#the point is that he has all those things happen to him or said about him (in various degrees of validity) but he is not closing himself ofg

[towncritte]

Red Destiny AU Lore Dump

I'm deciding to compile all the lore dumps I did so far on Twitter, into this post.

Stuff is subjected to change in the future, but this post is just to help you guys get bits of the story.

It's still a work in progress AU, and nothing is entirely set in stone but regardless, I do hope this helps.

Here's Dogday's reference sheet and info:

Here is a quick summary of what's going on in this Dimension: The Smiling Critters live in another dimension, which the portal was located in a Toy Factory. The humans entered and started ruling over the place, along with ruling several different towns to have control over the creatures within said dimension.

The story for now mostly focuses on Smiling Valley where the Smiling Critters live.

Due to the humans mostly seeing the Smiling Valley citizens as if they are Zoo Animals or an attraction of sorts, the small town finds it difficult to have supplies and have a tendency to get a shortage.

Most humans visiting aren't aware of the abuse going on done by Scientists that want to study the Critter Citizens as if they are Lab Rats, or the abuse of Soldiers/Guards hungry for a power trip.

That's the summary of the condition of the town so far.

For the most part the story for now will be pretty focused on Dogday and his perspective, as well as the other critters.

Catnap's whereabouts and what he is doing will be a mystery.

I want this AU to feel like an ominous mystery of what's going on.

Here's more lore drop of the pooch:

Declawing Trauma:

Dogday was declawed. Bubba, during Dogday receiving therapy, tried to get as much supplies and knowledge as he can to fix Dogday's hands/paws.

During those 3 years, Dogday couldn't hold things due to how bad the condition of his hands were.

Dogday had to constantly wear bandages and deal with pain for the past 3 years, making his mental recovery difficult, and feeling like a burden to his friends for helping him.

Catnap CONSTANTLY had to reassure Dogday nothing was his fault and would constantly comfort him.

Dogday, despite everything, held onto hope Bubba would restore his claws.

Bubba had to eventually settle for reshaping Dogday's hands to paws so Dogday wouldn't feel so much pain anymore. (He had to use extra bones from Dogday's hands to do this.)

Dogday was depressed about this but overtime did manage to get through therapy without being in so much pain anymore and had to learn to hold things with his newly reshaped paws. (Tho he still has some trauma)

Catnap held a HEAVY grudge against the scientists that hurt Dogday.

These traumatizing events will show how it's affected Day as the story goes.

Dogday does know about The Prototype and what Catnap's been doing. Not fully aware, the Moon is in a cult of sorts hidden outside of town.

Catnap at one point, gave Dogday hope about his claws before he left Smiling Valley as he was called upon by The Prototype:

Catnap wasn't being malicious when he showed them off, he just wanted to give Dogday a reason to support his beliefs. Catnap wasn't declawed, but he was given much deadlier claws.

Speaking of Catnap, here's his beta ref sheet:

In the future, I'll make him a colored reference sheet once I have this AU organized.

Dogday's eyes:

When Day's eyes would be fading back to white, Mini Moon immediately tells Day to go home and sleep. He then administers the red smoke again.

GORE WARNING!

Dogday developing violent tendencies:

At some point, Dogday starts to develop violent urges due to the Plush's manipulation and mind warping.

(Since I DO NOT plan to rip off Dogday's legs EVER! I'm going with this route as a nod to what happened in the game, but its in reverse)

This is so far the lore dump of the AU. I'll look back at this in the future as I continue the story to see how I can tie things together, or what to change or what I like or don't like.

If you don't understand this, it's okay.

Again, this is just a lore dump post to understand the AU so far in it's Work In Progress stage.

And to help me read over stuff and see what I can do with it.

Again, stuff is subjected to change, including designs. So nothing is entirely permanent.

I made the Plush Delivery comic back on Twitter originally as a one off in it's old version. But over time, I liked the concept so much I started forming it into a story and redid Plush Delivery.

I do hope you'll enjoy wherever Red Destiny's story will go.

Who knows what lies ahead for the red path the pooch is following.

" A red destiny awaits you Sunshine….are you ready?" -Catnap

Thank goodness, I'm done writing this all down. xnx

[covid-safer-hotties]

Also preserved on our archive

People don’t listen to warnings.

It’s a thing.

For a while I became obsessed by a video recorded on the day of the 2004 Southeast Asian tsunami. It shows an older white guy, probably a tourist, standing on the beach in Thailand watching as the water recedes and the tsunami comes into view. As people run, as the wave grows, he just stands there. People start shouting at him, desperately pointing to the wave, trying to warn him. The wave grows, rushing closer and closer. Even now when I watch this video I still think he’s going to move. Of course he never moves. He doesn’t move an inch. The wave comes ashore and swallows him. —Nate Bear, “Staring at The Tsunami”

Every time a hurricane hits, some people choose to stay even if they have the resources to leave. In fact, research indicates that 35-50 percent of residents leave during mandatory evacuation warnings. During Hurricane Ian in 2022, about 62 percent of residents evacuated. Evacuation orders only increase someone’s willingness to evacuate by about 4-6 percent. When governments aggressively enforce evacuation orders in dangerous areas, 90 percent comply.

The rest of them stay.

According to one study, about 60-70 percent of those who don’t evacuate have said it’s because they don’t have anywhere to go and can’t afford a hotel. That group includes the unemployed, the homeless, and the vulnerable. During Hurricane Helene, thousands of inmates have been left behind.

What about the ones who can leave?

These numbers line up with the rest of our problems. Time and again, about 60 percent of us listen to warnings. Many people want to listen but don’t have the resources to protect themselves. About 10-20 percent have the resources, but they refuse to take warnings seriously.

They’re the hurricane headbanger, but not as famous.

I’ve got a feeling that the hurricane headbanger can take care of himself, but there’s a large portion of the population who thinks they can take care of themselves when they can’t. This group routinely shrugs off warnings. When things get really bad, they soak up resources that should go to the ones who really need them, the ones who can’t evacuate, the ones who can’t protect themselves.

We’re not here to make light of natural disasters. We’re here to understand why, as we face an increasing number of devastating threats, a growing number of people don’t want to take them seriously. There’s a range of theories, including what Neil Weinstein called unrealistic optimism, the notion that people routinely believe bad things are more likely to happen to someone else.

Here’s another theory:

A psychologist at Duke University named Jack Brehm figured out this problem in the 1960s. He called it reactance. He published a handful of articles about it followed by a book titled A Theory of Psychological Reactance. His book inspired 60 years of research on the topic. It even informed the popular psychological trick known as reverse psychology. Brehm discovered something you've seen a lot over the last few years. When you try to influence someone's actions, they resist. When people feel a threat to their perceived independence, they get angry.

They try to restore their freedom.

They might ignore the warning. They might make fun of you. They might pitch a fit. They might punch you in the face.

It depends.

Reactance means that the ones who don’t listen to warnings perceive the loss of their freedom as the greatest threat of all.

They protect it at all costs.

Everyone has their own reactance scale. It lives on a spectrum. At one end, you have collectively minded people. They tend to focus on the greater good. They're more likely to give up certain freedoms if it means avoiding death and destruction. On the other end, you have rugged individualists who see almost every warning or suggestion as a threat to their personal freedom.

Here's the weird part:

An individualist will get angrier if a friend or relative tries to influence their behavior in a way that threatens their sense of personal freedom.

They're also more likely to resist advice or information coming to them through anyone promoted as an expert or authority figure. You'd think the opposite would be true, that individualists would be more inclined to listen to people among their ingroup. Nope, their thinking isn't rooted in logic.

It's rooted in narcissism.

The harder you try to influence them, the worse it gets.

They only become more aggressive.

Brehm found that you can't even do a favor for someone on the extreme end of the reactance spectrum. They feel pressure to return the favor.

They hate that.

People can also feel vicarious reactance.

In other words, they'll get angry if they see someone else getting angry about perceived losses to their personal freedom. They'll defend someone else's right to do something stupid, simply because it's their right.

Censoring or restricting someone's freedoms can often enhance the attractiveness of that freedom. It's the forbidden fruit at work. Take something away, and that's suddenly all they want to do. Tell them to wear a seatbelt. Tell them smoking is bad for them. Suddenly, it's the cool thing to do.

You can trigger someone's reactance overtly by using controlling language. But you can also trigger it indirectly, even accidentally. If someone happens to associate a request or a warning with something negative in their life, like a controlling spouse, then they're less likely to listen.

A lot of people get a real kick out of ignoring warnings. They enjoy disregarding advice from experts. They love harassing and ridiculing those of us who do take threats and warnings seriously.

It elevates them.

Individualists only tend to take warnings seriously when a threat becomes absolute. They wait until the volcano erupts. They wait until the waves crash ashore. They wait until the flames lick their skin. Only then do they react, and it's usually a panic-driven response to save themselves. They don't do anything to help anyone else, and their panic causes problems for everyone else.

There's a cultural component.

You see less reactance in more collectivist societies. You see more reactance in individualist societies. I think we can all agree that western countries, especially the U.S., pride themselves on their individual freedoms. Every single day, Americans celebrate their right to act stupid and do dangerous things.

It's getting to be a real pathology over here.

So, what can you do?

The research suggests you have to be as indirect and neutral as possible when trying to influence someone's behavior.

Even then, you might fail.

