#their first rapport convo is so sweet...

[froglucose]

This too is yuri

[drbtinglecannon]

Hi, friend! 💖 I hope things have been looking a little brighter for you, and if not, I'm manifesting it for you!

Now, for the ships ask game... Ikesoren and Raeda? 👀

You're always so sweet ;__; the cats have been really good lately so that's been a positive, thanks for checking in!!!

Ikesoren & Raeda my beloved. They both mean so much to me

Ikesoren

1. What made you ship it?

Ok so funny story I actually unknowingly played RD before PoR (one of my older brothers bought it for another older brother so we didn't realize it was a sequel at first), so I had only the sequel's dynamic to go off of, and RD didn't have the in depth support system that PoR does. I did end up going back to play PoR right after beating RD and I think through the process of playing both games in order to do all the bonus shit to get Ike & Soren's secret ending conversation I was ride or die by that point. When I played RD the first time almost every support I paired up was based on aesthetic alone since there weren't actual convos & you could literally pair up anyone -- it was fucking lawless haha. Since I didn't have the previous knowledge of who had what rapports I got a TON of the pairs I made wrong based on what friendships/relationships I ended up liking best after playing PoR hahah! Ikesoren was unfortunately one of them

2. What are your favorite things about the ship?

Upon first glance you'd think they'd be an 'opposites attract' kinda dynamic but they're actually the same stone-faced smartass. I also love how Ike can't get an ending with a woman, it's either Soren or Ranulf, like the Tellius games really got an unequivocally gay Lord

3. Is there an unpopular opinion you have on your ship?

I don't really know what the popular opinions are, but based on fanart & fic I can recall seeing over the last decade or so, I don't like when Soren is portrayed as timid or shy. Like Soren's a bit of a bastard, even to Ike, he's not gonna get all 😳 around him, the neutral look of displeasure is his default expression even with the love of his life haha

Raeda

1. What made you ship it?

The second we saw Raine and could tell that was the kid Eda had her arms linked with from that S1 photo I was like "👀 ok ok finally learn that history!" Then Eda's smirk as she taunts "how are you supposed to be HeAd BaRd with stage freight?" I was like "omg snark, there's some bitterness but that's such a fond smile on her face" and then when they reunited? I was gone. By the time we saw the duet scene I was ride or die for Raeda. I genuinely believe we'll get a wedding montage at the end of W&D, or at least a kiss. Those two are extremely important to me

2. What are your favorite things about the ship?

They hit every note! They're childhood friends, they were immediate best friends, they're equally chaotic despite appearances, they're exes, they've been carrying the torch for each other SINCE they broke up like 20yrs ago, they're both blushing messes around each other, the mutual pining, the fact they're older & grayer but still undeniably smitten with each other, they have their own flower that means "deception and graciousness" WHICH PERFECTLY SUITS THEM, Eda's a harpy & Raine's a monsterfucker! They just! Really mean a lot to me, getting to see old gray queer love combined with the chance to repair old relationships

3. Is there an unpopular opinion you have on your ship?

I don't really vibe with art that makes Raine look or dress a lot more femme than they present in the show or in Dana's art.

[namor-shuri]

Me already knowing that the Coogler Cut exists but still being in shock/ hurt all over again after hearing Tenoch confirm it in this recent interview:

It’s frustrating that we don’t get to see these scenes but it honestly explains SOOOO MUCH:

✓ Tenoch & Tish’s chemistry: These two have chemistry in spades. The way they praise one another’s abilities/skills, the attention and respect they give one another when the other is talking, the fondness and hilarious rapport/insiders they clearly have with one another, the patience and empathy/protection they hold for each other [Tenoch learning English, Tish going through her grief in real time], the list goes on! These two have so much chemistry that it felt like I was missing something. “What’s going on here?” 👀 And then what do you know *Oprah shrug* the✨ Coogler Cut ✨Aside from this movie, I genuinely believe that as people they probably hit it off pretty well. Of course you can’t truly gauge the nature of a relationship between two people, especially if you aren’t able to witness them in real time/in person. But from what I’ve witnessed with my two eyes and two ears, I like what I see 💜 [No further comment at this time] x

