well, situated at the foot of the great ash Yggdrasil, the Tree of Life, where they assemble daily in council.    

The Bridge of the Gods, Bivröst (“Moving Way” in Old Norse) is mentioned in Snorri Sturluson’s Prose Edda, written around 1220  , and in the Poetic Edda which is probably much older . The Poetic Edda is the modern attribution for an unnamed collection of Old Norse anonymous poems, which is different from the Edda, written by Snorri Sturluson. Several versions exist, all consisting primarily of text from the Icelandic medieval manuscript known as the Codex Regius. The Codex Regius is arguably the most important extant source on Norse mythology and Germanic heroic legends. The Bifröst Bridge is the way to Asgard in the Viking stories. The god Heimdall who waits there is the guardian. He can hear the grass growing and leaves falling from Yggdrasil, he can see to the end of the world and he never sleeps. 

The rainbow looks like a giant bridge or gate , it is the Gateway to Heaven. The Zulu of South Africa call the rainbow the Queens Arch because it is one of the frames that form the house of the Queen of Heaven.   A Japanese myth tells of the first man Isanagi and the first woman Isanami who stood on the floating bridge of heaven while creating the island of Onogoro. They then walked down to earth on this rainbow bridge, called Niji. The first gods Kunitokotachi and Amenominakanushi summoned two divine beings into existence, the male Izanagi and the female Izanami, and charged them with creating the first land. To help them do this, Izanagi and Izanami were given a spear decorated with jewels, named Ame-no-nuboko (heavenly spear). The two deities then went to the bridge between heaven and earth, Ame-no-ukihashi ("floating bridge of heaven"), and churned the sea below with the spear. When drops of salty water fell from the spear, Onogoroshima ("self-forming island") was created. They descended from the bridge of heaven and made their home on the island. Eventually they wished to be mated, so they built a pillar called Ame-no-mihashira ("pillar of heaven) and around it they built a palace called Yahiro-dono. Izanagi and Izanami circled the pillar in opposite directions and, when they met on the other side, Izanami spoke first in greeting. Izanagi did not think that this was proper, but they mated anyhow. They had two children, Hiruko ("leech-child") and Awashima ("faint island"), but they were born deformed and were not considered deities, but devils.  

 Auroral sightings in China are rare and would have been caused by a significant solar event so unsurprisingly, the ancient Chinese were in awe of the lights that sporadically illuminated their night sky. It is said that many of the early Chinese legends associated with dragons were a result of the Northern Lights. The belief is that the lights were viewed as a celestial battle between good and evil dragons who breathed fire across the firmament. In Eskimo cosmology, heaven was located beyond the Dome of the sky by the Shimmering Bridge. The aboriginals of Scandinavia, the Sámi, feared and respected the aurora, and placed auroral symbols on their magic drums, believing that the Northern Lights had supernatural powers to resolve conflicts. This shimmering bridge connected heaven and earth, and ended under the shade of the mighty world-tree Yggdrasil, close beside the fountain where Mimir kept guard.   

Northern Lights are called Guovssahasat in Sami language. The Samis used to think that the Northern Lights were living beings with a soul and ability to hear and understand the humans. The Skolt Samis believe the lights are souls of people who were killed in a war. In the northern Finland people used to think the Northern Lights were made by the Fire-fox running over the lands swinging its red tail around it. In the old days the women did not dare to go out without a hat or a cloth on their head. They were afraid their hair could catch fire from the Fire-fox.   The Samis imagined they could hear the Northern Lights talk. During the faster movements of the Northern Lights no-one was allowed to make noises or talk loud. And you could not point them with your finger either. If you insulted the Northern Lights you could be attacked by them and punished. A long time ago there were two reindeer herders in Lapland. They were brothers. The younger brother was killed by the Northern Lights, the Guovssahasat, because he had made too much noise with his yoiking and he had insulted and teased the Northern Lights. They came down on him and killed him.  

 The Eskimos and Indians of North America have many stories to explain these northern lights. One story is reported by the explorer Ernest W. Hawkes in his book, The Labrador Eskimo - “The ends of the land and sea are bounded by an immense abyss, over which a narrow and dangerous pathway leads to the heavenly regions. The sky is a great dome of hard material arched over the Earth. There is a hole in it through which the spirits pass to the true heavens. Only the spirits of those who have died a voluntary or violent death, and the Raven, have been over this pathway. The spirits who live there light torches to guide the feet of new arrivals. This is the light of the aurora. They can be seen there feasting and playing football with a walrus skull. The whistling crackling noise which sometimes accompanies the aurora is the voices of these spirits trying to communicate with the people of the Earth. They should always be answered in a whispering voice. Youths dance to the aurora. The heavenly spirits are called selamiut, “sky-dwellers,” those who live in the sky”. 

Wawatay, otherwise known as Aurora Borealis or the Northern Lights, have always fascinated people. For the First Nations peoples of Manitoba,they are more than just the northern lights. The Northern Lights symbolize some of the teachings and practices of the First Nations people. One of these teachings, passed on from generation to generation, is the belief that Wataway are spirits of the ancestors celebrating life, reminding us that we are all part of creation. Their dancing forms a pathway for the souls as they travel to the next world. It is said that when we are living properly and conducting our ceremonies and dances, the spirits of our ancestors dance in the heavens. A teaching tells us that when we leave this earth, we are to dance out the doorway to the next world in spirit form. When we do this, our relatives will meet us. Those left living on the earth will see the Northern Lights (Wawatay) dancing in the sky from the north-east to the north-west. Aboriginal people commonly saw aurorae as fires in the cosmos. To the Gunditjmara of western Victoria, they’re Puae buae (“ashes”). To the Gunai of eastern Victoria, they’re bushfires in the spirit world and an omen of a coming catastrophe. The Dieri and Ngarrindjeri of South Australia see aurora as fires created by sky spirits. As far north as south-western Queensland, Aboriginal people saw the phenomenon as “feast fires” of the Oola Pikka ,ghostly beings who spoke to Elders through the aurora. The Maori of Aotearoa/New Zealand saw aurorae (Tahunui-a-rangi) as the campfires of ancestors reflected in the sky. These ancestors sailed southward in their canoes and settled on a land of ice in the far south. The southern lights let people know they will one day return.   

Mungan Ngour, a powerful sky ancestor in Gunai traditions, set rules for male initiation and put his son, Tundun, in charge of the ceremonies. When people leaked secret information about these ceremonies, Mungan cast down a great fire to destroy the Earth. The people saw this as an aurora.  Near Uluru, a group of hunters broke Pitjantjatjara law by killing and cooking a sacred emu. They saw smoke rise to the south, towards the land of Tjura. This was the aurora, viewed as poisonous flames that signalled coming punishment. The Dieri also believe an aurora is a warning that someone is being punished for breaking traditional laws, which causes great fear. The breaking of traditional laws would result in an armed party coming to kill the lawbreakers when they least expect it. In this context, fear of an aurora was utilised to control behaviour and social standards. 

 The Vendidad or Videvdat is a collection of texts within the greater compendium of the Avesta. The Avesta is the primary collection of religious texts of the Iranian prophet Zoroaster (or Zarathustra). The Chinvat Bridge Avestan Cinvatô Peretûm, "bridge of judgement" or "beam-shaped bridge") or the Bridge of the Requiter in Zoroastrianism is the sifting bridge, often, the Chinvat Bridge is identified with the Rainbow, which separates the world of the living from the world of the dead. All souls must cross the bridge upon death. The bridge is guarded by two four-eyed dogs. The Bridge's appearance varies depending on the observer's asha, or righteousness. As related in the text known as the Bundahishn, if a person has been wicked, the bridge will appear narrow and the demon Vizaresh will emerge and drag their soul into the druj-demana (the House of Lies), a place of eternal punishment and suffering similar to the concept of Hell. If a person's good thoughts, words and deeds in life are many, the bridge will be wide enough to cross, and the Daena, a spirit representing revelation, will appear and lead the soul into the House of Song. Those souls that successfully cross the bridge are united with Ahura Mazda the Supreme Being.   

“ Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! Where are the rewards given? Where does the rewarding take place? Where is the rewarding fulfilled? Whereto do men come to take the reward that, during their life in the material world, they have won for their souls? Ahura Mazda answered: 'When the man is dead, when his time is over, then the wicked, evil-doing Daevas cut off his eyesight. On the third night, when the dawn appears and brightens up, when Mithra, the god with beautiful weapons, reaches the all-happy mountains, and the sun is rising 'Then the fiend, named Vizaresha, O Spitama Zarathushtra, carries off in bonds the souls of the wicked Daeva-worshippers who live in sin. The soul enters the way made by Time, and open both to the wicked and to the righteous. At the head of the Chinwad bridge, the holy bridge made by Mazda, they ask for their spirits and souls the reward for the worldly goods which they gave away here below. 'Then comes the beautiful, well-shapen, strong and well-formed maid, with the dogs at her sides, one who can distinguish, who has many children, happy, and of high understanding. 'She makes the soul of the righteous one go up above the Hara-berezaiti; above the Chinwad bridge she places it in the presence of the heavenly gods themselves.”  

As-Sirāt is, according to Islam, the hair-narrow bridge which every person must pass on the Yawm ad-Din ("Day of the Way of Life" i.e. Day of Judgment) to enter Paradise. It is said that it is as thin as a hair and as sharp as the sharpest knife or sword. Below this path are the fires of Hell, which burn the sinners to make them fall. Those who performed acts of goodness in their lives are transported across the path in speeds according to their deeds leading them to the Hauzu'l-Kausar, the Lake of Abundance. 

Vaitarna river, as mentioned in the Garuda Purana and various other Hindu religious texts, lies between the earth and the infernal Naraka, the realm of Yama, Hindu god of death and is believed to purify one's sins. Furthermore, while the righteous see it filled with nectar-like water, the sinful see it filled with blood. Sinful souls are supposed to cross this river after death. According to the Garuda Purana, this river falls on the path leading to the Southern Gate of the city of Yama. It is also mentioned that only the sinful souls come via the southern gate. The Vaitarna River is, to the sinless, a river of nectar. To the sinner, it appears filled with blood, bones, and pus. When the sinner approaches, flames appear everywhere. Those who try and cross, and are in fact sinners, will burn forever in the whirlpools in it’s depths.  

 In Greek mythology, the River Styx had to be crossed to reach life after death. The only way to cross the Styx was in a ferryboat rowed by a an old boatman named Charon. The boatman would only take a soul if their bodies had received funereal rites on earth. Charon the ferryman also demanded to be paid, therefore a small coin was placed under the tongue of a dead person for this purpose. 

It is rare for the Northern Lights to appear over Southern Europe and such appearances require intense solar activity which usually results in red Auroras appearing in the night sky. In the British Isles, the Northern Lights were known as the Na Fir Chlis ,"nimble men" or the "merry dancers," names belying the fact that auroras were seen as clans at war, and the red light as blood spilt in violent battle. In Gaelic “Na” is the definite article, while “fir” is the plural of “fair”, meaning man, or one. “Chlis” means quick, lively, or nimble. It is, in fact, probably a mis-pronouncing of the word “mirrie” which means shimmering, a very suitable description of the Northern Lights. Thus from Na Fir-Chlis, the nimble / lively ones, we have the sense of motion, of “dancers”, while the description as shimmering, or “merrie”, completes the name, properly . The Mirrie Dancers. That “mirrie” sounds very similar, especially in the Orcadian tongue, to the English “merry” leads to them being called the Merry Dancers, with connotations of happiness, but the name more properly describes their shimmering nature.  In Northern Scotland and on Orkney and Shetland some still call the Northern lights ‘The Merry Dancers’. The Scottish names or the Northern Lights suggest moving forms. As one folk song relates: ‘She called them the heavily dancers, merry dancers in the sky’.(The Northern Lights of Old Aberdeen). The Lights were described as epic fights among sky warriors or fallen angels. Blood from the wounded fell to earth and spotted the “bloodstones” or heliotrope found in the Hebrides. 

There is an old story, a young boy goes out fishing and falls asleep in his boat. He wakes to see giants dancing around a great bonfire. But then he realises they are not dancing but fighting and his boat is adrift on a pool of blood. Returning to shore , he finds he has been gifted with second sight. The blood undoubtedly refers to the scarlet aurora that appears during particularly intense solar storms. In another story, the Fir Chlis take part in a war called ‘an linne fhuil’ or ‘pool of blood’ and the local red and green ‘bloodstones’ were believed to be drops fallen from the sky warriors.

Source: Alloya

https://steemit.com/rainbow/@alloya/the-rainbow-bridge-and-the-northern-lights?epik=dj0yjnu9akffq0e5ehhmzxbidwo0a2j6cmnnvuy5ehprzm1lmkwmbj1ta1phbxhbrmncyutcoefiv3funlr3jm09myz0pufbqufbrje4ewjz

Found by Pinterest search.

[sometimesrosy]

Your thoughts on the parallels between Octavia and Clarke's respective identities as Bloodreina and Wanheda? And on the possibility of Niylah reprising her role as the accepting loyalist and us getting canon Octavia/Niylah as perhaps a way to take some of the sting out of endgame Bellarke for the wlw community?

That is a good question, and I’m not sure I have a theory on Wanheda and Blodreina parallels. I do know that I have a different take on Wanheda, because while western society associates death with evil, a lot of other societies don’t? It’s a part of life. One that can’t be avoided. And also, in considering Commander of Death, the commander doesn’t only decide that people will die, she also decides who will live. It’s LIFE and death, really. Clarke saves as much as she kills. She heals. The knife is an edged blade that can kill but it can also do surgery and cut out the poison so that the body can keep living. In the tarot, the Death card actually represents REBIRTH, not death. And seeing as this is a story about the apocalypse, the end of the world and saving humanity from the brink to bring it back, Wanheda can’t be as simple as “genocide king.” 

Blodreina is different. First there’s no tarot card for it….although…. wait… There are lots of queens. Blodreina could represent Queen of Cups, because blood is liquid, but that represents the heart and emotion and Octavia is dead inside. She could be Queen of Cups reversed, blocked because of her broken heart. Or she could be the Queen of Swords, which fits with her persona, but not the name. No. I googled. not queen of cups. what was I thinking. Octavia is definitely queen of swords. Definitely reversed. Remember the poster had wonkru reversed? (btw, Clarke is wands, Bellamy is cups, Octavia is swords and Raven is pentacles, and i knew that already. The symbolism has always worked. Like the chess metaphor, I believe they’re using those archetypes. The blood in blodreina threw me off.)