Again, it depends. You can be direct with some people. And with others, there's pretty much nothing you can do. You just have to leave them alone. We've seen how well neutral, indirect attempts work at getting individualists to change their behavior. Maybe you'll avoid making them angry, but they'll likely just ignore you, even laugh at you. So as we stare down more threats, along with all the other consequences of an overheated planet, don't be shocked at all the reactance you see. Don't be surprised when you see people wanting to cuddle with birds and drink unpasteurized milk, simply because someone told them it's a bad idea right now. By trying to help someone, you triggered their reactance. I wrote the first draft of this post a year ago. Since then, as predicted, sales of raw milk jumped 21 percent after reports of bird flu in milk samples earlier this year.

If there’s no hope of convincing some of these people, then we have to do the next best thing. We have to push back. We have to limit their influence on others, to try to contain the damage. We live in a society that spends far too much time platforming, rewarding, and catering to the reactance crowd. We give them too much credibility, which they’ve used to virtually destroy our institutions.

People don’t listen to warnings.

It’s a thing.

[james-spooky]

Eddie Diaz and the Phenomenon of Queer Representation

A post to organise my thoughts ahead of the rest of the season and to really get this off my chest! (Spoilers for 9-1-1) (It’s long and I will inevitably have more thoughts about things I failed to mention)

Within queer representation in media, there’s a certain expectation that audiences have been conditioned to accept, including the omission of any representation at all. This has led to many non-canon ships being popularised in fandoms in an attempt to obtain agency surrounding queer media. One of these such head canons is Eddie Diaz from 9-1-1 who is largely speculated to be gay. This is sort of an essay and sort of me rambling on.

Picking up in Season 8, Episode 1, Eddie’s been trying for three months so keep his shit together and try to stay in contact with his son in the wake of the whole emotionally-cheating-with-the-doppelgänger-of-your-deceased-wife situation. I think the birthday zoom was really the beginning of his breakdown. To keep all of this inside him it way too much for someone to handle. He is going to break at some point with the stress. Not only that but as others have pointed out, Helena and Ramon are not actively participating in the reconnection of their son and their grandchild. This ties into their long-term goal which has been present across multiple seasons to be Christopher’s sole caregivers, without any acknowledgment of Eddie. To me it looks like he’s been trying to put on a brave face for his kid and sort of suppress everything (as he always does) to try and be a better father. But you can’t be that person if you’re not taking care of yourself; not necessarily “putting yourself first”, not in a selfish way but genuinely having self-love and a certain assuredness, something which Eddie doesn’t appear to have pinned down. I can definitely see him being introspective this season and forced to deal with quite literally everything that’s ever happened to him and to actually process that and who he really is. Ergo, realising his sexuality.

Tim said that the episode six thing was one of his favourite moments in the show, is actively excited for us to see it, is the episode where the “reason for the moustache” is “explicitly stated”; genuinely what else could this be other than gay Eddie. I cannot think of a reason personally. Other than “religion” which I don’t is a path they’d go down; I cannot come up with another reason for why they’re being so vague about it.

This is exactly the same thought process I went through pre-s7. I wrote down all my thoughts and analysis on those articles and Buck’s arc, coming to the conclusion that there could be no other outcome other than Buck being bisexual. Before s7 there were lots of articles about Buck and they all had that same sort of strange wording surrounding his storylines that season. E.G: “a season of self-discovery for Buck”, describing him getting off that “hamster wheel” of failed relationships. Whether or not you believe that he has achieved that is beside the point; the point is that, the vague quality to them which alluded his storyline going in a particular direction is happening yet again. Ryan has the exact same thing happening now, if not more with the majority of the season’s promo being his moustache. This is pattern recognition if I’ve ever seen it. Truly, due to the sheer amount of promo and interviews there have been, in my mind I don’t see another reason for why this would be, other than Eddie having a large and pivotal storyline this season.

It’s not just “about buddie”. When people pin down a character’s sexuality to purely the ship they’re in, it annoys me because it’s genuinely about the storyline and Eddies character arc. Yes, these headcanons have stemmed from the ship and obviously if they were to go down this route, the ship would most likely be a by-product of this discovery, but it’s not the priority. It may be an end goal, but what about the journey? It’s more than ship wars or trying to one up each other. For me personally, it would be so beneficial to his character to go in this direction. Not even just for his character but for the show and representation in general. What other show on a major network would have a character who’s been on the show for multiple seasons, had relationships with women, a wife, a child, religious traumas, PTSD, grief, catholic guilt and then having a gay awakening in their eighth season? None. How many have had strong platonic male relationships? A lot. Honestly, I don’t interact with those people who whittle down Eddie having a queer realisation or the possibility of Buddie being canon as “erasing platonic male friendships”. I simply don’t buy into that and my reaction towards those people who use that argument is just “Point me towards a show where (the written above happens)” and you can’t. Because it hasn’t happened. Not only that but queer ships in mainstream shows are notorious for “queer-baiting” and not “going canon”. I could name numerous shows where this has happened all to the dismay of a large percentage of the audience. In my experience in fandoms with popular queer ships, (majority mainstream shows with non-explicitly queer characters) I cannot think of a single time where they have been confirmed in canon. To me, this would be a huge step in the right direction for queer media as a whole. Of course, we cannot deny the massive impact that Buck being canonically bisexual last season has had and I commend ABC, the writers and Tim for bringing that to our screens. It was so heartfelt and truly amazing to watch. However, in terms of fandom and popular ships, it’s a little different. I’m in no way disregarding bi Buck, but rather exploring the impact that having a popular queer ship becoming canon would have on other media and the audience in general.

As queer audiences, we are so often let down with the directions that tv shows and film take in regard to their queer-coded characters. It’s become normalised to expect disappointment over seeing a popular pairing actually become “canon” within the text itself.

I’m aware that queer-baiting is definitely different than simply having queer-coded characters, however the two often come hand in hand. There is a misconception, in my opinion that “going woke is going broke”. I think that yes, having queer elements or characters in media definitely effect the reception and reaction, especially online from the general audience. This has happened time and time again and because the negative reaction is so loud, it drowns out any of the positive ones, forcing media companies to pull back in fear of losing money or audience. They want to be seen as “impartial” as a large percentage of audiences are bigoted but by removing any conversation surrounding queer representation in media, it immediately becomes biased and panders towards the people who shout the loudest. Queer people know all too well that on social media, it can be hard to avoid the rampant bigoted views that are shared so violently towards marginalised communities. Companies are so fearful of the backlash towards queer characters, that they won’t even have them at all, regardless of whether it would be classified as “good” or “positive” representation.

In my experience with fandoms with popular queer ships, when the show is still airing there’s this sense of hope that we cling to that it might “turn out different this time” and the character or characters might actually end up canonically queer or together. And every time, it ends the same. And even if they are confirmed queer, the “bury your gays” trope swoops in before it can truly be explored. As a collective, we tend to self-deprecate in order to deal with it but it’s actually quite a damaging thing. It reinforces the idea that queer characters and storylines are not of merit or valued in mainstream media. This turns into a vicious cycle of queer-coded characters staying queer-coded and never becoming canon as that’s how far the media company producing the show is willing to go. They are not willing to take it a step further and explicitly show queer characters having agency and a place in media as this will result in backlash. Additionally, even when we are given queer characters, a lot of the time there is a lack of depth or exploration of their queerness, almost as if it doesn’t exist. For example, Loki’s genderfluidity and bisexuality is canon and confirmed but a large amount of people who were invested in this, were disappointed to see it not having any effect on his storylines at all due to Marvel as a distribution company whose audience, or rather, targeted audience is largely cisgender, straight men. Therefore, queer audiences typically already have an expectation going into a show with a queer ship; it will most likely never happen. I’ve seen first-hand people who actively don’t partake in these shows in order to avoid being disappointed and it hurts me to think that queer people have obtained this way of thinking in regard to media. That we know it’s not going to happen so we either avoid it or watch it with the miniscule hope that something will happen. And even if it does, the show will most likely get cancelled after the first season in the name of “watch hours”, (despite how dedicated or prevalent the fandom may be, dead boy detectives, IANOWT, first kill etc.) once again solidifying the belief that queer characters or stories are not worth the time, money or value that heterosexual ones are. This causes queer media to have a lack of funding and marketing, essentially dooming them to crash and burn. It’s like building a house made of paper and then blaming the weather on its destruction.

So no, I don’t believe that “going woke is going broke” as I have personally indulged in many shows and films due to the sheer prospect that there might be a queer character or couple. Too many times, I’ve binged several seasons of a show (in an alarmingly short amount of time I may add) purely because there is a popular ship/one of the characters might be queer – emphasis on might. It is due to the fear of these media companies that queer shows and film are immediately disadvantaged straight out the gate. However, I do see there has been a change. Obviously, there are many popular queer shows that have been given chances such as Heartstopper and Interview With The Vampire. To me, this clearly shows that queer storylines and characters, showing diversity and marginalised communities does bring audiences and value (as we ourselves know) and it’s purely the skewed bigotry which overtakes the reception and influences the production of media.

Additionally, when bi Buck went canon, the sheer disbelief of queer audiences that it happened at all, to me showed the standards that we’re used to. We’re so used to not having that, that when it does happen, we’re actively surprised by it. Obviously, 9-1-1 in particular has showcased many queer characters before and continues to do so, however this was different as Buck was a previously established character for six seasons and so to have a sexuality arc for someone later in life was definitely a huge moment for bisexual representation in television.