✓ Tenoch’s claim of having “many scenes with Letitia”: When I heard him say this in multiple interviews, it sort of confused me because we don’t really see them interact a lot in bpwf [specifically one on one at least]. After seeing the WF Marvel Assembled + OG script, it gave more context to what he was saying. It looks like there were clearly more scenes that fleshed out the dynamic/connection between Namor & Shuri, her relationship to the world of Talokan and all of these great gems that were cut. “These scenes we made when these characters connect strongly and they can recognize each other. They are like mirrors. And of course, they share the same grief, the same wound, but they solve it in different ways. I think all of that exploration was really important, and actually that clarified my character to me.” - Tenoch Huerta speaking with Letitia Wright [source] *screams into the void*

✓ “It could have been different”: YEAH APPARENTLY! Since we know that the OG script exists and what it originally conveyed + Tenoch [and other sources] have confirmed that there were more scenes between Namor & Shuri, it explains Namor’s feelings of betrayal with Shuri. They got so close and then disaster struck. I use the word “betrayal” lightly understanding that he obviously hurt her as much as she hurt him but we see that her side clearly struck first. “This will mean war!” Shuri cried. A life for a life. Her mother for his two children. But he clearly saw something greater in her *cough wifey cough* and instead of f*cking, they were fighting! He said “Girl look at us! Is this what you want?? Don’t do this to ya man! Shuri, it’s me!” on that damn desert floor. It really could have been different though 😔 [I blame Nakia but that’s a convo for another time]

✓ Ryan’s support and fascination with Namor & Shuri’s dynamic: To say this man did his hw for bpwf is an understatement. From his interviews and the WF Marvel Assembled to the recent Marvel Studio “Voices Rising” [which I recommend you check out. I think I’ll make a post about it once all 3 eps come out], we clearly see that everything is intentional with this man. Nothing is random. His OG script was beautiful and it really conveyed Namor & Shuri’s layered connection tremendously well. The way Ryan speaks of these character’s dynamic, along with Tenoch & Tish’s chemistry is sweet. I personally believe his hand was forced to scrap everything. I keep seeing people say “Ryan why??” and I’m going to need y’all to back up off of our president. Don’t be upset with him, be upset with folks in higher places at Marvel + the 📄 people who were apart of the test audience for Namor & Shuri’s chemistry/romantic scenes and said NOPE [which if I ever see any of y’all in the streets 👊😤].

I could go on and on but yeah……”How is never as important as why”. As in WHY WOULD MARVEL DO THIS?? 🥴 [I have a few suspicions]

Ps: Watch the full interview. There are a lot of great gems that Tenoch shares about his experience post bpwf and more!

According to Tenoch Huerta Namor and Shuri had many scenes together in Black Panther Wakanda Forever, but Marvel Studios decided to cut it while editing the film.

Source

[facelessxchurch]

So I've been thinking, and I've reached the conclusion that instead of Creed, Valkyrie might gravitate to Nefarian in the last book because she has 0 moral compass now, has established a clear rapport with him and he admitted he still worships/at least venerates the Faceless Ones to her on the ship in SoW, so I think if she plans to do the living god thing, she would probably prefer him over Creed as her majordomo/high priest. The devil you know, right?

Wishful thinking is what you’ve been doing lol

We've seen too little of her activated self to know if she has zero moral compass now. She stated that she views herself as not only the child but also the mother of the FO now (I hate this so much) so that implies she would not only be fiercely loyal to them but also protective.

Nef would be an awful candidate as her second in command BC he is 100% disloyal and only has his own interest in mind. The convo in the first books and in SoW both heavily imply he only follows the Faceless Church BC he hopes for some reward or that their rule would be more beneficial to him than the system that is currently in place. Should this not be the case he would turn on them like he turned on Mev. I honest to fuck thought their convo about religion and morals set him up to abandon his beliefs, but now I’m doubting he’ll make an appearance at all.

Speaking of Mev, he is actually the one that would make a better second in command than Creed. I mean, Creed is pretty much the discount version of Mev. Mev is less extreme than Creed, he is stronger, has proven himself to be highly charismatic and intelligent and he already has centuries of experience in not only leading but also in uniting people under his banner and to build a new world order of his own. And in his delusions he is fiercely loyal to the FO as well. The downside to having Mev as a second is that he is too good at what he does. He seems to be worshipped as much as the FO are (or even more so when it comes to Nef). He’s a messiah figure his people are willing to die for. ‘Never outshine your master.’ Mev could easily be viewed as too much of a threat. I mean, he did betray and kill his old master, the Unnamed, which was a decendant of the Faceless Ones too.