Description of Q of Swords

The Queen of Swords sits on a stone throne decorated with a cherub, representing the Queen’s softer side, and butterflies representing transformation. She faces towards the future, with her left hand raised as if to receive, and in her right hand, she holds a sword up high and straight, representing her desire to find the truth in all matters. [x]

That’s clearly an earlier Octavia, butterflies, swords and all. But in the bunker, she went into the upside down and became the reversed, blocked negative version of herself.

At times, the reversed Queen of Swords can come across as cold-hearted, resentful and bitchy, particularly if she is devoid of any emotion or compassion for others. This card may represent a part of yourself or someone else you are trying to deal with. You may be putting others off-side and losing your supporter base, isolating yourself from others and being seen as narrow-minded, intolerant and mean. [x]

Actually, if you want to go this site, you can look up the court cards, notice that s1 Octavia is the Page of Swords, season 2, 3, and 4 Octavia is the Knight of Swords, and s5 is reversed Queen of Swords, although she has the clear potential to be upright and transform her darkness. What I noticed is that Clarke and Bellamy are both the queen and king of their suit, respectively. You never saw their growth from page to knight to q/k. that reflects their status as heroes, I think. (I have not analyzed the pentacles, because I’m trying to stick to the question.)

So I need to say that Blodreina and Wanheda are NOT parallels. Wanheda is on another level from Blodreina. Octavia finally made it to a Queen card, and that is on a worldly level, not actually reflecting her journey of fate. Clarke’s fate is as Wanheda. She is going to save the world and she’s already started. She didn’t get there for two seasons, while she was saving her people. 

Sorry if I went tarot reader on you, but Wanheda and Blodreina are both tarot archetypes. So symbolically, that’s what I needed to look at. Blodreina is a court card, and it’s important and a leader, but in the worldly sense. While Wanheda is the major arcana, and this is fate, higher purpose, the larger story at hand. If Octavia is getting a major arcana title, it hasn’t happened yet. 

Okay that was a lot more than I expected it to be and i’m only 1/3 of the way into your question.

I don’t know what’s happening with Niylah. I had high hopes for Niytavia, and it’s at least hinted at, but I don’t know if they’ll make it canon or just leave it as subtext, or put it in the past. I don’t know if they usually do that, but, I’m afraid that Niylah isn’t strong enough to be with Octavia. She needs a stronger partner, because otherwise she’ll walk all over them and turn them into her subject. :( I mean, you don’t want to be with someone who thinks of you as a goddess, because that’s worship not a relationship. She needs a partner.

And then Marie made comments about JORDAN and Octavia and I was like, uh oh. Because Jordan’s innocence is something that Octavia needs to regain, if she ever had it, because Octavia represents HUMANITY and she’s so fallen and darkened and traumatized. So in her symbolic presence in the story, she doesn’t need Niylah. She needs to resolve her loss of Lincoln and what he taught her, but she also needs her INNOCENCE back, her HOPE. And Jordan represents that. 

So as for Niytavia being used as a kind of apology for wlw fans? I’m not sure they’re doing that. I did spec that in season 4 I think. But I think that would be kind of mean and cynical, as if like you could buy someone a puppy when their beloved dog died and that replaces what they’ve lost. Like, you can’t replace one ship with another and make it okay. you know? And tbh I don’t think it was JUST because CL was wlw that it was loved, I think it was because it was a traditional fantasy fairytale story. It wasn’t a very special episode about ‘being” lgbt, it was a FULL story, just like straight people have always gotten, but the main characters were wlw. It was a story for women who wanted genre stories where they got to be the heroes and the love interests. Like, the stories of minority people are not just about how hard it is to be a minority. We’re people. And we have all the same stories as the people who have gotten to be heroes for millennia. 

I do have a speculation that seems almost unavoidable to me at this point. And it is about endgame CL. Because Lxa is in the flame, and Clarke was a commander and in the flame, and when a commander takes the flame, their consciousness is downloaded into the AI, so even though Clarke did not DIE, her consciousness should actually BE in the flame. So in that case, if they address it (and I think they did hint that flameClarke is in there by some of the things Madi said,) then FlameClarke and FlameLxa are currently together in the flame, and will indeed have an endgame, immortal romance. 

I don’t know how that might be received by the wlw community, if they will feel that as an epic story or as a cheat. Because I doubt that The 100 will follow the story of FlameCL on screen, but it does open up an almost unlimited universe for fanon and speculation in which CL is real. The rumors of Alycia returning for a cameo would support this theory, although I’m not a fan of rumors, so id on’t know.

However, I think endgame FlameCL will also be paired with the in canon story of Bellarke endgame. And I know that just makes the CL fandom angry on principle, so I guess that’s where I wonder if they will accept a FlameCL endgame or think of it as a cheat. 

[madamebaggio]

Notes: Hello there!

Thank you so much for all the kind comments. It's really nice having you all here for this crazy ride.

In this chapter we'll have a time jump, Susan and Jon have a very peculiar conversation, Peter is shameless and Lucy is shipping it all.I hope you enjoy!

Chapter 6

Three weeks passed by and Jon barely noticed them, but he did notice how central the Pevensies had become to Winterfell in the meantime.

Sansa and Sam had dedicated a good amount of time in explaining the basic history of the North and of Westeros and the current political situation. The Pevensies were aghast with it all and Lucy kept muttering something about “siblings” and “what is wrong with you people?”

They explained –only briefly –about their own Kingdom and how they became its rulers, but Jon felt there was much more to the story.

However, the Pevensies made themselves right at home at Winterfell.

Edmund could always be seen besides Ser Davos, helping with the training of the new soldiers. He was a quieter boy and very observant. Lady Lucy bonded very well with the Free Folk and became essential for the communication between them and the Northmen.

Sometimes Jon caught Ghost following the little Lady around and she appeared to be talking to him. Curiously to Jon it seemed like his wolf was actually paying attention to what she said.

Jon liked both Edmund and Lucy a lot. Well, the whole Winterfell was taken by the sweet girl, everybody always had smiles for her; even Arya, who seemed to take the youngest Pevensie under her wing. Edmund was good company and an insightful person.

Jon’s problem was with the other two Pevensies.

To be perfectly fair Lord Peter and Lady Susan were as helpful as their siblings, if not more.

Peter’s claim of being experienced with construction wasn’t a boast; he did know a great deal and under his guidance the reconstruction of Winterfell was going by faster. They were even talking about improvements outside of the keep –bridges, mills. He wasn’t afraid to get his hands dirty either; Jon often found him working side by side with the men.

But damn it if that fucker wasn’t arrogant! By the Gods, he had a high opinion of himself; he was high handed and stubborn. Jon also wasn’t happy with the way he looked at Sansa, so he was keeping his eye on Peter.

Then there was Susan… Now that woman was infuriating in a way Jon never thought anyone before.

He’d always been calm and collected, but something about Susan made him want to explode.

She’d become central to the working of Winterfell. Sansa had been running herself dry acting as his Hand and Lady of the Keep at the same time. Susan stepped in, assumed all the daily tasks of the place so Sansa could focus on her political duties. She started overseeing the meals, the servants, the running of it all. She took over effortlessly, but still respecting Sansa’s position.

And she was good for Sansa! They had become fast friends and now it was rare to see one without the other. Sansa had been guarded since they retook Winterfell, but Jon saw that his cousin was smiling more now, and this was good, because he wanted her to be happy.

But Susan… Gods, that woman!

She kept her siblings in check –even Peter and his ego –but she herself was quite stubborn. She was all logic and courtesies and Jon never felt more of a base-born than when he talked to her. She didn’t actually treat him that way –she was perfectly courteous all the time –but she was so much of a Lady that he couldn’t help but notice how different they were.

The Gods knew she had no problems with speaking her mind to him.

Like right now.

“You need to find Ser Davos a wife.”

Jon turned to Susan and wondered –not for the first time –how she looked as a Queen of her own lands, because if standing there -with a borrowed dress, acting as a chatelaine - she looked more like royalty than he did with a crown on his head, he could barely picture her as a Queen.

“Excuse me?” When he saw her approaching him and stopping by his side he knew she was about to say something, he just didn’t expect this.

“Someone kind.” She continued. “Not too young, so he won’t feel he’s marrying his daughter, but not too old that she can’t give him children.”

She had some nerve.

Jon’s eyes followed hers to the dance floor where Davos was spinning Lucy around, an indulging smile on his face. The man had taken to the Pevensies so easily, like a father figure.

“Why are you saying this to me?” He asked her.

“You are his King.” She indicated. “This is also part of your duties, right?” Again, she wasn’t being disrespectful, but Jon couldn’t help but feel the jab.

“Besides…” She continued, her expression softer now as she looked at Davos. “That man deserves a family of his own to care for and love.”

She was right, of course. Davos had taken pretty hard the death of his wife and he was a man of family. He lost his son during Blackwater and it also hurt him a lot.

Jon knew he would agree to this anyway, but the fact that Susan was the one to bring this to his attention rattled a bit. It shouldn’t, but it did.

“I suppose that means I will have to find you a husband as well.” He didn’t know why he said it, but it was already done.

She turned to him, a brow arched elegantly. She didn’t need to say a word, Jon was certain she thought he was a fool for even suggesting it.

“I am quite capable of finding a husband for myself.” She informed him. “Not that I have any intention of marrying soon. Men are the ones that normally need help with that.”

Jon took a deep breath. “So I should find wives for your brothers?”

Susan chuckled. “Please do.” She smiled at him. “I’d love to see that.”

Jon let out a low chuckle, but Susan seemed surprised by it. Had he never laughed in front of her?

“Why aren’t you dancing?” He asked instead of following that line of thought.

“I’m a bit tired of it.” She informed him.

She had danced with many men already, so it was a good excuse at least. The Lords were leaving in the next morning, after a long stay in Winterfell. Not all the problems had been solved, but most of them had. At least they didn’t want to burn the Pevensies anymore and accepted that Jon wouldn't kneel to the Dragon Queen.

Sansa had decided that they should have a feast to send the Lords away and had worked with Susan to make it happen. 

“What about you, Your Grace?” Susan asked him. “You haven’t danced at all. There must be someone you could dance with. Perhaps one of your cousins?”

“I don’t dance.” Jon informed her.

There it was again, the arched brow. “No?”

“I see no reason to subject someone to my clumsiness.”

The admission startled a laugh out of Susan and she covered her mouth with her hands. “I am sorry, Your Grace.” She said, still laughing a bit. “I didn’t expect this.”

“It is good to know my clumsiness amuses you.” He told her a bit dryly, but there was a grin on his lips now.

She put her hands to her chest dramatically. “Never, Your Grace.”

Jon shook his head, and was trying to think of what else he could say when someone called her name. “Excuse me, Your Grace.” She curtsied and left.

Jon watched as the men watched her go. Lucy had become the sweetheart of Winterfell, everybody doted on her and adored the kind girl. Susan was also adored, but in a completely different way. The women respected her and the men… The men watched her walk by, charmed by her elegance, entranced by her beauty.

Two things Jon wished he’d never noticed.

***

“I just believe we all should be careful with these people. If they have the power to bring Spring…”

“They never claimed to have that power, Lord Manderly.” Sansa interjected firmly.

“But we cannot deny the changes we’ve seen so far!” The man insisted.

Sansa sighed. It wasn’t the first time in the last weeks that someone approached her regarding the Pevensies supposed magical powers to bring Spring to the North.

She almost wanted to accuse Bran of spreading that rumor, however it didn’t seem like something the Raven of Three Something or Another would do. But now half of Winterfell watched the siblings in awe and the other was mistrustful.

The problem was that the changes in the weather were becoming obvious. Spring hadn’t arrived suddenly to the North, but it looked like it was coming. There hadn’t been one single blizzard since the night they arrived, when before they had one every other day.

The daylight was lingering a bit more –not much, not even a full hour –but people noticed; and that same day the sky had been pure blue for the whole day.

It was a bit scary, if Sansa was to be honest.

The siblings, however, didn’t claim any credit for it. They kept doing their part at the keep, working alongside the people of the North.

Sansa was happy for their presence. Lucy had a calming effect on Arya, which in turn had a calming effect on everybody else. Edmund was a great company to Jon and Davos, and Susan, more than a friend to Sansa, was a balm to the Hand’s damaged soul.

Sansa only had problems with one of the Pevensies.

“My Lady.” Speak of the devil… “I came to remind you of our dance.”

Sansa turned to the fair-haired man and arched a brow. “Dance?”

“Yes, my Lady.” Peter replied smoothly. “You graciously conceded me this dance, remember?”

No, she hadn’t. He wasn’t even remotely ashamed of his lie and Sansa felt thorn between amusement and exasperation.

Peter Pevensie was a big problem.

Once upon a time –before all the things that Sansa wished she could just forget –he’d be like a fairy tale come to life: a real prince –a King, he’d say – with his golden hair, courtly manners and confident smile.

However, Sansa would never be fooled by those things again. His golden hair only made her think of Joffrey and his name… By the Seven, his name reminded her of someone better left forgotten.

She knew the look in his eyes, she wasn’t a naïve girl anymore and understood what man thought when they looked at a woman.

Peter might not look at her with lechery or greed, but he was aware of her beauty and interested in it. Sansa was dead tired of men lusting after her looks or title.

Her life would be easier if Peter Pevensie wasn’t so… Him.

“Of course, my Lord.” She nodded at him, before excusing herself from Lord Manderly and accepting Peter’s arm.

“Have you no shame?” Sha asked once they were on the dance floor.

“You looked like you wanted to be anywhere but there.” He said instead of answering her question. “I just thought I’d give you a graceful excuse to go.”

“So you fancy you were rescuing me?” She asked toneless.

“As a man with two sisters, I know better than to answer that, My Lady.” He grinned. “Just think of it as me being a faithful servant of your house.”

Honestly, most of the time Sansa was at a loss of how to react to him.

He was a good man –as far as she knew. He treated the people with respect, dotted on his sisters, cared for his brother and was hard working. However, he was also extremely arrogant, stubborn and had a bit of a temper.

Sansa didn’t trust that temper and she hardly knew him well enough to not be concerned about it.

However, if she was to be honest, Peter wasn’t forward with her. He was actually more respectful that most men who’d expressed an interest on her in recent times.

He did flirt and asked for dances, but he never took advantage of any moment: if they danced, he kept the proper distance; if they talked he deferred to her position; if they happened to meet alone, he always kept his distance.

