#this show is surprisingly good at deep storylines

[kendrysaneela]

I think this pregnancy storyline could defo make them all rethink the whole white picket fence heteronormative monogamous idea they all seem to have in their futures. Because they all seem to view their futures with this white picket fence fantasy more conceptually? Where they all think someday they’ll leave the ship and it’ll all fall into place. But this will defo make them rethink how they view their future I think. Like they all talk about getting married to one person and having children and living this life very conceptually? Like “One day when I leave the ship this will fall into place and I’ll be happy because this is how people become happy by settling down into this heteronormative monogamous fantasy” like it’s never “This is how I’ll do it and this is the type of person I’m looking for” it’s just “Once I leave the ship it’ll just happen” that makes me think they all view it more as something they think they’re supposed to do to be happy rather than something they’re all stating they actually WANT. So I think the question they’ll have to ask themselves is “Do I actually want the white picket fence or is that what I’ve been conditioned to want and I’m on this ship running away from that? Could there be another road to happiness they haven’t explored? Could that path be with each other?

[punkshort]

Roll Call 2

a Roommates one-shot

Pairing: pornstar!joel x f!reader

Summary: Joel convinces you to watch one of the videos he's starred in and you like it more than you expected.

Warnings: reader and Joel watching porn, smut (18+ MDNI - I don't know what came over me but it's surprisingly soft), language, dirty talk, infidelity, unprotected piv sex, creampie, alcohol consumption

WC: 2.9K

A/N: this was inspired by these asks and is not considered canon, it's just for fun

"It really ain't as bad as you think," Joel teased, watching with glassy eyes as you tossed back a shot with a wince. You swiped the back of your hand across your mouth and shook your head.

"It's porn, Joel. It's pretty black and white."

"See, that's where you're wrong. You must be watchin' some low budget shit if that's your impression," he said over his shoulder as he lead you back to your table through the crowd of people hovering around the bar.

"What're you saying? Your porn is better somehow?"

"Yeah, that's exactly what I'm sayin'," he said with a grin before sliding into the booth. You plopped down across from him and greedily took a sip from your water. "My stuff's produced by people who actually give a shit about quality and storylines."

"Uh huh," you said with a giggle. The two of you were waiting for Tommy to get off work but the bar was busier than expected that particular evening and you had been stuck for almost two hours with nothing to do but drink and kill time.

"You don't believe me? Lemme show you," he said, pulling his phone out of his back pocket. Your eyes widened and you began to sober up.

"N-no, Joel, I believe you."

"C'mon, it's no big deal. We've slept together, for fuckssake, it ain't nothin' you haven't already seen," he said, eyes pinned to his phone as he scrolled on some website that had a suspicious amount of ads and pop ups. His eyes lit up when he found what he was looking for and fished his AirPods out of his other pocket, handing you one and shoving the other in his ear. You held it in your fingers, your mind reeling. You've never seen Joel's porn before, but Maria had, and she told you it was hot at the time but you'd never felt the urge to look it up for yourself.

Joel finally picked up on your hesitation and paused. "If you really don't wanna, it's fine."

You chewed your lower lip as you thought about it. You couldn't deny you were curious and you didn't have to watch the entire thing if it made you uncomfortable, so you took a deep breath and popped the earbud in. "Play it."

He grinned and glanced around. "Come over on this side, don't want anyone walkin' by to see."

You rolled your eyes, finding it laughable that he would even give a shit, but did as he asked and settled in next to him.

"Roll Call 2? Will I be lost if I didn't see Roll Call 1?"

Joel snorted and shook his head. "Shut the hell up."

He pressed play and you watched as the black screen faded to a classroom where Joel sat hunched over behind a desk looking busy as he scribbled on some papers. He wore thick rimmed glasses and a white button down shirt with a navy blue tie. You laughed and poked him in the shoulder.

"Maybe you're right. This is the most professional I've ever seen you dress."

"Yeah, yeah," he muttered.

A door squeaked open and he looked up to find a young looking brunette enter the room with a stack of books pressed against her chest.

"Excuse me, Mr. Ryder, do you have a minute?"

"Ryder?!" you cackled, "are you fucking serious?"

Joel grinned but kept his eyes on the phone. "Yeah, alright, that was less than subtle, but the rest is good, keep watchin'."

"Tiffany? What can I help you with?"

You hid your grin behind your fist and kept watching.

"Can I talk to you about this test? I-I really can't fail this class or else I won't graduate."

"Tiffany" set her books down on the corner of his desk and pulled out a paper, putting it down in front of Joel and leaning over. Her own button down shirt only had three buttons fastened, at best, so when she bent forward, her tits practically spilled out of her shirt.

"Mhm, I noticed your grades have been slippin'. Maybe you could do some extra credit to help boost your grade?"

"Really? You'd let me do that?"

Joel's hand gently brushed up against the back of her thigh, his gaze dropping to take in her plaid mini skirt.

"'Course I would, s'long as you do somethin' for me."

"Joel, this is so corny," you said as you were about to pull out the earbud. He stopped you and scooted closer.

"It ain't 'bout bein' corny or not, it's 'bout the production and the set and how the actors are treated. When you have good people 'round you, it comes through on the screen and the performance is better."

You sighed and continued to watch as his hand snuck up the back of her skirt. Tiffany gasped and pressed her hips into the desk then looked down at Joel, who was gazing up at her like she was the only woman in the world.

"I don't know, Mr. Ryder..."

"Why not, darlin'?"

"W-what if someone finds out?"

"No one'll know," he assured her before taking her hand and placing it over his lap. She moaned softly and bit her lip before sinking to her knees and undoing his belt. He groaned and leaned back in his chair, watching her with a pleased smirk.

"Yeah, that's it," he whispered when she took him in her mouth. Suddenly you remembered you were in the middle of a bar watching porn with your ex and you yanked the earbud out.

"Okay, I think I get the idea."

Joel chuckled. "Fine, I don't wanna make you uncomfortable," he said, setting his phone down so he could take a sip from his glass, but the video still played. You couldn't hear the audio anymore but you saw his head tip back and his eyes squeeze shut in pleasure. You wondered what kind of noises he was making, knowing he was the type to be more vocal during sex, an attribute you always appreciated. You tried to look away, focusing your attention on the people around you, but your eyes kept finding his phone. On the screen, Joel pulled Tiffany up by the shoulders and pushed her up against his desk. He slotted himself between her legs and pushed up her skirt before plunging his tongue into her mouth and rubbing slow circles over her clit.

"See somethin' you like?" Joel teased when he caught you looking. You pursed your lips before rolling your eyes and shoving the earbud back in just in time to hear him groan deeply into her mouth when he began to sink his cock inside her. You had to admit, it was nice when the video didn't cut to a godawful closeup of her pussy but instead took advantage of her wide spread legs and chose to capture both their reactions. You swallowed, throat suddenly dry, as you continued to watch the video. Much like Joel in real life, he was attentive and caring, subtly making sure Tiffany was comfortable. He didn't jackhammer her, he didn't remain awkwardly silent, but instead he rolled his hips leisurely while lavishing her with praise until he tugged on her shirt and wrapped his hand around one of her breasts, biting at her nipple. She moaned and grabbed his hair, whispering how big he was and how good it felt and fuck me harder, Mr. Ryder, I can take it.

He pulled out and flipped her around, pushing her hips into the desk before sliding back inside, her pussy and thighs glistening from her arousal.

"Goddamn, you're so tight. Oh, good girl, look at you. Takin' my cock like a champ. Fuck, y'feel so good."

He was slamming his hips into her faster now, so much so that the desk was beginning to move. Tiffany's fingers clutched around the edge of the wood, knuckles white, mouth agape and eyes rolled to the back of her head.

"How much of this is fake?" you asked breathlessly, unable to look away. He shrugged, no longer watching the phone, but instead his eyes were glued to your face. Your lips were parted and your breath was coming a little faster now.

"What'dya mean?"

"Like, is she faking it?" you asked.

"No," he chuckled, casually draping his arm behind you. On the screen, Joel gently pressed a palm against her spine so she laid flat on the desk, then he reached down to pick up one of her legs to open her hips even wider. The noises she was making were so loud at that point, you didn't need to keep the earbud in anymore, so once again you took it out. He could tell how aroused you were, even though you initially tried to hide it. You squirmed in your seat and you rubbed the back of your neck before taking a deep breath. Your eyes met his and he saw you swallow thickly, your gaze flickering from his eyes to his lips over and over again.

"Joel?"

Your voice was low, suggestive, as you leaned into him a little more. The heat between you was growing thick. It was probably made worse by the alcohol coursing through your veins but he didn't care, and neither did you. He nodded and tore his eyes away.

"C'mon," he said.

He grabbed your arm and shoved his phone back in his pocket before leading you through the crowd, his cock straining against his zipper, knowing full well how that night was going to end.

"Where are we going?" you asked when he bypassed the bathrooms in favor of a third closed door.

"Basement. Where they keep the booze."

He swung open the door and flicked on the light before pulling you in after him and ushered you quickly down the stairs. He swiveled his head back and forth until he spotted a corner of the basement that had a small amount of privacy hidden behind boxes of liquor, then turned around and cupped your jaw before crashing his mouth against yours with a deep groan.

"We gotta be fast," you murmured before breaking away and tugging your jeans down.

"Yeah," was all he said, his heart thumping wildly in his chest when you pulled your jeans all the way off and started on your underwear. "Jesus Christ," he added when he realized you weren't messing around. Fast meant fast.

You tested the weight of what looked like a repurposed workbench before hopping up and grabbing the collar of his shirt, yanking him forward just as he undid his belt. You helped him unzip his jeans and slid your hand past his waistband, wrapping your fingers around his cock as you nipped greedily at his throat.

"Fuck, baby, you liked that, huh?" he murmured, grabbing onto your hips, letting you pull his cock out and line him up against your opening without his assistance. He hissed when the tip of his cock prodded at your folds, feeling just how wet you were from watching that video.

You didn't answer. You just spread your legs wider and scooted closer to the edge of the table. Your heels dug into the backs of his thighs, urging him forward. A whimper fell from your lips when he slowly eased inside you, then tipped your head back with a gasp when he pushed all the way in.

"God, that feels good," you moaned, your arms draping lazily around his neck, forehead resting against his chest.

Slowly, he pulled his cock out, leaving just the swollen tip before pausing and pushing back in. You both watched in a daze as he slid in and out, emerging slicker than before with each thrust. Calloused hands ran up and down your thighs. Slowly, leisurely, adoringly.

"Faster," you mumbled, eyes fluttering closed, forehead still pressed against his broad chest.

"I don't like goin' fast with you," he whispered, then wrapped his arms around your waist, tugging you even closer as he continued slowly feeding you his cock.

You moaned and dug your nails into his neck when he hit a spot just right, making your thighs shake and your breath stutter.

"L-like the video," you managed to stammer out. You pulled your head away from his chest and hazily looked up at him. "Don't you wanna make this table move like the desk?" you asked him with a teasing smile, but he didn't give you one back. He shook his head and rubbed the pad of his thumb over your lower lip.

"No," he said softly, still fucking you agonizingly slow. His eyes were warm and sweet as he stared down at you, scanning your face. His fingers slid through your hair, cupping the back of your head as he continued to look at you, watching the little flickers of pleasure cross your features every time he hit that one spot he knew made you come undone. "Don't wanna fuck you like them. Wanna take my time 'n really feel you." He rolled his hips, pushing inside you extra deep and you melted against him, giving up and letting him take you the way he needed.

The hand that was lost in your hair tilted your head so he could kiss you. His tongue, slow and lazy, slipped into your mouth, licking and savoring the taste of tequila and the cigarette you bummed from him an hour earlier.

Eventually, you lost yourself in the moment, raking your fingers through his hair and kissing him back just as deeply. You knew it was too intimate, you knew it was dangerous to be like this with him, but it was too late. Who were you kidding? It's been too late for a while now.

You finally had to break the kiss, your lungs burning for air the same way your thighs were burning around his waist. Tipping your head to the side, you slumped against his shoulder, gasping and panting while he continued to torturously fuck you slow in the dirty basement of your favorite bar.

The setting hardly matched the mood, but it didn't seem to matter.

"You gotta know, I don't fuck anyone else like this."

You squeezed your eyes shut.

His fingers dug into your ribs, the others into your scalp, pressing you against him as if you were one.

"Yeah?" Your voice was breathy and high pitched.

"Only you." He pressed his mouth against your hair, his cock splitting you open in the softest way possible. "Just you."

"Joel," you whined, one hand dropping to grab the thin material of his tshirt, fingers getting twisted as you tugged and pulled at him. You said his name again, a whisper that time. Being so close, you could feel his heart beating loud and fast in his chest. It felt like it matched your own.

"Yeah, say my name," he muttered, hips moving a little faster now. "You gonna come f'me, baby?"

You couldn't respond. You were too close and everything was too intense. Instead, you nodded and squeezed your eyes shut tighter, fighting back the two tears that sprung up out of nowhere.