For Eddie, if Tim is doing this storyline, he is right in the approach he’s taken. I’ve talked before about how they weren’t sure whether it was going to be Buck or Eddie having this queer storyline in Season 7… To me that’s basically confirmation of queer Eddie, right? Well, not necessarily “confirmation” but the fact that he was even considered at all for this storyline solidifies his queer-coding to me and that we aren’t all “delusional” for recognising it. I’ve said before but it makes so much sense for Buck to essentially “go first” by having him realise he’s bi and come out in S7 because it was a very different way of doing it, as you would have with Eddie. Buck is very sure of himself as a person and for him it’s something that was always there, but he never realised it and he’s quick to accept it! There’s no tortured Buck struggling with his sexuality (unless of course you count the basketball scene) it’s relatively smooth in the sense that he’s not having a breakdown over it; it’s just his relationship that’s rocky and provides those hurdles. This was refreshing to see as it can often be an expectation that the queer character in the show is negatively affected by their queerness. However, with Eddie, it wouldn’t make sense for him to have that arc in season 7 itself. Partly because it had 10 episodes which would not do it enough justice, and because Eddie already had a lot to unpack. For instance, his whole season 7 storyline was surrounding his deceased wife which was just the start of his journey. Even many seasons later, he is still grappling with the effects of his grief on him and Christopher. Everything is much deeply rooted in him, as is everything in his backstory.

His whole begins episode and all of the backstory we see of him, is him trying to be someone he’s not/who he thinks he should be. He was trying to be a big brother turned parent for his sisters when his parents wouldn’t. He’s trying to be a good father at nineteen, he’s trying to conform to the hegemonic standard of masculinity by marrying Shannon (pressured by the church as she got pregnant young) he enlists because he’s trying to provide for his family even though he doesn’t realise that it’s actually hurting them instead, he’s trying to keep custody of Chris from his parents who only see Chris as a “do-over” for Eddie. Eddie trying his best and get a job to provide for his son. Him doing anything his can for Chris. Shannon coming back, dating her again for Chris - despite the fact that Shannon wanted a divorce (and then died). Eddie dating Chris’ teacher who he loves but Eddie doesn’t. Again, for Chris. He’s always doing things for other people. His parents, Chris, his partners, but never for himself. We’ve seen him spiral before into his fighting arc; that was something he did for himself in a sense, but it was only because he didn’t know how to properly regulate all the pain and grief he was feeling! He’s a single father trying so hard to be the very best he can for everyone around him, to live up to “what it means to be a man” pushing down any emotionally vulnerability until he inevitably snaps. The church, his catholic guilt! This affects him in numerous ways - religious wiring quite literally effects the ways you think about everything and internalise the things that happen to you. Kim was something he did for himself, but it still tied to everything else and his grief. Because of all this, no wonder you wouldn’t be able to fit his gay awakening into a 10-episode season… Eddie requires more time and thought behind what he’s going to have to face and process by himself. For the first time, he is truly alone with his thoughts and is faced with who he is. Outside of his parents, outside of Chris, Shannon, the army, the church, the 118, he is discovering who he truly is, not what anyone else or any institution expects him to be. And this is why, it’s gonna take a lot out of him and is a much different storyline to the one that Buck went through.

Everyone’s sexuality realisation/coming out is different and I really can’t imagine Eddie going through the arc that Buck went through so I think it was a good decision to go with Buck for Season 7. Eddie has so much more to deconstruct and process in order to accept or even just realise his attraction to men, however that plays into his relationship with Buck. And even more so, his lack of attraction to women.

Honourable mention of “I’m broken. I’m broken and I can’t fix it,” being said in his conversation with Kim which is a heavily queer coded statement, as this is a concept that is frequent in the queer community of thinking you’re broken due to your identity. I’d genuinely be surprised if this is not the direction they’re going as there’s so many moments like this with Eddie across the seasons (cough dating feeling like a performance cough) especially this one, which just stand out and heavily resonate with queer audiences. I’d say if they don’t, it’s a huge missed opportunity and character assassination to be honest. I care so deeply about Eddie and he’s such a complex character, it annoyingly makes me mad when people undermine him or pin him down to one thing as if multiple things can’t be true at the same time. I know he’s a fictional character and in reality, it’s not that deep but when people undermine his queer-coding or deny it, it feels like denying a whole group of people’s experiences akin to his.

So, the “emotional reason” behind the moustache in my mind, would definitely link to the idea that Eddie has clung possibly extra hard to his perceived idea of what masculinity is to him/what it’s expected to be. Yes, the style of moustache is engrained in queer culture, but I think that it’s more so an accessory which he’s using to overcompensate for his queerness, (consciously or not). I’m relating this to one of my favourite queer films, Maurice, as in that movie facial hair, specifically moustaches play a significant role in displaying the characters attitudes towards their queerness without explicitly saying them. Maurice and Clive both go through phases of having a moustache, with Maurice first when he is in a period of reluctance towards his sexuality. He’s the more accepting of the two, so it doesn’t last long. However, as Maurice moves out of this phase and begs Clive to stay with him and be together, Clive transitions into that position and denies Maurice’s claims that they could be happy somewhere together. He clings to the traditional ideals of marriage and heterosexuality, as is the norm in 1910’s England, trying to bring an end to the whole affair. Later, when Clive announces he’s engaged to be wed to a woman, he has a moustache and continues to have this moustache for the rest of the film, showing how he’s never going to accept himself for who he is, and is using this to conceal his emotions. The moustache here, represents hiding your true self and repressing your desires, acting as a “mask”. This to me, is very reminiscent of how Eddie appears with his moustache, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they ended up with the same metaphorical reasoning.

In the first episode (the only episode that’s currently out), we saw that Gerrard approves of his moustache, himself being the typical masculine archetype that Eddie may believe himself to be or believes that he should be. Not that Eddie wants to be like Gerrard; of course not, he’s a bigot. It’s that portrayal of masculinity which ties into how he was brought up, and the ideals of the catholic church surrounding gender roles and sexuality. I thought this direct comparison was interesting between them as Eddie is definitely doing this for approval if not from others, but from himself that “this is who he is” when in reality it’s not. In my interpretation, the fact that they’ve specifically mentioned episode six as when he shaves off the moustache and has this physical manifestation of his inner demons, screams to me a queer arc for Eddie. I think there is so much potential for his character and storyline, not just for the ship he’s involved in but for himself and everyone who sees themselves in Eddie.

In conclusion, I really hope they go down this route and if they don’t, once again, it will be a huge, missed opportunity and I wouldn’t be certain where they’d go with his character if not there. This was just a chance for me to get my thoughts out, ahead of the upcoming episodes and I really hope we get to see a positive outcome for his character, whatever route they take.

[buffyfan145]

Episode 2.7 of "Rings of Power" was great!!! 😀 This is the most it's ever felt like the movies to me with the battles and those scenes were so well done. So much happened in this episode too and at least 2 leaks actually did happen, one of which I wasn't mad about like I thought I would be. LOL Rest of my thoughts under the cut for spoilers but can't believe the season is almost over next week and then the 2 year wait for season 3 begins.

I feel so bad for Celebrimbor. We all know his death is coming and just seeing him realize what's really happening and that Annatar is Sauron was heartbreaking and knowing he won't survive this. His scene with Galadriel made me emotional too and next week is going to be tough to watch. But I did love that Celebrimbor also told Sauron that he's lying to himself about so many things too, as Sauron is justifying everything he's doing. And as a Haladriel shipper you can see too that Sauron's also lying to himself about his feelings for Galadriel, which will likely come into play next week when he reunites with her.

But I did laugh though at that moment Celebrimbor and Galadriel heard Sauron screaming in the tower as that foreshadowed him being in the tower in the LOTR movies. LOL

That brings me to the first leak confirmed and that it was that about half the cast is getting killed off. That came out before the season started and made sense in a way but still really sad to see it happen. We've lost Bronwyn, Walridge, Valandil, Mirdania, Rian, that other elf in Elrond's party, Damrod, a bunch of other elves and orcs, and we know at least Celebrimbor will next week with possibly Adar too (which the orcs turning against him seems to set this up too). I didn't include Arondir yet as I feel he might not actually be dead yet and might be saved since we saw Nenya and know that Galadriel gets it back. And I doubt Tom Bombadil will be back either, so that's a lot of the cast that we probably won't see in s3 besides the ones getting killed off.

Then to leak 2 was the Elrond and Galadriel kiss was real. However, it didn't bother me as much as I thought as seeing it on screen you see it was non-romantic and to just pass her that pin and trick Adar and the orcs. Like a lot of other fans have pointed out to those upset this pretending to kiss things happens a lot in the mystery/crime genres and one fan pointed out it happened in the Bond movies which I totally forgot about. LOL It's nothing to worry about and I get people saying it's weird since Elrond will marry Galadriel's daughter, and Galadriel is already in a love triangle with Sauron and Celeborn, but really it was just to help her. Morfydd even said in the bts vid that played after the episode that it was just to give her a way to escape and that's all it was. If anything I've actually seen more of the purists upset about it than the Haladriel shippers, which when the leak first came out it was the opposite, so seeing it on screen vs reading about it shows the difference.

But back to Elrond I loved his scenes in the battles and with Durin IV. He's getting closer to his books/movies version and Robert did great in those scenes. Also loved Gil Galad showed up to help, and hopefully the dwarves will too once they stop the balrog that Sauron helped unleash.