He wasn’t pressing his interest on her, but still…

It was there, she could see it clear as day when he smiled at her, when he sought her out, when he looked at her.

Jon wasn’t happy about it and Arya had offered to kick his arse, but Sansa had refused it. He hadn’t done anything.

Yet.

Besides, Brienne was always a quiet presence, looming nearby. Even if he tried anything, he wouldn’t get very far.

Their dance finished and Sansa curtsied. “Lord Peter.”

“My Lady.” He picked her hand up and brought it close to his lips, but he didn’t kiss it. He never did. His lips never touched her skin, unlike some who kissed her hand with moist lips, or that time a very petulant knight tried to kiss her palm.

Peter never pressed the limits.

Sansa never knew how to properly answer to him, but damn it if the arrogant fool wasn’t always prepared for her.

“As always, my Lady’s beauty outshines the stars.” He offered once he had let go of her hand.

She arched a brow. “As always, flattery drips easily from your lips.”

“How can it be just flattery in face of a worthy subject, My Lady?” He asked her, before bowing once again and leaving.

Honestly. The cheek of that man.

***

“Tell me I’m delirious now.” Lucy demanded.

Edmund rolled his eyes. “All right. You were right. There’s something there.”

“Something?” She repeated like Edmund was an idiot. “Peter is completely in love with her.”

“I think you’re getting ahead of yourself, Lucy.” Edmund warned, but he sounded mostly amused. “Besides, if Peter gets too close to lady Sansa there will be a line of people to hurt him: Jon, Davos, Brienne, Arya…”

“Even Susan.” Lucy completed with a sigh. “They’ve become good friends and I think Susan knows something that we don’t.”

Edmund snickered. “She normally does.”

Lucy rolled her eyes. “So…”

“No!” Edmund said immediately. “Whatever you are thinking, the answer is no.”

“Ed!” Lucy turned her eyes to her brother. “She would be so good for him.”

“I’m not saying she wouldn’t, but Jon isn’t very fond of Peter. Can you imagine that?”

“Sansa isn’t a kid!” Lucy insisted. “She doesn’t need his permission.”

“Lucy, no!” Edmund was firm. “Do you want to cause a family fight? Is it fair after what they’ve done for us?”

It was a low blow and Edmund knew it, but he needed his little sister to see what could happen if things went wrong. Romance was only perfect in books, in real life people got hurt and sometimes worse.

They had no right to meddle in here.

“You’re right.” Lucy sighed.

Jon didn’t like Peter all that much, mostly because her brother was too arrogant, but… If Jon had a lady for himself, someone gracious, calm and kind, he might be more open minded to the match.

However, Jon didn’t have anyone…

Well, Lucy wouldn’t meddle with Sansa and Peter.

For now.

Notes: Important to notice: I know that -according to the show and the books -Davos has a wife somewhere (in the show they completely forgot she exists) and in the books he has a bunch of other kids (I'm pretty sure in the series he had only the one who died). But anyway, for my reasons I decided to say he's now a widower.Anyway... 

Let me know your feelings!

[itsclydebitches]

RWBY Recaps: Vol. 5 Rest and Resolutions + Alone Together

This is a re-posting from December 8th, 2017 in an effort to get all my recaps fully on tumblr. Thanks!

Hello, everyone! I apologize for the two week gap between reviews. Academia caught up with me in the worst way possible, but that is behind us now, hallelujah. There's a lot to cover in our last two episodes, so let's dive straight in.

First off, Ozpin is the Wizard theory confirmed.

We all knew it was coming, but it's still nice to finally have validation for that idea. Often times writers will deliberately askew what the viewers expect to happen in a failed attempt at originality (see Sherlock's season 3 premiere), but if you've planted the hints there's every reason to follow through with them. In true RWBY fashion though, this information leads to even more questions. I'm particularly interested in this balance between history and storytelling. That is, the version of Ozpin-as-Wizard that we hear about is explicitly a fairy tale and we all know that time has a tendency to twist events, especially when people begin to view them as just old wive's tales, rather than actual truth. All we really know is that Ozpin indeed gave much of his power to four girls, creating the original Maidens. However:

Did he really isolate himself like the story says? Honestly, if I'd been dealing with all Ozpin's shit I'd probably hide in the woods too.

How soon after receiving the curse did all this go down?

Depending on that timing, did Ozpin have reincarnations before he was the Wizard? Or is that his original form? A lot of fans still assume that he was also the King of Vale, though where that fits into the timeline is a little unclear.

Did Ozpin know at the time that his magic was finite? Or was this the event that clued him in?

Did he give the four women magic in a deliberate attempt to stop Salem? Or, like the story implies, was there a broader reason, the desire to give these women the power to continue spreading hope? That would certainly fit with the show's "honest soul" theme (and perhaps an indicator that characters like Ruby have something to teach Ozpin even as he teaches them, just as the original Maidens did).

Are the Maidens' powers connected to their original gifts? Winter is the Maiden of creation and encouraged Ozpin to meditate and reflect. Summer is destruction and, interestingly, told Ozpin to "step outside and embrace the world." Spring brought food and flowers to revitalize his garden and is the Maiden of knowledge, while Fall is choice and reminded Ozpin to be thankful for what he has. I can see some similarities among all that...

We might not ever get answers to questions like these. Unlike other fantasy series, RWBY is rather restricted by its medium--you can't spend page after page explaining nuanced world building as you would in a novel; we've only got about fifteen minutes max each episode and plenty of more important issues to tackle first. Still, it's something.

Besides that confirmation, "Rest and Resolutions" really lives up to its name. We have all the kids enjoying a happy meal together, with only Oscar noticeably absent. (I know, I know, he's housing Ozpin's soul and Ozpin needs to have Important Conversations with Qrow about the missing huntsmen, but let the kid hang out a bit with people closer to his age, yeah?) Much of this volume has been recap of one form or another, so as to make sure that each character is caught up on what everyone else has been doing and are aware of the information that others/the viewer already knows about. Ruby and co.'s conversation works similarly, only these callbacks are meant to induce a sense of nostalgia rather than act as firm plot foundation.

Jaune recounts "loosing" the map on their travels. Jaune. You literally threw it away when you realized that an entire town had been besieged by grimm. Like, I get that losing their map isn't great, but at least the guy is really invested in the welfare of others?

(cough--comforting Pyrrha instead of watching the door--cough)

(It's actually a personality "flaw" that, as we've seen twice now, can cause some serious consequences.)

The kids take turn complimenting one another (aww) and Ruby says that Ren was "out of control" during the fight against the Nuckelavee. I've seen a few autistic!Ren headcanons over the years and this perhaps can be read as evidence to support that. Ren drastically misreads the tone and intention of Ruby's comment, apologizing quite sincerely for his behavior and personal investment in that fight. It's only when Ruby clarifies that she meant it as a compliment that Ren understands... and thanks her. There's a lot of acceptance and support in this moment.

Weiss alludes to summoning her boar during the party (Ruby: "You did not!") and when Nora doesn't believe her Weiss summons the boar right next to her, startling the hell out of poor Nora. This really shows how much Weiss has improved. There's no hesitation, no need to concentrate--she just summons it up with pure ease right in the middle of a conversation.

I was actually rather surprised by Nora's reaction. Yeah, the jump scare was played for humor, but that combined with her horror at Yang detaching her arm... Nora seems a little... skittish to me?  I might be reading too much into things (I almost certainly am), but between these two moments, the joke about her eating, watching her sneak food last episode... they all read as not so subtle indicators of stress to me. And who can blame the girl.

Other nostalgic moments include our Vol. 1-3 nicknames: Ice Queen and Vomit Boy. The group has a long-overdue acknowledgement of how much they've grown since they were at school, with Ruby in particular delivering the iconic line that she tried to "1v1 a Nevermore on our second day of school." And the Death Stalker, Ruby. God bless this trigger-happy child.

There's also talk of Yang's arm. It did my heart good to see Ruby ooo-ing over the mechanics and Yang looking damn proud of it for once. The arm wrestling contest between her and Nora was, of course, fantastic. Yang's not just embracing this new part of her but actively using it to her advantage... that's exactly where we all knew she'd end up. Can't hold this girl down for long.

Yang: "It's no replacement for the real thing, but I'll make good use of it."

There's a radical tone change once dinner is over and Ozpin rejoins the conversation. Yang is clearly distrustful of him after her talk with Raven (despite the fact that Yang has no reason to trust Raven...) and in true Ozpin style he tries to console her with wisdom and compliments: "Your mother must trust you a great deal" if she told you all that.

Yeah. Sorry, Oz. You know as well as the audience that Raven told those secrets to manipulate her, not because she trusts her. That little strategy fell flat.

Ozpin confirms most of what Raven said though, including that he turned her and Qrow into birds. What Raven of course failed to mention was that they both agreed to the transformation. Whether that agreement was a strong and enthusiastic "Yes!" or the kind of consent that Pyrrha gave--a very complicated scenario with no good choices on the table--is hard to say. My own assumption is that Raven was probably thrilled to be given such a useful power, especially when she intended to turn it against the very community who gave it to her. She only regrets it now that her life hasn't turned out quite as planned. She, like others, is looking to use Ozpin as her scapegoat. 

In fact, we're given no explanation for Raven or Yang's anger here. Raven I can conceptualize--she's the type to blame others for her problems--but Yang? What exactly is so horrific about being turned into a kick-ass bird? As Ozpin describes it, this magic allows Qrow and Raven to "see more" and to be "unburdened" in ways that the normal huntsmen or huntress is not. This ability allows them to spy on Salem rather inconspicuously and, as we've seen in the case of Qrow, is useful in terms of keeping track of other people--like your wayward niece who goes off to try and take on the forces of darkness alone. As far as we've been told there's no downside to this ability beyond the fact that Ozpin's magic is finite, but that hardly effects Qrow. He transforms when he chooses, it doesn't seem to cause him any pain, it grants him an ability outside of his bad luck semblance, he already lives in a world where half the population has animal traits... seriously, where's this anger coming from? Just the fact that magic is an unknown to Yang and therefore scary? It's really unclear and frankly worrying considering how much Yang is basing her accusations and demands around that anger. 

Because the irony is that Yang demands no more secrets from Ozpin. He insists he doesn't keep secrets from them, just plays certain pieces of information close to the chest, but Yang says 'tomato tomahto’ even though, as we’ve just established, that wasn’t Ozpin’s secret to tell. And it has no repercussions that impact the rest of the group. Certainly not the girl who just showed up. I mean, maybe there is still a downside? They’ll definitely be a real backlash if the kids discover there is some horrific consequence to Qrow and Raven's ability and Ozpin didn’t say anything... but again, that’s not fair to Ozpin. Isn’t anyone going to ask Qrow why he kept this from his family? Or ask Yang why she’s suddenly on the side of the mother who abandoned her and is a known killer? Putting all this on Ozpin is, again, pretty worrying. 

Perhaps the most moving moment of the episode though is when Ozpin tells the kids that they can still leave. (Except Oscar of course. This poor kid. He got dragged into this fast and is the only one who's truly stuck with it.) He emphasizes that abstaining from battle is not the same thing as retreat and reminds us that these are just kids and they can't be expected to shoulder it all. No one stands except for Yang... but she's not leaving, just making it clear that whatever Ruby decides to do she'll follow her lead. It re-emphasizes that Ruby isn't just a strategic leader like Jaune is. She's the moral compass of the group. Once Ruby decides to keep fighting--and we know she always will--the rest of her family follows. That’s... not always a good thing though. Everyone needs a reason for fighting this kind of war and I don’t think ‘because Ruby is fighting it too’ is powerful enough to carry them through whatever new hardships they’ll face. 

Because you can’t keep the peace for long. We're left with one hell of a cliff-hanger as Emerald, Mercury, Cinder, and Watts approach Raven's camp, the whole gang demanding an audience--or more likely a Maiden. Every fan who cried over the fact that Emerald isn't in the opening finally got to see their fave prepping for a fight and I for one am looking forward to a real battle this Volume. None of the measly stuff we've seen with Blake or in training. For the first time this will, presumably, be Maiden vs. Maiden and I expect something epic.

Luckily the episode airs soon!

Before that though we have the heart-wrenching episode "Alone Together," wherein three fourths of Team RWBY finally get some downtime together. Ruby is up very early due to difficulty sleeping (who can blame her) and she soon realizes that Weiss and Yang are in the same boat. Loved Yang's sisterly "Boop" with her hair (pick that up from Nora, did you?) and Weiss knows her friends well, dumping an unholy amount of sugar into Ruby's coffee to make sure she likes it. "Nice Weiss strikes again!"

I'm quite liking Nice Weiss this Volume. What a step up from Ice Queen.

There's a bit more recapping--Ruby is called out on her priorities. That fact that they're all together at Haven Academy; that's what she can't believe?--before the conversation quickly turns to when they'll see Blake again. We've watched Yang deal rather well with the loss of her arm this past Volume and she kept a comparatively cool head around her mother. This though... this is what's really been festering.

Yang says that Blake "made her choice" and expresses very little interest in seeing her again. Weiss and Ruby are, understandably, shocked. With shaking hands and a flash of red eyes, Yang finally reveals what's truly been holding her back. Not her arm, not Raven, not any anger at Ruby, but the fact that Blake ran from them. Again.  

It's an understandable flaw on Blake's part, and it's equally understandable that this would nevertheless frustrate and upset Yang. I love that it's Weiss who helps her see Blake's perspective in all this: that after finally opening up to them, everything she'd feared actually did come to pass. The family she'd found was torn apart. Beacon fell. Adam hurt Yang in the worst possible way. She brought down the metaphorical walls around her heart and the literal walls of Beacon crumbled. As far as Blake is concerned, getting close to others really did bring nothing but misery. It's not logical, but emotions rarely are. Of course she's going to try and get as far away from them as possible after that, as well as return to her parents. It was a move born equally from a desire to protect herself as well as others.

It says a great deal about Yang's maturity that she does understand Blake's perspective rather quickly (even if, interestingly, she can’t understand Ozpin’s. A difference in who she actually cares for). Notably this is done through Weiss' own experiences, her admission that they've all experienced their own versions of loneliness. Yang says she doesn't blame Blake for the decision any longer; she's just upset that Blake hasn't realized yet (as Yang herself has) that things are easier when you stick together. That she, Ruby, and Weiss could have supported Blake through this... and that they need her support too. Yang resolves to be there for Blake just as soon as she's ready. The girl has a wealth of love within her. And yes, a lot of that stems from adopting the role of caretaker early, looking after Ruby as a big sister, but the fact that Yang can separate her current desire to protect her friends from that difficult childhood is huge. She knows how trauma has shaped her and she's prepared to make the best of it.