When you came, you pulled harshly on his hair and gasped, warmth flooding your limbs as your orgasm washed over you. He was murmuring something but you couldn't hear him over the ringing in your ears and then finally, your muscles relaxed and you sighed.

"Fuck, Joel."

"I know," he grunted through clenched teeth. "Shit, you're gonna make me come. Feels too good, I can't... oh, god."

He made a move to pull out but your legs tensed around him once more, keeping him still. His hips slowed.

"What're you-"

"I want you to come inside me," you mumbled drowsily from his chest. You felt more than heard the low growl he gave you in response.

"Baby-"

Tugging him by the back of the neck, you pulled him down into a searing kiss, shutting him up. He cupped your jaw with one hand while the other remained wrapped around your waist, still holding you against him. It only took him a few more seconds before he spilled inside you, his moans getting lost against your lips.

Long after you had both recovered, your mouths were still latched together, tongues slowly dancing, neither of you wanting the moment to end, but it was you who finally pulled away.

"We should go before we get caught."

He hummed and pressed his forehead against yours.

"So what if we get caught?"

You practically stopped breathing at the double meaning behind his words, your brain unable to formulate a response. He must have sensed it because he continued.

"What's the worst that could happen?"

"Jail?" you finally offered, leaning back and giving him a smirk, purposely ignoring the real meaning behind his question. What would happen if someone found out about your affair?

He gave you a small smile and sighed. "You make a good point." He pulled out with a hiss, his gaze darkening for a moment when he saw your pussy leaking with him. "Christ," he whispered before backing away and fixing his clothes while you did the same.

"You ready?" he asked once you got your clothes back on and looked relatively presentable.

"Yeah," you replied, but took a step and stumbled. Joel quickly reached out to steady you, his thumbs rubbing affectionately over your arms as he did.

"Don't worry, I got you."

You looked up at him and smiled. "I know."

[xhoess]

Sfw and nsfw alphabet headcanons for Logan PLEASEEEE!!! 🙌🙌🙌

YES YES YES YES YES... that's such a good idea I love you🙏🥰

Logan Howlett headcanons From A to Z

Pairing: Logan howlet ×fem bod reader

Sooo I will be writing short stories from A to Z, there will be no storyline they are just one-shots!!

Story's under the Cut

Most of these will be NSFW, I'm not gonna say 18 plus bc like read what you enjoy I started reading smut when I was way younger than 18 and I get if you do that because you're curious about that and there is nothing wrong with that :)

everything that's marked green is written the rest is not!

A - Aftercare: Logan is surprisingly tender after sex. He may seem rough around the edges, but he’s incredibly attentive post-intimacy. He’ll make sure you’re comfortable, bringing you water or wrapping you in a warm blanket. He likes to hold you close afterward, murmuring in that deep, gravelly voice of his.

B - Body Part: Logan is particularly proud of his hands. They’re strong, capable, and he knows exactly how to use them to drive you wild. He also has a thing for your neck and shoulders, often kissing, biting, and nuzzling there during foreplay.

C - Cum: Logan is intense when he finishes, often with a deep, guttural groan. He prefers to finish inside you, relishing the connection and intimacy it brings. If he finishes elsewhere, it’s usually on your stomach or chest, where he can admire the sight.

D - Dirty Secret: Logan has a voyeuristic streak. He loves watching you pleasure yourself, finding it incredibly arousing. He’s also into you wearing his clothes—nothing gets him going like seeing you in one of his old, oversized shirts.

E - Experience: Logan is very experienced, thanks to his long life. He knows exactly what he’s doing and takes pride in being able to bring you to the edge and back. He’s been with a variety of partners over the years, but with you, it’s always different—more intense, more meaningful.

F - Favorite Position: Logan loves positions where he can be close to you, like missionary or spooning. He enjoys feeling your body pressed against his and being able to kiss you deeply during the act. He also has a soft spot for doggy style, loving the way he can control the pace and depth.

G - Gentle: Logan has a gentle side layered under all that toughness. He's gentle with the people he loves, especially when they are hurt or vulnerable. His touch can be surprisingly soft and carefull.

H - Hair: Logan is rugged and naturally hairy, and he’s comfortable with that. He’s not one for meticulous grooming beyond the basics. He doesn’t mind if you’re natural too—in fact, he finds it sexy. He loves running his hands through your hair, or feeling your nails in his.

I - Intimacy: Logan craves intimacy and connection, even if he doesn’t always realize it. Sex with him is intense and passionate, but it’s also deeply emotional. He’s fully present, focusing on your pleasure and the bond between you.

J - Jack Off: Logan doesn’t masturbate often, preferring to save his energy for when he’s with you. When he does, it’s usually when he’s alone and thinking about you, imagining your touch and scent. He’s more than capable of taking care of himself but much prefers having you there.

K - Kinks: Logan has a bit of a primal side. He enjoys rough, passionate sex and isn’t opposed to a bit of light bondage or spanking if you’re into it. He likes being in control but also gets a thrill out of you taking the lead sometimes, especially if you surprise him.

L - Location: Logan is down for sex pretty much anywhere. The thrill of doing it in risky or unexpected places excites him—whether it’s in the woods, a hidden corner of the mansion, or even a quiet bar’s backroom. He’s adaptable and ready whenever you are.

M - Motivation: Logan doesn’t need much to get turned on. Just the sight of you, the sound of your voice, or a simple touch is enough. He’s especially turned on when you take charge, showing him just how much you want him. He finds confidence in a partner incredibly sexy.

N - No: Logan is very clear about boundaries. He respects your limits and expects the same in return. If something makes either of you uncomfortable, he’ll stop immediately and shift to something else. Trust and respect are paramount to him.

O - Oral: Logan is a master at giving oral. He loves taking his time, exploring every inch of you with his mouth, and making you squirm with pleasure. He’s also very vocal about how much he enjoys it. When it comes to receiving, he’s just as enthusiastic and loves watching you enjoy yourself.

P - Pace: Logan’s pace depends on the mood. He can be slow and sensual, drawing out every moment to savor the connection between you, or fast and rough when things get heated. He loves varying the pace, sometimes starting slow before gradually increasing the intensity until neither of you can hold back.

Q - Quickie: Logan is no stranger to quickies, especially with his lifestyle. He finds them thrilling, perfect for when the two of you just can’t wait. Whether it’s a stolen moment in a hidden spot or a quick session before heading out on a mission, he’s always down for it.

R - Risk: Logan enjoys the thrill of risky sex, particularly the idea of getting caught in the act. He loves the adrenaline rush it brings and how it intensifies the experience, though he’s always careful to ensure you’re both safe.

S - Stamina: Logan’s stamina is legendary, thanks to his healing factor. He can go for hours without tiring, and he’s more than capable of multiple rounds. He loves taking his time to completely wear you out, only stopping when you’re both thoroughly satisfied.

T - Toys: Logan isn’t opposed to using toys, but he prefers the hands-on approach. If you’re into it, he’ll indulge you, especially if it adds to your pleasure. He enjoys being the one to control them, loving how they can heighten your experience.

U - Unfair: Logan can be a bit of a tease. He’ll push you right to the edge, only to pull back and make you beg for more. He enjoys the control it gives him and loves driving you wild with need before finally giving you what you want.

V - Volume: Logan is vocal in bed, but it’s more about growls, grunts, and low, husky whispers. He’s not afraid to let you know how much he’s enjoying himself, and he loves hearing you moan his name in return. The more noise you make, the more it drives him on.

W - Wild: Logan can get downright wild in bed when the mood strikes. His primal instincts take over, leading to rough, passionate sessions that leave you both breathless and thoroughly satisfied. He loves the raw, unrestrained connection that comes with it.

X - NONE my apologies

Y - Yearning: Logan’s desire for you is constant and intense. Even when you’re apart, he’s often thinking about you, fantasizing about the next time he’ll have you. When you’re together, he’s completely focused on you, driven by a deep, almost overwhelming need to feel connected to you.

Z - ZZZ: After an intense session, Logan likes to hold you close as you both drift off to sleep. He doesn’t need much sleep, so he’ll often stay awake for a while, watching over you and enjoying the quiet intimacy of the moment. He finds peace in these moments, content to simply be with you.

[ape-apocalypse]

Road To The Kingdom - Firestorm Tie-In Novel

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes: Firestorm is a prequel novel written by Greg Keyes for the second movie in the reboot trilogy. It takes place soon after the end of the first film, about a week after the apes escaped into the redwood forest beyond San Francisco and the Simian Flu began to cut through the human race. This novel is a fantastic bridge between Rise and Dawn, giving us more insight into characters we met in the first movie who will feature in the next, as well as fleshing out the fall of society. 

The book does very well juggling between the two massive plots of Caesar's apes avoiding their human hunters and the Simian Flu tearing through the city. Though we don't see Will or any other humans we met in Rise, they give us many new human characters: a reporter trying to make the connection between the escaped apes and the new virus, an emergency room doctor dealing hands on with outbreak casualties, and an ape researcher and a former hunter who have been brought in by Gen-Sys to capture Caesar's group. While I thought I wouldn't care about the humans because the apes are always my favorite characters, all these humans in different locations and with different stories keep the story from dragging; I ended up enjoying the final days of humanity almost as much as Caesar's story. The book also gives us the first introduction to a human character who will become important in Dawn: Dreyfus, the leader of the human colony played by Gary Oldman. Going into the movie, his backstory isn't very clear other than he was in some position of power before the end and he lost his wife and children. But the book goes really deep into his story of a former police chief running for mayor and wanting to protect humans. Rereading the book in 2024, the parallels of the Simian Flu with the Covid outbreak definitely rings true (much like the YouTube shorts).

But no matter how good the human characters are, what I enjoyed most about this book was seeing Caesar and his escaped apes start to adapt to life in the wild. Even while they're being hounded by the humans chasing them, they have to figure out how to care for sick/injured apes and where to get food without humans to feed them. A great moment for Caesar is when he thinks to himself that he never thought beyond escaping from the human city; his realization that there is more to figure out than just dodging humans shows how he goes from accidental ringleader from the sanctuary to the wise authoritative leader of the apes of the next two films.

Though surprisingly, the true star of this book isn't Caesar; it's Koba. We get numerous detailed flashbacks of Koba's life before ending up in the Gen-Sys lab and receiving the brain enhancing drugs. From the death of his mother to being an abused TV star to arriving at the labs as a test ape. In the films, Koba's hatred of humans shines through and is unquestionable; you don't need the backstory to understand why he carries a grudge against all humanity. But reading the details really did break my heart. And getting his backstory revealed as he learns to work with other apes, as he proves his loyalty to Caesar by rescuing injured apes rather than wrecking vengeance on humans, you actually have hope that he could be happy now that he was free with other apes. 

Another great part of the book is getting to see the very beginning of Caesar and Cornelia's courtship. Since one of my disappointments with the films are the forgotten female characters, I was glad to see Cornelia here, challenging Caesar's orders when it came to taking care of injured apes. Though her role is still small, I liked seeing her get a little time to flesh out her character.

Firestorm is officially labeled as a prequel (which is why I have it listed first as I'm trying to go in chronological storyline order), but I actually enjoyed reading it after seeing Dawn. While I think it can still be appreciated in any order, I liked getting to meet Koba in the movie and seeing him as a great complicated villain, before then learning his backstory and growing your sympathy for him, while also thinking about how tragic it is that he couldn't let go of his hate. Whatever order you decide to read them in, Firestorm by Greg Keyes is a wonderful expansion on the movies that I would label as required reading for fans for the expansive and enjoyable story it shares.

Intro / Previous / Next

[butterflydm]

rings of power - season 1, eps 7-8

Now that I've watched the first season, I want to poke at Halbrand/Sauron a bit and kinda feel out where I feel his deceptions lie, and where I feel like his honesty was too. And maybe active deception vs his low-level tricking everyone because he's literally the most wanted criminal in the lands and doesn't want people to know. The divide between self-preservation and power-seeking, I guess I would say.

First my thoughts on the last two episodes of the season, and then I'll do a bit of a deep-dive into my thoughts and feelings on Halbrand specifically throughout s1. I am definitely looking forward to diving into s2!

Some spoilers for LotR in general and for what I know about the second season.

episode 7: Extremely emotional.

There were a lot of strong emotions in this one. If ep6 showed us war, this showed us the brutal aftermath, and how bitter it can be. Every storyline contained elements of worrying over fault and blame, and then a determination to continue on despite the struggle.

First in the Harfoot & Stranger storyline, where we have destruction and then renewal. "Be true to each other." "What's the good of living if you aren't living good."

Then in the Durin IV storyline, where Durin (and Disa) makes the choice to cleave to Elrond and their own ambitions instead of what the king wants (and suffer for it). The scenes between Durin, Elrond, and Disa were so touching! I love them, your honor! Do they have a ship name?

But I feel bad for the king, Durin III! He is trying to maintain OSHA compliance while Durin (and Disa) are throwing safety out the window. And... and I'm not sure that the king is wrong about the elves either. By the time of LotR, the elves have finally accepted that they must go to Valinor and leave Middle-Earth for Mortal Men. Here, they are not ready to. Galadriel is almost a metaphor for the rest of her people -- on the cusp of leaving, only to turn back and stay.