So overall I was really happy with this episode and it setting up the finale. The trailer for next week was great too and I can't wait to see what happen with Haladriel with their fight and afterwards, especially since Galadriel has the 9 rings and gets Nenya back and we know Sauron will somehow get the 9 and him choosing the 9 will be a s3 storyline. I still think something major happens between them, as we all saw their head director Charlotte saying we'll see that Sauron really loves her by the end, and I'm leaning towards he saves/heals her from a wound and she either lets him go with the rings or she goes with him. Then them including Isildur and Estrid kissing in the trailer too I didn't expect. LOL Also, The Stranger meeting The Dark Wizard and knowing we're finally going to get The Stranger's name and I'm still certain he's Gandalf. And there's more Numenor too, so lots more to come in the finale.

[suckmyfatdee]

Clear Bias towards Team Black(A lot of possible spoilers)

If you are against what I wrote and don't like it, then scroll or block me, idc, don't waste your time commenting and ridiculing me because trust me, for these opinions I've heard the same thing over and over again and you're not gonna change my mind by writing an angry comment. The comment will just be deleted and you blocked because not everyone wants to argue with someone in their comments. And for those who saw something similar on reddit, that's because I posted the same thing on reddit.

I've seen people online talk about how the screenwriters are not actually biased towards Team Black because they've made Team Green less vicious than in the books and made them sympathetic...and they're wrong in my humble opinion. This rant is gonna be long probably and my english is not the best so...

Starting off with Ryan Condal constantly talking about how the books are propaganda against Rhaenyra...why specifically Rhaenyra? He says it's because Rhaenyra is a woman. How that isn't enough to make it clear that he favours Team Black(the oh so feminist team) is beyond me. The books have always been about having morally grey characters which makes sense given that the story is set in medieval times and it's literally a world where dragons exist. So naturally they don't have the same morals as we have in real life at this point in time, so to us they will always be morally grey, as intended.

Also let's talk about the fact that even if they made Team Green more sympathetic they've also destroyed them in the process.

INTRODUCTION OF TEAM GREEN:

● For older Rhaenyra and Alicent where they've already been divided into Team Green and Team Black, Rhaenyra is introduced giving birth, obviously very much in pain and exhausted. And before they introduce adult Alicent, they talk about her asking for Rhaenyra's babe and then they show Rhaenyra walking around the Red Keep, with blood trailing after her and in obvious pain having just given birth...that's how they introduced Alicent. Literally her asking a woman, who has just given birth, to bring her babe(even tho she didn't ask for Rhaenyra but whatever).

● "Older" Criston Cole is introduced in the background barely, if at all, reacting when Rhaenyra walks around the Red Keep with blood trailing after her...

● Then young Aegon(in his teen years) is introduced bullying his younger brother, which by the way never happened in the books, if anything it was the Strong boys and Viserys. And then right after that, sexually humiliated and shown jerking out the window.

● And as for older Aegon they first show his victim Dyana, who we know what he did to(even tho this also never happened in the books), violently crying and extremely traumatized. And right after that, Aegon waking up(also once again sexually humiliated) and not caring for what he did referring to it as just some "harmless" fun. That's something the audience can't get over, that's how he was introduced, and a rapist is hard to be fond of(naturally) especially with how little, if at all, he cared. But it wasn't even about the victim in this scene, we don't get any elaboration on how Dyana dealt with it or even how the other maids reacted only Alicent's dossapointment in Aegon and her disowning him. ONLY THEN they choose to make him sympathetic, letting him cry and talk about how he will never be good anough for his parents and Alicent rolling her eyes RIGHT after he is introduced as a rapist. Making a character of one faction a rapist is the easiest way to make the other faction look better and be more likeable, no matter how sympathetic they make said character(Aegon) thereafter.

● Older Helaena is introduced walking in on her brother husband crying and her asking about the very woman her brother-husband just raped. That's all we know of her in the first scene.

● Older Aemond is introduced fairly badass, I didn't have a problem with that.

MAKING TEAM GREEN INSULT RHAENYRA JUST TO DISTRACT FROM CERTAIN THINGS....:

● While Alicent and Criston are talking about Rhaenyra committing High Treason and her father not giving a flying shit, they make Criston call her a spoiled cunt.

● They made Vaemond call Rhaenyra a whore just before they made Daemon kill him so it was kind of a "Ha! He had it coming moment", which I don't remember Vaemon doing in the books but sure go on(Also, in the books it was Rhaenyra that ordered Daemon to kill Vaemond before she had Syrax eat him and then yk what else...)

● Season two it kicked off amazingly and Aegon was definitely the most entertaining character for many. I don't think I need to elaborate on what I think about the B & C scene, given Geroge has taken the words right out of my mouth. But let's talk about the small council meeting right after Aegon found out what happened to Jaehaerys. Not even in Aegon's grief do they exclude Rhaenyra, and I'm not talking about the fact that they blamed Rhaenyra but rather that they made Aegon insult Rhaenyra. And while I loved the scene and understood why a grieving father would insult his rival who is most likely responsible for the death of his son, of course a lot of people focused on him insulting Rhaenyra instead of him having just lost his son to murder.

● Criston's character they've also reduced to nothing but a heartbroken pathetic man who is bitter of a rejection even tho he played such a big part in the books(IMO). But almost every scene of Crirston they make him insult Rhaenyra as if he can't think of anyone but her.

SEXUAL HUMILIATION OF TEAM GREEN:

At this point it's pretty clear they'll sexually humiliate Team Green at any given moment.

● Ser Criston Cole is shown breaking his oath and being coerced(yes coerced, because if we watched the scene it is pretty clear as a day that that is what happened)into sex by Rhaenyra, that was something left unclear in the books but anyways. For Rhaenyra it was seen as her bravely being a girlboss and exploring her sexuality whereas Ser Criston is humiliated by the audience for it.

● As I said Aegon(in his teen years) is sexually humiliated and shown jerking out the window, with his rear on display and his own mother catching him in the act.

● Then after introducing Aegon as a violent rapist, they make Alicent pull the blanket of Aegon once again sexually humiliating him by showing his rear on full display to his mother once again...

● Then they have Helaena making a joke at dinner and we know how people perceived this as...I have no idea if the screenwriters intend to make it seem as Aegon is sexually abusing Helaena but it was seen as such by many.

● Did I forget to mention when they made Aemond and Criston look for Aegon and then they made up a scenario where Aegon forced 13 year old Aemond to have sex with the brothel Madame Silvy, which DID not happen in the books.(and yes I edited this in because I forgot to mention this). So not only is Aegon a rapist but also is the one that orchestrated the rape of his own brother.

● Then they make Larys Strong have a fetish to the very thing related to his cripple...feet. And they make him sexually abuse and coerce Alicent, the Queen, into showing her feet and show him starting to jerk off. Wow!

● In season 2 to make Alicent seem hypocritical they make her and Criston have a sexual relationship(npt even once specualted in the books) and to add insult to injury they make Helaena who freshly watched her son get murdered walk in on them having sex just to make it seem all the more horrible even tho in thw books Alicent was bound and gagged and also watched Jaehaerys get murdered.

● Then they sexually humiliate Aemond by making him lay in the lap of his RAPIST and seek comfort in her.

● A few episodes later they make Aegon, the very reason for Aemond's rape, sexually humilate his brother publicly. Great.

● Oh and of course Aegon for some reason having his cock burned when in the books he was excited to have an heir with that Cassandra Baratheon.

TEAM GREEN DOES NOT BELIEVE IN THEIR OWN CLAIM:

● In the show, they make Aegon's claim weak, if they even make it a claim. Even tho both Rhaenyra and Aegon have a claim. Rhaenyra by Viserys' word and Aegon by birth right and by Andal law.

● Young Alicent however calls Rhaenyra's claim a birthright, which it is not(and yes Book Aegon called it Rhaenyra's birthright once, I know) so she didn't believe in Aegon's claim at all since the start.

● And just to add that they made Rhaenyra see that animal to make it seem as the gods "chose" her.

● The reason Alicent usurped the throne in the show is not because she believes it's her son's birthright at all but rather because she understood Viserys to have said that Aegon was to sit the throne.

● In season two, Aemond, while talking to Ser Criston, also says they usurped Rhaenyra, so to Aemond it wasn't their birthright?

● Aegon and show!Aegon are similar in the books when it comes to the claim, so not much to elaborate on.

Lastly, TEAM GREEN HATES EACH OTHER:

Do I need to elaborate?

There is much more I could say but I don't want to make the post too long. Tried to keep it short and simple but failed(Oops.) Also I got a bit lazy towards the end as you can probably tell.

[slaymitchabernathy]

Don’t Delay Darling

The wind howls against the building walls of the apartment while Soarynn gazes out the window at the soaked Capitol streets.

"...and this is said to be one of the biggest storms in Capitol history folks! Not only is this affecting the Capitol, but also the Districts. Namely One, Three, Four and Seven. Stay inside and stay dry!"

"Thanks, Lucky," she mumbles, turning away from the window to look at the television screen. The Capitol's favorite weatherman is pointing at various points on the map of Panem where the storm will hit the most. She hadn't planned for rain, to be cooped up in the penthouse for possibly days on end.

And she certainly hadn't planned on her husband being gone on a business trip.

More thunder shakes the penthouse and the television screen flickers causing Soarynn to frown, could they lose power?

The sound of little footsteps runnign down the hall causes her to momentarily forget about the storm and Coriolanus who's hundreds of miles away right now and she looks over towards the hallway to find Ceraphina and Celeste in their pajamas with wide blue eyes full of fear and worry.