And I think Creed is in that sweet spot of being capable, but not capable enough to be considered a threat to Val’s/the FO’s rule. He doesn’t inspire loyalty the way Mev does, which is proven due to the fact that during the war the Faceless Churchs factions decided to unite under Mev’s banner and no Creeds.

Also, wasn’t the whole deal with Creed becoming Malice’s ‘guardian/guide’ that he found her when she was freshly activated and confused so he could easily manipulate her? Guessing by how Val behaves in the last chapter, the same seems to have happened to her.

On a meta level it doesn’t seem like Nef and Mev will be making a reappearance. I mean, so many plotlines where set up for Nef and it would have been super interesting to see how he would react to Creed’s tyranny and to the world Malice has created in the future and maybe even see him slowly losing his faith, yet he wasn’t even mentioned in DoA. As for Mev, the way his followers were willing to die a pointless death for his ploy in SoW there absolutely should have been a subplot about his followers trying to free him and Sera. Instead it’s heavily implied that the Of The Unveiled siblings moved on, treating as them as if Mev and their oldest sister are already dead??? The best that can be expected for him is him getting the Melancholia treatment, which... isn’t great.

The way phase 1 characters have been treated in phase 2, especially Mev, don’t expect them to get to shine. They’ve pretty much been reduced to plot-devices and punching bags  for Val, Skul and the shitty new phase 2 characters.

[stardustkenobi]

And Days to Go Before I Sleep

Poe Dameron x Reader

Warnings: Piercing needle, mentions of alcohol, I swear a lot 

A/N: Here is a lil Poe thing based on one of my convos with @woakiees​ about her and Poe’s many adventures so we dedicate this one to her I wuv u Haaads

“Fuck, no, don’t you fucking dare.”

The words passed Poe’s lips in a rushed laugh, laced with nerves and the haze of alcohol.

You snort, shaking your head as you take his chin in one hand and press the ice cube to his ear. “Poe Dameron.” You said sternly, cheeks flushed from the most delectable cocktail, equal parts adrenaline, dopamine from stolen kisses in the back of the cab on the ride home, and whiskey. “You have been talking about this since, like, dinner.” Your retort was lamer than you expected and the blush on your cheeks only intensified as you poured a hearty serving of embarrassment into the mixed drink swirling in your head.

Poe was your coworker of approximately two and a half years. You’d spent the better part of a year telling yourself to get your head out of your ass and stop ogling him during staff meetings because there was no way he could have been harboring the same feelings that you had for him. This wasn’t some cheesy NBC docuseries comedy shit. You weren’t Jenna Fischer or Amy Poehler and Poe Dameron certainly wasn’t John Krasinski or Adam Scott.

When you first laid eyes on him, you all but forgot stupid celebrity crushes and fantasies meant to distract you from the loneliness that crept in during the hours of insomnia on the weekends. You were almost positive that the man that sat three cubicles away from yours would put all of them to shame.

“I know but, like,” Poe whined, trying to push your hand away from his ear by raising his shoulder to meet the side of his head. “Didn’t your parents ever tell you not to make important, permanent decisions while you’re intoxicated?”

Ten months after his being hired, you were met with a new companion in the break room whose tongue was adept at giving you chills just by speaking about the most mundane things and, suddenly, you let yourself play into the new fantasies that you had worked so hard to suppress for months on end.

You chuckled, shaking your head. “It’s literally not permanent, you idiot.” You teased, pushing his shoulder down and pressing the ice cube to his ear lobe with a little more force so you wouldn’t be shrugged away again. “You can always just take it out in the morning.”

Over the course of another three months filled with friendly banter that turned to flirting that turned to getting caught under the mistletoe at another coworker’s Christmas party, something you both tip toed around for the better part of another two months before that same coworker forced you into a conference room to “work things out”.

You hadn’t looked back then — spending fifteen months of the thirty you had known each other avoiding the obvious chemistry between you was, in your opinion, one too many months of your life you didn’t spend kissing the beautiful man sitting in front of you.