Miriel also makes up her mind to stick by the side of her alliance to her elven friend, despite the hardships. A lot of really powerful and heartbreaking scenes. Miriel reaching up to cup Galadriel's face while she cries and promising they will return! <3 <3 (Galadriel does not interact with women often, so I must cling to our Galadriel and Miriel moments!)

And we get Galadriel and Theo's extended time together, which I really enjoyed. I'm glad she was able to help him move past blaming himself, at least a little. We got our first mention of Celeborn as well, I believe, which was... interestingly placed for me (I will explain more below). But I really liked their conversations here - Galadriel trying to help him keep a level head and survive past the moment.

But then we have the footsteps of doom coming. Our first sighting of the Balrog down in the mines, after we have just heard Disa and Durin plan to delve deeper. The King was right about the mines. Does that mean he was right about the elves?

And the renaming of the Southlands to Mordor, which was surprisingly heartbreaking for a font burning away and a new word burning onto the screen. Everything that Galadriel was trying to do in the earlier episodes felt like it was burning away too.

My mom said this felt like a finale to her, so I will be interested to see how she feels about ep8! She also noticed everyone taking the blame and said that she agrees that they are all partially to blame to the disaster, because they were too quick to act without enough information. They underestimated the strength of their enemy. It's a really good point -- and we saw that happen with Nori in this episode too, when she thinks she can trick the people chasing Gandalf and it ends up with wagons all aflame.

episode 8: The Stranger's storyline worked here and I liked it, plus it is (again) very informative about the potential powers that Sauron has -- we see one of the bad guys here changing her form, which is something I know Sauron can do (plus I've seen s2 gifs), and we had the... moral, I guess, of all of it here in their storyline, I think.

It's all about choice. Other people can't show you who you are. Only you can do that.

So I did like that plotline and I feel like it was definitely important on a thematic level.

But the Galadriel & "Halbrand" storyline was the one that I was most captivated by in this episode (which I kinda expected).

First, Elrond and Galadriel's reunion was very touching. <3

I was pressing my hand to my chest and just... watching a master at work whenever Halbrand was chatting up Celebrimbor. That was some good fucking manipulation. He was just... in there. Very impressive!

This episode still had a lot of tension even though I knew where it was going. The reveal was so good! That build-up to it, and then the conversations that Sauron has with Galadriel inside her head, trying to convince her to side with him and... hmm.

So, he tried to convince her into two things.

a. Let the work proceed. This is the smaller ask, and I think the bigger ask helped mask it. This is something that he explicitly asked of her and that she ended up doing. She let the work proceed.

b. The two of them binding themselves together, light to power, and ruling over Middle-Earth together. I assume, given what Adar said earlier in the season, that Sauron meant to bind them together with a blood oath (he gave her brother's dagger back to her when he asked her).

That was a big swing for the fences that obviously blew up in his face but... but plan A still succeeded. He still got the first ask that he placed before her -- no need to lie but... let the work proceed.

And she did. So... yeah, very interesting.

She warned Elrond and Celebrimbor about Halbrand, but she didn't mention Sauron. Ashamed of not seeing what he was? Or desperate to stay in Middle-Earth, enough that she was willing to risk the creation of the rings and what they might mean? Believing even more than ever that she is not worthy of Valinor now, and believing that she needs to take care of the problem herself?

And her brother's dagger... symbolic of her vow to hunt down Sauron... being melted and reforged into the three elven rings... that is also very interesting. Lots of things to think about.

One big question I'm left with is - why does Sauron want the elves to stay? They were about to leave. They would have left Middle-Earth if he hadn't saved the project.

It does follow the advice that he gave Galadriel in Numenor, about how to manipulate people: find out what they fear (the elves fear death and diminishment and being forced to sail West), give them a means to master it (the rings), so that you can master them (One Ring to Rule Them All).

So... a calculated risk, because he'd rather have the elves in Middle-Earth and under his control than off in Valinor? He also may be assuming at that point that he doesn't need to worry about any of them picking up on who he really is, so he thinks it's a smaller risk than it ended up being. He clearly didn't expect Galadriel to confront him at this time, though he rolled with it once she did.

My mom's reaction, in her literal words: "He can't be Sauron. He's too handsome!" She was totally shocked and taken off-guard by the reveal. She did feel like the finale was appropriately epic, and is looking forward to watching s2.

I am uncertain if I would have picked up if he was Sauron or not if I were watching it during my first watch, but I would have found his convos with Celebrimbor suspicious just as Galadriel did, I think.

Oh, I did notice that Halband is wearing the same kind of jewelry around his neck that we've seen around the neck of the Sauron worshipper who used the key to blow up the mountain (who is still with Adar at the end of the season, it seemed). So that was a subtextual visual cue before the actual reveal.

Overall thoughts/vibes on each storyline & character throughout s1:

Nori & the Harfoots - this was not always the most exciting storyline, but it had warmth and charm throughout, and I definitely teared up when Nori was saying goodbye to her family and Poppy at the end of the season. The first Hobbit Harfoot to go off on an adventure with Gandalf a wizard!

Gandalf The Stranger: We definitely see lots of hints of Gandalf throughout the season, but culminating in "always follow your nose" made it really obvious. His plotline is still the most separated from everyone else's, and I suspect that it still is in s2, but maybe his path will cross with Galadriel's in s3. But his plotline told us a lot about Sauron's potential abilities, which was pretty useful since Sauron himself was keeping his powers on the down-low this season and relying on manipulation to achieve his goals.

Durin & Disa - I love them, I adore them, oh dear they are 100% responsible for waking up the Balrog due to their ambitions. The sharp divide between Durin III's dedication to safety measures vs Durin IV's 'dig deeper' feelings are... yeah, that's woken the Balrog. (but of course, it's complicated there too, because he doesn't only do it for ambition, but for friendship as well)

Celebrimbor - much like with Durin & Disa, Celebrimbor is a combination of ambition mixed with genuine desire to help. In Celebrimbor's case, it makes him incredibly vulnerable to Halbrand when he shows up and offers Celebrimbor both the solution and the ability to be the one to give that solution to his people. I kinda know what happens to him in s2 because of gifsets but, yeah. The echoes of doom are already there in his behavior. Much like Durin & Disa, he's willing to overlook the warning signs in order to pursue his desires.

Elrond - What a gem! We really got to see him as such a good person during this season, seeing his genuine friendships with Galadriel and Durin (and now Disa) and seeing his moral struggles.

Bronwyn, Arondir, & Theo - I already know that Bronwyn isn't going to be in s2, but I do appreciate what we got with her while she was here. She's strong and principled (just like Arondir), a good mother, a charismatic leader, and we also watched her struggle with moral choices during the season (whether or not to surrender herself and her people to Adar) but she stayed strong and did not give into temptation.

Elendil & family - okay, so I know that Isildur isn't dead (because I have watched the prologue for LotR) but I feel so bad for Elendil. Not only for believing that he's lost his son, but also because his daughter looked into the palantir, and I just feel like that is Bad News Bears. It seems like he's already had so much loss and pain in his life and I am concerned there is only more to come.

Miriel - I like her, I like her, but she is so doomed. Again, back to Durin & Disa and to Celebrimbor -- we have that mix of ambition and genuine desire to help, and we've been watching all season as ambition has led to dangerous overreach. Ambition awakes the Balrog; ambition leads to the creation of the elven rings (which are tied to Sauron, or at least the visuals certainly implied as much), and ambition led to the loss of her soldiers and her own blinding. And yet at the end of things, she was determined to double-down on her plans (just as Durin & Disa do; just as Celebrimbor does).

Galadriel - my feral angel, I adore her. Ambitious, driven by revenge, feeling like she doesn't deserve peace. And, just like in the other storylines, ambition brings doom along in its wake.

I do hope that Galadriel is able to take her advice to Theo to heart next season, and not blame herself too much for bringing Sauron back to Middle-Earth. Doom was not only coming from her side of things but from others as well. The Balrog was woken up because of Elrond & Durin's side of the story, not Galadriel's. Adar's plot to create Mordor would have happened whether or not Galadriel had brought Sauron to the Southlands. What she did was only one piece of the puzzle that leads us into the current situation.

But just like Durin & Disa, just like Celebrimbor, just like Miriel -- Galadriel chooses to ignore the warning signs in order to push forward with what she wants to do. (inversely, in the Harfoot storyline, we almost have the opposite -- it's the baddies in that one who are pushing forward with their ambitions despite the hints that the Maia they're pursuing isn't Sauron, and they get iced for it)

circling around on Halbrand throughout the season:

While I've seen gifsets from s2, I know that context changes things, so I don't know if any of my analysis of Halbrand/Sauron will hold up throughout the second season, but I wanted to place my thoughts down anyway before I press forward.

I think a lot of his early deceptions fall into the "self-preservation" area as opposed to "power-seeking". We know that he can "die" in some sense of the word because Adar believes that he killed Sauron and Halbrand definitely seems to carry a grudge over it.

I am inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt at the start, mostly because I feel like it's a more interesting story that way, and it's ambiguous enough to be read either way. So - let's say he genuinely wanted to start anew, and saw Numenor as his ticket to not being a Dark Lord again. He's gonna be a weaponsmith; he's gonna be chill and cool; and, hey, if he really needs a way out or he gets bored, there's always the pouch that marks him out as the lost king of the Southlands.

In the first half of the season, Galadriel acts as the great tempter to power and ambition. She tells Halbrand that he's better than just being a smith, and pushes and prods him to join her. He resists for a while, but succumbs after the forge scene.

Is he still trying to start anew, but maybe now he's gonna try to play the role of the King of the Southlands, hoping that it's an elevated enough role that it won't chafe on him?

His burst of temper in Numenor is potentially attributed to two things -- a. there's definitely the Galadriel angle, and disliking the implication that lowly Halbrand isn't ~good enough~ for her and that she deserves a man of "better breeding"; but b. there's also the distinct possibility there that part of what sets him off is being treated like he isn't good enough in general; that these mortal men look down on him at all. That the "clothes of the common" are already starting to chafe on him, as Galadriel tells him in one of their scenes together.

Once Halbrand says 'yes' to Galadriel, we get the King & Commander/Battle Couple section of their relationship, which I am so into. I love Battle Couples (Arondir and Bronwyn are also a great Battle Couple in these episodes, and I loved it for them as well). This is also when they are winding closer and closer together but also when it really feels like Halbrand/Sauron's ambition and deception are shifting more and more into power-seeking vs self-preservation. First the power of a king and then, after Adar cracks open the mountain, the temptation of seeking the power of being a god is irresistible to him, I think, especially if he genuinely believes that he can talk Galadriel into coming along with him.

Because the Galadriel x Halbrand relationship is both built on a lie (of him being Literally Anyone But Sauron) and also absolutely sincere (on an emotional level) from Halbrand/Sauron. And the reason I feel that way is because he doesn't need her! Nothing requires him to have a queen by his side. He wants her there. I remember a certain wizard in LotR talking about how the Dark Lord doesn't share power, but it seems like maybe there was an exception to that, once upon a time! (at least in theory)

And if you ignore the context of her dead brother (which she absolutely never would, but we're in Halbrand's PoV at the moment), then it makes sense that Halbrand believes that he needs to be more than 'just' a mortal if he wants her by his side, because she is the one pushing him to embrace more power in the early days of their relationship. It's easy to see how he might assume that even more power could result in even more approval from her, plus it's what he wants anyway.

We have some big emotionally intimate scenes between them in this section, where they bond over how similar they are. In the forge scene, they both confess to having darkness in them, in having done terrible things. In the woods scenes, they acknowledge that they each needed to be pulled back from the edge of revenge, and admit to the connection between them. Galadriel was into him.

Then the big kaboom happens.

And Halbrand is... yeah. I think this event is what marks his choice.

He was 'found on the road', dreadfully injured in a way that needs Elvish healing to fix. And once Galadriel is there, he can rally enough to ride a horse to wherever she's taking him? Adar created Mordor, but Sauron plans to rule it. When he leaves the Southlanders at the end of the episode, he's... he seems much more detached from them than he was in the previous episode. The King of the Southlands is a dead dream now that the Southlands are dead, but he does not plan to let Adar keep Mordor.

I mentioned in my ep7 thoughts that it was extremely interesting to me that we finally get a mention of Celeborn now. Between when we see Halbrand embracing the role of King of the Southlands (at the end of episode 6) and when Galadriel finds him again at the end of this episode.

Galadriel's husband disappeared into the fog of war and she never saw him again.

The Halbrand in the healing tent... he's making plans. He's being an opportunist. She used him to get an army to the Southlands for her ambitions to kill Sauron, but now he's using her to get to the elves. The Halbrand who was willing to limit his ambitions to being the King of the Southlands... he disappeared into the fog of war. She has lost him already, though she doesn't know it yet.

Those feelings only intensified in episode 8, as Halbrand is charming and ~in awe~ of Celebrimbor and managed to so quickly worm his way into the center of this new creation process. He is the one who suggests each new step as they proceed down the road, who is guiding the process of creating the rings.