Ruby finally does check up on them and lets out a heartfelt sigh. Everything's okay.

Now, I'll be real interested to see if Yang's shaking lessens after she's reconciled with Blake...

Meanwhile, there's Ilia. And you all know what I'm going to discuss here.

There's a lot to say about her meeting with Blake--the well-played betrayal; our look at how Blake might end up in Mistral; the introduction of a very cool spider faunus; Ilia's speech about how there's no right or wrong, no innocents, just doing "what's best for us" that reminded me strongly of Roman's own speech--but for now, especially given how long this review already is, I want to focus in on her sexuality.

(FYI what I have below was originally written as a separate post, so apologies for the repetition.)

In the past week I've seen numerous complaints about how the fandom is “whining” about finally getting what they want. I’m one of the “whiners,” and this, to be frank, is not what I asked for.

Let’s start with the acknowledgment that yes, no matter who Rooster Teeth chose as their first LBGTQIA character, some people were going to be disappointed. Either because the choice doesn’t fit their ship or because of the dichotomy we’re seeing now: the Good vs. Evil gay character divide. It’s a simple disagreement on the surface that nevertheless houses a lot of important questions and concerns: should you make your gay character one of the Good Guys in order provide positive representation, or should you make them one of the Bad Guys in order to provide diverse representation? Do you send the message that being gay is wonderful by associating it with the heroes, or something that’s natural by associating it with the villains--making a statement that anyone can be LGBTQIA, not just the ones you’re rooting for?

The answer to this dilemma is that you do both. You provide variety in order to likewise provide true, diverse representation. However, the reality is that we haven’t reached a point in most media where you get lots and lots of gay characters to provide lots and lots of diversity… so therefore I feel rather strongly that the first character should be a positive portrayal.

Why? Because we’re not living in a positive world. Because we’re still a part of societies where LGBTQIA people are ridiculed, discriminated, and murdered. Because the idea that it’s not just okay, but fantastic to be gay is FAR from universal.

Because we have a very long, awful history of villains associated with gay stereotypes. Because there’s literally a Psycho Lesbian trope with plenty of examples to choose from. Because we don’t live in a culture where you can casually throw out ‘gay’ + ‘bad guy’ and expect your audience to separate the two critically.

Which brings me back to Ilia.

For all these reasons I was truly disappointed to see that she was our first LBGTQIA character. Out of a wealth of women in this show who love each other in healthy and nuanced ways, they were all bypassed for a character who is currently one of the Bad Guys.

Is Ilia pure evil? Of course not. I’ve mentioned previously about how much we see her struggling with her choices, but she’s currently not on a good path either. More importantly, the way her sexuality is revealed does nothing but position it badly. Let’s break that scene down just a bit. The first LGBTQIA content we’re given is:

A woman who is working for an extremist group that in turn is working for the Big Bad

Ilia reveals her sexuality after having her henchmen abuse Blake, attacking her, forcing her onto her knees, and announcing that they’re currently attempting to murder her parents

Ilia says that she wanted Blake to look at her like she once looked at Adam, intentionally or not drawing parallels between her love and Blake’s abuse

She positions her sexuality as at least partly a justification for her actions. Illia is subtly blaming Blake: if you’d paid more attention to me, maybe none of this would have happened. It actively positions all this horror as at least partly a consequence of same sex attraction

Does all of this craft a rather complex, LGBTQIA character? Absolutely, but it’s also one that left a rather sour taste in my mouth. Overt, same-sex attraction is still so rare in our media and frankly I’m sick of it. I’m sick of vague comments, queer baiting, or promises of something “coming later.” I’m equally sick of burying our gays and having same-sex attraction presented as something that only those who are otherwise sick in their morals would experience. Is it so much to ask for something reaffirming in a series that keeps growing in popularity and influence?

Will there be more LGBTQIA characters in RWBY? I assume so, I hope so, but for now all we have is Ilia. A character who, I’d also like to point out, we barely know. I’m sure she’s lots of fans’ fave, but I for one have little interest in this side character… and her position as a side character makes me nervous for her survival. Her sexuality only compounds that.

Rooster Teeth had a huge opportunity here. LGBTQIA viewers have waited five years to see someone like them in this series and it could have been a really magnificent reveal. It could have been Yang realizing her feelings as she worked through her anger at Blake. Or Weiss realizing hers for Yang as they get closer this Volume. Or Ruby for Weiss. Or Weiss for Blake. Hell, give us a throwaway line about Port and Oobleck being happy husbands, or let Ren be pan, or let Oz admit to same-sex attraction after having lived thousands of years…. I don’t care. I’ll take any ship wars that develop as a consequence. All I wanted was to see a character I know and love embracing their sexuality in a way that reaffirmed how proud I am of my own.

Instead it’s Ilia, admitting feelings for Blake while she plots to kill her parents. While she hurts her and betrays her. Sorry if I find that a little difficult to watch. Sorry if I need to “whine” about it just a bit.

So yes. Needless to say I'm disappointed. After that I couldn't really appreciate Ghira's transformation and concern for his wife, or Kali's badass, "Get out of my house!" As said, the whole scene with Ilia left a bad taste in my mouth. I know Rooster Teeth can do better.

Hopefully we do get better. Preferably soon. This is the perfect, filler kind of Volume to set up more characterization, including queer sexualities, and we've got four more episodes until the hiatus.

Tick, tock, RT.

Other Details of Note

Nora, what exactly happened with you and that punch?

I liked the gears on the wall clock. Which begs the question: where did this house come from? Is it a safe place that Ozpin had set up long before Beacon's fall?

They ate ALL that food. Everything they'd prepared while expecting who knows how many huntsmen/huntresses. Never underestimate the appetites of a group of teenagers.

James and Glynda get mentioned this volume! Everyone rejoice! Now if only we got to see them on screen...

Nora exclaiming about how Qrow and Raven are named after birds was pretty hilarious. It's not like we weren't already thinking it. Despite all the jokes on tumblr though, there's no way Ozpin chose those forms specifically because of the Branwens' names. If anything, this seems to act as evidence that a person's semblance/abilities draws on their personality, rather than the other way around.

There are a number of bird motifs throughout "Alone Together," including our opening shot of Ruby watching them fly overhead and a pair of carved ducks on display in the bedroom where Yang and Weiss chat. It's a nice nod to one of this Volume's major themes. (Or, if we buy into this headcanon that this place is a safe house purchased specifically for Qrow, then Ozpin needs to get called out on his on-the-nose decorating lol).

Yang staring at the team photo hurt in so many ways. Excellent touch there.

We have that acknowledged parallel between Weiss and Ruby, in which Yang (and the audience) expects it to be Ruby knocking on the door, trying to talk. The difference is that now, months later, Yang is actually in a position to open up to someone and that someone is Weiss, now just as much a sister to Yang as Ruby is.  

Confirmation that Weiss' mom is an alcoholic. We knew that was coming too...but still. Yikes.

Yang cries! Let all the children keep crying! It's good and natural!

There's a "nocturnal section" of Menagerie. Of course there is. God I can't believe I didn't think of that.

Ilia can completely blend in with the shadows. It's official now: all Volume 1-3's shadow people are just really, really shy chameleon faunuses. Spread the word.

That blow Blake took seemed to hit her pretty hard. Kind of like how Oscar staggered when he got hit without his aura... could Blake really trust Ilia enough to attend this meeting without proper protection? She might, which makes Ilia's betrayal all the worse. In the episode where Yang talks of letting Blake support and be supported by others, she was finally willing to do that with an old friend. Obviously having that backfire won't help Blake to open up any further.

GIF credit: http://knowyourmeme.com/photos/841077-rwby

[closetcasefabray]

ccf rereads loso /11

i honestly was looking forward to this all day. home, smoke, loso! LEZGO!

//

chapter 20: choose your battles wisely

But, truth be told? Lexa is here because here is where Clarke is. Even if they took the radio to Polis, she would be so distracted by responsibilities she might have no time to spend with Clarke. Here, in TonDC, Indra and Anya are well able to manage things. So Lexa can lie with Clarke, and touch her, and speak to her, and right now with her help attempt to beat Wells in this confusing strategy game.

it’s like a clexa staycation & i live for those (relatively) quiet moments between the two

/

Raven is standing on the other side of Anya fiddling with several pieces of metal, oblivious to Anya’s annoyance about her closeness.

[internal squealing]

/

“This game is most confusing,” she says innocuously, and watches as he falls for her assumed air of innocence.

“I know,” Wells assures her, moving his queen to take the pawn without looking closely, too focused on reassurance to double-check his play. “It took me years to -”

“Checkmate,” Lexa says serenely, moving her own queen.

lol wells. you fell for that like when your dad didn’t have a clue lexa was being extra af & faking a limp in disguise

/

She looks at Clarke, who is glowing with pleasure at watching Lexa interact with her friends.

same, clarke. same.

/

It is likely she will have to start from the very beginning, teaching Clarke stances and how to distribute her weight. / Lexa hopes this will require a lot of hands-on instruction.

same but damn lexa is def taking advantage of this second chance thing

/

The Skaikru are… not impressive, to Lexa, in the beginning at least.

i laugh then imagine myself trying & remember my body hurts regularly & jesus id be such a mess.

/

With some added muscle, Clarke will be formidable indeed, and Lexa glows with pride at her accomplished lover. It is a shame the presence of others means she cannot express this pride as she would like to, but later in the tent set aside for Lexa she will come up with a reason to ‘confer’ extensively with the Skaikru leader.

y’all are thirsty af & octavia is prob rolling her eyes out of her head & scoffing

/

There is Clarke, there, right there, in reaching distance – Clarke who knows her as no one else ever has, who knows all of her and understands all of her as even Costia could not. (Because Costia lived in the light, but her death brought darkness to Lexa, which makes her wonder if Costia could have loved this version of the Commander as much as she loved the first one). Clarke who sees this, who knows it, who has been wounded by Lexa’s duty before, but nevertheless looks at her with that impossible warmth in her Skai eyes. A Skai girl, fallen from the stars for her.

fuck. me. up.

/

Clarke’s gaze is overly warm. Perhaps Lexa’s staring had been a little too admiring. Lexa clears her throat and attempts to sound normal (judging by Anya’s snort, she does not entirely succeed), and says, “Of course, Clarke. Come this way?”

between anya, raven, & octavia, it’d be close but i think anya would win for best clexa roast

perhaps??? you probably never looked softer ya dumb nerd.

/

They are barely inside before Clarke presses against her and kisses her thoroughly. “Thank you for the training,” she says, moving so that her arms are around Lexa, so that they are entwined perfectly, so that they are one being.

[By] Titus's standards, Lexa is weak. She knows this. But she is blessed, and knows this even more.

i am blessed by this fic. i can feel lexa’s fucking happiness & joy in seeing clarke again & falling in love with her again over & over & it’s incredible.

(also all the clexa sex. they deserve 47294472925 orgasms.)

//

chapter 21: a failure to communicate

- finn’s a fuckboy & i dont actively hate him in this but generally roll my eyes at his mediocre existence at this point

- so i love how dramatic lincoln & o’s call out is. but outting clexa to wells wasn’t cool. at the same time, i get why O is being so reactionary. poor wells “lost” his bro for being a fuckboy AND his best friend he loves in like a few days.

/

“You know?” Clarke says harshly. “What do you know? You know I saved Lincoln’s life by caring for him when you threw a knife into him. You know I made deals with the Grounders to keep us alive. You know I helped Raven when she fell from the Ark. What you know, is that I have done nothing but good for our people. Have I saved everyone? No. Have I done my best with what I know? Yes. So you can either shof op, or go float yourself, Octavia.”

this is justified. good clarke. you’re doing great bb. i would’ve def gotten everyone killed by now.

//

chapter 22: weakness is my strength

Wells walks across the square. He pauses to stare at Lexa for a long moment, unhappiness etched into his face, then turns with a shake of his head to stalk away.

Lexa frowns, and barely avoids a blow to her head.

“Sloppy,” Anya says calmly, though she also has registered the Skai boy’s brief expression. Lexa can tell by her furrowed brow.

like wells. i love you. but wellarke was never gonna happen bro.

also awwwww lexa & anya care about those skai goufas.

/

“Well done,” Anya gasps, reaching a hand to her head and wincing. “We may make a warrior of you yet, yongon,” she says jokingly. Anya’s sense of humour has always been mocking quips, and Lexa is well accustomed to her deadpan delivery of these.

i want a scene of raven being like “omg you’d be such a great comedian!” & anya is just like “???” & omg raven would make a podcast & you know jasper & monty would have a comedy hour or some shit. & anya would never admit to enjoying comedy but raven def catches her laughing at one point & NEVER LETS HER FORGET IT

/

- wells’ approval of clexa is what i needed

/

She moves to lean against Lexa, resting her head on Lexa’s shoulder. Lexa smooths her hair back and kisses her head lightly, even this small affectionate touch making her heart speed up a little.

my heart eXPLODES

i want all the clexa tenderness bottled for me to consume on the daily

/

But then, her years as Commander have also taught her not to trust anyone. They have taught her to remove threats immediately, any threats. They have taught her love is weakness. All her instincts scream at her not to be here, not to have the warmth of Clarke at her side, not to allow the squeeze of emotion she feels whenever she sees Clarke.

[crying] sh-she just be-becomes so s-soft w-with c-clarke. s-so weak f-for her 😭

/

“And even if I had decided following that path was best, I do not think I could have waited for so many weeks to see you again.”

Clarke smiles, the worry in her face easing. “What happened to ‘it takes as long as it takes’?”

“Sometimes it takes too long,” Lexa says solemnly, though a smile betrays her. “Truly, Clarke, I did not feel as if I could breathe properly in this new world until I saw you again. And even then, even then it hurt to see you, for Finn was next to you and I did not know if I had lost you.”

“I’m the one who nearly lost you,” Clarke says fiercely, taking her hand so that their fingers are intertwined, clasped together in Clarke’s lap.

this entire conversation is stunning. it’s so earnest & honest & difficult & important. the showrunners would never even know where to begin writing something like this

/

“I’m glad you came for me so soon,” Clarke says softly, pulling away only an inch to say it. Lexa can feel Clarke’s breath against her. “Any longer would have been too long for me as well.”