He whimpered at the cold on his skin, the sudden contact making him wince. “But what if it doesn’t look good?”

One eyebrow rose, followed by the other. “Are you seriously doubting my skills as an amateur piercing artist, Dameron?”

Poe merely bit his lip, the ghost of a playful smile creeping onto his face. “Is that what it sounds like to you, sweet girl?”

You scoffed, shaking your head as you began to count to sixty in your head, giving his earlobe one more minute to get numb. “I think that’s exactly what it sounds like and all I have to say is you better be nice to me.”

He laughed, wincing a bit at a drop of water that rolled down his neck from the ice cube that was melting between your finger tips. “Have you ever done this before?” He asked, a twinge of authentic apprehensiveness leaking through a tough guy guise fueled by his own cocktail of hormones and booze.

“A few times. Used to do stick and pokes too.” You mumble, fixating on a particular curl that rested over the shell of his ear. His hair was starting to become unruly again and you made a mental note to write an actual note to remind him to call his barber. “You know my older sister owns a tattoo parlor?”

“You never told me that. Rachel, right?”

“No, Hannah.”

“I thought Hannah was a psychologist.” His nose scrunched and he kicked himself for mixing up your elder sisters for what seemed to be the hundredth time since he had met them just a month ago at Rachel’s baby shower.

“Other way around, baby,” You smiled reassuringly, patting his knee with your free hand. “It’s all good.”

Poe relaxed a little bit at your touch, not realizing how tensed up he actually had been — this didn’t go unnoticed under your watchful eyes.

“You know you don’t really have to do this.” You mumbled against his skin after pressing a gentle kiss to his temple. “I’m not going to tease you or shit.”

He smiled, letting his eyes close as he shook his head as best as he could given the current situation he found himself in. “Well where’s the fun in that if I don’t end the night with another scar to mark the occasion?”

Your eyebrows furrowed as you moved the ice cub to the back of his ear, deciding on just another minute to be safe. “What occasion?”

“950 days since we met.” He shrugged, as if it should have been a given.

“You’ve been counting?” You asked, sucking in a breath as you tried to stave back the tears that were now threatening to fall down your cheeks.

Again, Poe nodded as best as he could. “Is that weird? I’ve been keeping track so when we get to 1,000 we can crack open a bottle of champagne or some sh—“

The ice cube fell to the floor, forgotten as you kissed Poe as hard as you could without hurting him, trying to convey all of the love and tenderness you could muster for him into the movement. It still wasn’t enough to properly convey how much he meant to you. “I love you.” You whispered against his lips.

“I love you.” He mumbled back, his hands coming up to rest on your waist, a firm presence that always anchored you no matter what the situation was.

Pulling back after a few long moments, you studied his face with the softest of expressions. “We could always just nix the piercing and go to bed.”

The smile that crept up onto his lips was goofy, but his eyes betrayed the fact that he was already calculating how you two would spend the rest of your night. “Piercing first, then we’ll talk.”

Your eyes rolled up to the ceiling as your own lips turned up into a smile to match his own before grabbing the needle and cork you had sterilized beforehand. Poe’s hand came up to grip your shoulder as you placed the cork behind his ear.

“Will you count to three please?”

“That’s not gonna make it any better.”

“I know but if I know it’s — fuck!” His sentence was cut off by you quickly piercing through the little black dot you had drawn as soon as you got home between stolen kisses and rapport characteristic of your relationship as you both stumbled to the kitchen.

You smiled, batting your eyelashes as you pulled back, leaving the needle for a few minutes before swapping it out for one of your studs. “Would you look at that, Dameron.” You whistled afterwards, shaking your head. “You look pretty enough to be in Pirates of the Caribbean 12.”

Poe grumbled, a little more relaxed after you had finished up cleaning his ear and secured the earring. “It’s coming out in the morning.”

You snorted, leaning up and kissing all over his face. “That gives me, like, twelve hours to enjoy it.”

“What are you gonna make me do, talk like a fuckin’ pirate?”

You laughed even harder, leaning back and closing your eyes for a second before looking up at him with a wicked grin. “I was thinking a photoshoot, but if that’s where your mind is, I —“

Your sentence was cut off by Poe scooping you up in his arms and kissing you hard before walking the two of you to the bedroom, already counting the hours until he could take the earring out.