If that scroll hadn't been in the catacombs, if there had been no proof that Halbrand wasn't the King of the Southlands, I wonder how Halbrand would have managed to get his (two) rings where he wanted them to be. He could definitely play Celebrimbor to act however he wanted.

But, of course, Celebrimbor did manage to accidentally trip Galadriel's suspicions, by saying something that echoed what Adar had said of Sauron's goals.

She must be so... devastated and humiliated right now. She invested so much into her idea of Halbrand, into making him the King who would help her against Sauron.

Was Sauron being honest in his offer to Galadriel? I mean... I kinda think that he was. But that doesn't help, because of who he is, and what he's done in the past.

The general vs the specific and personal comes into play here -- Galadriel is willing to look past a general dark past, but once it touches her own trauma, then that's too far. This is a very understandable and common barrier -- being deserving of redemption (if you choose to seek it) is a very different thing than deserving being forgiven by the people that you've actively hurt.

Redemption requires more than just doing things differently this time, especially if you are trying to redeem yourself in the eyes of the people who you've hurt. It requires a level of sincere humility on Halbrand/Sauron's part that I'm not certain that he's capable of.

It would mean letting go of his attempts at controlling the situation.

It would mean confessing his crimes and then accepting the consequences of that confession.

Sauron may have tried dedicating himself to "healing Middle-Earth" after Morgoth's fall but as long as that's entirely on his own terms, then he has not changed anywhere near enough.

Anyway, that's not the road that he chose to go down! (and choice is the key, as the Harfoot & Stranger storyline has been reminding us: no one can show you who you are, except yourself)

So I will instead enjoy watching the road that he has chosen to travel, because he is fascinating to watch when he's in full manipulator-mode. Tricksters are fun, even when they're scary. I kinda get Jareth the Goblin King from Labyrinth vibes due to the type of manipulation that it feels like Sauron favors - "Just let me rule you and you can have anything you want".

Yeah, my thoughts on this may change depending on what s2 shows me but for now, that's my feeling.

[halliescomut]

Love Sea Ep 3 watch along

Okay, but that little reminder text is a perfect example of showing you care without saying you care. 🥹

Okay but sometimes Mame is unexpectedly very deep and very good with words.

P'Vi confuses me. I do like the blunt honesty her and Rak have though. That's important in friends.

Mook is so absolutely adorable. If Vi makes her cry I will figure out how to kick the ass of a fictional character.

So it seems their dad did worse than just leave them based on that convo between Rak and his sister. (I think I remember discussion of that from where ppl were discussing the novel on Twitter, but I did make the decision to not try and read the novel first.)

I kinda wanna know where all of Mut's button-up shirts are from. I really like them.

Rak being all depressing and Mut and ....shoot I forgot his name again... going diving.

Mut(Fort really) is just so cuddle shaped.

On iQiYi the OST lyrics overlap with the actual captions and it's annoying as fuck

This fucking nosey ass 🤣🤣

The difference in aesthetics for their clothes here is so wild. I will say though that I like that there's wardrobe repetition. That's not always common in TV, and it really fucks with the believability. I know it's more common in Thai BL, but that's mostly bc so many involve ppl that wear a uniform of some sort (looking at you University BLs).

Interesting...very interesting. I talked.... somewhere... About how the social power dynamics at play here were dangerous because they were going into this whole thing without being honest (with themselves or each other) and it was going to have fallout.

I don't know if I'm surprised Mut took so long, or if maybe I expected him to take Rak's verbal abuse a little longer.....

A beautiful scene. It's a lovely bit of physical acting how Rak sort of melts into Mut.

I do think it's so funny how Mut always says he's so simple (and in some ways he is) but people seem to take it to mean not smart or clever, and he's very obviously both. I can't tell if he truly sees himself that way or if it's an attempt to have people underestimate him....maybe it's both.

Well now I'm just depressed. Thanks a lot Rak. But seriously, I do appreciate the clarification of the family dynamics. I'm also a bit surprised Rak is opening up so soon to Mut about this. Idk if it's because it's at the front of his mind, or if Mut's kind of easy acceptance of everything makes it seem easy...idk.

Ruh-ro raggy .... Rak thinks this is gonna be a failed experiment because he truly doesn't think real love exists, but I fear he will be wrong (this is a romance after all).

I'm curious about Mut's motivations though. I believe he believes in love. I also think he wants Rak to, or maybe just for Rak to have some peace? Idk. He's surprisingly hard to read. As much as I think he likes Rak (both as a person and a sex partner) I don't think he's fallen in love with him at this point.

While I do love a fake dating storyline ... I'm still on the fence about P'Vi.

I feel like Fort had to carry Peat for a long time for this scene. I bet his arms were killing him. (Though we've seen the gym pics, I know he's been working out.)

That's so cute.

Oh yeah...slow mo pushing the hair back. Very Baywatch

Are we doing more beach sexy time?

I Guess Not. We're back at the keyboard.

You're gonna sit here and tell me that's not a goddamn puppy in human form??? LIES!!

He's goddamn adorable. I'd want one for myself if I wasn't Ace and had any idea what to do with one other than feed it and take it for walks.

Peat's got nice hands 🥵...send tweet.

That was such a sharp poke. OMG 🤣🤣

Okay but this is practically a still from the PaiSky fanfic I wrote. Linked here.

Rak likes cuddles. Cute little bean.

Palm ....that's his name. I was thinking Pond earlier, which is close. And now he's being nosey again.

Mut's face when Palm waved back🤣🤣🤣 Like bitch I ain't waving at you

I do think it's sweet how determined Palm is to be a good wingman though.

I do appreciate the love bite front and center. But what are our thoughts on whether it's makeup or a 'practical effect'?

"A dog in rut more like." "Well then his owners is as well." 🤣🤣

Mut's nervous to take Rak to his home. Sweet, but legit if Rak were to judge him for his home I would vote for kicking him to the curb, no matter how much I like him.

Ahhhhh.....so Ja is VI's costar...okay. God I forget how fucking tall he is. Mans practically a redwood.

Is this like Wedding Plan, but make it straight???

I know that bunny purse is entirely impractical for the person I am, but it's so cute.

It really is weird people would be claiming boob job when I think Vi is a B cup on a good day.

Very impressive just fully ignoring the sexuality question Vi.

Mook, babes....you gave in way too fast.

"I'm not bi." I know a lie by omission when I see one. That statement does not equal that you are straight.

You are a damn liar Rak. This little visit has nothing to do with inspiration. You want to be nosey and learn more about Mut.

I like the environmentalism aspect woven into the show. It's good.

As if I couldn't hate your dad more Mut. Calm down Satan.

So we know why Mut left. But really how can someone make their living from nature but not care enough about it??

Okay exhibitionist Rak.

Idk why but there's something about Rak straddling Mut that just....

Well.....we can tick off the Fort's nipple obsession of on the bingo board.

And we're returning favors. Very egalitarian.

Two condoms....well. You certainly had plenty of energy there didn't you....

There's a couple wrappers on the floor, but those do look unopened.

Also vaguely off topic: while the sheets are not the Slutty Geometry Sheets™️, I think my sister has the same kind.

Hmmm....now this is a juicy conversation. Rak being so intentionally honest here telling Mut to ask him to stay. He's afraid to take the leap, but he wants to.

As a side note....I cannot tell you how much I love them showing Fort's physical 'imperfections'. The kind of farmer's tan he has going on, you can see the stretch marks on his upper arms. He's an absolutely gorgeous man, but so often that stuff gets filtered out, or covered in makeup. I love seeing it. We need this more.

OMG I'm crying.

This is important though. Rak needs to know that his answer will have consequences.

That was the right answer. (Though the shabby hole comment about his house was a bit much. I'm hoping that's more a translation issue.)

I suspect the country mouse shall go to the city in next week's episode.....

Awwww Rak in Mut's tank top. Cute.

I really thought Rak was bare-assed for a second pulling a Pete, but no, he's in khaki pants.

So cute and sweet 🥹🥹🥹. Also, I love the bed net. Malaria is no joke.

So next week are we looking at just an NDA or is that contract for like a full Sugar Baby position??

Also end credits change-up again. Now MutRak are walking together....symbolic.

Well that's all for this watch along. I don't think I'll have 4k words to say about it tomorrow, but we shall see.

[fairytale-poll]

ROUND 1C, MATCH 9 OUT OF 16!

Propaganda Under the Cut:

Touya:

His performance as Cinderella in his school play is played for laughs, but the thing I really appreciate is that the comedy comes from how ill-fitting his personality is for the character, not his gender. The episode was funny, sure, but it was also surprisingly progressive for a children's anime from the 90's (then again, so was the rest of the show haha). Also he's the only Cinderella who gets sent to the ball by a talking can of mackerel.

Saki:

Psychic goth girl who was cast as Cinderella in a school play. The play was so poorly cast overall that the entire script had to be rewritten, thus “Cinderella-ish” was born. Hanajima played a Cinderella dressed in all black, and when confronted by the fairy godmother, she simply wished for meat.

idk if this is what you meant by 'acting' as Cinderella but in-universe she got cast as Cinderella in the school play, and the characters ended up re-writing the entire play to work around her because she was too Goth and disinterested to play a classic Cinderella character.

She plays the best version of Cinderella. All she cared about was going to the ball for the barbecue. The episode she's in is a really good one as well.

Overall Saki is not a Cinderella character, but you did say we could submit them if they were Cinderella in an in-universe play, and that she was! In Season 2 Episode 23 "It's Cinderella-ish", her class puts on a production of Cinderella and she ends up getting cast as the titular role, which a lot of other characters think is crazy because she's this straight-faced, emotionally-repressed, exclusively-wears-black kinda girl. Also her best friend Tohru (the anime's protagonist) gets cast as an evil stepsister, and she's one of the sweetest people ever and has so much trouble being mean to Saki even fakely and vice versa. Of course, Saki has no problems being rude to the Prince Charming character in the play, played by Kyo, a guy who's sweet deep down (but only to Tohru and his adoptive father) but is other wise a hot head who's always getting into fights. So between Saki as Cinderella having a genuine love for her stepsister and a general animosity with the prince, in addition to the fact that when she goes to the ball, all she wants to do is eat, not mingle, she makes for a very interesting Cinderella.

so this shoujo series has a storyline where the class puts on a Cinderella play but instead of the heroine playing Cinderella, shenanigans happen that lead to the heroine's goth best friend, Saki Hanajima, aka Hana-chan, aka Demon Queen, playing the lead role. Hana-chan's Cinderella dresses in all black against the wishes of the play's director, does not give 2 shits about the prince, and is just a general menace to society. I know she's probably not gonna win but I just wanted to share her with all of you bc I love her and the Cinderella-ish arc is to this day some of the funniest shit I've seen in a manga

their high school class decided to randomize who played which characters in their production of Cinderella & the creepy goth girl got cast as Cinderella & her painfully kind-hearted bestie got cast as the evil stepsister (among other mismatched roles) so they rewrote the play into "Sorta Cinderella" & Cinderella became a deadpan, lazy girl who only wants the best for her darling step-sister & who only went to the ball for the food.  in the end, instead of marrying the prince she takes his money & opens a restaurant with her sister & I love that for them <3

[littlelordalphinaud]

now i wanna know more about valentina the galvus family makes me go crazy

Valentina is Zenos' eldest daughter!

She was based on the idea of Varis realising that the way he'd treated Zenos had kinda ended the family line by virtue of his son being the perfect warrior but with 0 interest in anything, or anyone, else.

So finds a noble woman of good breeding and arranges a marriage and makes it clear to Zenos that you do your husbandly duty once a week until you have a son.

And so along came Valentina!

And then her two younger sisters and then finally her brother, the actual heir.

Valentina desperately wants her father's love and attention. So she taught herself SAM swordsmanship from watching him, to try and impress him, despite it not being "A ladies place" to do so.

Again, when Solus dies she leaves Garlemald to go to Eorzea, but her drive is that she still wants her Father's attention and care and affection and believes that proving herself a great warrior will earn that for her. And she's aware of Rhan Dei-Ijla, the Warrior of Light who defeated Gaius (who again belongs to @instantbee . We both have character creation problems and enjoy enabling one another)

So up she shows and asks Rhan if she can help!

Valentina has no great love for Garlemald but that's not on any particular moral grounds. It's more simply that her Father is the only person she's ever really cared about, and since he has very little interest in the empire, neither does she.

During Heavensward, while helping Rhan with Bismark, she is reunited with her grandfather, Varis. She's quite excited to see him, while he immediately disowns her and names her 'vaitor', stripping her of her 'wir'. Valentina is surprisingly upset by this, while Rhan and Alphinaud both agreed to keep her identity as the former princess a secret.

Stormblood was incredibly difficult for Valentina. She was excited to see her Father again, only for him to dismiss her, attack her friends, send her flying, and try and kill Rhan. She spent a lot of that expansion in something of a fugue state as even with her disowning, she held out hope that her Father would care about her if she proved herself strong enough, and it just... Never happened.

She does manage to pull out of it, thankfully, and firmly places herself on Rhans side of things, as Rhan and the Scions actually care about her.