"Mommy, is the building gonna fall down?" Celeste asks, running over to grab Soarynn's hand, squeezing it so tight. Soarynn shakes her head, "No darling, we're perfectly safe inside. The building won't fall down because of the storm, you don't need to worry."

Ceraphina watches the television screen for a moment where a list is now being shown of supplies Capitol citizens should have ready in case they do experience a power outage. "Mommy, why do we need candles?"

Soarynn sighs, placing a hand on top of Celeste's head, "Because we might lose power from the storm. Let's go find some candles shall we?" They have a few decorative candles for when they have friends over for dinner, but Soarynn knows Coriolanus has some tucked away in case of an emergency.

Like another war.

Her husband is a good man, a loving father, and a devoted husband. He always thinks ahead, always thinks of the worst thing that could happen and for once, she's thankful for his doomsday planning. They haven't had a war in nearly a decade but Coriolanus remembers all too well the nights all Capitol citizens spent in the dark after bombings caused the power to go out.

"Is Daddy coming home tonight?"

Soarynn shakes her head at Ceraphina's question, "I don't think so darling. The weather is probably causing all sorts of delays with the train schedules. We'll have to call the resort to talk to him about it."

Soarynn and the girls make their way towards the back of the penthouse where they have several rooms for storage. It's mostly things for the holidays and extra linens but today she's in search of candles. "Is it time for Christmas?" Celeste asks when they step into the room and Soarynn turns on the light, putting the famous green tree on display.

Soarynn chuckles, "Not yet darling, we're looking for candles. Why don't you girls help me look, the box should be labeled I just don't know where your father put them." Giving the girls something to do proves to be rather useful in most cases and this is one of those cases because Ceraphina finds the box within. few minutes.

"I found it Mommy! It's up there!"

Soarnyn looks up to where she's pointing and frowns, of course, he'd put it on the highest shelf. Marrying a tall broad man has many, many perks, but Coriolanus doesn't always think about how most normal people can't reach as high as he can. "Figures," Soarynn mumbles, looking around for something to stand on, "I might need to get a chair so I can reach."

A few minutes later they have a chair, and a few seconds later, a box full of candles.

"Why do we need candles again, Mommy?"

Soarynn pulls out a few of the larger ones, deciding to put them in the children's bedrooms, "In case the power goes out," she explains, "none of the lights will work if the storm takes out the power."

Celeste and Ceraphina exchange nervous looks with one another, "Will they be able to fix the power?" Ceraphina asks hopefully, rocking back and forth on her heels. Soarynn bites her lip, wishing she could give a definite answer, "I don't know," she admits, "but let's hope it doesn't come to that."

They spend the next half hour running around the apartment setting up candles, the girls fussing over who gets to put what candle where but that's nothing new. "We should put one in your brother's room," Soarynn suggests, "although he can sleep through about anything."

Her statement is proven to be true when they find Caspian sound asleep in his little bed, not a care in the world about the raging storm outside his window. Petunia is curled up next to him, her tail flicking back and forth when she sees the rest of the family, "We have to be quiet," Soarynn whispers to the girls, quietly padding over to his bedside table.

The girls mimic her quiet steps and stop to give Petunia a few pets which she happily allows, purring from the attention. Soarynn glances at the clock on Caspian's bedside table, it's nearly eight o'clock and she still hasn't heard anything from Coriolanus. She should try and call one last time tonight before the storm really takes over.

"Do you girls want to have a sleepover?" She whispers, deciding it'll be for the best if they're all in the same room should they lose power. The girls gasp at such an exciting invitation, "Yes, yes," Celeste whispers, bouncing up and down on her toes, "can we bring our stuffed animals?"

Soarynn ushers them out of Caspian's room and closes the doors behind her before answering, "You certainly may. Go get your stuffed animals and meet me in my bedroom okay?" The girls take off towards their bedrooms and Soarynn goes to her husband's study to make a phone call.

The phone rings a few times before someone picks up, "District Four Ocean Resort, how may I help you?"

"Hello, my name is Soarynn Snow, I'm calling about my husband Coriolanus Snow. He's staying there on business and I was wondering if you could put me through to his room please?"

"Certainly ma'am. Do you know his room number?"

"Yes, he's staying in room 613."

"I'll put you through to him, please hold."

Soarynn sits back in his chair and twirls the phone cord around her finger, it's strange to be in his study without him also being in here, nursing a glass of whiskey while she sits on his lap in hopes of distracting him from work. She doesn't mind him going away on business, but she prefers him to be here, close to her at all times keeping her safe.

She often wonders if he thinks the same thing about her.

"Soarynn?"

She lets out a breath of relief when hearing the deep voice of her husband, "Darling, I was worried when you didn't call this morning."

Coriolanus sighs and she just knows that he's pinching the bridge of his nose, something he always does when a situation if out of his control. "I know, I kept trying to call but nothing was going through, apparently some of the phone lines were down and they just got them back up. I was just about to send a damn pigeon with a note tied to it's foot."

Soarynn cracks a smile at his persistence, Coriolanus Snow never backs down from a challenge, always finding a solution. "Well, I'm glad it hasn't come to that," she says, looking out the window to see it's raining sideways now, "how's the weather over there?"

"The rain isn't too bad, it's the ocean that worries me, the waves are so high. But we're far enough from the water, no need to worry."

Oh, but she does worry. Morning, noon, and night Soarynn worries for her husband when he's gone away on business.

"How are the children? Has the power gone out yet? Do you have enough food and water? Do I need to send someone over to check on you?"

Soarynn shakes her head even though he can't see her, "We're fine darling. The children are fine and so am I. We have candles and enough food and water to last us weeks. And you forgot to ask about Petunia by the way."

Coriolanus clears his throat, clearly caught, "Oh, well, yes, of course Petunia is my main concern darling. Anyway, if you need anything I can always have Festus come and check on you. Goodness knows he's not busy working."

"He's not working because his wife just had a baby," Soarynn reminds him, coming to her good friend's defense, "I recall you taking off time from work when I gave birth. Every. Single. Time."

"I was being a good husband darling," he defends, some teasing in his tone, "I didn't want you to lift a finger during or after your pregnancy." To his credit, she really didn't lift a finger when she was pregnant with any of their children, nor after giving birth to them.

Coriolanus might be stern but he's always had a soft spot for her and now, for their children. "Mhm. Well, the girls and I are having a sleepover tonight in our room, so your side of the bed will be taken over by their small army of stuffed animals."

Coriolanus chuckles and Soarynn smiles, "A sleepover hmm? I'm surprised Caspian isn't getting in on the action but I'll bet he's sleeping through all of this isn't he?"

"He is," she confirms, jumping when a loud clap of thunder shakes the windows, "I don't know how though, the storm is picking back up. Will you be able to come home soon?"

"I've been trying but everything is delayed," he groans, "I should be able to catch a train by tomorrow if everything works out. I can always call in a favor or two if needed."

Before Soarynn can answer, the door to his study is pushed all the way open and she's met with their girls clutching onto their stuffed animals, teary-eyed, "We...we thought you were gone," Celeste sniffles.

Soarynn immediately sets down the phone and opens her arms, gladly holding her sweet girls, "I'm right here my angels," she promises, placing kisses on their heads, "I'm sorry, I should've told you where I went. I'm on the phone with someone very special right now."

Ceraphina peeks up at her, a few tears rolling down her face, "Who're you talking to Mommy?"

Soarynn smiles and hands her the phone, "See for yourself."

Ceraphina hesitantly brings the phone up to her ear, "Hello? Daddy? Daddy! Oh, it's Daddy! Daddy, we miss you! We're having a sleepover with Mommy tonight!"

Soarynn can hear his muffled voice on the other end of the line and watches Ceraphina's face light up at her father's words, "Mhm, we helped Mommy with the candles. Did you go swimming in the ocean?"

Celeste carefully climbs onto Soarynn's lap, resting her head below Soarynn's chin, "Is Daddy coming home tonight?" She whispers, leaning into Soarynn's touch when she gently cups her face, "Not tonight darling," Soarynn whispers back, "but hopefully tomorrow. You can talk to him when your sister is done."

They both listen to Cerpaphina answer a few more questions from Coriolanus before she hands the phone over to Celeste, "Daddy are you gonna bring me another stuffed animal?" Is the first question from Celeste which means she has her priorities straight.

Soarynn chuckles and does her best to listen to the conversation but it's hard with the rain and the sound of Ceraphina running around her father's study, wanting to touch absolutely everything because she's never really been in here before without him. Soarynn hasn't either.

"Yes Daddy," Celeste eyes Soarynn, "we're being very good for Mommy. Ceraphina and I haven't fought once!" Soarynn rolls her eyes at this claim but it's truly a miracle that the girls haven't clashed yet.

But there's still time.

"Okay Daddy, I'll tell her," Celeste says before pulling the phone away, "he said he wants to talk to you Mommy," she whispers, her piercing blue eyes wide, "are you in trouble?"

Soarynn chuckles and shakes her head, "No darling, I'm not in trouble."

Celeste sighs and relaxes in her hold, "Okay good, here you go."

Soarynn brings the phone back up to her ear, "Darling? Can you hear me?"

"Yes, I just wanted to let you know that the trains should hopefully be back on schedule by tomorrow. I don't know what time I'll get in though," he admits. Soarynn bites her lip, "If you can call from the station before you leave then that would be wonderful, if not, you know where to find us."