[survivorforestofhorrors]

Episode 4: what's the harm in a lil flirting - Liam

Me @ this swap when I’m in such a GREAT position on this Cat tribe. Literally for one, my name was never out considering everyone asked me for what names I’ve heard. Then two, I literally have two alliances which none of them have the same people. And they weren’t groups I made, people came to me wanting me in them lmao. The first one is me, Daulton, Livingston, and Keaton. Then the second one is me, Jesse, and Maynor. I also have a pretty good relationship with Dan and me and Josh have gotten along well so far. If Zach wasn’t exiled, I definitely could have been close with him too. It’s whatever, at least I have people who have trust in me moving into this swap which is all I need. And I got some peeps on this other tribe who I worked with at the first tribal so this could be good.

So, just when the cat lovers were really starting to feel like a family, we end up getting swapped. Apparently the people that did the best in each puzzle category last round became team captains, and Dan chose me thank GOD. I trust Dan a lot, and I’m glad he sees me as an asset to his game and wants me on his tribe. I also have Livingston from OG Macneil, so that’s good because him and I had the alliance with Grace and Keaton. Hopefully they are good over their tribes, and we make it back together again. The new tribe, the Morgan Tribe, is the tribe I care the least about just based on who’s on it. I obviously want Keaton to make it through, and I like Jessie a lot, but the other 4 are a little less important to my game. The new Samhain tribe is honestly iconic too, and I want Macneil and Samhain to win immunity. Which speaking of immunity, it’s a fucking creative challenge which I do not excel in at all. I just hope the other people on this tribe are good at creative challenges or we’re screwed.

a tribe swap!!!! spicy. I really was not expecting that one, so good on you hosts for shaking things up.  So my strategy for the swap was to pick everyone I was close with originally lmao. very complex strategy, I know. I will accept player of the season now.  But seriously, I wanted to pick people that I felt would want to work with me and that would not target me specifically if there were to be someone to flip.  

I picked Liam because I feel like we connected pretty well on the original 21 person shit show. I had said to him that I wanted to work with him and Nik had told me he was someone to really have on my side.  I then picked Livingston because I'm really trying this story arc redemption moment with him from trinity. I also... genuinely like him. I feel like we vibe really well and are upfront with one another about game stuff. I hope he doesn't let the past cloud anything going forward, but for now he's definitely my #1.  I then picked Zac because I really got along with him early on as well. A great byproduct of this is that he told me he's super close with Austin, which means thats either information I can exploit, or use to my advantage. If we go to tribal, I could easily target them as a pair, OR join forces with them against someone else. We love accidental connections coming through. Then I picked Daulton because I feel like if I hadn't, he would have been mad. I know what y'all are thinking, why not pick your alliance member Keaton? Well, here's the thing, I don't want to be stuck with the same people all game and really feel like I need to branch out. I also feel like Keaton will understand this better than Livingston, hence picking Livingston over Keaton. Anyway, back to Daulton. Daulton cracks me the fuck up with his blunt delivery. I just have really enjoyed working with him and would love to work with him and livingston moving forward. And that brings us to Austin, who I didn't necessarily pick, but who I was fine with getting. We had some good convos pre swap and I am looking forward to seeing where his heads at in this game.

As far as the challenge is concerned, I think a lot of direction is gonna come from Livingston, which is fine by me. I really am not a creative soul, so I feel like I will be channeling my energy into Livingston's creative process and let him take the wheel. I think we have a good shot of being untouched into the next phase of the game but we'll see. Also, I feel like I basically found the key to all the advantages in the game tonight in my idol search, so trust and believe i'm about to fuck this game up ladies!

I had high hopes from our first new tribes and the way I play is short, simple, and sweet. Tim made a 5 person alliance of people i liked, and i thought that it was good. Liam is extremely solid, brandan is good not great, and Nik is typically okay on a short term basis. But i had my reserves on Nik, and of course Nik saw the opportunity to break me and Tim up, even though we arent this duo who will flip flop, fuck people up, we are old school people, we find our people we roll with them, we get to the end. We're loyal, but we aren't stupid. 