Other things about Valentina:

She ends up an Omnicrafter as she finds herself fascinated by how everything is made. She genuinely stumbled into it but it got put into hyperdrive during her 3 years in the First, as she worked at the Crystalline Mean in between helping the guard in Lakeland

Rhan is the reason she figured out she was gay. It took a concerningly long time because she'd never been particularly told it was an option so assumed this was just how people felt about their friends.

Her mother, two sisters, and younger brother all got tempered during Endwalker. Valentina does not know their ultimate fate. She's too afraid to go home and find out.

She was only 19 when she went to Eorzea.

On the boat to Doma, in a somewhat desperate attempt to bring her out of the soul deep depression that was consuming her, Lyse started teaching Valentina to be a MNK. At this point in the game, she's a VPR but still maintains her MNK training to help herself stay on an even keel.

After Stormblood, but before she gets pulled to the First, Valentina starts actually looking into the Garlean Empire properly, and privately vows to do what she helped to do in Doma and Ala Mhigo in every place they conquered.

She's a big part of the Bozja storyline, working tirelessly to help them, never expecting them to warm to her existence but wanting to help them anyway.

Because of her upbringing, Valentina can read music, sew, sing and dance. These are not skills many know she possesses.

Despite the disowning, the Anima fight in Endwalker was a difficult one for Valentina. Unfortunately, with literally everything else that was going on in Endwalker, she didn't really get the chance to process it for quite some time

There we go, that's Valentina, the sweetest princess ever raised by a nation of warmongers!

[mirkodoesstuff]

Well, it's time to say one of my most controversy opinion ever, related to OSC. However, this time it is related to TPOT.

So, I want to say, that this whole season was a mistake. Yes, I think the season, despite having interesting storylines, characters (One-), and also one of the best hosts ever, was a mistake. Before any of you say anything, listen to me!

So, you all know why TPOT exist, right? JNJ Crew, after BFB 15, had no clue what they should do with the show. Remember, BFB was supposed to be, pretty much, low quality season, that would be released at much quicker date (heck, the whole name for the season was supposed to be Sloppy BFDI!), but due to them deciding to add more quality, both in writing and animation, episodes started to take too long, not to mention the cast being, oddly, big (like, 64 people?!). There various concepts about what to do, there was even an idea to kill 40 people off, so the cast could become smaller. Then, an idea was brought to life - splitting the show, in half.

The split happened next episode and... Let's say a lot of people hated the split - not only because a lot of arcs were dropped, a lot of decisions were questionable (cough allowing Loser and Spongy to join cough), not to mention Two being, let's be honest here, an asshole. Because of the way the split was handled, a lot of people hated Two and, I'm being serious, wrote hate fics about Two and the contestants, that joined them. Yes, this was THAT controversial.

Even when JNJ dropped a video, about why the split happened, it still wasn't helping the case of TPOT. While BFB Post-Split quality was... Okay (I mean as in general, because no joke, that season isn't good), TPOT quality was supposed to be like the latest episode of Pre-Split BFB - it was supposed to have deep arcs, to have better animation, to have EVERYTHING better.

And, it did have deeper themes, better animation (TPOT), but some decisions were being meet with criticism, from BFDI fans - the episodes were taking too long (1 year), the characters were acting out of character (it was mostly seen in TPOT 2, where some considered the episode to be mean-spirited), that some arcs made no sense (Pin arc, though it makes more sense now, that we have BFDIA, but remember - BFDIA was seen as cancelled season back then, when two first episodes of TPOT were released). There were decisions, that annoyed a lot of people, such as letting Teardrop join.

There were also conflicts within the crew, which lead to Satomi being laid off (not fired, laid off), alongside Pokey. The whole season feel into limbo and a lot of people thought it would be meet with the same fate as BFDIA, but surprisingly it did come back, with Sam writing, and... First episodes under his production were meet with criticism from BFDI fans, that were kinda disappointed, especially Satomi and Pokey fans, that enjoyed their writing style (I mean, I enjoyed their writing too), some going too far into saying lots of harmful things about Sam, which was always the problem with those fanatics, I swear those people need to grow up.

The past few episodes of TPOT were AMAZING for me - it introduced better handled plot, they introduced fucking ONE to the show! However, there are still people, that are going too far with criticism, which is no longer a criticism, literally wanting Sam to be fired, which would be literally the worst scenario for many, many BFDI fans!

I enjoy Sam's writing too, but it does sometimes have lots of flaws, but I can't say it's awful. What I'm saying is TPOT is a result of mistakes, that JNJ Crew made, regarding BFB. So, you may ask "How could we avoid the split?", I have few suggestions:

Double eliminations! If they decided to introduce them in TPOT, why they couldn't introduce them there?

Drop the quality of animation a bit,

Make Two a co-host of Four and X (if Two would still be introduced)

Handle rejoiners better - don't make Loser and Spongy rejoin, either make anyone else rejoin (Liy-), or make no one rejoin! Or, heck, even better - have a rejoiner and a debuter, decided by people!

If they wanted to keep arcs there, at least they could make them be enjoyable, because the majority of BFDI fans kinda disliked the way Tacobook was handled (and also early Winnerclock arc... And Pin cheating arc... Yeah...)

The quality should be somewhat in the middle - of course, there should be still serious moments, but not arcs, that do make people dislike characters (Pin cheating arc and Tacobook!)

If Algebralians were still supposed to show up, they should be a part of EXITors attempting to escape plot,

Change the voting system to Vote to Save and change the ways you're voting to Google Forms (because Jesus Christ, Voting Wars were stressing for lots of people)

Handle Two's character better than how it was handled in BFB 16, so they would be still sympathetic character

Of course there might be still lots of possibilities, that could avoid the show to split, but I just said mine ideas.

Despite the split still happening and lots of people enjoying TPOT, I can't deny that there are lots of problems going on currently with this season, while BFDIA revival is going steady. Of course I won't rush any crew members or beg JNJ to tell us about what's going to happen next. Hopefully things will get better for everyone out there.

Oh, and btw - if you think harassment of any kind is ok, then I respectfully tell you to stay away from me and grow up. BFDI isn't THAT serious and was never supposed to be taken seriously!

[nightshadow2518]

Okay okay I been gone for a bit not touching on the episodes but as someone who usually has controversial taste according to others and beung a huge critic, I wanna say if you hate Bridge, Yuga amd Yuamu then go ahead. It's weird people are fighting so hard on it when this fandom hates all antagonist. Yuna, Tremolo, Swirly, etc so why is it different now? Yes don't ruin the show but yeah hate it.

However...this fandom has an UNUSUAL fucking level of characters. We say we want complex characters but we can't even understand Yuga or Yuamu right now? Honestly if you asked me although there is a lot of faults within Go Rush and I started not to like it for other reasons, the situation right here is honestly one of the more interesting ones because it's a conflict that both sides are right and both sides are wrong and their own order. Yuga/Yuamu are fighting for the future and are saying that everyone else sacrificing their life is going to pass eventually and we know in sevens there's not many aliens, in fact we forget that when they hear about aliens everyone was shocked except for one person. Yuga. However they will be a lot of blood on their hands given that putting an Extinction to a big race or a dying race

Yuhi/Yudias are fighting for the survival of people that have passed away people that they have known and now found out that someone close to them is causing all of this and even is willingly okay with it. However they would also be preventing somebody from getting back home to their timeline no we have devastating it is for him, even being there (Yuhi) when he talks about how the person that came back is probably not even him.

This is honestly one of the more compelling and very deep storylines that we have gotten and maybe Yu-Gi-Oh history and this fandom is treating it like it has to be this big debate on who's right when both of them are in a gray area. This is a complex and compelling story and I feel like it's not getting treated right because we're so busy trying to see who's right who's wrong instead of treating it like a show. In the end there could be a possibility that everyone could be saved and Yuga could get back home or there's a possibility that it was all of waste and Otes/Monster Reborn will happen regardless. I don't know if anyone has said that both of these situations are great areas or even that this is one of the best stories ever SEEN.

I'm usually the big negative person of this community and not many people like my opinions but for this I'm trying to play Both sides because even though go Rush has kind of disappointed me, this story line is very very good and it kind of shows a new view on time travel and how you can't just fix it with one little thing and how once you even travel through it it's going to change constantly and no matter what you do you could mess something up. Most of us are adults in this fandom, some of us are teens. This is a show aimed at 10 year olds but with the complexity of it it's really really mature for its rating and we should treat it as it's maturity. Maybe it's just me but I surprisingly don't hate anyone in the situation, if anything I have a new respect for all four of them. Hate Yuga but my hot take is that he is the most well-written protagonist with a complex story and eye grabbing details. Bridge is not perfect but it just started! Go Rush is the second series and nothing is perfect even after the second time. For all we know by the time this gets to the same amount of legacy that Gallup went through we won't even consider that this was a big thing.

[vanmarkus]

I saw you posting about Star Trek recently and as someone who is looking to starting it, I would love to hear your thoughts and favourite things about the series (and if you have recommendations for a novice too!) 🥰

aww hii~

well, first of all, i'm glad you're giving it a go, but be aware that it'll very possibly suck you in for a long time agvsgw

the real beauty of Star Trek is that it's been running for nearly 60 years and it has so many different show and movie continuations, but unlike other similarly long running shows — like Dr. Who for example — you don't really need to invest into all of them to "know eveything" but can totally do that without getting lost in the material if you want to

i think generally speaking Deep Space 9, Next Generation and Voyager are the most popular shows to get into, but that might just be because they were running at a time most of the fans were kids so they have some nostalgia value (i know that they are really great and very true to the franchise, but i only saw some episodes here and there)

my main squeeze is the original/reboot timeline, or as i believe now collectively, together with the newest shows (Discovery and Strange New Worlds) called the Kelvin timeline

full disclosure, i got into Star Trek back when the aos movies started coming out in 2009 and since those are technically a revamp of the timeline of the very first, original show, i got into watching that too (so i'm basically a Spock girlie, sue me)

the original series is... well, it requires patience and a suspense of what we used to seeing on television nowadays: sharp, quick editing and rushed storylines will not be present in tos. those episodes are long and stretched out and while the animation is surprisingly good for '63-66, the clothes and the props can feel kinda funny now

but the messages of the episodes and the subtext is always something super meaningful, so it's worth giving it a go imo

okay, i tried to keep it short and failed miserably lmao

in any case, my recommendation would be to first watch the 2009-2019 movies (they are supposedly getting another addition soon anyway) and then see for yourself if you feel invested enough to check out the old series/movies or any of the other shows (and then feel free to come back to my inbox telling me about your experience and asking for recs <33)

[sulietsexual]

I love your blog so much! Your gifsets are gorgeous and your metas are so eloquent. I was wondering if you could talk more about why you prefer Veronica to Betty. I do too! I’m not that familiar with the comics, but based on the show I actually thought Veronica was not just the better character but a better person. Beyond that, there was like a million times more substance to Varchie than Barchie—not just physical passion but a deep emotional connection, a ton of shared experiences, surprisingly open and healthy communication, etc. Meanwhile, Barchie were supposedly best friends who barely seem to be close at all for the first few seasons, and what little connection they had was all rooted in memories that occurred when they were younger children! In the present as teens and then adults they didn’t have much of anything, though by the time they inevitably got together I was too over the show to let myself care and I’m just pretending that Varchie was endgame :)

Thank you, Nonnie, glad you enjoy my messy little corner of the internet!

Man, it's been a while since I've watched the insanity that is Riverdale, but I've always been a Veronica Girl, even back in the days where I only watched the cartoon. So, of course, that transferred over to Riverdale, but I also really don't like Betty's characterisation on the teen series, while I love Veronica's.

Veronica always struck me as someone constantly trying to be better, to improve herself and the world around her, who carried familial guilt and shame over her father's wrongdoings and who tried her best to rectify them. She always teetered a bit between wanting to be a good person and the allure of her family's power but she always ended up choosing the right side. She was also such a genuinely good person, always showing empathy and compassion and trying to help others out. She never hesitated to throw her power or money behind any good cause and she grew a lot and came into her, even with the limited storylines the series kept her locked in.

Betty, to me, was kind of the opposite; a character who was handed lots of different storylines and areas to grow, but who pretty much remained the same person throughout the show's run, and that person is ... not great. Betty is selfish and manipulative, she uses Cheryl's trauma again and again to get her own way, she doesn't respect anyone around her, she's judgmental, she's self-righteous and the show doesn't seem to want to acknowledge or explore these flaws, instead pretending that Betty is just the sweet girl-next-door.

Again, it's been a while since I've watched the series, and I haven't seen Seasons 5, 6 or 7 in full, so my opinion could change on a rewatch. But, for now, the above is why I prefer Veronica to Betty.

[cha0ticr0b0tic]

I just watched Manhunter – the 1986 Michael Mann adaptation of Thomas Harris’ infamous novel Red Dragon – and I have some THOUGHTS that I cooked up in the shower because this could not be more different from Bryan Fuller’s Hannibal, and that’s not a bad thing at all!