Coriolanus chuckles, "Yes, I know where you live. Give the girls my love, Caspian as well. I'll hopefully see you by tomorrow evening, my darling girl." Soarynn sighs at his words, she misses him so much.

"Yes, let's hope this dreadful weather doesn't keep us apart any longer. I love you very much, sleep well, darling."

"I love you too."

Soarynn feels her heart sink a little when he hangs up like a part of her is missing again now that she can't hear his voice. "Mommy, can we have a snack?" Soarynn raises her eyebrows at Ceraphina's question, "A snack? It's bedtime darling, we had dinner a while ago."

Ceraphina shrugs, "Just a little snack, a tiny snack," she holds up her fingers to show Soarynn just how little this snack will be, "it'll be like dessert." Well, she can't say no to that logic.

"Alright," Soarynn agrees, "and then we're off to bed hmm? It's been a long day." It's been a long week without Coriolanus but this weather doesn't seem to care at all about her plans.

She's just got to hope that there are no more delays.

꧁ ꧂

"When's the power coming back on?"

Soarynn looks up from her book, hoping maybe the lights will click back on right now. They don't.

"I don't know darling," she sighs, "soon hopefully."

The power stayed on throughout the night, but two hours ago it went out and the whole family has been in the penthouse library ever since. The penthouse didn't always have a library, not until Coriolanus realized how much Soarynn loved to read that he had custom-made bookshelves brought into one of the many rooms to create a library for her.

Now it's one of her favorite places in the entire apartment.

He's a man of grand gestures her husband.

The children have been occupying themselves fairly well without any electricity. The girls have been quietly playing with their dolls while Caspina has taken to drawing in one of his coloring books. But it's only a matter of time until the boredom creeps in and then they're doomed.

A sudden knock at the front doors jolts them all out of their rainy daze, "It might be someone from the city," Soarynn says, giving the children a reassuring smile, "I'll be right back."

She pads down the hallway, wrapping her robe around her a little tighter, she's glad they have so many fireplaces in the penthouse to keep warm but she's starting to wish she brushed her hair this morning. She hopes whoever is behind the doors is prepared for her messy hair.

Soarynn turns the lock and slowly opens the doors, gasping when she sees who's on the other side. A rain-soaked Coriolanus Snow.

"You're home!" She cries, throwing her arms around him, not caring about getting wet. Coriolanus wraps his strong arms around her, picking her up off the ground, "I'm home," he says with a content sigh. Soarynn only slightly pulls away from the embrace to press a kiss to his lips, once to which he eagerly returns with passion.

"How'd you get home?" She asks, her lips never leaving his. Coriolanus groans into the kiss, deepening it and tugging at her bottom lip with his teeth, "Called in a favor," he mumbles, "just wanted to get home to you."

Soarynn sighs, how did she get so lucky? Marrying a man who will do anything to get back to his family is a rare thing but she seems to have won the lottery.

"I'm so glad you did, we've missed you terribly darling."

They both stay like that for a moment before they hear shouts from their children, "Daddy! Daddy's home!"

Coriolanus smiles against her lips before carefully setting her back down, "There are my girls," he says, crouching down to hug Celeste and Ceraphina, "oh, I missed you so much my darlings."

The girls giggle, both wrapping their arms around him, "Did you bring us anything?" Celeste asks, peering over at his suitcase in hopes of getting a new stuffed animal. Coriolanus does his best to bring them back a souvenir of some sorts if he sees any, "Your father battled terrible weather conditions and you're worried about a stuffed animal?" Soarynn teases, drawing more giggles from the girls, "I brought you back a seal," Coriolanus tells her, "the resort had a small gift shop, they must be used to spoiled Capitol children paying them a visit."

Soarynn grins at his very true statement, their children are spoiled rotten but they wouldn't have it any other way. "Momma," the sound of Caspian's small voice brings her attention back into the penthouse where Caspain is slowly making his way towards the rest of the family, Petunia walking right next to him.

"Come look Caspian," she says, walking inside to pick him up, "your father is back home."

Petunia strolls out alongside Soarynn, looking around the dark hallway before taking a leisurely stretch right in front of Coriolanus who scoffs, "I see I wasn't missed by everyone," he notes.

Soarynn holds back a chuckle, Coriolanus and Petunia have been at each other's necks since the day he brought her home, and some things never change.

Coriolanus rises back to his full height, giving Caspian a gentle squeeze, "Looks like you held down the fort for me Cas."

Caspian nods, placing a hand on his father's arm, "Fort," he repeats before adding, "Lenny." Soarynn adjusts him on her hip before responding, "We can go get Lenny from your room darling, don't you worry."

Coriolanus grunts and grabs his suitcase, "Yes, why don't we all go inside so I can unpack?"

The girls run ahead of them, calling Petunia to follow them, "C'mon Petunia!" Soarynn smiles and watches Petunia trot after them, her tail swishing from side to side.

Coriolanus places a hand on her lower back as they walk inside and Soarynn feels her spirits immediately lift now that her husband is home, safe and sound. Without Coriolanus, it's like a piece of her is missing. Now that he's home, nothing can hurt her.

"When did the power go out?" He asks, leading them to their bedroom. Soarynn sighs, glancing up at the ceiling lights in hopes that they might turn back on, "It went out this morning, it hasn't been too long though."

Coriolanus hums, placing his suitcase on their bed, "The worst of the storm has already passed through, so they should be able to at least get our section of the city back up and running."

Soarynn scrunches her eyebrows while setting Caspian back down on the floor, watching him toddle over to the fireplace in their bedroom, "What do you mean by that? Shouldn't everyone in the Capitol get power at the same time?"

Coriolanus shakes his head and pulls out two seal stuffed animals from the suitcase, setting them on the bed for the girls, "The President will get power back first since he's the first priority. Then the diplomats and generals, anyone government-related. Then we'll get power since we are at the top of the Capitol elite. All of the Corso will get power before the other streets."

Soarynn tilts her head at her husband's explanation, she didn't know it worked like that but it makes sense she supposes. "Well then I suppose you're pleased that we're so important," she says, sitting on the edge of the bed, "Snow lands on top once again it seems."

Coriolanus grins down at her, "Precisely my love."

Soarynn grabs one of the seals, inspecting the stuffed animal, "Did you bring anything for Caspian?"

They both look over at Caspian who's made himself comfortable on the floor, watching the flames from the fireplace. He's so easily entertained at this age, unlike his sisters who require new things to do every five seconds.

"I brought him some stickers," Coriolanus says, handing her several sheets of ocean-themed stickers, "figured he'd get sick of any stuffed animal that wasn't Lenny."

Caspian perks up at the name of his precious stuffed animal, "Momma, want Lenny."

Soarynn pushes herself from the bed and reaches her hand out to him, "Alright darling, we can go get Lenny." His small hand latches onto her big one and she helps him off the ground, the two of them slowly making their way out of the room and down the hall.

Lenny is right where they left him this morning, sitting on the rocking chair by the window, "There he is," Soarynn points out, watching Caspian's face light up. She never knew what she was missing until Caspian came into their lives, his sweet personality mixing perfectly with the girls and their outgoing ones.

He's become the light of her life.

Once Lenny is secured, they follow the sound of the family to the living room where everyone seems to have gathered, even Petunia. The girls are running around with their new stuffed animals while Coriolanus sits in his favorite armchair, nursing a glass of whiskey while reading the newspaper. Caspian runs over to join his sisters, introducing Lenny to the new stuffed animals.

Soarynn smiles at the sight of her children playing so well together and comes up behind Coriolanus, resting a hand on his shoulder, "Do you want anything to eat? We have some leftovers from this morning?"

Coriolanus looks up at her shaking his head, "No thank you darling, I ate on the train." Ceraphina's head whips in their direction when he mentions the train, "When can we go on a train Daddy?"

Coriolanus grins at her question while grabbing Soarynn's hand, leading her around to the front of the chair so he can pull her into his lap, his arm instantly wrapping around her waist, "You want to go on a vacation, is that it?" He asks, earning nods from all three children who have only heard of traveling to the Districts.

Soarynn hasn't traveled as extensively as Coriolanus has, but she's been to a few resorts for holidays and for their honeymoon as well. "Maybe for Christmas," Celeste suggests sweetly, batting her lashes up at him, a trick she learned from Soarynn. Coriolanus chuckles and takes another sip of his whiskey, "I'll think about it my darlings, a trip like that can be expensive."

Soarynn snorts at his weak defense, acting as if they can't afford the trip. She knows that Coriolanus simply dreads the thought of being stuck on a train for hours with the children, all of them cooped up with nothing to do. "It is," he insists, squeezing her side, "especially during the holidays, they have special rates you know."

Soarynn shakes her head, "We'll talk about it some more," she tells the children, "when the power comes back on," she mumbles the last part.

The children go back to playing and Soarynn rests her head on his shoulder, her eyes growing heavy while listening to the sound of his steady breathing. Since the day she met Coriolanus, he's always been a steady beacon of strength and safety for her, always knowing what to do.

"I'm glad you're home," she whispers so only he can hear, "it's not the same without you. I'm not the same without you. These business trips always seem to remind me of that."

Coriolanus takes her hand and presses a gentle kiss to the back of it, "I hope you know that there's truly no place I'd rather be than with you Soarynn," he tells her, "not having you by my side is the equivalent of being without my heart."