“Ai hodnes, ai kwelnes,” Lexa whispers. “I could never stay away.”

“my love, my weakness”

[mcccix]

Ep 1-3 Random Thoughts

It’s fucking long. You’ve been warned:

ONE— NEED MORE MADI

Clarke emerges from the rubble after a month. We don’t see her use the radio until she gets to Arkadia. So we don’t actually know that she was radio-ing him for 2,199 days. We don’t know how long she was unconscious or if she had a working radio immediately after Praimfaya. The radio is a mobile one, looks beaten-up… either it came from the Rover or it came from Arkadia. She was still radio-ing him for a long-ass time though.

And she was radio-ing Bellamy. She refers to Monty and Raven in the third-person and she’s not likely to be chatting to Harper, Murphy, Emori, or Echo instead of Bellamy.

Loved that we see Jasper’s things. I’m hoping for a moment between Clarke and Monty where she gives him those things.

The editing— they are so not being subtle with that Bellarke business.

Murphy hates himself and, as Bellamy points out, likes playing the hero because it’s redeeming. He doesn’t know what to do with himself or how to feel when he can’t do that. I wish there was more growth with him after 6 years but I hope this means we’re gonna see all that growth this season.

Madi was hiding under the floor of the trailer. She’s definitely meant to reflect/contrast Octavia.

Madi’s hand shook when she shot the guy.

Monty is NOT gonna be down with the ground politics and the things they’re gonna have to do. Bromance with Zeke, pls?

That foreshadowing with Becho tho.

TWO — KICKASS ROMAN TERROR-QUEEN 

Really really interested in the rumours Abby hinted at. Love getting Ark history. Definite foreshadowing.

Niylah and Octavia… not sure what’s going on there. How’d she know about the book? She also didn’t want to leave when Octavia tried sending her away for her safety.

I like Jackson and Miller but when the revolt happens… they hadn’t been down there long. They’re sure moving quick with the I-love-yous. Hope they last.

The “choose” scene— kick ass, well-edited, loved Octavia here.

Surprised by how Jaha died. I knew they’d make him a hero but I expected something much more dramatic and quick. I was surprisingly emotional over it.

They never address what they do with their dead (Side note: I hope they keep Jaha’s ashes/bones/whatever and he eventually gets to be buried with his son.)

Indra thinks of Octavia as her daughter, and now her actual daughter is interfering in that relationship. Gaia obviously becomes an influence on Octavia— how will Indra’s relationship with O change? Potential conflict.

Octavia took the Roman thing and fucking ran with it. It’s a connection to her brother but in a really unexpected way. (I’ve said before that I think Octavia’s arc will in some ways reflect Bellamy’s in S3b-4a but she’ll reach a far different conclusion than he did.)

Most annoying thing for me is that Octavia keeps getting new titles. 

THREE— THE BEST YET

Murphy knew wtf he was doing bringing up Clarke. The little shit, I love him.

4 PHDs? I love backstory.

Madi is not on board with Clarke’s actions and I can’t wait to see how that plays out when things get really bad.

I’m LOVING the parallels with s1— Diyoza’s speech, Clarke’s silence, the impaled newcomer.

Anyone else think Raven is gonna have a field day with these new weapons? Imagine how she could adapt them.

Murphy wants to be a good guy but has never felt or been treated like the good guy. He tries to do the honourable thing and it ends up screwing him over. This dude TRIES and has no luck. That being said, him being left behind with Raven will give the audience a chance to see how they’ve evolved and hopefully will give us some spacekru stories.

But I’m guessing they’ll come down soon so the setup for Raven-Zeke can happen (What is their ship name, btw?)

Madi was way more confident killing this time (and multiple people!) but I feel like she’s gonna have a moment later when she just cannot deal and her turmoil will reflect the things Clarke and Bellamy went through. (Please tell me they do the parental thing and counsel her through it? A la Kane to Bellamy and Abby to Clarke)

Ok but the framing and blocking for the Bellamy-Madi meeting is so important.

The hilarious thing about the Bellamy-Madi meeting is the way it was edited makes it seem like they just ran off together to save Clarke without a backward glance at the others, just abandoned them in the woods.

Bellamy couldn’t even THINK to ask about his sister, who he’s been desperate to return to. “What? No, how can that be?” -- I don’t think this question is about the bunker

That mug! The mug had narrative significance, yes, but it could have said ANYTHING. They could have made it blank, or had the Eligius logo, or anything else. The fact that they made it say that is just…extra.  It’s not coincidental, the writers know what they’re doing.

They’ve seen each other for 2.2 seconds and there’s already been a declaration. I know everyone said things would be fast this season but damn.

Up until this point, they’ve never outright stated how much they care for each other. Other characters have implied it, they’ve done things that implied it, and they’ve hinted at it with things like “I can’t lose Clarke”, “I need you”, etc. but never a confirmation of “Yes, I care about this person. Absolutely.”

“She must be important to you.” This was a statement, not a question. Rhetorical. He didn’t have to reply but he did.

Clarke wasn’t really mentioned by spakekru in ep1. This episode, she was mentioned repeatedly (mainly by Bellamy). The sudden change from no mention of her to the constant reminder of “Clarke died for us, I left her behind”, etc. in the first half of ep3 is meant to emphasize their later reunion. Bellamy mourned Clarke, he felt guilty about leaving her…. and now he returns to find her alive but in danger and he’s thinking “I can’t lose her again..”

It’s a slightly more level-headed concern and need than his absolute desperation in rescuing her from Roan in s3.

The fact that it’s Bellamy alone that goes to rescue her is so important.

Eligius is morally grey, yes. But one thing everyone forgets when comparing their version of morally grey to the main characters’: Bellamy, Clarke et al did shitty things mainly because they were in life or death situations. Eligius is full of people who did shitty stuff before the world ended. What I’m gonna enjoy seeing is how the show is gonna separate the super fucked-up prisoners from those who, like the MCs, did shitty stuff for good reasons. And to see what these super fucked-up prisoners will mean for their survival because they’ve never yet faced an enemy that was actually evil (as in kill-because-they-love-it evil).

Every second of this was a gem.

Things I want to see going forward:

Clarke and Monty reunion. Talking about Jasper with each other.

Raven and Murphy learning Clarke is alive. Bellamy has to have a way to communicate with Raven to tell her if she needs to pull the plug on the prisoners or not. So I imagine him radio-ing her and revealing what happened. And Clarke getting to talk to Raven and Murphy.

How Raven and Murphy react to Madi. 

Bellamy and Madi interaction. Lola said Madi views him as a hero, we need to see more of this.

Bellamy at some point talking to Madi about Octavia.

Kane or Abby reacting to the knowledge that Bellamy and Clarke were separated for six years.

Eligius having an “oh shit” moment when they see Octavia do something badass.

Murphy’s friendship with Raven. Murphy’s friendship with Echo. Or Clarke. Or Bellamy. I want John Murphy to have friends.

[nezzfiction]

ENMY Chapter 70 - Of Ash and Ember (Part Three)

Chapter Synopsis: The finale of the Atlas Arc is here. War between Yang and Cinder versus Weiss, Ruby and Blake will meet its end. Destiny will be realized. Victory will be granted. And what it all means in the end...is anyone's guess.

Series Synopsis: Team RWBY is disbanded, and Yang must find herself new allies. For her, that might very well be yesterday’s enemies. Joining up with the likes of Emerald, Mercury, and Neo, the four will comprise Team Enemy(ENMY).

Links to read the series: Ao3 or FF.net

Or hit the jump below

.

Of Ash and Ember (Part Three)

.

The first time I met Yang, I knew she was special.

Raven and Tai understandably had their concerns. The thought of their daughter possessing the Reaper’s Semblance was a constant burden in their thoughts. A burden that only weighed heavier as Yang grew older.  

I felt guilty never telling them the truth. I could have saved them much pain and anxiety, but I think some truths can’t be told. Instead, they must be discovered. Not just for Raven and Tai’s sake, but for Yang herself.

I can see things…

Special things.

…

There were complications with Yang’s birth.

Raven had been in labor far too long. All of us could see the suffering she endured, her life being stretched thin. Just watching and not being able to do a single thing for her.

I’d never seen Raven fight so hard in my entire life. And if Raven is anything, she’s a fighter.

Right until that moment, she spoke to me about her worries. How often she had nightmares of killing her own child. How her Reaper’s Semblance spelled death for anything and anyone she touched. I could only think how silly that was, while watching her pour every ounce of her body and soul into keeping her yet to be born daughter alive.

The worst was coming to pass. I knew what Raven was thinking. She was ready to forfeit her own life if it meant her child was safely delivered into this world.

…

And then, I saw her. Yang Xiao Long.

Little bundle of fire. Tiny, curled fists punching the air. Cries that pierced your heart. She showed Raven’s spirit in her already—her tenacity. So warm and full of life in my arms.

…

And I knew Raven died giving birth to her.

I watched the last wisps of her life fade. At the time, I wished with everything in my heart for the power to rewrite what fate designed. But there was nothing.

Tai and Qrow were in a panic. I could only watch, frozen in my own sorrow. Until I felt little Yang wriggling in my arms. Something indescribable flowed from her. A light.

I knew what she wanted. She reached out for her mother and I brought her near.

As soon as Yang touched Raven…

Life sparked her body once more.

It wasn’t long until everyone celebrated the miracle. Raven was dead for five full minutes. The doctors said it was a rare occurrence but nothing unheard of. Qrow had witnessed the very same thing himself.

Sometimes, the body simply found in itself the will to persevere, with just a little help from luck.

…

But I knew.

I, alone, knew Yang was the one who saved Raven. It’s why I never worried about what the future or her Semblance held in store for her.

She embodied Raven’s fire, as well as Tai’s kindness. She would grow into someone who strengthened those around her, emboldened them beyond what they thought they could be. There would be tough times ahead of her, but I knew for certain she would conquer the challenges life threw her way.

The first time I met Yang, I knew she was special.

She would be a Life Giver. She would be the heart of her loved ones and the backbone of her allies.

And in their darkest moments, when they were most lost—

Yang would be the one to guide them home.

-Summer Rose, Diary Entry XXXX

.

.

Cinder awoke to find her surroundings frozen in time.

She was still in the Never Realm. The ruins of Gjallarhorn remained below, sinking into the rising level of lava and strange winter frost.

An injured Weiss kneeled on a lone iceberg, looking up in shock. Seemingly retreating to a distant stalactite, were Ruby and Blake. And there—

Sideways standing in stout protection of her, was Yang. Her partner wore an expression mixed of worry and surprise.

Ah.

I remember now.

Cinder pawed the left side of her face. She felt nothing but blood and carved flesh, where her eye used to be.

I lost it saving Yang’s life.

Hmph. No wonder she looks so dumbstruck.

…

Honestly.

What compelled me to do something so foolish?

…

“Selflessness.”

The voice resounded with a clarity behind her.

Cinder turned and saw a tall woman in broken armor standing there. Half her helmet had been ripped apart from the right side, exposing half her face. Her body was stained in dark red. It was as if this person simply entered fresh from a battlefield. But what was probably the most distinguishing feature of the apparition were the two horns resting on her head.

One burned with an ashen fire, while the other cascaded with frost and ice.

“Romia, the Queen of Rebellion,” Cinder muttered.

“You can refer to me as your great grandmother, child.”

“Hmph. What is happening? I was wounded, but I shouldn’t be delusional.”

Cinder’s great grandmother breathed an exasperated sigh.

“You surely are my descendant. This vision is real, Cinder. I have appeared due to your act of Selflessness.”

“…”

“…”

“Heh…”

“…?”

“Hehe—”

“…?”

“Hehehe…. HehehahahaHAHAHA!”

Tears swelled at the edge of Cinder’s eye as she fell into childish laughing fits. Her arms braced her sides that grew sore. She couldn’t remember the last time she experienced something like this. It was simply too hysterical.

“Are you quite finished?” Romia asked tensely.

“You are joking.”

“I am not the type to joke.”

“You have appeared to announce my worthy succession of the Fall Maiden’s Inheritance? Truly?”

“A succession I can still revoke.”

“Hm.” Cinder stared at the ghost of her relative, still finding humor in the situation. “This is quite the convenient test to appear in my time of need. Have you been watching me for some time now?”

“Yes. ‘We’ have.”

“I was being tested by yourself and another? Who?”

“Who do you think?”

Cinder thought for a moment before turning in the direction of a frozen Yang.

“She spoke to you?”

“Much less ‘spoke’. She did, however, communicate her intentions. That girl is very special in that regard.” Romia sauntered to Yang’s side and laid an armored hand over her fiery heart. “The hours she spent, words unspoken in the training room during quiet moments of meditation— knowing full well nothing may come of it. An honest, passionate soul of this caliber is hard to find. You would be remiss not to make her a true friend and ally.”

“Yang… acted to awaken my full Inheritance.”

“Should you ever deviate from your foul behavior and seek to do good for another benefit’s outside your own, your succession would be proposed for validity—is vaguely what she expressed. I doubt she ever knew your defining moment would come in the form of her own salvation.”

Cinder thought back to all their training sessions. How Yang helped her manage the erratic bouts of hysteria. How she spent time and time again honing her temperament of something she could barely control. All of it was sincere. Never once a lie in her intentions.

We united under a contract of business partners, you and I. We were an ends to fulfilling each other’s wishes. I would grant you what you desired. And you would assist me in my ambitions.

Nothing more and nothing less to be gained from either side.

…

Nothing more, nothing less…

…

Cinder let out a soft laugh, a warm tickle in her heart.

This certainly has become more than we bargained for, hasn’t it, Yang Xiao Long?

Cinder bade a silent thank you to her unlikely friend, and something took root in the pit of her chest. A gentle nature that immediately hardened upon returning to the discussion at hand.

“So, I’ve passed your test?” she addressed the ghost of her ancestor. “I must say, I can’t imagine a single selfless act enough to prove my embodiment of the Fall Maiden’s virtue.”

“Sometimes, it is not the magnitude of one’s actions, but its distinction. The divergence from what we know and what is safe.”

“I have done nothing remotely close to living my life in safety.”

“You’ve always done what you know would prolong your survival. Raven taught you to seek, exploit, betray. You taught yourself to compel obedience, inspire fear. But trust—that is something you never truly learned, but is second nature to others.”