A little bit of context so I can explain where I’m coming from: back in late 2019 I was studying abroad in the UK and our professors took us to a Blake exhibition in London. As a writer, socialist, and avid horror fan, I was floored. I got really overwhelmed in there and spent the next couple days decompressing before I started digging into his work in earnest, as well as works revolving around his art. I bought a copy of Red Dragon not long after that trip and worked my way through it when I had free time. I also started working on a paper for class about Blake’s influence in my favorite movie, Blade Runner, which meant I was deep-diving into noir as well as this trippy artwork – lots of anticapitalist rhetoric, lots of body horror, lots of monsters. Sooooo many monsters. 

The pandemic hit, we all were sent home, and I watched a lot of crime shows – Twin Peaks, Mindhunter, and Hannibal were the main ones. I was really excited to get to the Red Dragon storyline in Season Three and I was not disappointed. By that point in the show, Hannibal had turned from a police procedural with supernatural undertones to a full blown queer Gothic romance. That also includes the Dolarhyde/Reba storyline, even if it didn’t last. 

Dolarhyde got a lot of attention in the show – more than I was expecting, honestly. Richard Armitage did SUCH a wonderful job portraying that character, it’s incredibly nuanced and sympathetic. Our first moments with Dolarhyde are where he’s working out, practicing his speech, and getting his infamous back tattoo of the Dragon. There is a lot of attention paid to his body, and his discomfort in his body. I’m half-joking, but the trans vibes are strong with this one: “Becoming” might as well be referring to transitioning, albeit into a giant monster (whatever floats your boat!). As an out-and-proud director making an out-and-proud show, it makes sense that Fuller is focusing on the queer elements of the Red Dragon – the coding was always there, but now he’s really bringing it front and center via Dolarhyde’s physicality/body language.

I was kind of surprised, then, that Dolarhyde was not as prominent in Manhunter. There was hardly any discussion of the Red Dragon artwork at all, which was also surprising – is it because it was too fantastical for a director who deals with grounded, gritty crime? Compared to the NBC show, this Red Dragon was kind of one-note, which was a shame. He’s the bad guy, after all. He’s the guy Will is supposed to catch. But then I remembered: Dolarhyde is this movie’s Waingro. He’s the destabilizing element. I’m not an expert in Michael Mann, but I know he’s very into the stability of the family unit (shout out to good dad Will Graham!) and Dolarhyde specifically targets stable families – this was already in the Harris novel, he didn’t have to make that up to fit his thematic interests. Dolarhyde only matters because he serves as a threat to our hero and his values.

This version of Will Graham is surprisingly grounded, privately tortured, and full of resolve and dedication. We see that he’s got a history with Hannibal – there are definitely some queer moments here (there are a surprising number of 80s love songs in the soundtrack, hmm wonder what that’s about), and it’s a bummer we don’t get much of Cox’s Lecter because he is delightfully funny. Still, I don’t see this Will succumbing to his inner darkness anytime soon; he’s got a very good relationship with his wife and son (Vincent Hanna, take notes.) He is very much a Michael Mann Protagonist, even if he comes from another writer’s mind. In contrast, Bryan Fuller’s Will comes across as a Gothic hero(ine) in that his sensitivities are always highlighted, he looks like he needs to be taken to the seaside for his health, and he can’t seem to shake his demons (Hannibal is, after all, difficult to avoid.)

In any case, both adaptations are valid and it’s kinda comparing apples to oranges. Manhunter leans way more noir, Fuller’s Hannibal is Gothic all the way. I am definitely going to be rewatching Manhunter to pick apart some of the queer coding & subtext hehe

[rainbowbobatea]

Every Step ✩°｡⋆⸜ 🎧✮

After an unexpected revival of the Magic Mike franchise, you find yourself in a one-on-one audition with Channing Tatum himself...

"Don't fuck this up."

Those were the words her casting director told Mish, once he'd given her the latest audition that could make or break her dancing career:

The latest Magic Mike movie.

Everyone in hollywood thought the trilogy was a wrap, the storyline concluded. But, surprisingly, the movies had gone viral again due to popular edits on social media, sparking directors to write one more movie. Which also sparked hundreds of auditions…

Mish, included.

“I’m here!”

She bursts through the studio doors, her heart pounding in her chest. She's out of breath, cursing under her breath about the tardy Uber driver who nearly cost her this golden opportunity. That fucker not only showed up late, but got lost and wouldn’t let her out until she gave him a big tip.

Not an ideal way to start her morning.

“Hello? Is anyone here?” Her eyes dart around the room, expecting to see a panel of stern-faced judges ready to critique her every move. But instead, she's met with an empty studio save for one person - Channing Tatum himself.

…what?

"Sup, name's Channing," he says casually, as if they're meeting at a coffee shop and not for what could be the most important audition of Mish's life.

Mish blinks, caught off guard by the unexpected scenario. "Um, hi," she manages, still trying to catch her breath. "I'm Mish. Where's the rest of the casting crew?"

Channing shrugs nonchalantly, his muscular shoulders rising and falling beneath his fitted t-shirt. "I wanted to keep it personal. You know, none of that BS.”

“Oh, right…right.”

Mish's eyebrows shoot up, her mind racing with questions. Is this some kind of joke? A test? She glances around the studio again, half-expecting hidden cameras or the real casting crew to jump out from behind the mirrors.

None come.

"Personal?" she echoes, her voice a mix of confusion and intrigue.

Channing nods, a hint of a smile playing at the corners of his mouth. "Yeah, I like to get a feel for the dancers one-on-one. It's more... authentic that way."

Mish shifts her weight from one foot to the other, suddenly aware of how her dance outfit clings to her curves. She'd chosen it carefully, wanting to look professional, yet alluring.

But now, under Channing's steady gaze, she feels both empowered…and exposed.

"So, uh, how does this work?" Mish asks, trying to regain her composure. She's determined not to let this unexpected twist throw her off her game. "Do I just... start dancing?"

Channing chuckles, the sound low and warm. "Basically."

"Alright, Imma warm up now then."

Mish begins to stretch, her movements deliberate and graceful. She touches her toes, her hamstrings crying out in relief after being cramped in the backseat of the Uber. Utter relief. She bends into a pretzel shape, her palms pressing together in a prayer position over her head.

Meanwhile, Channing leans against the wall, arms crossed casually over his chest as he watches her. There's an unreadable expression on his face, but his hazel green eyes never leave Mish…

She blinks, suddenly feels his eyes on her.

She glances at him, watching him take in every curve and flex of her body. A drop of sweat trickled between her shoulder blades, the cool air of the studio doing little to bring down her rapid heart beat.

"…You're flexible," Channing finally spoke, his voice breaking the awkward silence.

"Thanks," she replied, feeling a slight flutter in her stomach.

Channing nods, his gaze still fixed on Mish's body. "That's good," he murmured, taking a step forward. "Go on, show me more." He bends to her level.

Mish felt a shiver run down her spine.

"Can you do the splits?" Channing asks.

Mish takes a deep breath, steadying herself. With fluid grace, she lowers herself into a perfect split, her legs extending in opposite directions.

Channing's eyes widen slightly, nodding. "Nice, 'cause we're gonna be doing alotta crazy shit, ya know."

Mish rises smoothly, brushing off her hands. "Right,"

Now warmed up, Channing's demeanor shifts. His casual stance transforms into something more focused, more intense. He steps closer to Mish, his presence filling her senses.

"Chemistry is everything," he explains. "So I need you to follow my lead on a dance routine. 'Kay?"

Mish nods, her heart rate picking up. This is it, she thinks.

The real test.

Channing moves to the center of the room, gesturing for Mish to join him. He reaches out, placing a hand on her waist, and Mish feels a jolt of electricity at his touch.

"Ready?" he asks, his eyes locked on hers.

"Been ready."

The room becomes electric as they start moving. There's no music playing, but they don't need it. Their bodies create their own rhythm, a silent melody of movement and steps. He grips her waist, raising an eyebrow.

"You're keeping up well," Channing says, impressed.

"Think I swung by to waste ya time?” Mish says, hitting another move.

Channing paused, brows raised at her comeback. His surprise melts into an amused grin. “Nah, not at all.”

“Good, then stop wasting my time and let’s keep dancing.”

Channing starts going at a faster pace; the proximity is intoxicating. Mish can feel the heat radiating from Channing's body, smell the faint scent of his cologne. His hand on her waist burns through the thin fabric of her dance outfit, guiding her with gentle pressure.

As they move, Mish realizes that his touches linger longer, becoming more… deliberate?

His fingers trail down Mish's arm as she spins away from him, only to pull her back in closer than before. Their faces are inches apart, breaths mingling in the charged space between them.

"Alright, now you go that way," Channing says.

As Mish spun away from Channing, she felt his hand slide down her hip, his fingertips brushing the curve of her ass. She bit her lip. She knew this audition wasn't just about her dancing skills, but she hadn't expected it to be so...so…

"You're doing great, Mish," Channing murmured, his lips brushing her ear.

Mish nods, unable to trust her voice.

She felt her breath catch in her throat as Channing shifted his body against hers, their hips starting to move in a slow, sensuous rhythm. She matched Channing's grind with her own, her hips rolling in a fluid motion that came naturally to her.

"You feel that?" he murmured.

"Yeah, I do,” she admits.

As the dance progressed, Mish became more daring. Mish pressed her body against Channing's firm body, feeling the hard planes of his chest and the gentle sway of his hips.

“Oh?”

A slow smile spread across his face as he realized Mish wasn't just following his lead anymore; she was adding her own flair, challenging him.

Channing's strong arms hold of her hips, his green eyes sparkling as he whispered in her ear. "Let go, Mish." His breath tickled her earlobe, sending a shiver down her spine. "Show me all what you got…”

A sudden shift in the air.

In that moment, Mish feels a surge of power. With a swift move, Mish pushes Channing down. Her confidence radiates as she positions herself above him, her legs straddling his narrow waist. The audition has become something much more intense, and Mish is determined to show Channing that she's not just some dancer—she's a force to be reckoned with.

A slow, mischievous grin spreads across Channing's face. He suddenly feels like he's the one being auditioned, and he's curious to see where Mish will take this.

She starts with a subtle grind, her hips moving in a slow, tantalizing rhythm. Her dark skin glistens with a subtle sheen of sweat, making the fabric of her dancewear cling to her body in all the right ways. She leans forward, her arms on either side of Channing, caging him in with her toned dancer's body.

Channing's eyes widen.

He's seen a lot of auditions, but this... this is something else.

“Alright, you’re good at this," he admits, his voice a mix of surprise.

Mish's only response is a sultry smile. Her hands glide down Channing's chest, her fingertips sending sparks of electricity through his body. She leans down, her lips brushing his ear, and whispers, "Am I?"

No answer.

Instead, Channing abruptly turns Mish over. Their positions are reversed, and now he’s on top. He leans into the grind, his hips moving in a slow, deliberate rhythm that mirrors hers. Their bodies move together in a dance that has nothing to do with choreography and everything to do with raw, unrestrained emotions…

Mish's heart is pounding so hard, she's surprised the room can't hear it. A voice in her head screams that she's crossing a line and should stop, but—

Channing's hands slide down Mish's hips, pulling her even closer. Their chests press together, and he can feel her heart pounding wildly beneath her skin.

As if reading her mind, Channing quietly murmurs, "…I've wanted this since you walked into the room."

Mish's eyes widen at his bold confession. "Is that so?"

Channing smirks, his thumb grazing the sensitive skin of Mish's inner thigh. "Yeah."

"Prove it to me, then," she challenges.

Mish suddenly rolls them over once more, so that she's on top. She straddles his waist, feeling his arousal pressing against her. Her hands slide up his chest, her eyes never leaving his as she grinds against his firm member.

Channing lets out a low groan, his head falling back as Mish takes control. "Fucking hell..."

His head falls back, and he flips her around, taking control again.

With purposeful slowness, Channing below begins to grind against her. Her hips swivel in a rhythm that speaks of years of dance training.

Suddenly, his eyes darken with a mix of desire and something more... possessive. With a sudden urgency, he grips the hem of Mish's sports bra and yanks it up, exposing her stomach.

“Wha-“

Mish gasps. She knows they've crossed a line, but it's too late—and frankly, she doesn't want to stop.

Not now.

Not ever.

Channing's eyes roam over the newly revealed skin, taking in the smooth, dark complexion. With a low growl, he pulls her closer, his lips claiming hers as he tears her out of her leggings too.

His breath comes in short, ragged gasps as their lips move in sync, tasting, exploring.

Her fingers find the hem of Channing's shirt and tug it upward, urging him to remove it. He obliges, breaking the kiss momentarily to pull the shirt off and toss it aside.

“There. Much better.”

Channing's hands slide down Mish's back, cupping her firm ass and pulling her against him. She wraps her legs around his abs, pulling him impossibly closer. Her slickness coats his hardness as they move against each other, the friction sparking a fire in their veins.

“Come here,” he growls.

Channing grabs Mish by the waist, lifting her onto the table, turning her around so her back is to him, her legs straddle his waist.

“I’m here,” she snaps back at him.