Soarynn sighs at his romantic words, fully relaxing in his hold as she drifts off to sleep. The power will come on soon, and then they'll have something to eat, maybe even watch a show with the children before putting them to bed.

As long as they're together, she is complete.

She is loved.

| tumblr oneshot/drabble |

[saxandviolins88]

TF: ONE - My thoughts

Spoilers? All of them

First of all, Transformers as a franchise and cinema have a tumultuous relationship. The 86 movie is definitely dear to me, but I can't deny it was made with a clear commercial purpose, and it shows how eager they were to clear the cast and add new toys. It has interesting ideas, sure, but those ideas were only to gain form in the third season of the cartoon (which is good, you guys are just mean.)

Now the Bay movies... It may come as a shock to all of you, but I actually enjoy those movies, not as a Transformers fan but as an enjoyer of non-sensical gory violence and cool robots. Though these movies succeed in being brain fodder, anytime they try to tell a compelling story (if they even try), they fall flat; not only for not understanding the characters people love... but also not understanding their own characters and universe. So when the worst qualities of Bay join together in a confused movie with bad designs and sub-par action... You get franchise killer TF5. (fun fact, but that was the first TF movie I sat down to watch and try to get into the franchise... it took a few years for me to recover...)

After that, TF movies turned into course correction and tried to get TF back into the mainstream. Don't get me wrong, TF IS mainstream... But movies are what the public wants. (easier to consume and don't waste your time.)

I gonna say, the Bumblebee movie is a good movie... With TF things slapped on it. Generally speaking, Bumblebee (2018) is a modern Herbie, the Love Bug, a Travis Knight vanity project. I'm being a little evil here, but it is what it is.

Now... ROTB... It is a movie. It has all the aesthetics of a movie... And there are transforming robots in it. Look, I like ROTB, I saw it on debut day and I was hyped, but it makes so many weird decisions... From Optimus's weird unfocused character arc, Unicron... Mirage... if I can even call him that. It's a bullet-list movie with a few funny moments. Oh and Beast Wars cast, but they're the most nothing-burger characters ever in that movie.

NOW TF: ONE

It is a good movie!

A course correction movie, but a good movie. It's a more or less safe bet by Hasbro. It hits the re-start button, so new audiences won't be intimidated by MCU-ness AND it is animated, easy cash with the kids and their parents who'll have to buy two tickets.

ANIMATION AND VISUALS

They fucking lied when they said it was "spider-verse levels", like bruh.

BUT the animation of TF: ONE is very good. Sure, some places had more care than others, but the final product wasn't affected and it was a smart choice. I'm more impressed by the fight scenes, which are well choreographed and spaced while using the characters' transformations creatively - and in that, I have to commend TF: ONE for doing something I always wanted to see - transformation isn't something these characters just happen to be able to do, it's an essential part of who they are and this also plays into the plot. Another thing I'm very pleased with is the character acting in general, you get the feel these animated robots are real people, and this is done through their facial expressions and body language (though, this is more notable on D-16 and Orion Pax.) The designs are nothing to write home about, serviceable at best, and boring at worst. Still, I'll have to give this one to Megatron, but ONLY because he hasn't had a good tank design since... I wanna say Armada, but part of me says it's G2. Sentinel Prime is boring, but he has the fucking Titans Return toy knees, wth? Great design just on this basis.

Now WRITING AND GENERAL PLOT.

One thing I'll applaud this movie for: It knows what it is.

When I saw the first trailer, I had a nagging feeling in the back of my skull that this would be one of those movies... where it promises you stuff while not doing it and overstuffing it with half-assed characters, thoughtless plot points, and uninspired dialogue. (I'm a DC fan, I see the abysm every year or so... Kal-el no😦!)

Well, I am happy to say that wasn't the case.

If I had to describe TF:ONE in one(lol) word, it would be: focused.

It knows its runtime, it knows its audience(s) and it knows the franchise(the good, the bad, and the controversial.) It's a break-up story between two friends - where one falls from grace and the other ascends.

I found this movie quite enjoyable in the dialogue and character writing aspect too. Each character feels distinct enough and they're so quippy, it's a joy to watch them talk to each other. However, the crux of this story is D-16 and Orion, and they REALLY succeded in selling not only their friendship but also the rift in their relationship. This movie isn't afraid to touch on some dark themes; a political scandal disguising itself as a MacGuffin hunt is very welcomed in the MacGuffin Hunt franchise. (still has a MacGuffin tho, it's logically IMPOSSIBLE to write a Transformers story without a MacGuffin)

Sentinel is a perfectly serviceable villain, uniting all existing versions(minus G1) into the ultimate jackass. D-16 is a good voice of reason that breaks into Megatron, his descent into evilness was believable enough for the runtime. Orion is the hero's journey circle. Elita-1 is a supporting character who sometimes delves too much into Hollywood girl boss, but at least they didn't insert the inevitable romance in this movie but still made her valuable to Optimus. Badassatron is a funny comedic relief that could be removed without changing the plot too much (and he didn't have any reason to be Bumblebee.)

To cut an already long post short. I expect the sequel to focus on the Quintessons, I do NOT care about more thirteen primes content (MAKE IT STOOOOOOP), and I also really want them to keep Megatron complex (make him doubt his cause, make him remember his gay little roommate, DO something with the character you've developed.)

and uh... just so I don't lose my brand

*cough cough*

I want the Constructicons in: "TF: ONE: 2: Electric Boogaloo"

[valeovalairs]

Smiles, here’s a Legend of the Riptide Pirate AU character lore dump (slash info about them just compiled into one place)

Chip

The “Riptide Pirate”

Uses his bandana to appear alive and eternally 19, despite being undead and being an actual skeleton at this point.

You know that meme, how do you do fellow kids? That’s how I envision Chip in this AU. He desperately wants to still appear young and cool once he meets the girls and warms up to them but he is an old man in a modern world. My guy is struggling.

He is very sad.

He kept the Albatross busy and alive with people for a very long time, at least a good hundred years, until it became too painful and he stopped letting people on. That’s when he became more of a legend, when he retreated into the shadows.

He still hangs out in Zero. He tries to spend most of his time there because he wants to enjoy what time he has left with Ollie, but sometimes he’ll get restless and go off on the Albatross.

He has grey streaks in hair- because when he realized Jay and Gil had both started greying and looking older and he still looked 19, they all got really sad and he gave himself grey streaks and said, “look, we match now.” There were tears.

Ollie

He’s alive!

He is a very very old man though. Like maybe even 200ish probably (half-elf’s can exceed 180 which is probably for them what 70 is for humans).

He did travel a lot with the Riptide Pirates in his adulthood, but eventually settled in Zero.

Chip still comes to visit him and his family, who know him as “Uncle Chip”. A lot of them also traveled with the Riptide Pirates at one point or another while he still had a crew.

He has dementia:( Sometimes he’ll see Chip and ask where Gill and Ms. Jay are and it hurts Chip every single time.

Jay

Guys she’s dead, I’m sorry.

She traveled on the Albatross for decades before retiring/settling (with who, idk, but I do really like clockwork/birdbolt wives, so with Ensa maybe?)

I don’t know if she had kids (definitely not bio kids but maybe she like raised some kiddos at some point idk)

She still would join Chip and Gil occasionally on the Albatross until she physically could not anymore, and then Chip would visit her.

She died of old age.

Gillion

He’d dead, but I don’t know what happened to him.

I mean it’s Gillion Tidestrider do we really think this guy is going to live his entire possible 200 year lifespan? No. Because it’s Gillion Tidestrider. He’s going to die heroically in some way. Maybe it’s before Jay, maybe it’s after, idk. But he was too slow. That’s what happened he’s gotten older and one day he was too slow. 

Fnc? Im more leaning towards this au being one sided fnc on chips side but there is for sure a whole other kind of angst potential for fnc being an established thing in this au.

Phoebe

The Ferin!

A descendant of one of Jay Ferin’s cousins. (The Ferin’s feel like a big family too me, one with lots of cousins and twice removeds and stuff like that)

One of her parents, the not Ferin, was never too fond of the Ferins practices and so they tried to keep Phoebe distanced from them. (This included the name thing but they caved and allowed her to be called Phoebe May Ferin) And her Ferin parent agreed, despite having been in the Navy themself, that their family was a bit intense.

The family has pushed her to the point of joining the Navy academy, and her family wasn’t given much of a choice, so she was sent off.

She’s heard about the Riptide Pirate, through stories- but her favorite part is that one of his earliest companions was also a Ferin. She hears rumors that he’s still around, being spotted at various docks and Zero.

She decides to risk it and run away, looking for the Riptide Pirate. She escapes the evening the Champion is in the city as all attention will be on that. She panics when she realizes that the champion is also trying to run away.

She knows how to sail (small crafts) I feel like she’d canoe and paddle and know how to man like one of those tiny sail boats.

She has reddish hair but it’s a lot more mute than Jay’s. She also has darker eyes and a stockier build.

Class wise, she’s a fighter, I think. I’m not one hundred percent sure.

Edyn

Edyn is also still alive!

She’s “The Champion’s” grandmother

I think she never returned to the undersea, and ended up settling somewhere on the surface. She ended having kids. The Undersea found out about this, and at someone point sent some people up for them, and offered the kid (now an adult) money, status, community, as long as they returned to the undersea. All they want is for them to sire a child to be “the chosen one”, someone from the same lineage as the original. They like seed some distrust in their head and it turns into a whole argument with Edyn and they never speak again.