The minute I saw Tim was getting a lot of the votes and that it got too quiet, i knew the fix was in. Liam has been our informant and I went out of my comfort zone right into the mainchat ala Nik style. I called them out, and I had the immunity idol. The GTO play (Game theory optimum) would be to let Tim go and play the game by myself and break that perception and have an idol. But I AM LOYAL. I do not let my ride or dies sink in the game. I have never voted tim out of a game nor will i ever let him go home if i have anything to say about it.

We manuevered the vote dynamics, made sure the votes were on him, and we made Nik get to steppin. Moving forward it would have been very tough but now a swap is among us.

-

So we just swapped, and Tim was tribe captain. Exactly what we needed. Nik was 100% right, all i need is one swap and just a few rounds to mobilize my army and build a coalition. Give me time, and i will break people. Not in a bad way. I need people who will be dedicated, and will never waver, never flip. My militia is called the L&J team. Me, Tim, Liam, thats 3, 3/18 = 1/6. Now we recruit Zach, and we pull in grace. 5/18. 27% of the cast. I begin to like these odds once the numbers dwindle and we keep our people in the game.

I may seem like this menace, but I am extremely calculated and people who give me their word I will return the favor. Me and Tim are loyal people. But if you are halfway with me, or are against me we will fucking murder you in cold blood. 

Josh V is the next to go, Brandan worst case if we lose again. We aren't going anywhere anytime soon, we found our people, now we show the game what we can do.

You ever have those moments where you're hyped, but also not hyped at the same time? Well this is one of those times. I got a fucking idol!!!! but I also earned our tribe a disadvantage in the challenge in the process. So that basically means to me that you probably get a disadvantage any time you get an advantage. or are in the process of getting an advantage. So that means Tim probably got pretty close to getting something, or got something. I'm not sure if that means Zach got an advantage (exile) or if that was his disadvantage? Idk, I'm fucking nervous now, we're gonna have to pull out all the stops for the challenge. 

My worry about the challenge is that we don't really have a story line, we just have the slasher concept. I mean, realistically, I would love to have my idol for myself later in the game, but I would also rather get rid of it if we lose this comp because of my disadvantage... I'm very nervous now, and I think I fucked my game up with this whole idol search business. I hate everything lmao. Well played hosts, well played.

I feel so fucking guilty. I know there’s probably a bunch of people in here laughing at me and saying I’m an idiot, but I literally didn’t mean to get a fucking disadvantage. I’m really considering just leaving zac or Livingston my idol and getting voted out. I’m so fucking mad at myself.

-

So I’m feeling more into the game today now that I’ve slept on it. My plan is to fucking stay by any means necessary. I spoke with Livingston just now and told him about my idol. Obviously I know that could come back and bite me in the ass, but frankly I’m playing the idol tonight if I’m in danger or not so fuck y’all. But anyway, I do trust Livingston more than anyone else here. We have a good rapport and I know he’s a loyal guy. So lettuce pray that everything works out and I can idol out a big threat hehehe

-

Tribal in two hours. It’s me or zac. I’m voting zac and I’m playing my idol so square up with your idol boo

Well Well Well... I'm not having a good day! I heard it's Zac going... I REFUSE! He will not be going on my watch! Zac is an ICON who I love and adore! I was LITERALLY crying at the thought of voting him out so imma fight for him! I REALLY don't wanna lose anyone on this tribe but especially Zac!

In more positive news Daulton and I are the first Showmance of the season! I've always thought Daulton was cute so what's the harm in a lil flirting ☺️

Meep merp beep. Ive been soo not into the game that i need to focus again. I want to do well in this game but ill end up just letting myself down as always. 

Soo im haply our trailer won immunity. Im safe. 😊

Oh, poor Liam. :( He really doesn’t want Zac to be the vote tonight, but I think it’s pretty set in stone at this point unless and Idol is played. I don’t want to sound cocky though because I realize anything can happen, but I feel like Livingston, Austin, and I in addition to Dan are all on board to vote Zac. Liam feels like it’ll be a 3-3 vote which I’m not sure how that will play out unless Austin flips. I really don’t want to go to rocks this early in the game, but I told Dan I wouldn’t write his name, so if Livingston wants to flip, that’s on him, but I just don’t think I can do it. I just hope it is 4-2.