Mish arches her back, pressing her ass against Channing's hardness, inviting him to take her. He obliges with a sharp thrust, causing her to gasp and her fingers to dig into the table. Her breath comes in short, quick pants as he begins to move, his hips slamming against hers with each powerful stroke.

The table shakes with each of his thrusts, knocking over a water bottle. Mish grips the edge, her knuckles white, her nails leaving tiny scratches against the surface.

“H-harder!" She demands.

His hands grip her hips, guiding her movements, her breathy moans spurring him on.

"Fuck, Mish..." Channing grunts, his abs contracting with each powerful thrust.

Mish's eyes roll back. She bites her lip, her breasts bouncing with each thrust, leaving a coating of sweat across her brown skin.

“Oh, shit, Channing..."

No more footsteps. The only sounds are their labored breathing and the harsh grunts that escape their mouths. The room echoes with the rhythm of their bodies, a raw, primitive dance that needs no choreography.

Channing's eyes fixate on Mish, on the graceful slope of her spine, and he feels a surge of possessiveness. This woman—no, he thinks, this goddess—is driving him wild, and he wants more.

Much more.

"Mine," he pants, his voice hoarse with desire. "Damnih, you’re...all mine."

"Oh, Channing! Ri—" Mish screams, then bites her hand to stifle her loud cry as the climax crashes over her. Her body shakes uncontrollably, her inner walls convulsing around him.

Channing groans at the feel of her release, his own climax building to an unbearable pitch.

With a final, deep thrust, he reaches his peak, his body shuddering as he spills into her. "Fuck, Mish..." He growls, his voice ragged with pleasure.

Channing's forehead rests against Mish's damp back, his arms wrapped possessively around her waist. She feels his weight against her, his chest rising and falling with each breath.

"I think…you got the role."

[wirewitchviolet]

The Entire Plot of Final Fantasy 14 Bonus Part- Jobs, Deep Dungeons, and Adventuring Forays

Over the course of all these other posts, I've definitely covered the main plot of FF14 to date, and for good measure also talked about the tribe quests and raids which for the most part are technically optional. But there's a few scraps of story here and there I haven't gotten into, some of it good even, so today we're going to be talking about... well the stuff in the title of this post. Starting of course with all the job quests... and all the class quests. Which are technically sorta separate things, for reasons of weird legacy code.

For historical reasons I'll keep these pretty much in release order, and for the first few we'll mostly go city by city. First though, let's just get the non-combat classes out of the way. We've got the three gatherers (miner, herbalist, and fisher), and eight crafters (alchemist, armorer, blacksmith, carpener, culinarian, goldsmith, leatherworker, and weaver). Each one has its own little storyline, but for the most part they are all pretty rote. You meet someone who teaches you the ropes of your new little profession. They are extremely impressed by your rapid progress. By the end of ARR you're pretty much the best there is and spend Heavensward showing someone else the ropes, and then during Stormblood you wander off to one of the new hub cities to either help people rebuild Ala Mhigo, or have a bit of cultural exchange in Kugane. The only real notable exceptions are that the leatherworker leader is weirdly hard to please, the alchemist storyline actually develops into a weird murder investigation that evolves into a confrontation with someone messing with immortality treatments, and the Heavensward arc of the culinarian quests involves a cooking contest and at the end we go all Ratatouille with the judge.

One weird quirk with FF14 is that which of the three starting cities you spend the first few hours of the game in is determined by your starting class. It's where your class quests start, after all, and getting between the three is annoying at first, so there's just three versions of the intro, three kindly innkeepers to tutorialize you, and different Scions in each region to initially bump into. The other weird quirk is that because once upon a time the game had this weird system where you had to unlock the proper iconic Final Fantasy Jobs by leveling different combinations of more generic MMO style Classes. They dropped that, but you still go from a Class to a Job at level 30, so the base game ones all have two different names to keep track of, and you pick based on the vaguer one. Anyway we'll be starting off with the Gridanian set, because Gridania is nice and boring!

Up first, we have Archer, which eventually transitions into Bard. You start off basically joining the militia, doing some target practice, dealing with some bandits, and helping a catgirl peer deal with how her family of hunters kinda suck a lot. Then you meet an old retired guy who's into music and whistful memories, do some traveling around the world learning his backstory, and helping some loser friend of his self-actualize. The whole thing honestly left the least impression on me of the whole lot, but when you do officially switch over to bard, you not only get songs as a combat ability, there's this whole surprisingly elaborate music performance system that unlocks for roleplaying. People form bands and hold concerts in major cities pretty often. It's neat.

Then we have Lancer, which transitions to Dragoon. Up to level 30 it's the same basic deal as Archer, but after that you go meet Estinien to learn how to jump around a lot. From Heavensward on, Estinien is a major character/party member, which is a nice upgrade for him, and means that after a bit of friendly rivalry as he teaches you the ropes and challenges you to a duel, the rest of this questline is inherently tied to the ongoing events of Heavensward and a bit of epilogue to it. You sorta take on an apprentice who's pretty sure she's going to turn into a dragon because she was low dosed with blood as a child (this was a whole thing, go reread the Heavensward summary) and later have to deal with an unruly dragon who wandered off to the east. Not bad stuff overall.

Finally we have Conjurer, which transitions into White Mage, and hey, this one has cool lore attached! I just called Gridania "nice and boring" in reference to how it's kind of this sleepy peaceful little rustic village, but it has some of the juicier background lore, it just doesn't tend to come up outside of this quest line. See the big ancient forest it's smack in the middle of is the home of these ancient elementals which are all weird and mysterious and presumably make things nice if they're happy, and definitely make giant tree monsters try to kill everyone when they're upset. Every so often a human (hyuran if you insist on making me look up dumb official names) is born with a big ol' set of pointy horns, which marks them as a padjal, weirdos who don't age right and can cryptically communicate with the elementals. This gives them the two jobs of governing Gridania according to the whims of their weird primordial spirit religion, and teaching people how to magically summon wind/rocks/healing spells in exchange for them directly taking care of the elementals' problems. So early on you are training with/mentoring a girl who thought she was just gonna learn how to heal people and does not get that she's also signing up to deal with this Evil Dead stuff on behalf of the elementals, then you learn some more of the history to all that, deal with a weird cultist during Heavensward, and in Stormblood discover this younh padjal whose mother freaked out and took her off to live in the middle of nowhere because she didn't want her taken away and given over to this weird cult with all the other horny people. Understandable, but she ends up doing weird magic stuff when she's upset which isn't great and also attracts demons like catnip so you and that girl who finally embraced rock tossing need to go teach her the ropes and keep her from summoning demons and keep her sick mom from dying in a moldy cabin in a blighted forest. This one is actually pretty good.

For some direct contrast with that, swinging down to Ul'dah, let's start off with Thaumaturge, which transitions into Black Mage. We've got some spooky lalafel nerds with a big ol' library who are way into magic, and do a bit of dealing with demons when rifts to hell open up and let some out. Mostly though these guys suck beyond the recluse who's really running the show, and serving as part of this secret shadow council whose other members come from the various "beast" tribes who you probably won't pick up on as not all just being evil monsters if you pick the class up early on. Once you're hanging out with them, the whole deal is handling demons with dangerous magic that kinda draws on hell as a power source. Which seems a lot less edgy post-post-Endwalker, but they've got this nice "seem evil, actually super good" thing going. Moving forward into the expansions, there's a bit of a conflict there, where some white mage who grew up on too much propaganda from the big ol' three-way mage war responsible for one of the less talked about past apocalypses, and needs some firsthand lessons that no, they're standing around the hell portals all the time because they're closing them, not opening them. And then there's an odd arc where the original black mage, who may or may not be the one who's a major FF11 character ends up posessing your mentor to fix a problem/brag/lead into a sort of out of left field love story. Not bad, could be better.

Gladiator transitions to Paladin eventually, but for Stormblood the focus shifts back to the gladiators, which is marginally the better of the two, but these are rough. Gladiatorial combat is the big sporting event of Ul'dah, and you EVENTUALLY get to participate in a bit of it first hand in the 60-70 range, but the bulk of the gladiatorial story is that the head trainer of the guild has this will-they-or-won't-they thing going with the old star of the arena who kinda skipped out on her to wander the world and right wrongs a bit and... the thing with these two is that both of them could really do better and they really don't have any chemistry at all. The whole thing gets old fast, too. In the middle of all this though, you sort of accidentally half-join the paladins who are largely the royal guard of the city, getting jumped in by a big boisterous guy who's kind of on the outs with everyone, and once you patch that up he immediately fakes his own death to lead some new paladin recruit (and you, his babysitter) on a big wild goose chase with no real payoff. Everyone seems to hate this whole thing.

Pugilist transitions to Monk, and eventually ends up where you'd expect, but the path is a weird one. We've got the local fight club, nominally run by this old guy who's kinda lost his mojo. You train with him but it's really more about you waking up his old fighting spirit than you learning much, and you also rough up some local gangs so that's fun. Then on formally becoming a monk you... help a scientst travel around the world taking readings because he's pretty sure all that stuff about "ki" and "fighting spirit" and such is total BS and people are maybe just getting high off fumes or something. Basically he's wrong in the end, and you end up with a rival-turned friend, and an evil rival dojo, and there's this whole light fist/dark fist conflict where facing each other powers both up, where eventually you defeat the dark leader and talk his students into the totally sensible arrangement of practicing both together because it's just kinda win-win.

Moving on to Limsa Lominsa, we have the star of the show, Marauder, which transitions to Warrior. In intro movies and such, this is the default class of the protagonist. They don't call you the Monk of Light. It's also the class of your dorky evil twin eventually. It's also pretty simple. Go to pirate town, have someone hand you an axe, learn to hit things really hard with it. Early on that's largely rocks, and large rampaging animals, with the nerdy sister of the lead axe-swinger helping you out because the famous self-healing of the class isn't until later. Then you meet a guy named Furious Gorge. Which, yeah. Roegadyn names are either Welsh if they're blue-ish or terrible rock puns if they're red-ish. It's a thing. Anyway Furious Gorge teaches you how to unleash/tame your inner berserker beast mode, and then it turns out he's actually really terrible at managing that himself. So you spend some time trying to help him get a handle on it with his nerdy brother, and then come Stormblood you're all training this tiny litle au ra girl with clear romantic tensions all around. Eventually Furious Gorge gets the courage to go up to her and go "hey, I know you've secretly been into me, and it's mutual" at which point she basically responds "what the hell? You suck dude, I'm hot for the protagonist." Which, yeah, you get that a lot, really. So that's... funny, ish? Mainly the name Furious Gorge.

The final starting class, Arcanist, is a weird mutant that transitions into both Summoner and Scholar, which then end up sharing an experience level as a result. It also has a further identity crisis in that it USED to be a pet-focused class where you had minions to order around while you focused on other things, as of Endwalker it's just a caster. I mention this because the early Arcanist classes still really play up your role as a battlefield tactician, discussing with your mentor how to split up and deal with large numbers of enemies and come up with plans like disguising her as a hapless floozy to track kidnappers to their base, and it no longer really makes sense. After level 30 this is less of an issue though as things branch away. The summoner quests are all about learning how to bring forth smaller, more controllable versions of the gods who were relevant in ARR from the start (Ifrit, Titan, Garuda, Bahamut, Phoenix), and dealing with an evil summoner bringing them about in a less safe fashion. Scholar quests are a bit more interesting, as you replace your normal pets with a fairy and start learning about the third faction in that three way mage war, who were afflicted with a weird disease turning them into those good ol' knife-and-lantern spooky pals the tonberries. They're not actually murder monsters, just suffering from a horrible mutating skin condition. Whoops. This one too ends in a love story between a normal lalafel and a fishy hooded one.

In the post-ARR patch cycle (when the Doman refugees show up), we did get a third Limsa-based class, but they aren't available when first creating a new character. Rogue, which transitions to Ninja, has this whole secret society thing going, where you can start leveling it it as soon as you unlock multi-classing at level 10 or so, but you need to be tipped off about where they meet. You'd figure the secrecy is because they're a bunch of criminals, but the actual deal with the rogues is that they're basically Limsa Lominsa's secret police. They're still all about the backstabbing and hiding and getting a mug skill, and they're still a bunch of charming low-lives who speak thieves' cant, but the idea is that when you have a whole city-state of pirates you need to draw a hard line between jaunty adventurous crimes like plundering Imperial shipments, and hardcore crimes like kidnapping people to sell as sex slaves, or large-scale terrorism. Rogue quests are actually really fun and varied, sneaking around spying on people, identifying targets based on how they're dressed, running all over town hacking up terrorists and disarming bombs. Good good times.

At level 30 there's a real shift in things as you instead hang out with some ninja, looking for their sacred scrolls and dealing with their honestly pretty goofy rival, but there's still some variety getting someone drunk in a hot spring and spying on people from rooftops. And much like with Paladin, come Stormblood they realized which crew is more fun and you're suddenly back in it with the rogues. This is a genuine high point of the whole game that really stood out to me at the time, and like several others, oh, turns out that the woman who took over as head writer for Shadowbringers handled these.