“A roundabout way of informing me I have trust issues.”

“And you’ve learned to close your heart to the warmth of others. Only in the stoking fire of your ambitions, did you ever take any measure of it.”

“…You preach too much, great grandmother. If you have a point to make, get on with it.”

The Queen of Rebellion gave a half smirk.

“You’ve changed, Cinder Fall. You have allies you rely on implicitly, even if you delude yourself into thinking they are disposable tools.” She paused. “And you deluded yourself into thinking you hate someone, who you feel the most kinship with. Not a rival, not an enemy, but almost a sister.”

“That will be enough.”

“No, my great granddaughter.”  

A chuckle echoed around Cinder.

“It is only the first step.”

.

X  X X  X  X

.

“Cinder..!” The voice came from a distance.

“…”

“Cinder!!!” Now, coming closer.

“…Quiet.”

“Cinder! CINDER!!!”

“Enough, Yang.” The Fall Maiden took the Spring Maiden’s arm and helped herself up. “I am awake. Cease your incessant worrying. You’ll give me a headache.”

“…But your eye.”

“Hm,” Cinder flashed a brief, but earnest smile. “…A small price to pay for your foolish life...”

“What was that?” Yang asked, not quite hearing her.

“I said, ‘you owe me a heavy debt in its place’! From this moment forth, you will be my left eye. Do you understand?”

Yang sensed something, an abrupt change in her ally. Not just in Aura, but in persona. The quality of life in Cinder shone with a new vitality. A fondness lingered underneath her tone.

“…Sure thing, Cinder,” Yang replied with a kind smile. “Sure thing.”

“Good. In the meantime—”

There was puff of smoke and a shadow leapt to cut Cinder down. A hand darted out and deftly caught Blake by the neck, while the assassin was mid-strike. Dark miasma then, leaked out like a tapped fountain, as if it had been waiting to be released for a while now. The toxin carried the presence of death and malcontent. It blanketed Cinder in her entirety, seeping into her pores.

…

But a single, amber eye shone deep in the shadowy haze. It colored of wrath and ruin, and of a most deadly light. It leaned out of the smoke and rested beside Blake’s ear.

“Curse yourself for not taking better advantage when you had the chance, little kitten.”

Cinder’s grip tightened around the soft tissue between Blake’s jaw and neck. Her nails sunk into the skin like a vise lined with knives, drawing thin trickles of blood. The corruption of the Semblance having nowhere near the effect it once had—not with the Fall Maiden’s true succession to her title.

The ring Regalia on Cinder’s finger faded and disappeared. In its place, a glass slipper took form around her left foot. It glowed with Runes and sunk its teeth into the wearer’s heels. The blood and flesh sacrificed to it elicited an illumination of power. Truer than a ring, the glass slipper signified the Regalia marking Cinder’s ascension.

The heel ignited with jet fire, blasting Cinder and her quarry across the “sky”. Unable to break the Fall Maiden’s grasp, Blake was rammed through several floating pieces of falling mountain with impunity. They came to a stop only in the deep crater of the cavern’s wall. The cat Faunus’ body nothing more than a bloody pulping mess by the end of it.

As the remains of the corpse started to regenerate, black mist transported the girl to a safe place for resurrection.

“Hmph,” Cinder scoffed and returned to Yang. “Another life taken, true to my word,” she announced upon landing.

“All ready for the finale, then.”

“Indeed.”

The two launched themselves near the ceiling and stood side by side. Each held a hand aloft, and hovering above their palms, an ethereal object manifested. A fiery crown spun in Yang’s hand, while a glistening, glass slipper formed in the other. Upon the appearance of the two artifacts, the whole underground environment shifted.

A brilliant star expanded overhead in the blink of an eye. It demolished the mountaintop and absorbed the debris through its gravitational pull. The celestial-like object pulsed with a beating heart, each reverberation sending small solar flares through the atmosphere.

At the same time, the sea of lava rose. Streams of molten liquid flowed towards Cinder. They wove together like tapestry, threads sown of their own volition. The magma coalesced at a single point and extended. Its temperature was so high, that one drip from the forged weapon burned scorch marks in the Never Realm’s reality.

“No way…” Ruby could only look up in awe.

“Ruby,” Weiss called from below. “We don’t have a choice. We have to hit them with everything we have left.”

Ruby nodded and joined her. Blake reappeared with a limp, not quite recovered from the punishment Cinder put her through.

The Winter Maiden tried to form her armor, but her legs gave out. The ambush against Yang took its toll on her body. She could not physically be part of the fight.

Weiss held her hand aloft like Cinder and Yang were. A miniature, ceremonial sword levitated above her palm. She poured her will into it and countless Glyphs answered her summons. An army of knights born into existence. Each of them accentuated a customized weapon, armor, and combat style.

Something in the motion of the other Maidens compelled Ruby to mimic them. Her hand held aloft, a vague image shaped to her calling. Its silhouette defined with more concentration until it became a key. A key that unlocked the gate to a forest. And in the forest, slept many terrible things.

Crimson vines sprouted from Ruby’s cloak and enveloped Weiss’s knights in thorns. The briar foliage extended to cover the whole base of the mountain. And in the middle of that forest, brought forth by Ruby, a giant clothed wolf snarled hungrily. Rose petals trailed from its fur as it shook itself. The little red riding hood mounted the creature’s back, like it was her rightful place. Her silver eyes matched the gleams of her wolf’s as both stared at the two Maidens in the sky.

Blake was the last to act. Although she was already suffering the aftereffects of consuming Bane, she popped several shards of the substance into her mouth. There was nothing left but to gamble the rest of her life into the next moment. There wasn’t a future worth having if it wasn’t hers to attain.

Blake opened her palm and a Grimoire materialized from the dark ether. Tattoos inked across her skin at the cursed tome’s appearance. Something strange took her over. Her consciousness barely registered her actions, as if the girl’s body was not her own.

The pages of the book flipped rapidly until they came to a stop on a certain emblem. Its design floated from its confines and activated. An etching of a wilting rose.

Shadowy mist blanketed Weiss’s knights, enhancing them further with an aspect of madness. Their weapons and armor took more sinister aesthetic, but greatly heightened ability. Horns grew atop their heads, similar to Adam’s. Their blades coated with a crimson tinge with matched markings. They twitched, unable to keep their sanity for much longer.

And so, the five faced each other as the beginning of their battle. A war of Maidens. A war that determined Rule, Justice, Love, People, and Life.

The last fairytale would be written by those who achieved victory.

—Only by those who fulfilled their Destiny.

…

Yang closed her hand and the star shrunk into the palm of her grasp. It rumbled, fighting to escape like a nova trapped into a mortal fist.

Cinder cooled the lava-painted weapon she wove into existence into a beautifully, elegant arrow the length of her body. Her glass slipper formed into a bow for her to notch the projectile.

The wolf Ruby rode, unhinged its enormous maw with the girth of a crocodile’s. It then, leapt with insane agility, leading the charge.

Countless summoned knights followed the rose warrior into battle and to their certain ends.

Yang plummeted towards Ruby. Her younger sister’s mount looked to devour her, while she pitched forth her strongest fist. The might brought with it, that of an undying flame that sparked soul and life.

Cinder unleashed her arrow that flew with a single hollow note. It reverberated across the plane, a hum that sung of cataclysm and a world’s end.

…

Gjallarhorn would never exist again after that moment. The section of the Never Realm would remain forever lost, wiped out beyond recoverability by the conflict that transpired there.

An immortal scar marking the end of an epic battle.

.

X  X X  X  X

.

The five reappeared in the lowest chamber of the lowest Tower.

Ruby, Weiss, and Blake laid unconscious on the steel floor. They showed no signs of waking anytime soon.

Only Yang and Cinder remained with their senses. The unquestionable victors of this contest of Maidens.

“That… was certainly challenging,” Cinder panted.

“That’s all you have to say?” Yang asked, also out of breath.

“I believe we should take a reprieve after today. Not a long one, mind you—but a deserved one nonetheless.”

“Not just yet.”

“…”

“Time to make good on the original part of our deal.”

“I see. Yes. One condition of many.” Cinder paused. “I am so very sorry, Yang. You’ve served your purpose well, but I think now is the time to break our contract.”

“What?”

“You must have known this was coming. Do not worry. I will make your death a swift one, free of pain.”

“…”

“…”

“………Was that actually a joke?”

“Was it not good?”

“No. Not at all,” Yang waved her hand. “You’re even worse than Weiss.”

“Hm. Was it the delivery?”

“No, there’s just a time and place for it.”

“Was this not it?”

“No. It just wasn’t really good.”

“I see. Well, then. I shall endeavor to—”

An argent shield bashed into Cinder’s back and pinned her face down. A sword held slightly cutting into her neck.

“…Jaune,” Yang barely eked out.

The young man ignored her, paying only attention to Cinder.

“It’s time you paid for what you’ve done!”

“Well, this is embarrassing. To think we were so fatigued, we failed to notice this one hiding in the background.”

“Jaune! Stop it! It’s over!” Yang shouted.

“It’s not over until she dies!”

“I’m warning you, Jaune! If you kill Cinder, you’ll regret it for the rest of your life!!!”

“Your threats mean nothing to me! She killed Pyrrha! You told me you would avenge her, but you lied!”

“Hm,” Cinder muttered. “The boy has a point.”

“Cinder, could you please.”

“Worry not, Yang. The boy won’t do it. He doesn’t have the stones.”

“WATCH ME!!!” Jaune cut his sword in a little deeper.

“You’re not a murderer, Jaune!” Yang inched closer, her fist aimed at the ready. “Cinder’s right about that. You don’t have it in you to do it.”

“I can’t believe you’re willing to protect her! AFTER EVERYTHING SHE’S DONE!”

“Pyrrha wouldn’t want this for you. She’d never tell you to get revenge.”

“Pyrrha isn’t here! Only my sword in her neck is! I don’t care what happens to me after this, I’m putting an end to you now, you bitch.”

“Language, Jauney boy. Did you kiss Pyrrha with that mouth?” Cinder laughed.

The moment of blind rage exposed vulnerability—a moment the Fall and Spring Maiden did not miss, especially with their Semblances.

A minor explosion from a Rune Cinder drew, sent Jaune jolting slightly up. In the next breath, Yang dashed forward, nailing the young man with a left cross.

“Ugh…” he groaned.

When he came to his senses, Yang stood over him with a grim look.

“You’ve really changed, Yang.”

“We all have.”

“…”

“You’ll thank me for this.”

“No, I won’t.”

“Yeah…… you will.”

Yang dropped her fist, sending Jaune into concussive sleep. She looked at him for a long time as Cinder brushed herself off.

“How long do you plan to stare at him? Feeling guilty? Honestly, what’s one more betrayal now?”

“No, it’s not that,” Yang said with a curious tone. “I never noticed, but I think I see a little of Pyrrha’s Aura embedded in Jaune’s.”

“Hm. She must have been the one to unlock his Aura…” Cinder paused. “Will it assist you?”

“Ups the success chance a bit, definitely.”

“How fortunate. I am elated that my being taken hostage has served more purpose than a mere distraction.”

“Yeah. Let’s get started, Cinder.” Yang stepped away from Jaune.

“Indeed—”

“Let us rewrite what fate had previously designed.”

.

X  X X  X  X

.

With that, Cinder brought forth a glass queen chess piece. A smoldering memory harbored in its polished, obsidian body. She set it onto the floor with a soft clink.

In her other hand, she produced a certain circlet. It was bronze-colored, elegant in design, but durable and made with practicality in mind.

Cinder pressed her fingers together.

*Snap*

The Tower hummed with life. Vast amounts of Dust were consumed as the past replayed itself according to Cinder’s command.

And then, they were at a Tower. Not the one in Atlas, but the one at the top of Beacon.

It was a memory replayed far too many times, but this would be its last.

Cinder spoke to the scarlet warrior kneeling on the ground.

“It’s unfortunate you were promised a power that was never truly yours.”

She circled her opponent like a predator its wounded prey. Cinder took the defeated’s chin in her grasp and looked deep into her bright, green eyes.

“But take comfort in knowing that I will use it in ways you could never have imagined.”

The tone wasn’t spoken in the harsh manner it once was. Instead, it carried something else, something indescribable.

The reality of the memory warped at the small change from the past, but Cinder resumed without a care.

“Do you believe in Destiny?”

She frowned at the question, and then smiled.

“Yes.”

Cinder took aim at Pyrrha’s heart and pierced it with her arrow.

Death encroached the girl’s life.

The Fall Maiden strode coldly to her and reached out. She placed the circlet she held onto Pyrrha’s head. As the warrior’s body was about to fade to flakes of burning ash, Yang stepped in and pressed her palm against Pyrrha’s back, right over where her heart would be.

“Time to come home, Pyrrha.”

The world around them folded in and out, like a delirious kaleidoscope.

Suddenly, they were no longer at the Tower, but standing on the surface of an endless ocean. A night sky full of shimmering stars stared down at them and reflected off the pool of waters.

“This is the realm of your soul, I take it?” Cinder scanned the horizon curiously.

“Yeah. Come on, no time to look surprised. We have to move quick and—”

“Yang. There!” she pointed.

A star twinkled and started to fall from the sky.

“It’s Pyrrha! After her!”

Yang and Cinder sped in pursuit. Below them, the shadows of two behemoth creatures swam just underneath the surface.

“You called for us?” an elegant voice came from the phoenix.

“Yeah! Help me save my friend!” Yang commanded.

“As you wish.” The dragon charged ahead to the descending constellation.

It burst from the waters and caught Pyrrha’s soul in its mighty jaws. Using its own body, the dragon softened the impact as they both fell. A great number of tidal waves rose upon the action.

The phoenix quickly joined its partner, caressing the dying soul. When the light teetered on darkening, it reignited it, like keeping a fragile candle burning.

Yang and Cinder finally caught up to them and reached for the star held by the personified Semblances.

“Together, now!” Yang shouted.

Cinder nodded.

The two pressed their hands against the surface of the warm glow. They poured everything they had into the fledgling sphere of light. They felt the emotions and memories carried within. Pyrrha’s birth to her untimely death. Pride, love, and then sorrow.

Ruin and Rebirth intertwined.

The end—

And a New Beginning.

.

X  X X  X  X

.

(The night Cinder was freed)

Yang and Cinder stood on the snowy rooftop of Junior’s nightclub.

“I can revive, Pyrrha Nikos—if you were to assist me in my ambitions.”

.