So we won immunity for once with the videos! Really don’t appreciate the hating on my editing skills/lack of appearance in the video @judges. It was editing or being filmed and I choose editing haha. Anyway, I’m feeling pretty comfortable with this group. Really hoping we don’t lose again. Splitting into 3 tribes really helps give us a chance. I like everyone on my tribe but they’re also super super quiet and we only talk during challenges which is a bit awkward...

[jbuffyangel]

HVFF Nashville Wrap Up

It’s midnight. This is the first second I’ve had to sit down and write about Nashville. I was knee deep in SDCC planning with my Just About Write ladies today. It’s gonna be lit folks! We can’t wait to cover it for you.

So... I decided to go to HVFF Nashville for one reason and one reason only. M*lissa B*noist was attending and my daughter could meet Supergirl. The obsession runs deep my friends. When M*lissa canceled Lauren was absolutely devastated and I was in a bit of a panic. Primarily because I didn’t know what else she would enjoy at HVFF. She’s not allowed to watch Arrow. She’s only seen a few clips, but Lauren loves Felicity Smoak. Hand to God this is how she described the show to a friend.

Friend: What’s Arrow? 

(The friend overhead my husband and I discussing my blog)

Lauren: It’s about Felicity Smoak. She is super smart and loves computers like I do. She fights crime.

Friend: Okaaaay. But... who is Arrow?

Lauren: (completely blasé) Oh. He’s just Felicity’s boyfriend.

I mean.... she’s not entirely wrong. She also possibly summed up 95% of the fandom’s view of the show, so I give her points for that. But... Emily Bett Rickards wasn’t going to be there. So, I was unsure of her level of excitement over Stephen.

Turns out she was pretty excited to meet him. 

Well, she was excited to dress up as Felicity, spend time with Mommy, shop and swim at the hotel pool, but Stephen was absolutely on the list. Truthfully, I wasn’t sure how much of the convention she would enjoy. Turns out she LOVED all of it. 

She shrieked when she saw Chewy and BB8. The force is strong with this child.

I fully support her superhero choices.

Honestly, it was just fun to share my little Arrow world with her. I already blogged about her autograph with Stephen, but here are a few more details. She was nervous and wanted very much to ask him a question, but didn’t know what to ask. So I gave her the question, “Will we have to wait all season for Olicity to get married?” Thanks @callistawolf for the suggestion. Man didn’t even blink. Folded immediately with, “No I don’t think so.” WEDDING CONFIRMED. THANK YOU MY ANGEL. Stephen is powerless against little Felicity Smoaks.

After the autograph, apparently Lauren felt like she had a rapport with Stephen. (Wink wink) Lauren floored me when she said she wanted to ask Stephen a question at the panel. Thought it all up by herself. Marched on up to the mic. I promise you she does not get this confidence from me. This is all her father.

Round three was the photos. Lauren said she had another question for Stephen. I explained that every time she had a question for Stephen, Mommy had to fork over a bunch of cash, so she was all done. Undeterred Lauren remembered she still had a photo with him and decided she could ask him there. She wanted to have a chat with Steve I think. Maybe over milk and cookies. I very quickly downplayed the interaction and explained he has a lot of people to get through and the photo goes very quickly. There won’t be any time for questions. 

She waited very patiently for her photo and, yes the line was moving fast. I could tell she was getting nervous again. When it was her turn, Stephen smiled at her and I said, “There he is. Go ahead.” I knew Lauren’s plan was to just stand next to him, but Stephen smiled at her again and said, “Yeah... no. Let’s try...” and he scooped her up. Lauren was airborne and completely shocked. My girl is tall but very thin for a 10 year old, so the man basically palmed her like a basketball. LOL To say she was thrilled would be an understatement. 

He set her down and I whispered thank you as she scurried back to me. And Stephen gave me a very sweet wink.

This was our convo after...

Lauren: HE PICKED ME UP MOMMY! I was NOT expecting that.

Me: I know. I saw. Pretty awesome!

Lauren: I was going to ask him on a scale of 1 to 100 how strong is he?

Me: I think he answered your question.

Lauren nodded speechless.

Me: I’d say as strong as Daddy. 99?

Lauren: (giddy) YES!

My daughter can be very introspective at times and the conversation we had on the airplane on the ride home struck a chord with me.