Moving on to Heavensward, the impressive number of alternate meanings that title has includes the stuck-up blueblooded order of holy knights making up Ishgard's military. As they are just the worst, some nerds form the Machinist job and work on constructing guns and training the common people in how to use them. There's an active rivalry there, and the gun nerds are generally pretty likeable, so there's some nice investment. While not as bad off as Arcanist had it, there was a bit more tactical consideration when the quests were first written making things awkward, and after proving that guns are great, there's a bit with proving this one gun prodigy gal is better sticking with this than marrying some noble or whatever. I feel like I'm forgetting a whole arc here too.

We also have a girl with real cool looks coming down from Sharlayan (AKA Nerd Town) to teach these primitive screwheads how to be Astrologians. It's like a white mage, but with more tarot and constellations. Very scientific. Everyone in Ishgard freaking sucks so they all think it's witchcraft until you use it to personally save their lives, and the whole field trip turns out to be unsanctioned, with the lead trainer's father sending hit squads after her. Eventually she gets a haircut and switches to manlier clothes to avoid him. This may be a low-key early transition thing. Oh and then we combine this with similar far eastern traditions.

Then there's Dark Knight, the job with hands down the best writing in the game. You meet someone named Fray in cool all-concealing armor, crumpled in a back alley in the slums, with a stupidly big sword they aren't in any condition to use, so they offer to teach you to be a Big Sword Edgelord too. There's a lot of cryptic talk about tapping into your inner darkness and hearing some powerful voice, and also just a lot of hanging out with your cool new friend who hates the religious classist scumbags running Ishgard as much as I do, so you end up killing a lot of them to defend the common people as Fray becomes more and more depressed, and more inclined to kinda half-break the fourth wall, asking if you're getting as burnt out as they are over how many boring pointless quests you keep having to do for every NPC who apparently can't even bring a bag of groceries home from the store without needing you to come along and help. And yeah, we are still in the portion of things where the filler quests are unforgivably common instead of just way too common. Then somewhere in the middle of dealing with other people's problems, one of your respectable Ishgardian friends comes up to talk to you about how apparently you're being accused of heresy because aside from killing the local jerk knights a lot, someone says they've been seeing you having one-sided conversations with a corpse in an alley lately.

Neither Fray nor you particularly take the revelation that uh... Fray was absolutely a random corpse in an alley when you first met, and you just kinda lifted a cool sword and a job crystal out of their cold dead hands, and have kinda just been psychically projecting your own depression and irritation with boring filler quests into an imaginary friend, so after killing a bunch of these jerks trying to arrest you, the two of you have a bit of a fight, Fray's mask comes off, you get a cool glowing eyed wraith sort of look before we go proper evil twin mode.

Then while you're sitting there dealing with the fact that you kinda hallucinated your best friend in the world here, some au ra guy named Sidurgu walks up and just kinda goes "hey! Someone told me you knew my friend Fray?" So... yeah? You start hanging out with him, sharing stories about a probably more alive Fray and learning about how he has this whole thing going where he rescued this little girl from her horrible religious zealot mother and he's her big defender now. They have a weird relationship where she correctly calls him out as not really having her best interests in mind and just being caught up in playing the role of hero. You wander around with them, do some soul searching, and eventually confront her mother, fight her, and try to patch things up. She continues to unrepentantly shout about her daughter being a horrible demon who needs to be killed, kid basically says "well if you like your god so much, I guess you can go join her," and Sid, finally getting over himself enough and really learning to help her with what she really needs, cuts this horrible woman's head off, and you all go out for drinks. It's a great moment.

Then for the Stormblood quests (and yes I am giving the Dark Knight plot three or four times the space as the rest of these, it deserves it) some weird androgynous kid walks up (looking kinda like the halfway point between your two NPC pals who die at the end of Heavensward funnily enough), asks if they can borrow your job crystal as a battery for their cool ability to manifest people's dead loved ones and give them closure, and breaks it. So you have to follow them around while they do all the closure stuff on their agenda before fixing it for you, and consistently, turns out coming face to face with weird simulacra of their dead loved ones mostly just really distresses people and they aren't into it. Eventually when it starts to sink in that this kid is just you psychically manifesting your own hangups again, Fray just suddenly shows up, says some cool pal stuff, apologizes for the whole bit before with going full embodiment of your darker nature and trying to kill/replace you, and teams up to trash this little punk, after which you can summon them in combat, so that's cool. Again, hands down best writing in the whole game, and again, this is the writer who took over as lead for Shadowbringers, where things generally get more enjoyable.

But yeah, there's other expansions' jobs to cover too. These have less to them though, since Stormblood's don't start at a low enough level to squeeze in three arcs of story and just give you the one, and past that they basically phased out job quests in favor of role quests, so the classes from those also just get a quick intro really. In other words, lightning round!

The Red Mage quests are about helping some cool cat help a girl with amnesia realize her past doesn't really matter and she should try being a red mage too. Blue Mage is a mutant job you learn from a conman with a heart of gold, suckering people into signing up as blue mages and faking magic shows/duels to raise money to send to his lizard pals in fantasy America. Samurai's quests are your standard cool old guy with a sword has big regrets, trains you hoping you'll kill him to atone for stuff he's ashamed of. Gunbreaker is kind of also that but with a lot of wandering mercenary stuff first, and the amazing revelation that in this setting guns are called guns because the concept of bullets is derived from the magic cartridges used to give extra oompf to the swings of gunblades, and gunblades get their name from being the blades of Queen Gunnhildr. We'll circle back to her. Dancer like Rogue is a job where cool charismatic people have a secret mission, in this case killing these weird horrible emotion-based monsters after luring them out with sexy dance performances. It's kind of a preview of Endwalker's whole deal. Sage is about being a science nerd who heals people even when they suck. Reaper is about joining a found family of mostly Garlean ex-pats who make soul contracts with demons to get cool edgelord powers to fight demons, and keeping scythe-mom from going all self-sacrifice. Seems like a terrible idea when you can just kill them normally, but then post-Endwalker we learn most demons are actually pretty chill nerds who just want out of hell, so it's cool.

I think I already covered the role quests elsewhere, but real quick: In Shadowbringers, we help a set of mercenaries deal with the monster-angel forms of Ardbert's old crew while learning along the way how most of them were originally pretty cool people, and help some crafty types with humanitarian work and also with finding where invisible dinosaurs hang out. Then in Stormblood, we revisit every major city to help their leaders get fleshed out and deal with the one person each had suicidal enough to turn into a big monster, and then go help a bunch of college nerds awkwardly date each other and work out the secret of healthy bread that doesn't taste disgusting.

Next on the agenda- Deep Dungeons! At some point in the process of wedging extra stuff into this game, someone realized that tacking one of them randomly generated 100 floor dungeons where you can only use what you get inside is a welcome addition to basically anything, and FF14 has three of them. The Palace of the Dead is a horrible hole in the ground tied in with some of the spookier quests in Gridania where you finally confront a nasty ghost girl you had unresolved business with and some stuffy old necromancer. Heaven-on-High is a mysterious Jenga tower off the coast of Doma which turns out is actually a high tech training ground built forever ago. Eureka Orthos is a sub-basement under the crystal tower with conceptual ties to Eureka, which we're getting to, because... somehow the writers still had more to say about ancient Allagan superweapons, somehow. You know there's a bunch of apocalypses in this timeline you never really dug into right? It doesn't all have to be this ONE ancient evil empire. Anyway these are actually all pretty story light, I'm just covering my bases.

Finally, let's talk a bit about relics. Every post-whatever patch cycle has some set of weapons that have this whole multi-stage evolution to them whose acquisition is this WHOLE THING. ARR's just involve entirely too many sort of tedious steps replaying the whole game up to that point multiple times over with a vague reference to creating the weapons of the Zodiac Braves, you know from FFT. Heavensward has some weird nerd all about bringing into being this weird fairy-like new form of life by letting it hang out in your sword/stick/gloves/whathaveyou while you absorb elemental essence for a good long while, and has an unrelated side project where crafters can raid sky islands for supplies and help rebuild the lower levels of Ishgard as kind of a theme park. After that though, they made these pretty beefy chunks of game.

The Forbidden Land of Eureka is... that island Krile and her grandfather were hanging out on before it was suddenly wiped off the map while on the phone with Minfilia near the end of ARR. It just somehow... passed through the center of the earth and popped out by Kugane. It's kind of a wreck and is particularly all elementally imbalanced and supercharged, and it is basically a whole second MMO with older sensibilities stashed away inside the one you were already playing, as you explore a bunch of really well-rendered biomes, grind tons of monsters which had a surprising number of new art assets, actually deal with elemental paper-rock scissors mechanics, and get a bit of a retelling of FF5's backstory with Galuf's weird old friends as flashbacks between fixing up teleporter networks and dealing with Krile's evil little smug nerd rival... who ultimately turns out to have just been fake evil. The whole thing caps off with this homage to FF11's most infamously nasty content with a high stakes dungeon that gates some progress behind people out in the overworld killing bosses in sync with those inside. Very grindy but I actually like the vibe a lot.

Then post-Shadowbringers when we're re-building the hype of the Imperial threat and getting into how its various holdings are rebelling, we have the Bozjan Southern Front, where a bunch of Big Women and Cat Men are fighting the empire in full force with honestly a bit of a World War I vibe to it with the trenches and big tanks and such. There's some pretty cool grand assaults on major fortresses, and a bit of backstabbing intrigue with a spy who eventually uses the local resource of crystalized traumatic memories to brainwash a recreated-from-the-past version of the country's old leader Queen Gunhildr and then kinda merge with her in this like-summoning-Shiva-but-technically-this-isn't-a-god-it's-its-own-thing-but-yeah-people-still-get-tempered deal. This one is written by the same guy as Final Fantasy Tactics who wanted to have a much more involved storyline with way more NPCs but this got truncated down to fun facts on collectable trading cards, essentially. Still pretty neat and show-y though.

And... is that it? Am I done? I think I already covered the variant dungeons and made at least passing mention of the private island farming thing (which, I confess, I have not looked at... but I'm told Sadu and her girlfriend the other au ra leader swing by on a date at some point). I might quietly add that in later, but otherwise, that's really it. That is all the plot of FF14 as of this time of writing. There is nothing else left for me to summarize... until Dawntrail comes out like... this Wednesday, time of writing.

As usual, here's my patreon. Here's my Amazon wishlist full of other games I could be playing instead of talking about this one. I am in bad financial shape and these articles are a lot of work, so, maybe help me out?

[missyourflight]

some stuff i read and watched in august:

good omens (s2): enjoyed this more than s1 bc i didn't have to spend any time at all w jack whitehall, they're very cute

the righteous gemstones (s3): surprisingly affected by the judy storyline lol, judy/bj a true freak romance long may they reign. i miss these idiots already

tour de france unchained: i got hashtag influenced by @eff41 and i'm so glad, watched most of this mouth agape why would anyone put themselves through this etc 🚴

the borgias (s1): how was this 2011 lol, so many awful wigs, one time a bunch of us met david oakes after a play he was in and he was Such a sweetheart, again the wigs are truly so bad, can you imagine the incest discourse if this came out today

the rules of the game: gosford park 60 years before gosford park existed! rich people!! gonna have to watch more renoir bc some of those tracking shots were Wild

opening night: oh my god gena rowlands. as ever i love stories about putting on a show

a few good men: hadn't seen this in years and it's classic sorkin fun (woof at the end tho lol 🦅), everyone's talking so fast, tom cruise is a Star etc, you can't handle the truth!!!

jerry maguire: again, hadn't seen this in years and i'd remembered it as being way more of a romcom when really it's mostly a sports film. the secret garden needle drop is brutally good and it got me Twice, intresting to think about paired w eyes wide shut in terms of cruise performances where he's desperately trying to cover the Void beneath it all. even though it's nonsense the big romantic moment gets me!!!

please baby please: fun sexy queer, i would not have predicted harry melling would have one of the most interesting post-potter careers lol, andrea riseborough!!! should have been a musical probably!!

nicola dinan, bellies: liked this a lot, the dual pov works at showing you both sides' feelings and flaws in a v empathetic way i think

ann patchett, tom lake: putting on a show!! pairs well with sweet sorrow by david nicholls in the bittersweet theatrical romance nostalgia subgenre. our town isn't as much as a thing over here as it is in the states so i'm very glad i got to see the rx production from a few years back - it was beautiful and it definitely helped to be familiar reading this

adam zmith, deep sniff: a history of poppers and queer futures: got reminded by @baking-soda's foray into poppers discourse that i had this sitting on my kindle lol. an odd but enjoyable read - much more of a personal manifesto for pleasure than i was expecting but i'm all for that, could have done without e.g. the extended tangent about a self-published mystery novel?? the star trek bits can stay

freya marske, a restless truth: love a mystery set entirely on a boat, love an f/f romance that's actually hot (if you have any other recs please share ty)

claire keegan, small things like these: absolutely devastating slip of a novella jfc

also i teared up today listening to adrian lester on the shakespeare unlimited podcast so you should listen if you enjoy that sort of thing!