(Weeks ago, in the training room of the Mantle Mansion)

“The Queen of Rebellion brought her lover back to life, huh?” Yang pondered. “Could she do it for anyone?”

“Unfortunately, a number of conditions must be met. The main one of them being the one who lost their life had to have been at the location of a Tower.”

.

(Earlier that night, waiting in the Tower’s main chamber)

“I wonder if she’ll forgive me—if it works, that is.”

“Having second thoughts, Yang?”

“Bringing someone back to life… It’s so selfish. What if she’s at peace?”

“She most likely is.”

“…”

“But you know… I think peace is extremely overrated.”

.

.

(The Present)

…

Her eyes blinked with resistance, like she had been asleep for far too long. Her body prickled with a returning sensation from numbness. She could feel the cold floor, the warm arms bracing her.

When her vision readjusted, she saw a girl with blazing hair looking down at her.

“Um, hello,” she greeted uncertainly.

Yang sniffed as tear drops fell from her eyes. She struggled to make a straight face but failed. Emotions overflowed as she barely managed to speak.

“Hey, Pyrrha. Welcome back.”

“Back?” the scarlet-haired girl sat up, while rubbing her forehead. “What do you mean—Hm? Yang, you look a bit different.”

“Ahaha… a lot of stuff happened.”

“What? Wait, what happened? Where are we? What about Beacon?”

As she took in her surroundings, her eyes widened at the girl posturing against the wall with her arms crossed.

“You…!”

“No! Nope! Pyrrha, it’s not what you think,” Yang held Pyrrha back from attacking Cinder.

“But, she…!”

The next thing she saw were the bodies of Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and Jaune strewn across the floor, heavily injured. Pyrrha gasped in horror.

“Perhaps, we should have cleaned up before attempting this,” Cinder suggested all too late.

“Did she…?”

“Well,” Yang scratched her head awkwardly. “Actually, she and I did that, but it’s complicated.”

“What?!”

“You know what, why don’t you just go see Jaune? I’m sure that’ll make him happy.”

“Uh… Uh…” Pyrrha’s mouth opened and closed repeatedly like a goldfish.

Seeing that Cinder made no move to continue their previous battle, Pyrrha made her way to an unconscious Jaune. Her hands pressed against his chest, as she poured her Aura into him, stimulating his recovery.

After a few seconds, Jaune began to stir.

“…Mmm.”

“Jaune? Jaune, wake up!”

“Mm. Pyrrha?”

“Yes, it’s me.”

“Can we please just skip Professor Port’s lecture today?”

“No, Jaune. Wake up! Something a little weird is happening.”

“………I miss you, you know.”

“Huh?!” Pyrrha blushed.

Jaune looked up at her with tears in his eyes.

“I love you. I’m sorry I never found the courage to say it.”

“Jaune?! What are you—!”

The boy took her hand tightly.

“Please, don’t go.”

“!!!!?!!??!”

Pyrrha looked back and forth between Jaune and Yang. Completely lost, she honed in on the one who made the most sense of the two.

“Yang?! What’s going on?! What happened?!”

Yang only sighed and fell flat on her back from exhaustion.

“It’s been a long story here, Pyrrha.”

She laughed cheerfully.

“It’s been a long story.”

[pinkwhalepjs]

Percy's Legacy

Percy took Vax’s death the hardest, not because he couldn’t stand to see Vax go in particular or because he thought the Raven Queens deal was unjust, but because what scared him most was a life cut short, was an unmoving unchangeable fate set by higher powers. But in the end he accepted it, that maybe he would not live the life he dreamed of, maybe the future he saw for himself and his lineage wouldn’t come to be. But it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world. He has a life full of love, friends, and family. He helped save the world. Vax did enough and lived enough in his short lifetime to die contentedly, so he could surely do the same.

Percy as a young boy wanted to be a clockmaker. He always wanted more time. He berated Keyleth for focusing so much on the methods when what mattered to him was the long run effects. In the end, he didn’t kill all the Briarwoods. But that’s not his life’s purpose anymore. He built his clock tower, he married the live of his life, he filled Whitestone with the sound of children’s laughter again, and he modernized Whitestone to make it a prominent city in Tal'Doorei once again. However it’s not really for the end result that he did any of these things. He just wanted to live as best he could in the time he has. His clocktower and his children will carry his story through the next generations and the ripples of good he has spread with Vox Machina, saving lives and connecting communities across Exandria will spread a legacy of change throughout the world. Whether or not anyone in the next millennium will know the name of Percival Fredrickstein Von Musel Klossowski III, whether or not Whitestone still stands, whether or not the clocktower still rings, he can safely know that the world is better because of what he and his friends have done.

Percy was always so curious. When he knew there was a surefire way to speak to a bonafide God he had to take that opportunity. However he was crushed when the Raven Queen told him he had always been broken, that no vengeance would make him the perfect innocent child he thought he once was again. Percy saw himself starting off on the right track to an ideal life and that it was all changed by the Briarwoods. But a man with that level of curiosity may have always been the one who would invent weapons of destruction. Percy saw himself as two opposites, one side attached to guns demons and violence and the other represented by intelligence eloquence and compassion. The latter self being who he was before the Briarwoods and who he would return to being after he got his revenge. But life is not so black and white. He always had a mix of these qualities and it was the much harder matter of choosing for himself which to follow. As Vex so beautifully explained to him, all people are broken and flawed and they need each other to fill in their gaps and make them whole. If I were to pick any message from the series, this would be the key theme on which everything is based.

[necromancerwren]

okay guys, i’m just going to write my own independent post on this at this point

Look, I’ll even use proper grammar and punctuation to make it more readable. I’m being serious now.

I don’t know if this level of necromancer discourse was expected when either Good or Bard made their respective posts, but I’ve been tagged in quite a few of the branch-off posts and now I feel the need to tell you how I feel about necromancers and necromancy.

First of all, we aren’t really talking about “necromancers” in what the field of “necromancy” was really supposed to be. If you break down the word into its proper roots, necromancy is the art of telling the future via the dead. I personally interpret this as communing with the dead in order to understand what to do. A “learn from history at its true origin”, if you will. In that regard, necromancy is no more terrifying than oomancy or arithmancy to me. It’s just another field with which to divine. Of course, that isn’t the kind of necromancy we’re talking about.

Popular necromancy is the art of bringing the dead back to life and commanding their wills, basically. Both halves of this have huge moral objections as well as roots in human fear. As I’ve stated before, death is a huge taboo to talk about in general, and that can be traced back to what death means for a lot of people. Death is a cessation of living. Death means that you are no more. Death means that you can no longer do things in the world, can no longer interact, and are essentially inert. Death is the final point that we all will inevitably get to one day. People fear death, primarily because it’s unavoidable. It’s the predator stalking us, the prey, and it is confident that it will always win. To conquer death is even more terrifying; if death is so all-powerful that it claims even the mightiest of kings, then what does that say about someone who can undo death? Surely they must be even more powerful and, as such, we are even more powerless against them.

Even more terrifying to some than dying is the idea of losing your will. I’ll be the first to admit that knowing that my family has a history of dementia made ten-year-old me freak out and still makes me shudder to this day. I don’t want to lose my mind. My mind is all that I have. If nothing else, I can control who I am, what I will become, and who I once was. To have someone else override that for their own goals is a frightening concept.

Put these two psychologically scary concepts together and you have the popular necromancer.

I apologize for making you sit through that very convoluted diatribe on my perspective of psychology; I’ll try to bring it back to D&D. 

What this doesn’t address is that necromancers are people as well. If you play a necromancer, you are playing your character, and your character happens to be gifted in the magics of the undead. Necromancy is just a school of magic in the D&D world, albeit one that is tied to more morally grey areas. It’s no different from Illusions or Conjurations, at least to my knowledge, and those schools can be just as horrifying. An Illusion wizard could overlay the view of a peaceful pasture over a cliff that drops onto jagged rocks. A sorcerer could conjure a bolt of lightning that sears their enemy to the bone, turning them to ash.

I’ll now be bringing this conversation to how I address necromancy in my world/the world that the other DMs of my group and I have created. It is a dark art-- one entire arc of our campaign was a struggle to both prevent a high official in the government from claiming the Eye of Vecna and prevent a group of tieflings from summoning Orcus to the Material Plane. However, it was never thought that necromancers themselves were dark. The side effects of failing necromancy/failing to control your undead are much more penalizing/dangerous than failing an illusion, of course, but the tieflings we fought also dabbled in blood magics that were far more dangerous to our party than the death magics ever were. On top of that, this was the arc in which I was playing my character Agarduin, who was an elf cleric (just a cleric; I multiclassed them in monk in our transition into 5e) that worshiped the Raven Queen, the goddess of death herself. As a result, my character had to go through a bit of behind-the-scenes moral development-- as far as the rest of my party knows, they were still a huge asshole and not in any way, shape, or form a formal cleric-- in which I had to think: “Does my character condemn the act of necromancy or the necromancers?” 

I guess that’s a good question to leave my point on this debate. I’m sure that we can all agree that necromancy as an art gives everyone the heebie-jeebies; I mean, what’s not a bit alarming about someone making a graveyard come back to life? However, necromancers are characters too, with their own aspirations and goals, and necromancy just happens to be what they view as a way to achieve their goals. In the end, please remember to ask: is it the necromancer you are condemning or the art of necromancy itself?

I’m sorry if I sounded presumptuous or high-falooting at any point. I’ll go back to my all-lowercase love of my skeleton dance crew after I click “Post”.

[ramajmedia]

Winds Of Winter: Every Preview Chapter So Far (& What They Mean)

Game of Thrones has ended, and although The Winds of Winter's release date is still to be confirmed, there are a number of preview chapters from George R.R. Martin's next A Song of Ice and Fire book to clue us in on what to expect. It's been a long wait for The Winds of Winter, with the latest book in the series, A Dance with Dragons, released back in 2011.

Since then, Game of Thrones has not only started but also completed its eight-season run, while there's no clear sign of The Winds of Winter. Although the author had previously given hope of publishing in previous years, he's now not making predictions on when it'll be out, and instead just focusing on actually getting it finished, saying it'll be done when it's done.

Related: Why GRRM Is Struggling So Badly To Write The Winds Of Winter

The Winds of Winter will have some events that mirror what happened in Game of Thrones, and others that'll be completely different. Characters such as Stannis Baratheon and Barristan Selmy still have big roles to play, and others who were never introduced on TV, such as Young Griff and Arianne Martell, will be crucial too, and all form parts of the preview chapters from The Winds of Winter, alongside core A Song of Ice and Fire characters like Tyrion, Sansa, and Arya.

"He means to kill me. The thought was queerly comforting. Death did not frighten Theon Greyjoy. Death would mean an end to pain. 'Be done with me, then,’ he urged the king. ‘Take off my head off and stick it on a spear. I slew Lord Eddard’s sons, I ought to die. But do it quick. He is coming.’

A chapter that Martin cut from A Dance With Dragons, "Theon I" was the first preview chapter from The Winds of Winter released after the fifth A Song of Ice and Fire book, with Martin making it available to read on his website. It follows Theon after his capture by Stannis Baratheon, who intends to kill him in order to win the favor of the Northern Lords, who want revenge on Theon for the supposed murder of Bran and Rickon Stark. In this chapter, Theon witnesses Stannis make a deal with the Iron Bank, send Justin Massey to Braavos for sellswords, and discover and avert the Karstarks' betrayal.

Stannis is convinced by Asha (a.k.a. Yara in Game of Thrones) to behead Theon in front of the heart tree, rather than have him burned alive. At the end, the ravens start squawking "the tree, the tree" and "Theon, Theon, Theon", with the popular theory being that Bran is communicating through the ravens in order to save Theon's life. It might be a simple act of mercy, or it could be because he has foreseen Theon's role in things to come: that could mean stopping his uncle Euron, helping fight the Others, or at the very list playing a part in the impending Battle of Ice, which unlike on Game of Thrones, isn't likely to end with Stannis' death in The Winds of Winter.

Related: Theon's Big Season 8 Moment Was Set Up In Game of Thrones' 2nd Episode

"All that was done and gone now, though. Victarion would have his due at last. I have the horn, and soon I will have the woman. A woman lovelier than the wife he made me kill."

Victarion Greyjoy was cut from Game of Thrones, giving slightly less of a blueprint of what will happen to his character in the long-run, but his preview chapter from The Winds of Winter holds enough clues. Sent to win Daenerys' favor by his brother Euron, Victarion instead plans on winning both Dany and her dragons for himself, which probably isn't going to end well for him. Victarion and the Iron Fleet start to arrive in Meereen just as the second siege of Meereen begins.

Victarion appears to be sailing straight towards his doom, and will be taking some others with him: he's convinced three of his men to blow dragonbinder in The Winds of Winter, which is going to end with their deaths, but things don't look good for him either. The Red Priest Moqorro is only using Victarion to get to Daenerys; the dusky woman can't be trusted either; and there's the threat of dragonfire too. Victarion is a pawn to advance the stories of Dany and Euron, and the influence of R'hllor in the former's storyline, so it's just a matter of who or what is going to kill him, and how far he makes it before that happens.

"The white cyvasse dragon ended up at Tyrion’s feet. He scooped it off the carpet and wiped it on his sleeve, but some of the Yunkish blood had collected in the fine grooves of the carving, so the pale wood seemed veined with red. 'All hail our beloved queen, Daenerys.' Be she alive or be she dead. He tossed the bloody dragon in the air, caught it, grinned."

Related: Game of Thrones: How The Ending Will Be Different In The Books

George R.R. Martin has released two Tyrion preview chapters from The Winds of Winter (although one was just read at a convention), which help build the action that's going down in Meereen. In "Tyrion I", Tyrion is busy trying to convince Brown Ben Plumm, commander of sellswords the Second Sons, to turn against the slavers and work for Daenerys. At the end of the chapter, we're greeted by the arrival of the Ironborn and Victarion Greyjoy.

"Tyrion II" then documents some of the fighting, with Tyrion remembering his previous battles. There are clashes and carnage all around, and dragons laying waste from the sky. With the Yunkish being defeated by a combination of Barristan Selmy's charge and the arrival of the Iron Fleet, it's revealed at the end of the chapter that Plumm and the Second Sons have always been on Daenerys' side. It's action-packed, but also suggests that things are going very well for the heroes at this point. Quite when Dany will arrive back in Meereen is unclear, but we saw in Game of Thrones that the dragons were so effective in defeating the slavers, and we're getting something similar in The Winds of Winter, albeit with the addition of Victarion and a still-alive Barristan.