Lauren: Do you think Stephen gets tired of doing conventions?

Me: Well... I think he’s making a lot of money and people tell him he’s amazing all day. As jobs go, I don’t think it’s  a terribly tough one, but he does have to travel a lot and that can be hard.

Lauren: (very quietly) He probably doesn’t get to see his little girl very much.

(Stephen told a sweet story about Mavi at the panel. I was truly surprised Lauren brought her up.)

Me: That’s true. He lives in a different city when he films the show. Then he travels to conventions. Sometimes she comes with, but you are right. Stephen spends a lot of time away. Although I’m sure he sees Mavi every chance he gets.

Lauren: How old is his daughter?

Me: She’s little. I think she’s in preschool. 

Lauren was quiet again and I could tell what she was thinking.

Me: It’s nice that your Daddy is home every night isn’t it?

Lauren: Yeah.

Me: Fame has its perks, but there are negatives. Daddy isn’t famous, but I think you got the better end of the deal, don’t you?

Lauren: Yes.

Bonus points to my husband for remembering that Ming Na voiced Mulan as we scanned the guest list after Melissa canceled. Well played Dad. 

Of course, Ming Na is gorgeous and wonderful with kids. Lauren named off most of the characters in the movie and wanted to know if Ming Na had stuffed animals of them. (Stuffed animals rank high with her still). Answer: Yes, she does in her office. Lauren was quite pleased Ming Na was Disney Princess-ing properly. She had bracelets and candy for the kids too, so her parenting game was strong too.

Of course, meeting fandom friends is always a highlight of conventions. It’s always so funny when we introduce ourselves. Obviously, we start with our real names, but it’s only when we say our screen names that the light bulbs go off. 

I was able to meet @scu11y22, @jedichick04, @laurabelle2930, @ireland1733, @redpensandgreenarrows, @emmilynestill, @quant-um-fizzx, its_mjayy and Brittany_Ellis . (Sorry if I forgot anyone!!!) Y’all were as nice as can be. So sweet to both me and my daughter. Thanks for chatting Arrow with me, listening to me ramble (Yes, I do the same thing in person as I do in the reviews. I am deeply obsessed) and sharing your convention and real life stories with me!!! So happy to met you all.

We spent the weekend with my amazing friend @hotcookinmama. She is my life saving editor and beta for all my fics and Nashville tour guide extraordinaire. Angela picked us up from the airport, drove us around town and gave us a fantastic tour of Nashville. She found great restaurants for us to eat at. Absolute gem of a host. She is also one of the sweetest and most genuine people I’ve ever met. Our girls were fast friends and had a wonderful time playing together. #Perfectweekend

Two of my favorite convention moments were with Angela and both involved David Ramsey. I had a VIP ticket so I told Angela to tag along with me while I got my autograph with David. Typically they don’t mind how many people you have with as long as they don’t try to get an autograph at that time. I figured this would give Angela two visits with David (she would get her auto in the general admin line later). David and I chatted. He gave me that great spoiler and off we went. I started chatting about the spoiler as we walked away, but as I turned to look at her I realized she was crying. 100% FEELS OVERLOAD from meeting David Ramsey because he’s freaking David Ramsey and always wonderful. It was her first convention and I was just so happy to be part of that purely joyful moment with her. It’s so rare when we are gloriously happy as human beings and she absolutely was.

The second, of course, were the AMAZING SPOILERS David gave Angela. She essentially guessed the first six episodes of S6 because she’s a clairvoyant, kick ass fic writer. I was standing in Stephen’s empty booth, just on the other side of David’s. I was out of earshot, but enjoying watching Angela and her family interact with him. When Angela came over to me she was freaking out by what he told her. Then I was freaking out. It was AWESOME.

Regarding M*lissa’s cancellation - yes I was angry. These tickets are expensive, plus airfare, and it’s always difficult to disappoint your child. There seems to be some controversy over whether or not she was really working. Obviously, if she was working that’s understandable even though it’s frustrating. 

If she wasn’t really working well... that sucks. A LOT. 

That said, Stephen’s kindness went a long way to ease my daughter’s broken Supergirl heart and I appreciated it. I should probably let her watch Arrow now. ;) What’s most important though is the time we spent together and the memories we made on our mother/daughter trip.