She hears about the Champion coming to All Port as part of some diplomacy delegation, several months before, and she really wants to see her granddaughter, get to meet her, so she ends up getting a job for the place they’re staying at as like a maid or an attendant or smth under a different name, and no one suspects anything of a sweet old lady. And they end up promoting her to serve the Champions room because a) sweet old lady b) shes a triton and a triton who has never been too the surface will probably be more comfortable around another triton.

Edyn gets to speak to Calypso and reveals first of all that she is her grandmother, and second of all that she is not actually the chosen one.

Calypso

The “Champion”!

The “Chosen One” who is not actually the chosen one! Just a person meant to replace Gillion as a religious figurehead after his “failure” she and most other people do not know this (they pushed Gillion under the rug and waited for people to forget about him before trying again)

She is a Tidestrider

Her thing is mostly the Elders trying to remain relevant in an increasing secular world.

Her training is less strict and started at a much earlier age than Gillion’s, and it followed a lot less combat and fighting and more religious and magical 

She’s literally just for ceremonially purposes, they keep harping about the prophecy and destiny but the elders all know it won’t come to pass for her. She does not.

She goes as part of a diplomacy thing to All Port and there meets Edyn. She had already been discontent with the undersea and uncertain of her place and she had thought about the possibility of leaving but Edyn finally sows the final seeds of distrust and she leaves- Edyn helping by creating a distraction and letting her slip out the window.

She realizes she has no idea of where she is going until she meets Phoebe. They put the dots together and once Phoebe understands she offers to bring Cal along with her, to join the Riptide Pirate. She follows.

She has a crown of coral that looks a lot like Gillion’s but it’s a crown that she can take on and off. It’s not real.

She has lighter hair than Gil and she has a more willowy build (she is also taller than he was)

Class wise, I thought about her being a paladin, but with there being less focus on combat and being a holy warrior, I think she’s a cleric (my heart is telling me she’s a cleric)

[withthewindinherfootsteps]

mdzs tumblr post au but it’s just “what were you doing at the devil’s sacrament” (nightless city)

[girlbloggercrowley]

i am a believer in the s3 1941 kiss

[melodianaartist]

A piece of media can have a group of people who are wayy too hard on it and the same piece of media can also be imperfect. Like, the urge to defend and negate any valid critiques is there but that’s also not good. The same piece of media can bring you so much joy too btw.

[youngpettyqueen]

The Joker is Wild is an episode that really doesnt work where it is in the show

the idea that BJ is set off by like. jealous rage or whatever over Hawkeye comparing him to Trapper just doesnt work so late in the show when there's been 0 indication that BJ is jealous about Trapper at all. it feels like it comes out of nowhere, just a half-assed sort of reason given to set him off

ive mentioned this before here and I know its a hot take within this fandom but the supposed Trapper Complex just doesnt exist. in the 8 seasons that BJ is present in the show, I can think of three times Trapper's name comes up around him

Period of Adjustment, where he brings up that he feels like he hates Trapper. should be noted that BJ here is at about the lowest point we see him at, he's in complete despair, and he's also blind drunk. he also specifically brings up that he feels this way because Trapper has gone home- it has nothing to do with Hawkeye

Depressing News, Hawkeye refers to BJ as being the 'same size, same shape' as Trapper, and BJ's reaction can be construed as being not exactly pleased about it. I think this reads more as him just not being happy about literally being called Trapper's replacement, not him being jealous

then, of course, The Joker is Wild

because of this it really just doesnt make sense for BJ to suddenly have this jealousy in The Joker is Wild, not this late in the show. it would've honestly worked so much better if this episode happened back in season 4, because then you could've made that jealousy believable with BJ still establishing himself in camp and Hawkeye still dealing with Trapper's departure. but as it is, set in season 11, it really just doesnt work. its such a He Would Not Fucking Say That episode

[hella1975]

still thinking about the fact there's a girl in my main group of econ mates that i'll call C and i used to be really close with her in first year. like i spent a lot of time with her she drove me everywhere we met up outside of uni etc. except there was a boy in that main group too and the dynamic was basically that me and my other mate met first and THEN we started hanging out with C and this boy, so we each had our Person before forming one bigger group, if that makes sense? and i got on pretty well with the boy bc he happened to be bi so we instantly clicked over that and i could tell he latched onto me quite a bit bc there aren't really many other queer people in our circle and ESPECIALLY not at the start of uni. when i tell you C was so pissed off about the fact me and him got on better than her and him that our friendship STILL isn't as close now bc she couldn't get over me 'stealing' her cute little GBF accessory. and i didnt even do anything like i couldn't have given less of a shit who this lad hung out with. and she WONDERS why he picked the bi girl over her weird ass

[reginrokkr]

Do you ever wonder about how incapacitating the pain Dain felt in the Nameless City must've been (even though he's been dealing with pain for centuries, so he might've gained some pain tolerance) to the point of feeling despair 1) for thinking he's late again to save these Hilichurls and the Black Serpent Knights and 2) because all of them are in agony and he's horribly upset at the notion of them losing their lives with the unjust thought that "this is not how they chose to meet their end". About how his scream to stop that amplification device wasn't to put his own pain to rest, but the others' (he went with the Traveler like a boss through those portals to fight even though he was still in pain, arguing that the pain the others are suffering is greater than his own) and that it was Halfdan who carried it out the order of his captain?

[aletterinthenameofsanity]

Y'know, there's this gripe I've had for years that really frustrates me, and it has to do with Love, Simon and people joking about it and calling it too-pg and designed-for-straight-people and all the like. (A similar thing has happened to Heartstopper, but that's another conversation.)

I saw Love, Simon in theaters when it came out my senior year in high school. I saw it three times, once with my friends/parents on opening night, once with my brother over spring break, and once with my grandparents.

On opening night, the air in the room was electric. It was palpable. Half the heads in there were dyed various colors. Queer kids were holding hands. We were all crying and laughing and cheering as a group. My friends grabbed my hands at the part where Simon was outed and didn't let go until his parents were saying that they accepted him. My friend came out to me as non-binary. Another person in our group admitted that she had feelings for girls. It was incredible. I left shaking. This was the first mainstream queer romance movie that had ever been produced by one of the main five studios, and I know that sounds like another "first queer character from Disney" bit but you have to understand that even in 2018 this was groundbreaking. Getting to have a sweet queer rom-com where the main character was told that he got "to breathe now" after coming out meant so much to me and my friends.

But also, from a designed-for-straight-people POV (which, to be frank, it was written by a bisexual author and directed by a gay man, this was not designed for straight audiences), why is it a bad thing that it appealed to the widest possible audience? That it could make my parents and grandparents see things in a new light? My stepdad wasn't at all interested in rom-coms but he saw it with me because it was something I cared about and he hugged me when we came out of the theater. My very Catholic grandparents watched it with me and though my grandpa said he still didn't quite understand the whole 'gay thing,' all he wanted was for me to be happy and to have a happy ending like Simon did. My Nana actually cried when Simon came out and squeeze my hand when his mother told him he could breathe.

And when Martin blackmailed Simon, my mom, badass ally that she is, literally hissed "Dropkick him. Dropkick him in the balls" leading to multiple queer kids in the audience to laugh or smile. Having my parents there- the only parents, by the way, out of my group of queer and questioning friends- made multiple people realize that supportive adults were out there. That parents like those in Love, Simon do exist in real life.

When people complain about Heartstopper not being realistic or Love, Simon being too cutesy, I remember seeing Love, Simon on opening night. I remember my friend coming out and my stepdad hugging me and my mom defending us through this character. I remember the cheers that went through the audience when Bram and Simon kissed and the chatter in the foyer after the movie was over and the way that this movie made me understand that happy endings do exist.

Queer kids need happy endings. Straight people need entry points to becoming allies. Both of these things can come together in beautiful ways. They can find out about more queer culture later, but for now, let them have this. Let them all have a glimpse at a better, happier world. Let them have queer joy.

[asthedeathoflight]

I think an underrated angle on 2x05 is something that either Jacob or Assad said in some interview somewhere, which is that in that episode Louis is addicted to heroin. Thats why he has that whole stash of drugs that he gives to Daniel, that's why he gives Daniel the drugs even though he's already got him alone. He didn't just use those 128 boys for sex he was using them to get high. Bring them home, get them to shoot up, and then drain them to get that secondhand high.

It clarifies something that's always confused me about that scene, which is why Armand saves Daniel the first time. He wouldn't save Daniel as a person, he clearly knows Daniel needs to die, but he's not seeing Daniel as a person there. Daniel is just a substance. He rips him away from Louis to stop him from using.

And i think that adds a whole other layer to the fight he and Armand have to think that this is Louis on a bender, with Armand cleaning up after him because he's not stable enough to. Louis in the bed for a week isn't just healing from the burns, he's going through withdrawal. Him at the table with Daniel giving him the "bright young reporter" speech is probably the first time he's been sober in months.

It adds another layer to Armand's desperation, that Louis has been running from both Armand and himself in this way, and of course Armand wants to erase that memory. Of course he wants to pretend that that fight never happened. Not just to protect himself but in a way to protect Louis from having said those things. When he describes the fight to Louis afterwards, he says "you said the worst things you've ever said to me." And he doesn't really know how to forgive Louis for that so he just wants to bury this rock-bottom moment and move on like it never happened. After all, Louis was high, he didn't really mean it, but if he remembers then maybe he might think that he had a point. Better to wipe the whole experience away.