"The princess remembered how her father had pressed the onyx cyvasse piece into her palm, his voice hoarse and low as he confessed his plan. A long and perilous voyage, with an uncertain welcome at its end, he had said. He has gone to bring us back our heart’s desire. Vengeance. Justice. Fire and blood.”

Arianne Martell is one of the very best book characters not included in Game of Thrones, and that means there's even greater anticipation for her storyline in The Winds of Winter, which holds the key to the Dornish plot (Arianne's omission is partly why it failed on TV). In the first of her chapters, Arianne reads the letter sent by Jon Connington to her father, Prince Doran Martell, revealing the survival of Aegon Targaryen, son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Elia Martell, and asks for Dorne's support.

Related: Game Of Thrones: Who Is The New Prince Of Dorne?

While Arianne and Doran are both cautious about Young Griff, she nonetheless sets out for the Stormlands, where Aegon is making his arrival in Westeros. The plan developing at this point is to find out more about him, including whether he's genuine or not, but when Arianne discovers he's taken Storm's End she heads straight there. Arianne worries about her brother Quentyn, further sowing the seeds for Dorne siding with Aegon against Daenerys when she eventually makes it to Westeros, but also believes that she would be a better ruler than he. That lays the table for Arianne to (briefly) become Aegon's Queen when he (briefly) becomes King of the Seven Kingdoms, before Daenerys burns King's Landing as in Game of Thrones.

"The Red Lamb handed him his winged helm. Barristan Selmy slipped it down over his head, fastened it to his gorget, pulled up his shield, slipped his arm inside the straps. The air tasted strangely sweet. There was nothing like the prospect of death to make a man feel alive. 'May the Warrior protect us all,' he told his lads. 'Sound the attack.'"

Killed off prematurely in Game of Thrones, Barristan Selmy is still going strong in The Winds of Winter, and running things in Meereen in Daenerys' absence (a role taken over by Tyrion on the TV show). The Winds of Winter starts with Barristan having to deal with the Yunkish threat, which is made all the more difficult because they're catapulting bodies ridden with the pale mare disease into Meereen, meaning he cannot simply defend the city from inside its walls.

Instead, Selmy has to lead the charge against the Yunkish outside. His first chapter ends with him giving a speech to the troops to stir them into battle, and the second is then given over to the battle itself: the other side of the one Tyrion experiences in his own The Winds of Winter preview chapter. It's a reminder of Barristan's prowess as a warrior and commander, even now, and ends in the same way as "Tyrion II": with the arrival of the Ironborn to help defeat the Yunkish. It's yet another chapter where things are going a little too well, and the worry from this is that with Barristan outside the walls, control of Meereen has been fully turned over to the Shavepate, who is like the Meereenese Littlefinger: power-hungry, and definitely not trustworthy. Barristan has won for now, but it may not last much longer.

Related: Game Of Thrones' Finale Was Good (& The Only Way To End The Show)

“Raff the Sweetling looked up sharply as the long thin blade came sliding from her sleeve. She slipped it through his throat beneath the chin, twisted, and ripped it back out sideways with a single smooth slash. A fine red rain followed, and in his eyes the light went out."

The Winds of Winter finds Arya still in Braavos, now going by the name of Mercy - or Mercedene - and working for a theater troupe at the Gate, run by a man named Izembaro, who only wants to play Kings. The play they're performing is The Bloody Hand, which details events from Westeros such as the death of Robert Baratheon. Arya begins the chapter by waking from a wolf dream, this one also involving a tree, which continues the struggle between her Faceless Man training and true Stark identity.

An envoy from Westeros arrives in Braavos, and Arya spots a familiar face: Rafford, the man who killed Lommy. Playing the role of Mercy, Arya is able to seduce Raff and makes him chase her to a private room, tiring him out. Back in her quarters, Arya makes her move, slicing his femoral artery and then stabbing him in the throat, killing him. There are echoes of Arya's murder of Meryn Trant from Game of Thrones here, and the play is similar too. This is the end of Arya's time as Mercy, and it's a major sign that she is going to eventually become Arya again and eventually return to Westeros, but not before she has to deal with the fallout from her actions at the House of Black and White.

"A lady’s armor is her courtesy. Alayne could feel the blood rushing to her face. No tears, she prayed. Please, please, I must not cry. 'As you wish, ser. And now if you will excuse me, Littlefinger’s bastard must find her lord father and let him know that you have come, so we can begin the tourney on the morrow.' And may your horse stumble, Harry the Heir, so you fall on your stupid head in your first tilt."

Related: Game of Thrones: How Sansa Becomes [SPOILER]

While Game of Thrones moved Sansa from the Vale to Winterfell relatively swiftly, it's a very different case in the books, where she's unlikely to ever suffer at the hands of Ramsay Bolton (who has already wed Jeyne Poole, pretending to be Arya, and she has since escaped). The Winds of Winter preview chapter "Alayne I", then, finds Sansa still in disguise as Alayne Stone, the bastard daughter of Petyr Baelish. The plan is to marry Alayne to Ser Harrold Hardyng, the heir to the Vale, and then use the Knights of the Vale to reclaim Winterfell.

In The Winds of Winter, Alayne convinces Lord Robert Arryn to hold a tourney in order to find members for a new personal guard, called the Brotherhood of Winged Knights, but it's all a front so that she can meet her betrothed. Unfortunately, Harrold is extremely rude to her upon their first meeting, before later apologizing, with Sansa showing off her cunning. Like in Game of Thrones, this is a major sign of Sansa's development as a player of the game, and a step towards her holding some control over the Vale and, eventually, Winterfell.

"The dreams were even worse the second time. He saw the longships of the Ironborn adrift and burning on a boiling blood-red sea. He saw his brother on the Iron Throne again, but Euron was no longer human. He seemed more squid than man, a monster fathered by a kraken of the deep, his face a mass of writhing tentacles."

The most recent preview chapter from The Winds of Winter, "The Forsaken", or "Aeron I", is told from the point-of-view of Aeron Damphair, but is really about Euron Greyjoy. It finds Aeron being held prisoner by his brother, who is forcing him to drink shade of the evening (the drink favored by the warlocks of Qarth). It's through this chapter we learn a lot about Euron, including that he molested Aeron, and wears a suit of armor made from Valyrian steel.

Related: Game Of Thrones: The Hound’s Sacrifice May Be Lady Stoneheart’s In The Book

The chapter ends with Aeron tied to the prow of Euron's ship, and along with the dreams mentioned above, it becomes clear that the Crow's Eye is gearing up for a big sacrifice in The Winds of Winter. One of the popular fan theories about Euron is that he wants to bring about an apocalypse and turn himself into some sort of God, and this chapter from The Winds of Winter is the first big step on that dark, twisted journey, absolutely none of which made it into Euron's character in Game of Thrones.

More: Game Of Thrones: How Much Of Euron’s Book Story Did The Night King Steal?

source https://screenrant.com/winds-winter-preview-chapters-explained-game-thrones/

[the-suriel]

which parts of acowar did you dislike/didn't sit so well for you? i don't want you to get hate or anything but like what did you wish sjm didn't do? x

Hey Nonnie!

Ok. This turned out to be a REALLY LONG list so I’m putting it all under a cut, that way people don’t feel obligated to read this if they are tired of ACOWAR hate.

 If you are one of those people that are really tired of ACOWAR hate it’s totally ok to just scroll down, you do not have to read this.

Here we go… 

1) Mor.

I feel that she was so mistreated in this book. Even in the beginning when Rhys pulls the whole Eris scheme on her and letting her in the dark??? Why? I don’t understand. Why couldn’t he just sit her down before the meeting, explain the situation and ask for her input? Or at least let her know what is happening and give her the choice to stay if she is not ready to face what is possibly the two people that hurt her the most in her life. 

It felt so OOC for Rhys to do that to her. SJMaas is always reinforcing how good he is for always giving everyone a choice, but with Mor that didn’t happen at all. Not only was it cruel to put he in that situation, but as his third, she should have known. She is the Queen of Hewn city she is supposed to know these things before they come into action. 

I hated so much the way she came out. Don’t get me wrong here, I was so so happy to see that we finally get LGBTQA representation, but it was executed so poorly. I mostly agree with what a lot of people have been saying, it felt like a last minute decision on Maas’ part. 

I was also really sad that with the way it was written it almost makes it seem cruel that she didn’t tell Azriel about it for all those years. I just really really hate that? I am not supposed to blame someone for not coming out, everyone takes their own time until they feel comfortable enough to take that step. I feel like it was not ok for SJMaas to write her into that situation. 

And plus it was just kind of unrealistic??  I remember someone on Tumblr pointing this out, now I can’t remember who, but are you really trying to tell me that Mor kept this a secret from her cousin the deamati and her friend the shadowsinger and spymaster for 500 years!!?? They should have found out by this point honestly.

2) The Resurrection

This is more of a personal pet peeve than anything. Maybe this is because I watched TVD for so long, but I really, really hate when people come pack to life like that. It’s fine when it’s someone that was never introduced to the story and was believe to be dead, or when we don’t know for sure if they are dead but when someone drops dead on the ground I expect them to stay dead. 

I could swallow it when it was Feyre back in ACOTAR, I cringed when Jurian was resurrected but I draw the line at Rhys. It felt like cheating, and that’s not something I want to feel a few chapters before the book ends.

3) Tamlin 

Tamlin was a wild ride. His character shifted so much throughout the book, and I understand a fair amount of that is due to the fact that we read the story through Feyre’s point of view. I really wanted to see some closure on the Tamlin plot line. He was such an essential part of Feyre’s arc, and he kind of got brushed to the side in most of ACOWAR. I really wanted to see a scene when they sit down and talk about what happened, I wanted him to recognize his mistakes and perhaps, I dunno apologize. I felt like Feyre still needed to say a few things to him to truly move on (same goes for him honestly). Obviously she has no obligation to have a conversation with her abuser if she does not feel like she is ready, but I think that it would have been a good way to complete her arc. 

4) Lucien

Why did she get rid of him???

I started resenting Lucien a bit after the end of ACOMAF but I was so sold on him again by the start of the book. 

Again Why did she get rid of him??

He had so much to add. why???? It felt like a cop out for not having to deal with elucien in this book.

His absence made me sad :’(

5) The Threads 

 I know, I know, this is just the end of feysand’s arc and there are going to be more books, but the number of unanswered questions I have is very annoying. I have more questions now that I finished the book than when I first started. 

There are going to be more books but that does not change the fact that this is supposed to be the closing book in a trilogy. She should have ended a few more threads instead of leaving it all so open. ACOWAR almost felt like a week second-book-in-a-series. it felt more like a bridge book than the resolution to this section of the story. 

6) Papa Archeron 

Although I did appreciate that he died and stayed dead, I wish SJMaas had explored his relationship with his daughters a bit more. I wanted to see his reaction to them being Fae, or the inner circle’s reaction to meeting the man that gave up on their High Lady when she was a child. It would have been such good character conflict. I also felt like the Archeron sisters deserved more closure than just a last minute funeral. 

7) Mor & Nesta

Why was Mor so mean to Nesta???

That felt so OOC of her. Can she not see that Nesta is going through some shit right now? They all expect Nesta to be very cruel and cold (which I would even argue is just a front [Feyre had literally told Cassian before that she thinks is a front but anyway not the point]) but I really didn’t expect Mor, a 500-year-old woman who has also seen some shit in her lifetime, to act that way to someone. She could have really used Mor’s help. Mor has no obligation to be there for Nesta when she is very rude towards most of them, but it would have been nice to see that friendship blossom.

8) Explanations

This point kind of relates to the previous point on threads. There was so, soo, so much thrown into this book, and not much of it was explained. People have already mentioned the lack in world building in the magic department, but even the subplots were lacking in context and explanation. 

The continent territories that were briefly mentioned were just that, briefly mentioned. I don’t really know what the king’s Ravens were all about (why were they called the Ravens? why did they look like all black and white? was it coincidence? was it just for the aesthetics?) The cauldron was also not developed enough for something that is so significant in the story, we still don’t know what power Mor holds, (The power of truth?? What does hat even mean?) and apparently Azriel can turn into shadows, I think, but like how ???? how did he become a shadowsinger? do the shadows speak to him? And Elain being a seer? Was that explained? How do the death gods work? I thought they couldn’t die. I mean obviously not.

SO MANY QUESTIONS

9) Moriel 

If you were a Moriel shipper you are put in a position where you either resent Mor’s sexuality (WHICH IS NOT HOW PEOPLE SHOULD FEEL, SPECIALLY FOR A BOOK THAT IS SOLD AS YA, A GENRE THAT TARGETS A YOUNG AUDIENCE) or you feel like your feelings toward the ship are/were invalid. 

Moriel, to many of us, was written with the intention of being end game. I don’t think it was even a question for most people. It was almost heartless to give so much hope for a ship and then completely squash it, I don’t think that it was fair to the readers. She should have hinted at it a little more or just written this situation differently so that this didn’t happen. It was sad to see that something that was supposed to be such a positive representation, this strong independent woman that is also a member of the LGBTQ community, get caught in the middle of this. Sarah should have written this better.

10) Feysand

It was nice to see feysand happy but I wish we still got some development in their friendship. They have only known each other for a year, they have only really gotten to know each other 6 months (ish), I felt like their relationship could have been further explored maybe bringing in new sides to their personality.

11) Grammar and Diction

Ehhh well, there is definitely some improvement to be done in this section. It wasn’t horrible and it didn’t damage my understanding of the plot or the character but I have to agree with what people are saying, this book was severely under-edited. 

The most prominent things that drove me insane were the sentence fragments, the use of –dashes– and …ellipses… in almost every page. Oh and the diction. The diction especially though. The one that stuck out to me was how many times she use ‘the former and the latter’ in her sentences. It is a good way to describe thoughts or action, but not when it is used every 3 chapters (I have the ebook, I checked). In my version of the book there is even a quotation mark missing (page 461 I believe). I understand that mistakes happen especially when writing a book this size, but this is a sequel to a best-selling series, and she probably has a whole team of people helping her with things like this.  

Again, it just felt lazy. For a best-selling author, she should not have mistakes like these in her work. It became such distraction that I am now writing about it.

 Anyway, this got a bit long but here are my 2 cents. I hope I didn’t offend or insult anyone, and if I did that was never my intention.